Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

Second rate reporter says what?

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

T R E 4 5 O N

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

You are here: Home / Politics / Biden Administration in Action / Monday Morning Open Thread: Onward

Monday Morning Open Thread: Onward

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Proof of concept:

Madam Vice President:

Science!

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113Comments

  2. 2.

    indycat32

    I just had a $4000 vet bill because my cat Ollie at thread. My vet suggested I might want to get pet insurance. I’m asking for recommendations, please and thank you.

  3. 3.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    ?????

    Jet Propulsion Lab/NASA — (MARS) Flight control confirms Ingenuity helicopter successfully took flight on Mars earlier today.​

    First video of Ingenuity’s first flight!! ? #Ingenuity #MarsHelicopter pic.twitter.com/mvX2jDUpfm— kate morgan (@katebomb) April 19, 2021

    Holy Shit!

  8. 8.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    @indycat32: ​
      Site moderator Watergirl has always recommended “Pet Plan”

    WaterGirl

    December 14, 2010 at 11:58 am

    Since this is a pet open thread, I’d like to take a minute to say how thrilled I am with the Pet Plan pet insurance I got last february. My boy kitty ran up 201.18 of vet bills with his UTI problem.

    My vet faxed the claim to Pet Plan on 12/3 and my check for 150.18 arrived in the mail on 12/10. ($50 deductible per medical problem per year). The claim consisted of faxing the medical records and copies of invoices and a 2-line spot for the vet to fill in the diagnosis. Very simple.

    I spent hours last year researching pet insurance on line and I couldn’t be more pleased. Big thanks to whoever recommended Pet Plan on this blog last year!

  10. 10.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    @Baud: ​
      well known extremists like Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton

  11. 11.

    NotMax

    FYI long read, the quadrennial Global Trends report compiled by the National Intelligence Council published last month (.pdf file), laying out trends and scenarios of perceived import applicable to the upcoming twenty years.

    TL;DR taste: Have pulled three pages with a conspectus of discrete topics as an overview. #1 – #2 – #3

    Shall refrain from going on with my own reaction to specific parts of the contents, as this is not the venue for what would end up being a veritable wall of long paragraphs.

  19. 19.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    We saw our son and DIL on Saturday for the first time in a year. DIL has been teaching kindergarten on zoom. She says the 5 year olds have figured out how to put backgrounds on their zoom, so she had to make rules. I need a 5 year old to come to my house and explain how to do digital stuff.

  20. 20.

    WereBear

    @indycat32: My vet suggested I might want to get pet insurance. I’m asking for recommendations, please and thank you.

     
    That’s almost as tricky as human health insurance. I suggest getting an estimate and break out a spreadsheet: if you had gotten insurance when you got the cat, how would it have broken down over time?

    My cats stay inside and I space out their well cat visits and vaccinations, partly because vet visits are such stressors for cats. It can be a better choice for dogs since they don’t mind a car ride, and they go out, being exposed to stuff.

    If you have one or two cats and you build it into the budget of care expenses, it can give one piece of mind and a clear head about care decisions. So, might be worth it.

    I don’t have a comfortable budget that way, and always multiple cats, so I spend on the best food and a cat fountain, keep close watch on their mood and behavior to catch stuff early, and have honed my vet-questioning skills so I get the best info from them as I make certain kinds of decisions.

  22. 22.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    Ingenuity’s mind blowing success reminds me of the jaw dropping journey and accomplishments of science as seen in the opening of Enterprise (video)​

  25. 25.

    rikyrah

     

    60 Minutes (@60Minutes) Tweeted:
    “There are racial disparities in health in the United States. Over 200 Black people die prematurely every single day,” says Harvard public health professor David Williams. He’s spent a quarter-century researching the impact of racism on health.

    Link

  29. 29.

    WereBear

    @germy: Every accusation is a confession.

    Also, these wild conspiracy theories always have anti-Semitism at the bottom of that rabbit hole. It puts a lot into perspective that way.

  32. 32.

    germy

    Now Republican Paul Gosar is distancing himself from the 'America First Caucus', claiming he "did not author" the document about Anglo-Saxon traditions and only became aware of it after it was reported by the news media. https://t.co/IXGRnOw3XX

    — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 18, 2021

  38. 38.

    raven

    @WereBear: We spent $50k on Raven’s cancer. That’s when we got it on Bohdi but Lil Bit, who costs us thousands, was uninsurable.

  39. 39.

    Kristine

    @germy: I take that to mean that he didn’t realize that they were going to shout each and every quiet part from the rooftops. Or maybe he’s trying to head off findings from Jan 6. Or both. 

  40. 40.

    Immanentize

    @rikyrah: I guess the NSA was wrapping up their security review of Ellis’ handling of classified information.

    Today is a holiday in Massachusetts! Oh joy.

  41. 41.

    germy

    My wife and I watched this yesterday, and something felt off. Then I see this thread today:

    I was just (briefly) included in an @ABCNews @ThisWeekABC report on ending the wars and I’m trying to calm myself down right now because I’m furious about how it came out. The report was completely one-sided propaganda. I feel completely tokenized and my voice erased.— Kyle Bibby (@KyleWBibby) April 18, 2021

  46. 46.

    raven

    @Immanentize: Well, there have been such great advances in vet med but they ain’t cheap. The ultrasound to determine that it was time to let Lil Bit go was $3k. We don’t have kids so we’ve gone all in but I know not everyone can take that path.

  47. 47.

    Ohio Mom

    Indy cat:
    $4,000 — ouch! Glad your cat is better. I have a vague memory of Watergirl talking about pet insurance.

    ETA: I see someone else answered you first. I’m relieved my memory still appears to be working.

  50. 50.

    germy

    @WereBear:

    I had a different dream.  I found myself in a large store.  Everyone else was masked.  I realized to my horror that I’d left my mask at home.

  54. 54.

    germy

    Staffers at One America News said they felt responsible for spreading misinformation that led to the Capitol riot. But they had bills to pay, they said, and no other job options. "We're not Nazis," one producer told me. "Just, like, everyday people." https://t.co/nSXdQKBcPj

    — Rachel C. Abrams (@RachelAbramsNY) April 18, 2021

    “But they had bills to pay, they said, and no other job options.”

    I keep seeing Republicans who run diners and fast-food joints complaining they can’t get people to work for $9.00/hr. Why can’t you go work for them? https://t.co/YT0L5mDHb8

    — Roy Edroso (@edroso) April 19, 2021

  56. 56.

    Soprano2

    @rikyrah: Former GOP operative installed as NSA top lawyer under Trump resigns after being placed on leave

    They did the smart thing – they made it unbearable for him to stay. He never should have been appointed in the first place.

  58. 58.

    Kay

    @rikyrah:

    Well, Republicans in congress are now saying they’ll support “600 to 800 billion” infrastructure but if they won’t support a tax increase that’s not even a real offer- they have to repeal some of Trump’s massive tax giveaway and they cannot do that.
    What they want is for Democrats to raise taxes and then they get to spend the money.

  59. 59.

    Kristine

    @raven: thanks for the review site link. I have a policy from Trupanion for Gaby, and the latest reviews I read were good ones.

    I have insurance mainly to cover that one huge bill, like the surgery and chemo for King when he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. I had ASPCA insurance for him, and while they were easy to deal with, the policy I had set an upper limit of $3000 per incident and 180 days between treatments for the same diagnosis. Trupanion is different in that they set a deductible per condition/diagnosis, but after that they cover that condition regardless of how many times it recurs.

  61. 61.

    germy

    @Immanentize:

    I have this image of Anderson giving a complicated powerpoint presentation on Administrative friction and administrative lubrication — Pet Health insurance edition (while my cat watches, her anxiety increasing).

  63. 63.

    germy

    Everyone is eligible for COVID-19 services, no matter their immigration status. Testing, treatment or vaccinations paid for by the federal government will not affect anyone’s immigration status or be shared with immigration agencies.

    — Dr. Vivek Murthy, 21st U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) April 17, 2021

    I can’t wait for the flood of MAGA Twitter trolls, outraged that immigrants can get vaccinations they’ve refused to get because they’re the Mark of the Beast https://t.co/8VgsvwkJsl

    — Roy Edroso (@edroso) April 19, 2021

  64. 64.

    rikyrah

    All the while their Orange Savior is VACCINATED and has been since December ??

     

    Danielle Ivory (@danielle_ivory) Tweeted:
    The @nytimes analyzed vaccine data for nearly every US county.

    We found COVID vaccination rates were lower, on average, in areas where most residents voted for Donald Trump in 2020, even controlling for factors like population density and education.

    https://t.co/UnBg4L4MHJ https://twitter.com/danielle_ivory/status/1383424851856138248?s=20

  66. 66.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: What they want is for Democrats to raise taxes and then they get to spend the money.

    What they have said they want is for Democrats to raise the hated gas tax, which is regressive, so they can campaign against that in 2022. Now the gas tax needs to be raised and be indexed to inflation, but that has nothing to do with paying for this bill.

  70. 70.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    It shouldn’t be Democrats job to raise revenue and then Republicans job to determine how its spent.

    Unless they’re willing to raise revenue they shouldn’t be part of any “600 to 800 billion” spending proposal. Two trillion plus increased revenue is more responsible than 800 billion with no increased revenue.

  71. 71.

    rikyrah

    @Kay:

    When. Asked where they got the number for their offer, they admitted that there was no rhyme or reason to it. They pulled it out of the air.

    Bad faith actors all day long ??

  73. 73.

    NotMax

    @germy

    “There will be a wait of a few extra minutes while the software downloads to reprogram the nanobots for Español.”

    //

  76. 76.

    Kay

    I used the free tax preparation software from the links on the IRS site last night to prepare my son’s tax return- he only had 4100 in AGI because he’s a high school student, but it was easy to get to and it’s promoted right on the IRS site. Free state return too.

    You’ll recall that the big tax preparation companies were hiding the free option- NPR reported on it and there was outcry and a couple of lawsuits –  so I’m glad it’s fixed and it works now. Easy. If you’re under 72k in income and you have an uncomplicated return you should be able to file free.

  77. 77.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: Oh, no doubt. I read that this is the trick they’re trying to pull – get Democrats to raise an unpopular tax, vote for the bill and take credit for it, then depend on voter’s poor memories and campaign against the unpopular tax they told Democrats to raise! I have confidence Democrats aren’t falling for it – they can read polls like everyone else.

  79. 79.

    Kay

    @rikyrah:

    I noticed that too. The number. “Only 6% is infrastructure!” – apparently the found some more infrastructure if they’re supporting 800 billion.

  80. 80.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: It stuns me how many people who could have filed the 1040EZ form when it still existed paid a tax preparer $50 because they were so afraid of the IRS. People really believe that if they make a math error on the tax form the IRS is going to throw them in jail, rather than correct the error and send them a notice about it. If you’re computer literate at all you can file the free forms as long as you taxes are uncomplicated.

  82. 82.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    Democrats have a popular tax hike- the proposal to raise the tax rate on corporations is popular. Why they would veer off into a gas tax is beyond me.

  83. 83.

    Geminid

    I see that Vice President Harris travels to Greensboro and High Point, NC, today. She will make a speech on the economy at Guilford Community Technical College, then tour an electric school bus factory. Electric school buses are among the most attractive initiatives in the administration’s infrastructure plan. Once people understand that kids will breath cleaner air, every district that can use them will want them. Life-cycle costs of electric buses are less than those of diesel buses, so the transition is a matter of financing. Also, Cummins Engines is developing an electric drivetrain package with which to retrofit existing buses and trucks.

    On Friday,  VP Harris is heading to New Hampshire for more events. Like North Carolina, New Hampshire is a purple state with an important Senate race coming next year.

  84. 84.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: Oh yeah, it’s just Republicans trying to bribe Democrats into raising a tax that doesn’t affect their biggest donors by saying “We’ll give the press the opportunity to write that story about how bipartisan your bill is if you just do this one little thing”. I think Democrats will go ahead with the original plan, because they’ve already seen that they don’t need Republican votes in order for the American public to be happy with the results.

  85. 85.

    Baud

    @Kay:

    I can only assume the push is coming from climate advocates.

    Of course, even if they don’t raise the gas tax, the Republicans will line lie about the Dems raising the gas tax.  But it’s still better that they don’t.

  86. 86.

    Raven

    I@indycat32:  I also wanted to say that I did a couple of reviews on that site and they did a thorough verification before they used them.

  87. 87.

    Kay

    @Baud:

    An increase in the gas tax was already pre-demonized because oil companies ran a huge ad campaign when Obama was proposing climate change legislation. It was all over Ohio, tv, radio, signage. They had stickers on gas pumps. These people have to pay attention to how their issues are being portrayed outside liberal circles. They’re professional advocates. They shouldn’t be caught off guard so much.

  88. 88.

    Geminid

    @Baud: There’s not much point in raising gas taxes when more and more electric cars will be using the same roads as petroleum powered cars. Although some may like the punitive aspect.

    In his March 2019 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists article titled “We Need a Better Green New Deal,” U. Mass. economist Robert Pollin dicusses carbon taxes among other topics. He’s concluded that carbon taxes may not be worth their political cost, especially when government mandates, such as state renewable electrical generation mandates, can accomplish the same goals. Pollin did see merit in using revenue from a modest carbon tax to fund clean energy initiatives, especially research and development.

    The Pollin article, actually an interview of Pollin by a Bulletin editor, is well worth reading. Pollin has focused on the clean energy transition since 2008, and helped write several state’s renewable energy plans.

  89. 89.

    Kay

    @Geminid:

    I feel like there’s an aspect of “not keeping up” operating here. Alternatives are exploding and they’re mainstream. One of the largest commercial contractors in Ohio has an entire part of the business devoted to building for alternatives.

    In my 70% Trump town they are expanding the solar field they built with Obama stimulus money. Completely uncontroversial. The dumbest Trump meme was his ridiculously out of touch rant on “ind mills”. Wind turbines are conventional now. It’s a huge industry. They may still be opposing them on NIMBY grounds in Martha’s vineyard or whatever, but that’s not the reality in most of the country. They are absolutely accepted in “lunch bucket” circles because they’re working at turbine jobs. Already.

    It isn’t 2012.

  90. 90.

    WaterGirl

    @indycat32:  Sorry to hear of your adventure with Ollie, but glad Ollie is still with us!

    There are pre-existing conditions with pet insurance, so your best bet is to get the pet insurance as soon as you get a new pet.  I call Pet Plan to get things going before I bring them home, and i believe there is a 2-day waiting period.

    But that way you’re covered for whatever happens.  If Ollie’s 4k adventure is not a chronic condition, it won’t matter, but if it is a chronic condition, it is likely/possible that it won’t be covered.

    I have had all my guys covered with Pet Plan since the beginning of 2010.  Henry had ACL surgery 3 years ago for $3,500, and between the deductible and the copay, it cost me $500 out of pocket.

    Pet Pla

    edit: With my financial situation, I can much more easily put out the money for pet insurance on a regular basis – as opposed to having to put out a huge chunk of money when something happens.

    After I lost my kitty soulmate, I swore that never again would I have to factor in the cost when deciding about treatment.

  92. 92.

    Ken

    @germy: Paul Gosar … only became aware of it after it was reported by the news media.

    I thought his name was linked to it because he signed it.  Was I mistaken, or is Gosar a con artist’s dream come true? “Just a standard contract, no need to read it, sign here…”

  93. 93.

    Ken

    @germy: But they had bills to pay, they said, and no other job options.

    They should be rewarded by becoming a standard case study in journalism ethics courses.

  94. 94.

    Ken

    @Kay: They are absolutely accepted in “lunch bucket” circles because they’re working at turbine jobs. Already.

    Well, they need to get out of there, and back to the coal mines, the way God intended the US to meet its energy needs.

  95. 95.

    indycat32

    @WaterGirl:  I’m hoping eating thread isn’t a recurring thing with him.  But then, he ignored thread on my machine for two years and then suddenly decided it looked tasty.  Needless to say, all thread is now hidden away in a container a cat cannot open (fingers crossed – they’re sneaky little devils).

  98. 98.

    WaterGirl

    @indycat32: Yikes!  While you’re at it, if any ribbon of any kind is where he can get at it, please lock that away, too.  Especially the kind of ribbon that you can curl with scissors – that can shred their insides.

  100. 100.

    J R in WV

    @rikyrah: 

    The Hill (@thehill) Tweeted:
    Republicans are sounding the alarm that divisive candidates running across the country could cost them key Senate and gubernatorial races next year.

    Oh, Please… Oh PLEASE~!!!!~

  101. 101.

    StringOnAStick

    @indycat32: We have a cat with chewing issues so we’ve learned to never leave anything made of fabric out where she can get to it.  Clothes are always put away, closets always closed, towel bars mounted very high (she loves chewing towels), and a king size sheet as a bedspread that is tucked in on all 4 sides when we aren’t in bed.  We don’t know if she’s growing out of it (3.5 year old orphaned at 2 weeks) or if we’ve learned how to keep things away from her.  We’re hoping that the longer she goes without chewing something, the less compelled she’ll be eventually.

  102. 102.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @germy: ​That actually happened to me last week in a Big Lots. First time during the Pandemiconium. I started talking to one of the employees (who was a few yards away) & realized I’d walked in sans mask … so I immediately exited & retrieved one from my car.

  103. 103.

    germy

    @StringOnAStick:

    Our cat is a very good girl, but she will chew (and swallow) plastic.  She will also chew any electrical cords.  I had to replace my macbook power cord because of that.  She also leaves bite marks on the actual electric plugs.

    I’ve spoken to her about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

  104. 104.

    germy

    @J R in WV:

    I don’t know.

    I mean, the former guy was about as divisive as a candidate could be.  I remember laughing when he won the 2016 nomination.  I thought this meant we’d have Hillary in a landslide.

    And then election day happened.

  105. 105.

    Soprano2

    @WaterGirl:  Sure, but paying someone else $50 to file your return doesn’t do anything to prevent that. I’m talking about people who are terrified that if they make a math error the IRS is going to haul them to jail! Conservatives have been really successful in making people terrified of the IRS.

  107. 107.

    indycat32

    @WaterGirl: No ribbon, but every spool of thread, scrap of fabric, anything that might attract him is put away.  My house has never been so neat.

  108. 108.

    Kay

    @Ken:

    The greener energy people won the argument, but it’s like they don’t know it. Don’t look at Trumpsters “rolling coal” or whatever. Look at the fact that Wal Mart now offers 4 electric lawnmowers.

    Mainstream. There are already tons of “green jobs”. They get to move on from Al Gore now, shift to Phase Two or whatever.

    Some Democrat needs to run for Congress on a platform that Republicans are killing green jobs, because it’s true.

  109. 109.

    Kay

    @Ken:

    We have the ridiculous situation where red states are bristling with “green jobs” and Democrats are like “do you think we can persuade them?”

    Done! It already happened. They could literally shift to Republicans as job killers right now and get away with it.

  110. 110.

    dnfree

    @Immanentize:  See the Revere Oneida stainless flatware that comes up with your search? We picked it in 1967 when we got married. It still looks good and works fine.

  111. 111.

    JaneE

    Having commuted for years at the same time as school busses whose diesel exhaust had completely and permanently obscured the “school bus” written on the back, I say electric school buses can’t come soon enough.

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