Yesterday, I read Joyce Vance‘s analysis of the case against the alleged pipe-bomber Brian Cole (Jr.) She begins with the same question we all asked: “Can we trust the FBI and this Justice Department after years of watching Donald Trump denigrate and politicize those previously independent agencies?” And then goes into detail. Lots of detail. Bottom line, it looks as though even this DOJ got something right for a change. (And that that was the result of finding actual work done by the previous DOJ, not their own.) Included in the analysis is that many people have some degree of prejudice in favor of direct evidence over circumstantial evidence. I tend the opposite way myself. Objects are less inclined to lie than people.
I tend to get nervous about Democrats making promises, and then being prevented from keeping them by Manchins and other holdouts. Sure, we can do all of these, if we have a dependable veto-proof majority. Otherwise, we might be able to accomplish some, but nowhere near all of this. But all of it certainly needs doing – Robert Reich has that absolutely right.
Yes, Pearl Harbor Day was yesterday (I recognized it with a photo of the Pearl Harbor Memorial.) But this by Steve Schmidt, and the other by Heather Cox Richardson, were not available in time to post for yesterday. And I think they need to be seen.
From The New Republic. We don’t hear about this much – or at least I don’t. But it is correct. If this is still going on, it needs to stop.
Yesterday, I observed Veterans Day in the traditional Marine Corps manner by sleeping in. Here’s how Barack Obama observed it, God bless him (cat goddesses, bless him too.)
Common Dreams recounts just one story of an ICE arrest – this one in Fitchburg, Massachusetts (but they are just about all alike.)
I’ve been waiting for a comprehensive article on NPSM-7 – so many people are raising the alarm and so few are at all addressing what is in it. I decided it was time to find something more substantial. Just scroll down m past the “Donate” section – I’m confident anyone who can afford to is already donating to them. Below that is the whole story.
https://www.theroot.com/former-white-racists-expose-secret-lingo-and-gestures-y-2000072520
I was aware of more then half of these listed, but I did learn a couple which were new to me – and I certainly didn’t know there was a “hate symbols database.” Not that it is surprising.
This Lawrence video is a bit over 18 minutes. So don’t watch all of it, unless you decide you really want to after watching the first three minutes. There is stuff in those first minutes that everyone really should know and you won’t find elsewhere.
Yesterday, Trinette and I went to the VA and got me registered as eligible for whatever services they can provide to those of us who didn’t stay long enough to retire and have no service-connected disability. Yeah, I have some, but all mine are age related or something else related which has nothing to do with my service. The booklet I will need to read to find out what is available is not as long as Reich’s book, but is also probably a lot more boring. It’ll be about ten days before I get my ID card, so I don’t need to know until then, and if I can finish it in ten days I’ll be pleased with myself. Anyway, afterwards, Trinette ans I went to a Mexican restaurant we used to love but had not been to since before the pandemic. The prices were up, but the food was as good as ever. They had even expanded the menu quite a bit. All in all, we accomplished a lot and had fun doing it.
Robert Reich reads from his new book, whose official publication date is today. I am just about 11 months older than he, so I lived through the same period. And I knew about some of what he writes about – but not all, not when it was happening. But then, he lived in New York, so much of what he recounts which turns out to have been relevant nationally all along, was merely local news at the time. He’s going to be on Colbert this week to talk about it.
Common Dreams has the story. It’s very sad that it has come to this. But kudos to those who recognize that it has, and have the guts to act on it.
Yesterday was the Summer Solstice. I hope all who celebrated had a great day. Also yesterday, an email from Justice Democrats informed me that eight Senators, led by Bernie Sanders, made a statement that voters are looking for for bold leaders, not feckless moderates. And polling backs them up – 70% of Democrats in a recent poll say the same. Of course I had to know who those seven others are, so I did a search and found they are Warren, Murphy, Merkley, Welch, Tina Smith, Markey, and Van Hollen. Neither of my Senators, of course. The only surprise in there is Peter Welch, and that’s only because I haven’t heard of him until now. He is Bernie’s junior Senator from Vermont. Tina Smith and Chris Van Hollen have not been loud until recently, but recently, they have. I could wish for the addition of a few names which are missing, like Sheldon Whitehouse, Alex Padilla (who also hasn’t been loud, but I would think has motivation now), Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff (who needs to put up or shut up at this point – I’m certain Katie Porter would have been on that list in a New York minute), and you can probably think of others who should have been there. Finally, I will not go deeply into the surreal disorientation I felt while reading about the possibilities of war in Iran while simultaneously listening to Albert Ketelbey’s “In a Persian Market” on the radio. I wonder who programmed that.
This does need to be read and/or heard. One thing that jumped out at me was the sentence “Their stories remind us that in the eyes of MAGA, just being Latino is enough to be treated as a criminal.” Sadly, actual criminals, are generally – are at least supposed to be – treated better.
This link is to a petition which you can sign if you like (it’ll take your signature even if you’ve signed on the same issue multiple times already.) But that isn’t why I’m posting it. I just want to be crystal clear on my source for this quotation:
Because Donald Trump is an egomaniac who will do anything to hurt anyone while helping himself, the bill is structured so that all of the new spending provisions associated with deportations and building up the military, as well as with Trump’s gimmicky campaign promises, expire in 2028. Further, almost all of the cuts to the social safety net, and even some of the cuts to green energy investments, do not go into effect until 2029. Basically, all of the perks happen during Trump’s time in office, while all of the pain will be felt by his successor, thus making Trump look good at the expense of literally everyone else. (Click here to read an article from Politico last month that goes into detail on this aspect of the bill.)
This means that if Democrats can retake Congress and the White House in the 2026 and 2028 elections, they will be able to quickly pass a bill that would block the social safety net cuts and not renew any of the spending related to Donald Trump’s deportations, military build up, and campaign promises. To top it off, they can also end Trump’s tax cuts for wealthiest Americans, thus rendering the bill deficit neutral.
So, even if Republicans do manage to pass this bill into law, the fight to stop it from taking effect will continue on into 2026 and 2028. The is very bad news for Republicans who, unlike Donald Trump, will run for re-election again. As I already mentioned, this bill is very unpopular, and Democrats will be able to legitimately argue in 2026 and 2028 that if you elect them, they can stop the Republican cuts to the social safety net before they ever take effect. Now that is a winning message.
Yesterday, Representatives Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Robert Garcia (D-CA), and Maxine Dexter (D – OR leads the way) went to El Salvador to demand the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. Bold Progressives (dot org), through the PCCC and ActBlue. On a different angle, does anyone besides me think that the Supreme Court might need a mechanism maybe something like Congress’s Sergeant at Arms (or maybe like a Bailiff), to add physical force to moral force when needed? I realize there are negatives to that. But just now there is nothing, no way, to compel a rogue President to obey court orders.
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5371312/trump-white-house-pete-hegseth-defense-department
This from NPR sounds promising, so I need to remind us to remember to be careful what we wish for. It would be difficult to find someone less qualified and more dangerous than Pete Hegseth – but that doesn’t mean it would be impossible. Furthermore, the goal of the Rockmelon Regime is to dismantle the government entirely. Who is better qualified to dismantle something than someone who knows how it is built? I have told my Senators that I expect them to vote “no” on all regime nominees, qualified or not, or else expect a primary. It may be working – the one whose term ends in 2026 has decided to run for Governor ( I don’t think he can win the primary against out AG but anything I can do to make sure he doesn’t I shall do.)
Well, THIS is what happens when people don’t pay attention. And I’m equally guilty. I missed it too. There is a good deal of catch-up here though, so we can get up to speed.
Yesterday’s radio opera, “Ainadamar” (“fountain of tears”) by Osvaldo Golijov, is based on the lives of Federico Garcia Lorca amd Margarida Xirgu, who is sometimes referred to as his muse. It was performed in 2005 at Tanglewood and revisedin 2003, this in Los Angeles and revised again, before having its official premiere in Santa Fe in 2005. In 2005, I was working at USAA and had recently been promoted, which put me at the bottom of the vacation request list. So I was not able to see it then, and became resigned to not ever seeing or hearing it. So this broadcast was an unexpected gift. The plot is kind of muddy, taking place as it does – or at least as it does in flashback – in Spain in the tome leading up to the Spanish Civil War. That was a place and time where and when, an nearly as I can tell from a not very deep dive into the history, when there were multiple political parties in Spain, and, though they ran the gamut left to right, all apparently were authoritarian, and all were violent. And none were tolerant of homoeroticism. Not a good time or place to be a gay playwright with opinions. The opera pins his death on the Falangist party (one of the Fascist parties.) It also calls his death an execution. His body was never found. Since 2005, the opera has been performed all over the world to critical acclaim, but last October’s run was the first time at the Met. What we heard this week was a recording from then. It’s short – only a bit under an hour and a half total – and very listenable, even if it’s a bit tough to follow the action. Also, today, it’s Pat B’s wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary, Pat! And it’s Tim Walz’s birthday. He is 61 (just a kid.) Happy birthday, Gov! Off to see Virgil now – will post my return in a comment as always.
Good news – Democrats will be Doing Something. Several Senators who are no strangers to fights are mentioned in the article from Axios.
The Day of Visibility was last Monday (I posted a logo for it), but it’s good to know that state legislators are going beyond that. Colorado, like the nation, has two legislative houses, and since I moved in 23 years ago, both my representatives have been Republicans. But not now. My assemblyperson is still Republican, but my State Senator is a Democrat. And there is a Democratic majority in the Assembly, even though mine is not part of it. So I’m looking to see this bill pass.
This may not be the happiest song, but the selected founders, and their presentations, are so good I wanted to share it. And at least it ends with hope.
Yesterday, The Conversation newsletter included an article titled “Making sex deadly for insects could control pests that carry disease and harm crops.” I suppose it’s worth a try. But it certainly hasn’t worked on humans. Also, I cut my hair. It’s not a professional job, but it will keep it out of my eyes for a while. After period of a couple of months last spring when it was shedding so fast it was starting to thin, then that stopped, and now its as thick as ever. Maybe even in a couple of places a little thicker. And definitely growing as fast as ever.
You may have seen this story elsewhere. Of my sources, Wonkette had the most thorough coverage. But I can’t read everything, I may have missed a better one.
Yes, I know, two from the same source the same day. This Wonkette article is not so much news as it is an op-ed – an op-ed which is really singing my song. If it is singing yours too, I don’t think Robin would mind if you printed a copy and mailed it to your federal legislators – who are actually the “Democrats” of the title. She doesn’t mean us.
As if we didn’t have enough injustice – The Conversation suggests it may get far, far worse.
