Open Thread October 8 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Politics
Oct 082025
 

Yesterday, I was checking my yahoo email account and started with spam. I saw an email whose sender name started with “Department of G” – that was as much as I could see and I needed the magnifier to read it – which is why I went to tutamail in the first place. That turned out to be “Department of Government Efficiency” – but a hover showed it was actually from a gmail address. As if we didn’t have enough government reality to be suspicious of – now we need to watch for scams masquerading as official scams. In other news, you may remember that, of all people, MTG is on our side on releasing the Epstein files. Well, now she is also on our side about the shutdown. I don’t know if my brain can handle it. Also, there was a lot of news about MAGA freaking out about Bad Bunny being booked for the Super Bowl halftime show (Bad Bunny is an American citizen by birthright).

Several topics here, at The F*News: the first is on Judge Immergut (you gotta love her name – “Always good” in German), but then it goes into Social Security cuts (mine for this month is in my account as “pending.” On Wednesday, the “pending” will disappear and my balance will reflect it) and two more. Along the way, Jonathan does a little bragging, which I certainly would too for the achievements he cites.

This week the Supreme Court’s term begins, and they will start hearing arguments again. Joyce Vance has posted the full calendar, through June, of which days are argument days, and the first two weeks of which cases when. And there’s more. Also, from a different site which included Joyce Vance in a video, the Supreme Court heard arguments on but did not decide one case last term – Louisiana v. Callais – and will be hearing arguments again on Wednesday, October 15. Meanwhile, the Election Assistance Commission has a comment period open on this case. Why is this important? Because all we have left of the Voting Rights Act is Section 2 (the Court previously overturned Section 5). This case could overturn Section 2. The link for comments is here. I have put up a separate post with suggestions for comments, because I have no link to it. The to-and-fro directions below the comments section should direct you to it. Although arguments are October 15, you have till October 20 to comment.

Dan Froomkin has put a lot of thought into his premise here. I don’t think he is seeing ghosts. Robert Reich has similar, though not identical, thoughts as this map he drew suggests.

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Open Thread August 22 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 222025
 

Yesterday, I noticed that, although one might think that when I’m moving slowly, time moves slowly, it’s actually just the opposite. I am moving slowly – but the days are flying by with much not accomplished. Sigh.

Another multipurpose article, this one from Amanda Marcotte. But if you want to read just the first section, I’ll be fine with that.

I assume everyone’s heard at least the bare bones of this travesty. But the bare bones cannot give one the feel of what is happening here. This article from the 19th, on the other hand, does.

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Open Thread August 18 2025

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

Yesterday, Trinette was by. She took my old printer out of its site, put my new one there instead, and also took out an old (50 years) stereo/tape/AM/FM player which was state-of-the-art in its day. Also, I saw this at DU and found it to be a great relief. I hope you will also.

Yeah. There’s no way I could cover all of this in separate articles – assuming I could find them – and separately, it’s harder to discern a trend. But this from The Root does all that I can’t.

OK, I admit that I picked this article from The F* News because of the title. But it’s also current and important.

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Here’s another multi=purpose article. Some of the full articles it references I have previously shared but most I haven’t. If you only want to look at one of the individual articles, may I suggest “Moving the Window”? The Overton Window is real, and people trying to move it to suit themselves can really be dangerous.

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Open Thread June 13 2025

 Posted by at 6:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 132025
 

Yesterday, California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a DHS press conference held by Kristi Noem defending the indefensible. You can’t have missed it. It was in Daily Kos, Axios alerts, and enough others that you must have seen it. Also, The Conversation has an article up from an Orwell expert. And, Daily Dose of Democracy reported on how the Mango Moron was met at the Kennedy Center the previous night.

Up until now, I have felt Lever Reports pretty much overpromised and underdelivered. But this article appears to be right up there with ProPublica, POGO, and ITPI

From Huff Post. Leave it to Republicans to get all pissed off over anything that takes away the smallest iota of attention from them, them, them. I wish I thought this article would stand a chance of reaching its intended audience. Sadly, I don’t.

I didn’t want to hold this until Saturday, partly because there is certain to be more news by then which will deserve an audience. So, three articles.

Cat/Dog (rerun?)

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Open Thread May 24 2025

 Posted by at 6:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 242025
 

Yesterday, it was a news-heavy Friday – and with the MAGA habit of breaking crap on Friday afternoons and evenings, it may not even have been over when I posted. Anything I missed will have to wait until next week. I do sometimes need time for dealing with clutter. And I am sorry, but I will not cover the “crypto dinner.” It’s been covered enough.

Trust Robert Reich to take a document this big and make a cogent summary of it in terms that are easy to understand, And also to find and point out the big surprise.  (which we probably don’t need quite as much as low-information voters do, but I for one appreciate.)

I could not pick just one of these articles from The Contrarian – so I’m posting the full list. Hopefully one or more will speak to y’all.

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Open Thread May 22 2025

 Posted by at 6:10 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 222025
 

Yesterday, while looking for a cartoon for today (a specific one), I found trove of older cartoons and memes, many of which are not old at all. For instance, does anyone remember (I didn’t) that the Cantaloupe Caligula expressed interest in buying Greenland as early as 2019? I didn’t. But he did. Incidentally, the third asterisk in parentheses when I use the name Trump**(*) is because articles of impeachment have actually been filed. Not that they will go anywhere, but they have. I admit I jumped the gun a little and added it when they had only been drafted and not yet filed – but they did get filed, so I have no regrets. Also yesterday, the Brennan Center reported that Rikers Island ‘s penal complex has been put into receivership by a Federal judge. And one more thing: Rep Gerry Connolly (D-VA) died from esophageal cancer. I looked up Virginia law, and there will be a special election called by the Governor. The law does not specify a time frame.

I’m back to working a little ahead, which means my selections will be a little behind. I hope that isn’t too annoying. At least this from Talking Points Memo covers multiple topics (all important) so there’s a chance you may not have seen one or two.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/stop-asking-about-a-biden-cover-up
This by Robert Reich is not really addressed to us, but to the media, and particularly to wingnut media. As such, it’s probably already doomed. It may give us some ammunition, if any of us has a platform from which to use it. Persnally, I will put on record, and would happily do so anywhere, any time, my evidence-backed opinion that a demented Joe Biden would be a better President than Trump**(*) in perfect mental health and 20 years younger.

I would not be a bit surprised if this news got buried, and in fact considering the circumstances – all the circumstances – it’s probably not all that big a story. But you gotta love Wonkette‘s headline. (I am not blind to the possibility of dangerous consequences from it, but it’s still funny.)

This is a bonus video from Talking Feds. Harry analyzes in detail the events regarding the arrest of Mayor Baraka and the charge against Congresswoman McIver in New Jersey – and what a mess* it really is. The vid is about 26 minutes because it doesn’t leave any issues out.
*When I was in the USMC, we had a racist expression for this which I won’t repeat. “SNAFU,” even “FUBB,” don’t really do it justice, though. Maybe “circle jerk”?

Belle empty ports

Dog

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Open Thread May 14 2025

 Posted by at 5:56 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 142025
 

Today I have an appointment with my PCP in the afternoon. Hopefully tht won’t slow me down.

Don’t ask me what it will take for Americans to wake up and wee what is happening. I don’t know. Robert Reich doesn’t know. John Pavlovitz doesn’t know. If any of us knew, we would have started doing it. Marcie Jones at Wonkette doesn’t know either. If only we did.

Nice to know some people have a sense of proportion. About time someone did.

I can’t actually post the “Dose of Democracy” daily news email, but this link has most of the information from Tuesday’s. One wonders how long Shapiro will stay mad at the Apricot Antichrist. At least it’s something.

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