Sunday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 01:18:52 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)

Share This: Digg!

Happy Father's Day to everyone.

How times change: Check out this ad from the 1970's with the happy, smiling dad who just got a good night's sleep -- using Quaaludes.

On Melania's parents joining Melania and Barron for their move to DC and visit to Camp David: I expect them to be semi-permanent residents. (So far there's no indication they are moving in permanently.) They live at Trump Tower where they helped raise Barron (they are the reason Barron speaks Slovenian - I don't think they speak English.) Grandparents (not just nannies) are fixtures in raising Trump kids because their parents weren't around. With his oldest three kids, it was Ivana's parents, who moved in for six months a year, and the nannies who raised them.

The Trumps certainly would not have won any parenting awards when Don Jr. was a child. With Donald busy building his empire and Ivana helicoptering to Atlantic City six or seven days a week to run Trump Castle, there wasn’t a lot of time for helping with homework or taking weekend trips to the park. Ivana hired two Irish nannies, Dorothy and Bridget, to care for the children. But the most important early influence came from Ivana’s Czech parents, Milos and Maria Zelnicek, who lived with the family in Trump Tower for six months out of the year.

[More...]

Don Jr. said:

“My father is a very hardworking guy, and that’s his focus in life, so I got a lot of the paternal attention that a boy wants and needs from my grandfather.” He says this without a trace of bitterness.

Ivana Trump is writing a new book, Raising Trump, about her single-handedly raising her kids until they went to college (even they all went to boarding school.)

I'd rather read Cartel Wives, which comes out this week.

Things to be thankful for today: Donald Trump is not your father.

In other Trump news, Trump's lawyer now says he's not being investigated for obstruction. He referred to Comey's assurances.

Again, there are multiple tracks of investigation, but again, I want to be clear here, the President is not under investigation. James Comey said it. Nothing has changed since then.

He's either disingenuous or clueless. What about the allegations Trump asked Comey to drop the investigation of Flynn?

Why did Trump pick this guy? He's a radio talk show host whose specialty is religious freedom. . Trump's second lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, is also not a criminal defense lawyer. Trump's only criminal defense lawyer is John Dowd, although another white collar defender is expected to come on board soon.

Also, I finally solved the sunglass mystery. These are the ones I was looking for. How did I find them? I showed the photo to the salesperson at Neiman Marcus and she recognized them immediately -- even had a pair in another color in stock. But I'm happy with the ones I got which are a better fit for my face (less round.)

Congrats to Beyonce and JayZ on the birth of their twins. And thank you JayZ for writing an oped in Time on the exploitative bail bond industry for Fathers' Day.

Two more nights until El Senor de Los Cielos 5 begins (on Telemundo, with subtitles.)

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

< Cosby Mistrial: The Right Call | Otto Warmbier Dies Days After Return from N. Korea >

Legal

Nothing on this site should be construed as legal advice. TalkLeft does not give legal advice.

TalkLeft is not responsible for and often disagrees with material posted in the comments section. Read at your own risk.

Sunday Open Thread | 83 comments (83 topical)

Readers Must Login or Create an Account to Comment

"Al Franken, Giant of the Senate," (5.00 / 5) (#38)
by KeysDan on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 12:17:10 PM EST

by Al Franken. The title (twice) senator provides a plain-spoken memoir and governmental primer intertwined and baked-in with humor starting with the tongue-in-cheek title.

Senator Franken takes the reader from his humble roots (the first in his family to own a pasta maker), through his less than landslide election (beating Norm Coleman by 312 votes out of 2.9 million cast, and only after, 8 months of contesting), and up to his senate experiences (attempting to work across the aisle while exposing fallacies, inconsistencies, and hypocrisy).

Al's humor at each stage is irreverent and self-deprecating, although, at times, the vainglory of a successful man seeps out. Indeed, his Faustian bargain to suppress (under duress) his humor as well as his pride of comedic accomplishment was struck so as to demonstrate his seriousness of mission to Minnesota voters.

As senator, he assumed the "Hillary model:" be a workhorse, not a showhorse. Franken acknowledges Hillary in other ways, too, in her (and Bill's) stumping for him whenever asked, especially, at times of difficulty in his campaign (unlike almost all other Democratic leaders).

Now, after being elected by a 10 point margin, Franken has reclaimd his humor and lets the reader enjoy the real Franken--serious, smart (the Harvard graduate part of his life helped assurances that he would not be a "clown" of the senate--which nowadays seems quaint). A giant of a read.

: I remember enjoying... (none / 0) (#45)
by desertswine on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 05:16:19 PM EST

"Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot" and "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them." I know that there are others but I haven't read them.

: I have it on audio and will listen on road trips. (none / 0) (#65)
by Cashmere on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 12:15:10 PM EST

Can't wait as he narrates and hearing him read this to me will be devine!

Trump hanging his hat on not being (none / 0) (#1)
by Anne on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 02:00:52 PM EST

under investigation now, seems pretty tenuous, given that investigations rarely start with the person at the top of the food chain, but build and develop from the bottom up.

Trump has to be the worst client ever, and even now that he has lawyers and others out there doing damage control every time he opens his mouth, the explanations and interpretations just get thinner and thinner.

It's clear the Trump team is preemptively going after Mueller because they are expecting Mueller to uncover the corruption and collusion at the heart of this, and they want it to be received with disbelief. But what if Mueller's report exonerates him, then what? We're supposed to give credibility to a report by someone Trump has spent months trashing? Yeah, that sounds like a great plan, lol.

Trump seems to think that yammering at Mueller is how he brings Mueller to heel, how he gets Mueller to do what he wants, which tells me he doesn't really understand Mueller at all, and all he's really doing is digging the hole he's in deeper and deeper.

i actually think (none / 0) (#7)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 05:04:07 PM EST

the whole Russia collusion thing is the least of his worries. if it happened it will IMO be a side show before we get to the end of this.

Mueller has taken on people with experience in prosecuting organized crime cases. not an accident.

i think money laundering may be the big show. so far its the most serious, as far as jail time, thing being discussed. assuming there is no treason. which certainly does not seem mpossible.

money laundering can come with 20 years.


: Money laundering... (5.00 / 1) (#21)
by desertswine on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 11:55:03 PM EST

that's what I think too.

I think "Smiling Dad" used Quaaludes ... (none / 0) (#2)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 04:21:26 PM EST

... in the 1970s to deaden the pain of having to dress like THIS. Or maybe being stoned on the delectable little pills encouraged him to dress like this while 'Lude-addled Mom looked like this because she was too high to be bothered with having to iron. It's actually a classic variation of the classic chicken-and-egg question -- which came first, the 'Ludes or our laughably misguided fashion statements?

you know (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 04:28:55 PM EST

i was there and i did not know anyone who actually dressed like that.


i do remember (none / 0) (#5)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 04:34:50 PM EST

a lot of jokes being made about "leisure suits".

even in the 70s


Well, I sure do. (none / 0) (#10)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 07:53:31 PM EST

I could show you photos from my junior and senior proms. It's rather frightening to see them now, and they cause me to wonder WTF everybody was thinking. And if you watch movies and shows from the '70s, you'll see it on full display -- maybe not as exaggerated as some of the more outlandish examples I picked out, but it's still there.

I can understand why nobody will cop nowadays to wearing leisure suits back then, but somebody had to have been buying them or they wouldn't have made them. That was one trend I vigorously resisted, along with bellbottom pants and platform shoes. I hated bellbottoms. While I wasn't a throwback, my own personal tastes in fashion have always been somewhat conservative.

I had an uncle, since deceased and may he rest in peace, who I think was experiencing male menopause during this particular period, and he glommed onto any fashion trend which made him feel young and virile again. With the hair, the mustache, he gold chain and the clothes, he looked like he could've guest-starred on "The Rockford Files." He was a walking caricature of the era.

No wonder my aunt was embarrassed by him. It became such a bone of contention between them that I believe it contributed to their eventual split, just before their 30th anniversary. After one such argument between them in my presence, my aunt later turned to me after he had left the room and was out of earshot, and said almost with resignation, "Please strive to age with grace and dignity as you grow older." I've never forgotten that wise advice.

They don't call it the "Polyester Era" for nothing.

;-D


somebody wore them (none / 0) (#14)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 08:53:42 PM EST

sure

straight people. straight people with tragic taste in clothes. i didnt know that many of those in the 70s. or now for that matter


there is a great scene (none / 0) (#15)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 08:58:57 PM EST

in Beetlejuice when he corners the chubby gay decorator and turns his designer black suit into a turquois polyester leisure suit. knowing this would the the worst possible thing he could do to him.

its funny because its true.


"Not so fast, round boy!" (none / 0) (#16)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 09:18:30 PM EST

And then Ortho runs screaming out of the spotlight. Yeah, that was a hilarious scene. Michael Keaton was nothing short of inspired mayhem as the title character.

And that's the only thing leisure suits are good for. ;-D


: Truly (none / 0) (#18)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 09:34:49 PM EST

I never owned an article of polyester clothing in my life. In my entire life I've probably owned fewer than 10 shirts with collars.
I've never been a clothes horse. I wore a suit to my high school graduation. And I had one made (a white one) for the Dinosaur wrap party in 2000.
That is honestly the only two times I remember wearing a suit.
I never had a job that jeans and Ts were not expected.

Oh yes (none / 0) (#20)
by Lora on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 11:08:53 PM EST

The Leisure Suit. There were plenty of them around.

And paisley. Plenty of it.

I have to admit, I liked bell bottoms. Had a far out pair of white, rose, and lavender blue tie dye bell bottom hip hugger jeans. Those were the days.

Still do like a little flair at the bottom.


I did bell bottoms (none / 0) (#24)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 06:55:01 AM EST

I ever has a low rise paisley pair. And lots of leather. Fringed and otherwise.

I "dressed" I just did not dress "up".

no collars. No matching pants and jackets. And no polyester. Ever.


: Striped pants? (none / 0) (#25)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 07:09:51 AM EST

oh yeah

i have these (none / 0) (#46)
by linea on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 08:33:31 PM EST

bell flares
they look best when you are super-skinny. i have a male friend with adhd helping me with that. pretty excited. i want to wear them with a proper turtleneck top.

has this topic below been discussed?

James Hodgkinson's first foster daughter committed suicide by lighting herself on fire, and he beat his second foster daughter.

An attack ad against (5.00 / 1) (#64)
by KeysDan on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 11:56:48 AM EST

Jon Ossoff (GA 6th District) by Principled PAC, accused the "unhinged left" of endorsing violence against Republicans. The ad starts with gunshots and footage of Rep. Scalise being wheeled away on a stretcher. The ad continues with claiming that it won't stop if Ossoff is elected in the special election (Tom Price's seat) because the same unhinged leftists are all backing Ossoff. And, if he wins, they win.

I wonder who is the unhinged, it seems as if mentally deranged Hodgkinson has some tragic company. Ossoff and even his opponent found the ad disgusting.


Wow (5.00 / 1) (#79)
by Yman on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 10:40:53 AM EST

i have these bell flares they look best when you are super-skinny. i have a male friend with adhd helping me with that. pretty excited

As the parent of a child who actually has ADHD and has to deal with the side effects of the medication (including loss of appetite), it's hard to believe that someone would not only do that, but would cheerfully brag about it.

It's just shameful, really.


: Yeh, me too, Yman (5.00 / 1) (#83)
by Zorba on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 04:03:46 PM EST

I have a (now adult) kid with ADHD. He tries to avoid taking his ADHD meds as much as he can, because not only do they cause a loss of appetite (and he's way too skinny for his height), but they also cause him to not sleep well at night.
He has to take the meds, though, when he is doing something tricky or that requires a lot of concentration at work, or he will fail. So he takes the drug more often than he would like.
Definitely not anything to make light of, or to use as a "weight loss" program.
Geeesh. Some people.......

Your uncle sounds like my dad (none / 0) (#31)
by ruffian on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 11:21:48 AM EST

If my dress was not equally embarrassing I would post a picture of us at the father-daughter dance in 1974 or so, him in his leisure suit,and 'stache, me in my made-by-me velvet dress, and shag haircut. For the dress I was aiming for something out of camelot, since the dance had a theme, but I have no excuse for the hair. It was truly tragic.


c'mon (none / 0) (#33)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 11:27:09 AM EST

i wore a red velvet nehru jacket to my senior prom. sadly i have no color photos but the b/w is available


For you, I will dig it up and post it (none / 0) (#35)
by ruffian on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 11:33:03 AM EST

as will i (none / 0) (#36)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 11:35:40 AM EST

I apologize to the memory of my dad (none / 0) (#37)
by ruffian on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 11:46:27 AM EST

It was not a leisure suit...that time. It was however, brown.


ok (5.00 / 1) (#44)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 04:36:00 PM EST

i guess i have to do this.

Susan my "date" is like 'no no no no there can be no evidence of this...'

funny story Susan was a good friend. both her parents were teachers at my high school. her mom was indifferent but her dad absolutely hated me. he was a science teacher and I was bad in lab.

as promised sadly b&w i think there might be color someplace. susan may have found and destroyed it. you can see the texture.


You buried the lede.... (5.00 / 1) (#80)
by ruffian on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 01:31:42 PM EST

Dig that groovy necklace!!!!


i believe (none / 0) (#81)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 02:44:08 PM EST

it was called a "medallion"


: a precursor (none / 0) (#82)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 03:37:00 PM EST

of "bling" i guess

I am my own fashion statement (5.00 / 4) (#6)
by Repack Rider on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 04:49:55 PM EST

I create fashion, I don't follow it. I have been wearing the same ensemble for 50 years or so, jeans, t-shirt, and when I needed something over the t-shirt, it was my Army fatigue shirt. Now that all my old Army clothing has worn out, it's a sweatshirt.

When I wore this ensemble while riding my 40-y.o. converted Schwinn in downhill races in the '70s, it was "identified" in various aspects of the press as the typical bicycle costume of those "Hippie Daredevils Who Were Crazy Enough to Invent Mountain biking."

People are still asking me 40 years later why I didn't wear a bicycle helmet then. Uh, they hadn't been invented yet.


: T-shirts and jeans are never out of style. (none / 0) (#11)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 07:55:46 PM EST

;-D

AMERCAN GODS (none / 0) (#3)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 04:27:53 PM EST

season finale tonight. BETTER CALL SAUL season finale tomorrow.

last night the AMC series TURN, about spys in the revolutionary war started its final season.

PREACHER starts the second season next sunday.

Loved American Gods, though i have all my (none / 0) (#40)
by ruffian on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 02:31:10 PM EST

usual reservations about the supernatural stuff, it is so well well done I could suspend them. Kristen Chenowith - perfect role. And those shoes!

Better Cal Saul is an unblemished joy - can't wait to see what happens but so sad to see it leave for 9 months.


that last 5 minutes (none / 0) (#43)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 04:20:01 PM EST

wowee. yeah. great shoes. she really is short.


Saul (none / 0) (#59)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 09:46:51 AM EST

poor Chuck. his affliction no longer funny. poor Hector, not so much.

i love that it was Natcho.


I was really impressed with... (none / 0) (#67)
by desertswine on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 12:40:07 PM EST

Michael McKean's portrayal of Chuck. I thought his acting was really understated brilliant. By the bye I just read that he is the son of one of the founders of Decca Records.


: I agree (none / 0) (#84)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 05:01:45 PM EST

EMMY time. It was like an acting master class on making the audience care about a d!ck.
His last words to Jimmy .... wow.

Too bad the bail bond cartel (none / 0) (#8)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 07:04:08 PM EST

here in Colorado has certain State Senators (who shall remain nameless, but are from Sterling) in their pocket.

Makes it hard to effectively regulate the industry.

I'll be more than happy happy to send you ... (none / 0) (#12)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 08:01:25 PM EST

... Hawaii's most high-profile bail bondsmen, Duane "Dog" Chapman and his wife Beth. Honolulu is presently searching for a new police chief, and somebody from the police commission had the bright idea to name Beth to the recruiting committee.


No thanks (none / 0) (#13)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 08:11:08 PM EST

we see enough of them - he is from here afterall.

For somega reason, that I totally fail to understand, all the women at work just love him.


: All the more reason for him to come back. (none / 0) (#17)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 09:25:52 PM EST

The Chapmans live about 1.5 miles from our East Honolulu townhouse, where Elder Daughter, Dutiful Husband and Perfect Grandson presently reside. He used to work out at my gym in the neighborhood. I think he very much fits the profile of a classic narcissist.

Careful...they are (none / 0) (#19)
by Jeralyn on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 09:52:14 PM EST

friends of mine and I don't allow comments insulting my friends. And Beth would be excellent on the nominating committee. (I've written about them several times here, you can find the posts using the search button)


: Comment in reply to this (none / 0) (#47)
by Jeralyn on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 12:34:53 AM EST

deleted. I just warned not to insult my friends, and the commenter did it anyway. Dog and Beth have been my friends since the 1980's (when Dog was a bail bondsman here.) We have stayed in touch through the years. Do not insult my friends.

STAR TREK DISCOVERY (none / 0) (#9)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Jun 18, 2017 at 07:06:25 PM EST

There is New ST series coming. I was excited about this when the news first broke. It would have big budgets, About 100 Million a season. It was being done by Brian Fuller (Hannibal, American Gods).

But the more I hear the less I like. Fuller has left. And worse they are doing it in a very strange way. After the premier on CBS it will only be on their pay streaming service. And it gets worse-

What the network is offering is really a Frankenstein's Monster-like melding of the worst of both worlds. Think about it: What are the biggest complaints people had about TV before the era of online streaming? What are the complaints that are still being heard today? No one likes having to sit through two minute commercials. No one likes the week-to-week release schedule. And, as a result of the week-to-week schedule, the shows were largely episodic and self-contained (especially on The Big Three Networks), which means little character development allowed. Streaming shows like House of Cards, DareDevil, and Stranger Things dump all their episodes for the season once a year, commercial free and with serialized plots. It's like watching a good book with thirteen chapters, as opposed to a collection of twenty-something short stories.

How big was California's record-setting winter? (none / 0) (#22)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 05:02:55 AM EST

It was so massive that believe it or not, it's not really over in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which run north-south for about half the state's length. On the cusp of the Summer Solstice, the snowpack is still 170% of peak average in the north and 120% of normal in the southern end of the range. (The Sierras are the source of about 30-35% of California's fresh water.) NASA Earth Observatory recently released a series of satellite images in the wake of an unseasonably large late-winter storm that struck the Sierras just last week. It's pretty impressive.

Here's NASA's original June 13 satellite photo ... (none / 0) (#23)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 06:07:56 AM EST

... of the far western United States from Redmond / Bend, OR in the north to Los Angeles in the south, and from St. George and Cedar City, UT in the east to the the Pacific Ocean fog banks in the west:

NASA-Western U.S.

Be forewarned, it's 6 MB in size. But it's way cool to see a clear, detailed and unobstructed view of California's Central Valley, the most productive agricultural region in the world, which accounts for more than half of all the fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in the U.S.A.

Aloha.


just got an email from a cousin (none / 0) (#28)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 10:15:02 AM EST

in wine country north of SF.

she said they are and have been having a miserable heat wave. they are unhappy because they do not have airconditioning. ive been to their house many times. its a very nice house.

the fact is air conditioning has not been needed. now is aparrently is. she said they are getting quotes for central air.


: Usually, such heat waves in ... (none / 0) (#42)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 03:24:39 PM EST

the areas in and around Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties are generally fleeting. But climate scientists have predicted that similar heat waves in the future will be of both longer duration and greater intensity.

Isn't this interesting: (none / 0) (#26)
by oculus on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 10:08:57 AM EST

"Colonel Dillon said the American-led coalition was also prepared to continue using the hotline, which consists of phone calls between the United States' Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and a Russian base at Latakia, Syria. An unclassified Gmail account is used as a backup." (NYT re U.S. Shooting down Syrian plane/hotline between U.S. and Russia.)

it definitely is (none / 0) (#27)
by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 10:11:30 AM EST

i think the russians are bluffing when they say they will shoot down US jets.

just my opinion. i certainly hope they are bluffing.


: I was focusing on the (none / 0) (#29)
by oculus on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 10:17:25 AM EST

unsecured gmail account. Yes, I know our election is over.

Finished watching The Keepers (none / 0) (#30)
by McBain on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 10:31:08 AM EST

The Netflix documentary series the alleged coverup of murder and sexual abuse by the Catholic Church in 1969 in Baltimore.

Not quite as addictive as Making a Murderer but still very good. Anyone else see it? It brings up the controversial topics of repressed memories and statute of limitations.

I did see that (none / 0) (#32)
by ruffian on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 11:27:04 AM EST

It was heartbreaking. Well done, however a little long. Kind of lost focus in the middle episodes.

Those two women investigating need to be in the FBI. Dogged!


: It probably didn't need to be 7 hours long (none / 0) (#39)
by McBain on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 12:17:33 PM EST

But I hope Netflix continues to make these excellent documentary series.

To be fair, Michelle Obama's mother (none / 0) (#34)
by ruffian on Mon Jun 19, 2017 at 11:30:38 AM EST

lived with them in the White House to help with the kids. I don't find anything objectionable about that or with Melania's parents staying there. I just wish the Trumps would stay in one place together so we did not have to pay to protect multiple sites at the same time.

Has (none / 0) (#48)
by FlJoe on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 06:13:13 AM EST

Flynn flipped? Sheldon Whitehouse seems to think so, "

All of the signals are suggesting that he's already cooperating with the FBI and may have been for some time," Whitehouse said.

He offered no concrete evidence but he sure sounded like he would be willing to put some good money on it.

i have heard this a couple of times. (none / 0) (#49)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 06:20:20 AM EST

its said some of the information we have been reading about might be coming from him. no one seems to know if he is already cooperating or leaking information to work on getting immunity. also that its thought he is probably holding back the best stuff until he gets it.

but several smart people seem to think he has flipped or is in some stage of flipping.


Speculation (none / 0) (#54)
by FlJoe on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 07:40:17 AM EST

has been rampant for months, but Whitehouse is the most credible and probably most privy to the underlying evidence yet.

I always thought that the dirt on Kushner's meeting with Kislyak came from Flynn rather than from "intercepts".


I just saw the Whitehouse interview (none / 0) (#55)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 07:50:00 AM EST

On MJ. Yeah, He did make some very interesting connections.


He also (none / 0) (#56)
by FlJoe on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 08:02:36 AM EST

came right out of the gate, unprompted without preamble or too much equivocation.


Well, the one who flips first (none / 0) (#57)
by Anne on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 09:27:53 AM EST

usually gets the best deal, so, if Flynn has gone over to the other side, this may be why.


might also be why (none / 0) (#58)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 09:37:45 AM EST

we are seeing a flurry or hires of criminal defense lawyers in foggy bottom.


"Foggy bottom" us the State Dept. (none / 0) (#61)
by oculus on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 11:06:01 AM EST

no (none / 0) (#68)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 12:40:41 PM EST

its not


Yes, it is, Howdy (none / 0) (#71)
by Zorba on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 03:00:04 PM EST

Oculus is correct.

Foggy Bottom is one of the oldest late 18th and 19th-century neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Foggy Bottom is west of downtown Washington, in the Northwest quadrant, bounded roughly by 17th Street to the east, Rock Creek Parkway to the west, Constitution Avenue to the south, and Pennsylvania Avenue to the north. Much of Foggy Bottom is occupied by the main campus of George Washington University (GWU). Foggy Bottom is thought to have received its name due to its riverside location, which made it susceptible to concentrations of fog and industrial smoke, an atmospheric quirk.
The United States Department of State gained the metonym "Foggy Bottom"[1] when it moved its headquarters to the nearby Harry S Truman Building in 1947.

Link.

It's a very informal name, not a formal one.


Foggy Bottom (none / 0) (#73)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 03:11:49 PM EST

is an area. its say it in your quote. it was called that before the State Departmrnt was there.

it may be a nickname for the the state department but is an area.

dcist

In 1928, the Washington Post declared "Foggy Bottom" an extinct nomenclature. Over eighty years later, one of D.C.'s oldest neighborhoods is firmly branded with the curious nickname, which was spawned from smoke and fog that hovered over the industries once housed on the area's low, swampy land.
The name "Foggy Bottom" was used before 1877, which is when the Washington Post was founded and its archives begin. In some of the earliest mentions of the neighborhood, journalists used quotation marks around the moniker, suggesting it wasn't universally accepted -- that they assumed it was ephemeral. Foggy Bottom was occasionally grouped with other neighborhoods with vivid names, known as "hiding places of lawbreakers," including Bloodfield, Murder Bay and The Slashes.
In the next century, the makeup of Foggy Bottom would change again, despite residents' protests against the creep of modernity. Sherwood writes, "Between 1950 and 1970, Foggy Bottom was transformed from a run-down industrial slum to a high-rent luxury apartment district, considered one of the best downtown residential sections in the city."
Two factors played into this. One is that the U.S. Department of State moved to the neighborhood in 1947. The other, Sherwood articulates:
Also in 1947, the Washington Gas Light Company announced its plans to remove the gas facility and began dismantling the manufacturing plant at 26th and G Streets, NW. It also removed two large gas holders and buildings housing the manufacturing equipment, some parts of which had been built before the Civil War. All that remained were two large tanks at Virginia and New Hampshire Avenues and one small brick building at New Hampshire and 25th which were used to store natural gas in case of emergencies. In 1954, when the remaining tanks were taken down, one official noted that the "tanks would be missed on the skyline." For Foggy Bottom, the gas tanks were landmarks that defined the neighborhood just as surely as a courthouse defines a midwestern town

Neither oculus nor I is saying that (none / 0) (#76)
by Zorba on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 06:41:16 PM EST

Foggy Bottom is only a name for the State Department. It is a region in DC, but the State Department has been informally referred to as Foggy Bottom for years.
You're the one who first mentioned the criminal defense lawyers being hired in Foggy Bottom. While the White House is near Foggy Bottom, it has never been referred to as Foggy Bottom.
I've been to Foggy Bottom, by the way, and I bet oculus has, as well.
Foggy Bottom is also the location of the Watergate Hotel, of Nixon fame.


: Made me google. Turns out Foggy Bottom (none / 0) (#77)
by oculus on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 01:43:11 AM EST

is on the National Register of Historic Places.

SUMMER SLOSTICE 2017 (none / 0) (#50)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 06:36:49 AM EST

a busy day for Pagans everywhere. or at least in the northern hemisphere

there seems a bit of confusion around today or tomorrow
The summer solstice is Tuesday: 7 things to know about the longest day of the year

The summer solstice is upon us: Tuesday, June 20, will be the longest day of 2017 for anyone living north of the equator. If pagan rituals are your thing, this is probably a big moment for you. If not, the solstice is still pretty neat.
Below is a short scientific guide to the longest day of the year (though not, as we'll see, the longest day in Earth's history -- that happened back in 1912).

CELEBRATING THE PAGAN SUMMER SOLSTICE

The word "Solstice" comes from the Latin words, sol sistere - "sun stand still". Indeed the sun does seem to stand still as the sun reaches it's furthest point from the equator. Summer Solstice harkens the longest day of the year, when warmth spills upon the land and fruitful bounties are enjoyed by all creatures. In the northern hemisphere of our planet, the summer solstice occurs during June. This year it is June 21st and many pagans will be celebrating this one day with reverence and celebration.

And Midsummer's Eve (5.00 / 2) (#60)
by Lora on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 10:28:22 AM EST

Summer solstice

May you all have a magical night.


ah (none / 0) (#51)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 06:41:20 AM EST

In 2017, this will occur at exactly 12:24 am (Eastern) on the 21st. (But we'll celebrate on the 20th anyway.)

The summer solstice (none / 0) (#52)
by fishcamp on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 07:08:47 AM EST

is usually not so good for fishing, but this year there are more mahimahi being caught than I can ever remember. The limit is ten fish per person, and charter boats with five anglers are returning to the docks by ten in the morning with their limits. No big ones, just peanuts, lifters, and a few gaffers. My cats go coo coo over fresh mahi-mahi. So do my neighbors.

We have a lot of fish around this house and In the old days one could sell them to restaurants and people could enjoy fish caught the same day. Now with new restrictions all fish must come from a wholesale fish house that injects them with vitamin B 12 for weight and as a preservative. No fish are truly fresh at restaurants and markets. Total bummer. I used to sell one 30" Grouper to a restaurant for fifty bucks...no more. I take a batch of filets over to the local Cuban restaurant where they grill and fry fresh mahi-mahi in three different styles. Lots of beans, rice, and plantains too. Same day fish is the only way to go.


There is another solar event coming up (none / 0) (#53)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 07:24:08 AM EST

The TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE in less than 2 months on Aug 17th.
there are lots of maps around

The path goes from northwest U.S. to southeast U.S.

as it happens I am a four hour drive from the sweet spot. I have already made plans to get party favors and make a day trip.

Perfect time. Afternoon about 2ish to 6ish


We have full moon parties (5.00 / 1) (#75)
by fishcamp on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 06:12:54 PM EST

at Morada Bay Restaurant here in Islamorada. It's on a long, beautiful white sand beach not far from my house. We can go by boat.. They have live music, fireworks, and raving, so to speak, on the beach. For some reason it's fun. We tend to pay attention to the sun, moon, and tides down this way.


: You live in (5.00 / 1) (#78)
by Ga6thDem on Wed Jun 21, 2017 at 04:23:12 AM EST

Islamadora? Hubby and I went there for our 20th anniversary. Needless to say we had a great time!

Check your sources (none / 0) (#62)
by Zorba on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 11:20:40 AM EST

The eclipse is on Monday, August 21.


Take a look at (none / 0) (#63)
by Zorba on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 11:23:57 AM EST

NASA's eclipse website.


thanks for the correction (none / 0) (#66)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 12:37:14 PM EST

not sure where i got the 17th

i did at least know it was 2 months from the solstice.


Well, I didn't want you (none / 0) (#72)
by Zorba on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 03:01:01 PM EST

To make an eight hour round trip for nothing!


: looking more closely (none / 0) (#74)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 03:20:52 PM EST

at the map i linked to its more like a 5 hour RT.
google maps say 3 one way but its all interstate.

i didnt see this link there (none / 0) (#69)
by CaptHowdy on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 02:10:55 PM EST

but it might be there
it has some very accurate video/maps of the path with the exact times

the totality line goes just north of my location


Warner Bros to make film about Michael Brown (none / 0) (#70)
by McBain on Tue Jun 20, 2017 at 02:36:02 PM EST

shooting.

Insiders say Warner Bros. won the rights in a bid against several other studios looking to make a movie about the shooting, and will reportedly be akin to the Oscar-winning film, Crash (2005).

I thought Crash was overrated but I wouldn't mind seeing a film about this topic told in that style.

It's also been reported that the Brown family is close to settling a lawsuit with the city of Ferguson.