Open Thread for August 20, 2021

 Posted by at 7:11 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 202021
 

Yesterday, I finished loading meds to shift my replacement times to the opposite weekends and free up this one. Since I can’t seem to get my car radio working and don’t have time to get it repaired or replaced, I started hunting up my mp3 players to find one that works. The first one i found, though it said it was working (with a new battery,) I couldn’t get any sound out of, either with earphones nor with the portable speaker, which I would prefer to use. The second one has its battery built in but it was competely discharged, so I started charging it up, and, when partiallly charged, it started to play. I tried it with the speaker and the speaker works with it. However, I did not figure out how to add additional music to it, nor how to turn it off. So I started looking for an owner’s manual on line. I also completed my draft of the Furies (if any day of the blog suffers from this visit, it won’t be Sunday, it’ll be Monday.)

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

The Hill – Suspect taken into custody after claiming to have bomb near Capitol
Quote – Manger said police were able to see a propane gas container on the truck. But he said officials have not yet been able to search his vehicle, adding they still need to “render it safe.” “It will take hours to assess the scene,” he said.
Click through for developments. Well, this was exciting (and a good reason to prefer boredom to excitement.)

HuffPost – Top General: No Intel That Afghan Government Would Fall In 11 Days
Quote – “There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days,” said Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He said the U.S. anticipated “multiple scenarios.”
Click through for more. High tech intelligence is wonderful, but one can become too dependent o it. There’s a line from “Dr. Atomic”: “With respect, sir, anyone could have founf Los Alamos just by following the trail of beer cans from Santa Fe.” Beer cans (and the like) sould never be discounted.

Mother Jones – “Bar Rescue” Host and Laura Ingraham Discuss Cutting Unemployment Aid to Make Workers “Hungry” Like an “Obedient Dog”
Quote – I have a friend in the military who trains military dogs, Laura. And they only feed a military dog at night. Because a hungry dog is an obedient dog. Well, if we’re not causing people to be hungry to work then we’re providing them with all the meals they need sitting at home. I’m completely with you Laura. These benefits make absolutely no sense to us.
Click through for details, including nopologies. If you ever needed proof that the right wing does not consider “some people” to be human – here it is.+

Food for Thought –

 

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Open Thread for August 19, 2021

 Posted by at 6:54 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 192021
 

Yesterday, I got confirmation that I can see Virgil Sunday. That doesn’t give me a whle lot of notice, but I wanted to be as quick as I can, because, what with the Delta, I believe the US is looking at another lockdown, and I’d like to visit as much as I can before that happens. Because the new visitation procedures afford some social distancing, not every weekend is available for every inmate. The scheduler gave me enough possible dates to construct the schedule, bless her. So I can sort of plan.  I idled the car for  about  a quarter hour (not sure it needed it, but that’s OK) and started setting up an extra week of meds  so visits will be on the off weekends and I won’t have to do everything at once.

Cartoon – (Yeah, I know – actual elephants don’t deserve that.  But the GQP does.)

Short Takes –

The Hill – Trump’s deal with the Taliban set the stage for the Afghan collapse
Quote – History will mark Aug. 15, 2021, as the date that the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban retook control over this troubled and war-torn country. But the real date that the Taliban’s victory was assured is Feb. 29, 2020, the day the Trump administration signed what it characterized as a “peace” deal with the Taliban. Once this agreement was signed — the tragic collapse we witnessed this weekend was inevitable. Of course, the agreement was not, and could not possibly have been, a “peace” deal since one of the parties currently at war — the Afghan government — was not a signatory. Rather, this was a “withdrawal” agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban that set the terms for the complete departure of American troops from Afghanistan by May 2021.
Click through for the story. Of course the facts that Bush and Trump** are traitors and that Obama was hamstrung by Republicans for eight years does not automatically mean that Biden is handling this as well as anyone possibly could. But I tend to believe he is.

HuffPost – A Powerful New Deepfake Tool Has Digitally Undressed Thousands Of Women
Quote – (HuffPost is not naming the site in order to avoid directing further traffic to it.) It went offline briefly Monday after HuffPost reached out to its original web host provider, IP Volume Inc., which quickly terminated its hosting services. But the site was back up less than a day later with a new host — as is often the case with abusive websites. Launched in 2020, the site boasts that it developed its own “state of the art” deep-learning image translation algorithms to “nudify” female bodies, and that the technology is so powerful there is not a woman in the world, regardless of race or nationality, who is safe from being “nudified.” But it doesn’t work on men. When fed a photo of a cisgender man’s clothed body, the site gave him breasts and a vulva.
Click through for details. This is just what we didn’t need. Of course, given the fact that vulvae and even nipples are as different as fingerprints, theooretically, it might be possible to prove in a lawsuit that this software was used. Except who wants her vulva photographed for comparison? Would testimony from a wona’s OBG be acceptable in lieu of photos? Jurors don’t actually look at fingerprints in the court, do they?

Democratic Underground – CNN and MSNBC are no better this morning. From a Marine who served in Afghanistan
Quote – Man, I picked a good day to mostly stay off this site today. The number of bad takes by people who couldn’t find Afghanistan on a map were coming fast and thick, and simultaneously ignoring the actual experts, ie those of us who survived by understanding Afghanistan is NOT the west.
Click through for the full Twitter thread, laid out for readability (the quote is just the first tweet.) It’s well thought out ans clearly explained. Who says Marines are dumb?

Food for Thought –

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Video Thread for 8/18/21

 Posted by at 12:16 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Aug 182021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Not Enough Evidence to Criminally Investigate Trump? Really? Here’s Why That Assertion is Dead Wrong

The Lincoln Project – Last Week in the Republican Party

Meidas Touch – EXPOSED: Laura Ingraham Was Raised by a Nazi Sympathizer, Brother Reveals

“Airborne” Richard Ojeda – Who’s to Blame For Afghanistan?

The Ring of Fire – Perverts Have Found A New Home At A Pro Trump Social Media Site

Rocky Mountain Mike (is on a roll) – Reinstatement Day

Beau – Let’s talk about numbers, mistakes, and getting ready…. This is not something I haven’t thought about, and I think it quite likely that it may prevent my visiting Virgil again (still).

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Open Thread for August 17, 2021

 Posted by at 7:13 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 172021
 

Yesterday I received my approval to visit Virgil and emailed the prison for a reservation. Because of the circumstances, I specified a weekend and gave a day preference, but left the exact date open, so I won’t be certain what day until I hear back. In the meantime, I’ll need to make a point of driving somewhere to keep the battery up. Once I can start visiting regularly, that will be all the driving I eed to do. I also received three packages – one was expected yesterday, one was expected today, and the other one had not been close enough to set a date prior to yesterday so that was definitrely a surprise. The USPS can work very well indeed if it is allowed to.  Oh, and I also heard from WWWendy (about some paperwork I had asked her about.)  She greets everyone and apologizes for not being here more.  Such a sweetie. Finally, I read that British Columbia is on fire – again.  Prayers and thoughts for Lynn, please.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Crooks and Liars – Former Nat. Sec. Adviser Whacks Trump’s Botched Negotiation With Taliban
Quote – You don’t negotiate your own exit with the adversary of the government that you are supporting. And that’s what the Trump administration did. They cut a deal with the Taliban that excluded the Afghan government, effectively again demoralizing them and making them feel like we were simply leaving them holding the bag entirely.
Click through for the story. There is also a video.

Law & Crime – Capitol Siege Defendant Accused of Chanting ‘Fight for Trump!’ Tells Judge He’s a ‘Registered Democrat’ and ‘Not a Trump Supporter’ While Seeking Lighter Sentence
Quote – As the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.” … Nevertheless, the Defendant continues to maintain that he simply had no idea he wasn’t allowed to enter the Capitol. It is unclear what additional sign the Defendant needed to indicate he was not welcome other than the barricades, tear gas, pepper balls, alarms, and law enforcement officers.
Click through for both sides’ arguments. One thing is certain – the defense arguments have royally pissed off the prosecution, and rightly so. Lying is one thing. Insulting prosecutors’ intelligence with blatant fantasies is another.

AP News – USDA to permanently boost food stamp benefits by 25 percent
Quote – The increase is part of a multi-pronged Biden administration effort to strengthen the country’s social safety net. Poverty and food security activists maintain that longstanding inadequacies in that safety net were laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, presenting an opportunity to make generational improvements that reach beyond the current public health crisis.
Click through for names and numbers. May as well appreciate good news if we can.

Food for Thought –

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Video Thread for 8/16/21

 Posted by at 12:07 pm  Open Thread, Politics
Aug 162021
 

Glenn Kirschner – Trump’s Unabated Crime Wave Continues: Threatens Officer Who Protected the US Capitol on Jan. 6

Now This News – London’s Stuck Tower Bridge Inspires Social Media Jokes

The Republican Accountability Project – The New McCarthyism

Ring of Fire – Anti Vax Nurse Investigated For Injecting Patients With Saline Instead Of COVID Vaccine (No words – and the only picture which comes to mind is not just NSFW, it’s NSFPP)

Liberal Redneck – Tennessee’s Turn to Dumb

Rocky Mountain Mike – Hooked On Their Stealing (another favorite of mine – earworm, here we come!

Beau – Let’s talk about Biden’s message to OPEC, foreign policy, and oil…. (I could not keep a straight face through the whole thing – in fact I laughed out loud twice.)

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Open Thread for August 3, 2021

 Posted by at 7:28 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Aug 032021
 

Yesterday stayed oool enough that I got within spitting distnce of finishing that winter sweater. One or maybe two cool days and it will be done. And I have a large cotton project and several small, lightweight projects ready for more heat.

Cartoon –

Short Takes

The Guardian – Republicans will defend their Caesar but new revelations show Trump’s true threat
Quote – Those who claim that the events of 6 January were something other than a failed coup attempt would do well to come up with a better line. Or a different alternate reality. Ashli Babbitt is no martyr. Trump will not be restored to the presidency, no matter what the MyPillow guy says. Trump’s machinations and protestations convey the desperation that comes with hovering over the abyss. He knows what he has said and done.
Click through for well-written opinion. Yes, it’s an opinion piece, but there are also many facts here, and I certainly hope his opinions about future events are correct.

Reuters – Kosovo honours late son of U.S. President Biden
Quote – Kosovo declared independence in 2008 with Western backing, but Serbia still refuses to recognise it and considers it part of its territory. “What the United States and the American people have done for our country, for our freedom, for our right to exist, goes beyond any partnership currently witnessed in the world. Mr. President, Kosovo is your home too,” said Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani while presenting the award.
Click through for more, including background

The New Yorker – The Big Money Behind the Big Lie
Quote – Chad Campbell, a Democrat who was the minority leader in the Arizona House of Representatives until 2014, when he left to become a consultant in Phoenix, has been shocked by the state’s anti-democratic turn. For several years, he sat next to Karen Fann when she was a member of the House, and in his view she’s gone from being a traditional Republican lawmaker to being a member of “Trump’s cult of personality.” He said, “I don’t know if she believes it or not, or which would be worse.” Arizona, he added, is in the midst of a “nonviolent overthrow in some ways—it’s subtle, and not in people’s face because it’s not happening with weapons. But it’s still a complete overthrow of democracy. They’re trying to disenfranchise everyone who is not older white guys.”
Click through for full story. Not, I suppose, that anyone can claim to have the complete full story, but thos is about as full as it gets. And, yes, it’s long.

Food for Thought (from a T-shirt)

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Open Thread for July 20, 2021

 Posted by at 6:53 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 202021
 

Here’s a personal opinion, with which anyone is welcome to disagree. I believe that the DOJ should research court records to determine the longest sentence that anyone has ever received for a conviction of a single count of possession if narijuana for persona l use Then, the sentence for Capitol rioters should all be at least one day longer then that. I’m pretty sure eight months doesn’t meet that criterion.  It is, however, definitely better than nothing.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

AP News – In step to shut Guantanamo, Biden transfers Moroccan home
Quote – Almost 800 detainees have passed through Guantanamo. Of the 39 remaining, 10 are eligible to be transferred out, 17 are eligible to go through the review process for possible transfer, another 10 are involved in the military commission process used to prosecute detainees and two have been convicted, a senior administration official said. The 10 eligible for transfer are from Yemen, Pakistan, Tunisia, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates.
About goddam time. Click though for story.

Reuters – France honours Rev. Jesse Jackson with the Legion d’Honneur
Quote – A political activist, minister, and former shadow U.S. senator for the District of Columbia representing the Democratic party, Jackson has been involved in civil rights activism since the 1960s, when he worked alongside Martin Luther King…. “From your earliest years, you were hungry for knowledge and justice, and you are a special friend of France, a brother for us,” Macron said in a solemn address at the Elysee palace.
Click through for a little more, including photo.

The 19th – Senate Democrats take fight to protect voting rights to Georgia
Quote – Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic head of the Senate Rules Committee, which oversees federal elections along with the chamber’s day-to-day procedures, said the panel decided to convene its first field hearing in more than 20 years in Georgia because its legislature passed an “egregious” restrictive voting law earlier this year. “We cannot keep our heads in the ground, you’ve got to go out there and see exactly what’s happening,” Klobuchar told The 19th ahead of the hearing.
Click through for details. It’s not guaranteed to work, but it is something. It can’t hurt.

Food for Thought:

There is a new book out about plants. The title is “This Is Your Mind on Plants.” The last name of the author is “Pollan.” Yes, you probably could make this up, but who would believe it?

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Open Thread for July 18, 2021

 Posted by at 7:43 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Jul 182021
 

Yesterday I drafted and sent an emeil to the visiation staff to ask what I need to do to plan a visit. Yes, there are instructions on line, but they don’t answer everything. I don’t expect a reply until sometime Monday. I do know they can see a jpg file because in the past I’ve attached jpgs to express thanks and they’ve told me they can see them.

Cartoon –

Short Takes –

Reuters – Death toll rises to 170 in Germany and Belgium floods
Quote – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Erftstadt in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the disaster killed at least 45 people. “We mourn with those that have lost friends, acquaintances, family members,” he said. “Their fate is ripping our hearts apart.” Steinmeier said it would take weeks before the full damage, expected to require several billions of euros in reconstruction funds, could be assessed.
Click through for details, including video. well, there you have it. The US is not exceptonal. Every part of the world is sufferiung consequences.

APNews – Biden pledges appeal of ‘deeply disappointing’ DACA ruling
Quote – In his statement, Biden urged Congress to move forward with legislation to permanently protect those covered by the program. “Only Congress can ensure a permanent solution by granting a path to citizenship for Dreamers that will provide the certainty and stability that these young people need and deserve,” the president said. “I have repeatedly called on Congress to pass the American Dream and Promise Act, and I now renew that call with the greatest urgency,” he said. “It is my fervent hope that through reconciliation or other means, Congress will finally provide security to all Dreamers, who have lived too long in fear.”
Click through for story. This is heartbreaking, and it shows – again – why it is so important to have qualified and humane judges in our courts.

Common Dreams – Florida-Based Doctor Arrested on Suspicion of Plotting Assassination of Haiti’s President
Quote – Haitian authorities said that 63-year-old Christian Emmanuel Sanon worked with a Miami-based private security firm to recruit the mercenaries who carried out the assassination last Wednesday. According to video footage of the scene, a group of heavily armed assailants posed as officials with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency as they moved in on Moïse’s private residence on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.
Click through for information and speculation. I’ve always maintained that some conspiracies are real. I must say this one boggles the mind.

Food for Thought:

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