Open thread 5/14/2025
Some people are irrepressible:
Continue reading →neo
Roundup
So much news. (1) Another Now It Can Be Told story: Joe Biden’s physical deterioration was so severe in 2023 and 2024 that advisers privately discussed the possibility he’d need to use a wheelchair if he won re-election, CNN’s Jake … Continue reading →
The Episcopal Church never met an immigrant it didn’t like …
… except white South African Afrikaners. Here’s the story – or at least, part of the story: In a striking move that ends a nearly four-decades-old relationship between the federal government and the Episcopal Church, the denomination announced on Monday … Continue reading →
Open thread 5/13/2025
And speaking of deals
There’s this explanation from Trump of the India/Pakistan ceasefire: ? JUST IN – TRUMP: "I said [to India/Pakistan] – let's stop it. If you stop it, we'll do trade. If you don't stop it, we're not gonna do any trade… … Continue reading →
Freed hostage Edan Alexander is now in Israel
Wonderful news. Hostage Edan Alexander, who is a citizen of the US and Israel, and who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023, has been released and is in Israeli hands: In a video released by the Prime Minister’s … Continue reading →
The China deal – for now
Trump certainly keeps those announcements coming. Here’s the CNN spin on the deal with China revealed today: The United States and China agreed Monday to drastically roll back tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial 90-day period, in a … Continue reading →
Open thread 5/12/2025
When I was young, my mother still called the refrigerator the icebox:
Continue reading →Happy Mother’s Day!
[NOTE: This is a slightly-edited repeat of my traditional Mother’s Day post. It was written while my mother was still alive.] Okay, who are these three dark beauties? A hint: one of them is one of the very first pictures … Continue reading →
“Gloria” in three iterations
I had very vaguely remembered the hit song of the 80s entitled “Gloria,” sung by Laura Branigan, but that was about it for my knowledge of the song. But the other day I came across this version of a Leonard … Continue reading →
Meet the potential 51st state: Alberta
I don’t think Alberta will actually secede from Canada. But it’s being seriously considered, at least by some people: Alberta doesn’t belong in this Canada. That’s not treason. It’s not even radical. It’s a simple observation of cultural, economic, and … Continue reading →
Ceasefire announced between India and Pakistan – but does it have any meaning?
Reports are that it was violated almost immediately, but who knows? This is from CNN, so take it with the usual grain of salt: India and Pakistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire on Saturday, unexpectedly halting the worst fighting in … Continue reading →