So, are we going to war over Britney Griner? I feel bad for her but regardless of what US law is, she disrespected Russia's sovereignty. No matter whether we agree with Russia's law or not it is their country. I have a feeling that if any of us were in the same position as her, we'd already be in a Siberian gulag. & no one would be trying to get us out. The US doesn't have the right to dictate another country's internal legal system. It's not like we're doing a stellar job running our own country.

chuckrh wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:41 pm

So, are we going to war over Britney Griner? I feel bad for her but regardless of what US law is, she disrespected Russia's sovereignty. No matter whether we agree with Russia's law or not it is their country. I have a feeling that if any of us were in the same position as her, we'd already be in a Siberian gulag. & no one would be trying to get us out. The US doesn't have the right to dictate another country's internal legal system. It's not like we're doing a stellar job running our own country.

Agree. Why don’t we feel this way about our own country’s sovereignty?

chuckrh wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:41 pm

So, are we going to war over Britney Griner? I feel bad for her but regardless of what US law is, she disrespected Russia's sovereignty. No matter whether we agree with Russia's law or not it is their country. I have a feeling that if any of us were in the same position as her, we'd already be in a Siberian gulag. & no one would be trying to get us out. The US doesn't have the right to dictate another country's internal legal system. It's not like we're doing a stellar job running our own country.

When it comes to "international incidents" I always assume what we think we know is at best a small fraction of the reality. If the facts as generally known are in fact "the real facts" then your view is fair (except that I think it is at least as likely that a "nobody" in the same situation would just be booted from the country).

Speaking of things we think we know, I think probably the most important thing one can know is what one does not know. And that seems like it's too much to ask, especially of the people who are supposed to know a lot. We all know that there is currently a premium on instant analysis and certitude at the expense of thought and truth. That's unlikely to change anytime soon. But good grief, why can't people, especially talking heads, pundits, "professional" bloggers and the rest simply acknowledge facts that they don't know what some new development means and how it might affect their standard theories?

So, we have 2 straight quarters of economic contraction. Yes, that's a recession; let's not obscure the issue w/ definitional doubletalk. But we also have a ridiculously strong jobs report (subject to substantial revision before its final, but for now that's what we have) even after the Fed has raised rates significantly twice. What does it mean to have significant, really large growth in employment during a recession and after interest rate hikes specifically intended to cool the economy? Hell if I know. But nobody else knows either. Yet, there they all are, opining away on what the Fed must (not even should but must) do, why the Administration's policies are wrong or right (personally I can't figure out what they are, but I guess that's just me) and, of course, folding all that into their overall agenda for or against taxes and the like. Why can't somebody say "this is an unusual situation and the old rules and the old solutions may not apply so let's take a breath"?

beantownbubba wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 3:47 pm

beantownbubba wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:24 am

beantownbubba wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:24 am

I must have missed when Congress passed the law that requires that all laws be given incredibly awkward names in order to create cutesy acronyms, but in any case, assuming it actually passes, the "fun" part of the Inflation Reduction Act is for me the revenue side. The spending on the climate/energy side is obviously crucial but it is also obvious. Much more subtle is the 15% minimum tax on large businesses, the increased funding for enforcement for the IRS and, my favorite by far, the end of the carried interest loophole. To me, if it takes hold, this will represent a sea change in the way this country thinks about the revenue (i.e. mostly tax) side of the equation, all for the better. Yes, there's still a long way from here to there but it's not a bad start. By way of awkward analogy, imho this bill advances important changes to the tax system more than the recent gun control bill advanced gun control.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... p_opinions

I'm just gonna give myself a pat on the back for being out in front on this one

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... 00007F7AB9

Well I guess I deserve that slap down for being obnoxious. The latest word is that the carried interest loophole for the super rich is back and will not be eliminated by the IRA if it passes. This is as good an example as there is of the naked power of money, on the one side, and corruption on the other as there is no defensible reason for this loophole to exist. Even plenty of people who benefit from it say so. See, e.g. Stephen Rattner's column in the NYT a couple of days ago. Disgusting. It would almost be worth living in AZ to have the opportunity to vote against Sinema.

beantownbubba wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 05, 2022 2:47 pm

Speaking of things we think we know, I think probably the most important thing one can know is what one does not know. And that seems like it's too much to ask, especially of the people who are supposed to know a lot. We all know that there is currently a premium on instant analysis and certitude at the expense of thought and truth. That's unlikely to change anytime soon. But good grief, why can't people, especially talking heads, pundits, "professional" bloggers and the rest simply acknowledge facts that they don't know what some new development means and how it might affect their standard theories?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business ... 00007F7AB9

Fort Sumter?

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/08/politics ... index.html

If nothing else, at least it was funny.

I started reading the Q/Q-adjacent boards that I check when things like this happen and was also watching a livefeed from Mar-a-Lago. That was until what I was reading was making me think I might witness someone getting shot and I turned it off. The tone went from "say a prayer for our president" to "we need to go there, we are at war" pretty quickly.

brettac1 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:10 am

If nothing else, at least it was funny.

I started reading the Q/Q-adjacent boards that I check when things like this happen and was also watching a livefeed from Mar-a-Lago. That was until what I was reading was making me think I might witness someone getting shot and I turned it off. The tone went from "say a prayer for our president" to "we need to go there, we are at war" pretty quickly.

I'm concerned. There is probably no ending to this episode that is good for the country.

jr29 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:19 am

brettac1 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 09, 2022 9:10 am

If nothing else, at least it was funny.

I started reading the Q/Q-adjacent boards that I check when things like this happen and was also watching a livefeed from Mar-a-Lago. That was until what I was reading was making me think I might witness someone getting shot and I turned it off. The tone went from "say a prayer for our president" to "we need to go there, we are at war" pretty quickly.

I'm concerned. There is probably no ending to this episode that is good for the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9MiS9tn_r4

chuckrh wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 12:58 pm

hy·poc·ri·sy
/həˈpäkrəsē/
noun
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.

In theory, eventually, continued blind arrogance hangs you out to dry. (in theory) OrangeMan seems to have brought on a LOT of this himself. He's the one that forced all of the evidence into the public arena, and it seems to be reasonably cut and dry, easy to understand and quite damning.

Interested in a BTB-Legal take here, but holy smokes, looks like OrangeMan's two lawyers (who seem to have a direct-line reporting relationship to him) are in serious hot water. Looks like in written agreements and in sworn statements they both seemingly said "ain't no more documents here, promise". Then somehow the FBI found enough documents to fill a small U-Haul truck. So much for the "oh shit, missed that one...my bad" defense. I would expect that those two are in serious fucking legal jeopardy and largely can't hide behind attorney-client privilege. I would expect that both of those lawyers need to get a damn good lawyer, and quickly. I can't imagine that they take the fall here. I can't cite Federal Code, but I'd expect concealing Top Secret document isn't akin to jaywalking.

pearlbeer wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:54 pm

chuckrh wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 12:58 pm

hy·poc·ri·sy
/həˈpäkrəsē/
noun
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.

In theory, eventually, continued blind arrogance hangs you out to dry. (in theory) OrangeMan seems to have brought on a LOT of this himself. He's the one that forced all of the evidence into the public arena, and it seems to be reasonably cut and dry, easy to understand and quite damning.

Interested in a BTB-Legal take here, but holy smokes, looks like OrangeMan's two lawyers (who seem to have a direct-line reporting relationship to him) are in serious hot water. Looks like in written agreements and in sworn statements they both seemingly said "ain't no more documents here, promise". Then somehow the FBI found enough documents to fill a small U-Haul truck. So much for the "oh shit, missed that one...my bad" defense. I would expect that those two are in serious fucking legal jeopardy and largely can't hide behind attorney-client privilege. I would expect that both of those lawyers need to get a damn good lawyer, and quickly. I can't imagine that they take the fall here. I can't cite Federal Code, but I'd expect concealing Top Secret document isn't akin to jaywalking.

Trump is gonna walk. I will wager a large amount of $.

Flea wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 6:18 pm

pearlbeer wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:54 pm

chuckrh wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 12:58 pm

hy·poc·ri·sy
/həˈpäkrəsē/
noun
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.

In theory, eventually, continued blind arrogance hangs you out to dry. (in theory) OrangeMan seems to have brought on a LOT of this himself. He's the one that forced all of the evidence into the public arena, and it seems to be reasonably cut and dry, easy to understand and quite damning.

Interested in a BTB-Legal take here, but holy smokes, looks like OrangeMan's two lawyers (who seem to have a direct-line reporting relationship to him) are in serious hot water. Looks like in written agreements and in sworn statements they both seemingly said "ain't no more documents here, promise". Then somehow the FBI found enough documents to fill a small U-Haul truck. So much for the "oh shit, missed that one...my bad" defense. I would expect that those two are in serious fucking legal jeopardy and largely can't hide behind attorney-client privilege. I would expect that both of those lawyers need to get a damn good lawyer, and quickly. I can't imagine that they take the fall here. I can't cite Federal Code, but I'd expect concealing Top Secret document isn't akin to jaywalking.

Trump is gonna walk. I will wager a large amount of $.

Just don't wager with Trump. He'll welch.

chuckrh wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 7:56 pm

Interested in a BTB-Legal take here, but holy smokes, looks like OrangeMan's two lawyers (who seem to have a direct-line reporting relationship to him) are in serious hot water. Looks like in written agreements and in sworn statements they both seemingly said "ain't no more documents here, promise". Then somehow the FBI found enough documents to fill a small U-Haul truck. So much for the "oh shit, missed that one...my bad" defense. I would expect that those two are in serious fucking legal jeopardy and largely can't hide behind attorney-client privilege. I would expect that both of those lawyers need to get a damn good lawyer, and quickly. I can't imagine that they take the fall here. I can't cite Federal Code, but I'd expect concealing Top Secret document isn't akin to jaywalking.

They are in a heap of trouble but they may be able to escape ultimate liabiity be a legalistic hair. I have not spent any time on the original documents, but I have read that they signed the certifications on "information and belief" which essentially means in reliance on things they were told by others rather than by personal investigation. If true, then it's harder to prove their personal liability and that in turn may rest on whether they were entitled to use that format/wording given what they were asked to certify to (i.e exactly their own personal knowledge).

Flea wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 6:18 pm

Trump is gonna walk. I will wager a large amount of $.

That's the safe bet. It's generally true that the prosecution is usually the better bet in criminal cases, but that changes considerably when high priced top notch legal talent is representing the defendant (which I am sure will be the case if the matter ever gets that far) and changes even more when the defendant is a former president of the United States who is the leader of a cult whose members are intensely devoted to him and who only needs 1 vote out of 12 to escape conviction.

Edited to add a more precise description of the document at issue

chuckrh wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 31, 2022 12:58 pm

I could not believe this when I heard that Trump had posted this and I still can't believe it. And people actually follow this man and are willing to commit criminal acts in his name?

The most evergreen tweet in existence.

brettac1 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 06, 2022 5:47 pm

The most evergreen tweet in existence.

One of the great mysteries of our time.

Judge Cannon's decision to allow the appointment of a special master in the theft of government secrets case is too ludicrous for words, so I decided not to waste any words on it. But this is a nice little summary by Robert Hubbell:

" My point is not to trash Judge Cannon’s integrity, intelligence, or fairness. She has already done so beyond my meager ability to add to the opprobrium already heaped upon her. Rather, the point is that Judge Cannon now understands she is universally regarded as the most incompetent, biased, and clueless federal district judge in the nation—and that is saying something!

" How Judge Cannon responds to that stomach-churning realization is what matters. Will Judge Cannon attempt to undo her grotesque error by revising her order? Will she reject efforts by Trump’s team to exploit the legal gruel disguised as analysis in her opinion? Or will she redouble her efforts to serve as Trump’s surrogate defense counsel from her position on the bench in the Southern District of Florida?

"The next few days will provide much more information about Judge Cannon’s intentions. I infer (read: speculate) that she is in legal waters way above her head and tried to kludge a remedy unsupported by the law. The result is a Frankenstein’s monster that will haunt her for the remainder of her career. Her decision is already being cited as “The Loose Cannon Rule,” under which criminal defendants can seek a stay of federal criminal proceedings whenever evidence is seized under a search warrant."

i am sure she doesn't give a single fuck.

tinnitus photography wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 07, 2022 10:02 am

i am sure she doesn't give a single fuck.

I don't know the woman but I'd be very surprised if any professional, or any worker proud of their work, would be unbothered by having their work subject to such a level of ridicule and scorn. It's not going to make her change her mind, but I suspect there's a fair amount of psychic pain involved.

beantownbubba wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 08, 2022 10:11 am

tinnitus photography wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 07, 2022 10:02 am

i am sure she doesn't give a single fuck.

I don't know the woman but I'd be very surprised if any professional, or any worker proud of their work, would be unbothered by having their work subject to such a level of ridicule and scorn. It's not going to make her change her mind, but I suspect there's a fair amount of psychic pain involved.

These people have shown a consistent inability to feel shame on anything approaching a normal human level. Don't give her too much credit, btb. She knew what she was doing and was placed there in the final months of the T*ump Presidency to do what she did. On that note, wanna guess who is on the short list for the next RepubliQan Supreme Court nomination?

pearlbeer wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 08, 2022 10:30 am

beantownbubba wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 08, 2022 10:11 am

tinnitus photography wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 07, 2022 10:02 am

i am sure she doesn't give a single fuck.

I don't know the woman but I'd be very surprised if any professional, or any worker proud of their work, would be unbothered by having their work subject to such a level of ridicule and scorn. It's not going to make her change her mind, but I suspect there's a fair amount of psychic pain involved.

These people have shown a consistent inability to feel shame on anything approaching a normal human level. Don't give her too much credit, btb. She knew what she was doing and was placed there in the final months of the T*ump Presidency to do what she did. On that note, wanna guess who is on the short list for the next RepubliQan Supreme Court nomination?

yep.

the depths of cravenness are reaching Mariana Trench levels.

tinnitus photography wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 08, 2022 11:11 am

pearlbeer wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 08, 2022 10:30 am

beantownbubba wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 08, 2022 10:11 am

I don't know the woman but I'd be very surprised if any professional, or any worker proud of their work, would be unbothered by having their work subject to such a level of ridicule and scorn. It's not going to make her change her mind, but I suspect there's a fair amount of psychic pain involved.

These people have shown a consistent inability to feel shame on anything approaching a normal human level. Don't give her too much credit, btb. She knew what she was doing and was placed there in the final months of the T*ump Presidency to do what she did. On that note, wanna guess who is on the short list for the next RepubliQan Supreme Court nomination?

yep.

the depths of cravenness are reaching Mariana Trench levels.

BUT HER EMAILS!!!??!?!?!

The NYT Magazine's special Education Issue is filled w/ stories documenting the culture wars and their effect on schools around the country. I suspect that whatever side one's on with respect to any specific issue, it makes depressing reading. Well, it depressed the hell out of me anyway. But along the way mention was made of a "Thanksgiving meme" tweeted by the Arizona State University College Republicans United club, in which Native Americans were referred to as "undocumented immigrants." Further proof, if any was needed, that any connection between college admission and intelligence that may have ever existed (questionable at best) has long since been broken.

Arizona State isn't exactly known as a fount of intellectualism.