Open Thread June 4 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 042026
 

Yesterday, Malcolm reported (so some or all of this may have happened Tuesday) that we bmbed Iran, which responded by attacking Kuwait, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates. In Kuwait the airport was burned. Kuwait attempted to retaliate, but the missile “went stupid” (a term of art) and bombed straight back down to its point of origin. Kuwait only reported one fatality. Yet, no one is saying that the “cease fire” is over. Also, Feank Figliuzzi posted a 49 minute video, with Gareth Gore, who has written a book about the origins, purpose, and accomplishments of Opus Dei (by using the word “accomplishment”, I do not mean to imply that any are positive.) It’s a force to be reckoned with – Gore calls it an abusive cult – and forearmed is forearmed.

Guns. I don’t believe the Mango Moron is smart enough to figure this out by himself. Some evil genius must have advised him on it.

Archived from Lever News. Same song, different verse. Repubicansre so (uninrentionally) transparent.

I’m sure there are bigger things happening than what Robert Reich is covering here. But this kind of personal. It’s our money that the Apricot Antichrist is throwing around on “attractions” like Milli Vanilli (who could not show up anyway, since one of the two is dead.)


r

Share

Open Thread May 30 2026

 Posted by at 6:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 302026
 

Yesterday, Malcolm used the title Milli-Vanilli-cast for his presentation. There are multiple reasons for this, one of which is that he credits Milli Vanilli for inventing alternate reality. I won’t go into other reasons, but I will recommend you avoid the National Mall between June 25th and July 10th this year. But all the information is in the first 17 minutes of the cast, so if you are curious, here’s the link. Also yesterday, a DC circuit judge ruled that the Saffron Sauron’s name must be removed from the Kennedy Center immediately. And another judge ruled that no money can be paid out from his slush fund until, and if, it is determined that it is even legal.

 

I have to share this story, although it took a while to ger it posted – it’s just too good. Wednesday night Bruce Springsteen gave a live concert attended by, among other, Joyce Vance and Mary Trump, who went together. There was a large sign on the building with a short anti-Trump** message – they ran up to it (and probably took selfies) and said – “WE are the Trump/Vance team you need!” And, you know, they are absolutely right.

Robert Reich on wealth tax. He considers it so important he is willing to vote for Tom Steyer – a billionaire – over Katie Porter because Steyer claims to support a wealth tax. I also want wealth taxes – in every state – but I don’t believe a word a billionaire says at any time, least of all when he is running for office.

From Civil Discourse. My first question was – why Chicago? Wasn’t the defamation case tried in New York? Doesn’t she live in New York? Reading farther, Joyce has the same question. (being a lawyer, however, she asked legal procedural questions first.)

I find it very difficult to accept that a sane person, or a sane party, would choose not to be part of the solution. I’s clear that the present Republican party is not part of the solution, and also that it is insane. It’s not as clear to me that the Democratic party is part of the problem – we are kind of dysfunctional just now, but that seems always to happen to a minority party. We do need to form clear goals and get a lot better at communicating listening. If we can’t listen, we won’t be able to communicate at all.

Share

Open Thread May 25 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 252026
 

Yesterday, I saw Virgil and we played cribbage. It was a brand new deck – no tears, no peeling, no sticking. Hands with a wide range of values (zero to 21.) It’s always cold in the visiting room – but it was extra cold today – and quite warm outside – too warm for comfort, actually – but at this time of year the sun is not in my eyes, for which I was grateful.

And on Saturday, I received a Memorial Day email from Major General Eaton (retired) of Vote Vets. He wrote about the wars in Iraq And Afghanistan, and included a statistic which was new to me. In those two wares combined we lost almost 7,000 military in combat – and more than 22,000 to suicide after they came home. More than three times as many to suicide as to combat.

Snarl at me if you like. Because I’m not postinng this from JoJo from Jerz for news value. I’m posting it because of the sheer beauty of the righteous rant. The pure vitriol of the analogies, metaphors, and needle-sharp points made. I’m in awe. I can come up with the occasional zinger, but I could never come up with a string of them like this.

We’re all familiar with the term “kleptocracy” – Maybe too familiar. The term “corruptonomics,” coined by Robert Reich, may help us look more closely at it. As he also says – “Please send to any candidates you care about.”

From Press Watch. The saying goes that a competent prosecutor could get a true bill from a grand jury on a ham sandwich. That’s an exaggeration for a competent prosecutor – but for a crooked prosecutor – maybe not so much.

Share

Open Thread May 23 2026

 Posted by at 12:27 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 232026
 

Yesterday, Malcolm was in Greenland – He went a couple of days ago for the opening of a “new” (meaning newly purchased or leased) building for the American Consulate. Jeff Landry was there (the governor of Louisiana, who is a “Special Envoy” to Greenland), making not just a fool of himself – not that that is unusual -but also acting creepy, offering children chocolate chip cookies) but left early after Greenlanders tactfully asked him not to act like a pedophile. There was a protest on site – including baseball caps reading “Make America Go Away,” “Already Great” [with the Greenland flag] and “Nu det NUUK” [Danish for “That’s enough” but punning on the name of Greenland’s capital – “Nuuk”]. One of the Protest signs read “Yes NATO, No Pedo.” I could go on a lot longer about how much Greenland wants nothing to do with the US under the Canteloupe Catastrophe, but I’ll spare you. Also, Tulsi Gabbard quit. Good riddance – but likely to be replaced by someone even worse. (Flynn? Lindell?) One good thing – Abrego Garcia’s federal case was dismissed with prejudice. Also yesterday – everybody was slush fund talking.

From The Root. I’m old enough to have memories of what it looked like, even though I didn’t grow up in the South. And good enough vision to know it when I see it – which is pretty much all over the place now, and also to see how it jumped back into broad daylight when Barack Obama was electrd President (and yet – misogyny is even stronger.) There are still many glass ceilings above which it is difficult – if not impossible – to rise if you are not a white male. And there is no such thing as modern humans belonging to different races. Neanderthals and Denisovans may be races different from homo sapiens (or not – many of us today carry bits of DNA from one or the other.)

From Pro Publica. Maricopa County – it figures. Joe Arpaio’s county. Did someone day “fraud, waste, and abuse”?

Harry Litman on the slush fund scandal. Of course I thought of Teapot Dome (no, I’m not old enough to have lived through it, but I am old enough to have heard of it in history classes.) But, as Harry points out, the government at least got some oil through it, whereas this criminal enterprise is all take, no give to taxpayers. And those to whom it is giving are the worst of the worst.

Share

Open Thread May 21 2026

 Posted by at 6:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 212026
 

Does anyone else find it ironic that a Broadway musical did a better job of encapsulating our Fouders’ intentions (the good ones and also the not-so-good ones) than our current regime can provide? I hope it gets a lot of air time on multiple channels during July – and maybe the last week of June too. I might have it – if so, probably on VCR.

No, I didn’t choose this from POGO to match the next one. Though similar, they involve different agencies but the same principle: let peons die – it’s cheaper than getting medical care for them.

It shouldn’t be surpriing that Kegsbreath killed at least one military member by omission. But it can still be, and should be, appalling.

Common Dreams also had an article featuring Jeff Bezos as a Bond Villain, which was tempting. But I think this is more consequential.What was it again that Zuckerberg called people who trust him? Oh, yes. “Dumb fucks.” If I may digress (or as HCR calls it, “go down a rabbit hole”), “Zucker” is the German word for sugar, and “berg” – with an e – means “mountain” (with a “u”, it means “city”). Rock candy is made with white sugar and water, but the water is removed in the process of crystalization, so what’s left is just sugar. With a little stretch, you could say Zuckerberg” means “Rock Candy Mountain.”

This video is a “short.” The speaker, Morris Pearl, is himself a millionaire, and a member of Patriotic Millionaires.

Cat

Share

Open Thread May 17 2026

 Posted by at 5:50 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 172026
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was Verdi’s “Don Carlo” in an archival recording from 1950. Most of the characters in it were real people, although they weren’t much like the way they they are portrayed in it. It’s true that the real Carlos was opposed to the Pope and the Inquisition, and sympathetic to the Protestants in Flanders which was then under Spanish rule, and that his father, King Philip, felt the opposite. It’s also true that Elizabeth of Valois was engaged to Carlos before the politics changed and she married his father instead, And his father may have wanted to kill him, but instead just locked him up. It is almost certainly not true that he and Elzabeth were in love – that was not a thing in royal marriages – and he was physically and mentally deformed – he was one of the last Habsburgs – the most inbred royals since ancient Egypt. The one character who was made up (not by Verdi, but by the playwright from whom Schiller borrowed for his plat “Don Karlos”) is Rodrigo – who gets the best music.

If you ever get a chance to attend one of these, don’t hesitate. Be there. Even just reding about one is revitalizing. Being there is a whole other level.

Even in Florida, there are still good people. (Even in law enforcement.)

And this is another reason why, though I no longer have any furbabies, I always look at Chewy first when I need something for myself that might be useful for an animal – like a white noise generator, or a broom that basically picks up hair, or a high powered laundry additive. Chewy is not your normal corporation. Chewy actually cares.

Share

Open Thread May 15 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 152026
 

Yesterday, the “President” landed in China and unsurprisingly behaved like an idiot. There were moments when Xi was clearly struggling not to laugh. But if we laugh too, we should still be keeping in our minds who he took with him. Also, I took in a grocery delivery. Everything is as put away as it is going to get.

I think we’re all aware that whatever the Evil Emperor says, the opposite is true. This is no exception. Robert Reich spells it out.

From The Conversation. I know Colorado couldn’t suspend taxes on gas even if the Governor wanted to.Thanks mistly to TABOR, we currently have the worst budget deficits we’ve had for years.

Archived from The Atlantic – so I could read it. I almost wish I hadn’t – But it’s safer to know than not to know.

Share

Open Thread May 13 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 132026
 

Yesterday, I expected to have lab work again. My previous PCP wanted me to do that every three months. Over the winter, my PCP moved, and I tranferred to another provider at the same facility in a phone call. At least that was easy. But – because he hasn’t actually seen me yet (that will happen next week). the lab had no order on file. So that was a wasted trip. Not something one wants to do when gas is about to go up again, and we could run out of our reserve and not be able to get any at all. Today’s political video is longer than Belle’s are, but shorter than Glenn Kirschner’s are. I am trying to keep them down.

Sometimes I get frustrated looking for articles to feature. The ones with the most (and newest) news are too long, and/or too repetetive, either in themselves or of other articles, or just wrong. Then I trip over a history piece which is relevant to what we are now going hrough (not always in an obvious way, but in some way.) idt Steve Schmidt may not be a professional historian like Heather Cox Richardson, but he has a knack of finding and sharing historical events which feel extremely relevant. Here is one. (The General Butler mentioned cannot be Smedley, who was not born until the last year of the Hayes Presidency. My guess is that it was General Benjamin F. Butler, who was, in 1879, running for governor of Massachusetts [he lost] after failing to win re-election to Congress, so he was at least alive at the time and had the right connections.)

I don’t – not intentionally – subscribe to Political Voices Network – not because the folks are not factual )they are both factual and good), but because there are too many of them and I just don’t have the time. But this came into my inbox, and it has some solid facts and some very good questions. If health insurance CEOs are murderers – why aren’t Republicans who consistently vote against Medicare for all, who strengthen private health insurance providers, murderers too? I can’t help thinking of Wendell Potter and his first book, “Deadly Spin.”

This is a few days old, but I thought it could wait – I didn’t see the MSM covering it under this regime. And it’s good news, as far as it goes. I hope it gets past SCROTUS still standing.

Share
 Older Entries