Open Thread June 28, 2022

 Posted by at 7:14 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 282022
 

Yesterday, I realized Nameless has posted Sunday evening after I sent the email – I’ll pick it up in next week’s, but for regular readers, here’s the link – https://www.7thstep.org/blog/2022/06/26/there-is-no-joy-in-mudville/ I didn’t see it immediately because I was loking for an email response to my visit-Virgil notification, and when I found it, it was a notificaion that he has been moved again. I needed to address that right away because they only have certain hours in which they read and answer emails, so I didn’t get to PP right away. And I realize this OT is pretty lightweught. Sometimes that happens. BTW, there’s another hearing today I’ll be watching it after the fact. And one final note – I’m not big on podcasts myself as a learning method (I find it difficult to sit still and listen), but this one, recommended by the editor of Mother Jones, appears to be seriously content-rich, down to earth, and something you can recommend to anyone whose shock at current events leads them to wnt to learn more. It’s called “How to Citizen.” https://www.howtocitizen.com

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The New Yorker (Borowitz) – Women Declare Themselves Corporations to Force Supreme Court to Grant Them Rights as People
Quote – Attorneys across the nation indicated that they have been swamped by requests from clients seeking to incorporate as soon as possible. “The Supreme Court decided in 2010 that corporations are people, so all we want is to be treated like corporations, ” Carol Foyler, who now goes by the corporate name FoylerCo L.L.C., said.
Click through for full (short) article. I’ve heard lots of ideas less intelligent than this one.

Robert Reich – When I was Baby Jesus
Quote – What was I to do? I did the only thing my five-year-old brain could come up with: I apologized to God. I did it quietly as I lay on the straw on the stage, under my breath so no one else would hear, and then apologized again during the prayers and Christmas carols. I whispered, “God, I didn’t have a choice. I was cast as Baby Jesus. I don’t celebrate Christmas. It’s against my religion. Please forgive me. Thank you.”
Click through for his thoughts on yet another horrible SCOTUS decision.

Food For Thought

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Open Thread June 27, 2022

 Posted by at 7:12 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 272022
 

Yesterday, Sunday, I hadn’t slept well.I scheduled today’s posts early so I could spend some time going throug my closets (and everywhere else I have clothing) in order to se aside clothing to give to thrift stores. It’s going to take quite a while. In the roughly 11 years that Virgil has been incarcerated, I have lost six sizes, and I have never systematicall attempted to eliminate what no longer fits – living alone and with mobility issues I just haven;’t had the impulse to tackle such a huge task which arose so gradually. But now I have a motivating factor. If I can get this done (along with some other clutter) I eventually (and I do mean eventually) may be able to coordinate with a reputable group tp offer my home to women coming here to Colorado for abortions (assuming I live long enough to get there – but I am in decent health for my age – my issues are either non-life-threatening or medically controlled. So far.) AT any rate, I’m going to try.

Cartoon (not a live link, sorry) –

Short Takes –

Letters from an American – June 24, 2022
Quote – At [Thursday’s] hearing of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, we heard overwhelming proof that former president Trump and his congressional supporters tried to overturn the will of the voters in the 2020 presidential election and steal control of our country to keep a minority in power. [Friday], thanks to three justices nominated by Trump, the Supreme Court stripped a constitutional right from the American people, … a right they indicated they would protect because it was settled law…. For the first time in our history, rather than conveying rights, the court has explicitly taken a constitutional right away from the American people. These two extraordinary events are related.
Click through for full analysis.  Richardson is a historian. The period in history she sees us as losing (or having lost) is not the last fifty years, but the period from 1933 to a981. I concur. This is so much bigger than abortion (and guns).

Crooks & Liars – Hey Gang There’s A (Grifty) Credit Card For Conservatives!
Quote – “Coign is America’s first credit card built by Conservatives for Conservatives. Coign was created to advance conservative values and embrace the American spirit. We align your dollars with your values. Unlike other leading credit cards, that give millions to the Left each year, Coign is helping Conservatives to align their dollars with their values. We’re proud that the dollars you spend are invested in Conservative causes.”
Click through for comic relief – although it’s also scary. If their base is dumbe enough to fall for this, they’ll fall for anything. (I assume a married woman needs her hisband’s signature to get this card.)

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Open Thread June 26, 2022

 Posted by at 7:27 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 262022
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “The Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart. It’s been up before, so I won’t go into details. The performance was at the Paris Opera, and the cast included three pretty well-known bass baritones (one American, one Englishman, and one Italian [married to the daughter of another American one]) and pretty much no one else I had ever heard of. But no major company is ever going to put on a bad performance of this opera. It’s kind of ironic that it’s on today – something which was planned long ago – because it high;ights the position of women in a male-dominated society (that was probably unconscious) and also how class status affects everyone, but women especially (and that was definitely conscious and led to censorship.)

Of course I could not ignore SCOTUS. Both here and with the Furies I have chosen to explore “Now What?” One of today’s short takes is hopeful, but hope needs effort to come to fruition. And in one piece of good news, NATO has granted candidate status to Ukraine. President Zelenskyy thanked each nation’s leader by name and the name of the country, and also the President of the EU, on the Zoom call which notified him. Mitch (I had missed it.)

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

We’re Not Going Back to the Time Before Roe. We’re Going Somewhere Worse
Quote – If a fetus is a person, then a legal framework can be invented to require someone who has one living inside her to do everything in her power to protect it, including—as happened to Savita Halappanavar, in Ireland, which operated under a fetal-personhood doctrine until 2018, and to Izabela Sajbor, in Poland, where all abortion is effectively illegal—to die. No other such obligation exists anywhere in our society, which grants cops the freedom to stand by as children are murdered behind an unlocked door.
Click through for full article, including optional audio. The New Yorker is right. There has never been a time in history when women have been quite as discounted as this decision ad its eventuality imposes. And the article does not even go into other rights wich are likely to disappear – and h=not just women’s rights – as subsequent decisions come to reflect the logical consequences of this one.

POGO – Accountability: The Path to Improve Government Effectiveness and the Antidote to Authoritarianism
Quote – There are six primary mechanisms that, if working properly, serve as pillars of accountability in federal government. They are: whistleblowers, who expose wrongdoing; inspectors general, who serve as independent watchdogs at each government agency; congressional oversight, which provides a check on executive power; transparency and civil society participation, which ensure that the government answers to the people; independent journalism, which investigates and exposes wrongdoing; and the equal application of the rule of law to the highest levels of government.
Click through for full analysis.  Progressives’ work is never done.  Of course, that is true of all whose work is or includes cleaning up the messes made by others.

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Open Thread June 25, 2022

 Posted by at 6:38 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 252022
 

Yesterday, I woke up to over 100 emails – mostly about Roe. And they kept coming in all day (and will probably continue indefinitely.) I have been fighting tears. I never personally needed an abortion, and I certainly won’t now, but I find myself grieving over the women who will die (and who already have died) as a result of this abomination. And then the other decision this week – if life-threatening pregnancies and coat hanger abortions don’t kill us, they will do it with guns. My next thought may sound unrelated, but it isn’t really – I’m beginning to think every man, woman, and child in the US needs to be required to go through a course in anger management (and after that’s done, every child as part of middle or high school – or before earning a GED.) And then again as part of every sentence for a crime involving violence, as a prerequisite for release. Because all this hate comes from anger, and anger is a natural and normal part of the human condition, and we need it – but we don’t like it because it gets ugly, and we think the answer is to eliminate ie. It isn’t. the answer is to learn how to (a) express it in a disciplined and non-hurtful way, and (b) to use the adrenalin to fight politically for policies which are worth fighting for. In other words, anger needs to be well regulated. And people don’t learn how to do that throug osmosis. We need to be taught. And we need role models as part of the learning process. And I wish I had the faintest idea how that could happen. End of rant. I’m sticking woith unrelated short takes – I know you won’t have any difficulty reading about this decision.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – Intel Reveals Putin Plan to Weasel His Way Into American Hearts
Quote – [R]ather than counting on exiting the political scene in dramatic fashion, Putin might be betting that he can somehow outlast his detractors as well as the Biden Administration, whose security assistance for Ukraine has been pivotal in keeping a Russian win at bay. And part of Putin’s plot to outlive the Biden administration is likely to include influence operations aimed at securing an American political environment that’s more favorable to his goals, former CIA and Department of Homeland Security officials told The Daily Beast.
Click through for details. I gather the Transylvanians just loved Vlad Dracula too – considered him a Defender of the Faith. (At least if you have friends like that, you have no need of enemies.)

NM Political Report – NM Game and Fish urges people to be ‘bear aware’ during drought
Quote – [Nick] Forman [the carnivore and small mammal program manager for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish] compared [bears] to giant racoons because they are inquisitive and know how to manipulate their environment. [He also] acknowledged that it can be exciting to see a bear, especially for young children. He said parents can encourage their children to “leave wildlife wild” and “give them their space.” He said parents can take the opportunity to observe the bears with their children from afar, especially if there is a safe viewing area.
Click through for more. Neither the drought nor the bears are confined to New Mexico. We have friends on the west side of town who have had bears amble down their street, and I know California has bears. They used to be all over what is now the United States, so there’s no telling where one might pop up. It’s great to have them, but not so great to be mauled by one. I thought it was worth a little cautionary note.

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Open Thread June 24, 2022

 Posted by at 7:16 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 242022
 

Yesterday, I watched the fifth hearing from the Jan6 Committee. Again, we saw powerful Republicans give testimony about a plot they would not go along with. I know a lot of Democrats are – for lack of a better word – discounting their character because they are still Republicans who voted for him wna would do so again. And that is certainly true – and I would not vote for them certainly. But, especially in the current state of the Republican Party, to me their adherence to their oaths serves to enhance rather than to detract from the courage of their behavior. Sure, there ideas are nuts and I would not want them in the legislature – but in an office such as Acting Attorney General, would you rather have a Jeff Rosen (Republican) or a Rod Blagojevich (Democrat)? Not wanting them to legislate their crazy ideas doesn’t mean I can’t recognize their principles. No one is 100% good or 100% evil (well, except maybe a very few – Trump** and Putin come to mind) and we need to at least look at people as being fully human if we have to deal with them at all – let alone communicate with them.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

PolitiZoom (“Murfster35”) – The J6 Committee. The Gift That Keeps On Giving. Even AFTER The Midterms?
Quote – But here’s the McGuffin. The DOJ has a rock hard rule that used to be observed up until the reign of that moron James Comey that the DOJ doesn’t announce either investigations or indictments in a general election season, in order to avoid appearing to put their fingers on the scale. Under Merrick Garland, one can only hope and pray that that rule still holds true. Which could end up being disastrous news for the state GOP caucuses. Because while Trump and his criminal cabal in DC were willing to blab to almost everybody about their schemes, when it came to the states themselves, they were more selective, if not secretive.
Click through for his reasoning. It’s probably true that in most cases, in and out of government, that silence indicates inaction. But that isn’t universal. Murfster could well be correct.

The 19th – Senators are pushing TSA to clarify its rules around breast milk and formula at airport security
Quote – The issue is one of health and safety: Nursing parents typically need to express milk every two to four hours. Failing to pump could have health consequences for the parent, leading to extreme discomfort, pain, plugged milk ducts or a bacterial infection called mastitis. The milk also needs to be refrigerated within four hours to avoid adverse health effects for the baby which could include vomiting, fever and diarrhea. All of that is even more critical now as a nationwide formula shortage continues. It will likely be months before formula stock returns to normal levels in the United States after a major plant closure in February set off massive shortages that have cut into as much as 90 percent of stock in some states.
Click through for story. I have a solution to propose – put the TSA under the Department of Transportation. We have a Transportation Secretary who knows a thing or two about feeding infants. In fact, “Department of Homeland Security” sounds fascost and does unnecessary things, why don’t we get rid of it and relocate its useful functions.

Food For Thought

 

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Open Thread June 23, 2022

 Posted by at 7:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 232022
 

Yesterday, I did some recovering and braced myself to be ready for tomorrow’s hearing. I did a little knitting – making some headbands with scraps of corron and cotton blend yarn that will just fir around my head at forehead level, which I can wet down and refrigerate for the days when th ceiling fan in the den isn’t enough. I had tried before, but they were always too big and wouldn’t stay put. but after making three now with smaller stitch counts, I have it right The old, too big ones, though, I’ll wet down and refrigerate to go around my neck, sort of like cowls, if I need that extra. Just for getting cool, they won’t be any use as ice packs for arthritis – they’re not thick enough. It’s was a bit cooler, so it seemed like a good time to make them – no pressure.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Gizmodo – Hundreds of Little Blue Penguins Are Washing Up Dead in New Zealand Amid an Ocean Heatwave
Quote – New Zealand Department of Conservation post-mortem examinations revealed many of the birds were particularly vulnerable juveniles. The young penguins died of starvation and hypothermia, with no fat to help them hold onto heat in the water. Counterintuitively, seabirds dying of cold corresponds with hotter ocean temperatures caused by both climate change and the weather phenomenon La Niña, a Depart of Conservation representative, Graeme Taylor, told RNZ.
Click through for details. The quote uses the word “counterintuitive” (which is actually true of hypothermia in other ways too), and it strikes me that, in so many ways the things we need to do in the face of climate change are counterintuitive as well. Which is why it is so important to get solid science – exactly what people want to ignore. Sigh.

The New Yorker – Putting the Backlash Against Progressive Prosecutors in Perspective
Quote – In San Francisco, Chesa Boudin—a reform-minded district attorney—was recalled by voters by a significant margin last week. Boudin had instituted a number of progressive reforms, from liberalizing bail policies to reducing jail populations through diversion programs. But those changes were buried by the perception that the city had descended into a state of chaos. His recall has been cast as a referendum on crime and on the public’s attitudes toward progressive criminal-justice policies. What were the voters in San Francisco blaming on Boudin? The New Yorker staff writer Benjamin Wallace-Wells recently wrote about Boudin’s recall. He speaks with the New Yorker senior editor Tyler Foggatt.
Click through – it’s a podcast, but you can download a transcript. It did not offer me any file extension, but when I went to open it, my PC gave me a list of programs to choose from; I selected “Notepad” and it opened right up. “Wordpad” also works, but Adobe Reader doesn’t. It’s valuable information for anyone who cares about restorative justice, reforming our legal and prison systems, and the like.

Food For Thought

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Open Thread June 22, 2022

 Posted by at 7:12 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 222022
 

Yesterday, I brought up the live hearing, coming in on the testimony of the Speaker of the Arizona House, Rusty Bowers. I then watched the testimony of Georgia’s Raffensberger and Sterling. I had to return later to catch the Georgia election workers Andrea (Shay) Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman. as well as the opening and closing statements. You know, we have been talking about Republicans putting party before country. But with regard to this insurrection, we have been wrong. They were putting prsonal gain – probably in some cases only personal whim – before both party and country. I’ve seen some people on the net saying, “I love it when they eat their oen,” I don’t. I don’t love bottom-of-the-cesspool depravity, and that’s what this is. Disgusting. And also dangerous. If they will eat their own, they will eat anything and anyone. We have also been saying they are moving toward fascism, and by the book they certainly are. But I question whether actual fascism is their goal, or whether tha goal is total chaos – a state with even less predictabiity than anarchy.

When I returned to the hearing at the YouTube link provided at house.gov (to the committee’s channel) I happened to notice that that channel has 29.4K subscribers. I know, not a lot in the scheme of things, but those are only the people who are watching at this channel. That does not include anyone who is watching at PBS, MSNBC/NBC, CBS, ABC, or CNN, or anyone who is watching with The Lincoln Project or Meidas Touch, and that probably does not exhaust the list of sources. Somewhere I also read even Fox is now carrying it (the implication being more than just on Fox Business), but I can’t verify that.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – Here’s What the Insecure Insurrectionists Don’t Get About America
Quote – America was not actually built on unlimited individual freedom, as a shocking number of Americans seem to believe it is these days. The foundation of our nation, the bedrock of its multi-century success, is the philosophy of democratic liberalism: the government will not interfere with your pursuit of happiness unless your pursuit interferes with that of other people.
Click through for more (including a point about the poem “America the Beautiful”), but the quote is the bottom line. I also feel that one verse of “America the Beautiful is not enough. I tend to focus onthe second verse (“God mend thine every flaw – Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law”), but the third verse may be even more important.

CPR News – A Colorado startup wants buildings to suck up carbon, one living concrete block at a time
Quote – His company’s proposed alternative is a “bio-cement” first developed at the University of Colorado Boulder. Inside the Colorado company’s warehouse, sand is loaded in block-shaped molds with micro-algae, which binds the material through the same process corals and oysters use to build their shells. The final masonry units feel like hardened sand castles. While the process takes energy, Burnett said algae absorbs enough carbon to make the blocks 90 percent less carbon-intensive than traditional concrete.
Click through for the interview – yes, it’s an interview, but there’s what appears to be at least a partial transcript. It’s good news locally but appears to have potential – and we need every possible step (and may already be too late.)

Food For Thought

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Open Thread June 21, 2022

 Posted by at 7:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 212022
 

Yesterday was Federal Juneteenth in accordance with the Monday Holiday Law. CPR News reported that, as a rough estimate, about half of workers got the day off. CPR News also cited coverage by Denverite magazine of the Juneteenth Music Festival in the Five Points area of Denver, which, based on the photos and anecdotes, must have been a joy to behold. However, Occupy Democrats cited a Yahoo News story that 26 states have not authorized funding for the holiday That report inspired me to use the cartoon I chose today for Food for Thought. I remember thatit took forever to some states to recognize MLK Day also – and some I belive still haven’t. It’s a sobering thought indeed.

Cartoon – 21 0621Cartoon.jpg

Short Takes –

Crooks & Liars – Raskin Says Trump ‘Essentially’ Confessed: ‘I Did It And I’ll Do It Again’
Quote – “This public admission that essentially he wanted continues after laying out of all this evidence,” Todd said. “Is he confessing?” “Yeah, he essentially saying, yeah, I did it and I’ll do it again,” Raskin agreed, “which is what we have been contending all along, that if you allow impunity for attempts at unconstitutional seizures of power, which is what a coup is, then you’re inviting it again in the future.”
Click through for a little more including a short video clip. I wonder how Jamie got Chuck to ask an intelligent question.

The Daily Beast – This May Be the COVID Variant Scientists Are Dreading
Quote – A pair of new subvariants of the dominant Omicron variant—BA.4 and BA.5—appear to be driving the uptick in cases in the U.K. Worryingly, these subvariants seem to partially dodge antibodies from past infection or vaccination, making them more transmissible than other forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus…. Eric Bortz, a University of Alaska-Anchorage virologist and public-health expert, described BA.4 and BA.5 as “immunologically distinct sublineages.” In other words, they interact with our antibodies in surprising new ways.
Click through for details. It also may not. But I believe it’s wise to stay on guard.

The Nib (Chelsea Saunders and Tristan J. Tarwater) Harriet Tubman’s Daring Civil War Raid
Quote:

Click through for as much of the story as can be captured in a graphic. The new $20 bill cannot come soon enough for me.

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