Fashionable memory
From commenter “Ruth,” on the Saturday Night Fever Open Thread today:
Ten seconds of that video and I’m back to 1977, sitting in a packed theater beside my sweetheart. I have on my brand new Christmas boots – black, high heels. My black and cream plaid midi-skirt and cream cowl neck sweater. It’s cold outside but pretty sure my coat’s in the car. I wanted to look thin and cute for my date. Nineteen-year-old girls would rather be cold than wear a coat. We’ve been married now for 42 years…..
Is this kind of recall a woman-thing? Genetic??
I share that kind of recall. For whatever reason, I remember what I wore on many many occasions, both good and bad. I keenly recall what I wore when I first met my husband-to-be. It was a nifty white-and-navy print A-line dress with a front zipper, and it was from Marimekko. Late 60s. I even remember how I wore my hair that day.
One of the things that strikes me, reading Ruth’s reminiscence and thinking of my own, is how spiffy and dressed-up we ordinarily were, even in the 60s. Sometimes we wore hippie garb, but often we donned trendy and sharp-looking clothes, especially segueing into the 70s. Photos confirm it, too.
Yes, I think it’s a woman thing. Men’s fashions tend to vary much less, but that’s not the only reason. I also think it may be a genetic thing – my grandmother had the same snapshot-type memory for what she and everyone else in the room wore.
“Luigism” is a growing plague
The nihilism and evil expressed by those who celebrated Luigi Mangione’s murder of United Health executive Brian Thompson has been chilling. A rock was overturned and some very disturbing things came crawling out.
At first it seemed as though the main reason might have been Mangione’s supposed good looks, and certainly that had something to do with it. But the phenomenon has much deeper roots, and those are the reason another murder of an executive is now being celebrated online by the same people (or bots?) who lauded Mangione and cruelly mocked Thompson:
Wesley LePatner was a senior managing director at Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager. She was CEO of the firm’s Real Estate Income Trust—a $53 billion portfolio. She was also a mother of two, a philanthropist, and an engaged member of New York’s Jewish community. On Monday, she was shot and killed in the lobby of her midtown Manhattan workplace, one of four victims of Shane Tamura’s murder spree.
There’s some evidence that her killer was targeting the National Football League, which shares an office building with Blackstone. But within hours, it was clear that his motive was irrelevant to the hordes now celebrating LePatner’s execution online. Across Reddit, Facebook, X, and other social media platforms, users—many anonymous, and some displaying transgender or Palestinian flag emojis—seized on the executive’s death as symbolic retribution. Her position at the investment firm became a license for cruelty. Commenters mocked her success, dismissed her philanthropy as sinister, and portrayed her employer as an unmitigated force for evil. The message was unmistakable: her death was something to relish.
Most of these people (and again, I’m not at all sure they are all actual people) appear to be capitalist-hating leftists angry that they’re not getting a big enough cut of the pie. And, in the case of LePatner’s murder, that perennial favorite of so many vicious people worldwide – Jew-hating – is thrown into the mix. So no doubt some are also old-fashioned anti-Semites on the right, although I believe the vast majority are on the left.
From the link:
This grotesque display is part of a broader trend of class rage and Internet nihilism that justifies violence by turning innocent victims into scapegoats for moral fury. The permission structure for such ghoulishness is now fully operational. What were once the disturbing mutterings of the fringe are now public, performative, and proudly cruel.
A political movement is testing its power. Call it Luigism.
I’ve written several posts on the “Luigism” phenomenon, although I didn’t call it that. Here’s one, and here’s another that’s not about Luigism but is about what’s behind it. Praise of this latest murder doesn’t depend on anything about the shooter, unlike Luigism. It seems to have morphed into pure victim-hatred, a vile and ominous sign.
Goodbye Khalidi – don’t let the door hit you on the way out
Rashid Khalidi is quitting Columbia:
These decisions, taken in close collaboration with the Trump administration, have made it impossible for me to teach modern Middle East history, the field of my scholarship and teaching for more than 50 years, 23 of them at Columbia. Although I have retired, I was scheduled to teach a large lecture course on this topic in the fall as a “special lecturer”, but I cannot do so under the conditions Columbia has accepted by capitulating to the Trump administration in June. …
You have stated that no “red lines” have been crossed by these decisions. However, Columbia has appointed a vice-provost initially tasked with surveilling Middle Eastern studies, and it has ordained that faculty and staff must submit to “trainings” on antisemitism from the likes of the Anti-Defamation League, for whom virtually any critique of Zionism or Israel is antisemitic, and Project Shema, whose trainings link many anti-Zionist critiques to antisemitism. It has accepted an “independent” monitor of “compliance” of faculty and student behavior from a firm that in June 2025 hosted an event in honor of Israel.
Utter BS – these groups do not say any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism. Many Jews who are not the least bit anti-Semitic criticize Israel constantly, for example. But using a double standard to judge Israel is indeed anti-Semitic. Spreading lies about the history of the region in order to demonize Israel is indeed anti-Semitic.
It’s no accident that Columbia – which has, through professors such as Khalidi, been spreading such lies about Israel for decades – is now a hotbed of anti-Semitism. And of course Khalidi uses this “any criticism of Israel is falsely called anti-Semitism” accusation to defend himself. That doesn’t make it true.
I have little doubt he’ll either get a cushy position elsewhere if he wishes to un-retire, or will go on the lucrative lecture circuit to further spread his message.
Medical update for today
Regarding my ex-husband’s treatment in the rehab hospital – I didn’t mean to give the impression that my ex wasn’t walking at all. He has PT every day where he walks with a walker, practices getting up and down, does strengthening exercises of the arms – that sort of thing. But it’s only during the PT and OT (occupational therapy) sessions, which typically total between one to one and a half hours in a day.
So it’s not that he’s not doing anything; it’s just that they’re not working towards having him try walking without a walker, even under very strict supervision.
The facility itself seems like the best one in this area, which doesn’t mean it’s great. But I don’t think any other place would be doing much better, although it’s impossible to know. In addition, he has many medical problems I haven’t described here that need stabilizing, and he really can’t go home right now for that reason plus the fact that his apartment needs to be made safer for him. I hope to get that latter feat accomplished by the end of the week.
As far as the wheelchair tether goes, I got permission yesterday to take him – in the wheelchair – outside, wheel him around, and that sort of thing. So that’s an improvement.
He’s still miserable and can’t wait to get out of there. But at the moment, he needs to stay there.
Open thread 8/2/2025
Three Arab League countries tell Hamas to surrender
What’s up with this?:
Arab nations have taken the unprecedented step of telling Hamas to lay down its arms and surrender control of Gaza.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for the terrorist group to “disarm” and disband. It is the first time these countries have condemned Hamas and demanded it play no part in the future of Palestine.
The landmark shift comes after Sir Keir Starmer issued Israel with an ultimatum, pledging to recognise Palestine if Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration fails to take steps to end the war in Gaza by September.
The three Arab countries joined 14 other nations, including Britain and France, in calling for the disbandment of the group.
So they’re crediting Starmer for the Arab move? And the plan is to reward the PA, just as bad as Hamas? Apparently:
“Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.”
And get a load of this:
It comes amid confusion over whether or not the release of remaining hostages is a condition for the recognition of Palestine, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander on Wednesday morning tying herself in knots on the issue, despite Sir Keir saying that it was.
She told the BBC ministers have “always said right from day one that the hostages need to be released”, adding that the UK expects “Hamas to act in the same way as we expect Israel to act”.
Hamas and Israel act the same? What moral inversion.
This may be a hint at what’s motivating Starmer:
The formation of a new left-wing political party, led by Jeremy Corbyn and ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana last week piled further pressure on the PM to act.
Starmer probably thinks he needs to finesse that by moving further to the left.
Republican hopes to keep the House in 2026 include redistricting
Quite a few states are potentially involved:
The Speaker is clearly referencing the announcement of the new Texas GOP redistricting plan for the U.S. House seats in Texas, which was announced recently and could change a 25 Republican to 13 Democrat House delegation edge to a 30 Republican to 8 Democrat edge. This would be a net gain of 5 seats, if the five new seats that are all pro-Trump by double digits vote Republican. But a lot depends on whether the Hispanic voters in those districts continue their electoral march towards the GOP.
This is not the only redistricting plan that Johnson may be relying on. We are also waiting on the Ohio GOP to redistrict, which may net 2 or 3 more seats. It is also possible that Republicans will redistrict in Indiana, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire and Florida.
Democrats are outraged, of course, as though they have never engaged in anything of the sort. In Texas, Democrat legislators plan to leave the state in order to make it so that a vote on the proposal is stymied by the lack of a quorum, despite a Texas law designed to prevent an action like that:
By fleeing the state to deprive the Legislature of enough members to function, Democrats would each incur a fine of $500 per day and face the threat of arrest. Deep-pocketed donors within the party appear ready to cover these expenses, according to three people involved in the discussions.
The donors’ willingness to foot the bill eliminates a major deterrent to walking out — the personal financial cost — and could embolden Democrats who might otherwise hesitate.
But first, the donors and absconding members would need to figure out how to skirt a potential roadblock: Texas House rules prohibit lawmakers from dipping into their campaign coffers to pay the fines. Republicans approved the $500 daily punishment in 2023, two years after Democrats fled the state in an unsuccessful bid to stop Republicans from passing an overhaul of the state’s election laws.
Two people involved in the latest Democratic fundraising strategy sessions, who were granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, claim their legal teams have found a way to disburse the funds to the members but declined to provide any additional details.
Our Democracy is to thwart the will of the majority and evade the rules. I wonder what that undisclosed method might be.
There will, of course, be several court challenges by the Democrats of Texas. The first will involve challenging the law establishing the penalties. Another will be the tried and true method of saying the Republicans’ redistricting plans are racist.
NOTE: This is my very first post with the “Election 2026” tab. Sigh.
Medical update on my ex
A bit of clarification on yesterday’s post …
Yes, the rehab hospital has all sorts of equipment that would allow them to help a person walk safely without a walker under supervision. But they say they will not use it on him – and they meant they would not use it for the entire duration of his stay, however long he is there (which will supposedly be about ten days or so, but maybe more). I told them I thought that since he’s never used a walker before and until his health crisis a few days ago he was walking without one, that they would at least try while he was there to get him walking without one again. They said they will not try. I asked them why, and they said it was because of his stooped posture and (slightly) shuffling gait. I said that both are from the Parkinson’s he’s had for five years and neither has ever stopped him from walking unaided. But they insisted that at their hospital those things mean they will never let him walk without a walker, even with them holding onto belts strapped around him, and walking right beside him.
So yesterday when I was visiting the rehab hospital I spoke to his case manager about it, and she said she’d talk to the therapists to see if something can be arranged. I hope so, because the lack of independence is something he finds extremely frustrating. And it’s not just that he is not allowed to walk without a walker. It’s that he’s not allowed to do much of anything on his own. He’s not allowed to stand from a sitting position, or stand from lying down, and if he does either a big alarm gets sets off. And what seems to me to be worst of all – and which I just discovered yesterday for the very first time – is that they tether his wheelchair to the bed with what amounts to a short leash, which means that even when I am visiting he and the wheelchair cannot be moved more than a few inches, even by me. For example, I cannot wheel him a few feet to look out the window. I cannot take him for a spin in the wheelchair down the hallway, or take him outside where there is some sort of garden I’ve yet to see.
That seems to me to be way too restrictive. I plan to have a discussion about it today with the case manager, and I want an answer that makes sense. The whole thing is depressing him (and me) and he is getting very frustrated and angry as well, which cannot possibly be helpful to anyone, or to his health and recovery.
By the way, this is a very highly rated facility. Beautiful physical plant, pretty decent food. But something is not right with the degree to which they are limiting his independence – even when he’s sitting in a wheelchair and I’m there.
Open thread 8/1/2025
Hello, August!
No medical news today …
… so far on my ex’s stay at the rehab facility.
One thing I see that’s a potential problem is that, although he was walking on his own until he had the health crisis (partly caused by dehydration) this past Saturday, now they’ll only let him walk with a walker. It seems to me that they should let him try some walking on his own while they are close by, in order for them to help him and give him tips on how to do that in the safest manner and to see what he’s capable of. But they say that for safety reasons he has to use a walker at all times when he’s at the facility. They are doing that, they say, to protect him – but of course it protects them as well.
So how does a person get ready to walk independently if they won’t let him?
Clapper’s crew threatened the Russiagate whistleblower
And is anyone surprised?
From Margot Cleveland:
A crony of then-Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper threatened to withhold a promotion from a senior intelligence official unless he concurred in the fake Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, notes obtained exclusively by The Federalist show.
And why did they fail to burn the burn bags which apparently contained some further incriminating material?