Open Thread – Page 151 – Politics Plus

Open Thread July 17, 2023

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

Jul 172023

Yesterday was the first really hot day we have had this year. It reached 95°F in my area, and it’s often – usually, TBH – wormer in Pueblo than here, but that’s not predictable. However, I would not be surprised if it broke 100°F there. But the AC was working just fine, so I wasn’t uncomfortable.. Sometime in the last couple of weeks the facility had found some cards somewhere, so we played cribbage. The deck was not new, but it was complete, and it worked. Virgil returns all greetings. At home, I have finished the Nancy Pelosi Barbie but have no pictures yet. Doing an image search it appears I also have never posted any pics of the Kamala Harris Barbie. That at least I can do. RBG will take a lot longer because of the robe being satin, and the rayon thread being so fine it will take at least as many stitches as a sweater for a tall human, and I’ll have to be on constant guard against them sliding off and needing to be picked up – shiny rayon is slippery. And Michelle Obama will take longer yet because of the need for working in beads (I decided on the first inaugural.) Here’s hoping I live long enough!

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

New York Times (no paywall) – A Federal Judge Asks: Does the Supreme Court Realize How Bad It Smells?
Quote – Reasonable people may disagree on this. The more important, uncontroversial point is that if there will not be formal ethical constraints on our Supreme Court — or even if there will be — its justices must have functioning noses. They must keep themselves far from any conduct with a dubious aroma, even if it may not breach a formal rule. The fact is, when you become a judge, stuff happens. Many years ago, as a fairly new federal magistrate judge, I was chatting about our kids with a local attorney I knew only slightly. As our conversation unfolded, he mentioned that he’d been planning to take his 10-year-old to a Red Sox game that weekend but their plan had fallen through. Would I like to use his tickets?
Click through for full opinion. This article was gifted to me (and therefore to us) by one of the Substack authors I subscribe to. It’s not long, and it’s very well written. I hope it helps – but you can’t shame people who have no shame.

Crooks & Liars – Progress Action Fund: Ohio Republicans In Your Bedroom
Quote – As Ohio prepares to vote on August 8 on Ohio Issue 1 a Democratic super PAC put out this titillating ad. How it registers with voters remains to be seen. Generally speaking, voters giving away their rights for nothing isn’t that popular but Ohio Republicans have made a concerted effort to convince voters otherwise.
Click through for story and ad. Yes, I know I’ve posted about this election in Ohio before, in both threads. But this ad – well.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 7/16/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:51 am Open Thread, Politics

Jul 162023

Glenn Kirschner – Trump files brief in Georgia Supreme Court demanding they STOP DA Fani Willis from indicting him

The Lincoln Project – Blood in the Water

Talking Feds – Merrick Garland’s RARE Appeal of January 6th Sentences in BAD NEWS for Trump

MSNBC – Rep. Raskin: Trump’s devolved GOP into ‘authoritarian cult’

Hyperobject Industries – A Love Letter from Darth to Exxon

Rescue Kittens Love To Ride Around On Dad’s Shoulders

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden’s briefing booboo…. 😀

Open Thread July 16, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:02 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 162023

Yesterday, the radio opera was Verdi’s “I Lombardi alla prima crociata” (the Lombards in the First Crusade), his next opera published after “Nabucco,” which I only bring up because it’s the one whihich contains “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” which pretty much became an international incident. “I Lombardi” contains a chorus a bit reminiscent of the Nabucco one, but which, though it was aso tremendously popular in its day, did not come down through the centuries (well, almost two centuries) as the first one did. I’ve heard of I Lombardi, but till now I had never heard it. There are no big names in this production, and I’ll need to be careful not to tell Virgil today that there exist two recordings of it with José Carreras, because there is no way I can send him any audio, and it would just be tormenting him. Being early Verdi, the music is as much bel canto as it is what we expect to hear from Verdi. He was getting closer to finding his voice, but not quite there yet. Certainly well worth a listen. Off to see Virgil now; I’ll comment when I get home.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The 19th – The first over-the-counter birth control pill has been approved by the FDA. What will it cost?
Quote – Perrigo is planning to introduce some form of coupon program for people who want to buy Opill but cannot afford the cost. The company offered few details as to how that program will work in practice, so it’s hard to say how significantly it could expand access to the drug. Depending on Opill’s price, health insurance may choose to cover the pill, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research organization. But given how new the drug will be, and the availability of other prescription-based generic options, it’s hard to imagine many plans will voluntarily do so. Currently, the emergency contraception Plan B pill is only covered when prescribed by a doctor. Cox also agrees that it’s not clear that any existing federal law — including the ACA — could be interpreted to guarantee coverage of an over-the-counter birth control drug.
Click through for story. Good thing for me I don’t need it, since there’s just about no way I would do anything at the same time every day. I would suggest that, regardless what insurance does, FSAs and HSAs I am confident will cover it. Normally that doesn’t make it free, but it does make it tax-free.

Crooks & Liars – Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants Entire Biden Administration Drug Tested
Quote – How ’bout we test Trump for Adderall and Don Junior for coke? Or test the White House Correspondents, especially those from right-wing outlets? You know, PROBABLE CAUSE.
Click through for details and more alternate suggestions.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 7/15/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:57 am Open Thread, Politics

Jul 152023

Glenn Kirschner – Jordan, Gaetz & others in Congress go after FBI/Chris Wray to help Trump AND to protect themselves

The Lincoln Project – Bidenomics: Inflation Edition

MSNBC – Court orders New York to redraw congressional map

Rep. Porter Plays “JeoparDOD” to Expose Waste at the Pentagon

No One Wanted to be Friends with This Rescue Camel

Beau – Let’s talk about the GOP looking for alternatives to Trump….

Open Thread July 15, 2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:51 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 152023

Yesterday, for about a second, I considered referring to Saturday morning cartoons in connecion with having selected two short takes involving children. But there is nothing cartoonish about either of these children, nor about the situations in which they have found themselves. And I really hold MAGA – which means, ultimately Trump** – responsible for both. Not that the NRA and poisonous homophobes didn’t help … but both have become attached to and more or less claimed MAGA as their own. I’m not trying to be depressing. It just kind of turned out that way. Also, yesterday, the House passed a defense bill with restrictions on medical care, and PCCC emailed a video of Katie Porter using her whiteboard as a JeoparDOD board (I bumped another satire to get it into today’s video thread, so any Darth Vader “fan”s will have to wait a day.)

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks & Liars – Armed 8-Year-Old Arrested After Carjacking And Police Chase
Quote – Maj. Saba Coleman said officers responded to a robbery call in the 000 block of West Fairview Avenue shortly after 11 a.m. Officers soon learned a child had carjacked someone at gunpoint. She said officers tried to pull the stolen vehicle over shortly after in the area of East South Boulevard and Norman Bridge Road, but the driver refused to stop and a pursuit ensued. Coleman said the fleeing vehicle crashed into another vehicle in the area of West Fairview Avenue and South Court Street. No injuries were reported.
Click through for story. Frankly – it’s a miracle he’s alive.

The Daily Beast – A Mom Who Is Actually for Liberty Shames Tennessee School Board
Quote – Those are some of the things that Tennessee mom Lindsey Patrick-Wright says were shouted at her sixth grader, Pippy, at West Wilson Middle School in Mount Juliet this year. Patrick-Wright recited the list during the public comment session at the Wilson County School Board meeting over the weekend. She later told the Daily Beast she left out one comment. “My mom says it’s Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!” Patrick-Wright says Pippy replied, “Well, I’m a lesbian, so I don’t want Adam or Steve.”
Click through for details. In all honesty. the headline isn’t quite accurate because these people have no shame. But she certainly would have shamed them if they had any. I left out the actual list because of its ugliness. But it’s there at the site.

Food For Thought

Video Thread 7/14/2023

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 11:59 am Open Thread, Politics

Jul 142023

Glenn Kirschner – DOJ changes course, will NO LONGER defend Donald Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation case

Thom Hartmann – New Hate Group Wants To “Liberate” Your Children

MSNBC – Florida suffers consequences of DeSantis political games with public health

Liberal Redneck – Sound of Freedumb

Chonkiest Tomcat Appears In Woman’s Living Room

Beau – Let’s talk about Tuberville and the Marines….

Open Thread July 14, 2023

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

Jul 142023

Yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild announced a strike – its first in 43 years. This also means the motin picture undustry will have two unions on strike at the same time, which has not happened for even longer – 20 years longer, to be precise. The actors (and other personalities) have issues of their own, but they are also supportive of the Writers, who were already on strike. I wish them, and all unions, well.

Cartoon – 14 0714Cartoon.jpg

Short Takes –

Robert Reich – It’s time to declare victory in the inflation fight
Quote – The consumer price index was at 3% for the month of June, compared to the year before. This is a significant improvement from the May figure, which was 4%. And a major improvement from last year’s peak of 9.1% in June. The last time inflation neared 3% was in March 2021. So will the Fed please now declare victory? Yes, I know, the Fed has an inflation target of 2%, and some Fed officials have recently signaled they’re likely to raise interest rates again at their July 25-26 meeting. But it’s time to stop, because higher rates will slow the economy — and a slower economy will hurt lower-wage workers.
Click through for full argument. No contradiction from me.

HuffPost – Why We Need More Close Interracial Friendships (And Why We’re Bad At Them)
Quote – Developing cross-racial friendships is even more difficult in adulthood. Outside of maybe bonding with a co-worker of a different race, we mostly adhere to our geographic segregation and stay socially segregated, too. The barrier to befriending someone is even higher when the person of color thinks their otherwise friendly white co-worker or neighbor is closed off to learning about what it means to be white in a race-conscious society. “It’s possible to learn some of that in the context of a cross-racial friendship, but it’s easier to become friends with a person of color if some of that work has already been done,” Daniel Tatum said.
Click through for details. I could wish this wasn’t accurate. But I can’t deny any of it. A lot of steps went into developing my relationship with my BFF, but I have not forgotten the very first step – we were co-workers, yes, and one day she said something, I forget what, and I replied, “Oh, fo’ shizzle.”

Food For Thought

Video Thread 7/13/2023

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

Jul 132023

Glenn Kirschner – Trump files a brief telling Judge Cannon to set NO trial date in his federal prosecution in Florida!

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party July 11, 2023

Farron Balanced – What Happened To Trump Truckers Who Ran Biden Supporters Off The Road? (Aspen has gained weight, but is still grumpy. Haddie, sadly, has passed away.)