Open Thread September 2, 2022

 Posted by at 7:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 022022
 

Yesterday marked the 83rd anniversary of the start of World War II – Hitler’s invasion of Poland. But of course, that wasn’t the real start. The real start was runs through the building of the Nazi party, the selling of white supremacy, Krystallnacht, the Reichstag fire, street violence so common that magistrates couldn’t be bothers to address it, and a host of hatred, fear, and greed. And appeasement by England and France (which, among other things, led to renewed attention to Kipling’s 1911 poem “Dane-Geld.” Steve Schmidt’s newsletter on substack brings up the invasion of Poland. As an unpaying subscriber, I don’t yet know how deeply he goes into “Appeasement,” but I’ll bet it’s more than cursory. Because that’s where we are right now – contemplating appeasement – and we must not.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Mother Jones – The Psychiatrist Who Warned Us That Donald Trump Would Unleash Violence Was Absolutely Right
Quote – About 15 years ago, Lee and [James] Gilligan began examining deaths by violence in America since 1900. As Lee sliced and diced their massive data set, she was shocked to find significantly higher national rates of violent death under Republican presidents than under Democratic ones. What’s more, murder and suicide rates were higher in states that had voted for Republican presidential candidates than in those that had voted for Democratic candidates. Their key findings were published as a 2011 monograph, Why Some Politicians Are More Dangerous Than Others.
Click through for lots more than Trump**. Republican violence is not only a fact, it’s a fact that was true for over 50 years befor Dixiecrats became Republicans. Yes, it’s long  But worth it.

Common Dreams – Teachers Union in Ohio Went on Strike for Students—and Won
Quote – The new pact is the result of CEA’s first strike since 1975. A whopping 94% of members voted to authorize a work stoppage last Sunday after monthslong negotiations with Columbus City Schools, which the union accused of “walk[ing] away from the bargaining table,” collapsed just ahead of the start of the fall semester.
Click through for details. Good news is always welcome.

Food For Thought

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Video Thread 9/1/22

 Posted by at 11:48 am  Open Thread, Politics
Sep 012022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s demand for Special Master moot? DOJ already reviewed the evidence of crime seized from Trump

Meidas Touch – Biden goes FULL DARK BRANDON, BLASTS Republicans in Speech of the Year ( haven’t nbeen sharing or talking about “Dark Brandon” memes, because I kind of think they’re silly. But I do get that it’s both necessary and nice for Joe [and all out leaders] to call our MAGAts with facts and truth.)

Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party 8/30/22

Farron Balanced – Trump’s Legal Team Has No Idea What They’re Doing

Armageddon Update – Airlines Auger In

Beau – Let’s talk about Ukraine, Russia, and DOD naming it….

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Open Thread September 1, 2022

 Posted by at 6:57 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 012022
 

Yesterday, I realized thet I had forgotten to update the OT to reflect that  Tuesday evening my BFF had picked up for me the only prescriotion I can’t get delivered, and while she was here she also helped me take an interior door, whose hinges had fallen out, outside to the back yard. So, even with help, I was enervated – again – and thus overslept – again. However, after getting up late, I at least managed to write a tough letter to another friend and enclose it in a package with a sweater I had made her – and purchase the paid shipping label from USPS and schedule pickup tomorrow. The letter was tough because she has a record of being in touch with me when things are going well for her and getting out of touch when theings are not going well – and I needed to say “I see right through you” but in such a way as to suggest I am purely supportive, not condescending. I hope it works.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks & Liars – There’s A First Time For Everything
Quote – [T]here is a first time for everything. And sometimes, those things can be very stupid, which can lead to another first time for other things. Someone had to, for the first time, put a warning on a cup of coffee that it might be hot, because some numbskull didn’t know that. Same for most of the other warning labels that can be found everywhere.
Click through (there’s also a video.) Sane people who doubt whether Trump** should be prosecuted mostly lean on one or both of two pillars – precedent and division. We’ve discussed how not prosecuting would be in the long run more divisive than prosecutiong. This article accurately takes down the pillar of precedent.

DU (applegrove) – Garland Bans Political Appointees from Campaign Events
Quote – Attorney General Merrick Garland banned political appointees at the Department of Justice from participating in campaign events in any form. Wrote Garland in a memo: “We must do all we can to maintain public trust and ensure that politics — both in fact and appearance — does not compromise or affect the integrity of our work.”
Click through – it’s short, but applegrove provides a couple of sources if anyone wants to dig deeper. I applaud this move. The old standard was not unreasonable as long as Americans were not unreasonable. Now they are, and we need more spelled out.

Food For Thought

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Sound Off Lite

 Posted by at 7:34 pm  Politics
Aug 312022
 

I have done my best to write a new Sound Off! essay once a week, but as of late I have had so much on my plate that it’s been very hard to devote any time to this. However, I am working on a couple ideas, and keeping up with current events will certainly provide more grist for my mill. There’s always something to inspire me.

Currently I am reading a fascinating book – The Founding Myth by Andrew Seidel. It explains how the United States was founded on reason and humanistic principles, not on Judeo-Christian rules. In fact, this country’s government and Constitution are just about diametrically opposed to the morality of the Old and New Testaments. I can probably get more than one essay out of my personal observations. If you can find this book at your library, or at a book store, I highly recommend it.

Please bear with me as I get a couple matters sorted out so I can go back to Sounding Off.

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Video Thread 8/31/22

 Posted by at 12:09 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Aug 312022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump-appointed-judge Aileen Cannon grants Trump’s demand for special master BEFORE DOJ weighs in  [I told you Glenn was irate]

Meidas Touch – Michael Cohen: This is what the media is GETTING WRONG about Mar-a-Lago Search

Lincoln Project – Intruder

Armageddon Update – We Asked Nice

Guy Finds A Freezing Kitten While Hiking In The Snow

Beau – Let’s talk about a surprising internet development for Trump…. (“his hat! his hat!” — Waiting for Godot)

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Open Thread August 31, 2022

 Posted by at 7:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 312022
 

Yesterday, I was thinking about TomCat and his amputation, because there is now another reader of PP who is going to have an amputation of one leg below the knee. He doesn’t comment, but he does get and read the Sunday emails. I’ll call him James, because that’s his first name. In hiis case, the amputation is necessitated because, after a bunch of years, the titanium rod and steel screws which were put in after an injury are still not working, and he has never been pain free since they were put in. He was denied SSDI so doesn’t have Medicare, and has had other personal issues, so has never been in a position to demand better care, as TomCat was when providers messed up. I asked for and received his permission to request prayers (and/or of course however you communicate with the universe), so I’m requesting.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – Phoenix VA Predator Doc Faces 2nd Accusation—How Many More?
Quote – [T]he VA does not appear to have responded to everything MRFF asked for—specifically the “immediate and aggressive investigation” of Cheron. We know that because another veteran abused by Dr. Cheron, Stephen Brittle, has stepped forward after reading our earlier story. He had already lodged a similar complaint against Cheron before Rinsem’s case reached a crisis point. He, too, raised the prospect of Dr. Cheron “brow-beating other patients, given how he acted,” in a letter to the VA dated July 23.
Click through for more. This is the same doctor named in a short take from August 24. Yes, MRFF is on it but how many more are there? And more to the point, how many veterans have died because of his fanaticism?

Axios – Study: Greenland ice melt will raise sea levels by nearly a foot
Quote – The study indicates that human-caused global warming driven by greenhouse gas emissions has effectively locked in a certain amount of sea level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice sheet…. The researchers estimated that the ice sheet will lose about 3.3% of its total volume within this century, which corresponds to 110 trillion metric tons of ice and an average global sea level rise of at least 270 millimeters, or 10.6 inches.
Click through for more information. This is based on the assumption that human action causing warming were to stop immediately – and as we know, that isn’t happening. So it’s actually worse. And there’s 96.7% more of it to melt.

Food For Thought

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Video Thread 8/30/22

 Posted by at 12:14 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Aug 302022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Compare: how DOJ is handling Trump’s classified documents crimes w/how DOJ handled another such case

Meidas Touch – BREAKING: Lindsey Graham calls for RIOTS if Trump is INDICTED (Appears Lindsey Graham is attempting to set up a game fo “Let’s you and him fight.”

Lincoln Project – We The people

Ojeda Live – Lock Him Up

HeyFletch – Hotel Mar-a-Lago — A Parody

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden’s student debt relief policy….

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Open Thread August 30, 2022

 Posted by at 6:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 302022
 

Yesterday, I woke up having slept through the night. I obviously needed that, but it’s not without disadvantages, chiefly related to the race to the bathroom. And I have never given birth – my heart really goes out to you ladies who have. I also made the appointmeny for my annual checkup, ordered a prescription renewal, and received a grocery delivery. That may sound busy, but actually was pretty quiet.  The order had a few omissions, but no substitutions, so I was pleased.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance – The Week Ahead
Quote – There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to whether DOJ is going to indict the former president. The one clear piece of information we have is that DOJ is treating this as a serious criminal matter that will require a decision on whether to prosecute before it is complete. The case isn’t over just because DOJ has now retrieved the documents. We learned this in the legal memo DOJ filed last week. That memo accompanied the redacted search warrant Magistrate Judge Reinhart released last week. As Attorney General Garland has said repeatedly, DOJ doesn’t try its cases in the press. It speaks in court and through its pleadings. So, when DOJ files a pleading of this magnitude, it’s worth paying attention.
Click through for article. Glenn Kirschner is irate about this, and it’s definitely fishy. Vance probably is too, but she provides less heat and more light here. The hearing is Thursday, September 1.

Slate – The Men Just Keep Talking
Quote – Long after the time had passed for male GOP officials to stop, to just stop, pretending they know or understand anything about female anatomy, reproductive organs, medical emergencies and basic preventative health care, they have continued to talk. They have continued to talk and talk and talk even when the massive blowback after the Dobbs decision proved it was an error;… Every time a Republican man opens his mouth to talk about women’s bodies, ten new female voters get their wings. Yet somehow, they cannot seem to stop themselves!
Click through for story. And, if that doesn’t make you angry (or not angry enough), also check out this one.

Food For Thought

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