Open Thread October 15 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 152026
 

Yesterday, we learned that Elon Musk has turned off Starlink to Ukraine – which essentially paralyzes their ability to fully defend themselves. No civilian entity should have the capability to do that. Constitution of the United States, Article 3, Section 3. Not that there will be any prosecution or other consequences under this administration.

This article is too (sardonically) laughable to miss. And I don’t believe for an instant the PAC’s claim that it was a vendor’s error for which they were reimbursed.

Hopefully this link will take you to the article without mention subscribing; but if it doesn’t there shuld be an option to “read without subscribing.” That’s how I got in. It’s [rpbably more than you wanted to know – but it may not be more than you needed to know.

This person claims to have earned a JD from Pepperdine (a school which has never, that I know of, had a reputation among academics which was other than “shady”). We all thought Leavitt was dumb – but I literally have Barbie dolls who are smarter than Zacharia.

This scared the whatnot out of me when I first saw it – but it appears they caught it early – and hopefully got it all. 🤞


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Open Thread October 14 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 142026
 

On Monday, I was thinking about what would be better if the Orange Julius dropped dead, or if he were impeached, or Article 25ed. Y’all know by now I’m worried about this – fearing we would be jumping out ofthe frying pan into the fire. After listening to Malcolm (and co-hosts) today, I’m thinking we would be better off if Putin were to be taken out – somehow. Andyes, I know he would be replaced. But whoever replaced him would not have a years-long relationship with Donald, or be immediately worshiped by him. Building a harness like that takes at least some time, during which he would be figuratively in free fall, and we might be able to accomplish something. Also on Monday, DHS raided the home of Ilhan Omar. And- besides that, Ukraine has taken out some (I think the number is 2 out of 6 total.) IF and when they finish that job, the direction of news coverage is going to change world wide.
(28 minutes well spent, filled with details the American press won’t tell you.)

I’ll bet y’all will easily guess how this story makes me feel. But I promise not to take it out on any of you. (1500 years older than Stonehenge, and 4,000 years older than the Nazca Lines. Grrrrr.)

I don’t know – I doubt anyone knows, least of all the Apricot Antichrist himself, whether he made this up out of thein air, saw it in a dream (Virgil is 3 years older, and from time to time dreams something and then believes it really happened), or whether it’s a post-hypnotic suggestion from Putin. It’s definitely not fact based. But if Zelenskyy caan get something out of it that’s worth getting, he likely will. On the other hand, hose Russian data centers are the hardware Russia has been using to interfere with elections (not just ours) for years – maybe decades – and I’d love to see them eliminated.

[alternate link]  This almost – but not quite – makes up for the bad news. One point which kind of frosts the cake is that Fresno is the partof California which Devin Nunes represented when he was in Congress. Trespassing, at least two counts of assault and one of battery – I’m guessing they can hold him for a while.

2fer

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Open Thread October 12 2026

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Blog News, Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 122026
 

Yesterday, Trinette was by. Next weekend shewill be in California for a baby shower – and I wil be visiting Virgil, which works out nicely. My cold is mostlt gone 0 I;m still making more phlegm than usual, but it isn’t requiring heroic coughing to get it up and out, and my lightheadedness is also better. I still need to watch my balance – but that was true before it started. I got a Hallowe’en e-card from my “frosted sister.” I believe she’s always been a Democrat, but has always stayed out of politics (except for voting herself). This year she is writing letters and postcards and making neighborhood visits – everything except phone calls (which she won’t do because she hates receiving them and doesn’t want to make anyone else suffer, and boy, do I get that. Jacquie Lawson has a new Hallowe’enhcasr with Littke Red Riding Hood…and the three bears – which made me chuckle.

Stephen Miller has been keeping as low a profile as he can… which is in itself suspect. As deputy Chief of staff, one would expect his dealings to carry more of the public interest. And it would appear that they do. And that there are some other issues.

For once – the weekend was boring enough for me to be able to post “The Week Ahead.” on a Monday And today is a hiliday! (I celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day myself.) And this Saturday isthe next No Kings protest.

File under “No shit, Sherlock.” The Orange owner may think he has Putin in his pocket – but it’s been clear to anyone with two eyes and two brain cells to rub together since 2015 that it’s the other way around.

I did the best I could at the time putting together information on plague, but this video, goes into what we don’t know, and is made by a doctor I have   have come to trust, is somewhat more reassuring. It’s longer than my usual videos, but only about 12 minutes total.

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Open Thread September 17 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 172026
 

Yesterday, Heather Cox Richardson announced what she calls the end of the first phase of 250 to 250. I still have a few pre-selected ones, and I may go back and pick up more, but today I’m running the closing video. To me, the whole series demonstrates why we need comprtent and accurate historians to keep a free society.

Barf Bag Alert. Yes, this is from last month. But I only just found it – in a footnote. Specifically footnote #3 out of 13. I thought it was the must disgusting, but it was close, and you might not agree. But I can’t link to the list, because it was in an email with no link to the conttent – only a link to a petition. If anyone cares to see the complete list, send me an email at jvdix@tutamail.com and I’ll forward it. I’ve put it into a temporary folder so I don’t have to look at it all day long.

Archived from Huff Post. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Shared by VoteVets. I’m skeptical of anything said by any AI creator, including Anthropic. But it might be factual – it’s certainly consistent with Russian ethics (or the lack thereof.)

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Open Thread August 8 2026

 Posted by at 5:49 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 082026
 

Yesterday, I got up an hour earlier than I ever do, even for the opera, in case I had to call several locksmiths. I didn’t. First one I called had the capability, and within just over an hour I had a replacement. It’s two separate keys for now – one for the ignition and one for the doors – but they work, and when the ones with the fob come Tuesday, I now have the pattern. I nope this and the first short take help make up a little for the depression of the second and third short takes. Ph, and remember the two Justins in Tennessee who were kicked out ofthe state house for being Democrats (and eventualy reinstated)? I justheard from one of them, Justin Pearson, who just won his primary for US Congress. Thesubject line was “This victory belongs to you.”

Standing Room Only is another newsletter tha has several sections. I’m posting the link today because of the second one, “Main Stage.” Of course you can read as much or as little as you want. But the main stage section is something I have often thought. Colorado’s primary for our next governor also demonstrates Amanda’s point.

From The Conversation. I was aware that this was happening – you may also have been – but not of the “excruciating details.” And even the bare bones of it are not geting enough media attention. World War II is a historical example of why crimes against humanity need to be publicized and get attention. I and many others cringe to this day remembering the Shoah. We can’t change that. But this is happening now and there are things we can do.

From ite Drop Site News. Something else which is not getting enough visibility – and you can probably see why – it’s depressing. And not a good look for Israel. But it needs to be known just as much as the treaties in place need to be known about.

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Open Thread June 25 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 252026
 

I have been saying for years (OK, only a few years – but definitely more than two) that the Russian people are a population who would (and in fact, historically did) say to marauding Vikings, “Gee, you guys seem to be really good at organization. Why don’t you stick around and be our government?” That sounds like suckers pretty gullible to me. And the Vikings – at least some of them – did do just that. And when, if ever, since that time, when has Russia had any form f governmen which was not autocratic? The Russian Revolution in the 19 teens was not really even supposed to do that, and it didn’t. (In hindsight, I suspect that was largely due to the fact it was intended to be, and was, an economic revolution, and paid no attention to the possible forms of government it would establish – only to the form of government – heredity monarchy unrestrained by a constitution – it was replacing.) This is fresh in my mind just now after having watched a Substack video with Jacob Kaaesbo (one of Malcolm Nance’s co=hosts) and John Sipher , mostly regarding Ukraine’s war against Russia. Here’s a link to that conversation and a little picture showing how to find the Transcript – it does require scrolling down, but only about half a page.

It’s nice to have a little good news which is political in nature during the week – especially from a court.

The judge above called out the DHS. The former Reagan official cited here calls out the Supreme Court. Both desperately need reform – but both, sadly, will have to wait until we have the other two branches functioning again.

I’m not crazy about the reasons why this dude started this program – but at least he appears to be capable of learning from experience and changing his mind. As long as he keeps that mind open to new evidence, I wish his progress with it only the best.

This kind of goes with the previous piece, since both are about housing – and/or the lack of it. There is too much going on to try to cut down to 3 today.

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Open Thread June 22 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 222026
 

Yesterday, it was just a Sunday – and I still managed to not get everything done. But Trinette coming by helped.

I assume the regime will do things like this in every state where they think they can get away with it. I wish they didn’t thinkt hey can get away with it in the “Mother of Presidents” state – but they clearly do. Grrrrr.

This from John Pavlovitz has nothing to do with faith – it’s pure fact. The only thing he leaves out (so recent when he wrote that he probably hadn’t seen it) is that now the Apricot Antichrist is blaming the algae on deranged radical left vandalism.

If you are a fan of Ken Harbaugh, do yourself a favor – grab a hanky and listen to this interview he gave Steve Schmidt about the article he wrote for The Atlantic (Steve provided a gift link to it). And if you’re not a fan of Harbaugh, but you are a fan of Ukraine – you too.

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Open Thread May 14 2026

 Posted by at 5:57 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 142026
 

Yesterday, My inbox was packed with Substack videos. I didn’t watch every one, but I did watch more than usual. Besifes Malcolm Nance’s “warcast” (he’s back to calling it “warcast” since the “cease fire” has been broken, but it still contains a lot of geopolitics), there was a video from Vicky Ward Inveastigates with Adam Klasfeld with her part filned in the Epstein Files Museum which is currently in New York City but will be traveling throughout the nation. And the one from the Brennan Center with a NYU professor whose book on the Constitution was just released. It took up a lot of my time but I would have missed a lot if I had skipped any one of them.

This is just the first of five stories in a single email from Dean Blundell. It is the longest (sorry) and the most scary (sorry) of the five, and IMO the most consequential. It doesn’t necessarily require politicians and/or elected officials to bring about 1984. It can be done by private businesses.

From POGO. Everything with the Orange Oligarch is transactional – even if the only thing he gets out of it is screwing people. After all, that is near and dear to what in someone else would be a heart.

I can’t say I was surprised by this, although I didn’t know the actual numbers.

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