Open Thread for September 4, 2021

 Posted by at 6:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 042021
 

Yesterday, I got to see Virgil and we had as good a visit as you can have under the conditions. A couple of non-visitation staff members passed through the lobby while I was checking in said hi to me, and one actually came to the visitation room to say hi to me. Well, I must be doing something right. (So must Virgil.)  I appreciate them too. I depend on them to keep Virgil safe and healthy and even in some semblance of good spirits. Of course I was exhausted when I got home. So this may be a bit skimpy.

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Short Takes –

Dem Underground – Elie Mystal, a legal expert, says . . .
Quote – Biden would be entirely within his rights to deputize doctors in Texas and make them federal employees with immunity. That’s a great idea. Make all clinic employees federal officers and untouchable.
Click through. The quote is all there is, and no link is provided, but the discussion is most interesting (Don’t believe everything. Not everyone is a lawyer.)

Her Husband Was in Jail When Ida Hit. She Hasn’t Heard From Him Since.


Click through. The quote is all there is, and no link is provided, but the discussion is most interesting (Don’t believe everything. Not everyone is a lawyer.)

Mother Jones – Her Husband Was in Jail When Ida Hit. She Hasn’t Heard From Him Since.
Quote – Yet despite a mandatory evacuation order for parish residents, Sheriff Greg Champagne did not evacuate people in the jail ahead of the storm. By Monday, the 911 system in the parish wasn’t working, according to Nola.com; on Thursday, repeated calls to the sheriff’s office and jail still failed to connect. For Davis, who has not received any word of her husband’s safety since the storm, the silence is frightening. She is planning to travel to the jail herself, along with her husband’s mother, to get answers.
Click through for story. I believe you “catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar” in any case. But this is another reason to be nice to the good staff.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for September 3, 2021

 Posted by at 7:27 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 032021
 

Yesterday, I was a little drowsy, having not slept well. As long as i could manage to do what I needed to do, I welcomed that – hoping it would help me get to sleep early last night, which I needed to do in order to get up so early today. By the time you see this (which should be fairly early), I will already be on the road. I’ll respond to comments when I return.

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Short Takes –

The Hill – Federal judge approves bankruptcy settlement for Purdue Pharma
Quote – Purdue, the maker of OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy in 2019 in an attempt to settle about 3,000 lawsuits from states, tribes and other local entities related to the company’s aggressive opioid marketing that they argue contributed to the opioid crisis that has killed nearly 500,000 people over the past 20 years. The settlement plan would shield members of the Sackler family and hundreds of their associates from future opioid lawsuits.
Click through for details. “Controversial” apparently in this case (as too often) being a euphemism for “outrageous.” I will say it sounds like the judge was holding his nose when he signed it.

Crooks and Liars – Even Karl Rove Is Bashing Madison Cawthorn
Quote – Rove wants the Congressman to focus more on Western North Carolina and less on traveling around the country. If it’s his own money then that would be fine, but he’s using his donors’ money to fund his trips around the country to focus on grievance politics. He’s already burnt through much of his coffers at this point.
Click through for a little more detail. His primary opponent is hitting this hard against him. But … look at all the people who voted for Mr. “Not paying taxes makes me smart.” Sigh.

New York Times – Go-to Lawyer for Capitol Riot Defendants Disappears   (Following up)
Quote – While the government has not yet weighed in on the merits on [Pierce’s] claims, prosecutors did express concern in their letters filed on Monday about the young associate, Ryan Joseph Marshall, who has been standing in for Mr. Pierce at the hearings he has missed. For one thing, Mr. Marshall is not a licensed lawyer, prosecutors said, and has taken actions on behalf of clients “that he is not permitted” to take. Moreover, they went on, it remains unclear if and when Mr. Marshall will be able to get his law license given that he is under indictment in two criminal cases accusing him of corruption, theft and fraud in Pennsylvania. Mr. Pierce’s situation is not his first encounter with personal and professional setbacks. Last year, his law firm nearly collapsed in a swirl of debts and resignations. Then his most prominent client, Kyle Rittenhouse, the young man charged with murder at a racial justice protest in Wisconsin last year, fired him in a highly public spat that included allegations that a charity arranged for the defense had engaged in financial improprieties.
Click through for a lot of information. I really hope y’all can get past the paywall. This is so much more bizarre than any secondary source has yet published.

Food for Thought –

Addendum:  The dude who assaulted the reporter has been nabbed.

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Open Thread for September 2, 2021

 Posted by at 6:58 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 022021
 

Yesterday, I got serious about getting ready to go see Virgil tomorrow. Even though I’ve done it once recently, it still requires thought and preparation. But I think I have it pretty much together. As the weather cools down, which I assume it will eventually, it will be easier … there are things I cannot put into the car a day ahead without risking heat damage to them at this point – unless I do so after dark, whidh has its own downsides.

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Short Takes –

The New Yorker (Borowitz) – New Law Requires Texans to Have Counselling Before Being Allowed to Vote
Quote – “Sometimes, a person is upset with their situation and thinks that voting is the only answer,” the Governor said. “A counsellor can sit with them, pray with them, and help them make the right choice.”
Click thgough for deets. For a split second I believed this was straight news.

The Hill – Colorado officers, paramedics charged in 2019 death of Elijah McClain
Quote – An independent probe submitted to the Aurora City Council in February determined that the police and paramedics involved were were at fault in McClain’s death, saying there was no reason to stop McClain, who was walking home from a convenience store. That report also concluded that no crime had been reported when McClain was stopped and he wasn’t exhibiting any threatening behavior.
Click through for a little more. Democratic AG + grand jury = results (sometimes.) You may remember that Elijah used to play the violing in animal shelters. As an animal lover and a former violinist, I took this personally.

The 19th – Even if Texas’ six-week abortion ban is overturned, clinics will close
Quote – “This law will end legal abortion in Texas. Allowing the state to do that and effectively close all abortion clinics — even if the law is ultimately struck down — will give the state what it wants,” said Leah Litman, an assistant professor of law at the University of Michigan and expert in constitutional law. “Just allowing this law to go into effect is ending abortion in Texas.”
Click through for story. In case you missed this (and had no idea what Andy was satirizing) this is it.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for September 1, 2021

 Posted by at 6:50 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 012021
 

Yesterday, I had another scheduling error. It’s a new month, let’s hope I can get a new start and do better. I did get my recyclables out for pickup with the trash on Thursday. The recyclables are not only heaver (paper weighs a TON) but also a lot bulkier, so that’s a relief.

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Short Takes –

Dem Underground – Rubin: Biden tells some hard truths few want to hear
Quote – He was criticized for “abandoning” Afghans; when we stay to rescue them he gets faulted for risking American lives.
Click through, and through again to the Washington Post if you can get pst the paywall. Of course, the more hard truths one can grasp, and the sooner one can grasp them, the happier one will be in the long run. To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, the same place which would be a godawful hotel might be a very desirable prison.

The Hill – Biden digs in with fervent defense of Afghanistan withdrawal
Quote – “We no longer had a clear purpose in an open-ended mission in Afghanistan,” Biden said, his voice rising as he delivered his speech. “After 20 years of war in Afghanistan, I refused to send another generation of America’s sons and daughters to fight a war that should have ended long ago.” Biden’s remarks came about 24 hours after the last U.S. troops departed Afghanistan, bringing an end to America’s longest war and capping weeks of harsh criticism of his administration’s execution of the withdrawal.
Click through for story and video. As more and more veterans and even former defense contractors chime in to bolster the truth that this with drawal was as successful as it ever could have been, I hope that more and more people who are not experienced will gradually come to realize that. It simply boggles my mind, the kind of strength and integrity it took to know that this was always what was going to happen and still go in and make it happen to save lives in the future and benefit the nation.

Mother Jones – The Anti-Vax Lawyer Representing January 6 Rioters Has Suddenly Gone Missing
Quote – “The US. Attorney’s Office has had no contact with Mr. Pierce—by phone, email, or otherwise—since Monday, August 23, 2021, when he appeared for a hearing before the Honorable Paul L. Friedman in United States v. Jeremiah Caplinger,” the filing on Monday read. “Since that time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has heard conflicting information about Mr. Pierce’s health and whereabouts.”
Click through for the story and speculation. It sounds as though Karma might have more of a sense of humor than we giver her credit for.

Wonkette has a couple of articles up which could help with decompression:
A tribute to Molly Ivins
Advice from a cat

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 31, 2021

 Posted by at 5:40 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 312021
 

Yesterday, I received 3 packages from UPS and one from USPS. The one from USPS was small and delivered to my mailbox, so since I had to go out to the curb anyway, I bindled up a bunch of plastic shipping material (“popcorn” and heavy duty bubble wrap mostly), took it to the trash, and then took the trash to the curb. Today or tomorrow I’ll break up a few boxes and do the same for the recyclables. Pickip os Thursday, and I don’t put stuff out every week. Otherwise, the day was pretty uneventful.

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Short Takes –

Department of Justice – St. Paul Woman Charged in Child Sex Trafficking Conspiracy
Quote – According to court documents, from May 2020 through December 2020, Gisela Castro Medina, 19, and co-defendant Anton Joseph Lazzaro, 30, conspired with each other and others to recruit and solicit six minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts. Castro Medina, who was arrested on August 12, 2021, in Okaloosa County, Florida, made her initial appearance earlier today before Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon, in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Florida.
Click through for DOJ press release. This has taken a couple of weeks to surface, but I figured the DOJ version would be the least sensational, and it appears to be. Law & Crime has photos.

The Daily Beast – ‘Wacky Guy’ Angrily Confronts NBC News Correspondent During Live Hurricane Report
Quote – Explaining that the rain had stopped in the area and mail delivery had returned in Gulfport, Brewster reported that the mayor of the town was still enforcing a curfew as they surveyed the damage. At the same time, a pickup truck pulled over in the background of Brewster’s shot, with a large, middle-aged man jumping out of the vehicle and running towards the NBC News crew. Keeping his composure, Brewster attempted to continue to deliver his report on the hurricane’s aftermath, but the man eventually grew disruptive and began shouting at both the camera crew and the reporter.
Click through for story and video. This kind of thing just breaks my heart.

AP News – Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, partner wed in New Mexico
Quote – Haaland wore a dress designed and sewn by her sister, said Interior Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz. The ceremony incorporated elements honoring her Native American ancestry. The former New Mexico congresswoman is a member of the Laguna Pueblo. According to Schwartz, guests had to be vaccinated to attend and wear masks per CDC and New Mexico guidelines.
Click through for story and photo. She looks absolutely gorgeous. They both do.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 30, 2021

 Posted by at 6:43 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 302021
 

Yesterday, I mostly rested. Did some crocheting. I had finished the top I was making for my friend, and started another one for another friend. Ordinarily I vastly prefer knitting to crocheting, but this was an unusual pattern and the structure of it hooked me (pun intended.) I may be able to figure out how to translate that look to knitting, but I’ll want to try it doll-size before attempting anything bigger.

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Short Takes –

The Hill – Biden allies say media missing the mark on Afghanistan
Quote – “Every Biden misstep or setback is treated like Trump said COVID will just go away, windmills cause cancer, or that he won re-election,” [Philippe] Reines [a media aficionado and longtime senior adviser to Hillary Clinton] said. “If the goal is to be truly honest, accurate, and fair when covering Biden, there are thousands of adjectives and countless degrees of indignation for the media to choose from. This isn’t hard.”
Click through for other statements. Personally, I would file this under “No shit, Sherlock.” (and I would criticize the media a little more harshly than some), but apparently it needs to be said.

CBS News – Veteran dies of treatable illness as COVID fills hospital beds, leaving doctors “playing musical chairs”
Quote – [Belville emergency room physician Dr. Hasan] Kakli told [“CBS This Morning” lead national correspondent David] Begnaud that if it weren’t for the COVID crisis, the procedure for Wilkinson would have taken 30 minutes, and he’d have been back out the door. I’ve never lost a patient from this diagnosis, ever,” Kakli said. “We know what needs to be done and we know how to treat it, and we get them to where they need to go. I’m scared that the next patient that I see is someone that I can’t get to where they need to get to go. We are playing musical chairs, with 100 people and 10 chairs,” he said. “When the music stops, what happens? People from all over the world come to Houston to get medical care and, right now, Houston can’t take care of patients from the next town over. That’s the reality.”
Click through for story and video. This, along with one other case in Kansas, is the first confirmed case I am aware of where someone died specifically because of unvaccinated CoViD patients. And it’s heartbreaking.

Dem Underground – From the sane Kennedys
Quote – Our father’s death impacted our family in ways that can never adequately be articulated and today’s decision by a two-member parole board [committee] has inflicted enormous additional pain. But beyond just us, six of Robert Kennedy’s nine surviving children, Sirhan Sirhan committed a crime against our nation and its people. He took our father from our family and he took him from America.
Click through to read full statement. I admit this makes me nervous at best.

Food for Thought – kind of related to yesterday’s Furies.

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Open Thread for August 29, 2021

 Posted by at 7:19 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 292021
 

Yesterday, I listened to the opera on the radio. WFMT Chicago fills in the weeks when the NY Met is dark. They collect recordings of performances all over the world. Today it was Wagner’s “Parsifal,” in German, recorded in Toulouse, France. Wagner was a sexist along with his other failings, like being anti-Semitic and a grifter. But the music is lovely (I swear, though, if I hear one more time someone spout that “Music is ennobling,” I think I may scream.) I also put my meds together for the next two weeks, morning and night both. I can see Virgil again on Friday September 3, so I won’t want to be dealing with pills that weekend.

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Short Takes –

Dem Underground – New CDC: Anatomy of a school superspreader event
Quote – Unvaxed Marin County, Calif. elementary school teacher continues to work for 2 days with symptoms, reading out loud to class unmasked (contra school policy). 50% of class gets covid — with risk highest in front rows near teacher.

Click through for more links to more evidence. Insanity is everywhere. Sigh.

Crooks and Liars – AR Jail Treating COVID Inmates With Horse Dewormer Ivermectin
Quote – The Daily Beast also reported that [the jail’s head doctor, Robert] Karas has cited a discredited study to support his use of ivermectin. When Schnekloth exposed the doctor on Facebook, he pushed back, saying “I got experience and don’t really need more studies.”
Click through for story, and through again to Daily Beast if you like. Can you imagine what TC would have said about this! “Crooks and Liars” is going to have to change its name to “Crooks, Liars, and Maniacs” if there’s much more of this.

The Hill – Five things to know about ISIS-K
Here are the five, phrased as questions – 1. What does ISIS-K stand for?
2. Who are its enemies?
3. Where did it come from?
4. Where is it located?
5. What attacks has it claimed?
Click through for the answers.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 28, 2021

 Posted by at 7:27 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 282021
 

Yesterday, I mostly rested. And thought. And crocheted some. I do have a small tip to share – if you are looking for a product and want to order online, either because of CoViD or any other reason, and would really rather not give money to amazon, consider Chewy. Yes, they’re for pets. But there are products which are needed or useful for pet care but which also have household uses completely unrelated to pets. Like, for instance, a “rug rake.” I am the only one who is shedding around here – but the rug rake I got from them is great and came fast. Other things too – cleaning items – you might be surprised. And they are the customer service polar opposite of amazon. I’ve heard stories of their going above and beyond what anyone might think of, let alone expect – like refunding for an automatic delivery upon the death of a pet -and then also sending flowers! They aren’t going to stock everything under the sun … but what they do stock can be surprising.

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Short Takes –

Dem Underground – Just click through (NSFW)
This could help get male MAGAts vaccinated with Pfizer – eat your heart out, Moderna and J&J!

The Hill – Supreme Court blocks Biden’s eviction moratorium
Quote – Some 15 million people are currently behind on rent in the U.S., according to one recent estimate, though it was not immediately clear how many tenants could be placed at greater risk of eviction as a result of the court’s move. A patchwork of state and local eviction freezes were unaffected by Thursday’s ruling…. The measure aimed in part to provide an additional layer of protection while emergency federal rental aid made its way to tenants. But the Treasury Department on Wednesday said only some $5 billion of the roughly $46 billion allocated for emergency rental aid had been distributed by state governments.
Click through for more. What I think pisses me off the most is that the moratorium might not even be necessary if the states government would get off their posteriors and distribute the over $40 BILLION on rental aid which they are still sitting on.

Wonkette – Texas’s Law Against Critical Race Theory Is Why Kids In One District Can’t Have Nice Things
Quote – Texas’s dumb law forbidding the teaching of “critical race theory” has led the school district in McKinney, Texas, to eliminate a popular elective program that gave students the chance to participate in a mock legislature and learn how bills are written. The district’s Youth and Government program had been a matter of pride for the schools, touted by the district as a “perennial standout” in its middle and high schools. But an attorney for the district advised that the program might fall afoul of the new law, House Bill 3979, which will go into effect September 1. Beyond banning anything that might make white parents uncomfortable about America’s history, HB 3979 also bars classes that require “political activism” or awarding grades or course credit for any classes “involving social or public policy advocacy,” and puts strict limits on classroom discussion of current events, requiring that “both” sides of any issue be presented equally and “fairly.” That must make science classes a load of fun, too.
Click through for story. Look, I’m not trying to dog on Texas (or Florida or Missouri or Alamaba or any other state where readers live). But some things really can’t be ignored. Or shouldn’t.

Food for Thought –

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