Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Books are my comfort food!

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Republicans do not trust women.

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

They spent the last eight months firing professionals and replacing them with ideologues.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

This chaos was totally avoidable.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

Museums are not America’s attic for its racist shit.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

This is dead girl, live boy, a goat, two wetsuits and a dildo territory.  oh, and pink furry handcuffs.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

Fight them, without becoming them!

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

If you cannot answer whether trump lost the 2020 election, you are unfit for office.

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The War for Ukraine Day 916: Last Night’s/This Morning’s Butcher’s Bill

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A painting by Ukrainian artist NEIVANMADE. The words "NEVER AGAIN" are repeated over and over, from left to right and top to bottom, in a faded, washed out black against a white background. Red, the color of blood, runs and drips down across 2/3rds of the painting. "WHILE YOU TOLERATE TYRANTS" is written/painted in the bottom white corner below the three rows of "NEVER AGAIN".

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Two quick housekeeping notes. First, Rosie is doing great. She’s off for the rest of this week with her next treatment next Tuesday. Thank you for all the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Second, I’m fried. Yes, I know it’s only Tuesday, still fried. I’m going to run through the butcher’s bill from last night, a couple of other items, and that’s about it.

From The Kyiv Independent:

Ukraine carried out a successful test of the first domestic-made ballistic missile, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 27.

“It may be too early to talk about it but I want to share it with you,” the president said at the Ukraine 2024 Independence forum in Kyiv.

Zelensky congratulated to the Ukrainian Defense Industry on the project but did not provide any further details on the weaponry.

A day earlier, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Ukraine is preparing a response to Russian aerial strikes with weapons of its own production.

“This once again proves that for victory, we need long-range capabilities and the lifting of restrictions on strikes on the enemy’s military facilities,” Umerov said. “Ukraine is preparing its own response. Weapons of its own production.”

Zelensky previously revealed that Ukraine has developed a domestic-made missile-drone, Palianytsia. He said it has already been used against Russia.

Kyiv has received a number of long-range missiles from partners, such as U.S.-made ATACMS, British Storm Shadow, or French SCALP/T. Their potential impact is limited by Western restrictions on strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Russia regularly uses ballistic missiles like Iskander-M or Kinzhal in attacks against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

 

President Zelenskyy participated in the Ukraine 2024 Independence Forum. There’s no transcript, but I’ve got the English closed captioning on for the video.

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The Power of Mom

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“If you want to understand any woman, you must first ask about her mother and listen carefully.”

— Anita Diamant, The Red Tent

In her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris talked about her mom, explaining how being raised by the formidable Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris shaped her world view and continues to inform her decision-making today.

Mother Jones reporter Nina Martin, then with a different publication, had lunch with Dr. Harris 17 years ago as part of a profile on Kamala Harris, who was then running for reelection as district attorney in San Francisco:

Everyone told me, if you truly want to understand who Kamala Harris is and how she got that way, you need to talk to her mother. I wrangled a meeting with Dr. Harris, then a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Everyone was right. The piece at MJ isn’t paywalled; here’s a link. Also, a short excerpt:

“Shyamala Gopalan Harris did not believe in coddling. Pay her daughters, Kamala and Maya, an allowance for doing chores? “For what? I give you food. I give you rent,” scoffed the woman who would someday launch a million coconut memes. “If you do the dishes, you should get two dollars? You ate from the damn dishes!” Reward the future vice president of the United States—and possible future president—for getting decent grades? Ridiculous. “What does that tell you?” her mother chided as if I had disagreed. (I didn’t.) “It says, ‘You know, I really thought you were stupid. Oh, you surprised Mommy!’ No.”

When the breast cancer researcher and single mother had to work in her lab on the weekends, her daughters went with her, like it or not. “I’m not going to get a babysitter,” Dr. Harris laughed…”

Go read the whole thing. It’s heart-warming and also sad because you can see why the vice president misses her mom so much. It’s too bad Dr. Harris didn’t live to see her eldest daughter win her party’s nomination.

Every family is different, but so many of us owe who we are to our moms. I grew up in a very different place and culture, but Dr. Harris’s no-nonsense and brusque style reminds me a lot of my mother, who was a hardworking nurse and single mom who refused to suffer fools (or raise any). She’s been gone 10 years now, and I miss her every single day.

Open thread.

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Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Pity (About) the Walz Opp Researchers

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They have been reduced to coming for Tim’s dog, and metaphorically found themselves in the, uh, dog product…

Tell your dog I said hi…

Scout, (not) incidentally, is a rescue dog:

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C.R.E.A.M.

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C.R.E.A.M.

Gary Leglum at Wonkette has a post about a recent op-ed in the NYT by Republican consultant Juliana Glover, who’s losing sleep over the possibility that Trump might, just maybe, perhaps steal/grift from the campaign like he does from every other goddam thing he’s ever been involved in:

Glover is big concerned because the Trump campaign seems to be repeating its actions in 2020 when many of the donations it brought in “went into a legal and financial black hole reportedly controlled by Trump family members and close associates.”

One of the many grifts that Glover names is that the biggest spend of the Trump 2020 campaign was with a media consulting firm whose ownership is secret, but is probably run by Lara Trump.

Gary’s post is worth reading, but I’m not even going to pretend to put on my shocked face when it comes to this.   Though I will share an anecdote that might explain just a little bit about why Republicans aren’t up in arms about this (yet).

I was talking politics with a family member who’s a hardcore Republican, but not the kind that flies Trump flags.  He’s an intelligent guy, and our conversation was mostly about nuts-and-bolts, common-ground stuff like our shared concern that an uninformed slice of the population is going to decide the election.  I mentioned that the one thing I’d be worrying about if I were in his shoes would be fundraising — Trump isn’t doing enough, PACs can’t spend money in the directed ways that a campaign can, etc.  If you read this blog you know the issue, and it’s the same one consultant Glover is concerned about.

Anyway, I contrasted Trump’s fundraising with Act Blue and the Democrats’ small-dollar donations, and he just gave me a blank stare.  He had never heard of Act Blue or how Democratic campaigns up and down the ballot leverage small-dollar donors.  He lives in a Fox bubble, and apparently they don’t even talk about the big difference between Republican and Democratic fundraising.  So, at least part of the answer as to why Republicans aren’t pissed about the way Trump grifts from them is that Fox doesn’t tell them about it.  No big shock, but worth noting.

Also, note that I’m traveling and in a time zone 6 hours earlier than Eastern so no more early posts from me.

Edit:  This just popped up on Bluesky.

C.R.E.A.M. 1

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Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Heating Up

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Fans of politics have another way to keep track of what’s happening in the most competitive states in the country through a new service that collects and streams local newscasts.

Swing State Election News, which began operation Monday, lets streamers choose from among 37 local television stations in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. They are primarily local affiliates of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox.

Those are the states that pollsters have concluded will most likely decide the presidential contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The service will allow people to test the maxim of “all politics is local” by closely following how the campaigns are being waged there…

Swing State Election News is an outgrowth of Zeam, a free streaming service affiliated with Gray Television that began last winter. Zeam caters to people who have given up cable or satellite television subscriptions by offering hundreds of local market broadcasts. The bulk of its users follow their local markets but a significant number check in on other areas where they may have had ties in the past, the service said.

Zeam doesn’t reveal how many people use the service.

Swing State Election News allows users to choose between live programming or archived newscasts. A quick click Monday on a tab, for instance, calls up the morning newscast on WMGT-TV in Macon, Georgia.

As the campaign goes on, Perry said the newscasts will offer a window into rallies and other events held in those states, along with details in local House and Senate races that may impact control of those chambers…

One important indicator of how the campaigns are going will be missing, however. A local newscast in the swing states this fall is expected to be filled with commercials for the presidential candidates, which can illustrate some of the campaign strategies and issues they feel are resonating.

Swing State Election News sells its own advertising, however, and will not show what is being seen in the local advertising breaks, Perry said.

In another effort aimed at boosting election news for swing states, The Associated Press said last month it is offering its campaign coverage to a series of small, independent news organizations that can’t otherwise afford it.

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Late Night Open Thread: Telegram, for Mr. Musk

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Adam has already written about Durov’s arrest in France, but I’m curious about Musk’s latest intermittent FREEZE PEACH!!! outburst in connection with the Telegram bust. Per Fortune, via MSN.com, “Elon Musk calls for release of Telegram founder Pavel Durov as arrest sparks debate whether X owner may be next”:

… The spectacular arrest of Pavel Durov on the tarmac of Paris’s Le Bourget airport just after his private jet touched down on Saturday elicited an intense debate over where exactly the boundaries of protected free speech end and the rule of law begins.

Durov is being held in France initially without formal charges, but authorities could accuse the Telegram founder of failing to police illegal content and commerce conducted via Telegram.

Musk’s X is likewise in the crosshairs of European policymakers, with the EU Commission recently reminding him of its failure to observe the Digital Services Act that requires large platform owners to systematically clamp down on false and misleading content.

The entrepreneur, who is also CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, called on France to “free Pavel”, warning his arrest signalled dangerous times ahead for democracy.

“The 2nd amendment is the only reason long-term that the 1st amendment will be upheld,” he added, referring to the constitutionally-protected right in the United States to bear arms and exercise free speech…

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War for Ukraine Day 915: The Russian Bombardments Will Continue Until Putin’s Morale Improves

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Screen shot of new artwork by NEIVANMADE. The background is black. In the bottom foreground are grey Ukrainian homes and apartment buildings being bombarded by red Russian missiles with the Special Military Operation "Z" symbol on them. Above the missiles, written in red is the word "Ruzzians". Below the buildings being attacked is the statement "Turns Homes Into Graves".

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

A quick housekeeping note. Rosie is doing great. She’s got all this week off before her next treatment. Thank you all for the good thoughts, well wishes, prayers, and donations.

Russia spent the small hours and most of today pounding civilian targets across Ukraine. And air raid alerts are still up over most of Ukraine or are going up and down in the different oblasts.

Update at 8;45 PM EDT/3:45 AM local time in Ukraine

Russia has its strategic bombers and strike fighters up! Cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as drone swarms to clear the way, are inbound!

Air raid alert map of Ukraine. Air raid warning are up over every region (oblast) of Ukraine. The map also indicates that Russian strategic aviation - bombers - are in the air over Russia and cruise and ballistic missiles are inbound to Ukraine.

End update

Among the targets was the Kyiv hydroelectric plant and dam.

If Russia breaches the dam, then what happened last year in Kherson Oblast will happen to Kyiv.

And lest anyone think that’s doomsaying, the Russians spent a lot of time just last month claiming Ukraine was going to blow the damn up and blame Russia for it.

Remember what I wrote way back in February of 2022 during the first days of Russia’s genocidal re-invasion: if Putin cannot have Kyiv and Ukraine, then no one, including the Ukrainians gets to have Kyiv and Ukraine.

The largest russian air attack: Ukrainian defenders shot down 102 missiles and 99 UAVs.

Overnight, russia attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure with 109 Shahed UAVs and 127 missiles of various types.

Ukrainian air defenders shot down 201 aerial targets, including:
• 99 Shahed UAVs
• 99 Kh-101, Kalibr, Kh-59 missiles
• 1 Kh-47M2 Kindzhal missile
• 1 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile
• 1 Kh-22 cruise missile

Thank you, air defenders, for your heroic work!
Thank you, partners, for strengthening Ukraine’s air defense!

The Kyiv Independent has the details on today’s attacks:

Russia has launched the largest attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s Air Force reported on Aug. 26.

Seven people were killed and 47 were injured, according to the State Emergency Service.

Russian forces carried out an attack targeting 15 oblasts, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Russia launched 127 missiles and 109 drones, while Ukraine downed 102 missiles and 99 drones, according to the Air Force. Russian strikes hit several civilian, energy, and fuel facilities, including a dam in Kyiv, part of the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Ukrainian forces intercepted one Kinzhal ballistic missile, one Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile, one Kh-22 cruise missile, 99 Kh-101, Kalibr, and Kh-59/69 cruise missiles, as well as 99 Shahed-type drones.

A few drones disappeared from location radars and were lost in the Ukrainian territory. Two unmanned aerial vehicles crossed the border with Belarus.

Ukraine deployed all available resources to repel the attack, including jets, anti-aircraft missile forces, mobile fire groups, and electronic warfare units, the Air Force said.

Following the mass Russian attack against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, and Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the head of state grid operator Ukrenergo.

The group discussed the efficiency of air defense and electronic warfare systems and mobile fire groups in each region, among other issues.

Demining operations are underway at the sites affected by Russian attacks. In some areas, Russian forces attacked civilian facilities with cluster munitions. Sappers must check the locations before power engineers can start repairing, according to Zelensky.

Despite all the announcements and pledges over the past several months, the promised air defense systems and munitions have yet to arrive in Ukraine.

For want of a nail!!!!

More on today’s attacks after the jump.

President Zelenskyy made two addresses today. Video of the first one below, English transcript after the jump followed by the video and transcript of the second one.

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