Open Thread April 28, 2024

 Posted by at 5:48 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 282024
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”, the first opera by a black composer ever to be performed at the Met, now in its second season with a couple of cast changes (I’m sure due to prior commitments on the part of the original principals). Ryan Speedo Green is a much lower baritone than Will Liverman who played the leading part last time around, and was able to sng the part as originally written, whereas Will Liverman – a fine singer – needed a couple of adjustments. Terence Blanchard, the composer worked with him on that, as is generally done when the composer is alive, to maximize the integrity of the opera. For me, the test of a great opera is if it sounds better each time you hear it. So far, this one does for me. I’ll be able to give it a workout though – I bought the DVD from the Met (not that I have a lot of time to spare for watching, but I’ll find some, even if I have to do it one act at a time.) Later, I was watching a dialogue between Lawrences O’Donnell and Tribe with CC, and I had to laugh – Tribe mentioned several male justices and the CC spelled all their names correctly except for Gorsuch – he came out as “Corsets.”

What Alito is actually saying is that punishment increases recidivism. I won’t say that’s complete nonsense (although his example is), but if he were correct, the logical thing to do would be to let everyone in any prison at any level out immediately. I am certainly not in favor of that, and I doubt he would actually want that.

You may well know this already, as it’s been shared by various sources (with multiple levels of incredulity.) I find it completely believable.

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Open Thread March 8, 2024

 Posted by at 6:05 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 082024
 

Yesterday, I learned that Ruby Johnson, a Denver granmother of color, just my age, was awarded $3.76 million, by a jury, in damages after a SWAT team invaded her home in error while she was in the shower. Now if only we can get some compensation for the woman of color in Houston who was evicted from the home she has owned and lived in for fifty years. But I’ll take whatever good news I can get.  Also yesterday, at the SOTU, Joe took a page from Harry Truman’s book – He didn’t give ’em hell. He just told the truth and they thought it was hell.

I know we are all frustrated with the mainstream media. And particularly with the New York Times, which has been around for so long, and has declined so badly in such a comparatively short time, that it’s depressing. And it’s scary. Even if we are not ourselves deceived by the slants, others are and many of those who are have guns and short tempers. The Times was on the mind of two writers this week – Lucian Truscott at Salon, and Robert Hubbell on Substack.

Joyce Vance may also be a chicken farmer and a knitter in her spare time, but above all, she is a fine and experienced trial lawyer and a legal analyst. Here are her thoughts on motions and such which are happening prior to the criminal trial in Manhattan.

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These Days, There’s a Lot of Talk About Sentences …

 Posted by at 3:10 pm  Politics
Jan 042024
 

But today – NOT about sentences involving TFG and his gang.

And this will be a two-part post.

[Part 1]

For folks who enjoy the linguists out there who can craft a masterful sentence, NY Times writer Frank Bruni compiled a compendium of what he thinks were the best sentences of 2023.

To save room (and keep with the Fair Use guidelines) here are what I think are the best of the best – and just the punchlines.

But you can read the whole article here:

Opinion | The Best Sentences of 2023 – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/opinion/2023-journalism-writing-sentences.html

 

On Trump:

“… the putz knew his push for a putsch was dishonest.”

 

On republicans trying to out-Trump Trump:

“… makes no real sense to try to run as a more competent Donald Trump, for the simple reason that the entire question of competence is orthogonal to Trump’s appeal.”

 

On Growing Old Honestly If NOT Gracefully:

“… [Walter Matthau] reflects a life well lived in the company of gravity and pastrami.”

 

On the SCOTUS Ethical (If Not Legal) Lapses of Thomas & Alito:

“A #protip that will no doubt make those justices who have been lured away to elaborate bear hunts and deer hunts and rabbit hunts and salmon hunts by wealthy oligarchs feel a bit sad: If your close personal friends who only just met you after you came onto the courts are memorializing your time together for posterity, there’s a decent chance you are, in fact, the thing being hunted.”

 

On Becoming a Curmudgeon (Boy, can I relate):

“… looks like an Easter Island statue nursing a grudge.”

 

On Sarah Palin:

“I’d argue that Sarah Palin mattered in 2008, although she was less of a running mate than a running gag.”

 

On Jimmy Carter Facing His Final Days:

“Hospice care is not a matter of giving up. It’s a decision to shift our efforts from shoring up a body on the verge of the end to providing solace to a soul that’s on the cusp of forever.”

 

On Grocery Store Plastic Bags:

“Because they’re so light, they defy proper waste management, floating off trash cans and sanitation trucks like they’re being raptured by a garbage god.”

 

On Our Worship of Size (… Does It Really Matter?):

“… people have always liked really big stuff, particularly of the unnecessary variety. Stonehenge, pyramids, colossi, Costco.”

[Editor’s Note: But I LOVE Costco!]

 

On DeSantis’ TOTAL LACK of Compassion, Caring & Charisma:

DeSantis gives off the vibe “that he might unplug your life support to recharge his cellphone.”

 

And Bruni’s Final Selection – An Existential Note:

“Too many voters today are easily conned, deeply biased, impervious to fact and bereft of survival instincts. Contrary to myth, frogs leap out of heating pots. Stampeding cattle stop at a cliff edge. Lemmings don’t really commit mass suicide.

“We’ll find out about Americans in 2024.”

 

Personally, I think the best sentence of 2024 would be a really long one … given to Trump … without the possibility of parole!

 

[Part 2]

I’m well past the age of staying up to ring in the New Year.  But I do enjoy the efforts from those around the world to do it and do it right!

Sydney is aiming to be viewed as the “New Year’s Eve Capital of the World” – and they certainly have the credentials for it, the the Harbour Bridge and Opera House serving as the canvas.

But I was really impressed with London’s efforts this year with Big Ben and the London Eye Ferris wheel as backdrops.

I’m curious which one you would vote for to be the winner:

 

 

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Friday Fun: Pop Quiz Courtesy of “The New York Times”

 Posted by at 2:52 pm  Politics
Oct 082021
 

Quiz: If America Had Six Parties, Which Would You Belong To?

America’s two-party system is broken. Democrats and Republicans are locked in an increasingly destructive partisan struggle that has produced gridlock and stagnation on too many critical issues — most urgently, the pandemic and climate change.

Unfortunately the Quiz is behind the NY Times paywall.  BUT there are two workarounds:

[1] You’re allowed a certain number of free articles every month.  If you’ve already met your quota, you can clear your cache and that resets the dial.

[2] The good people at Daily Kos provided a link to the Quiz that let’s you avoid the paywall.  I subscribe to the NY Times, so I don’t know if it works for everyone – but worth a shot.  You might have to copy/paste it into the address bar if a direct click doesn’t work

FREE LINK:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/08/opinion/republicans-democrats-parties.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUyYiZ_tU1Gw5CRWySB4B991re1L-XkPs7nn74LS-TDixP1_kfB4mL8kHWIKZuYtw4xT2HX5pZOaUzRfFpiO9DOkgnAy-Znqy5orVXaSMktdD0GWIww5_XVLsk8CHnKTHnd-ohmeWz-hmKa2b1XPTehWkrcQ80vZszdwqg3yBZw63OEPVnmYUrhYdXDZ5-TT8GdXPK66GuU0MiTY3AOhLM6QA2W_VbUSXRlLOf47ECdQZUCTHWXS81oDZ8uJ4HZoRhbOuoJAUgecH9nbwaFmdoSY-iDJQ3TIXU_K54B-LmzV7D4_OkGag7QRU-OA&smid=url-share

It’s an interactive Quiz where the questions advance only after answering the first one.  So I went ahead and typed out the questions for some background.  But unless you answer them online, you will not get the results that place you in one of the six “new” parties.  (Lee Drutman provided this graph where you’ll be plotted based on your answers.)

But I did include the thumbnail info of each – but the site provides a lot more info – demographics for each party, etc.

It’s readily apparent that you can “game” the quiz to put yourself where you want – but I was brutally honest, as I really wanted to know.

And a couple of the questions are fairly nuanced, which might change your answer.  Have fun!

Straight Link:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/08/opinion/republicans-democrats-parties.html

[1]

Marijuana should be legal

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[2]

Should same-sex marriage be legal

Yes – No

[3]

How easy of difficult should it be to immigrate to the USA

Much Easier – Slightly Easier – Same – Slightly Harder – Much Harder

[4]

How do you feel about reducing government regulation of business

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[5]

Local government should decrease the size of police forces and the scope of their work

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[6]

It is the responsibility of the federal government to see to it that everyone has health care coverage

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[7]

When it comes to really important questions, scientific facts don’t help very much.

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[8]

The minimum wage should be raised

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[9]

I would rather be a citizen of the USA than any other country.

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[10]

Gun control laws should be …

Stricter – No Change– Less Strict

[11]

American society systematically advantages white people

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[12]

I think abortion should be …

Legal in all cases – Legal in some cases and illegal in other – Illegal in all cases

[13]

An important reason that some people are poor is because the economy is unfair

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[14]

Racial minorities have mostly fair opportunities to advance in the USA today

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[15]

Today, discrimination against white people has become as big a problem as discrimination against Black people and other minorities

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[16]

Should the government raise taxes on incomes above $200,000?

Yes – No

[17]

Do you favor or oppose of providing a way for undocumented immigrants already in the USA to become citizens?

Yes – No

[18]

Wealthy people spur innovation

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

[19]

How important is the issue of climate change to you?

Very important – Somewhat important – Not very important – Unimportant

[20]

It’s the responsibility of government to reduce the income differences among people

Strongly Disagree – Somewhat Disagree – Neutral – Somewhat Agree – Strongly Agree

 

PARTIES

Progressive

The Progressive Party is focused on equity and racial justice, with a strong vision of inclusive social democracy. Its strongest support comes from politically engaged, highly educated younger people, especially women.

 

New Liberal [This is where my answers placed me]

The New Liberal Party is the professional-class establishment wing of the Democratic Party. Members are cosmopolitan in their social and racial views but more pro-business and more likely to see the wealthy as innovators.

 

American Labor

The American Labor Party is focused on economic populism, with an appeal to working-class Democrats who don’t have college degrees and don’t follow politics closely. It is more moderate on social and cultural issues compared with the Progressive Party, but also more diverse, appealing to many working-class Hispanics.

 

Growth & Opportunity

The Growth and Opportunity Party is the socially moderate, pro-business wing of the Republican Party. It is the heir to the old moderate “Rockefeller Republican,” the East Coast wing of the G.O.P.

 

Patriot

The Patriot Party is the party of Donald Trump’s 2016 primary campaign: the coalition of the small town, white working-class Americans who feel left behind by globalism and condescended to by cosmopolitanism. It is economically populist and strongly anti-immigration. Its strongest support among lower-income conservatives comes from exurban America.

 

Christian Conservative

The Christian Conservative Party is focused centrally on issues of religious liberty and morality, with very limited government. It will find stronger support among the most politically engaged and affluent, especially men.

 

 

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