Open Thread December 22 2025

 Posted by at 1:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 222025
 

Yesterday, I got an email from Jasmine Crockett about a new poll – she is leading the Republican by 9 points, 51% to 43%, and this was just days after she entered the race. Fingers crossed! Also Trinette was by. Always so great to see her. We didn’t talk as much as usual – she is learning to crochet and  I’m doing my best to help make it easier.

ICE Has Domestic Abuser Agent Locked Up In Their Own Facility


When I first saw this story, I hoped o find it in “Law & Order” – but no luck I’d love to see what their take would be. It seems to me wrong on so many levels.

https://archive.is/ICy7q
This (archived) from The Nation is not brand new, but I just received it yesterday from Dose of Democracy. All things considered, it probably should not be surprising, but I hadn’t thought about it. So I was surprised.

https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/jfk-vs-donald-trump
This is not new either – except to me, probably. I was alive and I believe sentient during the Kennedy Presidential campaign, though not old enough to vote. I graduated from high school that year and started my freshman year of college. And I knew Kennedy had served in the US Navy during World War II. I had heard about PT-109. But I never realized that he and 12 others had been been presumed dead and actually had a funeral service. Steve Schmidt brings it up now to emphasize the contrast between JFK and the Orange Oligarch.

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Open Thread October 16 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 162025
 

Yesterday, a video of a conversation between Andrew Weissman and Jack Smith was getting attention, including from me. The total time on it is an hour and almost 20 minutes. But at the beginning, the first 6 minutes and 20 seconds are the UCL spokesperson giving Weissman’s resume, and after that, Weissman gives Smith’s resume and then asks him about it, and, to a degree, ethical type questions about, e.g., how a righteous prosecution can be determined. My interest is primarily in the Trump**(*) cases, as I suppose is everyone’s here. Given a choice, I would start watching at the 34:43 mark when Andrew asks Jack to explain “special counsel.” But you could certainly wait until about the 42:00 mark. Either way cuts it down significantly

This from Common Dreams is a piece of analysis, and a fairly deep one at that. If you don’t find it helpful, that’s OK. I’m not crazy myself about how the author uses “Israel” as shorthand for “the government of Israel,” but I ay be oversensitive because I too now live in a country whose governmen does horrible things not supported by all the people.

Yes, I realize Politico is iffy. But they seem to be the ones who did the reporting which everyone else is citing as evidence of just how much trouble we are in. And Politico and everyone who is citing them may in fact be underestimating.

Research from The Conversation. It makes no sense to me, and it probably won’t to you either. But to me the key question, which is missing from the article, is what can we do about it? Can education help immunize people against it? Or is it somehow an inborn trait?

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Open Thread October 3 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 032025
 

Yesterday, the details of an ICE raid on an apartment building in Chicago were published, including by Wonkette. It appears they simply broke down every door in the building, detained everyone, then after some hours released those they had been able to confirm were citizens. If you don’t want to read about it, I don’t blame you but here’s the link anyway.

This from The Conversation goes along with the article earlier this week about learning to be defiant. If a serious, dedicated scholar can be as far off about what the Third Reich looked like from inside, the rest of us need to take notice now.

Wow. Just Wow. Wonkette – well, it isn’t actually Wonkette which nails it – it’s District Judge Young, but Wonkette serves it up. And it inspired me to use a cartoon I have been holding, because it makes it so clear that it isn’t words, and certainly not words alone, which make terrorists.

This HuffPost article sheds some light on the Federal shutdown. And also on the messaging. Our messaging is pretty clear, and self explanatory, if anyone who needs to hear it will ever hear it (and believe it – they are so accustomed to believing six impossible things before breakfast that getting their belief is not exactly guaranteed.)

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Open Thread May 1 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 012025
 

Yesterday, Colorado Public Radio news was unusually consequential. Stories about a father who protested Saturday because his son has Bloom Syndrome and who doesn’t want the regime defunding medical research, another about Venezuelan immigrants in Colorado and our court case to keep them, another about a teen girl abducted from Missouri getting found in Fort Collins and more. I’m saving the one about the book banning lawsuit for Sunday because our side had a victory (which will be appealed.) The whole newsletter was kind of overwhelming. Especially on a day when my entire inbox was much like that – to the point where I feel the need to post three articles – and it easily could have been six.

I doubt whether there is any one reading here – or anyone who has ever read her – who needs to be told the premise of this HuffPost article. Nor is it news to us. We’ve been saying it ourselves for years. But it should be somewhat satisfying – it is to me – to see it being said out loud, in print, by a major messenger. Anything anyone can do to spread it cannot possibly hurt and might help.

This from Talking Points Memo was also discussed (including a couple of clips) by Mary Trump in her nightly video. The host – I think she said Terry Moran – kept his cool marvelously. I don’t know that I could have- this type of exchange takes me back to my childhood when my grandmother used to use this defense – deny, deny, deny – over things as simple as doing th family ironing. It made me cfazy then and it still does.

If you are looking for an elected Democrat who is a real fighter, Heather Cox Richardson has the one for you (and me.) You may have heard that J. B, Pritzer (Gov IL) gave a rousing speech, but you may not have seen this many direct quotes from it, and they are needed to give you the real flavor of it.

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Open Thread March 26 2025

 Posted by at 6:09 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 262025
 

Yesterday, ProPublica released the results of an investigation they did into “Terrorgram.” They worked in cooperation with PBS’s “Frontline,” and if you watch it regularly, you saw this last night. if not, you can read about it here, and or pick up links to YouTube, the PBS a[[, and Frontline’s website, and watch it at one of those. Only by knowing how these – people – operate can we hope to detect them and report them. Also yesterday, Louis DeJoy resigned – at the worst possible time. Just at the right moment for the Valencia Vlad-the-Impaler to appoint a lunatic who will buy and privatize the Postal Service. Is Philadelphia having earthquakes? Benjamin Franklin is probably finding that turning over is not enough, and taking up break dancing instead.

Yeah, “The Week Ahead” is late. But she has put together a number of related ideas that are being mentioned, but mostly not together, and personalizing it from her own experience.

Also late, and also from Joyce Vance, a discussion of something Judge Boasberg might do (or, of course, might not, but he seems like someone who might.) Incidentally, if you see anyone refer to him as “Jeb” Boasberg, J.E.B. are his initials. There is precedent for the nickname.

This is old from Wonkette also. But it is so surreal that I couldn’t resist.

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Open Thread October 28, 2023

 Posted by at 6:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 282023
 

Yesterday, the mass shooting in Maine reached some other news outlets, including Wonkette. I heard about it a couple of days ago from Joyce Vance. I wanted more detail before passing it on, but her take did inspire me to make today’s cartoon, and bump a different one (which I hadn’t finished anyway). Also, I received the email that my ballot has been counted. I can now display the “I voted” sticker, which was thoughtfully included in the envelope with the blank ballot. And I came across today’s Food for Thought, which is clearly a Public Service Announcement, so by all means pass it on.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Wonkette (Substack) – Search Continues For Whichever Antifa Biden Lib Forced Maine Shooter To Pretend To Be A Right-Winger
Quote – America is picking its way through the aftermath of yet another mass shooting, this time in Lewiston, Maine, where at least 18 people died and at least 13 others were wounded … when another previously law abiding gun owner stopped abiding the law and shot up a bowling alley and a restaurant. The reported casualty numbers … have varied widely, and may well rise. The suspected shooter is still at large as we write this, as law enforcement from all over join in searching for the shooter or perhaps his body and cable news fills time with expert opinion. People in the area have been told to shelter in place until the shooter is found. Businesses and schools are closed in Lewiston and several other locations around the state.
Click through for details – not that they aren’t much like every other details from every other mass shooting ever. Only the names and the numbers seem to change.

The Root – Freddie Krueger Who? Karen is the Real Face of Terror For Black America
Quote – In a world where law enforcement violence against Black Americans is far too common, where stereotypes still abound, the true face of terror is not Chucky or the Nun. It’s Karen…. Doesn’t matter if the Black person in question is a man or a woman. Doesn’t matter if they are strong or weak. Doesn’t matter if they are an adult or a child. Karen can get them. She can still drag them to hell.
Click through for story. Heaven knows people of any hue can find Karens annoying. But white people tend not to think of them as weapons of war. We need to look harder – and deeper. This goes back at leeast to the antebellum south and the character of “Miss Ann.” And it has been, and still can be, deadly.

Food For Thought

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Open Thread October 18, 2023

 Posted by at 6:06 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 182023
 

Yesterday, this paragraph was in the public radio newsletter: “Colorado said the bridge that collapsed near Pueblo in a fatal train derailment was owned by the railroad company, but the company says the state owns it.” It’s going to be a long wait. Sigh. “Photos and videos posted by authorities showed the partially collapsed bridge with the semi-truck caught beneath in the right lane. The images also show a pileup of train cars and wheels scattered across the scene and loads of coal covering a portion of the highway. Thirty-nine cars of the 124 being hauled derailed, the National Transportation Safety Board said.”

Also, my ballot arrived.  I already knew how I wanted to vote on the two issues, but there is also a school board election.  Five candiedates.  Two vacancies.  At least this time Ballotpedia came through on a couple of them (one yes, one no) and another candidate ‘s name was unusual enough that just her name brought up that she’s registered D.  So I had two that I could vote for, and did.  The other two should have filled out the questionnaires.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

John Pavlovitz – The One Place to Stand in The Israel-Palestine Violence
Quote – As a person of faith, morality, and conscience, I don’t know where to stand in times like these—other than with squandered, brutalized life. That means I don’t get off so easy as to be able to make a tidy little declaration and walk away feeling good about myself. It means I have to leave the shallows of ambiguity and into deep waters of nuance and history and human nature. It means I have to read and learn, to listen and reflect, to pray and wrestle. It means I’ll end up with fewer answers and more questions and I might be sick to my stomach. But this place of staring at the ugly unfigureoutable is where I am, where many of us are.
Click through for full secular sermon – which is what I found it to be. Yes, John is a pastor, but he does his best to speak to everyone, and often succeeds. I think he succeeds here.

Colorado Public Radio – Navy honors sailor who helped stop Club Q shooting
Quote – During a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 5, Rear Adm. Scott Robertson, director of Plans, Policy and Strategy for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command, presented the medal on behalf of the Navy…. “I myself can only hope that I would channel the courage in our Navy core values like he did,” Robertson said. “But, we don’t have to wait for crisis to apply core values. We can and should apply them every day. That’s what I am taking away from the lessons you taught us all.”
Click through for full story.  This is a week or more old – I saved it until Pat got back. Thank God Tommy Tuberville didn’t have his way before this occurred – it could have been much worse.

Food For Thought

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Open Thread December 1, 2022

 Posted by at 6:50 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 012022
 

Yesterday, the newsletter from The Conversation had three different articles onn genetics, two of which related directly to conflict during pregnancy between the mother’s and father’s genes, The third focused on how assumptions can disguise the meaning of the evidence as to whether certain traits are genetic or not. Coming so soon after the short take we had on genetic anomalies, I was interested, but a short take will not do justice to the subject. Instead, I’ll provide links to all of them, here, here, and here. I will warn you that the authors use anthromorphism to make some points – genes don’t (as far as we can tell have consciousness, and therefore they don’t “want” to do things, nor do they experience feelings of hostility. But the effects are as if they did.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks & Liars – Report: Feds Are Still Not Concentrating On Domestic Terror
Quote – Although the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have identified domestic terrorism, specifically white supremacist violence, as “the most persistent and lethal terrorist threat,” the federal government has continued to allocate resources to focus on international terrorist threats instead, according to the report.
Click through for article (and a link to C&L’s source.) I can think of reasons – mostly having to do with relative difficulty. But, doggonit, if one thing is more dangerous than another, we need to focus on the thing which is more dangerous, no matter how difficult it is to do so.

Axios – Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes found guilty of seditious conspiracy
Quote – Why it matters: Rhodes, a prominent figure within far-right American politics, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison from the conviction, [and] the jury also found him guilty on other charges…. The big picture: The verdicts may serve as a preview for the upcoming trial against Proud Boys leader Henry “Enrique” Tarrio and other members who were also charged with seditious conspiracy for their actions around and on the day of the riot.
Click through for details. While technically this does not set a “legal precedent” (but it will, I’m betting – Rhodes lawyer says he will appeal, and I trust it will fail), it will help give confedence to any other prosecutors wh, becaue the last time before not the charges was pressed (in 2010),the jury failed to convict.

Food For Thought

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