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Tuesday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 03:40:41 PM EST
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I'm taking a longer break from daily blogging than I anticipated. Until I return, here's a new open thread.

< Fourth of July Open Thread

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    Hard to know which outrage to focus on (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 06:14:24 PM EST
    Thanks for being here and trying.    

    The tragic folly began with ... (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:01:05 AM EST
    ... the violent arrest of Matthew Ludwig, an innocent man initially but mistakenly identified by San Francisco police as a car thief.

    It escalated with Ludwig's malicious prosecution by a vengeful district attorney's office for reckless driving and having resisted a clearly wrongful arrest. It was further compounded by the unnecessary and egregious impounding of his car by the police, which left Ludwig without a vehicle when he was unable to pay the impound fee. Of course, it was all done to cover up a bad arrest - at least, it certainly looks that way.

    And now, in the wake of Matthew Ludwig's suicide while the vindictive charges against him were still pending, San Francisco authorities have an awful lot of explaining to do.

    The folks who abused their authority should face charges of their own.

    So now the is a streaming service from ROKU (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 09:40:10 AM EST
    called HOWDY

    Just curious (none / 0) (#8)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 01:45:21 PM EST
    has anyone here ever brought up where you got the 'Howdy' name from?

    Parent
    Years ago I was hired to represent (none / 0) (#9)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:09:26 PM EST
    a Mafia consigliere with the nickname "Howdy," based on his curly red hair and his nervous habit of bouncing up and down like a marionette.

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    My ouija board (none / 0) (#11)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:33:01 PM EST
    gave me a clue to where it comes from.

    Parent
    You (none / 0) (#14)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:18:30 PM EST
    Always have the best stories

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    i have quite a few about (none / 0) (#22)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:56:08 PM EST
    the old Philadelphia Mob. In one case, the client I was hired to represent on appeal was convicted, among other things, of murdering a guy who had been my wife's client. (Almost an Adam's Rib situation.) His father, an old Mafioso from the days when the feds used to leave them alone, delivered me a $15,000 fee in cash in a paper bag. I commented that I would be taking the money directly to the bank to deposit in my business account and would be including it on my tax return (not pocketing it, in other words). I said that out loud not only because it was true but also in case he was recording me to set me up by trading information "against" me to help his son. He replied, "I cannot understand how youse could love the government more than youse love your own family." I did not win that appeal, and the son wound up serving 2/3 of a 20 year sentence for five murders. Not bad, I guess. And during that time my client managed to get his wife pregnant in the visiting room of the federal prison without anyone detecting the interaction.

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    Well,at least he didn't have the nickname .... (none / 0) (#20)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:41:37 PM EST
    ... "Frankie Five Fingers," because we all know how that ended.

    Parent
    Captain Howdy (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:47:42 PM EST
    is the child's name for  Parish in the Exorcist.

    Parent
    S**t (none / 0) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:48:26 PM EST
    Child's name for PAZUZU

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    I always related it to the movie (none / 0) (#17)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 07:35:37 PM EST
    Strangeland. Written by Dee Snider.

    Parent
    Perhaps it was given him by his parents, ... (none / 0) (#18)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:25:09 PM EST
    ... Dudley and Debbie Doody. 🤪

    Parent
    See my comment (none / 0) (#19)
    by Peter G on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:40:33 PM EST
    number 9.

    Parent
    Thank you (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 06:15:00 PM EST

    Judge Blocks Postal Service From Restricting Mail Voting
    August 11, 2026 at 5:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 69 Comments

    "A federal ​judge on Tuesday blocked the U.S. ‌Postal Service from implementing part of President Donald Trump's executive order that aims to tighten ​rules for mail-in voting ahead of ​November elections that will decide control of ⁠Congress," Reuters reports.

    "The ruling by U.S. District ​Judge Indira Talwani in Boston effectively expanded ​on an earlier order she had issued in June that had prevented Trump's administration from ​implementing it in 23 mostly ​Democratic-led states."

    NPR: A judge expands a block on U.S. Postal Service work on Trump's mail-in voting order
    Six states (none / 0) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 11, 2026 at 06:17:44 PM EST
    Could be an interesting night.

    Primary Results
    August 11, 2026 at 7:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

    Primary elections in six states today will offer fresh clues about President Trump's grip on the Republican Party -- and Democratic voters' appetite for progressive candidates.

    Among the marquee races are Democratic primaries for governor in Wisconsin and U.S. Senate in Minnesota, along with a crowded Republican contest in South Carolina to succeed Sen. Lindsey Graham.

    Poll closing times and results:

    South Carolina: 7 p.m ET
    Vermont: 7 p.m. ET
    Alabama: 8 p.m. ET
    Connecticut: 8 p.m ET
    Minnesota: 9 p.m. ET
    Wisconsin: 9 p.m. ET
    Defi (none / 0) (#4)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 03:03:01 AM EST
    Interesting in MN where Lindell is accusing his GOP opponent of stealing the primary.

    Parent
    So Crowley wins (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 09:39:13 AM EST
    that's good. But the interesting thing is the Dem turnout was almost double the Republican turnout

    Good signs

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    Sounds like a sign of more hope (none / 0) (#10)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 02:14:48 PM EST
    on the 'left' than there is on the right.

    People who are apathetic don't turn out. Could be because so many loudmouth know nothings and conspiracy mongers on the right have sown so much doubt about institutions, that these people don't care about voting. Also, they're depressed because the great and powerful Trump has let them down.

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    I have (none / 0) (#16)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:41:01 PM EST
    Wondered about these election deniers and voting. If your vote doesn't count or is gonna be stolen why vote. These people are not critical thinkers

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    Speaking of election deniers, ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 08:45:57 PM EST
    ... did you catch Mike "My Pillow" Lindell on TV after the first returns showed him trailing by double digits in Minnesota's GOP gubernatorial primary? Geez, what a loon! The guy puts the "goober" in gubernatorial.

    Parent
    This (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 12, 2026 at 06:28:54 PM EST

    Sky-high Democratic primary turnout is another sign of big blue wave



    Parent

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