Personal – Page 35 – Politics Plus

Open Thread July 16 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:06 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 162025

Yesterday, after blood work last week, I saw my doctor again. Everything is pretty much smooth – even my blood pressure was 120/78. I don’t get readings that good at home. So my next appointment is in May ’26 for an annual. Also, I don’t know whether I have mentioned that, in Colorado, the names of the four seasons are Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction – but I certainly found that to be true today. Getting to the clinic I had to cope with four constructions sites – and that’s not counting the one I’ve been coping with since I’ve been using this location. One was only about half a block from my house. I did make it in time – and came home a different way – also with construction going on. So I’ll be giving Trinette a heads up, since this coming Sunday is the one she’s due to come over.

I found this Intercept article to be illuminating. Not just because I was not aware of the existence of the phrase it addresses (although I am aware of how much and how compulsively Republicans distort the meaning of any verbiage they think they can distort to produce anger and fear), but mainly because the response by Mamdani provided such a good example of how to resist that particular technique – and the kind of knowledge one needs to have (or get) in order to grasp what is really going on and do it right.

At this point in the coup, I’m ready to suggest that no Republican office holder should be allowed to go anywhere or do anything without eliciting some kind of Democratic response. f they are taking away people’s lives, livelihoods, and every smidgen of joy from anyone they don’t like, they really do not deserve any smidgen of joy in their own lives. Too bad about their families. They are hurting others’ families.

A lot of the time I don’t even bother to read emails with “notes” from Substack. For some reason I did – and one of them was this. You’re welcome to read all the responses – but the point of the short video is that all it takes to turn a Republican in a Democrat is an open mind, a tutorial on fact-checking, and applying that tutorial. Yeah, I know, the open mind is the hardest part. But it can happen.

Robert Reich is asking everyone who gets his emails to share this video as widely as possible. I’m not sure it will get through to any of those who need it the most, but I’m sharing it anyway, because why not do what he requests.

Open Thread July 15 2025

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

Jul 152025

Yesterday, Wonkette decided to quote La Marseillaise in its “TABS” email (the first of the day with links to other sources and just a little snark in the description) and threw in the clip from “Casablanca.” That scene is always a gut-punch for me, yet somehow in a good way, sort of like grand opera. (The young actress whose tears in the scene are so memorable was in real life a refugee. Those tears were real, and may not even have been scripted.) Also yesterday, this came out from Colorado Public Radio. Not that it’s news that we have crazy people in Colorado (particularly in the same Congressional District that Tina Peters is in.) Personally I would say he should never have been granted bail. And finally, July 17 – the 5th anniversary of John Lewis’s death, is July 17 (Thursday). National protests will be held. Here’s a link to find and RSVP to one.

This is good advice from Robert Reich – although I don’t think I’m quite capable of following it to the letter. I don’t feel I’m on the front line, but in more of a supporting role (which is nothing new. Most of the time I was in the Marine Corps the only women allowed in combat zones were nurses, and the Corps has no nurses, or for that matter, doctors. Medical personnel serving Marines are in the Navy.) The first Woman Marine assigned to a combat zone had been my platoon leader in basic training, and she had an administrative specialty, which is a command specialty, but not a combat specialty. Still a support role.) Support is important, but is less likely to make those filling it feel gung ho. But it is something i can do.

Joyce Vance writes primarily about measles and measles vaccinations here. But measles is only one part of the picture of disease, and disease itself is only one part of the picture of public health. There are also things like guns, floods, fires, toxic chemical exposure both knowingly and unknowingly (in which I would include recreational drug use), transportation crashes, other hazardous products, and more. I can’t imagine authoritarians caring a rodent’s posterior about any of them.

Open Thread July 14 2025

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

Jul 142025

Yesterday, Virgil and I talked unusually long before starting to play cribbage. I kind of unloaded about some of the things the Fascist regime is doing and planning to do. He is unlikely to remember any of it, of course, but it made me feel better. Also, when we did play cribbage, he kept forgetting, both in the hands and in the cribs, that the cut card is also a part of his hand – of both our hands – and of the crib. Technically in what I call cutthroat cribbage, the rule is that if you catch something another player failed to count, you get the points and the other person loses them. Of course I would never do that to him – but if I had today, it would have been a metaphorical bloodbath. He also forgot how old he is (He’ll be 82 before the end of July.) Yeah, I can see why his case manager asked me to be his medical POA.

Joyce Vance from Friday. I don’t really have anything to add. At least, not without profanity.

I guess this from “Balls and Strikes” is rather specialized. On the other hand, if enough Americans who were loud enough had been doing this kind of specialized knowledge long enough ago, there’s a possibility we might have been spared Brett Kavanaugh.

Open Thread July 13 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Politics

Jul 132025

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Manon Lescaut” by Daniel Auber – something which I did not even know existed. I knew about “Manon” by Jules Massenet, and “Manon Lescaut” by Giacomo Puccini – which are going to be the next two operas in the radio series. All are from the same opera house in Turin, Italy, which decided to present all three in one season for comparison. You may remember I said about “The Queen of Spades” that the opera, the operetta, and the te original novella are three very different stories. Well, that’s pretty much true of Manon as well, except it’s four different stories, all three operas being adapted from the same novel. The one plot point they all have in common is that they all end with Manon being deported to Louisiana and dying there from poverty. If this strikes you as somewhat too politically appropriate, the WFMY group may have had that in mind, but the Teatre Regio probably didnt, and all three operas were recorded last October – and therefore likely scheduled some time in 2022, or even earlier. The Auber version, with a libretto by Eugene Scribe cleaned up the heroine’s morals somewhat. The other two didn’t but differ in other ways. (If you have any energy to spare, you might want to look up Eugene Scribe some time. The list of playwrights he influenced all over the western world is striking. You may never have heard of him, but you have seen plays or movies by writers he influenced.) Daniel Auber’s father and grandfather both had royal appointments, but when he was about 10, the French Revolution started and he had to find something else to make a living. What had been his hobby became his profession. So, there’s politics all over this opera. It does have spoken dialogue – the plot was not lofty enough for the Paris Opera, so it premiered at the Opera Comique, and was the first opera there with a tragic ending, preceding Bizet’s “Carmen” and probably paving the way for it – although Bizet’s librettist did not clean up the heroine’s morals, so it was still a scandal when it came along. Anyway, next week Massenet, and the following week Puccini, same story only different. The one by Auber for this week has delightful music including “bel canto.” The other two are newer, but both are also very listenable (neither of them cleaned up Manon’s morals, because by that time, Carmen had come along.) Off to see Virgil now – will check in upon return as always.

I know everyone is going to love this story, because if there’s anything we have in common besides being passionate about democracy, is being passionate about animal welfare. And I think I’m being pretty good at sticking to good news and apolitical humor for Sundays to give us a break. But if you can use more of a break, consider getting “The Smile” newsletter daily. The subscribe button is on this page.

Also referred by The Smile but either paywalled or ad-blocker-walled. From archive it’s all there.

Rocky Mountain Mike is back for a short one

Open Thread July 11 2025

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

Jul 112025

Yesterday, the ACLU announced in an email that it had quickly refiled to block the executive order against birthright citizenship as a class action, allowing a federal judge to block it nation wide. Also, I got my blood test results and none of my meds is changing this time – a welcome first. Also, the 19th advised me that the first Barbie doll to have Type 1 diabetes is here. This is what she looks like. If it seems weird to you to se something so comparatively “normal” in the news, you are not alone.

This from the F* News is brilliantly framed and might possibly even suck MAGA into reading it, though they might not get the point.

Press Watch with Dan Froomkin – who does know what journalism is, and also what it isn’t. If you claim to be a journalist, and have “a strong belief and passion” in anything other than truth and accuracy – you are nor a journalist. Period. (And the New York Times is just as bad and getting worse by the day.)

It’s hardly news that Republicans lie. Some of us who have been saying they lie like Democrats breath are now starting to re-evaluate that, because they lie so much more than Democrats breathe. It should be no surprise that Heather Cox Richardson has their number.

Open Thread July 10 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 5:58 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 102025

Yesterday, I had blood drawn again. I get it – my PCP is still trying to strike the right balance between enough thyroid to give me the energy to get up each day (and notice that I don’t say “morning”) and too much for my osteoporosis, while also trying to pamper my kidneys. (I really miss aspirin – acetaminophen is pretty much just a sugar pill for me. The TENS helps but not for the forehead. Fortunately, I still have a nearly empty tin and a new, unopened tin of a “sore muscle rub” containing menthol, which has been discontinued, but of which a little goes a long way, which does work on the forehead. I don’t know how much is the menthol, how much is the massage, and how much is the combination, but it does work. And, as I say, it goes a log way – I don’t expect to outlive the new tin.) Also, the blood draws are fast and painless. This one was so fast and so painless i didn’t have time to think of my favorite vampire joke until I had left. I hope I can remember it for next time. In case you’re wondering:

Three vampires walk into a bar. Bartender says, “What’ll you have?” First vampire says, “I’ll have a glass of blood, please.” Second vampire says, “Same for me, thanks.” Third vampire says, “I think I’ll just have a glass of plasma today.” Bartender says, “Right. Two bloods and a blood lite.”

Having ICE raid MacArthur Park and terrify children was bad enough. Let’s not use it as an excuse to crucify Karen Bass. So says the Editrix of Wonkette, and I heartily agree. I can’t put into words how tired I am of misogyny in general and the singling out of black women in particular.

Damn, this from the Contrarian is scary. And it kind of random that we have access to the information at all. Although had we not allowed the Mango Menace to be elected, we might not have as much need to know it as we now do.

Robert Reich did not email this as a print article from his Substack, but as a video from Move On. It does have CC, so there’s a transcript (which might need some proofreading). But this is so important – and, sadly, so many people (not here, but almost certainly someone you know) are duped into believing regulation is bad.

Open Thread July 8 2025

Posted by admin at 6:01 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jul 082025

Yesterday, I got up late, having had a somewhat difficult night, but somehow I got everything done that I needed tp do and a tad extra. Of course I would have liked to do more and have a little cushion, but at least I’m no farther behind than I was.

Wonkette covers most of the reasons why the Times story is BS. Mamdani was a teenager at the time, There was probably no box on the application that fit him, so he checked the closest. Then, to clarify it, he wrote “Ugandan” on the application. Incidentally, he was not accepted, so he gained nothing from anything on that application. Never forget that the New York Times is no longer “The paper of record.” There is no longer an American “paper of record.” The closest think I can think of is The Guardian, and it can only retain accuracy because it is not American.

In “The Week Ahead,” Joyce Vance includes addressing Social Security and the extremely misleading letter sent by the Social Security Administration regarding taxation on Social Security income. It’s all twitter-pated about ending taxation on Social Security income. Let me provide a little insight here from a Social Security recipient. My monthly check is not large, but it’s enough for me to live on if I am careful (and by “live on,” I mean to pay my mortgage and utilities, including trash and recycling pickup, electricity and gas, water and sewer, landline phone and internet.) For the last ten years or more I have been using a company in the IRS’s FreeFile program (not the same as direct file, which appears to be going away before it even gets started, but similar – Federal is free, but they can charge to file in your state.)I receive the data on my Social Security earnings on a 1098 form, and I put it in, and the program puts it on my return but does not count it as taxable income. I have never paid a penny in taxes on Social Security. I grant that I might not be able to live on it if I didn’t have an HRA – but I do. Still, anyone getting federal tax relief on Social Security from this bill must be getting payments in between what I get and what billionaires get.

After several years of not getting newsletters from Daily Kos, despite regularly checking that I have been signed up for them, I am now receiving them again, and this one included a story on something which has been bothering me – Abrego Garcia, his wife, and their legal issues have been getting substantial coverage – and they should be – but what about all the other innocent people?

Open Thread July 7 2025

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

Jul 072025

Yesterday, Trinette came by. Unless she’s out of town, she comes by on the Sunsays when I don’t visit Virgil and helps me with anything I need that is too strenuous for me. And we chat. It’s both stimulating and relaxing for me and she also enjoys it. She inspired me to put a sign up on the storm door saying “Coution: Retired person inside. Knows everything and has plenty of time to talk about it.” Yeah, someyimes it’s like that. But the keeps coming and keeps staying to hear stuff, so it can’t be all that painful.

This is a simple joke but also an allegory for something far more complex. And I recommend reading the comments too – they have some potential refinements, most of which would make an even more accurate allegory. Sigh.

The May Day Movement, which has organized prior nationwide protests, has two more events being set up. The first is for July 17 – I have mentioned it, but I don’t think I knew till now it’s being called a “Good Trouble Event” and will focus on John Lewis’s memory. The second is for September 1; it’s still in the planning stages but they are already looking for signups for it also. Yes, the two sites linked have different names, but working together is so much a part of this resistance movement, I believe all are connected.

Steve Schmidt notes that there are still decent people here, and, maybe even more necessary, people elsewhere who are aware of us.

Older Entries Newer Entries