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Sunday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sun May 07, 2023 at 05:21:00 AM EST
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Here's a new open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Sunday Open Thread | 200 comments (200 topical)
    Rainbows (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 07, 2023 at 05:30:29 PM EST
    are now a divisive symbol.  Freakin rainbows.

    What next?  Mickey Mouse?

    My only suggestion is that ... (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun May 07, 2023 at 06:06:12 PM EST
    ... we laugh at these people. They're phuquing absurd. They can't think for themselves. All they're doing is parroting what they hear in far-right media. I don't even feel compelled to be polite to them anymore. I just tell them to STFU and go on their way.

    When I was in L.A. last week, I was watching a Pasadena school board meeting on the local cable channel and this one blonde-haired, somewhat heavy-set woman of about 40 years of age just started loudly berating the board members over whatever outrage du jour - school library books, perhaps - was fashionable that day.

    When she started calling them "pedos" and "groomers," the chair had heard enough and turned off her mic. When the woman refused to sit down, he had security escort her out of the room and presumably, City Hall as well. When her compatriot started yelling about violating the First Amendment, he cut him off with an abrupt "Would you like to join her?"

    That's how these malevolent clowns need to be handled.

    Parent

    Sure (none / 0) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 07, 2023 at 07:08:25 PM EST
    But kids will still be called names for drawing rainbows.

    Parent
    I'm fine with that if ... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun May 07, 2023 at 08:35:56 PM EST
    ... it's other kids doing that, because that's generally what kids do already. That's how children learn to both interact socially and stand up for themselves, sometimes by seeing what NOT to do.

    But if it's adults who are engaging in the name-calling, then we're going to have a problem.

    >;-)

    Parent

    Tots and pears, tots and pears. (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Chuck0 on Mon May 08, 2023 at 09:50:03 AM EST
    People are dying on a nearly daily due to easy access to assault rifles (yes there is such a thing). But rainbows on beer cans is what has the hillbillies panties in a wad.

    Parent
    Tinkerbell (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by FlJoe on Mon May 08, 2023 at 09:57:26 AM EST
    must die! The tree of liberty is thirsty for fairie blood.

    Parent
    Tots and pears, tots and pears. (none / 0) (#9)
    by Chuck0 on Mon May 08, 2023 at 09:49:14 AM EST
    People are dying on a nearly daily due to easy access to assault rifles (yes there is such a thing). But rainbows on beer cans is what has the hillbillies panties in a wad.

    Parent
    Surprise, surprise (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by MO Blue on Sun May 07, 2023 at 06:10:22 PM EST
    As predicted, all a bluff.

    Donald Trump will not testify in the E. Jean Carroll civil battery and defamation trial after his attorney did not inform the court of any change in strategy before a judge-imposed deadline of 5 p.m. Sunday," CNN reports.
    So, here are my questions about (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Peter G on Mon May 08, 2023 at 09:05:50 PM EST
    defaulting on the national debt: First, the 4th section of the 14th Amendment says, in part, "The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, ..., shall not be questioned." I have not read or been able to find what the qualifier or limiting phrase "authorized by law" means or what intended to mean in this provision. Would not public debt exceeding a Congressionally enacted limit be a debt that was not "authorized by law"? I must be wrong about this,  since Prof. Tribe just argued the opposite.
       Second, if the R's are actually concerned about incurring more debt by running substantial annual budget deficits, why would the solution not be (or at least include) fixing the problem on the revenue side of the ledger, at least as much as curtailing spending, that is, repealing the Tr*mp tax cut for the wealthy, which is, as much as anything, what triggered the current "crisis"? And if spending cuts are needed, why is the military 40% or more of the budget not a prime target?

    It does seem that (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 09, 2023 at 11:30:35 AM EST
    the language of the 14th Amendment overrides the statutory borrowing limit. My understanding of Prof. Tribe's (revised) thinking is that the President has a duty or obligation to increase the debt, if necessary, to pay bills that are owed.

    The "authorized by law" would seem to me to be met by the fact that budgets and spending bills are authorized by Congress-which have been deficit budgets (the revenue being less than spending). The debt is an accumulation of the (authorized) budget deficits.  Hence, the debt is authorized.

    A further complexity seems to be that without raising the ability to borrow to pay for expenses already incurred, no bills can be paid--the president cannot decide to prioritize bills, say pay Veterans and not social security, since the president does not have line-item veto power.

    If the interpretation of the Constitution and a statutory provision are at odds, the responsibility to pay what is owed trumps the borrowing limit and should be ignored.

    Of course, this would all wind up in the Supreme Court, and the nation's financial fate would be in the hands of Alito, Thomas, Leo and Crow. Not a good thought, given that the whole debt crisis is a political ploy to undermine the Biden Administration's prospects in 2024. (the debt is only an issue when a Democrat is in the White House, the ceiling having been raised three times under TFG).

    And, negotiations with Republicans are unlikely to be in good faith. McCarthy will become the former Speaker, if he caves, even slightly. And, he likes his job and wants to keep it.

    President Biden should do whatever it takes--14th Amendment, $trillion coin, premium bonds---better than defaulting. And,  better than not paying retirees, government workers, etc.

    Parent

    President Biden, (none / 0) (#31)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 09, 2023 at 06:37:17 PM EST
    at his news conference following a meeting with congressional leaders, indicated that he was studying Professor Tribe's position on the 14th Amendment for the future, apparently, after Court determinations. However, it did not seem that he had ruled it out at present, if it came to that, although acknowledging likely litigation.  The president did not appear to warm to the idea of minting a coin.

    Parent
    Sen. Feinstein (5.00 / 2) (#36)
    by MO Blue on Thu May 11, 2023 at 08:30:13 PM EST
    really is in no shape to be working even on a lighter schedule. I can't understand the rationale behind her refusing to retire.

    I think it's pretty clear (5.00 / 2) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 12, 2023 at 08:50:34 AM EST
    In her mind the act of governing in the face of encroaching fascism is less important than her career path.

    The hubris and entitlement is breathtaking.
    But typical.  I'm a senator.  It's my right to die at my desk.

    PS
    I would say the same thing about anyone of any gender or party in the condition she is clearly in.

    Parent

    I think that (5.00 / 4) (#51)
    by Zorba on Sat May 13, 2023 at 06:12:39 PM EST
    In a lot, if not most, cases of dementia, those suffering tend to cling ever more tightly to the familiar. And of course, for Feinstein, the familiar is being a Senator.
    That, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if her staff was urging and manipulating her not to resign, in order to keep their jobs.

    Parent
    The comparisons (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 12, 2023 at 09:06:28 AM EST
    to Strom Thurmond who died at his desk are so flattering---not.

    Nobody should be using that creep to justify anything.

    Parent

    Rationale? (none / 0) (#37)
    by jmacWA on Fri May 12, 2023 at 05:08:06 AM EST
    There is none, it's all ego with likely a dose of those who make money off her wanting to keep it up.

    Parent
    What a great idea! (5.00 / 2) (#42)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 12, 2023 at 12:41:32 PM EST

    Russian authorities will launch construction of a village outside Moscow for conservative-minded Americans



    I would be willing to (5.00 / 2) (#46)
    by MO Blue on Fri May 12, 2023 at 07:45:27 PM EST
    Contribute a few bucks to send them ALL there.

    Parent
    Potrumpkin Village (5.00 / 2) (#48)
    by KeysDan on Sat May 13, 2023 at 03:10:26 PM EST
    Beautiful McDachas, running cold water, safe (no high windows). Includes daily turnip ration.  Act  now, KGB operatives standing by.

    Parent
    Or perhaps (5.00 / 3) (#50)
    by Peter G on Sat May 13, 2023 at 05:12:24 PM EST
    Pro-Trumpkin Village?

    Parent
    Do you get a lot of (5.00 / 2) (#52)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 14, 2023 at 08:52:50 AM EST
    Telemarketer texts?

    I do not answer unfamiliar numbers.  Period.  For many years.  That's why god made voicemail.

    So they turned to texts and I developed a personal way to deal with them.

    It's always Hello There is a problem with your -blank-account.  Please click the bogus link.
    And it's always from a number that clearly has nothing to do with blank-account.

    So here's my solution.  Every time I get one I respond with selection of texts and images that I placed in a directory for just that purpose.  And I respond a lot.  Usually 5-10 per offense.  Its fine to respond as long as you don't click the poison link.

    The responses include the most personally insulting demeaning filthy and appalling verbal abuse I could think of.  
    I will let you imagine that for a second.
    And images.  Truly disgusting (but legal) p@rn images.  As well as ghastly crime scene images.
    I find this the most fun part of my day.

    You know what, it hardly ever happens any more.

    Don't get texts (5.00 / 2) (#56)
    by Chuck0 on Sun May 14, 2023 at 11:22:01 AM EST
    but lots of phone calls. I used to do the disgusting  and filthy tact. Now I've switched to asking them if they have accepted Jesus as their personal savior. Gets them off the phone quicker than anything. No one wants to talk a true believer.

    Parent
    From (5.00 / 2) (#53)
    by FlJoe on Sun May 14, 2023 at 10:42:49 AM EST
    the  Inspector Closeau files;
    Rep. James Comer (R-KY) revealed on Sunday that Republicans had lost track of a top witness in the investigation of President Joe Biden and his family.

    Maxwell Smart is a busy man

    "Well, we we're hopeful that we can find the informant," Comer said, explaining the informant was in the "spy business" and "they don't make a habit of being seen a lot."

    All TFG's men?

    "The nine of the ten people that we've identified that have very good knowledge with respect to the Bidens," he added, "they're one of three things, Maria, they're either currently in court, they're currently in jail, or they're currently missing."
    Holy hell (5.00 / 3) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 14, 2023 at 10:45:24 AM EST
    We are blessed with idiots for enemies

    Parent
    Yes, (5.00 / 2) (#55)
    by KeysDan on Sun May 14, 2023 at 11:04:13 AM EST
    and this applies to Pudd'n and Boots as well.  At one point the Rhonda-boomlet created fears of Trump with competence.  The more known about Rhonda the less there is to see in the smarts department.

    His "George-Soros backed DA's" and urging of vigilantism are today's frosting on his fascist cake.

    Parent

    They didn't lose their Biden witness. (5.00 / 3) (#58)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun May 14, 2023 at 10:42:05 PM EST
    You can't lose track of someone who never existed in the first place. The mainstream media should not be indulging this incredibly toxic GOP political kabuki.

    Parent
    Durham (5.00 / 1) (#61)
    by FlJoe on Mon May 15, 2023 at 02:34:55 PM EST
    releaseses report "concluding" the FBI should not have opened the Russia probe.

    CNN is buying it hook line and sinker.

    Durham (5.00 / 1) (#75)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 15, 2023 at 04:19:51 PM EST
    is the best defense attorney Trump has had since Roy Cohn-- maybe even better since he did not chose him and he doesn't even have to go to the bother  of stiffing him.  His services were free to him.

    Parent
    Strangely enough, when I was a young assistant (5.00 / 2) (#84)
    by Peter G on Mon May 15, 2023 at 06:33:33 PM EST
    federal public defender in Connecticut in 1975-76, John Durham was one of the young assistant U.S. attorneys (federal prosecutors) we regularly opposed. His reputation was as smarter than most, a true believer in prosecution and punishment as effective tools against crime, and a straight arrow (ethical but an inflexible, rigid rule-follower, not one to work with defense counsel to find a creative solution for doing justice in an individual case).

    Parent
    When then Attorney General Barr (5.00 / 1) (#87)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 15, 2023 at 07:12:11 PM EST
    Appointed Durham as Special Counsel to, in effect, investigate the investigators, the media did much to assuage the cynicism of Barr's action---he is a straight shooter, a good reputation  etc. all of which may have been true at the time. But, that did not last long, getting off to a curious start by taking European junkets with Barr. Curious in that the Special Counsel might be expected to keep an arms length from the AG. Otherwise, why have a Special Counsel?

    And, later reporting sounded even worse---weekly meetings, scotch and cigars.  Worse was when on the dynamic duo's tour of Rome's best trattorias the Italian government gave information on potential financial crimes of Trump, Barr told Durham not to pursue that tip.  Which was apparently fine by Durham.  

    The outcome of his work seems pretty threadbare, with less than stellar trial results to report. His report seems a good fit for an extensive interview on Fox.

    Parent

    I was not suggesting that Durham (5.00 / 3) (#89)
    by Peter G on Mon May 15, 2023 at 08:06:10 PM EST
    did not suffer a shocking decline in probity at some point in the intervening 45 years.

    Parent
    Yes, (5.00 / 2) (#91)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 15, 2023 at 08:30:58 PM EST
    I understood. I was recalling the media response at the time of appointment, assuring that even though many looked at Barr's Special Counsel investigation with a jaded eye, there was no need to worry, Durham was solid!    

    Parent
    Not 1975-76, sorry (none / 0) (#88)
    by Peter G on Mon May 15, 2023 at 07:19:43 PM EST
    I was referred to 1976-1978.

    Parent
    *referring, of course (none / 0) (#90)
    by Peter G on Mon May 15, 2023 at 08:12:14 PM EST
    not "referred." Sheesh.

    Parent
    It wasn't just CNN. (5.00 / 6) (#94)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 16, 2023 at 06:53:18 PM EST
    Evening news anchor Norah O'Donnell reported it in a way which clearly indicated that CBS News accepted John Durham's fact-free findings at face value. Did anybody besides MSNBC and PBS Newshour bother to notice that the U.S. Dept. of Justice's own Inspector General concluded otherwise and had determined that the FBI had legitimate grounds to open a full investigation into the Trump campaign's ties with Russia?

    Also, how many indictments and guilty verdicts did Special Council Robert Mueller obtain in his 22-month investigation? as far as I could remember, the number of indictments was 34, which include:

    • Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort - Guilty.
    • Trump advisor Roger Stone - Guilty
    • Trump campaign vice chair Rick Gates - Guilty.
    • Trump's National Security Advisor Michael Flynn - Guilty.
    • Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos - Guilty.
    • Trump campaign associate Alex van der Zwaan - Guilty.
    • Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen - Guilty.
    • Russian intelligence operative and Manafort associate Konstantin Kilimnik - Indicted and fled the country.

    Contrast that to Special Counsel Durham's only two indictments, both of whom he lost at trial when the juries returned "not guilty" verdicts within a couple of hours of closing arguments. Further, the jury forewoman from the last trial went so far as to publicly admonish Durham's prosecutors for wasting everybody's time.

    But hey, never mind the facts, let's accept the word of prosecutorial phuque-up John Durham, who otherwise can't support any of his contentions with actual evidence of wrongdoing.

    (Sigh!) I swear, our mainstream media's continued GOP-biased credulousness, professional incompetence and rank inability to get the story right will prove to be the Achilles' Heel of our country's democracy.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    No (none / 0) (#62)
    by FlJoe on Mon May 15, 2023 at 02:39:59 PM EST
    charges of wrongdoing, just his opinion it seems.

    No mention of his escapades with Billy boy of course.

    Parent

    He can now go back (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 02:47:20 PM EST
    to his regular job in the balcony with his partner Waldorf.

    Parent
    The. FBI (none / 0) (#63)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 15, 2023 at 02:45:55 PM EST
    needs to open an investigation on Barr and Durham. And, Robert. mueller would like to have a word.along with the J6 Committee.

    Parent
    Contradictions demand it (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 02:58:36 PM EST

    John Durham's report released -- but it's in direct contrast to 2019 Inspector General report



    Parent

    It's (5.00 / 1) (#67)
    by FlJoe on Mon May 15, 2023 at 03:02:45 PM EST
    funny how the well sourced NYT article laying out the blatant partisan hackery of Durham and Barr has been thrown down the menory hole.

    It will be interesting how the NYT handles this.

    Parent

    How this is (none / 0) (#68)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 15, 2023 at 03:10:06 PM EST
    bad for Biden,   By Peter Baker

    Parent
    Hurray (5.00 / 1) (#82)
    by FlJoe on Mon May 15, 2023 at 05:16:06 PM EST
    for the NYT they manged to squeeze a mention od their previous report on Durham's hackery,  buried at the very end of a lengthy article
    In January, a report by The New York Times, based on interviews with more than a dozen current and former officials, showed how Mr. Durham's inquiry became roiled by internal dissent, leading two prosecutors on his staff to resign in protest over matters of prosecutorial ethics.

    The article also described how Mr. Durham used Russian intelligence memos -- suspected by other U.S. officials of containing disinformation -- to gain access to emails of an aide to George Soros, the liberal philanthropist who is a target of the American right and Russian state media. Mr. Durham shifted to using grand jury powers to obtain the information after a judge twice rejected his request for an order as legally insufficient.

    The article also revealed that in the fall of 2019, Italian officials unexpectedly gave Mr. Barr and Mr. Durham a tip about suspected financial crimes linked to Mr. Trump. While the tip was unrelated to the Russia investigation, Mr. Barr had Mr. Durham investigate the matter rather than referring it to another prosecutor. Mr. Durham brought no charges.

    Mr. Durham's report did not mention any of those matters.

    Nice of you to mention as an aftethought I suppose.

    At least it's better than CNN who are treating Durham as an totally apolitical oracle.

    Parent

    As I understand it (5.00 / 1) (#83)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 06:18:43 PM EST
    the big discovery is that some person or persons were guilty of "confirmation bias".  Specifically being predisposed to think Trump would commit a crime.

    Which seriously has to be from Kafka or Orwell or some shi+

    What an absolutely insane statement.  And I've heard 20 versions of it in the last hour.

    Imagine.  It's like don't think about an elephant.
    Or course they were.  They probably had a tv.

    Parent

    Like (5.00 / 1) (#85)
    by FlJoe on Mon May 15, 2023 at 07:00:06 PM EST
    Durham dosen't suffer from his own confirmatiom bias in the extreme, these people are shameless.

    Parent
    Apparently (5.00 / 1) (#86)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 15, 2023 at 07:02:08 PM EST
    MAGA is having a meltdown over this because Durham was going to deliver indictments on Hillary, Mueller and the FBI.

    Parent
    No doubt (5.00 / 2) (#69)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 03:10:50 PM EST
    Merrick the attack bunny will get right on it.  

    Parent
    Dems keep narrow majority in PA (5.00 / 2) (#96)
    by Peter G on Tue May 16, 2023 at 09:55:33 PM EST
    legislature lower house by winning a run-off election. This keeps the crazy Rs who run the state Senate from ramming through state constitutional amendments restricting voting or abortion rights. If they pass idiotic stuff as legislation, our Democratic governor can veto it, but the governor's veto doesn't apply to proposals to amend the state constitution, which then run a significant risk of winning at the ballot box.

    I've always thought it to be a mistake ... (5.00 / 2) (#103)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 17, 2023 at 02:31:42 PM EST
    ... to conflate or equate a person's wealth with his or her intelligence. This is particularly true in the case of Elon Musk, who's apparently learned everything he needs to know about George Soros from reading Mein Kampf.

    What an immature, small-minded and revolting attention wh0re Musk is! One thing's for certain, that Afrikaaner trust fund baby wasn't nicknamed "Apartheid Clyde" for nothing. If he doesn't wise up, he'll end up like Donald Trump, with his own big mouth bringing about his eventual downfall.

    :-(

    I hope (5.00 / 2) (#104)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 02:44:43 PM EST
    I live to see that

    Parent
    Now (5.00 / 2) (#118)
    by FlJoe on Thu May 18, 2023 at 02:24:40 PM EST
    Meatball can add job-killer to his resume
    Disney on Thursday upped the ante in its battle with Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, and it cost his state 2,000 white collar jobs.

    Disney is scrapping plans to build a new campus in Florida, citing "changing business conditions," according to a memo provided by a Disney spokesperson.
    Unfortunately, they are still (5.00 / 1) (#123)
    by Chuck0 on Thu May 18, 2023 at 04:43:37 PM EST
    planning to spend $17 Billion on improvements to existing property. Disney should end ALL investment in Florida. The office plaza is a good start.

    Parent
    Hope Disney (5.00 / 1) (#120)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 18, 2023 at 03:04:58 PM EST
    announces that this project will proceed in Georgia. We

    Florida bathroom bill. (5.00 / 2) (#124)
    by Chuck0 on Thu May 18, 2023 at 04:47:25 PM EST
    My wife asked me an interesting question. If a mother of a male toddler needs to accompany her son into a public restroom in state building and he still needs assistance, which restroom does she go into? If she takes him into the "female" room, does the toddler go to jail? If she takes him into the "male" room, does she go to jail even if she not the one actually using the facilities? Inquiring minds want to know.

    Do these morons think any of this stuff through?

    Or (none / 0) (#125)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2023 at 05:29:01 PM EST
    do you go to jail for grabbing the open bathroom ?
    I think most of us have done that.

    I think a lot of it is performative.   I expect he assumes a lot of it will get stopped by the court but it will have served it's purpose.  

    Parent

    Not an issue (none / 0) (#126)
    by coast on Thu May 18, 2023 at 05:51:52 PM EST
    The bill excludes children under 12, senior citizens, and  individuals with disabilities.  So that's not an issue.
     

    Parent
    The State of Florida (5.00 / 1) (#139)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 22, 2023 at 11:12:53 AM EST
    put on travel advisory due to hostile and dangerous environment.

    A travel advisory (5.00 / 1) (#140)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 22, 2023 at 11:30:38 AM EST
    should be set forth for New Hampshire, so that citizens of the state could avoid Rhonda's painful retail campaigning.

    Parent
    Where's Igor? (5.00 / 1) (#141)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 22, 2023 at 12:38:51 PM EST

    Texts tie DeSantis closely to Trump insider Lev Parnas



    DeSantis' hateful (5.00 / 2) (#142)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 22, 2023 at 04:37:38 PM EST
    actions have consequences (or desired results).  On International Day Against Homophobia, a digital traffic sign near Orlando was altered to read:  Kill All Gays.

    RIP (5.00 / 4) (#155)
    by Zorba on Wed May 24, 2023 at 02:04:58 PM EST
    Tina Turner.

    Big Wheel keep on turnin'. (5.00 / 2) (#156)
    by desertswine on Wed May 24, 2023 at 04:26:56 PM EST


    Parent
    AKA (5.00 / 1) (#157)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 24, 2023 at 05:11:27 PM EST
    Anna Mae Bullock

    Parent
    MTG (5.00 / 1) (#163)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 24, 2023 at 07:27:21 PM EST
    calls for decorum

    Bwahaha! (5.00 / 1) (#166)
    by Zorba on Wed May 24, 2023 at 08:56:07 PM EST
    MTG wouldn't know "decorum" if it bit her in the eye.

    Parent
    18 years for seditious conspiracy (5.00 / 1) (#170)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 12:01:54 PM EST

    Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years in prison on Jan. 6 charges

    And, the (none / 0) (#171)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 25, 2023 at 01:03:18 PM EST
    Ringleader is running for President of the USA, and the insurrection wife of a SC Justice continues pillow talk and travels to exotic spots, courtesy of a billionaire Adolph Hitler-aficionado.

    Parent
    Well, here's to hoping (none / 0) (#172)
    by Chuck0 on Thu May 25, 2023 at 02:26:11 PM EST
    the orange moron ends his cellie.


    Parent
    TinyD leaves the door open for a pardon (none / 0) (#173)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 02:38:18 PM EST
    This is probably smart.  It won't win him many votes but it might at least give Trump second thoughts about undermining him if he wins the primary.  

    DeSantis Would Consider Pardoning Capitol Rioters

    May 25, 2023 at 3:41 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

    "Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that, if elected president, he would consider pardoning some of those convicted on charges related to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol," the Washington Post reports.

    "DeSantis avoided directly answering questions on whether he'd pardon Donald Trump but left open the possibility."




    Parent
    Pardon me. (none / 0) (#174)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 25, 2023 at 03:17:22 PM EST
    Trump is probably running for President to avoid/delay prosecution and to pardon himself if he wins. That is his platform.  The other Republican primary candidates are probably running to step in if Trump keels over or is jailed.And, a couple, who are not fearful of being hanged, are no doubt hoping for.the Vice president's spot.  

    Parent
    According to reports (none / 0) (#175)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 03:33:14 PM EST
    Smith is looking at why Trump has this stuff and what he planned to do with it like getting all communications with those 7 countries.  

    He could certainly go to jail just for obstruction but I don't think charges of obstruction or mishandling documents will make any difference in his support.

    But if Smith can find real evidence of Espionage I think it might. Maybe not with the lower decks but surely with some elected pols.

    Parent

    Yes, this has (5.00 / 1) (#176)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 25, 2023 at 04:09:18 PM EST
    always been the big question. What did or what did Trump intend to do with the documents.  It seemed a stretch for Trump to want them as souvenirs. The reason he held material on French President Macron was particularly interesting.

    Parent
    I believe France (5.00 / 1) (#177)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 04:16:19 PM EST
    was on the list.

    Topic jump

    A poll that might actually mean something.

    GOP Polling Memo Finds Big Swing to Democrats

    May 25, 2023 at 4:43 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 91 Comments

    A Republican polling memo obtained by Roll Call finds "the generic ballot has shifted toward Democrats, with Republicans losing ground among independents on the abortion issue."

    The memo found "a 6 point swing in the last year on the Generic Senate ballot from R+3 to D+3" led overwhelmingly "by independent and new voters that identify abortion as one of their top issues."

    The poll had similar findings on the House side with "a 10 point swing in the last year on the Generic House Ballot from R+6 to D+4."



    Parent
    Lot's of fun and mockery (5.00 / 1) (#178)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 25, 2023 at 04:52:46 PM EST
    of the DeSantis/Musk "failure to launch."  A real disaster--the ersatz Trump should have just picked up on that Trump descending the Trump Tower escalator launch and walked down the stairs of the Cinderella Castle at Disney World.

    However, less notices was DeSantis' next stop after the "Launch", An interview on FOX with Trey Gowdy (the Benghazi guy with the hair). This was another disaster. Soft ball questions such as what about global warming was answered by the Florida governor with "..don't like politicizing the weather."  And, he he answered a question about Ukraine, with...something about, as a Veteran, he wants to stop the wokeness of the military.

    As "a veteran" in the Navy, one of his jobs was as  assistant urinalysis coordinator, not a woke Top Gun.

    Parent

    Lot's of fun and mockery (none / 0) (#179)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 25, 2023 at 04:57:12 PM EST
    of the DeSantis/Musk "failure to launch."  A real disaster--the ersatz Trump should have just picked up on that Trump descending the Trump Tower escalator launch and walked down the stairs of the Cinderella Castle at Disney World.

    However, less notices was DeSantis' next stop after the "Launch", An interview on FOX with Trey Gowdy (the Benghazi guy with the hair). This was another disaster. Soft ball questions such as what about global warming was answered by the Florida governor with "..don't like politicizing the weather."  And, he he answered a question about Ukraine, with...something about, as a Veteran, he wants to stop the wokeness of the military.

    As "a veteran" in the Navy, one of his jobs was as  assistant urinalysis coordinator, not Top Gun.

    Parent

    I saw a conservative (none / 0) (#190)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 26, 2023 at 08:09:20 AM EST
    on twitter positing that the information coming out about Clarence Thomas was by design and I started thinking about it. Clarence has been doing this crap forever and conservatives had to know so why now? My thoughts are it is because of polling like that. The GOP is going to be out of power for a long time unless Roe gets reinstated. They need to get rid of some supreme court justices and Thomas is easy pickings.

    Parent
    The abortion issue will only get worse (none / 0) (#191)
    by MO Blue on Fri May 26, 2023 at 09:07:49 AM EST
    for Republicans. It is not a matter of if, only of when a woman dies from lack of proper care as a result of the abortion laws. The blowback of this happening in Ireland changed their abortion laws almost overnight.

    Parent
    True. (5.00 / 1) (#192)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 26, 2023 at 09:33:36 AM EST
    It gets worse for them daily but just damaging women and ruining their ability to have children in the future doesn't bother them apparently. There have been women who almost died already but that seems to be okay. You're right. It's going to take a woman outright dying to finally end this nonsense once and for all.

    Parent
    Liz (none / 0) (#186)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 07:24:43 PM EST

    "Any candidate who says they will pardon Jan. 6 defendants is not qualified to be President," Cheney said



    Parent
    Question for today. (5.00 / 1) (#193)
    by Chuck0 on Fri May 26, 2023 at 01:06:26 PM EST
    Re: Moms for Liberty and banning books and poems.

    Question: How many of these "moms" children have cellphones. You know, the ones where you can view p0rn and access nearly any book in the world in a matter of seconds.?

    What is their problem? Will poor Sally or Johnny feel bad because he/she finds out that people of dark complexion had a hard time in their state. That those people were lynched and abused systematically for years? Poor Johnny. Poor Sally.

    To steal from the magats. EFF your kids feelings.

    It honestly (5.00 / 1) (#196)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 26, 2023 at 08:48:40 PM EST
    is too depressign to get into. However white people learning that white people did crappy things to black people is basically what they don't want children to learn.

    Parent
    Lesson for today. (5.00 / 1) (#194)
    by Chuck0 on Fri May 26, 2023 at 01:19:38 PM EST
    Don't call 911 in Mississippi.. Ever. For any reason.

    I hope we are watching (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 07, 2023 at 05:40:00 PM EST
    Dead Ringers.  So good.  The series takes off the Cronenberg movie.  The movies is from a book called Twins LINK

    It a great idea because the book is all about them swapping identities for all sorts of reasons.  But it's so much more shocking to think of two identical twin females doing this.  Maybe one of the points.

    Great book. Great show.

    Also on Prime The Power.  What if women could actually physically threaten men.  Even big ones?

    I was going to watch (none / 0) (#5)
    by Chuck0 on Sun May 07, 2023 at 06:50:42 PM EST
    Because I like Rachel Weisz.

    Parent
    She is (none / 0) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 07, 2023 at 07:09:26 PM EST
    The best part

    Perfect choice.  

    Parent

    New Christopher Nolan movie about the A bomb (none / 0) (#12)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 08, 2023 at 04:26:15 PM EST

    Oppenheimer

    55 years (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by BGinCA on Mon May 08, 2023 at 05:32:00 PM EST
    after his death Robert Oppenheimer had his security clearance reinstated.

    Parent
    Don't breath (none / 0) (#14)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 08, 2023 at 06:07:26 PM EST
    might as well tell him that.

    Trump prohibited from posting evidence in hush money case

    Please remit (none / 0) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 12:26:44 PM EST

    1. An itemized list of all gifts, payments, and items of value exceeding $415 given by you, or by entities you own or control or for which you have served as a partner, director, or officer, to any Justice of the Supreme Court or a member of the Justice's family, including the name of the Justice, the approximate dollar amount of each item, and the date it was extended.
    2. An itemized list of all real estate transactions in which you, or any entity you own or control or for which you have served as a partner, director, or officer, conducted with a Justice of the Supreme Court or a member of the Justice's family, including the name of the Justice, the date of the transaction, the valuations of the properties, the dollar amount conveyed in the transaction, any occupancy agreements reached regarding the real estate, and the dollar value of any improvements made or taxes paid on the properties during the course of any occupancy agreement.

    link

    No (none / 0) (#22)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 01:57:13 PM EST

    Billionaire Harlan Crow has refused to comply with a request by Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden for a complete accounting of Crow's gifts to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas," Politico reports.

    "Wyden's next steps could include subpoenaing Crow for the requested records or using a section of the tax code that vests the chairs of Congress' tax committees with the authority to obtain a private citizen's tax returns directly from Treasury -- a power that House Democrats used last year to publish the taxes of former President Donald Trump



    Parent
    Over the counter birth control (none / 0) (#18)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 01:36:53 PM EST

    The FDA considers first birth control pill without a prescription

    Apparently the only concerns are that women are fatter now so maybe it won't work and also not smart enough to follow the directions.

    Seriously not making that up. Read the reasons for concern yourself.

    But this could definitely F up their plans for reproductive oversight.

    What I heard on NPR, while driving, (5.00 / 2) (#28)
    by Jack E Lope on Tue May 09, 2023 at 03:35:13 PM EST
    ...was a Catholic organization speaking out about all the health risks OTC birth control would cause for women (while denying that this opinion has anything to do with religious doctrine), and endorsements from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the  American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, et alia.

    Parent
    APPROVED! (5.00 / 2) (#33)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 10, 2023 at 12:35:11 PM EST
    a non binding recommendation

    Parent
    Oops (none / 0) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 01:38:02 PM EST
    link

    Parent
    This (none / 0) (#21)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 01:53:56 PM EST

    Concerns about weight, following the label

    The FDA scientists say they have two main concerns about Opill, a "mini pill" that uses only the hormone progestin.

    One has to do with obesity. The FDA approved Opill as a prescription drug in 1973, and "the prevalence of obesity in adults in the United States has changed dramatically since the original clinical studies were conducted over 50 years ago



    Parent
    This pill (none / 0) (#34)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 10, 2023 at 12:41:29 PM EST
    was called the "mini pill" or somesuch back in the day when I was in college. A friend of mine took it because the dr. wouldn't give her the regular pill. It was known back then to not be as reliable as the regular BC pill. So back in the late 70's women could understand this but not now? I think the reliability back then was 96%.  

    And surely there would be a dosage adjustment for weight.

    Parent

    The Trump verdict (none / 0) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 01:41:10 PM EST
    Is in

    Waiting

    No on rape (none / 0) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 02:03:44 PM EST
    Yes on sexual abuse

    Yes on defamation

    4 or 5 million so far as I count it

    Parent

    Good news day (5.00 / 3) (#25)
    by MO Blue on Tue May 09, 2023 at 02:37:34 PM EST
    Trump guilty and Feinstein returning to the Senate tonight.

    Loved the fact that it took the jury in the Carroll case so little time to reach their verdict.

    I'm still of the opinion that Feinstein is not up to the demands of her job and needs to gracefully resign. Returning is better than being absent.

    Parent

    I have to wonder (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by MO Blue on Tue May 09, 2023 at 03:43:40 PM EST
    how much more will be added to Barron's inheritance and the increase to Melania's bank account due to this verdict. The orange one definitely needs Melania to stand by him and I have to believe she is a very advantageous position to get additional benefits.

    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#30)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 04:04:33 PM EST
    She only recently came out all for another run.  After months of silence.  I'm sure that was not free.

    Parent
    The good thing about this is (none / 0) (#32)
    by MO Blue on Tue May 09, 2023 at 10:48:55 PM EST
    if Melania goes this route, Trump won't be able to run out the clock. It will be cash on the line.

    Parent
    Jury Said not More Than 50% Chance Rape Happened (none / 0) (#24)
    by RickyJim on Tue May 09, 2023 at 02:35:24 PM EST
    Kaplan told jurors that the first question on the verdict form was to decide whether they think there is more than a 50% chance that Trump raped Carroll inside a store dressing room. If they answered yes, they would then decide whether compensatory and punitive damages should be awarded.

    If they answered no on the rape question, they could then decide if Trump subjected her to lesser forms of assault involving sexual contact without her consent or forcible touching to degrade her or gratify his sexual desire. If they answered yes on either of those questions, they will decide if damages are appropriate.

    On defamation claims stemming from a statement Trump made on social media last October, Kaplan said jurors needed to be guided by a higher legal standard -- clear and convincing evidence.

      Link

    Parent
    I'm probably wrong (none / 0) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2023 at 02:54:59 PM EST
    but I think, maybe, the rape question turned on specific legal definitions based on the details of what actually happened.

    Parent
    Yes, (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 09, 2023 at 03:08:56 PM EST
    In essence, the plaintiff did not prove to more than a 50 percent likelihood there was rape, as the judge instructed ---rape was intercourse.  And, secondly, the penetration was non-consensual.  

    The jury unanimously did find sexual abuse and liability for defamation (" a complete con job, "a hoax", "a lie")

    Ms. Carroll is owed a great debt of gratitude for her courage and bravery for bringing her tragic story to light.

    Politically, with regard to exactness of the civil case decision , I am reminded of LBJ's maxim, round it up and make the Bast##ds deny it.

    Parent

    I think your instincts are correct. (none / 0) (#35)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 10, 2023 at 08:40:33 PM EST
    As it was explained to me yesterday, the legal distinction between "rape" and "sexual battery" is that for an actual rape to have occurred, there had to have been penile penetration of an orifice - for heaven's sake, I can't believe I'm actually writing this about a former president - rather than a digital penetration, which is what the jury determined in what happened.

    So, what if the perp used a broom handle or a baseball bat? I guess that's battery. Anyway, as I (and I think, a lot of others as well) see it, sexual assault is sexual assault.

    Peter and / or Jeralyn, I'd certainly welcome your legal expertise and clarification here.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I did my best to address this question (none / 0) (#45)
    by Peter G on Fri May 12, 2023 at 07:03:13 PM EST
    in the separate thread on the Carroll verdict.

    Parent
    I saw that. (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun May 14, 2023 at 10:32:33 PM EST
    Thank you.

    Parent
    Watching some interviews (none / 0) (#39)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 12, 2023 at 08:53:57 AM EST
    with republicans about the freak show/town hall theres the MAGA freaks and there is the "nice" ones.

    I've decided the nice ones are even creepier than the MAGAs.  

    I called my (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri May 12, 2023 at 09:05:34 AM EST
    rep and referenced Marjorie Taylor Greene. They were so offended but when I went to his website he was spouting all the same talking points. Outside of Liz Cheney and maybe a few others there are no rational conservatives.

    Parent
    A jury of his peers (none / 0) (#43)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 12, 2023 at 04:42:06 PM EST

    Texas Man Kills Girlfriend for Traveling to Get Abortion

    May 12, 2023 at 4:52 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 135 Comments

    A Texas man was arrested for fatally shooting his girlfriend for traveling to Colorado to get an abortion, the Dallas Morning News reports.
    Is (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by FlJoe on Fri May 12, 2023 at 04:48:21 PM EST
    it to soon for Abbot to offer a pardon?

    Parent
    I am opposed to the death penalty (none / 0) (#47)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 13, 2023 at 02:53:39 PM EST
    But I have to admit no sympathy or grief if she gets it

    What we know about the Lori Vallow Daybell `doomsday cult' murder trial

    This seems sexist (none / 0) (#49)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 13, 2023 at 03:22:19 PM EST

    The death penalty was taken off the table for Vallow but not for Mr Daybell.



    Parent
    Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were arrested ... (none / 0) (#95)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 16, 2023 at 07:07:51 PM EST
    ... out here on the island of Kauai, where they were living at the time. They were apparently still cashing the Social Security checks of the two children she had (and he allegedly had) killed.

    Lori will get life, She will not receive capital punishment. But her husband might if he's found guilty.

    No tears shed from this corner if he does.

    Parent

    I'm starting to hope this guy (none / 0) (#59)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 01:46:50 PM EST
    is the nominee

    DeSantis Bans Diversity Programs at Florida Universities
    May 15, 2023 at 12:47 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 215 Comments

    "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law Monday barring the state's colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and limiting how race can be discussed in many courses," the Washington Post reports.
    And this (5.00 / 2) (#60)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 01:49:51 PM EST

    Florida rejects Holocaust ed textbooks in clampdown on `woke' instruction



    Parent

    And (5.00 / 2) (#65)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 02:49:32 PM EST

    Florida teacher says state is investigating her for showing Disney movie to 5th graders



    Parent

    And, this, too: (none / 0) (#70)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 15, 2023 at 03:20:08 PM EST
    Pudd'n and Boots signed SB 1580, License to Discriminate in Health Care", that allows health care providers and insurers to deny care to sick and dying people who identify as LGBTQ.  

    The law permits employers to discriminate in hiring and bars medical boards from disciplining doctors for spreading misinformation.

    The discrimination is based on religious, moral or ethical beliefs.  

    Parent

    I feel pretty good (5.00 / 2) (#71)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 03:25:14 PM EST
    about putting all this crap to a national referendum

    Parent
    Curious as to how all this is going (5.00 / 2) (#92)
    by Chuck0 on Tue May 16, 2023 at 09:44:39 AM EST
    down in Key West? Will the Conch Republic rise again and secede from Florida?

    Parent
    Oddly (none / 0) (#72)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 03:28:00 PM EST
    I think Biden might be the best response w have to him as much as he is to Trump

    Parent
    Yes, a (none / 0) (#73)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 15, 2023 at 03:59:42 PM EST
    young  fascist v an old democrat.  

    Parent
    It's like (none / 0) (#74)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 04:02:14 PM EST
    The kindly grandpa vs the alcoholic step father

    Parent
    I think as awful as the Nazis in DC were (none / 0) (#76)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 04:21:22 PM EST
    There was one promising detail.  They hid their faces.  

    Chilling footage shows white supremacist group Patriot Front marching through DC

    Unlike Charlottesville (5.00 / 1) (#77)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 04:49:14 PM EST
    Maybe lessons learned

    Parent
    I agree (5.00 / 1) (#78)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon May 15, 2023 at 04:53:18 PM EST
    them being cowardly is definitely a positive.

    Parent
    I guess sheets and hoods.. (5.00 / 2) (#79)
    by desertswine on Mon May 15, 2023 at 05:07:30 PM EST
    are too expensive anymore.

    Parent
    Just what I thought (5.00 / 1) (#80)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 05:10:00 PM EST
    Also it's almost cartoonish.  Those spandex things are more flattering

    Parent
    This generation relates pointy hats (5.00 / 1) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 15, 2023 at 05:11:30 PM EST
    To Gandalf

    Parent
    This is an interesting development (none / 0) (#93)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 16, 2023 at 10:34:39 AM EST
    And smart.  I think..

    Centrist Dems are plotting a save-McCarthy strategy for the debt fight
    If the speaker cuts a deal that alienates conservatives, some Democrats are willing to help save his gavel.

    Bill Saluga - RIP (none / 0) (#97)
    by desertswine on Wed May 17, 2023 at 09:02:30 AM EST
    "Ohhhh, you doesn't have to call me Johnson," he would say. "My name is Raymond J. Johnson Jr. Now, you can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me Junie, or you can call me Ray Jay, or you can call me R.J. Or you can call me R.J.J. Or you can call me R.J.J. Jr.

    "But you doesn't have to call me Johnson."

    Chat GPT (none / 0) (#98)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 09:20:52 AM EST
    I have several friends and former coworkers who are working on AI.  For companies like Google and META.

    They were pretty horrified by that hearing.  The level of ignorance was shocking, even for me.  Blumenthal and others going on and on about his opening DeepFake of his own voice.  And how weird and scary it was.

    Really?  They don't get out much.

    I have to say I've been wringing my hands about AI for at least a couple of years.  I HATE AI "art".  And "music".  Loathing doesn't cover it.  Or how much contempt I have for "artists" who are cranking the shi+ as fast as they can

    And from my months of discussions about my fears with my friends in the field there is one thing I absolutely believe

    The only thing scarier than AI is government regulated AI.

    This is the problem of 80+ year olds (5.00 / 5) (#101)
    by Chuck0 on Wed May 17, 2023 at 10:58:44 AM EST
    making law about new technologies.

    I'm sort of an IT person (I do XML programming) and there's a ton of new stuff coming out that I just do not understand. And kind of don't want to. I'll be 64 Friday. I've learned enough new stuff. My brain is full. No room for new technology.

    My point is that I work on a computer daily. I do development work that requires understanding of basic programming contructs, regular expressions and I/O. But I'm in no way qualified to make law about AI and other new technologies.


    Parent

    I could not have (none / 0) (#102)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 11:55:16 AM EST
    said it better.

    The thing is AI is a whole new thing.  The comparisons to sampling music only show how little they understand.  

    It is going to do amazing things.  Already is. It's could cure things like cancer.   Among others.  It's already decoding brainwaves into speech.  Google it.  

    But is also going to displace thousands of workers.  Of all kinds. But the kind closest to my heart are creatives.  Right now, today, there is no need to hire an artist or a musician or a writer to do the kinds of things those people have used to pay the bills for all of history.  

    The only thing that could make this more frightening is Gym Jordan and Lindsey Graham making law about it

    Parent

    Also (none / 0) (#99)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 09:23:13 AM EST
    they are unanimous in their opinion that the only goal of the azzhat at that hearing was to make it harder for smaller competitors from getting in his way.

    He is dead to the AI community.  I hope he has good security.  

    Parent

    I (none / 0) (#105)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 17, 2023 at 03:36:28 PM EST
    think unfettered AI in the hands of our corporate overlords is pretty scary, not to mention the Russians or some rogue billionaire.

    AI will be weaponized, no doubt about it.

    Parent

    It is scary (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 03:44:41 PM EST
    All I can say is unless you are in long conversations with people who understand it, which is only those working on it, everything you think you know is wrong and you are worried about the wrong things.

    Unfettered AI is already in the hands of our corporate overlords.  It's so costly and requires so much computing power only the likes of Google can afford to do it.  Educational institutions and governments don't come close to having the juice.

    No one does except massive corporate entities.  

    The talk of stopping it or slowing it will only get you LOLs from those who know.   That ship sailed long ago.  

    Parent

    Just one interesting detail (5.00 / 1) (#107)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 03:55:46 PM EST
    The one that originally freaked me out when I started reading about it.   And I verified it.

    No one, including the people writing the code, have ANY idea how it does the things it does.   This is a fact.  
    We not only don't know but we can never know.  

    Just think about that for a bit.  

    They compare it to pouring all the knowledge you can into a black box.  This includes every piece of visual material every scrap of music and every thing ever written.  

    And then asking it questions.  Or asking it to make you an portrait of Donald Trump in the style of Ansel Adams.  Or a version of YMCA by Bach

    Parent

    Or Star Wars (none / 0) (#108)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 04:01:15 PM EST
    by Wes Anderson

    Parent
    Harry Potter (none / 0) (#115)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 07:22:22 PM EST
    by Wes Anderson is better

    Parent
    Dobby looks like Putin. (none / 0) (#117)
    by desertswine on Thu May 18, 2023 at 01:09:17 PM EST


    Parent
    What (none / 0) (#109)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 17, 2023 at 04:09:20 PM EST
    me worry? I am not particualry afraid of the "wrong things", I take all the doomsaying with a grain of salt, things yet to come do seem terrifying.

    IMO we are in a time or place where the very fabric of reality is being torn apart, and that's just from the right wing wurltzer and the clueless and sometimes complicit media. Add AI to the equation and we start approaching Philip K. Dick territory.

    Parent

    Not an invalid concern (none / 0) (#110)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 04:16:22 PM EST
    My friend Caleb would say AI might just as easily save us from it.

    Parent
    As far as being weaponized (none / 0) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 04:27:45 PM EST

    Ukraine A Living Lab for AI Warfare
    3/24/2023



    Parent

    Save (none / 0) (#112)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 17, 2023 at 04:28:02 PM EST
    humanity from itself like some digital messiah?

    Parent
    and (none / 0) (#113)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 17, 2023 at 04:29:42 PM EST
    hope like hell it stays benevolent.

    Parent
    That is the hope (none / 0) (#114)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 04:46:30 PM EST
    The sort of unspoken worry is if we make it smart enough it will quickly figure out we are the problem.

    What I'm told is while we crossed the Rubicon long ago we are still in the infancy. My friend uses parenting terminology a lot.  He is a parent and insists the process is very similar to creating a child.  All you can really do is try to give it the best if you.  In Caleb's case that is encouraging. But I worry all AI researchers share his philosophy.  

    But change will come logarithmically.  When AI starts designing AI (soon) you will really see those numbers change.  

    Parent

    For my interested FB friends (none / 0) (#116)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 17, 2023 at 07:30:21 PM EST
    I only have one friend named Caleb.  If you are interested in this subject you will find very interesting conversations in his feed.  Which I assume you could follow.

    Along with a firehose of totally random crap.  He is a fellow ADHD.

    Parent

    AI music (none / 0) (#119)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2023 at 02:48:39 PM EST

    Sting warns against AI songs

    AI technology was used to imitate Canadian singers Drake and The Weeknd in a song released last month called "Heart On My Sleeve".

    The viral track was briefly available on music streaming platforms before it was pulled following a copyright complaint from Universal Music Group, which publishes both artists through a subsidiary.

    David Guetta meanwhile recently used AI to add a vocal in the style of rapper Eminem to a song for a live show.



    Parent
    Bildergerg plans your future (none / 0) (#121)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2023 at 03:41:52 PM EST

    EUROPE NEWS
    A secretive annual meeting attended by the world's elite has A.I. top of the agenda

    Whats on the agenda? (apparently in order)

    A.I.
    Banking system
    China
    Energy transition
    Europe
    Fiscal challenges
    India
    Industrial policy and trade
    NATO
    Russia
    Transnational threats
    Ukraine
    U.S. leadership

    I feel safer already.  

    Parent

    I shared that link with my AI friend (none / 0) (#122)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 18, 2023 at 04:07:25 PM EST
    His response.

    f***ers.  They'll be trying to lock down ownership.  I hope to see that as a futile effort.

    I expect to see AI eat Capitalism whole and fertilize a better world with whatever it craps out.



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    Safer indeed! (none / 0) (#133)
    by Erehwon on Fri May 19, 2023 at 06:16:06 PM EST
    The article views Kissinger as a political heavyweight!


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    Protests in SF over decision not to charge (none / 0) (#100)
    by McBain on Wed May 17, 2023 at 10:14:38 AM EST
    Walgreens security guard in the killing of Banko Brown.
    Acknowledging that there is an emotional reaction to the video, Brooke Jenkins explained why she did not file charges in this case in a press conference Monday. She pointed to the evidence - surveillance video, cell phone video, witness statements and the police interview with Walgreens security guard Michael Anthony who fired a fatal shot during a violent confrontation with Brown. It was a critical part of her analysis.
    "We had to decide whether or not we had sufficient evidence to prove this case to 12 jurors beyond a reasonable doubt," Jenkins said. "It was our conclusion that we did not have such evidence and that is why we have arrived at this decision."

    The case is interesting because there's a clash of public concerns.  There's the racial/trans angle and there's the homeless/crime angle.  A lot of the local news I've seen lately is about people fed up with shoplifting and assault.  Several businesses including Walgreens and Whole Foods have closed SF locations, citing theft and worker safety.

    The surveillance video shows the struggle and shooting. (Don't watch if you're sensitive to that.)
    What I see is after the struggle, Brown appears to be exiting the store, then lunges towards the guard but by the time he pulls the trigger, Brown appears to be retreating.  

    I think Jenkins made the correct decision not to charge Anthony but I can see why this is controversial.  

    No Lables (none / 0) (#127)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 19, 2023 at 02:34:28 PM EST
    I don't think this is a fatal threat to Biden.   I really don't think very many democrats are going to vote for Joe Manchin.  

    I think a lot of "independent leaning" Trump voters might vote for him.  

    The bipartisan political group No Labels is stepping up a well-funded effort to field a `unity ticket' for the 2024 presidential race, prompting fierce resistance from even some of its closest allies who fear handing the White House back to Donald Trump," the New York Times reports.

    "At the top of the list of potential candidates is Senator Joe Manchin III, the conservative West Virginia Democrat who has been a headache to his party and could bleed support from President Biden in areas crucial to his re-election."

    "The centrist group's leadership was in New York this week raising part of the money -- around $70 million -- that it says it needs to help with nationwide ballot access efforts."
    Not to mention (none / 0) (#128)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 19, 2023 at 02:37:59 PM EST
    Manchins scorched earth environmental ideas would be pretty easy to run against.  

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    National Pipsqueak to remain in custody (none / 0) (#129)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 19, 2023 at 02:53:12 PM EST

    Pentagon leak suspect, to remain jailed as he awaits trial

    According to a report I read ... (5.00 / 1) (#134)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri May 19, 2023 at 09:51:26 PM EST
    ... this morning, Airman Teixeira was "admonished" by superiors three times over the previous nine months before his arrest before perusing classified documents that were out of his designated subject area.

    Setting aside for the moment the question why then-20-year-old Teixeira was ever given a high-level security clearance in the first place, why wasn't that clearance revoked the first time he was caught? Why did it take four times and nine months before his superiors finally figured out something was amiss?

    Just asking for a friend.
     

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    Sorry. "For perusing documents." (none / 0) (#135)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri May 19, 2023 at 09:53:08 PM EST
    Damn spell check.
    ;-)

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    Hurricane Fani to arrive in August (none / 0) (#130)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 19, 2023 at 02:58:05 PM EST

    Prosecutor suggests any indictments in Trump election investigation would likely come in August

    Unstoppable... (none / 0) (#131)
    by desertswine on Fri May 19, 2023 at 03:04:18 PM EST
    Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the unstoppable running back who retired at the peak of his brilliant career to become an actor as well as a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s, has died. He was 87.

    Jim Brown & Geraldine Jones (none / 0) (#132)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 19, 2023 at 03:12:43 PM EST
    I recently bookmarked this about another subject

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    In the files of you (none / 0) (#136)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat May 20, 2023 at 03:34:56 PM EST
    Can't make this up. I am in the holocaust museum either Hitler youth. Maybe the museum will change their mind

    How nice for him (none / 0) (#137)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun May 21, 2023 at 05:27:40 PM EST

    The American Law Institute hosts its annual dinner on Tuesday evening. During the event, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan will present an award to Chief Justice John Roberts.
    Surely (none / 0) (#138)
    by FlJoe on Sun May 21, 2023 at 06:18:48 PM EST
    Clarence as locked up the George Santos "Excellence in Ethics" award so maybe it's the Kevin McCarthy
    "Courage in the Face of Crazy" award.

    Or maybe a lifetime acheivement award from the visually impaired umpires association

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    NSFW (none / 0) (#143)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 23, 2023 at 03:26:16 PM EST
    This is actually pretty good.  

    Daily Show AI Biden ad

    Coming (none / 0) (#144)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 23, 2023 at 03:39:47 PM EST
    soon to a twitter feed near you, The Meatball and Melon show
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce he is running for president during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, three sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.
    This is a slap for FOX (none / 0) (#145)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 23, 2023 at 03:46:52 PM EST
    and a boost for Elon

    It fits with his cruelty for it's on sale campaign but not brilliant politically

    IMO

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    Cruelty for its own (none / 0) (#147)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 23, 2023 at 03:59:58 PM EST
    SAKE

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    Yeah (none / 0) (#148)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 23, 2023 at 04:15:03 PM EST
    any way you cut it Elon is is a weird character for a conservative to hitch a ride with, a foreigner and reportedly an atheist and did I mention weird.

    I guess he might be a hero to some of the tech-bro libetarian types, but the base, especially the older ones may be skeptical.

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    When Elon Musk (5.00 / 1) (#153)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 23, 2023 at 07:29:23 PM EST
    was interviewed by Bill Maher a few weeks ago, it was startling to observe how inarticulate he was.  He could barely string words together to make a sentence.  Certainly, there was no display of his  advertised intellect.  

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    I saw (none / 0) (#149)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 23, 2023 at 04:44:28 PM EST
    this and the first thing that came to mind is if you want to watch 2 12 year old boys expound on conspiracy theories and white greivance thsi is for you. I think I will pass. Sounds like a yawner for the rest of us.

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    No twitter account (none / 0) (#150)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 23, 2023 at 05:09:11 PM EST
    I'm probably not the target demographic

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    Who (5.00 / 2) (#151)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 23, 2023 at 06:03:22 PM EST
    is? Not that I'm up on these things but I have never heard of  
    Twitter Spaces, the site's platform for audio chats
    it seems like he is limiting  his bandwidth from the get go.

    He's blowing a bunch of free "empty podium" time at the very least.

    Parent

    It does seem odd (5.00 / 1) (#152)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 23, 2023 at 07:07:39 PM EST
    But he is reaching his people.  

    Twitter Is a Far-Right Social Network

    May 23, 2023 at 6:18 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 101 Comments

    Charlie Warzel: "Twitter has long been described, even by its most ardent users, as a hellsite. But under Elon Musk, Twitter has evolved into a platform that is indistinguishable from the wastelands of alternative social-media sites such as Truth Social and Parler. It is now a right-wing social network."

    "In December, I argued that if we are to judge Musk strictly by his actions as Twitter's owner, it is accurate to call him a far-right activist. As a public figure, he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the right's culture war against progressivism--which he refers to as "the woke mind virus"--and his $44 billion Twitter purchase can easily be seen as an explicitly political act to advance this specific ideology."

    "Now the site itself has unquestionably transformed under his leadership into an alternative social-media platform--one that offers a haven to far-right influencers and advances the interests, prejudices, and conspiracy theories of the right wing of American politics



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    Desantis (none / 0) (#154)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 23, 2023 at 07:53:47 PM EST
    seems to think he can hang out in the right wing bubble and win. It worked for him in Florida. You can see what happens when he leaves that bubble---it's a disaster like his childish meltdown in Japan

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    Ha (none / 0) (#158)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 24, 2023 at 05:29:59 PM EST

    DeSantis Campaign Launch Crashes
    May 24, 2023 at 6:12 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 79 Comments

    Gov. Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign launch on Twitter had multiple technical difficulties with the Twitter app repeatedly crashing and numerous audio problems for those who were able to get in.

    Said Elon Musk: "Servers are straining somewhat."



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    And Prez Biden's (5.00 / 1) (#160)
    by leap2 on Wed May 24, 2023 at 06:08:21 PM EST
    poke

    Ha ha ha! Good one.

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    #DeSaster (none / 0) (#164)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 24, 2023 at 07:55:14 PM EST
    LOL.

    failure to launch. He's become the butt of jokes in a few hours. Nobody has to be enjoying this more than Donald Trump.

    Parent

    Audio? (none / 0) (#168)
    by KeysDan on Thu May 25, 2023 at 07:59:34 AM EST
    Also,  not his forte. Not only a face made for radio, but a voice made for silent movies.

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    TinyD (5.00 / 1) (#169)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 08:28:23 AM EST
    definitely branded himself.

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    DeSantis will launch (none / 0) (#146)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 23, 2023 at 03:55:41 PM EST
    his campaign tomorrow with a live audio discussion on Twitter with. Elon Musk.

    A little surprising in a couple of ways: Nuremberg would seem to have been the most likely spot,  audio only highlights his castrato voice  and Musk does not appear to be  the kind of guy who enjoys a supporting role.  But,  taking a leaf from Harlan Crow, it's now quite in to own a high ranking official in this country. Russian ownership is so 2016.

    Warning. Listeners may be overcome by the charisma, take to a couch.

    Who listens to something called (none / 0) (#159)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 24, 2023 at 05:52:54 PM EST
    The Jesus guns and babies podcast?

    Georgia GOP Chair Says the Earth Is Flat
    May 24, 2023 at 4:03 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 301 Comments

    Kandiss Taylor, a recently elected Republican district chair in Georgia, told the Jesus, Guns, and Babies podcast that Earth is flat.

    Said Taylor: "All the globes, everywhere. I turn on the TV, there's globes in the background... Everywhere there's globes. You see them all the time, it's constant. My children will be like `Mama, globe, globe, globe, globe' -- they're everywhere."

    She added: "That's what they do, to brainwash. For me if it's not a conspiracy. If it is real, why are you pushing so hard everywhere I go? Every store, you buy a globe, there's globes everywhere. Every movie, every TV show, news media -- why? More and more I'm like, it doesn't make sense."

    link

    I keep getting (5.00 / 1) (#161)
    by Zorba on Wed May 24, 2023 at 07:09:51 PM EST
    More and more depressed about people like this.
    She's certainly not the only one.
    And that's the sad thing.

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    Well (none / 0) (#162)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 24, 2023 at 07:18:18 PM EST
    Thank the old gods and the new I do not personally know a flat earther.  There are none in my family.   That I know of.

    But you are right.they are out there

     Globes globes globes everywhere you look

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    This lady (none / 0) (#165)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 24, 2023 at 07:58:00 PM EST
    ran for governor. She was/is convinced Brian Kemp stole the election from her even though she got about 6% of the vote and he got like 75%.

    Unfortunately I know one of her fans. She lives in my neighborhood. one day she was advertising to be a nanny or babysitter. I'm thinking thank God my boys are old enough where that would never be an option. She has a daughter she is radicalizing. These people exist amongst us. What on earth is going to happen to all these radicalized people? My hope is maybe they will just go quietly back under the rocks tehy came out from under but that may be too hopeful.

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    Maybe (none / 0) (#167)
    by coast on Thu May 25, 2023 at 07:15:42 AM EST
    They will eventually fall off the edge of the earth, or get pushed.

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    This would be fun (none / 0) (#180)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 05:08:41 PM EST
    I really hate this one

    GOP-led Texas House committee recommends impeaching state attorney general Ken Paxton

    "The recommendation thrust the State Capitol and its Republican leadership into uncharted political territory in the waning days of the legislative session, setting the stage for the House to hold a vote on impeachment, its first in decades and one of the few ever conducted in the state's history," reported J. David Goodman. "If he is impeached, Mr. Paxton, who has been under a separate criminal indictment since 2015, would be required to step down from his post temporarily while facing trial in the State Senate
    I can't imagine (5.00 / 1) (#181)
    by leap2 on Thu May 25, 2023 at 05:53:38 PM EST
    what awful stuff Paxton did to warrant his fellow loathsome criming  Republicans to impeach him. Must be worse than killing someone.

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    How on (5.00 / 1) (#183)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 25, 2023 at 06:43:31 PM EST
    earth does someone have an indictment for 8 years and never have to go to trial?

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    What he did (5.00 / 1) (#187)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 08:01:43 PM EST

    Paxton's aides accused him of corruption and were all fired or quit after reporting him to the FBI. Four sued under Texas' whistleblower laws, accusing Paxton of wrongful retaliation, and in February agreed to settle the case for $3.3 million. But the Texas House must approve the payout and Phelan has said he doesn't think taxpayers should foot the bill.



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    Oops (5.00 / 1) (#188)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 08:02:22 PM EST
    link

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    Must (none / 0) (#182)
    by FlJoe on Thu May 25, 2023 at 06:31:50 PM EST
    of ripped off a billionaire or two, that's a hanging offense in Texas.

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    How on (none / 0) (#184)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu May 25, 2023 at 06:43:31 PM EST
    earth does someone have an indictment for 8 years and never have to go to trial?

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    My friend who lives there (none / 0) (#185)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu May 25, 2023 at 06:48:37 PM EST
    calls it Howdy Arabia.  

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    According to the GOP Criminal code (none / 0) (#189)
    by jmacWA on Fri May 26, 2023 at 05:07:48 AM EST
    The only thing that warrants impeachment (of a Republican) is breaking the 11th commandment.

    Parent
    Tomorrow (none / 0) (#195)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri May 26, 2023 at 08:04:26 PM EST

    A five-member state House committee on Thursday voted unanimously to recommend Paxton's impeachment on corruption charges, sending the 60-year-old Republican's fate to the House for a vote scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
    No problem. I'll just deny everything (none / 0) (#197)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 27, 2023 at 09:27:52 AM EST
    That'll work!

    TinyD thinks it's 1992.

    Leaked DeSantis Camp Audio: Move to `the Middle' After Primary, Clinton's Approach to Abortion.

    One problem, (none / 0) (#198)
    by KeysDan on Sat May 27, 2023 at 10:42:19 AM EST
    Among many others, is that DeSantis has a legislative record tied to his boots.  He can try to move to the middle in the general, but those boots move along, too.

    Not, only a tin ear about 1992, but also, about 2016 and 2020.  Trump gets away with denying what he just said on videotape, but Ron not so much.

    Parent

    Imagining (5.00 / 1) (#199)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat May 27, 2023 at 10:57:06 AM EST
    That saying "safe legal and rare" means the same thing both pre and post Dobbs shows how clueless they are.  

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    All I have to say (5.00 / 1) (#200)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat May 27, 2023 at 11:29:36 AM EST
    is they must think all voters are as stupid as GOP primary voters. Nobody is going to believe "safe, legal and rare" coming from someone who literally signed an abortion ban.

    Parent
    Sunday Open Thread | 200 comments (200 topical)