The Window (1949)

The Window is a recent Warner Archive Blu-ray release. As usual for the Archive, the video quality is great. The film is a fine film noir about a boy who tells lies but can’t convince his parents that he really saw a murder. I couldn’t find a trailer online.

Good for Democrats for doing aggressive gerrymandering like Republicans do

I oppose gerrymandering but…

Republicans did aggressive gerrymandering after the 2010 census and got a big advantage from it. Now, Democrats are fighting back and Republicans are whining about it.

Democrats didn’t have a choice. They had to gerrymander since Republicans were going to keep doing it. Most Democrats (but not Republicans) support ending gerrymandering. Maybe some Republicans will change their mind now that they see Democrats will do it too.

One thing I haven’t seen addressed. Even if Democrats pick up seats this time, aren’t they still probably net behind Republicans in gerrymandering if you consider both 2010 and 2020?

Democrats are gerrymandering ruthlessly. Good for them, @paulwaldman1 writes: https://t.co/IHsE8i6ja8
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) February 6, 2022

for fucks sake, no pic.twitter.com/WnSMaaxrzc
— Jamison Foser (@jamisonfoser) February 7, 2022

This “both parties abuse redistricting” NYTimes story doesn’t mention that Democratic lawmakers overwhelmingly support federal legislation to reform the process while Republicans overwhelmingly oppose it. https://t.co/MSN76Tx9IA
— Paul Glastris (@glastris) February 6, 2022

Redistricting update: new lines have now been adopted in 301/435 House districts. Biden won 173 of these 301 new seats, up from 167/301 under the current lines.

Biggest shifts so far:

IL: Biden +2, Trump -3
MI: Biden +1, Trump -2
NY: Biden +2, Trump -3
TX: Biden -1, Trump +3
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) February 7, 2022

This NYT story features inaccurate data that actually understates the competitive decline. There are only 17 seats that voted for Biden/Trump by less than 5 pts in the 29 states w/ new district lines, down from 39 right now (a 56% decline). https://t.co/SEtMu1qqhE
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) February 6, 2022

There aren't many breaks Dems *haven't* caught in redistricting so far. Sure, you can point to commission maps in AZ/IA/MT, or that MD Dems didn't pursue the 8D-0R gerrymander Steny Hoyer wanted.

But the big questions (CA, NJ, MI, OH, AL, NY, NC) have gone their way.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) February 5, 2022

NEW: for the first time, Dems have taken the lead on @CookPolitical's 2022 redistricting scorecard. After favorable developments in NY, AL, PA et. al., they're on track to net 2-3 seats from new maps vs. old ones.* pic.twitter.com/7DsP5LEDD0
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) February 3, 2022

The 1/6 House committee must act tough with the Trump associates who won’t cooperate

"investigators have taken a page out of organized crime prosecutions and quietly turned at least six lower-level Trump staff members into witnesses who have provided information about their bosses’ activities." @nytmike @lukebroadwater https://t.co/UlgbRwSWog
— Zolan Kanno-Youngs (@KannoYoungs) February 6, 2022

We know from past experience that the Trump crowd lies. Hopefully, the committee has learned from this and will not tolerate it.https://t.co/YYGj7C3nzX
— Harris Levy (@HarrisL585) February 7, 2022

Bomb threats against HBCUs

The FBI is investigating bomb threats against at least 17 historically Black colleges. University and community leaders say it is not surprising to see threats aimed at spaces where Black people frequent, but they insisted they won't be intimidated. https://t.co/Sa0YRGvR5r
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 7, 2022

In 1999, two bombs were set off at FAMU. Last week 13+ HBCUs across the country received bomb threats that remind us that racialized violence is alive and well. Read my latest at @TeenVogue here!https://t.co/H7bsBvGi4y
— Clarissa Brooks (@ClarissaMBrooks) February 7, 2022

This morning, a third anonymous mass bomb threat was made against at least seven HBCUs:
Howard (third time)
Alcorn
Mississippi Valley
Jackson State
Edward Waters
Kentucky State
Morgan State

Since January 4, a total of 21 bomb threats have been made targeting 19 different HBCUs. https://t.co/fXrClHWwO4
— Booker G. Washington (@TendentiousG) February 1, 2022

Howard University has endured at least four bomb threats in the past two months. https://t.co/ufPCnh3Ciz
— CNN (@CNN) February 14, 2022

Trump’s violation of laws on keeping records

I don’t want to hear any more about Hillary Clinton’s emails. I hope DOJ finally holds Trump accountable for breaking laws.

I am a retired federal employee and I assure you we got many reminders about obeying the Hatch Act.

The key to the stories about Trump's serial violation of the Presidential Records Act is that he was repeatedly told he was breaking the law, but he kept doing it.

Same was true of the Hatch Act. His whole administration's attitude was that obeying the law was optional.
— Paul Waldman (@paulwaldman1) February 7, 2022

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Washington Post (@washingtonpost)

The key to the stories about Trump's serial violation of the Presidential Records Act is that he was repeatedly told he was breaking the law, but he kept doing it.

Same was true of the Hatch Act. His whole administration's attitude was that obeying the law was optional.
— Paul Waldman (@paulwaldman1) February 7, 2022

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Washington Post (@washingtonpost)

Scoop: National Archives last month had to retrieve boxes of Trump WH records from Mar-a-Lago that were improperly removed from the WH. The items included correspondence w Kim Jong Un. With @jdawsey1⁩ ⁦@thamburger⁩ & ⁦@AshleyRParker⁩ > https://t.co/ZdGvEk66Zv
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) February 7, 2022

NYTimes and Trump campaign were in total sync https://t.co/fmRGNYg9Ot pic.twitter.com/XEgz27xvVw
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) February 6, 2022

When I was in WH Counsel we briefed everyone on these laws.

The notion that any President would repeatedly ignore legal warnings is mind boggling.

It’s not a small thing-it’s the chief law enforcement officer declaring himself completely above the law. https://t.co/y57l08ctCq
— Ian Bassin (@ianbassin) February 6, 2022

Clinton was wrong in applying her misguided decision to create server & destroy emails. I rep'd @GOP to help expose those facts.

What Trump did is worse as it was deliberate & known disregard of US law & for malicious purposes. Now GOP is complicit in this hypocrisy. https://t.co/w3qLzdrKCh
— Mark S. Zaid (@MarkSZaidEsq) February 6, 2022

Lot of people deserve a lot of snark over this, but in all seriousness, Democrats should launch an investigation, wholly separate from 1/6, to get to the bottom of what Trump sought to conceal by destroying documents. https://t.co/UB3kfpDUlw
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) February 6, 2022

Ripping and shredding papers in the Trump White House was so common that when the Jan. 6 committee asked for documents related to Trump’s pressure campaign against Pence, some couldn’t be sent over bc they had already been destroyed. https://t.co/jkoiun6dkI pic.twitter.com/KPLM0hYWDS
— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) February 6, 2022

Crucial now for all Americans to know exactly how many and what Presidential documents were illegally taken, hidden or destroyed.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) February 7, 2022

National Archives says they took 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago last month that were supposed to be transferred by Trump at the end of the presidency. They say Trump and his team are "continuing to search for additional Presidential records that belong to the National Archives." https://t.co/0sSKI19wmc
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) February 7, 2022

Trump is unleashing white grievance politics

Just one of the many terrible things Trump has done

White Americans see an increase in discrimination against other white people and less against other racial groups (@Stella_Rouse @ShibleyTelhami) https://t.co/fEqvRfRwEp
— Opinion Today (@OpinionToday) July 2, 2022

The belief that whites are the real victims of bias is absolute bedrock for Trump's GOP coalition: "Among adults nationwide, 22% thought the NFL was doing 'too much' to show respect for Black players. Among Republicans & R-leaning independents, that number shot up to 45%" https://t.co/cqxUtIHLSi
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) February 10, 2022

the Trump effect in white grievance, as measured by @PRRIpoll :

is there a lot of discrimination against whites in the U.S.?

white Republicans in Oct. 2015
38% yes, 61% no

white Republicans in Jan. 2021
55% yes, 45% nohttps://t.co/FNcDU5Edxd
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) February 6, 2022

#Latest After years of being branded a racist, Trump and his allies are trying to turn that label back on critics by wielding their own definition of racism, one that disregards the history of exclusion that gives White people a monopoly on power & wealth.https://t.co/0oAuvzyBN0
— Cleve R. Wootson Jr. (@CleveWootson) February 5, 2022

If the Republican Party has any sort of platform these days, it appears to involve stoking White grievance and opposing even modest steps to foster diversity, @Eugene_Robinson writes https://t.co/Z7eK2Zp2Bo
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) February 4, 2022

Trump is facing an array of Black prosecutors who he called 'racist.' The former president, who rode the politics of white grievance into White House, left the clear impression that he thinks he can’t possibly be treated fairly by Black officials. https://t.co/c7wxTKzALj
— Bobby Caina Calvan (@BobbyCalvan) February 6, 2022

Donald Trump has escalated a message rooted in racism and lies during recent rallies. "The audience he's trying to get is constantly agitated and upset," one professor said. "He always has a nose for white victimhood."https://t.co/zdI1BBbe23
— NPR (@NPR) February 1, 2022

"The GOP’s white-grievance movement is increasingly anti-American," @JRubinBlogger writes https://t.co/QLlpfGyBuu
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) February 15, 2022

Many Republicans think the NFL does too much for Black players and are losing interest in the league, poll shows https://t.co/FuKBHxfJrh
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) February 14, 2022

an old article:

White people think racism is getting worse. Against white people.

Covers: Act Naturally

“Act Naturally” is a 1963 Buck Owens record that was the last Beatles cover (1965) not counting the fragment of “Maggie May” on Let It Be. Ringo was the lead singer of the Beatles version and later recorded a duet with Owens. I saw Ringo perform this on TV today in a Soundstage rebroadcast – see the clip below

Right-wing attacks on the National Butterfly Center

This is an incredible story. It’s like Pizzagate.

I went to the National Butterfly Center in South Texas to watch as the nonprofit closed its doors indefinitely amid far-right lies online that the center feared would lead to violence

“It’s just incredibly sad” said a butterfly enthusiast on a last tourhttps://t.co/JnJtEvDaKH
— J. David Goodman (@jdavidgoodman) February 6, 2022

We live in an unbelievably stupid time https://t.co/xyEu3pfH9J
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) February 3, 2022

UPDATE: The National Butterfly Center on the Texas border is closing “for the immediate future” after conspiracy-fueled threats against the center escalated in recent days. https://t.co/vi9KSIEi7e
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) February 2, 2022

Bob Marley’s birthday – February 6th

“Coming in from the Cold” is my favorite of Marley’s many great songs.

Let us celebrate together the birth of Robert Nesta Marley born February 6th 1945 in Nine Mile St Anne , Jamaica
A blessing to the world.
Tuff Gong 77th bornday today. JAH RASTAFARI pic.twitter.com/SZqG5QxRSD
— Bob Marley (@bobmarley) February 6, 2022

Bob Marley would have turned 77 today. Read our list of his 50 greatest songs https://t.co/Itu5KZLsCp
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) February 6, 2022

Join us in celebrating Bob Marley’s birthday! We invite you to take a journey through our Bob Marley covers, with insight from PFC co-founder and producer Mark Johnson. Enjoy!https://t.co/iFWYPMPuhr
— Playing For Change (@playing4change) February 6, 2022

OUT NOW 📺🚨 Ep. 9 of our #LEGACY web series, “Dreams of Freedom” – focusing on Bob’s mission for musical independence by establishing @TuffGongINTL – is available TODAY! #bobmarley #reggae #vinyl

📺: https://t.co/hHnKhztJaH pic.twitter.com/VDKtqTMHZR
— Bob Marley (@bobmarley) February 5, 2022

Covers: Love Potion No. 9

“Love Potion No. 9 ” was a hit for the R&B group the Clovers in 1959 and the British Invasion band The Searchers in 1964. At that time, young rock fans like me had not heard the earlier version.