Open Thread April 15, 2024

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 152024
 

Yesterday, I came across a new Parody Project video at Democratic Underground, and I’m providing the link to that site (you can easily get to YouTube from it if you prefer.) The poster,, “DFW,” is “The freedom Toast” just as Don Caron is “The Parody Project.” DFW is an ex-pat living in Europe after a lifetime of foreign service. In the one photo I’ve seen of him, he looks a bit like Santa Claus in a dress suit – and that’s probably more than you wanted to know. I recommend the YouTube CC because the white type washes out on some of the light backgrounds – the CC isn’t perfect, but it’s something.

This has taken a long, long time to accomplish, and it’s really only starting, but I for one am glad it has at last gotten this far.

On the eve of a major trial, Richardson takes a look at the other (neglected by the MSM) story of how the economy works, and when it works best, and why. While attending to the Trump** story, we also need to be telling this one.

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Open Thread April 9, 2024

 Posted by at 5:32 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 092024
 

Yesterday, a member of Democratic Underground posted a new Biden-Harris campaign ad there. Wow. I’m going to provide the DU link (embedded YouTube videos don’t have the advertising) but also the regular YouTube link in case you need full screen, CC, and 75% speed, which I did, to fully appreciate it (or you can navigate to YouTube from the embed.) Hanky alert.

After addressing the Key Bridge tragedy and the tragedy for our nation that is Trump**, Robert Hubbell turned this weekend to immigration. If you want to skip the first part, it’s fairly east – it has its own headline, large and bold – “How foreign immigrants support the US economy.” In addition to his own words, he links to an interactive map where you can, if you wish, find ypour own county, possibly even city, and see how may live there, how much they pay in taxes, what their spendinh power is, and how many are eligible voters (naturalized and 18 or over. Just under half of my county’s are in this category.) And some other data as well. You probably already knew that immigrants are good for the country, but this will really open your eyes to just how much and in what ways that is so.

RFK Jr is best known for being Anti-Vax (Off Topic – but another article at the Daily Beast reveals that Anti-Vaxxers are now trying to take over a hospital.) But it appears he is not averse to accepting support from other shady types.

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Open Thread April 7, 2024

 Posted by at 6:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 072024
 

Yesterday, The radio opera was Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” (“The love Potion”) and I’m afraid I slept through half of it. My alarm went off and I decided not to get up. I’m not a big Pavarotti fan, and while there were other major stars of the time, including one with whom I shared a violin teacher (not of course at the same time – decades apart actually) I just wasn’t inspired to get up then. I did get up in time fpre the second act (there are only two). One of the four main characters is a “snake oil salesman” and i see enough of that in real life.

Heather Cox Richardson is an historian, not an economist – but you don’t really need to be an economist to know that “supply-side” economics does not work. You just need to be over 40 and not blind. The Biden/Sanders video she speaks of is the second with Biden’s name on it in the list of Xitter videos below her list of links. Iy’s supposed to have sound, and it definitely has CC.

April, in the South, is Confederate Heritage Month. The Southrern Poverty Law Center find that less than acceptable. So they are pushing for a celebreation of good things in southern history to replace it – or at least alleviate the bad taste of it.

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Open Thread April 6, 2024

 Posted by at 6:25 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 062024
 

Yesterday, I found it refreshing for an earthquake to be newsworthy in some place other than California. (And, since there were no injries, the humor is a nice touch. “The Empire State Building”sent some messages via Xitter: “I am fine.” “I am still fine.” and then another “I am fine.”)  Also I got my lost made of people whom I haven’t yet paid.  There are seven of them, one of them whom I guess I saw twice, so there are eight charges.  When new bills come in they should be easy to find.  Also – the “Phone Call” Robert Hubbell prodived a summary for yesterday – Beau did a video on it  It’s over 10 minutes, so I sdon’t wast to embed it.  But it’s detailed enough i do wany to make it available.  So, here’s the link.

This really is madness. Sadly it’s predictable (and in-character) madness. Russia is not going to be destroyed by migrants. But it very wwell may be destroyed by its own government.

Very often I can’t find a particular story on “Law and Crime,” appaently because there’s so much crime that stories get pushed to the back. This time I found the one I was looking for. A value of $40.000.00 sounds like grand theft to me.

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Open Thread April 3, 2024

 Posted by at 5:38 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 032024
 

Yesterday, I looked up on the HRA website to make sure that a payment of $10.84 was sent to one of the providers involved in my hospital and rehab time. Because they keep billing me and billing me – and I paid it. I did find the proof, with all the details- including the date the check was cashed – which was March 27. So I made no attempt to contact them right away. But I did take a screenshot and circled a few details, and saved it, so if it doesn’t (finally) stop now, I’ll be prepared. After the one I was looking for information on yesterday, I think there are now few enough who haven’t billed me to make a separate list of them in one place so I won’t have to go through 9 MSEs for every bill.

The playbook is straight out of the 1930s. Robert Reich spells it out.

Joyce Vance’s weekly “The Week Ahead” is generally useful,and this week’s appears to be no exception, even a couple of days late.

Now this was just revealed yesterday. You should have heard about it – it’s a story large numbers of people will care about (and get angry. I did see it in The Daily Beast – they interviewed Chef Jose Andrés and got an earful.) DU has the story, but they got it from a xeet from World Central Kitchen. A commenter there found it on Yahoo! news.

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Open Thread April 1, 2024

 Posted by at 6:21 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 012024
 

Yesterday, Trinette was by – she says hello to all – we chatted for a long time, though. After she left, I renewed my PBS membership and changed my password on a website I have often bought jewelry supplies from, and which has just upgraded their site and have asked every customer to change their password. They said March 29, but I thought I’d wait and maybe avoid the rush. It went smoothly, which might have meen me waiting or it might just jhave been the upgrade working well. Anyway, it’s done. I hope everyone’s Easter went well.

Nicely done. And about time someone did.

TPM looks a litle different from other Substack users – I found two places I had to click to keep reading (both in the upper right of the page or the box) and a third when I refreshed the page to copy the URL. But I think you’ll find the information worth while.

Someone who wants to emulate Trump** had better take steps first to ensure that people believe he – or she – or they – have lots of money. The technique doesn’t work so well without that.

 

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Open Thread March 31, 2024

 Posted by at 6:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 312024
 

Yesterday, the opera was not an opera, but Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem Mass. It is dramatic certainly (the Dies Irae alone takes 40 minutes to perform, and the whole mass is only an hour and a half), and Verdi was criticized for makng it “too dramatic,” but if you can’t be dramatic about death, what can you be dramatic about?

Three Substack writers this weekend posted articles which are profound, too much so to ignore any of them. Joyce Vance writes about Treump**’s latest threat of violence. Robert Hubbell writes about the real purpose of government, including quoting Lucian Truscott on the subject. And Heather Cox Richardson writes abot Russian disinformation, and how it it Russia’s strongest weapon against Ukraine, and also against us insofar as it affects our electoral process. I hate to be grim on what should be a joyous holiday – but unfortunately we can’t afford to ignore reality.

Senator Ron Wyden (the other Democratic Senator from Oregon) is asking questions which need to be asked – and answered – and that very publicly.

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Open Thread March 28, 2024

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 282024
 

Yesterday, I could hardly wait to see what Joyce Vance (who lives in Alabama) had to say about the upset special election there (while being aware it might have shocked her so much that she wouldn’t react until tonight.) Well, I did wait up for it, and here is a quote: “In the category of “you can’t make this up” the special election happened because David Cole, the Republican who previously held the seat, pled guilty to voter fraud charges when it came to light that he didn’t live in the district he voted in and represented.”  While waiting, I sent a litte money to Katie Porter’s PAC, “Truth to Power.” As she won’t be in Congress, she’s very motivated to help as many solid campaigns as she can.

Lakota Law has a petition on behalf of all native American nations. It’s to Pope Francis, and it’s asking him to return lands seized by the church to those tribes to whom it belonged. This link has been cut so it will not prefill with my information, and verified to make sure it works the way it should. There is some background at the link, and also another link to the full petition so you can be clear on what is being asked.

Mixed news here – good that it’s at least being considered – bad that it’s necessary.

I’m big on whistleblowers anyway, and this one is especially deserving of admiration. It’s 180 degrees removed from trading in classified information. Democracies need to, and have a right to, know the truth. ( Wonkette – who agree.)

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