Open Thread for January 13, 2022

 Posted by at 6:57 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 132022
 

Yesterday, like the day before, I tried to be laid back (and pretty well succeeded.) Sometimes, I just need to do that for a few days when I’ve had too many things to think about, so the mental spinning has a chance to stop, or at least slow down. But I did make the FFT (I want to stress that when I have to insert something that isn’t square, I’m not terribly good at it. I think if I had something more like a pen and less like a mouse to hold, I might do better – but maybe not.) At least it gets the point across.

Cartoon – 13 Dreyfus Loaded

Short Takes –

Comic Sands (a George Takei site) – Houston High School Teacher Charged After Infected Son Is Found In Trunk Of Car At Testing Site
Quote – [41-year-old Sarah] Beam reportedly kept her son in the car because he had tested positive for Covid-19. Beam wanted to isolate herself from him on the way to the testing site where she was planning on having him get tested again. The high school educator decided the trunk was the best place to put her son.
Click through for more.  Yes, you read that right. SMH.

PolitiZoom – WATCH: Eric Trump, Trump Lawyer Run To Fox and Newsmax Right After Maddow Bombshell. What Do They Know That We Don’t?
Quote: Here’s what happened in just a few hours on Monday the 10th. Come, let us reason together, as LBJ used to say. First, Rachel Maddow announced that Donald Trump’s lawyers have met in person with the District Attorney of Fulton County, Georgia. Then Trump’s lawyer showed up on Newsmax and her villain du jour is Letitia James [NY], not Fani Willis [Fulton County]..
Click through  for more backgrounsd and even a couple of videos.  Rachel reminds us Of TFG’s December 18 rant, calling Democrats in the juducial systems, state and Federal, “thugs who just want to lock people up.” She postulates That that rant and the meeting of his lawyers with Fulton County are related. She may well be right.

The 19th – Lawsuits, complaints and protests are upending sexist school dress codes
Quote – “All of those girls are being framed as dangerous and as disruptive to the ‘peaceful’ learning environment,” said Shauna Pomerantz, author of “Girls, Style and School Identities: Dressing the Part” and associate professor of child and youth studies at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. “It’s a ridiculous idea to think that [editing] these pictures is going to somehow change the culture of the school. If anything, that kind of action is going to enhance rape culture in any school, and it’s going to give people the message that girls are asking for trouble if they show their cleavage.”
Click through for details and more examples.. “Dress codes” are generally written with the underlying assumptions that “boys will be boys” so girls have to hide their bodies to prevent rape But many dress codea are also racist. Natural black hair is often prohibited, and some articles of clothing which are fashionable in the black community are assumed to be “gang symbols.” This may not be the most obvious issue in a country which ia at risk of losing democracy, but it is an issue which dehumanizes people (some people, rather, at the expense of others) and does not lead to the most hmentally healthy adults.

Food For Thought:

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Video Thread 1/12/2022

 Posted by at 12:00 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Jan 122022
 

Glenn Kirschner – From the Jan 10 Stephanie Miller show. He tackles the question of sentencing of insurrectionists.

Meidas Touch – Capitol Police Officer WARNS January 6 can happen again

Armageddon Update – The Lauren We Deserve – I can’t cut the end off, so you will want to stop it at about 4:55

Farron Balanced – Former Trump Officials Join Forces To Prevent Him From Holding Office Ever Again

politicsrus – Sandy Hook HD (hanky alert)

These Are The Struggles Of Growing Up With A Little Brother

Beau – Let’s talk about what Canada can do to get ready….

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Open Thread for January 12, 2022

 Posted by at 6:46 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 122022
 

Yesterday, I did take some time to disengageshort sessions with a couple of games just to relax. And deal with a package. And even to stream a movie (“The Canterville Ghost” with Patrick Stewart.) It’s a wonder I got both posts up.

Cartoon – (I’m pretty sure no one ever too TC up on this offer.)

Short Takes –

Here’s where election-denying candidates are running to control voting
Quote – An NPR analysis of 2022 secretary of state races across the country found at least 15 Republican candidates running who question the legitimacy of President Biden’s 2020 win, even though no evidence of widespread fraud has been uncovered about the race over the last 14 months. In fact, claims of any sort of fraud that swung the election have been explicitly refuted in state after state, including those run by Republicans.
Click through for states and names. These may be the most important elections of 2022. As Beau says, “If you live in one of these dtates, and you have ever desired to get interested in electoral politics, now is your time.” (Pass it on.)

Mother Jones – The Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Begging for Pardons Sound an Awful Lot Like Confederate Soldiers
Quote – Radical Republicans feared Lincoln’s 10 percent plan was too lenient. They were proved right when, after Lincoln’s assassination, President Andrew Johnson—who not a year earlier gave a speech saying, “I am for a white man’s government, and in favor of free white qualified voters controlling this country, without regard to negroes”—began undermining Reconstruction. He started by pardoning high-ranking Confederates. Among them was Harry T. Hayes, a former Confederate general who led the rebels at Gettysburg.
Click through for full story. I truly hope we can learn from their mistakes.

The Guardian – Why is so little known about the 1930s coup attempt against FDR?
Quote – The putsch called for [retired US Marine Corps Maj Gen Smedley Darlington Butler] to lead a massive army of veterans – funded by $30m from Wall Street titans and with weapons supplied by Remington Arms – to march on Washington, oust Roosevelt and the entire line of succession, and establish a fascist dictatorship backed by a private army of 500,000 former soldiers.
Click through for details. Those who follow the video thread know that Beau of the Fifth Column has spoken about the United States’ long history of choosing to “protect the Office of the Presidency,” and I expect that had a hand in hiding this history, though of course the rich and powerful were also prime movers. In my view, the best way to protect the Office of the Presidency is to ensure that anyone who defules that Office is held accountable.

Food For Thought:

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Video Thread 1/11/2022

 Posted by at 12:29 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Jan 112022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Short: How Kevin McCarthy Has Made Himself a Marquee Witness Against Donald Trump

Meidas Touch – Attorney SLAMS “feeding frenzy” against Merrick Garland: “Garland is the perfect guy for the job”

Thom Hartmann – Shocking Differences Between Trumpian GOP and Democrats

Rebel Headquarters – Crumbley Parents Denied Bond As New Evidence SHOCKS Case (This case is sounding more and more like an incident out of “People of the Lie.”)

politicsrus – May old acquaintance be forgot

Parody Project – WE DO NOT SPEAK YOUR NAME

Beau – Let’s talk about Ted Cruz, Russia, and pipelines….

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Open Thread for January 11, 2022

 Posted by at 7:11 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 112022
 

Yesterday, I was more or less back into routine. Although I was still waiting, after 6:00 pm, for an email that the phone outage had been resolved.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

PolitiZoom – GOPers Hit New Low, Protesting Harry Reid’s Funeral In Las Vegas
Quote – [Candidate for Congress Noah] Melgeri [who took part in the “protest”] is pure MAGA. He says COVID was “an intentional act” and that General Milley should be executed, on live television no less. His wife appears at the local school board meetings and spews anti-vaxx drivel. Pure performance art out of the Greene/Gaetz/Gosar school of political theater.
Click through. People take part in protests because they want change. What change did these people want? Did they want the Senator’s body to rot above ground? Or did they just want him cremated? They didn’t say. This was not a protest, but merely a public nuisance.

Democratic Underground (bigtree) – Yes, the boat hit the iceberg, but putting children in lifeboats is destructive to their psyche
Quote – Look, I too want to survive this sinking, but I look at how people insist on wearing constrictive life-vests and taking to life boats and I sympathize with those who wants to spend their time drilling holes in the hull. Better to show this ocean we don’t fear it than to cower.
Click through for fuller analogy – This is an unspooled (translation: readable) Twitter thread with an extended analogy comparing CoViD to the Titanic. I fear it won’t reach those for whom it is intended, but it’s very creative,

Medium – What Do We Do Now?
Quote – Building the kind of movement needed to win won’t be comfortable. It means working with imperfect allies and getting outside our comfort zones. It means being open to tactics we wouldn’t have been previously. It means, for many of us, putting our personal safety at risk against an opposition that’s more than willing to engage in violence against their opponents. But we can’t win without a common purpose and a willingness to let go of what’s no longer working in favor of something new. And we can’t win without thinking, and doing bigger things — outside of the systems and institutions currently failing us.
Click through for complete opinion. Medium has a paywall, but you get 3 free articles per month. This one is scary, but I believe accurate. Of course one can only do what one can do. But one can do that, whatever it is.

Food For Thought:

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Video Thread 1/10/2022

 Posted by at 11:44 am  Open Thread, Politics
Jan 102022
 

Glenn Kirschner – The Two Faces of Kevin McCarthy: Why He Must be Subpoenaed to Testify About Trump’s Conduct on 1/6

Maidas Touch – Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn URGES patience for Jan 6 investigations {I am not cherry-picking; this one and tomorrow’s and the next day are the newest ones that are not full podcasts, and in that order.}

Now This News – Artist Uses Dead Cockroaches as Canvas The only reason I’m posting this is that I did this in 1969. Except I used spray paint. I hung some on the door of ny BOQ with a sign that said “Bug House.” And I trimmed a small Christmas tree with them. And I assure you, I got no press.

The Lincoln Project – Seb/Ted (There are two kinds of people in Washington – those who hate Ted Cruz, and Ted Cruz.)

Ring of Fire – Mike Pence’s Office Is Reportedly Cooperating With The January 6th Committee

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Parody Project – January 6 Commemorative – THE LAWLESS AND THE CAPITOL

Beau – Let’s talk about whether it was really a coup attempt….

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Open Thread for January 10, 2022

 Posted by at 7:21 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 102022
 

Yesterday, I didn’t get much done. I did some clearing of my desk, but you wouldn’t know it to look at it. I lost some time because there was a phone outage, and I thought I must have done something wrong witth the modem, and it took me a while to realize it wasn’t me. So I ended up staying up a bit late. Oh, well.

Cartoon  (also applies to today’s GOp platform) –

Short Takes –

Daily Kos (Aysha Qamar) ‘Huge loss for the community’: Police say Planned Parenthood building fire was intentional
Quote – The fire comes after another incident of hate toward the center in January 2021 during which someone fired a shotgun at the doors of the clinic, shattering the glass and peppering the reception area with holes, the Associated Press reported. In that incident too, the clinic was closed and unoccupied. What’s worse is the incident took place on the anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade case. The recent arson incident comes at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case that could possibly overturn the landmark precedent.
Click through for full story. Or at least, as full as it can be. There is no suspect yet.

New Mexico – State prisons outsource personal mail to inmates to Florida firm, causing concern for some
Quote – Eric Harrison, public information officer for the Department of Corrections, told NM Political Report turnaround time is currently 48 hours for inmates to receive personal mail that the correction facility currently inspects for contraband. He said that when the incoming mail becomes outsourced to Securus Technologies in February, the incoming mail will still be given to inmates in “the same time frame we’re seeing now.”
Click through for differing views. I can tell you the reason they are doing this – it’s the same reason all rules exist – it’s bedause there are always jerks who ruin things for the rest of us. There are jerks who would happily soak paper in drugs befor writing on it and mailing it, so that an inmate can swallow pieces of it and get high. Heck, I’d bet my last pension payment that there are people who would cough on their letters before sending them — even if they knew they had CoViD – in the name of “personal contact.” Even a lipsticked lip print on a letter could be dangerous. Cruel I grant that it is. Ridiculous it is not.

Washinton Post – New York fire that killed 19 likely began with space heater, fire chief says
Quote – Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), who represents the Bronx, said that the country has a “crisis” in housing maintenance and that many of the buildings in his area lack basic fire safety equipment, such as fire alarms in every apartment and stairwells with self-closing doors. City housing code requires self-closing doors to slow the spread of fire and smoke from one unit to the rest of an apartment. “There is often a disconnect between the requirements of the law and the actual living conditions of these buildings,” Torres said.
Click through if you aren’t paywalled out. I really don’t have words. I believe Toeers is a caring person. I can’t help but wonder what hice voice sounded like as he used the word “disconnect.”

Food For Thought:

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SOUND OFF! 1/9/22 – Gratitude

 Posted by at 6:10 pm  Politics
Jan 092022
 

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic got under full swing, and we reluctantly went into lockdown in hopes of curtailing the spread of coronavirus, we started hailing first responders and front-line essential workers as “heroes.” We applauded them from our high-rise balconies, we put up signs that say “Heroes Work Here!”, we sent pizza and flowers and masks. We share memes that show people on the front lines of the pandemic as superheroes. We do this because we want those workers to feel appreciated.

Genuine gratitude is always in fashion, and always will be – especially when expressed not just to make ourselves feel good, but because we are truly thankful for the kindness and hard work of others. However, there is a better way to demonstrate appreciation: Pay these people decent wages. In other words, the CEOs of all those companies and hospitals need to put their money where their mouths are.

Appreciation is nice, but applause and thank-yous don’t pay the bills or cover the rent. They don’t ease the pain of long, hard days or the fear of catching a potentially fatal disease that has catastrophic after-effects of so far undetermined length and intensity. They don’t provide overworked people with protection from fears of getting behind on bills or being evicted if they get sick and have to take time off.

A lot of workers in the United States are overworked and underpaid, not just in health care and other essential services. These people put there bottoms on the line every day for us all, including whiny mask-burners and misinformed COVID deniers who make the spread of the virus a lot easier – and the jobs of healthcare providers a lot harder. I have read a couple stories about front-line healthcare workers dying by their own hands during the pandemic, or just plain collapsing and giving up. Essential workers may be tough, but even the toughest can take only so much.

Our essential workers deserve more than symbolic gestures. They need to be able to keep up with all of their bills, feed themselves and their families, and save up for the future. Society owes them at least that much.

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