ICE arrested a pro-Palestinian protestor with a Green Card and his precise whereabouts are not known currently: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/09/nyregion/ice-arrests-palestinian-activist-columbia-protests.html
University of Michigan Professor Don Moynihan has a good run down of the chilling effects going on against dissent currently: https://donmoynihan.substack.com/p/real-chilling-effects
"Normally I record the classes I teach. It gives students who miss class a chance to catch up. I also make space in my classes to talk about what is happening in government right now. A couple of weeks ago, students asked we keep the discussions, but stop recording the class. They worried about any record of their words that might be viewed as criticism of the current administration, and somehow weaponized against them."
"Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, and he may not have been aware she was dead because he showed severe signs of Alzheimer’s disease, authorities revealed Friday."
And here comes the CDC planning a study on the link between vaccines and autism again. Bye bye childhood vaccine schedule: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-cdc-plans-study-into-vaccines-autism-sources-say-2025-03-07/
You should have stayed at home yesterday
Ah-ha, words can't describe
The feeling and the way you lied
These games you play
They're gonna end in more than tears some day
Ah-ha, Enola Gay
It shouldn't ever have to end this way
With the order, Perkins Coie becomes the second such firm to be targeted by the president. Late last month, he signed a similar memorandum attacking Covington & Burling, which has done pro bono legal work for Jack Smith, who as special counsel pursued two separate indictments of Mr. Trump.
While the Covington memorandum sought to strip clearances and contracts from that firm, the Perkins Coie order goes much further, seeking to also limit its lawyers’ access to federal buildings, officials and jobs in a way that could cast a chilling effect over the entire legal profession.
The president’s animosity toward Perkins Coie dates back eight years, to when two lawyers at the firm, Marc Elias and Michael Sussmann, played roles in what eventually became an F.B.I. investigation to determine if anyone on the 2016 Trump presidential campaign conspired with Russian agents to influence the outcome of that election. Both lawyers left that firm years ago.
I generally think Newsom is a good governor and gets way more heat than he deserves but his new podcast and comments on transathletes are perplexing and boneheaded
Trump revokes legal status for 240K Ukrainians because he is a cruel and malignant king: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-plans-revoke-legal-status-ukrainians-who-fled-us-sources-say-2025-03-06/
Maybe on this one but Trump and Co are still basically dismantling the Federal Government in ways which could take decades to unwind, if it could be unwound at all.
I agree with Bouie’s take that Trump wants revenge against the entire American population for rejecting him. He is going to destroy our standing, our reputation, and our national parks, one of our great collective treasures. I am not in a mood to be blase about anything he does.
And Jaybird, your panda bear contrarian can’t give a straight yes or no answer on whether I have to deal with a Leo Frank denier or other anti-Semites in good faith or if I can just dismiss them.
I am not sure why I should be required to find this kind of willful contrarianism cute, endearing, or acceptable.
Wishy-washy defenses of anti-Semites have the same issue as ironic goat fornication.
Oppositional Defiance Disorder is not a carte blanche excuse against human dignity or decency.
I’m sorry but this is not the time for indulgence in such antics
If someone is advocating blood libel against Jews and/or is a Leo Frank Truther, am I supposed to treat their argument with good faith? Yes or no answer only please.
Macron warns Europe that the United States might not be on their side if there is war with Russia: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/macron-will-make-televised-address-to-ease-french-voters-concerns-about-trump
Bouie argues that Trump's second term is an act of revenge against the American People for rejecting him in 2020: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/opinion/trump-revenge-american-people.html
Okay. I don't care if Manicheanism is a heresy or not. Yes, there should be difficult conversations on contentious issues but there are limits and things must be conducted in good-faith.
I see very little reason to see that things conversations can happen with Trump supporters or Musk supporters. As pointed out above, the Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Defense is a Leo Frank truther. This is rank blood libel and anti-Semitic conspiracy. I'm not morally required to state confronting this as evil is a heresy and I am not required to debate Leo Frank truthism endlessly.
“Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre
The articles I read implied that the Parks Service could charge things from $2 to $10,000 without sending it to a regional office for approval and this is the change
Please cite to where in Jewish texts it says that Manicheanism is heresy. Are you saying I should be totes okay with the fact that the Trump admin is hiring anti-Semites who believe in blood libel for public facing rolls?
Anyway, the trolls comment was deleted so, clearly he or she passed a line.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Open Mic for the week of 3/10/25”
Multiple Myleoma does not really go into remission and generally people can beat it for 10-15 years before it gets you.
"
Kevin Drum died on Friday after a long battle with cancer
"
ICE arrested a pro-Palestinian protestor with a Green Card and his precise whereabouts are not known currently: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/09/nyregion/ice-arrests-palestinian-activist-columbia-protests.html
This is bad.
"
University of Michigan Professor Don Moynihan has a good run down of the chilling effects going on against dissent currently: https://donmoynihan.substack.com/p/real-chilling-effects
"Normally I record the classes I teach. It gives students who miss class a chance to catch up. I also make space in my classes to talk about what is happening in government right now. A couple of weeks ago, students asked we keep the discussions, but stop recording the class. They worried about any record of their words that might be viewed as criticism of the current administration, and somehow weaponized against them."
On “Open Mic for the week of 3/3/2025”
https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/investigation-advances-into-gene-hackman-s-20207912.php
"Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, and he may not have been aware she was dead because he showed severe signs of Alzheimer’s disease, authorities revealed Friday."
"
As a Jewish person, I think this is extremely bone-headed and more likely to increase anti-Semitism than anything else.
"
Today's euphemism for recession/depression is "economic detox" https://thehill.com/homenews/5182666-us-economy-government-spending-detox/
"
And here comes the CDC planning a study on the link between vaccines and autism again. Bye bye childhood vaccine schedule: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-cdc-plans-study-into-vaccines-autism-sources-say-2025-03-07/
"
You should have stayed at home yesterday
Ah-ha, words can't describe
The feeling and the way you lied
These games you play
They're gonna end in more than tears some day
Ah-ha, Enola Gay
It shouldn't ever have to end this way
"
Authoritarianism continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/trump-perkins-coie.html
With the order, Perkins Coie becomes the second such firm to be targeted by the president. Late last month, he signed a similar memorandum attacking Covington & Burling, which has done pro bono legal work for Jack Smith, who as special counsel pursued two separate indictments of Mr. Trump.
While the Covington memorandum sought to strip clearances and contracts from that firm, the Perkins Coie order goes much further, seeking to also limit its lawyers’ access to federal buildings, officials and jobs in a way that could cast a chilling effect over the entire legal profession.
The president’s animosity toward Perkins Coie dates back eight years, to when two lawyers at the firm, Marc Elias and Michael Sussmann, played roles in what eventually became an F.B.I. investigation to determine if anyone on the 2016 Trump presidential campaign conspired with Russian agents to influence the outcome of that election. Both lawyers left that firm years ago.
"
https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/national-park-record-visitor-numbers-downplayed-20206558.php
National Parks staff told to downplay record number of visitors in 2024. They want to destroy our greatest treasures
"
I generally think Newsom is a good governor and gets way more heat than he deserves but his new podcast and comments on transathletes are perplexing and boneheaded
"
Trump revokes legal status for 240K Ukrainians because he is a cruel and malignant king: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-plans-revoke-legal-status-ukrainians-who-fled-us-sources-say-2025-03-06/
"
Maybe on this one but Trump and Co are still basically dismantling the Federal Government in ways which could take decades to unwind, if it could be unwound at all.
I agree with Bouie’s take that Trump wants revenge against the entire American population for rejecting him. He is going to destroy our standing, our reputation, and our national parks, one of our great collective treasures. I am not in a mood to be blase about anything he does.
And Jaybird, your panda bear contrarian can’t give a straight yes or no answer on whether I have to deal with a Leo Frank denier or other anti-Semites in good faith or if I can just dismiss them.
I am not sure why I should be required to find this kind of willful contrarianism cute, endearing, or acceptable.
Wishy-washy defenses of anti-Semites have the same issue as ironic goat fornication.
Oppositional Defiance Disorder is not a carte blanche excuse against human dignity or decency.
I’m sorry but this is not the time for indulgence in such antics
"
https://www.mediamatters.org/manosphere/youtube-andrew-tate-claims-america-doesnt-have-free-speech-because-you-cant-speak-out
Andrew Tate claims the United States doesn’t have free speech because you can’t speak out against Jews.
Am I supposed to argue with him
in good faith, Jaybird?
Yes or no?
"
Yes or no, Jaybird?
"
If someone is advocating blood libel against Jews and/or is a Leo Frank Truther, am I supposed to treat their argument with good faith? Yes or no answer only please.
"
Macron warns Europe that the United States might not be on their side if there is war with Russia: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/macron-will-make-televised-address-to-ease-french-voters-concerns-about-trump
"
Bouie argues that Trump's second term is an act of revenge against the American People for rejecting him in 2020: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/opinion/trump-revenge-american-people.html
"
Would you say you are pathologically incapable of a non-contrarian response?
"
Okay. I don't care if Manicheanism is a heresy or not. Yes, there should be difficult conversations on contentious issues but there are limits and things must be conducted in good-faith.
I see very little reason to see that things conversations can happen with Trump supporters or Musk supporters. As pointed out above, the Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Defense is a Leo Frank truther. This is rank blood libel and anti-Semitic conspiracy. I'm not morally required to state confronting this as evil is a heresy and I am not required to debate Leo Frank truthism endlessly.
“Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre
"
The articles I read implied that the Parks Service could charge things from $2 to $10,000 without sending it to a regional office for approval and this is the change
"
Thank you!!
"
AP apparently has an internal memo re cutting 80K jobs from the Department of Veterans Affairs
DOI requires authorization for all purchases above 1 dollar from Parks Service employees
"
Please cite to where in Jewish texts it says that Manicheanism is heresy. Are you saying I should be totes okay with the fact that the Trump admin is hiring anti-Semites who believe in blood libel for public facing rolls?
Anyway, the trolls comment was deleted so, clearly he or she passed a line.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.