Open Thread April 24 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 242026
 

Yesterday, I ran across this video. It’s probably not one you want to watch all the way through at once, but one to maybe save (or save the URL) and watch one idiot at a time. When you are feeling dumb, I guarantee it will make you feel smarter. Incidentally, Norton (one of the later numbers) died in 1888 and I wasn’t born till 1945, but he was still a legend when I was growing up. I don’t think anyone in San Francisco believed a word he said – I think he was just a nice guy and they decided to humor him.

The Saffron Sauron is not the first US President to disagree with NATO – but he is the worst (so far). We and NATO have survived the others – so far.

This from Bloomberg is the first of two articles I have chosen on John Roberts and what he has done to us. It focuses on the Shadow Docket. If you can’t get in, here is the archived version.

This from Lever News, also about Roberts, addresses how someone who was fearful of “activist judges” became one of the worst. Again, here is the archived link.

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Open Thread April 23 2026

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 232026
 

On Tuesday, The Oedipus Project was on Zoom again – with an all new cast inclding Dr. Fauci as Tiresias, and Chuck Schumer as, probably technically a member of the chorus – but the chorus’s lines were broken up and spread around. Yes, I’ve seen the project before, and yes, I’ve read the play (in English – I came late to Greek and didn’t have time to get good enough to read plays – the only one I read a little of in the original was Philoctetes.) But there is always something new that comes out of these productions.

If you are wondering about the criminal complaint against the SPLC which Todd Blanche somehow managed to get past a Grand Jury (in the Middle District of Alabama), there are a couple of good videos available regarding it – one on YouTube on the Talking Feds channel, and the other (and more detailed) on Substack.  Either (or both) can generate a transcript easily if you prefer one. Don’t worry, the SPLC has not done anything illegal (Unfortunately, that fact may not protect them from a MAGA judge in that district.)

From the 19th. One woman’s story to represent so many women’s stories. Which is how we learn, I think.

Since the only thing the Papaya Pasha cares about, besides himself, is money, it shouldn’t be surprising that every bizarre thing he does ends up affecting money. Unfortunately, it’s our money which is the most affected. As Robert Reich points out.

Talking Points Memo has a string of stories here, but the longest, and possibly the ugliest, is the first one. Read as much (or as little) as you like.

This video, from and for Earth Day, is a short – there may be a way to embed it, but I couldn’t find one in the “share” options. Hick is not the best Senator ever, but he is right on this.

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Open Thread April 22 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 222026
 

Today is (International) Earth Day. It is also the last day of the US-Iran 14 day ceasefire, unless an extension has been or is negotiated. Today’s video is all about the SCROTUS “Shadow Docket.” It has an ad right in the middle – if I start after it, you’ll miss all the background. But he wears a very different shirt for the ad, so it should be easy to stop it, run the red dot past it, and pick up when he starts on the subject again.

From Ukrainform. You gotta respect Zelenskyy’s courage to push for a meeting with not one, not two, but three fascists, for peace negotiations. I am not a mind reader nor a prophet (my name is Joanne, not Jeane – remember her?), but I personally suspect that Putin will not stop until very single person in his military is dead, or until he is, whichever comes first.

About half of young Americans can’t name a single Holocaust site, repeating a pattern of ignorance seen in postwar Germany. Knowing what has happened to education in the US since I was in school, I shouldn’t be surprised – but I was, for about a second.

I do agree with Robert Reich. It would be a toss-up between him and Alito, if it weren’t for the fact that Thomas is a known sexual abuser.

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Open Thread April 20 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 202026
 

Yesterday, I saw Virgil and we played cribbage. A good number of hands were outstanding, and about the same number were awful. I think we had less decent average hands than usual. You can’t predict that kind of thing. It just happens. The weather was lovely, and I wasn’t fighting the sun either going or returning. So I think I can be getting there from 10:30 to 5:00 – in other words, get my half-hour back by leaving home a half hour earlier, at least into fall. Of course, in the winter the sun squeezes the time at both ends. Happy 4/20 today to those who celebrate!

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html
Between CNN, UltraViolet, and John Pavlovitz, I was able to use CNN after searching for and finding a readable article. I really would have hated to use a video.

https://theconversation.com/about-half-of-young-americans-cant-name-a-single-holocaust-site-repeating-a-pattern-of-ignorance-seen-in-postwar-germany-278507
Even though I was not born until after VE Day (and less than a month before VJ Day), remembering the Holocaust comes to me almost as natural as breathing. But – I got an education – not just in school, but also through reading, and even movies and television contributed. It isn’t merely the loss of knowledge of the Holocaust which has degreaded our education since then – but that is a teribly important part of what we have lost.

The Corporatization of Public Schools


How long will it take for people to learn that any kind of privatization (including so-called public-private partnerships) will always cost more and provide less than just letting the government do what government does?

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Open Thread April 19 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 192026
 

Yesterday, I listened to the opera “Innocence” by Kaija Saariaho – her last opera before she died in 2023. I’m not even going to try to describe or explain it – instead, I’ll give you a link to the Wikipedia article – and I encourage you to go there, scroll almost down to the bottom, and open (click on “[show]”) the list “School shootings outside of the United States”. If you live in the US as I do, you may well be under the impression, as I was, that the US is the only country on earth which experiences school shootings. In reality, there have been school shootings in every continent in the world, and in some islands which are not associated with continents – beginning in 1910 in Germany. And, starting in 1990,, there are only four years in which there has not been a school shooting outside the US – 1993, 1995, 2001, and 2010. But 2022, 2023, and especially 2026 made up for them. You will be astounded. Granted that there is certainly no country which comes close to matching our record – but we are certainly not unique, as we have been led to believe. But – on to better news. I am off to see Virgil now and will check in upon return.

I don’t remember saying, but I do remember thinking – when Barbara Lee became mayor – that Oakland is going to have a golden age. No, she didn’t accomplish this personally, nor even personally inspire it – but you can bet any important body part that she supported it and maybe even created the climate in which it was born.

As a general rule, I’m not a big fan of home schooling. But – when it works – it really works. And especially when it has quality like this to work with.

You may have to start this video – but once started, it’s on loop. So you won’t need to miss anything.

An extra because my introduction is more depressing than I want for Sundays. It’s maybe less consequential than the first three – but still sweet.

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Open Thread April 18 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 182026
 

Interesting opera scheduled for today – called “Innocence,” by a Finnish woman composer, conducted by a Finnish woman conductor, libretto in six or seven languages. Set at a wedding reception. The waitress there is a woman who lost a child in a school shooting. The groom turns out to be the brother of the shooter. No spoiler from me – I have not looked up where it goes from there. But it certainly sounds like something which would be powerful. Tomorrow I visit Virgil.

Robert Reich dismisses the 25th Amendment for one of the same reasons I do – getting the approval of the majority of this cabinet is just a fever dream. But now, I think we are both wrong on this point. The 25th Amendment strategy which the Democrats are now considering (which still needs to wait until we have majorities) is to appoint an independent commission – an alternative authorized by the 25th Amendment in lieu of the Cabinet. Kudos to those who wrote the Amendment.

Archived from The Military Times, which does not appear to have a paywall, but does want you to turn off your ad blocker. Referred by VoteVets, which now has a Substack (probably has for some time, but I only recently found it.) I have not seen this bit of information anywhere else, and it is an excellent illustration of why the DoD should be run by people who know what they are doing. not by people who can just do pushups and pullups.

This by Harry Litman could well be the headline any time a Republican is replaced with another Republican. Which is one reason why I am so lukewarm on impeaching or 25thing the Orange Ogre. I will say, if we had done it during his first term, it might have worked better than now. Then, there were a few adults in the Cabinet, even though they were Republicans. Now, there are none.

A bonus, because it’s good, for a change.  From Democracy Docket, referred by The Smile. A bit of political good news, though I must say it took long enough.

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Open Thread April 17 2026

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 172026
 

Yesterday, I was fairly well rested, and even managed to get to bed early (for me.)  Malcolm Nance mentioned more or less in passing. that Australia has been hurting for oil and  that now one of their only two oil refineries there has blown up. If that interferes with internet there, it may be a while before we hear from Lona. He also mentioned (it was breaking news to him – and he was shocked) that Justin Fairfax, former LtGov of Virginia apparently shot his wife and himself, but apparently not their teen children. I expect The Root will have more information.

No telling whether the archive is needed – we all get at least one free story a month, but I have no way of knowing whether any of you have used yours. So, archived to be safe and save time. This is sad – but I can’t call it unexpected, alas.

[analysis Magyar election] I was a bit taken aback by the new Prime Minister’s name which I now know I have been pronouncing wrong all my life.) I thought about it off and on trying to think of similar names. First I came up with xomposer and conductor Edward German (he wasn’t.) Eventually I also remembered a General while I was in the Marines – Lowell English (he was American, but I suppose at least some of his ancestors were English.)
(Also, her letter dated April 15 reviews Lincoln’s assassination on April 14 – and how Andrew Johnson undermined reconstruction almost before it started.

Another analysis piece, this one from ProPublica. Of course, investigation was needed in order to publish it with receipts. But couldn’t you have predicted it? I would think any sane person could have. The more people you arrest at random, the less likely any of them is to be a criminal.

Brian Tyler Cohen is not a favorite of mine, partly because his videos are so long. But this one is the only place I have seen anything about this stunt – and as far as I’m concerned you can shut it off when he finishes with that part. (even in full, it’s only 8½ minutes – which is very short for him)

Dog

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Open Thread April 16 2026

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 162026
 

Yesterday, Malcolm Nance apologized for failing to do a scheduled Substack video – because he had had to do interviews on three BBC entities and on ABC (down under.) Apparently I am far from alone in respecting his experience and analysis (and also his choices of co-hosts – Jacob has been missing for three says because he was doing interviews, not just in Denmark, but all over Europe.) Fertilizer was in the spotlight. I am no chemist, but a huge component of fertilizer is urea which is a major (or the major) source of nitrogen for fertilizer. Aren’t we all running around every day full of urea, and flushing most of it? Is it time for someone who is a chemist to come up with some way to capture that and refine it? Or am I dreaming?

Harmeet Dillon’s name has not yet, as far as I know, come up from the White House as a potential AG. But if Robert Reich thinks it is a possibility, I’m confident it is a possibility

Jesse Wegman is part of the Brennan Center for Justice. He has some thoughts about the courts here, and at least one of those thoughts is colorful.

We may as well look at this. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

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