Open Thread April 15 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 152026
 

Monday was the fourth anniversary of “Russian warship, go fuck yourself.” (Malcolm was there, in Ukraine.) And “go fuck yourself” was not a completely accurate translation from Ukrainian. (“Go find a dick” is closer.) Hopefully remembering that can inspire us. Maybe not as much as it inspired Ukraine at the time, but there is a whole lot of room beneath that extremely high level. Also, Eric Swalwell announced he will resign from Congress but provided no effective date.

Here is incontrovertible evidence that some Muslims are better Christians than some Christians – translated from Farsi (not by me): “Your Excellency Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), on behalf of the great nation of Iran, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency and declare that the desecration of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Prophet of peace and brotherhood, is unacceptable to any free person. I wish glory for you from Allah.” – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (quoted by Daily Kos)

What the Brennan Center for Justice is doing now to protect the midterms in November, by Michael Waldman.

If you are looking for an exact moment when we lost the Iran war, the closest you can probably come is the moment we started it. MajGen Paul Eaton (Ret), the leader of VoteVets analyses pretty much everything we have done wrong, which is pretty much everything we have done. Unless, of course, you are an insider trader, in which case you can laugh all the way to your Trumpcoin.

Murdoch beats Trump’s suit on WSJ’s Epstein exposé: What’s next?

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Open Thread April 13 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 132026
 

Yesterday – was interesting. In the sense that “May you live in interesting times” is a curse. Eric Swalwell was accused of sexual misconduct, and has dropped out of the race for Governor, though maintaining his innocence. A quote: “I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made–but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.” The Iran negotiations crashed, and the UnPresident announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz (I realize that is so absurd that anyone who knows anything about it would crack up laughing, but unfortunately it’s still “interesting.” Guess we’re going to experiment with piracy now. But it’s still “interesting.”) Trinette was by to save my sanity. I hope y’all have something at hand to save yours.

Let me tell you a story about charismatic Christianity (which is not a denomination, but exists across many denominations. While stationed in Okinawa, I started attending a charismatic Catholic prayer group. The people there were clearly doing their best to live as Jesus had taught, and I was comfortable. There was a church-approved pamphlet called “Life in the Spirit” which was used for instruction, and without going into detail, it was sound. When I left the USMC and moved to Alamosa, the Catholic church there had a charismatic prayer group also, which I also attended. It also used the “Life in the Spirit” literature. Until one day, the group leader received a bunch of new booklets intended to replace “Life in the Spirit.” The English ones were entitled “You will receive power” (the Spanish ones were titled “Recibirán Poder.” I was 30 at the time, which is not terribly old, but I was a grown-ass adult.” I immediately saw that this new emphasis – biblical though it was – would be the beginning of the end. Because it would attract people who want power (and put off those who don’t.) People who want power are the last people in the world who should have it. I left the group. The “charismatic Christian” in this article sounds like a case in point. People who want power do so because they believe that, with it, they can do anything they want – with no negative consequences. Reality simply doesn’t work that way.

Archived from The New Yorker. Just in case you thought there was nothing worse than MAGA.

At least this from Robert Reich is good. If you can stand another story – my dead friend Fred, who was an announcer at my favorite radio station and who died not that long ago (and the station played recorded tributes to him from co-workers, former co-workers, listeners for what seemed like a month, and who was an atheist and the kindest, most generous person I have ever met) was Hungarian-Italian-American – he would have been so happy about this.

From Andy Borowitz: “Ghost of Pope Francis to Viktor Orbán: ‘I Warned You Not to Let Vance Near You!'”

OK, I was wrong. The previous episode wasn’t the last one.

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Open Thread April 11 2026

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 112026
 

Yesterday, I was looking forward to today because the radio opers for today is by Mozart – Don Giovanni – and the title role will be plqyed and sung by Ryan Speedo Green. It won’t be the first time I have heard him in a leading role – he played the title role in Terence Blanchard’s opera “Champion ” (split with Eric Owens – Speedo was the young Emil and Owens the old and demented Emil, still coping with guilt.) But it will be the first time I have heard him in a leading role by Mozart, which may be scarier, because there have been so many fantastic singers who have assumed this role over 200 years that many will be comparing him to someone else (different someone else depending on the listener.) Speedo is the young man who didn’t even know opera existed until he was in juvenile correction as a teen and someone took several inmates to the opera and he was hooked. (I’m pretty sure there was a black lead in the production, because if there hadn’t, he likely would have figured it was not for him and his life would not have been turned around as it was – but I don’t remember who. It might have been Denyce Graves, but there are so many others also.) It’s a story that never fails to inspire me.

No comment. (Because I am speechless.)

History can be scarier than just about anything, particularly when it appears to be rhyming again. By now I expect everyone knows how upset I get by undeserved reputations attached to historical figures (and even fictional ones.) Why does it matter? Because truth always matters. Here’s Steve Schmidt having a case of “Truth matters.” (Heather Cox Richardson tells the same story in her April 8 letter, but doesn’t go in to the reputational inconsistencies as Schmidt does.)

Two articles – same subject – the Presidential Records Act. Take your choice of Joyce Vance or Harry Litman – or read both. IMO, it should be possible tp prosecute a president who destroys a document immediately, while he is still in office. Here’s my thinking: this is analogous to using a drug to rape someone. The victim does not even know she’s been screwed until it’s too late. In the case of a destroyed document, the victim – the nation – may not ever find out we;ve been screwed, but even if we do, it’s way too late.

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Open Thread April 6 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 062026
 

Yesterday, I saw Virgil and we played cribbage. The deck we had (I just pick up whatever is closest in the games cabinet now ) was not brand new, since it was rather sticky, but it was missing no cards, and no cards were torn or peeling – that’s not always the case. Colorado prisons’ visiting rooms are always cold, but yesterday it was colder than usual. But we had fun anyway. I posted after I got back home but didn’t respond to comments – I’ll do that today. After getting home (and finally making a cup of coffee, and dinner), and while I was looking for a video for today, I tripped over a channel I was not aware of, called “Sideprojects”, whose purpose is to inform people of things you learned in history or even from (usually older) books, are not true, and how we found out. I watched one on the Roman Empire – some of it I knew, but some thinks, especially DNA things were new even to me – and Latin was my major in college, and Roman History was a requirement. I don’t know that I’d call the false stories lies, actually, because I believe a falsehood requires intent to deceive in order to be a lie. But if I “know” something which is false, I do like to learn the truth. Most of the videos, as far as could see, not looking at the whole library, run in the neighborhood of 20-30 minutes, though some are longer – and while many are history based, some correct scientific “knowledge.”

I didn’t want to put this on Sunday. Wajeeh is a Saudi Arabian political analyst who now lives in Minneapolis and is a co-host for Malcolm Nance, along with Jacob Kaarsbo, who is Danish. I’m pretty sure all three pilots who were shot down have been rescued now, thankfully. But that does not mean that he risk is over. We have more pilots, and more planes, and neither the Emperor nor Kegsbreath appears to care much. See also this.

Heather Cox Richardson writes a short history of the origin of NATO, for its anniversary. I just hope this is not also its epitaph.

From Bowers News Media. Besides demonstrating how despicable Republicans can be (even without the Mango Moron as a model, but particularly with), it’s an extremely good argument for not having “jungle primaries.” I’ve been following the California Governor’s race since Katie Porter announced for it, and I’ve been nervous for most of that time – but I haven’t been terrified until now.

From The Seneca Project. Obviously this was made to recruit people to No Kings III, so all the signs shown will have been from II or I. But many people believe that viewing this type of presentation can help build morale anyway – and besides, there is another No kings scheduled for May Day. (And the song will never go out of fashion.)

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Open Thread April 5 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 052026
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was La Gioconda. You have heard part of it, since this is the opera from which the Dance of the Hours comes, and if “Fantasia” didn’t do it for you, Allan Sherman or Spike Jones did. The performance is from 1968, but airing it yesterday was to celebrate its 1ts 150th anniversary. It’s (accurately) described as a melodrama, so I won’t go into detail. Today’s featured image is a pysanky (or pysanka) or Ukrainian Easter egg. Happy Easter to all who celebrate, and Happy Passover to all who celebrate. Off to see Virgil now – will check in.[

From The Root regarding Artemis 2. There is also a woman in the crew. I don’t know how they got it past the emperor.

From ABC News referred by The Smile. This is sweet. Joe Biden got to ring the bell when his cancer was gone, but he didn’t do this. And I certainly couldn’t – not ever – not at any age.

From CBS News, also referred by The Smile. This is so much better than the “Alpha Male Camp” earlier this week.

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Open Thread April 3 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 032026
 

Yesterday, (as if you didn’t know – it was everywhere) Pam Bondi was fired (but only one of my sources included in the headline that the next one will be worse.) One source said Tulsi Gabbard is also toast. Sixty years ago today (not April 3 today, but Good Friday today) Virgil had the car accident which caused his TBI and all that implies.

From Press Watch. Pretty much any order given by Darth Dementia and/or Kegsbreath has been and will be unlawful. Which, sadly, does not mean they have not been and will not be obeyed. I cannot blame anyone who considers the United States as a whole to be a de facto war criminal – because we are.

Frankly, this from Common Dreams had occurred to me even before I saw this. The way he is wasting oil, we will have no choice other than to to green (unless you consider freezing to death, or dying of heat stroke, choices.)

From Joyce Vance – one of he decisions which came down this week. Yes, it’s unusual for us to be awaiting and looking at multiple decisions in any given week. But this is not a usual regime. I hope this stands – and that it is not ignored.

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Open Thread April 1 2026

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

Yesterday, April Fool came early for me. My email client was experiencing problems – by 2 pm I had only received four emails, and that is deflinitely not normal. When something like that happens, the first thing I do is try a different browser. I tried a total of four – no joy. I kept refreshing my main browser. Meanwhile, I went through Substack to get to some of my main sources. I have not been looking forward to today.

On Monday, Malcolm pointed out that everything he has pointed out might be possible in the war has subsequently showed up in the national news (NYT, WSJ, WP, etc.) not soon enough for them to have gotten the stories from him directly, but rather, in a time frame for someone to have suggested to Kegsbreath and him to – at least verbally – run with it. And Netanyahu is now poisoning Iran’s and other Gulf states’ water (a war crime, in case anyone didn’t know. (We did it to Kishem Island a couple of weeks ago – Just one of our war crimes.) I am beginning to understand, not just with my brain, but with my heart, why many Jewish people, Israeli and diaspora alike, think it is antisemitism to criticize Israel. When people anywhere in the world, including within the US, criticize the US, even though my brain knows it is the Saffron Sauron and his orcs and nazgul they are criticizing and not me personally, I can’t help feeling sad and a little hurt.

I know we are all worried about the Supreme Court, and we all know something is needed to change it. But we don’t all agree on what needs doing – and I don’t think we really have so much as a concept of a plan as to how the necessary changes can be accomplished. So you may be as encouraged as I am by this conversation between former US Attorney Joyce Vance and Brennan Center Senior Fellow Jesse Wegman (who was essentially hired by Brennan to address the Supreme Curt, but also has a book out about the Electoral College.) It’s 28 minutes, and if that’s too long, there’s a transcript.

I did mention this, but there is much more information here. May Day is the day.

Yeah. Well, that’s the headline. But I’m not seeing them voting that way, or even saying much about it. Certainly not in the numbers needed to make it happen.

It’s been a minute since we had an episode of this series, and this sounds like the final one. My father (who served in WWII, but as a telegrapher) was not in this one, having been medically discharged prior to November 1944. (If he had been there, I almost certainly would not be here.) I could wish that more people remembered – if not from life, at least from education – how important this war was for all of us.

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Open Thread March 29 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 292026
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was one of my top two or three favorites – “La Traviata” by Verdi. I always tear up – not at the end, but in the middle when she says goodbye to Alfredo. That is the saddest event in it. I can get through the end when she dies without tears (or at least with a lot fewer tears), because she dies happy – for two reasons – because Alfredo has come back to her, and because of spes phthisica – a kind of euphoria experienced by pulmonary tuberculosis patients. I expect it’s a romantic fantasy that it happens only at the moment of death, but it is a real phenomenon. So the only sad people on stage when she dies are Alfredo and his father – and I don’t actually have much sympathy for either of them. It’s Violetta who is the victim. The music is exquisite throughout, and all the main characters get some to sing.

When I was in college at Stanford, and my mother worked for the University as supervisor of the Gift Processing Team (which is a story in itself), I would often go to her office building after my classes were through. A friend and colleague of hers in a totally different department but working in the same building was an art lover, and he would from time to time collaborate with the art college to mount shows in his (and Mom’s) building and maybe even sell some of the art. One grad student named Edith Bergstrom had one of these shows, and it pretty well sold out. Everyone loved her work, oils and watercolor alike, and she was only asking $30 each painting. I bought a couple and so did Mom, and I still have mine and now have hers, and still love them. After she completed her advanced degree, she didn’t exactly change her style, but she changed her subject matter, deciding to paint only palms – trees, branches, leaves and some combinations. And she was successful – Since today is Palm Sunday, I thought I would find one of her paintings on the internet and use it here. I’ve selected the focal point of a much larger piece, but it may give you an idea.

Everyone who participated in any No Kings is special – but this one is – let’s say offbeat.

This happens from time to time and it’s always good to hear. Good people exist.

This is kind of cool. We ever had anything like this when I was in school – I would have loved to participate.

This is not a big project with people going out of their way to help others, but it is definitely amusing.

This video features excerpts from CPAC. But not what you’d expect. Please don’t skip it.

Dog

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