May 062025
 

Yesterday, I slept even later than usual – which I really needed – sometimes the stress created by not being able to do something one had planned is even more debilitating than the work of actually doing it. That was me yesterday. I don’t think I mentioned earlier that my primary credit card company over the weekend for some reason changed every blessed cardholder’s card number (and expiration date and CVV) on the same day. I had done most of on Sunday, but I had forgotten one. After I finished changing that one, which was a struggle because the site isn’t exactly intuitive, I decided to go to Democratic Underground for a while before tackling other email. The first article I looked at had me almost in tears. So did the second one I read, although not in quite the same way. And then there was this one – I’d almost forgotten about Anonymous in all the commotion.

This from Chris Bowers at “Wolves and Sheep” Substack discusses strategies which are necessary (though not, I think sufficient) to get us through this mess. Certainly it’s a place to start.

Naomi Klein recently wrote an essay for The Guardian which Rolling Stone then interviewed her about, and then MSN passed on the interview. It starts with her credentials – which you probably know – and then goes through the whole thing. It isn’t pretty. But we need to know as much as we can. And, yes, it’s long. But not a word wasted.

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May 042025
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” Yes, the “Anvil Chorus,” as you may have heard on TV cartoons as a kid. The opera takes less than two and a half hours excluding intermissions, but the story – that’s a revenge tragedy which was decades in the making. And so hard to believe that many people still want it explained to them. I think someone finally told this guy, but there sued to be a cafê in Italy whose owner offered a free bottle of wine to whoever could explain it to him. Frankly, it didn’t totally click for me until the last decade. Sometimes I’m slow. But at least in this case I have good company. Now I need to go back to Friday, when I got an email from Virgil’s prison that my paperwork was expiring and they needed new paperwork by 2:30 pm that day or I would not be able to see Virgil today. Well, I didn’t even see it until after 2:30. I was able to put it all together and email it, but not until about 10:00 pm (still Friday though.). So you don’t have to worry about me being on the road today, and I won’t post a comment.  Almost forgot – May the Fourth be with you.

This from Reasons To Be Cheerful pretty much speaks for itself. I could wish we could have this here, of course. But it’s probably happening where it most needs to.

From Democratic Underground – You have probably read or heard this. I’ve seen references to it but not the actual story yet.

This is from Good News Network, and it’s regarding something I’ve been worried about for quite some time now. Maybe you have too. I’m not suggesting we can be complacent – but it is a step in the right direction.

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May 032025
 

Yesterday, I learned that 15 Democratic Senators had voted to confirm David Persue as the Mango Menace’s ambassador to China. I immediately searched to see whether either of mine was one of them, and they were not. I don’t know whether I scares them with my letter the last time they voted to confirm someone, or whether they received so much flak from so many constituents that it scared them, but I know one of them is scared – Benet thinks he can run for governor instead. I believe if he thinks he can beat Phil Weiser in the primary he has another think coming – heaven knows I hope that’s the case. I also learned that I need to get a new application on file – and I was supposed to so so by 2:30 today in order to visit on Sunday. I didn’t even find the email until after 2:30, so I clearly didn’t make the deadline. I sent Virgil an electronic note to call me ASAP. We have decisions to make.

I agree with Talking Points Memo that the most important part of this story is likely the order of magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, but I am sharing a non-paywall link to the NYT article as well. We were all introduced to the role of magistrate judges during the special counsel investigations of the Persimmon Palpitine, but a refresher: magistrate judges cannot preside over felony trials, but they can and do assist federal judges in such cases, including issuing orders to parties. The order issued by Judge Netburn in this case is 100% valid, even though it is also apparently 100% unprecedented. I’d say Judge Netburn has been paying attention. (BTW, there’s lots more in the TPM Memo than just this one story.)

Harry Litman takes a dive into the partnership between Trump** and Bukele, assisted by the New York Times. It’s very seldom I am the first to archive a story – in fact I believe this is the first time it has happened – which suggests to me that these details would be news to a whole lot of people. But I still have more faith in Litman that I do in the Times, so I read this first.

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May 022025
 

Yesterday, I got the first email I’ve ever received from a political action committee called The Six PAC. It was formed in 2019 in California to support six progressive Democrats running there for the House. Now it feels the need to put effort into supporting birthright citizenship. I think just its name deserves recognition.  Also yesterday, a federal judge in Texas – who was appointed by Trump** – issued an opinion that using the Alien Enemies Act as the basis for deportations is illegal.  I’m sure you caught that -it was all over the place.

Dan Froomkin at Press Watch does a deep dive into the implications of The Mango Menace’s interview with Terry Moran of ABC. He’s not the only one looking at it – it is so revealing that it’s getting a lot of attention. It would be great if it would wake some people up.

POGO analyzes the relationship between surveillance and deportation. I mentioned Palantir a couple of days ago – this is a sort of a follow-up on that.

Heather Cox Richardson compares the first 100 days of FDR with the same time period of the current regime. Who loses bigly? You get three guesses and the first two don’t count.

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May 012025
 

Yesterday, Colorado Public Radio news was unusually consequential. Stories about a father who protested Saturday because his son has Bloom Syndrome and who doesn’t want the regime defunding medical research, another about Venezuelan immigrants in Colorado and our court case to keep them, another about a teen girl abducted from Missouri getting found in Fort Collins and more. I’m saving the one about the book banning lawsuit for Sunday because our side had a victory (which will be appealed.) The whole newsletter was kind of overwhelming. Especially on a day when my entire inbox was much like that – to the point where I feel the need to post three articles – and it easily could have been six.

I doubt whether there is any one reading here – or anyone who has ever read her – who needs to be told the premise of this HuffPost article. Nor is it news to us. We’ve been saying it ourselves for years. But it should be somewhat satisfying – it is to me – to see it being said out loud, in print, by a major messenger. Anything anyone can do to spread it cannot possibly hurt and might help.

This from Talking Points Memo was also discussed (including a couple of clips) by Mary Trump in her nightly video. The host – I think she said Terry Moran – kept his cool marvelously. I don’t know that I could have- this type of exchange takes me back to my childhood when my grandmother used to use this defense – deny, deny, deny – over things as simple as doing th family ironing. It made me cfazy then and it still does.

If you are looking for an elected Democrat who is a real fighter, Heather Cox Richardson has the one for you (and me.) You may have heard that J. B, Pritzer (Gov IL) gave a rousing speech, but you may not have seen this many direct quotes from it, and they are needed to give you the real flavor of it.

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Apr 302025
 

Yesterday, the Contrarian posted a “Words and Phrases We Could Do Without,” as it sometimes does. The phrase was “Golden Age.” Of course what the Rockmelon Regime actually wants to duplicate is actually the “Gilded Age” – and I have a personal story about how different that is. I have never cared for turkey, but my aunt always made it for Thanksgiving and we always went to them for Thanksgiving = they came to us for Christmas. The part of the turkey I could basically stand was the part no one else wanted – the tail (you have probably heard some bigoted nicknames for it – I certainly have.) The first Thanksgiving I was not there because I was in the USMC, my uncle decided that a cute was to say “we missed you” would be to “gild” the tail of the turkey, mount it on a little block of wood, and send it to me, so he did just that. Of course he didn’t use actual gold, but gold paint – however, I suspect the results would be the same had he used actual gold – you can gild a turkey’s ass, but you can’t prevent it from rotting. And that’s why the term “Gilded Age” is so appropriate. However, if “Gilded” bothers Republican snowflakes, may UI suggest “Fools’ Golden Age” as a possible alternative? Also, this Borowitz is from Sunday but I haven’t completely trained tutamail yet on what is and isn’t spam, so I just found it – and can’t resist sharing.

I just found this Heather Cox Richardson also. You may have seen the information, but I don’t know who is better than a great historian to analyze it.

The ACLU put this up and out on Monday. But since today, Wednesday, is the actual Day 100, I don’t consider it terribly late. there’s a donate screen, but you can just scroll down past it. I suspect everyone who has the means is already giving.

Robert Reich mentioned Al Gore as one of the past Presidents and Vice Presidents he had not heard speaking publicly about the Rockmenlon Regime. Then he found this. I figure if he missed it, we probably all missed it – know I did – so here it is.

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Apr 292025
 

Yesterday, as usual, I signed a bunch of petitions in my email. Lately, at least one of the groups sponsoring them has added an item in the personal information – “Do you want a response?” Frankly, as any as I sign I’d just as doon not have a response to every pne especially if it goes to multiple senders. This particular one also allows signers to edit (personalize) their individual letters. I decided to check “No” on a response and add this in a separate paragraph at the bottom of the letter: “Your vote will be my response.” I like that. It says “You are being watched and your votes are being noted. No amount of boilerplate language by a staffer is going to blind me to your record.” I am going to start doing that in every case where I am able to edit the message.

Digby quotes Josh Marshall at length to good effect. Most of us are aware that ships, railroad, trucks, all are part of the Supply Chain. But that’s not the same as understanding the timelines (and even that is incomplete unless one knows what cones from where.) There is still a little time for stocking up, but very little. This link from Fortune also has good information. If it looks like there’s nothing there, scroll down a bit.

Colorado Public Radio reprinted this from Chalkbeat (and has a link to it.) I guess how you look at this depends on how you define “legal system.” The laws themselves, though not perfect are what I would call broken. The enforcement, on the other hand, is catastrophic. It seems like every LEO involved in immigration in any way has the mindset of a small town sheriff in the deep South during the Civil Rights movement. Who wouldn’t be confused and anxious, for heaven’s sake? I’m very glad Denver University has this clinic, but I’m certainly not expecting it to solve everything.

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Apr 282025
 

Yesterday, Steve Schmidt wrote about the point to which bothsiderism has brought Bill Maher. I only point to it because TomCat would be so disappointed. It is easier that ever, knowing that Bill Maher and Bill O’Reilly are DNA cousins, to see the relationship. Also yesterday, I almost forgot to post this. My credit union has changed a bunch of stuff, and it involved issuing a new card with a new number and expiration date, and yesterday was the day I had to process the change. Also Virgil needed coffee, and the only place I can order it from that he will get it was apparently put (I hope they haven’t stopped carrying it), so I had to put money in his canteen account instead, and include a note explaining why. And Trinette was over also, which is always a delight, but not conducive to remembering whether I have or have not completed routine tasks. Fortunately. the Sundays I don’t see Virgil I often stay up past midnight to email for a reservation for the following week, because it can’t be timestamped before midnight and still be within the right time frame. As a result of all of that, I finished posting it around 2 am my time.

This article from Axios is obvious to anyone who has been paying attention. Sadly, far too few Americans have. It is concise and clear and , for those not paying attention, adds three separate articles at the end which provide examples. Well, that’s not a bad way to say “I am not making this up.” Now if we can only figure out how to get it into the hands of those who need to read and understand it.

Sadly, just because someone is a Democrat, even an elected Democrat, does not necessarily mean that they are vary smart, or that they are not grandstanding. This article from The F* News is a case in point.

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