Madame Rasputin and I were discussing whether to call DeSantis a toad or a troll.
Fellow jackals, how does “Troad” sound to you?
4.
JoyceH
I’m just seeing from Facebook posts that one of those Midwestern tornadoes hit my home town in southern Ill, three dead. Great relief, though, that the tornado missed the refinery. Man, if the Marathon refinery had been hit!
5.
Jeffg166
Puttering around in the garden. Weeding. Moving some things. It’s endless.
The Zoom was rather awesome. Some indictment gloating, some marveling over Trump’s terrible taste and laughing at his fake Renoir, and we all showed off our pets.
@Baud: I thought it was fun! Other BJ peeps can weigh in, as well.
We had about 30 RSVPs and about 25 participants. Interesting and wide-ranging conversation. Cole slept through the first half and joined us late, but that was fun, too. He jumped off early because he was hungry.
I mean, who’s not hungry after they wake up from a long winter’s nap?
We talked about have Indictment zooms whenever we get a T**** indictment. So hopefully there will be another one soon!
Ryuichi Sakamoto has died. He was a fascinating composer who worked in electronic pop, ambient, film, classical, and jazz; frequently mashing those different genres and styles together in a single work.
@JoyceH: I thought kalakal’s story about the blocks was really interesting.
10.
AM in NC
Today, the family and I spent day 2 in Paris – Musée Carnavalet for some Parisian history; checking out the renovation of the Notre Dame; down to the Louvre (outside only) and Tuileries; a quick stop inside Église Saint-Eustache (while an organ concert was going on!); and back to le Marais. So much to see, and so very different from where we are from. Quelle belle Ville!
11.
New Deal democrat
Just finished Alexander Bickel’s “The Least Dangerous Branch.”
I am becoming more radical in my thinking about the Supreme Court.
Would anyone in their right mind design an institution where the disability or death of one or two members just one year later each (Thurgood Marshall in 1993, not 1992; Ginsburg in 2021, not 2020) would make such an enormous and long lasting difference to the rights that 300 million people thought they enjoyed? Of course not.
As I have written before, for several thousand years the Courts were never thought of as a separate branch of government (they were historically part of the Executive) before the Glorious Revolution of 1688. And in the UK, Courts could not and cannot overturn Acts of Parliament. The US Constitution pioneered “judicial supremacy.”
When you want “the rule of law” rather than of despots, the rule of government has been, the greater the power, the shorter the term, and the more it is spread out.
The US Supreme Court has enormous power, the Justices serve for life, and as Justice Brennan remarked, “With 5 votes you can do anything.”
There have been proposals for reform that include limiting the Justices to 18 year terms, as well as potentially expanding the Court to 13 members.
But even this does not spread power out enough. There ought to be more Justices, with shorter terms, e.g., 17 members, with 4 appointed every two years (+the Chief Justice), serving 8 year terms, after which they rotate down to the Circuit Courts. Justices who knew that their terms were short, after which they would be bound by others’ precedents, would be disinclined to make wholesale radical departures from existing law.
When I took that hibiscus in, it was just a single stick with a single tiny tree leaf about to open at the top of the stick. I had no idea what it would look like, or even if it would survive.
Now that it has bloomed, I go back and forth between thinking that it’s gaudy and thinking that it’s stunning! :-)
ETA: Of course I hope Iowa wins, but the fact that the women’s NCAA championship is getting so much attention this year is really great to see.
18.
AM in NC
@rikyrah: Not this week. The garbage has also been all picked up since the strike ended, which is a plus. There is another general day of protest scheduled for Thursday (our departure date). We leave early, so I don’t think our transportation will be interrupted.
I am torn between being glad to get to see everything and move around easily, and disappointed that we aren’t getting to witness French history. Vive la révolution
ETA: Water Girl, that hibiscus is gorgeous. They are supposed to be gaudy!
19.
gene108
Tested positive for COVID 13 days ago. Slowly recovering. Haven’t detected a fever since Wednesday. I do still get a cough.
20.
eclare
@JoyceH: I live in Memphis and was glued to the local weather Friday night. The tornado that destroyed Wynne AR had a direct route to Memphis but skirted north. Another tornado went south. I am feeling very fortunate, my power didn’t even go out.
21.
raven
@AM in NC: Our friends cut their trip short. The had a river cruise from Lyon to Avignon booked and it fell through so, after a couple of days, the chucked it and came home.
22.
eclare
@AM in NC: Very jealous! If you have time, I recommend the Rodin Museum.
@rikyrah: I’ve air fried frozen meatballs; they come out great. Never made them fresh, though. Every fryer and meatball is different – may take some experimentation to make sure that they cook all the way through.
Aw, thanks. But I have an exclusivity deal with OnlyFans.
29.
Joe Falco
I got back from visiting my mom who gifted me a basket full of fresh local GA strawberries recently picked from a nearby farm. Currently, I’m trying to decide what I’ll end up doing with them besides eating a few here and there.
Today is the finale for Indian Idol and it’s like 6 hours long or something. I’m going to make some home made pizza and so on. Next week, I get the weekend to myself so I’m thinking I’ll make beer while my wife is out with her girlfriends for a trip to the coast for some bonding time.
32.
Boris Rasputin (the evil twin)
@AlaskaReader: Makes me think of a Doctor Who quote. “I’m not insulting you, I’m describing you.”
33.
UncleEbeneezer
BREAKING: former DA Vance tells @jrpsaki today that the financial investigation into Trump was not complete when he handed it over to DA Bragg in 1/2022. And still could be brought. Refutes Mark Pomerantz claim that Vance approved indictment but was overruled by Bragg.
@rikyrah: I have air-fried shami kebabs, falafels and dahi wadas.
Not as good as deep frying but decent.
36.
Nelle
Lovely warm day in Central Iowa, though the winds be fierce. My husband was going to bop around in a plane but winds have grounded him. My walk took an extra 30 minutes because neighbors are out and people are catching up after being inside for months. It is pleasant. May try for another walk shortly.
Oh, and I intend to finish The White Mosque, by Sofia Samatar, about following the trail of an 1880 migration of Mennonites to Uzbekistan. Samatar, the daughter of a Mennonte from North Dakota and a Muslim from Somalia, reflects on identity, culture, and religion. An insightful writer.
Day 8 since we tested positive, 9 since I knew I felt sick. My husband claims it just feels like a cold now so he’s back to exercising and plans to go skiing tomorrow; I still feel quite crappy and am not interested in anything that involves getting off the couch.
@WaterGirl: It’s not an indictment, but the E. Jean Carroll case goes to trial on April 25th. Does that seems like enough excuse for a zoom?
41.
JoyceH
Well, that was a first for me – just called 911. Grass fire on the median just outside the back gate of the base. I wasn’t the first to call it in though. Carelessly discarded cigarette is my guess.
42.
Kelly
Mrs Kelly is out in the wind and rain planting trees at Marion County’s Packsaddle Park. One of 8 parks completely fried by by the 2020 Beachie Fire. I was planning to help but instead I’m beginning week 3 of a annoying cold. Not to bad other than the duration. Sheesh I’m bored with this. Defending my kleenex box from Phoebe who really, reallly wants to pull all the tissues out and shred them.
One of the many ways that I realize Florida is a strange and exotic land, apart from their weird governor and all the locals wandering around with alligators in their back pockets, is the flora and (non-gator) fauna.
Can a fellow dream? Have a bit of a fantasy? Well, here’s my dream/fantasy.
Trump is arraigned on these fairly innocuous charges. He is being led into a trap. He is being escorted out of the Courtroom by a couple of supermodel Laker Girls (it’s my dream/fantasy dammit) …
… where outside the Courtroom door stands Jack Smith and U. S. Marshalls to arrest his ass for espionage (because I think he shared some if those top secret documents) …
… and they put his fat ass on a plane to a Supermax. Gag order, of course, for National Security.
End dream. Well, the Laker Girls text because somehow they have my number. My dream, my rules, dammit.
@AlaskaReader: Google translate tells me that’s лысый карлик in russian. (Pronunciation guide says lysyy karlik.) Can we get that dude who flew over Mar-a-Lago with the taunting banners to do the same at the kremlin with that phrase? I mean…he’d probably get shot down, but you know…a nice daydream.
Trump is arraigned on these fairly innocuous charges.
What Trump did here is a big fucking deal. What he did may have affected the outcome of the election.
Let the Republicans say it’s no big deal to falsify business records and violate campaign rules and laws, but I don’t think we should buy into their bullshit.
52.
raven
@lowtechcyclist: Rancho Malerio, if you lived here you’d be home now. . .
Besides horses, USC once even had a canine mascot.George Tirebiter I, a canine mutt once famous for chasing cars through the campus, first appeared at football games in 1940. Tirebiter I was adopted by students and became a campus hero.
54.
Joy in FL
The hibiscus is gorgeous.
And the Zoom was fun and interesting.
A popular military blogger who was one of the most influential voices backing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine was killed on Sunday when a bomb exploded in a cafe in central St. Petersburg, Russia’s Interior Ministry said.
The blogger, Maksim Fomin, who was known as Vladlen Tatarsky, was at the Street Food Bar #1 Cafe for an event in Russia’s second-largest city at which he was speaking about his experience as a military reporter, the state news media reported.
…
After the deadly explosion on Sunday, Mihailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, suggested the attack was a sign of internal fractures in Russian society, in line with Kyiv’s usual description of sabotage and terror attacks in Russia since the start of the war.
Mr. Podolyak wrote on Twitter: “Spiders are eating each other in a jar. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.”
BYE BITCH
56.
Dangerman
@WaterGirl: Oh, it’s a BFD, don’t get me wrong, but he will be going home Tuesday night. Unless he tells the Judge to go fuck himself, then all bets are off.
He isn’t spending a second in jail before trial … right or wrong …
…unless my fantasy comes true. No harshing on the fantasy, please.
57.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@Alison Rose: Hmm, possibly smoking indoors, know to be hazardous…
58.
raven
@Scout211: And isn’t it great having women talking all kinds of shit to each other!!!
@Dangerman: Vance told Jan Psaki that it is unlikely that he spends any jail time. He’ll probably get probation.
He’s giving a prime time speech Tuesday evening.
61.
Geminid
@Dangerman: The possibility that Trump- or someone he let handle the documents- passed one or more of them to a foreign entity is a wild card in this case. When the news broke last summer, one of my wilder speculations was that the CIA or the NSA had detected something of the sort. Since they could not reveal sources and methods, the FBI and Justice Department would “reverse engineer” their investigation to develop the evidence on their own.
I imagined the NSA decrypting an intercept- “…the $3 million in gold ingots will be parked in a golf cart at the Bedminster 11th hole tee, at 3am Tuesday morning…”
62.
brendancalling
It’s a lovely Day in central Pennsylvania. I ate a deliciously unhealthy breakfast, went on a hike, and now I’m going to take a nap.
63.
JPL
@Geminid: WP has additional information about this
Canadian film-maker Sarah Polley has shared a “cruel” April Fools’ joke played on her by none other than her 11-year-old child.
A letter turned up on Saturday morning, reading “We say this to you with the deepest regrets: the Oscar you received was given by mistake.” Polley won the best adapted screenplay for Women Talking at the 95th Academy Awards in Los Angeles last month.
The letter, posted on Twitter, asked her to “mail it back” to California. It said she could keep the award for one more week so she could “enjoy its presence” in her home. But ultimately, it needed to be returned so it could go to the “rightful” winner: All Quiet on the Western Front.
“We are sorry for your loss, but it is only fair that the play with the real best adapted screenplay gets the Oscar.”
Polley’s child went on to joke that Oscar bosses had realised their error on the day the award was given – but wanted to avoid another blunder like La La Land being named winner of Best Picture in 2017 instead of Moonlight. The film-maker behind All Quiet on the Western Front, Edward Berger, got in on the joke.
“To save on mailing costs as I live overseas the Academy has asked me to provide you with my address so you can ship the Oscar directly,” he tweeted to Polley. “I will follow up shortly. Ok with you?”
Besides horses, USC once even had a canine mascot.George Tirebiter I, a canine mutt once famous for chasing cars through the campus, first appeared at football games in 1940. Tirebiter I was adopted by students and became a campus hero.
My dad graduated from that* USC in 1946, so I was familiar with that story.
*My wife and I both have degrees from the original USC, the University of South Carolina.
“This is no movie, this is real!”
“Which reel?”
.
66.
JPL
WP has new information and apparently they thing trump acted with intent. DUH
In case the gift link doesn’t work, I’m going to copy and paste some info
The Trump investigation team has spent much of its time focusing on events that happened after Trump’s advisers received a subpoena in May demanding the return of all documents with classified markings, the people familiar with the matter said. Smith is trying to determine if Trump or others mishandled national security documents, and if there is enough evidence to ask a grand jury to charge him with obstructing the investigation………………..
In the classified documents case, federal investigators have gathered new and significant evidence that after the subpoena was delivered, Trump looked through the contents of some of the boxes of documents in his home, apparently out of a desire to keep certain things in his possession, the people familiar with the investigationsaid.
Investigators now suspect, based on witness statements, security camera footage, and other documentary evidence, that boxes including classified material were moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area after the subpoena was served, and that Trump personally examined at least some of those boxes, these people said. While Trump’s team returned some documents with classified markings in response to the subpoena, a later FBI search found more than 100 additional classified items that had not been turned over.
67.
Dangerman
@Geminid: See, in my fantasy, if Trump got a whiff of getting nailed for espionage, he’s on a plane for (pick a location without extradition) …
… but get him in a Courtroom, with super duper security, on charges where he gets to go home to give a statement on the same night, well, how could he resist? Then put him in shacklesand tell his Secret Service detail to get bent.
Something about the documents matter stinks. Your guess is reasonable.
I am just by chance catching LSU vs Iowa and can’t help but think it highlights how starkly segregated by race this country remains. I mean, the visual between the two teams could be part of a bad 80’s movie trying to make the point.
Has this been touched on in any pre-game commentary, or is everyone too scared to touch that?
70.
eclare
@Circular reasoning: I think the only starter for IA not from IA is from Wisconsin…so the difference makes sense to me.
I’ve been calling him a dreary goblin since the re-invasion began.
72.
Jackie
@Dangerman: He’s promising to deliver a speech/statement about how unfair his life is and it’s a witch-hunt, blah blah blah Tues evening when he returns to MAL.
I hope he gets slammed with a Gag Order.
73.
Geminid
@JPL: Thanks. I forwarded the article to my Atlanta friend. He’s been following this stuff closely.
While my hope is that prosecutors prove that Trump himself sold secrets, those documents were a tempting target for an espionage service. They could have suborned a Trump aide or a Mar-a-Loco employee to help copy them, maybe with Trump’s knowledge but maybe without.
So, my Atlanta friend just answered that he’s read that article. He’s getting very impatient, wants to see Trump charged now. As he pointed out, new charges can be added as investigators develop more evidence. I responded that I want to see the heaviest charges dropped on Trump all at once.
@Dangerman: Maybe Trump will get on the jet with the gold and Don Junior. Then they develop engine trouble and the pilot tells Trump they have to jettison weight. So Trump looks at the gold, and looks at Junior….
78.
raven
Guess what, don’t hand check and don’t reach!
79.
Circular reasoning
@eclare: it does make sense. Just furthers my point about our segregation. Since I don’t care about the game and hadn’t seen any of the teams till that moment t it just stood out. Sports often stand in for societal commentary, so I was just curious if it had been part of the conversation. Assuming not.
80.
Dangerman
@Geminid: Excellent, but Junior also looks at the Gold and Dear Old Dad. I think Junior pulls on Dad’s hair (Roddy Piper, right?) and sends him flying (like The Good Shepard express disembarking) … barking all the way down ….
81.
Gin & Tonic
@zhena gogolia: Smells a lot like an old NKVD hit. He was presented a gift (a statue?) and it blew up. Messy but efficient.
82.
kalakal
That’s a gorgeous Hibiscus.
The Zoom was fun and interesting.
I enjoy mocking Trump and his woes, I enjoy it even more in good company
83.
JPL
@Geminid: He’ll claim that he pardoned himself, so can’t be charged with federal crimes. I wonder if he can be held while the courts hear whether or not a president can blanket pardon himself.
I’m anxious about the GA case, only because I want to see some justice done. What they all did to the poll workers shouldn’t be allowed.
@New Deal democrat: I’m in, either for your system of some other. SCOTUS judges shouldn’t be famous. We shouldn’t know their names. Their hearings shouldn’t be public political spectacles. Their retirement should be ho hum. They have too much power and it turns them ALL into monsters, even that be you (not you personally) like.
88.
UncleEbeneezer
@Geminid: One of the reasons prosecutors don’t rush to bring charges is because doing so could scare off important witnesses who are hesitant to cooperate/testify. It’s entirely possible that DOJ has some important witnesses in this category and wants to get their stories (and make sure their story doesn’t exculpate Trump and undermine their case) before indicting.
Milbloggers highlighted that there have not been any decisive battles throughout the winter & observed that #Russia will not be capable of continuing a large-scale offensive operation if it is unable to secure #Bakhmut & #Avdiivka in the coming weeks. 2/2https://t.co/5A4xcPwA1e
“Smith’s team has been presenting witnesses and evidence for months to a grand jury in Washington focused on the Mar-a-Lago probe, even as a separate grand jury at the same federal courthouse hears evidence related to efforts to block the results of the 2020 election.”
92.
Another Scott
@Another Scott: Since I’m not seeing “awaiting moderation”, I’ll assume FYWP eated it.
#Russian milbloggers fretted that Russian forces must finish their offensive operations in #Bakhmut & #Avdiivka to prepare for the #Ukrainian counteroffensives they expect between Orthodox Easter on Apr. 16 and Soviet Victory Day on May 9. 1/https://t.co/5A4xcPwA1epic.twitter.com/cu0r7aFxkz
Milbloggers highlighted that there have not been any decisive battles throughout the winter & observed that #Russia will not be capable of continuing a large-scale offensive operation if it is unable to secure #Bakhmut & #Avdiivka in the coming weeks. 2/2https://t.co/5A4xcPwA1e
@Geminid: I have hoped since 2017 that the NSA was bugging all of TFG’s treasonous calls to foreign leaders, which is patently illegal for them to do, but nevertheless might have gone a long way to mitigating his treason.
@Geminid: They could have suborned a Trump aide or a Mar-a-Loco employee to help copy them
Or they could have been a Mar-a-Logo employee. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some large number of low-level staff were foreign intel agents, and there was ample opportunity for any number of people to go in the closet and photograph that material.
97.
Geminid
@UncleEbeneezer: I tend to take your side on this question. But man, is my Atlanta friend impatient! Warren has a very level head generally, and understands the criminal justice system well. But he views Trump as a grave present and future danger who needs to be trammelled with criminal charges ASAP.
I am more detached about this. For one thing, I think pretrial motions and appeals thereof will delay trials, and at Trump out of prison at least until after the next election. His legal trouble may open up a path for another Republican to win the nomination, on grounds of electability. Otherwise, I think we’ll have to beat Trump at the ballot box again.
My friend is obsessive when it comes to Trump. He’s always voted, and voted for Democrats. But otherwise, he kept politics at arms length. Then Trump beat Hilary Clinton, who Warren thought very highly of. Since then Warren has been like Ahab, and Trump is his White Whale.
98.
RSA
This made me laugh today:
After news of Trump’s indictment broke, the American flag flying at Mar-A-Lago was lowered to half-staff, ABC affiliate Local 10 reported.
I can’t think of any American politician more needy (of attention) than The Former Guy. He’s Jeb Bush’s “Please clap” in human form.
ETA: Otherwise, I joined a new gym, got a trainer, and am learning how to do deadlifts. I’m a little achy today.
99.
zhena gogolia
@Gin & Tonic: I finally had time to read your comment on the religious situation in Ukraine. Thank you.
I have a friend who is very upset about what’s happening in a Russian Orthodox church in this country to which she has family ties. I tried to find out online what that’s all about, but I gather that some of the Orthodox churches in the US are also tied to the MP.
100.
Geminid
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: I just assume the NSA sweeps up everything. The way they do it disqualifies their findings as evidence, though. So they would need to give their liason at the Justice Department a heads up and maybe a couple of hints, then leave it to the FBI to get the goods.
@Trivia Man: On March 28, Politico put up an article on the race, titled “Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race could be the beginning of the end for GOP dominance.”
There’s reporting on the race itself, as well as on the issues- mainly abortion rights and redistricting- that make the outcome so important. The reporter said there was no good non-partisan polling, but that one thing is certain: this election will “easily [set] the record for spending on a state Supreme Court election anywhere in the country.” The reporters said that $37 million had been raised so far.
106.
UncleEbeneezer
@Geminid: I don’t think any optimistic timeline was ever gonna put Trump in prison or convicted before the 2024 election. That just never seemed even remotely realistic to me given the appeals process and various ways a defendant can stall the process.
107.
RSA
@trollhattan: I hadn’t even thought of that interpretation. OMG. Thanks for the additional laugh.
How old are you, RSA? I’m 61 and have really been hitting the workouts for about a month after going light over the holidays. Takes a while for that pain to become less intense post-workout. I got s FitBit, which has been an excellent motivator.
109.
UncleEbeneezer
Not sure if this was shared already on TDOV, but this long Vox article is really superb in showing just how irresponsible our media (especially the New York Times) has been on reporting Transgender Issues: Trans people deserve better journalism
How the anti-trans movement took over legacy media.
110.
Geminid
@trollhattan: I think Joe Manchin just has aspirations to get attention.
Manchin still hasn’t said he’s running for another term. He seems to be trying to influence the Republican primary in favor of Governor Jim Justice, and away from Representative Mooney. If Manchin runs, he might not run but so hard if Justice is his opponent. But he’ll go all out against Mooney.
111.
JoyceH
Talking of future indictments, personally, I want to see the indictments come from least severe/important to most severe/important. Why? Because it will provide an important winnowing process. As each indictment arrives, we can see which Republicans are still onboard with the ‘this is no big deal, not worth charging’ party line and which ones finally realize that Trump is no longer defensible.
112.
Baud
I hate to praise the NYT for anything, but cesot where it’s due.
New York Times says it won’t pay for Twitter verified check mark
So we’re both early 60s. I started working out at a fitness club maybe ten years ago. A few years later I started running. Switching gyms was because of a move across town, and with that switch I thought I might as well get some expert advice. Of the three big lifts—bench press, deadlift, and squat—I’ve only done the first, and I’m a little afraid of hurting my back. But I wanted to learn how to do the other two, just because. The supervision has been just what I needed.
I also use a fitness band, and even though I know about gamification (“You’re closing in on your goal of x steps today!”) it works for me.
even though I know about gamification (“You’re closing in on your goal of x steps today!”) it works for me.
Is ‘gamification’ a bad thing? I’ve been doing the Conqueror Challenges, and it sure keeps me going. The medals are SO nice! I’m going to put a hanger on the wall to display them.
118.
Trivia Man
@Geminid: two more issues that are absolute game changers – powers of the governor (watered down when walker was booted) and ACT 10 (walkers successful destruction of the teachers’ union). All certainly to come up very quickly.
bonus: presidential election coming up with (potentially) super powers being given to state legislatures by SCOTUS. The state Supreme Court might not be powerful enough to counteract a concerted rat fuck by the assembly but without it it’s probably a done deal to award any republican the 8 EV.
Good point. I think gamification is fine, as long as we’re careful with it. My main reservation is that it can be used by companies (or even governments! in the case of China with their social credit system) to manipulate people.
One of my fave electoral maps is of WI elections about 10 years apart pre and post-Walker (I can’t remember the exact dates…) The RvD breakup is pretty similar at the state level but the tilt to the Rs at the statehouse and Congressional Delegations is striking and a great illustration of gerrymandering and other shenanigans.
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WaterGirl
I probably should have cropped that photo. Oh well. It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m feeling lazy.
Baud
@WaterGirl:
How was the zoom?
Boris Rasputin (the evil twin)
Madame Rasputin and I were discussing whether to call DeSantis a toad or a troll.
Fellow jackals, how does “Troad” sound to you?
JoyceH
I’m just seeing from Facebook posts that one of those Midwestern tornadoes hit my home town in southern Ill, three dead. Great relief, though, that the tornado missed the refinery. Man, if the Marathon refinery had been hit!
Jeffg166
Puttering around in the garden. Weeding. Moving some things. It’s endless.
JoyceH
@Baud:
The Zoom was rather awesome. Some indictment gloating, some marveling over Trump’s terrible taste and laughing at his fake Renoir, and we all showed off our pets.
WaterGirl
@Baud: I thought it was fun! Other BJ peeps can weigh in, as well.
We had about 30 RSVPs and about 25 participants. Interesting and wide-ranging conversation. Cole slept through the first half and joined us late, but that was fun, too. He jumped off early because he was hungry.
I mean, who’s not hungry after they wake up from a long winter’s nap?
We talked about have Indictment zooms whenever we get a T**** indictment. So hopefully there will be another one soon!
twbrandt
Ryuichi Sakamoto has died. He was a fascinating composer who worked in electronic pop, ambient, film, classical, and jazz; frequently mashing those different genres and styles together in a single work.
WaterGirl
@JoyceH: I thought kalakal’s story about the blocks was really interesting.
AM in NC
Today, the family and I spent day 2 in Paris – Musée Carnavalet for some Parisian history; checking out the renovation of the Notre Dame; down to the Louvre (outside only) and Tuileries; a quick stop inside Église Saint-Eustache (while an organ concert was going on!); and back to le Marais. So much to see, and so very different from where we are from. Quelle belle Ville!
New Deal democrat
Just finished Alexander Bickel’s “The Least Dangerous Branch.”
I am becoming more radical in my thinking about the Supreme Court.
Would anyone in their right mind design an institution where the disability or death of one or two members just one year later each (Thurgood Marshall in 1993, not 1992; Ginsburg in 2021, not 2020) would make such an enormous and long lasting difference to the rights that 300 million people thought they enjoyed? Of course not.
As I have written before, for several thousand years the Courts were never thought of as a separate branch of government (they were historically part of the Executive) before the Glorious Revolution of 1688. And in the UK, Courts could not and cannot overturn Acts of Parliament. The US Constitution pioneered “judicial supremacy.”
When you want “the rule of law” rather than of despots, the rule of government has been, the greater the power, the shorter the term, and the more it is spread out.
The US Supreme Court has enormous power, the Justices serve for life, and as Justice Brennan remarked, “With 5 votes you can do anything.”
There have been proposals for reform that include limiting the Justices to 18 year terms, as well as potentially expanding the Court to 13 members.
But even this does not spread power out enough. There ought to be more Justices, with shorter terms, e.g., 17 members, with 4 appointed every two years (+the Chief Justice), serving 8 year terms, after which they rotate down to the Circuit Courts. Justices who knew that their terms were short, after which they would be bound by others’ precedents, would be disinclined to make wholesale radical departures from existing law.
WaterGirl
When I took that hibiscus in, it was just a single stick with a single tiny tree leaf about to open at the top of the stick. I had no idea what it would look like, or even if it would survive.
Now that it has bloomed, I go back and forth between thinking that it’s gaudy and thinking that it’s stunning! :-)
rikyrah
Looks so pretty :)
rikyrah
Anyone air fried meatballs?
How do they turn out?
Never done meatballs before, and will do some after I get off work. I just don’t want them to be dry.
eclare
Lovely photo!
Waiting for the NCAA women’s finals. Although I usually cheer for my conference, SEC, I think I’m going to have to pull for Iowa.
rikyrah
@AM in NC:
They still protesting in Paris?
Scout211
@eclare: Go Hawkeyes!
ETA: Of course I hope Iowa wins, but the fact that the women’s NCAA championship is getting so much attention this year is really great to see.
AM in NC
@rikyrah: Not this week. The garbage has also been all picked up since the strike ended, which is a plus. There is another general day of protest scheduled for Thursday (our departure date). We leave early, so I don’t think our transportation will be interrupted.
I am torn between being glad to get to see everything and move around easily, and disappointed that we aren’t getting to witness French history. Vive la révolution
ETA: Water Girl, that hibiscus is gorgeous. They are supposed to be gaudy!
gene108
Tested positive for COVID 13 days ago. Slowly recovering. Haven’t detected a fever since Wednesday. I do still get a cough.
eclare
@JoyceH: I live in Memphis and was glued to the local weather Friday night. The tornado that destroyed Wynne AR had a direct route to Memphis but skirted north. Another tornado went south. I am feeling very fortunate, my power didn’t even go out.
raven
@AM in NC: Our friends cut their trip short. The had a river cruise from Lyon to Avignon booked and it fell through so, after a couple of days, the chucked it and came home.
eclare
@AM in NC: Very jealous! If you have time, I recommend the Rodin Museum.
gene108
@AM in NC:
Wonderful!
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
Needs moar BAUD!
(But fun)
Josie
@rikyrah:
This is a good site and his recipe looks good,
https://thebigmansworld.com/air-fryer-meatballs/
prostratedragon
@Boris Rasputin (the evil twin): Excellent!
thruppence
@rikyrah: I’ve air fried frozen meatballs; they come out great. Never made them fresh, though. Every fryer and meatball is different – may take some experimentation to make sure that they cook all the way through.
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne:
Aw, thanks. But I have an exclusivity deal with OnlyFans.
Joe Falco
I got back from visiting my mom who gifted me a basket full of fresh local GA strawberries recently picked from a nearby farm. Currently, I’m trying to decide what I’ll end up doing with them besides eating a few here and there.
AlaskaReader
@Boris Rasputin (the evil twin): I hear Putin really dislikes being called a bald dwarf.
cain
Today is the finale for Indian Idol and it’s like 6 hours long or something. I’m going to make some home made pizza and so on. Next week, I get the weekend to myself so I’m thinking I’ll make beer while my wife is out with her girlfriends for a trip to the coast for some bonding time.
Boris Rasputin (the evil twin)
@AlaskaReader: Makes me think of a Doctor Who quote. “I’m not insulting you, I’m describing you.”
UncleEbeneezer
Michael Bersin
The ZOOM was fun. Good company and very interesting conversation and stories. Books, cats, dogs, harps…
schrodingers_cat
@rikyrah: I have air-fried shami kebabs, falafels and dahi wadas.
Not as good as deep frying but decent.
Nelle
Lovely warm day in Central Iowa, though the winds be fierce. My husband was going to bop around in a plane but winds have grounded him. My walk took an extra 30 minutes because neighbors are out and people are catching up after being inside for months. It is pleasant. May try for another walk shortly.
Oh, and I intend to finish The White Mosque, by Sofia Samatar, about following the trail of an 1880 migration of Mennonites to Uzbekistan. Samatar, the daughter of a Mennonte from North Dakota and a Muslim from Somalia, reflects on identity, culture, and religion. An insightful writer.
AlaskaReader
@Boris Rasputin (the evil twin): Aleksandr Nezhny: “Why did our dwarf start this war?”
StringOnAStick
Day 8 since we tested positive, 9 since I knew I felt sick. My husband claims it just feels like a cold now so he’s back to exercising and plans to go skiing tomorrow; I still feel quite crappy and am not interested in anything that involves getting off the couch.
Boris Rasputin (the evil twin)
@AlaskaReader: Thank you – a good read.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@WaterGirl: It’s not an indictment, but the E. Jean Carroll case goes to trial on April 25th. Does that seems like enough excuse for a zoom?
JoyceH
Well, that was a first for me – just called 911. Grass fire on the median just outside the back gate of the base. I wasn’t the first to call it in though. Carelessly discarded cigarette is my guess.
Kelly
Mrs Kelly is out in the wind and rain planting trees at Marion County’s Packsaddle Park. One of 8 parks completely fried by by the 2020 Beachie Fire. I was planning to help but instead I’m beginning week 3 of a annoying cold. Not to bad other than the duration. Sheesh I’m bored with this. Defending my kleenex box from Phoebe who really, reallly wants to pull all the tissues out and shred them.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
One of the many ways that I realize Florida is a strange and exotic land, apart from their weird governor and all the locals wandering around with alligators in their back pockets, is the flora and (non-gator) fauna.
Including hibiscus growing outside.
I also love coming across random geckos on walls.
mrmoshpotato
Post-lunch nap.
WaterGirl
@gene108: I’m glad to hear that you are going in the right direction. Keep on chugging.
lowtechcyclist
@AlaskaReader:
Don’t crush that dwarf, hand me the pliers!
WaterGirl
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: I am a spirit of the law person, so my answer is…
Absolutely!
Dangerman
Can a fellow dream? Have a bit of a fantasy? Well, here’s my dream/fantasy.
Trump is arraigned on these fairly innocuous charges. He is being led into a trap. He is being escorted out of the Courtroom by a couple of supermodel Laker Girls (it’s my dream/fantasy dammit) …
… where outside the Courtroom door stands Jack Smith and U. S. Marshalls to arrest his ass for espionage (because I think he shared some if those top secret documents) …
… and they put his fat ass on a plane to a Supermax. Gag order, of course, for National Security.
End dream. Well, the Laker Girls text because somehow they have my number. My dream, my rules, dammit.
Alison Rose
@AlaskaReader: Google translate tells me that’s лысый карлик in russian. (Pronunciation guide says lysyy karlik.) Can we get that dude who flew over Mar-a-Lago with the taunting banners to do the same at the kremlin with that phrase? I mean…he’d probably get shot down, but you know…a nice daydream.
WaterGirl
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: My tropical hibiscus live outside in the warm weather and come inside for the winter.
WaterGirl
@Dangerman:
What Trump did here is a big fucking deal. What he did may have affected the outcome of the election.
Let the Republicans say it’s no big deal to falsify business records and violate campaign rules and laws, but I don’t think we should buy into their bullshit.
raven
@lowtechcyclist: Rancho Malerio, if you lived here you’d be home now. . .
raven
@lowtechcyclist:
George Tirebiter
Besides horses, USC once even had a canine mascot.George Tirebiter I, a canine mutt once famous for chasing cars through the campus, first appeared at football games in 1940. Tirebiter I was adopted by students and became a campus hero.
Joy in FL
The hibiscus is gorgeous.
And the Zoom was fun and interesting.
Alison Rose
Aw gee, so sad, tots and pears, etc etc:
BYE BITCH
Dangerman
@WaterGirl: Oh, it’s a BFD, don’t get me wrong, but he will be going home Tuesday night. Unless he tells the Judge to go fuck himself, then all bets are off.
He isn’t spending a second in jail before trial … right or wrong …
…unless my fantasy comes true. No harshing on the fantasy, please.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@Alison Rose: Hmm, possibly smoking indoors, know to be hazardous…
raven
@Scout211: And isn’t it great having women talking all kinds of shit to each other!!!
zhena gogolia
@Alison Rose: Wow, that’s big.
JPL
@Dangerman: Vance told Jan Psaki that it is unlikely that he spends any jail time. He’ll probably get probation.
He’s giving a prime time speech Tuesday evening.
Geminid
@Dangerman: The possibility that Trump- or someone he let handle the documents- passed one or more of them to a foreign entity is a wild card in this case. When the news broke last summer, one of my wilder speculations was that the CIA or the NSA had detected something of the sort. Since they could not reveal sources and methods, the FBI and Justice Department would “reverse engineer” their investigation to develop the evidence on their own.
I imagined the NSA decrypting an intercept- “…the $3 million in gold ingots will be parked in a golf cart at the Bedminster 11th hole tee, at 3am Tuesday morning…”
brendancalling
It’s a lovely Day in central Pennsylvania. I ate a deliciously unhealthy breakfast, went on a hike, and now I’m going to take a nap.
JPL
@Geminid: WP has additional information about this
gift
trollhattan
Kids these days.
lowtechcyclist
@raven:
My dad graduated from that* USC in 1946, so I was familiar with that story.
*My wife and I both have degrees from the original USC, the University of South Carolina.
“This is no movie, this is real!”
“Which reel?”
.
JPL
WP has new information and apparently they thing trump acted with intent. DUH
In case the gift link doesn’t work, I’m going to copy and paste some info
The Trump investigation team has spent much of its time focusing on events that happened after Trump’s advisers received a subpoena in May demanding the return of all documents with classified markings, the people familiar with the matter said. Smith is trying to determine if Trump or others mishandled national security documents, and if there is enough evidence to ask a grand jury to charge him with obstructing the investigation………………..
In the classified documents case, federal investigators have gathered new and significant evidence that after the subpoena was delivered, Trump looked through the contents of some of the boxes of documents in his home, apparently out of a desire to keep certain things in his possession, the people familiar with the investigation said.
Investigators now suspect, based on witness statements, security camera footage, and other documentary evidence, that boxes including classified material were moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area after the subpoena was served, and that Trump personally examined at least some of those boxes, these people said. While Trump’s team returned some documents with classified markings in response to the subpoena, a later FBI search found more than 100 additional classified items that had not been turned over.
Dangerman
@Geminid: See, in my fantasy, if Trump got a whiff of getting nailed for espionage, he’s on a plane for (pick a location without extradition) …
… but get him in a Courtroom, with super duper security, on charges where he gets to go home to give a statement on the same night, well, how could he resist? Then put him in shacklesand tell his Secret Service detail to get bent.
Something about the documents matter stinks. Your guess is reasonable.
raven
@lowtechcyclist: GO DAWGS!!!
Circular reasoning
I am just by chance catching LSU vs Iowa and can’t help but think it highlights how starkly segregated by race this country remains. I mean, the visual between the two teams could be part of a bad 80’s movie trying to make the point.
Has this been touched on in any pre-game commentary, or is everyone too scared to touch that?
eclare
@Circular reasoning: I think the only starter for IA not from IA is from Wisconsin…so the difference makes sense to me.
West of the Rockies
@AlaskaReader:
I’ve been calling him a dreary goblin since the re-invasion began.
Jackie
@Dangerman: He’s promising to deliver a speech/statement about how unfair his life is and it’s a witch-hunt, blah blah blah Tues evening when he returns to MAL.
I hope he gets slammed with a Gag Order.
Geminid
@JPL: Thanks. I forwarded the article to my Atlanta friend. He’s been following this stuff closely.
While my hope is that prosecutors prove that Trump himself sold secrets, those documents were a tempting target for an espionage service. They could have suborned a Trump aide or a Mar-a-Loco employee to help copy them, maybe with Trump’s knowledge but maybe without.
So, my Atlanta friend just answered that he’s read that article. He’s getting very impatient, wants to see Trump charged now. As he pointed out, new charges can be added as investigators develop more evidence. I responded that I want to see the heaviest charges dropped on Trump all at once.
raven
@eclare: I care about, you know, the GAME!
Tdjr
@WaterGirl: Flowers can’t be gaudy, IMHO.
eclare
@raven: And so far what a game!
Geminid
@Dangerman: Maybe Trump will get on the jet with the gold and Don Junior. Then they develop engine trouble and the pilot tells Trump they have to jettison weight. So Trump looks at the gold, and looks at Junior….
raven
Guess what, don’t hand check and don’t reach!
Circular reasoning
@eclare: it does make sense. Just furthers my point about our segregation. Since I don’t care about the game and hadn’t seen any of the teams till that moment t it just stood out. Sports often stand in for societal commentary, so I was just curious if it had been part of the conversation. Assuming not.
Dangerman
@Geminid: Excellent, but Junior also looks at the Gold and Dear Old Dad. I think Junior pulls on Dad’s hair (Roddy Piper, right?) and sends him flying (like The Good Shepard express disembarking) … barking all the way down ….
Gin & Tonic
@zhena gogolia: Smells a lot like an old NKVD hit. He was presented a gift (a statue?) and it blew up. Messy but efficient.
kalakal
That’s a gorgeous Hibiscus.
The Zoom was fun and interesting.
I enjoy mocking Trump and his woes, I enjoy it even more in good company
JPL
@Geminid: He’ll claim that he pardoned himself, so can’t be charged with federal crimes. I wonder if he can be held while the courts hear whether or not a president can blanket pardon himself.
I’m anxious about the GA case, only because I want to see some justice done. What they all did to the poll workers shouldn’t be allowed.
zhena gogolia
@Gin & Tonic: Use retro nom de guerre, die retro.
kalakal
@Geminid:
I would love to have Trump & his rotten family make their getaway with the gold via coach and then …
The Italian Job
Alison Rose
@Gin & Tonic: lil mini russian trojan horse?
Princess
@New Deal democrat: I’m in, either for your system of some other. SCOTUS judges shouldn’t be famous. We shouldn’t know their names. Their hearings shouldn’t be public political spectacles. Their retirement should be ho hum. They have too much power and it turns them ALL into monsters, even that be you (not you personally) like.
UncleEbeneezer
@Geminid: One of the reasons prosecutors don’t rush to bring charges is because doing so could scare off important witnesses who are hesitant to cooperate/testify. It’s entirely possible that DOJ has some important witnesses in this category and wants to get their stories (and make sure their story doesn’t exculpate Trump and undermine their case) before indicting.
Another Scott
tick tock …
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
@Another Scott: Ack. Too many linkies.
:-(
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.
UncleEbeneezer
Another Scott
@Another Scott: Since I’m not seeing “awaiting moderation”, I’ll assume FYWP eated it.
Cheers,
Scott.
Another Scott
@Another Scott:
tick tock …
Cheers,
Scott.
Steeplejack
Alexandra Petri: “Counterpoint: Maybe the president should get to do crimes.” (Gift link.)
kalakal
I would love to have Trump & his rotten family make their getaway with the gold via coach and then …
The Italian Job
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Geminid: I have hoped since 2017 that the NSA was bugging all of TFG’s treasonous calls to foreign leaders, which is patently illegal for them to do, but nevertheless might have gone a long way to mitigating his treason.
Or they could have been a Mar-a-Logo employee. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some large number of low-level staff were foreign intel agents, and there was ample opportunity for any number of people to go in the closet and photograph that material.
Geminid
@UncleEbeneezer: I tend to take your side on this question. But man, is my Atlanta friend impatient! Warren has a very level head generally, and understands the criminal justice system well. But he views Trump as a grave present and future danger who needs to be trammelled with criminal charges ASAP.
I am more detached about this. For one thing, I think pretrial motions and appeals thereof will delay trials, and at Trump out of prison at least until after the next election. His legal trouble may open up a path for another Republican to win the nomination, on grounds of electability. Otherwise, I think we’ll have to beat Trump at the ballot box again.
My friend is obsessive when it comes to Trump. He’s always voted, and voted for Democrats. But otherwise, he kept politics at arms length. Then Trump beat Hilary Clinton, who Warren thought very highly of. Since then Warren has been like Ahab, and Trump is his White Whale.
RSA
This made me laugh today:
I can’t think of any American politician more needy (of attention) than The Former Guy. He’s Jeb Bush’s “Please clap” in human form.
ETA: Otherwise, I joined a new gym, got a trainer, and am learning how to do deadlifts. I’m a little achy today.
zhena gogolia
@Gin & Tonic: I finally had time to read your comment on the religious situation in Ukraine. Thank you.
I have a friend who is very upset about what’s happening in a Russian Orthodox church in this country to which she has family ties. I tried to find out online what that’s all about, but I gather that some of the Orthodox churches in the US are also tied to the MP.
Geminid
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: I just assume the NSA sweeps up everything. The way they do it disqualifies their findings as evidence, though. So they would need to give their liason at the Justice Department a heads up and maybe a couple of hints, then leave it to the FBI to get the goods.
Trivia Man
Wisconsin absentee ballots, return rates by county. https://elections.wi.gov/resources/statistics/absentee-ballot-report-april-4-2023-spring-election-13
Statewide had ~503k requested, 500k sent out.
408k already returned, 174k of those were in person.
My math says that’s about 82% returned with 92,000 still lurking out there.
Tuesday is a big day for the country.
oatler
@RSA:
Joe Manchin was talking about his presidential aspirations to Chuck Todd this morning. When absolutely nobody likes you, come to Chuck.
trollhattan
@RSA: Had to have been at least a few folks who, on seeing the flag lowered got REALLY excited their dream had come true at last.
Ex-president* in a box!
trollhattan
@oatler: He has presidential aspirations?
Geminid
@Trivia Man: On March 28, Politico put up an article on the race, titled “Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race could be the beginning of the end for GOP dominance.”
There’s reporting on the race itself, as well as on the issues- mainly abortion rights and redistricting- that make the outcome so important. The reporter said there was no good non-partisan polling, but that one thing is certain: this election will “easily [set] the record for spending on a state Supreme Court election anywhere in the country.” The reporters said that $37 million had been raised so far.
UncleEbeneezer
@Geminid: I don’t think any optimistic timeline was ever gonna put Trump in prison or convicted before the 2024 election. That just never seemed even remotely realistic to me given the appeals process and various ways a defendant can stall the process.
RSA
@trollhattan: I hadn’t even thought of that interpretation. OMG. Thanks for the additional laugh.
West of the Rockies
@RSA:
How old are you, RSA? I’m 61 and have really been hitting the workouts for about a month after going light over the holidays. Takes a while for that pain to become less intense post-workout. I got s FitBit, which has been an excellent motivator.
UncleEbeneezer
Not sure if this was shared already on TDOV, but this long Vox article is really superb in showing just how irresponsible our media (especially the New York Times) has been on reporting Transgender Issues:
Trans people deserve better journalism
How the anti-trans movement took over legacy media.
Geminid
@trollhattan: I think Joe Manchin just has aspirations to get attention.
Manchin still hasn’t said he’s running for another term. He seems to be trying to influence the Republican primary in favor of Governor Jim Justice, and away from Representative Mooney. If Manchin runs, he might not run but so hard if Justice is his opponent. But he’ll go all out against Mooney.
JoyceH
Talking of future indictments, personally, I want to see the indictments come from least severe/important to most severe/important. Why? Because it will provide an important winnowing process. As each indictment arrives, we can see which Republicans are still onboard with the ‘this is no big deal, not worth charging’ party line and which ones finally realize that Trump is no longer defensible.
Baud
I hate to praise the NYT for anything, but cesot where it’s due.
RSA
@West of the Rockies: Thanks for sharing your experience. That’s heartening.
So we’re both early 60s. I started working out at a fitness club maybe ten years ago. A few years later I started running. Switching gyms was because of a move across town, and with that switch I thought I might as well get some expert advice. Of the three big lifts—bench press, deadlift, and squat—I’ve only done the first, and I’m a little afraid of hurting my back. But I wanted to learn how to do the other two, just because. The supervision has been just what I needed.
I also use a fitness band, and even though I know about gamification (“You’re closing in on your goal of x steps today!”) it works for me.
zhena gogolia
@Baud: What does cesot mean?
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
Credit. I need to proofread more.
zhena gogolia
@Baud: Maybe it could be a coinage for the grudging, unhappy way one gives the NYT credit? I know the feeling.
JoyceH
@RSA:
Is ‘gamification’ a bad thing? I’ve been doing the Conqueror Challenges, and it sure keeps me going. The medals are SO nice! I’m going to put a hanger on the wall to display them.
Trivia Man
@Geminid: two more issues that are absolute game changers – powers of the governor (watered down when walker was booted) and ACT 10 (walkers successful destruction of the teachers’ union). All certainly to come up very quickly.
bonus: presidential election coming up with (potentially) super powers being given to state legislatures by SCOTUS. The state Supreme Court might not be powerful enough to counteract a concerted rat fuck by the assembly but without it it’s probably a done deal to award any republican the 8 EV.
RSA
Good point. I think gamification is fine, as long as we’re careful with it. My main reservation is that it can be used by companies (or even governments! in the case of China with their social credit system) to manipulate people.
Anyway
@Trivia Man:
One of my fave electoral maps is of WI elections about 10 years apart pre and post-Walker (I can’t remember the exact dates…) The RvD breakup is pretty similar at the state level but the tilt to the Rs at the statehouse and Congressional Delegations is striking and a great illustration of gerrymandering and other shenanigans.