Feb 182026
 

Yesterday, Jesse Jackson died. It grieves me how many civil rights heroes we have lost and are losing – and we need them so badly. We do have new young heroes coming up, but they are still building their platforms. How can we help? We need every one of them. Robert Reich quoted Jackson’s speech to the 1988 Dem Convention in full. At least I found out what I am going to do to escape the SOTU next week. See the not-a-cartoon below. Check ut qqq.defiance.org if you’re interested.

Well, we haven’t invaded Greenland – yet – but a power failure there made everyone there think we were, and scared the crap out of them. I gather there were no casualties, but people with heart conditions have died from less.

This definitely scares me. Secretaries of State are the ones who make the decisions and policies about how elections are run statewide. County Clerks are often the ones who supervise the “judges” who do the actual work (in heavily populated counties there will likely be a dedicated employee of the County Clerk who does this.) And those judges – there must be as close to an equal number of blue ones and red ones as possible. Because if any of them so much as has to go to the bathroom, she or he must be accompanied by a judge from the other party. In June, I will have lived in Colorado for 50 years, and it has not been blue for all of them. I have worked with clerks and clerks from both parties, and the one thing they had in common was following the rules to the letter. Going forward, I don’t know what to expect.

More on Epstein from dekleptocracy. It includes quotes from The Guardian, so I assume Lona is already aware. (Barf bag alert)

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Jul 282025
 

Yesterday, I certainly didn’t mean to scare anyone, and I hope I didn’t. I pulled into my driveway at 4:30, but it was after 5:30 by the time I got the “home safe” post up. And a huge part of that was temperamental computers – three of them. I think it was about the fifth time trying to start it that was the charm for the desktop, and that didn’t happen until I was getting my dinner out of the crockpot. In the meantime I tried the laptop, and I got in in about five minutes, but could not open my Opera browser. I got it open with a workaround, but then it wouldn’t go to any of my speed dial sites. Finally I went to the 8.1 desktop, and managed to get it posted. I grant that some of the delay was for my personal comfort – It was 95°F outside, and I was wearing a heavy sweater (not heavy enough to keep me warm for the visit, though – it seemed unusually cold in the visitation room where it’s always colds, and Virgil thought so too.) But if my main desktop had started right up, I would have been able to post first and cool off afterwards. I suspect it was a random outage. (I certainly hope so.) Anyway the cribbage was good, and we got an update on the dog (he’s wonderful.) Late in the day, another inmate came in to use a tablet (they may use tablets for video phone calls to family/friends if the contact has a camera and mike – I don’t, and I don’t think Virgil could possibly learn to use the tablet, so I’m not planning on getting either) and Virgil said “He’s in my area. I think he’s a [jerk.] He does a lot of pissing and moaning.” and I said, “And you don’t?” and he laughed with a big smile on his face. A lovely, sunny smile. Of course that’s a big reason I fell for him in the first place, and also that we have been together so long – he can genuinely laugh at himself and enjoy it.

Heather Cox Richardson also saw the (full) South Park opener, but she discusses a lot more than that here.

Meidas Touch videos are too long for me – but here’s an article of theirs with just pictures – of Scottish protest signs.

In honor of World Tiger day, World Wildlife Fund is making four wallpaper-sized photos available for desktop or phone free. They had a contest, and the baby won it of course, but they have decided to release all four finalists. In case any cat people missed this, I wanted to share it.

How many times have you heard “Follow the money”? Joyce Vance explains exactly how real investigators accomplish that. Most of us don’t have the appropriate access to do it effectively. Senator Wyden (D-OR) does. Oregon leading again.

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Feb 212024
 

Yesterday, we learned that an arrest was made Monday in the case of the UCCS shooting, a 25-year-old man, also a UCCS student – Nicholas Jordan of Detroit, MI. “Investigative efforts continue to indicate this was an isolated incident between individuals who were known to one another and not a random attack against the school or other students at the university,” the police department said in the press release, which seemed fairly evident to me right up front. Certainly by the numbers this qualifies as a mass shooting, but I was smelling domestic violence from the get-go. Also yesterday, I received an email that my ballot has been received. Considering it only left the house Sunday, and Monday was a Federal Holiday so no mail, that’s like zero days to get there. (Think what they could accomplish if we could only get rid of De Joy.)  Finally, I realized I had put the wrong date on yesterday’s Open Thread, so it didn’t post in the morning, and by the time I discovered it, ir was already a couple of hours after sunset.  It’s there now.   Apologies!

This is pretty unbelievable. The ads are saying only 1000 pair are available, and the price is $399. That means the most he can raise from this would be $3,990. At that rate, he would have to sell 91,479 batches of shoes just to pay the New York Civil Fraud fines – and that does not include back interest, nor does it include what he owes E. Jean Carroll. (and as Beau pointe out, someone working at $15.00 per hour, 24/7/365-366, would have to have started in the year 678 – BCE. For a “businessman,” he certainly doesn’t understand money.

Here’s the link to a petition urging Clarence to accept John Oliver’s offer. (And if you also sign the second one, which addresses Xitter, you’ll get to see a list of their current actions, and it’s worth while just to read it

The Daily Beast has some dirt on one of Sherrod Brown’s potential opponents (unless Ohio has two vacant Senate seats, which is unlikely.)

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Dec 212023
 

Well, I have the prescription transfers solved, and the current one that is needed paid for, and I should receive it by the 26th, so that’s a maximum of three days without it, and all I need to do is avoid overexertion for those days.  The new HSA custodian is a different kettle of fish entirely.  I have it figured out now at least.  I’m not thrillled with what I need to do, but financially it’s a no-brainere.   I’ll have it done by the end of the day.

This is a good news article. I realize – in fact I’m probably one of the bigger grinches on this subject – that nominating and running is not the same as winning. But without running, there can be no winning. (Oh, yeah, it’s substack.)

Jeff Merkley is the Senate sponsor of this bill, and that’s a pretty good indication it’s a very good one. I do however want to note that raising Congressional salaries might be necessary. Sure, I could live like an Empress (here in Colorado – maybe only like a princess in California or New York) on the lowest starting salaries. But I don’t have to pay a staff, nor two residences and the travel between them which is necessary to do the job well – keeping in touch with constituents. Realistic research needs to be done on the actual financial costs of serving in Congress. Maybe some things need not to come out of salary, but be reimbursable expenses – and maybe some already are – and that’s something I should already know, and I don’t.  i expect it’s available – but it’s certainly not common knowledge.

Not that anyone who only learned about Judge Lutting through the Jan 6 Committee findings has much respect for Judge Lutting – but –

This is far from the most profound cartoon today – but it certainly is accurate (and funny).

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Oct 182023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Judge Chutkan imposes gag order on Donald Trump in DC case to protect witnesses and others.

The Lincoln Project – The Choice is Clear

Thom Hartmann – This Army Aims to Stop Americans From Voting

Patrick Fitzgerald – Jackson (Johnny Cash Song Parody ft Donald Trump, Merrick Garland, and Jack Smith) [The song on which this parody is based, which was a hit for Johnny Cash and June Carter, was not a love song but a marital duel. It was loosely based on “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” If you llook up the lyrics, or watch a Cash/Carter video of “Jackson” you may find this even funnier)]

Guy Shows his Rescue Pittie the Wonders of Fall for the Very First Time

Beau – Let’s talk about much ado about $6 billion….

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Sep 132023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump continues spewing his jury-pool-poisoning lies. When will prosecutors & judges limit his lies?

Thom Hartmann – If the GOP obstructs…the Dems Plan To Inflict Maximum Political Pain

MSNBC – Velshi: Donald Trump’s ‘banana republic’

Scared Ketchup – The Trump Show Ep 14 PROMO w/cohost MTG (AI PARODY)

Couple brings home a blind pup. Then came the surprise.

Beau – Let’s talk about Wisconsin and the GOP not getting the answer they wanted….

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Aug 222023
 

Glenn Kirschner – Donald Trump posts that he’s fighting “7” cases? Are more state indictments on the way?

Thom Hartmann – Trump’s Most Dangerous Crimes You Don’t Know About…!

Joe Biden – Fought Back

Farron Balanced – Trump Lawyer Yells At Fox Host For Not Loving Trump Enough

Tiny Dogs Who Were Chained Up Insist On Getting Adopted Together

Beau – Let’s talk about government shutdowns, continuing resolutions, and more….

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Aug 152023
 

[They could conceivablly be fighting over his corpus – consider the Andrew Weiss statement quoted in yesterday’s open thread intro.]

Glenn Kirschner – Trump tells a witness ‘not to testify’ in Georgia grand jury. Time to detain Trump pending trial.

MSNBC – Jack Smith uses Trump lawyer John Lauro’s words against him in court

Farron Balanced – Trump’s Lawyer Keeps Admitting His Client Committed Crimes

Parody Project – Corruption: Parody of Truckin’ (This really is unfair to Democrats, both in the White House and Congress, who are working so hard to keep democracy.)

Pretty Leopard Gets Stuck In Tight Spot

Beau – Let’s talk about 2 things falling in Russia….

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