Open Thread July 8 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 082026
 

Yesterday, I heard something very disheartening from Malcolm Nance’s warcast – and all three agreed – that the MSM in Europe is parroting Russian talking points as much as ours are. The latest is that Russia is claiming their current strikes are retaliatory (when they’ve been doing the same thing since 2022 – or maybe even 2014.) What’s going on with global oil prices is also not pretty. It is currently artificially low (so keep your tank filled – maybe even some full containers on hand). But we are closer and closer to a real worldwide shortage, and the pricing won’t matter much when there isn’t any to be had. Oh, and in case you were wondering why the Orange Ogre is whining about Greenland again – it could be because, after he bribed or threatened FIFA into lifting a suspension they had imposed on the biggest bully on our team, Belgium beat us anyway – and Denmark was rooting for Belgium.

This is a Substack video – in which Glenn Kirschner is PISSED to the point of 37 minutes and “legal terms” such as “shitshow,” “assclowns”, “grabass” as well as addressing Todd Blanche as “sport.” I don’t really expect anyone to watch it, but, being Substack, there is a transcipt.

I doubt this will surprise anyone here. And it appears to me that most of this increase is initiated by the Papaya Palatine personally. (My apologize to papayas, which alleviate nausea rather than initiating it.)

To me this undersells the contributions of African Americans to the American Republic. IIRC, the first American killed in the Revolution was Crispus Attucks – a Black man, Many more Black men fought for the Union in the Civil War – and in World Wars I and II – and since. And Black women too – if not allowed to fight with arms, by caring for the wounded, gathering intelligence, dealing with mail, breaking codes, and more than I can think of. But I get it – the authors here are more interested in putting together an effecive playbook for a better future than in remembering the past. And they are right. An effective playbook is needed. And so is the will to use it – in people of all colors.

Just as there are decent and kind people in red states – there are monsters in blue states. Washington may be blue – but it still has monsters like these. I’m inclined to hope they are all in debt for the rest of their sorry lives paying for the $17 million they owe – plus interest. Including the school employees.

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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 June 20 2026

 Posted by at 6:01 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jun 202026
 

Yesterday (technically the night before) Ukraine attacked Moscow with drones. I’m a veteran, but that was long before drones were even a gleam in Mars’s eye, this may be totally inaccurate – some of the drones were, or behaved as, incendiaries, while others were heat-seeking. Anyway, the result was that Moscow was on fire. WRT Iran, one of the points in the MOU was that if Bibi did anything hostile, the MOU would be null and void. Well, it’s null and void, less than 24 hours after the signing. So we are back to NACHO (not a chance Hormuz opens.) One very small point which I think is noteworthy – someone has managed to teach the Apricot Antichrist how to say “eviscerated.” That really surprised me.

OK, this is not an earthshaking story – though it may inspire people who live in areas where law enforcementis problematic. Alamosa and the San Luis Valley in which it is located were my home for 15 years, and I still get that “that’s home!” kneejerk reaction, alyhough everone I knre there is pretty much either gone or dead. And the story is not a downer.

From Press Watch, and right on the nose. There are indepenent journalists who actually do get this right – but traditional news oulets – not so much.

Expecting Bibi or anyone else in Israel to do anything because the Canteloupe Caligula told them to would be laughable if there weren’t human lives affected. And that’s not just Bibi. He has some ministers who are at least as crazy as he is.

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Open Thread April 22 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Holiday, Open Thread, Personal, Politics
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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Open Thread April 15 2026

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

Monday was the fourth anniversary of “Russian warship, go fuck yourself.” (Malcolm was there, in Ukraine.) And “go fuck yourself” was not a completely accurate translation from Ukrainian. (“Go find a dick” is closer.) Hopefully remembering that can inspire us. Maybe not as much as it inspired Ukraine at the time, but there is a whole lot of room beneath that extremely high level. Also, Eric Swalwell announced he will resign from Congress but provided no effective date.

Here is incontrovertible evidence that some Muslims are better Christians than some Christians – translated from Farsi (not by me): “Your Excellency Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex), on behalf of the great nation of Iran, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency and declare that the desecration of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Prophet of peace and brotherhood, is unacceptable to any free person. I wish glory for you from Allah.” – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (quoted by Daily Kos)

What the Brennan Center for Justice is doing now to protect the midterms in November, by Michael Waldman.

If you are looking for an exact moment when we lost the Iran war, the closest you can probably come is the moment we started it. MajGen Paul Eaton (Ret), the leader of VoteVets analyses pretty much everything we have done wrong, which is pretty much everything we have done. Unless, of course, you are an insider trader, in which case you can laugh all the way to your Trumpcoin.

Murdoch beats Trump’s suit on WSJ’s Epstein exposé: What’s next?

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Open Thread March 22 2026

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

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Tristan und Isolde” by Wagner, who is known for long operas – but this may be the longest (5 hours with intermissions) – unless you count the Ring Cycle as a single work. Probably everyone knows the story (even if you don’t think you do), it’s so iconic. Almost everyone betrays just about everyone else in one way or another, and in the end the doomed lovers die together. And you may well have heard parts of it too -it’s been quoted in multiple movie scores. At least one tenor and two conductors have collapsed and died after a performance. I looked up the photos of this new production and was somewhat spooked to see that they made Tristan and Isolde look almost like twins – or almost like the same person (Garnted, the photo is of the dancers who co-represented them – but still.) It fits, certainly, but it’s a new approach – at least to me – and it catches the eye, but it also startles. Debussy is credited with making the transition from 19th century art music to 20th century with “Afternoon of a Faun” (1912) – but without Tristan (1865) I’m not sure he could have (even though he made fun of it in “Golliwog’s Cakewalk”. People tend to either love it or loathe is (and sometimes both, though not at the same time.) Also – sadly – Robert Mueller’s death Friday night became public. if you want to wait a day before reading his eulogy (by Joyce Vance), I get it Off to see Virgil now – will check in.

This from Ukrinform is a bit late, and it is more political than I usually like to use on Sundays. But it made me smile.

In case you missed Gavin Newsom‘s response to the Saffron Sauron referring to him as the President of the United States – it’s classic.

Well, SOME people understand that Ukraine is important, and deserves its independence. And are willing to put their money where their mouth is.

And SOME other people understand the importance of bison – not only to the earth, but particularly to indigenous Americans.

And still SOME other people understand the value of music with relation to medical conditions, even in surprising ways.

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Open Thread March 13 2026

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 132026
 

Yesterday, another mass shooting, this one at a synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. The only casualties were the shooter (killed) and a guard (wounded, not too seriously.) And we have a president who apparently would rather confess to a war crime than be credibly accused of a crime of pedophilia. Think bout that. i desperately hope that, wherever he is, TomCat is having a better birthday than our day. Happy Birthday, TC. We still miss you.

ProPublica discusses the school bombing (which I trust no one here attributes to anyone other than us) in the context of a program initiated during the Biden administration which, if it hadn’t been cut into smithereens, might have prevented it. (On the other hand, Kegsbreath might have ignored it.)

Common Dreams addresses a different atrocity. This one involving a ship, is clearly an atrocity (the school bombing might have been an error – not that I believe that for an instant.) But a ship cannot possibly have been mistaken for a military base.

From Ukrinform. Someone joked this week that the Saffron Sauron “has started World War Two and a Quarter.” I don’t think it’s that funny really – but it does make a point.

Belle War

Dog

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