Open Thread September 10 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 102025
 

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, CHARLIE KIRK WAS SHOT AND KILLED LAST NIGHT WHILE SPEAKING IN UTAH.

Yesterday, I’m not excited about rehashing things, especially when there is so much rapid-fire news. On the other hand, G. K, Chesterton had it eight when he said “The human race does not need to be instructed so much as it need to be reminded.” We know that George Washington warned us about Trump**(*) (not a prediction so much as a general knowledge of human nature.) But The Conversation recently published a scholarly article addressing the details of that warning. Also yesterday, this from Liza Donnelly – you may find some of it elsewhere, but as I type, it’s all new to me (some, but nowhere near all, is from Heather Cox Richardson – I checked because they are close friends.) And also, I have noticed that Heather Cox Richardson and Joyce Vance have done a Substack Live and I have really wanted to see it – and today I was able to see it through Preet Bharara’s Substack. Both are knitters (and I knitted while watching.) If you want to watch but skip the knitting talk, start at 4:20. Also, it says it ends at 52:47 but it actually ended at 48:43 – and that’s including a bit about book tours, which can be skipped.

I have gotten to the point that when I come to a headline in The Root which begins “Black People Need To Know About”, my immediate gut reaction is “Sure, but do white people and other non-Black people know enough about this, since we are the ones doing it, and maybe the ones in the best position to do something about it?” In this particular case, sane white people have been opposing it for decades – maybe forever – and haven’t had much luck. But now is not the time to give up.

I think of Jennifer Rubin as being a journalist, not a lawyer – but I looked her up in Wikipedia and she does have a Juris Doctor degree – in fact, headed her law school class. So her opinions on the Courts – what they are doing, and what it means – are at a minimum educated thoughts.

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Open Thread July 5 2025

 Posted by at 5:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 052025
 

Yesterday, Virgil called and as always, asked how I was doing. I told him I really didn’t want to talk about it, so we didn’t. I’ll see him a week from tomorrow and if I’m up to it I’ll talk with him about it then. There were some explosions in the neighborhood , and it was, after all, the fourth, but it was nothing like previous years. And it may even stop after today, which is also nothing like previous years.

Well, here we are. Steve Schmidt discusses “Alligator Alcatraz” and compares it, not with Alcatraz, but with Auschwitz. H wonders out loud about the process of getting building permits. I would dudprvt there was no such process in Florida. Not that Florida law doesn’t cover it – it almost certainly does, though we have learned through multiple hurricanes that the specs are pretty lenient. But as the brainchild of the governor, I would expect it to have been bypassed.

Y’all know, because of Glenn Kirschner’s video, that Abrego Garcia’s attorneys requested he be kept in federal custody so that ICE could not kidnap him again. That’s one court case involving him. Another is a suit his wife has filed against ICE, and her attorneys have released a filing detailing what he endured while in CECOT. Yes, it’s ugly. And that’s why you should read it and spread it to others who have a milligram of empathy. No need to share it with anyone who will be aroused by it.

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Open Thread July 4 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 042025
 

Yesterday, as you all know, the House passed the Big Brutal Bill in the Senate version, despite the fact that Hakeem Jeffries kind of brought the filibuster over from the Senate in opposition. I believe there’s some intention of taking it to the courts but that doesn’t give me a lot of hope. Earlier tis week, John Pavlovitz already wrote that the Fourth of July this year is not a day for celebration but one of sitting vigil for the dead. I had already picked out my featured image, which is not current – it is from 2021. But though those people have been disgustingly pardoned, the sentiments hold, at least for me. And the traitors are still around. It’s not strong enough, but I doubt I could find a stronger one, and I’m not exactly feeling creative. I might point out that, with heir glair for deception, the bill is written so that any of the cuts do not take effect immediately – so the bill is also a time bomb. For a while they will be telling us “See? it isn’t so bad,” and that will be a lie. Today, do your best to summon up some joy and hope. You – and I – will need it.

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/the-democracy-index-76b
The Democracy Index is a feature of The Contrarian. There is a team pf highly qualified people who work on it, one of whom is Joyce Vance. TBH, reading or even skimming all the sources I subscribe to doesn’t leave me much time – or energy – to follow the Index. But this one is specifically for the Fourth of July, and today being the fourth, I decided to share it. I note that there is a comment on reading the chart, so I’ll remind everyone that the metaphor here is taking the temperature. Two of the thermometers are at at least 106°F, and one looks to be at maybe 101°F. You may disagree either with the chart or with my guesstimate (I personally think National Security is hotter than that), but it looks to be generally accurate in proportion.

This from Chris Bowers is about what the New York City primary results imply for the Democratic party, particularly in tandem with the recent successes of Bernie and AOC with their touring town halls. I really hope that enough Democrats are paying attention with open minds, because, if too many are not, we may see panicking which will hurt us all.

Yes, this is from the Senate’s vote on their version of the Big Brutal Bill. But I wouldn’t call it old.

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Open Thread July 2 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 022025
 

On Monday, I finally remembered to re-add images like Lona’s hedgehog and Freya’s angry cat to the media library late enough in the day that the should be the last thing added in June, to make them more convenient to find. Speaking of Freya, has anyone heard from her? It’s been a very long time, not just since she posted here, but since I (and also Evelyn, who is also concerned) got a newsletter from her. If you know anything, please put it into a comment or email me. Then yesterday, I got the news that Jimmy Swaggart has died. I won’t speak ill of the dead, and I assume everyone knows what that is code for.

There have been lively debates in comment sections about this case – which is now over – the baby, a boy named “Chance” was removed by C-section (and while the case it over for the courts, it’s not over for him, poor thing.) But this from The Conversation is about as complete an analysis of the ethics of the case as you are likely to find.

This is from The Brennan Center for Justice on the topic of the Supreme Court. I know in the past some have had issues getting to that site, so here is an archive link in case anyone needs it.

Here is an extra video which left me literally speechless:

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Open Thread July 1 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 012025
 

Yesterday, I went through a little more than two days of emails – I had not had the energy to tackle Sunday’s on Sunday. But Joyce Vance’s “The Week Ahead” from Sunday really shouldn’t be missed, both for the analysis and for the hope. Harry Litman addressed the same case – not the verdict itself but apparently even lawyers can’t agree on how awful it is.) Also yesterday – remember the Pearl Street bombing in Boulder, CO on June 1? Well, one more victim has died, as reported by Colorado Public Radio. She was 82 years old. Finally, USA Today has a pretty detailed account of the shooting in Idaho. I won’t claim is the best – I didn’t check everywhere – but it’s pretty solid. No paywall.
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/the-week-ahead-

This is a few days old – but I think still interesting to anyone who is still wondering just how effed up the knuckle-draggers working in the current regime can get. I would put this somewhere in the territory of FUBB and FUBAR.

John Pavlovitz was inspired (as was I) by Joe Biden’s presence and demeanor at the funeral of the Hortmans (Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert). This is what he had to say about it – and I can agree with just about every word. I did know what we had, and you may recall, was so crushed when he dropped out of the race that I had to take a week off to collect myself. I wish I had a way to forward this to President Joe. He deserves to know how much he is loved and missed.

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Open Thread June 28 2025

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 282025
 

Yesterday, the Supreme Court gave us a decision dump. It’s a dump in all senses. And there’s a good deal of coverage all over the net, so I’ll just add that my heart goes out to Justuce Sotomayor, who must be in licking-her-wounds mode big time. Also, I learned that a No-Secret-Police Act has been introduced in Congress. Civic Shout has a petition to applaud it.

Many, maybe most, of Meidas Touch Substacks posts are videos. I literally cannot watch them. If I try, my brain starts wandering and my stomach tightens. This does not mean Meidas is bad – in fact, it’s more likely to mean it’s very good indeed – since that happens to me with some of the best speakers. But it does happen, and I won’t post anything I cannot evaluate. Fortunately, this post is not a video (it is from a video, and it contains a short video of Mrs. Abrego Garcia), and it addresses something that no one else is, as far as I can tell. If they are, they are leaving out the human side. And without empathy, our work is – not worthless, but worth less.

Others are spreading this news, but I thought I’d post it straight from the source which did the investigating – Project on Government Oversight (POGO)

One more thing from Pete Buttigieg. He does manage to find things that others miss.

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Open Thread June 25 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 252025
 

Yesterday, Wonkette unintentionally informed me that I guess I’m going to have to thank my junior Senator for something. I don’t think it’s quite good enough for me to apologize, but a “thank you” won’t kill me. Also yesterday, Rep Al Green introduced new articles of impeachment and forced a vote on them using Article IX. And 128 Democrats voted with Republicans to table them. I knew my Rep wasn’t one because my rep is a Rethug. But I did look up the record, so if you want to know how yours voted here it is. In Colorado, only Diane DeGette had the balls to vote not to table it.

Robert Reich forwards, if you will, a letter from Liz Cheney. I cannot disagree with either of them on this.

When Pete Buttigieg speaks, I’m inclined to listen. Particularly when he speaks about something he has just spent two weeks doing a deep dive into. The article is not all that long, but every word is important.

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