Jan 052026
 

Saturday, as everyone knows by now, the United States invaded Venezuela and kidnapped its president (and, although not many are stressing that, the first lady.) This is way too big a story to deal with definitively here, and the (roughly 40 minute) video to which I link covers what this is going to look like in American courts. Our regime has obtained a superseding indictment which means that which judge it will go to first is probably already determined – I say probably because (as the video ends with) “there’s no box that squid can’t get out of.” I just sent a letter to my Senators – not that this Senate will do anything – but in it I pointed out that any form of immunity a criminal may enjoy in his own nation is not applicable to a defendant before the International Criminal Court. If the regime comes to get me, it’s up to you, Nameless. Also, thankfully, Trinette came by and made the afternoon a whole lot better. And I got a little knitting done also.

Referred by Daily Dose of Democracy from Yahoo News, this information should surprise no one. The key word, IMO, is “branded.” Every script I use is generic except for one, and that one isn’t covered by Medicare anyway, so I get that reimbursed through my HRA. My part D premium actually goes down tis year – only about $5 a month, but down is still down.

When I saw this article, I thought it might, through sheer numbers, address Nameless’s wondering why some people travel so far to adopt a pet. But it doesn’t. Adams County is shaped like a silhouette of the long side of a shoe box, assuming a dog or cat has been chewing at the southwestern third and taken a chunk out. That western third (less the chunk) is part of greater metro Denver, and the eastern two thirds is farmland. The population of Adams County is oevr a half million – right around 575 hundred thou. I would expect there to be enough interest in pet ownership among that many people to absorb up to 8,000 (or even 9,000) in any given year, so that some people looking for a pet would have to go elsewhere. And I would be wrong. The shelter has a fairly consistent population of 350-400 exclusive of farm animals )which they have just acquired a barn to house and don’t have stats yet.) From the videos we see, though, people who adopt a pet from elsewhere than home territory seem to be mostly people who were away from home when an animal adopted them, not the other way around. One can’t really predict or control that.

Joyce Vance reports on something I didn’t know existed – the Chief Justice’s annual report on the state of the Judiciary. She is not impressed.

This cartoon is from a collection called “What our allies are saying.” I am providing the link to it because it was impossible to pick just one.

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Dec 042025
 

Yesterday, Andy Borowitz headlined his Substack “Trump Boasts That International Criminal Court in The Hague Has Invited Him to Receive Award.” Considering what that would actually imply, would that it were true. Oh, well, I can dream. Also, yestersay was World Coati Day. Coatis, (or coatimundi, which was the name I learned as a kid, but I guess ispretty well limited to Brazil these days) are members of the raccoon family. They are somewhat rare jn the US, being limited to the Southwest, but more common in Central and South America, including Mexico. Oh, and also, it snowed – dirst of the season, about 3 inches and still on the ground at sunset. Unsurprisingly, it was cold.

This from The Independent was referred by Daily Dose of Democracy. I suppose it makes sense in a really, really warped kind of way. And we already knew that this regime is really, really warped. But good grief, what next?

Robert Reich tells us nothing here that we aren’t (probably) already aware of. But he does it so well – and offers possible solutions. Not easy solutions – I don’t think there are any of those – but possible. And he’s more than willing to hear about others from any reader who has any suggestions.

Harry Litman is not a veteran, but he knows a thing or two about military law, and First Amendment history, anyway. This is the second of a two-part analysis of the reaction to the veterans’ video regarding illegal orders. “I was just following orders” has not been a valid legal defense since the Nuremberg trials – almost my entire lifetime.

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Nov 052025
 

Yesterday, The news was that Dick Cheney has died. Obviously I’m no fan, and I doubt anyone here is. But he did tell Liz to “Save the Republic,” and she did work on the Jan 6 committee, and she is fundraising for Democratic candidates such as Zoe Lofgren now, and I wouldn’t mind telling her she has my sympathy. If anyone sees any such petition, please let me know. Also, it appears we won a trifecta in Virginia – a state where the Gov and Lt Gov run separately rather than on a ticket – bu we won both. And their legislative House. I’m also seeing reports that Mikie Sherrill won the Governor’s race in New Jersey, but that is not official as I type. I hope it’s correct. And Zohran Mamdami won the New York City Mayoralty.

Heather Cox Richardson starts with Nick Fuentes (and Groypers) and proceeds into other Republican officials, advisers, and influencers, all disgusting. Unfortunately, however, it’s true – you can’t tell the players without a program. This is (among other things) the program.

Robert Reich , because the current Federal government would never consider a wealth tax, is working on one to propose in California. They hope to get it onto the ballot in 2026. He says there are other states looking at it, but doesn’t mention which states.

Okay, okay, this is not news – it is Borowitz. I read the headline and mentally responded, “Don’t tease me, bro.” But actually – now is not the time for it to be good news. Don’t think they could not find someone worse!

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Jul 172025
 

Yesterday, I had a good night’s sleep the previous night. I suspect because, though heaven knows I have plenty of stuff to worry about, major changes in my medications aren’t among them. Also, this from John Pavlovitz caught my eye, and since it’s in the periphery of politics rather than being actually political, I decided to put it in as an extra. It just makes sense that authoritarian men (and women) are weak, since they need the assurance of authoritarian power. Egalitarians would naturally be stronger, because by definitions they (we) have faith in their (our) own judgment.

This from Lever News has a few popups, including, ironically, one for a popup blocker. But they all closed and I could read the whole article. However, I went to archive.is for those who don’t like popups – and, also ironically, the archived version has a frozen popup – it only hides most of the title and part of a photo, and the article is intact. Either should work.

This is from the “Wolves and Sheep” Substack, which is not part of but does have a relationship to Bowers News Media, to which I do subscribe. It doesn’t state much, if anything, which isn’t obvious if you think about it. But who has time to think in this chaos? And there’s alwaus a need for Captain Obvious, because the obvious, exactly because it is obvious, can be difficult to see as obvious, as opposed to being a given (and therefore safe to ignore.) I for one am grateful that someone – someone on our side – is not ignoring it.

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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?

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May 092025
 

Yesterday, I picked up some Belle videos. She’s still posting four a day, and of course they are all of interest, but to different groups, so they are no means all of equal interest to PP readers. Sometimes the choices are tough. Also, I picked up some music parodies, including a Canadian parodist I was not familiar with. Tomorrow, I’ll post his praise for Australia – for Lona. Also, there is a new Pope (or in Latin, Habemus Papa) on only the second day of the conclave. His papal name is Leo XIV, and I don’t know much else about him, but he appears to be someone Francis himself might have chosen. He was born in Chicago, so (not all) American Catholics are going nuts over the first American Pope. In America we have so many – or maybe they aren’t that many, but they are loud – bishops and archbishops who are Nazis that I was worried. But I’m not sure he should be called an American Pope, except in the broadest sense – he was born in the US but has mostly worked in Peru and is a naturalized Peruvian citizen.

This Letter is about corruption in general, which includes tariffs along with many other grifts. If you want to know exactly how the Apricot Antichrist is grifting you (and the rest of the nation), this is the place to come. But wait – there’s more. The following day’s letter follows up on the first one.

I certainly don’t want to encourage complacency, but if Robert Hubbell is reading the room correctly, this is worth at the very least a sigh of relief.

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May 072025
 

Yesterday, I see I forgot to post at the regular time again.  I hope I didn’t scare anyone, or at least not too much.  I also got an email with a petition from the PAC “Patriotic Millionaires.” The petition is certainly an interesting idea, and I would suggest a good one. But you can make up your own mind on that. Also yesterday, Axios announced that there is a new PAC called “Ban the Trade” dedicated to passing legislation barring Congresscritters from trading on the stock market. And it appears they are going to hoist the traders with their own petard (bomb). Finally, Ann Telnaes has won the Pulitzer for cartooning. Take that, Jeff Bezos!

I no longer get the Daily Beast directly, but The Lever sent me this today, and I feel compelled to share it. Imagine holding a grudge since 1988. For that matter, imagine holding a grudge against a work of art, not just against the artist, but against all its viewers, including those who weren’t even born yet.

June 14 is, among other things, Flag Day. It’s also being called as No Kings Day and mass demonstrations are being organized. Here’s the link to find an event near you.

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Feb 282025
 

Today is the day we are all supposed to avoid buying anything, in person or on line. Robert Reich is one of those calling for this action. The more who participate the better, as there will always be some who didn’t get the words, and some who will over-buy just to spite us. Today is also the beginning of Ramadan. It can come at any time of the year, being based on a specific lunar calendar unique to Islam, but when it comes at this time of the year, it can be tempting to think “Oh, that’a the Islamic version of Lent.” It isn’t. Both involve fasting, sure, but with a different approach. With Lent the approach is penitential, and it’s nos supposed to be fun. In Islam, the fasting is approached with joy. And while both come to an end of triumph of some kind, that too is different from the Christian calendar. There’s a big gap between being gifted with the Holy Book and rising from the dead. I am not in any way about to say the one is better – rather I hope to call a little attention to the fact that loving our neighbors becomes easier if we are open to looking at our similarities and differences though others’ eyes and not just through our own.

Mary Trump is, quite reasonably, not happy that main stream media outlets are not taking the danger we are in seriously. And she is right. There are a few people on MSN we can still trust – but we have to wonder for how long. And being able to trust a few individuals does not mean being able to trust the station. I was aware of each point Mary made before reading this, and I expect all the readers here were also. But that’s because we care. So many people don’t – so many claim to “not do politics” and apparently have no idea that politics does them. Sigh.

Robert Reich sums it up. Not everyone on Substack allows unpaid subscribers to read comments – but Reich does. And his readers mange to have actual conversations (which you can see by clicking on the number of replies listed under each post shown.)

ProPublica exposes the collaboration of HUD. Although with all the Mango Monster’s nominees getting confirmed, I don’t expect them to be alone. What’s happening at Defense may be the most obviously scary, but there is plenty of other damage which is being done.

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