Aug 282023
 

Yesterday, I was able to see Virgil. We weren’t able to play cribbage because another family had the only card deck (there is a pinochle deck, but imagine trying to play cribbage with a pinochle deck! That’s ROTFL level. I played a lot of pinochle as a child and teen ad was pretty good at it, but haven’t really played it since I learned bridge. I am considering boning up.) Anyway, we played Scrabble, so we had plenty of fun. As always, Virgil returns all greeting, whether or not I knew about them in advance. I got home safely and timely but also pretty tired so went to bed almost as soon as I had today’s posts scheduled and the newsletter out, and was planning to sleep in. I might add I don’t often to manage posting an historical flashback article on the anniversary date that it’s flashing back to – this time I just barely managed. I hope you enjoy – it’s a bit of a “catalog of ships” article (that’s the book of the Iliad which lists the home ports and captains and crews of the Greek ships which came to Troy, and had then a disproportionately strong emotional effect on Greek listeners just to hear the names of places and people they knew so well. And it still works.)

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Short Takes –

The New Yorker (flashback) – The Hours Before “I Have a Dream”
Quote – Quote – Most of [the buses] had red-white-and-blue signs saying “Erie, Pa., Branch, N.A.A.C.P.,” or “Inter-Church Delegation, Sponsored by National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Commission on Religion and Race,” or “District 26, United Steelworkers of America, Greater Youngstown A.F.L.-C.I.O. Council, Youngstown, Ohio.”… At exactly nine-thirty, Ossie Davis, serving as master of ceremonies, tried to begin the pre-march program, but it had to be postponed, because Rustin and Thomas were the only two dignitaries on the stage and many more were expected. “Oh, freedom,” said a voice over a loudspeaker a little later. The program had started, and Joan Baez began to sing in a wonderfully clear voice. “Oh, freedom,” she sang. “Oh, freedom over me. Before I’ll be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave . . .”
Click through for article. It’s not all that long, and it’s not compregensive – it roughly ends where the march really starts – But it’s about memories, and it’s memorable.

Wonkette (Stephen Robinson) – Well-Regulated Racist Shooter Kills Three At Jacksonville, FL Dollar General
Quote – True to a sadly consistent form, the shooter was decked out in a tactical vest and mask. Along with the AR-15, he was also carrying a Glock. He even went to the sick effort of plastering swastikas on his guns, according to [Jacksonville Sheriff T.K.]Waters…. He first attempted to target students at the historically black college, Edward Waters University, but campus security turned him away. That’s when he went to the Dollar General…. Waters added that the gunman apparently “acted completely alone” and was not believed to be part of “any large group.” That is perhaps technically true, but we should realize that white supremacy doesn’t require a membership card and monthly dues. These racists are linked through hateful rhetoric easily found online and on cable television. It doesn’t take much to turn them to violence.
Click through for more detail. Stephen could probably have written this story in his sleep (and we could probably have read it out loud in ours.) Sigh.  I tried leaving the URL long to see if it would think you were a subscribe and not make you click on “keep reading,” but it didn’t work even for me.)

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Aug 272023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Two of Trump’s RICO co-defendants, Chesebro & Powell, want speedy trial. This is bad news for Trump.

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party – August 22, 2023

Farron Balanced – Steve Bannon Attacks Fani Willis And Suggests We’re Close To ‘Revolution’

Rocky Mountain Mike – Headloose

Guy Risks Life To Rescue Cats From Trees

Beau – Let’s talk about how McCarthy can fix the House….

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Aug 242023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s lawyers push for April 2026 trial in DC election theft case, & Jack Smith pushes back, hard.

The Ring of Fire – California Woman Murdered By Man Who Was Angry At Her Pride Flag

Thom Hartmann – GOP’s Violent Rhetoric Just Killed Another American! Are You Next?

Randy Rainbow – Don’t Arraign On His Parade

Dog Paralyzed With Fear Learns What Love Is

Beau – Let’s talk about how to predict the future….

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Aug 202023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s lawyers make ABSURD request – ask Judge Chutkan set an April 2026 trial date in DC case!

The Lincoln Project – Roger Stone on November 5, 2020

Thom Hartmann – U.S. Rep. Vows To Use Force To Achieve Far Right Takeover…

Puppet Regime – Vladimir Putin, film critic

This Dog Stared At The Wall For Hours Until Finally Realized He Was Home

Beau – Let’s talk about Colorado, Alabama, and a General’s house….

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Aug 062023
 

[Trump** must want to be locked up.  Why?  To instigate another insurretion?  What are we missing here?]
Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s arraignment: a speedy trial is coming; Trump’s threatening post; and possible consequences

The Lincoln Project – Clown Convention

MSNBC (Crooks & Liars) – [it’s probably findable on YouTube, but this is such a nice, tight clip I just went with it.]

Farron Balanced – Trump Supporters Hurl Racist Threats At Prosecutor Before She Indicts Trump

Dog Waits For Months For Mom To Come Home From The Hospital

Beau – Let’s talk about how the GOP indicted Trump….

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Aug 042023
 

Yesterday (actually Wednesday, but Heather Cox Richardson’s letters don’t arrive until after midnight), Richardson came up with an explanation why the military were slow to respond on January 6 which makes sense. Readers’ Digest version, they had gotten wind of Trump**’s considering using the Insurrection Act and were not sure whose side they’d be on – and didn’t want to be on the wrong side. I don’t know whether that’s original to her or whether it’s floating around. But it does make sense. The military were (quite reasonably) concerned about what Trump** might do, and at that point it wasn’t as widely known as it is now who was in on it. Also this week, our national credit rating was downgraded by Fitch Ratings Inc. (I never heard of them either, but I don’t run in those circles.) This is only the second time in history our credit rating has been downgradeed, the first being in 2011 by Standard & Poor. Both downgrades happened shortly after a fight in Congress over the debt ceiling – in other words, both were caused by Republicans in Congress – but both also happened during Democratic Presidencies. In 2012 Obama was reelected anyway. We’ll hope that the IQ of the American public has not degraded so much in the intervening 12 years as to hurt Joe’s reelection. Also yesterday, Colorado Public Radio reported that Colorado’s troll population has doubled. But not to worry. They’re talking about statues. Oh yeah, and Donald J. Trump** was arraigned. But you knew that.

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Short Takes –

HuffPost Politics – The Republicans Still Defending Trump Would Be Totally Fine With This
Quote – Now, none of this is actually possible because Democrats, including Biden, and a small group of Republicans voted in 2022 to reform the Electoral Count Act to prevent the submission of phony elector slates and specify the vice president’s role as solely ceremonial. Most Republicans, however, opposed this reform. And in defending Trump today, they seem to think that it would be legal and fine for Biden to pressure elected officials to change vote totals, organize phony electors and for Harris to unilaterally steal the election for Biden.
Click through for logical conclusion. Not that we haven’t all figured it out already. But it’s well thought out all the way, and well said.

WDRB dot com (tip fro Crooks & Liars) – Kentucky woman convicted of mailing threats, racial slurs to neighbors sentenced by judge
Quote – The woman who mailed violent, racists threats to her neighbors in Lake Forest will spend nine years in prison for it. The case has been ongoing for about three years. According to court documents, Suzanne Craft sent a series of threatening letters to a family in the Lake Forrest neighborhood after being ordered to stay away from them. This happened between November and December 2020, prosecutors said.
Click through for details. Appears she has reached the “Find Out” part. I wonder whether nine years will be enough.

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Jul 272023
 

Yesterday, I won’t say I overslept, becuse that implies I was planning to get up at a certain time, and I wasn’t. But I did sleep for a long time. I’m sure I needed it. But I did wake up in time to get ready for, and take in, a grocery order (which was rather a disappointment. But I did get everything I was actually out of, so at least I have time on my side.) Incidentally, I was also very late getting the Video Thread up – I had scheduled it for a day late and had to correct that, and I was late in discovering it. Sorry about that.

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Short Takes –

The Daily Beast – Inside the DeSantis Doc That Showtime Didn’t Want You to See
Quote – The Daily Beast has obtained a transcript of that unaired documentary, “The Guantanamo Candidate,” which was anchored by Seb Walker, a longtime correspondent for the Emmy-winning newsmagazine. Among a number of insights into DeSantis’ past, the transcript features interviews with former prisoners and a former Naval staff sergeant-turned-Gitmo whistleblower who overlapped with DeSantis. All three allege inhumane treatment at the hands of the U.S. government, with the detainees directly implicating DeSantis—at the time, a junior-level military legal adviser—in approving and overseeing brutal measures…. Showtime’s decision to muzzle a report critical of a high-profile conservative politician also epitomizes the complaints that conservative politicians—including DeSantis—have habitually brayed in their crusade against so-called liberal “cancel culture.”
Click through for story. I can’t say I’m surprised that DeSaster didn’t want this to come out. Showtime – well, their defense woulf likely be the truth of the shade, but I can just see wanting to avoid an expensive lawsuit (especially since Republican candidates at all levels seem to be mostly deadbeats.) Of course VICE is not happy … but VICE is also apparently bankrupt.

Democratic Underground (quoted in full from Facebook, with permission) – Dear Jason Aldean – Father Nathan Monk
Quote – When I moved back to Tennessee a couple of years ago, I decided to stop by the corner store near my house to introduce myself to the neighbors. The lady working there was very friendly, and a guy was sitting in a rocking chair, going back and forth. It was country as hell, and I loved it. She starts to whisper in the way that Southern folks do when they are about to spill the sweet tea. She looks back and forth and then says, “Now, there is someone who lives on your street I wanna talk to you about. Now, sometimes, they dress as a man, but other times they dress as a woman…” I start to get nervous about what she will say next, but I bite my tongue and wait. “…well, you just better be okay with that. Because they are a nice fella and a sweet lady.”
Click through for full article, which is heartwarming. I’m not sure it’s even necessary to know what Nathan is responding to, but Jason Aldean (I don’t know for sure, but that’s probably him in the green T-shirt in the FFT) released a country song “Don’t Try That in a Small Town” (his “small town” is purely a majority white small town in the 1930’s or so) and it’s getting a lot of blowback. This is just one – but I think an outstanding one.

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Jul 222023
 

Yesterday, I found a video (and partial transcript) of Jamie Raskin explaining exactly how Hunter Biden received no special treatment from the DOJ. I know everyone here knws this, but in case tou ever need to explain it to anyone else, I’m sharing the link. (Besides, Jamie Raskin is easy to listen to.) Speaking of easy listening, I probably don’t even need to say that Tony Bennett died at 96. Virtually no one missed that story. He was much and very widely loved.

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Short Takes –

National Public Radio – ‘Active club’ hate groups are growing in the U.S. — and making themselves seen
Quote – These men, dressed in tactical gear and masks, were members of so-called “active clubs” — a term that may be relatively new to American audiences. They are a strand of the white nationalist movement that has grown quickly during the last three years and that has recently taken their message of hate into more public view. These decentralized cells emphasize mixed martial arts training to ready their members for violence against their perceived enemies…. “These clubs are decentralized and they’re forming on their own,” said Morgan Moon, an investigative researcher at the Anti-Defamation League, which estimates that there are active clubs now in at least 30 states. “We’re starting to see [the active club model] pop up in Europe as well as Canada now.”
Click through (and note they have filed this under “national security.”) To everyone who is counting on “the next generation” or “the younger generain” or “future generations” to end bigotry and misogyny, fuggedaboudit. Bigotry – or the lack thereof – can be taught, but it can’t be programmed. We are all born with a tendency toward, or against, bigotry – and that tendency may or may not match outr parents’ tendencies. If it doesn’t, sooner or later, each of us will find either his or her inner bigot or his or her inner lover of diversity.There are plenty of people like Stephen Miller, and Paul Gosar, and RFK Junior. And these renamed hate clubs are finding them young.

Letters from an American – July 19, 2023
Quote – In the 1980s, government officials threw out that understanding and replaced it with a new line of thinking advanced by former solicitor general of the United States Robert Bork. He claimed that the traditional understanding of antitrust legislation was economically inefficient because it restricted the ways businesses could operate. Instead, he said, consolidation of industries was fine so long as it promoted economic efficiencies that, at least in the short term, cut costs for consumers. While antitrust legislation remained on the books, the understanding of what it meant changed dramatically.
Click through (as always, click continue on the popup). Look at that Bork quote again. You might as well say thzt legislation against murder, rape, theft, and the like is inefficient because it restricts the way individuals can operate.

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