Personal – Page 195 – Politics Plus

Open Thread for December 20, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:36 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 202021

Yesterday, I looked at “Law and Crime” for possible short takes, and it’s another day when it isn’t just filled with crime stories, but instead with weird crime stories. Like, not just murder, but “God told him to sacrifice.” Not just murder, but cannibalism to “cure his brain.” Not just hit and run, but fatal hit and run while fleeing another hit and run. A dude who committed a string of crimes who, when arrested, had a checklist in his pocket (not for the crimes, but for supplies to commit them, e.g. a lighter and lighter fluid to commit arson.) So I checked the almanac. And we were just coming off a full moon – waning gibbous 99% visible. Go figure.

Cartoon –

Short Takes

Crooks and Liars – Rick Perry Sent Meadows Text Outlining ‘Aggressive’ Strategy To Invalidate Election
Quote – Members of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol believe that former Texas Governor and Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry was the author of a text message sent to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows the day after the 2020 election pushing an “AGRESSIVE (sic) STRATEGY” for three state legislatures to ignore the will of their voters and deliver their states’ electors to Donald Trump, three sources familiar with the House Committee investigation tell CNN.
Click through for details (and a bit of background). At this point, what they actually know is that it was sent from his phone. He claims ignorance. I Know what I believe, but I also know a little bit about slander and libel.

Reuters – U.S. Senators Warren, Booker test positive for COVID-19
Quote – Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, 72, said on Twitter she is vaccinated and boosted and regularly tested for COVID-19, and “while I tested negative earlier this week, today I tested positive with a breakthrough case.” Booker, 52, a New Jersey Democrat, said on Twitter he had learned Sunday of his positive test “after first feeling symptoms on Saturday.” He added he had “relatively mild” symptoms and recently had received a vaccine booster. “I’m certain that without them I would be doing much worse,” he said.
Click through for more, and don’t panic, they are both doing well, with only mild symptoms. Both have taken 3 shots.

The Guardian – Capitol attack panel will determine if Trump committed crime – Republican
Quote – Adam Kinzinger, one of two Republicans on the House committee investigating the deadly 6 January Capitol attack incited by Donald Trump, said on Sunday he was not “yet” ready to declare the former president guilty of a crime – but that the panel was investigating the likelihood that he is. “Nobody is above the law,” the Illinois congressman told CNN’s State of the Union. “And if the president knowingly allowed what happened on 6 January to happen, and, in fact, was giddy about it, and that violates a criminal statute, he needs to be held accountable for that.”
Click through. The headline promises a little more than the quotes deliver, but not much. Cheney and Kinzinger are two extremely unusual Republoicans.

Food For Thought (actually, no wine needed):

Open Thread for December 19, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:39 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 192021

Yesterday, the opera was Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” in English, in an abridged version so kids are able to sit through it. The costumes and puppets (yes, puppets) were designed by Julie Taymor, who is probably most famous for having designed the live stage version of “The Lion King.” If you see pictures of the production, you don’t even have to know what’s going on to realize how appealing it would be to kids of all ages just visually. Sort of like Maurice Sendak on acid. The singer/actor playing the birdcatcher really got into the spirit, producing in addition to his lines a dizzying array of bird calls – including Woody Woodpecker’s laugh (I think we’re all old enough to remember that, though some kids might have wondered what was so funny to their parents… or grandparents.)

Cartoon – 19 1219Cartoon.jpg

Short Takes

Axios – Capitol rioter who threw fire extinguisher at police gets more than 5 years in prison
Quote – “It has to be made clear … trying to stop the peaceful transition of power and assaulting law enforcement officers is going to be met with certain punishment,” said [U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan]. “There are going to be consequences. I’m not making an example of you. I’m sentencing you for the conduct you did.”
Click through for a little more. I have seen a claim (in at least one place that should know better) that it was a “hydrant” he threw. It wasn’t There is a difference.

Crooks and Liars – Chauvin Pleads Guilty To Federal Civil Rights Charge
Quote – [R]eporter Julia Jenaé… tweeted: “#DerekChauvin agrees to the plea details just read in open court. Max sentence of 300 months = 25 yrs. He’s already serving 22.5 year sentence for 2nd degree murder. These would run simultaneous, fed case adds 2.5 years. He faced life in prison but for the plea agreement”
Click through for details. That puts him behind bars until he is seventy. There may be some life left in hom, but no police department is going to hire a 70-year-old.

The New Yorker – A Person of the Year: Jamie Raskin [hanky alert]
Quote – This bloody assault, which threatened constitutional democracy and the nation’s democratically elected leaders, came just one day after the burial of Thomas Bloom Raskin, the congressman’s beloved twenty-five-year-old son. At the Capitol, Raskin told me, he could still hear the sounds of the day before: the prayers of mourning, the clods of dirt shovelled onto the casket. Meanwhile, maniacs shouting deranged slogans and threats were storming down the hallways of Congress in search of enemies.
Click through for story. If paywalled out, let me know and I will send a PDF. Rep. Raskin has been going through what I canonly describe as trial by fire … and he is passing the test. Not without pain.

Food For Thought:

Open Thread for December 18, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:53 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 182021

Yesterday, I got my electronic Christmas cards selected, the rough drafts edited, all the addresses in a row like my ducks, and scheduled to be sent. Whew. Is that ever a relief!

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Short Takes

Wonkette – Manhattan DA Meeting All Donald Trump’s Favorite Accountants And Bankers!
Quote – And then there’s Rosemary Vrablic. Remember her? She was the banker who handled allllllll Trump’s shit at Deutsche Bank, which has reportedly been cooperating with the investigation since last year, when it was basically the only large bank in the entire world that was strangely willing to touch Trump with a ten-foot pole. (She’s since left the company.) The Post says Vrablic didn’t talk to the grand jury, but rather to prosecutors. They add that folks like these who weren’t employees — you know, like the indicted Allen Weisselberg — but rather who were, like, the point person for Trump in companies he dealt with, were people who “knew more about his company’s inner workings than many employees did.”
Click through to an article filled with suggestive tidbits. I don’t want to get hopes too high too fast … but this is good.

Robert Reich – Why I don’t trust the mainstream media
Quote – I’m often asked how I keep up with the news. Obviously, I avoid the unhinged rightwing outlets pushing misinformation, disinformation, and poisonous lies. But I’ve also grown a bit wary of the mainstream media –- the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and other dominant outlets — not because they peddle “fake news” (their reporting is usually first-rate) but because of three more subtle biases.
Click through to see how a pro does it. It’s not as hard as you might think.

AP News – Forbes editor says he testified before Trump grand jury
Quote – Lane said he was questioned for about 20 minutes by Mark Pomerantz, a former mafia prosecutor assisting in the probe, and was asked to confirm various things, including the methodology of the magazine’s list of richest Americans and Trump’s statements in the article that “I look better if I’m worth $10 billion than if I’m worth $4 billion” and that a higher net worth “was good for financing.”
Click through for more. This article didn’t mention it, but, as Wonkette pointed out, those who testify before Grand Juries in New York are granted immunity.

Food For Thought:

Open Thread for December 17, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:52 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 172021

Yesterday, I found the missing item from yesterday’s package, and contacted the supplier to ask about paying for the extra one. They said just keep it with their compliments. Virgil called (as he generally does several times a week – I usually don’t mention it) and asked whether I’m coming this weekend, and I told him no, I’m coming on Christmas, and he was all twitterpated. Bless his heart, his short term memory is virtually zero. And the TBI was 57 years aho.

Cartoon – (Theme song by Danny Elfman)

Short Takes

Mother Jones – Congress Agreed on Drastic Military Sexual Assault Reform. Then “Four Men Behind Closed Doors” Got Their Hands On It
Quote – With the exception of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Democratic women lawmakers and survivor advocacy groups have widely praised the final bill, which will pass as part of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, as a significant step toward making the military court system fairer. In a statement, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), called the reforms “the most significant since the creation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1950.” The reforms amount to a “sea change” in how the military approaches sexual assault cases…. “This is huge,” says retired Col. Don Christensen, the former chief prosecutor for the U.S. Air Force and the president of Protect Our Defenders, a nonprofit advocating for military justice system reform. “But,” he adds, “it’s also a missed opportunity.”
Click through for story. I know, I’m upset with Senator Gillibrand too over Al Franken. But she – and, more to the point, all the women in the military – didn’t deserve this.

ProPublica – What’s Polluting the Air? Not Even the EPA Can Say.
Quote – The only reason I’d heard about the issue at the Portland plant was because my colleagues Lylla Younes and Al Shaw, who have been reporting on toxic air since 2019, spent the past year calculating the cancer risks posed by industrial air polluters across the entire country. Their first-of-its-kind analysis of the EPA’s modeled data initially found that Portland — despite its reputation as an eco-friendly, farm-to-table mecca — was home to one of the worst hot spots of cancer-causing air in the country, all because of a single plant’s emissions.
Click through for details. Pro Publica is on fire this last month or so. Please also check this map (enter your Zip Code) – unless, of course you don’t want to know whether you are endangered by your air.

The 19th – Soledad O’Brien and Natalie Wilson show how quickly missing Black women are discounted
Quote – A simple classification really changes the narrative. I mean, think about if you see a missing person’s flyer: If you see “missing” or if you see “runaway,” which one would act on or pay attention to? Definitely not the one that says “runaway,” because you’re under the impression that the person left voluntarily. So, we really need to look at policies and procedures and training of law enforcement officials regarding sensitivity and cultural [understanding].
Click through for more. There’s a fair amount of repeating the same points in different words here, which I think is an effort to do whatever it takes to beat the reality into peopl’s brains. So sad that this is needed … but it is.

Food For Thought:

Open Thread for December 16, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:35 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 162021

Yesterday, nothing was predictable or went as expected. Butterfingers here dropped some things … and then picked up some other things, some probably dropped months ago (like 4mm beads, and earring backs.) Mislaid some things, found one that I’d been looking for. Got a package and found one item was missing but one was included I hadn’t ordered (and it wasn’t on the packing slip – and this is unheard of with this supplier.) Loaded some pictures for FFT to the library, and two just disappeared (they were still on my computer, but I had to find them in the trash to re-load them.) All just little things, but a bit disorienting. Nothing I can’t survive LOL!

Cartoon – 16 Voyager loaded

Short Takes

Mother Jones – What if Media Covered the War on Democracy Like an Actual War?
Quote – As we wind down a year that began with a televised insurrection and ends with detailed reporting on what a 2024 coup could look like, it’s more important than ever to stay grounded in that story. Call it the Big Story, in contrast to the Big Lie…. The Big Story did not begin on November 3, 2020, but it did enter a new chapter that day. Remember those surreal weeks, just barely a year ago? Protesters banging on doors at ballot-counting centers, Rudy Giuliani holding forth outside a landscaping shop, election officials reporting vile threats to their families?
Click through for more reality. Yes, Monika wants to raise funds, but who can blame her. It’s not like this isn’t important.

Crooks and Liars – Seems Like People Are Missing The Real Mark Meadows Story
Quote – The plan all along was to create a clash between “patriots” and antifa/BLM that would allow Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act and stay in office. Leftists threw a major monkey wrench into the plot by not showing up. (Thank you, leftists. Major props!)
Click through. It’s not long, and not a word is wasted. And she’s right. And I missed it too.

HuffPost – Final Child Tax Credit Payments Go Out Amid Doubt Over Program’s Future
Quote – As a main Democratic holdout in the Senate, Manchin has faced relentless questioning from reporters about his position on various elements of Build Back Better, and he lost his temper on Wednesday when HuffPost followed up with a question about whether he supported continuing the child tax credit in its current form. “This is bullshit,” he said. “You’re bullshit.”
Click through for backstory, and consequences. I find this situation painful, and I don’t even have kids.

Food For Thought:

Open Thread for December 15, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:50 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 152021

Yesterday, I got email confirmation of my next visit to Virgil, which will be on Christmas Day. We have never had that happen before. I hope the weather will be kind. I also got a paper check from a class action suit into the mail to my credit union. I hate paper checks. But I do have envelopes and postage and deposit slips, and now I have the address on my hard drive where I won’t lose it, so, oh, well. Usually I send paper checks to my USAA account – they provide postage-paid envelopes – but in this suit, USAA was the defendant, and I thought that would be tacky. So the Credit Union it had to be.

Cartoon –

Short Takes

The 19th – ‘Dash for Cash’ showcases lack of pay and resources for South Dakota teachers
Quote – Teachers spent an average of $750 out of their own pocket on school supplies during the 2020-2021 school year, according to a survey of 5,400 teachers administered by AdoptAClassroom, a nonprofit that raises funds for school supplies
Click through. This just makes me want to cry. There is no rational reason why we don’t fund out public schools properly and pay teachers appropriately for what they do. It’s just pure meanness. BTW I promised I’d look up the slam poem on what teachers make – you’ll find it and the transcript in today’s video thread.

Crooks and Liars – What Wingers Are Really Saying When They Say ‘Missing Children’
Quote – That’s what right-wingers mean when they talk about missing children: It’s QAnon Lite, the belief that all their enemies are pedophiles and all their heroes are anti-pedophile warriors. Much of the discussion and activity of these beliefs now takes place with no overt reference to QAnon.
Click thought for full story. I knew exactly what the headline was referring to before reading the full story. Did you? Of course, there exist a number we can’t ever know of people whose brains are wired to want sex with children We can’t know it because most will never act on it, and most of those who do will never be exposed. But, since this kind of sex has a built-in imbalance of power, I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that most of them are Republicans (using the term for people who think like Republicans, regardless of party registration, if any.)

Daily Beast – The Green Lantern Theory Destroyed Jimmy Carter’s Presidency. Now It’s Hitting Joe Biden.
Quote – The problem with being a president who promises to clean things up after a villainous predecessor is that the press corps treats you like a superhero—which sounds like a good thing until you realize that just means you get blamed for things you can’t control. That’s what happened to Jimmy Carter, and it’s what’s happening to Joe Biden now thanks to what Dartmouth political scientist Brendan Nyhan has called “the Green Lantern Theory” in which voters believe a president can do anything through sheer willpower, like the DC superhero.
Click through for details. Ms. Clift used to be in the McLaughlin Group, so she’s some kind of conservative, but she was never a nutcase, and this is pretty reasonable – if I can use that term for a solid explanatin of unreason.

Food For Thought:
I can’t put the whole presentation here because it’s six panels, each a different “Truth-in-Advertising” re-named Kelloggs product. It starts with “Kelloggs Corp Flacks” and only gets better. I think you’ll want to share it too.

Open Thread for December 14, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:46 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 142021

Yesterday was quiet enough. I frittered away some of it by looking at sales offered by a couple of my favorite supplers. The one at the knitting supplier awas particularly impressive – knitting needles originally offered at %25-$30 going for $2.99 ( and that’s not an inflated price range – I have paid that much before for needles made from rosewood.) Anyway, I did manage to get things posted – as if you couldn’t tell.

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Short Takes

The New Yorker (Borowitz) – Chris Wallace Ecstatic About Never Riding Elevator with Tucker Carlson Again
Quote – Stressing that his decision to leave Fox “wasn’t about money,” Wallace said, “At CNN+, I’ll never have to ride an elevator with Tucker Carlson, and you can’t put a price tag on that.”
Click through for the happiest photo of him that I for one have ever seen. I’m just as sure this is true as I am that he didn’t really say it out loud. But Andy seems to channel people very well.

ITPI – Yes, this Florida school actually raised test scores by installing street lights
Quote – What I [Jeremy Mohler] love about the community school approach is that it looks at public education as what it truly is: a public good. Meaning, it benefits the common good if all of us have access to it.
Click through for story. This is the kind of activism that “Beau of the Fifth Column” (who shows up in the Video thread daily) advocates more than any other. It certainly points up the difference between a real community and a community merely called so on account of proximity.

Heather Cox Richardson – Letters from an American – December 12, 2021
Quote – Tonight the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol released a report urging Congress to hold Trump’s White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress after he has refused to honor a congressional subpoena…. Anyone out there who is concerned that they have not heard much from the January 6 Committee will take heart from this comprehensive document, concerning, as it does, only one witness. The committee must have an astonishing amount of material and a number of talented personnel to produce such a report.
Click trough for a whole lot more. Anyonne can subscribe to her for free, or buy a paid subscription and get more. Not every letter is a powerhouse – but when they are, they really, really are.

Food For Thought:

Open Thread for December 13, 2021

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:47 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 132021

Yesterday, sunset turned around. It was later than it was the day before. Good news for me. I’ll be watching sunrise also now. Additionally, I got the very few Christas cards I won’t be sending electronically ready, stamped, and into my mailbox for pickup. I hope the USPS dpesn’t get too upset with me – there re only 7, but they are all hand cancel I did look up proper postage on the USPS website to make sure I had enough.

Cartoon – (from 2013 – It was then true, up unil 2016)

Short Takes

New Mexico Political Report – State House passes redistricting map supported by Indigenous communities
Quote – Supporters say Native American communities are traditionally undercounted in the U.S. Census and therefore underrepresented in the House of Representatives. They further pointed to the history of disenfranchisement for Native Americans, who only gained the right to vote in New Mexico elections in the late 1940s or, in the case of the Navajo people, the 1960s.
Click through for map. This might be even better news if it were a more populous state – but good news is good news. State houses and senates are the places our bench is built. Incidentally, the new Congressional district map being sent to the governor for signature was co-sponsored by Democrats and no Republicans voted for it … so it’s almost certainly fair.

AP News – Recall effort against Seattle socialist appears to fail
Quote – If Sawant survives the recall, it would be a boost to Seattle’s far left, which experienced setbacks in last month’s general election when business-friendly candidates won the mayor’s office and a council seat. Sawant was benefiting from votes in the mail-in election trending her way in later counts. After the initial count Tuesday night 53% were in favor of ousting Sawant.
Click through for numbers. Of course it isn’t over till it’s over. but this looks good for now. I certainly hope she survives.

The Hill – California governor to use Texas abortion law tactics to target assault rifles
Quote – California has had a ban in place on the manufacture and sale of specific assault-style weapons, The Associated Press noted, adding that a federal judge overturned the ban in June, ruling that the law was unconstitutional. The state is appealing the judge’s ruling, in which he likened an AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife, claiming the former is “good for both home and battle,” according to the AP.
Click through for details. You may have seen this, but The Hill appears to have all the background in place, which helps immensely to gauge his chances of success.

Food For Thought:

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