Open Thread March 14, 2022

 Posted by at 6:32 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 142022
 

Yesterday, I managed to make two trips out to the recyclables bin and one tp the trash bin (and neither is actua;;;y full yet. I know there are disadvantages, but DST is far better suited to my biorhythm than standard time. The first day the sunset is an hour later is also the first day I can summon up the energy to schlep stuff around, which I have been putting off for days. (And I didn’t even get up all that early.) So I am on the side of peple who want to keep DST all year (which would also eliminae the stress that comes with “springing forward,” and studies suggest it would also save lives and energy, and have other benefits.)  And – I almost forgot – Happy PI Day!

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The New Yorker – Did George Washington Have an Enslaved Son?
Quote – [West Ford’s] descendants have demanded that Mount Vernon recognize Ford for his contributions to the estate, which was near collapse during the decades after Washington’s death. They also argue—citing oral histories from two branches of the family—that Ford was Washington’s unacknowledged son, a claim that Mount Vernon officials have consistently denied. As that debate continues, Black civic organizations in Gum Springs are engaged in related battles to save their endangered community.
Click through for backstory and current issues. Absolutely no one that I can see except The New Yorker is covering this (but I didn’t search for small local news outlets.) Jefferson’s (white) descendants – most of them – have learned to live with the truth. AreWashington’s tough enough? Also, there is more than genealogy in this story.

Daily Kos (David Neiwert) – ‘Patriot’ threatens Nevada’s governor at restaurant, and Republicans cheer the eliminationism
Quote – This kind of rhetoric is not simply violent but eliminationist in nature: That is, it’s discourse intended not simply to oppose a political or cultural foe but to dehumanize and demonize them, to render them nonhuman objects fit only for elimination—vermin, diseases, existential threats. It’s a powerful precursor to real-world violence because it not only obliterates any compunction about killing, it positively creates permission for it…. [Joey] Gilbert … published a long post on Facebook…. “That time is upon us where these fraudulently elected leaders of ours will not be able to walk the streets alone,”
Click through for discussion. (My Daily Kos newsletter has stopped coming again, but Crooks and Liars is reprinting enough to keep me in touch.) Neiwert has put his finger right on my deepest fears. I lived through the sixties when one leader after another was getting shot and killed. I am still jittery about it. I am not expecting anyone to target me personally … but they don’t have to in order to ruin my life. This is real.

Women’s History – The Conversation – Deaf women fought for the right to vote
Quote – As a researcher of deaf history, including deaf women’s history, I work to illuminate the often hidden history of deaf people and their unique contributions to the world. I have unearthed historical information about deaf women suffragists and assembled it into an online collection chronicling what is known—so far—about these women and their lives. Despite harsh, discriminatory conditions, low pay, and lack of recognition, countless deaf women have fought with brilliance and dedication for personal and professional recognition, including for the right to vote.
Click through for several individual stories. This was publshed last year, but reprinted this year in Yes! Magazine. I prefer original sources in any case, but especially when the original source is one I know everyone can access.

Food For Thought:

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Open Thread for February 12, 2022

 Posted by at 6:28 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 122022
 

Yesterday, my back pain was mild enough that I had time to use my TENS on one of my shoulders after finishing woth the back.That helped a lot – except now I need to do the other one. Hopefully, that will work out sometime this weekend.

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Short Takes –

NBC News – Boy, 16, charged after predominantly Black D.C. schools receive bomb threats
Quote – A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after several predominantly Black schools in Washington, D.C., were targeted with bomb threats Wednesday, authorities have said. Among the schools targeted was one that had already received a threat just a day earlier during a visit from second gentleman Doug Emhoff. In a statement Thursday, the Metropolitan Police Department announced that the 16-year-old had been arrested. The agency said it continued to investigate the bomb threats with federal partners.
Click Through for details. One would expect that his parents had started on “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” early and aggressively.

(Hanky Alert) Mother Jones – Her Boyfriend Killed Her Baby While She Was at Work. Oklahoma Might Lock Her Up for Life.
Quote – In November, Hogue was convicted of first-degree murder, even though she never laid a hand on the boy. At a sentencing hearing on Friday, a judge will decide whether to send her to prison for life, as the jury recommended. How is that possible? Hogue was convicted under Oklahoma’s “failure to protect” law, which requires parents to shield their kid from physical harm if they’re aware, or should have been aware, that another adult is abusing the child.
Click through for full article (notice I don’t say the full story). This case reallymakes me wonder, notso much about thelaw or even the prosecutors, as about thejury. Because if there ever were a case where jury nullification would have been appropriate, it seems to me like this is it.

Black History Month – Wikipedia: Jane Bolin
Quote – On July 22, 1939, at the New York World’s Fair, Mayor of New York City Fiorello La Guardia appointed 31-year-old Bolin as a judge of the Domestic Relations Court. For twenty years, she was the only black female judge in the country. She remained a judge of the court, renamed the Family Court in 1962, for 40 years, with her appointment being renewed three times, until she was required to retire aged 70. She worked to encourage racially integrated child services, ensuring that probation officers were assigned without regard to race or religion, and publicly funded childcare agencies accepted children without regard to ethnic background.
Click through for full bio. As the first black woman Supreme court justice is undergoing cofirmation hearing, I though it would be good to memprialize the first black woman judge in the United States.

Food For Thought:

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Video Thread 2/10/22

 Posted by at 11:38 am  Blog News, Editorial
Feb 102022
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s Document Destruction; Pence Says “Trump is Wrong” & Republican Party Continues to Implode

CNN – NC elections board says it can disqualify Rep. Cawthorn from running over January 6 .[It appears to me that it is exactly the State Secretaries of State/State Elections Boards who have the sole authority to determine who does and doesn’t go on the ballot. I have wrotten to my Secretary of Stateabout my representative.]

The Lincoln Project – “Legitimate Political Discourse 2

Ring of Fire – First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Says Free Community College Is Off The Table

politicsrus – Legitimate Political Discord

Brent Terhune – ban the books NOW

Beau – Let’s talk about fast food, California, and AB 257….

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Video Thread 2/9/22

 Posted by at 12:10 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Feb 092022
 

Glenn Kirschner – GOP Gives Aid & Comfort to J6 Defendants by Declaring their Conduct “Legitimate Political Discourse”

The Lincoln Project – “Legitimate Political Discourse”

Ring of Fire – Steve Bannon Issues Ominous Warning To Mike Pence For Going Against Trump

Rebel HQ – What Is Trump Hiding In Mar-A-Lago?

MSNBC – Wisconsin Supreme Court Allows Use Of Ballot Drop Boxes In Feb. Spring Primary [for the last time, maybe]

Randy Rainbow – The Tango Vaccine

Beau – Let’s talk about Trump getting convicted….

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Open Thread for February 3, 2022

 Posted by at 6:38 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 032022
 

Yesterday, I got rid of another thousand emails from TC’s PP Email. Only about 5000 to go. It got me back to the end of August last year. Also, I note that February is Black History Month, and while I don’t plan on ignoring all other news, I will be trying to include at least one Black History story in the Open Thread every day. Incidentally, the Met Opera put up a video which I expected to be like a trailer – but turned out to be just about an hour, featuring full arias and scenes from complete productions, performed by singers from as well known as Leontyne Price down to as little known as Ryan Speedo Green – and completely unrestricted.  Incidentally, if you are ever looking for an impressinve story of overcoming obstacles, google “Ryan Speedo Green”

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Huff Post – Bomb Threats Reported At Historically Black Colleges For Second Day
Quote – For the second day in a row, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) were the target of bomb threats across the country, with this latest wave coming on the first day of Black History Month. Campuses were shut down and classes moved to remote learning following the threats impacting more than a dozen schools as of Tuesday morning.
Click through for details. This is what American Naziism looks like. I got back to my inbox and saw this just after streaming the hour of operatic black history I mentioned in the intro. What a letdown. But not nearly so much for me as for students whose education is being threatened.

The 19th – The 19th Explains: Biden prepares to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. What’s next?
Quote – There’s a lot we don’t know: who Biden’s choice will be, the speed at which this whole process will work, or what questions will emerge as senators consider the nomination. But we do know this Supreme Court confirmation will largely work the same as others. Here’s a guide on what to expect and what we’ll be looking at for potential nominees and the months ahead.
Click through. If I had to name a group with no lawyers and no politicians which didn’t need this explanation, the readers ot Politics Plus would be that group. But it could come in handy to share with others who are less attentive. Also, it has bckground on some names being floated.

Law and Crime – Trump Impeachment Witness Sues Giuliani, Trump Jr., and White House Officials for Allegedly Violating His Civil Rights
Quote – “This lawsuit seeks long-overdue accountability for unlawful actions,” the document says in its opening salvo. It accuses the defendants of conspiring to help the ex-president “obstruct a constitutional proceeding by intimidating and retaliating against a key witness.”
Click through for story, including the 73 page court filing if you are so inclined. Long overdue indeed – but I’m not sure why just now. Of course it will further complicate their lives (and the lives of their counsel), and that may be at least part of the reasining. In any case, LTC Vindman deserves to see them held accountable.

Food For Thought:

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Video Thread 2/2/22

 Posted by at 11:40 am  Open Thread, Politics
Feb 022022
 

Glenn Kirschner – States Refer Fake Electors to DOJ for Investigation States Should Move on Prosecutions as Well

The Lincoln Project – Unlikely

Robert Reich – The Deficit Double Standard

Rebel HQ – Veteran SLAMS Newt Gingrich For Warmongering

Farron Balanced – Georgia Prosecutors Ask For FBI Protection Following Trump’s Weekend Rally

American Bridge – Stephen Colbert sings Ron Johnson’s Campaign Theme Song

Beau – Let’s talk about Deep Goat and releasing the transcript….

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Open Thread for January 20, 2022

 Posted by at 7:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 202022
 

Yesterday, I got boosted – yippee! There was virtually no snow on the ground. but there was a lot of ice on the glass, and between the windows steaming up and my glasses steaming up, it was terrible. If they decide on another booster, or if they come up with a universal vaccine, I surely hope it is in the summer.

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Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – Colleyville’s Synagogue Hostage Crisis And White Supremacy
Quote – The fact that millions of Jews watch in horror, generational trauma triggered, the oldest bigotry still raging, as four innocent Jews are held captive by someone we recognize we’ll need to protect once it is over — even while it is going on — is a mind-f*ck of epic proportions.
Click through. Every person in the United States needs to read this.

Huff Post Fringe – How Hatred Of Women Is Fueling The Far-Right
Quote – McLeod’s case is an example of the ties between misogyny and easy access to guns that Everytown for Gun Safety highlights in a new report this week, which was shared with HuffPost ahead of its publication. The group documents at least six high-profile misogyny-driven mass shootings in the U.S. since 2014, and the ways that guns and hatred of women have served as a unifying tie for many far-right groups online.
Click through for more. We, at least we on the left, have figured out that pointing out that racism exists is not itself racist. But we don’t seem to have figured out that pointing out that misgyny exists is not itself misogynistic. Well, we need to. Because misgyny is even more prevalent than racism, has a much larger persentage of the marginalized who buy into it themselves, and will destroy the country if we try to elect a woman President before the nation is ready, even if she walks on water.

Medium – Restoring the Senate to Protect the Freedom to Vote {Op-Ed)
Quote – If the Senate cannot even begin to debate and vote on something as foundational as voting rights, we must reform Senate rules and restore the chamber to its rightful place as “the world’s greatest deliberative body.”
Protecting the freedom to vote should not be a partisan issue. In 2006, for example, the Senate voted 98–0 to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. The Help America Vote Act passed 98–2 in the wake of the chaos of the 2000 election. One of its primary proponents was Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
Click through for full letter. Nine former Senators have signed it, including Doug Jones (who sent it to me) and Mark Udall (IMO the best Senator Colorado has ever had – at least since I have lived here.)

Food For Thought:

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Open Thread for January 19, 2022

 Posted by at 6:49 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jan 192022
 

Yesterday, I spent some time figuring out what to wear today. In this case, it’s not a matter of appearance. I’m getting my booster today, and I need to come up with clothing which will keep me warm enough in below freezing temperatiures (a high of 30 is predicted) yet still nake it easy to accesss my deltoid without indecency, while at the same time, protecting me as much as possible from airborne droplets. That is not something which is immediately obvious – or at least not to me. So thought is required.

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Short Takes –

Letters from an American (Heather Cox Richardson) – Januaty 17, 2022
Quote – In this moment of struggle over voting rights in America, it is important to distinguish between voter fraud, which is vanishingly rare and has not affected the outcome of elections, and election fraud, which is coming to characterize a number of our important elections.
Voter fraud is about an individual breaking the law and is almost always caught. It is not a threat to democracy.
Election fraud means that people in power have rigged the system so that the will of the voters is overturned. When it happens, it threatens to destroy our nation.
Click through for full letter. She puts some things together. (I would point out that by no means of them are  proven to the point of being ready to go to court.) But she is no dummy. Her newletter is free to subscribe.

The 19th – Black women in Martin Luther King Jr.’s neighborhood will soon receive monthly cash payments
Quote – That work that In Her Hands will do in the coming two years will build on that established by other programs like Magnolia Mother’s Trust, the first privately-run guaranteed income program in the country. Launched in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2018, it gave 20 Black mothers $1,000 a month for a year, growing to cover 110 in its 2020-2021 year and another 100 in the most recent cohort, which will wrap up this March. All were living 200 percent below the federal poverty line and in subsidized housing. Most are working.
Click through for details and information on the successes of previous programs. Republicans are committed to the idea that people won’t work unless they are reduced to bare subsistence level, and that then they will work for pennies. That may seem intuitive, but these programs demonstrate it isn’t reality.

Crooks and Liars – Crockett And Lake Are Poster Children For GOP Harassment And Extremism
Quote – (in a tweet from Patriot Takes) Kari Lake supporter Ethan Schmidt: “I just love harassing people, especially cancer patients because they’re weak and vulnerable and easy targets.” Kari Lake is running for Arizona Governor and appeared in one of Ethan’s videos. Lake refuses to denounce Ethan Schmidt.
Click through for story. C&L republished this from “No More Mr. Nice Blog,” which I have provisionally added to the Blogroll. He does have other things to say. And he certainly has a point in this column.

Food For Thought:

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