Open Thread February 11 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 112026
 

Yesterday, I watched the Jim Acosta Show on Substack. That’s right, the fascists weren’t able to end Jim Acosta as effectively as they thought they had. Joyce Vance, Glenn Kirschner, and Michael Fanone were on it too. But I’m sharing because at the end of the show he played a clip from RTÉ (Ireland’s equivalent of out NPR) interviewing an Irishman who had been detained at one of the Saffron Sauron’s concentration camps ( think it was Dilley, TX, actually.) Yes, an Irishman. The Irish are pretty uniformly white, so it must have been the brogue – or possibly an opinion. Of course there’s a lot in it besides that. The concentration camp section starts at 41.06, and the actual interview with Seamus Culleton (spelling from CC) starts at 42:49 (and has CC) and lasts less than 3 minutes (and then Jim editorializes a little.)

There’s nothing new here from Steve Schmidt – except in the sense that “everything old is new again.” But then, “everything old is new again” is exactly why history is important. Steve will be very happy if y’all share this with anyone who might learn something from it.

The Children of Dilley


Kudos to Pro Publica for managing to get this story out of a concentration camp when such camps arenot even allowing Congresscritters in to conduct oversight as required by law. (If Mina Rosenberg finds a target on her back, I will not be surprised.)

I suppose we can chalk this up to another reason that Rethuglicans detest science and scientists. But it’s very revealing.

If you watch Colbert regularly, you can skip this. Ian Mckellen plays Thomas More on immigration, by Shakespeare, but unperformed during his lifetime. Talk about something old that’s new – not “new again” – just new.

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Open Thread January 24 2025

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 242026
 

Yesterday, We did get some snow – not a lot, but some. And we’re due to get more today. After the opera, I’ll need to go out and look at it, and maybe try to brush or scrape some off before overnight. Not that the predicted temperatures are in my favor, but anything I can manage to do to alleviate it has got to help.

Common Dreams addresses ICE’s use of children as “bait” to trap their parents, and then keeping the children detained anyway.

Robert Reich posts the photo of one child (Liam, aged 5) alluded to above. He then discusses the responses to some questions he asked readers about what the most effective strategy would be to resist.

Joyce Vance discusses the Fourth Amendment and the blatant violations of it which ICE is committing. Sorry I don’t include any of my own opinions with these articles – but they wouldn’t be printable.

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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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Open Thread December 2 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 022025
 

Yesterday, Fair Fight Colorado announced that a ballot measure has been announced in Colorado to join the redistrict fight. Colorado has officially declined to transfer Tina Peters into federal custody. And CPR also told the state that we lost a (D) state Senator last week, in a 5-car crash on I-70.

In one way it could be called good news that there is yet another prominent Reagan-appointed judge who cannot abide Metamucillini, but it’s not good news that he has therefore resigned. I do get it, and he articulates it very well, and of course he couldn’t stay – but that’s also one less judge who can be trusted at a time when he admits trust in the government, and particularly the DOJ, is at an all-time low – and for good reason.

At least I am getting to “The Week Ahead” on Tuesday this week. She apologizes for it being long, and also says it’s incomplete. So fasten your metaphorical seat belts. Here we go.

Politizoom is the only place I saw this story, and it didn’t arrive until a bit after 8 pm (7 pm Pacific), so it’s as hot a story as you are ever likely to see here. My uncle lived in Stockton until I was about 12 or 13, so that caught my eye, but it was “Child’s birthday party” that really hit me. Four dead, three of them children, and ten injured.

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Open Thread October 19 2025

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 192025
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Louise” by by Gustave Charpentier. He didn’t call it an opera, but rather a “musical novel,” the “verismo” school was getting started at that time, and composers and librettists wanted to flag their work as different. I had heard of it for many years, but never actually heard it before. Placido Domingo recorded it in 1976 and Beverly Sills in 1977 and I missed both. Not a lot actually happens in it – just parents who want to prevent their daughter marrying the man who loves her (and she him) so they can keep her at home. But the music is pretty. Off to see Virgil now and will check in when I get home.

I’m always particularly happy to see a good news story which involves a veteran – there are so many of us who are living through various kinds of bad news. This guy is even a Texan.

This is sweet – such a small thing – wearing costumes to work – can provide so much joy to so many children. (This was actually a week ago Thursday.)

Matthew was in very critical condition and was not 100% expected to get out of the hospital alive – let alone this fast.

Call me sentimental. I’m guilty as charged.

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Open Thread April 12 2025

 Posted by at 6:08 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 122025
 

On this date in 1945, we lost President Roosevelt. But, in spite of having to preside over a World War (which our side won, and I’m not sure we could have done so without him), he pushed for and got legislation which set us up for national prosperity which lasted 80 years. And which it has taken less than three months to trash.

I think I accidentally deleted the Open Thread for Friday.  And I have no backup.  So sorry.  If you had commented, that will also be gone.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/supreme-court-alien-enemies-act_n_67f56408e4b046bb946e0242
The Supreme Court has made several decisions regarding immigration and deportation. including good, bad, and indifferent. The net effect is not all that good. HuffPost explains.

https://www.theroot.com/michelle-obama-has-an-answer-for-those-who-think-her-ma-1851775610
If you are not on social media, and don’t follow black news outlets, you may not even be aware of the rumors. I was aware of them and was also pretty sure they were BS. But then, I have lived through a lot of the same kinds of interactions she has, so I know the territory. The little video in the middle is pretty short and really part of the article so I recommend not skipping it (and yes, the fact that I watched it does mean that The Root has stopped disappearing mid-read for me. Yay!)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220226632
Be sure to at least scan the comments on the Democratic Underground post. I checked the link to Snopes, but feel free – it is a good solid link. Yes, this is what ICE is doing.

Belle Debit Card

Cat

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Open Thread October 7 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 072024
 

Yesterday, I went to visit Virgil. I managed to stack the deck correctly before he came in to give him the perfect hand (I had tried twice before, once when he was still at Bent, and had not succeeded, but I finally did.) this time. His face didn’t give it away, but he was impressed – I can tell because he kept mentioning it when he got a hand that was not so good. I couldn’t have asked for a better result. I also learned something from Heather Cox Richardson which surprised me – and that is that the Washington Post has an investigative journalist on their staff. His name is Glenn Kessler, and it’s a pity that more people don’t know it, or anything about his work. Here’s a link to Rchardson’s post, parts of which will likely make you angry, but hopefully Kessler’s findings will help some.

This is not a time sensitive article, but an essay on the death penalty by Mary Trump. She is very articulate on the subject, which should not be a surprise since she is a professional psychologist. Even if she doesn’t say anything new, I expect her to have new ways to say what she does.

Well, at least this (from Wonkette)  is more plausible than most of their guanopsychotic panics over what children read. It is possible to choose to be a Democrat, or a Republican, for that matter, whereas it’s not possible to choose to be straight, gay, trans, or whatever – you are as you were born, although that may not show up until puberty (except for trans people – that shows up early enough for affirmative care to be helpful, if it can just be allowed.) I could wish the book had gone into the entire Political Compas instead of pretty much just left and right issues, but everyone here knows I strongly believe that. Last week, over at Democratic Underground, where a few were trashing Jeff Flake (who has endorsed Kamala), I left a comment to the effect that this election is not about left and right, it’s about autocracy and egalitarianism, and at least he’s on the right (excuse me, the correct side) of that, and another DUer was kind enough to respond with this: “If all Americans understood this as well as you do we wouldn’t be in this mess.” That made my day.

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Open Thread July 21 2024

 Posted by at 6:07 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 212024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Elektra” by Richard Strauss. Itis based on te Greek myth, but I have only ever seen it in modern dress. (The first time may not have been intentional – bot when Chrysothemis had her back to the camera – it was televised – viewers could easily see the zipper in the back of her costume.) It’s one of his early operas, like “Salome,” and, like Salome, it’s all in one act and the heroine dances at the end and then dies. Aside from thet, they’re very different. It was under 2 hours, so when it ended and I turned the stream off and the radio back on, I got to re-listen to the last third of “Rheingold” again.

I like cats (and most other animals.) I don’t like climate change. We used to have permafrost in the Rockies. Back in the late seventies, when I was still living in Alamosa, a former Marine Corps colleague visited with his wife and two kids (who must now be in their late fifties) who had never seen snow. I was able to call the local paper and get directions to a glacial permafrost area within easy driving distance. It wasn’t really snow, but the kids were thrilled. There are concerns about thawing permafrost releasing CO2 – but it’s also known there are viruses in there. I don’t see why this one would not spread to humans, though it hasn’t yet, thankfully.

This by Robert Reich could be very depressing. But it also could be very motivating – it puts additional faces on “We must avoid this at all costs.” If you find that depressing, and don’t need any more motivation, you may want to skip it.

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