Open Thread for October 27, 2021

 Posted by at 6:41 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 272021
 

Yesterday, after a couple of overcast days, the sun came out … and so did the wind. There’s a NSFW quip about why it’s so windey here – it’s because Utah blows and Kansas – mphmmm.

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Mother Jones – I Played This Climate Change Game—and Lost Everything
Quote – [F]acts about humanitarian crises averted can feel abstract unless you face them, or at the very minimum role-play as someone who must confront them. I did so myself. And I lost my beans. Paying for Predictions is an experiential learning game designed for the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre by Boston University visiting fellows Pablo Suárez and Janot Mendler de Suárez. Players can gain an appreciation for the importance of preparedness and early action, the use of weather and climate projections, and disaster resilience and climate risk reduction.
Click through for story. Nameless and I were chatting about computer and phone games recently … but we weren’t thinking of anything like this. This gaming could really help. I only hope there’s enough time for it to help.

Democratic Underground – Remember Sen Grassley’s tweet about filling in for Pence?
Quote – Remember Sen Grassley’s tweet about filling in for Pence? Grassley tweeted Jan 5 that he’d be filling in for Pence during certification of electors since Pence was not expected to be there. His office quickly announced that he meant IF Pence wasn’t able to be there, but I wonder if the first version wasn’t more accurate. Could that be how they planned to get around Pence’s refusal to cooperate? Just have him taken somewhere else for a while? Sounds crazy, but then recall the story that came out about Pence not leaving the Capitol that day because he didn’t trust the driver?
Click through for speculation and comments. Yes, it’s speculative, but sometimes putting small things together can lead to big questions. Now if we only had answers.

HuffPost – 2020 Had The Most Reported Hate Crimes Since 2001: FBI Data
Quote – The FBI’s 2020 data came from 15,138 law enforcement agencies around the country. Roughly half of all hate crime incidents reported were classified as intimidation, 27% were simple assault and nearly 18% were aggravated assault (which the FBI defines as “physical attacks intended to inflict severe or aggravated bodily injury”).
Click through for more stats. It’s not hard to see why. Mr. China-virus-illegal-immigrants-not-sending-their-best no doubt had something to do with it.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for October 26, 2021

 Posted by at 6:58 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 262021
 

Yesterday, I moved some clothes around – put some away, took some out to be handy both to visit Virgil and to change into when I get home. Of course the pronblem with that is that it take twice as long to recover as it does to do. But I did manage. And rested a little with knitting. (One yarn company has as its motto “Knit. Relax. Repeat.” Almot too cute.)

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The 19th – The 19th Explains: Key races to watch in November 2 elections
Quote – The year after a presidential contest is not a big one for elections, but two states and several major cities are holding elections this year for governor, state legislators, mayors and more. The debates are shaped by local issues, like housing, and national issues, like the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click through for all eight. It mentions the NYC mayor but not the DA, in which Alvin Bragg is running to succeed Cy Vance. He may, of course, be unopposed.

Crools and Liars – Biden Breaks Stalemate As New Hope Emerges For Transformational Agenda
Quote – The details of the bill are still being worked out, but Jayapal has made clear so far that progressives’ priorities are still in the bill, even though they’ve had to scale back some of the proposals. Manchin and Sinema have continued to be the skunks at the garden party, but Biden seems to have pinned them down on both a price tag and their red lines in the sand.
Click through for the story. Crooks and Liars is an unlikely place to look to for hope, but I’ll take it where I can get it.

PolitiZoom – Gerrymandering On Steroids W. Virginia Governor says He’ll Accept Three Maryland Counties Who Want To Secede
Quote – This is either a Fox News publicity stunt which has gone too far, or maybe state lines will be redrawn in dramatic ways if this is real and it catches on. As you’ve probably heard, three western Maryland counties want to secede from Maryland and become a part of West Virginia. What’s that you say? Who in their right mind would want to leave the 15th largest economy in the nation and move to the 48th? Beats the hell out of me.
Click through for what little else is known. If they can do this without changing the number of House Representatives each state is now assigned, I say go for it.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for October 25, 2021

 Posted by at 6:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 252021
 

Yesterday, I managed to find the strength to take some trash and recyclables to the polycarts, and move the polycarts closer to the curb. Not all the way to the curb – pickup isn’t till Thursday – but close enough to be esier to get out on Wednesday. While i was doing that, the neighborhood cat stopped by. He doesn’t care much for the gourmet cat treats I got from Chewy. But I guess he figures that he comes by enough times I’ll eventually open something else (and he is right.) I honestly don’t know what he likes. The one flavor he really liked was Iams salmon, but he is over it now. Not that he needs food. I’ve started calling him “Bustopher.”

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Crooks and Liars – Insurrectionists’ Extremism Deepens In ‘Patriot Wing’ Of D.C. Jail
Quote – More than anything, they appear to focus on justifying their martyrdom. “We have been labeled the enemy, yet clearly we see tyranny as the enemy,” Reffitt wrote. “While our lawyers do our bidding and the judges do their duties, we remain resolute, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing the National Anthem all in unison, loud and proud most every day. All because we are us, we are you, we are all Americans and in here, we have no labels.”
Click through for reality. This was prefictable. I don’t suppose the DC jail has any way to break them up. The Feds maybe coupd, but it’s probably not legal to tranfer them to federal facilities – yet.

The Daily Beast – ‘Delinquent’ Matt Gaetz Blocked from Practicing Law
Quote – The Daily Beast has learned that the Florida Bar has branded Gaetz as “delinquent” twice in the past two years. The organization temporarily cut him off in 2019 and again in 2020, because Gaetz failed to affirm that he is properly handling and protecting any clients’ money in trust accounts. Lawyers must abide by strict rules to ensure they are not stealing or misusing money that belongs to the people they represent.
Click through for story. And this is just for failing to pay to renew his law license (or, as the author puts it, “not paying his bar tab”). Look at the next short take for what else is going n.

Democratic Underground – Justice Dept. Adds Two Top Prosecutors to Matt Gaetz Case
Quote – The Justice Department has added two top prosecutors from Washington to the child sex trafficking investigation of Representative Matt Gaetz, according to two people briefed on the matter, a sign of the complex and high-stakes nature of the inquiry into Mr. Gaetz, a Florida Republican who is one of former President Donald J. Trump’s closest congressional allies. The prosecutors — one a public corruption investigator with an expertise in child exploitation crimes, and the other a top leader of the public corruption unit — have been working on the Florida-based investigation for at least three months, the people said.
Click through for detils. I like to use original sources, but cannot access the NYT. Do you suppose he deliberately did not pay for his license because he knew it would be a waste? I doubt it. He’s mot that smart.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for October 24, 2021

 Posted by at 7:05 am  Open Thread, Politics
Oct 242021
 

Yesterday, The opera on the radio was “Orlando” by Handel. Baroque and Bel Canto oeras (1730-1830 approx) are famous for mad scenes, but they are usually for women. This one has a male mad scene, sung by a counter tenor. Most interesting. I also put meds together for the next two weeks. Annoying, but necessary.

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Crooks and Liars – Washington State Rep Locked Out Because Of Failure To Get Vaccinated
Quote – You might remember this doofus from earlier this year, wearing the Yellow Star of David to equate the Holocaust with vaccine mandates.
Click through.  Gotta love it.

Democratic Underground – What was really being planned at the Willard Hotel before the January 6th insurrection?
Quote – We may soon be finding out. Also I hope we find out about all those White House meetings in November, December, and January . . .
Click through – I realize it is a bunch of tweets, but they are presented very readably and are well attributed. This is not meant to be definitive, but rather, suggestive of what may come out.

Mother Jones – Substack Is Profiting Off Anti-Mask and Anti-Vaccine Newsletters
Quote – There’s one less frequently discussed way in which Substack actually might be endangering democracy: It’s become a conduit for public disinformation during a historic pandemic. Indeed, my search of Substack returned dozens of newsletters that suggested that vaccines and masks were ineffective and dangerous, and that “the media” had exaggerated the harms of COVID-19. Many of the newsletters that I found insisted that the government was suppressing evidence in favor of treatments that scientists have shown to be ineffective, like hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin. Other Substack newsletters made similar claims about unproven supplements and other fringe remedies.
Click through for story. Social media is the modern nin-headed Lernean Hydra. Where is our Hercules?

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for October 23, 2021

 Posted by at 7:12 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 232021
 

Yesterday, I learned my friend James, who has already been through so much, was in the process f having surgery on his ankle (which had prior surgery, but the screws from that were loosening and coming out.) That, according to his surgeon, usually means an infection, but he wanted to get in and look at it before mronouncing. Sure enough, the pathology lab found one, and he now needs to be on IV antibiotics for 6 weeks before the reconstructive surgery can happen (because otherwise he would lose the leg. Where have we heard this before.) Prayers and good thoughts are invited. (And I also got the email that my ballot has been counted. Yay!)

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CNN – These are the 9 House Republicans who voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress
Quote – Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming (January 6 committee member)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington
Rep. John Katko of New York
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (January 6 committee member)
Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina
Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan
Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan
Click through for some background. Two, of course, are on the Subcommittee. But seven aren’t.

Wonkette – Another Criminal Investigation Into The Trump Organization? Sure Why Not!
Quote – In recent months, the district attorney’s office in suburban Westchester County, N.Y., has subpoenaed records from […] Trump National Golf Club Westchester, and the town of Ossining, which sets property taxes on the course, a sprawling private club that is perched on a hill north of New York City and boasts a 101-foot waterfall. The full scope of the investigation could not be determined, but the district attorney, Mimi E. Rocah, appears to be focused at least in part on whether Mr. Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, misled local officials about the property’s value to reduce its taxes, one of the people said.
Click through for details. While it’s entertaining to see TFG screwing up in civil suits, criminal investigations are far more welcoe. I really could not care who puts him and/or his spawn behind bars, as long as someone does. (Incidentally, how can s perso hold his or her mouth in that position?)

The New Yorker – Borowitz Report – America’s Children Demand That Joe Manchin’s Salary Be Tied to Work Requirement
Quote – Declaring “no more government handouts,” millions of America’s children are demanding that all future salary payments to Senator Joe Manchin be tied to a work requirement. Tracy Klugian, who is nine years old, said that Manchin’s current arrangement, in which he is paid for no work whatsoever, amounts to “an obscene ripoff of the American taxpayer.”
Click through for satire. I particularly like the implocation that children are smarter than adults. Sadly, that’s more often true than we like to admit.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for October 22, 2021

 Posted by at 7:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 222021
 

Yesterday, I received an email that my ballot has been received by the County Clerk’s office. I’ll get another email to confirm it’s been (or will be) counted, but I trust the clerk’s office, so I’m relieved. Full disclosure: As a veteran, I receive lots of free return address labels from veterans’ organizations, and most have patriotic imagery. I don’t use those that much, but I always make sure when I mail my ballot that it has a return address label with a big ol’ flag. I figure any GQP along the way who might be tempted not to deliver it will not be tempted when there’s a big ol’ flag on it. That may be paranoid … but these days …

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CBS News – Manslaughter conviction of 21-year-old Oklahoma woman who suffered miscarriage sparks outcry
Quote – [W]hile Poolaw’s case has garnered national attention, [National Advocates for Pregnant Women] says that her case is not unusual. The organization says it has documented over 1,600 cases involving the criminalization of pregnancy. More than 1,200 of those cases occurred in the past 15 years. “These cases include pregnant women who have been arrested for falling down stairs, drinking alchol, giving birth at home, being in a ‘dangerous’ location, having HIV, experiencing a drug dependency problem, or attempting suicide,” the organization tweeted. “The majority of women subjected to pregnancy-based prosecutions are low-income women, drug-using women, and women of color.”
Click through for details. I should hope to shoot a brick it would spark outrage. It certainly sparks mine.

Pro Publica – Oath Keepers in the State House: How a Militia Movement Took Root in the Republican Mainstream
Quote – Dozens of Oath Keepers have been arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, some of them looking like a paramilitary group, wearing camo helmets and flak vests. But a list of more than 35,000 members of the Oath Keepers — obtained by an anonymous hacker and shared with ProPublica by the whistleblower group Distributed Denial of Secrets — underscores how the organization is evolving into a force within the Republican Party. ProPublica identified Clampitt and 47 more state and local government officials on the list, all Republicans: 10 sitting state lawmakers; two former state representatives; one current state assembly candidate; a state legislative aide; a city council assistant; county commissioners in Indiana, Arizona and North Carolina; two town aldermen; sheriffs or constables in Montana, Texas and Kentucky; state investigators in Texas and Louisiana; and a New Jersey town’s public works director.
Click through for story. There have been crazies in the Republican Party for decades (and there also used to be people of honor, and I miss them). Now the crazies are organized.. and gaining ground.

HuffPost – New York City Declares Racism A Public Health Crisis
Quote – New York City’s Board of Health listed several specific actions tied to its declaration in a press release. These include working with other agencies to beef up data by reporting deaths, injuries and health conditions by race; pinpointing and amending policies that have contributed to racial health disparities; and plans and budgets on a wide range of matters that affect health like transportation, education, housing and economic opportunities.
Click through. This took a couple of days to reach me and another day to get it posted, but it is so cool – and the best part is that it provides a model for other bodies to act.

Food for Thought –

 

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Open Thread for October 21, 2021

 Posted by at 7:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 212021
 

Yesterday, It was pretty quiet. I got to do some knitting and even play at some games a little. Nice.

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Short Takes –

The New Yorker (Borowitz Report) – El Chapo Refuses to Share a Prison Cell with Steve Bannon
Quote – The ex-kingpin said that, although he had not heard of any plans to house Bannon in his prison cell, he was speaking “out of an abundance of caution.”… El Chapo’s sentiments have been echoed by the nation’s prison population, two million of whom have signed a petition refusing to share their cells with Bannon.
Click through. Oh, Andy, that’s so disappointing!

AL dot com – A murdered Alabama woman’s wedding ring was sold at auction. The Missouri man who bought it won’t sell to her grieving family.
Quote – “This fella was wanting to buy the ring back,’’ Blaker said. “I bought it fair and square. He thinks I should let him have and him send me the money,’’ Blaker said. “I don’t trust anybody anymore. I’ve been screwed around on deals like this.” Blaker said they didn’t initially agree on the price. Stanton called him again. “He was preying on my sympathy I guess and said, ‘Well that was my wife’s wedding ring,’’’ Blaker said. “I said, ‘Well, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to get rid of anything.’’
Click through for tragic story. Speaking pf people with hearts of stone ….

The Daily Beast – Joe Manchin Isn’t Moved by Dem Attacks—He’s Emboldened By Them
Quote – And it’s exactly these big moments—when Sanders and like-minded Democrats express their endless frustration with Manchin—that help him burnish the gadfly credentials needed for a Democrat to survive in a state that went for Donald Trump in 2020 by 38 points. So, despite visits from angry kayakers, millions of dollars spent on ad campaigns pressuring him, thousands of calls to his office, and countless meetings with various constituents, Manchin has so far not budged a dollar on the Democrats’ signature legislation. If anything, he’s doubled down.
Click through for details. And now he may be thinking about turning Republican (he denies this.)

Food for Thought – This ought to be the last word on Mayor Pete and Chasten:

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Open Thread for October 20, 2021

 Posted by at 6:31 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 202021
 

Yesterday, I got confirmation for a visit with Virgil on October 30th. So that is good, but it does have me confused now about what they are doing. Perhaps they went to 33% capacity; though I looked on line and the latest still said 25%, sometimes word is slow getting onto the web. I suppose they could have moved all the inmates who have no one on their phone or visitors’ lists into one quarter… sadly, that would not be impossible or even unlikely – many convicts get abandoned by families and friends. TC knew that well and it was one of the things which motivated him deeply to work with prisoners. But I don’t know that, and if I asked, I likely would not get an answer.

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Politico – Dems find their anti-Rubio warrior in Val Demings
Quote – For months, the Florida congresswoman challenging Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022 seemed nowhere to be found, eschewing local press and small political events typical for this election off-year, and also avoiding the national media glare in Washington. Now Demings has an answer for her whereabouts: She was campaigning almost exclusively on Facebook, growing an army of small-dollar donors across the nation on her way to raising a staggering $8.5 million in the most recent fundraising quarter —$2.4 million more than Rubio reported and more than any Senate challenger in the country between July and October.
Click through for details. It’s true we haven’t heard a lot from Val lately (but then a lot of other things have been going on.) It’s good to know she has been busy. I pray for her success.

Crooks and Liars – Rev. Barber Blasts Manchin For Pushing Voter ID And ‘Trumpian Lingo’
Quote – BARBER: The Democrats should have started this messaging. They should have had the faces and the voices of people who would be impacted. We tried to say this to the handlers of the president at the White House, and for some reason they didn’t get it. They should have never let voting rights just be a Black issue and then separate it out from the economic issue.
Click through for more of the message. When Rev. Barber soeaks, I listen. And he is right. I wish I had ideas on how to get there from here, though.

HuffPost – ‘I’m So Stupid’: MAGA Fan Who Attacked Officer Mike Fanone Called Himself A ‘Piece Of S**t’
Quote – Rodriguez, according to a transcript of his FBI interview filed in court by his defense attorney on Friday, said that he became radicalized watching videos on InfoWars and from conservative commentators like Steven Crowder, Mark Dice, and the Hodgetwins that convinced him of the conspiracy theory that Trump actually won the election. Rodriguez repeatedly referred to himself as “stupid” for believing that the pro-Trump mob he was a part of could take over the U.S. Capitol and install Trump as president for a second term.
Click through for story. I certainly wish more people would “get it,” even if it has to be belatedly.

Food for Thought –

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