Glenn Kirschner – The Biden campaign opens a Truth Social account – @BidenHQ – and OUTPACES Trump’s campaign account!
The Lincoln Project – Rick Reacts: Biden’s Strength In Crisis [zero punches pulled]
Armageddon Update – Israel Attacked…AGAIN!
Parody Project – Tom Dooley Parody about Judge Thomas – HANG UP YOUR ROBE (SPEAK TRULY)
Couples Takes Home Pregnant Stray Cat Living At A Car Rental Shop In Costa Rica
Beau – Let’s talk about what fiction can teach us about politics…
Yesterday, Lona put up a comment on the video thread for the 18th which included a video she hopes everyone hare will look at and read. I can’t link directly to the comment, as I used to be able to do in the old system, but I can link to the thread, so that you only need to scroll down and expand the comment. Between this and the short takes – I’m sorry I had to put up such a downer on a weekend. But it’s important – and it’s important to address this stuff right away before too many people get sucked in to the information silo.
Cartoon – 21 Nelson
Short Takes –
Protect Democracy – Poland just showed the world how democracy wins
Quote – At a gathering of pro-democracy organizations in 2017, a Polish opposition member of parliament named Agnieszka Pomaska was asked: “What’s your number one piece of advice for democracy advocates in the United States?” Poland has been at the front lines between democracy and authoritarianism, between freedom and repression — not just in the current era, but arguably throughout modern history. Pomaska’s response was simple: “Don’t let the pro-democracy coalition fracture.” On Sunday, Polish voters showed the world just how effective that strategy can be.
Click through for details. Look, I would never say that, for instance, Hamas would never attack Israel or anything else Jewish for no reason at all. Nor would I ever say that Bibi’s government is desirable, or anything otjher than authoritarian and inhumane. But the timing of this war in the Midddle East looks to me designed to fracture the coalition. Just as attacks on Hillary, mostly made up and even the small errors far less important than Republican crime, were designed to fracture the coalition – and they succeeded. And, yes, there are people who are willing to kill for political theater if it strengthens their position or their base.
The 19th – What it takes to defend diversity
Quote – Just three years after the racial reckoning that made much of society examine the ongoing legacy and harm of systemic inequality, a parallel reckoning has also unfolded. It’s one driven by a sense of grievance from White American men, a movement that often co-opts women and even people of color, making them out to be victims of current efforts that are designed to right historic wrongs. Such efforts, Abrams told me, are part of a larger strategy to roll back attempts to make our country more free and fair for women and people of color. It’s the same playbook that dismantled voting and abortion rights, aimed at rolling back racial progress in institutions across the country. “The through line is that our progress as a nation, our economic uplift, our continued dominance, is predicated on full participation, and diversity, equity and inclusion is the roadmap to get us there,” Abrams said. “The threat of lawsuits, the threat of public castigation, the threat of being called out for doing right, is compelling some to retrench. That is dangerous.”
Click through for article. We’ve seen this before. We’re seeing it again. And then things will get better for a while, and then we’ll see it again – those of us who are still around. I don’t know what it will take to make it go away forever, and maybe that’s not possible. I’m pretty sure it’s not possible to eliminate misogyny. It doesn’t appear to be hereditary (Exhibits A, B, and C Stephen Miller, Paul Gosar, RFK Jr), so selective breeding wouldn’t do it, even if that were feasible.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – At his NY fraud trial, Trump sits quietly in court then, during breaks, steps to the cameras & LIES!
The Lincoln Project – Faith
Thom Hartmann – To Stay In Power These Politicians Will Take Away This Fundamental Right…
John Fugelsang – Breaking News: The Trump China Tapes! (a tribute to a certain comedy duo)
Teenager Sneaks Lost Puppy Into His House When His Parents Fall Asleep
Beau – Let’s talk about Rudy’s trouble in Georgia….
Yesterday – Will wonders never cease!
The story implies that the railroad cooperated, and also that we got some help from the federal government. Also that there will be intermitttent closures ehrn they start building the bridge back. We joke that Colorado has four seasons – almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction – but they could get to it during the winter – if we don’t have too much snow. At least CPR will let me know. Southbound opened yesterday, but they expect northbound to open today. In case it doesn’t, I will see that on the way down. So, if I do need a detour, now or in the future, it may only be one way. Gosh, I’m glad we have a Democratic governor!
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
PolitiZoom – Court Employee Arrested After Approaching Trump During Trial To ‘Assist Him’ MAGA Follower?
Quote – Judges and courtrooms are known for being sober individuals and somber places, but not when the Trump circus is in town. A court employee was arrested and subsequently put on administrative leave after she approached Donald Trump during his Trump Organization trial this morning at the 60 Centre Street court, shouting that she wanted to help him. It will certainly be interesting to get the details on what help she was offering. We will update when that information is available.
Click Through for more. This is a real doozy. Tina Peters in Colorado comes to mind. You gotta wonder how many there are of these.
Wonkette (Substack) – Woke Farmer Mob Converts Former MA Cranberry Bogs To Wetlands, Preventing Floods, Sequestering Carbon
Quote – Around the turn of this century,… the cranberry industry [in Massachuisetts] started being pinched by a worldwide cranberry glut…. But what to do with the former berrylands? Farmers could probably sell out to developers, but that wasn’t necessarily something they wanted to see. Fortunately, crazy environmentalist hippies and ecologists (same thing) had an idea: How about restoring the bogs to be wetlands again, like they were before getting covered in sand for cran-griculture?
Click through for details. There is a fair amount of science here, but it’s not terribly technical. It’s easy to grasp. Who knew sand could have such consequences?
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Did Donald Trump ALREADY violate Judge Chutkan’s gag order? The answer might surprise you.
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican – October 17, 2023
Robert Reich – From Robber Barons to Bezos: Is History Repeating Itself?
Puppet Regime – Vladimir Putin travels time, everything is fine! | P
Rescuers Search Everywhere For Mother Of Kittens Found In Sewer
Beau – Let’s talk about surprising witness in the Georgia case….
Yesterday – actually the day before, but it was reported yesterday, a civil suit which the NAACP had filed in federal court against one Donald J. Trump** et al., for attempting to disenfranchise black voters, was reassigned – to Judge Tanya Chutkan. My, my. It really is normal to assgn cases with the same defendand in the same jurisdiction to the same judge. But it’s still very amusing.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Wonkette – Biden Campaign Joins Trump’s ‘Truth Social,’ Just To Be A [Troll]
Quote – The [Biden campaign regime] signed up using the “Dark Brandon” meme as their profile pic, and their first “truth” was “Well. Let’s see how this goes. Converts welcome!” They typed “Well.” for their first word. Just like that. They told Fox News Digital that they’re “meeting voters where they are.” There is no part of this that isn’t trolling. This didn’t cost them money. There is not one inbred moron on Truth Social the Biden campaign is truly seeking out as a voter. But sure, converts welcome!
Click through (to Substack) for details. “Let’s see how this goes” indeed. ROTFL.
The 19th – Women donors are underrepresented in fundraising for state elections. The impacts are wide-ranging.
Quote – It’s a nationwide phenomenon,” Sanbonmatsu said. “It is an important form of participation, and we do find large imbalances in how much money women and men are giving to politics — and it’s less visible than looking at voter turnout.” The share of all money raised from women donors was as low as 14 percent in Nebraska and 18 percent in Illinois, the report found. Colorado led the nation in this time period with 46 percent of all money raised coming from women donors, as it became the second state to elect a majority-woman legislature.
Click through for details – There are some (though I wish there were more.) Yes, I’m proud that Colorado is leading the way here. I also noticed that, in Colorado, if you look at women’s tosal donations as a percentage of men’s total donations, that figure is 85% Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that close to the figure which represents the wages women earn as a percentage of what men earn?
Food For Thought
For another opinion., click on the image. 😀
Glenn Kirschner – Judge Chutkan imposes gag order on Donald Trump in DC case to protect witnesses and others.
The Lincoln Project – The Choice is Clear
Thom Hartmann – This Army Aims to Stop Americans From Voting
Patrick Fitzgerald – Jackson (Johnny Cash Song Parody ft Donald Trump, Merrick Garland, and Jack Smith) [The song on which this parody is based, which was a hit for Johnny Cash and June Carter, was not a love song but a marital duel. It was loosely based on “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” If you llook up the lyrics, or watch a Cash/Carter video of “Jackson” you may find this even funnier)]
Guy Shows his Rescue Pittie the Wonders of Fall for the Very First Time
Beau – Let’s talk about much ado about $6 billion….
Yesterday, this paragraph was in the public radio newsletter: “Colorado said the bridge that collapsed near Pueblo in a fatal train derailment was owned by the railroad company, but the company says the state owns it.” It’s going to be a long wait. Sigh. “Photos and videos posted by authorities showed the partially collapsed bridge with the semi-truck caught beneath in the right lane. The images also show a pileup of train cars and wheels scattered across the scene and loads of coal covering a portion of the highway. Thirty-nine cars of the 124 being hauled derailed, the National Transportation Safety Board said.”
Also, my ballot arrived. I already knew how I wanted to vote on the two issues, but there is also a school board election. Five candiedates. Two vacancies. At least this time Ballotpedia came through on a couple of them (one yes, one no) and another candidate ‘s name was unusual enough that just her name brought up that she’s registered D. So I had two that I could vote for, and did. The other two should have filled out the questionnaires.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
John Pavlovitz – The One Place to Stand in The Israel-Palestine Violence
Quote – As a person of faith, morality, and conscience, I don’t know where to stand in times like these—other than with squandered, brutalized life. That means I don’t get off so easy as to be able to make a tidy little declaration and walk away feeling good about myself. It means I have to leave the shallows of ambiguity and into deep waters of nuance and history and human nature. It means I have to read and learn, to listen and reflect, to pray and wrestle. It means I’ll end up with fewer answers and more questions and I might be sick to my stomach. But this place of staring at the ugly unfigureoutable is where I am, where many of us are.
Click through for full secular sermon – which is what I found it to be. Yes, John is a pastor, but he does his best to speak to everyone, and often succeeds. I think he succeeds here.
Colorado Public Radio – Navy honors sailor who helped stop Club Q shooting
Quote – During a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 5, Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, director of Plans, Policy and Strategy for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command, presented the medal on behalf of the Navy…. “I myself can only hope that I would channel the courage in our Navy core values like he did,” Robertson said. “But, we don’t have to wait for crisis to apply core values. We can and should apply them every day. That’s what I am taking away from the lessons you taught us all.”
Click through for full story. This is a week or more old – I saved it until Pat got back. Thank God Tommy Tuberville didn’t have his way before this occurred – it could have been much worse.
Food For Thought
