I’m with you Steve. I got a Kindle a couple years ago to spend my evenings reading rather then doomscrolling or getting a steady diet of depressing news.

@saintdonoghue

2 күн бұрын

It makes perfect sense, from a peace-of-mind perspective. I mean, your worrying and doomscrolling can't change things - all it can do is take a toll on you, personally. Definitely unplug and read instead!

Yes. Reading is what I do when life is stressful.

Now that I'm back on booktube, we can start to have arguments again. Yes! For instance about you dissing the Bechdel-test. No, no, no.

@saintdonoghue

2 күн бұрын

Hah! I welcome it! But come on - isn't the Bechdel test just a LITTLE bit dumb?

2 күн бұрын

@@saintdonoghue It would be, yes, if it didn't work so well, which shows how dumb some male authors/filmmakers are...

I hear you Steve

I’m going to read Fraternal Affection when it’s released later in July and we can swap notes.

Hello Steve. It was said that JFK Jr. was warned against flying. Why didn’t he have someone fly him and his wife and others with him ? I don’t understand the Supreme Court and the decisions that they make.

@saintdonoghue

2 күн бұрын

He was completely confident in his abilities as a pilot. Misplaced confidence, as it turned out.

Steve, are you using an iPad to display the ebooks or a Kindle?

@saintdonoghue

2 күн бұрын

I am indeed - a big 12.9-inch iPad that, I realize now, had it brightness level set too high for being filmed ...

@ddallons63

2 күн бұрын

@@saintdonoghue that's alright. The images came out well enough. By the way, I sent you an email on Aaron's Shakespeare collection this morning.. Did you get it?

Today is a sad day. I'm from Colombia but after yesterday's far right victory in France and today's ruling in the U.S. I'm feeling scared for the state of the world. Looking eerily similar to the 1930s in the worst possible way. Everything seems to be getting progressively worse and hope has become hard to sustain.

As you well know, this is only the beginning; gay rights, no-fault divorce, contraception, separation of church and state, habeas corpus, and a host of other rights we fought hard for are now at risk. It's hard not to see a sharp downward slide into America-style fascism. I make quilts as well as read, so I think I'll just make more quilts as well as vote as long as it's possible to do so.

You need to get rid of the supreme court altogether, and why does anyone support Trump (ever) anymore? I just don’t get it, not an American though.

@saintdonoghue

2 күн бұрын

Ironically, this latest ruling by the Trump Court allows President Biden to dismiss the Court, or arrest its fascist members. He won't do it, but he could.

@socaltoobie8984

2 күн бұрын

It’s exasperating… 😔 I don’t know when this nightmare will end.

You said this was going to happen. I rolled my eyes at the time, now I am crying.

Admittedly I know very little about the structure of the American government, but it strikes me that the method of appointment for supreme court justices in the US is crying out for reform. It should never be the case that a sitting president achieves a reactionary power grab over the highest judicial authority of the country, extending even beyond the limits of his own lifetime, simply by luck of the draw. Not that I'm suggesting that any other means of realising that aim is permissible ( ...!), but the room for exploitation that the process itself affords is scary.

I woke up and have the same feelings you did. My only satisfaction would be if Biden - who would be immune, right - were to terminate the Supreme Court, or appoint another 9 justices without approval of the Senate. Then put Trump in jail for his own protection from those criminals who are pouring across the border and unhappy with his (Trump's) promise to deport all of them. On a much happier topic: I enjoyed Alexander McCall Smith's book Emma. which is a modern version of Jane Austin's Emma. It's a very good story set in the modern world. I even bought a real, dead-tree copy for my own bookshelf.

@saintdonoghue

2 күн бұрын

That wouldn't be satisfying to me - I don't want this country to have ANYBODY as a dictator - but it would have a certain pleasing symmetry. But Biden's not going to do anything at all about this, aside from a stern Oval Office message over his signature. If he acted, he could save the country. But he won't act.

@mdavidmullins

Күн бұрын

@@saintdonoghue Well Biden could be Trump's 'dictator for a day', take down Trump and the Supreme Court, and then take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that whatever legal protections are now guaranteed to wannabe fascists (good book by they way) were revoked and protections put in place preventing future courts from taking such insane steps. However much I like Biden - and I do like Biden - at the point in history we need a genuine bulldog in the Oval Office, capable of taking outsize, extreme action and righting the ship before we all drown.

I agree, a dark day in American history.

I am soooo y this Supreme Court opinion.... I am an attorney, and I have studied history and politics for over 40 years. We appear to have lost our republic today. I am appalled. I don't even have the words to describe how awful this decision was. A president can now sell ambassadorships or pardons, for example, and be completely exempt from prosecution.... I encourage everyone to really study the rise of fascism in Italy and Germany. We are facing it here in the US.

I read Clarence Thomas’s section of the ruling and was beyond appalled - one of the most corrupt judges in US history getting to decide that presidents are now kings makes me want to puke.

The ruling applies to ALL presidents not just Trump and I can assure you that the current occupant of the white house is very pleased with the decision notwithstanding what he may say to the contrary in public. If any president would welcome immunity it would surely be Mr Biden

@saintdonoghue

Күн бұрын

This is the wrong week to be TrumpCult in my comments. Keep your "Biden crime family" bullshit to yourself.