Friday Open Thread

What's on your mind?

Comments

[Frank Drackman]

Allright, let’s try and keep it civil

[Mr. Bumble]

Well, 7:00AM EST and still civil.
The usual suspects are mostly sleeping in this morning.

[Sarcastr0]

How many times have you posted this morning with no other content than to call me names?

Be the change you wish to see in the Conspiracy.

[Mr. Bumble]

Please don't pull a Justin Trudeau and start crying.

[EllaWilson]

Yes! Like an old black man swinging a cane on the floor of the congress on global television!

[Krayt]

"A trip down memory lane: remember when some Republicans looked approvingly on shouting out "Liar!" during Obama's state of the union?

"Good times, good times." -- Me, two days before

[Dr. Ed 2]

Two distinctions:

First, he shouted two words and that was all.
He wasn't shouting for five minutes.

Second, the rest of the GOP was quiet enough for him to be heard.
He was an outlier -- unlike this time.

[Dr. Ed 2]

He got censured.

He should be in prison.

[Kazinski]

Being early (late on the west Coast), I.thought If ask one question that I have asked a dozen times, if you don't like Trump's Ukraine peace plan then what. Is your own?

I really don't want to hear any more criticism of Trumps peace plan, I want to hear about your plan#

Trumps peace plan is (according to the UK Telegraph o. Feb 6thwhich I'm not going link again)

Ceasefire on mostly current lines
EU and UK peacekeepers
Further negotiations

And incentives for both Ukraine an the Russians

Ukraine: continued aid, and mineral deal for investment and foreign exchange.

Russua: the end to their futileinvasikn , and a relaxation of sanctions, and a ceasefire leaving them at least temporarily in control of 20% of Ukraine.

If any one has a better plan I'd li!e to hear it.

The other plans I've heard are threatening WW3 without a Russian withdrawal (MollyGodiva)
Several people have proposed to keep feeding Ukrainian and Russian troops into the meatgrinder*

Nobody else has proposed anything different.

* my local Costco had Pork Belly at 8.00 off this week and I took 2lbs to make country sausage with it. Turned out great.

# if you don't have a plan then stfu+

+ I don't usually say things like that but post below if you have your own thoughts, but peace plans only in this thread please

[AmosArch]

I'm more hawkish than Trump on Ukraine and in general but I have to wonder what super duper feasible much more wonderful foolproof alternative does the other side have that they're so diametrically opposed to what Trump's plan to get a peace deal and curry Russia as a longterm bulwark against China? Like what is their ultimate game plan? Are we trying to utterly destroy Russia? Do we keep spending hundreds of billions slugging it out and just hope one day they'll get tired and abandon all their games and give up everything? Wait till Putin dies and hope the guy that comes in after him wants to abandon all the gains? Hope that one day the Russian people will get tired and revolt and depose Putin and are willing to settle for giving up all the gains? I mean I'm not saying any of these things are impossible or even unlikely but it seems like a pretty vague plan to keep dumping in hundreds of billions without any definite end in mind.

[Frank Drackman]

Keeping it Civil, the US has invaded more countries this Millenium than Roosh-a has, hasn’t worked out really great for either

[Sarcastr0]

Another one for the 'I was for supporting Ukraine but suddenly I have grave doubts' camp.

[Mr. Bumble]

So what's your plan for peace in the Ukraine?

[Krayt]

They were doing fine with a steady supply chain of weaponry, until Republicans started getting in the way, earning "Thanks, Gramps!" from Russian state TV.

gramps: n endearment for grandpa or grand father, capitalized if referring to a particular old man, e.g. Mitch McConnell.

[Krayt]

Remember when you got all bent out of shape when Ted Kennedy ran off to the Soviet Union to warn them about Ronald Reagan?

Just yesterday on CNN, I listened to a simpering Republican senator from a western state liken Trump to Reagan in the most incredulous shining you ever did hear!

[Mr. Bumble]

You're replying to yourself. Just who is that directed at?
Is your peace plan to keep supplying weapons to Ukraine until there is no one left to use them?

[Krayt]

You do not have this as a concern as it's not a thing. This is a Russian talking point. Ukraine has almost 40 million people. They're killing Russians at a 4 to 1 rate, about 57k vs. > 200k.

You're probably relying on Bagdad Bob's claims of a million Ukrainians.

Also, Putin could end the deaths tomorrow, which he chooses not to. For some reason, "we" "care" more about his own troops than he does. Note the independent quotes on both words.

These are Russian talking points.

[myself]

The Russian has finally started to tank, they've finally burned through their Cold War stock of vehicles, and they're out of volunteers and have started planning to send in conscripts.

If the US maintained its support Ukraine could probably have forced a less egregiously unfair peace.

[TwelveInchPianist]

"They were doing fine with a steady supply chain of weaponry,"

Fine? They were deadlocked in a stalemate. And the type of weaponry, targeting restrictions, etc, were fine-tuned to keep them in a stalemate.

[David Nieporent]

targeting restrictions,

You know that this is an old talking point, right?

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-lifts-ban-ukraine-using-us-arms-strike-inside-russia-2024-11-17/

[CountmontyC]

So Biden in his last two months of his term lifted the restrictions on where Ukraine could fire the weapons that the USA sent? It's almost as if he was trying to impact his successors term by making a last minute change in policy.

[Krayt]

Which is fine, as the successor long telegraphed he was funtionally throwing in with the expansionist dictator rolling tanks in Europe.

Why was he eager to stop it? No, concern for lives is a false Russian talking point, like a bully punching a kid half his size saying "Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself! World, don't you care about the bruises on his face? Now make him give me his lunch money so it will stop! You're terrible people if you let this continue!"

[TwelveInchPianist]

"You know that this is an old talking point, right?"

No it's not. Your url is making claims that the article doesn't.
See here, for example.

The United States and other partners recently relaxed these restrictions and authorized some categories of Ukrainian strikes inside Russia using Western weapons. However, a number of constraints are believed to remain in place. The missiles provided to Ukraine by the country’s Western allies also have a relatively modest maximum range of up to 300 kilometers, making them of limited use against a country as vast as Russia.

[Bwaaah]

What is your definition of "fine"? They're in a fight for their lives, there have been no major changes in territory since 4 months after the war started, and they have a steady stream of dead bodies. Did I miss a bright spot? (I'm not advocating against support of Ukraine here. Just trying to understand a remark like that.)

[Krayt]

Well, you forget about backstabs from behind, like subservient Republicans, proudly wearing "Thanks, Gramps!" patches on their sashes.

If this were a Star Wars movie, it would be called No More Hope, and at the end, Republican Han and Luke march down the giant, long temple area filled with thousands of troops, where Leia then give them each one of two "Thanks, Gramps!" awards.

Chewie thinks, "That's stanky. I'm glad I didn't get one of those. And I know stank because I've smelled myself soaking wet."

[Bwaaah]

Thanks for the clarification. (ouch)

[Don Nico]

"They were doing fine "
What world are you watching?"

[Sarcastr0]

Not RT.

[Don Nico]

What is RT?

[Sarcastr0]

Russia Times. The ones beating the drum that Ukraine is about to collapse to Russian might for the past 3 years.

Just like you.

To those who don't just watch Putin's take, it's been quite the back-and-forth. I hope our Pentagon is paying attention!

[Don Nico]

"Just like you."
What is it with you having to make up lies in almost every post.
I never said the Ukraine is about to collapse.
But they are now drafting 50+ year-olds and as close to losing a generation of young men. And they are being ground down slowly but gradually.

[David Nieporent]

*Russia Today.

[TwelveInchPianist]

"To those who don't just watch Putin's take, it's been quite the back-and-forth."

No it hasn't. There were some gains in mid 2022 before winter set it. Everybody had high hopes for the spring offensive in 2023, but it failed to move the needle very much.

Since then, very little movement.

[Dr. Ed 2]

The only problem is creating another Korea in a far more volatile part of the world. Korea is a peninsular of fairly useless land with a rather nasty climate (very cold and very hot). Ukraine is Europe's breadbasket *and* where the Holodomor was perpetrated.

Remember that the Korean War never ended -- it was just a cease fire some 72 years ago, one which has required considerable US involvement to keep.

And Donald Trump is too young to remember that it was the United States that found all that oil in Saudi Arabia and which spent the money to drill the wells and build the infrastructure to access it. Kinda just like the rare earths in the Ukraine -- and who says that Ukraine won't do exactly what Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and Venezuela and Mexico did -- nationalize everything after US companies go in and build it.

[Krayt]

Demanding first dibs on resources (especially vs. enemies) is the one reasonable thing.

Demanding a generational lien and treating it more as war reparations because they caused it, not so much.

[Martinned2]

That is not a peace plan, that is bullying Ukraine into surrendering.

For the record:

Coalition deaths in Iraq by country
- USA: 4,492
- UK: 179
- Italy: 33
- Poland: 23
- Ukraine: 18

[Frank Drackman]

Prolonging that war worked out really great didn’t it?

[Kazinski]

We all care.

But what is your plan for stopping the killing?

I haven't heard one except Trump's.

But I am curious about one thing, do you think there should be a ceasefire in Gaza before a final peace deal, or other security guarantees?

[Commenter_XY]

Kaz, there is a ceasefire in place right now in Israel that will be over soon.

[Kazinski]

Well yes, now there is a ceasefire, but I listened for year to demands there should be an immediate ceasefire fire without preconditions, so I wonder what the differences are.

Without a doubt there are lot of issues that will eventually need to be resolved in both Ukraine and Gaza but that did not stop the calls for an immediate ceasefire, at least in Gaza.

[Don Nico]

"hat did not stop the calls for an immediate ceasefire,"
That is because it was calling on Jews to stop defending their existence

[David Nieporent]

Just like you want Ukrainians to stop defending theirs.

[Don Nico]

I didn't say that. You are just following that dishonest gaslighter S_O.
I have said that there need to be negotiations to stop the killing. But that is too subtle for you.

[David Nieporent]

"I didn't say that I wanted the Ukrainians to stop defending themselves. I just want them to stop defending themselves."

[Don Nico]

Martin.
Then answer the question. What is your plan.

[Mr. Bumble]

So far lots of obfuscating from the usual suspects but no one has offered a plan.

[Sarcastr0]

Trump's poisoned the well.

People are unhappy about that are not seeking a way forwards, they are pointing out the needless already done damage and weak excuses being offered by Trump & co.

Ukraine will find it's way into Putin's loving arms as yet another Russian satellite state.

And you will call that a win. You know, for peace.

Meanwhile, diametric opposite on Israel. How would you reply if someone asked you what your peace plan there was?

[Don Nico]

"And you will call that a win. You know, for peace."
The mind reading gaslighter speaks

[Sarcastr0]

Learn what gaslight means; don't joing the shitheels.

And you've been calling for Ukraine to surrender to Putin for years.

[Don Nico]

"you've been calling for Ukraine to surrender to Putin for years."
YOU LIE.
What the hell is the matter with you. You are a gaslighter. Don't give me that bullshit that I don't know what childish games that you play.
You are worse that Trump.

Moreover, you've have been a stooge of Biden's propaganda for 4 years.

[Sarcastr0]

So at this point you have by my count 4 different people who you are claiming are strawmanning your actual arguments.

Maybe there's something wrong with your communication skills.

[Bwaaah]

Trolling, annoying gnat. Try to step up, or is that too much for you?

[defaultdotxbe]

Its not about whether I, or any other commenter here, likes Trump's peace deal, its about whether Russia and Ukraine like it. I don't see Russia liking any deal where they have to give up the territory they currently hold, and I don't see Ukraine liking a deal where Russia [i]doesn't[/i] give up the territory. There's no common ground for a deal right now.

Like another commenter said it's basically Ukraine surrendering. I don't really care if they surrender or not, I just don't see them doing it at this time.

[Brett Bellmore]

And as I've said, if you've been mugged, it would be nice to get your wallet back, but the minimum goal is actually getting out of the alley alive, and if demanding your wallet back gets in the way of that, let your wallet go!

Putin will not live forever, and hopefully one day Russia will not be run by lunatics. At that point getting the territory back might be feasible.

At this point, you know what's a more reasonable demand? Getting back all those kidnapped children that the media don't like talking about.

[SRG2]

The better analogy would be if a passing cop seeing your being mugged says, you should be happy enough you're still alive, lets the mugger walk away with your wallet, and then the cop asks you for your watch as a reward for intervening.

[Brett Bellmore]

Except for the part where we aren't Ukraine's police force.

[David Nieporent]

Well, not with that attitude we're not.

[zztop8970]

You think we should be Ukraine's police force, or on the hook for their security?

[Magister]

Ukraine wasn't mugged in an alley; they were attacked in their own house. Your generous offer is to help them give up several rooms of their house and their children in return for giving up the contents of other rooms.

[Mr. Bumble]

Sounds like Biden's immigration policy.

[Magister]

Biden deported more than Trump in his first term. Wake us up when Trump discourages Putin even a teensy tiny bit.

[zztop8970]

when you let in 10x more illegal immigrants than your predecessor, it is not much of a win to claim you also deported more.

[Magister]

The ones who came in lawfully were not illegal immigrants, and also were not eating the pets. But Biden's administration removed a higher percentage of those encountered than Trump's first term did.

[zztop8970]

We weren;t discussing legal immigration which is not subject to deportations to begin with.
Millions came in unlawfully. And again, when you do that at a scale that is more than an order of magnitude than your predecessor, removing a higher percentage of them is not much of a win, as you have still left in many more illegals.

[Magister]

Nobody knows how many came in illegally. Keep flailing.

[David Nieporent]

If immigration were an attack rather than a benefit, sure.

[Mr. Bumble]

Legal immigration is a benefit. Illegal entry is more akin to an attack and a cost not a benefit (unless you count YOUR landscaper).

[Magister]

Immigrants work jobs Americans won't take; citizens commit crimes at a higher percentage.

From tariffs or deportations, US farmers won't grow as much and domestic prices will be higher.

[zztop8970]

Raise the wages for these jobs and you'll find people taking them. But i guess you'd rather see illegal aliens doing them for less than minimum wage , than have higher prices. some beacon of morality you are

[Magister]

Reread the part where I said higher domestic prices. Lower domestic prices would be a benefit.

[David Nieporent]

Illegal entry, to paraphrase Jefferson, neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. I do of course count landscapers — why wouldn't I? — though I actually have no idea about the workers my landscaping service hires. (Nor the workers my cleaning service hires, for that matter.) Whether they're legal or illegal changes nothing wrt their impact on me, except that the latter are not eligible for almost any government benefits.

[Mr. Bumble]

"Illegal entry, to paraphrase Jefferson, neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."
Lucky you that you or someone you love hasn't had their "leg broken" (or worse).
Also, if your pocket hasn't been picked I have to congratulate you on avoiding paying any taxes.

[David Nieporent]

I don't like paying taxes. We could save a lot of money on that if we fired all the BP and ICE agents. (For some reason, that's one thing that Musk doesn't want to touch, even though CBP is the single biggest law enforcement agency in the U.S.) Illegal immigrants, on the other hand, are receiving virtually no tax dollars.

[bernard11]

Why isn't the landscaping work a benefit?

Trade is mutually beneficial, something neither you nor Trump seem to understand.

[Kazinski]

Well actually its not about whether Ukraine likes it, because they are not masters of their own fate.

They are dependent on the kindness of strangers.

I really hope Ukraine comes out ok in both the shortrun and the long run, but there is only one set of conditions where they will continue to get offensive military aid from the US: they agree to a unilateral ceasefire, and the Russians refuse.

But I will put you down as one vote for the meat grinder option, which is the second best choice, ahead of the WW3 option.

[David Nieporent]

Well actually its not about whether Ukraine likes it, because they are not masters of their own fate.

If you want "peace" as you claim, then actually it is about whether Ukraine likes it, because Ukraine decides whether it's going to keep fighting. We can kneecap Ukraine so it has a hard time winning, but we can't make it stop fighting.

[Armchair]

"We can kneecap Ukraine so it has a hard time winning, but we can't make it stop fighting."

Well...to stretch the metaphor. If two guys are fighting, and you kneecap one of them...the one you kneecap isn't going to be fighting much longer, even if they want to.

[Don Nico]

It sounds like you propose battle until unconditional surrender, because you insist on restoration of the status quo ante before talking.
The concept is to cease firing in place and to start talking

[defaultdotxbe]

I propose nothing, its not my war. If Ukraine wants to propose a ceasefire with current the lines, they don't need my, or the USA's, approval to do so. That they haven't tells me they likely don't see that as an acceptable compromise.

[Don Nico]

sounds like you don't understand the difference between ceasefire during negotiations and an armistice

[hobie]

I support everything that Finland prime minister said. He sounds like a man that should be leading the free world

[Moderation4ever]

Putin strategy was to wait for Trump who he could influence through either flattery or threats. I suggest the best peace plan is to let Putin know that he not getting anything. He can prolong the war but he gets nothing more than a stalemate. I believe Russian are tired of the war and like their war in Afghanistan, from 1979 to 1989, they will fold. Trump move are the worst because it encourages Putin to think he can win.

[Bob from Ohio]

"I believe Russian are tired of the war and like their war in Afghanistan, from 1979 to 1989, they will fold. "

Hope is not a plan.

You are calling for 7 more years of war.

[Moderation4ever]

No, I am calling for a united front to let Putin know he can not win.

[Don Nico]

a front to do what...be specific instead of spouting a slogan.

[TwelveInchPianist]

For Putin to know he can't win, the West has to show that they are prepared to do whatever it takes to prevent him from winning. And they haven't shown that.

[Armchair]

There are "other" potential options. Not as good, mind you.

1. Peace plan #2. Take off the handicap mode, and "fully" arm Ukraine.
a. Immediately ship Ukraine 2000 Tanks. None of this "we need to take off the new armor nonsense." They get the newest, best.
b. Immediately ship Ukraine 1000 Tomahawk Missiles. No limitations on where they can be fired.
c. Begin drafting Ukranian Citizens fit for military service in the US. IE, those people who have claimed asylum..but could be fighting.
d. Institute a number of executive orders to immediately increase the production of high explosive munitions by 10-fold. Use the DPA to its fullest extent.
e. Oh sure...send over the F-117s as well. They're currently retired, but Ukranian Stealth Aircraft hitting sites throughout Russia might change Russia's mind.

Peace plan 2b.
All elements of peace plan #2, but also...
1. Send in the 101st airborne.

Like I said...not as good an option. But technically an option.
Like I said

[Sarcastr0]

No status quo in this list, I note. That's the big lie the right is pushing.

Of course, Trump's pretty strongly indicated where he is on this.

[Armchair]

the request was for a peace plan.

[Commenter_XY]

Do you have a better alternative?

[Armchair]

Sarcastr0 would apparently like for every Ukrainian possible to die a slow death in the trenches, especially if they can take a Russian with them. Remember promise the world, but only ship in just enough arms for Ukraine to not immediately immediately fold.

Then when Russia has run Ukraine out of troops, be "very sad" when Russia overruns Ukraine and wring his hands saying "there's nothing that could be done".

[Sarcastr0]

No one buys the peace at any cost act.

Especially with this level of rhetorical bullshit, telepathy, and future fan fictioning.

And you in particular have used the exact same over the top bloody shirt rhetoric on exactly the other side of the peacenik line re: Israel.

[Bwaaah]

Sarc: "STATUS QUO! I WANT THE STATUS QUO!!!"

[David Nieporent]

The status quo is indeed better than forcing Ukraine to surrender.

[tylertusta]

Indeed it is.

But Ukraine isn't being forced to surrender either, so this is a moot point.

[Bwaaah]

Wanting the "status quo" has a much larger applicable context than simply with respect to the war in Ukraine. It strikes me, as Sarcastr0 expresses his want for it, that he doesn't much veer away from it. In fact, it could be his North Star and he'd rarely be off course.

[tylertusta]

It strikes me, as Sarcastr0 expresses his want for it, that he doesn't much veer away from it.

I think it comes from people throwing the word around without understanding what it means in a military context.

Status quo means as things stand right now. A cease fire that preserves the status quo means that the fighting stops and troops stay where they are, freezing the territory as it stands the moment that the cease fire was in effect.

Sarc and David aren't exactly clear what they want short of endless conflict, but I would guess that their goal is for the status quo ante bellum, which is how things existed before the conflict.

I would love for Ukraine to be returned to pre-2022 or even pre-2014 borders, but that isn't happening! There's no amount of advanced arms that Ukraine could get that would restore their pre-2014 borders through military force.

Not getting 2022 borders isn't the end of the world for Ukraine despite what the chickenhawks here would have us believe.

[Don Nico]

exactly Tyler, the want the status quo ante. That is not the way any ceasefire.

[Armchair]

"The status quo is indeed better than forcing Ukraine to surrender."

Is it?

The status quo is Russia and Ukraine continue fighting a war of attrition, with Ukrainian front lines slowly being pushed backwards, and Ukraine losing hundreds to thousands of people per month.

The status quo ends up in Ukraine losing the war, as it runs out of people first.

So if your ultimate choice is...
A. Ukraine surrenders today (but doesn't lose an additional 100,000 people)
B. Ukraine loses an addition 100,000 casualties and surrenders a year from now.

Which is actually better?

(Choice C is a ceasefire along the current lines btw).

[Riva]

What Democrats apparently want is WWIII. Fortunately for the world, Democrats are not in power anymore. Probably in part because their incompetence and graft was leading us toward WWIII.

[tylertusta]

In other words, he's willing to fight the Russians to the very last Ukrainian.

[tylertusta]

What big lie?

I think it's obvious that a cease in fighting preserves the status quo.

[Frank Drackman]

Easy to send other peoples kids to die from your "Armchair" isn't it? Since this is a "Legal" blog, I'll address your lunacy Seriatim, for the un-ed-jew-ma-cated, that means "In order" (I love Latin Jokes, you know what a Dermatologist does? Looks at your rash, describes it in Latin, prescribes a Steroid Cream and charges you $300)
1: Yes, THAT's the problem, You-Crane doesn't have enough weapons, did you know when the North Vietnamese Tanks rolled into Ho Chi Minh City South Vietnam had the World's 4th largest Air Force? didn't help
a: see #1, do you know each Tank has a crew of 4? (Tank Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver) and twice that many guys to fix shit on the tank, and you might want to get a few "Tank Retrievers" if you plan on fixing any
b: Didn't they already get that many? how's that working for them?
c: Yes, the US will draft You-Cranian citizens to fight in You-Crane, I want some of what you're smoking
d: 10 x more explosives? Are you going to shit those from your ass?
e: the "newest" F-117's were built in 1990, you don't think flying US warplanes over Roosh-a would be considered an act of Wah? The Roosh-uns probably would. If you started training You-Cranian pilots today, you might have a few combat ready in 2 years, and again, there's a whole chain of Infrastructure needed to keep those old jets flying.
2b: 101st Airborne? can you even name a unit in the 101st Airborne? Why not the 82d also, while you're at it. Can you briefly state how the 2 Divisions differ?

Frank

[Dr. Ed 2]

Frank,

The B-52-Hs were built in 1962 and they're still flying....

[Frank Drackman]

Dr. Ed2, My Dad flew B52H's, B52H's were friends of mine, you sir, are no B52H. The H models have been re-winged, re-engined, re-tailed, they didn't fly in Vietnam, and mostly sat Nuke-ular Alert until 1991, they average around 20,000 Flight Hours, or about the same as a 10 yr old 767 (Admittedly, "harder" hours than a passenger jet)
Fighters lead a much harder life, FA-18s were expected to last around 8,000 hours, and with all the electronics, more stuff to go wrong
That being said, A-10's wouldn't be a bad choice, seeing how our stupid Air Farce doesn't want them (have you seen the replacement for the A-10? it's a Crop Duster with mounting points for missiles and a cannon.

[Armchair]

Oh sure...

1. Yes, that's the problem.
1a. We have thousands of Abrams Tanks in storage. Thousands. We've shipped Ukraine...31. Just 31. And yes, they require crews. Still...1,000 tanks that are crewed? Or 4,000 infantry? Which would you rather have?
b. No. They haven't gotten a single Tomahawk missile. So...not working so well.
c. You need more troops for Ukraine for 1a? Near 7,000,000 Ukrainian citizens have left Ukraine. If you conscript just 1% of them...just 1% that are of fighting age...that's 70,000 troops. Maybe you can even offer their families citizenship.
d. Build a factory. We've done it before.
e. Give them to Ukraine. We've already given them F-16s. F-117s with stealth...may make difference in

2. We need the rapid deployment more than the paratrooper elements. Duh.

[tylertusta]

Take off the handicap mode, and "fully" arm Ukraine.

I call it "super-arming" Ukraine.

Besides the obvious tanks + missiles, the US has some very deep pockets that will make life a living hell for Russians. F-117s are probably not that useful owing to advances in Russian air defense capability, but some outside-the-box thinking can be helpful here.

Here's one example:

The USN has a number of Los Angeles-class submarines in reserve awaiting decommissioning or in active service but expecting to be decommissioned soon. These ships are obsolescent in a fight with China, but would be very useful against the incapable Russian Navy.

The US could gift a couple of these to Ukraine, complete with torpedoes, submersible decoys, antiship missiles, cruise missiles, and crews volunteers.

The havoc that a couple of nuclear-powered attack submarines can cause for Russia all around the world are astronomical. Ports could be mined and direct attacks can be made on previously safe strategic targets.

[Mr. Bumble]

...and just who would man them?

[Frank Drackman]

The Russians most likely, when they capture one. SSN's are for attacking other Submarines and Surface Ships, I don't think it's the Russian Navy that's going to march into Kiev

[tylertusta]

complete with torpedoes, submersible decoys, antiship missiles, cruise missiles, and crews volunteers

.

Doesn't take a lot of reading between the lines to understand what I'm saying here.

[Dr. Ed 2]

The subs are worn out.

There is metal fatigue (they shrink every time they dive) and the fuel in the reactor is spent, not enough radiation anymore.

They'd make fancy mooring bouys, but beyond that???
And there is a lot of secret stuff on them, starting with the shape of the propeller.

[tylertusta]

The submarines I'm talking about are in active service today and have a few years left. Refueling them is unnecessary.

They're being retired due to cost considerations and due to them being ill-suited to be useful in a fight with the Chinese.

But against Russia, whose Navy is in the process of demonstrating what prolonged oxidation will do to a navy, is a suitable target for these ships.

[tylertusta]

Additional possibilities include the transfer of older F/A-18s to Ukraine, the transfer of JASSM missiles, SLAM-ERs, or the upgrading of existing Ukrainian weapons to better counteract Russian jamming.

[Commenter_XY]

Kaz, RUS won't agree to EU + UK troops on their border. That differs from NATO, how? It doesn't. Would they agree to a UN troop presence? Unknown. I would say that UKR signing the minerals deal (on even better terms to America) is a prerequisite.

One, ceasefire in place; withdraw 2 km to allow for a DMZ of about 1.75mi between the armies. Satellite and passive monitoring. Thirty days.

Two, wrt mineral deal, to secure an enduring peace in UKR, America should explore a mineral extraction and refining deal with RUS and joint RUS/URK entities. RUS and UKR want and need access to our know-how and our people to do it. We can provide that, in return for peace. This is essentially the Abraham Accords model. Sixty days. I don't think either UKR or RUS want to kill Americans civilian worker bees who are helping them make peace and money.

Three, enforcement. The UK and FR have their proposals. I am an agnostic, only to say: it isn't a NATO operation and article 5 does not apply. Better be careful.

There is a role for europe, but I don't think stationing troops in UKR is it. Russia has a shadow fleet of tankers, thusfar, they have been left alone. But they can be detained at ports. Even a delay of a week 'clearing customs' can be costly if you're carrying cargo. There are other things that can be done to tighten the screws even more on the financial side.

Four, longer term negotiations. It isn't clear what there is to negotiate. The best you can realistically hope for is a cold peace, with a strong incentive (financial) to not kill each other.

[Don Nico]

C_XY,
The proposed Turkish plan of 2022, which Russia agreed to did have UK and EU troops in Ukraine as guarantors.

[Commenter_XY]

A lot has changed in 3 years, Don Nico. IDK if RUS will assent to the same, but I think far more willing to assent to UN personnel. But I am not so sure troops are needed.

The first step is to stop the killing. If that happens, it will be hard to restart (for RUS).

[Josh R]

Without a security guarantee, it will be easy if Russia has enough time to restock.

[David Nieporent]

Russia did not "agree" to any such thing, and of course nobody asked the UK or EU what they thought of this before discussing it.

[Don Nico]

David you are just lying like your gaslighting buddy. I gave the cite to the Turkish proposed treaty and that cite show what Russia did not agree to and what Ukraine did not agree to.
So read it if you are able outwise stfu

[David Nieporent]

1) Please stop using gaslighting when you don't know what it means.
2) You gave a cite to a random document that you could've typed yourself for all anyone knows.
3) Whatever that document is, and whoever wrote it, that document is not a treaty. It is not an agreement. Even the propagandist who wrote it admitted that the parties hadn't reached agreement on key issues.
4) Contrary to what you wrote above, it does not show Russia agreeing to have UK and EU troops in Ukraine.¹ It does not show Russia agreeing to anything that would allow Ukraine to defend itself or for anyone else to defend Ukraine. Indeed, it reflects, as the Russian proposal, that nobody can defend Ukraine unless Russia agrees to it!

That is a surrender document, not an agreement. And by the time it was (supposedly) drafted — note that the date is not when you keep claiming — Russia was in no position to demand a surrender and Ukraine had no reason to offer one.
​​
​​
¹And like I said, since they hadn't consulted the UK or EU, that would be empty anyway. Russia and Ukraine can't agree amongst themselves that a third party will do anything.

[Armchair]

"Gaslighting: :the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one's own advantage:"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaslighting

Irony: David gaslighting people about what gaslighting is.

[Bwaaah]

Despite common usage, the dictionary does usually show multiple definitions of a term, often with only slight differences. A pedant can and does rely on those distinctions, even though they are only relevant to a pedant. That's how David gets to, "You're a liar!"

He thinks that's behaving like a "grown up."

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

Right, behaving like a grown up is actually only responding to one of the four points he made, and ignoring the others. And the fact that the term gaslighting has been misused so often that it's now acceptable to use it to just mean lying is pretty pathetic, even if endorsed by Messrs. Merriam and Webster.

[not guilty]

The Merriam-Webster site includes two definitions, the first of which Armchair curiously omits:

1: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator

2: the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one's own advantage

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaslighting

The first definition is true to the cinematic origins of the term, which provides a useful shorthand for the behavior described in the definition. It is a transitive verb, which standing alone with no identifiable person as the object is meaningless. If no one has been or is being gaslighted in the manner described, then no one is gaslighting.

The second definition has devolved into a general purpose insult directed at another who has made an assertion that the insulter disagrees with. It conflates successful and unsuccessful attempts to gaslight, obliterating the difference between the two.

Should Alabama have been credited with three points for its unsuccessful field goal attempt in the 2013 Iron Bowl? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWiuejtLXt0

[not guilty]

Don Nico, whom has Davied Nieporent or his buddy "gaslighted"? Who is questioning their sanity, memories, or perception of reality as a result of what either has said?

[Dr. Ed 2]

I'm surprised that Putin is still alive, that he hasn't died on his own, let alone with help.

Korea ended with Stalin's death. Khrushchev was actually a reformer of sorts. Who will replace Putin and what will that person be like? I think that is very important part of this.

[Kazinski]

Trump told Macron at their meeting Feb 24th that Russia agreed to UK and EU peacekeepers at the meetings in Saudi Arabia between Rubio and the Russians Feb 18th.

I believe Trump and Rubio, and I think Macron probably has his own channels to the Russians to confirm it.

The Europeans being shall we say non-aggressive makes it much easier for Putin to approve.

Can you imagine Macron and Starmer authorizing a lighting strike toward Moscow, like Wagner tried a couple of years ago? I think he feels pretty safe that they aren't a Trojan horse.

[David Nieporent]

Trump told Macron at their meeting Feb 24th that Russia agreed to UK and EU peacekeepers at the meetings in Saudi Arabia between Rubio and the Russians Feb 18th.

And then the next day Russia said, publicly, "No, we didn't."

[Don Nico]

Among the other things that you don't understand is diplomacy.

[Swede425]

Europeans raise, train, equip, and pay for their own armies and then "stand" with Ukraine.
Also, don't forget all the pieces that will make them expeditionary.
Also, while they're at it, don't forget to figure out a way to get along with each other. That seems important, though elusive.
Only THEN can their hummingbird asses cash the checks their alligator mouths have been writing.

[bernard11]

What is Trump's "peace plan?" Sounds like "surrender."

Here's mine:

Russia to withdraw from Ukraine and pay reparations.
Ukraine joins NATO.

Not practical, you say? Russia will never agree? Probably right.

But why will they agree to yours? And what would "further negotiations" produce?

Anybody can make up a fantasy list.

[Don Nico]

Trump's plan is to stop the killing and then for the parties to talk.
I'd add that there is no need for the US to be a party except that Ukraine is unlikely to agree to any plan absent US being a part of security guarantees.

[Sarcastr0]

Again, if someone offered this plan with respect to Israel-Hamas, would you be so sanguine?

Lots of convenient inconsistencies to paper over Trump's chaotic destruction.

[FWIW, I'm down with US support in both cases.]

[Don Nico]

That is what the US proposed and Israel accepted. However, to answer your question, no, I am not sanguine as Plaestinian leaders in Gaza and the West Bank to not accept the continued existence of a Jewish state.
But at least we are giving negotiations a chance, even directly between the US and Hamas.

[Josh R]

Israel accepted a ceasefire where Hamas still rules Gaza?

[Don Nico]

For the time being yes.
However, I don't expect that will last for long

[bernard11]

To talk about what, exactly, Don?

And on what basis do you believe Russia will abide by any agreement reached? This is the difficulty, as Zelensky tried to make clear at the White House.

How about:

Russian withdrawal to pre-2022 lines.
Security guarantees from the US and NATO, with European troops stationed in Ukraine (or Ukraine joins NATO).
Russia returns kidnapped children.

I doubt Putin would agree to that, but it's actually pretty reasonable, ISTM.

[Don Nico]

To talk about cessation of hostilities.

Sure, Russia and Ukraine can talk about your list. All legitimate topics. No one can agree to anything if they are not talking. Most diplomats agree that the most important time to talk with the adversary is when there is conflict.

Talks between the US and Russia are essential if preventing the collapse of the nuclear weapons control framework is to be avoided.

I do suggest that people read the April , 2022 vetoed by the US and UK;
https://twitter.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50ec04f7fdd8f247aecfa0ddf&id=f9b2da0060&e=879cd2053c

[David Nieporent]

I do suggest that you stop lying about a non-existent veto of a nonexistent deal.

[Don Nico]

You are an asshole. The BoJo trip was public. Read about it and stop your lies.

[David Nieporent]

Johnson visiting Ukraine was indeed public. Johnson telling Ukraine not to enter into an agreement with Russia, either on behalf of the US or UK, is literally something solely from the Russian government. Maybe you're just too dumb to realize that, or maybe you're deliberately promoting Russian propaganda. Either way, it remains Russian propaganda.

[Don Nico]

Talk about anything on your list.
Talk about permanent neutrality for Ukraine
Talk about Russian payment for reconstruction in Kyiv.
Talk about return of prisoners.
Talk about Russian being an official state language in the Donbass
Talk about Russia withdrawing to the 2013 borders.
Talk about anything that either side wants to.
Talk about security guarantees from any willing parties.

If such talks don't start more will die and more of Ukraine and now also Russia will be destroyed.

[Sarcastr0]

“Russian being an official state language in the Donbass”

Relevant to peace talks

[SRG2]

First necessary component of the peace plan is to remove the US from discussions unless it wishes formally to be recognised as negotiating on Russia's side. Let European countries act on Ukraine's side.

Second, Russia recognises it is the aggressor.

Third, Ukraine's debts to US are to be met from minerals mined from Russian-seized lands and only up to the value of what is owed.

Fourth: Russia recognises the legitimacy and sovereignty of Ukraine in all territory not currently occupied by Russia.

Fifth. Ukraine is allowed to join NATO.

[Don Nico]

Your fifth point will make your plan a non-starter and is inconsistent with your first point unless the US withdraws from NATO

[Commenter_XY]

Can you imagine those three trying to make detente back in the 70's?

[SRG2]

IT's not inconsistent - it's just that the US wouldn't be involved in the negotiations.

So according to you, what concessions should Russia make?

[Don Nico]

I don't advocate concessions from either side. I do advocate stopping the killing for a while and starting to talk.

As for the questions of "what guarantees" that would require non-party troops along or in an eventual demilitarized zone.

And if a condition is that Ukraine joins NATO that requires US acquiescence if not approval as part of a negotiation.

But read the 2022 Turkish proposed treaty and you'll see why the US and UK could force Ukraine to walk away.

[ducksalad]

Kaz, here is my "peace plan":

The US needs to disengage, in fact, we shouldn't have become involved in the first place.

Disengagement would have meant politely (and privately) telling the Ukrainians the US will longer able to continue sending them weapons. The ramp down should have been prompt, but conducted in an amicable but firm and organized way that would not do superfluous or gratuitous damage to their cause. That cause may be hopeless but it's their cause and their decision when to cave.

Disengagement would NOT include any of the following:
- Taking the minerals, taking the resources, or using the situation to exploit / extort the Ukrainians in any way.
- Running a big lie campaign that the Ukrainians started the war.
- Running a childish belittlement campaign against European countries that we should have friendly relations with.
- Favoring, or appearing to favor, the Russians in the dispute.
- The US negotiating with Russians over the Ukraine's dismemberment, without the Ukrainians, like the UK and France dividing up a piece of Africa in 1880.
- And in general, no trolling, grandstanding, edge-lording, testicle displaying, art-of-the-dealing, ego indulging antics from our own leadership.

Shorter version: Cut off the money and have Trump STFU.

[grb]

Kazinski : "Several people have proposed to keep feeding Ukrainian and Russian troops into the meatgrinder"

Another Cultist making a big show of crying crocodile tears for the poor Ukrainians - even as he stabs them in the back. This forum is full of people who were strong supporters of Ukraine before Dear Leader wiped their memory banks clean and downloaded new programing.

Here's a question for you, Kazinski: Why not ask the Ukrainians whether they still want to fight for their freedom? They're the ones fighting and dying. Do their opinions matter? Do you even care what they think?

Ukraine's strategy has always been to fight a war of attrition until the cost to Russia gets too great. Despite all the armchair lectures from the RT crowd here & elsewhere, that plan has worked repeatedly throughout history.

Putin's strategy has been to wait until the U.S. and Europe tire of supporting Ukraine. He badly misjudged European fortitude but that hardly matters anymore. His compliant Bitch now sits in the Oval Office, dangling off the Russian's puppet strings.

Why not continue to support Ukraine? That's what we did back when we were leader of the Free World. Of course now we're just another petty regime on the make.

[Kazinski]

Well that's a good question Why don't we ask what the Ukrainians want?

I like that idea, but we need a ceasefire to do that.

Zelensky's term has expired, their national assembly likely too, and they have pointed out the difficulty in holding an election while there is still fighting.

That should one of the first orders of business, after the ceasefire makes it practicable.

But I'm skeptical just taking Zelensky's word for it.

[Krayt]

England delayed an election during the war. They had buy in from all parties.

The US constitution does not allow that, so holds elections.

Also, we're putting our thumb on the scale to help Ukraine falter now and feel hopeless, increase their deaths.

Eternal shame on the US.

[Kazinski]

That's true, but I will also point out what happened in 1945 right after the fighting stopped, Britons decisively threw Churchill out on his ear. From Wikipedia:

"The 1945 United Kingdom general election took place on Thursday 5 July 1945.[b] With the Second World War still fresh in voters’ minds, the opposition Labour Party under the leadership of Clement Attlee won a landslide victory with a majority of 146 seats, defeating the incumbent Conservative-led government under Prime Minister Winston Churchill amidst growing concerns by the public over the future of the United Kingdom in the post-war period."

That was only 2 months after the fighting stopped in Europe, and British troops were still engaged in Asia.

[Don Nico]

Sure we can send Zelenskiy tactical nukes and even up the fight. I guess that would please you.
How close do you live to the front lines?

[Sarcastr0]

Why don't we ask what the Ukrainians want?

I like that idea

You do not. Because it's quite clear what they want from their actions.

At this point, it's just bad faith from you.

[Kazinski]

No its not, its realistic to think Ukrainians are tired of the war and want it to end.

But I'm not claiming I know, I'm just claiming nobody else knows either, until they are actually asked.

[Sarcastr0]

Sure.

Just asking questions. Maybe Ukrainians are down to surrender but didn’t tell anyone.

[Kazinski]

Nobody is asking them to surrender, the ask is to agree to a ceasefire without giving up one more inch of their territory.

That's not what a surrender is.

[Heedless]

The real risk to any peace treaty is that Putin violates it as he has the last two. We don't want to end up with a South Vietnam situation, where Russia agrees to a ceasefire, takes a year or two to rearm, and then sends tanks over the border again.

That means Ukraine needs enforceable security guarantees, and given the shakiness of European and American commitments these days, that means troops on the ground.

So: model the peace treaty on Korea. Border settles near the current battle lines, so Russia gets to keep what it has taken. Ukraine surrenders all claims to that territory, so Putin can claim victory. (Detestable, but necessary) Sanctions are gradually lifted.

For Ukraine, they keep their arms, and a joint European (explicitly not NATO) security force bases in their country to deter a third invasion. No one admits fault or pay reparations.

In the lead up, we pressure Ukraine by threatening to cut off aid (actually cutting it off was unnecessary), and we threaten Russia with greater support of Ukraine (in money and weapons, particularly artillery and drones) and with draining the oligarchs' frozen accounts to defray the cost.

[Krayt]

Zelenskyy: "What if Putin violates the agreement?"

"Shut up!", the President of the United States explained.

[Don Nico]

Sure give Zelenskiy the means to nuke Moscow. Then the bloodthirsty will be happy.

[Don Nico]

"Ukraine needs enforceable security guarantees, and given the shakiness of European and American commitments these days, that means troops on the ground."
Indeed it does, and certainly European nations are apparently offering such.

[Kazinski]

So I'm going to make a half hearted attempt to tally up the responses about the preferred peace plan

The Meatgrinder - No plan, keep supporting the current stalemate, but no significant escalation or US troops.
S_0, DN, KRAYT, DEFAULT, Magister, SRG2, M4F,

WW3 - Significant escalation, provide advanced weaponry, even troops(AL described what that looked like but I don't think he endorsed it)

Trumps plan, Ceasefire, Euro Peacekeeping troops, then negotiated settlement
AA, TIP,BWH, Brett, ARMCHAIR, BFO , Heedless (with some tweeks), Kaz (of course), Tyler

And a few new novel ideas:
Ducksalad wants an Afghanistan style bugout, and let the chips fall where they may.
Bernard didn't have a plan but a wishlist, most of which are my wishes too, but didn't say whether it would be achieve militarily or through negotiations, so it didn't qualify as a plan.

And some didn't really express their own preference that I could plainly discern just criticized others, like Martinned. And Hobie expected me to look up what Finland's PM wants without even a link.

[Sarcastr0]

Incredible work, Kaz. Strawmen all around.

It's Ukraine's decision whether they want to defend themselves. Our decision is not war/no-war.

[Magister]

I did not offer a plan, only criticized Brett's absurd analogy about muggings in an alley. Not using Trump's plan leaves open a lot of options that are not the current stalemate.

[ducksalad]

Are "Euro Peacekeeping troops" now part of Trump's plan?

Just a couple of days ago JD Vance said European troops were not going to be an effective deterrent. He was very dismissive as I recall. Are you thinking he's out of the loop, or are you claiming that was some double inverted kung fu 5D chess negotiation technique?

Also, since you mentioned Afghanistan....that was the result of a negotiation (and it's worth remember who negotiated that deal). I'm suggesting no negotiations needed; the proper technique would be a bill in Congress cutting off the aid.

[Heedless]

Dude, did you not read my response?

[Kazinski]

I said it was a half hearted attempt.

That's the way I read it, but I didn't draw up a flowchart.

[Heedless]

One major difference between my plan and Trumps is that I understand that we need to put pressure on Russia in addition to Ukraine.

The second is that he has shown no inclination to insist on a South Korea-style tripwire.

Without it, his peace plan is just South Vietnam all over again. Two years for Russia to rearm, and then their tanks are rolling across the border again.

[Kazinski]

That's actually part of Trumps plan is to give Ukraine more effective weapons, and fewer restrictions on their use if Russia doesn't come to the table.

The trip wire is European troops, and from what Russia has shown if Europe wanted to roll back all Putin's gains in Ukraine they could do it if they had the will, in a conventional war, and Putin didn't widen the war with attacks on European cities, which is a sobering deterrent of its own.

[Heedless]

Trump has not provided many details, but I have found no mention of European troops as a trip wire in any of his announcements. Please send me a link if one exists.

And the idea isn't to send European troops to fight, it's to send them in to dissuade further aggression after the peace deal has been reached. Few enough that Russia doesn't feel threatened, but a large enough force that if Russia attacks, they know Germany, France, and Britain will respond. It's the same set up that has preserved peace (more or less) on the Korean Peninsula for 70 years.

It's a gross distortion of what I wrote to suggest that it resembles Trump's current approach.

[bernard11]

Bernard didn't have a plan but a wishlist, most of which are my wishes too, but didn't say whether it would be achieve militarily or through negotiations, so it didn't qualify as a plan.

Sort of. I made two comments. I agree the first was a wishlist, the second a little less so.

What I really think agrees with what JD85 proposes below - continue and maybe expand vigorous support for Ukraine.

Look, plans are based on assumptions. So what are your assumptions about the following:

1. Russia will give up, in negotiations, any Ukrainian land they now hold.

2. Russia will lose its stated desire to take the entire country.

3. Russia will abide by a negotiated agreement for longer than it takes for it to rebuild its military.

4. Once they have rebuilt they will attack again.

5. The Russian military is invincible, even against a strongly armed Ukraine.

6. If they are successful in Ukraine they will make no further expansionary efforts.

My answers:
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. Yes
5. No
6. No

[Davedave]

"WW3 - Significant escalation, provide advanced weaponry, even troops"

This is Putinganda drivel. Escalating does not mean WWIII; it means active participation in wiping out Russian military power. The reality is that this is easily achievable - a matter of days - if NATO commits to it, and no other country has any interest in backing Russia. Putin would be deposed by Russians - probably with a couple of bullets to the back of the head - within days of his lies about Russian military power being humiliatingly exposed.

There's a good reason Putin has invested so much money and effort in weakening NATO's will to act, and it isn't because his claims about Russian power are true.

[JD85]

A couple things:

1) Russia has firmly rejected a ceasefire and stated they will only agree to a long term peace agreement
2) Russia has stated they reject all forms of NATO member troops inside Ukraine, as peacekeepers or otherwise

Knowing the above, I would continue to fund the Ukranian fight against Russia until Russia agrees to a long term peace plan that would include NATO member troops as peacekeepers and a DMZ, likely along with Ukraine giving up Luhansk (and maybe Donetsk) and a small land corridor to Crimea.

I would also remove all restrictions on what standard munitions (e.g. non ballistic) arms can go to Ukraine and what Ukraine can do with them, including F16 and below fighters (although I have to imagine that drones and tomahawks are just more valuable than planes to them).

[con_fuse9]

Russia gives back ALL the land it took.
Russia pays $500Billion in reparations.

Sounds fair to me

[JD85]

That would be the fair solution, I just don't think it's realistic.

[Kazinski]

As to the country sausage, like I said above, Costco had a sale on on whole pork bellys. Usually my recipe for pork belly is roast it at 250 for 4 hours With 1/4 cup of soy sauce and a few teaspoons of Brown sugar in a marinade for an hour or two before it goes it the oven.

But a decent size pork belly is 10lbs so its hard to roast that much at a time.

So I found a country sausage recipe on AllRecipes and took some of the meatier parts to grind into country sausage*.

The recipe from memory is something like this
:
2lb pork leaner pork belly (50% fat)
2 reasons sage
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
1/4 teaspoons marjoram
Tblspoon Brown sugar

But the real key is start with that, then make a.sausage patty, taste it, then decide.what you want more.of.

I added.at.least.25% more salt, brown sugar, sage, and red pepper, then threw in a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder that wasn't even mentioned

*My mother who is 96 has been asking for some decent country sausage, she was born on a farm in Virginia in the 20's and still tells stories about her mothers pet pig, so there is no bullshitting her with Jimmy Dean sausage, although she will eat it.

Note : I am.not anti-Semitic, although I have never had a Jewish girlfriend. Nor am Islamaphobic, even though I have had several muslim girlfriends, most of which I don't want to see again (one of them can call me anyplace anytime but last I heard she was happily married in France) but I do recognize not everyone eats pork, no offense intended.

[Dr. Ed 2]

I just lost my mother who was 93 and who had also grown up on a farm -- everyone did back then and it is amazing how different life was from what kids have today. Yes, the Depression and War changed things, but things were different before that. Americans today are spoiled....

[Frank Drackman]

My condolences, and you know what Freud said about a man who grows up the favorite of his mother

[Dr. Ed 2]

Freud was a pervert...

[Frank Drackman]

Not Civil, I get it you’re in mourning, but even Preverts can be talented, Bill Cosby(I’m sorry “Dr” Bill Cosby) for example, but was he really a Prevert or just doing what most of us would like to but don’t have the balls for, and I believe he won on appeal

[Dr. Ed 2]

Frank, I got to meet Cosby, personally, because I was a janitor at UMass (yea, right -- I was something else) and he was not the same person in person. He has a stage persona, even addressing a group of about 70 people and he's a completely different man in person.

I met him just before all the criminal stuff broke, I knew nothing of it, but it was a visceral CRINGE response, that there was evil there and I didn't want to find out what it was -- a "STAY AWAY" reflexive response.

It's been said (OK, by TV's Dr. House) that the instinctive revulsion that some people have to a psychopath is an instinctive animal response to a predator. I'm not saying this is true, nor that Cosby is a psychopath (I have no basis of knowing either way) -- just that the man I met was NOT the man I was expecting to meet.

Now as to the criminal stuff, it involved statutes of limitations. No one wanted to prosecute him -- or even publicly accuse him -- during the 30 years when he was saying what people wanted him to say ("it's all Whitey's fault"), but then he's instantly a criminal when he turns and starts saying "it's our fault, folks."

He wrote lots of books, and he wrote one about how Black people need to take responsibility for problems in the Black community -- and he extended this to the rural White working class -- and the left turned on him.

Guilt or innocence shouldn't be a factor of your political views. The trial was a travesty and hence overturned on appeal.

And as to what he was accused of doing -- no, most of us would not do THAT. He was filthy rich and quite famous, #1 rated TV show if memory is correct. He could have had all the girls he wanted -- he could have bought them outright, he could have obtained them as groupies, any combination of the two.

He was accused of drugging unwilling women -- that's not something most guys would do, even if they could.

[Bwaaah]

Interesting post, Dr. Ed. And from me, a sad thought of your loss.

[Kazinski]

Yeah it's fantastic to have someone around with a completely functioning memory that can give an authentic window into what life was like. She talks about the brown elephant at the Atlanta zoo when she was 3 or 4.

Living on a cattle ranch in Prescott during the depression, and having the ranch hands bring horses to the one room schoolhouse during a blizzard to take everyone home because nobody could drive.

But I am a little.spoiled, my grandmother was around until I was in my 20' s, she was 10 during the 1905 Galveston hurricane that wiped out the family farm, and her husband and brother fought in WWi. The most badass car I ever drove was her 73 Chevy Nova 350 with 3 on the tree she bought when she was 78.

[Frank Drackman]

Mom, who I still call (not text, texting isn’t calling) nearly every day, born in Potsdam 1942, family moved to the peaceful city of Dresden, then to a relatives farm shortly before the Mighty 8th turned Dresden into a Barbecue pit, her memories are all of the DDR (happy ones actually , you don’t realize how bad things are when you don’t know anything different) came here in 1960, met my dad, had me, my sister, didn’t go back for 30 years

[Brett Bellmore]

Yeah, Mom and Dad lived through the Depression. Dad at the time was doing lumberjacking and chain surveying with his father in the Upper Peninsula, Mom I'm not sure, except that grandpa was the favorite plumber (Literal, not figurative.) of the Detroit Mafia, and had hilarious stories to tell about having hitmen ordered to carry cast iron bathtubs up stairs for him.

I tend to take those stories seriously, because when Mom's sister's louse of a husband ran off on her with a younger woman, leaving her with a couple kids to raise by herself, a polite gentleman showed up and offered to do him pro bono... (She turned down the offer.)

We were visiting the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry one time, and they had the Burlington Express on display. Turned out Mom had ridden it to the West coast and back when it was still in service! It's kind of freaky when a literal museum exhibit turns out to have a connection to your mother.

I guess my family has a rather temporally extended life, though, because when we moved into the country after the Detroit riots, we ended up living in an old log cabin that had been built decades before the Civil war. Good thing nobody in my family is tall, the ceilings were only about 6 feet high!

[Commenter_XY]

I am very sorry about your Mother. May her memory be as a blessing to you.

[bernard11]

Condolences, Ed.

[SRG2]

Sorry for your loss, Dr Ed.

[Frank Drackman]

Dammit, is there a Kosher version? screw it, I’ve got all of eternity to worry about my Soul

[Commenter_XY]

Kaz, to add on to what you are saying.

If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, the stainless steel grinder attachment is your friend. Run it through 2X-3X to thoroughly combine. Works seamlessly with sausage casing. More consistent distribution of 'stuff' into the casing than doing by hands.

Making good sausage at home is a lost art. I wish I had the time.

[Brett Bellmore]

I have make sausage at home from time to time. Still working on a good recipe for Philippine "longanisa"; My family loves it, but it's kind of expensive buying it imported in Asian groceries. While you CAN use the Kitchenaid sausage grinder for filling casings, I've got a sausage stuffer, well worth it.

The grinder itself, though, works just fine for grinding. You're better off with the steel version, though, because the plastic one eventually cracked near the attachment point.

[Commenter_XY]

I have both; steel, plastic. Meat goes to steel, fruit and veggies go to plastic. I have many KitchenAid stand mixer attachments. 🙂

(not the pasta attachments, though)

[Brett Bellmore]

This thread has reminded me that I really need to change the grease on my Kitchenaid; You don't need to do it often, but mine is ancient.

[Life of Brian]

I did mine about 10 years in. Really quieted it down.

[Kazinski]

I tried the kitchen aid attachment before, and it works half as well for almost twice the price as a stand alone plus its pretty awkward having it up high like that. But I did make some pretty good pork sirloin and duck fat sausage with it.

I got a one on Amazon for 50$ that I am quite happy with, even though I have a kitchenaid too.

[Brett Bellmore]

Unfortunately, we have a somewhat small kitchen, and need to avoid buying gadgets that won't see frequent use. That's why we shelled out about $800 extra when we bought our new gas range to get one that could function as a food dehydrator and do sous vide. (You can do sous vide in a convection oven if it goes low enough, and this one goes all the way down to 100F. It even functions as a proofing box, and can add steam when baking.)

[Kazinski]

I do sous vide seldom enough that I just use a ice chest as a hack, you need to adjust the temp using a meat thermometer and boiling or cold water, and the larger the cut of meat the faster the water temp drops.

https://www.seriouseats.com/cook-your-meat-in-a-beer-cooler-the-worlds-best-sous-vide-hack

[Don Nico]

Kaz,
Making sausage is easier than making peace.

[grb]

On the other hand, giving Putin everything he wants is easy - at least for Trump. After all, that's the tactic he used when negotiating the Doha Agreement with the Taliban. He refused to let the Afghan government have any part in the talks, got down on his knees to give the mullahs concession after concession, asked for nothing in return, then bragged about the peace agreement he'd made. It was all very easy.

Meanwhile, the Taliban doubled attacks against our Afghan allies, in large part because Trump's concessions had completely neutered U.S. air power in the country. For instance, one of Trump's appeasement give-aways was to ban any air support for government forces if the Taliban stopped shooting when the planes arrived. The Taliban could attack before. They could attack after. But if they lifted their fingers off the trigger at that moment, the planes had to turn around. Thus Trump. He found it easy to throw that into the agreement. The Mullahs probably didn't even have to ask.

And I'm sure Trump doesn't even like the Taliban. He just wanted a piece of paper to wave in the air, ala Neville Chamberlain. Whereas Putin is his big Daddy. Trump will caper & flounce about to please Daddy. It will go beyond easy to eager....

[Dr. Ed 2]

It's about time -- if you are a guest in the country, you should act like a guest or get the &%$# out.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/us-use-ai-revoke-visas-students-perceived-hamas-supporters-axios-reports-2025-03-06/

"Catch and Revoke" -- I'm not so sure I trust AI to do this without a human babysitter, and the free speech issues do bother me a little bit -- LITTLE BIT -- but the Constitution is not a suicide pact.

And like with Rep Green, you are only going to have to ship a few of them home to make the rest of them behave themselves.

[Kazinski]

Behave themselves yes.

If someone is breaking the law send them home.

But if someone who is here on a valid visa is expressing opinions that are legal to express in this country then there is no rationale to send them home.

What really is the difference between the idiot from Brooklyn and the idiot from the West Bank expressing their legal opinions legally, except maybe the idiot from Brooklyn is more clueless about the actual realities on the ground.

But it is clear law that ones opinions whether that legal or not can be considered in issuing a visa. There actually doesn't need to be any reason at all to refuse a student or tourist visa under current law (And yes I am still pissed off my 16 year old sister in law was denied a tourist visa, after I paid the 150$ application and interview fee, because her part time job didn't pay her enough).

[Frank Drackman]

I'm not so sure I agree 100 percent with your police work Kaz,
the more applicable Anal-ology is I'm a guest at Barry Hussein's beautiful Martha Vineyard's Estate, and I start pontificating on how he's only 1/2 Black and that his Benefactor Ted Kennedy left a young woman to asphyxiate (not drowned, there's a difference), and how Obama care is a ripoff,
He'd have every right to have me thrown out on my ass,
which is what should be done with these foreign Terrorist supporters, we have enough native born ones already

[Bwaaah]

I get that "Barry" could eject them from his yard. But unless we force all non-citizens to wear armbands, the formula for having police seize them from sidewalks would seem to be pretty dodgy for everybody.

(I may regret suggesting the armband strategy. It's not a new one.)

[ducksalad]

And yes I am still pissed off my 16 year old sister in law was denied a tourist visa, after I paid the 150$ application and interview fee, because her part time job didn't pay her enough

Sorry to hear it. Sometimes you can get a tourist relative in by showing your own finances - we got in a 50-ish Iranian uncle-in-law who was very evidently a slacker and an order-of-magnitude bigger risk than a 16-year old girl. On the other hand we could never get in a gainfully employed, utterly innocuous and even charming 30-ish Filipina female cousin, even though our family here was very willing to post a large bond.

Even though the laws don't change much, policy seems to vary wildly from time to time, and it's not all that correlated with who is POTUS. It seems to have more to do with the personality of the staff person at the consulate.

[Kazinski]

What the guidelines are is how likely the applicant is to return to their home country from the US, and being ready able and willing to work actually cuts against that.

And once you actually apply for an immigrant visa, then they are even less likely to grant a tourist visa, because you've expressed an interest in wanting to live here.

[myself]

"Catch and Revoke" -- I'm not so sure I trust AI to do this without a human babysitter, and the free speech issues do bother me a little bit -- LITTLE BIT -- but the Constitution is not a suicide pact.

When Ed has misgivings you know things have gone too far.

And like with Rep Green, you are only going to have to ship a few of them home to make the rest of them behave themselves.

Seems like an argument for strong free speech protections.

[Dr. Ed 2]

And Josh Blackman has made the news:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/maga-world-turns-supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett-rcna194283

Marc Levin is more concise -- he holds that she and Roberts just plain hate Trump personally.

[David Nieporent]

Who is Marc Levin?

[Dr. Ed 2]

OK, Mark Levin.
https://www.marklevinshow.com/

[Frank Drackman]

Shut up you dope!!! He's sort of Michael Savage on Meth.

[Kazinski]

Levin is a right wing commentator and author, but has a more impressive resume than most. He had several spots in the Reagan administration, the highest being Ed Meese's chief of staff at DOJ.

But you probably knew that.

I don't mind listening to him when he isn't yelling.

Ed probably likes the yelling.

[David Nieporent]

But you probably knew that.

Yes, I know who Mark Levin is. I don't know who Marc Levin, sometimes called Marc Levine by Dr. Ed, is.

[Dr. Ed 2]

And the latest -- trump is leading the American Cultural Revolution which will soon resemble the infamous Chinese Cultural Revolution.

We're just refusing to continue to pay for certain things -- we aren't taking the schmucks out into the woods and shooting them. There's a really big difference between unemployed and dead -- big difference.

The real threat is coming from the fascist judges.

[hobie]

Ah judges...the last domino to fall. Or is it the military? I'll have to check my history

[Magister]

Dr. Ed 2 is carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, and ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow.

[Frank Drackman]

Well we do all want to change his head

[A Japanese Student]

When an American company destroys the lives of thousands, victims file class action suits and seek punitive damages. When a Japanese company does so, the company faces no punitive damages; instead, every (natural) person responsible would get indicted for negligent homicide. When the prosecutors don't seek charges, citizens' panels can - like in the Fukushima prosecution.

On March 5th, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by prosecuting attorneys in a negligent homicide case against TEPCO's executives who were acquitted in the courts below. They ruled that 10m-tall tsunamis (which caused nuclear plants to explode) were not reasonably foreseeable beyond a reasonable doubt.

On one hand, introducing civil punitive damages seems appropriate in cases like this. On the other hand, labeling what could be imposed as a criminal fine as a civil damages award sounds questionable. (Though it's worth mentioning that, in criminal negligent homicide cases, the defendant usually receives prison time and not fines.)

[Kazinski]

"On one hand, introducing civil punitive damages seems appropriate in cases like this."

Punitive damages for unforseen circumstances?

Not in American jurisprudence, but the Japanese legal system does not come from western traditions so its hard to make a comparison.

I think even in cases where there is strict liability, damages without the finding of fault in the US, Punitive damages are off the table, although I'm not no lawyer, that seems unconscionable to blame someone for something no no-one ever foresaw.

[Brett Bellmore]

"Punitive damages for unforseen circumstances?"

Though Fukushima wasn't foreseen, it certainly could have been, there was plenty of local evidence of how high previous tusnamis had come locally. Putting the emergency generator above that level would have been enough to avert the disaster. But then, so would a lot of changes, some of which were actually prohibited by government regulations.

But most mistakes in engineering are obvious in retrospect. Liability usually only attaches for the ones that were prospectively obvious.

[A Japanese Student]

In a criminal prosecution, liability must be shown beyond a reasonable doubt. I don't think that rule applies in civil punitive damages context.

(I did forget one important factor applicable only to Fukushima, however - nuclear accidents are different from other tort cases because Japan's Price-Anderson equivalent would apply. That is a strict liability statute, though I believe other court cases did find negligence by TEPCO.)

[Commenter_XY]

AJS, first, I cannot imagine the shock and horror of the earthquake, and the subsequent tsunami. This disaster must have had a profound effect on Japanese society. It is terrible, what happened.

Was that set of circumstances (earthquake > 9 on Richter scale) + 10m tsunami + bullseye hit on nuke plants reasonably foreseeable, or just a tragic set of improbable circumstance. Either way, there are hundreds of thousands who have been injured in some manner, and need help.

How has the Japanese government responded to the people injured by this event. It is 14 years after the fact. Do you feel the govt response was correct? Good, bad?

Were you a child when this happened?

[Kazinski]

Well on one hand tsunamis are part of Japanese consciousness, so they are not unforseen events, but still the sequence of events at Fukushima were certainly not routine.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45434

But on the other hand public utilities provide electricity to the public, and when something like this goes wrong for a public utility, there really are only two sources of redress, the investors, and after their investment is wiped out, then the only other source of funds is the ratepayers, i.e the public.

[A Japanese Student]

Thanks. In my view the government's response was reasonable. Mandatory evacuation areas are getting smaller each year, and the plants are slowly getting dismantled.

[Brett Bellmore]

Iirc, the Fukushima casualties were actually due to the evacuation, and would have been minimized by being less aggressive about it. But I understand that Japan has historical reasons for being more irrational about nuclear than other countries.

[Mr. Bumble]

"Iirc, the Fukushima casualties were actually due to the evacuation,..."
Sounds like what happens here when evacuation orders occur.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

"On March 5th, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by prosecuting attorneys in a negligent homicide case against TEPCO's executives who were acquitted in the courts below."

One thing I like about the U. S. system is that acquittals are not appealable. This doesn't mean that acquitted individuals are all innocent, but that the innocent are better protected when the government only gets one shot at them.

[A Japanese Student]

I believe it would be a good policy here as well - but adopting that would require some significant changes in criminal procedure rules, since American double jeopardy has mostly operated in the context of jury trials. For example, prosecutors can appeal judgment of acquittal issued after the verdict of guilty. "Acquittal" here also includes what would be considered as dismissal with prejudice in the US, such as the statute being facially unconstitutional.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Three things

1: In the US, corporations are people. SCOTUS ruled that the 14th Amendment's protection of "persons" includes corporations -- but get an explanation from someone who knows more about corporate law than me.

2: In the US, Nuke Power Plants are exempted from liability -- it wouldn't be possible to build them otherwise because no one would insure them. Again, get an explanation from someone who knows more than I.

3: The tsunami did NOT cause the plant to explode -- it didn't even damage it. The prior earthquake had taken out the transmission lines which did two things -- (a) eliminated a place for the plant to send electricity to, so it shut itself down, and (b) eliminated an on site source of electricity when the plant wasn't producing any.

Not a problem, the plant had backup diesel generators to run the circ pumps to cool the SCRAMed reactor cores which still continue to give off heat. While a diesel engine will run underwater (seriously), it's air intake must be above water. If it ingests any significant amount of water, and then tries to compress it with something like a 17:1 compression ratio in the cylinder (liquids can't be compressed), the hydraulic pressure will stove the engine block all to pieces. No more engine...

That's what happened -- they (a) put the backup generators on low ground and (b) didn't put snorkels on them.

And then the emergency procedures didn't work -- or weren't followed, I am not sure. They didn't vent the pressure (which would have been a minor radiation leak) which prevented water from getting in, the metal starts releasing Hydrogen when it gets hot, and bang. And like all metals, uranium also has a melting point.

THAT'S what blew up the plant

[Bob from Ohio]

"caused nuclear plants to explode"

Big if true.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Hydrogen explodes in a 16%-60% mixture with air, and burns in a 4%-95% mixture, and enough heat will do a lot of not so nice things.

You won't have an uncontrolled fission reaction, i.e. atomic bomb, but you still have enough fission to generate enough heat to cause you big problems. In theory, the whole thing can melt down to the water table at which all that water boils in a massive steam explosion that sends up a lot of highly radioactive steam.

As it was there was radioactive steam that came down as radioactive snow, some USN sailors reportedly have health problems from this "metallic-tasting " snow that they were allowed to play in.

But ALL their problems came from an inability to cool the cores. Newer deigns use convection and gravity to cool the cores and don't need the pumps as much. Or so I am told.

[Commenter_XY]

https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/ai-students-visa/2025/03/06/id/1201786/

Law Enforcement agencies will now use AI technology to identify foreign students who are hamas supporters, based on their observed behavior. Foreign students on a visa who are identified as hamas supporters will have their visas revoked, and ICE will deport them.

Suppose there is a hamas demonstration at Columbia, or Harvard. Can the video files be subpoenaed by the State Department for processing? Meaning, the identification of foreign students who support hamas here on visas (for revocation, and deportation).

Is this actually legal? What are some practical difficulties that would be faced (i.e. what criteria constitutes support for hamas in observed behavior)?

Can a university refuse to turn over the video files?
If so, who is the person that would be sanctioned/arrested for not complying with the subpoena?

[Dr. Ed 2]

Is the university receiving Federal funding?
Would it like to continue receiving it?
Would the university like to sponsor International students for visas next year?

Well???

[Krayt]

Do not build tools of tyranny. Then they can't be misused. US constitutional writing principles 101.

Years move along, everyone's name is in a database, with immediate reports on political proclivities for LEA, who, naturally and constitutionally, "ignore" it unless relevant to the case.

Riiiiiight. That would queer it as a science experiment making the results invalid. It would be laughed out of hand if submitted to a scientific journal.

[Don Nico]

Sorry Krayt. They are being built and perfected in China and will be be sold to interested customers.
China's stated goal is the development of "digital twins" for its large cities. Unfortunately the future is now

[Commenter_XY]

Just to add one other piece....using AI to search social media of these students is fair game, too. I would imagine. That part actually is not hard at all, and has been underway (social media searches, documentation) for some time.

Canary Mission, a non-profit I support (for years), does exactly that.

https://canarymission.org/

I would encourage all VC Conspirators, particularly the law professors, to take a look. I feel it is a very worthwhile cause, other might feel differently.

[Brett Bellmore]

"Foreign students on a visa who are identified as hamas supporters will have their visas revoked, and ICE will deport them."

Foreign students on a visa who are identified as Hamas supporters by the AI are flagged, and will be deported if humans confirm it.

I'm not troubled by this: Freedom of speech, like continued residence in the US, is one of the P & I the 14th amendment reserves for citizens. The only thing non-citizens in this context are entitled to, constitutionally, is due process in the manner of their deportation.

"Substantive" due process is an oxymoron, as many have observed. It was invented in order to incorporate, (But only selectively!) the Bill of rights without explicitly overturning the Slaughterhouse case.

And, why was it necessary to avoid overturning Slaughterhouse? Because Slaughterhouse was about economic liberties! Overturning it would have been Lochnerism!

So I have nothing but contempt for the invention of 'substantive' due process. Bring back P&Is, and Locherism along with them.

[Krayt]

Does the 1st specify only citizens? Does the 14th reduce the scope to only citizens, even if just vis-a-vis state laws?

Congress shall pass no law abridging the right of ... is wisely more open, and correctly oriented as stopping the power mongers from building tools of tyranny.

Aliens have free speech because they, like everyone else, possess it by their very nature, prior to the formation of any government. It is not a gift from anybody; to suggest so implies those others are philosophically properly placed to benightedly grant people freedom.

Why start with that as your base position? You've bought into the tyrant worldview and are kneeling, begging for your freedom as your baseline philosophy.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Aliens only possess it where they possess the RIGHT to be.

They don't possess the right to be here, hence they don't possess the right of free speech here.

KICK THEM OUT!!!

[Krayt]

Right to be here is separate from right to free speech. I could grant you every last claim about illegals, but that has nothing to do with free speech, or government "getting the honor" of shutting them up.

Congress shall pass no law, and all that.

[Noscitur a sociis]

I'm not troubled by this: Freedom of speech, like continued residence in the US, is one of the P & I the 14th amendment reserves for citizens.

We’re talking about the federal government, so it’s the first amendment that is relevant, not the fourteenth.

[bernard11]

Freedom of speech, like continued residence in the US, is one of the P & I the 14th amendment reserves for citizens.

You mean the 14th limits the 1st, which, I remind you, says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Nothing about it only applying to citizens. And the 14th doesn't actually say what those P&I's you like to go on about are. So where do you get this?

[Kazinski]

See Kleindienst v. Mandel 1972 where the SC reversed a lower court ruling that denying a visa based on speech violated the first amendment rights of those who wanted to hear that speech.

The Court didn't buy it, and even the lower court didn't entertain the notion that an alien themselves had a first amendment right to enter the country to speak.

There was the Harry Bridges case In 45 where Douglas ruled that Bridges couldn't be deported just because he was a communist, but Bridges was a long term resident alien, not on a temporary visa.

[bernard11]

Yes, but we're not talking about someone coming here to give a speech. We're talking about people who are already here.

[myself]

That sounds like a dumb ruling.

The whole point of freedom of speech is creating an open political dialogue and allowing for free expression of ideas.

When the government starts deporting people, citizens or not, for having the wrong speech there's a pretty obvious chilling effect.

Imagine the opposite, an administration is concerned about the plight of the Palestinians, so any group of people can arrange a pro-Gaza rally. But if they find anyone on a visa supporting Israel's campaign they get deported.

You don't think that would have a chilling effect on speech in general?

[hobie]

Sounds like Biden/UK style woke suppression of unpopular speech. Who is proposing this?

[Brett Bellmore]

Except that the woke are usually suppressing mainstream speech.

[hobie]

As they usually do. And the rationale for this particular suppression?

[Commenter_XY]

hobie...Who is suppressing speech of American citizens? No one.

[Krayt]

Citizens? You have rights like free speech by fact of your nature, prior to the creation of gover...well, here's a better phrase: "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"

[hobie]

Speaking of 'prior', this woke Republican speech suppression smacks of the spirit of prior restraint

[Kazinski]

Nobody is suppressing their speech, they are just saying they don't have the right to stay in the country and speak here. And can be excluded for any reason, or no reason.

I don't agree we should do that, but I think the law allows it.

[myself]

Nobody is suppressing their speech, they are just saying they don't have the right to stay in the country and speak here. And can be excluded for any reason, or no reason.

I think that's pretty much the definition of suppressing their speech.

[bernard11]

This is insane.

You want to film a demonstration and investigate everyone you see on the film as a Hamas supporter? WTF.

Guess what. Not everyone there is a Hamas supporter. Not even all the Middle Easterners. There will be curiosity-seekers, interested onlookers, maybe even some non-Hamas supporters who disapprove of Israel's actions in Gaza.

You know, I visited one of the university encampments a couple of times, wandering around, taking photographs, seeing what was happening. So do I get investigated?

These are totalitarian acts. Arrest the vandals and other criminals, leave everyone else alone. Is that so hard?

[Commenter_XY]

Hate to break it to you, but it is already happening: Canary Mission. There are plenty of tools that 'vacuum' social media data.

My question: Can a university refuse to turn over the surveillance video of their own property? If they do, who gets arrested or sanctioned?

Calling for the destruction of Jews, which is what hamas has sworn to, is inimical to American interests (since we have 7+ million Jews here). You evidently have an objection to any consequences for foreign students expressed speech, or beliefs, or acts. should I be shocked or just disappointed.

If they're hamas supporters, they can do that from their home country.

[bernard11]

Can a university refuse to turn over the surveillance video of their own property? If they do, who gets arrested or sanctioned?

Well, IANAL, but I suppose not if there is a subpoena or something, but otherwise I suppose they can.

As for "the destruction of Jews," maybe they are. So are some of Trump's buddies.

You evidently have an objection to any consequences for foreign students expressed speech, or beliefs, or acts. should I be shocked or just disappointed.

Where did I say "acts?" From my comment above:

Arrest the vandals and other criminals, leave everyone else alone.

As for speech, I guess there might be some extreme cases where I would favor deportation. Beliefs: let's be very cautious.

You know, someone has to define what those deportation-worthy speech and beliefs are. I'm not ready to identify that person, but I certainly don't trust Trump, or you, to do it.

It seems some of our soi-disant libertarians are ready.

[Don Nico]

" maybe they are"
There is no maybe about it.

[David Nieporent]

Can a university refuse to turn over the surveillance video of their own property?

Turn over to whom? For what?

[Bob from Ohio]

"Not everyone there is a Hamas supporter."

Every participant is. You walking around is not being a participant.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Yes, you get investigated.

The argument is that you shouldn't be there.

UMass routinely expels every student present, including innocent bystanders.

[Kazinski]

I agree it insane, but its what the UK has been doing at anti immigrant demonstrations and throwing people in jail for just attending the demonstrations.

I wish you were as outraged by that, as you are about this.

[apedad]

Pocan to Introduce ELON MUSK Act to Ban Federal Government Contracts for Special Government Employees, Similar To Bans For Members of Congress, Many Other Federal Employees

U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) announced plans to introduce the Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy (ELON MUSK) Act. The legislation would direct Federal Agencies to terminate any contracts held by a Special Government Employee, similar to bans for Members of Congress and other federal employees.

If a position like a “special government employee” has the authority to recommend spending decisions by agencies, they could clearly steer federal spending to their own self-interest. Like the bans on receiving federal contracts for Members of Congress and many others in the federal government, it is imperative that no “special government employee” should have the opportunity for personal gain, especially in areas where they can direct federal taxpayer funds.

https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pocan-introduce-elon-musk-act-ban-federal-government-contracts-special

Good idea, right?

[Commenter_XY]

apedad, I doubt the bill gets out of committee. It will not be brought up for a vote in the House. It would not pass the House, or the Senate. It is an exercise of futility, in the form of performative theatrics.

[SRG2]

That, of course, is separate from whether the bill is a good idea, which it obviously is given that the Executive does not appear to care about conflicts of interest.

[Michael P]

What's the heuristic about bills that spell out someone's name?

[Bwaaah]

In my observations, that heuristic hasn't been wrong yet.

[Drewski]

Very good idea, terrible name for the bill. It seems unserious and gives MAGA media cover to call it a bill of attainder (it's not, of course, but it will sound plausible to a lot of people).

[Sarcastr0]

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/03/irish-american-heritage-month-2025/

I see the DEI ban doesn't include the Irish.

Just Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, and stuff like that.

[Frank Drackman]

I guess you don't see too good.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/01/national-black-history-month-2025/

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
"Today, I am very honored to recognize February 2025 as National Black History Month.

Every year, National Black History Month is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history.

Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways. American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, and countless others represent what is best in America and her citizens. Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans. We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow.

This National Black History Month, as America prepares to enter a historic Golden Age, I want to extend my tremendous gratitude to black Americans for all they have done to bring us to this moment, and for the many future contributions they will make as we advance into a future of limitless possibility under my Administration.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2025 as National Black History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth"

[Mr. Bumble]

Whether he has vision problems or not is irrelevant. His real problem is that he is a douche.

[apedad]

Resorting to the ad hominem fallacy is evidence that one has lost the argument.

(H/T Dr. Ed 2!)

[Michael P]

That wasn't an ad hominem fallacy, it was just pointing out one of Gaslight0's fundamental problems.

[Mr. Bumble]

In case you've missed it:
Douche
someone who is more than a jerk, tends to think he's top notch, does stuff that is pretty brainless, thinks he is so much better than he really is, and is normally pretty good at ticking people off in an immature way.

[Stella Link the dog]

"Douche
someone who is more than a jerk, tends to think he's top notch, does stuff that is pretty brainless, thinks he is so much better than he really is, and is normally pretty good at ticking people off in an immature way."

Sounds like Trump.

[Riva]

Funny how the trolls never reply when they’re exposed as lying clowns. That’s because they’re just trolls.

[Commenter_XY]

I guess you don't see too good.

He was wearing his special (D)ecoder glasses. 😉

[Don Nico]

Why don't you like corned beef and cabbage.

[Mr. Bumble]

Not so much but I do like soda bread.

[Sarcastr0]

A delicious, easy meal.

[Don Nico]

At least we agree about something!

[Sarcastr0]

I'm sure we agree on plenty of stuff. Just not politics, and this is a politics forum.

Don't mistake this Forum for real life.

At least for most posters. Some do seem like this is their whole life and they're like their posting persona all the time. But most folks no.

[Don Nico]

"I'm sure we agree on plenty of stuff."
That could be because I spend a lot of time outside the US and don't watch US media. Ones opinion about politics is influenced by that.

[Sarcastr0]

I’m a big UK media fan.

I don’t think that makes me more informed than others.

You have bot standard Republican opinions, tending Trump apologist among them.

[Kazinski]

I had a co-worker that was Irish, she said she never ate corned beef and cabbage until she came to the US.

[bernard11]

I like cabbage OK, but corned beef is best eaten on rye bread, with a good brown mustard and some pickle.

[Don Nico]

C'mon bernard. A proper corned beef hash is also something worth enjoying.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

" Today, I am very honored to recognize February 2025 as National Black History Month."

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/01/national-black-history-month-2025/

I acknowledge the confusion; it seems very DEI.

[Someone noted this, but some might have blocked him.]

[Sarcastr0]

Hah. Cancelled by agencies like DIA, but not by the White House itself.

I should have checked the WH itself; why I would expect consistency across the executive agencies?

[Bob from Ohio]

"Cancelled by agencies like DIA, but not by the White House itself."

Shocking! Its like the President has political and civil responsibilities that agencies don't.

[Sarcastr0]

Tough out there for Trumpist publications.

Heritage in 2018: https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/tariffs-are-never-good-idea-those-aluminum-are-especially-bad

Then they deleted it yesterday.
https://web.archive.org/web/20250306152458/https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/tariffs-are-never-good-idea-those-aluminum-are-especially-bad

But after that got noticed they put it back up today.

Being a tool is not for the fainthearted these days!

[Krayt]

That would make a fun project for an intern: Write a web scraper to save copies of all linked pages on certain sites every day, then have a control panel describe changes. You could look for memory holing.

Wait. Isn't memory holing something the right critizes the left over?

I'm so confused.

I have a .gif of John Hurt putting pieces of paper into a little incinerator. Too bad we can't post pictures here.

[hobie]

Serious question:

Exactly what is the MAGA rationale for gutting the IRS? I get all the other hatreds which are invariably based on fear or power

[Moderation4ever]

As you guessed it is hatred direct at a party that has little to do with what MAGA is angry about. In the same way MAGA don't understand tariffs are paid by AMericans, they don't understand that Congress levies the Income Tax not the IRS.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Biden hired 74,000 new IRS agents and Trumped fired them.
We're back where we started.

Remember that only probationary employees can be summarily fired.

[Mr. Bumble]

How about IRS employees who are tax cheats?

[Joe_dallas]

One the acts passed by congress during the biden administration was an increased IRS budget to hire 70k-80k new IRS employees. I dont know the number of IRS employees hired under that act, but probably less than 20k.

[Mr. Bumble]

No matter the number, the question is why?
If we are going to have an IRS the money would better be spent on updating obsolete systems.

[Joe_dallas]

I would be happy if the agents would go back to the field offices to work instead of working from home. phone calls to the irs go to the call center then get routed to the agents homes which results in high phone call drop rates along with bad internet connections to the irs taxpayer data files.

[David Nieporent]

Biden hired 74,000 new IRS agents

He did not.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

Ed: Probationary employees cannot be "summarily fired." They have less protection than longer serving employees, but not none. This will become evident in some of the upcoming court cases.

[bernard11]

Apparently the deficit tigers don't think we need an efficient IRS. Not only are they going to cut taxes, they are working hard to prevent collection of those in place.

[Brett Bellmore]

Minimizes the trouble down the road when we abolish the income tax?

[hobie]

Ah. Sort of like: get rid of doctors in anticipation of curing disease at some point. Makes sense

[Brett Bellmore]

I guess it's a question of what exactly they would have been doing. The IRS doesn't just impartially administer tax laws, unfortunately.

[Mr. Bumble]

See Lois Lerner.

[bernard11]

Oh stop it with Lois Lerner.

You had one person doing something which might be dubious (and BTW, don't forget that a lot of the organizations were in fact breaking the law) and you blame the entire agency.

And tell me , Brett, when you abolish the income tax, what will you replace it with? Tariffs? Dumbest idea ever.

[Commenter_XY]

Consumption tax. Tax consumption, not income.

[David Nieporent]

Assuming for the sake of argument that this is a good idea — and I mean that sincerely, not as a rhetorical turn of phrase — you understand that it still requires an IRS to enforce it, right?

[Commenter_XY]

It would not, actually. States can do POS collection, and treasury can intake and disburse the money.

There is a LOT more consumption than income.

[Sarcastr0]

Who will staff the state collection effort?

[hobie]

Sarcastr0, maybe the Red Hat Militia can. Them cop-beating heavies can put the enforcement back in enforcement

[Magister]

There isn't more consumption than income for all the people who live paycheck to paycheck, and consumption is a regressive tax because of that (and because it starts on the first consumption). Over time, very few can consume more than their income.

[Commenter_XY]

Sarcastr0, are you obtuse? = Who will staff the state collection effort?

Where are sales taxes collected, POS (point of sale)? The same people who do it today, will do it tomorrow. For remittance, it is one more routing number to send payment from state to fed.

[David Nieporent]

I suggest you re-read Printz v. U.S.

[Sarcastr0]

Where are sales taxes collected, POS (point of sale).

Think for a moment what extra expenses there might be if sales taxes go up a lot, making prices go up a lot.

And think of who needs to collect the taxes from those points of sale, and how that's enforced.

Things are never so simple as you make them.

And that ignores the awful economic incentive scheme that sets up.

[Don Nico]

I have to agree that the regressive nature of VAT and sales taxes are unfairly regressive.
Some of that can be mitigated if basic necessities (such as food) are exempted.

[bernard11]

Consumption taxes are highly regressive, unless you start fooling around with various exemptions and allowances and then you're right back with an IRS. And what are you going to do about payroll taxes?

Besides, you need someone to collect the money, process all those forms from retailers - another damn form for the local retailer to fill out - and of course conduct audits.

And the POS business is not as simple as you imagine. Do you tax everything? Medical expenses? What about business expenditures?

[Commenter_XY]

How do retailers remit state taxes collected today? No need to change it, use the same process.

[David Nieporent]

Are you under the impression that states do not have sales tax collection and enforcement?

[bernard11]

Do you think the federal government ought to just trust the state revenue departments to do the work and not worry at all?

And remember state sales tax vary, both in their rates and in exemptions, special cases, by localities, and so on.

[bernard11]

The IRS doesn't just impartially administer tax laws, unfortunately.

No? I mean, they can be used for unscrupulous purposes (see Nixon, Richard M.) but by and large that is what they do.

As for Ms. Lerner,

1. The accusations were somewhat overblown.
2. The fact that you have to go back that far to find what you consider misconduct is more telling than the misconduct itself.

[Commenter_XY]

More like cutting away necrotic tissue before excising the festering abscess.

[Mr. Bumble]

You realize some of us are having breakfast, or were.

[bernard11]

It's interesting how you like to describe real people as "necrotic tissue," or as vomit.

[Frank Drackman]

Same rationale the East Germans had for gutting the Stasi, which isn't fair.
To the Stasi

[Armchair]

The IRS is used as a political tool to target opponents?

[Moderation4ever]

Please cite where this has actually happened.

[Armchair]

https://www.npr.org/2017/10/27/560308997/irs-apologizes-for-aggressive-scrutiny-of-conservative-groups

[Sarcastr0]

Again the 2017 IRS saying that the IRS before Trump was very bad isn’t really great support for much.

[Commenter_XY]

I dunno, is a IRS contractor leaking 400K tax returns not enough to convince you? Then nothing will.

[Sarcastr0]

Dunno how that relates to "IRS is used as a political tool to target opponents."

Can't convince me by changing the topic.

[bernard11]

Leaking tax returns?

Isn't DOGE running around demanding access to tax returns? Do you object to that?

Do you imagine that under your plan no one will leak confidential data?

[Moderation4ever]

This apology was made during the first Trump administration, and I suspect it was forced on the IRS by that administration. I think that tax exempt status is acceptable for organizations that provide a definable contribution, like soup kitchens and shelters. I also think that too many organizations are given tax exempt status for little more than the asking. This included pop-ups from the Tea Party Movement. Again, this is not an IRS problem but a problem where Congress has provided poor guidance.

[Frank Drackman]

OK, It's National Pubic Radio, but even they get shit right once in awhile (when they aren't trying to steal my car or sell me one of those gay tote bags)
https://www.npr.org/2017/10/27/560308997/irs-apologizes-for-aggressive-scrutiny-of-conservative-groups

[hobie]

Frankie 'Wounded Warrior' Drackman, America's Neediest Veteran, I find it amusing that you and Armchair had to look up why it is you want to dismantle the IRS

[Ska]

Bookmarking this response for the next time someone asks for a citation, and then the commenter foolishly posts one.

[Frank Drackman]

We put up a link documenting IRS Abuses, you know, Abuses, like when HOBIE certain HOBIE peoples HOBIE steal HOBIE Veteran's HOBIE "Valor" HOBIE.
You should know a sizeable number of Veteran's are Afro-Amuricans, and they take a dim view on anybody stealing any of their stuff, especially some condom-scending prick like you.
Like a Conservative is just a Liberal who's been mugged, wait until you've been "mugged" by the IRS, I'll take the regular mugging thank you, you'll turn into a regular David Koresh

[Bwaaah]

You're like a fat guy who says, "No...I couldn't possibly" to a french fry.

[Riva]

What is the democrat rationale for empowering and expanding the IRS?

[hobie]

Revenue to fund Israel?

[Riva]

Not even close little liberal fascist. But to the extent tax dollars support the elimination of the baby killing Hamas animals, I'm all for it.

Actually though, the answer is that democrats love the IRS because they're infatuated with taxing us back to the stone age. Good idea, stay the course. Democrats should remain a permanent minority party where we can safely laugh at them.

[Riva]

Oh forgot to add that Democrats also love the IRS because they've corrupted it as a weapon to use against political opponents. And it's pretty rewarding for the bureaucratic slugs that do the dirty work. Ask Lois Lerner and her pension.

[Kazinski]

Maybe it was the IRS denying 403c status to conservative non-profits.

Or deciding to audit Pete Hegseth right after he was nominated as SecDef.

Or maybe it was the IRS retaliating against the two IRS whistleblowers after the told Congress that the DOJ and IRS were sand bagging the Hunter prosecution.

Or maybe its just nobody likes the IRS, and having to either fill out their forms or hire someone else to do it.

And thanks a lot for reminding me I have to do my taxes.

[EllaWilson]

I didn't vote for Fauci.

[Moderation4ever]

Fauci was nothing more than an advisor to the President, there are many of these advisors. If you have beefs take it to Fauci's boss the elected President.

[Krayt]

Did you say Fauci or Musk?

[Moderation4ever]

It would apply to either one as anything they do is sanctioned by the boss.

[bernard11]

I didn't vote for Musk.

[hobie]

"Two Army Soldiers Are Accused of Selling Military Secrets"

Amateurs. Pros just display them for free to friends and guests

[Frank Drackman]

OK, I guess insulting Soldiers who've been accused of a crime is better than stealing their Valor.

[Riva]

Nope, pros make a shitload of money, minus the Big Guy’s 10 %.

[Moderation4ever]

SpaceX had another unscheduled rapid disassembly of its Starship rocket. I again state my belief that the Starship rocket is too ambitious a project. It may be possible in future with more technological development, but that is far off, and it will never be a reliable system in my lifetime. I am very late 60s. SpaceX has good systems, and I would focus my business on those and skip the super rocket.

[Armchair]

Advancement means willing to accept failure. If you're too risk adverse to accept that some of your early efforts may fail, then you'll never advance.

Remember, the first 3 launches of Falcon 1 all failed. Your philosophy would mean killing SpaceX at birth.

[Sarcastr0]

I don't follow SpaceX (though I am skeptical of commercial space being a viable market).

I will note that while the Russians kept trying to push the bleeding edge as far as possible in each of their launches, NASA decided to slow things up a bit with their Gemini missions, which were more about consolidating understanding than trying to push the engineering to it's maximum.

That turned out to be the right answer.

It's hard to know when to push and when not to. I do think private businesses can do it; but the current dominant business culture is not well situated for that kind of slow down so you can figure out how not to break things.

[Armchair]

"I don't follow SpaceX "

Then perhaps you shouldn't comment.

[Mr. Bumble]

Douche
someone who is more than a jerk, tends to think he's top notch, does stuff that is pretty brainless, thinks he is so much better than he really is, and is normally pretty good at ticking people off in an immature way.
Explains a lot, doesn't it?

[Sarcastr0]

I thought you would take my disclaimer and be shitty about it.

There are general lessons learned about space innovation and American business that seem on point.

If there is a SpaceX specific reason the above doesn’t apply that’s legit, given my disclaimer.
But you would need to point it out not just be a dismissive ass.

[Mr. Bumble]

Douche!

[Sarcastr0]

Any thoughts on the substance of my post about the differential between modern business practices and what's been successful in space innovation in the past?

[grb]

As to the substance, I think you're right in principle but would quibble over some supporting examples. For instance, as someone with a fanatical interest in the U.S. space program up thru Apollo (having lived thru the period), I would say the Gemini missions were extraordinarily aggressive in pushing technology.

As for SpaceX, they'll probably be able to work out the fundamental problems with Starship. But there's a great range of degree here. Their spaceship and launch system might become another Shuttle : So far advanced it can't be considered acceptably safe for regular human use. It will probably prove too complex to meet the dreams of SpaceX fanboys, who foresee a space launch system as regular and reliable as modern air travel.

Three Points :

1. That's the worst-case. You kinda have to go there because SpaceX fanboys usually refuse to see anything beyond the absolute rosiest scenarios.

2. But the company does have a history of extraordinary accomplishments.

3. Plus the Starship system could be an advance even if achieves only 60-70% of its objectives.

[Sarcastr0]

My understanding is academic - took a lot of space policy courses back in the day before I switched to broader fundamental science. Big Trump fan, my prof.

With that proviso, Gemini was controversial because we knew we could do it, even if nailing down the particulars was as you sad incredibly fast-moving and aggressive.

The cosmonaut program, by contrast, did all sorts of stuff they didn't know if they could do. They paid for it in cosmonaut lives, but it was a closed military program so that was just a security problem not a PR issue.

So the USSR pushed the engineering farther. But by not taking time to consolidate their gains into a solid base of engineering practice, they ended up slowing their progress.

I'd love to see a return of the shuttle program. The OG shuttle program before the development costs were cut way down. But is the market there? Dunno if government would pay for that, and dunno if the cost point could get down low enough for merely multimillionaires to take advantage.
This is not a SpaceX issue, this is a fundamental issue with commercial space's demand signal being a mix of government, civilian, and military/intel. All with different demand structures.

To foot stomp once again because some on there will see otherwise - what I'm bringing up is not SpaceX specific. The commercial space demand signal issue, and the engineering development pacing not aligning with current 'blitzscaling' business culture, are issues with the sector generally.

[Armchair]

"Any thoughts on the substance of my post "

Nope. You've already noted you're ignorant about SpaceX. The substance is uninformed.

[Sarcastr0]

General knowledge is a thing that exists.

Had a great discussion with grb above.

[Moderation4ever]

Falcons were not the large lifting body that the Starship is intended to be. Rocket technology is currently excellent. What I am suggesting is that current technology will not support large rockets like Starship. Clearly rockets larger than Flacon can and have been built. What is unclear is can they be built as large as Starship?

[Armchair]

"What is unclear is can they be built as large as Starship?"

I mean...they build Saturn V's..more than 60 years ago. And those are in the same size class.

[Frank Drackman]

You'd have stopped the Moon program after the Apollo 1 disaster.

[Moderation4ever]

You might add Apollo 13 to your list. Apollo 1 was the capsule and Apollo 13 the service module. Neither of these were large rockets. BTW - when do you next think we will see the Boeing capsule.?

[Frank Drackman]

Apollo 1 didn't even leave the launching pad (it wasn't supposed to, it was a training session) apparently the Genei at NASA missed the Mr. Wizard Episode where he demonstrated how flammable pure Oxygen is (and not good for your lungs either) but hey, it worked fine with Mercury and Gemini.
Until it didn't.
In their defense, it is more complicated to provide a 21% Oxygen 79% Nitrogen Atmosphere, and more weight that has to be carried on a 500,000 mile round trip.
Best part of Apollo 13 is when the CO2 Absorbers for the Lunar Module don't fit the Housing in the Command Module and they have to (redacted) Rig an adapter
"Step #1, take the Flight Manual, tear the cover off"

Frank

[grb]

Moderation4ever : "...when do you next think we will see the Boeing capsule?"

Two Things:

1. Boeing should be able to (somewhat) easily resolve the last issues with Starliner. Skepticism & mistrust aside, they should be able to get full NASA certification so it's a second system for U.S. astronauts to achieve orbit. But there's a lot of speculation that they're ready to write-off Starliner altogether.

2. Here's an interesting site for those interested in space stuff: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/

The forum has many a naïf amateur observer like me, but real rocket scientists as well. Its topics dig deep into details you'll seldom see in regular media. It's obsessively moderated, so is generally civil and on-topic. It has its own culture (SpaceX fanboys being a world unto themselves) but is informative for the casually interested.

[Brett Bellmore]

I would have said the dubious part wss catching a booster the size of a skyscraper with arms on the side of another skyscraper, but they seem not to be having trouble with that.

My guess is that some sort of acoustic resonance in the interstage is damaging the engines during the hot staging. A lot of engine failures end up being due to resonance, and the interstage is not nearly as open as you see on Russian rockets that do hot staging.

Anyway, I expect that, within a year Starship will be flying payloads and with unprecedented economy.

[grb]

Brett Bellmore : "Anyway, I expect that, within a year Starship will be flying payloads and with unprecedented economy"

1. Starship will probably be flying payloads within a year, if only Musk's own Starlink.

2. I think it's going to be a very, very long time before Starship is human rated by any normal process.

3. I'm not sure whether Starship will be more economical than SpaceX's own Falcon system for equal payloads - with these caveats: First, it may well be. I'm just uncertain over that. Second, Starship can obviously carry much larger tonnage and therefore bundle payloads. But I'm not sure how economic and effective Starship's greater capacity will prove in the day-to-day business of buying satellite launches.

[Krayt]

For this launch, regarding the previous failed launch, they proudly announced they instituted a fire suppression system in some gap area, flooding it with nitrogen or something.

Well, that's good, but, ummm, no talk on why it happened in the first place?

[Brett Bellmore]

Failed weld, apparently.

[DaveM]

This is a weird take, given this is the eighth test flight and the third to catch the booster. So, obviously not "too" ambitious, it's not as if there has been no progress.

[Moderation4ever]

Starship has about a 50% success rate and it will have to get a lot better. Definitely need to get better to carry people and likely need to get better to carry nonhuman payloads. I am simply questioning if the technology is good enough to meet the reliability needed for human and nonhuman payloads. Especially as there is plenty of lifting power available for most payloads.

[Krayt]

They have their version 3 Raptor engine coming up, which should largely resolve this issue anyway.

These were still v2s.

This is some astounding improvement regimen.

[Kazinski]

I actually know the guy who ran NASA's Orion program, and before that was flight director of the space shuttle missions for a while.

While I haven't talked to him for a while, he is working for a European startup making payload capsules that can work with either Artemis, Spacex, Blue Origin or any other launch platform, so there is a lot of confidence he can make it work.

As for the Spacex Starship, they caught the first stage again, so that was successful, what went wobbly is the controlled water landing they had in the Indian Ocean way off Australia because they hadn't tested it before and they wanted to be far away from anyplace habited.

But don't miss the capability they just demonstrated, except for sticking the landing, they were actually turning the ship to land when two engines failed and they lost control, as I understand it. But they already showed they can do that with the booster catch.

"The Flight 8 plan called for Ship to deploy four payloads — dummy versions of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites — on its suborbital trajectory about 17.5 minutes after liftoff before coming in for a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean off of Western Australia roughly 50 minutes later."

They sent a vehicle eventually capable of carrying 100 people and 100 tons of equipment to the other side of the earth in less than an hour and land anyplace there is flat ground.

And that seems to be one of the goals, this was from 2022, so I suppose you have to give Biden credit, not Elon:

"Starship Troopers: Pentagon wants rocket-launched soldiers anywhere on earth in hours
The DoD and SpaceX are teaming up to send huge payloads of troops and gear anywhere on earth in an hour."

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/pentagon-rocket-launched-soldiers-anywhere-earth-hours/

[Brett Bellmore]

" they were actually turning the ship to land when two engines failed and they lost control, as I understand it."

Actually, engines started failing about 20 seconds before the end of the orbital insertion burn. When they lost the middle engines, (That are on gymbals.) they lost attitude control, and with only one engine burning on one side, the rocket went into a rapidly accelerating tumble.

This caused them to lose antenna lock, and telemetry. The scuttling charge was triggered, and the rocket blew up, and reentered as a cloud of debris.

[Armchair]

In other news, everyone's favorite first son is back in the news. Hunter Biden.

Now, Hunter suddenly wants to withdraw from the numerous lawsuits he filed against people because he doesn't have the financial resources to continue.... Hmm... I suppose Hunter's paintings just aren't selling like they used to.

But some of the people Hunter sued may not want such a dismissal. They've had to pay lots in terms of legal costs...and they may want those costs back from Hunter & friends.

https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/hunter-biden-asks-judge-dismiss-laptop-data-case-citing-limited-financial

[Frank Drackman]

All that Cocaine and Hookers aren't cheap.

[Sarcastr0]

Obsessed.

[Joe_dallas]

Agreed that hunter should be paying hunter's defendants for their legal defense.
However, it depends on whether the statutes provide any means for the defendent to recover the legal fees. Often those recoveries of legal fees are quite limited.

more importantly, Assuming the defendents are awarded the recovery of legal fees ( a big if), Hunter has no money and no longer has a viable source of revenue - no family members with important positions to use. His inheritance most likely is going into trust which is not avaible to creditors (assuming that Joe's will has already been written with that provision or that Joe has capacity to sign a new will with that provision).

bottom line - hunter is now perpetually judgement proof

[Armchair]

Well, perhaps bankruptcy hearings would reveal the true extent of Hunter's wealth?

[Mr. Bumble]

"...or that Joe has capacity to sign a new will with that provision)."
Did he take the Auto-pen with him when he left the White House?

https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/03/06/bombshell-discovery-could-make-all-of-bidens-presidential-actions-null-and-void-n4937648

[Joe_dallas]

Auto pen - Hmm?

an act of congress doesnt become law until signed by the president (unless veto override).
A- if he didnt sign the law, then how is that requirement met?
B - Is an autopen a valid signature ? is an autopen a valid signature if the supposed signer wasnt the one that used the autopen?
c - if the person (the president) lack capacity as defined under applicable state law, is his signature valid? though getting a declaration that a person lacked capacity at a prior point in time is near impossible.

[David Nieporent]

an act of congress doesnt become law until signed by the president (unless veto override).

That is, of course, wrong. An act of congress does become law unless the president vetoes it within 10 days, except in the case where congress adjourns first (which is known as a "pocket veto"):

If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

[Joe_dallas]

DN - Why omit the full text of the clause?

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

[Kazinski]

I think DN has it exactly right, he quoted the most salient part.

So if Autopen signings are not valid, then the bill still becomes law after 10 days, if there was no adjournment, which Congress doesn't do much of these days because it enables recess appointments.

That leaves executive orders, and I'm not sure what the courts will rule.on that.

[David Nieporent]

DN - Why omit the full text of the clause?

Because the rest of it isn't relevant to the point, whereas the part I quoted directly addresses it? (It's not like I'm hiding something obscure; the whole constitution is pretty readily available online.) Unless Congress adjourns w/in 10 days, a bill becomes law whether the president signs it or drops it behind the sofa and can't find it again; he must affirmatively veto it for it not to be law.

[Magister]

What does the rest of that text add? Without overriding a veto, bills become law without the president's signature if he doesn't return them within the ten days, unless Congress has adjourned.

[Mr. Bumble]

"bottom line - hunter is now perpetually judgement proof"
...and apparently homeless thanks to the LA fires.

[not guilty]

In federal court a district judge can condition a voluntary dismissal without prejudice on the plaintiff's reimbursement of the defendant's fees. If the plaintiff moves for voluntary dismissal with prejudice, however, the court has no discretion but to grant the motion.

[Joe_dallas]

reasonable federal rule, though in Hunter's case, he is still judgement proof, or very close to it.

[bernard11]

More hot news from John Solomon?

[Kazinski]

Well I think we will be seeing more of that, because unlike the AP Solomon is actually allowed in the Whitehouse, and people will actually talk.to him.

[bernard11]

And the very fact that he is so allowed, despite being a dishonest small potatoes "journalist" means you can't trust a word he says.

Simple question, Kazinski:

How likely is Solomon to report anything negative he hears about Trump?

[Kazinski]

That's CNN's, and the APs job, not Solomon's.

You know what they say, if you want a vigorous adversarial press vote Republican.

[Sarcastr0]

You seem fine with a press corps that's all Trump propagandists.

Which, considering you're an uncritical Comer stenographer, checks out.

[Bwaaah]

Hey Troll...you remember when you said the President can't do anything about border crossings? That it's out of his hands? That Congress controls that? Do you remember that, Troll?

[Kazinski]

How can I be fine with a press corp that's all Trump propaganda until I see one?

There is still CNN, NBC, ABC,CBS, BBC, ABC (the other one), NPR (for now), MSNBC (for now), NYT, WaPo, etc.

And you are upset by one John Solomon, and a few bloggers, and Fox News, NYPOST, to provide some balance.

Don't beclown yourself.

[David Nieporent]

and people will actually talk.to him.

The same Russian agents who talked to him before? The ones he forgot to disclose were his actual sources, leading to the Hill firing him?

[tylertusta]

I suppose Hunter's paintings just aren't selling like they used to.

Oh shucks! I wonder what could have caused the collapse in demand for his paintings. There must have been something that happened, but it will probably remain one of life's big mysteries.

[grb]

tylertusta : "I wonder what could have caused the collapse in demand for his paintings."

Likewise, you might wonder what could have caused the demand for Trump's memecoin scam. It's similar to Hunter's paintings in being a completely worthless product - with many of its buyers interested only in toadying-up to power. Indeed, I think it a safe bet that Hunter's paintings will hold more value (however microscopic) ten years hence that Trump's will.

Of course there are differences if you're interested :

1. Trump's scam involves millions of dollars.
2. Trump's scam involves the President, not some wastrel son.
3. Trump's scam allows secret payments for pay-to-play with zero transparency.

[David Nieporent]

Also, a painting is at least a tangible thing. For good or ill, you can hang it in your hallway and say, "I have a Hunter Biden original." Trump is selling vapor.

[Brett Bellmore]

That's actually true. While I don't think his paintings are worth remotely what he was getting for them, I wouldn't turn up my nose at them if I came across one at Olde Time Pottery. For a depraved crackhead, he's actually a workmanlike artist. Not $30K a crack good, but not terrible either.

You can't help but wonder what sort of life he'd have made for himself with if he'd grown up in a more normal family.

NFTs are, by contrast, utterly worthless.

[Armchair]

"That's actually true."

Yeah....you can burn one of Hunter's paintings for warmth

[ducksalad]

Huh. I'd never looked, but after reading your comment I decided to google it.

They are actually not that bad for modern art. I was expecting random splashes or crude representations, but they look like some effort went into them. I've seen worse stuff get a ribbon at regional art contests.

But as you say, at $30K some kind of influence scam is still the best explanation.

[Kazinski]

Meme coins are ridiculous and if the Trump organization promoted them as an investment then the SEC should investigate, prosecute and disgorge.

But we all know people get crazy about collectables without any rational basis, 200k for baseball cards for example(actually 12.6m for a 1952 Lucky Mantle). I remember when my then boss considered her "$45,000" dollar Beanie Baby as part of her retirement portfolio.

Here is a 450k set of Pokemon cards at Sotheby's, among other absurdities.

https://www.google.com/search?q=most+expensive+price+for+pokemon+card&oq=most+expensive+price+for+pokemon+card&sourceid=silk&ie=UTF-8#piu=ps:57

Sure the Trump Org is taking advantage of stupid people, but its not fraud, or pay to play.

[Alpheus W Drinkwater]

How do you know that? There is no way for us to know who is buying Trump's meme coins.

[Moderation4ever]

Well tariffs are back off. Does anyone else feel like their investments in the stock market are in a Squid Games version of Red Light-Green Light? President Trump is woefully ignorant on the subject of tariffs, and it might help for him to get a little educated. Then he might develop a long-term consistent policy on foreign trade. He might even learn that foreign trade is actually a good thing for this country.

[Mr. Bumble]

Apparently you know as much about foreign trade as you do about rockets.

[bernard11]

He knows a lot more than you or Trump.

I bet he doesn't think the exporter pays the tariff.

[Mr. Bumble]

...and tell us again why Biden retained Trump's tariffs?

[Frank Drackman]

Damn you and your inconvenient facts!

[bernard11]

Did you hear me defending that?

It was bad policy, IMO. I suspect there was some sort of political motivation, since so many morons love tariffs, but still a bad move.

You know, unlike the Trumpists, not everyone likes and defends everything their preferred politicians do.

[hobie]

I read that a lot of pro investors are recognizing this a an intentional pump and dump scheme to buy and sell on the roller coaster. Could just be coincidence

[Mr. Bumble]

What does Nancy Pelosi say?

[Frank Drackman]

"Bartender? Another Double!"

[Commenter_XY]

Sigh, this is getting to be a regular occurrence. I speak, of course, of purveying financial pornography wrt investments. M4e, I just have to assume you're just unaware of American stock market history.

https://www.morningstar.com/economy/what-weve-learned-150-years-stock-market-crashes

Please look at the market crash timeline chart. Do you know what I see? I see up and to the right since ~1870. As an aside, if you look at the table in the article, you'll see how badly The Cauliflower and team incompetently mismanaged the economy in terms of real losses.

Investing is easy mathematically, but hard emotionally. The point is, for investors, the long term direction of US stock market is just fine. It also means you are never happy with your portfolio. Example: right now, bond investors holding a TBM mutual fund are doing fine, and so are investors with tot intl index funds. (NB: I own both).

I don't think seeing intra-year movement of 20% to 30% is all that unusual. Nobody has a crystal ball. Just have a plan, stay with your plan, and keep investing. I prefer low cost index mutual funds (not ETFs). Tune out the noise.

[Moderation4ever]

Historically the stock market has done well because it adapts well to economic conditions. The market took a big hit when the COVID19 pandemic started but quickly adapted and was rising again. What I am suggesting is that the on again off again strategy of the second Trump administration may be too much for the market to handle. People will see too many swings and will shy away and look for more reliable investments.

[Commenter_XY]

M4e, the market rises or falls on future perceptions, and has very little to do with government strategy.

Your suggestion is misplaced, when viewed against reality = What I am suggesting is that the on again off again strategy of the second Trump administration may be too much for the market to handle. -- it is actually financial porn (noise). Look at the chart. We've had ~20 presidents since 1870. Not a single one was too much for the market.

Investing is easy, but managing emotions is not. And the lack of emotional control kills 95%+ of investors' performance; they are their own worst enemy.

Make a plan, a simple one. Low cost index funds are a Godsend to retail investors. Just pick your allocation (60/40 is pretty good!), set it and forget it, and keep investing.

[grb]

Economics 101 as taught in every junior high school says markets hate uncertainty. All the Cult excuses in the world won't change that simplest of facts.

[Commenter_XY]

You're right....markets do hate uncertainty. So do I! Consequently, I only bet on sure things, grb. You what is a sure thing for that high-schooler in Econ 101?

A low cost, US TSM fund is about a sure a thing as you will ever get, long-term. I know, I know...too simple. There are boatloads of MAGA-Cult investors who do that....millions of them, in fact.

[bernard11]

A low cost, US TSM fund is about a sure a thing as you will ever get, long-term.

Well, no. A treasury bond is much surer. Of course they don't offer the same average returns* as the stock market, but that comes with risk - fluctuations. As I recall the standard deviation of annual S&P 500 returns is about 15%, so you could get nailed.

And of course that average is not guaranteed. Markets move in response to events, interest rates, economic policy in generally. It seems to me that Trump's economic policies are very unwise, so I am concerned, and have trimmed my stock portfolio a bit.

*
Friend of Groucho: What do you invest in, Groucho?
Groucho: Treasury bills mostly.
Friend: But they don't pay much, do they?
Groucho: They do if you have enough of them.

[Commenter_XY]

Over a 50 year investing horizon, I'll take TSM over bonds every single time. It is not even close.

[bernard11]

Yes. So will I.

But just because that's a better bet doesn't mean it carries less risk than Treasuries.

[bernard11]

As an aside, if you look at the table in the article, you'll see how badly The Cauliflower and team incompetently mismanaged the economy in terms of real losses.

First, could we stop with the stupid insulting names. It's a really tiresome and unamusing habit you have.

Second, no. Biden did not mismanage the economy. We had in fact a quite strong economy in 2024. The Economist called it "the envy of the world."

If you want to see economic mismanagement, look at Trump's policies.

[Commenter_XY]

Would you prefer turnip? I chose cauliflower b/c it is white (signifying nothing in it), looks like a brain, is dull and tasteless, and describes the mental and emotional capabilities of many of Cauliflower's supporters as well. Weren't you one of those loudly proclaiming The Cauliflower's cognitive capabilities were just fine. Not quite simping like Joe Scarborough, but something within spitting distance. You will never, ever live that down....you and all your friends.

The Cauliflower was a terrible president. I called him the second coming of Jimmy Carter, sans morals. I clearly overestimated him and gravely insulted Pres Carter (sorry Jimmy!).

All you really need to do is see the fruit of Joe's tree. Contrast that with POTUS Trump. That tells you everything you really need to know.

Give us more economic mismanagement like 45 did, ok? I am good with that. So were voters.

[bernard11]

I prefer "Biden." Just as I prefer "Trump," "Bush," Obama, etc.

There was thread not long ago when some conservative complained about some insulting nickname for Trump - maybe "General Bonespurs." If that's bad, then so is "Cauliflower."

You will never, ever live that down....you and all your friends.

And you and all your friends will never, ever, live down your support and worship of Trump, who will have vastly worse consequences than Biden.

What is "the fruit of Joe's tree that is so awful."

Give us more economic mismanagement like 45 did, ok? I am good with that. So were voters.

If the voters were so happy why wasn't he reelected in 2020? Or are you one of those cultists who thinks he was cheated?

[Magister]

Before Krasnov became the rage, Turnip for Trump could be found in these comments.

Trump economy? Lost jobs, unemployment went up, bigger increase in debt, even before COVID, than almost all presidents. I'm sure some idiot here will insist all the bad stuff was COVID; but Trump had three years to rebuild for pandemic preparation and is most famous for firing the pandemic response team.

The economy does better with Democratic presidents than Republicans; they get elected to fix the disasters put in place by Republicans. Biden was too old to serve another term, and Democrats replaced him as candidate; thinking that predated his election in 2020 or even was disqualifying in his last year in office marks you as one of the rubes eagerly consuming manipulated video and outright lies. Trump had too many issues -- cognitive, competence, mental health, patriotism -- to be a good president in 2017, and has added spiteful vendettas to his list of disqualifications for this term.

[Moderation4ever]

Thank you for pointing out, President Trump poor performance with regard to the economy in his first administration. I feel far too many people allow Trump off the hook and blame the pandemic. They miss Trump missteps before the pandemic and his even larger missteps during the pandemic.

[John F. Carr]

The Biden administration adopted a rule charging fees for emission of methane. Congress just voted to disapprove the rule under the Congressional Review Act. Assuming Trump signs the resolution of disapproval, the EPA will be banned from adopting any substantially similar rule. But a methane emissions fee is required by statute. What happens next? Does the CRA resolution implicitly repeal the requirement to charge a fee?

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/gop-repeal-of-bidens-methane-fee-complicated-by-climate-law

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. I do not worry much about it because its lifetime in the atmosphere is short. If we stop emitting in 2030 instead of 2025 all will be well by 2060. Carbon dioxide lasts a century or more.

[Mr. Bumble]

"Carbon dioxide lasts a century or more."
...and is as important for life on Earth as oxygen and water.

[SRG2]

But that does not address the issue of how much CO2 in the atmosphere gives humans a comfortable environment and how much does not.

[Mr. Bumble]

Are you uncomfortable?

[Don Nico]

One question is the function dependence of the global mean temperature on %tage CO2. Most arguments that I have seen suggest that it is roughly logarithmic. If so, much of the warming damage has already been done.
And more importantly, the billions of people in energy poverty will continue to want energy consumption levels consistent with countries with moderate levels of economic development. So the probability of net-zero is pretty close to zero throughout this century.

[Brett Bellmore]

As I've pointed out before, so long as hugely more people die of too much cold than of too much heat, it's really hard to make the case that the average temperature on Earth is too high.

Especially since global warming mostly consists of the lows going up, not the highs. That's an aspect of it that doesn't get a lot of coverage: It's mostly not about summer heat waves, but rather milder winters and balmier nights.

[SRG2]

It's also about more volatile weather, rising sea levels, drought - which indirectly kills plenty of people., etc.

Perhaps you prefer a world where more people die from heat than cold.

[Kenneth Almquist]

It’s hard to make the case that the average temperature is too high when you ignore all the reasons why global warming is bad and simply look at temperature-related deaths.

Fun fact: People die of too much cold in Kuwait when the temperature there falls below 95°F. For a serious look at of temperature-related deaths and climate change, see https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/chilling-effects

[John F. Carr]

Talking about getting methane or CO2 out of the atmosphere really means reducing levels to about what they were when our ancestors were noble savages.

[Frank Drackman]

Don't like CO2? then stop breathing.

[Don Nico]

CO2 persists for several centuries.

[Mr. Bumble]

Planning on a VERY long life?
Seriously, climate is not controlled by just one factor.

[Magister]

I'm hoping that my descendants will have a livable planet. (Yours too, actually, because I'm not as selfish and murderous as so many on the right.)

[Longtobefree]

And is a thing of joy to every tree on the planet.

[tylertusta]

Does the CRA resolution implicitly repeal the requirement to charge a fee?

I would say so.

What do you call something passed by majorities in both houses of Congress and signed by the President?

A law.

In all seriousness, this is akin to other unfunded mandates for our Federal government.

Congress has passed a law that allows for the collection of fees but then has prohibited the agency from enacting regulations to collect those fees.

[John F. Carr]

Congress only blocked a specific rule. EPA may be legally obliged to come up with a different rule to carry out its mission. I know somebody whose job is giving advice on working around patents. You're not supposed to be able to patent an idea, say "a bacterium that eats polyethylene". You patent a method, say "a bacterium that generates perhydro-3-para-cyclo-plasticase." Nobody else can use that method. Instead others work around it. The idea of taxing methane is still alive. The method has been disapproved.

[tylertusta]

Except that the CRA is worded in such a way as for a motion for disapproval to block any "substantially similar" regulation.

While it's cute to rules-lawyer these kinds of things, you have to understand that the new rule will be challenged in the 5th Circuit in front of a district court judge that is skeptical of the government's policy and that kind of rule construction.

[DixieTune]

https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/judge-beryl-howell-trump-nlrb-firing-rcna195222

This judge has no business hearing anything related to Trump. She presided over many of the 1/6 kangaroo trials, and she lambasted Trump over the pardons. She's so clearly biased that any of her rulings are suspects.

She's also one of the ugliest women I have ever seen.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Harpoons!!!!

[Mr. Bumble]

"She's also one of the ugliest women I have ever seen."
Sort of a mousey looking Hillary.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Watching Monica Lewinsky feel sorry for herself on television, I can not help but conclude that dumb is only half a word.

[Frank Drackman]

Hate to admit it, but I liked the DemoKKKrat's "Choose Your Fighter" Video, like the old "Man Show" with Chicks on trampolines, I could watch AOC jump up and down forever.
That being said, MTG, Tulsi Gabbard, or Nancy Mace would be using Jasmine Crockets Teeth for Earrings.

Frank

[ThePublius]

White House response to the Dem's 'Choose Your Fighter' video:

https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1897787569603002817

Brilliant!

[Dr. Ed 2]

Perkins Coie has lost their security clearance,

Tragic....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/trump-axes-security-clearances-for-law-firm-perkins-coie/ar-AA1ApiVl

[bernard11]

Fuck you, Ed, for cheering on tyranny.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would strip Perkins Coie employees of federal security clearances over the law firm's diversity practices and political activities, as he launched a probe into other legal firms.

[tylertusta]

I'm only surprised that it took him this long to do it.

[Commenter_XY]

I did say this was coming.... 😉

If I am Obama's wingman, I'd start wondering when any law firm I am associated with gets their security clearance pulled. And start wondering just what might be discoverable.

[tylertusta]

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a general rethinking of granting access to classified materials for Big Law firms.

[Mr. Bumble]

Not very civil of you.

[ThePublius]

+1

[bernard11]

True. mea culpa.

[ThePublius]

Flagged, for lack of civility, i.e., use of the f-word.

[Mr. Bumble]

bernard11 is filling in for Jason Cavanaugh.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Good discussion on the abuse of the term "fraud" by someone who himself was charged by the SEC of guilty of fraud in 2018.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/07/doge-fraud-cuts-elon-musk-trump/

["Musk himself was charged with fraud after a 2018 Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into a false claim he had “Funding secured” to take Tesla private for $420 per share. Musk and Tesla agreed to settle the cases against them, each paying separate $20 million fines, and Musk agreed to step down as Tesla board chairman."]

See here to access paywalled articles: https://archive.is/

[Mr. Bumble]

"Musk and Tesla have agreed to settle the charges against them without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations."

[Magister]

I can see that legal defense and the eventual fine might have a greater expected cost that would justify settling, but stepping down as board chairman seems a bit closer to an admission of some wrongdoing, like pleading "no contest".

Apparently Musk also committed some fraud in not disclosing his ownership stake in Twitter had exceeded 5% while he continued to buy stock at a lower price. He could settle that one for anything less than $150 million and come out ahead, if the Trump administration actually pursues the case.

Because Musk failed to timely disclose his beneficial ownership, he was able to make these purchases from the unsuspecting public at artificially low prices, which did not yet reflect the undisclosed material information of Musk’s beneficial ownership of more than five percent of Twitter common stock and investment purpose. In total, Musk underpaid Twitter investors by more than $150 million for his purchases of Twitter common stock during this period.

[Frank Drackman]

Watched "The Thomas Crown Affair" on the Amazons, the Original with Steve McQueen, not the remake with that Poof Pierce Brosnahan, holds up pretty well when you adjust for inflation, and Faye Dunaway, fresh from "Bonnie & Clyde" (is there a hotter line than "Hey Boy-ay!, wat you doin' wit my Mama's car?!")
McQueen playing sort of a young Donald Trump, Real Estate Mogel, robs banks for fun (not himself, has numeous lackeys to do the heavy lifting) masterminds a Bank Robbery netting $2.5million (real money in 1968), also gets to drive a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, Ferrari 275 GTS, Manx Dune Buggy, Glider, and (redacted) Faye Dunaway, playing an Insurance "Investigator" hot on his tail (no typo)
Great Movie, Cheryl Crow should do a song about him, she could call it "Steve McQueen".
McQueen, a former Marine, died way too early of the Mesothelioma, Asbestos you know (and that pack of Luckys a day didn't help)

Frank

[Mr. Bumble]

Well the remake did have Rene Russo which was worth a watch.

[ThePublius]

Indeed, she was hot.

[grb]

Yep.

[Frank Drackman]

OK, she was great in "In the Line of Fire" and even "Rocky & Bullwinkle", it's just that Pierce Brosnahan I can't stand

[grb]

I can never handle Frank's childish babble. Did he mention (yet another) remake is underway?

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/michael-b-jordan-to-direct-thomas-crown-affair-at-amazon-mgm-studios-1236140998/

[Frank Drackman]

No, because it has "Thomas" getting away by "remaking" himself into "Tommasina" the Bank Robbery's been replaced with a Cryptocurrency Scam, and Faye Dunnaway's part is played by Jason Alexander.

[ThePublius]

I find it interesting to compare original films with remakes. In some rare cases the remakes are much better. The Italian Job comes to mind.

[Frank Drackman]

As great as the original "Dawn of the Dead" was, the remake was pretty good also.

[Mr. Bumble]

Most number of remakes?
Hard to find a definitive answer but it seems to be "A Christmas Carol" done nine times. The first in 1901, most recent 2009. Not sure if that counts made for TV movies.
https://screenrant.com/most-remade-movies/

[grb]

It's an interesting question but I'm afraid your guess isn't correct. My first attempt brought this :

"Over fifty films of William Shakespeare's Hamlet have been made since 1900"

But that's probably not true either. And you sell your take short. My search found sixteen Christmas Carol versions, including "Ebenezer" and "A Jetson Christmas Carol". Granted, the last one was only an episode but I'd still clear my schedule to watch't.

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls003028592/

[ThePublius]

This is quite the remarkable scam, of which I had no knowledge until today.

States tax hospitals, and then return the amount taxed in increased Medicaid reimbursements. Then the states get 50% of that back form the federal government to do with as they please. It amounts to $600B per year at this point. This must be stopped!

https://issuesinsights.com/2025/03/07/dems-fight-to-protect-a-600-bil-medicaid-tax-scam-that-joe-biden-tried-to-kill/

[John F. Carr]

That got me thinking of regulated insurance rates. States can pull a lever to adjust any particular rate. In the end insurance companies are going to make money or stop selling insurance. California is running out of levers to pull.

[Zarniwoop]

Screenshot this for reference, because "Enumeration At Birth" (EAB) seems to be a Musk target.

https://www.ssa.gov/faqs/en/questions/KA-10041.html

EAB is a streamlined process by which all live births in hospitals, birth centers, licensed midwives, etc. send forms to the Social Security Administration, and a SSN is assigned. Something like 99% of US births are assigned their SSN this way.

Why is EAB being broken and dismantled? What's DOGE going to replace this process with? Will it be cheaper, more efficient, and or provide better results?

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/06/social-security-starts-requiring-maine-parents-to-visit-an-agency-office-to-register-newborns/

Tech Bro Maoists.

[Zarniwoop]

Well that didn't take long!

https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/07/social-security-reverses-course-will-allow-maine-parents-to-register-their-newborn-at-hospital/

The Social Security Administration on Friday reversed course, rescinding a directive that required Maine parents of newborns to register their children at Social Security offices instead of filling out a form at the hospital.

The mandate was widely panned as being cumbersome, unfair and inefficient, and would have caused some parents to have to drive hours for an appointment to get a Social Security number for their child.

The directive also would have terminated electronic filing of death records at funeral homes.

State officials said the Social Security Administration did not provide any explanation for the abrupt end of the decades old registration process, or for the sudden reversal.

(emphais added) Man, I wasn't even aware of the bolded part until just now. This DOGE flub just got 10 times flubbier!

[grb]

Ed let us down on the Maine news front!

[apedad]

Trump offers pathway to citizenship for South African farmers, families

President Trump is offering an expedited pathway to U.S. citizenship to some South African farmers, calling their treatment in the country “terrible.”

“They are confiscating their LAND and FARMS, and MUCH WORSE THAN THAT,” he wrote in a Friday morning post on Truth Social.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5182189-trump-expedited-citizenship-afrikaners/

The heading is spelled wrong.

It should be C-O-C-K-S-U-C-K-E-R.

FFS, what does Musk have on Trump.

And this is different from the Ukraine how?

[hobie]

"Trump offers pathway to citizenship for South African farmers, families"

The black ones?

[ThePublius]

This, from the European Parliament in 2018:

"In South Africa, white farmers have for years been exposed to an unprecedented wave of violence. Statistically, a farm is attacked every day in South Africa. South Africa has the world’s highest murder rate, but the murder rate among white South Africans is three times higher than the national average, while that of white farmers is six times higher. Often, the victims are tortured and ill-treated for hours before being killed.

Since the end of apartheid in 1994, up to 4 000 white farmers have been murdered. The police investigate these crimes only half-heartedly. The organisation ‘Genocide Watch’ warns of the threat of genocide."

[hobie]

So the whites massacred all the blacks and took their land. Now the blacks massacre the whites and took back all their land. Sounds like everyone down there is a murdering racist. Perfect material for citizenship in the New America

[ThePublius]

That's simply not true, hobie. Perhaps you should read Michener's the Covenant, while a novel, an excellent piece of historical fiction, outlining the history of South Africa. The point is that the Dutch were there, farming, long before many of the black tribe members who subsequently migrated there. The original indigenous inhabitants were primarily pygmies, and I don't think they were treated poorly. There was no massacre of blacks by Dutch South African settlers. There was some amount of killing and poor treatment of blacks by the English, who went to South Africa long after the Dutch had arrived, and, in fact, treated the Dutch very poorly. (My grandfather fought in the second Boer war; so I guess I'm an African American, too.)

Blacks in South Africa, since the end of apartheid and the new government, have indeed been massacring white farmers who have been there, farming, for many generations.

[hobie]

We can humanely relocate the pesky whites to Jordan or Egypt

[Frank Drackman]

You can try, I hear those South African Hillbillies are pretty well armed.

[apedad]

You keep mentioning apartheid but don't discuss this almost 50 YEAR period (1948 - 1994).

Tell us a little about that.

[ThePublius]

I didn't "keep mentioning apartheid," I mentioned it once, as a matter of historical fact. If you have something to add, go right ahead.

[tylertusta]

ActBlue is in trouble, per the NYT. It appears that rats are leaving the sinking ship:

ActBlue, the online fund-raising organization that powers Democratic candidates, has plunged into turmoil, with at least seven senior officials resigning late last month and a remaining lawyer suggesting he faced internal retaliation.

The departures from ActBlue, which helps raise money for Democrats running for office at all levels of government, come as the group is under investigation by congressional Republicans. They have advanced legislation that some Democrats warn could be used to debilitate what is the party’s leading fund-raising operation.

The exodus has set off deep concerns about ActBlue’s future. Last week, two unions representing the group’s workers sent a blistering letter to ActBlue’s board of directors that listed the seven officials who had left. The letter described an “alarming pattern” of departures that was “eroding our confidence in the stability of the organization.”

https://archive.ph/DFegW

[hobie]

"the group is under investigation by congressional Republicans"

Seems like lawfare and the suppression of protected political speech. Citizen United would be rolling in its grave!

[Brett Bellmore]

They're under investigation for perfectly good reason; It appears that they've been facilitating campaign finance violations from almost day one, by serving as a conduit for foreign and fraudulently identified online transactions.

This isn't a new discovery, all that's going on is that people who care are now in charge.

[Commenter_XY]

Swear to God....it always comes down to money, or sex. It is the money, this time. Those seven can all start hiring expensive legal counsel. They'll need it.

[hobie]

Seems like an attack on the principle funding arm of the only viable opposition party.

Speaking of investigations, now that Trump finally has the power to investigate who actually tried to steal the 2020 election, I'm bit surprised that hasn't taken priority

[Magnus Pilatus, MBA, MD, JD, PhDx2]

Why do you think ActBlue is finally getting justice?

[Riva]

Yeah, it’s an “attack” on their funding. If by “attack” you mean stopping Democrats from corruptly funneling gov’t monies to themselves.

[David Nieporent]

It appears that

Many people are saying!

[Mr. Bumble]

Is that like "everyone knows"?

[Magister]

It's blander and more information free, like most Bumble comments. It's why Trump uses it so much.

[bernard11]

Lawfare!!!

I'm sure Comer will have some juicy (manufactured) stories.

[tylertusta]

The lawfare hasn't even started. Requests for information aren't burdensome as even in this case ActBlue was able to provide a response. No serious investigation has even happened yet.

Since the first instinct of their leadership and lawyers was to jump ship, I'll bet this wasn't a case about them being lawfare'd out of work.

[hobie]

If the leaders of ActBlue were to just declare political candidacy, then it will automatically render as lawfare. Then you're stuck, Tyler

[tylertusta]

"Checkmate, conservatives!"

[ThePublius]

Isn't it interesting how once the USAID money spigot was turned off ActBlue collapses and 7 (or more?) of its top executives leave?

[hobie]

Sounds like something not at all conjured out of thin air. You should investigate it

[tylertusta]

From one former DOJ prosecutor:

In my experience, this kind of thing starts to happen a large businesses with shady operating practices when law enforcement starts to make contact with senior officials about want to ask them some questions.

That leads to lawyers getting involved.

That leads to lawyers telling their clients that it would be in their interest to part ways with the enterprise.

[John F. Carr]

A few years ago the Supreme Court ruled that conspirators have eternal liability for the acts of their co-conspirators unless they affirmatively withdraw from the conspiracy. The defendant could not withdraw because he was in prison. Ending active assistance was not withdrawl. He was potentially liable for every new thing his former gang did. The law said he had to get out before he was arrested the first time.

If executives expect criminal charges, bailing out now is a good move.

[not guilty]

"Eternal liability" is a bit of an overstatement. The scope of the conspiratorial agreement determines both the duration of the conspiracy and whether an act relied on as an overt act may properly be regarded as in furtherance of the conspiracy. Grunewald v. United States, 353 U.S. 391, 397 (1957). The statutory period of limitation for prosecution of a conspiracy runs from the last overt act in furtherance thereof.

[Commenter_XY]

So how far in advance does one need to bail out, to shed this on-going liability? A month? A year?

[not guilty]

Before the conspiratorial objective is achieved (including communicating the withdrawal to the other conspirators).

[Commenter_XY]

Then those seven are screwed, and need attorneys.

[David Nieporent]

ActBlue has not, in fact, collapsed.

[ThePublius]

It's all over but the crying and gnashing of teeth, David:

NYTimes: ActBlue, the Democratic Fund-Raising Powerhouse, Faces Internal Chaos

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/us/politics/actblue-democrat-fundraising-resignations.html?searchResultPosition=1

[David Nieporent]

Um, that story was linked above. The word "collapse" is mysteriously absent from the story. Some people — an eclectic collection of employees from different departments — have left recently. There's no context to know whether this is a normal or abnormal amount of turnover, or whether this would have any effect on operations.

[ThePublius]

Well, neither of us knows now, but it looks pretty bad to me.

[grb]

Uh huh. Is there any scenario where you look at ActBlue and not see bad? There was nothing specific in the NYT article about any scandal, and no hint what that scandal might be. There's your USAID comment above, but that's just you in full wack-job loony-tunes tin-foil-hat-mode.

If there proves to be some "scandal", here's what will happen: People will resign. Others will be thrown under the bus. The organization will go on. A year from now it will be a bull market raising money against Trump and the GOP. Kinda like the Tech Boom of the 1990s. A real growth market. I think it highly probable ActBlue will be there

[Michael P]

The more likely analogy to the 1990s is Chinagate, wherein China illegally donated millions of dollars to Bill Clinton's reelection campaign and other Democrats, leading to the convictions of 22 people.

[Sarcastr0]

Nah, just like back then Hillary will send her hit men to clean it all up.

[Bwaaah]

Hey Troll...you should use fictions to answer actual happenings.

[ThePublius]

Coming back to this, David, I must say that you are minimizing this, even using falsehoods. You say "an eclectic collection of employees from different departments - have left recently. There's no context to know whether this is a normal or abnormal amount of turnover, or whether this would have any effect on operations."

Nothing could be further from the truth. "At least seven senior officials have left the group, setting off deep concerns about its future as it confronts scrutiny from congressional Republicans." There are no lawyers left in the general counsels office; the last one was locked out of his email. "As these people left, Zain Ahmad, who was the last remaining lawyer in the ActBlue general counsel’s office, wrote in an internal Slack message on Feb. 26 that his access to email and other internal platforms had been cut off and that other messages he had posted in Slack had been deleted, according to a screenshot obtained by The New York Times. Mr. Ahmad is now on leave from ActBlue, according to a person briefed on the group’s staffing."

True, the word collapse wasn't in the article, that was from me. But the NYTimes headline uses the word chaos. To suggest that the departures could be normal turnover is ridiculous.

[David Nieporent]

Nothing could be further from the truth.

You are drawing inferences. My point is that the article seemingly wants you to draw those inferences, but it doesn't say that. And the "seven senior officials" include random people from different departments, including an HR person (who cares?), a customer relations person, a programmer, a lawyer, etc.

[Riva]

The troll crazy Dave is actually more bothered by the fact that corrupt spending is being exposed, not the corruption itself. The more that’s exposed, the loader the trolls will squeal.

[David Nieporent]

Use of the present progressive tense "is being" is an interesting choice, because of course no "corrupt spending" has actually been exposed.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

A reply to the Barnett co-written op-ed on birthright citizenship discussing wider questions:

https://www.dorfonlaw.org/2025/03/of-health-care-birthright-citizenship.html

Kreis co-wrote an article with Evan D. Bernick about the op-ed. Bernick co-wrote a book with Randy Barnett on the original understanding of the 14A. The book received some good marks, including from originalist critic Eric Segall, though I skipped it.

Bernick purports to be more surprised at Barnett's op-ed [he noted that if the names of the authors were redacted, he would be shocked Barnett co-wrote it]. He's somewhat generous.

I saw another legal scholar acknowledge the Kreis/Bernick/Gowder article [linked in the piece I cited] was mostly correct, but he was annoyed at the tone.

My ultimate problem with the so-called broccoli horrible might be that I like broccoli. It was also quite silly, though the matter was quite appalling to some people on this blog when the PPACA was discussed ad nauseam.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Another examples of this is nondelegation. Gorsuch, Thomas, and other conservatives simply ignore Bagley Mortensen and Parillo and others with all their evidence on non-delegation in favor of Wurman (who is also involved in the birthright thing) or worse Hamburger (who is less of a hack and more of a crank). This one is also particularly egregious because non-delegation is an inference based on the inference of separation of powers that comes from the structure of the document, not even the interpretation of a discrete term like “commerce.” And is fundamentally anti-democratic and small (r) republican because it basically denies the right of the deliberative assembly to come up with the best way to govern a complicated society.

[Michael P]

That much credulence about the deliberative assembly should be backed up with some recent examples of that assembly doing something useful. Of late, that assembly typically acts like "the best way to govern a complicated society" is to give vague and often contradictory guidance to the executive branch.

[Sarcastr0]

This is not Constitutional analysis, it is policy analysis.

Not a relevant argument in this context.

[Michael P]

Where did I even point vaguely in that direction? All I did was point out that LTG has a hard-on for alleged rights of Congress to do something that they have shown neither the ability to do nor the inclination to even try.

[Bwaaah]

Troll: "Unt all analysis must employ our obfuscatory rhetorical methods!"

Run with them into the weeds, Michael. Run with them into the weeds!

[Estragon]

Here is Montana Rep. Zephyr’s speech against HB 675 yesterday. The bill seeks to create a private right of action for individuals to sue over drag shows.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BxZgMBX-Ii8

[grb]

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday offered a full-throated defense of the White House’s position on tariffs: “Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream,” he said during a speech to the Economic Club of New York.

Has anyone noticed we went from “I will lower prices on Day One” to “the American dream is not about access to cheap goods” in 45 days exactly?

How long will it take for Trump's working class supporters to realize they've been scammed?

[apedad]

They - PURPOSELY - didn't realize Trump's lies pre-election and they certainly will PURPOSELY not realize them now.

[David Nieporent]

BTW, Bessent then went on to argue that tariffs could replace the income tax entirely, even though the total volume of international trade is less than the amount of income tax collected. (i.e., tariffs would have to be over 100%. But of course that wouldn't raise any money, since nobody would pay them. Which is in fact the supposed point of tariffs from Trump's perspective anyway.)

[ThePublius]

In 2023, the total value of U.S. international imports of goods and services reached $3.83 trillion, a significant figure that underscores the U.S. as a major importer of goods and services.

Individual income tax withheld and tax payments, combined, totaled almost $2.6 trillion before refunds (Tables 1 XLSX and 6 XLSX).

?

[grb]

Question mark indeed. Let's say your numbers are correct (which I'm perfectly willing to concede). That would only mean Bessent's comment wasn't 200% absurd, only 150%. It's a real question how you see that as an improvement.

And Bessent knows it. Unlike his boss, he's not a total imbecile. But Trump drags everyone within reach down to his level.

[ThePublius]

The mistake - your mistake - is the assumption that you can change tariffs and taxes and everything else will stay the same. The real challenge is to reduce government spending - government waste, fraud, and abuse, to start. Trump's team is doing just that.

[David Nieporent]

The mistake - your mistake - is the assumption that you can change tariffs and taxes and everything else will stay the same.

Um, literally my entire point was the opposite: that charging tariffs at the rates needed to raise the revenue required would not be possible, because nobody would pay them. And I further noted that this was the very point of those tariffs: to shut off foreign trade.

The real challenge is to reduce government spending - government waste, fraud, and abuse, to start. Trump's team is doing just that.

Trump's team is not in fact doing any of that. Musk has quietly admitted that his numbers were all bullshit, and that he has saved the government the budgetary equivalent of me cancelling my subscription to Hulu.

[Commenter_XY]

The US is the biggest game in town, they'll pay.

All that aside, if we knew we could replace taxing income with tariffs and consumption taxes, why not do that? No more intrusive IRS. No more contractors leaking hundreds of thousands of tax returns. No more targeting by petty bureaucrats.

If you could flip a switch, and move to tariff + consumption tax, would you? Seems a hell of a lot more libertarian than income taxes.

[David Nieporent]

The US is the biggest game in town, they'll pay.

Who do you think "they" is? Americans, not foreign companies or countries, pay tariffs. And Americans will not in fact pay double the price for imports. They will find substitutes or do without. (Massive American tariffs on sugar, imposed to protect the domestic sugar industry, is why so many foods don't actually use sugar but use corn syrup instead. Except of course for Mexican Coke during Pesach.)

[David Nieporent]

I'll take your word on the imports figure, but I'm not sure why you're only looking at the individual income tax; was Trump planning to retain the corporate income tax and all payroll taxes (which are, in fact, income taxes)? That wasn't my impression. And if that's correct, the tax figure should be $4.21 trillion.

Of course, if your interpretation of their proposal is correct, then — as grb noted — it's only 150% absurd rather than 200% absurd.

[Riva]

We realized that November 2020.

[Magister]

Yes, that's why Biden got elected, but then you forgot you'd been scammed and voted for Trump in 2024.

[Riva]

You mean "elected." Wonder why they couldn't duplicate all those unverified harvested ballots in 2024? I guess there's only so much ink in this world.

[Magister]

Another believer in Trump's 2020 election lie. Will the Trump DOJ prosecute all the Republicans who said the vote was true, like those guys in Georgia?

[bernard11]

Maybe when they get laid off from their job at the plant because the company can't afford to buy the imported parts and subassemblies they need.

[Estragon]

Can we get a comment from the people who were pushing the FBI honeypot infiltrating the Trump Campaign thing?

[Estragon]

Do the Trumpists here have higher hopes for Epstein files: phase 2 than the initial release? Please sound off if so— I have an interesting crypto opportunity for you called $libra

[Frank Drackman]

South Carolina is scheduled to execute a Murderer by Firing Squad at 6pm Eastern.
Prisoners "Last Request" for a Bulletproof Vest was denied. The Squad will be firing 3 7.62 NATO rounds, but with frangible bull-wets, wouldn't take much of a Vest to defeat them.

Frank "Last words? Where's my hearing protection????"

[ThePublius]

"Prisoners "Last Request" for a Bulletproof Vest was denied."

That's pretty funny. Is that actually true? That's like a gas chamber guy requesting a gas mask.

[apedad]

‘Characterization is false’: Mike Lindell found in contempt for repeat discovery violations in Smartmatic defamation case, judge orders MyPillow CEO to pay attorneys fees

'Law of the land': KY clerk who denied marriage licenses to same-sex couples loses — again

MAGA Winning is odd.

And the President can't pardon civil cases; Ex Parte Grossman, 267 U.S. 87 (1925)

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Some of these men may have been deliberately dishonest, but I suspect there’s also a degree of self-deception at work here. In the four years Trump was out of office, an eerie amnesia about his erratic rule settled over the country, allowing people to project onto him hopes that were utterly untethered from reality. You might call this phenomenon, to appropriate a phrase, Trump Derangement Syndrome.

But the real derangement lies in either the refusal or the inability to see Trump clearly. A few months ago, if people had predicted that Trump would cut off intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, destroy U.S.A.I.D., free all the Jan. 6 convicts, put his lackey Kash Patel in charge of the F.B.I. and turn us into a despised enemy of Canada, they’d have been accused of unhinged political hatred. As Nick Catoggio wrote in The Dispatch, Trump’s second term is “shaping up to be what doomsayers thought his first term would be.”

And, the first term ended with an attempted insurrection.

https://archive.is/itX0L#selection-943.0-964.0

[ThePublius]

"And, the first term ended with an attempted insurrection."

Except that there was no attempted insurrection.

[Dan Schiavetta]

Waiting for someone to think of another name for it.

[David Nieporent]

Insurrection. Coup attempt. Treason (h/t Lathrop).

[ThePublius]

That is such deranged fantasy! Ha, ha.

[grb]

Well, it's quite a mouthful to say :

"An attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power by storming the Capitol and terrorizing Congressmen & Senators."

Do you have a single-word summary to replace that?

[ThePublius]

Riot. A minor riot, not organized or encouraged by Trump or any other Republican party or Presidential administration person.

[Stephen Lathrop]

ThePublius — If I could persuade the VC proprietors to govern commentary here on a principled basis, I might urge them to ban everyone who resorts to the Big Lie defense for Trump. You and a great many others would be gone, and this blog greatly improved.

Problem is, a publisher needs latitude to make exceptions, with an eye to curating the right business mix among an audience. You would still be gone, but tyrannical consistency of principle cannot wisely exclude from an audience a treasure so valuable as Bellmore.

Could you please try to emulate Bellmore? You know, lie as much as you like, but buttress your lies. Add elaborate circumlocutions. Salt in logical errors and paradoxes. Resort to literary-looking figurative language. Distract from misstatements of fact by parading misstatements of law. Challenge as bad faith every substantive-looking argument you cannot counter otherwise.

In short, do whatever it takes to keep a host of critics furiously busy, while completely wasting their time. Stuff like that is pure gold for a publisher. I think you owe it to this audience to give them more to get their teeth into. A self-interested publisher would thank you for doing it.

[ThePublius]

Oh, so anything you disagree with is a lie? Got it.

[grb]

Now if we could only get Trump supporters to admit a lie is a lie....

[Commenter_XY]

grb, when you defended The Cauliflowers mental cognition, was that a big lie?

Yeah, it was.

The Capitol Building riot was a national disgrace. But it was not insurrection. SC Jack Smith notably declined to charge POTUS Trump with insurrection.

[Stephen Lathrop]

ThePublius — Of course not. If you offer opinions, you properly get called mistaken, not a liar. Your opinions could even be called correct. Either way, no venturing into questions of fact.

You get called a liar because you repeatedly say stuff like:

Riot. A minor riot, not organized or encouraged by Trump or any other Republican party or Presidential administration person.

At this point, you either know for certain that is false, or you are cultivating pretend-ignorance, achieved on purpose. In short, typical MAGA lying crap. Do not expect anyone who cares about this nation's future to cut you slack for trying to tear down American constitutionalism on purpose.

[ThePublius]

As I said, Stephen, anything you disagree with is a lie.

[Don Nico]

SL,
I see you salivating to be a publisher once again. Can't you come out of retirement at least part time?

[Commenter_XY]

I hear Mad Magazine is hiring. It fits lathrop perfectly.

[Stephen Lathrop]

Nico, that means you are not very observant.

[David Nieporent]

It was overtly encouraged by Trump and people directly connected to him like Rudy and Eastman. He knows it, you know it, I know it. We all heard or read his tweets and speeches from the date the election was called up to and including January 6.

And no, once throwing a solitary "peacefully" into a lying stream of rants and raves about an election that is being stolen right in front of them that people need to fight to stop from happening does not eliminate all the other words.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Frat Party by people old enough to know better.

[John F. Carr]

Aggravated tourism. Attempted de-Pencification. Pathetic attempt to imitate Puerto Rican nationalists. Wikipedia calls the 1954 Capitol shooting, by said Puerto Rican nationalists, domestic terrorism. Attempted terrorism? Under modern federal criminal law that label does fit – terrorism is politically motivated violence, and judges applied the terrorism sentencing guideline in a few cases. But it's not especially instructive. Terrorism as a label is just a backward-looking way of claiming moral superiority. Looking ahead, different forms of terrorism need different countermeasures. Failing to prevent the September 11 attacks requires a different skill set than failing to prevent the January 6 attacks. Failing to prevent BLM riots may require a third set of skills.

[Stephen Lathrop]

John F. Carr — Chief Justice Marshall obviated all that, with his painstaking delineation of treason. Once past a notable language hurdle consequent to antiquity—modern audiences misunderstand Marshall's early 19th century useage, "to levy war"—nothing but evidence of the facts of the J6 Capitol attack is needed. Many committed treason that day. Trump was among them.

[apedad]

Trump considers redeploying 35,000 US troops from Germany to Hungary amid WW3 fears

Donald Trump is reportedly considering withdrawing American troops from Germany and redeploying them to Eastern Europe.

The US president is weighing redeploying personnel to Hungary, The Telegraph reported.

~~~~~~
And who are they going to fight from Hungary?!?

Germany?????

[Dr. Ed 2]

Which country borders the Ukraine?
And which one doesn't?

[Magnus Pilatus, MBA, MD, JD, PhDx2]

Just think, in that future all the people rescued from the work camps would be able to make some spicy memes for social media... seeing's that's what put them in the work camps to begin with.

[John F. Carr]

A little bit to the South Milorad Dodik has been sentenced to prison for defying the Dayton accords, as the West sees it. As Russia sees it, he was sentenced for defying an illegitimate Western official who was put in place over the objection of Russia. It's been a century since Russia started a war in support of a Balkan nationalist so we're due. So American troops will fight a war against Russia in Bosnia.

Or maybe not, but we do live in strange times.

[ThePublius]

You don't know that Hungary has a border with Ukraine?

[Don Nico]

Poland, after it gets nuclear weapons.

[Stephen Lathrop]

Apedad — If there is anything to that, which I doubt, maybe you could make sense of it as a message to Ukraine to knuckle under. Lest the U.S. move to block resupply across Ukraine's western border, while Putin attacks from the east.

[Commenter_XY]

apedad, get out a map.

The Soviets Russians aren't coming for Berlin.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

One thing that touches my buttons is absolutist statements.

They tend to be overbroad. It is often child's play in legal debates to find exceptions to them.

Those who are not familiar with legal norms can also apply this to everyday life. Young children have fun with this too when their parents use absolutist statements.

Sometimes, it is a bit silly to call out an absolutist statement since we typically use terms with the understanding that they entail certain exceptions. Nonetheless, sometimes, the absolutist language is simply overblown. There are exceptions.

/preachingoff

[Dr. Ed 2]

Columbia University just lost $400,000,000.00 today!!!

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/trump-administration-pulls-400-million-from-columbia-over-failure-to-confront-antisemitism/ar-AA1Atye5

Yes.....

[John F. Carr]

Maybe? Surely a lawsuit will follow.

[Mr. Bumble]

Kazinski 13 hours ago
Flag Comment
Mute User

Being early (late on the west Coast), I.thought If ask one question that I have asked a dozen times, if you don't like Trump's Ukraine peace plan then what. Is your own?

I really don't want to hear any more criticism of Trumps peace plan, I want to hear about your plan#

Has anyone provided an answer?

[Kazinski]

Ducksalad provided the only actual plan, just walk away, no more money No negotiations.

Which is kind of funny when you consider all his antitrump rhetoric, since that's actually Trump's backup plan if Zelensky won't agree to the original plan.

[ducksalad]

Consider that my plan specifically excludes Trump doing his usual stuff and instead doing a lot of STFU.

So if his backup plan is to STFU, then yes, I am very much in favor. Even if this is the only thing he STFUs about.

[attis]

Thinking about how Thomas will try to invalidate blue state conversion therapy bans using Substantive Due Process once Chiles gets cert. Breaks my heart to realize that it's all about policy outcomes.

I want to believe in a world where blue states can do blue state things, and red states do red state things. But I guess I am woke.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

What do you mean by "blue state things" and "red state things"?

[attis]

Federalism?
Blue states view conversion therapy as harmful to children, and thus enact laws against it.
Red states view delaying transgender puberty as harmful to children, and thus enact laws against it.

The SCOTUS will likely decide that the former is a constitutionally protected practice to enroll one's child in, while the latter is not, even if the law explicitly discriminates on transgender status.

[Brett Bellmore]

The difference is that the former is speech, and just speech, and the latter consists of medical interventions of the sort that have long been subject to government regulation.

"even if the law explicitly discriminates on transgender status."

Yeah, and a law prohibiting bariatric surgery for people who are underweight would prohibit on the basis of anorexia status. So what?

[not guilty]

Brett, has any federal court found "anorexia status" to be a suspect or quasi-suspect classification? If so, I am eager to see your citation.

[Kazinski]

Well I think conversion therapy is probably protected speech, but could be regulated if it involved hormone therapy.

Gender affirming counseling could be banned if conversion therapy can be banned, so it cuts both ways.

[bernard11]

Well I think conversion therapy is probably protected speech

I thought fraud was not protected speech.

[Brett Bellmore]

You sure you want to argue that, while trying to defend transgenderism?

[Bwaaah]

"Science!!!"

[not guilty]

"Thinking about how Thomas will try to invalidate blue state conversion therapy bans using Substantive Due Process once Chiles gets cert. Breaks my heart to realize that it's all about policy outcomes."

Justice Thomas is an implacable critic of decisions expanding personal liberties via Substantive Due Process, with the notable exception of Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967). I suppose he thinks that, like affirmative action, substantive due process is a really crappy idea for anyone whose first name is not Clarence or whose last name is not Thomas.

I suspect that Thomas would find a state ban on conversion therapy to be a content based prohibition of professional speech to which strict scrutiny analysis applies pursuant to Nat'l Inst. of Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra, 585 U.S. 755 (2018). He would find eradicating hatemongering not to be a compelling governmental interest.

[attis]

Ah, thanks. My legal ignorance is on full display.
So the constitutional basis in the Fourteenth Amendment's incorporation of freedom of speech via the the Due Process clause, as well as tiers of scrutiny.
Neither of which Thomas rejects, except for him maybe believing that incorporation should have been done through Priv and Immunities.

[Magnus Pilatus, MBA, MD, JD, PhDx2]

According to the data, there have been millions of humans who at one time identified as homosexual and another time as straight, and vice versa.

Meanwhile, there has never been a case in the history of humanity where a human male transformed into a human female or vice versa.

And you think it's "hate speech" to tell some little boy that "hey, thousands nay millions of homosexuals before you choose a more normal, healthy life, you can too with some compassionate help".

But not "hate speech" to tell some hairy, gross smell tranny in a dress that he's a real authentic little princess and it's okay if he goes in the woman's bathroom and sniffs their bathroom waste for jollies.

[attis]

Claiming transgender status is ahistorical is absurd.

Here is an excerpt from a newly Christian Roman senator (~300AD) describing a practice of young men castrating themselves to become effeminate eunuchs:

"Because air is placed between the seas and sky, they address it with effeminate voices of the priests. Tell Me! Is this a divinity which searches for the female in the male? Is this a divinity to whom the chorus of his own priests is unable to serve him unless they make their own face like a woman, polish their skin and shame the masculine sex with female ornaments?

One is able to see wretched mockeries, with public lamentation, in these very temples. Men endure feminine things and uncover this stain of an impure and lewd body with a boastful display. They make public their own evil deeds and confess with the maximum stain of delight the crime of their defiled body.

They fix their cared-for hair like that of a woman, and having dressed in delicate robes, it is with difficulty, with a on tired neck, that they uphold their head.... They deny that they are men, and they are not women. They wish that they were believed to be women, but a certain aspect of the body attests otherwise."

These eunuchs, known as the Galli were accepted in pre-Christian Rome (Catullus describes them in ~60BC), Greece, and originate in Anatolia.
Many argue that this tradition, and that of the Gala (i.e. the lamentation priests of Ishtar of Akkadia and Innana of Sumeria), are the same, as they also took female names, spoke in feminine voices, etc.

[attis]

Not to mention that the rationale for banning conversion therapy / puberty blockers is not hate whatsoever.
It is the forcing of an irreversible action upon a child that cannot consent to it.

Puberty cannot be undone, so the action that best balances the risks may be slowing it until an age that they can make informed consent.

Likewise, children cannot consent to forcefully being put in a room where a conversion therapist seeks to berate them into submission. The UN has documented this as a form of torture, with scientific literature documenting the life-long trauma.

I am not suggesting that these rationales are even universal, but that enacting one's policy preferences to the entire nation deprives the people the ability to move to a state that best fits their beliefs.
Doing so with the judicial branch is even more harmful, as it does not derive legitimacy from any popular mandate.

[Dr. Ed 2]

All CBT is a form of torture...

[Magnus Pilatus, MBA, MD, JD, PhDx2]

>Claiming transgender status is ahistorical is absurd.

I didn't claim anything about the historicity of transgenderism.
I claimed this:

>Meanwhile, there has never been a case in the history of humanity where a human male transformed into a human female or vice versa.

[attis]

Fine, I'll bite.

The boundary between maleness and femaleness is largely vague and specified by ones culture. The boundary can be categorized with respect to height, stature, social role, genitalia, chromosomes, etc.
Much like how penguins are still birds yet cannot fly, so has society largely recognized exceptions to these categorizations.

Society has, at times, accepted that men are now women and women can become men. Whether justified in mythos, superstition, religion, sexual reassignment surgery, or other considerations, it has occurred. Whether you say this is sufficiently objective is up to you personal worldview. We can approximate the genitalia using surgery, secondary sex characteristics using hormone therapy, voice using speech therapy, personality using socialization/peer pressure etc.

In my worldview, whether one is or is not a woman doesn't matter in the slightest.

Individuals should have the ability to cure their gender dysphoria and become useful members of society rather than depression-riddled shut-ins. While I have sympathies for your disgust towards "hairy, gross smell trannies", I would counter that these traits are exhibited due to the end results of your policy preferences (i.e. preventing hormone therapy and social transition).

[attis]

this is beyond poorly written and i wish i could delete it

[Commenter_XY]

Then rewrite it.

[not guilty]

"Meanwhile, there has never been a case in the history of humanity where a human male transformed into a human female or vice versa."

Not everyone's gender identity is congruent with the accompanying anatomical structures. According to the U. S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, there are approximately 1.4 million people in the United States who identify as transgender. Kadel v. Folwell, 100 F.4th 122, 135 (4th Cir. 2024) (per curiam). Some estimates run higher, with younger age groups more likely to identify as trans. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-adults-united-states/

In addition, some courts have found that about "two percent of all babies are born 'intersex,' or with 'a wide range of natural variations in physical traits—including external genitals, internal sex organs, chromosomes, and hormones—that do not fit typical binary notions of male and female bodies.'" Doe v. Horne, 115 F.4th 1083, 1093 n.2 (9th Cir. 2024); Hecox v. Little, 104 F.4th 1061, 1076-77 (9th Cir. 2024). That is comparable to the percentage of the world population with naturally red hair.

Somehow figures like these discombobulate the peckercheckers.

[Commenter_XY]

This is bullshit, NG. = In addition, some courts have found that about "two percent of all babies are born 'intersex,' or with 'a wide range of natural variations in physical traits—including external genitals, internal sex organs, chromosomes, and hormones—that do not fit typical binary notions of male and female bodies.'

There are 3.7MM live births annually in the US. Lets do some quick math. 3.7MM * 2% = 74K intersex babies born every year

Uh....no.

That is what happens when you do shitty statistical modeling and imprecise definitions to advance a political cause. You get bullshit numbers that are flatly not possible, and defy common sense.

[Michael P]

Courts find a lot of stupid things, based on people lying to them -- Congress does the same. See, for example, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12476264/ addressing the origin of that "two percent" lie.

https://www.leonardsax.com/how-common-is-intersex-a-response-to-anne-fausto-sterling/ has the full text.

[not guilty]

There are of course definitional differences in what constitutes being intersex.

My assertion was merely that the language that I quoted appears in multiple judicial opinions. That is the point of using quotation marks.

[Commenter_XY]

Definitional difference? That is what you call it? Ok.

To be fair: We today, still do not know, at the molecular interaction level, how our immune system works. Every day, we find new biological pathways on how our immune system is activated, and responds. We are just beginning to understand protein folding and subsequent biologic activity are connected.

When a Court gets the science obviously wrong, does that invalidate the decision, and the precedential value by other Courts? IOW, can they ignore the erroneous decision in another case?

[not guilty]

It is a rare case where the number or percentage of intersex people would be germane to the decision. The quotations I cited were dicta, so they do not detract from the precedential value of the cases. (I just thought that the figure is interesting, to tweak the peckercheckers if for no other reason.)

[Bwaaah]

NG: You're good with law. Try to not to contribute to it looking like just another moronic player in the game.

Jeez.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Loving was primarily an equal protection case, so Thomas does not need to rely on SDP to leave it be.

He also has suggested some interest in protecting certain rights under the Privileges or Immunities Clause. Marriage (as he defines it) could be included, along with parental rights over raising children.

I think the Becerra suggestion is a good prediction. I'm with the dissent (Breyer was particularly angry there) that the opinion was to use a non-legal term "full of crap."

[not guilty]

Loving presented issues both of equal protection and substantive due process. Its importance in the SDP pantheon is quite significant. See, Zablocki v. Redhail, 434 U.S. 374 (1978); Turner v. Safley, 482 U.S. 78 (1987); Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015).

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Doesn't change that Loving was primarily an equal protection case & Thomas can rely on that.

In Dobbs, for instance, he doesn't include "except for Loving" in his argument against SDP precedents.

[Brett Bellmore]

Thomas is right about this: Incorporation was, explicitly per Congressional debate, to occur by way of the P&I clause. 'Substantive' due process is just an oxymoronic work around to restore incorporate only favored parts of the Bill of Rights against the states without having to overturn the Slaughterhouse case.

[hobie]

"U.S. suspends commercial satellite imagery service to Ukraine"

What next? Are we going to nuke Ukraine?

[Magnus Pilatus, MBA, MD, JD, PhDx2]

No way we'd attack our own secret, illegal bioweapons labs.

[hobie]

I don't understand you nihilists. The Ukrainians are brave and have been fighting our sworn enemy (an enemy we've been fighting for 80 years). Your teenage retort 'I just want peace' don't cut it

[grb]

hobie : "Are we going to nuke Ukraine?"

Trump would never do that. He wants to gift his Daddy an unirradiated conquest. Maybe (he thinks) Putin will pat him on the head and whisper something soft, sweet, and filthy in his ear. That would cause Trump's eyes to flutter as he simpers and coos in delight!

[Don Nico]

Ukraine can buy good commercial satellite imagery from France.
There are many sources outside of the US

[bernard11]

Immaterial, Don.

[grb]

The Associated Press had a story on Defense Secretary Hegseth's cartoonish jihad against diversity, equity and inclusion.

The AP obtained a database that shows that the Defense Department has flagged over 26,000 photos and online posts on its website for deletion over nebulous links to DEI.

Some of the selections for deletion were a photo of U.S. Air Force Col. Jeannie Leavitt, the country’s first female fighter pilot, and pictures of the Tuskegee Airmen, the decorated Black military pilots who served in a segregated WWII unit.

Most laughable of these flagged image is a photograph of the Enola Gay, the World War II aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in August 1945. It appears Hegseth thinks the pic part of some evil LGBTQ plot.....

No doubt the Department of Trans-portation is next to go! Today's Right is so damn imbecilic.

[David Nieporent]

It appears Hegseth thinks the pic part of some evil LGBTQ plot.....

Um, that would be better than what happened, which is, of course, that they didn't look at the pictures at all, but did a keyword search for ones they hate. Your speculation would represent one instance of stupidity. The truth is that the entire process was imbecilic.

[ducksalad]

The patch antenna in your smartphone that does regular cell service almost certainly has multiple elements that can be selected automatically, to combat multipath fading. The longstanding technical term for this is a "diversity antenna", it dates from the early 60s at least, well before DEI even existed. Since most antenna engineers aren't very political and don't want any federal contracts cancelled by an AI bot, I imagine we'll just call it something else. It was a dorky name anyway.

Another professor here got a stop work order (not a cancellation yet) on his marine biology grant. It's not clear why but the word "biodiversity" was in the title.

[Magnus Pilatus, MBA, MD, JD, PhDx2]

It's pretty ignorant to be think that Sec. Pete is going through these items himself and picking them out.

Obviously it is some dipshit Sarcastr0 type turning a typically shitty government performance for a government task.

[David Nieporent]

Of course, it's actually Musk people, who know nothing about almost anything but who confuse the ability to code with intelligence, who are doing this stuff. Actual subject matter experts don't make these mistakes.

[santamonica811]

Magnus,
Tell us that you don't really have an MBA, an MD, a JD, and multiple other doctorates without telling us. Years and years ago; I bought a rabbinical certification and a doctorate of divinity from the Universal Life Church. I think it was $20 bucks back then. Thought it added panache when I officiated weddings. For another $50 (if memory serves) you could also buy an ambassadorship and/or an emperor-ship. I didn't...but they'd be just as believable as your own diploma-mill regurgitation of letters after your name. (If you actually do have a JD; I'll bet you're one of those dicks who insists on being called "Dr. Magnus."

Yuck. ????

[Michael P]

You never heard of malicious compliance?

[David Nieporent]

You never heard of malicious compliance?

When Communist state companies and entire economies floundered under central planning, the governments did not say, "Well, guess our decisions were actually kind of stupid." They blamed it on "wreckers." (Sometimes "saboteurs" or "counterrevolutionaries.") Shockingly, MAGA Jacobins use the same pathetic excuses for why their plans don't work out: "It's not that we had a bunch of idiots who didn't know what they were doing giving orders; it's that people weren't following those orders the way we thought they would, and this must be deliberate, because it can't be our fault."

[ThePublius]

Associated Press Claims Trump Is Erasing Women, Minorities From Military History. Here's the Real Story.

The AP can't be trusteed, especially when it comes to their reporting on Trump and his administration.

"But there is nothing in Trump’s executive orders that mandates the removal of these images or historical stories. His orders were directed at DEI initiatives that supposedly prioritize identity over merit. Moreover, it is important to note that the anonymous source indicated that the database has not been finalized, suggesting that these images will remain on the websites."

[ThePublius]

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in a social media post on Friday:

"We are obviously NOT removing images of the Enola Gay or any other pictures for that matter that honor the legacy of our warfighters.

And any suggestion that we are is ridiculous & false."

[Sarcastr0]

Obviously.

[John F. Carr]

Comment filters used to be like this. Can't mention the town of Scunthorpe, England because it contains a dirty word.

[Sarcastr0]

The famous Nasser screenname with the 'ass' being automatically ***'d out, making it look much much worse.

[ThePublius]

Since this is an Open Thread - or supposed to be an Open Thread - here's something completely different: hats.

Do you guys wear hats? I do. It started with ball caps about 25 years ago. Then I progressed to fedoras, and flat caps. I have a collection of fine fedoras, maybe six or eight, and a Hamburg, too. And a bowler. I always try to get an original box when I buy these. I seek out vintage, virtually unused ones.

Now I'm thinking of buying a new hat (heaven forbid!), a Resistol 6x cowboy hat.

Anybody into this? Wear a hat daily?

[santamonica811]

You're into wearing hats? Man, you are brimming with new information today. (More seriously; do you live in an area that has genuinely cold weather? Obviously, that gives more of a socially-accepted license to wear headgear, including any type of hat or cap. Here in the LA area, I *never* see people wearing hats of any type...other than baseball caps, and that's limited to men [90% of the time], and people who are under 30 [98% of the time]. Even when I go to the opera or ballet; I don't see men wearing hats.)

[ThePublius]

Yes, I'm in New England. But, gee, I've seen many men wearing elegant western hats in the Southwestern U.S., where it's generally pretty hot.

[Mr. Bumble]

Going for the Kristi Noem goat roper look?

[ThePublius]

Most pics I've seen of her lately she's wearing a blue ball cap.

[Commenter_XY]

I wear a pretty ratty ballcap....covers up the bald spot. 🙁

[Bwaaah]

It seems the rattier a favored hat gets, the more irreplaceable it feels. I had one so ratty I had to wrap the brim in duct tape to keep it from further unraveling. (Worked great for keeping the rain from soaking through and dripping onto my glasses.)

My wife and I hiked down into a canyon and back up, whereupon I realized I had left my favored [ratty] baseball cap down at the floor of the canyon. "Wait here," I said. That was the fastest canyon hike I ever took. By the time I got back to her, I was barely able to walk out of the woods. But I had my ratty cap.

[Commenter_XY]

I have a special one (ratty ballcap) my Father gave to me. I will never part with it.

[Brett Bellmore]

I wear a hat any time I'm outdoors and the sun is up. Usually a ball cap or a newsboy cap. At a "jaunty angle", which always prompts my wife to adjust it claiming that it's on wrong. (Don't tell her I'm just teasing her!)

Doctor's orders; My bald scalp is sufficiently sun damaged that my dermatologist has ordered me to minimize its sun exposure to avoid skin cancer. So the only time it sees the sun is when I'm swimming, and then it's got that SPF 10,000 sunscreen you saw advertised on the Robocop movie.

[Bwaaah]

For the dead of winter, I wear a "bomber" style hat with full ear flaps and a chin strap (and fiber pile lining). For sun, particularly when hiking, I turn to a baseball cap to which I've affixed a tether line that straps to my shirt in extra windy conditions. I added that after I lost my second baseball cap in a gale above the tree line. I also reinforce the tightening strap on the baseball cap with either Velcro or a pin to prevent slippage...another way to lose a hat in the wind.

I wore a bowler when I was in college. It was a fine hat. Made me look distinguished.

[ThePublius]

Just down the street from me is a nondescript industrial building with no signage; just a door that's painted green. It turns out that inside is a huge vintage clothing supplier. He's only open Saturdays and Sundays, and by appointment other days. While he does retail, his primary business is renting to production companies for movies and plays and such, and - Japanese tourists, who are really into vintage jeans and bowling shirts, and they pay huge bucks for these. I mean, like $700 for a 1950's silk bowling shirt. Crazy. Anyway, I found a really nice Dobbs bowler there: great condition, no sweat stains, probably hardly used at all. It was just really, really dusty. (I also haggled to get a Dobbs box with it.) Having watched countless youtube videos by Kevin Gerber, KTG hats, etc. - his best videos before he launched his own hat business, he worked at a big hat store in Manhattan - I know how to clean and shape a hat. You use clear packing tape and a special hat brush, and know in which direction to brush it (it matters). I also have a hat steamer and even a heated aluminum hat form - it looks like a whole head. I know, can you say OCD? Ha, ha. Anyway, if you into good hats, check out Kevin on youtube.

[Bwaaah]

LOL. My bowler was of English origin...one of those "By Appointment to Her Majesty..." haberdashers. I routinely used tape wrapped around my hand to dab it back to pristine flat black. But by the time I put it aside, the inside headband was notably yellowed (browned?) from sweat. Fortunately, nobody could see that part.

[ThePublius]

Those English bowlers were the best!

I've put new sweatbands into hats. The are surprisingly expensive (for a good one)! And, it's a lot of work, not hard, just laborious, when done by hand, which is recommended. I did one on one of my many sewing machines (another obsession), and it came out well, but was a bit nerve wracking. Hat makers had special machines for this purpose.

I was toying with the idea of mounting a Derringer inside mine, but I don't think there's enough room. 🙂

[Bwaaah]

LOL. After many years of non-use, I've been turning back to my sewing machine. Often enough, it's easier to fix what I like than to go looking for the same elsewhere. (Like Bellmore's Hobart, it's in need of a lube job.)

The Derringer is just a bit too big. How about a discrete edge of razor ribbon along the underbrim, for that perfect throw?

[ThePublius]

Ha, ha. What kind of sewing machine have you? I have three. My favorite is the Singer 503a "Rocketeer." Lots of good youtube videos on fixing and maintaining these. I have the complete set of "fashion disks" for different stitches, I think all of the feet, a ruffler, buttonholer attachment, and so on.

[Bwaaah]

My machine is a pretty basic Sears Kenmore, as best I can tell model 158.130, circa mid-1960s. It is a relic of the home in which I grew up. I first learned to use it when I was around 10. (That was before they called doing stuff like that "gay." My friends would've called me a "faggot" if they knew I was sewing.) It weighs about 40 pounds, and its guts are solid like industrial equipment. It's a pain to lug out of the closet, but works great and acts like a keeper for life.

If you like a good machine, its easy to like a sewing machine; impressive actions going on in there; turns out good work.

[ThePublius]

The '60's was the golden age of home sewing machines, before they started cheapening them up, using plastic gears and so forth. I think my 503a was the pinnacle. Kenmore was surely made by Singer, may be very similar to mine.

I also have a 1950 Singer, my mom's, straight stitch only, but built like a tank; and a Chinese heavy duty walking foot machine for leather and canvas.

I am fortunate enough to have a dedicated sewing room with all of this stuff set up, including my two steamers, hat mold, ironing board, cutting board, and so forth.

[Bwaaah]

LOL
I've suspected you were some kind of a nut job. I'm not wondering anymore.

I'm thinking now about the hats, and what all you could/would make in your lab there, and thinking that you're either hiding your collection, or if not, then when you walk out that front door, you got it goin' on, one way or another. No?

[ThePublius]

I'm not sure what you're getting at, but I admit I'm rather eccentric. It's a good thing I'm not rich! Ha, ha. (No crossdressing or anything like that, if that's what you're getting at.) 🙂

[Bwaaah]

I'm not getting at anything, other than hats and the things you could make/fix/wear with a room equipped as you have. I say this with some envy of your facility there. And I'm actually asking, do you have a flashy edge to the way you dress? It sounds like you do. If so, is that edge in your whole costume, or just some accessories like hats? As for how I feel about that...I tend to enjoy almost all expressions of color and style, and it doesn't bother me when people "draw outside the lines." (The sagging pants look is the only style that comes to mind that never cut it for me; it's like a style for tires where you make them flat; women wearing their bras on their feet? wtf?)

[ThePublius]

Did you know there's an International Sewing Machine Collectors Society?

https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer-503-rocketeer-sewing-machine.html

[Bwaaah]

That's the 1950s, when everything was streamlined like a rocket ship. If a Chevy could have wings, why not a Singer sewing machines?

Then by the 1960s, the Bauhaus look took hold...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/314860742318

Unlike in the photo, mine is set into a portable cabinet (with a "pleather" surface) that holds the machine, the peddle, and some gear and supplies. It has a hinged handle on top. It's a beast. If you grasp the handle quickly and lift, without gloves, you have a significant chance of pinching a hematoma somewhere in your hand. If they put wheels on it, it'd probably damage the floor. I'm in an apartment, and that thing should be paying part of the rent.

[Mr. Bumble]

[ThePublius]

Well, mine, the Singer 503a "Rocketeer" was manufactured from 1961 to 1963, so, the tail end of the rocketship design era. It's a beast. I managed to score a Singer cabinet for it for only $20 (!) from some rich executive lady in Lexington, MA. Nice thing is that Singer standardized the fitment of machines to cabinets.

Besides the hat stuff, I tailor my suits and sports coats, mostly because my arms are too short, and I also 'restored' my father's kilt, making a new lining, and making and fitting new leather straps. Came out great. (Most of that was hand work, though.) When I shorten a suit jacket or sports coat's sleeves I often make them into real, functional surgeon's cuffs, i.e., operating buttons. It's a ton of work, but satisfying. It's also nice to be able to fix things, put buttons on, that kind of repair stuff. (I have a button foot for the Rocketeer.)

[Bwaaah]

As an apartment dweller, I fantasize from time to time about what I'd do with more space. I dream of a shop with a lathe (and table saw and drill press and on and on), to have that machining capability. Furniture-making and electronics are the two applications that come to mind for me.

It's only now that it occurs to me how practically helpful clothing alteration and repair can be. I've got more clothing problems than furniture problems. But I never explicitly considered those kinds of problems, or thought of being outfitted with a shop to knock that stuff off easily. It's an enticing idea. (after I get me a lathe 🙂 )

[ThePublius]

I have a vague recollection of some Western character with a derringer inside his hat. Maybe on the Wild, Wild West? But it must have been a taller hat.

[Mr. Bumble]

Yancy Derringer.

[ThePublius]

Ha, thank you!

From wikipedia:

"When called to action, Yancy's weapons of choice are four-barrel Sharps pepperbox derringer handguns carried concealed (one held by a clamp inside the top of his hat, one in his vest's left pocket under his jacket and one up his jacket's left sleeve in a wrist holster) and a knife in his belt."

[ThePublius]

This series is available on youtube, full episodes, free. Thanks!

[Mr. Bumble]

You're welcome. Grew up when all the networks were wall to wall westerns. Fun part is seeing people who went on to stardom when they were playing bit parts (usually as the bad guys).
Several years back was able to watch all the episodes of "Have Gun Will Travel". Loved it.

[ThePublius]

I'm watching Yancy Derringer season 1, episode 1 on Youtube!

[ThePublius]

"I've affixed a tether line that straps to my shirt in extra windy conditions"

Many good fedoras include a wind cord, or trolley cord, which is a string that has a button on the end of it, for fixing to the lapel buttonhole. It is stowed inconspicuously along the bottom edge of the hat band.

[Bwaaah]

If I went into any more detail about my hat strap, I'd be providing a unique set of facts by which I could be identified. lol

Much of my slightly atypical "style" is in fact the result of years of functional improvements I've made in response to a mix of "wardrobe malfunctions" and functional wardrobe opportunities. It's only now, in this discussion, after so many years, that I reflect upon what I'm wearing and realize that there are stories behind everything I'm wearing. All of those stories, and costume characteristics, center around functional answers to things that have gone wrong in the past.

I don't obsess over my problems. I tend, instead, to solve them and move along.

Only two days ago, my wife pulled a pair of my brown dress shoes out of the closet and asked, "Can I get rid of these?" I thought for a moment and remembered that I have one remaining pair of dress shoes: black. That should be all I'll ever need in the home stretch of life. The brown shoes are gone now.

[Mr. Bumble]

As Frank Zappa said Brown Shoes Don't Make It.

[Bwaaah]

They didn't. 🙂

[Frank Drackman]

Firing Squad Execution carried out in S. Carolina, condemned pronounced dead 3 minutes after the shots were fired, instead of the usual 20 with Lethal Injection. "Final Meal" was 3(!) Buckets of KFC, man, that's high in Cholesterol

[hobie]

"derech chayim". The way of life. All life is sacred. We don't celebrate death

[Dr. Ed 2]

Why can't we use Fentanyl?
Lord knows we have enough of it....

[Frank Drackman]

Alabama uses Nitrogen, you're probably breathing some right now.

[ThePublius]

I wonder about the details of this. Was he offered a blindfold? How many were in the squad? Did one randomly, unknowingly have a blank cartridge, as I've seen in the movies? Where did they aim? Was death immediate, or did he bleed out?

[Frank Drackman]

There is this invention by AlGore called "The Internets" on which we have a thing called "The Google" where you can look stuff up, but since you seem a tad simple, I'll save you the heavy mental lifting.
1: No blindfold, a hood was placed over his head. 2: 3 Shooters. 3: No blank cartridge 4: at a white target placed over the heart, 5: Physician pronounced death 3 minutes after the shots were fired.

[ThePublius]

Tank you Professor Drackman. No, not simple, just a bit lazy this Saturday morning. 🙂

[Mr. Bumble]

So, Dr D, in your professional opinion as a gas passer what would be the quickest, painless way to carry out capital punishment?

[Bwaaah]

I feel a compulsion to yell, "HEAD SHOT!" I learned that from my son, when he was playing video games. I'm not saying it makes the most sense. But it sure feels right.

[Frank Drackman]

Probably the Guillotine. Scratch that, "Nitrogen Asphyxiation (Not Drowning, there's a difference) 1 or 2 breaths and you're out like a light, none of that noxious "Bitter Almonds" you get with Cyanide, Alabama's the only one doing it right now, which makes me trust it even more, if it's one thing Al-a-bam-a does well (besides Foo-Bawl and cracking Snooty Yankee Civil Rights Protesters H'aids) it's Executing peoples. (OK, we've had a few not go so well recently, hence, the N2) Of course you could do the same thing with Nitrous Oxide instead of Nitrogen, and let the condemned "Exit Laughing" (see if anyone gets THAT reference)
Frank

[Mr. Bumble]

Field & Stream?

[Bwaaah]

Trusting you got that right, nitrous sounds pretty quick, pretty sweet, pretty smooth. It'd be easy to do worse on the way out. I'm pretty confident I will.

[Brett Bellmore]

Ideally you don't want them knowing when the air stream switches over to pure Nitrogen, either. So they don't end up holding their breath.

Maybe give them some of those tranks they gave me when I had my cataract surgery done. Being very near sighted, I could see the scalpel clearly all the way in to the point where it started cutting, and couldn't muster even a tiny flicker of panic. Amazing stuff!

[ThePublius]

"1: No blindfold, a hood was placed over his head."

A hood is not a blindfold? Wow, you learn something every day.

[not guilty]

Kimberly Jean Bailey Wallace Davis McIntyre Davis, the former Morehead, Kentucky County Clerk, and her legal team, the Alliance Defending Fanatics, have lost another round in their crusade against marriage equality. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a judgment awarding $100,000 to the couple to whom she refused to issue a marriage license in 2015 -- $50,000 to each spouse. https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/25a0049p-06.pdf

Here's hoping the culture warriors of SCOTUS will not grant certiorari in this case in order to consider overruling Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015).

[Dr. Ed 2]

Override Obergefell and let states decide.

[hobie]

No more equal protection?! Awesome. I know a couple other amendments we can get rid of and let the states decide

[Frank Drackman]

Might want to leave that First one, it's your best defense for Stolen Valor.

[DixieTune]

How is equal protection implicated? Homosexuals always had the same rights, to marry one person of the opposite sex. The fact that their legal entitlement didn't align with their biological preferences doesn't mean equal protection is implicated.

[DixieTune]

It's very clear to me that free speech doesn't work when you have leftists in your society. Free speech protections need to exclude sedition, which by definition, includes anything that comes out of the mouth of liberals.

[David Nieporent]

Yawn.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Can funds from a 501(c)(3) and a 501(c)(4) be co-mingled to pay employees, i.e. half out of each?

Something tells me you aren't supposed to do this...

[Michael P]

One usually needs more facts to answer that kind of question. A non-profit org is required to use its funds only for the charitable purposes for which it was created. If we are taking about multiple employees, why isn't it simpler for each org to pay a subset of the employees, making bookkeeping and accountability easier for everyone?

[SRG2]

The Guardian: Donald Trump is turning America into a mafia state

Consider the way Trump’s White House conducts itself, issuing threats and menaces that sound better in the original Sicilian. This week the president said that a deal ending Russia’s war on Ukraine “could be made very fast” but “if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long”. You didn’t need a translator to know that the somebody he had in mind was Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

[Magnus Pilatus, MBA, MD, JD, PhDx2]

Every day for the next 1000+ days you're gonna be subjected to another moral panic.

That degree of stress is going to worsen your already deteriorating mental health.

[Bwaaah]

Fortunately, the human nervous system tends to have a diminishing response to the same stimulus. So though the words may be, "THE SKY IS FALLING," the feeling, after 9 years of the same droning noise is, "eewwwww. How am I gonna say it today?"

[hobie]

Kinda like you and your hayseed buddies have been the past four years. But we all got used to the whining. You'll get used to it too

[Bwaaah]

I got used to it by about 8 3/4 years ago.

[Frank Drackman]

Ew, Ew, Ew, you said "Hayseed", so I get to talk about your "Stolen Valor", because I'm feeling charitable, I'll give you a few tips (not on how to Steal Valor, to save you from exercising your Obama-care benefits)
1: don't ever claim to be a Ranger, Green Beret, or "Leg", in fact just skip the Army altogether, nobody cares
2: Ditto with the Navy, the "former SEAL" has been used way too much, and do you want (Governor)Jesse the Body Ventura or Richard Marcinko after you (I know Marcinko's dead, he could still (redacted) you up
3: Air Farce is like the Army, only cool job is Fighter Pilot, who are like Gypsies, they can spot their own.
4: Marine Corpse, most serve only 1 enlistment, so odds you'll run into someone who was in the same unit you're claiming to have served in is pretty low, before 1991 they didn't even use name tags, every one was just "Marine", There's really only 2 bases you need to be familiar with, either Parris Island/MCRD San Diego, and Camps Pendleton/Lejeune (and it's "Le-June", not, Le-Jerne)

[Bwaaah]

Piece of shit really pulled that move?

[SRG2]

i.e., you agree with rhe article but approve of Krasnov's approach.

[ThePublius]

This is a bit of a bombshell:

DHS Ends TSA Collective Bargaining After Bombshell Finding Of 'More Full-Time Union Workers' Than Airport Screeners | ZeroHedge

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ending collective bargaining for Transportation Security Officers with the TSA, Fox News reports, citing a release obtained by Fox Business.

According to the report, The TSA has more people doing "full-time union work" vs. performing actual screening functions at 86% of US airports. Put another way, 374 out of 432 federalized airports have fewer than 200 TSA Officers to perform screening functions, while the rest are paid by the government but work "full-time on union matters" and do not retain certification to perform screening.

What's more, DHS cited a recent TSA employee survey which found that over 60% of "poor performers" are allowed to stay employed and "not surprisingly, continue to not perform."

(Also, maybe get rid of the nut-grabbers in the TSA patdown area when we don't want to submit to those Total Recall scanners made by Leidos - formerly SAIC).

According to DHS, eliminating collective bargaining will make airports more efficient by eliminating "bureaucratic hurdles that will enhance productivity, and lower passengers' wait times in security lines."

DHS says that TSA Officers will now be promoted based on performance vs. tenure or union membership.

"Thanks to [DHS] Secretary Noem’s action, Transportation Security Officers will no longer lose their hard-earned dollars to a union that does not represent them. The Trump Administration is committed to returning to merit-based hiring and firing policies," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement, adding "This action will ensure Americans will have a more effective and modernized [workforce] across the nation’s transportation networks—meaning shorter airport security wait times. TSA is renewing its commitment to providing a quick and secure travel process for Americans."

https://x.com/OwenGregorian/status/1898348571990089942

More at ZeroHedge, link is in linked tweet.

[Sarcastr0]

If a story seems too good to be true, Google it to see if there are countervailing sources.
Especially if it's from clearly partisan sites that just provide Trump officials' bare statements.

Suffice to say this is categorically contested. And not just like 'this number doesn't tell the full story' as in 'this number is a lie.'

That's a nice and unsubtle difference. We'll see how it turns out pretty soon I'd wager. But until it does "bombshell" is way premature.

[ThePublius]

"The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it was ending its collective bargaining agreement with workers in the Transportation Security Administration, claiming that the union contract was imperiling the safety of travelers."

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/homeland-security-tsa-union-contract.html

[ThePublius]

Just google it, it's being covered by the NY Times, Federal News Network, Reuters, Fox Business, AP News, Politico, et.al.

search term "tsa collective bargaining"

(See, Frank, I know how to google stuff!)

[Sarcastr0]

"The Department of Homeland Security said" is being covered. And that's absolutely true - DHS did say these things.

You skipped the part about verifying the truth of what DHS said. While it's lovely to see someone so trusting of the government, I'd advise you not to do that, regardless of the administration. But especially this one given their recent track record.

Most of those stories also contain people disputing this claim as well. Do those other quotes not make you inherently trust them for some reason?

[ThePublius]

What do you want? Here's Kristi Noem's memo:

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Collective-Bargaining-Signed-1-1.pdf

[ThePublius]

Here's the TSA website on this topic:

https://www.tsa.gov/news/press/releases/2025/03/07/dhs-ends-collective-bargaining-for-tsas-transportation-security

[Sarcastr0]

So when I said the administration just saying things isn't really proof of what it asserts, why did you think providing 2 other assertions by the administration was a rebuttle to that?

It just shows that you didn't care about any of the other sources that dispute the allegation, and that repetition counts as evidence for you, when it comes from this adminsitration.

[ThePublius]

You're really something else. Do you have a link to something refuting this? Do you assert that the TSA website and Kristi Noem's memo are wrong or fake or fraudulent in some way?

[Sarcastr0]

I don't need to refute anything, because bare unsupported statements are just that.

I have pointed out that the sources you cite contain bare unsupported statements on the other side as well.

You don't listen to those guys, of course. You don't even acknowledge they exist.

[ThePublius]

I confess I'm really puzzled as to why you are disputing, or refuting what I've said here. It's all over the news. Are you saying that 'no, it's really not so, despite what the TSA, Kristi Noem, the NY Times, Politico, AP News, et. al., are reporting? What are these sources to which you allude that refute this?

Are you just gaslighting me or something?

[Sarcastr0]

Let me repeat myself:

"The Department of Homeland Security said" is being covered. And that's absolutely true - DHS did say these things.

You skipped the part about verifying the truth of what DHS said."

Quit conflating reporting on what was said with what was said being true.
Especially since those sources also reported on what was said by people who disagree.

I'll bet you didn't actually read past the headlines, did you?

[ThePublius]

You're being really kooky about this. I'm going to stop arguing with you until you come to your senses.

And yes, I read beyond the headlines! Geez. Did you read Noem's memo? Did you read what's on the TSA website? Anything else?

[Sarcastr0]

Quit conflating reporting on what was said with what was said being true.

And you continue to ignore the quotes from everyone not a Trumpist.

[ThePublius]

Tell me what they are!

[ThePublius]

You are really being kooky here. What are these 'non-Trumpist' quotes of which you speak?

You are just mindlessly refuting what I have said without any counter argument, quote, or rationality. It's really puzzling, and now irritating.

If what I have said is wrong, tell me then, what's right? What's the truth, according to Sarcastr0?

(Holy cow!)

[Sarcastr0]

From your FNN link:

"AFGE National President Everett Kelley in a statement today called the move to end collective bargaining for TSO’s “clear retaliation” against the union. Kelley also said the claims about union officials were “clearly fabricated.”

“Our union has been out in front challenging this administration’s unlawful actions targeting federal workers, both in the legal courts and in the court of public opinion,” Kelley said. “Now our TSA officers are paying the price with this clearly retaliatory action.”

“Let’s be clear: this is the beginning, not the end, of the fight for Americans’ fundamental rights to join a union,” Kelley added. “AFGE will not rest until the basic dignity and rights of the workers at TSA are acknowledged by the government once again.”

Meanwhile, House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said DHS was “lying about TSA’s work” in its press release, “relying on antiquated and flat out wrong anti-union talking points.” He argued ending collective bargaining would reduce morale at the agency.

“DHS claiming that TSA has more people doing ‘full-time union work’ than ‘performing screening functions’ at most airports is clearly nonsense,” Thompson said. “Similarly, promotions are already merit based and often only occur with the assistance of the union, not despite it. To the Trump administration and Secretary Noem, this isn’t about improving security or the workforce, it’s about diminishing a workforce so they can transform it in the mold of Project 2025. This will make us all less safe — and I hope it is challenged in court.”

Similar quotes appear in the NYT, Politico, AP.

This is why I don't think you read the stories.

[Magister]

The union said the department and the Trump administration were violating the right of staffers to join a union. It also said that the reasons the Republican administration had given for the decision — specifically the criticisms of union activity — were “completely fabricated.”

“Our union has been out in front challenging this administration’s unlawful actions targeting federal workers, both in the legal courts and in the court of public opinion,” the union said. “Now our TSA officers are paying the price with this clearly retaliatory action.”

The head of the flight attendants union, Sara Nelson, said in a statement that the decision was “terrible for aviation security and everyone who depends on safe travel.”

“This will take us back to the days of security at the lowest price with the highest costs for our country,” she said.

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, a Democrat of Mississippi, who is the ranking member of the House’s Homeland Security Committee, said the decision makes “zero sense” and would reduce morale.

Thompson also criticized the Homeland Security press release, saying the department was using “flat out wrong anti-union talking points.” He said the real aim was “diminishing” the workforce so “they can transform it in the mold of Project 2025.”

Project 2025 was the conservative governing blueprint that Trump insisted during the 2024 campaign was not part of his agenda. It calls for immediately ending the TSA union and eventually privatizing the agency.

Not hard to find quotes disputing the TSA spin, but only if you look. Reagan busting the air traffic controllers' union harmed air safety, in addition to its negative effect on lawful union activity. Just another chapter in the shameful history of conservatives.

Additionally: the TSA statement that "nearly" 200 employees work full time on union matters (which may or may not be true) is out of 47,000 transportation security officers; saying that 372 airports have fewer than 200 TSOs is a clear attempt to exaggerate the impact, because the average number available in 432 airports would be less than 109, and adding 200 screeners would at best fix 200 of those airports if they had 199 screeners (and 199 screeners at 200 airports would already be 39,800 out of 47,000 screeners.

[ThePublius]

Sarcastr0 and Magister, you're both kooky! I didn't say that anyone disagreed or objected to this, just that it happened. What did I say that you disagree with??? Did the TSA do and say what I said they did and said? Yes! And you seem to agree that that's the case. What's your beef?

Geez.

[ThePublius]

"Not hard to find quotes disputing the TSA spin, but only if you look. Reagan busting the air traffic controllers' union harmed air safety, in addition to its negative effect on lawful union activity. Just another chapter in the shameful history of conservatives."

The PATCO strike was ILLEGAL, not that that apparently means anything to you. And I don't recall any harmful effects of the firings. Can you cite any? How did it harm air safety, and more than the STRIKE harmed air safety?

[Magister]

You asked what the quotes were, and got a bunch in reply. Yes, the TSA said that, and you breathlessly reported it as if it were absolute truth, without being able to find anything to dispute it until these comments were handed to you. Lazy, stupid, incompetent - which are you?

Air traffic safety diminished because there weren't enough experienced air traffic controllers and a large influx of inexperienced replacements.

[DixieTune]

TSA screeners are disproportionately nasty schvartzes on a power trip.

[Frank Drackman]

The Aryan ones can be pretty nasty too, love how every Airports just a little different "WHY ISN'T YOUR COMPUTER OUT OF YOUR BAG!!!!!!????" "WHY DID YOU TAKE YOUR COMPUTER OUT OF YOUR BAG!?!?!?!?!?!"
I make it a point of saying "Hey Now!!!" every time I see one of those Groin Massages going on (why don't I ever get one??"

Frank

[DixieTune]

When white people like that are nasty to me, I usually make some comment like "With all of the privileges you get from being white in America, the best you could do is TSA screener? I'm sure your trailer trash mother is really proud of you."

After I'm already through security of course.

[Mr. Bumble]

There are white TSA screeners?

[DixieTune]

The articles about fired federal employees saying they regret voting for Trump is not an argument against Trump. It's an argument against letting government employees vote in the first place.

[ThePublius]

And now for another, 'nother, completely different topic:

Testing Hardness of Materials Cheaply, Effectively, and Efficiently.

One way to test hardness of a material is to scratch it, or attempt to scratch it, with another thing of known hardness. It turns out this basic principle is very effective. Most have heard of testing for a diamond's genuineness by trying to scratch glass, or a mirror with one. Same idea.

Good, industrial hardness testers are very expensive, out of reach for most hobbyists. For steel I got a set of Japanese made files of calibrated hardness. I honestly don't know how they are made. But, you start off with the hardest file and work your way down until you find a file that doesn't scratch the metal, and you've narrowed down on the hardness.

My most recent case is determining the hardness of lead for casting bullets. The hardness testers available are either expensive or 'clunky' to use, like the Lee hardness test kit; very popular, around $70 or so, but kinda cumbersome to use, and I don't think it's readily usable on ingots, just bullets.

It turns out one can purchase a set of graphite drawing pencils that are in very tightly calibrated hardnesses. I ordered a set of Faber-Castell drawing pencils, 12 pencils in hardnesses of 4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B, and 6B. $15 on Amazon. With these and a chart that someone has kindly posted, you can pretty precisely determine the hardness of lead. There's a technique, to be sure, but it's not at all difficult to implement.

O.K., so who cares? Well, pure lead is too soft for most bullet use. And, certain alloys can be too hard for some bullet uses. For example, you want BHN (Brinell Hardness Number) 12 for relatively low velocity pistol bullets, and BN 18 for high velocity, gas checked rifle bullets. You can adjust hardness by alloying trace amounts of tin or antimony into the lead. Of course, you need to know what you're starting with, and if you have ingots of unknown hardness, you can use the pencils to establish the starting point. (You can adjust hardness a bit via quenching, but not a lot.)

So, there you have it. More random fodder for the open thread. 🙂

[Brett Bellmore]

So, we have a coronor's report on the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife, and, no, it was not CO.

His wife died of Hantavirus, and he died a week later of a heart attack. Apparently he was far enough gone with Alzheimer's that he wasn't up to dealing with the situation when his wife got sick, even summoning aid.

Very tragic, and it underscores why the elderly need people dropping by frequently.

[ThePublius]

Yes, it's so sad. I can't imagine what Gene's last week or so must have been like in the house with his wife's corpse.

Has anyone said how the dog died?

[not guilty]

I have read that the dog was in a crate. If so, I suspect that it died of dehydration and possibly starvation.

[ThePublius]

Ah, that's too bad. I had a friend who died at home, alone, from a massive heart attack. Fortunately for the dog, only the screen door was closed, and the dog managed to break through it to get to the pond to drink for the few days before someone came by.

[Commenter_XY]

Anyone ever play here? = Turnberry

https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/general/trump-turnberry-suffers-extensive-vandalism-by-protesters/ar-AA1Aw2Hp

[ThePublius]

Happy Daylight Saving Time.

I was surprised by it. I knew a couple of says ago it was coming on Sunday, but I forgot. Now I have to go around the house and adjust two programmable thermostats, the kitchen oven clock, coffee maker clocks (two of them), breakfast room and office wall clocks, bedroom alarm clock, wrist watch...what else? Computer and phone take care of themselves.

What a pain. I wish they would end it, not so much for the clock adjusting, it is just a senseless and even dangerous scheme. Only thing it, how?

Some say keep DST permanent. Others say keep standard time permanent. Still others where I am say move New England into the Atlantic Time Zone and keep standard time. And so on.

What say you?

[Bwaaah]

It's gonna stay light an hour later today. Yay!!!

[ThePublius]

American Indian Proverb:

'White man think you cut a foot off of blanket and sew it on the other end you have a bigger blanket.'

[Bwaaah]

Yeah, and "He who go to sleep with itchy ass wake up with smelly finger." I still get an hour more of daylight at the time of day that I prefer. A bigoted [alleged] proverb about how stupid people are doesn't change that.

[ThePublius]

It's not bigoted, at all! It shows the wisdom of the native American.