Open Thread October 17 2026

 Posted by at 6:13 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 172026
 

As I expect everyone knows, today is No Kings Day 4.0. I’m looking forward to seeing photos of group and signs, and to hearing how big the total numbers are this time.

(not a video) I realize this is second hand – and I do subscribe to Axios – but only to their breaking news alerts. They don’t have the best reputation for lack of spin in their fuller reporting. So you can take what Adam says they said with a grain of salt. I do trust Adam, and you can see for yourself he’s good at distinguishing what Axios reported from what he is reporting. Also, this is not the full article – you can get it for free by clicking on “accepy your free article” – but if you do, I can’t guaranteeyou can ever do it again – on anyone’s Substack.

From VoteVets – one of the stars in may “Daily Four Star” email. Do not het your hopes up that recognizing that this is weakening us will lead to stopping it, or at least slowing it down. (I’m actually astonished that thre was even a small temporary admission, and I’m confident that even that will not last.)

And he’s right. It is a huge scandal that so much dark money in campaigns is perfectly legal. And that is only exacerbated by the fact that our lawmaking body – Congress – did not legislate rhis. It was legislated through our courts. Not what our founders intended, to be sure.

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Open Thread October 16 2026

 Posted by at 5:50 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 162026
 

Yesterday, I filled out my ballot, which had arrived last week, but which I had not yet opened because the booklet on the Amendments and propositions was the size of a small town telephone book. It turned out to be easier for just othan I expected -many of them had clearly been written by MAGAts.  For just one example, there were two anti-trans propositions.

Robert Reich spells it out. Y’all probably don’t need it spelled out – but you probably know someone who does.

Michael Sellers calls his Substack “A Deeper Look,” and from this post alone – you can see why. He doesn’t mention that some or all of this decision is likely related to the attempt to destroy empathy (which so many in that camp consider to be our worst weakness) – but I do think that needs mentioning. I have seen films of staged (fake) executions by firing sqauds – it is how the tenor character in “Tosca” dies. The camera never focuses on it, but usually on Tosca watching (believing it fake.) I would never watch a real one of my own volition. BTW, the Orange Ogre  told Axios last week that this execution would not be atreamed.

Not what anyone wanted to hear. I note the shooter, now dead, was only 16. Clearly one doesn’t have to have reached any particular age to become infected by toxic masculinity. Not that this should surprise anyone.

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Open Thread October 14 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 142026
 

On Monday, I was thinking about what would be better if the Orange Julius dropped dead, or if he were impeached, or Article 25ed. Y’all know by now I’m worried about this – fearing we would be jumping out ofthe frying pan into the fire. After listening to Malcolm (and co-hosts) today, I’m thinking we would be better off if Putin were to be taken out – somehow. Andyes, I know he would be replaced. But whoever replaced him would not have a years-long relationship with Donald, or be immediately worshiped by him. Building a harness like that takes at least some time, during which he would be figuratively in free fall, and we might be able to accomplish something. Also on Monday, DHS raided the home of Ilhan Omar. And- besides that, Ukraine has taken out some (I think the number is 2 out of 6 total.) IF and when they finish that job, the direction of news coverage is going to change world wide.
(28 minutes well spent, filled with details the American press won’t tell you.)

I’ll bet y’all will easily guess how this story makes me feel. But I promise not to take it out on any of you. (1500 years older than Stonehenge, and 4,000 years older than the Nazca Lines. Grrrrr.)

I don’t know – I doubt anyone knows, least of all the Apricot Antichrist himself, whether he made this up out of thein air, saw it in a dream (Virgil is 3 years older, and from time to time dreams something and then believes it really happened), or whether it’s a post-hypnotic suggestion from Putin. It’s definitely not fact based. But if Zelenskyy caan get something out of it that’s worth getting, he likely will. On the other hand, hose Russian data centers are the hardware Russia has been using to interfere with elections (not just ours) for years – maybe decades – and I’d love to see them eliminated.

[alternate link]  This almost – but not quite – makes up for the bad news. One point which kind of frosts the cake is that Fresno is the partof California which Devin Nunes represented when he was in Congress. Trespassing, at least two counts of assault and one of battery – I’m guessing they can hold him for a while.

2fer

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Open Thread October 9 2026

 Posted by at 5:43 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 092026
 

Yesterday, I had to admit to myself that I have caught Virgil’s cold. I will, of course, get over it, but it’s still annoying.

This is from Heather Cox Richardson. Malcolm Nance likes to say that (with our current Executive branch) we have mental illness posing as foreign policy. (And I would add, also cosplaying as domestic policy.)

This from The New Yorker is neither bad news nor good news – but it is completely off topic from politics, and there is a kind of poetic justice in it.

Maybe it’s just me – but I’ve run across a number of debates in my lifetime about what is big and what is small. (Generally it depends.) This from The 19th is going to affect hugely the people who are having the rug pulled out from under them – not to mention their families and friends. But I couldn’t begin to describe how terribly petty it is. Centuries ago, the attitude behind it passed for normal. But that – at least among civilized people – has not been true for at least a century. Except for those whose minds are still locked into the Middle Ages.

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Open Thread October 8 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Politics
Oct 082026
 

Yesterday, I set my alarm early enough to get up early enough to call to mahe a medical appointment at a facility that closes on he early side – and I still almost missed it. The soonest available was for December 11th – and I took it.

The point in this ruling by a Federal Judge in Florida, of all places, is not that non-citizens can legally vote – because they (mostly) can’t. The point is that the issue is none of the Federal Government’s business – because the Constitution explicitly gives that job to the states.

Some of the opinions (and practices) referenced here are simply insane.

Robert Reich: “The most basic function of government is to protect people from harm” – something that our current regime is both unwilling and unablle to understand- let alone work toward. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible – but it does mean we need regime change in order to put it baxk in place. And that means, in the first place, voting – and, in the second place, nagging the elected relentlessly to do the right thing.

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Open Thread October 5 2026

 Posted by at 6:12 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 052026
 

Yesterday, I saw Virgil and we played cribbage. He was fighting a cold, but still, of course, glad to see me. I’ve been fighting lightheadedness for a week or two (only obe actual dizzy spell – and I was sitting down when it hit, so I just needed to hang on. I may or may not know what caused this, and am tring to backtrack on a change I made just before it started znd see whether that helps. Today is the first day of the Supreme Court’s annual season. The Brennan Center has a video up with various guests. Some interesting points were made.
It’s about 52 minutes long.

I seem to remember that in 1960 the air was full of terrified cries that a Catholic President would be an abomination because he (no one in 1960 ever considered “she”) would be loyal to the Pope, not to the Constitution. Weren’t most if not all of those cries from Republicans? Are there any Republicans left who have a grain of loyalty to the Constitution? Asking for a friend.

Sorry about the repetetive nature of some posts – but sometimes something needs to be looked at from more than one angle.

I’m not going to lie and say there were no suicides when the military had actual leadership. There are always going to be suicides in virtually every group. But large increases developing after a leadership change for the worse (far worse) tells its own story.

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Open Thread October 3 2026

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 032026
 

Yesterday, I got up early because I was afraid I was going to have to call a plumber. Instead, I managed to clear the clog myself. So, since today is an opera day, I also went to bed early. But I did watch a conversation between Harry Litman (of Talking Feds) and Timothy Snyder (author of On Tyranny and other books addressing how we got here and how we can get out.) Professor Snyder had some things to say which we are not accustomed to hearing, such as we not only need to win elections but we have to be joyful winners. I realize not everyone has 36 minutes to watch, but I do recommend at least pulling up the transcript and skimming it. Some things he considrs vital for Democratic victors if we are going to get our country back are things that many Democrats are not going to do unless we demand them.

A brief explication of how modern robber barons work.

For some reason, I sometimes get a security warning loading Lever News – but it goes away and lets me in with “refresh.” Lever News does good journalism, so the obstacle is unfortunate. Alternatively- you can just use the archive link.

Hegseth Respects an Establishment of Religion by Creating One – given the sourde, you know the title is sardonic. We have no evidence that Kegsbreath respects anything – anything at all.

Link to Video – it’s under 10 minutes – and well spent.


The cartoon today is courtesy of Andy Borowitz. Since Substack journalism is all independent, Andy also provides a link to support the cartoonist. I’m not pushing – just want to give credit where credit is due.

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Open Thread October 1 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 012026
 

Yesterday, I slept late enough that I didn’t get through all the news. But I venture to guess that the biggest news of the say was the hijacked plane. That is going to have repercussions – in more than one country. (But the second story was the Senator from Missouri trying to catch Jack Smith in a perjury trap which didn’t exist – because the Senator was conflating two very different basketball teams on the basis that both teams had “Hawk” in their names. Video of that is all over – and very amusing if you can stand it.

If you want to skip this because MAGA Christians and others like them have made you so sick of religion you can hardly even hear the word “Christian” without puking, please feel free. I get it. But if you can stand reading about a deeply damaged person who now leans on his faith to keep on track doing the right things (the kind of person in TomCat’s mind when he spoke of “authentic Christians”), this is an example.

Well. This is gonna leave a mark. Not that he will be able to see it – but that says lot about him and nothing about the action.

This investigation from Pro Publica has been around for awhile – I just hadn’t seen it. It’s not even a vaccination – it’s a fricking vitamin we’re talking about here. And it came yo my attention at a time when Trinette, in a couple of weeks, is going to a baby shower for a family member. I’m pretty sure her family is all too smart to decline this shot, but I’ll have to bring it up anyway.

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