May 072026
 

Yesterday, my exterminator came and said all my rooms have much less activity – and so does the yard. It actually snowed a little Tuesday, which is exactly when they would try to get inside out of the cold, so that’s all good. Then Trinette came by – and it took us a while to find where the plug had come out of the computer, but we did, and it works. So I can run the disc now, and hopefully I’ll be back in business.

Thirty seven minutes of discussion about Louisiana v. Callais – and the procedural mandate SCROTUS released late this Monday (a little less if you skip the part at the beginning when knitting and animals are discussed. The first few minutes of Substack videos are always off topic because viewers don’t all join at once, and most presenters wait until at least 1000 have joined to address the topic.) Once I started watching instead of reading, I have continued when possible because watching, you can’t skip, so I don’t miss things by trying to read too fast. And also, because depth of the the presenters’ feelings on the topic come through more clearly. But if you really prefer to read it, scroll down a bit – I’ve se the link so the transcript will already be up.

Under a regime which does not care whether people live or die, nor how they suffer –this could not have happened at a worse time. Not that there is a good time, but there have been times when the federal government would at least have tried to minimize tragedies.

Robert Reich points out a billionaire who is making a case for a wealth tax. But he’s not doing it intentionally. I’ve often wondered whether, if millionaires and billionaires woul just pay their political contributions into the IRS as conscience gifts instead of giving them to politicians, we could fund Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and other similar programs just fine.

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Apr 302026
 

Yesterday, SCROTUS eviscerated the Voting Rights Act. I’m not providing a link because the news is everywhere. I am not saying this in its defense, because there is no defense. But I presume they are looking at Clarence to justify their illusion that people of color are less intelligent. (If they would look at Ketanji, they would not be able to hold on to that lie.) Also yesterday, I received an email which included a poll. I almost never respond to those polls which are sent out, for the simple reason that they include no way to express one’s specific feelings about a person or an issue, and my feelings are generally far more nuanced that the possible responses provided. But this poll had a response which actually nailed my feelings, and even allowed me to add s few words explaining why, so I did respond. If that piques your curiosity, here’s the link. You need to scroll down below the petition to get to the poll part, but not far.

This article comes with a roughly 45 minute video which covers in detail corruption which is a matter of public record but which has been under the radar for at least 30 years. You don’t need to watch it – I’m just telling you so you can make a more informed decision.

This feels like a good day to post an article titled “Six Solutions to Fix the Supreme Court” = particularly when it’s from The Brennan Center.

https://archive.is/h1zxW
Archived from The Lever, the brainchild of David Sirota, a former campaign manager for Bernie Sanders, and a Substack personality in his own right. It’s in the category of “investigative journalism.” The case in the title is a civil suit in Maine. There’s a link to the actual complaint, but the complainants are three named groups and the defendants are six individuals, in their capacities as elected or appointed officials of the state of Maine. Heaven only knows what the short name will end up being.

Dog/Squirrel

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Apr 222026
 

Today is (International) Earth Day. It is also the last day of the US-Iran 14 day ceasefire, unless an extension has been or is negotiated. Today’s video is all about the SCROTUS “Shadow Docket.” It has an ad right in the middle – if I start after it, you’ll miss all the background. But he wears a very different shirt for the ad, so it should be easy to stop it, run the red dot past it, and pick up when he starts on the subject again.

From Ukrainform. You gotta respect Zelenskyy’s courage to push for a meeting with not one, not two, but three fascists, for peace negotiations. I am not a mind reader nor a prophet (my name is Joanne, not Jeane – remember her?), but I personally suspect that Putin will not stop until very single person in his military is dead, or until he is, whichever comes first.

About half of young Americans can’t name a single Holocaust site, repeating a pattern of ignorance seen in postwar Germany. Knowing what has happened to education in the US since I was in school, I shouldn’t be surprised – but I was, for about a second.

I do agree with Robert Reich. It would be a toss-up between him and Alito, if it weren’t for the fact that Thomas is a known sexual abuser.

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Apr 022026
 

Yesterday, SCROTUS took oral arguments on a Birthright Citizenship case. Adam Klasfeld was there, and spoke afterwards with Jen Rubin for The Contrarian, and the head of LULAC was also there. Then Klasfeld spoke with Andrea Flores, who works with immigration issues usually not involving Latinx, but often involving TPS. The Supreme Misleader was present in court (the first time in history a sitting US President has been present at SCROTUS during oral arguments), apparently just to intimidate by his presence. It doesn’t appear to have worked, although we won’t know for certain until the opinions come down. (Incidentally, I am not the only person who has noticed that Neil Gorsuch has a soft spot for Indigenous Americans. (Klasfeld phrased it differently, though – he says Gorsuch is “all about Native Americans.”) Thomas surprised by making the point that it is important that the 14th Amendment addresses citizenship in the States as well as in the nation (we may want to amend the Amendment to specify territories as well.)

Archived from Forbes, shared with me by Carrie B. I figure if we want to humiliate him by pointing and laughing (which seems to be about the only thing those of us not in public office can do to really get under his skin), we need things to point and laugh at – and this one looks to me like a doozy. (I am not old enough to actually remember seeing a Duesenberg, but I have it on pretty good authority that that is what the word derives from.)

I see this from The Independent as another example of Kristi Noem’s taste in men – which is, to say the least – unusual.

Whether or not this from Talking Feds deserves a short take as opposed to just a mention, it’s getting a short take. If you can think of an emotion, other than anger, that can lead to change in one’s life or in the world, I’d be interested to hear it. (And yes, I realize it doesn’t always work alone.)

Cat

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Mar 232026
 

Yesterday, I saw Virgil, we played cribbage, he loved my latest sweater. I now do not have to worry about getting home by sunset – but I do need to watch the time of sunrise. I drive south to see him, and, although the sun rises in the east, at this time of the year where I live, the sun is always toward the south (I’m guessing that where Lona lives, it always tends toward the north.) This makes it shine right into my eyes if it is too low. I was lucky yesterday in that it was just enough overcast to spare me until it got high enough to be above my windows. And, again, at this time of year, that will only get better up to the summer solstice. I had not heard from Nameless on my day off question, and I hasn’t heard from him here or in email since the 15, do I sent an email, and I’ happy to say he is fine – just computer issues. Well, we all know how that is! He mentioned he had commented Saturday, but I couldn’t see it, and it was not in moderation – I checked. Anyway, I am taking tomorrow off, so don’t panic if there is no Open Thread. I’ll be back on Wednesday.

This column is mostly about the SCROTUS calendar – which is normal during their argument-hearing season. Right at the top is the issue of accepting or not accepting ballots postmarked before (or possibly on) Election Day if they are received late. When Colorado went to all mail voting, it decided we would not accept them late (at least not from people inside the state – I don’t know about overseas and/or military since I was well out of the military when we went to all mail.) But for that reason, they send out the ballots very early so we have plenty of time to research. And also plenty of drop boxes in case we are procrastinators. And they print the must-be-received warning on virtually all election materials. As far as I know, it hasn’t been an issue here.

I moved (from California) to Colorado in 1976, to Alamosa, and then in 1991 to Colorado Springs, And the Air Force Academy was already doing this unconstitutional crap. But – in 1977 James Dobson founded Focus on the Family in Southern California. In 1991, FOTF moved to Colorado Springs. They were in a building downtown until they built their campus around 1998. If they were the only such organization I wouldn’t bother to bring it up. But in the 90’s (I think actually starting in the 80’s) fundamentalist “Christian” organizations were coming to Colorado Springs like flies to – well, you know. And that presence had an effect on the Air Force Academy. An Unconstitutional effect. Obviously I don’t know what the Academy was like before 1991. But as far as I can remember, it has been subject to Christian Nationalist pressure. I don’t think West Point and Annapolis have been affected – certainly not to the extent the Air Force Academy has – and I know darned well Quantico wasn’t when I was in OCS/OBT. I didn’t meet a whole bunch of Air Force officers when I was in, but the ones I met were not Christian Nationalists. I don’t doubt there were Christian Nationalists in the service when I was, but I was fortunate not to meet any – and not just including the chaplains – but especially not the chaplains. None of that is to say that the Air Force Academy doesn’t need a massive turning over of tables with whips, because it does. It has for a long time. Nor do I think it isn’t a danger, because it is. But I do think it’s still an anomaly – for now.

I’ve spent so much time following the Iran war, I didn’t even know there was a blockade of Cuba. Color me embarrassed. You can’t make this stuff up.

Robert Reich did not make this – but he endorsed it by putting it on his personal YouTube channel

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Feb 052026
 

Yesterday, I heard from Harry Dunn that he is running for Congress. In case anyone has forgotten, he was the Capitol policeman who tricked the January 6 rioters into following him instead of gong into the Senate chambers that day, which gave the Senate time to secure the door. He led them into what was essentially a dead end, risking his life. He hasn’t been on progressive TV or podcasts as much as, say, Michael Fanone, but he is as much a hero, if not more. In much less exciting news, my exterminator came and found some improvement. That surprised me, given how far down my energy has been, but it was a nice surprise.

This from Joyce Vance is important enough that you have probably seen it. As her title suggests, the court has trapped itself – if they approve gerrymanders for Republicans because they are political, not racial, they cannot deny them to Democrats for the same reason.. I expect Karma is laughing her head off.

I don’t subscribe to Dean Blundell‘s Substack – if I tried to subscribe to every worthwhile Substack – well, there just aren’t enough hours in a day. But Democratic Underground tipped me off to this. and I hadn’t seen it elsewhere and consider it important.

This is an 8-9 minute video post, which I am including because Chris Bowers, though clear headed, comes across as more of an optimist. Steve Schmidt, who comes across as more of a pessimist, is saying the same thing. For anyone who is worried enough about this that it is slowing you down, there is an organization for Democratic Secretaries of State (DASS) which is deeply committed to safeguarding our elections, and can always use some help. (And it’s the states which have Democratic Secretaries which will probably need help the most.)

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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.

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Dec 312025
 

Yesterday, I had set my alarm for earlier than I got up on Monday. I plan to set it earlier each day to try to ease into the weekend so that I can at least expect to arise in daylight – which is now moving the right direction for me, if only by a few seconds every day. I did that last week, though I didn’t start as soon, and it seemed to help.

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/if-the-market-were-working-well-we
My local radio station has added a Sunday night show to its lineup – it’s been on for a while now, maybe even more than a year – called “Broadway Rhythm.” Some episodes will run through a full musical, others will follow the career of a composer. Some will focus on the careers of divas (or divos.) A theme might be a particular time period, or musicals which made cultural change – limited only by the host’s creativity. Last Sunday the theme was songs from musicals which became standards. Included was “If I Were A Rich Man” from Fiddler On The Roof. One line in particular caught my ear: “And it won’t make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong. When you’re rich they think you really know.” Isn’t that the truth – and how the heck do we (and by we I mean the entire human race) get our collective heads out of that septic tank?!?? The only think you can be positive a rich person “really knows” is how to cheat without consequences.

Heather Cox Richardson on the SCROTUS decision which was favorable to us for a change. I may be seeing things. but it has me wondering whether the fascist justices have an organized system of taking turns being the one who gets the be the one who writes a sane opinion, so that when we get the chance, we won’t know whom to impeach. I hope I’m wrong.

This is from All Rise News, which is run by Adam Klasfeld. I only recently heard of him – this is only the second time I have seen him – but both Harry Litman and also Joyce Vance swear by him. Both Harry and Joyce look at any kind of court case which catches their attention, but Adam concentrates on high profile (or should -be-high-profile) DOJ cases. This one concerns Kilmar Abrego Garcia and how it appears that the gang that couldn’t shoot straight has shot themselves in the foot again.

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