Yesterday I set out to find an alternative to fill the void in the post-MSNBC phase of my life. I’d always been intrigued with the notion of Scandinavian noir. Perhaps because I’d never immersed myself in it. So, I decided to binge-watch a Scandinavian noir TV show. After consulting those ‘Best Of Scandinavian Noir’ lists, and seeing what was available on the streaming services we have, I opted for a Finnish noir called Deadwind. 12 fucking episodes, shoulda been eight at most, but I was determined to make it through. Which I did. Finished at about 2 this morning.
Mistake. 12 episodes, not a single joke. Beautiful, but bleak, landscapes. Shoulda counted how many times someone’s cellphone rang. Those cop flashlights that illuminate everything save motive or plot.
Depressing in every way, not what you want in a post-democratic America. However, if you’re looking for a wallow or, warning, bad Nordic noir joke ahead, Wahloo, you might want to consider it.
Me? I came, I saw, I shrugged.
The bright side? I watched Nordic noir so that you don’t have to.
Hmmm, what rabbit hole should I dive down into next? Any suggestions? My wife devours fantasy fiction, but even post-democracy, I need something more rooted in an approximation of the real world.
Trump Judge Rules Illinois Assault Weapons Ban Unconstitutional. Get used to this shit:
Judge Stephen McGlynn for the U.S. District of Southern Illinois determined that the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which outlaws hundreds of firearms and accessories such as bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, violates an individual’s rightto bear arms. McGlynn stayed his order for 30 days, during which time the Illinois Attorney General’s Office plans to appeal the judge’s decision.
“The Government may not deprive law-abiding citizens of their guaranteed right to self-defense as a means of offense,” McGlynn, who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2020, wrote in a 168-page ruling.
Shitty Democrats. First Of A Limitless List:
Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is exploring options for reviving a congestion pricing plan for New York City before President-elect Donald J. Trump has a chance to kill it, according to four people familiar with the matter.
Ms. Hochul’s move to salvage the contentious plan comes as she faces pressure from various corners, including a group that represents transit riders, and is planning to start an advertising blitz on Monday in support of the tolling program.
The plan that Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, is now exploring differs slightly from the one she halted in June. She is trying to satisfy opponents who had complained about the $15 congestion-pricing toll that most motorists would have had to pay as well as supporters who want to reduce car traffic and fund mass transit improvements.
The governor has talked to federal officials about the possibility of a $9 toll and about whether such a change might require the lengthy, involved process of additional environmental review, according to a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member familiar with the matter. The discussions were first reported by Politico.
Josh Marshall Eschews The Blame Game. I think he’s on the right track:
I’m going to go into more depth in a future post about why I think Harris lost. But the short version is that Joe Biden owned the hardships of the post-pandemic – principally but not only economic – and the public simply rejected his presidency because of that. That’s very similar to what has happened when almost every other incumbent party in the West came up for reelection in the post-pandemic era. It’s a pretty thorough public rejection of Biden’s whole presidency. Tough to face but true.
Combined with that are a raft of stylistic challenges and cultural baggage, problems tied to communications and media and technocracy that have dogged Democrats in the past, dogged them in this cycle and need to be addressed going forward. But those issues aren’t new. They didn’t prevent Democrats from having a solid election in 2020 or beating expectations in 2022. Or 2018 for that matter. The public pretty clearly agrees with Democrats on abortion and reproductive rights because public votes on that issue won almost everywhere in the country. But the folks in charge, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris who ended up holding too much of that blame, were rejected.
I could list ten other potential reasons. But again, I’ll get to that later. My point in addressing this is because Harris and Harris’s campaign are a distraction from this necessary conversation, a form of denial. She and her campaign weren’t where the problem was. Given the constraints she had to operate under it was a bravura performance.
Something to eschew on.
Kent County Administrator Ousted For Exposing Corruption. Does this sound familiar?:
When Kent County Levy Court commissioners voted to fire Ken Decker, the former county administrator, they did so in a nearly empty chamber quickly after an executive session, without offering the chance for Decker to challenge the ruling.
Through his lawyer, and some testimony of his own, Decker argued his firing was retaliation for multiple referrals he made to a state ethics commission involving commissioners of the Levy Court. Action was limited at the hearing, but should commissioners decide to adopt a final resolution sealing his termination, Decker intends to file a wrongful termination suit against the county.
The conflict in question concerned Kent County Levy Court Commissioner George “Jody” Sweeney, and his involvement with the POLYTECH School District, which operates the county’s career and technical education high school.
According to a letter sent to the PIC by Decker, Sweeney worked as a substitute teacher, and had family working in the district, yet took votes on matters related to a property used by the school district.
In the end, the PIC found there was a conflict of interest. But because the PIC is purely an advisory commission, it doesn’t have any way to enforce its findings.
Repeat after me: The Public Integrity Commission has no authority whatsoever to enforce blatant ethical violations by government officials. Not gonna link once again to my Transparency Agenda, but this needs to change. Otherwise, corruption continues unabated.
What do you want to talk about?