Open Thread – Page 142 – Politics Plus

Open Thread August 22, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:57 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 222023

Yesterday, I was able to keep up with Hilary, but I had to hunt for it. I may be misremembering, but it seems to me we don’t have to search for news on hurricanes and tropical storms in The South – instead it’s challenging to avoid updates. That may have something to do with “If it bleeds, it leads,” since there are few or no fatalities from Hilary. And that has to do both with the storm losing power and also with the measures taken by governments to prepare. I did find a WaPo article which i was able to see and read, I assume because it’s been so long since I have tried that its server forgot me. The overall impression was “Major cleanup, but lives spared.” Incidentally, thee’s another storm in the Gulf heading for Texas.

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Short Takes –

PolitiZoom – Poll Shows MAGAs Trust Trump More Than Their Own Mother
Quote – However bizarre, it’s true. A recent CBS News/YouGov poll show that Trump voters aka MAGAs, trust their Mango Messiah above family, church leaders and other conservative figures — and by no small margin, we want you to know. By a considerable margin. He may be Trumpty Dumpty to you and me but to them he is the God of their understanding. Take a look and try not to let your jaw hit the laptop, those keyboards are hard…. They may trust Ben Shapiro or Franklin Graham or Mom or brother to some extent but not like they trust Trumpty. Yes, it is enough to make you sick.
Click through for article. I’ve always thought that all humor is based on some kind of incongruity – and this is so incongruous that it ought to be hysterical – but it isn’t (at not least in the humorous sense.) When my mom was alive, there were people I might have tructed more than I did her on some particular topics – quantum physics, for instance – but not on “common sense” matters. Incidentally, it gets stranger the farther you read, and the trend continues into the comments.

Axios – Trump’s bail set at $200,000 in Georgia 2020 election case
Quote – Former President Trump’s bail has been set at $200,000 in the Fulton County prosecution over his alleged efforts to subvert 2020 election results in Georgia.,,,
Monday’s court filing, signed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Trump’s lawyers, also includes strict conditions on witness intimidation.
“The defendant shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice,” per the court filing.
“The above shall include, but are not limited to, posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media,” the order adds.
Click through for likely even more details than I had. Of course he will post the bail., and of course he will violate tha conditions. And that will be when it gets intresting.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 8/21/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:08 pm Open Thread, Politics

Aug 212023

[I think Glenn means “in to” rather than “into” – and hope that gives you a chuckle. It did me.]
Glenn Kirschner – Trump to turn himself into GA authorities. Here’s how DA Fani Willis CAN give Trump a speedy trial.

PoliticsGirl – This Must Stop

VoteVets – AWOL

Armageddon Update – Year Of The Weasel!

Tiny Stray Kitten Follows Guy Home And Never Leaves

Beau – Let’s talk about Santos, fundraising, and another indictment….

Open Thread August 21, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:06 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 212023

Yesterday, I kept periodically checking on Hurricane Hilary. PP has at least one reader in southern Cal, and my BFF has family there. Just to make life more intresting, there was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake near Ojai (Ventura Coounty) – if you hadn’t heard, that’s probably because compared to the storms it was trivial. And then there’s southern Nevada and Arizona, which are now in the path. Hilary had been staying a cat 4 into the afternoon, but they were not ruling out Cat 5 status being reached, and the flooding was being considered the biggest danger. We could be continuing to see the ongoing effects for another day or two before it finishes. And then there’a another system in the Pacific and 4 more in the Atlantic.

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Short Takes –

HuffPost – Trump Lawyer On Georgia Case Has Eyebrow-Raising Tie To Prosecutor Fani Willis
Quote – Findling gave $1,440 to Fani Willis’ successful Democratic primary bid for Fulton County DA in July 2020, the outlet wrote, citing data from the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. Meanwhile, he donated $8,400 for Biden’s White House bid…. He told Insider at the time that differing political views do not stand in the way of him offering a vigorous defense against “wrongful investigations.”
Click through for details. I doubt that this means anything (except that he might be competent), but I’m surprised that Trump** isn’t all over it like stink on you-know-what.

Orlando Sentinel (via Yahoo! News) – ‘Parenting with Pride’ aims to take on conservative Moms for Liberty in Florida schools
Quote – “This is what Florida families really look like,” said Brandon Wolf, spokesperson for Equality Florida as he gestured to the group of people with varying races, gender identities, sexualities and immigration statuses who had come to support the new initiative. “For years, parents and families just like the ones behind me have been under assault. … Politicians have waged war on these families turning their classrooms into political battlefields and descending school districts into utter chaos. But today marks a turning of the tide. Today marks a rise in the resistance against that agenda.”
Click hrough for article. Yahoo! News provides news articles straight from their sources, which is why I cited the Sentinel. However, I did not look at the comments, and I recommend (based on prior experience) that ypu don’t either if you value your blood pressure. Too many little-y yahoos.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 8/20/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:07 pm Open Thread, Politics

Aug 202023

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s lawyers make ABSURD request – ask Judge Chutkan set an April 2026 trial date in DC case!

The Lincoln Project – Roger Stone on November 5, 2020

Thom Hartmann – U.S. Rep. Vows To Use Force To Achieve Far Right Takeover…

Puppet Regime – Vladimir Putin, film critic

This Dog Stared At The Wall For Hours Until Finally Realized He Was Home

Beau – Let’s talk about Colorado, Alabama, and a General’s house….

Open Thread August 20, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:03 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 202023

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Manon” by Jules Massenet (Puccini also wrote “Manon Lescaut” based on the same book, and so did a number of other composers whose works are not in the repertory.) It’s based on a 1731 novel written by a French priest, which IMO is Exhibit A for why priests should not do marriage counseling. Manon is described as “capturing the heart of everyone she encounters,” but in no version that I have seen is she even likeable. She’s a gold digger who can’t even be consistent in digging gold, and she doesn’t just manage to get into trouble herself, but destroys the one man who truly loves her (which doesn’t say much for him either.) But of course the music is wonderful (in both this one and the Puccini) so I listened to it all the way to the end when she and her lover are “lost in the deserts of Louisiana,” even though I can’t help snickering at the thought of any part of Louisiana being desert (you can blame the book for that.) This performance is from Barcelona, and the production looks like someone’s fantasy of modern Las Vegas (well, there is a fair amount of gambling in the opera.)

Also, a PSA – about 11:00 a.m. today Hurricane Hillary is expected to reach the Mexico-California border and by 11:00 p.m. to have passed Los Angeles. If you know anyone in the vicinity (Colleen already has it), here’s a link on preparations. And the LA Times has a map following and estimating its path. California has not experiened a hurricane in living memory – of those alive at the time of the Spanish Conquest. And who knows for how long before that. I know I’m late with this, but if you know anyone it would help, here it is.

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Short Takes –

The Warning – The peaceful transfer of power
Quote – American greatness has been fueled and sustained by qualities of character that are timeless and sorely needed during these days of national crisis. There should be no mistake about this being a moment of crisis or blindness about its cause, or who specifically is responsible…. (discussion of three Presidents’ characters) …Truman, a decorated combat veteran of the First World War, recalled his emotions this way, telling reporters the following day: “I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets had fallen on me.” Why did he feel that way? What burden was thrust upon him? It was the burden imposed by the most solemn oath that exists in American public life. Thirty-five words long, it is specifically proscribed in the US Constitution, and was taken for the first time on March 4, 1789, by George Washington. When Truman raised his hand, he was the 32nd person in American history to swear it. When he did, he became president of the United States of America. His styling was simple and unadorned. “Mr. President” is what we call the person who swears that oath. Here it is: “I do solemnly swear to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Click through for article. As always on substack, what looks like a paywall isn’t – the message may have an option to “let me try it first” or to “keep reading”or even “no thanks.” There may even be more than one. Whatever it is, click it and you’ll be in. This article is a little pep talk for us who already realize the gravity of our situation.

Upworthy – Daughter comes out as trans, gives dad courage to come out as well: ‘We’re stronger as a family’
Quote – Eric remembers his daughter being bullied as a kid. One of the first incidents of bullying was when Corey was pushed down a hill covered in frozen ice. She suffered injuries to her face and was forced to move to another school, as a result, said Eric, reported ABC News. Eric said the new school’s staff and students were more accepting of his daughter and treat her just like any of the other girls. “She’s allowed to use the girls’ bathroom and locker room, and play on the girls’ sports team and cheer team if she wants to,” said Eric. “We are just like any other kids. We only want people to accept and love us for who we are,” said Corey.
Click through for details. It’s a pretty good bet that anything you see on Upworthy is – worthy to be uprated and upraised. Crooks and Liars recently re-posted the video mentioned (the one with the captions.)

Food For Thought

Video Thread 8/19/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:00 pm Open Thread, Politics

Aug 192023

Glenn Kirschner – Trump supporter arrested for threatening judge presiding over Trump’s DC trial for elections crimes

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – August 15, 2023

The Ring of Fire – Trump’s Rivals Refuse To Call Out His Biggest Weakness

Trae Crowder for ATTN – The South is So Gay

Kitten Shows Up On Couple’s Boat And Stays Forever

Beau – Let’s talk about Hawaii and theories….

Open Thread August 19, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 192023

Yesterday, the Daily Beast (which devotes a lot of time and space to entertainment – movies, TV, books, music, pop culture – along with political stuff, had a story on a new episode on Apple TV (which I didn’t see, though it streamed last night) whose main character is Marcie – the Peanuts girl who calls Peppermint Patty “Sir.” And they included the trailer, which I did watch. It’s really rather sweet. Being an introvert myself, I was touched. Also yesterday, I received notification from John Pavlovitz that his “If God Is Love, Don’t Be A Jerk” series is going to be repeated (if you can call it a repeat when so much of it is teacher-student interaction and the students will be enew – at least some of them. It’s not free, but it does come with some perks and bennies. More information here.

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The 19th – Why DeSantis’ war on ‘woke’ isn’t winning in the GOP primary
Quote – For many LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans people, DeSantis’ war on woke has seemed like a direct assault on their ability to participate in society. For some people of color, particularly Black people, the Florida governor has appropriated a word from their culture and weaponized it against them. For those on the right, like DeSantis, who have embraced “woke” as an enemy, it can be a more palatable catch-all for a variety of race- and gender-based grievances designed to appeal to White voters worried about holding onto their power, according to experts. But it can also turn off Republican voters — for some, it’s seen as openly racist or anti-LGBTQ+, and for others, it’s too vague. And many of the GOP primary voters who relish attacks like those from DeSantis and others in the primary field already have a candidate: former President Donald Trump.
Click through for article. I suppose it would be possible to out-Trump** Trump**, which is what DeSaster is trying to do. But it cannot be done by a pudding-fingered white-booted wimp like him. Not that that solves the problem of bigots who hate the whole idea of “woke.”

The Nib – Shady Behavior
Quote – For being so prominent, palms dont pull their weight when it comes to cooling the city and preventing flooding. They provide poor canopy for catchng rainwater, offering little to offset what is known as the heat island effect: an increase in temperature in urbanized areas whose manmade structures absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat.
Click through for graphic article. I don’t know how long we will have The Nib – this could be the last I feature from it – but I will keep checking. I had no idea palms are technically not even trees. Los Angeles and its environs need to become aware of this – and maybe San Diego as well.

Food For Thought