Open Thread July 8 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 082026
 

Yesterday, I heard something very disheartening from Malcolm Nance’s warcast – and all three agreed – that the MSM in Europe is parroting Russian talking points as much as ours are. The latest is that Russia is claiming their current strikes are retaliatory (when they’ve been doing the same thing since 2022 – or maybe even 2014.) What’s going on with global oil prices is also not pretty. It is currently artificially low (so keep your tank filled – maybe even some full containers on hand). But we are closer and closer to a real worldwide shortage, and the pricing won’t matter much when there isn’t any to be had. Oh, and in case you were wondering why the Orange Ogre is whining about Greenland again – it could be because, after he bribed or threatened FIFA into lifting a suspension they had imposed on the biggest bully on our team, Belgium beat us anyway – and Denmark was rooting for Belgium.

This is a Substack video – in which Glenn Kirschner is PISSED to the point of 37 minutes and “legal terms” such as “shitshow,” “assclowns”, “grabass” as well as addressing Todd Blanche as “sport.” I don’t really expect anyone to watch it, but, being Substack, there is a transcipt.

I doubt this will surprise anyone here. And it appears to me that most of this increase is initiated by the Papaya Palatine personally. (My apologize to papayas, which alleviate nausea rather than initiating it.)

To me this undersells the contributions of African Americans to the American Republic. IIRC, the first American killed in the Revolution was Crispus Attucks – a Black man, Many more Black men fought for the Union in the Civil War – and in World Wars I and II – and since. And Black women too – if not allowed to fight with arms, by caring for the wounded, gathering intelligence, dealing with mail, breaking codes, and more than I can think of. But I get it – the authors here are more interested in putting together an effecive playbook for a better future than in remembering the past. And they are right. An effective playbook is needed. And so is the will to use it – in people of all colors.

Just as there are decent and kind people in red states – there are monsters in blue states. Washington may be blue – but it still has monsters like these. I’m inclined to hope they are all in debt for the rest of their sorry lives paying for the $17 million they owe – plus interest. Including the school employees.

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Open Thread April 16 2026

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 162026
 

Yesterday, Malcolm Nance apologized for failing to do a scheduled Substack video – because he had had to do interviews on three BBC entities and on ABC (down under.) Apparently I am far from alone in respecting his experience and analysis (and also his choices of co-hosts – Jacob has been missing for three says because he was doing interviews, not just in Denmark, but all over Europe.) Fertilizer was in the spotlight. I am no chemist, but a huge component of fertilizer is urea which is a major (or the major) source of nitrogen for fertilizer. Aren’t we all running around every day full of urea, and flushing most of it? Is it time for someone who is a chemist to come up with some way to capture that and refine it? Or am I dreaming?

Harmeet Dillon’s name has not yet, as far as I know, come up from the White House as a potential AG. But if Robert Reich thinks it is a possibility, I’m confident it is a possibility

Jesse Wegman is part of the Brennan Center for Justice. He has some thoughts about the courts here, and at least one of those thoughts is colorful.

We may as well look at this. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

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Open Thread February 4 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 042026
 

Yesterday, I learned that I am not the only person who has noticed that the names of the two ICE/CBP murder victims in Minnesota resemble the phrase “pretty good” Robert Reich’s caption contest, which I just got around to reading, includes several all usages in the previous week’s answers. And while we are on the subject of linguistics, I learned last week that “Elon” and Ilhan” are correctly pronounced exactly the same way. and just yesterday I noticed that only a small space separates “Redactions” from “Red actions.” Andy Borowitz was not long enough to call an article, but was pretty funny.

Robert Reich addresses the fact that, in suing the IRS, the Saffron Sauron is really suing himself. With our money. it’s presented lightly, not heavy-handedly, but it’s quite a serious step.

I know exactly how Le feels. I won’t belabor it here, but I would like to add that working in the same office with criminals doesn’t necessarily make you a criminal. But it does take a toll.

I 100% agree that black folks need to be aware of this – but, frankly – everyone else needs to be just as aware of it. Renee Good was not black. Alex Pretti was not black. The sad fact is that anyone, of any age or any color, who is on a street that ICE or CBP or even the National Guard is on needs to be equally aware and careful.

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Open Thread November 18 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 182025
 

Yesterday, along with the rest of the world, why Michelle Obama will not run for President. And apparently she has been singing my song – or I have been singing hers – except this is the first time she has said it publicly: “As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready. That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not. So don’t waste my time.” She could have added “And don’t kill any career I do want.” And she is absolutely right. We ain’t ready – we aren’t going to be in my lifetime and quite possibly not in the lifetime of anyone who is alive today. Because this societal change has to start with parents – and the parents ain’t ready for the lesson: “If you don’t want your sons to be lonely, stop raising them to be misogynistic assholes.” (quote from John Pavlovitz) Also, I slept late (normal for a Monday) – in addition to normal catching up, I had stayed up to stream the first episode of “The American Revolution” (Passport allows me to stream it through my local station.) I was surprised by how much I already knew – but even more surprised at how much the current GOP is acting like George III’s cabinet “You’ll do what we tell you.” We know what those people want and we can second guess and outsmart them (didn’t work.) “We’ll tell you what you want.” “We’re sending in the troops.” And that’s just the first episode. (And this probably means nothing, but more than a few women were quoted using modern women’s voices, and every single time Abigail Adams was quoted, I knew it was she before the name was shown. That was also true for Phillis Wheatley, but that was only one quote and impossible to miss.) Also yesterday, the Evil Emperor claimed he had changed his mind on releasing the Epstein files. I have a theory as to why, but as yet no evidence.

To me, this Huff Post article is super good news. More Progressives running. They won’t all win their primaries, But at the very least some who do will win the general. And that will be good for all Americans – including the ones too dumb to know it.

Chris Bowers has a point here – but I think it’s also possible to underestimate the Apricot Antichrist, and that we have been doing so for ten tears now – since he first came down the escalator, in fact. Granted his body count for this regime is so far much lower than the body count from the first one (which I don’t think we should forget, nor allow others to forget), it is also far more violent – it is being achieved through direct and despicable action, rather than through inaction.

The only excuse to call this news is that it’s from a newsletter. We all knew it from the instant the election was called – just not the exact names and faces. But this from Common Dreams does have receipts.

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Open Thread October 25 2024

 Posted by at 6:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 252024
 

Yesterday, my back bothered me from the middle of my sleep time (it woke me up, and I never really got back to sleep) through the entire rest of the day. I seriously considered sleeping sitting up. I used the TENS unit and ice (not at the same time – those ice bags may be sealed, but that doesn’t stop condensation.)  Both helped some,  But not enough.  Yes, I know, Urgent Care, but the last time I did that (for pain muchless sefver in a much smaller area) I ended up having to do so much walking  I exacerbated it.  If I exacerbate this much more, I’ll fall and won’t be able to get up.  If it persists, I’ll do that.

Pro Publica points out that, while, yes, immigration has increased, that is far from the only change in immigration in recent years. They don’t go into the fact that many, particularly those from Central America are fleeing conditions which we, the United States, made possible by meddling in their nations’ politics through the CIA and, among other programs, the School of the Americas (now whitewashed as the “Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.”) And both of our major parties have blood on their hands. Our hands. Sure, a lot of that was on account of GOP rule. But I wouldn’t expect those injured by it to be able to make that distinction.

As a former DOJ prosecutor, Joyce Vance knows a whole lot more about the DOJ’s responsibiities than I do. I’ll just let her do the talking.

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Video Thread 8/12/22

 Posted by at 11:54 am  Open Thread, Politics
Aug 122022
 

For this, I am skipping Glenn for one day only.
PBS – Marrick Garland Briefing on Search (only 4-5 minutes – I set it to start when he enters)

Meidas Touch – Trump INVOKES THE FIFTH AMENDMENT in New York AG Deposition

The Lincoln Project – Insider

Farron Balanced – Depressed Mitch McConnell No Longer Thinks Republicans Will Win Midterms

MSNBC – Laurence Tribe On Trump Investigations And ‘The Death Of Truth’ – Deadline

Beau – Let’s talk about Garland’s statement on the Trump search….

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Open Thread August 12, 2022

 Posted by at 6:47 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 122022
 

Yesterday, I was, I’m sure, as stunned as everyone else ny Merrick Garland’s press conference. It is in today’s video Thread, which will go up about noon Pacific Time. don’t be put off by the 34 minute time – I set it to start when he comes in, which is about 30:30, so it’s actually very short. I also managed to grab Beau’s response to him, which I think is a trifle longer, but still short.  Then I went out and got new tires, which took almost 3 hours door to door, but it had to be done, and now it is.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

NPR – A grand jury declined to indict a woman whose accusations set off Emmett Till killing
Quote – The decision comes despite recent revelations about an unserved arrest warrant and the 87-year-old Donham’s unpublished memoir. The Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr., Emmett Till’s cousin and the last living witness to Till’s Aug. 28, 1955, abduction, said Tuesday’s announcement is “unfortunate, but predictable.”
Click through for details. “Insufficient evidence.” At least they didn’t try to assert a non-existent Statue of Limitatons.

The Conversation – Why searching an ex-president’s estate is not easily done – 4 important things to know about the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago
Quote – 1. There are legal hurdles to getting a search warrant. The U.S. Constitution requires that all search warrants “particularly describe the place to be searched and the … things to be seized.”… This requirement can be traced in part to a famous British case from the 1760s when agents of King George III searched the house of John Wilkes, an opposition member of Parliament, for incriminating papers. The warrant they used was condemned by the courts as a “general warrant” because it did not specifically name Wilkes, his house or the seized papers.
Click through for the other three. Garland did in fact personally sign off on this warrant. He has said so.

Bonus – It’s gotten so bad that even the wildlife is trying to move to Canada.

Food For Thought

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Open Rage – 1/7/2021

 Posted by at 10:57 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 072021
 

It’s an outrageous day here in the CatBox.  Yesterday when the Republican Reich attacked the US, I was so upset that I swallowed an unprocessed mouthful of food and rushed to the computer without thinking.  Needless to say, that plugged my stent and I was sick all afternoon.   A couple days ago I opined that this was the wrong time to impeach Trump* and throw him the attention he craves.  I take that back.  Now a state of war exists between the Republican Reich and the US.  We must fight back with every legal weapon at our disposal.  These dates shall live in infamy, as long as there is a USA to remember: Dec. 7, 1941, Sep. 11, 2001, and Jan. 6, 2021.  I am waiting for Store to Door to bring my grocery order, and WWWendy is coming late this afternoon.  I hope to be in the saddle tomorrow.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:23 (average 4:35).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

0107Cartoon

Short Takes:

From Daily Kos (Hat-Tip Mitch [ours]): This is too, too much. The schadenfreude! The sheer, sheer joy!

CNN:

President-elect Joe Biden has decided to nominate Judge Merrick Garland as attorney general, people familiar with the matter tell CNN, a long-awaited decision that was moved toward completion Wednesday as it became apparent that Democrats were on the brink of winning control of the Senate.

The announcement of the attorney general, along with other senior leaders of the Justice Department, is expected to be made as soon as Thursday as Biden moves closer to filling the remaining seats in his Cabinet before assuming power on January 20.

While Garland has been a top contender for weeks, concerns about the vacancy his selection would create on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia raised alarm bells among Biden and many advisers who believed Senate Republicans would block any nomination to that seat. But with Democrats poised to control the Senate after two Georgia runoff races, those concerns were allayed.

I have to love this! And Beat Bitch Baby Bawling Mitch can’t stop it!  RESIST!!

From YouTube (MSNBC Channel): U.S. Capitol Ransacked After Massive Security Failure

 

These are some of the same questions I have. It appeared to me that some of the police were in cahoots with Trump’s* terrorists who tried to repeat the Reichstag Fire. I agree with Mika that they would have slaughtered BLM demonstrators. I hear people saying this is the time to stay cool. My answer? BULLSHIT!  RESIST!!

From YouTube: Live: NBC News NOW – Jan. 7 | Special Coverage On The Riot At The U.S. Capitol

 

I put this here to give you a chance to keep up with any freaking developments, should they occur.  RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from yesterday): The Beatles-Revolution Protest Music Video

 

Given the Republican attack on America, this is all too appropriate!  RESIST!!

12 Days Until the Big FLUSH!!

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