Weekend Open Thread
[guest post by Dana]
Let’s go!
First news item:
Judge Cannon sets the date:
A federal judge in Florida has scheduled a trial date for next May for former President Donald Trump in a case charging him with illegally retaining hundreds of classified documents.
The May 20, 2024, trial date, set Friday by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, is a compromise between a request from prosecutors to set the trial for this December and a bid by defense lawyers to put it off indefinitely until sometime after the 2024 presidential election.
Judge Cannon wrote:
In pushing back the trial from the Dec. 11 start date that the Justice Department had asked for, Cannon wrote that “the Government’s proposed schedule is atypically accelerated and inconsistent with ensuring a fair trial.” She agreed with defense lawyers that the amount of evidence that would need to be sifted through before the trial, including classified information, was “voluminous.”
“The Court finds that the interests of justice served by this continuance outweigh the best interest of the public and Defendants in a speedy trial,” Cannon wrote.
(Clearly, this benefits Trump with regard to the primary races. And if he becomes the Republican nominee, another delay would also benefit him with a national election on the horizon…)
Second news item
Russia warned on Wednesday that it would consider any ship sailing around Ukrainian ports a military target, days after Moscow pulled out of a yearlong deal that had enabled Kyiv to export its grain across the Black Sea despite a wartime blockade.
Russia’s moves have profound implications for the export of Ukraine’s grain, a commodity vital for its own economy and world grain markets.
Ukrainian ports targeted by Russia:
Since Monday’s announcement, Russia has launched a series of nightly aerial attacks on Ukrainian ports, killing and wounding civilians. On Wednesday, an attack in Chornomorsk, just south of Odesa, also destroyed 60,000 tons of grain waiting to be loaded onto ships. That is enough to feed more than 270,000 people for a year, according to the World Food Program…The aerial attacks appeared to reinforce Russia’s decision to end the deal and its refusal to allow Ukrainian exports via the Black Sea.
The report notes that the Black Sea deal was a lifeline for Ukrainian farmers.
Meanwhile, thoughts on Ukraine’s predicament:
Ukraine reciprocates to Russia’s threat to Black Sea vessels: Ships to/from Russian and temporarily occupied Ukrainian ports are now valid military targets.
This tit-for-tat situation is intriguing; Russia threatens Ukrainian ships, Ukraine responds similarly.
The formal statement by the military of defense of Ukraine reads:The Russian Federation has once again blatantly violated the universal right to free navigation and deliberately undermined food security, condemning millions of people to starvation. By openly threatening civilian vessels transporting food from Ukrainian ports, launching missile attacks and drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in peaceful cities, deliberately creating a military threat on trade routes, the Kremlin has turned the Black Sea into a danger zone, primarily for Russian vessels and vessels sailing in the Black Sea towards Russian seaports and Ukrainian seaports located on the territory of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia. Responsibility for all risks lies entirely with the Russian leadership. The fate of the Moskva cruiser proves that the Ukrainian Defense Forces have the necessary means to repel Russian aggression at sea.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine warns that starting from 00:00 on July 21, 2023, all vessels sailing in the Black Sea in the direction of the seaports of the Russian Federation and Ukrainian seaports located in the territory of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia may be considered by Ukraine as carrying military cargo with all the corresponding risks.
In addition, shipping in the areas of the North-Eastern Black Sea and the Kerch-Yenikal Strait of Ukraine is prohibited as dangerous, starting from 05:00 on July 20, 2023. The relevant navigational information for mariners has already been published.
So, Ukraine basically says “Russia back to you”. This how Russia should be handled. If Russia is at war and thinks it can do whatever it wants in the Black Sea without consequences, it will be proved wrong.
Third news item
More contentious school board meetings:
Chino Valley Unified teachers must tell parents if their child identifies as transgender under a fiercely debated policy approved by the school board late Thursday, July 20.
The 4-1 vote in favor of the notification rule came at the end of a contentious, four-hour meeting that at one point saw the ejection of state Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond, who was led away by security officers to shouts of “kick him out.”
…
The policy introduced in June requires schools to notify parents in writing within three days after their child identifies as transgender, is involved in violence or talks about suicide. Under the policy, schools will notify parents if their child seeks to change their name or pronouns or asks for access to gender-based sports, bathrooms or changing rooms that do not match their assigned gender at birth.
Before his removal from the meeting, Thurmond told the board “the policy you consider tonight may not only fall outside of privacy laws but may put our students at risk.”
School board President Sonja Shaw kicked him out after she said he continued to speak beyond his allotted one minute.
“Tony Thurmond, I appreciate you being here, but we are here because of people like you,” Shaw said.
It’s indefensible that school officials would not notify parents immediately if they discovered that someone’s child had been discussing suicide. FFS, who is the parent here: school officials or the actual damn parent? Moreover, according to the CDC, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens and young adults, thus a three-day delay in notification to the parents could mean the difference between life and death for a young person who is hurting and feeling desperate. Shame on these officials.
Fourth news item
The Justice Department told Texas Thursday that it intends to file legal action against the placement of floating barriers in the Rio Grande as part of the state’s operation along the Texas-Mexico border, according to sources familiar and a letter obtained by CNN.
The Justice Department sent the letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Thursday, according to the letter, though there is time for the state to respond.
“The State of Texas’s actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties,” the letter stated, citing a clause in the law that “prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States, and further prohibits building any structure in such waters without authorization from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”).”
The danger of the buoys is increased by additional placement of razor wire against them. See photo here.
Additionally, a Department of Public Safety trooper calls the situation “inhumane”:
According to the email, a pregnant woman having a miscarriage was found late last month caught in the wire, doubled over in pain. A four-year-old girl passed out from heat exhaustion after she tried to go through it and was pushed back by Texas National Guard soldiers. A teenager broke his leg trying to navigate the water around the wire and had to be carried by his father.
The email, which the trooper sent to a superior, suggests that Texas has set “traps” of razor wire-wrapped barrels in parts of the river with high water and low visibility. And it says the wire has increased the risk of drownings by forcing migrants into deeper stretches of the river.
The trooper called for a series of rigorous policy changes to improve safety for migrants, including removing the barrels and revoking the directive on withholding water.
Fifth news item
For godsake, Alabama, it’s 2023!!!:
There’s a power struggle in Newbern, Alabama, and the rural town’s first Black mayor is at war with the previous administration who he says locked him out of Town Hall.
After years of racist harassment and intimidation, Patrick Braxton is fed up, and in a federal civil rights lawsuit he is accusing town officials of conspiring to deny his civil rights and his position because of his race.
“When I first became mayor, [a white woman told me] the town was not ready for a Black mayor,” Braxton recalls.
The town is 85% Black, and 29% of Black people here live below the poverty line.
…
Two years ago, Braxton says he was the only volunteer firefighter in his department to respond to a tree fire near a Black person’s home in the town of 275 people. As Braxton, 57, actively worked to put out the fire, he says, one of his white colleagues tried to take the keys to his fire truck to keep him from using it.
In another incident, Braxton, who was off duty at the time, overheard an emergency dispatch call for a Black woman experiencing a heart attack. He drove to the fire station to retrieve the automated external defibrillator, or AED machine, but the locks were changed, so he couldn’t get into the facility. He raced back to his house, grabbed his personal machine, and drove over to the house, but he didn’t make it in time to save her. Braxton wasn’t able to gain access to the building or equipment until the Hale County Emergency Management Agency director intervened, the lawsuit said.
“I have been on several house fires by myself,” Braxton says. “They hear the radio and wouldn’t come. I know they hear it because I called dispatch, and dispatch set the tone call three or four times for Newbern because we got a certain tone.”
This has become the new norm for Braxton ever since he became the first Black mayor of his hometown in 2020. For the past three years, he’s been fighting to serve and hold on to the title of mayor, first reported by Lee Hedgepeth, a freelance journalist based in Alabama.
…
Not only has he been locked out of the town hall and fought fires alone, but he’s been followed by a drone and unable to retrieve the town’s mail and financial accounts, he says. Rather than concede, Haywood “Woody” Stokes III, the former white mayor, along with his council members, reappointed themselves to their positions after ordering a special election that no one knew about.
Read the whole thing.
Sixth news item
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was “uncomfortable” showing nude photos of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter in Congress but that “the American people deserve to see” them.
Greene used a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday to hold up photos that purportedly showed Hunter Biden having sex with prostitutes.
The images clearly depict Biden nude and engaging in sex, but use black boxes to obscure his genitals and the faces of the people who aren’t Biden.
…
She said the pictures would help Americans hold the government accountable, telling the show “Rob Schmitt Tonight”: “This is actually the evidence that I believe the American people deserve to see. Because when the American people can see this evidence, as uncomfortable as it was for me to show it on the Oversight Committee today, I believe that’s how they can hold this government accountable.”
WTF
Seventh news item
Rest in peace to one of the greats:
Tony Bennett, the master pop vocalist who had a professional career spanning eight decades with a No. 1 album at age 85, died on Friday morning in New York City. He was 96.
Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, but had continued to perform and record through 2021.
His peer Frank Sinatra called him the greatest popular singer in the world. His recordings – most of them made for Columbia Records, which signed him in 1950 – were characterized by ebullience, immense warmth, vocal clarity and emotional openness. A gifted and technically accomplished interpreter of the Great American Songbook, he may be best known for his signature 1962 hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”
Have a lovely weekend.
–Dana
Hello.
Dana (560c99) — 7/21/2023 @ 10:56 amI would sooner vote for Donald Trump for President than I would vote for Tony Thurmond for State Superintendent of
JVW (1ad43e) — 7/21/2023 @ 11:35 amElectionsEducation. Not that there is any plausible chance of either happening, but an infinitesimally small probability (Trump) is greater than zero probability (Thurmond).A conundrum but now the not quite “H”e has to choose sides:
urbanleftbehind (d76791) — 7/21/2023 @ 11:43 amhttps://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/rolling-coal-driver-video-truck-tesla-pickup/
More on Item #2:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 11:49 amSince I believe you live in California (as do I), voting for Trump is a cost-free exercise. However, Tony Thurmond is the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and was reelected in 2022. And there is no office called State Superintendent of Elections.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 11:55 amMore on Item 2: Flashback to May 2022:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:02 pmRe Sixth News Item:
It was not only dog vomit Marjorie Taylor-Greene. The dog vomit committee chairman could have stopped her. Or the dog vomit majority of the committee could have stopped her.
nk (88577c) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:02 pmJVW:
Please disregard my comment at #5. Sorry.
Wish we had an editing function.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:06 pmI saw Tony Bennett at Boston’s Symphony Hall in March of 1994. He had just recorded an album of songs made famous by Fred Astaire in his many movies, and he and his small combo put on a wonderful performance. He continued recording and performing for many years after that, unfortunately to the point where his voice had clearly diminished and the show was more about nostalgia for a long-gone era than it was about contemporary artistry. But he’s left behind some really wonderful recordings for us to enjoy for years to come. For what it’s worth, here are my favorites:
Because of You (1951, his first number one hit)
Blue Velvet (1951, the first and best version of this old standard)
Rags to Riches (1953, another number one hit, used to great effect in the movie Goodfellas)
Once Upon a Time (1962, recorded the same day as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and the flip side — and superior side as far as I am concerned — of that single)
I Wanna Be Around (1963, maybe my favorite Tony Bennett recording, song by Johnny Mercer and Sadie Vimmerstedt, a Johnny Mercer fan who gave him the great opening line to the song)
The Good Life (1963, another favorite of mine)
When Joanna Loved Me (1963, one of Tony Bennett’s favorites, and the origin of the name of his daughter)
As the age of the professional songwriter started to fade and popular music came to be more dominated by singer-songwriters, Tony Bennett started covering more song already popularized by singers such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, as well as the requisite songs from Motown and Abbey Road. But in 1994, the year I saw him, he released the Fred Astaire tribute album and it contained two of my all-time favorite songs of his: Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane’s You’re All the World to Me from Royal Wedding, and They All Laughed, written by the Gershwin Brothers for Shall We Dance. Besides Tony’s excellent voice, the album benefits greatly from the excellent work of the Ralph Sharon Trio: Doug Richeson on bass, Clayton Cameron on drums, and the eponymous group’s leader on piano. The penultimate track on the album is a version of the song which so perfectly describes Tony Bennett’s career: That’s Entertainment.
He was a combat veteran of the Second World War, a staunch supporter of Civil Rights and, disappointingly, many silly left-wing causes, but he was a patriot and a man who always came across as seriously grateful for his fans and for the country which made him rich and famous. May he rest in peace.
JVW (1ad43e) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:18 pmPlease disregard my comment at #5. Sorry.
Ah yes, I see my mistake there. I’ll see if through the magic of administrative privileges I can correct it while still acknowledging the original mistake.
JVW (1ad43e) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:21 pmTexas is finding that immigration enforcement is hard (and expensive):
Related:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:25 pmA good and decent man:
Dana (560c99) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:32 pmFirst Item:
Trump’s Dance Card With Lady Justice is Filling Up:
And this doesn’t include the upcoming federal election interference indictment (possibly as soon as next week) and a potential indictment under Georgia’s RICO statute.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 1:54 pmWe’re dealing with religion here. The establishment of a religion really.
The problem is they at least pretend to to consider the parents possibly
unenlightenedwrong on a matter of life or death.The proponents of sex change etc have gone so far as to exclude arguments on a technicality. and then rely on authority.
But, as the legend has Galileo saying, despite his retraction, the earth moves.
https://unherd.com/thepost/publisher-doubles-down-on-retracted-gender-paper
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/21/2023 @ 1:57 pmChina’s relatively new Foreign Minister, Qin Gang (who used to be Ambassador to Washington and was said to be close to Xi) has not been seen for the last three weeks without explanation except now for a vague explanation of health.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-66125055
Meanwhile a member of Politburo, who outranks him, Wang Yi who has been serving as director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Office since January 2023 (also new like Qin Gang) has been greeting foreigners.
Xi himself met with Henry Kissinger in Beijing the other day and praised him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz3gZYFWxig
Kissinger was not sent by Biden to China, It’s Xi trying to say what he says Kissinger did should be your foreign policy toward China.(no human rights concerns for one thing, and trust but do not verify)
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:11 pmnk (88577c) — 7/21/2023 @ 12:02 pm
He could barely restrain himself from laughing.
Sammy Finkelman (d007a3) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:13 pmIf At First You Don’t Succeed….
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:16 pmThe NYPost has a gotcha in that the FBI told Twitter that the laptop was genuined. But the argument they used with Twitter was that iit was hacked material.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:34 pmU.S. v. Donald Trump et. al. Scheduling Order
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:40 pmMerrick Garland wont appoint a special counsel. Janet Reno did not appoint anyone when it came to Chinese campaign contributions to Bill Clinton’s campaign in 1996 (and she was always Clinton’s first choice for AG I believe)
The WH issued a statement saying that allegations were debunked long ago. They have persuaded much of the media not to report the hearing.
Neither party cares about accuracy.
Most Dems did not deal with the accusations Some who tried got a bit tripped up.
Dan Goldman said the fact that Hunter Biden had to tell his father who he wass meeting means that Joe didn;t know. (but that means he became aware)
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:41 pmI’ve said tht what Burisma wanted from Hunter was the appearance of corruption. The danger to him came from Ukraine he wanted to make it look like the US government was in his pocket.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:42 pmhttps://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-irs-whistleblowers-expose-how-bidens-were-treated-differently%EF%BF%BC/
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/21/2023 @ 2:44 pmCW song “try that in a small town” banned to prevent racial violence. Small black town (5th news item) Attacking black lives matter and provoking blacks to join antifa in armed militant groups is not in the corporate state and establishment’s financial interest. Democrat party establishment’s job is to push gun control to keep blacks from shooting back at racism. They only want black criminals to have guns to control black areas from militants.
asset (24a3e3) — 7/21/2023 @ 3:23 pmThis is a sensitive topic for me.
I’m a forty nine year old man, this is all long in the past, but it’s still relevant emotionally and psychologically.
My mother was married four times during my childhood, and (with one exception, a relationship that she ended quickly), she was attracted to men whi had deep seated untreated anger issues and contempt for anything that they didn’t understand. Again, with one or two exceptions, the men she dated and (with no exceptions) the men she married were all to some degree physically abusive of her and *massively* emotionally abusive of my brother and me.
Decades later when i got into therapy for the CPTSD this caused, I learned that the majority of kids with my kind of trauma profile don’t make it — they end up addicted and homeless and die in their twenties. I am *extraordinarily lucky* that I managed to succeed enough that I am a successufl and well paid software negineering lead with multiple communities that support me and a deep, healthy connection with a chosen family who are *all* doing the work to heal themselves and grow and develop as people. The odds of that given my teenagerhood were very, very low.
One of the big reasons that I am able to enjoy this success is that school became a refuge, a *safe place* away from my mother and her husbands where they did not intrude and where I had the support I was able to accept at that age.
Rules that require schools to *tell* parents when kids say they are trans* tell me that, had I been trans, school could not have been a safe space, because my confidences would not have been kept, because my parents would have been brought into the safe space. But it’s more than that, they tell me that if I were a kid today, in that district, even if I weren’t trans, I couldn’t depend on the school to be a safe space and a refuge from the hell of my family life, because the people in the school are simply *not allowed* to provide that safe space.
These rules tell me that the people advocating the rules would prefer that I had died, broken and addicted, than have had the security and safety my teachers gave me. Because those teachers should have lost their jobs rather than keeping the confidence of kids like me.
The people advocating these things are worried about teachers hurting kids. That’s a fair worry. But they don’t seem to understand that sometimes teachers are the only thing *saving* kids, and that making it impossible for the teachers to do that will wreak great harm on many kids. Those kids, the kids like me, are *disposable*. We matter *less* than the kids of healthy families where there isn’t a need for the teachers to be saviors.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/21/2023 @ 3:45 pmThere should be a way to give kids in your position help without destroying the parents’ right to know about their children.
DRJ (531157) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:05 pmRegarding the barriers on the Rio Grande: no one is “forced” to encounter then, go around them, or to swim the river in the first place. This is their choice, and it is done in full knowledge that their actions are unlawful.
I don’t see people complaining about those pointing spikes on the White House wall.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:07 pm*pointy
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:08 pm> There should be a way to give kids in your position help without destroying the parents’ right to know about their children.
There should be, but there *isn’t*. And half the time the kids who are “helped” are yanked out of their parental home and put into the foster care system, which in most places works very badly and produces terrible outcomes for the kids involved.
Nobody has good answers because it’s hard to tell when kids are in my situation and giving state agents the power to remove kids in my situation makes it possible for them to remove kids in other situations in a way that constitutes abusive state power applied on relatively innocent parents, and because neither the state nor the community are willing to spend the time and money resources needed to actually take care of kids who are removed.
But rules like this make it *harder* for kids like me.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:08 pmIt is really too bad there is no real opposition party, or press, in California.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:10 pmOn March 25 (2024), Trump will face a jury for the first time in a criminal case to defend against a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records. ……The judge has warned Trump that he is required to attend every day of the trial, potentially keeping him off the campaign trail for a couple of weeks.
By the time that date rolls around, the charges will have been reduced to about 3. Most of that is horizontal overcharging and higher courts, if not the trial judge, will dispose of most of them.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:14 pmWe’re dealing with religion here. The establishment of a religion really.
Indeed. They will claim it isn’t a “religion” because they don’t reference a God, but the dogma, enforced morality and other social expectations/rules are all there.
If one were to teach all the strictures of, say, Southern Baptists (or Mormons), just claiming the source is “proper human ethics” and not some deity, it would be exactly what they are doing in the public schools.
Separate school and state.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:20 pmBut rules like this make it *harder* for kids like me.
Perhaps. My recollection though is that adolescence is pretty terrible for everyone. Yours may have been a different “terrible”, but it’s traumatic and stressful for most people.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:22 pmNot many people are being impaled on them (yet).
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:27 pmSchool sucks. And where it sucks most is where it alienates the child from his family. And it does alienate the child from his family. Some a little, some a lot. Some transiently, some lastingly. There is no substitute for family.
nk (69dc79) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:32 pmThe people advocating these things are worried about teachers hurting kids. That’s a fair worry.
I think the worry (which your experience may not reflect) is that those teachers have no long-term responsibility, as do most parents. They are largely a passing parade.
Now, I know that not all parents are responsible, and some are actively criminal, in how they raise their kids. Thirty-five years in the rooms of AA and such gives me a solid perspective. But for a school system to ASSUME this is the situation and take matters into their own hands as a default practice is incredibly disrespectful to the vast majority or parents.
There are places that kids can go outside of home and school to get the kind of guidance and support that you suggest. Churches (yes), social services, private organizations like Alateen or local youth-oriented facilities. There’s a lot now that may not have been there in the early 90’s.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:40 pmIt seems that Trump has his dance card open in December. If necessary that silly NY trial can be moved until after the election, or dropped entirely after Trump is convicted of actual crimes.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:51 pmThat time could be filled by the Fulton County RICO trial.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:53 pmThe judge in NY is pretty firm on the March date.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:54 pm@30 Its to bad republicans have to be racists nazis or pretend to be like pete wilson to win an election. In england people use to say nobody makes the children steal bread so we have to hang them.
asset (f67ecc) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:57 pm> Perhaps. My recollection though is that adolescence is pretty terrible for everyone. Yours may have been a different “terrible”, but it’s traumatic and stressful for most people.
The last decade that i’ve spent in therapy for complex PTSD would strongly disagree with the implication here that what I went through was no worse than normal.
I’m not really sure how to engage with this other than to point out that you’re making a massive unfounded assumption here and that you really shouldn’t talk about things you don’t know anything about.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/21/2023 @ 5:02 pm> But for a school system to ASSUME this is the situation and take matters into their own hands as a default practice is incredibly disrespectful to the vast majority or parents.
And of course the need of good parents to not be disrespected is more important than the need of children of absolutely terrible parents to have a safe place.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/21/2023 @ 5:03 pm> that you really shouldn’t talk about things you don’t know anything about.
Particularly when you’re making judgments about the lives of people you know and are expressing them to their virtual face.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/21/2023 @ 5:05 pmItem 3: Schools already are required to same day notify parents (of students under 18) in case of suicidal ideation or violence and they aren’t covered by confidentiality laws. It isn’t really about those, it’s about transgender kids with the other two issues there as cover.
Item 4: Placing barriers in the Rio Grande seems likely to violate international border treaties.
Item 6: Hunter Biden is not a public person and even public people are supposed to be protected from people showing their nudes. I don’t know how seeing Hunder Biden having sex would benefit anyone ever. And I’m not sure that the local revenge porn statutes are where she’s from, but I would think that that might qualify in some places.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/21/2023 @ 5:51 pmHulk Hogan was a public figure, and he still got a $115 million judgment against Gawker. But Cougar Shack is protected by the Speech and Debate Clause. She cannot be “questioned in any other place”.
nk (69dc79) — 7/21/2023 @ 6:00 pmIt is really too bad there is no real opposition party, or press, in California.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/21/2023 @ 4:10 pm
It seemed so bad, that Curbed LA and LAWeekly seemed like right wight alternatives compared to the ol’ birdcage liner.
urbanleftbehind (ca7966) — 7/21/2023 @ 6:30 pmLeftists want to separate the family and have the government decide how to raise your child. I am not surprised by the results or the anecodotes.
I will note that child abuse causes lasting damage.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/21/2023 @ 6:32 pm@NJRob@47 It sounds like you are saying that aphrael’s school should’ve called home and told his step-dad he was gay, even if it would’ve have terrible consequences for aphrael, because anything else is the government deciding how to raise his parents’ child? Is that correct?
Nic (896fdf) — 7/21/2023 @ 7:12 pmIn the Sparta they make movies about, if a mother wanted her son to be a Spartan citizen, she would send him to a government school at age seven and not see him again until he was twenty.
Then she would give him a shield, a big heavy thing that he could not run away with, and tell him “Come back [from battle] with it or on it”.
There’s a story that one gave her son a sword and he complained that it was too short. She said: “Go closer!”
Cold, man! Real cold!
nk (73c8c7) — 7/21/2023 @ 7:28 pmParents have the right to send their four year olds unaccompanied across dangerous border crossings but no right to know if a school calls their kid Sarah instead of Sam.
lloyd (690262) — 7/21/2023 @ 8:04 pmSchools are practicing medicine by diagnosing autism and providing behavioral treatment — often the only treatment autistic children get until they are 18. For apparel, the schools were his safe space from emotional child abuse. And it appears some schools help minors transition from one gender to another.
This is the role schools play in our society, but this is not what schools are here for. Especially public schools.
DRJ (531157) — 7/21/2023 @ 8:18 pmFor aphrael not apparel.
DRJ (531157) — 7/21/2023 @ 8:19 pm@DRJ@51 Schools, for the most part, are the only community centers in a lot of places. Almost everyone is pretty much in walking distance of at least one school.
Both parents are often working full time or more (I have a fair number of kids whose parents both have two jobs) for just enough money to survive and the school site is at least usually a safe place to be because there are usually adults around, water, and bathrooms. A lot of kids are on campus from 7:30-5:00 and sometimes until 7:00 if there are community sports going on so the campus isn’t closed.
We feed them breakfast and lunch and we have a food closet for needy families (they can come get 2 bags of groceries a week, usually beans and rice, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, mac&cheese, bread, condensed milk, formula, various canned fruit and veg, bag o lettuce), so sometimes we feed them dinner too. We provide back-packs, school supplies, and PE uniforms for needy kids.
We check their vision and hearing once a year and some years provide a general physical for sports if their parents want to bring them in at like 8:00 at night.
We have after school tutoring.
We have a school safety officer, health-clerk, nurse, school psychologist, mental health counselor, and several school counselors, supplemental learning support (that’s me), a part-time behaviorist, speech therapist, and occupational therapist.
Once a month at each site the district holds a meeting meant to help parents connect with community resources including translation.
We provide (free) computer classes and social media education for parents usually about one evening a month.
The local charter school and the local Christian school use our sports facilities (as well as city sports).
The youth services division at the police department uses our facilities to provide anti-drug education to kids on diversion from drug charges.
We have a church that holds services in our multipurpose room on Sundays and uses our multi, gym, and library for sunday-school.
If we could only provide education, that would be great. But communities don’t have anywhere else to access all the other stuff, so we do it. And then y’all get mad at us for it.
(we do not provide any medical transition services for kids and we only provide mental health, most medical- if a kid is bleeding, we provide first aid first and ask forgiveness later- or OT or behavioral services if the parent agrees)
Nic (896fdf) — 7/21/2023 @ 9:09 pmRules that require schools to *tell* parents when kids say they are trans* tell me that, had I been trans, school could not have been a safe space, because my confidences would not have been kept, because my parents would have been brought into the safe space. But it’s more than that, they tell me that if I were a kid today, in that district, even if I weren’t trans, I couldn’t depend on the school to be a safe space and a refuge from the hell of my family life, because the people in the school are simply *not allowed* to provide that safe space.
aphrael, I have admired you for as long as you and I have both been commenting here. I know that we don’t always agree — but surprisingly enough, more often than one might imagine — yet I’ve always respected you for stating your case in a very honest and forthright manner, and for always being open to opinions outside of your own. I hope that I have sometimes risen to your level of decency in my own comments.
That said, I want to suggest to you that there is a huge chasm these days between gay students and trans students. I can agree with you that there isn’t much if any need for a school to inform parents if a student shows same-sex attraction tendencies. I wouldn’t support the school calling mom to say that Dave was seen holding hands with Pete any more than I would support them reporting that Bob was holding hands with Jill. That strikes me as a matter of student privacy, regardless of the age of the student (obviously, behavior that goes against school rules is fair game for reporting).
But trans issues are infinitely different, as I see it. Trans issues generally involve people taking steps to permanently alter their bodies, either through drug regimens or through cosmetic surgery. And I think we have seen a much higher incidence of trans students regretting the choices they made during their callow youth than we have seen of gay students having similar regrets. And obviously, a gay student can change their mind and go back to being bisexual or heterosexual far easier than a transman can go back to being a woman. So given the fact that the desire to change genders is more permanent yet at the same time more impulsive than same sex attraction, I have to fall on the side of absolutely bringing the parents in as soon as the desire manifests itself in the school. Respectfully to you, I am completely in agreement with DRJ on this issue. Though I do understand that this will inevitably create some unavoidable problems for trans kids. At the end of the day, I think the greater good is always to involve the parents (providing there is a mechanism for any students who truly lives in an abusive home to escape it).
JVW (1ad43e) — 7/21/2023 @ 9:18 pmTrump’s word salad describes a journey, but it’s not a “faith journey” and it displays no spiritual “growth”.
Audience member: “How has your faith grown since you decided in 2015 to run for president and who has mentored you in your faith journey?”
Trump: “Such a great question. You know, I’ve seen so much heartache and turmoil. I was a developer and I did other things and, you know, I had a wonderful life before all this stuff. I didn’t know what a grand jury was. I didn’t know what a subpoena—what is a subpoena? I had a wonderful life. I couldn’t be more glad. I am so happy I did it because I’ve made America great, we can do it again. Right now, we are not a great country. We are not a great country. But I’ve gotten to know, because of this, evangelicals. I mean, I know so many people and they feel so good about themselves and their family and they base it on religion. I had never had that kind of an experience where I got to know so many. And Franklin Graham and Paula White. I mean, I know so many people that are so incredible, religious people, and not just Christians, not just evangelicals. You know, when I look at the Catholic faith, you take a look at what the FBI— no, but look at what the FBI is doing to Catholics, they’ve made them like the enemy, they’ve made them— it’s horrible. How could a Catholic ever vote for a Democrat or a guy like Biden again after the experience that they’re going through? But I’ve met some of the finest people that I wouldn’t have had the privilege of meeting if I weren’t president, and they’re religious leaders and they really are incredible people.”
Paula White is a prosperity gospel heretic, and she was Trump’s so-called spiritual advisor.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/21/2023 @ 11:00 pmIt’s a good thing Hannity didn’t ask what Trump’s favorite Scriptures were, or reference anything from Two Corinthians.
@Paul@55 Um, he does realize that Biden himself is a Catholic, yes? And that Catholics are Christians? Also, while the FBI isn’t my favorite thing ever, I don’t feel particularly persecuted by them.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/22/2023 @ 12:49 amhttps://freebeacon.com/media/flashback-the-media-used-to-love-government-whistleblowers/
When you understand most of the media is just Pravda for their Soviet Democrats, it all makes sense.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/22/2023 @ 5:25 amI would hope my kids would tell me if they were trans but if my kids don’t feel comfortable telling me they are trans, I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable with a rule making other people who they do trust be forced into breaking my child’s confidence. And a lot of kids are completely right to not tell their parents such things; with some parents they wouldn’t be safe.
A student doing a private journal writing assignment in a high school English class writes “I think I’m trans but if my parents ever found out I think they might kill me.” Oops, sorry kid we are telling your parents for you. But really the effect is that such a kid would never tell anyone at school such a thing anymore. Which is the only real effect this policy has.
Nate (8c2084) — 7/22/2023 @ 5:29 amMTG Endorses……..Joe Biden?
Rip Murdock (364a93) — 7/22/2023 @ 6:55 amNic,
I agree with you that schools do those things. I agree that it is welcome in some communities. I submit that the explosion of administrative personnel in the schools is why this happened. There are other ways to provide for children and families. I know from personal observation that while schools are willing to help, they are not good at providing many of these services — especially autism.
DRJ (063308) — 7/22/2023 @ 7:05 amThere’s a place for whistleblowers, especially the credible ones and except the ones who work as unregistered agents for hostile or semi-hostile foreign powers who brokered oil deals with hostile foreign powers.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/22/2023 @ 7:18 amThe big difference between LTC Vindman and the IRS whistleblowers is Vindman had direct knowledge of Trump’s “perfect” phone call (as he and others listened the call as part of their responsibilities) while the IRS whistleblowers did not have direct knowledge of US Attorney David Weiss’s conversations with the DOJ or why certain decisions were made at higher levels. They just assumed it was part of coverup without any evidence.
Rip Murdock (364a93) — 7/22/2023 @ 8:00 amPorn peddlers, the whole bunch of them. They have no credibility.
— Why’d you throw Marjorie Taylor-Greene out of the Freedom Caucus?
nk (73c8c7) — 7/22/2023 @ 8:36 am— She called Lauren Boebert a little b!tch.
— Well … she is!
— Aw, she’s not that little.
Speaking of a real porn peddler:
Unfortunately, her exercise in bad taste is protected under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause. Who knew that such crudity would be put on public display by a sitting (Republican) Representative? It’s straight from the sewer.
The fact that Members of Congress are immune from criminal charges under clause shouldn’t mean they should deliberately break laws to make a political point.
Rip Murdock (364a93) — 7/22/2023 @ 9:42 amAnd now, Greene may have emailed the nudes to minors. The Georgia representative emailed her constituents Wednesday evening claiming she had confirmed Biden was guilty of sex trafficking and tax fraud (she had not). The email included a video that showed his nudes.
That is NOT protected by the Speech and Debate Clause. Not civilly and not criminally. Only what stays in Congress is protected. There are several cases on point.
nk (73c8c7) — 7/22/2023 @ 10:33 amHere’s to the new curricula boss, same as the old curricula boss.
The new Florida curriculum standards that include instruction that “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit” is problematic, particularly since it’s highly doubtful that slavemasters trained their personal property to acquire skills out of any sense of professional self-fulfillment for their “employees”, it was to help their human chattel serve their plantations more productively.
The state’s history standards workgroup offered a response, offering 16 examples of blacks as slaves who developed skills for their personal benefit, but it was chock-filled with historical errors, noted here.
This is just another version of politicizing American history by portraying it falsely to serve a political agenda, only this time it’s serving the Trumpist Right Wing and not the Progressive Left. I don’t see how Americans aren’t served or benefited by either approach. It would be refreshing for educators to teach actual American history and not through biased prisms like the 1619 Project, Trump’s 1776 Project or whatever the f-ck DeSantis is doing.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/22/2023 @ 10:33 amThe last decade that i’ve spent in therapy for complex PTSD would strongly disagree with the implication here that what I went through was no worse than normal….
I’m not really sure how to engage with this other than to point out that you’re making a massive unfounded assumption here and that you really shouldn’t talk about things you don’t know anything about.
1) I drank heavily for more than a decade, and may have used a lot of illegal drugs, mostly due to being unable to cope with life. Do not tell me you had a tougher time.
2) It had nothing to do with my parents or my surroundings.
3) I am not a victim. Accepting that was a necessary step in my recovery. It was all on me.
The last 35 years I have dealt with a lot of folks, with a lot of issues, gay, straight, black, white, male, female, rich, poor, religious, agnostic, atheist, illiterate, abuse survivors, and so forth. All have helped me see the variety of pain in the world. Don’t assume that I have no understanding.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 11:05 amItem 4: Placing barriers in the Rio Grande seems likely to violate international border treaties.
Pretty sure that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was entirely one-sided.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 11:08 amKlein was a special assistant in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and designated as a “Schedule C” political appointee. He was convicted of:
I don’t think there is any dispute what Klein’s intentions were on January 6th-to use violence to prevent the orderly transfer of power from President Trump to President Biden. His actions speak louder than words.
Rip Murdock (364a93) — 7/22/2023 @ 11:15 amAt the end of the day, I think the greater good is always to involve the parents (providing there is a mechanism for any students who truly lives in an abusive home to escape it).
Indeed. And the best way for school officials to find out about abuse is for the child to report it to them. If no one says anything (or there is no visible injury), then the schools have to assume that the parents have their kid’s interest at heart. To assume that they don’t is a terrible affront to 90%+ of parents.
IF there is any institution that really needs to be addressed, it is the terrible, no good, awful foster-care system which seems to have a far worse selection of care givers than parents picked at random.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 11:20 amKevin,
your post at 11:05am helps explain why you are a Republican.
Thank you for it.
NJRob (fff67e) — 7/22/2023 @ 11:49 amPaul
Here is an interesting map from 1890.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3701gm.gct00010/?sp=27&r=0.071,0.237,0.25,0.213,0
steveg (1b6f32) — 7/22/2023 @ 12:00 pmIn more recent times the Chamizal Declaration (enacted by Congress in 1964 as Public Law 88-30) and the 1970 Boundary Treaty govern the international boundary along the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 12:07 pmAnd according to the DOJ letter to Texas, the barriers are not any treaty violation, but they are a hazard to navigation and installed without a permit:
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 12:15 pmHere is an interesting article: Prosperous Blacks in the South 1790 – 1880
https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/l_schweninger_prosperous_1990.pdf
“Although affluent free people of color in the Lower South failed to maintain
their unique status and economic standing in the postwar era, formerly free blacks
and former slaves in the Upper South continued to gain entry into the most
prosperous group of farmers, skilled artisans, and small business people.”
“The Civil War accelerated the changes that had begun during the 1840s and 1850s, and, by
steveg (1b6f32) — 7/22/2023 @ 12:52 pmthe 1870s, a new black economic elite had emerged in the South, one that had
forged its existence on the ruins of a vanquished civilization. Only a decade before
this remarkable transformation, some of the most prosperous blacks in the South
had been considered “a species of property” themselves.”
@DJR@60 I don’t think it’s due to increased administration (I can’t tell you what half the people at the district office do, in their constantly expanding workforce despite a lack of increase in the number of students or site staff that might justify such a thing, but they don’t seem to be connect to site services). And I agree that we probably aren’t the right place for most of them, but when the need is there and nobody else is filling it, we end up with it. Autism can be challenging, especially since we only have about 20 real years of research. We have a couple of good outside programs to refer parents to, but they are often overwhelmed so my aspergers level kids mostly just get school services and the regular school environment can be too noisy, too busy, to overwhelming.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/22/2023 @ 1:21 pmthey are a hazard to navigation and installed without a permit
Is there a lot of traffic along that part of the Rio Grande? I’m guessing “none.”
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 1:37 pm@76: Reconstruction and the federal military occupation of the South continued until some point in 1877. Statistics that end in the 1870s are not that persuasive. Further, Jim Crow, as such, did not really come into effect in the upper south until some point in the 1880s. Louisiana was probably the first to go that way, as there were notable mass lynchings in places that the state did not prosecute. See United States vs Cruikshank (1876) for the first major SC punt on Freedmen’s rights.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 1:44 pmMcCarthy is being disingenuous. It is unlikely that Trump will face any charges based on his speech on the Ellipse. It is more likely to face charges for his actions regarding the fake elector scheme, attempts to undermine the Justice Department’s investigation into election fraud, intimidating phone calls, to overturn certified election results. This is why GA governor Brian Kemp has reportedly been cooperating with Jack Smith’s investigation, and that former AZ governor Doug Ducey has reportedly been contacted.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 1:54 pmSpeculation.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 1:55 pmThere doesn’t need to be actual river traffic, it’s a navigable waterway.
Source
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 1:59 pm54 years ago today.
Rip Murdock (f7095c) — 7/22/2023 @ 2:14 pmThere doesn’t need to be actual river traffic, it’s a navigable waterway.
And again, I part with the lawyers here. For the US to have standing, they need to show injury.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 2:52 pmQuinnipiac University National Poll July 19, 2023
Top lines and cross tabs.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:00 pmAll the federal government needs to show that Texas is violating the law. That is their standing.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:04 pmThere will be a hearing and Texas will have an opportunity to show why their barriers don’t contravene the law.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:07 pmIt’s a simple administrative law case.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:07 pmYour key phrase was “free people of color”, steve. The curricula described slaves, not freemen.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:08 pmTo the majority of voters, name recognition matters more than anything. In time, more people will know more. Donald Trump was a “who he?” at this point in the 2016 cycle.
What I especially want to see is what happens after Christie lays into each of the other not-Trump candidates over their cosigning Trump’s rampant BS. If you don’t think that Christie can take someone down 12 pegs, watch this, as he destroys Marco Rubio in about 3 minutes:
https://youtu.be/CkdpzRDxTXU?t=30
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:10 pmAll the federal government needs to show that Texas is violating the law. That is their standing.
It’s fortunate for the feds that it doesn’t work the other way.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:11 pmIf you don’t want the DOJ to enforce this (or any other federal law) get Congress to repeal the law.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:11 pmYet, when the feds routinely and openly violate immigration law, no one has standing to sue.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:14 pmOff-topic: Social Security.
We are at the point where Pence, DeSantis and Haley agree that some changes are needed in Social Security, at last as regards people not nearing retirement. *HORRORS* they scream.
I will point out that in the 1980s, they increased FICA tax rates, allowed the income caps to rise significantly more than inflation AND raised the retirement age for most Boomers (who were 20-40 at the time).
So, I really don’t get the whining now about much smaller changes for Millennials and Gen Z. Particularly as they have MANY more tax-deferred options than we had in 1983.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:24 pmHere’s a Ukraine update from Michael Weiss, relaying info from his Estonian source, who I suspect is a higher-up in their intelligence community. Bottom line: There’s slow and steady progress, and getting to the Sea of Azov by September would be a major victory. They can’t afford to use their soldiers as cannon fodder, the way the Russians do.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:26 pmWhen will the name recognition argument stop? For example, both Tim Scott and Darling Nikki are polling around ten percent in the state where they have been leading politicians for several years. Trump and DeSantis combined have 59%.
It’s not name recognition (both Scott and Haley have high personal approval) it’s the fact that South Carolina voters just aren’t interested in having either Scott or Haley as President.
Unless Trump drops out, Christie won’t have a chance to go after anyone else. And every time he opens his mouth to criticize Trump, his “I’ll never vote for him” numbers get higher and higher. He’s nobody’s second choice.
Source
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:30 pmAnd every time he opens his mouth to criticize Trump, his “I’ll never vote for him” numbers get higher and higher. He’s nobody’s second choice.
Christie doesn’t have to win, no more than Cheney did. What he needs to do is shame the GOP field calling Trump the asshat that he is.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:36 pmChristie’s net favorability rating is 14 points underwater
Joe Biden 40.2 54.9 -14.7
Donald Trump 39.3 56.8 -17.5
Ron DeSantis 37.5 45.7 -8.2
Kamala Harris 36.7 53.5 -16.8
Kevin McCarthy 36.0 38.3 -2.3
Hakeem Jeffries 27.0 28.0 -1.0
Chuck Schumer 27.5 38.8 -11.3
Mitch McConnell 18.5 55.0 -36.5
There’s a lot of this going around. Personally, I only favor McConnell, which should tell you what I think of polls.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:37 pmThis article is by the same author of the previous and she notes the difficulties of deciphering the census information of the era.
https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/L_Schweninger_Black_1989.pdf
Of interest would be the occupations of wealthy southern black people after the civil war, and how many of those occupations were likely spun from slave occupations. Farmers, draymen, plasterers, carpenters etc. The census data is hard to figure, but to me, the jump in illiteracy of black property owners during reconstruction was one of the biggest clues.
After reading, I have no doubt at all that some former slaves leveraged the skills learned while enslaved into property (property being the measure of wealth).
Should that be taught in school? Sure, why not give it 30 seconds. then maybe a minute noting the US ban on import of slaves was ordered in 1800… 17 years after independence. Maybe point out that over 90 percent of enslaved Africans were sent to the Caribbean and South America, only about 6 percent of African captives were sent directly to British North America. Note that Dutch Guiana, and Brazil, the enslaved death rate was so high and the birth rate so low that they could not sustain their slave populations without importations from Africa. Sure, hit that for a minute as well. (taken from https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/teacher-resources/historical-context-facts-about-slave-trade-and-slavery). Discuss, compare manumission in USA and Brazil and note that women and mixed race children were most likely to receive manumission in both places.
As a point for discussion, ask if perhaps the greatest damage done was not done by slavery alone. Maybe more damage was done by the ongoing dehumanizations of Jim Crow, segregation, separate but equal, and other associated discriminations, abominations? Discuss why well intentioned measures like the “Great Society” taken to mitigate the damage had unintended consequences. Discuss Civil Rights Act in context of the tumultuous upheavals of the 1960’s- from Bay of Pigs, Kennedy assassination, Race riots, Civil rights, Vietnam, student riots, Watergate to Nixons resignation.
steveg (083944) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:39 pmOnly the first three are running for President, and both Trump and Biden are leading (by substantial margins) in the race for their respective party’s nomination.
The rest don’t matter; who cares?
DeSantis is polling 19 points behind Trump; Darling Nikki is 50 points; with Christie and Scott trailing at 51 points.
Let me know when I can write “XX points ahead of Trump.” It will be a long time coming.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 3:57 pmCorrection:
DeSantis is 29 points behind Trump.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:01 pmAnd this only among Republican voters.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:04 pmSpeak for yourself, I’m supporting Christie to win (though that is highly doubtful). I don’t believe in half measures. Why run if you are not in it to win? I want him to be President, not the Republican scold.
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:10 pmHe did nothing of the sort. You said, in effect, “Suck it up, buttercup. Adolescence is hard on everyone.” He responded, understandably, that you don’t know what you’re talking about. A bit overbroad maybe, but as to aphrael’s personal experience, which is what you were commenting on, you in fact don’t know what you’re talking about any more than he knows your life. Our experiences are our own, the very definition of subjectivity. We’re all built differently, so we can never know objectively what anyone else is going through. We can only do our best to empathize. Telling someone who didn’t ask for an opinion, “you’ve got nothing to complain about” is the opposite of that.
IMO you should have apologized. Instead you’re doubling down, invoking your 12 Step experience to justify telling him (paraphrasing) “you had it no worse than I did.” How do you think that would go over in a meeting? In my observation it would get you shut down. I shouldn’t have to tell you that 12 Step isn’t a d1ck measuring exercise to determine whose life was the worst hell. Using your pain as a weapon to diminish someone else’s sucks. I’ll say it again: I believe you owe aphrael an apology. You should just give it and stop digging.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:15 pmUtah Poll:
Rip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:22 pmIt’s not a mystery at all. Trump relates to them at their level.
Goober doesn’t care about nuclear physics. Phillips Milk of Magnesia has always been good enough for him.
nk (7114de) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:32 pmRip, you really need to stop reading polls for a week. It’s beginning to look like an addiction.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:44 pmI think the mystery is the hold Trump has on his Utah voters when his personal behavior is so antithetical to LDS doctrine.
Rip Murdock (7bde53) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:47 pmSadly, it only get worse after the J6 indictment and the Milwaukee debate. 😉
Polling is the only way campaigns and the public know what issues are important and how a candidate’s message resonates with the voters.
Sticking your head in the sand and wishing things would be different is not an option. The fact is that Trump is the leading candidate to be Republican nominee for president, and ignoring that will allow him to win.
Rip Murdock (7bde53) — 7/22/2023 @ 4:59 pmReuters/Ipsos Poll 7/19/23
More:
Rip Murdock (7bde53) — 7/22/2023 @ 5:10 pmHowever. I do thank you for your concern. As a political junkie, I live this every four years. Fortunately this “addiction” doesn’t harm me at all. 😉
Rip Murdock (7bde53) — 7/22/2023 @ 5:15 pmLeftist twaddle and why we currently have the victimization hierarchy where people fake victimhood to win points and tell their political adversary to shut up.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/22/2023 @ 7:19 pmRip,
I notice you never post the polls showing Trump beating Biden. I know you see them. You said you’re a junkie after all. Why do you do that?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/22/2023 @ 7:21 pmhttps://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-inappropriately-used-spy-powers-on-u-s-senator-court-says
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/22/2023 @ 7:28 pmIMO you should have apologized. Instead you’re doubling down, invoking your 12 Step experience to justify telling him (paraphrasing) “you had it no worse than I did.” How do you think that would go over in a meeting? In my observation it would get you shut down. I shouldn’t have to tell you that 12 Step isn’t a d1ck measuring exercise to determine whose life was the worst hell. Using your pain as a weapon to diminish someone else’s sucks
Wow. Way to misread. Aphrael is using his pain to denounce everyone else’s opinion.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 8:34 pmHow do you think that would go over in a meeting? In my observation it would get you shut down.
This isn’t a meeting and there are no sidebars available. WHich is where that kind of discussion would occur.
I shouldn’t have to tell you that 12 Step isn’t a d1ck measuring exercise to determine whose life was the worst hell.
Not is it a place for playing the victim, or insisting that everyone else alter their attitudes because of your pain. That is just about the antithesis of what AA teaches. It’s about how one lives in the world DESPITE whatever it is. Which no one seems to want to hear.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/22/2023 @ 8:41 pmsteve, I’d say slavery was worse than any of the post-slavery conditions because these human beings had no rights under the Constitution, and therefore had no possible chance of redress under the law.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/22/2023 @ 8:53 pmRethugliKKKan party passes law canceling all mail in ballot requests by voters before jan 1 2023 in floriduh. RethugliKKKans hope to stop 20% are more of democrats from casting their votes!
asset (3eeec6) — 7/22/2023 @ 11:18 pmFunny, but I’m part of the “everyone else” he disagrees with, and I don’t feel denounced. As I read it, he used his pain to illustrate a counterweight to the parental rights argument I subscribe to. In a long, otherwise informative comment, he included one over-the-top sentence with which I strongly disagree, but strong disagreement doesn’t mean I was denounced. If you felt otherwise, that’s what you should have said, not in effect that you think his lived experience is bullsh1t. Your remark was akin to someone telling you or me, “Nobody needs AA. There’s no such thing as an ‘alcoholic.’ Everyone imbibes too much, does stupid things and feels crappy in the morning. You’re just a crybaby.” They’re both dumb, and what you said to aphrael is more insulting.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/23/2023 @ 2:21 am@119 As BF Skinner said you can get more response with a kind word and a cattle prod then you can with just a kind word. Ask any shot down pilot captured by determinists.
asset (3eeec6) — 7/23/2023 @ 3:09 amI’ll take Putin’s latest terrorist attack on an orthodox church as his concession that he’ll never take Odesa.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/23/2023 @ 7:31 am105. But how many people in Utah now describe themselves as Republicans?
And Trump gets only 29%.. The top 5 names mentioned or offered in that poll add up to only 67%
Sammy Finkelman (6b19ff) — 7/23/2023 @ 7:45 amYes, but it was rare that they did extremely well. And they had to prevent themselves from being cheated and after while without the protection of law. Many moved west to western Arkansas, and later Oklahoma after 1889
There were ups and downs and the nadir was about 1921-23.. There were pretty successful attempts to hide from the north and future generations h=what happened,
Sammy Finkelman (6b19ff) — 7/23/2023 @ 8:11 amRip Murdock (d917eb) — 7/22/2023 @ 1:54 pm
Although it was the key accusation in the second impeachment..
A J6 prosecution seems more likely to center on later actions, like possible witness tampering
Sammy Finkelman (6b19ff) — 7/23/2023 @ 8:15 amRight now I’m more interested in the Republican primary race and not the general election. I also don’t think that Biden will be the Democratic nominee.
Rip Murdock (884e90) — 7/23/2023 @ 8:15 am120.asset (3eeec6) — 7/23/2023 @ 3:09 am
Wasn’t that supposedly said by Al Capone and about a kind word and a gun and not a cattle prod?
Sammy Finkelman (6b19ff) — 7/23/2023 @ 8:17 amFurther, Jim Crow, as such, did not really come into effect in the upper south until some point in the 1880s. Louisiana was probably the first to go that way,
Sammy Finkelman (6b19ff) — 7/23/2023 @ 8:21 amAlso conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding, by soliciting groups in various states to submit fake electoral certifications to the National Archives and pressuring states to “find” votes.
Rip Murdock (884e90) — 7/23/2023 @ 8:28 amAs I understood aphrael’s comments, he was a child who found help at school. I am glad the school and its teachers were there for him. Children can’t navigate serious life problems on their own — as adults should be able to do but even some of them can’t.
There are reasons we require schools to report the problems they see. It is because schools and teachers don’t have the time or power to deal with many of the problems that some children face. E
Educators get all sorts of training that doesn’t involve educating children. I understand why that is because they are on the front lines, but making educators be mental health professionals is part of why public schools are failing. That isn’t their job.
DRJ (531157) — 7/23/2023 @ 9:42 amEvery parent wants (or should want) their children to have compassionate, caring teachers. That is part of being a good educator at any level. There are countless stories of successful people who credit a teacher as the person who made a difference in their lives. (aphrael is one of them.)
What sets off my alarm bells is making schools a safe place from parents. Schools are supposed to treat children with the same care as parents, not be the parents. Where children are being abused, schools are not the safe answer.
DRJ (531157) — 7/23/2023 @ 10:14 amIn link at #23:
He answered te=he question that was asked. It happens when there’s an issue of attorney-client privilege.
But what is this “hot water” situation?
Sammy Finkelman (6b19ff) — 7/23/2023 @ 10:21 amInteresting declassified letter from Richard Nixon to President Clinton, regarding Nixon’s analysis of Russia and Ukraine following a trip there in 1994.
He predicted Yeltsin’s fall and the likelihood of a hard-line successor, and felt that our efforts should be in supporting Ukraine, which he felt was in serious danger from the coming nationalism in Russia.
https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/nixonletter.pdf
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/23/2023 @ 10:39 am<a href="
“>InteractivePolls
@IAPolls2022
·
NATIONAL POLL: Harvard/Harris
PRES:
(R) Trump: 45% (+5)
(D) Biden: 40%
Independents
Rip Murdock (884e90) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:34 am(R) Trump: 45% (+18)
(D) Biden: 27%
——
GOP PRES:
Trump — 52% (+40)
DeSantis — 12%
Ramaswamy — 10%
Pence — 7%
Haley — 4%
Scott — 2%
Christie — 2%
Rip’s Regurgitations would be a cool name for a Blog.
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:36 amSorry for the formatting.
The interesting thing about the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll (and Rasmussen) is that they are such large outliers in polling the Trump-Biden race. Most polls in the RCP average have Biden leading by a tiny margin or have them tied. The current average has Biden leading by.5 percent; if you remove the outliers Biden’s lead increases to 2.2 percent.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:53 amI can understand why you prefer not to be confronted with facts that don’t conform to your world view.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:54 amSad!
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:55 amBuDuh’s Bah Humbugs ?
DRJ (083c28) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:57 amToday is National Parents’ Day in the US.
DRJ (083c28) — 7/23/2023 @ 12:16 pmMonmouth University Poll 7/20/23
Paragraph breaks added. Questions and responses at link.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 12:35 pm😃
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/23/2023 @ 12:42 pmLagging far behind is former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 14%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 13%, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott at 10%. No other candidate reaches double-digit support.
Ignoring Trump’s criminality and unsuitability for office is a surefire way to lose in the primaries. By cosigning Trump’s “defense” Haley and Scott leave South Carolinans thinking that “Trump” is a valid choice.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/23/2023 @ 1:01 pmThe timeline is at the link. It is probably all bunk.
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/23/2023 @ 1:39 pmIf Republican voters in SC (and nationwide) can’t see Trump’s unfitness and criminality for themselves, they deserve what they get.
SC Republican voters just don’t want either Darling Nikki and Tim Scott to be President. Neither of them want to end up like Christie, who’s nearly as hated by Republican voters as Pence. Tim Scott’s “positive” campaign particularly ignores Trump.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 1:49 pm@DJR@129,130 It doesn’t help that teachers are having to do 500 random things, but in my experience, one of the main issues with school performance is that a lot of parents don’t expect their kids to have to work in order to be successful. Our society values the appearance of education over having actually functionally educated people and there are a lot of parents for whom an unearned gift A- is better than a hard-won and fully knowledgeable B+. Also, it’s more important for Jordan to go to football practice than attend after school tutoring twice a week. (I do love my former military parents, though. They call me or come in and ask what the problem is, I pull up all their student’s class data and show them where the concerns are, they thank me and leave and the problem gets solved. My prison guard parents, though, are the worst. The. Worst.)
There is no good or safe answer for kids who are abused.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/23/2023 @ 1:52 pmFox Business Poll: Iowa
Rip Murdock (e1ab92) — 7/23/2023 @ 2:01 pmWhere’s the backup (copies of wire transfers, photographs, witness transcripts, etc.) for the alleged transactions, and what laws were broken with these transactions?
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 2:06 pmThe lack of public testimony (or at least sworn affidavits) by any of persons named in this “timeline” is pretty damning.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 3:14 pmThere are parents that care about their children’s education and parents that complain about any B — and blame the teacher, not their children. In my town, there are high standard public and private schools, and there are low standard public and private schools. You are likely right that parents have a lot to do with that, but leadership from good principals matters, too.
DRJ (531157) — 7/23/2023 @ 3:29 pmHi BuDuh,
I hate to leave all the work to Rip. So let me ask one:
We know Hunter Biden traded on his relationship with his dad in a big way. Is there anything from
Appalled (5d512b) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:00 pmJoe in all of this tying him directly to these entities? (We will stipulate that the FBI informant says the Burisma guy saysJoe took a bribe. We will also stipulate that Hunter, crack head and porn star, claims his angry father is in the room as he duns his business partner for some cash.)
Credit where due: Our local monopoly newspaper, the Seattle Times, recently printed two pieces I agree with:
Columnist Danny Westneat said the oil companies were closer in their predictions on gas price rises form new taxes than Democratic Governor Jay Inslee (6/25) was. Westneat even said that gas prices were supposed to go up, in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As tehy have, bu about 50 cents a gallon.
Editorial columnist David Volodzko, new to this area, said that the statue of Lenin in the Seattle Fremont neighbor is inappropriate, given Lenin’s crimes (7/9).
(One thing fewer Americans know than should: There were two revolutions in Russia in 1917. The first in February (old-style) established a weak provisional democracy; the second, led by Lenin, in October, established a Communist dictatorship.)
Jim Miller (a1b8b8) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:30 pmCorrection: “from” new taxes, not “form”.
Jim Miller (a1b8b8) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:32 pmI said it was probably bunk. Why the 3rd degree?
Biden’s legal department may need you guys. Good work!
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:34 pmYeah, like Tucker Carlson, you’re “just raising questions” while making insinuations.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:37 pmLegendary computer hacker Kevin Mitnick (59) has died.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:39 pmHave you copyrighted your “hey, I’m just posting for informational…[yadda, yadda], or are other people allowed to do the same on open threads?
This touched a nerve, it seems.
Just a link and a quick personal take. No need to get hot and bothered. Unless that is what you want to do. Not my call.
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:46 pmBiden doesn’t need any help-it’s Comer and Jordan who need help in coming up with credible witnesses. The whistleblowers aren’t direct witnesses-they haven’t provided any evidence backing up their allegations are true. No documents, no emails, no nothing.
But again, I understand why BuhDuh and others want it to be true. It’s sad.
Rip Murdock (b21e80) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:47 pm?
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/23/2023 @ 4:54 pm@Jim@152 I know it makes me terribly cynical, but I can’t help my lack of surprise that the companies that control gas prices were pretty good at predicting what they planned to charge for gas.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/23/2023 @ 5:11 pmRip,
you are sure expending a lot of energy trying to defend Biden. Why is that?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/23/2023 @ 5:13 pmBuDuh,
So the answer to my question is no?
Appalled (9e9221) — 7/23/2023 @ 5:15 pmWingnut wet dreams, and trolla-la, la-la, la-la.
nk (492d3d) — 7/23/2023 @ 5:20 pmThe Chino Valley kerfuffle is not teachers and school staff. It’s Scribes and Pharisees playing culture war games.
nk (492d3d) — 7/23/2023 @ 5:23 pmSorry, Appalled you and the rest of your “we” party have bested me too many times by disengaging after I answer your questions.
I don’t want to embarrass myself again.
You win this one with a solid play. 👍
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/23/2023 @ 5:28 pmNic – From the column: “Todd Myers of the right-leaning group the Washington Policy Center is one who got it right. Nearly a year ago, he used the state’s own data to estimate that prices would go up 46 cents.”
I think he’s both smart and honest.
I haven’t followed this closely enough to have an opinion on whether Inslee was lying about gas prices, misinformed, or both. He’s a good politician, but has been a poor governor. (He was, however, a fine basketball player in high school.)
(Todd Myers)
Jim Miller (aa791f) — 7/23/2023 @ 6:25 pm@Jim@166 Now that is more interesting. I don’t personally think that gas prices are particularly connected with actual economic forces, afaict they are almost totally corporate market manipulation and OPEC monopoly. I always find it interesting to try to predict at what point oil companies and OPEC decide they’ve pushed consumer prices to the point of beyond tolerance and start bringing them down.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/23/2023 @ 6:46 pmWell said, sir.
Dustin (86bc26) — 7/23/2023 @ 7:26 pm@158
The IRS whistleblowers aren’t credible?
whembly (c88dc4) — 7/23/2023 @ 7:58 pmYour comments about oil companies gouging gasoline prices are very disappointing, Nic, since they are not correct. As a teacher, you are not helping your students if you address this in your classes.
DRJ (083c28) — 7/23/2023 @ 8:29 pmOne thing fewer Americans know than should
Most Americans think Lincoln was the second president.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/23/2023 @ 9:11 pmColumnist Danny Westneat said the oil companies were closer in their predictions on gas price rises form new taxes than Democratic Governor Jay Inslee (6/25) was. Westneat even said that gas prices were supposed to go up, in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. As tehy have, bu about 50 cents a gallon
While taxes contribute to the high gas prices on the west coast, other states have high taxes, too. PA has a higher tax that any other state ($0.61/gallon, yet gasoline in Philadelphia is under $3.50/gallon.
What IS different is that CA, Oregon and now Washington State have “green” formulations on gasoline that effectively block the import of gasoline from refineries out of state. Non-tariff barriers, iow.
These limitations allow refiners to limit supply though any number of “problems” that require taking capacity offline when prices begin to fall.
So prices in Seattle, Los Angeles and Portland are in the $4.25-$4.75 range where most of the country is $1 less per gallon. More where taxes are low.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/23/2023 @ 9:24 pm@DRJ@170 I am not teaching global energy industry market economics to 12 year olds. But I’ll indulge you anyway.
First, I want to note that your article only covers a very narrow window of time of less than 2 months, not industry trends as a whole and looks only at the US energy market, when the market is world wide, while I was talking about the international market over time.
What does the article you linked say:
1. The price of oil, which is tagged to the global market, makes up over half the cost of gas. (who determines the global supply of oil and the global price? OPEC and now OPEC+- formed in 2016 in response to low oil prices worldwide. and international oil conglomerates – this is market manipulation).
2. Prices in the US have remained high, even when prices in the global oil market have gone down. (the article states that it isn’t necessarily a result of price gouging which certainly isn’t a definite statement on the causality of the high prices)
3. It’s complicated.
a. Oil companies mostly don’t own gas stations so don’t determine the price at the pump. (this is misleading. Wholesale gas prices are determined by
the oil companies and they change them on a daily basis while retail gas stations cannot store more than a couple of days of gas and so are at the mercy
of wholesale price changes, profit margins at retail gas stations are narrow on their retail gas business)
b. Maybe it’s the station owners trying to recapture earlier losses, maybe it’s due to oil market volatility, maybe it’s the consumers fault of not
searching harder for lower prices. Maybe it’s the weather. (this does not sound at all definitive as to the reason)
4. Production costs
a. Oil company profits significantly increased in 2022 during the price increases. (My thoughts on this are probably self-explanatory)
b. Increasing US production of oil will not significantly decrease the global price of oil (OPEC+ again)
c. Investors want more profits, so oil companies aren’t re-investing in long term company infrastructure and are keeping prices high.
d. Labor shortages (immigration, let me show it to you).
It was an interesting read regarding their thoughts on a very specific period of price changes, but it does not convince me that OPEC+ and international oil conglomerates aren’t artificially manipulating the international oil market, which in turn significantly impacts US gas prices.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/23/2023 @ 10:12 pm@126 willie sutton also. When asked why he robber banks he said because they are there!
asset (206f27) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:33 pm@145 they are happy to deserve what they get. How many times do I have to explain ignorant southern white trash democrats turn republican voters.
asset (206f27) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:38 pmNo takers on defending floriduh rethugs canceling all voter mail in ballot requests before jan. 2023?
asset (206f27) — 7/23/2023 @ 11:43 pmAsset,
ballots need tp be requested before the election. An active, educated voter is needed for an informed populace.
Anyone voting for AOC is by definition ill informed.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/24/2023 @ 4:34 amThe emergence of Putin Youth…
Good phrase, “militarized patriotism”.
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 7/24/2023 @ 4:35 amBuDuh 165,
So is your answer — nothing links Joe to these entities, or there’s something but you won’t engage with me so I’m not going to tell you.
Just asking questions…
Appalled (9e9221) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:12 am“Year 10 and 11 students” are the Russian equivalent of our high school juniors and seniors, but I don’t know that they have proms. Our Junior ROTC is from freshman year. Yeah, ours is voluntary.
nk (492d3d) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:20 amThank you for explaining why you have made up your mind and can’t be convinced otherwise.
DRJ (531157) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:30 amKeep on believing those mean old oil companies are out to get you.
DRJ (531157) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:35 amAnd, please, stop using oil, gas, the derivatives (like plastics), and all the energy benefits that come from oil and gas. You show those oil companies you know they are villains.
DRJ (531157) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:37 amInteresting read…
https://pjmedia.com/columns/stephen-kruiser/2023/07/24/the-morning-briefing-trump-thinks-that-the-dems-might-want-to-be-careful-what-they-wish-for-n1712698
A year ago, I would’ve told you that you were nuts saying that Trump would have a healthy lead in the primary.
At least, anecdotally, I personally know a few non-Trump-voters who’s now voting for him because they don’t want anything to do with Democrats.
I’ve been wrong a lot, but I don’t think these “new Trump supporters” will be enough.
whembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 7:02 amFor informational purposes only*:
This is the awful Daily Wire summarizing the slightly less awful New York Post so I vouch for none of it.*
*(hat tip Rip for non-controversial neutral language to post text and link)
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/24/2023 @ 7:23 amThis Devon Archer?
nk (68f280) — 7/24/2023 @ 7:46 am@186 nk (68f280) — 7/24/2023 @ 7:46 am
You mean, it’s possible that the Biden have dealings with shady people, who may themselves be shady?
Who’d thunk dat?
whembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 7:53 amThis nk?
LOL.
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:00 amDrj at 130: schools are the answer when children are being abused because there is no other place capable of being an answer, and preventing schools from being an answer means more abused kids with no support.
Do you think that’s a win for anyone?
aphrael (56b291) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:02 amMTG can introduce him with a bubble dance.
nk (68f280) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:03 amKevin – I’m not using my pain to denounce your opinion, I’m saying that your policy preference will deny to kids like me the one thing enabling them to keep themselves together and will cause great harm to them.
That’s apparently incredibly offensive to you, judging by the things it is causing you to say about me.
aphrael (56b291) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:07 amI would never claim that I had a tougher time than you, I don’t know your experience enough to judge that, and comparing trauma is helpful to nobody.
But you told me to my face that the experience I had wasn’t as bad as I think it was, which is an incredibly rude thing to say when you know nothing of my experience.
I’ve had a lot of respect for you over the years, Kevin, but in that moment you were a grade a jack***, and for no reason.
aphrael (56b291) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:11 amJvw, thank you. I have a great deal of respect for you, as well, and don’t want that to get lost. 🙂
aphrael (56b291) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:15 am> This is the role schools play in our society, but this is not what schools are here for. Especially public schools.
For many people there is no other place, and that is why the school plays the role it does. Forcing schools to stop playing the role without providing another place simply means the needs to unfilled.
Would we be better off if these needs were filled outside of schools? Yes. Would we be better off if we simply stopped filling those needs? No.
aphrael (56b291) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:18 amThey aren’t credible unless they back up their claims with direct evidence (emails, etc.)-their statements are merely allegations.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:21 am@195
They’ve done that, particularly with contemporaneous emails/notes.
whembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:27 amThe IRS agents seem credible to be me for what they’re asserting and sufficient ground to pull the USA (can’t recall his name) and ask them what if any interference or guidance they got from main justice. What the agents assert isn’t on its face evidence of impropriety or a cover up but it merits additional questions.
The US Attorney’s public statements clearly state that he was free to pursue the case as he saw fit, but let’s get that on the record and under oath.
I’m sure there are DOJ policies that need to be waived to get this testimony, but since we’re talking about the presidents son there’s very good reason to waive them so this testimony can be heard. If it matches his public statements I’d consider the issue closed.
Time123 (44665a) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:49 amFor anyone who hasn’t already made up their mind about oil prices.
aphrael, I am glad you got the support you needed and I agree schools should be aware of the possibility of abuse. But I don’t agree if you are saying that schools are the right places to handle abused children or their families. Abuse should be reported.
Having said that, there aren’t good answers for many abused children. Typically abuse happens for some time before it is noticed, and damage has already been done. Note also that we see more cases where abused children were never sent to school.
DRJ (531157) — 7/24/2023 @ 9:01 amThe police and child protective services investigate abuse. Schools can be a part-time refuge but how can schools protect children from abuse?
DRJ (083c28) — 7/24/2023 @ 9:12 amMy point is that when schools see abuse, they should report it. They don’t have the resources or authority to deal with abuse.
DRJ (083c28) — 7/24/2023 @ 9:16 am> They don’t have the resources or authority to deal with abuse.
The trouble with emotional and psychological abuse, though, is it’s very hard to prove, and the system is (rightly) biased in favor of assuming kids should stay with their parents, so — in most cases reporting psychological and emotional abuse simply accomplishes nothing, and in a lot of cases it results in the abuse intensifying behind closed doors.
> Schools can be a part-time refuge but how can schools protect children from abuse?
They can’t, and quite honestly there’s no way in general that society can protect children from abuse.
So let’s not take away the part-time refuge while we’re trying to improve things.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/24/2023 @ 9:43 amFor informational purposes only:
Federalist “sources say” claptrap. Biden’s resident legal team will be eating their lunch.
But hey, I’m just posting a link and a quote. No opinion on the content. Topical and all that…
BuDuh (b8bd84) — 7/24/2023 @ 9:51 amA couple thoughts:
I want to hear from Mr Archer. (BuDuh link 1.) I would expect a person who associates with Hunter Biden to be a sleaze, so that’s no surprise. No prejudgment on what he says from me.
BuDuh link 2 — I think the confidential informant is trustworthy in reporting his conversation. It’s the guy claiming that J Biden was on his payroll that’s dodgy.
Appalled (5d512b) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:13 amThat’s apparently incredibly offensive to you, judging by the things it is causing you to say about me.
Aphrael,
I really don’t want to continue this, but I will point out that almost all of what I said was about ME, not you. Some of it was about your arguments but not about you personally. I have no doubt that your pain is real, as was mine. I truly hope you find a way forward, if you have not already.
The thrust of my argument is that MY pain should not control other people’s thoughts or behavior as they deal with their lives. It is up to ME to find MY way forward, and that cannot rely on what other people say or do, as I have utterly no control over them. Realizing that, I had to find strength in myself (or from a higher power) to cope.
The details don’t matter.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:34 amhttps://www.nationalreview.com/2023/07/hunter-biden-business-partners-testimony-tightens-joes-burisma-noose/
whembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:41 amThe author does a good job piecing all of this together.
No takers on defending floriduh rethugs canceling all voter mail in ballot requests before jan. 2023?
Different states have different laws about mail-in ballots. In 2020, there was an arguable emergency that loosened those laws in some places, sometimes in violation of state constitutions (e.g. PA).
In my state (NM, totally Dem controlled), a voter must request a mail in ballot EACH election, no earlier that a few months before the election, and that only covers the one election.
Florida has chosen not to have permanent absentee lists, or at least to require periodic renewal. Given the advanced age of some of their residents, this periodic renewal is necessary to avoid sending endless ballots to the deceased, and they may wish to require that requests be made periodically to indicate that the requestor is competent to vote.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:44 amKevin M – your comment at #33 was essentially telling me that my experience wasn’t as bad as I think it was.
That seems irrelevant to the thrust of your argument.
Furthermore, while that may very well be an ok thing to say to someone in your social circles, in *mine* it’s *incredibly* rude. Hence the tone of my #41, #43, and #192.
I *expect* this kind of thing from some members of this community. From you it was a shock.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:45 amIdle speculation:
Do you suppose that the J6 indictments will fail to include an insurrection, incitement or sedition charge, not because they lack the evidence, but because it is desired to have Trump remain the candidate even after multiple felony convictions? A conviction on insurrection-related charges could disqualify him from office, and they don’t want the GOP running someone else.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:46 amKevin M – your comment at #33 was essentially telling me that my experience wasn’t as bad as I think it was.
That is not what I intended. It was to say that you are not unique and that other people have had different, but still terrible, experiences. Some worse, some not.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:48 amIt was also to say that, to the degree that you see yourself as a victim, I see that as a mistake as far as getting past it is concerned. It may be TRUE, but it’s not only not useful, in my experience it is counter-productive.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:51 amBTW, Sunday’s Wordle (WHALE) in 2.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:54 amI thought that US pro sports stars were getting silly amounts of money, but the international football market is truly crazy:
Saudi Arabia Reportedly Offers $1.1 Billion for Kylian Mbappe
For ONE year without options.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:58 amWhere are they available to the public?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:05 amSo, Chris Christie was on Face the Nation (via Twitter), and was asked about Hunter Biden’s tax and gun charges. This is not a man who minces words.
And then the gun charge, for the coup de grace.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:11 amNo, but Trump may not be indicted on insurrection charges (assuming there is evidence) so that there won’t a J6 2.0. Insurrection would be an incendiary charge, and in today’s hyper partisan environment, with calls for Civil War II on the alt-right, it wouldn’t surprise me there could be multiple threats, as well as actual, violence against government institutions and individuals.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:11 amSorry: Link
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:12 amInsurrection would be an incendiary charge, and in today’s hyper partisan environment, with calls for Civil War II on the alt-right, it wouldn’t surprise me there could be multiple threats, as well as actual, violence against government institutions and individuals.
Why would Biden fear this? It would seem like a way to play Lincoln.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:13 amI want to generate discussions with topics I think are being ignored in the conversations here. Feel free to tear apart the arguments made in whatever I post, I don’t care.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:16 amFear of being a target of the violence?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:17 amChristie should be scoring points against Trump, not Margaret Brennan.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:19 amThen why would you feel the need to tell me?
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:21 amYou seem to lack that understanding.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:24 amIt really bothers you when a Biden defender gets trounced, Rip. Brennan opened a door that Christie waltzed right through despite her “let’s move on” attempts after she realized she was flat footed and caught big time.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:24 amWhatever, I don’t watch any of the Sunday talk shows. I just think it is more important for a Republican presidential candidate to keep his eye on the ball, which is not to score points against a reporter but against Donald Trump (which is the whole basis of Christie’s candidacy).
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:29 amMy impression is that you didn’t watch the interview, Rip. Was it too blurry like the Ray Epps stuff?
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:45 amMy impression is that you didn’t watch the interview, Rip.
My impression is that Rip doesn’t watch anything he didn’t post himself. Or read anything except to find a way to put it down.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 11:48 amBrilliant observation, since I stated the fact I don’t watch the Sunday news shows 15 minutes before your post.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:16 pm@DRJ@181-183 Well that was a bit of an overreaction. If I was being a terrible hyperbolic conversational partner in turn, I’d say I was sorry that you were under the spell of OPEC+. However, that’s just unnecessary and nonsensical. I hope you are able to recognize that it is possible to see problems in an industry and still see that their products have benefits. “WELL STOP FLYING THEN!!” is not a serious response.
@DRJ@198- You realize that article basically says that OPEC+ has significant control over world prices, and then there are these other things that also have effects.
We can talk about De Beers in the 20th century and the gem vs industrial diamond market and their significant though reduced influence today next if you want.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:18 pmThis Will Drive Ron DeSantis’s Polling Averages Down:
The Race to the White House Republican primary candidate national polling averages:
Trump 51.9%
DeSantis 18.8%
Ramaswamy 5.9%
Pence 5.2%
Haley 3.5%
Scott 3.4%
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:29 pmI find it hard to believe Hutchinson is at 4%, when his national polling average is .6%. Other candidates:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:33 pmRip,
If Christie is the anti-Trump, maintaining his intellectual honesty is important. Just changing the conversation back to Trump when asked about H Biden would make him…dare I say, a Democrat?
Appalled (5d512b) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:34 pmYawn.
You commented on Kevin’s quote that came from Kevin’s link that has the video of the interview. By inserting yourself as an expert on this subject, like the other thousand things you know better than others, you should have gone the extra step to watch the video at the link. But you didn’t.
Trying to slip out of the cuffs by claiming you don’t watch Sunday shows is pretty weak.
I do apologize that I have interrupted your daily Biden defense session of demanding evidence in triplicate from the commenters that you expect to do a better job of research than the extremely low bar you set for yourself.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:35 pmWhatever. Biden won’t even be the Democratic nominee.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:44 pmOne copy will do. 😜
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:46 pmKevin M, at 210 — i’m glad that was helpful for you.
For me, though — one of the things about childhood trauma is that, especially at a younger age, children often respond to the trauma by internalizing responsibility for it. Overcoming that sense of internalized responsibility is an important part of the healing process — being able to say, no, as a seven year old I had *no responsibility at all* for preventing my own abuse, this is *entirely* on my broken parents and stepparents who simply *failed*, and their failure wasn’t a reflection of me in any way — that was an incredibly important step.
I’m an adult now, and I have a responsibility to use the tools I have to heal — or, if the wound can’t be healed, to develop coping strategies that prevent me from harming other people. *Choosing* to do that, and then *doing the work*, is on me, and I can’t avoid that responsibility.
But the underlying, originating harm? Not my responsibility as a kid to prevent myself from being abused by my parents, and trying to make it my responsibility in my own mind would be harmful (and would undo years of successful work).
My situation isn’t yours, yours might be different. But for me — I *was* a victim, and it’s valuable to proclaim that while at the same time thinking about how I carry out my responsibility, to myself and my community, of healing from the injury.
aphrael (4c4719) — 7/24/2023 @ 12:56 pmWhatever. Biden won’t even be the Democratic nominee.
But he’s WAY ahead in the polls!
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:10 pm@233
Getting pretty late for any other Democrat candidates to jump in.
I’d say Gavin Newson has until Labor Day to announce. If he hasn’t, it’s going to be Biden again.
whembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:10 pmYou won’t truly heal until you let it go.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:11 pmLooks like Devon Archer is bailing on the committee hearing again.
Seems like his attorneys is trying to get a Biden pardon…
whembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:13 pmBiden will probably quit due to “ill health” or be impeached.
Newsom won’t need to run in any of the primaries. He will be nominated by acclimation at the convention.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:28 pmFat chance of that happening.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:29 pmArcher’s attorneys are likely reading this open thread and gaining confidence from the support comments.
Without all the evidence spread throughout the public domain before any sort of interview, it seems pretty clear that any evidence probably does not exist.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:31 pmYou realize we had significant influence and had crippled OPEC till Biden damaged our energy production to score points with the radical left luddites, right?
NJRob (a4a571) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:31 pmShocking!
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:32 pm@177 These voters requested ballots they did it before jan.1 2023. AOC is the future and her voters are not ill informed. They know all to well who their enemy is and will soon be the majority. Young latinx love AOC and is their role model.
asset (430da4) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:39 pm@241
Probably… probably not.
Archer can really harm Biden’s re-election chances if he bolsters the corruption allegations.
whembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:40 pm@NJRob@243 Almost all non-politically motivated pieces on the oil industry, including ones by people involved in the energy industry, say that US policy on US energy production has little effect on the global oil markets. You are reporting political rhetoric as news and it isn’t.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:42 pmwhembly (5f7596) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:10 pm
Not too late for Biden to drop out either because of scandal or disability.
Gavin Newsom is spending money outside of California buying billboards and TV ads and for travel and meeting people but nobody can say he’s a candidate now.
The New York Post thinks he might be trying to navigate a political whirlpool
https://nypost.com/2023/07/22/two-california-laws-could-pit-newsom-against-desantis
Presumably, whatever a doctor says, goes, and cannot be disputed. Or the parent leaning more toward what they say gets custody, especially if it has been going on for some time.
The ZNew York Post editorial says:
The medical professional with the higher status.
Putin now has a cause:
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-gender-reassignment-banned-putin-signs-law/32517157.html
Of course, this is the old time Communists supporting civil rights.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:42 pmBut it isn’t shocking that Archer’s lawyers are reading this open thread and making decisions based off of the comment section?
This is my fault. I did not use the sarcasm tags figuring that it was obvious.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:44 pm@206 This was done to stop democrats from voting not the excuses you give because more democrats vote by mail then republicans. OK when AOC and the squad take over the democrat party republicans will have to prove they are not insurrectionists before they can register are vote we to can prevent the other party from voting.
asset (430da4) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:50 pmThose people are lying or ignorant of economics. If you claim that OPEC can rig lrices by controlling the spigot and flow of energy, America outproducing their members increases the supply and lowers the price.
That’s econ 101 and any unbiased individual that can do math and understand supply and demand can show as much.
NJRob (a4a571) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:54 pmAsset,
according to your leftist peers, they aren’t capable of getting ID to vote so how are they able to fill out a ballot correctly or ask for one?
NJRob (a4a571) — 7/24/2023 @ 1:56 pmTime123 (44665a) — 7/24/2023 @ 8:49 am
There are six people who could be called as witnesses and a contemporary email sent and received discussing what US Attorney David Weiss he said in a meeting on October 7. 2022 about not being in a position to bring charges – the first time he had told them that
David Weiss.
Merrick Garland and David Weiss were playing with words. But in addition, there must have been some specific guidance – like he had to really make the case to the other U.S. attorneys.
They discuss how leads weren’t pursued.
Information about individual audits ordinarily can never become public unless first submitted to the House Ways and Means Committee (or similar Senate tax writing committee)
This is where the playing with words comes in. He won’t reiterate it. What we want to know is what kinds of constraints he was under.
And this from a president who wants more audits of high income people to close the tax gap! But a lot of this was going on while Donald Trump was still president.
It will be argued that both statements are true.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:00 pmBoth have effects, but one will be dominant, especially in the short run.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:02 pmSammy, thank you for the reply. I’m still at “get Weiss” under oath and ask him what was going on. There are benign and malignant explanations for what the investigators are asserting.
Time123 (44665a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:12 pmTime123 (44665a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:12 pm
Definitely. I think the House Committee wants to do that.
We know too little to say for sure, but the IRS whistleblowers say there never was a case in their experiences where someone got so many breaks in his favor.
The most benign explanation would be that this all was an accident and not contrived by President Biden or his appointees.
Here’s a press release from Senate Republicans citing various editorials: (Republicans do not control Senate Committees)
https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/what-they-are-saying-us-attorney-weiss-response-to-graham-creates-more-questions-than-answers
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:25 pm185.
There’s no contradiction.
Miranda Devine wrote in the New York Post today:
https://nypost.com/2023/07/23/hunter-biden-put-then-vp-dad-joe-on-the-phone-with-business-associates-at-least-2-dozen-times-ex-partner-devon-archer-to-testify
I think it is confirmed somewhere else that at another time Joe Biden dropped in in a meeting Hunter had with someone.
It was, presumably, to enable Hunter to have more credibility at influence peddling without actually Joe Biden involving himself.
This article also explains how Zlochevsky could have recordings of Joe Biden (and that they might not mean anything though)
There’s been an active dispute about whether or not Viktor Shokin was seriously investigating Zlochevsky.
I think Joe Biden made up that story about a cancelled press conference (CFR JAn 23, 2018) and earlier (Aug 2016 Atlantic supplementary material) the flabbergasted US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt when VP Biden claimed to have independent authority too refuse loan guarantees.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:35 pmI would guess that Florida Republicans don’t want anybody on a permanent absentee list but hey do like them in individual elections. The rules are designed for partisan advantage.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:38 pmThe New York Post ran a headline Saturday claiming that New York City electricity bills were going to double by 2025. I doubted that and indeed it was not backed up by the story..
They apparently took an average electric bill and a big gas bill (for heating?) added some 20%+ increases spread over three years and seem to have added the gas bill increase to the electric bill alone.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:42 pmBut it isn’t shocking that Archer’s lawyers are reading this open thread and making decisions based off of the comment section?
I think it was my prediction that MTG would introduce him with a bubble dance. Maybe if she cut down on the sowbelly and grits and firmed up a little?
nk (68f280) — 7/24/2023 @ 2:52 pmOr this Archer?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 3:12 pmDo you suppose that the J6 indictments will fail to include an insurrection, incitement or sedition charge, not because they lack the evidence, but because it is desired to have Trump remain the candidate even after multiple felony convictions? A conviction on insurrection-related charges could disqualify him from office, and they don’t want the GOP running someone else.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 10:46 am
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 3:21 pm@NJRob@251 Some of the ones I read are by economists including one of the ones DRJ linked. OPEC+ countries control 80% of world oil reserves. The + part of OPEC+ was formed in 2016 specifically to try to block having the oil market be less under control and more influenced by market factor. Trump administration policies were not particularly useful in blocking them.
The US cannot flat-out out produce the members of OPEC+. We don’t have the oil reserves available for it. Venezuela alone has 7X more crude oil reserves than we do. The US is estimated to have roughly a total 44.4 billion gallons of oil that could theoretically be produced ever based on our knowledge at this time. The world production of oil was almost 33 billion gallons in 2021 alone. And on top of that according to the American Petroleum Institute US oil companies aren’t in a position to increase oil production at this time, even though they already have the drilling permits for a 10% increase.
(And would US oil companies see an increase in production possibly leading to any reduction in oil prices to be to their benefit?)
Nic (896fdf) — 7/24/2023 @ 3:27 pm@252 some years ago republican think tank looking into how to stop democrats from voting found far more democrats being poorer are less likely to have documentation like birth certificates so the republicans passed id laws to stop democrats from voting.
asset (230fd0) — 7/24/2023 @ 4:54 pmThey better release the grand jury transcripts and any evidence presented to them RIGHt NOW!!
Otherwise this is just more Jordan and Comer Jiggery Pokery.
#NoProof
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 5:29 pmThat must a first for a convicted felon.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 5:39 pmThere are no grand jury transcripts, unless Merrick Garland is conducting a secret investigation into Biden.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 5:40 pmThere better be something….
or it is all fake news.
Thanks for the heads up on Hunter’s associate. nk did an equally excellent job.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 5:43 pmAllegation: A claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically one made without proof.
Evidence: The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
See the difference? All we have heard are “allegations.”
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 5:44 pmThat is all you were wanking about?
My apologies.
Can a credible person make an allegation?
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 5:51 pmIt seems to be hard concept for some people to understand.
A credible person can certainly make allegations, but that doesn’t make their allegations credible.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 5:57 pmDo you have reason to believe that the two career IRS agents that testified under oath to The Oversight Committee are less that credible people? A track record of disciplinary actions against them? Some sort of details regarding payoffs or corruption on their part?
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:00 pmDomestic policies impact the oil industry. Oil companies, especially independent oil operators, need pipelines to transport product and refineries to process it. We don’t have it because of domestic policies limiting construction of pipelines and refineries; the fact that different refineries process different types of oil (not all oil is the same); and the extraordinary cost and regulatory burden of building refineries.
By the way, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia may have the most proven reserves, but Venezuela’s are not produced because of political/economic/stability factors. Nic is right about the Saudis. Unlike US producers that are market-driven, the Saudis manipulate the market through OPEC. But because of shale oil and technological advances, the US has the most recoverable untapped reserves in the world. It’s just not cost effective to produce it with no pipelines to ship ir and no refineries to process it.
DRJ (531157) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:05 pm…less than credible…
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:05 pm“Drivel” has two meanings.
1. talk nonsense.
“he was driveling on about the dirt they will prove on Hunter Biden that they somehow never seem able to produce”
2. ARCHAIC
let saliva or mucus flow from the mouth or nose.
“the nurse leaves you to drivel, and never wipes your nose”
With some people, you can’t tell the difference.
nk (68f280) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:07 pmI haven’t a clue about their background or work history, or integrity; or whether they are Trump or Biden partisans. But like everyone else who makes an allegation, it remains so until evidence is produced to support it. Do you know the details about their background or work history? Otherwise you are taking a lot on faith.
I do think the Oversight Committee is less than credible. Chair Comer didn’t say anything about the Porn Princess’s performance.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:07 pmExcept that we did become an energy exporter under Trump and broke the back of OPEC during that time. We also ramped up production of shale gas and reduced the tireless regulations that leftists use to harm production. Unfortunately Biden has reversed course and harmed our nation’s energy production and future growth.
It’s useless to have leases in areas that aren’t production capable. Biden has turned his back on producing energy because it’s what the radical left wants. They dream in producing energy from unicorn farts or some such nonsense.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:11 pmThe hearing detailed their background and work history. You probably missed it judging by your comments.
What you had were two career IRS witnesses whose expertise on the specific allegations. It seems to be hard concept for some people to understand, but their statements and responses, regarding those allegations, were in and of themselves evidence of the allegations.
A person who has done a certain job for 14 years saying he had never seen the actions taken for Hunter Biden’s case is evidence. You want to make his allegation and evidence not credible, it is on you. I am assuming one of your hats is that of an IRS investigator. I don’t have that in my role-play arsenal so I will go with the expert witness under oath.
Speaking of role play, was your porn stuff for a different forum or was it part of that low bar you strive for when defending the Biden’s? Because it is irrelevant to the IRS agents and their testimony.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:18 pmArcher can really harm Biden’s re-election chances if he bolsters the corruption allegations.
A pardon removes his right not to testify, but it does not remove the threat of a perjury charge.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:19 pmPlay time is over.
Off to dinner.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:22 pmIt’s no surprise that Trumpadoodles like a con-man who stole $60 million from an Indian tribe. And maybe it should not be a surprise that they now like IRS agents. How many of them know what IRS spells?
nk (68f280) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:26 pm@NJRob@278 The Oil market had weakened somewhat between 2005-2016. OPEC+ formed in 2016 to counteract earlier breakthroughs in OPEC’s control of the market due to oil producers like Russia who were not OPEC members (the low point was in early Feb of 2016). By drawing Russia and similar producers into the fold, it shored up their control and oil prices made ongoing gains throughout the Trump administration (I do not think this was particularly Trump’s fault, I am using it as a time marker since you seem to find it to be important) until April of 2020 when demand plunged off a cliff faster than OPEC+ could correct for when everyone had to stay home due to COVID. OPEC’s back isn’t broken, though if the article Rip linked to above regarding recent technology improvements holds true over the long term, their influence may be weakened until they are able to catch up again.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/24/2023 @ 6:44 pmWhat if the oil companies decided to DESTROY CIVILIZATION as we know it by doing nothing more drastic than giving every one of their workers, from gas station attendants to oil tanker captains, a fully-paid one-month’s vacation and telling them NOT TO SHOW UP for work? Do we have a STRATEGIC PLAN for that?
nk (78befd) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:41 amOn that same vein, does CHINO VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT require school football coaches to immediately notify the parents whenever a member of the SCHOOL BOARD shows up at practice in a very short skirt, halter top, and platforms, and offers to give the players a lift home?
nk (78befd) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:53 amRip, why don’t you view the IRS agrents as credible? They seem to have legitimate concerns that merit follow up. I’m not saying their concerns / assertions are proven fact but I think they form a basis for further investigation.
If Weis testifies that he had decision making authority, wasn’t pressured improperly, and made the decisions he die for legitimate reasons I’m good. Prosecutors have discretion and it’s understandable that not everyone will agree.
If he testifies otherwise, or can’t say that clearly, it would suggest a different approach is needed.
The president’s son was investigated for
Time123 (5310d0) — 7/25/2023 @ 6:32 amCriminal activity. We should take accusations of favoritism very seriously. The prosecutor in charge was appointed by Trump and assigned this case under Barr. That goes a long way with me on the investigation being done properly. But I’d like to have these accusations responded to under oath with cross examination.
So much for free speech at our universities, especially if you criticize certain elected officials.
More here.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 7:01 amPaul,
that type pf abuse has been going on in our universities for at least 30 years. If you don’t toe the leftist line, you will be destroyed.
Even if he wins in court, he will ha e no place to return to.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/25/2023 @ 7:08 amEh? Or is it “Heh”?
The linked story is not about CWU, carbon tax, and Inslee, it’s about Texas A&M, opioids, and Dan Patrick.
Either way, don’t nobody panic. Both are state institutions and should the professor(s) get themselves a good lawyer, the politicos will be looking at a world of hurt.
nk (78befd) — 7/25/2023 @ 7:35 amThe names and locations were changed, to protect from hypocrisy.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 7:40 amBTW, I’m in the state where Bret Weinstein was practically run out of Evergreen State College, because he declined to take a day off and attend a woke sensitivity “training” session for his “crime” of being a white guy.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 8:07 amRegarding the new FL curriculum on black history, Catoggio offers a fair perspective. Like I said above, their phrasing was problematic for making it sound like slaves were in involved in job training programs for their “personal benefit”, but this is a fair context.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 8:29 amHere are the ratings for all 50 US governors. Republican Phil Scott of Vermont leads the list. (Not all that long ago, Republicans dominated the top ten. More damage from the Loser? Perhaps.)
I think it fair to say that California’s Gavin Newsom under performs, given how Democratic that state is. (Perhaps he should invite more people to join him at the French Laundry.)
Jim Miller (0c4326) — 7/25/2023 @ 8:47 amExcept Paul,
a leftist will always find a job at a different university. A conservative won’t.
Look no further than the communist fraud Boudin landing a job at Bezerkley.
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:09 amHere’s further confirmation that politicizing vaccines hurt my party more.
Disclaimer: This is about the anti-vaxxers and their pied piper cranks like RFK Jr., who now has strange new respect in the GOP, not about those who are pro-vaccine and anti-governmental mandate. Personally, I’m okay with employer mandates and cruise ship mandates* for vaccines, for example, but not with governors or presidents requiring private citizens to take their shots. Schools (at least the sensible ones) always had parental opt-outs.
* A good friend of mine is majorly anti-vax and loves going on cruises but, during the pandemic, refused to go on board because they required their passengers be vaccinated. He’s finally traveling the Baltic right now (first time on cruise ship since 2019), now that the requirements have been lifted. He even looks a little like Ron Johnson.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:22 amSo much for free speech at our universities, especially if you criticize certain elected officials.
I should have known better. If it was the situation you pretended it was, you would have just let it go.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:29 amHere are the ratings for all 50 US governors
That list is purely by approval rating, and ignores disapproval numbers in its ranking. A more interesting list would be by the delta. This would change the rankings some.
I find it surprising though that every governor has a positive approve-disapprove score. Then again it’s Morning Consult.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:36 amHere’s further confirmation that politicizing vaccines hurt my party more.
Again, had Trump won and been promoting his “beautiful miracle vaccine”, the Left would have been the ones going on about it not being tested, being just a money grab by Big Pharma, and showing a complete ignorance of statistics or cause-and-effect.
And RFK Jr would be 2024’s presumptive Democrat candidate.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:40 amSchools (at least the sensible ones) always had parental opt-outs.
This is why we still have measles.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:42 amMore from Paul’s link:
Seems important.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:42 amHopefully this was not a staged disruption as some say is wont with his campaign. Bill Lee dodged the same section of the history books as John Connolly.
https://apnews.com/article/desantis-car-accident-tennessee-republican-presidential-primary-112875e0a25f6cc001e370aafa70db0b
urbanleftbehind (6f08f8) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:04 amLesson from Montagu — always click on the link or comment at your own risk.
FYI, I would not do that to people. At least I don’t think I would. Well…..maybe.
Appalled (721968) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:09 am@nk@285 Actually, yes. School connected adults offering kids a ride home without parental permission is part of the sexual abuse training.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:16 amTo clarify, there are multinational oil companies like ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillps. There are also many, many domestic oil operators and producers. The independents are the inventors and drivers of shale oil technology. So the various companies putsue their iwn agendas and are not in lockstep.
DRJ (531157) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:37 amToday, my doctor speculated that Bronny James (and other athletes) heart problems are from the Covid vaccines.
DRJ (531157) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:38 amJoe Biden’s former press secretary and legal counsel was working for the DOJ and David Weiss during the start of the Hunter Biden probe. He was emailing Hunter Biden, calling him “brother” and giving him financial advice.
I mean, can’t even write a West Wing script as good as this.
I knew DC is like Mos Eisley where everyone knows everyone… but, man, I’m still consistently shocked as how incestuous these relationships are in DC.
All the more reasons that we should elect politicians who’s willing to devolve much of the federal bureaucracy from DC to the rest of the country.
whembly (5f7596) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:43 amWhembly, that’s interesting but I’m not finding much about it from google…can I trouble you for a link or more information?
Time123 (9d96c9) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:49 amI’m sure their work histories were put in the best possible light. I doubt their allegations would have been treated as evidence in court.
No it’s not-it’s an observation. Again, probably not admissible.
The low bar is that set by the Oversight (and Judiciary) Committee, which treats any allegation against President Biden, not matter how preposterous, as the gospel truth. Regarding the Porn Princess, she displayed Hunter Biden’s nudes during the same hearing, and asked the IRS agents questions about the Mann Act. Her stunt, and Comer’s (lack of any response) speaks volumes about how seriously she took the hearing (and who has the power in the House).
But then again, Biden’s impeachment is back on the table. I hope a serious inquiry (sans nudies) is made.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:49 am@307
Coulda swore I included the link…
Here, lemme try it again: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/close-biden-political-aide-weiss-hunter
whembly (5f7596) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:57 amBecause these are allegations without supporting evidence. In fact USA David Weiss has specifically denied their allegations regarding his role in the investigation. I view their allegations, absent any definitive evidence, as an extension of how the Oversight and Judiciary Committees will believe anything negative about Biden as President. They barely acknowledge his election.
I get it though. They wish Trump had been reelected, and are doing their best to soften up Biden for the inevitable rematch.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:08 pmThat’s a dishonest hypothetical, Kevin. I brought up Weinstein’s for a reason.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:08 pmWhembly, thank you for the link. Totally agree with you that the relationships there are a mess of conflicting interests
Time123 (9d96c9) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:09 pmWas there any other notable reason for excess deaths in that time period?
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:11 pmRip Murdock (364a93) — 7/22/2023 @ 8:00 am
No, U.S. Attorney David Weiss practically told them in so many words in an office meeting on October 7, 2022 that there was a coverup. There was no other way to understand him.
This was the issue: Hunter Biden had made very questionable deductions in his 2014 and 2015 tax returns. And had not filed any returns for 2016 2017 and 2018. Now, taking false deductions is considered worse by the IRS than not filing a return at all. It usually calls for a felony charge.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers had agreed to toll (extend) the statute of limitations for 2014 and 2015, which is often done when an indictment.
But now, it seems, they weren’t agreeing to do that any more, and the statute of limitations would run out in a month. They were calling his bluff.
So they asked David Weiss why wasn’t he indicting Hunter Biden? Or maybe why wasn’t the investigation being rushed?
He responded by saying that he wasn’t the one making the decision – and that he could not bring charges in another jurisdiction (which for 2014 and 2015 was DC) without the permission of the U.S. Attorney there.
https://waysandmeans.house.gov/six-key-takeaways-from-the-released-irs-whistleblower-transcripts
More recently:
And they had been told earlier by Weiss’s deputy Lesley Wolf (in December 2020) that that their office could get in hot water if they pursued certain steps like getting a search warrant for the guest house of former Vice President Biden. (i.e., it would look like Trump was investigating his rival, Joe Biden, whom he was still challenging after the election was called)
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:12 pmRip, Their observations, under oath, are evidence. It’s not proof of wrongdoing, it’s not proof of a crime, but it’s a reasonable basis for additional investigation. As I said before if Weiss testifies that he had full authority and no one tried to improperly influence him, and that this is a disagreement in how discretion should be applied I’ll consider it resolved. But an innocent explanation for their observations doesn’t mean they themselves aren’t credible.
Time123 (9d96c9) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:14 pmWhat’s your opinion about the doctor’s comment, DRJ? As I understand it, there’s a higher chance of myocarditis from the virus than from the vaccine.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:21 pmThis would imply that they were going easy on Hunter in an effort to help Trump. Which is funny when you think about it.
Time123 (9d96c9) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:22 pmLink.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:22 pmDOJ has now agreed that David Weiss can testify.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6331815088112
This came in a letter sent to the committee yesterday. Although I think Did Weiss will try to protect Merrick Garland, perhaps with the truth, but the truth is a Catch-22.
The Republicans have been making out that somebody is a liar.
Maybe not exactly.
There has been a lot of double talk.
From the first link:
Now the latter would mean it was Weiss who was protecting Biden. He’s not likely to take the fall.
He’s also not likely to blame Merrick Garland.
And the whole thing will be explained away as outsiders not understanding DOJ procedures. Everybody else was stupid.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:24 pmSince this keeps coming up, these are the IRS whistleblowers. They are serious people.
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/hunter-biden-irs-whistleblowers-joseph-ziegler-gary-shapley/
Appalled (a15616) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:25 pm316. You are more likely to get even worse heart problems from a Covid infection. The vaccine stirs up a very strong immune response and that it what causes the problem in some people.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:26 pmIf you got the virus and THEN the vaccine you were 11 times more at risk for developing myocarditis within 28 days of testing positive for the virus than if you got vaccine BEFORE the virus.
In other words: Having a previous Covid infection, especially a recent one, very well might have been a counterindication against getting the vaccine. First, it probably wasn’t necessary, and second it increased the risk of side effects (although not to a very high level)
Clinical trials were not going to catch this.
But the propaganda apparatus wasn’t interested in distinguishing between people who had been already infected with Covid and recovered, and people who had not, but no, everyone should get the vaccine. It was a simpler message.
They made it very difficult to determine if you had been previously infected. Even the testing that was done was usually only for recent infection — and on your own dime.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 12:38 pmhttps://www.newser.com/story/338111/china-replaces-foreign-minister-last-seen-in-june.html
I think Xi Jinping is experiencing a shortage of people he can trust.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 1:22 pmAs I understand it, Weiss is a Republican who started under Bush in the Delaware US Attorney’s office, then was elevated by Trump to US Attorney in February 2018.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 1:41 pmThe Hunter laptop investigation didn’t start until December 2019, seven months after Mackler left.
The look-see into Hunter’s “tax affairs” began in 2018, presumably after Weiss was appointed. If Mackler were somehow involved in investigating Hunter (his “brother”) while he worked under Weiss, that would be a conflict-of-interest on Mackler’s part, and I don’t see how a Republican like Weiss, especially in the Trump era, would be doing any favors for Hunter or the Bidens, particularly since he approved the investigation into Hunter’s tax issues, with Barr’s and Trump’s blessings, I assume.
As for Shapley and Ziegler, I don’t doubt they would do things differently than Weiss, and we’ll see what Weiss says under oath.
So far, this whole affair is loaded with a bunch of assertion and empty on anything solid, not unlike the “Joe-took-a-bribe” no-evidence allegation. Bottom-line, we’ll see what turns up, but if Weiss has a defensible explanation, story’s over.
All Republicans reflexively support Trump. Even more so with US Attorneys. There are no Republican US Attorneys that would not do anything and everything Trump requires. I assume.
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/25/2023 @ 1:55 pmPaul 316,
I was surprised when he said that because it had not occurred to me. He also said there have been many heart-related deaths among young European soccer players that he thought might be linked to Covid/vaccine.
I don’t know. The only opinion I have about Covid vaccines based on my research, not hearsay, is that I think the J&J vaccine is safer than experts have led us to believe, except for young women. (It’s gone now, so it doesn’t matter.) And I think the mRNA vaccines, especially Pfizer’s, is slightly more dangerous for young men than experts claim.
The athletes my doctor was speculating about are all young men, so I would want to know if they all got the Pfizer vaccine. But I don’t think that would tell us anything other than it would be worth looking into further. including whether they had a history of Covid infections as well as vaccines.
DRJ (531157) — 7/25/2023 @ 1:56 pmPaster NOT drag queen david zandestra admits to murdering 8 year old girl.
asset (9b36e1) — 7/25/2023 @ 1:58 pmI dunno, DRJ, if your doctor is going believe unverified claims about soccer players or athletes in general, what else is he/she going to believe? Maybe get a second opinion?
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 2:09 pmYou are correct. I should’ve known better than to think Paul would be concerned abput a conservative being attacked.
NJRob (53cc2b) — 7/25/2023 @ 2:37 pmNJRob (53cc2b) — 7/25/2023 @ 2:37 pm
I dunno. In my experience, Paul calls out both sides.
norcal (e5b4c8) — 7/25/2023 @ 2:40 pmMorning Consult Tracking Poll 7/25/2023
The poll was conducted July 21-23, 2023, after Trump announced (on July 18th) he had received a second target letter from the Special Counsel.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/25/2023 @ 2:52 pmDevon Archer will testify July 31 (about Hunter Biden having repeatedly put his father on the phone or even had him personally meet and greet business associates, although he never said anything substantive.)
It’s a done deal so much that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said something Orwellian yesterday (which the Republican favoring media have been making much hay over)
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/07/24/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-44
That’s Orwellian.
That’s not what she said before. He said that he never discussed business with his son. Now she says he never was in business with his son. (but doesn’t say that Hunter lied to certain foreigners that he was)
Now this could be read:
About him discussing his son’s
business.
From now on.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 3:21 pmJoe Biden discussed Hunter’s business with Tony Bobulinski, who had been brought in by Jim Biden and Hunter Biden. He was supposed to make sure that everything was legal and Joe Biden gave his approval to his appointment (and that was basically what they discussed)
Later. Tony Bobulinski was frozen out, and Joe Biden was probably not aware of that, it’s probably more than fair to say.
Bobulinski was willing to go before a grand jury but that angle was not pursued
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-tony-bobulinski-former-business-partner-grand-jury
Pursuing anything that might affect an election required lots of approvals at the time in DOJ. That’s one explanation.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 3:31 pmThe What’s App extortion message by Hunter Biden. (and we also see in this month old CBS news article that the White House had already changed its answer before Karine Jean-Pierre yesterday
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-tony-bobulinski-former-business-partner-grand-jury
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 3:40 pmU.S. Attorney David C. Weiss is not likely to testify till the fall.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/politics/david-weiss-testify-congress-hunter-biden-irs-probe/index.html
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 3:44 pmI don’t think his concerns are crazy, Paul. This is from the study reached from your link:
That is also what I noticed after reading several medical journals/articles. My family has immune problems and cannot get routine vaccines, so researching the Covid vaccines was a high priority for me.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/25/2023 @ 3:48 pmmRNA-1273 is Moderna vaccine. My research indicated the myocarditis risk with Pfizer was greater than the Moderna risk. Our only options were Pfizer and Moderna, and we chose Moderna for our young men for that reason.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/25/2023 @ 3:57 pmThere are Many studies about myocarditis after Covid mRNA vaccines in younger men. Note this:
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/25/2023 @ 4:03 pmThat is double the already elevated risk in men under 40.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/25/2023 @ 4:04 pmI should point out that a Canadian study showed more male myocarditis with Moderna than Pfizer BNT.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/25/2023 @ 4:13 pmThe myocarditis is clearly an autoimmune reaction.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 4:25 pmhttps://nypost.com/2023/07/20/biden-bribe-file-released-burisma-chief-said-both-joe-and-hunter-involved
I don’t know any more about Ostapenko but this is a name to research.
Incidentally, Zlochevsky appears from this to have given two quite different reasons for – he claimed – paying up one Biden and another Biden in cash. (I think the second Biden is Jim Biden, Joe’s rother) – Joe was referred to as the big guy) And the whole thing may not be true.
One reason is to take care of all sorts of problems and the other reason is extortion. They are contradictory.
Now some things should be clear:
1) Joe Biden did not have some secret power over U.S. policy toward Ukraine. He later claimed to have had, but he lied.
2) he did not cause the prosecutor to be fired. He wasn’t fired six hours after Joe Biden made a threat to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees. he was fired or quit in June 2016 – and I think Joe Biden’s last visit to Kiev was in March, 2016. It’s hard to get the facts.
Zlochevsky may have wanted to create the impression that this fix was in even if it wasn’t.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/25/2023 @ 4:36 pmIt figures you’re goose-stepping with Kevin’s dishonest hypothetical, Rob.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 4:59 pmThat’s ambiguous. Does it mean the risk of myocarditis is higher in vaccinated young men than in unvaccinated young men, or that it’s higher in vaccinated young men than in vaccinated older men? The latter would be consistent with Paul’s claim; the former would partially contradict it.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:12 pmI read the reports as saying there is a greater risk after 2 mRNA shots. But I am open to being corrected.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:22 pmNoted, the higher post-vaccine incidences in young men, DRJ, but isn’t it a temporary condition?
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:26 pmI dunno. In my experience, Paul calls out both sides.
I would not expect that kind of dishonest bait&switch for someone who had any empathy whatsoever for those on the right.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:44 pmNone of those studies regarding myocarditis after a vaccine show a risk within an order of magnitude (likely not within 3) of serious COVID-caused disease.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:46 pmIt figures you’re goose-stepping with Kevin’s dishonest hypothetical, Rob.
Paul, what you did was cynical, disrespectful and baiting. You should apologize to those you intended to laugh at as they fell for your “wit.”
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:49 pmTo call me dishonest, for calling your lie a lie, is beyond ironic.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:50 pmI liked it. But then, I click the link before I comment, so I won’t embarrass myself. Most of the time, anyway.
nk (78befd) — 7/25/2023 @ 5:56 pmThe inflammation may clear up but sometimes it is accompanied by other heart complications that may persit.
DRJ (c59a8b) — 7/25/2023 @ 6:13 pmPersist.
DRJ (c59a8b) — 7/25/2023 @ 6:14 pmYou’re lying that I’m lying, Kevin. You implied, dishonestly, that I took no interest in academics attacked by the Left, but I brought up Weinstein for a reason. If anyone should be apologizing for dishonesty here, it’s you.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 8:47 pmAlso, if you’re going to make an argument, don’t resort to weak-ass hypotheticals.
@324
I really dislike the whole “Weiss is a Republican who started under Bush in the Delaware US Attorney’s office, then was elevated by Trump to US Attorney in February 2018” argument.
As if, that gives Weiss 100% credibility, when he *HAD* to have been approved by the 2 super liberal Democrat Senators who approved (Blue slips). All that means, is that Trump put forth a prosecutor that the 2 Dems approved of. Make what you will of that.
Paul…the point is this: Does the Biden’s behaviors constitute wanton “pay-to-play” access?
And, did the FBI/DOJ conduct a good-faith investigation?
What’s absolute frustrating, is that there are WAY BLOODY MORE evidence and allegations into the Biden’s corruption, than ANYTHING that Trump did. You cannot ignore that double-standard. What we should be advocating for, is that whatever standard is applied to Trump, must a least be applied to Biden. Anything less than that is a asymmetrical lawfare.
You should be advocating for House Republican to start impeachment hearings, so that they have actual subpoena power to conduct a real investigation, such that the DOJ/FBI seems loathed to do (which is understandable, since it’s their boss we’re talking about).
whembly (c88dc4) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:02 pm@345
That’s what we’ve seen in the St. Louis area. (I work in healthcare IT and see community statistics like these)
We’ve seen an almost triple the numbers of young men (and some women) suffering from myocarditis.
The raw numbers are showing there’s a massive increase. That’s undeniable. Logic suggest, is that it’s a reaction of the covid vaccine, as well as various retrospective studies seems to support that.
My wife’s entire family is at risk for Guillain-Barré, and chosen NOT to take any vaccine. There are studies being done in Europe and South America that is pointing to increased auto-immune reactions, like Guillain-Barré, is linked to the mRNA covid vaccines.
But that doesn’t mean we should deep-six the mRNA vaccines, because these vaccines, at least the early phases of the rollout, did show dramatic reduction in ICU cases.
So, like in ALL THINGS IN MEDICINES, doctors and policy-makers should be educating what mRNA does, their risks and any tradeoff. Meaning, ideally, the vaccines should really be for those whom are immunocompromised, elderly or have other dangerous co-morbidity diagnosis. Outside of that, the young and especially those with auto-immune diseases, should carefully weigh the risks between getting infected naturally vs. taking the vaccine and it’s associated risks.
whembly (c88dc4) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:16 pm@346
Not all cases.
You can develop longterm conditions the requires monitoring for the rest of your life.
You can lose out being a pro athlete because cardiovascular strains while doing intense sports can be dangerous.
Basically, the longterm effect of post-myocarditis is on a spectrum depending on the severity. Some may simply get better and resume normally as if it didn’t happen, some requires constant monitoring and yes permanent damage (and death) is possible, especially if there are other co-morbidities.
whembly (c88dc4) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:21 pmYou lost me, whembly, with this…
…because the problem is you don’t have this evidence on Joe. You’re only at the allegation phase. With all of it.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:22 pmNobody disputes that Hunter is a sleazoid who jumped from one sleazoid deal after the next. That’s not in dispute, and his overpriced “art” sold to Democrat high-rollers is only the latest.
Also, nobody disputes that Father Joe is a dishonest political hack who was elevated to our nation’s highest office because his opponent was worse. But taking a $5 million bribe while VP is a serious charge that demands serious evidence, and it just isn’t there.
And regarding Weiss, this feels like the insinuations that were levied against Mueller, another Republican who’s been a Republican longer than Trump, and even though Weiss had the blessing of both Barr and Trump, now all of a sudden he’s suspect because he didn’t nail Hunter hard enough?
I’d say the summer silly season is upon us, but it’s been silly season since Trump went down that Golden Escalator.
Non-political topic, but what the hell? It’s the Weekend Open Thread.
I spoke with my 91-year-old mother today. She related a recent event. My twenty-something niece (my mother’s granddaughter) was visiting my mother. In tow were her twenty-something husband and 1.5-year-old toddler.
My mother was playing with the great-granddaughter by whistling at her. My niece’s husband told my mother not to whistle, because that is something for dogs. My mother said, “My house, my rules”. At that point, my niece said, “That’s it. We’re leaving.” She, her husband, and their toddler departed.
The next day, my niece and her husband came to pick up my sister (my niece’s mother) from my mother’s house and take her to the airport. They entered my mother’s house and both of them used the bathroom. They studiously ignored my mother the whole time, as if to drive home the point that they were miffed.
I ask the wise souls here. Who is being ridiculous?
norcal (4e46bc) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:22 pm@358
Bro, what?
We have more than just mere allegations!
We have Biden, on camera, saying that he got the Burisma prosecutor fired (likely overstatement, but there was intent).
We have Hunter’s WhatApp text string that can’t be interpreted to be anything other than an extortion.
We have actual IRS whistleblowers claims of obstruction by political operatives, shielding the Bidens.
We have House committees in Comer and Senator Grassley showing detailed, strange accounting of money being moved in a structured manner to hide it from IRS.
Far more than what is needed to start an honest to god investigation to determine if there’s any violation of our laws.
…and more.
Please don’t play dumb by saying there’s only “allegations”.
whembly (c88dc4) — 7/25/2023 @ 9:40 pmNo, whembly, you don’t have that because the problem was that Shokin wasn’t prosecuting Burisma, or investigating Burisma for that matter. The irony here is that the chances of an investigation into Burisma improved after Shokin was out of the picture.
You do have Biden calling for Shokin’s sacking, but it was at the behest of his boss, Obama, along with the IMF and the EU and US diplomats in Ukraine. VP Biden’s biggest problem here is that, at best, because his son was taking cash from a corrupt Ukrainian oligarch, he had the appearance of a conflict of interest and shouldn’t have involved himself in Ukrainian affairs and should have recused. This speaks clearly to his poor judgment (and he has a long record of poor judgment in foreign affairs), not to any illegality.
Two, you don’t have evidence of funds, illicit or otherwise, moving into a Joe Biden bank account from Zlochevsky (or his cut-outs) while he was VP. If there is evidence, yes, impeach his shriveled white butt.
Three, you do have evidence that Hunter is a scuzbag who will use his dad’s name to make threats and cash in. This is established. Stipulated.
Evidence-wise, this pales before the open-and-shut case in one of Trump’s criminal indictments, where the evidence is obvious that he willfully retained materials relating to our national defense (a violation of the Espionage Act) and obstructed their return, multiple times over. A Special Counsel isn’t going to bring a case like this against a former president without having the goods.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:42 pm@norcal@359 It sounds like there are some past issues there that you may not be aware of.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:46 pmMore on Bronny…
It’s also unclear if LeBron’s kid every caught Covid or was ever vaxxed, or if so, when.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:54 pmNic (896fdf) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:46 pm
My mother tells me everything. Yes, there is some background that is too long to get into. For one thing, my mother stopped believing in Mormonism, and my niece is a Molly Mormon who thinks my mother is debauched.
Here’s how Molly she is. When returning home from her Mormon mission (2 years for men, 1.5 years for women because, you know, women need to get married and start making babies), she wouldn’t give her own father a hug because her boobs would be touching his chest. You think I’m kidding.
norcal (4e46bc) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:01 pmAlso, if you’re going to make an argument, don’t resort to weak-ass hypotheticals.
And don’t resort to lying posts that misrepresent the actual facts. That was a real asshat move of yours. Please tell me why you think that would not be seen as such. It was intentionally disrespectful in the extreme to several posters here.
Anything I said in response, you deserved.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:17 pmI ask the wise souls here. Who is being ridiculous?
Possibly everyone, but the niece and her husband should have collected the sister on the porch. To enter the house and use the toilet both required permission and if anyone remains miffed it is probably mom.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:21 pmI didn’t mispresent anything, Kevin, I was trying to make a point, which you obviously whooshed on.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:25 pmI don’t care how long you’ve squatted here or how many comments you’ve made, I’m not going to acquiesce to your dishonest hypotheticals.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:21 pm
My mother isn’t miffed. She’s incredulous, amused, and proud of herself (as I am proud of her) for not acting like a doormat anymore.
And, she doesn’t care if the granddaughter or her husband visits again.
norcal (4e46bc) — 7/25/2023 @ 11:32 pmnorcal, you’re so naive. Your mom was obviously summoning the devil. I suggest you contact an exorcist, and ask about a volume discount in case mom’s demons got to niece and hubby when they came in to use the bathroom.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 1:02 amI remember impeachment with honor bumper stickers for tricky dick! Had democrat corporate stooges had voted to impeach bubba al gore would have become president and no 9-11 or iraq war. Biden vs mccarty corporate stooges battle it out! Its like when hitler attacked stalin you don’t know who to BOO! For. Let see what harris can do and she can have AOC for her veep!
asset (997fef) — 7/26/2023 @ 1:09 amThat’s preposterous. “Actually, that thing I just quoted wasn’t really [A] saying [X]. It was [B (A’s opponent)] saying [Y (X but from the other side)]” is a common literary device on the internet. It’s used to expose partisanship and/or hypocrisy. You can dispute the implied arguments, but there’s nothing dishonest about the device. Everyone who doesn’t stop reading as soon as their bias is confirmed gets the whole truth. I’ve seen Eugene Volokh use it a thousand* times. Sometimes I’ve agreed with him, sometimes not, but I’ve never found the device at all dishonest. In fact I consider Eugene one of the most honest commentators on the internet. I can’t swear to it because I wouldn’t know how to search for it, but I may recall Patterico having used it too. I hope you’d agree his honesty is beyond reproach as well.
(*See, that was hyperbole, another literary device that’s also superficially inaccurate. It’s not dishonest either.)
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 1:27 amhttps://nypost.com/2023/07/25/hunter-biden-lawyer-accused-of-deception-to-seal-damning-evidence/
What’s the penalty?
NJRob (eb56c3) — 7/26/2023 @ 5:24 amNot that this lack of information would cause concern for those who quote Axios trashing republicans with Yale “research.”
BuDuh (d196b7) — 7/26/2023 @ 5:33 amWhat’s the penalty?
Up to six months if the judge does it through her inherent contempt authority. A lot more if it’s by way of indictment and trial by jury. We’ll know by the end of the day.
nk (bb1548) — 7/26/2023 @ 5:34 amStill, it was a dirty trick for the Republican lawyers not to file the confidential tax information and secret grand jury information under seal. Hundreds of pages, Mr. Google says.
nk (bb1548) — 7/26/2023 @ 6:07 amWhat’s the penalty? </i?
First, you have to catch them.
You don't know what person called the court and impersonated someone else..
Sammy Finkelman (f01dff) — 7/26/2023 @ 7:14 amnorcal,
I am sorry that happened but it is nice if your Mom feels good about what she said and that they won’t be visiting. It also sounds like you feel good about it, and I trust your judgment.
As for me, I agree with “My house, my rules.” I think the young couple were being childish in essentially demanding respect for their baby by objecting to treating it “like a dog.”
I also agree with “My baby, my rules.” Even young parents get to decide how people treat their baby. Leaving is appropriate if they disagree with behavior. It is a shame they are too childish to handle their objection and leaving in a kinder and more respectful manner, especially when dealing with family members.
The silent treatment and bathroom incident is simply more evidence of their childishness, but they are still children. It was kind of your Mom not to make a scene, but I would communicate to them and their mother that further visits would not be welcome until they can act more respectfully.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 7:58 amIt’s used to expose partisanship and/or hypocrisy.
It’s a disrespectful dick move.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 7:59 amI didn’t mispresent anything, Kevin, I was trying to make a point, which you obviously whooshed on.
No, I got it. Your point was that some of the posters here would respond differently to the flipped facts than to the real ones. Why not just be honest and call them names?
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:01 amal gore would have become president and no 9-11 or iraq war.
Good God. Can you hear yourself? Next you’ll say that JFK would have kept us out of Vietnam.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:04 amStill, it was a dirty trick for the Republican lawyers not to file the confidential tax information and secret grand jury information under seal. Hundreds of pages, Mr. Google says.
It was already a public document. Ways & Means has a recent habit of dumping confidential taxpayer information into public reports.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:12 amAs I understand from Mark Twain, the Mormon matriarchy does not follow the same rules of seniority as the patriarchy. A granddaughter can claim higher status than her grandmother and boss her around without it being considered inappropriate.
nk (1eb47c) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:19 amForgot 😉
nk (1eb47c) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:20 amBronny’s cardiac arrest may have nothing to do with a vaccine:
If you recall, Hank Gathers had exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia (treated with beta-blockers) and the autopsy found that he suffered from a heart-muscle disorder, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. No vaccine was involved.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:54 amBiden plea deal withdrawn?
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 9:02 amLower the boats! Queequeg, with me!
nk (1f68ba) — 7/26/2023 @ 9:13 amWe had the reverse. None of us siblings allowed my mom to stay in their home with the grandchildren past the first day. It was hard because it denied my dad access and made him have to deal with an impossible person to reason with over a touchy issue, but he picked her (and has stayed with her for over 70 years).
I am guessing this is the first for your relatives? Back when families had 12 kids or more, a whistle was the only way to go. My grandmother came from a huge (in size and numbers) family she said my great grandmother would just start yelling down the list of names until she hit the right one. Great grandfather would whistle and all the boys would run to the barn for work instructions.
It wasn’t all good because great grandpa Jake was pretty rough on the boys. They were all big (shortest was 6′-3″) and to be fair, Grandpa Jake had his hands full with big unruly boys, but my grandma told us that the oldest boys caught their dad whupping on the youngest boy(at that time) and threatened their dad with pitchforks. They all turned out more or less OK, best the oldest ones were also very hard men. They learned to like my dad, but when my dad went to the farms to ask permission to marry my mom, the uncles straight out told him and her that at 5′-8″ he was too small and they illustrated it by picking him up and crowd surfing him
Hopefully these two relatives of yours will be self aware enough to learn. Maybe one day they will find themselves whistling at their kids for attention and everyone can have a good laugh at themselves
steveg (666f88) — 7/26/2023 @ 9:21 amhttps://hotair.com/david-strom/2023/07/26/swiss-study-heart-injuries-from-covid-vaccine-3000x-higher-than-thought-n567151
Drip drip drip…
NJRob (b08b8b) — 7/26/2023 @ 9:29 amBrett Weinstein was a leftist eaten by Maoists for the sin of being a white guy and not submitting to the next left’s radical heirarchy that puts white guys last.
NJRob (b08b8b) — 7/26/2023 @ 9:33 amIf they had tested the vaccine for the normal number of years, how many lives would have been saved?
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 9:40 amNY Times:
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:04 amThat was my parents’ families, too. Typically, Grandmother would only say part of the names before moving on to the next ones, only stopping when she got to the one she wanted. One older child was named Helen so, inevitably, the roster included “Hell..” and that always got a giggle from the boys.
Absolutely. It really is funny. I hope thay can all see that someday.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:10 amMy guess is far less than were saved from rushing it, but we will never know.
I have always favored letting people choose for themselves. My family has elevated risks with all vaccines so some of us got the vaccine and some didn’t. Vaccines are not tailored, even the ones with long-term studies. So people should decide based on their health issues.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:13 amPaul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/25/2023 @ 10:42 pm
Not too long ago, Joe Biden seemed pretty confident none would be found – maybe much more than other things..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np3–_VcyhM
Republicans look for signs everywhere that Joe personally got money (including twisting the meaning of a text message Hunter Biden sent to his daughter on Jan 3, 2019) but that’s likely not what was going on.
Sammy Finkelman (f01dff) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:14 amMy guess is far less than were saved from rushing it, but we will never know.
That was, of course, tongue-in-cheek. I’d say far far far less.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:15 amSo people should decide based on their health issues.
If only. People were more likely to decide based on their politics, their general belief in western medicine or even their horoscope. If our society was more than 10% numerate, it might be different, but it isn’t. Most people find fractions hard, let alone statistics.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:20 amI am the one who started the vaccine speculation because of what my doctor said to me. I found it surprising but not convincing. Rip 384 is right that there can be many reasons. I would add that we don’t know what he was doing. Reports said he was at basketball practice. While incredibly rare, if there was contact, it could even be a Damar Hamlin commotio cordis event.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:26 amMost people I know decided based on their health and by how much they were exposed to other people, Kevin. People with serious health issues consulted their doctors. But I agree that as time went on, other issues became more important — especially when they started recommending multiple boosters and as we learned more about Covid’s origins.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:30 amI never see sarcasm online, Kevin. It’s easy in person but almost twenty years online, and I still can’t spot it.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:43 amMost people I know decided based on their health and by how much they were exposed to other people, Kevin.
Well, I can’t dispute that of course. Your experience is your experience.
Most people I know that didn’t get the vaccine did so for 1) general anti-vaxx sentiment, 2) political orneriness, or 3) they didn’t feel that the virus was dangerous to them. I know of no one who stated any particular medical condition for fearing it (other than “causes autism”).
As for how they might be exposed, they were all living in cities so random contact was inevitable.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:13 amI never see sarcasm online, Kevin. It’s easy in person but almost twenty years online, and I still can’t spot it.
And, to be fair, it bordered on what I was upset with Paul for doing. Hmmmn.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:14 amBTW, regarding the quote in 391, how is it that the judge cannot reject the Biden plea? I thought judges had a lot of discretion there.
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:15 amIt will make for interesting reflection on the covid vaccine mandates and its proponents.
BuDuh (304493) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:18 amI think the plea deal is as rejected and that is why Hunter had to plead.
Buduh (304493) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:19 amMeanwhile, the plea deal blows up.
Hunter Biden pleads not guilty after plea deal derailed
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:19 am…”is as”… should have been …”was”…
BuDuh (304493) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:20 amSince Daniel Cameron is running for Gov…Bevin or Massie?
(per KY state law, the party of the resigning US Senator decides the appointee, not the Governor)
urbanleftbehind (1dd6d7) — 7/26/2023 @ 12:21 pmlurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 1:02 am
Funny!
You are officially in nk realm now. When I first read your comment, I thought it was nk.
norcal (145e0e) — 7/26/2023 @ 12:49 pmnk (1eb47c) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:19 am
That wasn’t my impression during my Mormon days, but you are much more versed in Mark Twain than I am.
On a heavily Mormon site I frequent, my mother received overwhelming support. Here is my favorite response:
norcal (145e0e) — 7/26/2023 @ 12:57 pmDRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 7:58 am
Thank you for those kind words.
I should have clarified that both my niece and her husband are BYU graduates, and are over 25 years old.
My niece’s husband also made a big deal out of my mother asking the toddler where the dog was when the toddler was looking at a package of dog food. (There was no dog there that day.) My niece’s husband didn’t like it because he thought the question would confuse the toddler. My mother is a retired schoolteacher, and she excels at stimulating and provoking thought in children.
Both my niece and her spouse are extreme Mormons. Mainstream Mormons would roll their eyes at them. I think that has a lot to do with it.
norcal (145e0e) — 7/26/2023 @ 1:07 pmsteveg (666f88) — 7/26/2023 @ 9:21 am
Yes, it is the first child of my niece and her husband.
Just to clarify, my mom was whistling at the toddler early on, before she could even walk. The father said something back then, and my mother stopped whistling. Later on, she realized how ridiculous the objection was, and then my mom saw the father of my niece’s husband whistling at the baby. At that point, she decided (with my encouragement) to grow a backbone.
My niece and her husband expect my 91-year-old mother to feed them whenever they come over, and they expect payment–beyond the cost of the groceries–when they do grocery shopping for my mother. My niece’s younger sister won’t take any payment for doing it.
My niece somehow got into BYU despite a glaring lack of knowledge. She didn’t even know where New England was! I think it was down to her application essay, where she said she wanted to come to Provo to take care of her grandmother (my mother) while she was attending college. She lived with my mother during her freshman year, and instead of taking care of my mom, was just an aggravation.
norcal (145e0e) — 7/26/2023 @ 1:19 pmWith his doctor’s support, my brother adamantly refused the vaccine. His stated reasons?
1. He had Guillain-Barré syndrome.
2. Covid was a leftist hoax, no more deadly than the flu.
3. The mortality stats were 90% lies.
4. The vaccines were a malicious fraud, something to do with Bill Gates….
5. Etc., etc., etc….
On his COVID deathbed, he repudiated all the Trumpist conspiracy theories, blaming himself for his condition and impending demise. I had to remind him repeatedly, even knowing as he finally did that those conspiracy theories were dangerous bullsh1t, that Guillain-Barré by itself was sufficient reason to refuse the vaccine. He’d been unlucky, not irresponsible. Nonetheless, he made me promise to prevail on everyone we loved, none of whom needed prodding, to take the vaccine, and to promise on my own behalf to vigilantly protect myself from exposure. Out of respect for his memory and that promise I continue to mask up in all public indoor settings.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 2:13 pmIronically, I had to contact the doctor who filled out my brother’s death certificate to explain why the certificate made no mention of COVID, despite my brother having been admitted to the hospital for COVID, treated in a COVID-only wing, and put on COVID end-of-life hospice care before succombing to the inevitable cardiac arrest, which was listed as the sole cause of death. He apologized, admitting it was a lazy omission, and suggested there was probably an untold number of such COVID deaths erroneously attributed to pneumonia, respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest, all of which are inevitable consequences of COVID, and all of which he included on the corrected death certificate, along with COVID itself as the incipient cause.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 2:36 pmhttps://nypost.com/2023/07/26/members-of-congress-had-ufo-sightings-of-their-own-rep-burchett/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=nypost&utm_medium=social
Story: Ex-intel official claims feds ‘absolutely’ have UFOs, bodies of ‘non-human’ origin during bombshell hearing
My initial reaction: meh.
UFO aficionado: Are you serious?!?!
Me responding: It’s been a day homie.
whembly (5f7596) — 7/26/2023 @ 2:37 pmOn behalf of myself and my fellow sarcastic SOBs, I apologize for the confusion. We’re unlikely either to discontinue the sarcasm or explain it contemporaneously — for some inexplicable reason, most of us share a near religious aversion to explaining jokes — but at least for my own part the apology is sincere.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 2:38 pmIt’ll be tonight on Star Trek; Deep Space Nine on Heroes and Icons.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/26/2023 @ 2:44 pmlurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 2:13 pm
I had forgotten about your brother’s death, but now I remember the video you shared of him playing the guitar or ukulele.
You are noble for honoring your brother’s wishes, but I suspect he would let you off the hook when it comes to wearing a mask now.
norcal (145e0e) — 7/26/2023 @ 2:52 pm@380 There is some evidence that JFK was having second thoughts about are involvement in vietnam. Even conspiracy theories about his killing. Gore would never have invaded Iraq and you know this. As for 9-11 gore would have taken bin ladin’s threat more seriously as he didn’t need a second pearl harbor to invade Iraq. He would not have told CIA when handed brief in aug. 2001 bin ladin determined to attack america with aircraft OK you have covers your ass I am off to the ranch!
asset (0fd9d4) — 7/26/2023 @ 3:08 pmWere the ufo’s calling mitch mcconnell at his press conference today?
asset (0fd9d4) — 7/26/2023 @ 3:09 pmThanks, norcal, but I don’t mind. In fact, having this small ritual, the most minor of inconveniences, to remind me of my brother is something for which I’m only grateful. Plus, I’ve dodged the COVID bullet so far. If I stopped masking now and contracted it, I’d really have to kick myself. As I write that I realize how superstitious I am, for which I can only mock myself. Consider myself mocked.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 3:14 pmlurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 3:14 pm
😁
norcal (145e0e) — 7/26/2023 @ 3:24 pm@norcal@364 Ah. Yes, religious conflict can def be an issue. But as long as your mother is satisfied with the outcome, then it’s probably for the best.
Nic (896fdf) — 7/26/2023 @ 4:06 pm261.
That’s where we have claims (possibly originating with Putin in 2019 and conveyed to Giuliani) that he was.
And he may have made some gestures to protect himself.
Sammy Finkelman (f01dff) — 7/26/2023 @ 4:51 pmYesterday there was a sudden big rainstorm in New York in the middle of the day but well after 2pmm
Many branches and could be some small trees were knocked w=down somehwat like Hurricane Gloria and Hurricane Sandy.
Sammy Finkelman (f01dff) — 7/26/2023 @ 4:55 pm418, W was told of al Qaeda threat to Group of Seven meeting in Genoa. He asked what about USA? He was told yes bin Laden also had intent of targeting the USA. There was nothing actionable in that, and nobody d=said anything would happen soon.
Sammy Finkelman (f01dff) — 7/26/2023 @ 4:58 pmlurker
I am sorry about your brother. I had not read that before.
We have family members who have had GBS. It made the vaccine decision difficult. Ironically, the only one who got Covid was the vaccinated GBS survivor. I have decided some people are more susceptible than others no matter what they do.
As for the sarcasm apology, take it back. I feel like I should apologize for not getting the witty jokes. In my defense, I totally get it in real life.
DRJ (ba8685) — 7/26/2023 @ 5:37 pmThanks, DRJ. As for the apology, I’ll leave it out there. It’s a safe bet I’ll need it sooner than later. 🙂
lurker (cd7cd4) — 7/26/2023 @ 8:41 pmNo, that wasn’t my point at all, Kevin, and it has nothing to do with the posters here. It’s larger than that.
My point was this: I expect the Left-Wing Academic Establishment to shut down dissent, even the modest kind like what happened to Weinstein, who basically could not return to work because the socialist hardliners would not brook the notion that he wouldn’t take a day off so that he could attend a seminar that guilt-tripped him because of his skin color.
I did not expect that the Right-Wing Academic Establishment would do the same thing as the Left-Wing Academic Establishment, that my side was so intolerant of political dissent that they would shut it down and sack a professor who criticized an elected Republican official. Call me naive, but I thought that my party and the conservative movement were better than that (at least it should be better than that), that we could handle the criticism, that our ideas were so superior that, instead of autocratically canceling dissent, we would make the stronger argument, the better case in defending the conservative point of view, not resort to the Clintonesque “they did it, too” defense.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/26/2023 @ 10:53 pmBut no, the authoritarian steak in the Left today is apparently as strong and prevalent in the Right, and the case at A&M is Exhibit A, and it signifies the increasingly bullying and autocratic tendencies of the Trumpist Right. For me, this Jack Kemp conservative never signed up for that. It’s that hypocrisy I was trying to point out.
BTW, I gave myself a 24-hour cooling off period, not just at my irritation with you, Kevin, but at my larger irritation that the erstwhile Party of Reagan is still supporting a non-conservative con man, so much so that he leads the field by over 30, despite the fact that he’ll be under four criminal indictments before long, and the next “best” choice is an increasingly obvious deutschebag who thinks that an anti-vax crank is qualified to run the CDC, and the candidates who aren’t docile suck-ups to the con man can hardly get 3% support. This GOP needs to blow up, like, years ago.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/26/2023 @ 11:02 pmSpeaking of extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary evidence……….
Rip Murdock (44fc19) — 7/27/2023 @ 4:45 amA Congress to be proud of.
nk (a346df) — 7/27/2023 @ 4:53 amI think we saw that at the other whistleblower hearings.
Rip Murdock (44fc19) — 7/27/2023 @ 6:59 amBrand-new Seattle Times columnist David Volodzko wrote a piece about the Lenin statue prominently placed in the Fremont district of Seattle, and it was quite good (the article, not the statue). The final paragraphs.
Volodzko’s problem, however, is that he got a little too chatty on Twitter, particularly this inartful comment, where he said…
He followed up with an explanatory and this part made sense…
…but it was too late, the Times sacked him, which is unfortunate because his inaugural article was promising. I heard him talk about it on KUOW, and he’s a smart eloquent guy, so I wish him well. The Times’ loss is someone else’s gain.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/27/2023 @ 8:31 amSeattle used to be a more tolerant city, but it ain’t today, and it’s another example of how the evils of Soviet communism–which snuffed out the lives of more human beings than Hitler ever did–still gets soft-pedaled in “polite” society.
It’s looking probable that Trump will get indicted today or tomorrow, for electoral fraud at the least.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/27/2023 @ 8:52 amTwo signs: (1) The grand jury is convening today and will likely vote “aye” on prosecuting Trump, and (2) Trump’s attorneys are meeting with Jack Smith, presumably to serve notice and discuss logistics.
Fulton County next.
To misquote Josef Stalin, “The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic.”
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 7/27/2023 @ 10:10 amShadow docket: Supreme Court rules in favor of Mountain Valley Pipeline
Kevin M (2d6744) — 7/27/2023 @ 11:21 amThe Lenin statue is, ironically, private property. It’s even for sale if you want to buy it and melt it down.
Davethulhu (695073) — 7/27/2023 @ 1:30 pm435. The Wikipedia page links to this:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/21/death-statistic
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 7/27/2023 @ 1:48 pmThe Special Counsel just indicted a third guy in the Trump’s documents, a maintenance worker named Carlos De Oliveira, who could be the Trashcan Man in this Mar-A-Lago drama (“My life for you!”).
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/27/2023 @ 3:30 pmMaybe there was no J6 indictment because Jack Smith wasn’t done with the first one.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/27/2023 @ 3:50 pmSC Smith added a 32nd document to the document count, the Iran invasion plan that he showed off at Bedminster to people who didn’t have the clearance to see it.
Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 7/27/2023 @ 4:23 pmAdditionally, on 6/27/2022, well after the FBI request for security camera footage, De Oliveira ordered “Trump Employee 4” to delete them off the server. It’s now 40 federal counts against Trump.
#433 Paul – Sometimes I wish there was less evidence for the cynical theory: “No good deed goes unpunished.”
The Seattle Times also ran two letters atacking David Volodzko’s piece last Sunday.
I assume no one at the newspaper has read this little book. Either in the original French, or in a translation.
It is these kinds of action that led me to give up my subscription to the Times, much as I love newspapers, and despite the occasional solid article they do publish. But I am even more disturbed by their inactions, the things they don’t publish.
For example, in recent years, they haven’t bothered to even mention Lincoln’s birthday. Which seems, among other things, incredibly stupid. People all over the world love to read about Lincoln.
(Full disclosure: I have the oriignal French version and have read parts of it.)
Jim Miller (a64eef) — 7/27/2023 @ 6:03 pmJim, you may be interested to know that here in Reno there is a company called Lincoln Heating and Air Conditioning. Its radio ads feature little stories from Lincoln’s life, mostly things I didn’t know. I have even more appreciation for the man now.
norcal (a92452) — 7/27/2023 @ 8:56 pm