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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Jul 032021
 

Last night’s opera was “Nixon in China.” It’s the first in John Adams’s American history trilogy; “Doctor Atomic” was the second. “Nixon in China” is fairly straightforwardly historical, until the second act, when a plot point of Mme. Mao making up a clownish exaggeration of a villain as Kissinger in a performance for the guests requires the storyteller singing Kissinger to double. The more you detest Kisinger, of course, the funnier it is. As with “Doctor Atomic,” actual journals and quotes from contemporary interviews were used in the libretto. The only character who is spared some mockery is Chou En-Lai, who at the time of Nixon’s visit was dying of cancer but also ersonally invested in the meeting going well – good reasons to treat him kindly. There is a piece which was contemplated being in the opera but withdrawn which is known as “The Chairman Dances” or, alternatively, “Foxtrot for Orchestra.” (I guess the idea of a mobility challenged Mao dancing for 12 minutes, energetically at that, was simply too much.) I’ve never seen the third opera in the trilogy, because it involves terrorism and ends up getting boycotted. Since I haven’t seen it, I can’t say whether the boycotting is justified, but I suspect it isn’t. Perhaps some day I’ll find out.

Cartoon

Short Takes –

The Hill – Five takeaways from the Supreme Court’s term
Here are the five: The court is shifting to the right
Still some room for consensus
Religious rights groups extend winning streak
Losing streak continues for voting rights
A ‘warm-up act’?
Click through for details on each.

Yahoo!news – Tropical Storm Elsa is the latest evidence climate change is happening now
I’m not a big fan of yahoo news, but this was the only source I could find quickl which made the link to climate change explicit
Quote – While Elsa, whose maximum sustained winds are 45 miles per hour, is unlikely to inflict the same amount of damage as a stronger hurricane if and when it makes landfall, its formation on July 1 — following Ana, Bill, Claudette and Danny — fits into a pattern in which the changing climate makes conditions for life-threatening storms more favorable.
Click through for the rationale.

Axios – Poll: Americans more worried about restrictive voting laws than election fraud
Yes, I know, this is one of those “file under No Shit, Sherlock” stories. But there’s so much denial of it.
Quote – Why it matters: 67% of Americans — including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents — said they believed American democracy is currently under threat, though the survey did not ask what they believed is threatening it.
Click through for details.

Food for Thought

Just a little extra – Smithsonian Trivia for July 4. Their quizzes are generally tough but I managed 4 out of 5 on this one.

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Jul 022021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump Organization and CFO Allen Weisselberg Indicted for 16-Year-Long Criminal Fraud Scheme

Meidas Touch – more Frank Figliuzzi

Charles Booker is running against Rand Paul in Kentucky. Here’s his launch video.

“Remove Ron” – Looks like the Lincoln Project helped with it.

MSNBC – It’s a longish way to the punch line – but IMO worth it. Sometimes, someone needs to rationally, calmly amd factually speak ill of the dead. Lest we forget.

Keith Olbermann – OLBERMANN VS…THERE’S AN EASTER EGG IN THE IN THE 1/6 COMMISSION. PELOSI SELECTS ALL OF ITS MEMBERS!

Beau – Let’s talk about Gwen Berry and the flag…. (Hoo-Rah!)

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Jul 022021
 

Last night’s opera was “Satyagraha” by Philip Glass, and I think I’ve already written about it. Libretto in Sanskrit from the Bhagavad Gita, the whole first scene take place within Gandhi’s meditation, the second and third acts depict actual events but none outside of South Africa, so that it’a more abut his formation than it is about who he became, but it also looks backward to Tolstoy and forward to Dr. King. Minimal titles, because what’s being sung is not directly related to the action. To say “It’s not your usual opera” is a gross understatement. Yet I find it oddly moving. Plus every time I see it I get new insights.  I may have to break down and get the DVD. In unrelated news, yesterday my favorite browser went down, and when it came back up, it looked different I’m still finding things But, basically, just an annoyance. It shouldn’t be crippling.

Cartoon

Short Takes –

Former Mueller Deputy Explains Why Indicting Trump Org Matters
Quote – [T]he one point I would make about the press reports of a company being charged — some viewers may think, “Well, what’s the import of that? Who cares? A company can’t go to jail, and that’s not what I’m really interested in.” But just remember, for a company to be found guilty, the government has to prove that at least one individual at the company is criminally liable, so it means more than just a company,
Click through for the rest. And if you are interested in reading C&L’s fluff story about Spiderman and the Pope, click here. 

The Hill – Kagan rips colleagues in blistering 41-page voting rights dissent
Quote – She cited late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia’s dissent in the 1991 case Chisom v. Roemer in which he opined a supposedly neutral law that limited voter registration to only a few hours a week and thus made it more difficult for Black voters than white voters to register because of life circumstances would result in Black people having “less opportunity to participate in the political process than whites.”
Click through to see that she really let them have it. I figured everyone will have seen the indictments by the time this goes up, and voting rights is actually more important at this point.

The 19th – Women in the Biden White House earn 99 cents for every $1 earned by men
Quote – The gender wage gap is typically a “raw” figure that doesn’t adjust for experience, education, title or other factors. It simply looks at median wages. In past administrations, a lack of women in higher-paid positions widened the gap. But in the Biden administration, there is a wider distribution of women across the pay scale, not just in the lowest paid jobs where they have typically been concentrated. About 56 percent of the senior staff in Biden’s White House are women, and about 36 percent come from racially and ethnically diverse communities.
Click through for details. Nice to have some good news.

Food for Thought

Just for the record, here is the actual indictment from yesterday as a pdf file.

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Jul 012021
 

Glenn Kirschner – NY DA Vance/Grand Jury Set to Indict Trump Organization & Trump’s CFO Allen Weisselberg Thursday

Meidas Touch – Brian Williams’s take on people leaving Trump** rally

The Lincoln Project – People Are Saying

Now This News – As usual, Republicans whine, Democrats act.

Liberal Redneck – The Benghazi People VS The January 6 Commission (If you have a tendency to cry laughing, you may want a tissue.)

Keith – Olbermann vs. Tucker Carlson

Beau – Let’s talk about the South Dakota National Guard and the missing point….

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Jun 302021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump Organization Indictment Watch: Why Does it Take so Long for Prosecutors to Indict?

Meidas Touch – Frank Figliuzzi: The GOP is Attacking America with Vladimir Putin’s Script

Now This News – Gwen Berry

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party

Robert Reich – Why Your Chipotle Burrito Costs More

Corey Ryan Forrester – as Andrew Giuliani –

Beau – Let’s talk about a lesson on privilege from an unusual place…. (I want that T-shrt)

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Jun 292021
 

Glenn Kirschner – NY DA Trump Org Indictment Watch – First Criminal Indictment Expected Soon. Won’t likely be the Last

Now This News – UN Releases Report on Global Systemic Racism (sometimes the word “state” is used where we would say “nation” or “country” – the UN realli is talking world wide.)

Right Wing Watch has been kicked out of YouTube. So I’m going to start looking for them on Vimeo. This one features “prophet” Chuck Pierce (who is pretty clearly delusional.) Update:  Yes it’s back already.  Overwhelming support.  Article tomorrow.)

Rebel HQ – The Deadliest Weather Phenomenon In DECADES!

Pigeon loses ability to fly. He adapts by becoming one of the dogs.

Beau – Let’s talk about how the Trump years impacted capitalism…. – This is priceless.

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Jun 282021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Bill Barr’s Shocking Atlantic Interview Reveals Incriminating Evidence of Trump’s Corrupt Intent (Referring to oneself in the third person has a name – it’s called “illeism.” It is not exclusive to marcissists – far from it – but they, monarchs, and toddlers are probably the groups which use it the most.)

Meidas Touch – Joe Tripp – On other words, it’s not right v. left, it’s up v. down. Seriously – see The Political Compass. https://www.politicalcompass.org

CNN – Stelter: I watched Hannity’s show for a week. Here’s what I found. Political amnesia is real. If you don’t think so, that’s because you have it. (It can be slective.)

Rebel HQ – OK, funny, but the message is serious. And there will be people injured – there always are.

A different kind of blast from the past – an interview.

Dodo – Two Orphaned Baby Foxes Go Nuts When They Meet For The First Time

Beau – Let’s talk about DeSantis beating Trump….

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