Glenn Kirschner – Georgia DA Willis says prison likely for election criminals; Meadows is subpoenaed by DOJ/grand jury
Meidas Touch – BREAKING: Trump files BIZARRE OBJECTION to DOJ’s Special Master Selections
The Lincoln Project – Raskin Fights Back
Ojeda Live – MAGA-hacks DeSantis and Abbott traffic immigrants like livestock
MSNBC – Joyce Vance: Mar-a-Lago Investigation ‘Just Keeps Getting Worse’ For Trump
Beau – Let’s talk about the Little Mermaid and relatability….
You have, no doubt, heard of preppers, people who prepare themselves and their families for disaster. Preppers are not necessarily gun-toting wackos – they are simply fully aware that calamity could strike at any time, and they will have only their own resources to rely on for days, weeks, possibly months. Preparedness is something we should all practice.
In a recent essay I pointed out that The End could be closer than we think, not due to any prophecy or divine wrath but because of humanity’s rape of Earth. We have overextended ourselves, exploiting resources past the point of sustainability. Human action is heating the planet, changing weather patterns, melting arctic and antarctic ice, causing droughts in some areas and horrendous floods in others. Food and water shortages will result in famines, mass migrations of refugees, and bloody wars.
Climate change is not the only existential threat that could shred the thin fabric of civilization. A coronal mass ejection scoring a bullseye on our planet, a supervolcano eruption, a comet or asteroid impact, or any of a number of massive calamities could result in the you-know-what hitting the fan. We have already seen how the COVID-19 pandemic played Old Scratch with our society, as well as laying bare some of its weaknesses. The next pandemic could be a lot worse.
The event that forces us to be resourceful, and will vindicate preppers, need not be world-shattering – it could be hyperinflation, a gas pinch, massive civil unrest, or a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake. Remember how Hurricane Katrina ravished Louisiana and Mississippi? People who didn’t have enough supplies at home had to loot salvage food, beverages, diapers, etc. Interestingly, people who owned guns apparently rarely took advantage of the unarmed; many gun owners protected their gunless neighbors from looters and hoodlums.
This is why we all should be Preppers. You don’t have to go full survivalist mode with a bugout bunker way out in the boondocks and enough guns to arm a platoon – all you need to do is take some simple measures at home. Stock up on nonperishable food and keep it in a safe place, well-sealed to preserve it and keep out bugs and rodents. You should rotate your stores too, especially canned goods so they don’t expire. Keep plenty of water on hand, too, because the plumbing may not be working, or water may be contaminated. Remember Flint, Michigan? If you have enough warning, fill bathtubs, sinks, buckets, etc. with tap water.
Since there may be no power after a major disaster, you’ll need flashlights, batteries, matches, candles, and means to heat food such as Sternotm. If you have a backyard barbecue, keep charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid on hand. Have a battery-powered radio in order to catch any news. If you have room for a backup generator, get one of those and keep fuel handy at all times. I know blackouts are no fun because I’ve lived through quite a few of those.
Necessities go beyond food and warmth. Hygiene is always vital, so include soap, shampoo, toothpaste, extra toothbrushes, dental floss, washcloths, feminine hygiene, and diapers if you have rugrats. Hygiene items could become items of barter with your neighbors, as maintaining a good relationship with all those around you will be important in the dark days.
Until whatever organization comes along to help, you will need to while away the hours without the Internet. Books, card and board games, puzzles, even jam sessions can take people’s minds off their troubles for a while. Thus, include books, games, jigsaw puzzles, crossword and other brain-teaser collections, and maybe sheet music in your survival stash.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money or go to a lot of effort in order to prepare for riding out a disaster and its aftermath. Look up prepping, invest in a survival book or three, maybe join a group to get and exchange tips. Never count on any government or even the Red Cross to save your patooty in a time of crisis – make sure you can look after yourself and those closest to you, at least for a while.
Yesterday, the radio opera was “The Pearl Fishers” by Georges Bizet (who is far better known for “Carmen.”) It is a typical triangle story with an exotic setting (maybe Sri Lanke, or maybe not.) It’s an early work and in some ways uneven, but what makes it stand out is the tenor-baritone duet “Au fond du temple saint,” which as an expression of male friendship in opera is perhaps only rivalled by the one in Verdi’s “Don Carlo” – musically, that is. I saw this streamed from the Met and the host during intermission asked the tenor and the baritone whether performing this famous duet in cotext has informed their interpretations. The tenor replied that he had not known until learning the whole opera that in this duet his every word was a lie (in the “Don Carlo” duet both the tenor and the baritone are in deadly earnest.) I think that’s a bit harsh, but certainly the tenor is not being strictly truthful throughout. It’s still gorgeous. This is the first of four programs which were recorded in China, and it’s sung in French, and the four principals appear to be European, by their names, as is the conductor. Besides the production photos, some photos of the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing were included in the supplemental materials. It is extremely different from, for instance, the Sydney Opera House, but it appears both architects had the same desire to make people say “Wow!” – inside and out.
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Wonkette – Patagonia Founder Hands Entire Company To The Lorax, For The Trees
Quote – Rather than selling the company or taking it public, Mr. Chouinard, his wife and two adult children have transferred their ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to a specially designed trust and a nonprofit organization. They were created to preserve the company’s independence and ensure that all of its profits — some $100 million a year — are used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the globe…. The company will continue to run as a profit-making bidness under the new arrangement, without direct ownership by the Chouinard family; the family will oversee the “Patagonia Purpose Trust” to make sure the company’s values and commitments are maintained, what with all the social and environmental responsibilities and sustainable manufacturing. Patagonia will also continue its existing practice of donating one percent of its sales to grassroots environmental activists.
Click through for story and free NYT link. Good news is always welcome, and this is jawdropping. This is orders of magnitude bigger than a charitable foundation. The closest think I can think of in history to it is Siddhartha Gautama – but he didn’t set up a trust, he simply walked away from the wealth.
HuffPost – GOP Governors Are Escalating Their Use Of Migrants As Political Pawns
Quote – “States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as ‘sanctuary states’ and support for the Biden administration’s open border policies,” the communications director for DeSantis said on Thursday. “We’re sending migrants to her backyard to call on the Biden Administration to do its job & secure the border,” Abbott tweeted.
Click through for details. This is so outrageous you have almost certainly read about it by now. But because it’s so outrageous, I didn’t feel I coulf ignore it either.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – DOJ exposes Trump’s declassification BS, tells Judge Cannon they’ll seek appellate court reversal
Meidas Touch – Video RESURFACES of Trump moving IDENTICAL BOXES from Mar-A-Lago to Bedminster in May 2021
The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party Sep. 13 ’22
MSNBC – FBI Seizes Pillow Salesman’s Phone Amid Election Security Breach Investigation
Fish Loves To Greet His Favorite Diver And Bring Her Gifts
Beau – Let’s talk about UPS and labor…. (same issues as in the railroad dispute, basically)
Yesterday, it was pretty uneventful here. Which was a good thing, since I hadn’t slept well. So I kind of plodded along, trying to get enough done that if I need to crash I can. There may be typos.
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Robert Reich – The rail strike averted?
Quote – What can we learn from this near economic disaster? Unlike most management-labor impasses, this one wasn’t solely around wages. It was also around sick time and penalties for missing work. Like so many workers deemed “essential” during the pandemic, the engineers and conductors who drive the nation’s freight trains have been fed up. Their work schedules are unpredictable and inflexible. They’ve been penalized for taking days off when they’re sick or tending to a family emergency. Like most of us, they want a better quality of life — and they feel, with justification, that they deserve it.
CLick through – he wrote this before the announcement of the aversion and updated it a little.
Wonkette – January 6 Committee Announces New Fall Season
Quote – This week Chair Bennie Thompson announced that the committee intends to hold its next public hearing on September 28. They’re clearly going to run this thing through the tape, acknowledging the very real possibility that Rep. Kevin McCarthy is going to take back the speaker’s gavel and devote all congressional hearings going forward to investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop. The committee plans to issue a final report, likely in December, summarizing its work.
Click through for article. I’m not expecting to forget, but I put a 2-day-advance pop-up reminder in my calendar.
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Bill Barr’s abject corruption; 40 subpoenas & 2 seized cell phones; & Trump’s special master pick
Meidas Touch – Texas Paul REACTS to Republicans CAUGHT training poll workers to SECRETLY CHEAT in Elections
The Lincoln Project – The List
Robert Reich – A Tribute to the Teacher Who Changed My Life
MSNBC – A Network Of Local Sheriffs Is Helping To Spread The ‘Big Lie’
Beau – Let’s talk about midterm strategy and marriage equality….
Yesterday, The New Yorker’s newsletter informed me that Andy Borowitz has a new book out. It’s called, “Profiles in Ignorance.” In fact, so many newsletters were so informative today on interesting but less-than-earthshaking news the=at I was spoikled for choice. Elijah Cummings potrait was unveiled Wednesday (there’s a grammatical error in this one – it should be “lay in state,” not “lied in state.”) Heather Cox Richardson has a good overview of presidential (including their staff) lawlessness through the years. Axios has a story on the “Twitter Whistleblower,” about whom Beau of the Fifth Column says, “If we were scuba diving together, and he told me my bears was on fire, I’d blieve him.” And The Nib has an extended graphic story on the fraudulent lending practices of the nineties. And, in a story which is all over but can wait, the potential railroad strike appears to have been averted.
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The 19th – The Affordable Care Act’s biggest gender-based protections are under threat
Quote – After a federal court decided that HIV prevention medication does not need to be covered under the Affordable Care Act, experts fear that many other reproductive health services — screening for sexually transmitted infections, breastfeeding counseling and even contraceptive care — could now be threatened. The ruling’s scope — including the nuances of how it could affect people’s insurance plans — will be addressed at a hearing [today]. If upheld, the case could ultimately reverse one of the most significant reforms established by the ACA, with particular impact on the law’s gender-based health protections.
Click through for full article. These are the same “I’ve got mine, screw you” jerks who think they shouldn’t have to pay union dues, when in fact without the union their pay would be 50% less (and they’d have no weekends.) I think if they don’t want to be a part of the community, we should accomodate them in that by kicking them out.
Mother Jones – The Stigma of “Late-Term Abortions” Is the Point
Quote – As Laurie Bertram Roberts, who runs the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, puts it, the seemingly arbitrary 15-week mark “was right there where people start getting a little bit like, ‘Well, why would someone need an abortion that late?’” The reasons why people get them are often not all that different from “early-term” ones; in fact, many patients want to get their abortions earlier—but stigma, paired with the ever-growing net of restrictions pushed by lawmakers who claim to want to “protect women,” creates barriers that push people further into pregnancy before they can get care. Jessy Rosales knows from experience.
Click through for the full reprint. Yes, it’s from 2021, but still needs to be pointed out. As Molly Ivins said, “No pregnant woman ever waddled by a Planned Parenthood and said, ‘Gee, it’s a nice day, I think I’ll get an abortion’.”
Food For Thought
Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s lawyers file brief w/Judge Cannon that includes declassification “sleight of hand”
Meidas Touch – BREAKING: Trump SPOTTED holding SECRETIVE MEETING on Golf Course [on 9/12] After Landing in DC
The Lincoln Project – Right Stuff
Ring of Fire – Trump Doesn’t Want To Pay For Special Master He Demanded
MSNBC – Chief Justice Confused By Questioning SCOTUS’s Legitimacy After Roe Decision
Beau – Let’s talk about security, Trump, and a talking point….