Catch me up, please!
This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Trump Indictments
by WaterGirl| 18 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging
I worked for a San Francisco based wine marketing company as the Southeast Regional Manager from 1998-2008. The company represented one family owned winery from the various appellations in the state. Approximately once each quarter, I would host a small group of people by leading a tour of these properties. The wineries were located from Santa Barbara County in the south to the Anderson Valley, a couple of hours north of San Francisco. It involved lots of windshield time.The Pacific Coast Highway was used in every tour I guided.
On The Road – Paul in Jacksonville – California Wine Country #1Post + Comments (18)
Andy Quadys winery is in Madera, California, which he described as “10 miles east of the middle of nowhere.” Andy was a chemical engineer and former bomb builder who decided that he wanted a different lifestyle. He went to the University of California-Davis, which is the primary university for all aspects of the wine business. He also wanted to create a niche, so he decided to specialize in dessert wines.
This post is in: Open Threads, Political Fundraising, Politics, Proud to Be A Democrat, Targeted Political Fundraising 2023-24
The last person I was certain would be president, though I didn’t know if it would be in my lifetime, was Barack Obama. I have been pretty sure since – what, maybe 2017 or so? – that the same thing would be true of Jon Ossoff.
“No one—and I mean no one—is interested in or takes seriously lectures on border security from Senate Republicans.”
You need to watch @SenOssoff pic.twitter.com/yte6scGtkt
— Senate Democrats (@SenateDems) April 18, 2024
Both GA Senators are worth their weigh in gold. This is Jon Ossoff again, just a couple of days ago.
Wow!
Senator My Boo went all the way in on DeJoy
When he started off with his, “Did you get my letter?,” line of questioning I knew, and DeJoy knew, it was going to be fire and flames 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BZ3KX7XYAK
— Qondi (@QondiNtini) April 16, 2024
When I posted this one a couple of days ago, I reminded everyone that Balloon Juice donated $700,000 to various entities in GA in 2020, and look what we got for our trouble. We won the presidency, we got two amazing GA senators; we got the Senate, which was huge.
Let’s do it again this cycle!
Two mystery Balloon Juice Angels have $1,000 matches – one for NV and one for AZ.
As I type, we have $17,027 for AZ ($1k is a check) and $15,204 for NV. That means we are $7,769 away from our $40,000 goal. $2k of that will be covered by our Mystery Angels, which means we need to raise $5,769 to meet the external angel match.
Excluding the $2k from the Mystery Angels, that’s about $2k needed for AZ and about $3,750 for NV.
We can do this, right?
ARIZONA
NEVADA
This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Trump Indictments
I had hoped Mark Summer at Daily Kos would be live blogging again – he did a terrific job for the first two days. Summer is not up with live coverage yet, but it looks like someone else at Daily Kos is stepping up until Mark Summer gets going.
Here’s the Washington Post live blog of the trial.
Anyone else have a good source for live blogging this?
The dismissal of a juror Thursday morning underscored the difficult balancing act New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan faces in trying to keep the jury pool’s identities secret.
Merchan had said before trial that potential jurors’ names would not be publicly disclosed. Prosecutors and defense attorneys could have the names, he said, but could not share them. Instead, jurors would be identified publicly by numbers.
As far as juror identities go, I can’t figure out why they are sharing so much information about the jurors, and now it looks like potential jurors are dropping fast, with 2 of the 7 from yesterday already dismissed today.
I wonder – could the state just go with a bench trial if it’s determined that a jury is just not possible because of potential theats? NO!
Open thread.
by WaterGirl| 20 Comments
This post is in: On The Road, Photo Blogging
This year’s Meet the Breeds show at Javits Center was great, as always, except for the organizers still insisting that people, other than myself, should be allowed in.
I hope you like the pictures, despite the wonky framing. I have to work on that, but it’s very difficult. I get so carried away with the petting and the admiring, I barely remember I’m there to do a job and film.
On The Road – ema – 2024 AKC Meet the BreedsPost + Comments (20)
This is one Irish Wolfhound I did manage to pet.
Interestingly, I noticed that some doggies do not like it when I film too close to their faces (small cellphone, no huge camera or lens). They will turn their faces away, or, rarely, they will even bark. Others have no problem with it, and will shove their cute little noses right into my phone.
by WaterGirl| 99 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads, Politics
Between the Einstein zoom, which was great fun, and the fundraising this afternoon, I didn’t have much time to check out the news today. So here’s some good news I found after the zoom.
Okay, I knew the Senate rejected the articles, but I loved the framing of this – Republicans trying to look solemn as they put on their farcical impeachment show. And then, bam, Schumer tossed them in the (virtual) garbage where they belonged.
The Senate rejected the articles of impeachment in less time than it took to walk them over to their chambers.
— Jack E. Smith ⚖️ (@7Veritas4) April 17, 2024
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Just submitted an amendment to Bill drafting appointing MTG as Putin’s Special Envoy to the United States Congress. https://t.co/Gn8Dd3lZwj
— Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) April 18, 2024
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I am very happy about Secretary Yellen’s strong support, and that the House is planning to vote on my bipartisan REPO bill to seize those assets.https://t.co/ABuyNLDb8f
— Sheldon Whitehouse (@SenWhitehouse) April 17, 2024
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The Senate rightly defeated the baseless Mayorkas impeachment that even conservative legal scholars said was unconstitutional.
Real solutions are on the table. Republicans should stop wasting time on political stunts, while killing bipartisan border reforms.
Full WH statement: pic.twitter.com/Do4iZTBSSW
— Ian Sams (@IanSams46) April 17, 2024
Janet Yellen’s Ukraine mission (Politico)
The Biden administration is making a new push this week to rally reluctant allies behind the idea that billions in immobilized Russian assets should be tapped to support Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will spend the coming days laying the groundwork as fellow finance ministers gather in Washington for the IMF-World Bank spring meetings. It’s expected to be an agenda item at Wednesday afternoon’s meeting of G7 finance leaders and in other discussions on the sidelines.
“Our goal is to try to get it done as soon as possible,” said a Treasury official granted anonymity. “And if that is this summer, that’s as soon as possible.”
The challenge for Yellen is two-fold. The idea is bipartisan but political resistance is emerging at home from a key ally of former President Donald Trump. The U.S. is also facing unease in Europe, where most of the assets are located. The U.S. Congress has struggled for months to agree on fresh aid to support Ukraine more than two years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion.Officials are considering a menu of options. They include seizing Russia’s sovereign assets outright as well as structuring a loan backed by windfall profits from the assets. The goal is to advance discussions so top G7 leaders can make a decision when they gather in June.
I am guessing that this isn’t literally true, but I suppose it is possible, seeng as it is Marge, after all.
MTG demands sharks with frickin laser beams on their heads to patrol the rio grande
— Angry Staffer 🌻 (@Angry_Staffer) April 18, 2024
Open thread.
This post is in: Open Threads, War in Ukraine
As @DavidFrum has said: Empty the NATO warehouses and send it all. https://t.co/jLs03EEP31
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 17, 2024
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Chuck Schumer is currently humiliating Ted Cruz pic.twitter.com/rV5wzcctSW
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) April 17, 2024
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OPINION: Marjorie Taylor Greene is an idiot. She is trying to wreck the GOP https://t.co/ZBhkARHEyS
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 17, 2024
Open thread.