Open Thread for August 16, 2021

 Posted by at 7:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 162021
 

Yesterday I was pretty well behind with everything. I did learn that Mitch got back from his trip safely, but he now cannot get in to PP. So it may be a while before we hear from him. But he’s fine. Does anyone else here know anything about Apple/Mac systems and Safari? If so, would you consider allowing me to send your email to Mitch? If you aren’t getting my emails weekly, the “Contact me” link under “Other Links” on the bottom right, second to last section, above “WordPress.org links, now comes to me. If your email client is not set to pop up, right-click on it, select “copy email address,” and then paste it into your address line. I don’t swear that will work in every browser, but hopefully it will. If it doesn’t, you could leae a comment and let me know it’s OK – you don’t have to put your address in the comment, as WordPress will record your email in a place that only Administrators can see.

Cartoon –

There’s a typo in it – it was 11 seconds, not 0.11.

Short Takes –

Democratic Underground – Mary Trump: the most cogent description ever of our current peril as a democracy
Quote – McConnell is the greatest traitor to this country since Robert E. Lee (with the difference that McConnell has been trying to take our country down from within). He has always been expert at using existing rules and procedures in ways they weren’t intended to be used, and yet—whether it was denying Merrick Garland a hearing, pushing through Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation, or ending the filibuster as it applied to Supreme Court nominees but employing it to block legislation that would expand voting rights—his anti-democratic maneuvers have been performed within the bounds of the system.
Click through for the rest, and then, if you like, click through again to the meta-source.

PolitiZoom – WATCH: COVID ‘Shedding’ Theory Is More Deranged Than You Can Possibly Imagine
Quote – It is astonishing to me that as a species we have done remarkable things like send mankind into outer space. We’ve built technological marvels. We’ve extended life expectancy and the quality of life with surgical procedures and medicinal interventions of one kind or another. We’ve invented communication devices and transportation that were beyond imagining a century ago. Yet despite all that, there are people who listen to this level of ignorant witchcraft fear mongering and believe it to be true. “Don’t go near the vaccinated. They’ll contaminate you. They’ll shed on you.” Shed how? Hair, skin, cooties? Frankly, I’d rather listen to tales of witchcraft and sorcery than this non-intellectual make believe hooey.
Click through for story. I could go on quite a rant here, but I’ll restrain myself.

Washington Examiner – Rachel Maddow reports sign of life in Georgia criminal investigation of Trump 2020 election efforts
Quote – Prosecutors began the investigation in February, following Trump’s call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked the official to “find” the 11,780 votes sufficient to reverse his loss. Maddow told her audience on Friday that she had an “exclusive” with new information regarding a top official at the Justice Department that will help the process move forward.
Click through for story, and then through again to Maddow Blog if you like.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 15, 2021

 Posted by at 6:28 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 152021
 

Yesterday it was pretty hot again. My lab results came, and look pretty good. They actually arrived Friday, but I was expecting 3 packages yesterday (which turned out to be four), so I waited in order not to go out more than necessary. Between the heat, the smoke, and the idiots, I really don’t feel terribly safe outside, even though vaccinated.

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Short Takes –

The Intercept – SECRET DONORS TO NONPROFIT PUSHING TRUMP’S “BIG LIE” ELECTION CONSPIRACY REVEALED
Quote – The tax document obtained by The Intercept, a publicly filed IRS form that included a list of donors, shows a handful of large corporate and individual donors to the Bradley Impact Fund. The contributions listed in the fiscal year 2018 filing range from roughly $782,000 to $1.5 million. The Bradley Impact Fund operates as a donor-advised fund, a vehicle frequently used to allow anonymous contributions by letting donors give to a fund and then directing their contributions to particular recipients…. “It might seem improbable that a low-profile family foundation in Wisconsin has assumed a central role in current struggles over American democracy,” [investigative reporter Jane] Mayer wrote. “But the modern conservative movement has depended on leveraging the fortunes of wealthy reactionaries.”
Click through for a whole lotta detail. You will recognize some names, others maybe not so much. But if you’re going to follow the money, you can expect that.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/homeland-security-warns-fresh-covid-19-restrictions-could-spark-violent-attacks-2021-08-13/
Reuters – U.S. Homeland Security warns fresh COVID-19 restrictions could spark violent attacks
Quote – In an interview with CNN, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his department considered domestic violent extremists to constitute “the greatest terrorist-related threat to our homeland.” He said the Department was seeing expressions of extremism fueled by “false narratives” and “ideologies of hate.”
Click through for story. If they’d do this because of CoViD restrictions, what do you suppose they would do if their God-Emperor were arrested and held without bail? Asking for a friend.

Common Dreams – Child Hospitalization for Covid-19 Hits All-Time High in US: Report
Quote – The Delta variant, which is rapidly spreading among mostly the unvaccinated portion of the U.S. population, has caused hospitalizations to spike in recent weeks, driving up the number of pediatric hospitalizations to 1,902 on Saturday, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children currently make up about 2.4% of the nation’s COVID-19 hospitalizations. Kids under 12 are not eligible to receive the vaccine, leaving them more vulnerable to infection from the new, highly transmissible variant.
Click through for more. I really can’t even.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 14, 2021

 Posted by at 6:36 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 142021
 

So yesterday I attempted to get my new noise generator up and running … and coudn’t get a peep outof it. So I fired off an email to customer service. In the eantime, the travel size works just fine. As far as weather – we’ve been hotter – but our air quality is the pits. We are a large, smoke-filled room. I’m staying in, thanks.

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Short Takes –

The Hill – Census shows US growth driven by minorities; white pop falls under 60 percent
Quote – A part of that decrease comes as a result of a new effort by the Census Bureau to measure the number of people who identify as multiracial, a population that skyrocketed over the last decade. But much of the drop in the white population, experts and demographers said, stems from an aging demographic that is producing fewer children later in life. “Whites, no matter how you count them, declined since 2010,” said William Frey, a senior demographer at the Brookings Institution.
Click through for exact numbers and ramifications. I consider this to be excellent news, but you know you can hear RWNJ heads exploding all over.

HuffPost – 3 Former Cops Charged In Wrongful Conviction That Sent A Man To Prison For 25 Years
Quote – It is exceedingly rare for law enforcement officials to face criminal prosecution in relation to their roles in wrongful convictions. But reviewing wrongful convictions has been a key agenda item for Krasner, one of the leaders of the progressive prosecutor movement. In 2018, his office created the Conviction Integrity Unit, which has helped secure exonerations for 22 people. At least 18 of the exonerated were Black men. The detectives charged on Friday worked on at least four of the cases that the Conviction Integrity Unit has helped overturn.
Click through for details, including (trigger warning) description of initial interrogation and also the Grand Jury findings document. This is why I actually sent money to Krasner’s campaign. Not much, but some. Oh, and there’s a little video too.

Reuters – U.S. Homeland Security warns fresh COVID-19 restrictions could spark violent attacks
Quote – In an interview with CNN, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his department considered domestic violent extremists to constitute “the greatest terrorist-related threat to our homeland.” He said the Department was seeing expressions of extremism fueled by “false narratives” and “ideologies of hate.” U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, welcomed the DHS warning but said it was “troubling that the terrorism threat increasingly is based on grievance-based violence and conspiracy theories, especially related to the election and former President Trump.”
Click through. Dam right they “could” (read “will.” They won’t be happy unless they can kill all of us – but they’ll settle for any of us (and even some of themselves.) Here’s just one example. 

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 13, 2021

 Posted by at 6:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 132021
 

Yesterday my new noise generator came, a day earlier than expected, and I didn’t get it set up yet. So, still “to be contiued.” Although with Mitch in Maine (though he should be back soon, maybe today), Pat away with family for the weekend (grandparents can also have empty nests), and Nameless having refrigerator issues (hopefully resolved soon?) I’m not sure there’s much interest.

Cartoon – (Incidentally, do read yesterdays cartoon again, or look up “quagga” on Wikipedia.  They are being brought back naturally, through selective breeding.  This is only possible because they are not a species but a subspecies.

Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – New Oath Keepers Indictment Adds Defendants, Charges To Jan. 6 Conspiracy Case
Quote – The release of a fifth superseding indictment against the Oath Keepers involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection—adding two more men, one from Georgia and another from Florida, to what is now a total of 16 co-conspirators in the case, as well as further charges against one of the women already indicted—is stark testament to how the evidence against the Patriot organization’s members for their key role in the attack on Congress that day has been mounting steadily, doubtlessly aided by the participants who have turned state’s evidence.
Click through for deets. I wanted to talk about this, because this is how you handle a case that you need to get a start on even though you may not be ready for court. Each superseding indictment resets the clock on the right to a speedy trial. And that suggests the question, “So why aren’t they doing this with Trump**?” Well, in my opinion (granted, that and $5 will get yu a cup of coffee) they are not doing it with Trump** because his crazy followers would pose a greater public danger if he were locked up than they do if he is merely being investigated (and that very quietly) and blathering. As crazy as the Oath Keepers are, locking up groups of them doesn’t precipitate the same publc hazard, because it’s pretty clear that, if they try, they will also get locked up speedily. MAGAts not affiliated with any particular group, or even with many different smaller groups, are more susceptible to the “They can’t arrest all of us” mentality.

HuffPost – After 8 Months, Cities And States Are Still Sitting On Rental Aid
Quote – The amount is significant: $46.5 billion, a sum that nearly matches the entire annual budget of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. States, counties and cities with populations of at least 200,000 were eligible for the money, which offers up to 15 months of rental assistance to low-income individuals (12 months of past-due payments and three months for the future). But that money has been incredibly slow in getting to the people who need it the most. Through June, only 15 states and the District of Columbia had spent 10% or more of their Emergency Rental Assistance Program funds, which were initially approved by Congress in December.
Click through for story. The bottom line, it appears to me, is that Congress actually DID think of “the people sitting around waiting for money” and authorized this so that low-income people could actually pay them. But instead of goig after this money in their own states and localities, they’d rather sue tobe able to evict people. Am I off-base here? Be honest.

Mother Jones – QAnon Hero Claims to Present Sensitive Election Files at MyPillow CEO Event
Quote – On Wednesday, computer files apparently associated with the Mesa County election system were presented and analyzed live on a giant screen behind the stage by [Ron] Watkins, who beamed into the event via livestream. In a confusing back and forth, Watkins told the crowd that his lawyer instructed him to say that the files were from hard drives taken “without authorization” from [Tina] Peters’ [top Mesa County election official] office, and the hard drives should be returned to the clerk, and “we should stop this data review.” Peters then came on stage and said the the hard drives did not come from her office, “unless it happened during the raid.” Watkins then spoke again, saying that the drives made their way to him via Sheronna Bishop, a right-wing activist from Colorado who was reportedly one of Rep. Lauren Boebert’s campaign managers in 2020.
Click through for more. Mesa County is on the Western Slope, close to the border with Utah and about halfway between the northern and southern borders of Colorado. I’m almosy glad this was Colorado, because I guarantee Jena Griswold will get to the bottom of what happened, and I can’t say that about the secretary of state of every state. But I’ll bet Jena is furious.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 12, 2021

 Posted by at 7:07 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 122021
 

Yesterday it was cooler again.That and tha fact I went into it with more and better sleep than i have been getting lately ade it a good day right from the start. And then, I filled up the Short Takes quite early and even have a head start on tomorrow. So I spent some quality time untangling tangled yarns /s. OK, that really isn’t quality time … but it’s good to have it done.

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Short Takes –

Second Nexus – Dems Hilariously Troll GOP Senator by Unanimously Voting for His Petty Infrastructure Amendment
Quote – Once the bill was brought to debate, the first amendment offered came from Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, who proceeded to rail against the Green New Deal—an ambitious climate policy overhaul championed by progressives as the only viable option to significantly curb the climate crisis…. [Bernie] Sanders told Barrasso: “As a supporter of the Green New Deal, I have no problem voting for this amendment because it has nothing to do with the Green New Deal.”
Click through for giggles. This is from George Takei, though it may have been published elsewhere.

The 19th – Cuomo’s exit puts two women in New York’s highest offices
Quote – Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul will soon become New York’s first woman governor, ushering in a historic first for women’s political leadership at the state level. New York state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins is next in line to replace Hochul as lieutenant governor. She would be the first Black woman to serve in the role in New York — and her appointment to the position would mark the first time in U.S. history that a state has been led by a woman governor and a woman lieutenant governor. Stewart-Cousins was already the first woman Senate majority leader in the state’s history.
Click through for story. Talk about unintended consequences (which apparently aren’t always bad). Who knew Andy Borowitz was a prophet (in the colloquial sense)?

Crooks and liars – YouTube Suspends Rand Paul For 7 Days Over Mask Disinfo
Quote – Senator Rand Paul, who has already had COVID, used an online video to attack Dr. Fauci and all CDC guidelines regarding masks. That got him kicked off YouTube for a week.
Click through for the rest. I guess after you suspend a former President, suspending a Senator comes easier. (Also, Marjorie’s off Twitter for a week.)

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 11, 2021

 Posted by at 6:45 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 112021
 

Yesterday I was kind of bleary, because my portable noise generator, though it worked, didn’t last all night. (However, I did learn valuable information about what to do differently – found out it does run on house power and how to make that happen.) And the new one should come before the weekend (and it will run on house power.)

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – USPS Board Won’t Quit DeJoy — Or His Disastrous Plan
Quote – The arrangement, amazingly, was cleared by ethics officials the Postal Service according to a previously unknown inspector general report requested by lawmakers. He filed all the right paperwork, according to the IG. That doesn’t mean there’s anything that doesn’t stink about this. (DeJoy, however, remains under investigation by the FBI for his political contributions and company activities involving XPO.)
Click through for probably more than you wanted to know. Very little is good about this. However, President Biden’s latest nominee to the Board was just confirmed yesterday and that should help,

The Hill – The 19 GOP senators who voted for the $1T infrastructure bill
Quote – The passage of the bill comes just before Democrats take up a budget resolution that greenlights their ability to pass a separate $3.5 trillion spending plan, packed with the party’s top priorities, later this year without GOP votes. No Republicans are expected to support the budget resolution or the subsequent spending package, which is unlikely to get voted on before late September.
Click through for complete list. Don’t forget there’s another infrastructure bill in the House, and that Reconciliation will be invoked. This $1T bill is not the one we want (and we may not get the one we want, but we can expect to get closer to what we want than this.) Also, as Lona pointed out, this vote is going to go to Manchin’s head. It shouldn’t. These Senators are voting for it because they know something good is going to pass and they want to be able to claim credit.

HuffPost – Pentagon Issues COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For All U.S. Military Members
Quote – Austin’s decision reflects similar moves by governments and companies around the world, as nations struggle with the highly contagious delta variant that has sent new U.S. cases, hospitalizations and deaths surging to heights not seen since last winter. The concerns are especially acute in the military, where service members live and work closely together in barracks and on ships, increasing the risks of rapid spreading. Any large virus outbreak in the military could affect America’s ability to defend itself in any security crisis.
Click through for story. If, like me, you were wondering what they were waitin for – it was FDA approval. But they decided it was too important to wait any longer (with which I concur – for what that’s worth.)

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for August 10, 2021

 Posted by at 6:51 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 102021
 

Yesterday I got my grocery delivery and put all the perishables away – probably today I’ll put away the toilet paper and glue, and the bottled beverages. If I have room. I also placed an order for a new noise generator, because the one I have has been, for the last couple of nights, starting and stopping unpredictably which interferes with my sleep.  I’m aware it may not be the machine but the cord – but I can’t check that out without moving my mattress and I haven’t felt up to that. Besides, they are not terribly pricey. I just got a class action settlement which will cover it twice over (and you know how skimpy they are LOL.)

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Short Takes –

Reuters – Prehistoric cave paintings in Spain show Neanderthals were artists
Quote – Pigments were made in the caves at different times up to 15,000 and 20,000 years apart, the study found, and dispel an earlier suggestion that they were the result of a natural oxide flow rather than being man-made. “The importance is that it changes our attitude towards Neanderthals. They were closer to humans. Recent research has shown they liked objects, they mated with humans and now we can show that they painted caves like us,” he said.
Click through for story.   I always like to stick up for the Neanderthalers. I’m convinced our worst traits as a species are not from them, but from ourselves.

Former Acting A.G. Jeffrey Rosen May Be Trump’s John Dean
Quote – Following the closed-door testimony, Senator Blumenthal stated that Rosen “discussed previously reported incidents, including his interactions with Mr. Clark, with the Senate Judiciary Committee. He called Mr. Rosen’s account ‘dramatic evidence of how intent Trump was in overthrowing the election.'” Additionally, Senator Blumenthal said that Rosen “presented new facts and evidence that led him to believe that the committee would need to answer ‘profound and important questions’ about the roles that individuals in Mr. Trump’s orbit played in the effort to undermine the peaceful transition of power.”
Click through for train of thought. Of course it’s pure speculation, at best an educated guess. But it would be nice.

LA Times – Why are vaccination rates so low? We found the worst county in each state and asked the politicians
Quote – Among the mayors who supported vaccination, the dominant sentiment was that they had done all they could to raise the rates and were never going to succeed.
Click through if you like, The response rate was low, and those who answered, asnwered exactly as you would expect. But the chart is interesting. I had to turn off my ad blocker, so I put the chart into a Word documebt (and I can make a pdf from it in seconds if that is preferred) and can send it easily.

Food for Thought – I like the way he conceptualizes.

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Open Thread for August 9, 2021

 Posted by at 6:46 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 092021
 

Yesterday it was supposed to be warmer – the dude on the radio was hoping people had air conditioning – but it wasn’t here. It actually felt the cooloest day for a while. Hey, I’ll take that … as long as it doesn’t get too cold too fast. It was also a pill weekend, I filled the morning ones on Saturday and the evening ones yesterday. Set for two weeks now. Also placed a grocery order to be lelivered today.

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Short Takes –

Law & Crime – A Former MMA Fighter from N.J. and a Metal Baton-Swinging Seattle Resident Are the First to Plead Guilty to Assaulting Police on Jan. 6th
Quote – Both men technically face up to 20 years imprisonment at their upcoming sentencing on Sept. 17…. Both also face the possibility of $250,000 fines. Their sentencing hearings will be closely watched, as potential markers for how heavily federal judges will punish those charged with assaulting law enforcement on Jan. 6th.
Click through for deets and some speculation. Law & Crime can get very sensational in their headlines and in their selection of stories, but their style is pretty matter-of-fact.

AP News – Late nights, early mornings await Senate on infrastructure
Quote – As many as 20 Republicans are expected to join Democrats in what would be a big a vote on final passage. Overcoming a 60-vote hurdle Saturday with backing from 18 Republicans was a sign that the bipartisan tenuous alliance could hold on the public works package. Another procedural vote was expected late Sunday, as senators push toward Tuesday’s final passage. If approved, the bill would go to the House.
Click through for story. Don’t faint if some Republicans vote for this. They know we are going to get it done, and they don’t want us to be able to say, “Not one single Republican voted for it.”

Rolling Stone – Die Hard Trump Supporters Increasingly Demand Violence If He Isn’t Reinstated, Homeland Security Warns
Quote – “Over the last few days what has occurred is there’s been much more public visibility, meaning the discussions and these theories have migrated away from being contained within the conspiracy and extremist online communities, to where they’re being the topic of discussion on web forums, or more public web forums, and even within the sort of media ecosystem,” a senior DHS official told ABC News. The drunk-on-Trump crowd has been triggered so much that Homeland Security says they are concerned about the calls for violence increasing further.
Click through for more. This is a situation in which police in key locations do need riot gear, and I hope they have it.

Food for Thought –

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