Open Thread February 12 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 122026
 

Yesterday, I learned that the special election to replace MTG will be on March first (I’m sure this information has been available, but I missed it.) I don’t know how crowded the ballot will be – but one Democrat running in it is Shawn Harris. Also, six House Republicans joined Democrats to kill the Apricot Antichrist’s tariffs on Canada. And I see that Ohio has passed a law making ballots unacceptable if they are received after Election Day, regardless of postmark. I am so sorry. Living in Colorado, we have had this for a long time – but because of it have also sent ballots out (almost ridiculously) early, and filled election materials with warnings about the rule, including what to do if it is Election Day and you forgot (drop boxes mostly.)As a result, it has not been an issue here. But in a state which has always accepted ballots by postmark and is now making this change when we are already in an election year, it’s sure to cause damage. My heart goes out to you.

Core Civic is the private prison company formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America. Colorado hires them for two prison, one in Crowley County and one in Bent County. Virgil has spent time in both, but mostly in Bent County. I don’t remember much about Crowley, but I can tell you that the one in Bent County is well run – because the Department of Corrections takes supervision seriously. Of course, no prison is fun, and the rules are rigid, and some appear ridiculous unless one remembers that every one of those regulations was put in place because someone F’ed Around, causing everyone to Find Out. There were no worms, mold, or maggots in the food, which came from Aramark, another company which has a poor reputation mostly based on prisons in the South and other red states. They also catered USAA when I worked there, and I have no complaints about the cafeteria then and there. But Dilley is not supervised by any state – it is supervised by DHS – and I’d bet the staff there are about as good as ICE and CPB agents – or, in other words, terrible.

IMO, this one is a keeper. Those of us who are not misogynistic have a strong tendency to believe that misogyny is so absurd that there can’t possibly be a majority of Americans who are misogynists. Wrong. This is a wakeup reminder. And we are NOT HELPING when we nominate exceptionally qualified women for the most powerful posts in the government at the national level. We are merely losing power.

Commercial aviation is not something I know very much about. I’m one of the most infrequent flyers alive. But even I know this is important and disturbing, even though I can’t say why. Axios does a lot of alerts like this and then develops the story. It had already been archived, but I did it again in case there were developments, but that was yesterday late afternoon, so it may not be the latest. If anyone wants to archive it again and see whether there is newer information, here’s the link to Axios, and here’s the link to Archive. (The order has already been rescinded. Heaven knows what they were thinking.)

Robert Reich

Cat

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Open Thread December 17 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 172025
 

Yesterday, Malcolm Nance, who was a close friend of the Reiners, published a video eulogy of them on Substack which included advice to both those of us who are grieving them, and those of us who have issues with all or parts of our families. It’s under six minutes. I’d embed it if I could, but I can’t. I can only link to it. And provide a tissue alert.

Also yesterday, I selected the meme just after watching a video about the trial of Judge Duggan, in Milwaukee. for “helping someone evade arrest.” if you want to watch it, here’s the link. It’s under 25 minutes.

This from Common Dreams is an opinion piece, pointing out worship of the rich (for which there should be a word, although I’ve never heard of one –  “plutolatry” is a word, but it means the worship of money, not of the people who have it. May I suggest “plusioilatry”? Whatever it’s called, t is as old as misogyny, and every bit as difficult to overcome. In a book written almost a century ago, Dorothy L. Sayers pointed out that no clergyman ever pointed out from the pulpit that a bank president was “an open and notorious evil liver,” implying that such designations were reserved for the poor (especially poor women). And the illusion was far from new then. There’s history in this article. But I have no idea how to break a lie that has been so ingrained for so long it’s practically in our DNA.

If you are upset, and you probably are, with the Poopy-Pants Palpitine’s destruction of the White House East Wing, You will likely also be less than happy about his proposal to bulldoze the Cohen Building and three more buildings in DC, all with historical significance far beyond his ability to comprehend. I saw an article last week from Backbencher about the murals in the Cohen Building, but I didn’t know enough then to post about it. Now that Heather Cox Richardson has written about the four buildings slated for destruction, and the preservationist Mydelle Wright, who is attempting to take the matter to court, I have an excuse to refer y’all to the Cohen Building’s remarkable art – and its social significance. Granted this is not the biggest story of the moment, what with people being tortured and killed by the same government which is supposed to keep them safe -but it is a story about potentially irreparable damage to structures important for artistic and historic reasons.

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Open Thread October 18 2025

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

Yesterday, Pro Publica added a third name to the list of people who are said to be the real President behind Metmucillini. Their pick is Russel Vought. I’m sure Stephen Miller and Larry Ellison are strong influencers in on way or the other. I don’t see the man-baby knowingly giving up that much power to any one person. If you want to see that Robert Reich thinks, his map is here. Tomorrow I go to see Virgil. will of course check in upon return.

Joyce Vance tells it like it is. I don’t know what else to say.

Joyce Vance also covered this story, and in more detail. I wanted to avoid using the same source twice in one day, so I went to Preet Bharara, since they often work together and his email had essentially the same subject line. He shares less detail than she does, but the same conclusion. If anyone wants details from the indictments, let me know and I’ll share Joyce’s link.

If this quote from the article at Wonkette intrigues you, feel free to click on the link. If it doesn’t, there’s no need to. There is a nice chart about trust at the very beginning.

Perhaps ironically, given Kennedy’s assertions here, men who get married and become fathers have, on average, lower testosterone levels than those who do not. This comports with a theory proposed by evolutionary biologists that testosterone has decreased as cooperation has become more important to survival than combat, and as women have purposely avoided selecting “hugely dominant, aggressive males” as mates. You know, because we don’t want them to murder us.”

Yes, four links in one day, but a couple of them are short. This one from The 19th is good news in the sense that it is a response to bad news, but I don’t know how much impact it will actually have. I’ll be glad if it has some, but it probably won’t have enough. Our homegrown fascists are not big on respecting court orders.

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Open Thread September 30 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 302025
 

Yesterday, as usual on a Monday, I slept quite late. And today is the day of the “meeting” at Quantico. I may just sleep late again. I’d rather not even be awake, let alone reading about it, while Hogsbreath desecrates Quantico with his presence.

Well, this (Politico) is interesting. Not, I would say, surprising, but interesting

Resist. Persist. Repeat. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it. And it is simple. But simple is not the same thing as easy. The Conversation addresses why compliance can be so much easier than defiance, and what can be done about it.

There are two stories in this article from Wonkette, and either one might be accompanied by a tissue alert, so with the two together, I think the alert is necessary. Also, there’s more about the Roberts arrest here. However, there are hundreds, or thousands, of cases very much like these, and if we don’t take a closer look at some of them, we won’t grasp the full significance. Sometimes to see the forest, one needs to look at some of the trees.

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Open Thread September 25 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 252025
 

Yesterday, The Resistance PAC and Win Without War were circulating a petition to use the 25th Amendment, but also to hold the Orange Oligarch accountable for treason. The suggested basis was his putting troops into American cities. As I assume we all know by now, the Constitution limits the definition of treason to making war on the US, or providing aid and comfort to anyone making war on the US. I think his putting the military into US cities is iffy, especially since apparently Jan 6 didn’t qualify – but at least it’s not totally unreasonable under the definition (and his working on changing “Defense” to “War” adds a little plausibility.) So i went ahead and signed this one. Not that it will go anywhere, nor am I recommending anyone else to sign it. Just explaining my reasoning. Also, Adelita Grijalva has won handily the special election for the House seat of her late father Raul in Arizona (she got 71% of the vote.) And I don’t want to hear a word about nepo babies. Yes, her highest elected office previously was for County Supervisor, but she’s not totally without experience. And then – there’s this. (Don’t click with liquid in your mouth.)

Wonkette discusses the Poopypants Pasha’s plans to profit from immigration. Is everything about money with him, or is everything just about him? Or can he tell the difference?

I suppose I could bring back the Furies, or chat with Themis, on this. But I think most of us already know the general outlines of the history of the FBI, as shared by The Conversation. The devil, however, is in the details – literally.

And I’m adding this from NBC News with the caveat that we have very little knowledge yet because I expect to se a lot of misinformation and want us to be prepared.

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Open Thread July 26 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 262025
 

Yesterday, I had a good night’s sleep – and a little more energy than I’ve been having (though not as much as I would like to have.)  Incidentally, does anyone remember that before I was in the hospital, and I was putting up two posts daily, including one just for videos, one of the creators I used was retired Major Richard Ojeda? Well, he is now running for Congress in North Carolina. He may not be young, but he is a fighter, has zero tolerance for BS, and tells it like it is “without fear or favor.” I hope he wins.

I don’t see anything surprising in this from the Intercept, unless it’s the focus on Personal Protective Equipment – when there are so many other behaviors they could criminalize. Like giving people food and/or water, as was done in some states at the last election.

I apologize for posting legal – stuff – on a Saturday, but at least you will be amused by some of the colorful similes. With any other court, this is so extreme that I’d just laugh and delete it. But with this court, who knows?

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Open Thread July 3 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 032025
 

Yesterday, I spent about 17 minutes watching a video on Pete Buttigieg’s Substack – an interview with the mother of twin girls, one of whose lives depends on Medicaid. This shows why Pete is the best communicator in the Democratic Party – and one of the best in history. Tissue alert. 

Here are two articles from the 19th. One is a detailed story of one person who is a victim of ICE. But even in the context of this incident an entire community is affected. And the regime is taking this to such lengths that anyone could be affected. But the other article is about trends which absolutely will affect everyone over time – everyone who is still above ground.

Joyce Vance on the Supreme Court. I see I am not the only one who turns to Greek mythology to interpret present day events. That – and animals and knittng – I guess are reasons I feel somehow connected to Joyce.

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Open Thread June 21 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 212025
 

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice. I hope all who celebrated had a great day. Also yesterday, an email from Justice Democrats informed me that eight Senators, led by Bernie Sanders, made a statement that voters are looking for for bold leaders, not feckless moderates. And polling backs them up – 70% of Democrats in a recent poll say the same. Of course I had to know who those seven others are, so I did a search and found they are Warren, Murphy, Merkley, Welch, Tina Smith, Markey, and Van Hollen. Neither of my Senators, of course. The only surprise in there is Peter Welch, and that’s only because I haven’t heard of him until now. He is Bernie’s junior Senator from Vermont. Tina Smith and Chris Van Hollen have not been loud until recently, but recently, they have. I could wish for the addition of a few names which are missing, like Sheldon Whitehouse, Alex Padilla (who also hasn’t been loud, but I would think has motivation now), Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff (who needs to put up or shut up at this point – I’m certain Katie Porter would have been on that list in a New York minute), and you can probably think of others who should have been there. Finally, I will not go deeply into the surreal disorientation I felt while reading about the possibilities of war in Iran while simultaneously listening to Albert Ketelbey’s “In a Persian Market” on the radio. I wonder who programmed that.

This does need to be read and/or heard. One thing that jumped out at me was the sentence “Their stories remind us that in the eyes of MAGA, just being Latino is enough to be treated as a criminal.” Sadly, actual criminals, are generally – are at least supposed to be – treated better.

This link is to a petition which you can sign if you like (it’ll take your signature even if you’ve signed on the same issue multiple times already.) But that isn’t why I’m posting it. I just want to be crystal clear on my source for this quotation:
Because Donald Trump is an egomaniac who will do anything to hurt anyone while helping himself, the bill is structured so that all of the new spending provisions associated with deportations and building up the military, as well as with Trump’s gimmicky campaign promises, expire in 2028. Further, almost all of the cuts to the social safety net, and even some of the cuts to green energy investments, do not go into effect until 2029. Basically, all of the perks happen during Trump’s time in office, while all of the pain will be felt by his successor, thus making Trump look good at the expense of literally everyone else. (Click here to read an article from Politico last month that goes into detail on this aspect of the bill.)

This means that if Democrats can retake Congress and the White House in the 2026 and 2028 elections, they will be able to quickly pass a bill that would block the social safety net cuts and not renew any of the spending related to Donald Trump’s deportations, military build up, and campaign promises. To top it off, they can also end Trump’s tax cuts for wealthiest Americans, thus rendering the bill deficit neutral.

So, even if Republicans do manage to pass this bill into law, the fight to stop it from taking effect will continue on into 2026 and 2028. The is very bad news for Republicans who, unlike Donald Trump, will run for re-election again. As I already mentioned, this bill is very unpopular, and Democrats will be able to legitimately argue in 2026 and 2028 that if you elect them, they can stop the Republican cuts to the social safety net before they ever take effect. Now that is a winning message.

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