tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post8603449073341007685..comments2024-03-29T00:39:31.629-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Tech obsolescence? Universal Basic Income? And the Age of AmateursDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-52623092327221571962018-02-03T17:09:13.777-08:002018-02-03T17:09:13.777-08:00onward
onward
onward<br /><br />onward<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-16573457384836386522018-02-03T11:37:23.898-08:002018-02-03T11:37:23.898-08:00And remember this:
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/0...And remember this:<br /><br /> http://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/28/us/marines-say-two-guards-allowed-russians-to-roam-us-embassy-by-stephen-engelberg.html<br /><br /><br />Winter7<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-56886655675038976052018-02-03T11:18:04.145-08:002018-02-03T11:18:04.145-08:00I was looking for information to repair a fault in...I was looking for information to repair a fault in my microwave oven and I stumbled across the web with a website that reminded me that Russians can be very Machiavellian:<br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(listening_device)<br /><br />Winter7 <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-76339220192803656202018-02-03T05:18:36.715-08:002018-02-03T05:18:36.715-08:00Bill Maher states the obvious:
https://www.youtub...Bill Maher states the obvious:<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHb4YMxnrZY<br /><br /><i><br />"It's like saying the exterminator is biased against the termites."<br /></i><br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-65397151565535242172018-02-03T04:00:34.032-08:002018-02-03T04:00:34.032-08:00Edit: that NRA/Russia connection is not proved yet...Edit: that NRA/Russia connection is not proved yet. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/01/29/581424557/alleged-link-between-nra-and-russia-becomes-fodder-for-the-left" rel="nofollow">It's from Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson's testimony.</a><br /><br />He said: ""It appears the Russians, you know, infiltrated the NRA. It appears that the Russian operation was designed to infiltrate conservative organizations. And they targeted various conservative organizations, religious and otherwise, and they seem to have made a very concerted effort to get in with the NRA."<br /><br />So. Unproven but I'd wager will be.TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-30764021991885594092018-02-03T03:52:27.607-08:002018-02-03T03:52:27.607-08:00Recent reports say that in addition to money laund...Recent reports say that in addition to money laundering by Trump and friends, <a href="https://www.vox.com/mischiefs-of-faction/2018/1/24/16924472/russian-money-nra-trump" rel="nofollow">the FBI has discovered that the National Rifle Association has acted as a conduit for illicit Russian money to both Donald Trump and perhaps a lot of other Republican elected officials</a>.<br /><br />Norman Goldman, the other day, was talking about this and said the NRA deserves to be broken up for this. "If <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Community_Organizations_for_Reform_Now" rel="nofollow">ACORN</a> can go away, so can the NRA." Reminder: ACORN were not even doing anything wrong.TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-3102204668739453652018-02-03T00:18:43.064-08:002018-02-03T00:18:43.064-08:00Prediction. All the Russia obstruction stuff is th...Prediction. All the Russia obstruction stuff is theater for distraction. I betcha Mueller’s real efforts go to money laundering. It must be huge, with channels permeating all over the globe.<br /><br />Tacitus, conservatives have long kvetched about the notion that catching a bad guy can be canceled by failure of an investigative (e.g. Miranda) procedure. In this case it isn’t even a bad procedure. It is okay to ask FISA for a warrant to follow rumors, if the rumors are supported by other evidence, which clearly was the case in warranting a look at Carter Page. Who was dirty!<br /><br /><br />So the problem is….?David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-12538022251592720462018-02-02T21:04:01.111-08:002018-02-02T21:04:01.111-08:00Small thought: soon Witness Protection Programs wi...Small thought: soon Witness Protection Programs will be completely useless unless the person being protected goes into complete isolation and avoids areas with Internet or phone access. And those areas are becoming smaller and smaller as well so it will be more obvious where people are hiding.<br /><br />The reason? Facial Recognition by systems like Facebook that can tag you <i>even if you are wearing makeup and a wig or hat to conceal your identity</i>. Possibly the only thing that could prevent recognition is to undergo cosmetic surgery to alter the cheeks, brow, nose, and chin and hope that there's enough change to confuse racial recognition systems... and also that the government doesn't keep a copy of your new face on file connected to your old identity. <br /><br />Rob H.Acacia H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07678539067303911329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-59431123861064518922018-02-02T20:23:26.911-08:002018-02-02T20:23:26.911-08:00Alfred Differ:
I’m not willing to say he is ille...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br /> I’m not willing to say he is illegitimate. I have retreated from using ‘legitimate’. I’m left in the middle where neither apply and you should accept that as a big deal. It IS a big deal.<br /></i><br /><br />Oh, I do (accept it, I mean). More than I expected, actually.<br /><i><br />"If you maintain that firing Mueller would be the red line, how has he not already crossed that line last June? Because his attempt to fire Mueller was thwarted by his own attorney refusing to carry out the order?"<br /><br />I know this has been all over the news, but why do you accept it? I’m not saying you shouldn’t, but is your acceptance of it legally sound? <br /></i><br /><br />I accept it because no one on the other side seems to be denying it. The disagreement is over whether it was or wasn't wrong of him to do so. The lawyer himself seems to corroborate that story. And didn't Sean Hannity have to reverse his "Sources aren't confirming" stance and switch to a car chase (really) to avoid further humiliation?<br /><br /><i><br />I WANT an indictment. I want it bad.<br /></i><br /><br />We're allies in this fight, but we have separate goals. What I want is for people to refuse to acknowledge Trump's authority--to stop executing his orders. Now, I'll agree with you that it would be best for all if his removal from office were accomplished Constitutionally in order to avoid the kind of crisis that would occur if subordinates and private citizens simply acted on their own cognizance. In that sense, indictment and/or impeachment are means to the end that I want, and I support the pursuit of those things. But my sense of things is that, if the mechanisms for lawful removal are thwarted, the refusal to submit must happen in any case. <br /><br />I'd go further and say that rulings by Trump-appointed judges, including Gorsuch, should be ignored, but I don't imagine that happening in real life.<br /><br />I realize the enormity of what I'm hoping for, but to me, a Constitutional Crisis is a lesser threat compared to the damage Trump is doing to our country.<br /><br /><i><br />Like Nixon<br /><br />Let him. We know where that goes. When your opponent is helping you, don’t stop him.<br /></i><br /><br />The opponent is harming us. Nixon's own party had to finally sit up and take notice. The Republican Party in power now shows no such inclination. <i>J'Accuse</i> Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell as much as Trump.<br /><br /><i><br />He is behaving like a tyrant. Think about it. ‘If the President does it, then it is not illegal.” Swap ‘President’ for ‘King’ and say it out loud. Hear it now?<br /></i><br /><br />With "king", the statement is true. The problem with what Nixon said was that the presidency is <b>not</b> the same thing as a king, but Nixon wanted the country to go along with the idea that he was above the law. It didn't work in the 1970s. Now, a third of the country seems to accept or believe in the Divine Right of Trump, ordained by God and all.<br /><br /><i><br />"Unfortunately, there's no way there will be enough Democrats to convict in the Senate"<br /><br />One thing at a time. I suspect this will have a tipping point and that you are being too pessimistic.<br /></i><br /><br />Do you mean that even Republicans will do the right thing? Or that the Democratic Wave might be enough to sweep 67 Democrats into the Senate. Because the makeup of the particular seats which are (and are not) up for election this year make the latter mathematically impossible.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58864439757183829052018-02-02T19:12:41.645-08:002018-02-02T19:12:41.645-08:00@LarryHart | the very mechanism by which an indict...@LarryHart | <i>the very mechanism by which an indictment is produced is under the control of the criminal</i><br /><br />It has always been that way. To change it would require altering the Constitution since the branches of government are supposed to be co-equals and DoJ is squarely within the powers of the Executive. We’ve always relied upon the fourth branch and The People to deal with these things and I’m okay with that.<br /><br /><i>By accepting his legitimacy</i><br /><br />No. That is not the same. I’m not willing to say he is illegitimate. I have retreated from using ‘legitimate’. I’m left in the middle where neither apply and you should accept that as a big deal. It IS a big deal.<br /><br /><i>If you maintain that firing Mueller would be the red line, how has he not already crossed that line last June? Because his attempt to fire Mueller was thwarted by his own attorney refusing to carry out the order?</i><br /><br />I know this has been all over the news, but why do you accept it? I’m not saying you shouldn’t, but is your acceptance of it legally sound? I WANT an indictment. I want it bad. I despise political releases of classified information or methods. I’m not willing to use he said/she said material to thrash anyone, though. Show me the testimony. Show me the legally sound methodology. I WANT these because they make the difference to people loyal to the Rule of Law and the Constitution. Without them, the nation splits too evenly regarding what is to be done about this tyrant. With them, the split will be very uneven.<br /><br /><i>Like Nixon</i><br /><br />Let him. We know where that goes. When your opponent is helping you, don’t stop him.<br /><br /><i>He's abdicating the job of being president</i><br /><br />Sez you. YOU have a different sense of what a President does compared to many other people, so they would sez different. What he is doing is worse, though. He is behaving like a tyrant. Think about it. ‘If the President does it, then it is not illegal.” Swap ‘President’ for ‘King’ and say it out loud. Hear it now?<br /><br /><i>Unfortunately, there's no way there will be enough Democrats to convict in the Senate</i><br /><br />One thing at a time. I suspect this will have a tipping point and that you are being too pessimistic.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-20013916740122856062018-02-02T18:47:24.730-08:002018-02-02T18:47:24.730-08:00Tim Wolter said:
"I try to be fair, so letti... Tim Wolter said:<br /><br />"I try to be fair, so letting the dust settle regards the Memo, perhaps letting the Democrat response be released or leaked in the days ahead, seems ok."<br /><br />DemocratIC, please. It matters. Republicans have been saying "Democrat" where "Democratic" applies for years, as a sly dig. Some of the layers include not calling an opponent by his proper name, not willingly conceding that the Democratic Party might have something to do with democracy, and subtly dropping the word 'rat' out there at the end.<br /><br />If this is news to you, there's a whole wikiepidia page on the topic: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(epithet)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(epithet)</a><br /><br />Needless to say, Newt Gingrich puts in an appearance there. One of the major architects of the modern partisan division now rending America, he hand-carried Rupert Murdoch's citizenship application through the process so that as a newly minted American citizen, billionaire Murdoch could own US media and turn them into a GOP propaganda arm; and it is Gingrich who, in 1994, distributed a document to GOP candidates across the US to help them smear and slime their Democratic opponents more efficiently. It's called <a href="https://fair.org/home/language-a-key-mechanism-of-control/" rel="nofollow">‘Language: A Key Mechanism of Control’</a><br /><br />The words he recommended:<br />---------------------------------------------------<br />Contrasting Words<br /><br />Often we search hard for words to help us define our opponents. Sometimes we are hesitant to use contrast. Remember that creating a difference helps you. These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party.<br /><br />decay… failure (fail)… collapse(ing)… deeper… crisis… urgent(cy)… destructive… destroy… sick… pathetic… lie… liberal… they/them… unionized bureaucracy… “compassion” is not enough… betray… consequences… limit(s)… shallow… traitors… sensationalists…<br /><br />endanger… coercion… hypocrisy… radical… threaten… devour… waste… corruption… incompetent… permissive attitudes… destructive… impose… self-serving… greed… ideological… insecure… anti-(issue): flag, family, child, jobs… pessimistic… excuses… intolerant…<br /><br />stagnation… welfare… corrupt… selfish… insensitive… status quo… mandate(s)… taxes… spend(ing)… shame… disgrace… punish (poor…)… bizarre… cynicism… cheat… steal… abuse of power… machine… bosses… obsolete… criminal rights… red tape… patronage<br /><br />Optimistic Positive Governing Words<br /><br />Use the list below to help define your campaign and your vision of public service. These words can help give extra power to your message. In addition, these words help develop the positive side of the contrast you should create with your opponent, giving your community something to vote for!<br /><br />share… change… opportunity… legacy… challenge… control… truth… moral… courage… reform… prosperity… crusade… movement… children… family… debate… compete… active(ly)… we/us/our… candid(ly)… humane… pristine… provide…<br /><br />liberty… commitment… principle(d)… unique… duty… precious… premise… care(ing)… tough… listen… learn… help… lead… vision… success… empower(ment)… citizen… activist… mobilize… conflict… light… dream… freedom…<br /><br />peace… rights… pioneer… proud/pride… building… preserve… pro-(issue): flag, children, environment… reform… workfare… eliminate good-time in prison… strength… choice/choose… fair… protect… confident… incentive… hard work… initiative… common sense… passionate<br /><br />--------------------------------------------<br /><br />Boy howdy, that first part is BAD! Who could vote for sick pathetic lie liberals? And who would vote against a tough family citizen activist crusade?<br /><br />Oooops. Did somebody read this list to Donald? Sure sounds that way.TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58927702585131447422018-02-02T18:46:28.840-08:002018-02-02T18:46:28.840-08:00TCB:
I read Bernie Sanders' article that you r...TCB:<br />I read Bernie Sanders' article that you recommended. I think Bernie has a clear idea of what happens. But in the article he does not mention how to achieve his goals. Bernie Sanders admits that a few powerful people buy the elections. If the powerful can use democracy as a sanitary paper, I do not see how they intend to fix the Bernie problem. But in general, I do not think Bernie is a bad person. But I know almost nothing about him.<br />They have already spoken here of millionaires who do many good things for the world. But, if those honest millionaires are so good. Why do not these millionaires do anything to change the situation? Maybe it is a matter of "social groups". Maybe a millionaire will never affect the interests of other millionaires; either because of fear, or because zebras do not bite zebras and rabbits do not bite rabbits. But I suspect that there, at that point, simply, the millionaires who are just, do not take time to be more creative.<br />Winter 7<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-29813598748062152122018-02-02T18:07:01.375-08:002018-02-02T18:07:01.375-08:00Having fun listening to Rachel Maddow right now. ...Having fun listening to Rachel Maddow right now. She's having a lot of fun.<br /><br />Let's see. The FBI noticed that Carter Page was hobnobbing with Russian spies back in 2013.<br />The expanded their surveillance of him after he tried to drink the Australian ambassador under the table (something only a Russian could do) and blabbed that the Trump campaign was getting a bunch of dirt on Hillary from the Russians. The Ambassador thought the FBI might want to know that the Trump campaign was engaged in treasonous activities.<br /><br />And all the "deep state" players alleged to be after Trump were Republican appointees--including some by Trump.Zepp Jamiesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16261339498383415026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-5927665929147067332018-02-02T17:59:28.457-08:002018-02-02T17:59:28.457-08:00So, by the reasoning used by the GOP here, police ...So, by the reasoning used by the GOP here, police investigations of drug dealers should all be invalidated, because the police are biased against criminals.<br /><br />Even according to the so-called memo, Steele didn't <i>start off</i> being "desperate" to prevent Donnie's election - it was a position he reached after doing sufficient research to conclude that the entire campaign was being run as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Putin's government.<br /><br />And that FISA warrant was signed off on by four different Federal judges. Are they <i>all</i> "against Trump"? This is beginning to sound more than a little like the paranoid fantasies my late ex-father-in-law began to spin as his senile dementia set in.Jon S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13585842845661267920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-40798659271184688732018-02-02T17:47:51.405-08:002018-02-02T17:47:51.405-08:00Tim Wolter:
I've read it. I see zero in there...Tim Wolter:<br /><i><br />I've read it. I see zero in there that would endanger any sources, nothing that would compromise national security matters unless you consider having the FBI look foolish as being something you'd not want The World to see.<br /></i><br /><br />I think the argument is that for the FBI to explain what <b>real</b> information they were already in possession of that put them on to Carter Page, it would compromise sources and methods of intelligence gathering. Even the assertion that there <b>was</b> other evidence gives away too much, like the Israeli sources that Trump burned while bragging to Russia.<br /><br /><i><br />But, for the purpose of discussion, if the DOJ and FBI did get wide reaching surveillance warrants based on fraud, this is a deadly serious matter. <br /></i><br /><br />My dad used to tell a WWII era joke involving a suspected Nazi saboteur being confronted by a English officer, a French officer, and an American officer. The Brit and the French took the man's word as a gentleman that he had no explosives in his basement, but the American was uncouth enough to insist on a search. The outraged Nazi telling the story complains, "He went downstairs and found my dynamite!".<br /><br />I say that to say this...Regardless of whether the people commissioning the Steele dossier were motivated to find stuff because they wanted to harm Trump, is anything revealed in that dossier actually untrue? That seems to be the one claim no one is making.<br /><br />So what "fraud"?<br /><br />You're saying that a Trump-hater isn't allowed to pursue an investigation against him, so hypothetically, who <b>would</b> be? Someone like Devin Nunes or Jeff Sessions who is in the bag <b>for</b> Trump, and therefore never would do so?<br /><br /> LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-21492139873860900802018-02-02T17:38:07.609-08:002018-02-02T17:38:07.609-08:00The bias claim in the memo is particularly interes...The bias claim in the memo is particularly interesting. I looked up the dictionary definition of bias because I wasn't actually sure if the definition required that the leaning be unwarranted or unfair. The definition said usually, but it didn't say it was required for the term. So I guess it's technically accurate that Steele was biased against Trump based on the statement: Steele said he “was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being president.”<br /><br />However, a man who had collected some pretty damning evidence against the man might have a perfectly legitimate reason to be desperate to keep him from getting elected. The point of the memo presumably is to make us feel that his bias implies none of the data he provided was correct, but it is more likely that his bias was based on the accuracy of the data in the first place. I'm not sure what less loaded terminology could be used to describe a legitimate concern about a person based on accurate information but it'd be nice to be using that word instead.<br /><br />For an example of why the word bias is misleading, here's a hypothetical- if I object to a convicted mass murderer being appointed as police chief, am I biased against him or do I have a legitimate basis for concern? Or for a more real world example- if I object to a man who lies as easily as breathing, has a history of fraudulent enterprises and non-payment of employees, has no governing experience, and has shown very little understanding of important issues facing the country being elected president, am I biased or sane?<br />Cari D. Bursteinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-24218978776519758662018-02-02T17:33:28.453-08:002018-02-02T17:33:28.453-08:00Paul451:
I find it amusing (that's not the wo...Paul451:<br /><i><br />I find it amusing (that's not the word) that the same Republicans who claim the Trump investigation is a sham -- because some of the evidence came from people hired by Trump's opponents, and some low level investigators made anti-Trump statements during their weird cynicism as foreplay -- the same Republicans then, often in the same breath, demand to know why the FBI isn't investigating H.Clinton.<br /></i><br /><br />I'm sure they don't see that as a contradiction. If the FBI is out to get Trump, then of course they're in the bag for Hillary.<br /><br />I think what you're getting at, though, is the attitude Trump expressed about a Mexican judge--that he'd be biased against Trump because of Trump's insults toward Mexicans. The same would apply to a black judge or a female judge or a Muslim judge. So the only people fair enough to legitimately judge Trump would be a vociferous Trump <b>supporter</b>. That's not a "bias". In fact, it's the <b>only</b> position that isn't a bias.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-45225622559096890192018-02-02T17:31:02.224-08:002018-02-02T17:31:02.224-08:00I try to be fair, so letting the dust settle regar...I try to be fair, so letting the dust settle regards the Memo, perhaps letting the Democrat response be released or leaked in the days ahead, seems ok.<br /><br />I've read it. I see zero in there that would endanger any sources, nothing that would compromise national security matters unless you consider having the FBI look foolish as being something you'd not want The World to see....<br /><br />The low level operatives are interesting but some of what has been attributed to them is probably the mooney pillow talk of infidelity. Geez, professional married grownups talking and acting like middle schoolers....<br /><br />I'm still more concerned by the highers up and what looks to me to be serious conflicts of interest. Ohr and McCabe feature prominently in all of this and each had a wife tied closely to the Clintons or to Fusion GPS. Neither should have been involved in this stuff.<br /><br />But, for the purpose of discussion, if the DOJ and FBI did get wide reaching surveillance warrants based on fraud, this is a deadly serious matter. You just can't break the law in the interest of invalidating an election.<br /><br />Well, these idiots have failed in removing Trump from the scene and may well have gifted us with a second Trump term. Gee thanks. This is why law enforcement should stay the hell out of politics.<br /><br />T/TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-84727239391799894902018-02-02T17:24:57.859-08:002018-02-02T17:24:57.859-08:00Alfred Differ:
After a rout in the House, I want ...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />After a rout in the House, I want impeachment hearings to start. Immediately. That too is the legitimate path this should take.<br /></i><br /><br />Unfortunately, there's no way there will be enough Democrats to convict in the Senate, and Republicans have shown that they won't do so. Absent that, isn't an impeachment attempt the equivalent of a shot at the king that fails to kill him?LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22965092061764393122018-02-02T17:22:33.209-08:002018-02-02T17:22:33.209-08:00Alfred Differ:
Do I use ‘illegitimate’ yet? No, b...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />Do I use ‘illegitimate’ yet? No, but only because I want an indictment to back that.<br /></i><br /><br />I respect what you're saying, but the problem I have with that is that the very mechanism by which an indictment is produced is under the control of the criminal. He could prevent an indictment by firing anyone willing to produce it. He could circumvent an indictment by pardoning himself. By accepting his legitimacy until he's officially accused, you give him the option of maintaining his position by interfering with the process.<br /><br />If you maintain that firing Mueller would be the red line, how has he not already crossed that line last June? Becuase his attempt to fire Mueller was thwarted by his own attorney refusing to carry out the order?<br /><br /><i><br />Considering how much work ‘two scoops’ is putting into obstructing justice, I’m pretty sure you all are correct. I just can’t fathom him being SO stupid as to believe that his actions aren’t obstruction, but it seems possible. <br /></i><br /><br />I don't think he cares whether his actions are obstruction or not. What he seems to believe is that his position insulates him from culpability. Like Nixon, "If the president does it, then it is not illegal." Trump's legal team has already asserted that the president can't be said to obstruct justice because as the boss of the Justice Department, he (essentially) <b>is</b> justice.<br /><br />"L'Etat? C'est moi"<br /><br /><i><br />Instead of using ‘illegitimate’ I’ve taken to using ‘tyrant.’ Is that enough for you all for now? 8)<br /></i><br /><br />I'm not going to complain about an ally in the cause having a different motivation from me. But my complaint is not "tyrant", but "misfeasance of office". He's abdicating the job of being president, the same way I wouldn't be a legitimate assembly line worker if I never show up at the factory.<br /><br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-64344539625055956672018-02-02T17:19:53.012-08:002018-02-02T17:19:53.012-08:00I find it amusing (that's not the word) that t...I find it amusing (that's not the word) that the same Republicans who claim the Trump investigation is a sham -- because some of the evidence came from people hired by Trump's opponents, and some low level investigators made anti-Trump statements during their weird cynicism as foreplay -- the same Republicans then, often in the same breath, demand to know why the FBI isn't investigating H.Clinton.Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-20557976510336529452018-02-02T17:03:12.088-08:002018-02-02T17:03:12.088-08:00Incidentally Bernie Sanders mentioned the Long Now...Incidentally Bernie Sanders mentioned the Long Now clock in a recent op-ed: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/14/power-billionaires-bernie-sanders-poverty-life-expectancy-climate-change" rel="nofollow">Let’s wrench power back from the billionaires</a>.<br /><br />Unfortunately, he was checking it as a frivolity:<br /><br />"In the United States, Jeff Bezos – founder of Amazon, and currently the world’s wealthiest person – has a net worth of more than $100bn. He owns at least four mansions, together worth many tens of millions of dollars. As if that weren’t enough, he is spending $42m on the construction of a clock inside a mountain in Texas that will supposedly run for 10,000 years. But, in Amazon warehouses across the country, his employees often work long, gruelling hours and earn wages so low they rely on Medicaid, food stamps and public housing paid for by US taxpayers."<br /><br />Even Bernie can't be right all the time! All the same, fuck Bezos (Amazon is well on its way to turning the Postal Service into a sort of subcontractor... we do all sorts of special stuff for Amazon, such as Sunday deliveries, that we sure aren't doing because any other company asked; and I'm confident that they'd treat us USPS folks as badly as their own workers if they could).TCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08153506222271955110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-49905092769316593392018-02-02T17:00:07.158-08:002018-02-02T17:00:07.158-08:00@Paul451 | Thank you. I missed Darrell’s question....@Paul451 | Thank you. I missed Darrell’s question.<br />@Darrell E | <i> What do you think at this point? Are you willing to categorize the Trump administration as illegitimate yet? If your answer is no I can only suggest that your standards are way too lenient. I'd also suggest adding the Republican Party leadership (at a minimum) to the illegitimate list. They are breaking all the rules and if they are given much more rope they won't hang themselves but they are damn likely to hang a bunch of us.</i><br /><br />In a nutshell, I’m angry. I have been for some time. Do I use ‘illegitimate’ yet? No, but only because I want an indictment to back that. Considering how much work ‘two scoops’ is putting into obstructing justice, I’m pretty sure you all are correct. I just can’t fathom him being SO stupid as to believe that his actions aren’t obstruction, but it seems possible. Instead of using ‘illegitimate’ I’ve taken to using ‘tyrant.’ Is that enough for you all for now? 8)<br /><br />As for the GOP leadership in Congress, they strike me as the cadre that sucks up to a tyrant for the sake of their own power. They need to go and I suspect many will in this next election. If it happens that way, we will have exercised a ‘legitimate’ power of The People and that’s how I want this to work out.<br /><br />After a rout in the House, I want impeachment hearings to start. Immediately. That too is the legitimate path this should take.<br /><br />I sincerely hope the GOP burns for this. <br />Bring on the Hell Fire.<br />Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-39802623857927370632018-02-02T16:51:04.922-08:002018-02-02T16:51:04.922-08:00Just checked out that After The Rapture Pet Care s...Just checked out that After The Rapture Pet Care site - hilarious! Do these people ever realise how they look to the rest of us? No, probably not. The weird logic of asking for volunteers among people who don’t believe in this Rapture is mind boggling. “Oh, yes, I’ll look after Fluffy or Fido after the Rapture I don’t believe in.” It might make some sense if you asked for money - in advance...Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-10634757940574027372018-02-02T16:29:20.474-08:002018-02-02T16:29:20.474-08:00Jacob, so what happens when one party spends half ...<br />Jacob, so what happens when one party spends half a BILLION dollars of our money in a 24 year witch hunt vs the Clintons, and comes up with one thing… a husband fibbing about some 3rd base infidelity in a hallway? Can we get our money back?<br /><br /><br />LH: Very well expressed. That Fox asserts: <br />- The FBI's trusted source should have been fired because of media contact and thus not be considered trusted. <br />- The FBI and DOJ were aware of and ignored bias in their source against Trump. <br /><br />"That a source has reason to want to harm a target doesn't make his information false. It may be taken with a grain of salt and require corroborating data to back it up rather than simply taking the source's word for it. However, once that corroborating data has turned up in an investigation, it is not invalidated simply because the one who put you onto the investigation had his own ulterior motives."<br /><br />Tim always glad to have you around.<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.com