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Saturday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 12:06:24 PM EST
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Our last open thread is full. Here's a new one, all topics welcome.

My blogging hiatus is just about over. Now that my court schedule has returned to normal, it will just take me a few days to get my life back on track (groceries, laundry, bills paid, catch up on TV I've missed, and my Peloton, and maybe watch some Olympics, and then I'll resume a regular blogging schedule.

What's the biggest story I missed this week?

On another note, I'm done with this Android phone thing and going back to an iPhone as soon as I can, like today or tomorrow. I never adjusted to the difference and I just don't like the way it operates.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Saturday Open Thread | 171 comments (171 topical)

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    Nuclear Snubs. (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by KeysDan on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 03:20:23 PM EST
    Pence and Mother were observed to snub North Koreans, Kim Yong Nam, nominal head of state, and Kim Yo Jong, influential sister of Kim Jong Un, at an Olympics reception.

     Pence discounted the notion of a "snub" saying he did not do so deliberately, even though the Pence's were within feet of the North Koreans.

      South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and the North Koreans did talk, and it appears that Moon will be invited to meet with Kim Jong Un sometime this year. And, the N and S Koreans marched in to the Olympics together under one flag..when everyone stood except Pence and Mother.

     But, at least, Pence did not call Miss Kim,  Little Rocket Sister. Apparently, Pence was mounting a counter-offensive to North Korean's charm offensive...a mission to which he is well-suited.

    Pence also tangled with Olympian Skater, Adam Rippon, who iced Pence earlier by stating that he preferred not to meet Pence, recalling his anti-gay positions and support for conversion therapy.

     USA reported that Pence asked to arrange a "conversation between the two" but Rippon said, once again, he preferred not to meet Pence.  Pence then claimed it was fake news, and there was never an offer extended to meet with Rippon.

    While on Pence's sojourn, a reporter asked about the wife beaters in the White House, and Pence just heard about it all.  A reporter asked Pence why is he always the last to know..always out of the loop, even though he has an office in the West Wing a few feet from the Oval Office.  Crickets.  

      Pence is the Sgt. Schultz (Hogan's Heros) of the Administration:  "I know nothing, I am not here, I did not even get up this morning."

    I kept waiting for Pence to say that (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Anne on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 05:11:21 PM EST
    no one told him Kim's sister was right behind him...

    Parent
    Hard to say (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 06:21:22 PM EST
    Who in this picture looks more smug.

    All in all they all just look a little to comfortable.  Like robber barons on their opera box.

    This is IMO one of the most disturbing pics of the so called Trump presidency.  Not sure why.

    Parent

    I think because our leaders (none / 0) (#22)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:19:22 PM EST
    That I can remember always had enough self confidence in themselves and our nation that they never needed to play immature mean girl games. I'm no big Biden fan, but Biden would have made North Korean smuggery look silly.

    Even Dick Cheney probably wouldn't have needed to act so childishly, wrapped in the warm security that he could bomb "these guys" back to the stoneage.

    Parent

    Let's not bring opera (none / 0) (#23)
    by oculus on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:24:15 PM EST
    into it.  

    Parent
    Ha (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:30:09 PM EST
    Just finished THE ALIENIST.  Lots of Opera boxes.

    Parent
    I was going to suggest that ... (none / 0) (#32)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:57:17 PM EST
    ... we simply prohibit the use of opera boxes, since they always seem to be filled with either the most scurrilous of scoundrels, or others who really have no business being there.

    Parent
    One of the things that make (none / 0) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:28:19 PM EST
    The book THE ALIENIST great is the texture he gives the history.

    He talked a lot about how most people did not come to see the opera but but to see and be seen by others and about how annoying it was to have the din of vapid conversations, which never stopped and which there was never even an attempt to do quietly, drown out the amazing performances on the stage.

    Parent

    Good question (none / 0) (#73)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 04:21:28 PM EST
    What Happens If A North Korean Athlete Defects? Disaster.

    Parent
    Not a good article, IMO (none / 0) (#95)
    by linea on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:43:49 PM EST
    No idea who Donald Dirk is but I take exception to his implication that the `brutality of the regime on the dark side of the DMZ' is little more that a talking point by Trump and Pence and his use of scare-quotes (i.e., "the evil" North Korean leader) to imply the North Korean communist totalitarian dictator really isn't all that bad.

    I hope every NK allowed to visit South Korea for the Olympic Games is given an opportunity to stay in South Korea. I would separate every person from their Communist Party handler and explain to them that they are welcome and will be cared for if they want to stay. I would make it official US policy to grant any NK defector US citizenship.

    Parent

    You have missed the entire point of (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by Anne on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 09:39:24 PM EST
    Dirk's article.

    It's almost like you read something completely different than the one the link took me to.

    And speaking of disaster, are you kidding me?  You want to grant automatic citizenship to North Koreans at the same time there is a massive effort underway to deport as many people as possible from this country, as well as rescinding protective status to El Salvadorans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, etc?

    Good Lord.

    Parent

    You might what (none / 0) (#96)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:45:59 PM EST
    To argue with someone who cares.

    Parent
    My post (none / 0) (#99)
    by linea on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:58:25 PM EST
    My post was not directed toward you.

    My post was a notice to others who might be reckless enough to click on the link you provided. The author of that article seems to place his personal political pettiness over the actual suffering of millions of people under a hideously brutal dictator.

    Parent

    I'm sure they are all (none / 0) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:02:46 PM EST
    Very grateful

    Parent
    DailyBeast (none / 0) (#101)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:04:03 PM EST
    Is a clear and present danger

    Parent
    And FYI (none / 0) (#104)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:37:54 PM EST
    Donald Kirk

    Donald Kirk is a veteran correspondent and noted author on conflict and crisis from Southeast Asia to the Middle East to Northeast Asia. Don has covered wars from Vietnam to Iraq, focusing on political, diplomatic, economic and social as well as military issues. He is also known for his reporting on North Korea, including the nuclear crisis, human rights and payoffs from South to North Korea preceding the June 2000 inter-Korean summit.[1]

    After several years as a metro reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times and the New York Post, Don went to Asia as a correspondent in Indonesia in "The Year of Living Dangerously," 1965-1966, including the fall of Sukarno and mass killings in Java and Bali.[2] He covered Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the late 1960s and early 1970s, first for the old Washington (DC) Star and then for the Chicago Tribune, reporting on the Tet Offensive, the downfall of Prince Sihanouk and the U.S. incursion into Cambodia (1970), and the Easter Offensive in Vietnam (1972).[3] He also wrote articles for The New York Times Magazine[4] and two books before gravitating to northeast Asia.[5]

    Don was correspondent for The Observer (London) in Japan and Korea in the late 1970s and 1980s, covering the assassination of President Park Chung-hee of Korea in 1979, the Gwangju revolt in 1980, and financial, diplomatic and political issues in Japan for the Observer and newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. He covered the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 from Beirut and Tel Aviv, then joined USA Today in August as the paper's first world editor. For USA Today, he ranged from Europe to Korea, reporting on war in Lebanon, revolt in El Salvador and Nicaragua, the fall of Ceausescu in Rumania, the democracy revolt in Korea in 1987, the Tiananmen Square uprising in Beijing in 1988, and the Gulf War from Baghdad, including the U.S. bombing, in 1989 and 1990.[6][7]

    After publishing an unauthorized biography of Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Hyundai empire, Don returned to Korea as correspondent for the International Herald Tribune, 1997-2003, and for the Christian Science Monitor and CBS Radio, since 2004. He has been covering the sinking of the South Korean navy ship Cheonan, the North Korean nuclear issue, anti-American protests, U.S.-Korea trade disputes and Korean politics, has visited North Korea eight times and reported for CBS from Baghdad in 2004.[8]



    Parent
    How about a little good news (5.00 / 6) (#14)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 06:28:24 PM EST
    Donald Trump has certainly helped. But Democrats' massive success in flipping statehouse seats in special elections this past year isn't happening by accident.

    The party's dominance -- it's flipped 35 seats, and is hoping to make it 36 next week in a Florida House race -- is also the result of old-fashioned political organizing. Nuts and bolts steps like funding year-round staff on the ground in the states, designing digital fundraising platforms, training volunteers, screening résumés for campaigns around the country and, of course, collecting huge checks.

    At the center of those efforts is the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, mostly forgotten in the 25 years since it was founded as the D.C. hub for state legislative campaigns, but now working to coordinate efforts and partners, and along the way double its spending for the cycle to $35 million in strategic investments.

    POLITICO

    Tom Perez (none / 0) (#19)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:08:03 PM EST
    deserves a lot of credit.

    Parent
    Your selective memory is acting up again (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by McBain on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 09:11:29 PM EST
    I spoke out in favor of Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox and Betty Shelby when they were falsely accused or overcharged.

     

    And Hillary? (5.00 / 4) (#47)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 09:26:38 PM EST
    Or any female victim of sexual assault or harassment who comes forward? Somehow they don't receive "due process" via your opinions.

    Parent
    I don't recall a Hillary Clinton trial (none / 0) (#76)
    by McBain on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 05:03:50 PM EST
    As for females who allege sexual assault... their allegations should be taken seriously but we shouldn't assume they are telling the truth just because they are female.  Investigate and keep and open mind.  

    The problem with many SA allegations is the lack of witnesses or physical evidence proving guilt. A he-said she-said date rape case probably shouldn't go to trial. That doesn't mean she was lying, just that it will be impossible to prove she's not.  

    Parent

    How would you suggest (5.00 / 1) (#108)
    by Repack Rider on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 10:45:08 PM EST
    ...under the circumstance you just described, that a woman obtain justice from the man who sexually abused her, if her word is not sufficient? Should a careful man be able to get away with crimes that don't leave a physical mark?

    I'm still curious as to why you think ANY accusations need such detailed support to be taken seriously. Not only are most true, but the ones we hear about are a small fraction of the actual number.

    I had a business associate, now deceased, who was a sexual predator.  That was the primary reason I severed our business relationship.

    I heard complaints about him from several women, and I knew these reports were true. I have never heard of any false accusations along these lines, only real ones.

    Parent

    A woman might not be able to get justice (none / 0) (#122)
    by McBain on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 12:31:29 PM EST
    even if there is physical evidence.  We don't have a perfect system.  We do have philosophy that it's better to have several guilty people go free than to have one innocent person go to prison.  You might not like that but it's the liberal way to do it.

    Parent
    Ahhhhh ... THERE'S the problem (5.00 / 1) (#129)
    by Yman on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 03:15:00 PM EST
    The problem with many SA allegations is the lack of witnesses or physical evidence proving guilt. A he-said she-said date rape case probably shouldn't go to trial. That doesn't mean she was lying, just that it will be impossible to prove she's not.

    You operate under the false assumption that it's the job of the criminal justice system to prove the woman isn't lying.

    It's not.

    Parent

    I guess all women need to wear body cams now (none / 0) (#112)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 09:25:33 AM EST
    Fine! I'm fine with that.

    Parent
    And then the response would be (none / 0) (#114)
    by Anne on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 10:29:29 AM EST
    ENTRAPMENT!!!  "B!tch set me up."

    How do we really know it wasn't planned?  How do we know the recording wasn't tampered with?  Just because there's video doesn't mean there's no agenda.  Especially if the person being filmed is one of those famous-type people.

    Truly, these past few days have been among the saddest.  People have been revealed for who they really are, or confirmed to be who we thought they were.

    And they make no apologies for it, and are aided and abetted by people whose souls are shriveled for having been sold for cheap.

    What do the women of the WH tell their daughters?  What are they telling their sons?  How many more domestic abusers does the WH harbor?

    Really, just gut-wrenchingly sad and depressing.

    Women's anger is going to a new level: count on it.

    Parent

    Will women GOPers (none / 0) (#115)
    by MKS on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 11:01:11 AM EST
    vote for Dems....Bottom line, I guess.

    Parent
    If women wore body-cams, the response (none / 0) (#117)
    by Peter G on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 11:18:10 AM EST
    would be, as in police abuse cases, "But what occurred just before the camera switched on?" "And the camera only shows one angle; you need to see everything else that was happening, including what the accused [cop/husband/boyfriend/boss/whatever] saw -- or reasonably thought he was seeing -- from his point of view."

    Parent
    Still better than the status quo Peter (none / 0) (#126)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 12:56:28 PM EST


    Parent
    I somewhat agree (none / 0) (#84)
    by linea on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 06:43:39 PM EST
    In my opinion, there was clear misogyny in the way Betty Shelby was treated that would never have occurred had she been a male police officer.

    Parent
    Are you suggesting (none / 0) (#109)
    by Repack Rider on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 10:52:14 PM EST
    ...that getting away with killing an unarmed and clearly confused man who was not threatening her, was too harsh a "punishment?"

    There was no punishment at all.  She was acquitted.

    Are you saying that a male officer would have, what, gotten away with killing an unarmed and clearly confused man?

    I'm not sure how you find misogyny in the acquittal, compared to a male officer getting away with the same shooting.

    Parent

    Oh, who knows (none / 0) (#148)
    by Zorba on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 06:50:15 PM EST
    what she's thinking?
    Maybe it was misogyny because, Flying Spaghetti Monster forbid, Shelby was criticized by the family and the BLM protested.
    Plus, she was not happy that, after she was acquitted, she was assigned to desk duty, which she did not like, and she resigned.
    It's not like male police officers who shot unarmed suspects were ever criticized, after all.  (/s)


    Parent
    You know what would be ... (none / 0) (#130)
    by Yman on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 03:19:51 PM EST
    ... a refreshing change-of-pace?

    Actual evidence to back up these silly, specious accusations of imagined sexism that, in reality, do nothing more than undermine genuine instances of misogyny/sexism.

    Parent

    Time to waste? (5.00 / 1) (#61)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 10:02:06 AM EST
    Going to say time to kill but i dislike that phrase,  anyway,  Crooks&Liars does movie links on the weekends.  This weekend it L'inferno 1911. It's quite cool.  I started and got hooked and watched the whole thing with the sound down while scanning Sunday shows.

    The whole film is embedded.

    Deep thoughts (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 04:05:57 PM EST
    Via T&L via Pavlovitz

    Life is stunningly short and it is eggshell fragile.
    Most people are having a really tough time.
    They are almost always in more pain than you think they are.
    Everyone is doing the very best they can to get through this day, and many are going through all manner of horrors in the process.
    No one is immune from the invasive collateral damage of living.

    And you don't have to save these people or fix them or give them any special treatment.

    They are rarely asking for such things.

    The only thing these wounded and weary human beings need from you as you share this space with them--is for you not be a jerk.

    It's really that simple.

    They need you to not contribute to their grieving, not to compound their sadness, not to amplify their fear, not to add to their adversity.
    They need anything less than contempt from you.
    They need you to embrace the vow of doctors and caregivers, of trying to do no harm to them.

    This isn't difficult, either.

    Actually, when it comes right down to it, not being an jerk is about as elementary as it gets:
    I like both the Obama portraits (5.00 / 1) (#131)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 03:25:42 PM EST

    The Obamas' just-unveiled presidential portraits are unlike any before them

    I like his more but I like hers too and I think all the nonsense about it is just that

    NYTimes (5.00 / 1) (#132)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 03:33:50 PM EST
    on The paintings

    Parent
    Yeah, I guess people want to be loud (5.00 / 1) (#166)
    by ruffian on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 01:27:44 PM EST
    about their taste in art? I don't get making any other kind of a point about it. It's art. Appreciation of it is subjective.

    For me, and most of Cubs twitter, we see anything covered in ivy and think it is center field Wrigley Field. No offense to the artist or Obama intended. It's a beautiful painting, IMO.

    Parent

    I'm reserving any opinion (none / 0) (#168)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 04:36:38 PM EST
    Until I see them in person.

    Parent
    Well, now that you're in (5.00 / 1) (#169)
    by Zorba on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 05:40:38 PM EST
    a semi-civilized part of the country, as opposed to where you lived previously, you are not that far from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, so you can view them in person.
    Or see any of the other Smithsonian museums in DC.  Seriously, if you haven't been to them yet, get your family down there.  Numerous times, there's so much to see.

    Parent
    The authoritarians (none / 0) (#135)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:00:37 PM EST
    are freaking out about their portraits because they did not do them the way they thought they should be done. As for me I like more realistic looking portraits so I prefer his. However they are their portraits and that's what they want to put in the Smithsonian so what I think doesn't really matter.

    Parent
    But seriously (none / 0) (#138)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:21:51 PM EST
    Would they have approved of any portrait of Obama that did not have a bone in his nose?

    I think his is stunning and the more I look at here the more I like it.

    Parent

    Trump will hate the size of (5.00 / 2) (#147)
    by Anne on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 06:40:42 PM EST
    Obama's hands...

    Parent
    Grrrrr (none / 0) (#139)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:22:57 PM EST
    The more I look at HERS

    just as a painting it pretty great.

    Parent

    Barak's looks like a Rene Magritte (5.00 / 1) (#140)
    by jondee on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:35:02 PM EST
    conception.

    I'm not as hot on Michelle's, but Tucker Carlson's undies being in a bunch about it makes me like it more.

    Parent

    Take a look (none / 0) (#142)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:39:02 PM EST
    at The rest of her work

    Parent
    Better (5.00 / 1) (#144)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 06:03:23 PM EST
    LINK

    Parent
    I love both of the paintings. (none / 0) (#153)
    by caseyOR on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 07:45:59 PM EST
    Barack's is a bit somber as befits the official portrait of a president.

    And Michelle's is stunning. Her expression. Her eyes. The dress. All of it.

    And really, why are the usual suspects so up in arms? It's not like Obama is wearing a tan suit, after all.

    Parent

    You have a point. (none / 0) (#146)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 06:31:51 PM EST
    Even if Leonardo himself had risen from the dead and painted their portrait the authoritarians would be having a fit. I'm suprised they haven't ripped Hillary's picture off the wall and shot it up or something. I think we might be suprised how much damage, physical damage, will have been done to the white house when Trump leaves.

    Parent
    Still no portraits of (none / 0) (#155)
    by MKS on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 09:07:15 PM EST
    Trump and Pence in Federal Courthouse in Orange County, as of a couple of weeks ago.

    Love the Impressionistic portrait of "Renaissance."

    Obama in the green--awesome too.

    Parent

    Couple months ago, I had to accompany (none / 0) (#156)
    by Anne on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 09:30:10 PM EST
    my husband to the VA for a procedure, and when we came up from the parking garage, my husband guided me in the direction we needed to go.  We walk about 15 or 20 feet, and he says to me, "We have to go to the right up here, but you might want to close your eyes."

    I must have given him a look like, "What are you talking about?"

    So, we're still walking, and just as I turn the corner, there on the wall, big as life, is a photo of Trump.

    Wish I'd listened to my husband...

    Parent

    So, the photos exist (none / 0) (#157)
    by MKS on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 10:03:21 PM EST
    But the Resistance has blocked them in some places....

    Parent
    I love the one of Michelle (none / 0) (#167)
    by CST on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 02:02:06 PM EST
    Which is apparently the one everyone hates the most.  Barrack's is fine, but Michelle's "speaks" to my personal aesthetic more I guess.

    Realism is boring, we have photographs for that now.

    Parent

    Baltimore police convicted. (5.00 / 1) (#152)
    by Anne on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 07:29:46 PM EST
    Thank goodness.

    A federal jury convicted two Baltimore Police detectives Monday for their roles in one of the biggest police corruption scandals in recent memory.

    Detectives Daniel T. Hersl, 48, and Marcus R. Taylor, 31, were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, racketeering and robbery. Prosecutors said they and other members of the Gun Trace Task Force had acted as "both cops and robbers," using the power of their badges to steal large sums of money from residents under the guise of police work.

    "Their business model was that the people that they were robbing had no recourse -- who were they going to go to? That's what [the officers] were counting on," Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Schenning said after the verdict.

    Acting Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa said the trial had uncovered "some of the most egregious and despicable acts ever perpetrated in law enforcement."

    Also:

    U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake will hand down prison sentences for eight officers, a five-man drug crew, one bail bondsman and two other civilians. All were linked in a web of crime that stretched from peddlers of deadly heroin in Northeast Baltimore to a celebrated unit of plainclothes police.

    One Philadelphia officer still awaits trial in Baltimore. Prosecutors said Eric Troy Snell, a former Baltimore cop, partnered with the rogue cops to sell cocaine and heroin they seized from Baltimore's streets. Snell remains jailed; his trial has not yet been scheduled.

    The six officers who pleaded guilty admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in drugs, cash and jewelry from people they encountered on the streets. Some officers nearly doubled their salaries by billing the city for overtime hours they didn't work. They admitted to lying on reports to cover up the schemes.

    And people wonder why the police aren't trusted.

    Yet, BPD is still (none / 0) (#170)
    by Chuck0 on Wed Feb 14, 2018 at 11:41:25 AM EST
    looking in the 'hood' for Sean Suiter's killer. Methinks they may have the killer in hand already or look at inward for his killer.

    I don't believe for one second that Sean Suiter's murder isn't connected to his upcoming testimony. He was killed by a cop. A Baltimore cop.

    Parent

    There's definitely something hinky there. (none / 0) (#171)
    by Anne on Wed Feb 14, 2018 at 12:19:01 PM EST
    For sure we haven't heard the whole story, and when we do, it's not going to be pretty.

    Parent
    I'm not sure (none / 0) (#1)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 01:09:58 PM EST
    if this is the biggest story but two senior Trump advisers are gone this week due to the fact that they apparently beat their wives during the time they were married to them.

    Then there is the issue as to why all these "advisors" can't seem to get a security clearance. Kushner still doesn't have one and is handling very sensitive information.

    Yes, I am beginning (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by KeysDan on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 02:46:40 PM EST
    to believe the first question (answer yes or no please) on the Trump White House employment application is "Do you still beat your wife?"

    Ex-wife #1 and ex-wife #2 both claimed (and reported to the FBI) that White House official, Rob Porter, beat them, with such evidence as a blackened eye photo, police reports and contemporaneous reporting.

      And, after a year on the job, Porter was never granted a permanent security clearance by the FBI despite seeing every piece of paper that goes to Trump. Of course, no questions asked about that by Kelly or McGhan.

    And then comes along, David Sorenson, who is described as working "under" Stephen Miller...pretty disgusting imagery...with speech writing responsibilities.  Sorenson'ex-wife claims that her then husband ran over her foot with a car, put a cigarette out on her hand (and has scars to show), and threw her into a wall and pulled her by the hair around their boat when alone out on the Maine coast. Sorenson resigned after being forewarned by the WaPo, and before publishing the story.

    Trump is sympathetic to the men..those allegations and innocence.. asking in a tweet, "whatever happened to Due Process?" (sic).  Yes, Due Process..sort of like, the unfairness of "lock her up."

      But, Trump really needs to ask, what is due process and how does that stuff work?   We could start by telling him that that stuff happens in a Court.  And, if you believe, as he apparently does, the men accused are innocent, it requires that the women are lying, which means that they are not getting Trumpian due process.   Public opinion and Court opinions are so complicated. Often requires reading.

    Parent

    Kirsten Gillibrand (none / 0) (#11)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 06:02:17 PM EST
    piped up with sure, we'll be more than glad to give your accusers due process. We can start hearings in the senate.

    Parent
    That (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by FlJoe on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:44:01 PM EST
    was probably the biggest reported story, but like the entire tRump era every week seems like a year of big stories, just a few from this week:
    Wild stock market gyrations (correction was due)
    Budget deal (congress actually functioning is news indeed)
    Democrats accused of treason. (Dictator)
    Plans for Military parade.(see above)
    Kelley calls potential dreamers lazy.(bootlicking
     ofabove)
    L'affaire Porter (some wife beaters are very fine people)
    Democrats Memo rejected (of course)
    Brand resigns.(at the very least a continuing decimation of the JD/FBI)
    Korean Olympic flirtation, with Pence glowering over it. (seriously lighten up dude)
    Some serious shite going down in Syria. (under-reported)
    and I'm probably missing plenty.

    Parent
    7 Plus (none / 0) (#2)
    by linea on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 01:23:20 PM EST
    I have the 7 Plus and I like the larger size.

    The 7 Plus has the same screen size as the 8 Plus but the body isn't glass so the 7 Plus is lighter and less breakable. The 7 Plus has finger-print ID (good) while the 8 Plus has face ID (bad, in my opinion).

    Correction (none / 0) (#3)
    by linea on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 02:12:25 PM EST
    The 8 (and 8 Plus) has touch ID. Only the X has face ID.

    The X, 8, and 8 Plus have glass bodies making them heavier and more fragile.

    Glass-Bodied iPhone 8 Shatters Repeatedly in Drop Tests

    Parent

    I am quite satisfied with my iPhone SE (none / 0) (#7)
    by Peter G on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 03:38:59 PM EST
    A little larger than the 5, with the brain of a 6, and running the latest iOS) but compact and light, as well as a bargain. Wisely recommended to me (as an "older person") by my grown children.

    Parent
    My current philosphy for smartphones (none / 0) (#46)
    by McBain on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 09:16:45 PM EST
    Is to either get a decent Iphone or a relatively cheap Android.  Don't spend good money for an Android, just not user friendly enough.  The only problem I have with Apple products is the cost. I usually only use a phone for talking, email and texting, so I don't need to spend for the latest bells and whistles. If I did I would definitely buy Apple.  

    Parent
    I still can't believe I got (none / 0) (#53)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 11:02:11 PM EST
    talked into this Galaxy S8. I absolutely hate it. I finally had the time to call AT&T today and for $218, I can upgrade to the iPhone 8 (just a few dollars more and I can have the iPhone X).

    I won't use face recognition. If you get robbed or stopped by the police, all they have to do is take your phone and put it in front of your face, and it's all unlocked for them. Whoever thought face recognition was a good idea? But, you can also you a pin and I don't mind that. And I like the size of the X better than the iphone 8. The size of these new phones reminds me of the first cell phone ever, in the age of Miami Vice.

    Parent

    typo - should be (none / 0) (#54)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 11:03:27 PM EST
    you can also access with a pin

    Parent
    I use fingerprint ID (none / 0) (#81)
    by linea on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 06:16:35 PM EST
    I constantly use the fingerprint ID on my iPhone to access accounts including Wells Fargo because I have a seriously difficult password on that account so bots can't crack my password. I agree with your opinion of Face ID.

    I like the X but can you realistically opt-out of Face ID?

    I love ❤️ my 7 Plus because I watch YouTube videos and reading news articles and viewing PDFs is easier.

    Should I have gotten the 8 Plus?

    • The glass-bodied 8 (and 8 Plus) is heavier but I suppose given all the things already in my bag, that really shouldn't matter.
    • Do I want the wireless charging pad? I have a standard charge cable for my 7 Plus at home and one at work and I sometimes carry a charge cable in my bag. I would never buy a second expensive wireless charging pad to leave at work, I use the phone at work while it's plugged in to the charging cable. You can't do that if it's sitting on a wireless charging pad. I would never carry a wirelesss charging pad in my bag either.

    I suppose, for me, I don't want the X because I actually use the fingerprint ID and hate the Face ID. I don't see a benefit in the 8 or 8 Plus with the wireless charging.

    Parent

    Yes, you can opt out and use a PIN instead (none / 0) (#119)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 11:37:02 AM EST
    Same issues apply to touch ID - a robber or cop can use your fingerprint to open. You can opt out of that too.

    Parent
    I avoided that dilemma (none / 0) (#123)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 12:39:24 PM EST
    by simply lopping off my right index finger in 2016. Look ma, no fingerprints!

    Parent
    I did go for the X this year (none / 0) (#120)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 11:53:54 AM EST
    I just can't resist trying the latest thing.

    I love the display size - since I don't like the Plus sized phones, the X gives me a lot more screen real estate with only a little more size. Still fits easily in my pockets. Also the resolution and clarity are lovely. I did a few side by side tests against my old 7 before I turned it in, and noticed the difference easily.

    Also the camera is really great. Since I rarely  carry around my SLR, I appreciate that. Got a great shot of a hawk launching off my fence over the weekend. No way would I have had a real camera ready for that.  

    I have no scruples about the face ID. It works great, I just have to pick up the phone and look at it, even at an angle. I have long resigned myself to the fact that there is really no such thing as secure data. If I can't stand to lose something I just don't access it with my phone. For example, no SSN or passport info in there. The face ID, or before that touch ID at least protects me from other than a dedicated criminal, or unwarranted government access.

    Yeah, I am a true Apple believer as you all have probably figured out by now...so take what I say with a grain of salt. But hardly anyone I have known who switched from an iPhone to something else did not eventually come back.

    Parent

    I want a cell phone with which ... (none / 0) (#48)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 09:48:17 PM EST
    ... I can make / take calls, send / receive text messages or email, store my contacts and update / reference my daily schedule. Nothing else is required by me. Speaking for myself only, I am not going to watch video or read documents on a device that's the size of an index card. I have a Microsoft Surface Pro which I use for business whenever I'm away from the office or home. If I want to take photos, I prefer to use my camera. For my phone, I just want the basics because I'm only going to use it for that.

    Parent
    Reading magazine & newspaper on iPhone (5.00 / 1) (#59)
    by Coral on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:27:25 AM EST
    Is something I wouldn't have expected to enjoy. To my surprise I use phone for reading articles almost every day. Handy and small, good for travel, any situation where you have to wait. Font can be adjusted to suit eyes.

    Also I like Apple Pay when grocery shopping.

    Parent

    Me too, In fact at home (none / 0) (#121)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 12:21:43 PM EST
    I grab it and read for long periods before I think, hey, I could read this on my laptop instead. It really is pretty seamless to me now, as long as the articles are formatted for mobile display.  

    Parent
    More questions about Nassar case (none / 0) (#5)
    by McBain on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 02:59:30 PM EST
    A mother of one of Nassar's victims talks about how he abused her daughter right in front of her but didn't realize it was abuse until later.
    It wasn't until other women started coming forward with testimonies of abuse against Nassar that she and her daughter, Chloe, recognized the former U.S. Gymnastics doctor as a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

    This is one of the things that troubles me about this case.  There was all this abuse but no one really knew about it until later.... even people who were in the room where the abuse was said to have taken place.
    Because his treatment worked, both Chatman and her daughter continued to live normally with "No questions. No concerns." But then came the 2016 Indy Star report, which detailed a series of sexual abuse allegations against the ex-Michigan State University sports doctor.

    "We couldn't wrap our heads around it. I couldn't fathom that this could possibly be true," Chatman wrote.


    Did he actually abuse her daughter or did the other allegations influence her accusation?  I understand most people have no interest in considering some of the allegations might not be true, but I think it's important to make sure even pedophiles, rapists, murderers get a fair trial and sentenced fairly.      

    Over a hundred witnesses (5.00 / 3) (#12)
    by Repack Rider on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 06:06:41 PM EST
    I think it's important to make sure even pedophiles, rapists, murderers get a fair trial and sentenced fairly.

    Of course you do, unless the accused is a police officer, who should not be charged no matter what the video tells your lying eyes. You seem so focused on whether female victims are lying that it makes me curious.

    What is it about accusations of sexual misconduct that makes the subject so important to you? I don't ever think about that stuff, because I know I will never be accused by any woman of anything.  (I am heterosexual and happily married.)

    I presume that you are self-aware enough to understand that you have two entirely opposite standards of due process, depending on whose ox is gored.

    Would you care to share with us why that is?

    Parent

    He's not the only one (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 11:18:24 PM EST
    so please stop baiting him. Have you ever read my posts on the Kobe Bryant case? Type Kobe in the search box. From a criminal defense perspective, it's very troubling that all it takes is an allegation these days and you're presumed guilty. It's like being in Alice in Wonderland. I'm not talking about people like the doctor who was charged and pleaded guilty, but those who are being publicly named, shamed and branded for life without any proof besides their statement, many times decades old.

    Parent
    Charges of sexual abuse ought to be ... (5.00 / 3) (#58)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 01:18:09 AM EST
    ...taken seriously and investigated to the fullest extent possible. But such allegations should not be taken merely at face value, nor should they be resurrected at the whim of the accuser, particularly after the original allegations had been extensively investigated and found to be without merit. (See "Woody Allen.")

    But all too often, women who've been abused are afraid to come forward because as events have shown us time and again, more often than not the victim's own behavior and personal history will become the primary focus of the public discussion, rather than the conduct of the alleged perpetrator.

    Florida State was recently compelled to pay nearly $1 million to former FSU coed Erica Kinsman for the shockingly lackadaisical manner in which university officials (mis)handled her case back in 2012-13, which so happened to have involved the school's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Jameis Winston.

    For its part, the Tallahassee Police Dept. grudgingly admitted its own slow-walk of Kinsman's case, in which the lead detective -- who was, not coincidentally, a Florida State football fan --  literally sat on the case file for ten months until an enterprising reporter from the Tampa Bay Tribune inquired of the investigation's status.

    By the time Ms. Kinsman's claim of rape at the hands of Mr. Winston was finally taken seriously by police and submitted to State's Attorney William Meggs, nearly a whole year had passed. Memories fade. Evidence gets misplaced. Rape kits go untested. Witnesses are ignored or move away. Justice delayed is often justice denied.

    I believe that the rise of the #MeToo movement is directly attributable to the relative and longstanding lack of sincerity on the part of most men in taking seriously women's claims of sexual abuse and violence. And if as men, we're tarred and feathered by allegations of our past behavior, well, we've only ourselves to blame for our own predicament. Women are angry -- and rightly so.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Can you give some examples of what you (none / 0) (#80)
    by McBain on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 05:59:56 PM EST
    say here...
    women who've been abused are afraid to come forward because as events have shown us time and again, more often than not the victim's own behavior and personal history will become the primary focus of the public discussion, rather than the conduct of the alleged perpetrator.

    I thought you were going to do that with the FSU case but didn't.  Most of the SA cases I'm familiar with start off with the accused's reputation being smeared long before any trial.  The accuser's name is often not used in media reports.  

    Jeralyn mentioned the Kobe Bryant case.  The alleged victim's name was never used by the main stream media but Bryant's name and face was all over the news.  It wasn't  until physical evidence came in suggesting she had sex with someone other than Bryant shorty before her SA exam (something she didn't tell investigators) that the tide really turned against her.  

    Parent

    Sometimes, it's as simple as (5.00 / 4) (#83)
    by Anne on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 06:26:37 PM EST
    asking if the accuser has some kind of an agenda.  This is a question Trump has asked over and over again, and it is one you have also asked in many of the cases discussed here.

    With respect to Rob Porter, here are not one, but two, ex-wives with allegations supported by contemporaneous reporting to friends, family and law enforcement, extensive interviews with the FBI, and all we heard aside from a sop to "domestic abuse is bad" was endless praise for Porter, ever-shifting timelines of who in the administration knew what, and when, blurring of the lines between "he resigned" and "we fired him," and little, almost no, acknowledgment of the victims of Porter's abuse.

    In fact, were it not for the photos, I believe Porter would still have a job, because the reality seems to be that Kelly and his cohorts didn't believe it until there was photographic evidence that wouldn't allow them to deny it.

    These women did come forward, but how this has all been handled is why many women will choose not to come forward.  It's horrible enough to be the object of someone's abuse and violence, but it's a different kind of abuse to not be believed.

    This has been explained to you over and over and over, and still, every time something like it is in the news, there you are with your ever-so-earnest concern for the perpetrators.

    Just like Donald Trump, and the long list of men who do what they do because people like you give them the space to keep doing it.

    Parent

    Being (5.00 / 3) (#110)
    by FlJoe on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:40:07 AM EST
    publicly called a liar by the PPOTUS is indeed a continuation of the abuse.
    On Friday, a friend and I watched as the President of the United States sat in the Oval Office and praised the work of my ex-husband, Rob Porter, and wished him future success. I can't say I was surprised. But when Donald Trump repeated twice that Rob declared his innocence, I was floored. What was his intent in emphasizing that point? My friend turned to me and said, "The President of the United States just called you a liar."

    Yes. And so he did.


    ...
    Ultimately, this is not a political issue. This is a societal issue, and the tone has just been reset by the White House. If the most powerful people in the nation do not believe my story of abuse in the face of overwhelming evidence, then what hope do others have of being heard?

    The McBains of the world refuse to accept this profound truth.

    Parent
    There's a whole spectrum (none / 0) (#111)
    by jondee on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 07:03:22 AM EST
    of slapping and punching that isn't being addressed by the pc crowd in these discussions.

    Parent
    The truth is, that in court (5.00 / 6) (#118)
    by Peter G on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 11:24:48 AM EST
    the uncorroborated testimony of a single victim or other eyewitness, if believed beyond a reasonable doubt by the factfinder (jury or judge, as the case may be), is legally sufficient to support any criminal conviction. But certain people do not seem willing to apply this rule to women. (Indeed, historically it was not applicable to women's testimony.) "Where's the evidence?," they ask, as if credible testimony were not, in fact, the most common form of "evidence."

    Parent
    That's not surprising. (5.00 / 2) (#154)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 08:08:32 PM EST
    Peter G: "The truth is, that in court the uncorroborated testimony of a single victim or other eyewitness, if believed beyond a reasonable doubt by the factfinder (jury or judge, as the case may be), is legally sufficient to support any criminal conviction. But certain people do not seem willing to apply this rule to women."

    It's been less than 100 years since most states first allowed women to sit as members of grand and trial juries. By 1920, only four of the 48 states allowed the practice. And in fact, women were prohibited from serving on state juries in Alabama, South Carolina and Mississippi until 1966, 1967 and 1968, respectively.

    In the context of history, that's the rough equivalent of yesterday. Old ideas and habits, particularly those pertaining to the prevailing social institutions, die hard. And one of the oldest concepts in western society is patriarchy.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Can you be more clear what you're blaming me (2.00 / 1) (#102)
    by McBain on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:07:02 PM EST
    for this time?
    Just like Donald Trump, and the long list of men who do what they do because people like you give them the space to keep doing it.


    Parent
    Wait, what? (5.00 / 6) (#63)
    by Towanda on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 10:46:38 AM EST
    McBain posted about the Nassar case.

    You post that you are not talking about the Nassar case, but call a post replying to McBain baiting him.

    Yes, this is like Alice in Wonderland.  Off with our heads!

    Parent

    I think responding (5.00 / 2) (#67)
    by MKS on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 01:28:55 PM EST
    is counter-productive. Leaving the comments orphans is probably better.

    Parent
    By his own admission, Larry Nassar is guilty. (5.00 / 3) (#15)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 06:37:28 PM EST
    Seriously, what part of "Nassar pleaded guilty" do you not understand? Honestly, why are you consistently trying to undercut a case that's since been settled by the defendant's guilty plea? And why are you repeatedly seeking to dispute the particulars of that case, the facts of which the now-convicted felon has belatedly admitted and conceded to be true?

    To be fair, those questions I asked above are entirely rhetorical and as such, they do not require a direct response from you. Personally, I find your despicable insinuations about Nassar's victims to be the superficially polite equivalent of the vernacular "b*+ches be lyin'," and I further believe that your real purpose here is to offend people and provoke them into argument, especially women such as Anne.

    Again, Larry Nassar is guilty beyond any reasonable doubt, and he got exactly what he deserved. I'm left only to wonder if you truly understand or even care how grossly insensitive you appear to many here regarding your thinly-veiled suggestion that Nassar is somehow a victim.

    It's as though you don't care at all for women's entirely valid concerns regarding their historic oppression at the hands of men, or about their longstanding suffering thereof. And in that respect, what matters here are other people's perceptions of what you're doing, and not necessarily your own view of your conduct.

    Granted, I felt the sentencing judge's public posturing to be a wee bit over the top but even then, she still acted entirely within her legally prescribed bounds of discretion -- which is something that Larry Nassar, M.D., most certainly did NOT do in the performance of his own prescribed duties.

    Not only is Nassar guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault, he repeatedly violated his Hippocratic oath over the better part of his nearly two decades at Michigan State University, specifically by flouting the long-established and -accepted physician's tenet of Primum non nocere. ("First do no harm.")

    Deal with it.

    Parent

    I care about the rights of the accused, (2.00 / 1) (#35)
    by McBain on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:10:40 PM EST
    the falsely convicted and the overcharged/oversenteced. I don't believe in the death penalty and I don't like it when judges and celebrities express a desire for someone to be raped or murdered in prison. Overall, there's plenty to discuss in this case.

    Seriously, what part of "Nassar pleaded guilty" do you not understand?

    As has been pointed out before, people sometimes confess or plead guilty to crimes they didn't commit.


    I further believe that your real purpose here is to offend people and provoke them into argument, especially women such as Anne.

    Sometimes my purpose is to educate. Sometimes I ask questions hoping to be educated. Sometimes I try to start a discussion. All of those motives are appropriate for this message board.  I don't mind an occasional argument but I don't like insults that usually follow.

    The Nassar case reminds me a little of the Arnold Friedman molestation case as presented in the Capturing the Friendmans. While there are plenty of differences, there are some similarities such the discovery of child pornography and the suspiciously high number of children who were abused.

    Parent

    Again, Nassar pleaded guilty. It's over. (5.00 / 3) (#49)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 10:04:44 PM EST
    Frankly, your purpose appears less to educate, than to harrumph, browbeat and / or obsess. As far as your ostensible desire to be educated is concerned, it's rather hard to take you seriously about that, since you've shown us time and again that you're really not very interested in actually listening to anything that anyone else has to say on these matters.

    I'm through riding your warped little merry-go-round.

    Parent

    All this abuse that no one (5.00 / 4) (#28)
    by jondee on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:32:34 PM EST
    knew about till later..

    Possibly because some people need a series of shocks to disabuse them of the idea that a "doctor" can do no wrong, the way some need a direct shock to disabuse them of the idea that a cop can do no wrong.

    Parent

    What mysterious ailment is it that all these (none / 0) (#8)
    by Peter G on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 03:47:21 PM EST
    young women happened to suffer from, according to this quack, and which called for a special "treatment," unknown to other doctors, that involved inserting his ungloved fingers into their vaginas? I wonder what medical mystery caused the remarkably coincidental spread of this unusual ailment among so many young, female athletes in Michigan. What luck that none of my three daughters happened to come down with whatever ailment required such "treatment."

    Parent
    I don't know so much that it is about (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Anne on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 04:29:55 PM EST
    the ailment, but about the treatment.  Which, I am sorry to say, sounds like quackery: osteopathic manipulative medicine

    Osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT, is hands-on care. It involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMT, your osteopathic physician will move your muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure and resistance.

    [sound similar to that other form of "medicine" I think is junk: chiropractic.  Ever notice how people who go to chiropractors are always going to them?  That they always need "adjustments" and are never quite completely adjusted?  Junk.]

    What Nassar was doing was something called "pelvic floor physical therapy," which actually is a treatment, but not generally for the kinds of problems gymnasts have.  If you had problems with incontinence or painful intercourse, maybe, but not lower back or hip pain, which is what Nassar claimed he was using it for.

    Parents who were in the room when their daughters were receiving this treatment didn't see the penetration, because as Nassar has admitted, he always made sure that he was between the parent and the patient, blocking the parent's view.

    Parent

    My comment about the "ailment" was meant (none / 0) (#34)
    by Peter G on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:05:10 PM EST
    to be ironic. His "treatments" were pitiful covers for criminal acts, as he admitted. But I happen to know that osteopathic medicine, when properly practiced, is entirely legit. It is not like chiropractic, which has no true medical basis. A "D.O." has a medical school education and a license to practice medicine. I have a niece and nephew who are osteopathic physicians in Western Pennsylvania, a general practitioner and a pediatrician. They are excellent doctors.

    Parent
    Sorry, Peter - it was more the treatment (none / 0) (#38)
    by Anne on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:21:24 PM EST
    I was impugning, but I can see where it could be taken as a dismissal of osteopathy in general.

    I think I was just having a visceral reaction to the description:

    Osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT, is hands-on care. It involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMT, your osteopathic physician will move your muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure and resistance.

    which made it sound an awful - emphasis on the "awful" - lot like chiropractic.

    The osteopaths I've encountered over the years were all working in the area of orthopedics, and not a one using "manipulative" medicine.

    Parent

    Anne, many in the postpolio community (5.00 / 3) (#52)
    by Towanda on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 10:54:41 PM EST
    find osteopathic doctors more understanding of our issues, and provide better treatment, than do too many MD!s who do not educate themselves to what millions of us endure. And the uneducated can do immense further damage to us.

    I am fortunate to be in a metropolitan area, so I have a PPS specialist,an MD -- but he now is near retirement, and I worry as to what I will do . . . as each day becomes more difficult. . . .

    Parent

    I knew one woman with postpolio (5.00 / 3) (#64)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 10:50:30 AM EST
    When her symptoms began to flare up in a way that they began to affect her life I was stunned how cruel some of her family was. I was stunned at some of the doctors she originally saw also. She survived polio, she brought 7 children into the world, but she was probably always experiencing symptoms. When things got bad in her 50s the initial cruelty toward her was astonishing. Everyone was tired of her whining? That was 25 yrs ago. I recently found out she had passed. RIP sweet Janice, you deserved more and better.

    Parent
    Sister Kenny.. (none / 0) (#62)
    by jondee on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 10:30:00 AM EST
    I don't know how much if any of a correlation there is between osteopathy and the Sister Kenny method, but a writer that I like, Robert Anton Wilson, claims that the Sister Kenny method was the only treatment that helped him with his childhood polio.

    Parent
    The verb 'manipulate' can be a loaded term. (none / 0) (#50)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 10:27:29 PM EST
    In this instance, a physician can legitimately manipulate a joint or muscle to ensure its proper function, or he can manipulate a rationale for what might otherwise be a legitimate medical procedure, in order to touch someone else's private areas for his own sleazy thrills.

    Parent
    Donald, I had months and months of (none / 0) (#51)
    by Anne on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 10:43:15 PM EST
    PT after my two shoulder surgeries, so I'm pretty familiar with the manipulation of joints and muscles, with the stretching of tendons and ligaments - and I was in a large PT practice, rehabbing with people who'd had hip, back and knee surgery, all being worked on to get back their mobility and range of motion.

    But all of that aside, I think it's important to remember what Larry Nassar had going for him: gymnasts who, if they couldn't perform, couldn't compete.  And, based on what I know from friends with daughters in gymnastics, if you can't compete, someone else will just take your place.  And you might not get it back.

    So, there was no doubt a lot of fear, which makes people vulnerable, perhaps willing to suspend their common sense and instincts to allow Nassar's brand of "treatment" if it meant being able to compete at a high level.  He was a doctor - who questions doctors?

    He used that fear, became a savior-like figure to these girls.  He groomed them.

    He admitted his guilt, and not just in one case, but in multiple cases.  

    The only thing I'm surprised about is that McBain isn't defending the latest members of Trump's He-Man Woman-Haters Club to leave the administration.

    Parent

    my primary care (none / 0) (#55)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 11:12:06 PM EST
    doctor is a D.O. and she's wonderful. (She's also a concierge doctor who doesn't take insurance so you just pay one price per month and can go every day or never. Blood tests and x-rays cost next to nothing ($5 or $10) because that's what she's charged  when insurance isn't involved -- by the same companies.  Some concierge doctors are $10k to $25k a  year -- mine is nowhere near that amount.

    I've never been to a chiropractor but Ms. TL Kid's dad is one and he has helped the TL kid. He has a massage type table in the basement and I watched him manipulate both the TL kid and Ms. TL Kid on Xmas day. Pretty impressive. He knew exactly what they needed and you could tell from their "Aahs" he hit the right spots. I hope I never need one though.

    So I wouldn't slam either type of practice. Like everything else, there are good ones and not so good ones.

    Parent

    That stuff on his computer (none / 0) (#17)
    by jondee on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 06:50:26 PM EST
    that he may or may not have consulted as an addendum to his "treatments", certainly isn't going do much to further the cause of those dedicated to the idea that Nassar should somehow be able to get the ideal fair trial.

    Parent
    HERE AND NOW (none / 0) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 06:46:02 PM EST
    Starts tomorrow on HBO.  from Alan Ball, SIX FEET UNDER and TRUE BLOOD.

    Through four episodes, it's unclear what "Here and Now" is actually about. Fitting given its vague title, but confounding overall, the new HBO series pivots from a strong, focused pilot into an ongoing story that's too sprawling for its own good. Allegorically, creator Alan Ball asks if the grand American experiment has failed; if the melting pot has cracked and chaos is all that remains. Practically, his series uses one family to represent the country and, by living their day-to-day lives, answer such lofty questions.

    That's an excellent canvas on which to paint, but "Here and Now" looks more like a messy Jackson Pollock knockoff than the refined post-modern portrait it tries to be. It's colorful and easy to stare at, somewhat befuddled, but a connection has yet to be forged. Packed with too many individual plot lines, this is an interpersonal drama that needs room to breathe -- and that's obvious long before a supernatural twist threatens to take over the story.
    Loved SIX FEET UNDER (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:25:30 PM EST
    Hated TRUE BLOOD

    Parent
    I loved TRUE BLOOD too (none / 0) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:29:16 PM EST
    Very different tho.

    Parent
    Yes (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:36:26 PM EST
    Six Feet Under and the Sopranos ruined me. Before them I almost never watched television. I did rent about 4 to 8 movies/documentaries on the weekends if nothing else was planned. I used to live with basic cable and no DVR. How did I manage?

    Parent
    The premium cable golden age (none / 0) (#31)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:54:31 PM EST
    Pretty much started with SIX FEET UNDER and CARNIVAL.  Still two of the best ever.

    And SOPRANOS which oddly never hooked me.  Ive still never seen the whole series.

    Parent

    Carnivàle rather (none / 0) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:59:34 PM EST
    if you haven't seen it you really should

    Parent
    One terrific (none / 0) (#40)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:44:03 PM EST
    TRAILER

    This makes,me want to see it again.  I haven't seen it since 2003-4

    One of the thing I remember most about this series was in one episode a guy is tarred and feathered.  Something I had heard of all my life but only saw depicted in Warner brothers toons.

    It was one of the most horrific things I have ever seen.

    Nothing toon like about having boiling tar poured on you body and down your throat.

    Parent

    I ended up watching Carnivale much later (none / 0) (#43)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:56:00 PM EST
    Than it's original airing. It's worth rewatching sometime though.

    The first episode of Six Feet Under I ever saw was the blow up dolls episode. I just died. WTH is this?

    I was many seasons behind when I watched my first episode of The Sopranos.

    Parent

    For me it was Sex and the City (none / 0) (#42)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:50:27 PM EST
    and then after that the Sopranos. Yep, I didn't watch much TV before then but after I started watching those two I found more and more.

    Parent
    The writing is so much better (none / 0) (#44)
    by Militarytracy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:57:30 PM EST
    Now for dramatic series. A lot of talent out there.

    Parent
    Variety (none / 0) (#18)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:04:48 PM EST

    "Here and Now': Why Alan Ball Wanted to Depict a Multi-Racial Family in New HBO Show

    Parent
    I will (none / 0) (#20)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:08:56 PM EST
    have to tell my friend about this show because she is a huge fan of Six Feet Under.

    Parent
    Isn't everyone (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:11:54 PM EST


    Parent
    Capt, though I haven't seen Homeland, (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by oculus on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 07:28:29 PM EST
    I did see Nina Hoss in Returning to Reims at St, Ann's warehouse. In the concluding portion of the performance, she describes her father's activism.  

    Parent
    Nina Hoss (none / 0) (#36)
    by MKS on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:12:08 PM EST
    Just a travesty that the Homeland writers had her shot.  

    Parent
    Masterpiece Cakeshop & Cathy's Creations (none / 0) (#37)
    by linea on Sat Feb 10, 2018 at 08:12:36 PM EST
    In my opinion, SCOTUS will decide Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission in a way similar to the recent California ruling in Cathy's Creations.

    I predict a divided SCOTUS will rule for Masterpiece Cakeshop based on religious liberty and on free speech versus compelled speech grounds. But businesses will be expected to `accommodate' same-sex couples by refering them to a bakery that will take their order.

    I also predict, with the court now fully-staffed, that SCOTUS will revisit pharmacist religious objections in a case similar to Stormans / Ralph's Thriftway v. Wiseman which incensed Justice Alito.

    Reference:

    California Department of Fair Employment and Housing v Cathy's Creations, Inc.

    Cathy Miller owns and operates Cathy's Creations, a small bakery that creates specialty designed custom cakes.

    Miller offers her pre-made products without discrimination but will not design custom weddings cakes for same sex couples based on a heartfelt religious principle.

    Miller has entered into an agreement with a competitor - Gimme Some Sugar - and refers same-sex customers to that business for custom wedding cakes.

    When offering your products or services ... (5.00 / 4) (#57)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 12:14:44 AM EST
    ... as an entrepreneur in the public marketplace, the law at present provides that you do not have the right to unilaterally discriminate against a customer who desires said products or services, by refusing to offer those products or services on the sole basis of said customer's race, ethnicity, age, gender or gender identity, physical disability or sexual orientation.

    Further, any religion that encourages its adherents to discriminate against their fellow human beings, for no reasons other than institutional animus and / or a misguided personal sense of moral superiority, is really nothing more than blind expression of an unquestioning devotion to a judgmental diety. And that's the basic foundation of bigotry in this world.

    As the late suffragist Susan B. Anthony once observed, "I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice that it always coincides with their own desires."

    And as the late humanitarian Jane Addams taught us, "The essence of immorality is the tendency to make an exception of myself."

    Using one's religion as a rationale for discrimination ultimately reflects far more upon the weak or opportunistic character of the person making the claim, than it is revelatory of the Lord whom that person purports to serve.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Amen! (none / 0) (#60)
    by Chuck0 on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:37:48 AM EST


    Parent
    The Supreme Court is (5.00 / 1) (#65)
    by KeysDan on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 12:12:26 PM EST
    likely to present its finding during the final days of the session and then leave town for the summer.  Moreover, it probably will be a 5/4 decision with Justice Kennedy the deciding vote one way or the other.  

    It is always risky to come to any conclusion on the basis of oral arguments, but it appeared that Justice Kennedy (a leader in Court decisions for gay rights), tilted toward Masterpiece suggesting that inadequate "tolerance" was shown toward Baker Phillips.

    I am hopeful that this is an incorrect reading because it is based on a misperceived understanding of the case.  The battle, according to Baker Phillips, is over "expression" not religion per se.

     It is artistic because, so the argument goes, crafting a cake that would be used in a same sex wedding ceremony is an act of expression, even though the couple left the bakery before discussion of the cake's design, including any language they might want.  Expression, can be made without words. And, of course, the cake would not be a part of the wedding ceremony, having been married in one state, and the wedding party to be subsequently held in another.

    The case is neither about artistic expression nor messaging--it is about discrimination, with religion used as a mask for homophobia.  A slippery slope. We have a right to religion, but not a right to use our religion to discriminate in the public square. There is no religious justification for refusing to provide a seat at a lunch counter or a life-saving medical treatment.  

    Moreover, many of these "religious freedom" ideas/laws include not only sincerely held religious beliefs, but also moral or conscience rights.  Much "religion" is nowadays (if not forever) un-detachable from a political community, potentially rooting the action in the politics of a community.  And, the subjectively of morality can be practiced whether or not grounded in the transcendent.

    Masterpiece's defense of expression seems irrelevant to the case.  Artists who sell their creations to the public, like other commercial actors, are bound by generally applicable laws that forbid businesses to refuse service on certain grounds.

      In this case, it is evident to all who care to see, that religion, even the sincerely held kind, is being used as a cudgel to force the religious views on others.  The baker, in my view, is the intolerant one here.

    Parent

    From oral arguments (none / 0) (#74)
    by linea on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 04:34:24 PM EST
    The battle, according to Baker Phillips, is over "expression" not religion per se.

    Yes, the issue as argued by Phillips in his written petition to the court focused on expression or compelled speech.

    However, it seems apparent to me that the conservative majority on SCOTUS favor Masterpiece; not just on compelled speech grounds but also on a religious freedom basis.

    Chief Justice Roberts introduced the question of the Free Exercise Clause in the Masterpiece case with his Catholic Legal Services example.

    There is considerable discussion of anti-religious bias. Justice Kennedy is incensed by Commissioner Hess's assertion that `freedom of religion used to justify discrimination is a despicable piece of rhetoric' and considers it so hostile and biased to religion that he berates Mr. Yarger:

    `Did the Commission ever disavow or disapprove of that statement? .... Do you disavow or disapprove of that statement? .... Do you now disavow or disapprove of that statement?'

    Justice Alito calls it `disturbing' and points out that the Commissioner would permit a baker to refuse to make a cake for a customer that expresses the `traditional Judeo-Christian opposition to same-sex marriage.'

    AND the reason this is topical now:

    Justice Breyer in the Masterpiece case, brings up referral to another baker as `a type of accommodation, so they get the cake.' This is also pointed-out as an accommodation in the recent Cathy's Creations decision in California.

    Conclusion:

    It's my opinion of course, but I believe SCOTUS will carve-out a narrow exception for `sincere religious beliefs' with regard to participation in same-sex weddings -- but require a business referral as an accommodation.

    I'm also of the opinion that in future cases, SCOTUS will carve-out exceptions for tangential participation in medical abortions, and in the dispensing of birth control and related medication. See my previous link to Stormans v. Wiseman for more background on that issue.

    Parent

    It is easy to give too much weight (5.00 / 1) (#77)
    by Peter G on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 05:27:36 PM EST
    to news reports of oral argument. Nearly all cases at the Supreme Court are decided on an intellectual assessment of arguments made in writing in the briefs, based on precedent, reason, and policy (which includes what sort of precedent a given disposition of the current case would set for future cases).  

    Parent
    I haven't (none / 0) (#87)
    by linea on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:00:54 PM EST
    I'm not repeating news reports of oral arguments.

    I read the briefings and petitions filed with the court, I read the oral arguments, and listened to the oral arguments several times. I'm doing my own research.

    When I read the California decision in Cathy's Creations, I was reminded of a comment by one of the Justices in the Masterpiece case. This inspired my post that SCOTUS will decide for Masterpiece with a caveat to provide a business referral.


    Parent

    My point was not centered on (5.00 / 4) (#94)
    by Peter G on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:38:11 PM EST
    "news reports" vs. transcripts, but on how common it is to over-weigh the significance of the Justice's questions at oral argument. (Your comment, for example, addressed only the oral argument and not the briefing. My comment was based on the precedent and doctrine addressed in the briefing.) The "Cathy's Creations" decision is by a single trial-level judge in Bakersfield, Kern County, California. I doubt that the California state appellate courts will agree. More likely they would agree with the Washington Supreme Court's unanimous decision on the florist case, rejecting a free expression claim and upholding the finding of unlawful discrimination. Full, 59-page opinion here (petition pending before SCOTUS).

    Parent
    Bakersfield (none / 0) (#105)
    by MKS on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:44:40 PM EST
    The most conservative pocket left in California.  Known for its less than enlightened view of minority rights.

    Parent
    Not sure what the basis might be (5.00 / 5) (#66)
    by Peter G on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 01:07:59 PM EST
    for your opinion, Linea, but in my professional opinion there is not the slightest chance of Masterpiece Cake Shop and its owner prevailing in the U.S. Supreme Court on freedom of religion grounds. The Supreme Court has essentially never wavered, since disallowing the Mormon claim to exemption from anti-polygamy laws in the 1870s, from its position that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to a religious exemption from generally applicable laws that serve a valid secular purpose and are not targeted at suppressing religion in general or a particular sect. The Cake Shop does have a 50-50ish chance -- less, I hope, but who knows -- on free speech (compelled expression) grounds. The issue is whether Colorado's anti-discrimination law violates their "speech" rights, that is, whether a public accommodation that is in the business of selling their expressive talents to whomever walks in the door, is entitled to an exemption from serving customers who fall into a protected category, on the basis that serving these customers requires the owner to use their expressive talents to advance a message they do not agree with. If that were an easy question, it wouldn't be one the Supreme Court of the U.S. would have chosen to grapple with.

    Parent
    The sad part of this... (none / 0) (#113)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 09:46:58 AM EST
    is that the R's in our legislator (and on the budget committee) are looking to defund the Civil Rights Commission as pay-back to this case.  

    Parent
    Trump blocks Dems Memo (none / 0) (#68)
    by MKS on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 01:34:03 PM EST
    Not much talk about this. But it shows the lack of shame and complete hypocrisy of these folks.  But I guess that is not news.

    Will the chickens come home to roost?  Trump certainly acts like they will.

    And it shows it in a way that leaves one's (none / 0) (#69)
    by Anne on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 03:24:35 PM EST
    mouth more or less flapping, with words stuck as a result of the inability of the brain to adequately process just how hypocritical and craven it all is.

    The bits of the Sunday shows I saw, I didn't hear anyone confront with the obvious disconnect the lickspittles being trotted out to gaslight the public: Trump, Nunes and the rest of the Chicken Little Cabal defied the FBI/Justice Department on any pre-release review, didn't read the memo or read it and possibly helped write it without reading the source materials - and that was okay - but now here comes the Dems' response, and all of a sudden it needs reviewing and redacting and the expert attention of FBI/DOJ.

    And don't even get me started on the Rob Porter thing...

    Parent

    When FOX is not enough (none / 0) (#71)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 04:15:42 PM EST
    LOS ANGELES -- House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a relentless critic of the media, has found a way around the often unflattering coverage of his role in the Trump-Russia investigation -- by operating his own partisan news outlet.

    Resembling a local, conservative news site, "The California Republican" is classified on Facebook as a "media/news company" and claims to deliver "the best of US, California, and Central Valley news, sports, and analysis."

    But the website is paid for by Nunes' campaign committee, according to small print at the bottom of the site. Leading the home page most recently: a photograph of Nunes over the headline, "Understanding the process behind #ReleaseTheMemo."



    Parent
    The solution to the (none / 0) (#72)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 04:17:22 PM EST
    Fake news pushback, such as it is, is better fake news.

    How will FaceBook deal with this?  

    Parent

    Nunes and Kevin McCarthy (none / 0) (#75)
    by MKS on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 04:54:07 PM EST
    from the Central Valley of California.   The last bastion of the GOP in the state.   They're already losing a grip in coastal Orange County.

    Parent
    Over this past year, Tulare County's ... (none / 0) (#159)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 10:41:55 PM EST
    ... No. 2-for-brains congressman seems to be making the news for all the wrong reasons.

    Parent
    This is funny (none / 0) (#165)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 09:07:19 AM EST
    Devin Nunes' campaign created a "news" site...

    "Politico's Devin Siders exposed this on Saturday. "The campaign committee for House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes has been funding a website billed as a local news outlet," CNN's Eli Watkins wrote. The site was called CARepublican.com...

    "...But now it's gone

    "Soon after the Politico story came out, the site came down. The URL is now redirecting to a Facebook page for the site, which claims "heavy traffic and an attack on our servers" is to blame

    I've been thinking that considering the non response of the government to the 2016 attack we are likely to see what you might call guerrilla resistance to any further shenanigans.
    Cyber is the perfect place for independent guerrilla actions.  In fact they might be better suited than any clunky last century response the "government" could manage.

    Parent

    Good discussion on Bill Maher about #MeToo (none / 0) (#78)
    by McBain on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 05:27:40 PM EST
    With Bair Weiss of the NYT.  She says there's a "real debate happening between the hard left and liberals". Basically, the hard left isn't interested in innocent until proven guilty and liberals are.  The hard left doesn't see a difference between groping and sexual assault, liberals do.

    No surprise here, I tend to agree with Weiss's comments.  I think most people do as well but, these days, are afraid to voice their opinions.  

    I agree with the fact (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by CST on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 06:24:34 PM EST
    That there's a difference between sexual assault and rape, but groping is the textbook definition of sexual assault, there's no getting around that one.   I strongly disagree with the premise that this current movement doesn't recognize the fact that there's nuance.  There's tons of mainstream articles about it, no one seems afraid to state that opinion at all.

    Parent
    Good point (none / 0) (#97)
    by McBain on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:50:23 PM EST
    I should have said rape instead of sexual assault.  I don't want to misstate Weiss's opinions.  BTW, I'm  not 100% sure what words we're not supposed to say in here because they lead to spammers.

    I strongly disagree with the premise that this current movement doesn't recognize the fact that there's nuance.  There's tons of mainstream articles about it, no one seems afraid to state that opinion at all.

    Tell that to Matt Damon who said something 100% true that wasn't insulting and was basically forced to apologize.  

    Parent
    Define forced (5.00 / 2) (#116)
    by CST on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 11:15:00 AM EST
    You're attributing this invisible pressure upon someone based on your own interpretation of events, absent any actual evidence that anyone "forced" anything.  Matt is no longer responsible for his own apology?

    I still think it's your take on this movement is that's missing the nuance, viewing every public statement as somehow equivalent to a criminal trial.  The right to a fair trial and the right to free speech are both things which shall not be infringed.

    Parent

    I think the pressure was quite visible (none / 0) (#127)
    by McBain on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 02:41:19 PM EST
    especially on Twitter.  

    Parent
    I guess that's the problem (5.00 / 2) (#134)
    by CST on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 04:50:51 PM EST
    The pressure I meant was fear of losing something/facing consequences - people disagreeing with you on Twitter isn't that.

    No one has the right to be agreed with in public.   That doesn't mean they're forced to be quiet.

    Parent

    Some of the Twitter response (none / 0) (#143)
    by McBain on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:59:03 PM EST
    came from actresses. I think Damon was  afraid of losing roles/projects/money.  I don't think anyone threatened.  

    Parent
    Or maybe...after he saw his words in (5.00 / 3) (#145)
    by Anne on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 06:29:52 PM EST
    black and white, and the responses to it, he realized maybe he - a man - should perhaps have just kept his thoughts to himself, not offered his man opinions about how to judge the seriousness of sexual assault and learned something from the hordes of women telling of their experiences.

    You do a lot of projecting - or maybe it's regular old mind reading - and much of it seems to be designed to throw shade at women.  Even here, it's actresses putting Damon in fear for his livelihood.

    It's always women victimizing men.

    Parent

    Jeffrey Toobin removed his weird (none / 0) (#160)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 05:49:51 AM EST
    Senator Gillibrand tweet a few days ago because of the responses to it. It was because the replies caused him to be able to identify his own bias. He apologized to his followers for having a moment of hysteria and removed the tweet all very appropriately and gracefully.

    Parent
    I'm not sure why, given Toobin's reported (none / 0) (#161)
    by Anne on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 08:37:58 AM EST
    history, he would choose to hurl nasty, sarcastic tweets at Gillibrand from his glass house...

    Parent
    Again (none / 0) (#162)
    by CST on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 08:50:40 AM EST
    Even actresses have the right to express their opinions.  That doesn't mean they are forcing someone else to recant.  Also, I think if there's one thing that's become abundantly clear from this whole movement - it's that actresses don't have that kind of power in the film industry.

    At the end of the day, you seem to be suggesting that only one opinion deserves the light of day, and if other people publicly disagree with that opinion, they are in fact "forcing" other people to be quiet.  Which frankly - seems more than a bit hypocritical, as you seem to be suggesting that people who disagree with you are the ones who need to keep their mouths shut or else people like Matt will somehow be afraid to express themselves.

    Bottom line - everyone is free to speak their mind - and they have been.

    Parent

    Oh, it's so very, very awful, isn't it? (none / 0) (#149)
    by Zorba on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 07:01:36 PM EST
    People disagreeing with you on Twitter!  OMG, OMG!
    Anybody who uses tweets on Twitter as examples to maintain that someone was unfairly pressured is......how can I say this without being banned?  A snowflake.

    Parent
    That's ridiculous (5.00 / 3) (#133)
    by Yman on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 03:42:04 PM EST
    Basically, the hard left isn't interested in innocent until proven guilty and liberals are.  The hard left doesn't see a difference between groping and sexual assault, liberals do.

    No surprise here, I tend to agree with Weiss's comments.  I think most people do as well but, these days, are afraid to voice their opinions.  
    ...
    I should have said rape instead of sexual assault.

    Who is this imaginary "hard left" that you're speaking of?  Please name the "hard left" who say there is no difference between groping and rape.  Name those people who aren't "interested in innocent until proven guilty" being applied in its proper setting - a defendant facing criminal trial.

    If you can't name them, someone might get the idea that you're just tilting at imaginary, strawman opponents.

    Parent

    Just because you think something, doesn't (5.00 / 1) (#136)
    by Anne on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:08:42 PM EST
    make it true for anyone but yourself.  But it's a neat trick to then claim that "most" people agree with you and Weiss, but we're not hearing all that agreement because these "most people" are afraid to speak their minds.

    I always find it so interesting when people who don't fall anywhere on the hard-left-to-liberal spectrum take it upon themselves to speak for and define those who are, and usually not in a complimentary way.  It has certain appeal, I guess, with people who are polar opposites - I mean who doesn't enjoy their political opposite being painted in lovely shades of morally evil?

    If I had to guess, I'd say that you are much more likely to see those on the left defending the presumption of innocence than dismissing it.  The left are likely more opposed to the death penalty, to the entire prison industry, to restoring the right to vote for those who have served their time, to holding law enforcement accountable.  The left aren't the ones opposed to trying accused terrorists in US courts.

    I rather suspect that Bari Weiss likes to stir the pot, which may be why you have an affinity for her opinions, but her claims are just nonsense designed to allow her to have the argument she wants.

    I think you're familiar with that, too.

    Parent

    Oh yes (none / 0) (#137)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:19:53 PM EST
    "People" are so terribly afraid to speak that which must not be spoken.

    Well, except the president

    Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?

    Who does that sound like, I can't quite put my finger on it.

    Parent

    It can not go unmentioned (5.00 / 2) (#141)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 05:35:16 PM EST
    This is the same guy who spent his own money buying full page ads in NY newspapers to help railroad 5 innocent young men and who has to this day never apologised and as recently as a few months ago denied the DNA evidence and confession that got them released from prison.  After years of confinement.

    This person is evil.  There is no other word for it.   I believe it will eventually come around.

    Parent

    I don't know about that anymore Anne (none / 0) (#150)
    by McBain on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 07:10:53 PM EST
    If I had to guess, I'd say that you are much more likely to see those on the left defending the presumption of innocence than dismissing it.

    Many on the left have become quite intolerate of other opinions, which is not very liberal.

    The left are likely more opposed to the death penalty

    I agree with you there

    I mean who doesn't enjoy their political opposite being painted in lovely shades of morally evil?

    I don't have a political opposite.  I'm conservative about some things like money but more liberal on most social issues.... death penalty, abortion.  

    Parent
    Her name is Bari. (none / 0) (#103)
    by Chuck0 on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 08:31:00 PM EST


    Parent
    Pretty smart (none / 0) (#79)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 05:43:18 PM EST
    To put OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT before the season premier of HOMELAND.

    Yes, I will be there.

    A short break from the trolling (none / 0) (#85)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 06:56:11 PM EST
    Halfway thru OCP and it's pretty brutal.  Pointless, yes, but gratifying.  

    And funny.  In spite if the terror.  Or because of it.

    Parent

    Best part so far (none / 0) (#86)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:00:31 PM EST
    Melanie and Karen Pence.

    "She tried to baptize me in reflecting pool"

    Parent

    Ok (none / 0) (#91)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:33:50 PM EST
    Rachel Maddow and her show are pretty damn funny

    Parent
    Deadline Hollywood (none / 0) (#88)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:19:35 PM EST
    All true

    In fact, Our Cartoon President has the likely unintended effect of being exactly the kind of show the President's dedicated base would enjoy if you overlook a few pratfalls (and we know Trump's base is very good at overlooking that which doesn't jibe with their impression of the Celebrity Apprentice host-turned-President). With voice-over by Jeff Bergman as Trump, this offering from Colbert, Late Show EP Chris Licht, Matt Lapin, Tim Luecke and showrunner R.J. Fried effectively and toothlessly skins most of Seth MacFarlane's best offerings as well as 2001's short-lived That's My Bush. The result, as I say in my video review above, is remarkably to transform a usually unlovable Trump into an endearing doofus dad who just wants to be appreciated but can't seem to do the right thing.

    While I don't disagree Trump supporters would not have issue I'm pretty sure the Trump family/cartel will not be happy.

    Parent

    I actually hate that word (none / 0) (#89)
    by linea on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:22:38 PM EST
    I have a serious revulsion to `Department of Homeland Security' and the American use of the term `homeland' generally. There are no American peoples (other than the indigenous First Peoples) thus it's not anyone's homeland. To me, it sounds as ridiculous for an American to say `homeland' as it would be for an American use the Russia-esque `motherland.' My opinion.

    Parent
    Of course you do (none / 0) (#90)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:27:36 PM EST


    Parent
    Omarosa went to the hospital (none / 0) (#92)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:34:09 PM EST
    She had an asthma attack!!!!

    Parent
    Awsum (none / 0) (#93)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:36:22 PM EST


    Parent
    If I laughed at this post, (5.00 / 4) (#107)
    by MKS on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 10:01:42 PM EST
    that doesn't mean I'm a bad person, no?

    Parent
    I don't like the "Homeland" (none / 0) (#125)
    by Chuck0 on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 12:43:55 PM EST
    part of DHS either. But c'mon, it's just the name of a TV show.

    Parent
    Thank you!! (none / 0) (#151)
    by linea on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 07:11:12 PM EST
    I don't have an opinion on the TV show.

    Parent
    It's hard to know, so far (none / 0) (#98)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Feb 11, 2018 at 07:56:20 PM EST
    If they put OUR CARTOON PRESIDENT before HOMELAND to build a following for OCP or to highlight the humor in a plotline where HIllary wins and becomes authoritarian and thuggish.

    Seriously?

    So, I like HOMELAND and will give it chance to breath but so far I feel like it might not have been a good idea to get people giggling before this season premier

    Parent

    Starting watching the Gloria Allred documentary (none / 0) (#124)
    by McBain on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 12:42:14 PM EST
    Seeing Allred on Netflix.  So far it's pretty good.  It talks about the events and tragedies in her life that helped shape her career.  There's both praise and criticism from other lawyers and celebrities interviewed.

    Of course there are plenty of crying women press conferences.  The first half talks a fair amount about the Bill Cosby allegations.  Not sure what the second half will cover but I'll check it out at some point.

    Can anyone recommend other recent documentaries?

    COUNTERPART (none / 0) (#128)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 03:08:53 PM EST
    This just gets better and better.  Just saw last night's.  The thing is you watch him do this Patty/Kathy performance which is impressive and you think well, ok, the clothes are really helping separate these two characters.  All black and trim and all L.L. Bean old man loose.

    So last night they switch identities.  And he plays each character in the others clothes and you can still tell instantly which is which just from expression and body language.

    It's a joy to watch just for his performance.   They might as well give him the EMMY right now and save time and stress.

    Two Emmys (none / 0) (#158)
    by Towanda on Mon Feb 12, 2018 at 10:18:18 PM EST
    is the recommendation of a reviewer, one for each role, as Simmons does make them so distinctive.

    And yes, this week's switch really put that to the test. It was terrific.

    Parent

    Loved the wife's tradecraft comments (none / 0) (#164)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 08:58:53 AM EST
    After spotting him instantly

    Parent
    Could be some interesting stuff (none / 0) (#163)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Feb 13, 2018 at 08:57:27 AM EST
    Intel open hearing happening now

    Witnesses
    Director
    Daniel R.
    Coats
    Director of National Intelligence
    DNI
    Opening Statement
    Director
    Michael
    Pompeo
    Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
    CIA
    Director
    Admiral Michael
    Rogers
    Director of the National Security Agency
    NSA
    Director
    Lieutenant General Robert
    Ashley
    Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
    DIA
    Director
    Chris
    Wray
    Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
    FBI
    Director
    Robert
    Cardillo
    Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
    NGA

    The kids... (none / 0) (#172)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Mon Feb 19, 2018 at 07:30:42 PM EST
    they're alright.

    Love her calling out Grassley (Senile - IA).

    Saturday Open Thread | 171 comments (171 topical)

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