Jan 052026
 

Saturday, as everyone knows by now, the United States invaded Venezuela and kidnapped its president (and, although not many are stressing that, the first lady.) This is way too big a story to deal with definitively here, and the (roughly 40 minute) video to which I link covers what this is going to look like in American courts. Our regime has obtained a superseding indictment which means that which judge it will go to first is probably already determined – I say probably because (as the video ends with) “there’s no box that squid can’t get out of.” I just sent a letter to my Senators – not that this Senate will do anything – but in it I pointed out that any form of immunity a criminal may enjoy in his own nation is not applicable to a defendant before the International Criminal Court. If the regime comes to get me, it’s up to you, Nameless. Also, thankfully, Trinette came by and made the afternoon a whole lot better. And I got a little knitting done also.

Referred by Daily Dose of Democracy from Yahoo News, this information should surprise no one. The key word, IMO, is “branded.” Every script I use is generic except for one, and that one isn’t covered by Medicare anyway, so I get that reimbursed through my HRA. My part D premium actually goes down tis year – only about $5 a month, but down is still down.

When I saw this article, I thought it might, through sheer numbers, address Nameless’s wondering why some people travel so far to adopt a pet. But it doesn’t. Adams County is shaped like a silhouette of the long side of a shoe box, assuming a dog or cat has been chewing at the southwestern third and taken a chunk out. That western third (less the chunk) is part of greater metro Denver, and the eastern two thirds is farmland. The population of Adams County is oevr a half million – right around 575 hundred thou. I would expect there to be enough interest in pet ownership among that many people to absorb up to 8,000 (or even 9,000) in any given year, so that some people looking for a pet would have to go elsewhere. And I would be wrong. The shelter has a fairly consistent population of 350-400 exclusive of farm animals )which they have just acquired a barn to house and don’t have stats yet.) From the videos we see, though, people who adopt a pet from elsewhere than home territory seem to be mostly people who were away from home when an animal adopted them, not the other way around. One can’t really predict or control that.

Joyce Vance reports on something I didn’t know existed – the Chief Justice’s annual report on the state of the Judiciary. She is not impressed.

This cartoon is from a collection called “What our allies are saying.” I am providing the link to it because it was impossible to pick just one.

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Jan 032026
 

Yesterday, I learned that on New Year’s Day Zohran Mamdani had been sworn in twice. The first time was recorded in the video I posted yesterday with Tish James, and that was the official one. The second one was with Bernie Sanders, which was purely ceremonial, but which also included his (roughly 25 minutes) inauguration speech. Just in case anyone wants to hear it, I’m sharing the link. There isn’t a lot right now to generate enthusiasm, but this appears to be one – to judge from the audience responses. )Don’t scorn it because it’s Fox – it’s not Fox corporate, it’s a local fox affiliate, and they can be surprisingly rational and even honest.)

So this is what Keith Ellison is doing now. Good for him, though I could wish he didn’t need to. One thing the current regime has done which, if they realize that they have done it, I’ll bet they wish they hadn’t – is to make it very, very obvius how important to a state its Attorney General is. Democratic AGs seeking reelection in 2026 will have a lot to campaign on.

Robert Reich on some things that some of us can do in 2026 to help make things better for all of us.

TC used to enjoy joking about how Andy was no satirizing but instead reporting straight news – and it often seems as though he could be dong just that. But in this column, he’s being serious (though it isn’t news at all.) He is following up on a previous column about surviving 2026 by sharing reader comments and additions. I’m sure not everything here will work for everyone – and possibly not anything will work for everyone. But, even though there is repetition, it’s highly likely that there will be something that may stand out and be worth remembering.

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Jan 012026
 

Well, Happy New Year, everyone. Here’s a link to the complete transcript of Jack Smith’s 8+ hours of testimony to the House Judiciary Committee. There is also a complete video, if you want it.

Robert Reich uses Paul Ingrassia as Exhibit A to demonstrate that the title of this post is an accurate characterization of the current administration. You know, Africa was doing just fine before “white” people decided to start exploiting it. My Exhibit 1 for this is the preview at this link. (Don’t expect the series to be on in February, however – the February the trailer is referring to was years ago. But you can see the full series – if you missed it then or want to see it again – with Passport. IIRC it was Episode 3 which made Professor Gates cry.) As I’ve said before, I can hardly get through aday without saying (or at least thinking) “effing white people” – or “effing pink people” – despite the fact that I myself am white (pink.)

From Common Dreams. I am very proud of my state for standing up to the Apricot Antichrist, and consider his unhinged “statement” a badge of honor. I might point out Peters is not 73 (though she is 70.) Also, if she is sick in a Colorado prison, she is getting medical care – probably not as good as Congress gets, but better than Jeffrey Sterling got in Federal prison. (also, if Boebert is telling the truth, or even close to the truth, this veto can easily be overridden.) Karma is probably already on to ensuring his wish for our officials turns back on him.

This is a video that I normally would not put up, since it’s 3+ minutes over a half hour. But in that half hour, they cover not only what is going on in the Abrego Garcia case, but also what is going in in the pipe bomber case – which doesn’t seem to be getting any coverage from elsewhere – possibly because there was supposedly a confession – which they now question. There is nothing funny about any of this – with the exception of the fact that this DOJ and state Republican officials are so incompetent and their criming and cheating so obvious that it is laughable. (And, sadly, some of it is actually legal.) So if you have the tme, it’s worth the watch and may be a good omen. If not, there’s also a transcript.

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Dec 302025
 

Yesterday, being Monday, naturally I overslept. It was literally dark when I got up. And of course my inbox was horrendous. However, being this close to the end of the month, the end of the quarter, and the end of the year, I was able to delete 3/4 of them without reading, which helped tremendously.

As we approach the end of what has been a godawful year in almost every way (which should at least remind us that there is no such thing as being “apolitical.” What your government does will affect you personally), media large and small are summarizing the year from their own viewpoints. Harry Litman is here to remind us that despite everything, it could still have been worse – a lot worse. While I don’t advocate changing this, I’d like to remind us all that the Courts have no police of their own. The only enforcement mechanism they can use is local, state, and federal police (depending upon the level of the Court.) So if anyone ever had a right to say “I can’t do anything to change this,” it would be judges. But, thank the universe, they don’t. Harry reviews the actions and statements of some of the best.

If this story reminds you of Fred Rogers and his mother’s advice, you are not alone. That was my first thought. Here’s a quote from the transcript of the bottom video in which he tells the story:
“But I want this holiday season to underline something I always say in all my videos all the time. And if you have the ability to step in and help the situation where you can, please do. Find it within yourself to always be in a place whereby if you see something. Don’t just say something that they say over here, but try and do something. No matter how small it is, even if it means picking up the phone and making a call.”

I’m going to share a link to a specific YouTube channel with you, because I think it will be useful. The channel belongs to Max Kuhn, and many (not all) of his videos are conversations with Dr. David Benjamin. The value of these videos is that, when there is a photo of, or an incident with the Orange Ogre which goes viral because “he’s dying,” which does not happen every day but which sometimes seems like it does, Dr. Benjamin analyzes the evidence and explains what it really indicates , and more importantly, what it doesn’t mean. The most recent video with Dr. Benjamin shows a photo which is going viral after being seen on Aaron Rupar’s account and in the Daily Beast. It is photoshopped (and IMO not very well.) If it were real, it would indicate a brain stem stroke, but since it isn’t, it doesn’t. The first video I found there was regarding him not knowing what part of he body he had an MRI on. Dr. Benjamin is pretty sure that the Mango Monster didn’t know where his MRI was because he didn’t have one. He was struggling to say what kind of imaging he had when a reporter asked him whether he had an MRI and he jumped on it. That doesn’t mean he had one. I have had a couple of MRIs, including a full body one, and trust me, you would know if you had had one, and where it was focused. Nameless may not need this kind of information, but most of the rest of us can really benefit from it. So I’m passing on the link to the video channel so that when this kind of thing happens again (and I say “when,” not “if” because it will – it gets clicks galore because we are all so eager for him to die) y’all won’t have to wait for me to find out what is most likely real.

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Dec 282025
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was not a single opera, but a compilation of arias, duets, choruses, and overtures from various operas by George Frederick Handel which have been performed at the Met, to honor the 300th anniversary of his opera “Rodelinda.” Compilation episodes like this are always bittersweet – one gets to hear some of the greatest singers of all time – many of whom are retired or even dead – which can lead to grieving their loss all over again. Handel was not Bach, but he was a contemporary of Bach, so there are similarities of style. If you are wondering why a German-born composer transplanted to England wrote so many Italian operas (and oratorios), it’s because at that time in history Italian operas were all the rage in Europe and especially in England – until “The Beggar’s Opera” premiered and made them virtually obsolete overnight. This of course cramped Handel’s style – but eventually he got his revenge with “Messiah.” He didn’t write it to get revenge, and was surprised it became such a success, but it certainly did. Yesterday’s program stuck with opera written as opera, not oratorios, not even oratorios which have subsequently been successfully fully staged. Of course the music was beautiful. I’m not sure Handel could have written anything ugly if he had tried with both hands for a week. Clever, yes, but not ugly. The classic example of his tone painting is from “Messiah” – the chorus “All we like sheep (have gone astray)” – the syllable “stray” seriously goes astray, all over the staff, for several measures. Also, the meme today is a quote shared by Robert Reich last week. Since he appears to have started signing off unrelated columns with “You look great,” I wanted y’all to know why, in case I use one with that signoff. Well, off to see Virgil now.  Will check in upon return.

Referred by The Smile, this story may not fully qualify s good news yet, since it’s still in the “promising” stage as opposed to “confirmed.” But if confirmed, it will be huge good news.

Well, The Root was, at least for me, correct about this story. Maybe at least in part because I’ve been there (except for the broken ribs.) If you’re expecting a Heimlich story – it’s much bigger than that.

From CBS news referred by The Smile. Nice of Bari Weiss to allow it to be published /s. Seriously, I’m not autistic nor am aware of ever having known someone who was (though I did have a co-worker with Tourette’s for a while – didn’t bother me) but I do have enough empathy to be deeply impressed by this story.

Belle

Dog

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Dec 242025
 

Yesterday, for a change, SCROTUS ruled against the Mango Monster 6-3 for a change in Trump v. Illinois – a case Harry Litman has been saying since it was filed would be its moment of truth. Because had it gone the other way, the Monster would have had free rein to act on any lies he could dream up. Harry Litman invited Leah Litman (mp relation) to discuss it with him on Substack Live. Both were so excited they were interrupting each other. I’ll provide the link anyway, difficult as it is to listen to (actually the video seems to be one and done, but the transcript is there), but a key factor was that one amicus brief was incredibly important. One amicus brief which was saying something no one else was saying, but which was right. So if you ever discounted the effect of amicus briefs – it’s time to rethink that.

CPR News referred me to this. Between this and a related story about Colorado losing FEMA funds which are now tied to immigration policy, I decided this one would affect a whole lot more people in a whole lot more places.

I’ve written previously about Lone Star ticks, and IIRC at that time there were already a few other ticks who carried this trait, but apparently, according to The Conversation, it’s getting worse. I don’t, thank the universe, have this particular food allergy, but I do have a couple which are almost equally crippling, such as wheat and soy, and frankly, you don’t want to have any food allergy ever, and especially when grocery prices are out of control.

I’m sure everyone is aware about how the short (for a documentary) documentary about CECOT had been scheduled to air on 60 minutes but was yanked by Bari Weiss. But she either forgot or didn’t know that 60 minutes also plays on Global TV in Canada. By the time she realized it, Canada had already seen about 13.5 minutes of it. That 13.5 (13.35 to be precise) was all over the internet. By yesterday, it had been taken down from most of those places. But it it viewable here. If you haven’t already seen it, you might want to watch it, if only because so many people worked so hard to prevent you from seeing it.

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Dec 222025
 

Yesterday, I got an email from Jasmine Crockett about a new poll – she is leading the Republican by 9 points, 51% to 43%, and this was just days after she entered the race. Fingers crossed! Also Trinette was by. Always so great to see her. We didn’t talk as much as usual – she is learning to crochet and  I’m doing my best to help make it easier.

ICE Has Domestic Abuser Agent Locked Up In Their Own Facility


When I first saw this story, I hoped o find it in “Law & Order” – but no luck I’d love to see what their take would be. It seems to me wrong on so many levels.

https://archive.is/ICy7q
This (archived) from The Nation is not brand new, but I just received it yesterday from Dose of Democracy. All things considered, it probably should not be surprising, but I hadn’t thought about it. So I was surprised.

https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/jfk-vs-donald-trump
This is not new either – except to me, probably. I was alive and I believe sentient during the Kennedy Presidential campaign, though not old enough to vote. I graduated from high school that year and started my freshman year of college. And I knew Kennedy had served in the US Navy during World War II. I had heard about PT-109. But I never realized that he and 12 others had been been presumed dead and actually had a funeral service. Steve Schmidt brings it up now to emphasize the contrast between JFK and the Orange Oligarch.

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Dec 202025
 

Yesterday, I received three packages – none of the via USPS. I was expecting one, since the shipper told me the day before that it w1qould come yesterday, but for the other two, their arrival was a surprise. Also, I watched a couple of Substack videos which weren’t too terribly long. The first was a conversation between Joyce Vance and Mary Trump about Judge Dugan’s trial, conviction and acquittal, and what comes next. I went to it because it seemed like an unlikely combination, but it turned out to be a good fit. If anyone is interested in a deeper dive into the case, the link is here. The second, also with Joyce Vance , was in her “5 questions” series, which is usually closed to free subscribers. Bu this one wasn’t closed, and I think may still be open. She was speaking with a documentary film maker whose latest film, which debuted this year at Sundance, is called “The Librarians” and is about the movements to ban books from libraries, and the hero and shero librarians who are resisting it.

I’m not about to claim that Colorado grows the best fruit in the country, but they are good enough to bring in a fair amount of revenue to the State, and we would definitely be hurting without them. But of course Republicans think that the earth is perfectly capable of running itself, so doing nothing will work out just fine. If that “working out” includes the human race vanishing, they might be right.

Archived from Forbes, referred by Bowers News Media. Like Chris and probably most of y’all, I had no idea what the Kumquat Kleptocrat was talking about Venezuela stealing from us, but guessed he probably made it up. Unlike Chris, I didn’t research it. Apparently there actually is something (probably exaggerated, but something.)

Huff Post didn’t know it would happen so fast. I did – didn’t you? I suppose it might not have been quite this fast if the Supreme Court had not be so complicit – but we knew they would. At least Huff Post is admitting it now.

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