Open Thread March 3 2026

 Posted by at 6:03 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 032026
 

Yesterday, I watched Malcolm Nance’s Day 3. I intend to watch it every day it continues, which means as long as the war lasts (assuming I live that long), but not to report on it here. These reports contain too much detail, including a lot of detail which may be important but may not appear so. Yesterday I provided a link from which anyone can reach the day’s report s it is posted, or subscribe for free to have links sent to their email. I won’t say that something said there might not color my comments on something else, because it might, but I also won’t promise it. I will give you a link to one more longish – about a half hour – video which I expect to be a one-off by Adam Klasfeld (because his primary area of journalism is within courts in the US). It’s about the Rules of Engagement and related topics and features a legal expert in that area.

Archived from The Lever News. You can’t hear it in the archive, but I think most prefer to read anyway. The Lever has just about all the dark money sources nailed here. There are some I haven’t heard of.

There are other things going on besides an unjust, unprovoked, illegal, unconstitutional war. Here are some of them.

While listening to the audio version of this The F* News article, I was thinking – so what should the people of the US do? Well, what if you were an abused wife who learned that your abusive husband had hired a hit man to kill you? You’d probably attempt to get into a shelter, along with any children (and pets – but good luck with that). Obviously that’s not feasible for a nation, but it still might be a mindset to consider.

Share

Open Thread February 9 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 092026
 

Yesterday, the drive to Pueblo was pretty easy – sunshine, some cloud cover when needed most, no snow or water on the roads. We played cribbage of course, and had a wild variety of hands. I don’t think I’ve ever seen more three-of-a-kinds in a single session, and Virgil had a hand with four fives (but not, alas, a Jack.) Going home was a different story. I couldn’t get the car started despite help from several guards, and ended up having to go back into the lobby to call my roadside assistance insurance company. I did get a tow truck and driver who was able to both take me home and tow the car to the garage I’ve trusted literally for decades. but it was quite dark when I came home (exhausted). I won’t have an estimate until today, and am pretty sure I’ll have to postpone my appointment tomorrow for lab work. I didn’t do that last night because I didn’t have a clue for how long I’d better postpone it.

I’m sharing both Joyce Vance’s “Sunday Morning Wrap-Up” and her “The Week Ahead,” both of which I received Sunday It’s a lot of information, but it’s coherent and graspable.

This is the third opinion piece I have referenced on the topic of possible presidential election interference. This one is by Robert Reich – it’s hard to argue with Robert Reich. I do think there might be states, or even just countire, in which he could get away with his violent plans. But thereare also a lot of states protected by Democratic Secretaries of State, most if not all of whom are members of DASS and are already planning for his potential assaults.

Belle VZ oil

Dog

Share

Open Thread December 2 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 022025
 

Yesterday, Fair Fight Colorado announced that a ballot measure has been announced in Colorado to join the redistrict fight. Colorado has officially declined to transfer Tina Peters into federal custody. And CPR also told the state that we lost a (D) state Senator last week, in a 5-car crash on I-70.

In one way it could be called good news that there is yet another prominent Reagan-appointed judge who cannot abide Metamucillini, but it’s not good news that he has therefore resigned. I do get it, and he articulates it very well, and of course he couldn’t stay – but that’s also one less judge who can be trusted at a time when he admits trust in the government, and particularly the DOJ, is at an all-time low – and for good reason.

At least I am getting to “The Week Ahead” on Tuesday this week. She apologizes for it being long, and also says it’s incomplete. So fasten your metaphorical seat belts. Here we go.

Politizoom is the only place I saw this story, and it didn’t arrive until a bit after 8 pm (7 pm Pacific), so it’s as hot a story as you are ever likely to see here. My uncle lived in Stockton until I was about 12 or 13, so that caught my eye, but it was “Child’s birthday party” that really hit me. Four dead, three of them children, and ten injured.

Share

Open Thread November 26 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 262025
 

n Sunday, Richard Ojeda (remember him from when I was posting a separate video roundup daily? He’s now running for Congress, and I hope he wins. He’s a fighter) publicly defended the six veterans unlawful order video, and of course pissed off MAGA. His response appeared yesterday. Also yesterday, The Smile reported that AOC has donated 1600 turkeys to hungry people in her district. Tell me again how both sides are the same. Also, my “Daily Dose of Democracy” newsletter said that Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation is just the first of what will be a bunch. You would think a MAGA President would be aware how whiny MAGA members are, but apparently not. An unnamed GOP rep said “”This entire White House team has treated ALL members like garbage. ALL…” and threatened the loss of the majority by the GOP before the midterms. Hey, from his mouth to God’s ear!

From Democratic Underground. Not exactly news – but I love it. I love what it says – and even more what it doesn’t say.

From Common Dreams. Only 70%? Sorry, but that’s not even close to where it should be (heck, more people disapprove of Citizens United than of a shooting, killing war for no reason.) Venezuela is not Iraq – there was some excuse for falling for that one. This time – not so much.

Yes, Wednesday is a bit late for “The Week Ahead.” But it wouldn’t surprise me if it is still unfolding. This week is another big one.

Anothe Robert Reich vid, shared at his request

Share

Open Thread October 21 2025

 Posted by at 10:23 pm  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Oct 202025
 

Yesterday, I was exhausted so slept in. But here’s what I know about the projection project:

This link goes to an Act Blue page with a couple of pix of physical posters. I haven’t yet found pix of any projections..

And here’s what I know about No Kings Day: the initial total participation nationwide was estimated at over 7 million. On the spot estimates are kind of rough, so that may change. I did the math, and to meet the three and a half percent rulr, we would need just under 12 million nationwide. Some events did over perform. Theres a little town in Colorado with 500 population which brought out 150 people. That’s 30%, and impressive.

As for the No Kings Day signs – they were many unique, all creative, and some surprising. Meidas Touch complied a Top 40 List, which needs four links because Substack can only post up to 10 images in one article. I found a couple at Steve Schmidt’s The Warning that made me smile – one said “There will be hell toupée” and the other “They’re eating the Checks, They’re eating the balances.

Here’s Meidas Touch, in reverse order because it was presented as a countdown.
Meidas 31-40
Meidas 21-30
Meidas 11-20
Meidas 1-10\

And here’s Steve Schmidt’s

If you think you have to be brave to go out and protest when you are white – think for a minute about how brave you have to be to go out and protest when you are Black. Or LatinX. The Root shared a list of Black celebrities who took part (not all were physically present, and I get that – but f the regime decides it wants to find them, it will.) I expect Jasmine Crockett will surprise no one.

I enjoy Jeff Tiedrich quotes when I run into them, but generally don’t go to his site. This time I did for his massive, mostly pictorial report on No Kings – and I don’t think I’ll need to tell you which publication referred me.

This is not a “No Kings” report. Harry Litman thinks it might be possible for the State of New York to overturn the commutation of George Santos’s sentence, and I see his point. Unfrotunately, that does not nexesssarily mean it would be easy.

There is less than usual in this about The Week Ahead, and more about last week. But the section on Abrego Garcia caught my eye – and hopefully it will illuminate not just this week but also future court cases – depending on how it is decided, which of course reflects and depends on judicial ethics.

One piece of last-minute good news which shouldn’t have to wait for Sunday.

I clicked the arong button and posted this last night, but am leaving it – it’s long and took more time than usual to put together.

Share

Open Thread February 25 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 252025
 

Yesterday, I had not even finished with Sunday’s emails, and then I slept in even more than I planned to, because, after being drowsy all day, I still had some difficulty getting to sleep Sunday night. So a lot of them from both days went into my files without being read first. Also, just for my own satisfaction, I looked up “musk” (little “m”) at Wikipedia. I’m old enough to remember when natural musk was still in use and notable mainly for its unpleasant odor. But the etymology was new to me, and amusing.

I’ve been seeing a fair amount of articles headlined that the Mango Monster was recruited as a Russian agent in the 1980s, which in itself is pretty old news. When I did a search (I use DuckDuckGo) I found that many of the articles dated from 2017 or 2021 – I did say this was old news. In order to fins a new (within 3-4 days or so) take, I had to use the search term “Krasnov.” Before sharing one of these, I checked the reputation of the outlet on Media Bias/FactCheck. Yahoo news is listed as having a Left-Center Bias (based on the subject matter of articles) and high credibility (meaning MBFC could not catch them in any false “facts”.) I take the Bias score with a grain of salt, based on my belief in and understanding of the saying “reality has a liberal bias.” But the point is the fact checking and the credibility. I also looked at Snopes on the story – they can’t actually prove – or disprove – any of it so there’s that. I probably don’t need to say that all of this took some time. But I wanted to get it right. I also decided to use the meme from “Know Your Meme” as today’s cartoon. I cannot argue with it.

It’s Tuesday, a bit late for Joyce Vance’s The Week Ahead – but then, with all the chaos, looking at the week ahead is no longer a matter of looking at schedules, but more of a guessing game of “What fresh hell will this be?” (apologies Dorothy Parker.) So I thought it worthwhile.

Share

Open Thread February 11 2025

 Posted by at 5:54 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Feb 112025
 

Yesterday, I started the day with only 80 emails (of course more same in, but gradually.) A lot were responses from petition recipients – including 5 from just one Senator (I expect my other one will catch up eventually.) There was also one good laugh in there – Andy Borowitz’s news that Yambo has declared himself the Principal Ballerina of the Kennedy Center, purging most existing ones and blaming DEI for so many being women. I got the total down to 36 pretty quickly, and that included a few from Sunday.

Straight from The Root, a story from Black History which oddly is about a white woman.  Weird, I know. But true.

Joyce Vance goes over a lot of what is happening and bring us closer to Autocracy (or Leucandrocracy). She encourages us all to stay strong, and ends with a little quote I had not heard before, but which I like so much I have put into today’s cartoon. Kudos if you knew it. Double Kudos (or Kudoi, which is the plural) if you also knew who first said it. In a separate email, she reported that The Democracy Index has been launched. I figured it would take some time from the planning stage.

Share