Dogs – Politics Plus

Opwn Thread August 31 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:41 am Open Thread, Politics

Aug 312026

Yesterday, Trinette came by solved a bunch of stuff for mw. And Virgil has finally gotten help to find thekind of emails I can send on his tablet. I know that because I got one from him. He phoned, amd I told him how proud of him I amm that he was able to do that. (I realizehe’s going to forget steps from time to time – but now he knows he can do it.

At the time of the history recounted here, the UK had become a constitutional monarchy. Parliament was in the driverb’s seat – and had political will. If we are ever going to summon the political will for thie, Democrats and independents must do it. Republicans have pretty much become puppets. But even among Democrats and independents, there are too many puppets for Congress to do what needs to be done.

Robert Reich makes Dolly Parton an example of the best of us (up to which we have not always lived) and the jerk in the White House of the worst of us (which I probably don’t have to say is in the process of taking over.) The only thing I can come up with to succesfully fight on this level iis to remember, prove, and push the fact that it is virtually alqays lwss expensive to do the right thing. And that is going to be a hard sell – especially to MAGAts, even with mountains of evidence.

Satire! This is SATIRE! “The Duffel Blog” is the US military “The Onion. I stress this because, under the current regime it is believable (and let’s hope no one shows it to him.) So it’s OK to laugh.

Open Thread August 29 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 292026

Yesterday, I got up a couple of hours before sunset, which doesn’t sound like much, but will help me get back on track.

I watched Frank Figliuzzi’s “Frank Friday” broadcast in which he uses the adjectival definition of his name (not that he doesn’t always do his best to be frank but yeah – this time he delves deeply into a couple of legal cases which reek to high heaven – a proposed sale of land within Yosemite to a private developer, the destruction of government databases which have taken real administrations decades to build, actions of DOJ employees at primary polling places in Wyoming, and more. I’m sure you can find it all elsewhere – but not all in one place – and not presented with Frank’s attitude.

I realize you all know that the meeting occurred, and would like to know what was said at it. This from Common Dreams doesn’t have that except a couple of snippets. The article is mostly about the backlash to the meeting.

This is the civil case regarding the Orange Ogre’s attempt to illegally use the Postal Service. Joyce Vance goes into detail.

Dog

Open Thread August 27 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:35 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 272026

Yesterday, I missed my morning appointment because I got royally lost. That’s a humiliating confession from someone who was habded a road map when I was 5 years old and told that I was the navigator, but it is what it is. Other than that my plsn worked well. I got to the ultrasound appointment a bit early having done the prep they recommend. They have certainly made progress with ultrasound equipmentin the 35 years or so since I had one before surgery to remove an endometrioma – something which runs in the family on my mother’s father’s side. One of Mom’s aunts (my great aunt) pretty clearly had one – they are pretty obvious when not removed, and she refused surgery. Considering this was around the time of World War I, that was probably a wise choice. My mother didn’t have one, but she did have an ectopic pregnancy, which has a similar cause but is much more dangerous. But she survived it, thanks to a creative OBG, and lived to age 93.

They just can’t let anything natural be without finding a way to mess with it – usually to ruin it. They really do think they are Masters of the Universe – or Gods. Spoiler – They aren’t.

This from Morning Memo speaks for itself pretty eloquently

Trust Joyce Vance to be right here to explain the ramifications when the same crime (or tort, if a civil suit) – and a single act can be both.

I guess I’m lucky. I don’t know whether my gas and electric is public orr private – but I do know they can’t change rates without first holding a well-publlicized public hearing. My water and sewer I do know is public, and cannot change rates without putting a measure on the ballot in the next election -and then getting a majority of those voting to vote for it. My fire department is also public through a special district (this is very common in Colorado). And my utility rates have not gone through the roof – yet.

2fer

Open Thread August 24 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:42 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 242026

Yesterday, I saw Virgil, and we played cribbage. Besides being great to see each other, it was good to experience something more or less normal (even including the normal frigidity in the visiting room.) I have forgotten that, though I never found my original car key, Trinette did – in a place I would never have looked, and I try not to think of how it might hace gotten there, because that way lies madness. I’m just glad it has been found.

Yes I realize this is not new – certainly not to anyone here – but Robert Reich says things so well.

Black Star is correct that “nobody has noticed.” This is certainly the first I have heard of it, and I see some legacy media and more independent news outlets than any one person can possibly read. (This is also the first I have heard of Gary being predominantly black. I expext that would surprise Harold Hill if he were real and still alive. This is BS -not in the sense of fake, but in the sense of morally unacceptable.

Back in the seventies, I was a charter subscriber to Mother Jones magazune. It was always good reporting – eventually It got too good for me to deal with – even just on line. Dose of Democracy referred this artivle.

Open Thread August 22 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:13 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 222026

Yesterday, I got up early for me, which was not all that early, but early enough to call an institution on a 9 to 5 schedule and reach a human being. Turned out not to be necessary. It appears that if Virgil calls and I don’t answer, for whatever reason, the company that provides the phone service thinks I don’t have an account with them, and sends a recorded message to that effect. But the caller ID, instead of showing the phone company, as calls from Virgil do, but instead shows the name of the facility. I jumped to the conclusion that his case manage was trying to reach me for some reason, and that I needed to call it back during working hours. I was pleasantly surprised that that wasn’t the case.

From the Brennan Center, an analysis piece about the effects of AI on elections. There is a smorgasboard of sentence fragments and hypotheticls before you get to the actual article, so don’t give up.

Colorado Public Radio. The “Listen” does duplicate some of the written word, but with different empgasis, and has a little information not in the written part.

This is from Thursday. Malcolm is pissed. I am too. I don’t have a family history like his – although my father was in the Army during WWII as a telegrapher – and his grandfather did fight in the Civil War for the Union – that’s defnitely not unbroken. I didn’t learn about Dory Miller until long after I was out of the service – but it’s a truth I have treasured since I did learn it. Upgrading the decoration to the MOH while renaming the ship is like throwing a piece of candy after killing his or her parent. It’s not proportionate. It’s a little bit of sweet compared to an avalanche of grief. CNN has a recorded livestream here from its Laura Coates Show, in which Malcolm speaks, (about ten minutes total.) The first seven minutes are mostly with Dory’s grand-nephew, and about the last three minutes with Malcolm, who somehow manages to communicate the importance of decisions like these with no expletives – a minor miracle, according to him. I might just add he also exhibits his own dignity and with it the dignity of everyone who has ever served – and Malcolm is not a man who normally stands on dignity. But it was needed here.

Open Thread August 17 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 172026

Yesterday, Trinette was by. She managed to get here and also get home before the lightning (which I did’t see, but heard the thunder). Never a dull moment with our weather. I should sdd that when I use the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” I am referring to the derangement suffered (or enjoyed) by Trump himself. Because that’s the only kind which is real, albeit many of his followers also exhibit it.

A video – just under a quarter hour – from Adam Klasfeld – literal Pay to Play, and a lawsuit hoping to end it. Yes, there’s a transcript.

He can declare until he is blue in the face – but it won’t change anything. Period.

This is not anything which is likely to affect any of us personally – and maybe I should be concentrating on things which are – and they are legion. But it is so dramatic that once you look at it, it’s hard to look away.

From Vote Vets – Real facts from a real doctor.

Sorry about the tissue alert. I scaled it down, in the Media, tried refreshing it (there and here) and it just won’t shrink.

Open Thread August 16 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 162026

Yesterday, the radio opera was the one which is part of what is possibly the oldest operatic pun. Let me explain. Richard Wagner managed to get on a friendly basis with the mad King Ludwig of Bavaria – the one who built Neuschwanstein Castle (which is a story in itself.) He also funded the building of Wagner’s new opera house, called the Festspielhaus – a coined word which entered the language to mean any theater built for opera and/or other large musical events. In the early 1900s, one critic started calling the New York Metropolitan Opera House “Das Faustspielhaus” – because it put on Gounod’s “Faust” so often. I think everyone knows the soul-selling-to the devil story, which isn’t pretty, although the music is. I haven’t seen or heard it since CoViD (when the Met was free-streaming and put up a production in which Faust was a nuclear physicist in the 1940s and 50s.) There’s a lot about it to like. I won’t list all the catchy arias, duets, and ensembles, it would take too long. And all the good news stories speak for themselves, so I won’t comment on them

Open Thread August 15 2026

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:49 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 152026

Yesterday was a fairly quiet day – which I certainly needed. I son’t know that you’ll see that in today’s blog, though you might. The hair-on-fire stuff I couldn’t sqeeze in earlier, and the lighter stuff is newer.

From Colorado Public Radio. What was I just saying about Colorado and water? This image is probably not of the Arkansas River – but it looks like the water in the Ark usually looks, and it does show why they call it “whitewater” rafting. Now compare this to the photo in the article. That water ain’t white, and ain’t gonna be, without a whole lot of snow this coming winter. And yes, I am posting a lot about water in a very short window. Consider it a preview of what’s coming unless all world leaders get their heads on straight – or get replaced with leaders whose heads are already on straight.

This is going to be time consuming – over a half hour if you watch, and of course if you read the stranscript, that will depend on your reading speed. (for comparison, Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters From An American, when she reads them on YouTube, are usually in the 12-16 minute range.) But the amount of time it took to put this information together to present was more like months. The presentation was put together to address the coming midterms, but there is information which anyone who uses AI for any reason should be aware of.

I’m pretty sure the “Duffel Blog” is the military version of The Onion. On the other hand – Kefsbreath is dumb enough for this to be true.

I’ve been wanting to post about this but waited until Joyce Vance put it in writing. I do want to share one thing that was in the videos but isn’t here. At the point when Block said “I’ve been told it should be coming (or forthcoming as soneone else quoted),” allegedly Judge Sullivan responded, “So is Christmas.” I remember that comeback being common in the fifties, but I still find it amusing.

2fer

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