Torvill and Dean announce their retirement

The iconic ice dance couple announce their retirement. IMO they are the greatest. Rule changes have moved the focus of the sport in the direction of creativity at the expense of the unity of movement that distinguishes ice dance from pairs skating. Throughout their careers, Torvill and Dean have been the perfect amalgam of both.

LBJ Special Message to Congress on the Voting Rights Act 1965

If you have 48 minutes to spare, I encourage everyone who hasn’t heard this already, to take the time to listen to the entire speech. LBJ speaks slowly and clearly, identifying so many issues confronting America then, and IMO now. It is agonizingly slow, yet effective because he forces the listener to think about what he says.

Haley is NOT criticizing TFG

I may have missed it, but I have yet to hear anyone from the media correctly identify what Haley is doing. She is not criticizing TFG. She is excusing him. She repeatedly claims his gaffs (someone may have a better term) are due to age. This is a strategic move. She is setting up the narrative that she would transfer to the general election if she miraculously became the party’s nominee. She would try to compare TFG’s cognitive state to Biden, which we all know is bull. She would claim Biden is or will become as deranged and demented as TFG.

I wish the media would stop playing her clips or at least correctly identify the ageism on display.

An early look at Ohio's Issue 1 breakdown

I have been looking at some results from Ohio’s Issue 1 election from the SOS website. With about 58k outstanding, about 3 million votes have been counted so far. There were 4.2 million ballots counted in the November 2022 election. Remember that included a hotly contested Senate race between Vance and Ryan.

Last night the 3 most populous counties (Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton) accounted for about 890k votes. The no vote won by a 3:1 margin in Cuyahoga and Franklin (these include portions of Cleveland and Columbus respectively) and 2:1 margin in Hamilton (Cincinnati).

Also notable, the total number of ballots cast were over 70% of the totals in November 2022.

Pretty impressive.

The question Dems should stop addressing

Just saw Senator Blumenthal answer the “what do your GOP colleagues think of TFG” question. The answer is always the same. In private they say blah, blah…

This is a waste of air time. It is time they tell the interviewer something along the line of “I think that question is best answered by those GOP legislators.”

No one is persuaded by the Dems response. It does not further any arguments or discussion. Just gives cover to those too cowardly to take a public stance. Notice all -or at least nearly all - of the GOPers speaking out have nothing to lose.

Footage of the Titanic from 1986

The Wood Hole Oceanographic Institute released footage from the 1986 exploration of the Titanic.

https://www.youtube.com/live/novaKAM5XsI?feature=share

Why doesn't the media go to the source of Abbott's and DeSantis' values?

You can’t make this up. This year, National Migration week runs from Sept 19-25 and is marked by the Catholic Church. So, go to the respective parish priests of these self-identified Catholics and ask them if misleading, transporting and dropping off migrants unannounced is consistent with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops invitation to “encounter, accompany, pray and reach out to all migrants and refugees, displaced persons, and victims of human trafficking.” Ask them if bragging about such efforts is a Catholic value.

If you get no answer, ask the diocese’s bishop.
If you get no answer, ask the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Retiring Ohio Supreme Court Justice to join anti-gerrymandering effort

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor sided with Democrats on litigation over redistricting. Let’s hope her efforts after retirement are successful.

https://www.cleveland.com/open/2022/09/ohio-supreme-court-chief-justice-maureen-oconnor-says-shell-join-anti-gerrymandering-effort-after-leaving-office.html

Watson suspended 11 games. Fined $5 million

I think I know why Garland's presser got a late start

Imagine how many times he had to rehearse that speech to make sure he could deliver it with straight face.

Seriously, I hope someone gets the story behind the decision to petition for release of the warrant. While I don’t doubt the rationale as indicated in the petition, part of me wonders if there wasn’t at least a little bit of an “aha moment” smile when they realized that Trump and his cult were out over their skis. Waiting 3 days for that to fully manifest itself was worth it.