Glenn Kirschner – Pres Biden & VP Harris Address Nation on 1/6 Anniversary, as 1/6 Committee Ratchets Up Investigation
The Lincoln Project – Biden
Liberal Redneck – January 6th Anniversary
In memoriam Sir Sidney Poitier
MSNBC – Capehart memorializes Sidney Poitier
Colbert – Abhor-Rent
Beau – Let’s talk about Schumer and the filibuster…. Beau has a VERY good idea.
Yesterday, the radio opera was “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” by Terrence Blanchard. It certainly took the Met long enough to present an opera by a black composer (it’s not as if there weren’t any – Anthony Davis has written more than one, including “Amistad” which Chicago Lyric broadcast so long that I have a cassette tape of it which I made from the broadcast), but I must say when they finally did, they did it handsomely. Stunning cast, and premiered on opening might so it could not be ignored. I often think and sometimes say, “Not like opera? It has sex, violence, betrayal, revenge – what’s not to like?” and this is no exception. A black boy – a boy “of peculiar grace” – coming of age in the South (Louisiana) – in the seventies – when Jim Crow was not legal but still seething – and all that implies, and more. OK, it’s not pretty, but as Latonia Moore (who sings Charles’s mother) said, “It shows what you can overcome if you are honest with yourself.”
Also, I got the modem set up by quarter after six. It would have been faster has I not had to crawl under the desk and untangle a plethora of cords. But it’s done, and it works.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
The Nib – “Beyond the Scope”
Quote – A battery researcher’s work is supported by a hidden supply chain. In order to store power, batteries convert electrical energy into chemical energy. these reactions require a material sourcee, extracted from … somewhere.
Click through. It is, of course, a graphic. But you’d have to look hard to find the same information elsewhere, and then it would not be from the same perspective.
The 19th – The 19th Explains: What older people and caregivers need to know about omicron
Quote – Vaccinated older adults have significantly better outcomes than unvaccinated seniors, but the vaccine does not make people bulletproof. COVID-19 is still a threat to older adults, who are at higher risk of severe illness and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click through. None of us is getting any younger. And there’s been a lot of talk about Omicron’s symptoms being mild … sometimes.
Daily Kos – Cyber Ninjas hit with $50,000/day fine for not turning over public records
Quote – Cyber Ninjas says the firm has shut down and Doug Logan is now the “former” CEO and all workers have been let go. The firm’s lawyer even tried to resign during today’s 2-hour hearing, since he says he hasn’t been paid. Maricopa Superior Court Judge John Hannah was having none of it; Cyber Ninjas is sitting on records that the public is entitled to, and they can’t escape their responsibilities by simply saying they’re out of business.
Click through for story. Lots of poetic justice here.
Bonus – There’s a virtual event coming up which should be – ah- interesting. The Conversation is hosting a webinar with the originator of, and fomer winner of, the IgNobel Prize on the subkect of “Physics and psychology of cats – an (Improbable) Conversation.” This will take place on Thirsday, Januaty 20, at 4-5 pm EST/1/2 pm PST and corresponding times between. Registration is here, and they say it is limited (I’m not sure why, but that’s what they said), although it appears to be free.
Food For Thought:
Glenn Kirschner – AG Garland Signals DOJ Will hold the “Powerless & Powerful” Accountable for Crimes of January 6
Meidas Touch David Pepper dissects how the GOP is DESTROYING democracy
The Lincoln Project – Last Week Year in the Republican Party
Really American – January 6 – Dress Rehearsal To Overthrow America
VoteVets – Generals – and “True blue.”
Wild Groundhog Won’t Let Woman Go Home Without Her
Beau – Let’s talk about newly disclosed information about the 6th….
Yesterday, the new modem arrived. I didn’t install it because I read the directions (what kind ofperson does that, for heaven’s sake?) and they said it would not be activated until 5 pm today. So, I figured better slow internet than none at all. I still managed to gt two posts up for today and Erinyes ready to post tomorrow with two clicks.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Daily Beast – Liz Cheney Torches Trump on Fox News
Quote – After praising speeches marking the anniversary from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris earlier in the day, Cheney quickly pivoted to attacking Trump. “This was a mob that was summoned by and provoked by the president of the United States in an effort to stop the counting of electoral votes, which is a Constitutional process,” she said, explaining how the events of January 6 were different from the outside threats that hit America in the cases of 9/11 or Pearl Harbor.
Click through for more, including a video. I think that the Committee is doing thiings exactly right, and that includes Liz. No Republican will listen to a Democrat, not will they listen to Kinzinger, who is leaving Congress (redistricted out.) But Liz is not going anywhere, and she can always trot out her dad, to demonstrate even an old-school war criminal Republican approves of her stand, as she did at the Capitol Thursday. [She and Dick were the only two Republicans present.]
Mother Jones – Merrick Garland Issues Dire Warning About Voting Rights on Eve of January 6
Quote – In his speech, Garland referenced the Supreme Court’s decision in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act and eliminated the provision barring historically discriminatory jurisdictions from altering voting laws without preclearing those changes with the DOJ. Without new legislation to restore those powers, Garland implied, the department lacks the proper tools to protect the right of every American to vote.
Click through for story. So far, Noah and I appear to be the only ones who actually grasped that warning. Given what Republicans are doing, we could win every Congressional, Senatorial, and Gubernatorial race by a margin of 75-25, and still have all the races in red states overturned. And if that happens, it’s game over.
CNN – Manhattan district attorney announces he won’t prosecute certain crimes
Quote – His office will focus on accountability, he said, not sentence length. “Research is clear that, after a certain length, longer sentences do not deter crime or result in greater community safety,” he said, adding that his department will expand its use of “restorative justice programming.”
Click through, with the caveat that CNN is not impressed, and the police and the police union are losing their solid waste. Mr. Bragg has the right priorites. At least the mayor is kinds sorta behind him. All Bragg is saying is “We’re going to treat people of color like white people (and LBGTQ like we treat cis peole, etc.” And that’s what has all those panties in a knot.
Food For Thought:
Glenn Kirschner – Peter Navarro Joins the Ranks of Trump’s Co-Conspirators; Garland Set to Discuss Jan 6 Investigation
Meidas Touch – Ron DeSantis struggles to breathe, gasps for air in shocking new video (I don’t think it’s all that obvious myself, but it is there … so soon after he “disappeared” for five days.)
The Lincoln Project – Closer Than You Think I
CBS – Representative Jamie Raskin talks January 6 and son’s death ahead of Capitol attack anniversary
Really American – Democrats Shown To Be True Supporters Of Police (Don’t miss the almost buried punchline, starting with “Ask…”)
Liberal Redneck – Review of Senator Ted Cruz
Beau – Let’s talk about Garland’s speech….
Yesterday, I struggled with the Internet, but managed to get posts up for today. For tomorrow, I may just put up some lightweight articles (and videos) in order to spend as much time as possibble doing non-Internet stuff – like making some new cartoons. If the new modem comes as promised tomorrow, and particularly if it comes early, I’ll be able to do more.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
The 19th – ‘We almost lost our democracy’: How 38 women in Congress want you to remember January 6
Quote – Though The 19th tried repeatedly to reach lawmakers from both parties, only Democrats responded. Last year, 147 Republicans objected to certifying the election results. Many of the Democrats we spoke to said the tension between lawmakers, in part stemming from that day and the denial of the lawful election, as well as dispute over how to investigate it, has made working across the aisle harder than ever.
Click through for all 38. Just some of them: Demings, Jayapal, Duckworth, Hirono, Dingell, Klobuchar,
NM Political Report – Crisis pregnancy centers are a public health danger, according to a report
Quote – CPCs offer some basic, nonmedical services for pregnant people but are intentionally designed to lure unsuspecting pregnant individuals into their offices to prevent abortions, reproductive health experts have said. According to the report, CPCs use “deceptive, coercive tactics and medical disinformation and misleadingly present themselves as medical facilities.”
Click through. Another one to file under “No shit, Sherlock.” But it’s good they are paying attention, at least.
DOJ official transcript of Garland speech
Quote – In charging the perpetrators, we have followed well-worn prosecutorial practices. Those who assaulted officers or damaged the Capitol face greater charges. Those who conspired with others to obstruct the vote count also face greater charges. Those who did not undertake such conduct have been charged with lesser offenses — particularly if they accepted their responsibility early and cooperated with the investigation.
Click through for full text (much better than what I had so far. I had only corrected the spacing, hadn’t even started on captalization, punctuation, or paragraphing.)
Food For Thought:
This could explain a lot:
Glenn Kirschner – Bipartisan Jan. 6 Committee Investigates Trump w/Clear-Eyed Determination and Purpose of Mission
Meidas Touch – Michael Cohen recalls when Trump offered up Don Jr. for prison over Ivanka (you may have seen this information in print)
The Lincoln Project – Navarro
Don Winslow – #DonaldTrumpLovesAntifa (TeeHee)
No Dem Left Behind – Richard Ojeda on the Trump Crime Family
Vote Vets – Brig.Gen.(Ret.) Steven Anderson On ‘CBS Sunday Morning’ Discussing Ongoing Insurrection Threat
Beau – Let’s talk about how the US and China’s contest will end….
Yesterday, I ran through all the online diagnostics before calling CenturyLink, and I’m glad I did so. I have had my current modem for more than 9 years, and it’s been obsolete for a while now. So I really have no right to complain. I checked out the current models available, and discovered that one of the three newest models is made by the same manufacturer as my old one, and the cord array looks exactly the same, so I can install it easily – no need to brinf a tech to the house in plague time. I’m expected to get it Saturday. Meantime, I have found a flow which will enable me to work faster by moving slower, so I will make it until (probably not without some colorful language in the process, though.)
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
The New Yorker (Borowitz – NOT THE NEWS!) Sean Hannity Informs January 6th Panel that Swearing to Tell the Truth Would Violate His Contract with Fox
Quote – In a written statement, Hannity said that taking an oath “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” would be “a betrayal of the solemn vow I made to Fox. +The members of the committee would no doubt require me to swear on a Bible,” he said. “However, I answer to a higher power: Rupert Murdoch.”
Click through if you aren’t paywalled out. Sounds like straight news to me (but I did LOL.)
Trump called her an ‘incredible woman,’ but Ashli Babbitt was a Q-nut with a violent past
Quote – Norris’ first encounter with Babbitt took place on July 29, 2016, when Norris says Babbitt rammed her SUV in a road-rage incident in Prince Frederick, Maryland. “She pulls up yelling and screaming,” Norris told AP. “It took me a good 30 seconds to figure out who she was. … Just all sorts of expletives, telling me to get out of the car, that she was going to beat my ass.”
Click through for backstory. I don’t say “full” because there is undoubteedly more to be learned. I would also call her incredible – but NOT as a compliment!
Merrick Garland speech – Assuming this would be the major topic everyome would be interested in, I listened to it. Twice. The second time with a YouTube video which has CC and therefore I could download a transcript (how good remains to be seen,) and I will figure out a way to make that available – that one, or a better one if someone beats me to it. But, to summarize, he said –
We are working on it and we won’t stop until we get everyone. If I told you any more, it would jeopardize the investigation (DOJ policy, based on experience and best practices.) We started at the bottom and are working our way up, and that is reflected in sentincing (which by implication will go up with the involvement of the offender – also best practices.) We are also working on voting rights (if the investigation takes too long, we are going to need voting rights as we never have before.) We are also working on death threats, (and you wouldn’e believe how many of those there are, and how many categories of people who have received them.) The time to deal with threats is when they are issued, not after a tragedy. First Amendment rights are important, but “protests” like 1/6 and death threats are not protected. (I thought it was clever of him to quote Scalia to support that instead of a more liberal justice, and it was a good quote.) Bottom line: We know how critical the investigation of 1/6 is for the survival of democracy, and we don’t intend to let anyone skate. We are working as hard as we can, that’s all we can tell you, so please get off our back and let us do our job.
Food For Thought:
