Yesterday, Adam Klasfeld interviewed my man Phil Weiser – my state Attorney General (who is running for Governor) on the 64 or 65 cases in which our state is fighting the Regime, and also on the resentencing of Tina Peters – why it was decided to do it, and why it’s unlikely to get her out of prison any sooner than the old sentence. It took about 28 minutes. I’m not asking anyone to listen (or read the transcript), but am sharing the link in case anyone wants to do so.
From Common Dreams. Humans have survived so many natural an man-made disasters over the billions of years since the earth was made that I expect we will survive this too. But – we may end up wishing we hadn’t.
Archived from The New Yorker. Quick quote: “In the past several years, the phrase ‘alpha male’ has seeped into the language around us, like the contamination of an underground aquifer.” These techniques are basically brainwashing. The techniques can be used for good – but rarely are.
Robert Reich – “Memories of Vietnam” – so I am not the only one experiencing those memories.
Yesterday, April Fool came early for me. My email client was experiencing problems – by 2 pm I had only received four emails, and that is deflinitely not normal. When something like that happens, the first thing I do is try a different browser. I tried a total of four – no joy. I kept refreshing my main browser. Meanwhile, I went through Substack to get to some of my main sources. I have not been looking forward to today.
On Monday, Malcolm pointed out that everything he has pointed out might be possible in the war has subsequently showed up in the national news (NYT, WSJ, WP, etc.) not soon enough for them to have gotten the stories from him directly, but rather, in a time frame for someone to have suggested to Kegsbreath and him to – at least verbally – run with it. And Netanyahu is now poisoning Iran’s and other Gulf states’ water (a war crime, in case anyone didn’t know. (We did it to Kishem Island a couple of weeks ago – Just one of our war crimes.) I am beginning to understand, not just with my brain, but with my heart, why many Jewish people, Israeli and diaspora alike, think it is antisemitism to criticize Israel. When people anywhere in the world, including within the US, criticize the US, even though my brain knows it is the Saffron Sauron and his orcs and nazgul they are criticizing and not me personally, I can’t help feeling sad and a little hurt.
I know we are all worried about the Supreme Court, and we all know something is needed to change it. But we don’t all agree on what needs doing – and I don’t think we really have so much as a concept of a plan as to how the necessary changes can be accomplished. So you may be as encouraged as I am by this conversation between former US Attorney Joyce Vance and Brennan Center Senior Fellow Jesse Wegman (who was essentially hired by Brennan to address the Supreme Curt, but also has a book out about the Electoral College.) It’s 28 minutes, and if that’s too long, there’s a transcript.
I did mention this, but there is much more information here. May Day is the day.
Yeah. Well, that’s the headline. But I’m not seeing them voting that way, or even saying much about it. Certainly not in the numbers needed to make it happen.
It’s been a minute since we had an episode of this series, and this sounds like the final one. My father (who served in WWII, but as a telegrapher) was not in this one, having been medically discharged prior to November 1944. (If he had been there, I almost certainly would not be here.) I could wish that more people remembered – if not from life, at least from education – how important this war was for all of us.
On Thursday, I watched a video by Heather Cox Richardson which she made on Thursday (Her letters are done at the end of the day and are therefore already a day late when they post.) It had me in tears within the first 20 minutes – because I have been trying for at least a decade to posh the Political Compass, and the distinction between forms of government and economic principles. When, as part of the process of how we got here, she pointed out that when after World War II, as part of establishing the international rules based order, we already conflated capitalism with democracy, and never stopped, and spread that falsehood virtually worldwide – I lost it. Here’s the link; it’s been cut – by Heather or her staff – so it’s only the first just under 20 minutes which got to me.
This is another video – 38 minutes – if you choose to watch. Adam Klasfeld, who was in the courtroom, about the hearing regarding the DOJ seizure of the Fulton County election materials from 2020. Fulton County, naturally, wants their materials back – originals, not copies. DOJ does not want to give the originals back, although they have copies. There apppears to me to be even more hanky-panky in the seizure than I suspected from the start. But withoug going into excesive detail, one thing that struck me is that Fulton County is arguing that the warrant demonstrated a “callous disregard” for its 4th Amendment wights. DOJ is srguing that Fulyon county (presumably because it is not a person?) has no 4th Amendment rights. IANAL, but that horrifies me. Even granting that Fulton County is not a person, it keeps tohse materials as a custodian – on behalf of the voters of Fulton County, who damn well are people and have 4th Amendment rights. No one appears to have come anywhere close to making that point. And there was another, similar argument which if it succeeds will endanger privacy. Sorry, I was so concentrated on the first one that I don’t remember the details, but I expect it will turn up in writing somewhere.
From Press Watch. I know people are saying that the Iran War is simply a distraction from the Epstein files, or inflation, or tariffs, or something. I am inclined to believe that all these other things are merely a distraction from how he is using the war to manipulate the oil market, and thereby steal millions, maybe billions of dollars through insider trading. And sharing that with cronies who can do the same. Flashy bombings, moving troops around, meanwhile saying (about nonexistent negotiations) whatever will make the prices go sown so he can buy or up so he can sell. I’ll go out on a limb and say he started the war solely so he can grift from it – and stock up money for when he is no longer President. That is the only plan. The theory that it is a matter of mental illness cosplaying as foreign policy is appealing – but I honestly don’t think he has put even that much thought into it.
Yesterday, I spent much of my day on Substack video, or YouTube, or, in the case of the F*ing News, just audio. Not because i intended to, but because there was so much, and so much of it seemed important. I left out the one about Mike Flynn getting awarded a large settlement with our money, and the one which did a deepish dive into our tax laws, and although I still think Malcolm’s is the best, there’s enough war news out there that I don’t need to report every day (Malcolm had the news already that Robert Reich’s report reports.)
This from the Root is, I believe, important. But it will become even more important if and/or when we achieve a Congressional majority again we will seriously need to put up – or we will be back to being shut up.
Robert Reich points to a report from the Wall Street Journal – which, as he also points out is “hardly an outlet of left-wing propaganda.” You can read – or listen to , your choice – the full article at the link Bob provides (unless they limit free stories and you have already used yours. If that happens, you – or I if I know it is needed – can archive it.) I don’t think these occurrences were predicted quite as loudly as some others, but they were predicted.
If you have about 42 spare minutes, and want to get the taste of the Evil Emperor’s disgusting Xeet about Robert Mueller out of your mouth and mind, this conversation between Joyce Vance and Andrew Weissman should help. Caution: it may also make the loss even more painful.
Yesterday, I saw Virgil, we played cribbage, he loved my latest sweater. I now do not have to worry about getting home by sunset – but I do need to watch the time of sunrise. I drive south to see him, and, although the sun rises in the east, at this time of the year where I live, the sun is always toward the south (I’m guessing that where Lona lives, it always tends toward the north.) This makes it shine right into my eyes if it is too low. I was lucky yesterday in that it was just enough overcast to spare me until it got high enough to be above my windows. And, again, at this time of year, that will only get better up to the summer solstice. I had not heard from Nameless on my day off question, and I hasn’t heard from him here or in email since the 15, do I sent an email, and I’ happy to say he is fine – just computer issues. Well, we all know how that is! He mentioned he had commented Saturday, but I couldn’t see it, and it was not in moderation – I checked. Anyway, I am taking tomorrow off, so don’t panic if there is no Open Thread. I’ll be back on Wednesday.
This column is mostly about the SCROTUS calendar – which is normal during their argument-hearing season. Right at the top is the issue of accepting or not accepting ballots postmarked before (or possibly on) Election Day if they are received late. When Colorado went to all mail voting, it decided we would not accept them late (at least not from people inside the state – I don’t know about overseas and/or military since I was well out of the military when we went to all mail.) But for that reason, they send out the ballots very early so we have plenty of time to research. And also plenty of drop boxes in case we are procrastinators. And they print the must-be-received warning on virtually all election materials. As far as I know, it hasn’t been an issue here.
I moved (from California) to Colorado in 1976, to Alamosa, and then in 1991 to Colorado Springs, And the Air Force Academy was already doing this unconstitutional crap. But – in 1977 James Dobson founded Focus on the Family in Southern California. In 1991, FOTF moved to Colorado Springs. They were in a building downtown until they built their campus around 1998. If they were the only such organization I wouldn’t bother to bring it up. But in the 90’s (I think actually starting in the 80’s) fundamentalist “Christian” organizations were coming to Colorado Springs like flies to – well, you know. And that presence had an effect on the Air Force Academy. An Unconstitutional effect. Obviously I don’t know what the Academy was like before 1991. But as far as I can remember, it has been subject to Christian Nationalist pressure. I don’t think West Point and Annapolis have been affected – certainly not to the extent the Air Force Academy has – and I know darned well Quantico wasn’t when I was in OCS/OBT. I didn’t meet a whole bunch of Air Force officers when I was in, but the ones I met were not Christian Nationalists. I don’t doubt there were Christian Nationalists in the service when I was, but I was fortunate not to meet any – and not just including the chaplains – but especially not the chaplains. None of that is to say that the Air Force Academy doesn’t need a massive turning over of tables with whips, because it does. It has for a long time. Nor do I think it isn’t a danger, because it is. But I do think it’s still an anomaly – for now.
I’ve spent so much time following the Iran war, I didn’t even know there was a blockade of Cuba. Color me embarrassed. You can’t make this stuff up.
Robert Reich did not make this – but he endorsed it by putting it on his personal YouTube channel
Yesterday, the “warcast” was so consequential (and it was long because it was so consequential) that I put it with a link into a comment on yesterday’s OT. I hope I don’t have to do that again today, but I might have to. S–t is getting more and more real. And it’s not like we don’t have things to worry about here. I have to be glad my mother didn’t live to see this (not that it was likely – if she were alive today ahe’d be 119.) Happy Eid al Fitr, if it’s today – if not today, it’s tomorrow. Today was predicted, but not certain. Also, my PCP has moved out of town, nd I called and made an appointment with a new provider. Then I got transferred to an RN to ask about symptoms – specifically, if I have two conditions which essentially show the same symptoms, how do I tell the difference? We kind of talked that through – she brought up a lot that I hadn’t thought of, and ended up telling me I am a “bright and funny lady.” Not sure I deserve that, but it was nice yo hear. Too late, I should have told her about “RN” standing for “Real Nice.” Today is Eid al Fitr probably – if it isn’t today, it’ll be tomorrow.
I hope to God Talking Points Memo sent this to Governor Polis. He could use a little starch in his spine right about now.
The current year is not just the 240th anniversary of the United States; it is also the 250th anniversary of “The Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith. He has been called “the father of conservative economics, but his book is neither conservative nor about economics as we understand the term today. Robert Reich makes that case better than I could.
“Master Plan” is a group of podcasts, now in its second season, created by The Lever to answer the question “How TF did we even get to where we are now?” The first season has eleven episodes with an umbrella title of “Legalizing Corruption,” and a bonus episode with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. The second season’s umbrella title is “The Kingmakers.” Only one episode is available now, but there will be as many more as they think are needed. Every episode can be listened to from this link. The first season is now available as a book.
Yesterday was not the Equinox – but for all intents and purposes (don’t you just hate it when someone says “for all intensive purposes”?) it was here – we had 12 hours each of day and night. Also, I note that Ken Burns has endorsed Sherrod Brown. Not a surprise in one way, because Burns is wicked smart. And he kind of knows everyone – for instance, he knows the Vinman twins from when they were about ten years old. And he hasn’t been silent about national politics. But (and this is probably my ignorance) I’m not aware of his having made a statement about state politics before – and it’s not a state he has lived in. Kudos to him for this. I hope his endorsement hits hard. Also the Nance/Kaarbo Warcast pointed out that, with Israel striking Lebanon, a million people are leaving southern Lebanon – and that this could easily reinvigorate Hezbollah. I would like to point out that Kegsbreath’s no rules, no quarter approach is not only in violation of national and international law, but it is also a good way to lose both the war and the peace. It makes people hate a country. And if, after making the mistake, a country does not make transformational and very public reform happen, it will never be safe again. And the incompetence – it would just be absurd – except that people are dying. All kinds of people. On the other side, the Iranians (technically the Shia Muslims, but Iran is Shia majority) have their own concept of a Messiah – the “twelfth Imam” – who will one day return (and why not now?) And we can expect a shortage of generic drugs to happen fairly soon. And so much more. This one might be worth watching, long as it is.
And other things happened. For one thing, it dawned upon me (probably way too late) that the forms of identification mentioned in the abominable “SAVE Act” do not include a Certificate of Naturalization – nor a Consular Notification of Birth Abroad, nor a Certificate of Citizenship (for people who were entitled to a Consular Notification but their parents did not get one for them before they turned 18.) I sent an email to Senator Hickenlooper’s office, but it was pretty late, and, since they were supposed to be considering it yesterday afternoon, possibly too late. I wish that I, or anyone, had thought of it earlier. I am a birthright citizen, which means I did not have to do anything but breathe to have citizenship. I have the utmost respect for those who had to work for it.
Talking Points Memo from the weekend, yes. But you’ll want to see it – exactly because the Saffron Sauron won’t want you to.
Steve Schmidt from Monday – relining this. I’ve been reliving this since the girls’ school in Iran was bombed. I don’t know which is worse – the coverup then, or the pride and bragging now.
From Common Dreams. File under “No shit, Sherlock.” That’s probably unfair to a lot of civilians who don’t know what “No quarter” or even “Take no prisoners” actually mean. Both mean the same: Kill everyone, even civilians and anyone who wants to surrender. And yes, when the “Secretary of War” says it out loud and publicly, it’s a war crime. Brcause, unlawful order or not, there are some who will follow it.
Yesterday, Malcolm Nance‘s daily update reported that all eight of the US military whom we have lost were reservists. Not one of them was on active duty before the war – all eight were called up for the war. This report – the one for day 16 – has a lot of strategic speculation (you might say “what ifs”) which appear to me to be well worth knowing – some are speculative, some deduced. And this video, at just over 40 minutes, is shorter than most of them. So I’m sharing the link. Also, Trinette was by – for once I was ready. Always great to see her.
Common Dreams: Well, this is not good. IANAL – but I think I heard somewhere that a lower court decision does not become a legal precedent until it is upheld by a Circuit appellate court. On the other hand, who knows what the Fifth Circuit will do – this is Texas, after all.
The new cartoon doesn’t really inspire me – but the captions for the old one impressed me. I do think the top prize should have gone to the last runner-up – but see what you think.
This from The Hill in not all that interesting, but it was probably the slowest news day I’ve ever seen (I hope it wasn’t just the calm before the storm!). So slow I’m going to throw in a story about a T-shirt.
This link is to a Video with JoJo from Jerz and Harry Dunn. Harry is wearing a Tshirt which you can’t see all of – within the first 30 seconds he pulls it up enough that you can see more of it, but there is still at least one “book” that you can’t. I managed to collect the “titles” of all but the very bottom “book”(s) so here they are:
DREAM LIKE MARTIN
FIGHT LIKE MALCOLM
LEAD LIKE HARRIET
THINK LIKE GARVEY
BUILD LIKE MADAM CJ
CHALLENGE LIKE ROSA
WRITE LIKE MAYA
EDUCATE LIKE W.E.B.
If I ever wore Tshirts, I’d want one – but I wear long sleeves when it’s cold and sleeveless when it’s hot – and there doesn’t seem to be any in-between for me.
