Open Thread for August 17, 2021

 Posted by at 7:13 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 172021
 

Yesterday I received my approval to visit Virgil and emailed the prison for a reservation. Because of the circumstances, I specified a weekend and gave a day preference, but left the exact date open, so I won’t be certain what day until I hear back. In the meantime, I’ll need to make a point of driving somewhere to keep the battery up. Once I can start visiting regularly, that will be all the driving I eed to do. I also received three packages – one was expected yesterday, one was expected today, and the other one had not been close enough to set a date prior to yesterday so that was definitrely a surprise. The USPS can work very well indeed if it is allowed to.  Oh, and I also heard from WWWendy (about some paperwork I had asked her about.)  She greets everyone and apologizes for not being here more.  Such a sweetie. Finally, I read that British Columbia is on fire – again.  Prayers and thoughts for Lynn, please.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – Former Nat. Sec. Adviser Whacks Trump’s Botched Negotiation With Taliban
Quote – You don’t negotiate your own exit with the adversary of the government that you are supporting. And that’s what the Trump administration did. They cut a deal with the Taliban that excluded the Afghan government, effectively again demoralizing them and making them feel like we were simply leaving them holding the bag entirely.
Click through for the story. There is also a video.

Law & Crime – Capitol Siege Defendant Accused of Chanting ‘Fight for Trump!’ Tells Judge He’s a ‘Registered Democrat’ and ‘Not a Trump Supporter’ While Seeking Lighter Sentence
Quote – As the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.” … Nevertheless, the Defendant continues to maintain that he simply had no idea he wasn’t allowed to enter the Capitol. It is unclear what additional sign the Defendant needed to indicate he was not welcome other than the barricades, tear gas, pepper balls, alarms, and law enforcement officers.
Click through for both sides’ arguments. One thing is certain – the defense arguments have royally pissed off the prosecution, and rightly so. Lying is one thing. Insulting prosecutors’ intelligence with blatant fantasies is another.

AP News – USDA to permanently boost food stamp benefits by 25 percent
Quote – The increase is part of a multi-pronged Biden administration effort to strengthen the country’s social safety net. Poverty and food security activists maintain that longstanding inadequacies in that safety net were laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting an opportunity to make generational improvements that reach beyond the current public health crisis.
Click through for names and numbers. May as well appreciate good news if we can.

Food for Thought –

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Open Thread for July 25, 2021

 Posted by at 7:33 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 252021
 

Yesterday was pretty calm – which was a good thing, because I was finding it a challenge to keep my eyes open. At least some of that had to be the weather. My favorite aunt used to call such weather “enervating.” And I certainly felt enervated. I’m sure I am far from alone – it isn’t even all that humid here (though certainly more so than I would like it to be.) Apropos of nothing, it’s pronounced with the primary accent on the initial “e” whch is short (as in “hen”). I come by my fascination with words honestly.

Cartoon – )

Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – President Biden’s Perfect Troll
Quote – [“reprter] “I-I-I-I-I-I’m not sure…” (That’s my transcription from the video. I may have miscounted but it’s close.)
Click through if you missed it. It’s short and very sweet.

The Hill – Freedom Caucus presses McCarthy to force vote to oust Pelosi
Quote – In the letter, the Freedom Caucus also cited other reasons why Pelosi should be removed: She has allowed remote, proxy voting by lawmakers due to the coronavirus pandemic, and she had metal detectors installed at the entrances to the House floor after the Jan. 6 attack … But their main gripe was her decision this week to essentially veto two of McCarthy’s five GOP picks for the Jan. 6 select committee: Reps. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Both are die-hard Trump loyalists and Jordan was the founding chairman of the Freedom Caucus. In response, a furious McCarthy said Republicans would boycott participating in the committee, which kicks off its first hearing Tuesday.
Click through for details. We knew they were deusional, and thinking they might conceivably have the votes to do this certainly proves it. If they do think so. More likely, its a purity test for political theater.

AP News – Iowa Democrat Finkenauer seeking GOP Sen. Grassley’s seat
Quote – Finkenauer, despite losing her House seat in 2020 after one term, remains a youthful prospect in the Iowa Democratic Party, which has struggled to produce a new generation for statewide office. Along with 38-year-old Democrat Dave Muhlbauer, a farmer who previously announced his bid for Grassley’s seat, she is hoping Grassley’s slipping poll numbers provide an opening to revive a shrinking segment of the party’s once diverse electorate: rural voters.
Click through for more about her and about the race. I certainly wish her the very best of luck (and I fear she- or any Democrat – will need it.)

Food for Thought:

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Open Thread for July 22, 2021

 Posted by at 7:34 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 222021
 

Tuesday night after I finished posting I attempted to play an older game on my desktop.PC. Many of the older games, being designed for a lower resolution, make my desktop look as though icons are missing, but when one exits the game they are actually all there Not this one – When I exited the game many of the icons in the bottom half of my desktop were still MIA. I recovered a few key ones then, and when I got up yesterday installed the offending game (and its sequel) on my Win7 laptop prior to uninstalling them on the Win8, so that won’t happen again. I tend to over-accumulate text documents and shortcuts which I really don’t need to keep, so this will be a good excuse to clean house … but it won’t happen all at once. And, for architectural reasons, the room the laptop is in stays cooler than the one the desktop is in … .

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

CNN – Indonesian Covid-positive man disguises himself as wife on Citilink flight in order to fly
Quote – After that, “the airport immediately contacted the Ternate City Covid-19 Handling Task Force team to evacuate the man while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), and then taking him in an ambulance to his house (in Ternate City) to self-isolate, where he will be supervised by Task Force officers,” Ternate Covid-19 Task Force Operational Head Muhammad Arif Gani told reporters Once his self-isolation period is complete, local police have stated they intend to prosecute “DW.”
Click through for background. I used to thnk that “American Exceptionalism” applied only to insanity. Well, I was wrong. It doesn’t even apply to that.

Raw Story – Nancy Pelosi Rejects 2 GOP Picks For The Jan. 6 Committee
Quote – “With respect for the integrity of the investigation, with an insistence on the truth and with concern about statements made and actions taken by these Members, I must reject the recommendations of Representatives Banks and Jordan to the Select Committee,” Pelosi said in a statement. “The unprecedented nature of January 6th demands this unprecedented decision.”
Click through fpr names and sequence of events (of which I predicted what Pelosi would do. I failed to predict McCarthy’s response, though I probably should have been able to.)

Common Dreams – ‘Tremendous News for Workers and Consumers’: Biden Picks Kanter as DOJ Antitrust Chief
Quote – Progressive groups including MoveOn had urged Biden to tap Kanter to be assistant attorney general for the antitrust division at the DOJ, Politico reported Tuesday, “because of his work over the past decade representing companies, including Microsoft, that lodged antitrust complaints about Google.”
Click through for more. Now we just need to get him through the Senate.

Food for Thought:

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Video Thread for 7/21/21

 Posted by at 12:08 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Jul 212021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump Associate Tom Barrack Indicted for 7 Felony Crimes, Unlawfully Acted as Foreign Agent (Sure glad Glenn read those 46 pages so I didn’t have to.)

Meidas Touch – Rep. Eric Swalwell SLAMS Republicans for WWE Approach to Politics (Love Eric – not sure about the beard – but it’s not my face.)

politicsrus #3: – GOP Murdering Americans

Now This News – a few moments from the Voting Rights hearing.

Liberal Redneck – Texas Klan Plan

Rob Rogers – Climate Crawl

Keith – OLBERMANN VS…THE NYC WILDFIRE SMOKE AND ACRID SMELL. IT’S FROM THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON FIRES.

Beau – Let’s talk about the Biden administration’s information campaign….

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Video Thread for 7/11/21

 Posted by at 11:52 am  Open Thread, Politics
Jul 112021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump Org Terminates CFO Weisselberg From Some Duties. Is Trump Org Setting Him Up to Take the Fall? (when I first heard this I figured Scotland forced him to do it.  The Scots don’t mess around.  But Glenn is probably closer.)

Meidas Touch – Ben Meiselas: The GQP is a F**king Death Cult

Rebel HQ – Racist Gets KNOCKED OUT, Then THIS Happens

CNN – Acosta to Trump: Take your fake WH seal and play president elsewhere

Now This News – Dalai Lama Portrait Made With Rubik’s Cubes Sells For $555k+ OK, a flulff video, but good for the Dalai Lama (who is now 86)

135-Pound Mastiff Becomes Obsessed With A Tiny Kitten

Beau – Let’s talk about being happy and Biden’s door-to-door salespeople….

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Video Thread for 7/3/21

 Posted by at 12:47 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 032021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump Org/Weisselberg Indictment Suggests 2 Other “Trump Employees” Also Up for Possible Indictment Two remarks – first a quibble – nothing here “begs the question.” Glenn means it “raises” or “poses” or “suggets” the question. “Begging the question” something completely different. Second, after this (and Richard Wagner and James Livine and others) I surely hope I never again have to hear anyone say that “Music is ennobling.”

Meidas Touch – Traitors

Now This News – Biden on Surfside Florida Condo Collapse (Hanky alert, as if you couldn’t figure that out.)

Vote Vets – Rep. Moulton and Rep. Auchincloss Discuss Evacuating Afghan Interpreters

Ring of Fire – Homeland Security Warns Of Future Violence From Angry Trump Supporters. (Beau also addressed this – I’ll get to his in a few days – it needs reminders from time to time)

A Cat’s Guide to Training Your Human

Beau – Let’s talk about the Republican investigation into the NSA….

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Video Thread 6/22/21

 Posted by at 1:00 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Jun 222021
 

Glenn Kirschner – WAPO: Weisselberg & Trump Frequenting Trump Tower-DA Vance’s Next Move May be Indicting Weisselberg

Represent Us – Now that Crooks and Liars have pointed out Republicans are throwing fits, I need to share what the fits are about. Rachel has also responded.

Titus (with Bradley) Satire “Press Conference vs. Press Conference” – Well, I laughed out loud (more than once)

Corey Ryan Forrester – “COVIS” vaccine – too subtle for Republicans?

Rocky Mountain Mike – Life With Barack (Right Wing Radio Told Me)

Beau – Let’s talk about Portland cops resigning and what to do…. None of this would have surprised TomCat – unless it were the unanimity of Mayor, Judge, and Prosecutor, which would have pleased him.

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Video Thread 6/21/21

 Posted by at 1:00 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Jun 212021
 

Glenn Kirschner seems to have taken a day off. Since he’s still at Lake Cherokee, and thcavactionwas timed to his son’s graduation, and yesterday was Fathers Day, I guess he’s allowed.

MSNBC – Rachel – “not a priority.”

The Damage Report – Guns t Disney

Now This News – Widower Plants 4,000 Trees in Memory of Late Wife(Ad at end*)

Now This News – “A giant Buddhist statue in Japan was outfitted with a custom face mask as a symbolic prayer for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. It took 4 workers 3 hours to place the mask on the 187-ft figure while suspended from cables.”

Puppet Regime – Well, thank God it didn’t go like THIS.

Beau – Let’s talk about Madison Cawthorn’s Vietnam comparison

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