Sep 122021
 

Yesterday was an important and sad anniversary. I did tune in to the Saturday opera (an obscure one) but afterwards, both that statin and y local one were playing mostly solemn music and American music and solemn American music – very appropriate. Especially to listen to while looking at Nameless’s beautiful tribute. Our high temperatures are looking to be in the high eighties to low nineties (30C plus or minus 1) for the next week or so. It’s OK. I’m not ready for fall.

Cartoon –

Short Takes – I’m approaching this a little differently today. Political cartoons may have started with Benjamin Franklin and taken hold with Thomas Nast, but in these days of exploding media types, including graphic novels, a type of political cartoon which I would prefer to call a “graphic essay” is beginning to come into its own. Today I want to share three, by different artists, but related, which tell a bigger story together than separately. They are too long to reproduce entire, but I’ll provide a beginning panel or two with a link. Being graphic, they don’t actually take all that long to read. I hope they will be enjoyed (at least in the Latin sense.)

Do You Remember?

What we forget

The Good War

Food for Thought –
A very kind gesture.
September 11 attacks: US national anthem played at Windsor Castle Guard change | ITV News

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Sep 112021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Garland Announces DOJ Suing Texas to Protect Constitutional Rights, Addresses Domestic Terrorism

MSNBC – New Grand Jury Activity In Trump Org Case Is Reminder That Investigations Are Ongoing

Thom Hartmann – 50 Years After Attica Massacre Prisoners Are Still Rioting

Really American – Republicans Hate Black People

Liberal Redneck – On Confederate Statues Bein’ Dumb

Keith Olbermann – The Legacy of 9/11 is not those we mourn. It’s cruelty with which we responded which now blights us.

Beau – Let’s talk about the media being surprised by the predictable…. https://www.democraticunderground.com/emoticons/sarcasm.gif

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Sep 112021
 

Yesterday, not a lot happened, and what did happen was mostly annoying small stuff.  Plus, it was hot – hotter than it’s been for over a week.  So let’s just all move on from that.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Medium – Statement from Senator Amy Klobuchar
Quote – Of course this has been scary at times, since cancer is the word all of us fear, but at this point my doctors believe that my chances of developing cancer again are no greater than the average person.
Click through for full statement. Pat already TJI’ed the news, but I think it’s worth a repeat (with a picture and an exhortation.)

White House Press Release: President Biden Names Seventh Round of Judicial Nominees
Quote – The President is announcing eight new candidates for the federal bench, all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution. These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.
Click through for a few stats and all 8 names and short bios.

The New Yorker (Borowitz) – Fox News Accuses Biden of Using Federal Government to Improve Country
Quote – “Joe Biden came into office claiming that he wanted to be the President of all the people,” Sean Hannity said. “Now, however, his real agenda has become clear: he wants to increase Americans’ life expectancy. How long one lives should be a personal choice,” Hannity continued. “But not if Joe Stalin-slash-Biden has anything to say about it.”
Click through for what sounds like pretty straight news to me.

Food for Thought –

 

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Sep 102021
 

I received an email regarding the distribution of TC’s ashes, and forwarded the question to WWWendy.  Of course she responded, and here is her response –

Hi There,

I apologize for not doing this on the blog.  These last few months have been a whirlwind.  I am currently in Spain visiting my son, Cody.  He lives in Castellon on the Mediterrean Sea.  I had laptop issues and was unable to access a computer
I do have Tom at home with me now.  Getting his remains was quite the adventure.  I haven’t even been able to stop working long enough to breathe it seems  I took on a couple more clients to help with my income, had laptop issues, phone issues, mother issues, etc. I will be returning back home on 09/17. I have no issues with anyone wanting some remains.  I can certainly arrange for that for anyone that wants some.
I miss Tom terribly – he has left a hole in my heart and life, I think of him everyday – I am trying very hard to decompress, take care of myself and deal with my grief.  Some days are easy and others days …….. while not so much.  I keep on trucking and I know Tom wouldn’t want any other way.
I hope all is well with everyone – please extend my sincere hello’s – you were all with me during Tom’s final years after his diagnosis and your support during that time meant more than you will ever know.    My sincere gratitude and love for being on that journey with me.  Please pass along my message and I promise I will get on blog upon my return and touch base with everyone.
With love,
WWWendy
I responded to WWWendy that I would figure out a way to get her all the names and mailing addresses of anyone who wanted to participate without compromising anyone’s privacy.  So, wile I’d welcom comments from anyone who wants to say “Yes, please,” I ask that you not put your mailing address here, but sent it to me by email.  Everyone who gets my weekly messages should already have it, and I ask COlleen to feel free to send it to everyone on her list (you probably don’t know who’s on my list, since I guard tose emails, but your recipients will know.  And, in any case, it’s on the website – hiding behind the “Contact me” link on the lower left.
I will make a list of names and addresses and get it to her , probably in a pdf file, possibly by snailmail.
Also, there is no place in Spain that a single picture is going to do justice to.  That said, here is a picture of Castellon de la Plana, the capital of Castellon province.
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Sep 102021
 

Glenn Kirschner – House Committee Wants Phone Records of McCarthy, Gaetz & Others; McCarthy & Co. Decide to Obstruct

Meidas Touch – Trump’s ‘America First’ Hypocrisy EXPOSED!

CNN – Trump singled out election official. Hear the horrific voicemails he received

MSNBC – How One Bar’s Liquor License Case Could Bring Down The New Texas Abortion Ban

Ring of Fire – Treasury Says Top 1% Are Responsible For $163 BILLION In Unpaid Taxes Each Year

Really American – Trump’s 9/11 Lies Exposed

Robert Reich – Why the Filibuster is Unconstitutional

Beau – Let’s talk about my morning routine and plot holes…. (By all means let’s use a different letter. And I know exactly which one to use.)

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Sep 102021
 

Yesterday, I decided to stay in bed after my alarm went off (I really only use it as a guide anyway.) And I’m very glad I did. I went back to sleep for another hour and a half, and it was in that hour and a half during which I had a dream in which I was able to share a hug with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. What a gift! I don’t remember the other ircumstances of the dream except that they were equally unlikely but also mostly pleasant.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Atlantic – The Next Face of the Democratic Party
Quote – Democratic members of Congress won’t talk about any of this publicly, as if Pelosi might suddenly appear and pull their hearts from their chests. Jeffries, carefully, left it at telling me that growing up in a Black church taught him to respect and value his elders. But none of the two dozen Democratic members of Congress and party insiders I spoke with privately could present a serious alternative to Jeffries. He’d have the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is stacked with influential members. He’s popular with his colleagues, even those who grumble that he was too meek to challenge Pelosi earlier—“Hakeem is really good at taking in both ideas but also criticism, and not being defensive about it,” said Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, Jeffries’s close ally in House leadership, who is expected to end up in the No. 2 spot if he’s No. 1. In conversations with colleagues, Clark and Jeffries have said they’re moving forward as a team, determined to avoid the rumbling rivalry Pelosi and Hoyer have had since their days as congressional interns, in 1963.
Click through for the story. The Atlantic has a paywall, but you get a couple of free articles per month, so you may want to “print” it if you are interrupted.  Of course this is pure speculation.

HuffPost – Republicans Already Lying That California’s Recall Election Is ‘Rigged’
Quote – Former President Donald Trump ― who was impeached for inciting the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection with lies about the 2020 presidential election ― weighed in on the Sept. 14 California recall on Tuesday with a complaint about the state’s early vote-by-mail system. “It’s probably rigged,” Trump said during an interview on right-wing cable channel Newsmax. “They’re sending out all ballots ― the ballots are mail-out, mail-in ballots. I guess you even have a case where you can make your own ballot. When that happens nobody’s going to win except these Democrats.”
Click through for details. Of course they are. While that in itself is bad news, it is good news that they are this worried. But it’s not an excuse not to vote.

The Hill – Police brace for Capitol rally defending Jan. 6 mob
Quote – The Capitol Police declined to comment Tuesday on any specific security plans for Sept. 18. But Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said the department is “closely monitoring” the event and expressed confidence that “the work we are doing now will make sure our officers have what they need to keep everyone safe.” The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is also planning an “increased presence around the city” where demonstrations will take place on Sept. 18 and may close off some streets, a spokesperson said.
Click through for what’s known and a few thoughts. I truly hope I am seeing ghostss, but I am concerned that September 18 and September 11 are both Saturdays, and one of those dates has symbolic significance. And Republicans lie. I hope they are also preparing for tomorrow. It never hurts to be prepared.

Food for Thought –

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Sep 092021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Biden Removes Conway, Spicer & Others From Trump-Appointed Positions. Now, Do Brett Kavanaugh (Beery Brett may not even be the worst of the rump justices, but he is fir sure the lowest hanging fruit, for exactly the reasons Glenn gives.

Meidas Touch – Mary Trump on How Republicans Turn FEAR into ANGER to CAUSE CHAOS!! BRILLIANT BREAKDOWN!!!

The Lincoln Project – Sad

Thom Hartmann – Right Wing Plans Next Jan 6th Coup For September 18th

Ring of Fire – Portland May Put Economic Sanctions On Texas Following Attack On Reproductive Freedom

The dog’s name is “Neesha,” and here’s the story.

Beau – Let’s talk about masks in schools….

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Sep 092021
 

Yesterday, I changed the ink cartridge in my printer, wich enabled me to print out instructions to do something else which I hadn’t beeen able to accomplish because I couldn’t see the instructions and the screens I was supposed to be performing them on at the same time. I still haven’t accomplished it … but I’m getting closer. Incidentally, I do apologize for not mentioning Rosh Hashanah until now when it’s over. But for those who celebrate, I do hope it was happy. And there are other occasions coming soon to observe.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

AP News – Shadow docket Supreme Court decisions could affect millions
Quote – Since Aug. 24, that truncated process known as the shadow docket has moved at astronomical speed, producing decisions related to immigration, COVID-19 and evictions and, most recently, abortion. Those three decisions, with the conservative wing of the court in the majority, have the potential to affect millions of people, in a fraction of the time and outside the normal scrutiny signed opinions can bring. “My memory is, typically, if the Supreme Court was acting in July and August, it was really that quintessential emergency appeal, dealing with something like a death penalty situation. It wasn’t like: What is immigration law going to be in our country? It wasn’t: Will tenants have certain rights? It wasn’t the big substantive questions,” said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School.
Click through for details.

The Hill – Texas abortion law roils businesses
Quote – Still, as of Tuesday afternoon, only a handful of companies have spoken out against the law. Corporate America has mostly remained silent, despite its vocal opposition to Texas’s restrictive voting bill that was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) Tuesday. “It’s not surprising because this is harder than a number of other issues,” said Sandra Sucher, a professor of management at Harvard Business School. “Abortion is particularly contentious because we know that it relates to people’s religious views, which is kind of a no-go zone for companies.”
Click through for full story.

The New Yorker (Borowitz) – Abbott Considering Other Measures to Prevent People from Ever Setting Foot in Texas
Quote – Although he acknowledged that new laws banning most abortions, restricting voting, and allowing citizens to carry a gun without a permit or training would dissuade many from visiting Texas, Abbott said that “there’s more we can do…. Just spitballing here, but what if we mandated that every visitor to Texas got bitten by a dog or poked with a stick of some kind?” he said. “I’ll be damned if that wouldn’t do the trick.”
Click through for the reat. Andy doing straight news again.

Food for Thought –

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