Open Thread December 27 2025

 Posted by at 10:07 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 262025
 

Yesterday was a slow news day – I’m glad for the respite, but it makes it tough to fill a column. Here is one article on the big story, an opinion piece, and a book report. I didn’t finish the sweater, but I came very close.

Those of us like me who essentially ignore mainstream media and instead get our news from independent news sources such as The Root learned that, not content with murdering Venezuelan fishermen, the Cantaloupe Caligula bombed Nigeria on Christmas Day. I guess he doesn’t know (or doesn’t care) that it’s New Year’s Day that is the big day for fireworks in the world outside the United States. Seriously, this action is not merely certifiably evil, but it is also tone deaf, which someone who cares about polls as much as he does would normally try to avoid.

Robert Rwich‘s interview with Zohran Mamdani, which happened a week before the election. Reich reprints it as he actually takes office. He’s smart, he has a good understanding of real people’s real problems. and good ideas on how to help. But we knew that. What really struck me in the interview was his courtesy.

Colorado Public Radio has been running a “best books of the year” post for several years now, and the one for 2025 is out. This year’s list looks small to me – or it did until I looked at the two previous years.

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Open Thread December 25 2025

 Posted by at 1:01 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 252025
 

Yesterday, I watched (but mostly listened to) a conversation with Mary Trump and Ruth Ben-Ghiat (as I’m sure you know, an expert – maybe the expert – on “strong men” governments). It was about 23 minutes – shorter than I expected – but highly informative. (just in case anyone wonders, my substitutes for yoga and getting out into nature are knotting and computer solitaire.)

Well, this is welcome news. Ohio has a Democratic Congresswoman who has a spine. That probably isn’t news to SpyKat. But it’s always nice to see a Congrescritter from one’s own state getting national attention for a righteous reason. I know I was stoked when Jason Crow was on the Jan6 Committee, and again when he was one of the six in what most people probably think of as “Mark Kelly’s video.”

I’m sneaking in a second video by treating this as an article – which, if I hadn’t tripped over a video, I would have had to do as an article. Judge Boasberg appears to be a national treasure. It’s 15 minutes, and worth it.

And here’s another judge who may well be a national treasure. Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. of Nashville.

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Open Thread December 23 2025

 Posted by at 5:37 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 232025
 

Yesterday, I slept quite late again. On Sunday my right shoulder had really been bothering me – not every minute, but with certain motions which I make far more frequently than I had ever imagined. In fact, it took me until today to actually figure out what parts of the shoulder I should be applying arnica to. But by the time I posted this, the shoulder was doing much, much better.

In case anyone wants to dig into the Epstein Files any deeper than you already have, Joyce Vance provides a little material, and a link to the exact spot on the DOJ website where you can search.

From Wolves and Sheep. Many people are still above ground who remember the moment alluded to here. In Fact Robert Reich is singling people out at the rate af about one a week for a “Joseph Welch award.” This article doesn’t even quote Welch in full. But if even one person is inspired to hope and work for an occasion for history to repeat Welch’s accomplishment, it’s worth sharing.

Got children or grandchildren or greats? Know anyone who does? This may be their last chance to phone Santa – if the grinch in the White House finds out about it. I hope I’m wrong.

Most of HCR’s videos are way too long for here. But this one is short – and for Christmas.

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Open Thread December 21 2025

 Posted by at 11:28 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 202025
 

Yesterday, The radio opera was Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in the abridged version and English translation they put on around Christmas-New Year’s Day every year because the kids are out of school. It’s always fun, and generally as much for the cast as it is for the audience – maybe even more. Although it’s contagious.

From The Borowitz Report. Not terribly funny – more of an “Oregon Leads the Way” story – a story which would have made TomCat even prouder of his city. Am I selectively remembering, or are these Portland heroes mostly sheros? (I couldn’t help but think of “Naked Athena.”

Yes, another veteran story, and a Colorado Springs story at that. (Colorado Springs has a lot of veterans, including even some Navy/Marine vets, although the Air Force Academy proximity along with Fort Carson account for the bulk of us.) And so many are struggling.

This happened on December 16. It should last until the Cantaloupe Caligula finds out about it. I hope it lasts longer. The comments from party leaders are revealing.

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Open Thread December 19 2025

 Posted by at 3:29 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 192025
 

Yesterday, Steve Schmidt called the Mango Monster’s Wednesday night speech a “Norma Desmond imitation.” I didn’t watch it. Was he ready for his close-up? Also, I keep forgetting to mention this before it’s gone. PBS has a video of “Twelfth Night” from a few of years back “Free Shakespeare in the Park,” and they are streaming it, but only through December 31 (I really think they ought to at least go through Jan 6, since that is actually 12th Night, but what do I know.) Lupita Nyong’o plays Viola, and her real life brother Justin plays Sebastian. He’s a bit taller and of course their voices don’t match, but otherwise, I’ve never seen a better match. And Malvolio is played by Peter Dinklage, who appears to be having a wonderful time doing it. You can stream it here. I don’t think you have to have Passport, but since I do, I can’t be sure. They did not ask me for credentials to see it, but I hadn’t cleared my cache for a while. When I looked it was the second show down, but priorities change, so you may have to scroll farther. (They are also still streaming “Ann” about Ann Richards. I don’t know how long that will last.) And if those aren’t your thing, something else might be.

The Brennan Center for Justice takes another look at Bush v. Gore and how it has affected the makeup of the Supreme Court as well as its reputation.

From Mediaite, referred by Dose of Democracy. I didn’t watch or listen – I’m sorry, but my health won’t take it. Having to read about it is bad enough.

This from The F* News SO pisses me off. Look, I was assigned female at birth and the assignment in my case was accurate. I also turned out to be straight. And I don’t have the kind of imagination to write fantasy novels, science fiction or otherwise. But I do have enough imagination to picture how terrible it must be to be attracted to people of the same sex and to be thereby considered by society as a horrible person or a sick person who needs curing. Or, even worse, to be a male person who was born into a female body, or the reverse, and to know that there are medical solutions that could help me by carefully making changes to my body so it could match who I am, but people who are terrified, or terrible, and almost certainly, on some level, both, have passed laws against doctors helping me. It’s no effing wonder that so many LGBTQIA+ teens kill themselves. The teen years are a time when everything already looks like the end of the world.

link for Lona 

Cat

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Open Thread December 17 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 172025
 

Yesterday, Malcolm Nance, who was a close friend of the Reiners, published a video eulogy of them on Substack which included advice to both those of us who are grieving them, and those of us who have issues with all or parts of our families. It’s under six minutes. I’d embed it if I could, but I can’t. I can only link to it. And provide a tissue alert.

Also yesterday, I selected the meme just after watching a video about the trial of Judge Duggan, in Milwaukee. for “helping someone evade arrest.” if you want to watch it, here’s the link. It’s under 25 minutes.

This from Common Dreams is an opinion piece, pointing out worship of the rich (for which there should be a word, although I’ve never heard of one –  “plutolatry” is a word, but it means the worship of money, not of the people who have it. May I suggest “plusioilatry”? Whatever it’s called, t is as old as misogyny, and every bit as difficult to overcome. In a book written almost a century ago, Dorothy L. Sayers pointed out that no clergyman ever pointed out from the pulpit that a bank president was “an open and notorious evil liver,” implying that such designations were reserved for the poor (especially poor women). And the illusion was far from new then. There’s history in this article. But I have no idea how to break a lie that has been so ingrained for so long it’s practically in our DNA.

If you are upset, and you probably are, with the Poopy-Pants Palpitine’s destruction of the White House East Wing, You will likely also be less than happy about his proposal to bulldoze the Cohen Building and three more buildings in DC, all with historical significance far beyond his ability to comprehend. I saw an article last week from Backbencher about the murals in the Cohen Building, but I didn’t know enough then to post about it. Now that Heather Cox Richardson has written about the four buildings slated for destruction, and the preservationist Mydelle Wright, who is attempting to take the matter to court, I have an excuse to refer y’all to the Cohen Building’s remarkable art – and its social significance. Granted this is not the biggest story of the moment, what with people being tortured and killed by the same government which is supposed to keep them safe -but it is a story about potentially irreparable damage to structures important for artistic and historic reasons.

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Open Thread December 16 2025

 Posted by at 6:09 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 162025
 

Yesterday, as usual on Monday, I slept late. I still managed to take in and put away a large grocery order, though. And even do a little knitting (while waiting for the delivery.)

I learned about this Sunday evening. All the sane people on the ‘net are reminding all of us that we have very few confirmed facts yet, and that we harm ourselves more than any one else if we speculate – especially out loud – and I 100% agree. So why does the headline read like a confession to me? Also, Mary Trump responded to the Orange Ogre’s garbage – she is clearly angry but accurate. John Pavlovitz responded “Trump Derangement Syndrome Is Real. He and His Supporters Have It.” which I have also been thinking for some time. Joyce Vance also had words – and also provided the meme I have placed below the videos – quite a contrast.

Yes, this is a Colorado story. And I hope and pray it stays that way. Because if it makes it to our current SCROTUS, there will to pay throughout the nation.

There’s no link for this story – it was an email from Tim Walz’s reelection campaign. It made me laugh. It’s short, so I’ll just quote the text in full (without the donate page):
“Normally, when someone is going through a fast-food drive-thru, they’re eagerly awaiting a delicious burger and some crispy french fries. Not Mike Lindell though. When he’s going through a drive-thru, he’s getting his phone seized by the FBI.
“You read that right.
“Mike Lindell’s conspiracy theories caught up to him in 2022 in a Mankato Hardee’s drive-thru, when his phone was seized in relation to a federal investigation into his acts to undermine the 2020 election.
“We can say this for sure: Governor Walz has not had his phone seized by the FBI in a Hardee’s drive-thru. Have you?
If you’re with Tim, and haven’t been surrounded by FBI agents in a fast food drive-thru because you’re being federally investigated — chip in $5 to keep someone who has from becoming governor of Minnesota.”

.

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Open Thread December 14 2025

 Posted by at 3:19 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 142025
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Andrea Chénier” by Umberto Giordano. It is loosely based on the last days of French poet André Chénier who was a victim of the French Revolution. Not surprisingly, an opera about a poet has multiple arias for the character (a tenor) – four, in fact, of which the best known is “Come un bel di di Maggio” (“Like a lovely day in May.”)The plot is a bit reminiscent of “A Tale of Two Cities,” except that here it’s the woman who takes a prisoner’s place, and not to save her, but in order to die with her lover. Hey, it’s opera. What did you expect, a happy ending? OK, I’m off to see Virgil – will check in upon return.

I’m not the one to comment intelligently on this story referred by The Smile – instead, it is right up Nameless’s alley. (And this story barely scratches the surface.)

Even in darkest Louisiana there are still good humans. This is one. I wish him well. There is a video at the link.

I’m not trying to tell anyone where to shop. However, I know I sometimes find it difficult to find vendors whom I know are not MAGA, so I’m passing on this link from Daily Dose of Democracy in case it will help anyone.

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