NATO – Politics Plus

Open Thread January 22 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 222026

Yesterday, The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Lisa Cook’s unlawful firing from the Federal Reserve. Based on questions asked by the Justices, both Michael Popok and Adam Klasfeld believe it will go 8-1 against the Mango Menace, or maybe even 9-0. Both have been watching the court for a long time, and I hope they are not wrong this time. Incidentally, Jerome Powell was present at the hearing too. Also, CPR reported that Tina Peters was “involved in an altercation” at the prison she is in (not a surprise.) And most of the snow in my yard is gone now, but there are a few patches left – and we are now expecting more on Friday and Saturday.

This is Robert Reich at his best. I don’t know whether it will actually be seen by the world leaders he is really addressing – but I hope it will.

It’s not as if we didn’t know most of what’s in the Common Dreams article. But knowing what happened, and doing something about it, are two different things.

This is the way Andy used to write for the New Yorker. The only thing missing is “Harland Dorrison.” Oh wait -I said that too soon. He shows up (a little masked) in this one!

Ask and you shall receive, I guess! Not that I actually asked anyone, but here it is – I can give you a full day’s notice for this event.

Open Thread September 23 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Sep 232025

Yesterday was reasonably calm and quiet. I still don’t have speakers, but they are on order, and the videos I need to watch to choose from for here all have CC, and I know they are on the way and that I will get emails on their progress. I still don’t have full lighting in the kitchen, but I have an appointment for an electrician to come Thursday, and that’s OK. If they didn’t have an appointment before then, they are booked up, which probably means people like and/or trust them. I made some progress on a sweater I’ve been working on what seems like forever – I think I’ve mentioned it – the one with the yoke and sleeves using ladder yarn. But I’m down to the bottom ribbing, which is the finishing.

Completely off all topics, but too funny not to share. Wonkette had a story about the rapture (apparently many cultists believe it will happen today In a comment, a reader referred to a quote from someone’s supposed vision “I saw Jesus on his throne.” The response was, “So many times I have heard, ‘Jesus Christ, close the door when you are taking a shit.’ I had no idea.”

IIRC, Denis Elliott of Politizoom is a veteran of longer service and higher rank and a MOS closer to battle than I had. So, though I don’t always agree with him, I take this thesis seriously. And I think we should all be aware.

Democracy Docket is not a publication I subscribe to. But when I got this news in an email from the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, a link to the news was not included (they are amicus curiae and requesting donations to help), I did a search and found one. And I didn’t want to wait until Sunday.

This from The Root breaks my heart. Because it is so true. I have written before, though it must be a bunch of years ago, about how even in majority black/all black nations, colorism is so strong that snake oil producers can make a living selling heaven-knows-what’s-in-them” medications” “guaranteed” to lighten the skin of a baby while it is in the womb. And in the same newsletter as this article, there was one about the first international beauty pageant for trans women, and how it was won by an American, and how she is being shunned and dissed by all the other contestants.

Belle NATO

Cat nanny

Open Thread August 19 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Aug 192025

Yesterday, I learned that Mallory McMorrow (D-MI), the state senator who got national attention for being fierce, is running to represent Michigan in the US Senate. She joins Roy Cooper (D-NC) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), all candidates who accept no BS and are proven winners. This is exactly what we need (and could use a little more of.) Also yesterday, I woke up in more pain than usual (and the “usual” has been gradually worse for a while now.) I’m accustomed to my left knee flaring up and know how to deal with it. But when the right knee flares up too at the same time, that’s something I’m not used to dealing with. I iced the right knee and at the same time used the TENS on the right back and the left knee, and took an 80 mg aspirin (the largest I’m now allowed). The TENS helped. The ice, not so much, which didn’t totally surprise me, since the pain in the right knee feels different from he pain I get in the left one. I’m not even going to try to explain how. But anyway, I then put the TENS on the sides of the right knee. That didn’t help so I tried putting the pads n the front and back of the right knee. That helped some, but not enough to dispense with the walker. I think I’ll take one more aspirin.

I could wish that Ursula was wrong about this, but sadly, I think she has nailed it. Heck, I can even add an example – there was never even the slightest hint from the media during his presidency that JFK had Addison’s Disease.

John is actually 56 in calendar years. This makes me wonder just how tired I look at 80. No wonder I’m sleeping late so much. Please, everyone, get as much rest as you need.

I managed to squeeze a very brief note about this into yesterday’s OT, but of course I didn’t have the full story, which had not yet happened. Wonkette also covered it, but I think The F* News contains a bit more.

Open Thread June 20 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jun 202025

Yesterday, the 2:00-4:00 pm weekdays on my local radio station used her first hour for music about cats (including big ones, like Elsa the lioness.) Hooray for childless cat ladies! I hope your Juneteenth was happy.

Yes, I’m late getting this posted. But I don’t suppose it holds any surprises. It does hold some hard evidence which should be useful in future elections – provided we know how to use it.

This is from the 19th. A couple of days ago, in the middle of the night (which is when many of us, including me, get our most off-the-wall thoughts), I started thinking about transgender and the brain, specifically the two sides of the brain. I have since done a search, and I do realize the differences between male and female usage ouf our brains is not as cut and dried as we were led to believe in the seventies. However such differences do exist. As a child, growing up in a Lutheran household, during the career of Christine Jorgensen (not that I ever saw any of her films), I was told that transgender is when the soul of a woman is born into a male body (or vice versa.) And that made perfect sense to me. I never imagined a time when transgender people would have to fight and defend their very identities. Now that we live in such a time, it occurred to me (as I said, in the middle of the night) that possibly the study of differences between male and female brains could provide transgender people with evidence that their perception is real. Possibly I am totally off base here, and it might even backfire, but it is a thought. Being in a brick-and-mortar prison is bad enough, but at least in that situation one is still oneself. Being in prison inside one’s own body and never able to be oneself has got to be orders of magnitude worse.

This is a new ad from a very outspoken PAC which I guess is new – but they already have a bunch out. This on was featured on Democratic Underground, and I thought it hit like a brick: And there are more.

Open Thread July 18 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:12 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 182024

Yesterday, the biggest news appeared to be that Joe Biden is adding Spureme Court reform to his platform. I expect you can watch, or read about, this development just about anywhere. How very welcome this is can probably be measured by how vitriolic Trump**s remarks about it in his social medium (I made that singular because he only has the one.) Of course, the formation of an agency by NATO is also pretty big. But I’ll let Beau talk about that.

Apparently, we have zebra mussels in our waters. They are native to Russia, as are Siberian elms, another invasive species we have. Grump.

Joyce Vance has some things to say – about the apparent attack on Trump** and reactions to it – on both sides. Normally, IMO, if something is balanced, it is by definition not fair, because both sides are not the same. But she shows it can be done.

(jJst a snaoshot)

Open Thread April 6, 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon 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.

Open Thread February 13, 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:16 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Feb 132024

Yesterday, it was quiet enough. I had sent Nameless a quick email the night before congratulating KC in the SuperBowl win, and he responded with a video of fans celebrating at the Electric Company, with plumes of steam (I guess it was) blowing. And when that video ended is showed so many links t animal videos I didn’t have that I wasted an hour or two looking them all up and keeping a record of most of them. OK, that wasnt really a waste.

UNC, which is in Greeley, I presume has a fine medical school, but it’s the veterinary school which has a national reputation. I’m glad it’s being included. I also hope a bunch of the MDs will be OBGs – Republicans have greatly multiplied the patient base for that specialty.

I liked the lead article in this newsletter (the first three titled paragraphs) because it makes no excuses for the stupid – stupid, after all, is stupid. And it reveals the game and gives us alittle something to throw back.

Open Thread January 26, 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:37 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 262024

Yesterday, I got up somewhat earlier than I had been doing… which means I also got sleep earlier than I had been doing. But I did accomplish this. And we shall see whether this attempt to change the shape of my day works or not (i expect it will through opera day, and not much if any after.)

OK, this isn’t really news – it’s a recap and overview of the House Dems campaign to make the House Oversight Committee look like a multiple of The Three stooges. Not that that’s difficult, but I don’t know that we have ever seen such a coordinated effort from elected Dems before – and guess who is masterminding it. Three cheers!

Now this really is news, and about GD time too. My link is to Democratic Underground, but this DUer got it from Reuters, so in case you want more detail, that’s where to go.

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