Open Thread January 23 2025

 Posted by at 6:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 232026
 

Yesterday, Rethuglicans in the House defeated even so much as a toothless rebuke to the Saffron Sauron over Venezuela. I blame gerrymandering – polls show that well over half of us are strongly opposed to his unconstitutional and otherwise despicable actions there, and if we were truly proportionately represented in the House, Rethuglicans would not be able to do that. Also yesterday, the prediction for snow today had disappeared – they are still predicting some for tomorrow, but only an inch. Well, we’ll see.

Joyce Vance summarizes the year 2025. Not that there’s anything we don’t know, but there is so much that we may have forgotten some things. Personally, I think the month of January 2026 was “a very long year.”

Y’all probably don’t need any incentive from me or from Common Dreams to be upset with Democrats. (My rep isn’t a Democrat, so I am upset with him all the time anyway.) But – in case you did – here it is.(Apparently only 7Dems did vote with the Rs, but that was more than enough. Now it’s in the Senate.)

Robert Reich on axioms applying to the Apricot Antichrist. I like his use of the word “axiom” – something there’s no need to prove because it’s self-evident, nd can therefore be used to prove other things. So many similar words, like “postulate” and “assumption” are much weaker.

This with Heather Cox Richardson is long – but then, as she says, it was a fire hose of a day – and iI could find it all in writing (from different sources, too),I’d probably still be looking.

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Open Thread January 22 2025

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

Yesterday, The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Lisa Cook’s unlawful firing from the Federal Reserve. Based on questions asked by the Justices, both Michael Popok and Adam Klasfeld believe it will go 8-1 against the Mango Menace, or maybe even 9-0. Both have been watching the court for a long time, and I hope they are not wrong this time. Incidentally, Jerome Powell was present at the hearing too. Also, CPR reported that Tina Peters was “involved in an altercation” at the prison she is in (not a surprise.) And most of the snow in my yard is gone now, but there are a few patches left – and we are now expecting more on Friday and Saturday.

This is Robert Reich at his best. I don’t know whether it will actually be seen by the world leaders he is really addressing – but I hope it will.

It’s not as if we didn’t know most of what’s in the Common Dreams article. But knowing what happened, and doing something about it, are two different things.

This is the way Andy used to write for the New Yorker. The only thing missing is “Harland Dorrison.” Oh wait -I said that too soon. He shows up (a little masked) in this one!

Ask and you shall receive, I guess! Not that I actually asked anyone, but here it is – I can give you a full day’s notice for this event.

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Open Thread January 21 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 212026
 

Yesterday, I slept quite late, but also took in a grocery order – a huge one – which I might not have had the strength to cope with otherwise. As it is, I didn’t get it all put away – just the perishables – and was rxhausted.

This is from Sunday’s Politizoom newsletter. but I don’t think it has lost any of its humor over those three days.

Currently, 96¢ of every dollar the government receives in tariffs is being paid either by us, or by businesses which are able (for now) to suck it up to avoid loss of custom (same source, different article). I suppose the only reason no one ever thought of this before is that no one figured out how to do it. After all, billionaires also have to eat, use the bathroom, and wear clothes just like the rest of us. But Zucman appears to have a plan which might work.

I’ve never expected anything good – or anything true – to come out of Davos. All those billionaires together – who but another billionaire would expect anything good? But – apparently – Canada is the adult in the room of the western hemisphere. I never mind if people skip things – but I hope no one will skip this.

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Open Thread January 20 2025

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

Yesterday, Robert Reich had this to say. It has zero to do with Dr. King, and it’s not even really funny because it’s too real. But it is definitely clever. This from Andy, on the other hand, is funny – sort of – an appealing idea but not really able to be implemented. And then there’s this – from Sunday, so we knew about it. But this is in their own words.

Since the Mango Moron does not understand cause and effect any better than he understands anything else, he would not recognize a consequence if it came to the door and showed RealID. And those of us not in the military or veterans, and even some veterans, have no experience of the signs of impending war, and would not recognize them either. But Malcolm Nance does know about them, and wrote this to give us knowledge to interpret what is happening as it happens.

You may have seen this news – I saw a reference to Laura’s story somewhere else, but it was very incomplete. (And Democracy Now is not on my radar) Mary Trump has all the details.

https://wolvesandsheep.substack.com/p/the-three-reasons-donald-trump-backs
This by Chris Bowers is a thoughtful piece. I’m not sure we have enough information to generalize from, nor how much the information we do have applies to the Saffron Sauron and how much applies to his handlers. Nor how much we can actually bring about. But it’s worth thinking about.

I don’t know how many episodes of this Richardson has planned – this is episode three = but I expect there will be more.

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Open Thread January 19 2025

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

Yesterday, The Root had a trivia piece on MLK Jr which went deeper than I’ve ever seen before. You might enjoy it. TomCat was a close enough friend of his the he might have known all or most of it – even I knew some of it, but a lot of it was news to me. With four articles today, I’m skipping the political video – but not the animal video. Also, Trinette was by to help me take out trash (and recyclables.)

Joyce Vance discusses the Insurrection Act, including how to recognize bait when we see it, and why we should not take it.

Robert Hubbell addresses specific misconceptions about the Insurrection Act (and there are many floating around.)

Wikipedia lists every time the Insurrection Act has been invoked, both legally and illegally. It appears to me – and feel free to disagree – that every time it has been invoked, the civil rights of vulnerable people were being attacked – and the sometimes the invocation intervened on the right side, and sometimes on the wrong side. If the Saffron Sauron invokes it, it is certain to be on the wrong side.

Robert Reich addresses what can be done about it, who can actually do that. and what we can do to help, mostly by adding pressure.

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Open Thread January 18 2025

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

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Carmen” by George Bizet. There’s not much I don’t know about Carmen (although I did learn something today from the tenor in an intermission interview, he pointed out that Carmen never tells Jose she loves him. And he is 100% correct. She implies it once or twice, and says it to others, but never says it to him.) I played first chair second violin in a student production when I was studying music (I didn’t play it well, despite the work I put in, both practicing and listening) but I did play it, and the production was a success in spite of me. I’ve heard and seen so many productions I can’t remember them all. I’ve seen the movie “Carmen Jones” (in which Marilyn Horne sang for Dorothy Dandridge.) If I can’t get to sleep on account od an earworm, there’s probably about a 30% chance it’s from Carmen. A couple of seasons ago the Met put it on with a French mezzo and the announcers were excited to hear it, I presume because Bizet was French. But no one in Carmen is French. Carmen, her two gal pals, and the leaders of the smugglers, and part of the time the chorus, are Romani. Everyone else is Spanish (Jose and Micaela (and if so, Jose) may have been Basque, or may not.) The only thing in the opera which sounds remotely French is the “Flower Song,” and Carmen doesn’t sing that – Jose does. Yesterday’s Carmen was Aigul Akhmetshina, who is Bashkir – not Romani, but the Bashkir people were nomadic at one time. In the absence of any mezzos who are Romani, I’m more excited by this. Also yesterday, I received an email informing me that the trauma combat surgeon who saved the life of Tammy Duckworth in Iraq is now running for Congress in New Jersey. He joins a record number of medical and scientific professionals who are doing the same.

High School students come through for a single mother in Virginia.

Putting this on Sunday because it made Andy proud.

“Colorado Chooses Vaccines is a broad, statewide coalition of healthcare providers, public health leaders, and community organizations working together to protect vaccine access and trust.” from the coalition’s website. I’m proud of Colorado for doing this. And of Coloradans like Carol Boigon don’t let physical disabilities stand in the way of their public service.

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Open Thread January 17 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 172026
 

Yesterday, I added a comment to yesterday’s open thread because by now it’s already late to register for Saturday. There’s still time for Sunday as this goes up. I was drowning in emails and was full when saw the one from Axios that said “Iran’s exiled crown prince implores Trump to strike regime.” Royals may stick together, but since he’s not a real royal (and never will be – a dictator maybe, a royal never), who knows what he’ll do. Also, a little more snow melted in the back yard. The Conversation newsletter had a story about a drunken raccoon.

I could not agree more with Mary Trump if I tried with both hands for a week. Spending $30 billion on ICE is like spending $30 Billion to till every veterans’ cemetery in the US – it’s not just a waste, it’s a violent attack on something which once made us great. And, no, veterans are not perfect, and neither are immigrants. But we certainly don’t become great by trashing either. We now live in the Incredible Shrinking USA.

Asha Rangappa analyzes seven critical actions by the shooter of Renee Good which reveal whether or not he was in fact in fear for his life or those of his colleagues. This analysis so impressed Harry Litman (of Talking Feds) that he made a Substack video with her to go through it. It’s 33 minutes, so I won’t link to it, but if you read this article, there’s a link on the home page.

This has been a bastard of a week, which made it possible to fill multiple Open Threads in advance – but also had me hoping some short takes – like this one from Common Dreams – would not be obsolete by the time they were posted, because the worst had happened.

Cat

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Open Thread January 16 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 162026
 

Yesterday, the snow in my back yard didn’t all disappear, though it did disappear on the northern half. The southern half showed patches of the growth underneath the snow, but they amounted to less than half of the area, Joyce Vance did a Substack video with Mark Elias, and she highly recommended his Substack “Democracy Docket,” so I’m giving it a try. He is involved in a lot of anti-regime litigation and therefore someone we should know exists, which does not necessarily mean we should read everything he writes. I’ll follow this up. Also, I learned that Malcolm Nance is going to Greenland to work with NATO training exercises with military from NATO countries. And Robert Reich informed me that the Saffron Sauron threatens to invoke the insurrection act in Minneapolis. And the frosting on the cake is that Maria Machado gave her Nobel Prize to the Apricot Antichrist (I assume  just the medal, not the money.) And then there’s this. Theater of War productions are known for using well known actors to perform – at least they are well known if you watch cable – which I don’t. But I know these people – who are not professional actors, but are lot more interesting than actors IMO. Take a look. It doesn’t say whether it will be Zoomed or otherwise digitally broadcast. Generally their events are Zoomed live (which would be at 5:00 here, 6:00 Central) and one also needs to register in advance ,with Zoom. I’ll follow up and share what I find, if anything.

I’m not sure I’d call what Common Dreams calls “mockery,” mockery. I’m more inclined to call it pure evil.

The saddest thing about this is that Robert Reich believes (rightly) that there are people who need to be told it because they can’t figure it out themselves. Perhaps our species needs renaming – “sapiens” just doesn’t seem to fit any more (if indeed it ever did). Having checked Google translate, may I suggest “homo stolidus”?

Once again, I am reminded by this article from The Root of Igor Stravinsky in Germany witnessing the brutal beating of a Jew by Gestapo going to a court to report it, only to be told by the Judge “In Germany today, such things happen every minute.”

Granted, I’m late with this video. But at least it’s still January – and we may need reminding now more than we did on the first or second.

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