Open Thread August 30 2025

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

Aug 302025

Yesterday, an email from Robert Reich informed me that his new book – “Coming Up Short: a Memoir of My America” is number one on the New York Times nonfiction best-seller list. That is great – and Bob was deeply touched – but if the Times can see it is so popular, why won’t they take his advice about reporting? (No, don’t tell me – I do know – but it’s a crying shame.) Also, some one came up with a great nickname for RFKJr – “Obi-Wan Baloney” (apologies to lunchmeat.) Also – this was actually a couple of days ago – Joni Ernst will not seek reelection to the US Senate in Iowa. Certainly this is a kind of a victory – I just hope it isn’t a Pyrrhic one. Her dropping out is a sign that both she and the party know that she cannot now win. So instead, they are going to try to find someone who can. And I am afraid that that is possible. There are many ways to overperform – but this one is the most dangerous.

There are I believe, reasons why the concept of the “Wounded Healer” is so powerful. One can become an expert is, for example, brain surgery without every experiencing it oneself – because the brain is an objective reality which can be seen, diagrammed, studied from outside. But the mind cannot. The only way to become a true expert in, for example, depression is to suffer from it. Yes, some of us have more natural empathy than others, and are quicker to grasp others’ feelings. But there’s nothing quite like being there.

This from Robert Reich sounds very practical – and do-able. And considering that his latest collection of videos have been moving Trump**(*) voters up to 16 points, I think he’s on to something.

When I saved this to my list, I marked it “Extreme tissue alert.” I just watched it again, and yes, the warning is appropriate.

Open Thread September 24 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:04 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 242024

Yesterday, the defendant in the case of the shooting at the King Soopers in Boulder, CO, was found guilty on 55 felony counts, incluing 10 counts of first-degree murder. It didn’t even take them a full day to come to that conclusion. I had not been following this story closely enough to have previously seen the names of the victims, but I read it this time, and saw two surnames, both relatively uncommon, which were the same as those of people I had known in Colorado – when I lived in the San Luis Valley. But when I looked then up, there appeared to be no connection in either case. Still, all the victims were known to and kin to and important to someone, and looking that up made the shooting very real to me.

Talking Points Memo’s Morning Memo was hot yesterday. Every time I finished a section and was going to file the email, I’d see the next title and realized I wasn’t ready. I got all the way to the end, in fact. Fortunatel, I can give you a link to the whole thing so you can decide what to skip.

Over the weekend, Heather Cox Richardson reviewed the history of the Electoral College. It’s a history which is little kown, even among people who consider themselves history buffs. And it’s a grand demonstration of how much and in how many ways an institution such as the Electoral College is vulnerable to manipulation – and in how many ways (the Electoral College is the reason we have two Dakotas, for one thing.) I wish that everyone in Amereica, voting age or not, could be forced to read or to listen to it. In whatever language they understand.

Open Thread September 3 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:05 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 032024

Yesterday, I was referred to this article by a poster at Democratic Underground. It’s at Salon, which I have long thought is one of the most, maybe the most in depth organ on cultural issues at least, and often beyond. Actually,that’s a reason why I don’t cite it more often than I do – I don’t have the time or energy to go that deep often, and I don’t expect you to either. But I am citing this one.

There are ways to sugarcoat this – and that’s part of the problem. It’s gonna take a whole lot of votes to offset it. I think the votes are there, but we will need every single one of them. GOTV matters as – well, not as never before because it mattered this much in 2016 and we didn’t succeed. But it matters that much again.

I would not call this an unseen problem – anyone who looks at national election results nationall since 1980 (and particularly since 2000) sees it clearly. I would call it an unacknowledged problem, since no one but Democrats (and not all of us) and the National Popular Vote interstate Compact is pointing it put. And why would Republicans point it put? It’s the only way they can win ( almost said without cheating, but, for on thing, it is a forme of built-in cheating, and for another, if it isn’t enough for them, they cheat in other ways, as in 1976.) I do not intend to badmouth decent and honorable Republicans (mostly historical) such as Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, T. Roosevelt, Margaret Chase Smith, Mark Hatfield, Adam Kinziger, and others (mostly historical.) But the few that are left had lost control of the party by 1980. None of this is unseed. It’s merely unmentioned.

Open Thread August 12 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:54 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 122024

Yesterday, I managed to see Virgil almost on time (I had to stop for gas on the way down, for one thing.) We played cribbage, of course, and he had the two best hands of the day – a 16 and a 17. He returns any and all greetings. The trip back was uneventful, but I got back tired, so I was slow to post.

Yes, this is alarmist. But, like Project 2025, if we don’t know about it, we won’t be ready – we won’t know what countermeasures to take, and we’ll lose time finding out. And we can’t let them win by cheating (again. Because if’s the only way they can win.)

Well, if I’m going to share one cautionary article, I may as well share this one as well, and it may as well be on a Monday. If kids were taught in school about the Political Compass, it would certainly be easier to identify where politicians are coming from – certainly in this election “right” are practically meaningless. It’s all about “up” and “down.” (Incidentally, they like to use “Authoritarian” and “Libertarian” for up and down respectively, but a better word for the latter would be “Egalitarian” IMO. It’s not only more accurate; it also hasn’t been stolen by crazies.

Belle climate

Dog

Open Thread May 23 2024

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

May 232024

Yesterday, I observed that Donald Trump** is now claiming that Biden ordered him assassinated, specifically on the day of the raid on Mar-a-Lago. Magats are, frankly, to evil to eben be able to imagine a person who just wouldn’t do that, so perhaps we should counter with something like “Democrats get things done. If Joe wanted him assassinated, he’d have been assassinated. He wasn’t. End of story.” Also, among the petitions I signed was one for Thomas and Alito to recude from the Trump** immnity case. Actually, I’d rather leave those to on and have the three he nominated recuse.Knocking out those two still leaves it 4-3, and the best hope we have is for Roberts to do the right thing. But if we knock out Gorsuch, Javanaugh and Barrett, it’s now 3-3. Unless Roberts does the right thing, there’s an unbreakable tie.

I’m going to word my hanky alert differently on this by quoting Shakespeare’s Mark Antony: “If youhave tears, prepare to shed them now.” Yes, I’m preaching to the choir. But sharing it couldn’t hurt.

Just as I’m highly in favor of the National Interstate Popular Vote Compact, because I don’t see any possibility to amend the Constitution without the nation being able to see that the popular vote works, I also don’t see equirable tax reform happening unless people can see it works. That’s why I;m posting this,and enci=ourage sharing it as widely as possible.

And here is yet another article which desperately needs to be widely shared. I’ll try to help on this one with the”Food for Thought” cartoon below.

Open Thread May 10 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:05 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 102024

Yesterday, I got two petitions which I did not sign (along with a bunch of others that I did sign.) Both were from Left Action (I don’t know whether it is a wing of Care2/The Petition Site, that is who hosts its petitions.) The first one I saw (the second I received becaue I read my emails from the top down) was addressed to Judge Merchan and was headed “Don’t let Trump’s lawyers get a mistrial.” The problem is that it is addressed to the judge. Prople not involved in the trial pushing the judge to rule a certain way could be construed as obstruction of justice. The other one was regarding remmoving Aileen Cannon from the Mar-a Lago case. It didn’t specifically say it was addressed to the Citcuit Court (I forget which District that is), but I had to assume that it is, since that’s the only body which can do what is petitioned. I’m not saying no one can petition the courts, but this is not the way. Such a petition would have to come from someone with standing, like a group which had filed an amicus brief. We have all gotten so accustomed to “Don’t like something? Sign/start a petition that we have lost sight of the need to address those petitions to the entity which can actually act on them, and that entity had better not be someone in the justice system for whome the petiton could be construed as obstruction. Judge Merechan has been doing everything he possibly can from the day the case was assigned to him to insure there will be no mistrial. This petition could even conceivably increase the chances of a mistrial, not reduce them, if it is actually delivered and Trump**’s defense team find out about it. Both petitions were from n email address which can apparently be responded to, since i did and haven’t received a non-delivery notice. I hope y’all will consider this concerning these and any other petition involving any court. You can probably petition the prosecutor, maybe even the defense, but please, not the judge.

At least this is good news – if, as Ben said, we can keep it. I can guarantee that, should Trump** win, we cannot. And even if he doesn’t, if enough of his followers get into/stay in Congress, I certainly wouldn’t guarantee being able to keep it.

More proof that it’s not about life, it’s about control. With my age and experience, I probably shouldn’t be – but I was shocked by the sheer volume.

I don’t see how any sane person can fail to be in awe of Volodomyr Zelensky. Eleven assassination attempts and still trucking. Fly high, Ukrainian Guy!

Open Thread May 7, 2024

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

May 072024

Yesterday, I received an Axios alert emai telling me that Bernie Sanders is running for reelection. Good. I’m not a big fan of Axios editorially, but their alerts are usually the first time a nugget of news hits my inbox. I also received an email from the National Popular Vote Compact that Maine has joined. They are working steadily in other states as well. I wouldnn’t get my hopes up too high, but it’s close enough now that it would not be impossible for us to have enough states by November.

Some details here I haven’t seen elsewhere. Of course that may be just me.

As angry as we all were and are to learn that Clarence Thomas – and other justices – have failed todisclose high-dollar gifts from billionaires, I think we’d rather know about it than not know about it. Certainly the Pulitzer Prize people would.. They have awarded Pro Publica the Gold Medal for Public Service for breaking the story.

Personal Update – 1/6/2021

Posted by TomCat at 11:32 am Monthly Report, Personal, Politics

Jan 062021

It’s a busy day here in the CatBox. I am watching the bogus, treasonous attempt by Trump*, Hawley and the Republican Reich to overthrow the government of the US. They are trying to discard valid electoral votes for Biden, chosen based on the popular vote in those states, and replace them with bogus electoral votes for Trump*, chosen based on their obedience to their Nazi Fuhrer. I have also been watching the Georgia Senate runoffs. Warnock has officially won, and although Ossoff has not, he has a comfortable enough situation that I am certain that he has. At the beginning of Campaign 2020, I predicted that Democrats would hold the House of Representatives. Thank God I was right. I predicted that Democrats would win the White House. Thank God I was right. I predicted that Republicans would hold the Senate. Thank God I was wrong! Tomorrow I should be in the saddle, but busy. It’s a grocery delivery day, and I’ll have a big order, as Store to Door was off two weeks. It’s also a WWWendy day. She will be coming late in the afternoon. Happy Hump Day to all!

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today’s took me 3:52 (average 4:46). To do it, click here. How did you do?

Cartoon:

Short Takes:

From The New Yorker: Advancing a new conspiracy theory during a rally on Monday, Donald J. Trump claimed that the United States Constitution is invalid because it was signed by dead people.

“All we’re hearing is, the Constitution this and the Constitution that,” Trump said. “I’m telling you, as sure as you’re sitting there, that every person who signed that piece of paper is dead.”

Trump said that he had his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani investigate the signatories to the Constitution, “and he found a scandal bigger than Hunter Biden’s laptop.”

“Their signatures do not match the signatures of any living person,” he said. “Not only are these people dead, but they have been dead for a long, long time. This should never have been allowed to happen.”

Dang Andy! Is that satire? Trump’s* surprise that the founding fathers are dead is completely credible. RESIST!!

From YouTube (a blast from the past): The Byrds – Turn! Turn! Turn!

Ah… the memories! RESIST!!

13 Days Until the Big FLUSH!!

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