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Thursday Open Thread

R.I.P. Aretha Franklin. (No links because everyone of them has auto-play video.)

Time for a new open thread, all topics welcome.

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    The Queen of Soul has died (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by Zorba on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 09:33:45 AM EST
    R.I.P. Aretha Franklin.  

    Amazing career (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by McBain on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 09:52:25 AM EST
    My lasting memory of her will always be from the Blues Brothers movie.

    Parent
    Don't you 'Don't get riled, Sugar.' me." (none / 0) (#7)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 02:00:16 PM EST
    She showed some acting chops in this scene, in addition to bringing down the house with "Respect."

    That scene always makes me smile.

    Parent

    Er, "Think." (none / 0) (#8)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 02:04:30 PM EST
    But she did sing "Respect" ... (none / 0) (#14)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 06:28:03 PM EST
    ... in "Blues Brothers 2000," and was once again probably the best thing in that film. But unlike the original "The Blues Brothers," which was cheesy and overblown but otherwise generally likeable, that sequel was truly awful.

    Parent
    THAT is the only scene (none / 0) (#9)
    by leap on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 02:09:47 PM EST
    I remember from the Blues Brothers movie. And with good reason.

    Keep on singin' & movin', Aretha. You'll bring down the heavens as you did on earth.

    Parent

    Aretha could do anything. (none / 0) (#12)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 06:02:03 PM EST
    While many of us remember her for her many popular hits over the decades, it might surprise you to learn that her biggest selling album ever (double platinum) was actually "Amazing Grace," a captivating and transcendent 2-record gospel concert which was recorded live over the course of two nights in January 1972 with the Rev. James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in the Watts district of Los Angeles.

    For all of her considerable success in the pop music world, Aretha Franklin never forgot her roots in gospel and the civil rights movement. At the personal request of Coretta Scott King in April 1968, she sang a tearful cover of "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" at the memorial service for Mrs. King's husband, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Along with Harry Belafonte, Aretha had stood unapologetically by Dr. King's side as one of his most ardent supporters. And coming at a time when the civil rights leader was considered a subversive element by the powers that be, she did so at considerable risk to her just-blossoming career.

    As part of the initial New Temple project, the late director Sidney Pollack was commissioned by Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. to film the gospel concerts for a documentary. Unfortunately, that film has never been seen due to various legal disputes involving the studio, the director, the record label and the artists themselves over the various rights to the film, so it's been locked away in a vault.

    There is, however, a very tempting trailer for "Amazing Grace" (you can see a young Mick Jagger dancing in the audience at the 1:56 mark) that was produced for the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, where it had been originally scheduled to be shown before Ms. Franklin was granted a cease and desist order by the courts, which compelled TIFF to pull the film from its lineup and cancel the screening.

    Hopefully, now that everyone involved in the production has passed from the scene, an agreement can be reached between Aretha Franklin's heirs and the corporations to allow "Amazing Grace to finally be seen by audiences as it was originally intended.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    yeah, she also sang (none / 0) (#15)
    by leap on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 06:37:16 PM EST
    She also sang that at the 1998 Grammys. (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 07:02:29 PM EST
    And in doing so, she also gave the show one of its most iconic moments. Per the L.A. Times, Luciano Pavarotti had bowed out sick at the last second, some 30 minutes after that night's TV broadcast had already begun. He was supposed to sing "Nessum Dorma."

    Fortunately, the show's executive producer Ken Ehrlich remembered seeing Aretha sing the same aria at an earlier event, and knew she was in the theater. So he approached her and quickly explained the situation. She asked only to hear a recording of the dress rehearsal, and afterward said to him, "Yeah, I can do this."

    So, pinch-hitting for Pavarotti, Aretha knocked it out of the park. Because that's what a true diva does.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    My earliest memory of Aretha (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by jondee on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 12:08:03 PM EST
    is my older sister playing the 45 of Chain of Fools over and over again.

    Aretha really found her sound with those lowdown funky "Swampers" at Muscle Shoals Studios.

    She brought a lot of smiles to a lot of faces. Which is no small feat in this world.

    RIP

    Parent

    Good old Ahmet Ertegun... (none / 0) (#10)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 02:36:06 PM EST
    at Atlantic Records.  He had a touch with amazing unparalleled talent like Aretha and Ray, turning mortals into immortals whose sweet sounds will echo for centuries.

    Parent
    I had the pleasure (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by jondee on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 11:00:47 AM EST
    of meeting and talking with Ertegun back in the late-seveties when I snuck over the velvet rope and into the beautiful-people smoking section at Carnegie Hall -- strictly to smoke a cigarette, not to meet celebrities.

    Next thing I knew, I'm standing there smoking and kibitzing with Ertegun, Andy Warhol, and Allen Ginsberg. What a crew. Some guy came up to Warhol and asked him to draw something on the spot for him on a napkin, which Warhol nixed.

    Ertegun seemed like a very nice, gracious guy. Another one sorely missed.

    Parent

    PBS special tonight at 8:30 EDT (none / 0) (#25)
    by Peter G on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 06:43:26 PM EST
    For Aretha. I'll be watching.

    Parent
    Exhibit A (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by CST on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 09:49:28 AM EST
    For why "diversity of opinion" isn't cutting it.

    Link

    "About 500,000 women in the U.S. need surgery every year for precancerous cervical lesions caused by the human papillomavirus. The surgery can lead to devastating reproductive consequences."

    "Male OB-GYNs have questioned the need for a drug, saying they think surgery is adequate; male VCs have been skeptical, too."

    "It's very safe to say that we got more traction in VC firms where there was a woman partner who was in a decision-making role,"

    "Over the past few years, as part of their due diligence process, Kabakoff and his team have made several dozen calls to OB-GYNs to ask them what they think of Antiva's pitch.

    The data were limited and anecdotal, but the trend was unmistakable: Male physicians tended to express skepticism about the need for a drug. Female physicians tended to say new treatment options are badly needed."

    I read this with interest, as we have many (none / 0) (#21)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 12:36:32 PM EST
    friends in bio/med startups. Amgen is in our 'hood, and there are many dozens of local bio/med firms who would like to duplicate Amgen's success.

    From your article. I think, in the end, it's all about the money:

    But, as (lead VC) Kabakoff sees it, there's still hesitation among VCs when it comes to women's health, much of it stemming from concerns about how they're going to make money.

    "I think the concern in the investment community about women's health has nothing to do with whether there are unmet needs in the market, but with the fact that there are relatively few large pharma players who are in the business," Kabakoff said. "And after all, there are only two exit opportunities that we have for these companies: One is we sell them. The other is we take them public."

    Still, there are reasons independent of any biases associated with women's health that might give doctors and investors pause.

    For one, the company has competition. While Antiva has yet to report Phase 1 data, the rival drug maker that's furthest along, Pennsylvania-based Inovio, is testing its drug for cervical dysplasia in a Phase 3 clinical trial. (Inovio's drug is targeted at only the most common HPV strains, while Antiva's has potential to work for any strain of the virus.)

    There's also no guarantee Antiva's drug will work. Getting a topical medication to stick to the cervix is much more complicated than slathering cream on your forearm. The field is littered with failures, ranging from therapeutic vaccines that weren't effective enough and other experimental drugs that brought too many side effects.



    Parent
    The money (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by CST on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 12:58:31 PM EST
    Is not why male gynecologists thought it wasn't necessary and why female gynecologists thought it was.

    This is also about healthcare, it's not just an article about VC funding.

    Parent

    Fair enough. (none / 0) (#23)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 01:20:35 PM EST
    I know pornography (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by KeysDan on Sat Aug 18, 2018 at 11:23:12 AM EST
    when I see it.  And, Ari Melber, in his MSNBC interview with Steve Bannon, meets the porn test. Certainly, more degrading than anything Stormy could  ever contemplate.

     Melber, in his ambitiousness to land ratings as a Friday night fill-in for Lawrence O'Donnell, played into the hands of an evil and dangerous demagogue seeking a wider platform for his pernicious comeback. Melber took pride in his "pressing" Bannon, but Bannon was the winner as of his booking. Not an issue of free speech, but a hateful exploitation.....e.g., Charlottsville. Trump was right on that one.  Shame on Melber.


    That's what so much of journalism (5.00 / 2) (#29)
    by jondee on Sat Aug 18, 2018 at 11:49:03 AM EST
    has degenerated into: lobbing underhand softballs to method-acting, well-prepared and scripted people like Bannon in exchange for the promise of continued "access."

    The same dynamic was kicked into high gear when our beloved fifth estate helped the Bush administration sell "regime change" some years back.

    Parent

    Really sad to see Melber stoop (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by caseyOR on Sat Aug 18, 2018 at 07:01:06 PM EST
    so low as he chases ratings. I try to catch Ari everyday on his regular show, but there was no way I was going to watch the Bannon interview.

    There is no good reason to give Steve Bannon any airtime.

    Parent

    Yeah I felt the same way so I (none / 0) (#31)
    by desertswine on Sat Aug 18, 2018 at 10:42:55 PM EST
    didn't watch either.

    Parent
    Until I read the Sunday morning tweet (5.00 / 3) (#34)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 03:16:56 PM EST
    from Tr*mp referring to John Dean, Nixon's White House counsel, as a "rat" (actually, "RAT"), I had never heard that term used without irony by anyone other than my occasional Mafia clients. (Dean resigned, and then testified against Nixon to the House Watergate committee and for the government at the criminal trials of Nixon's henchmen. Dean also pleaded guilty to his own crimes, and did prison time.) It takes a lot to startle me these days, but that one did. (Tr*mp also doesn't understand what McCarthyism was, but that doesn't surprise me at all.)

    Trump wears (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by KeysDan on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 06:12:19 PM EST
    the "RAT" vocabulary with the comfort of an old shoe. A weekend read was Craig Unger's House of Trump House of Putin.  Cavorting with mafia and Russian mafia for his entire business career.  An iterating investigation suggesting a great intelligence operation yielding a Russian asset, if not a rat in the WH.

    Parent
    Don't think we (none / 0) (#56)
    by KeysDan on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 01:25:37 PM EST
    have to worry too much that White House Legal Counsel, Don McGhan, has ratted on Trump. A few pounds of salt need to be ordered up.

      After reading the Maggie Haberman/Michael Schmidt opus in the NYTimes, it seems that these access-oriented reporters filed a puff piece....one benefiting, McGhan, as the boy scout who can be trusted to voluntarily talk to Mueller (which he would be legally obligated to do, if it came down to it, he is not Trump's personal lawyer, but represents the office), and Trump, for being so grandly transparent and permitting McGhan to talk---about obstruction, but who knows if he talked about Russian/Trump conspiracy and unlawful campaign violations (McGhan's specialty, having been a former FEC Commissioner). Don't think an obstruction case will make it without the underlying crime being clear cut (despite the Clinton case).

    Don McGhan is a loyalist, his uncles used their clout to pave the way for Trump's Atlantic City casinos.  But, Haberman/Schmidt make Don McGhan look good. And,independent  (Giuliani knows nothing).  And, McGhan will have all that credibility as he goes about his role in guiding the nomination process for Brett Kavanaugh.

    Parent

    And then there's the one and only Rudy. (none / 0) (#37)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 05:30:44 PM EST
    "Look, I'm not going to be rushed into having [Trump] testify so that he gets trapped into perjury. When you tell me that ... he should testify because he's going to tell the truth and he shouldn't worry. Well, that's so silly, because it's somebody's version of the truth ― not the truth."
    - Rudy Giuliani to Chuck Todd, "Meet the Press (and Kick It in the Nuts)" Aug. 19, 2018

    We hold these truths to be self-evident ― of what, exactly, Rudy only hopes that we have no idea.

    :-(

    Parent

    Trump "understands" McCarthyism ... (none / 0) (#42)
    by Erehwon on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 08:46:10 PM EST
    as he learned it first hand from the horse's mouth, Roy Cohn.

    Whether that's the new "truth" can be up for debate!
    ;-)

    Parent

    Is Judge Jeanine Pirro on drugs? (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 03:47:19 AM EST
    Because if not, then she should be.

    50 years ago tonight, ... (5.00 / 1) (#61)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 09:07:40 PM EST
    ... the Soviet Union invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia, putting an abrupt end to Prime Minister Alexander Dubček's reform-oriented "Prague Spring."

    A recent poll showed that 36% of Russians still approve of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and another 45% had trouble saying whether it was right or wrong.

    Meanwhile, about half of all Americans believe that Oceania is at war with Eastasia because Oceania's always been at war with Eastasia -- or was it Eurasia?

    :-|

    A confederate monument... (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by desertswine on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 12:27:53 AM EST
    on the UNC campus got pulled down.

    Silent Sam toppled.

    With A Thud (none / 0) (#64)
    by CoralGables on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 09:03:12 AM EST
    Silent Sam did not go gentle into that good night.

    Parent
    he'll be rising up any time soon.

    Parent
    Cohen plea hearing (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 01:10:17 PM EST
    4pm today.  Followed by public comments

    Eastern (none / 0) (#71)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 01:11:19 PM EST
    Guilty (none / 0) (#74)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 01:37:52 PM EST
    To at least one campaign finance violation.

    Parent
    I wonder if Cohen's life .. (none / 0) (#76)
    by desertswine on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 02:05:44 PM EST
    might not be in danger.  Is he getting extra protection.  There are mobsters out there.

    Parent
    From more than the mob (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 03:51:12 PM EST
    2 of the 8 counts directly involve Trump.

    Counts 7 and 8.

    7 playmate 8 Stormy

    Parent

    Also Donald is on the way (5.00 / 1) (#83)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 04:07:43 PM EST
    To WV for a big rally tonight.

    Should be one for the books.

    Reports (none / 0) (#90)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 08:07:08 PM EST
    are that the campaign rally is "low energy"

    Parent
    They did manage (none / 0) (#92)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 08:09:32 PM EST
    A few choruses of "lock her up" but they sort of phoned it in

    Parent
    Noooo! Really? (none / 0) (#93)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 11:24:43 PM EST
    WV? The same WV I know?

    Trump is in big trouble then. How does he keep any Republican support starting tomorrow? If WV Trump rally phoned "lock her up" in tonight, how can rats not start jumping ship tomorrow?

    Parent

    The state with the highest Trump (none / 0) (#95)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 08:49:52 AM EST
    approval rating and the highest rate of drug OD deaths.

    Parent
    Trumps FOX & FRIENDS interview today (5.00 / 1) (#105)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 08:05:23 AM EST
    Holy sh!t.

    Seriously.  So far gone.  So much.

    I think my personal daily favorite is his forceful argument, (should be illegal) against cooperating with federal investigators

    Flipping should be illegal.

    Not making that up.

    I have many clients sitting in prison (5.00 / 1) (#112)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 11:02:54 AM EST
    who would agree 100% that "flipping" should be illegal. I didn't think that there was actually anyone other than professional criminals who thought that, however. Oh, wait ... maybe there isn't. (Seriously, the system of rewards for "cooperation" is in need of major reform. But the suggestion that it should be "illegal" to plead guilty and testify against former co-conspirators is pretty much bonkers.) The Supreme Court's take on it, about 35 years ago, is this:
    Unless his silence is protected by the privilege against self-incrimination ... the criminal defendant, no less than any other citizen, is obliged to assist the authorities. The petitioner, for example, was asked to expose the purveyors of heroin in his own community in exchange for a favorable disposition of his case. By declining to cooperate, petitioner rejected an "obligatio[n] of community life" that should be recognized before rehabilitation can begin. See Hart, The Aims of the Criminal Law, 23 Law & Contemp.Prob. 401, 437 (1958). Moreover, petitioner's refusal to cooperate protected his former partners in crime, thereby preserving his ability to resume criminal activities upon release. Few facts available to a sentencing judge are more relevant to "'the likelihood that [a defendant] will transgress no more, the hope that he may respond to rehabilitative efforts to assist with a lawful future career, [and] the degree to which he does or does not deem himself at war with his society.'"


    Parent
    Honestly and seriously (none / 0) (#114)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 11:09:09 AM EST
    Of all we have seen

    This.....

    We have crossed a line.  Things are about to happen.

    Parent

    Yep. (none / 0) (#117)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 12:45:04 PM EST
    Flipping... (none / 0) (#107)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 10:05:34 AM EST
    should remain legal, if sometimes immoral. Like so
    many things are legal/immoral and illegal/moral.

    Dylan once wrote "But to live outside the law, you must be honest"...clearly Donald Trump was not cut out for a life of crime, it just took too damn long for these chickens to come home to roost.  

    Parent

    I know you always said that you agree (5.00 / 1) (#113)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 11:04:16 AM EST
    But where are you tonight, Sweet Marie?

    Parent
    You did not appreciate the "everybody would (none / 0) (#108)
    by vml68 on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 10:06:27 AM EST
    be very poor" if he got impeached?!

    Parent
    If "everybody" includes The Trumps... (none / 0) (#109)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 10:25:50 AM EST
    I'll sign my vow of poverty right now!

    Parent
    You have to (none / 0) (#110)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 10:51:34 AM EST
    Pick and choose

    The republican party is electorally dead.  Possibly permanently, at least for a generation.

    Seriously.  History will damn them.

    Parent

    Wall Street Doesn't Agree (none / 0) (#116)
    by RickyJim on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 12:31:13 PM EST
    "Pence is Trump without the tweets". - Sam Stovall

    Parent
    Too true... (none / 0) (#118)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 01:45:52 PM EST
    as joyous as impeachment or resignation would be...I'm afraid we'd be worse off for it, at least till 2020.  

    Pence shares the same bad-news ideologies as Trump with an extra side of faux-Jesus, and he's not a bumbling idiot.  The best thing may be Trump riding out the string handcuffed by scandal and his stupidity.

    Parent

    How do you know he ain't a (none / 0) (#119)
    by oculus on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 02:03:39 PM EST
    bumbling idiot?

    Parent
    Guess I don't... (none / 0) (#121)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 02:31:39 PM EST
    but with Trump it's painfully obvious every time he opens his mouth, or the twitter app.

    Pence, at a glance, appears to at least be capable of doing more damage working with a GOP controlled congress.  He don't bumble like Trump.

    Parent

    That's only (5.00 / 1) (#122)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 02:53:56 PM EST
    because he is quiet and doesn't tweet. However, remember Putin stooge Manafort picked Pence for a reason. Pence is known as being dumb as a box of rocks but he doesn't tweet his stupidity.

    Parent
    Exactly... (none / 0) (#123)
    by kdog on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 03:00:54 PM EST
    Ryan & McConnell would find Pence a more useful tool than Trump, who is really jamming them up both legislatively and by damaging the GOP brand more and more by the day, hour, minute.

    Parent
    The citizens of Indiana would beg to differ. (none / 0) (#120)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 02:14:07 PM EST
    kdog: "Pence shares the same bad-news ideologies as Trump with an extra side of faux-Jesus, and he's not a bumbling idiot."

    Gov. Pence had a 28% approval rating in 2016, and it was predicted that he would not have survived the state's GOP gubernatorial primary that fall, which is why he accepted the VP slot on the Republican ticket.

    Lucky us.

    Parent

    The history of Wall Street is (none / 0) (#126)
    by jondee on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 06:17:52 PM EST
    A) that it's a highly questionable indicator of the longterm "health" of the economy And

    B) that when they've been given enough deregulation rope, they tend to eventually hang themselves and a lot of the country.

    Of course when the above happens, the most egregious rush the lifeboats in drag and go back to devoting themselves to playing out the whole sordid cycle over again, as if nothing happened.

    Parent

    Leonard Bernstein - 100 years (5.00 / 1) (#150)
    by desertswine on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 01:49:04 PM EST
    Bernstein was born today 100 years ago, the son of immigrants.

    Candide Overture

    On the day of his funeral procession through the streets of Manhattan, construction workers removed their hats and waved, calling out "Goodbye, Lenny.

    In 1940-41, when Bernstein was fresh out (5.00 / 3) (#151)
    by Peter G on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 02:22:10 PM EST
    of Harvard and Curtis, and newly landed in New York City intending and expecting to become a great and famous musician, he gave private piano lessons to put food on the table, among other gigs. One young student was my uncle Tony. During that time, he also double-dated with my (future) mother (then a high school senior) along with his friends Comden and Green. I on the other hand, while a lover of all sorts of music, cannot carry a tune.

    Parent
    Peter, see comment 165 below. (5.00 / 1) (#166)
    by oculus on Thu Aug 30, 2018 at 08:38:42 PM EST
    Randy Rainbow (5.00 / 2) (#163)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 27, 2018 at 04:16:15 PM EST
    Uncle Tony's wiki bio is fascinating. (5.00 / 1) (#165)
    by oculus on Thu Aug 30, 2018 at 08:37:31 PM EST
    While in Charleston in April, we heard the Plantation Singers. They sang Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore, but endlessly repeated the original verse.  Same with most of the spirituals they same. Little did I know they be purists.

    Thanks oculus... (4.00 / 2) (#167)
    by fishcamp on Fri Aug 31, 2018 at 08:23:20 AM EST
    Now I'll have Michael Row Your Boat Ashore running round my brain all day.  I'll leave you with How Much is that Doggie in the Window...ha.

    Parent
    One of Michael Dredka's lawyers being (2.00 / 1) (#26)
    by McBain on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 08:06:50 PM EST
    investigated by the Florida State Bar.
    Clifton is a member of the Florida Bar Association, and they have rules. A lawyer, their employees or anyone else trying to solicit a person on the lawyer's behalf is prohibited -- that also includes phone calls, face-to-face meetings or any other communication.

    If an attorney gets a client using any of these tactics, they're in direct violation of these rules.


    Lysa Clifton denies any solicitation. Curious if any of lawyers here have any thoughts about this?

    I don't know if she did anything wrong I just wish the Florida Bar would take a look at what Benjamin Crump and his team did in the Zimmerman case.  He's also involved in this one.

    Why didn't you file a complaint? (none / 0) (#27)
    by Yman on Sat Aug 18, 2018 at 06:26:10 AM EST
    If there was actual evidence that Crimp violated the GO ethics rules, they'd investigate.  OTOH, if it was just a baseless smear by a disgruntled Zimmerman supporter, it would be dismissed.

    Parent
    Just where is "over the hill" (none / 0) (#3)
    by CoralGables on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 11:01:57 AM EST
    Of the top 50 ranked chess players in the world, 49 are 49 or younger. So much for getting smarter as we get older.

    I must respectfully disagree. (none / 0) (#38)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 05:34:47 PM EST
    That statistic is actually evidence that we ARE smarter now that we're older, because we're clearly not wasting our time playing chess.

    ;-D

    Parent

    Presidente El Trumpo... (none / 0) (#5)
    by desertswine on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 01:04:19 PM EST
    wants Jeff Sessions to arrest Omarosa, apparently for breaking some law that exists only in el Presidente's head, and making him angry to boot.

    Of course (5.00 / 2) (#11)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 04:43:11 PM EST
    He has been wanting Hillary arrested for years now. He wants everybody arrested.

    It would seem the only one that perhaps committed a crime here is Lara Bush with perhaps a campaign finance violation.

    It's now on tape that the magats who sent Trump their money were completely conned. Trump is using their money to pay off whomever he wants to.

    Parent

    No problem. He can "want" (none / 0) (#6)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 01:32:29 PM EST
    whatever pleases him, but if he directs the FBI or DoJ to arrest her (or any other personal or political enemy) -- an order that would not and could not be carried out -- then he has provided another Article for the Bill of Impeachment.

    Parent
    But unless we elect a Democratic House, ... (none / 0) (#13)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 16, 2018 at 06:06:01 PM EST
    ... that Bill of Impeachment will go absolutely nowhere.

    Parent
    And conviction? (none / 0) (#17)
    by MKS on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 09:06:01 AM EST
    Getting 16 or so GOP Senators to vote to convict (assuming perhaps optimiztically a 50-50 Senate) seems unlikely. Is Impeachment enough?

    Parent
    It Seems Likely to me (none / 0) (#18)
    by RickyJim on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 09:49:06 AM EST
    that there are at least 16 GOP senators who would rather have Pence as POTUS than Trump.  I would worry about all the Democrats in the Senate who think the opposite.

    Parent
    Some TOP Sensors might prefer Pence ... (none / 0) (#24)
    by Yman on Fri Aug 17, 2018 at 05:15:34 PM EST
    ... but they wouldn't risk the wrath of the GOP base that overwhelmingly supports Trump.

    Parent
    Rudy (none / 0) (#32)
    by FlJoe on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 12:39:52 PM EST
    goes full Orwell
    President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani on Sunday claimed "truth isn't truth" when trying to explain why the president should not testify for special counsel Robert Mueller for fear of being trapped into a lie that could lead to a perjury charge.


    Giuliani is shockingly inarticulate for a (none / 0) (#33)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 01:10:52 PM EST
    supposedly elite lawyer. But I think I know what he meant, and on this point, he is right. What counts as "the truth" in a court proceeding is whatever the jury decides is true, which may or may not be what is actually true in the sight of some omniscient power. Likewise, what counts as "the truth" when dealing with a prosecutor (such as, in connection with whether you will be charged with perjury, or whether you will get the benefit of your "cooperation" agreement) is what the prosecutor believes is the truth. There is no objective or unbiased authority that gets to make, oversee, or review that determination. So, insofar as Giuliani was trying to say "What a criminal prosecutor asserts is, or labels as, 'the truth' is not necessarily the 'real' truth," I would have to agree with him.

    Parent
    In laymen's terms, this is called ... (none / 0) (#39)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 05:40:37 PM EST
    ... "blowing smoke up your a$$."

    ;-D

    Parent

    The final sentence applies as well to (none / 0) (#43)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 09:40:42 PM EST
    what a criminal defense attorney asserts is, or labels as, "the truth."

    Parent
    I think it would be pretty rare (none / 0) (#44)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 09:49:53 PM EST
    for a defense attorney to go there. Why do that, when all you need to prevail is reasonable doubt? Prosecutors, on the other hand, do it all the time. That is, responding to the challenge, "Well, if your client's telling the truth, then why should he not speak with the prosecutor, since he would have nothing to lose?" And anyway, I was talking about what Giuliani probably meant, and remarking on how bad he is at expressing himself intelligibly when speaking in public. (Which, btw, Donald from Hawaii, in no way suggests that I have taken Giuliani's side, or his client's side. Just saying I think I know what he meant, in this instance.)

    Parent
    Our perspectives differ. (5.00 / 2) (#46)
    by oculus on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 11:18:49 PM EST
    Do I also need to mention (none / 0) (#45)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 09:55:32 PM EST
    that defense attorneys have no power to invoke the authority of the State to cause people to be punished? So there is really no equivalency.

    Parent
    I think his red face (none / 0) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 04:49:41 PM EST
    Could be related to the Don McGahn stories the last couple of days.

    Parent
    Omarosa / dog (none / 0) (#36)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 04:55:56 PM EST
    If was was going to go the Chinese astrology route personally I would have gone with SNAKE.

    But he knew she was a snake (5.00 / 2) (#41)
    by Peter G on Sun Aug 19, 2018 at 07:34:08 PM EST
    when he invited her in to the White House. To quote a fable Tr*mp claims to be fond of.

    Parent
    Weinstein accuser settled her own (none / 0) (#48)
    by McBain on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 09:43:49 AM EST
    sexual assault complaint, according to this article.
    Italian actress Asia Argento - one of the most prominent activists of the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment - recently settled a complaint filed against her by a young actor and musician who said she sexually assaulted him when he was 17, the New York Times reported.

    Not sure what to make of this if it's true.  There's the hypocrisy angle.  There's the question of if it's different for 17 year old male vs. 17 year old female.  

    In another article I read somewhere, the young man is claiming his career suffered as a result of the alleged assault.

    The phrase (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by CST on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 10:50:27 AM EST
    "hurt people hurt people" comes to mind.

    I'm not sure hypocrisy is quite the right word, as there's not really a moral high ground you're claiming when accusing someone of abusing you - they can both be correct at the same time, the fact that someone abused someone doesn't make their own abuse any less, or the abuse they doled out any less.

    I definitely don't think it should matter what gender the 17 year old is.  I also don't think it should matter what gender the perpetrator is - which in some ways I think is a bigger "question" - since we've already heard from men who were assaulted by other men.

    Hopefully this movement means more people of all backgrounds/genders have the ability to come forward and tell their story, and I'd be very very surprised if this is the last of the people who have been on both sides of this issue.

    Parent

    You should say allegedly (none / 0) (#50)
    by McBain on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 11:56:21 AM EST
    on both sides of the issue since nothing has been proven yet.
    Hopefully this movement means more people of all backgrounds/genders have the ability to come forward and tell their story

    Sure, but we shouldn't automatically assume everything they say is true, especially if the accuser is a crazy actor/actress.  


    Parent
    why this: (none / 0) (#51)
    by CST on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 12:09:43 PM EST
    "especially if the accuser is a crazy actor/actress" distinction?

    Also, how would you define "crazy"?

    I certainly wouldn't assume someone was less likely to be telling the truth based on their profession, or based on the fact that they seem to be acting out in some way.  If anything, I'd think the latter would make things more believable.

    Finally, I don't think I said anything about guilt or whether or not everything was true.  In fact, I intentionally said "can be both correct" not "are both correct".

    Parent

    I think many talented entertainers (none / 0) (#52)
    by McBain on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 12:24:52 PM EST
    are crazy.  I put Ashely Judd and Rose McGowan in that category.  Despite their craziness, I believe their accusations should be investigated.  

    Parent
    Words shouldn't be abused ... (5.00 / 4) (#60)
    by Yman on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 07:17:14 PM EST
    I think many talented entertainer are crazy.  I put Ashely Judd and Rose McGowan in that category.

    ... like that.  Being a feminist or progressive - actress or not - does not mean that person is "crazy".  He// - coming from you that's an indicator they're saner than the average person.

    Parent

    That didn't address my question (none / 0) (#53)
    by CST on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 12:36:25 PM EST
    Of why you would qualify whether or not we should believe them with their profession/mental state?

    Shouldn't it be "allegedly crazy", since I'm pretty sure you aren't a psychologist.

    Parent

    I thought I made it clear (none / 0) (#54)
    by McBain on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 01:03:08 PM EST
    we shouldn't automatically believe anyone is telling the truth.  Being a crazy performer should definitely add some skepticism, as these are people who love attention.  

    Parent
    You made it clear (5.00 / 2) (#55)
    by CST on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 01:08:06 PM EST
    That some people are to be believed less than others based on some armchair psychology about people you don't know.

    Parent
    I'll also include... (none / 0) (#57)
    by McBain on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 01:32:00 PM EST
    The casting coach adds to some of the skepticism of Hollywood accusations. That topic really hasn't been addressed as much as it should.  There are people willing to do almost anything to have a career in that town.  

    Parent
    We get it (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by CST on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 01:48:26 PM EST
    I do not think that sex should be a criteria for employment, and that in the event that such a "consensual" situation did occur I would still think the perpetrator should be shunned from positions of power for abusing that power.  There are people willing to do anything with their positions of power, and those people shouldn't be in power.

    Whether or not someone committed a criminal act is a separate question, but I believe soliciting prostitutes is illegal.

    Also, the fact that that may exist in Hollywood does not make it any less likely that sexual assault also exists, or make it any more likely that people would lie about sexual assault.

    Parent

    Had to do a bit of driving (none / 0) (#59)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Aug 20, 2018 at 04:13:18 PM EST
    Yesterday, so listened to a few Ted Talks. Wait until McBain hears about 'The End of Men', and hears women are better communicators and team builders and the oncoming economy favors women. We are already beginning to out earn our men. In heterosexual relationships in the next generation men are on track to be at home raising the kids.

    Parent
    Au contraire... (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by kdog on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 08:49:51 AM EST
    the next generation is going to require two income households, same as this generation.

    Come to think of it, polyamorous households may be required with 3-4 incomes to make ends meet if we continue to refuse to tackle the wealth/income disparity problem.

    Parent

    Depends where you live (none / 0) (#66)
    by McBain on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 11:29:44 AM EST
    I definitely live in two income, wealth disparity area.  Two incomes often aren't enough to buy a decent home but that's why many people have moved somewhere else.  It's not a perfect situation but,  overall, our country is doing fine.

    Parent
    Catch 22... (5.00 / 1) (#67)
    by kdog on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 11:38:59 AM EST
    can't afford the housing where the jobs are, can't find a job where you can afford the housing.

    "Doing fine" all depends on who you ask...Jeff Bezos is doing fantastic, his warehouse workers not so much.

    Parent

    When you say his warehouse workers (none / 0) (#68)
    by McBain on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 11:51:52 AM EST
    aren't doing well what do you mean?  Compared to Bezos or compared to how those workers were doing 10 years ago?


    Parent
    I mean... (5.00 / 3) (#73)
    by kdog on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 01:36:54 PM EST
    their salaries might just make the rent, but groceries are going on the credit card at 23% APR.  

    Not even the biggest proponent of guaranteed income or medicare for all or free public college wants or expects a warehouse worker to have the same income or wealth as a 1%er...despite Fox News propaganda to the contrary, we are not communists my friend lol. We just expect a full time worker to have enough to provide for their family and to live simply yet comfortably.

    A return to the golden age of America's middle class where a Jeff Bezos makes 15-20 times what a warehouse worker makes sounds equitable and sustainable and prosperous for the nation as a whole to me.  Jeff still got mad dough to innovate and invest, and the workers who help make that mad dough possible can live with dignity and room to breath.

    In other words, how average workers were doing 60 years ago, by the blood sweat and tears of the labor movement.  Right now the median Amazon employee makes 28 grand a year, and Jeff Bezos makes 28 grand every 9 seconds.  That can't be good...for the present, nor the future.

    Parent

    10 years ago (none / 0) (#72)
    by CST on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 01:20:25 PM EST
    We were entering the worst recession since the great depression.

    The bar could be a little bit higher...

    Parent

    Adjusted for inflation (none / 0) (#97)
    by jondee on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 10:14:56 AM EST
    how much have the average non-union warehouse worker's wages risen in this "doing just fine" economy?

    Parent
    Whoa, slow down (none / 0) (#80)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 03:06:32 PM EST
    We don't have polyamorous economy Ted talks yet.

    But this whole guys watching the kids thing because the women are the primary earners, for men to truly understand reproductive rights, it is long overdue

    Parent

    Argento denies assault (none / 0) (#77)
    by McBain on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 02:11:53 PM EST
    according to this statement...
    "I am deeply shocked and hurt by having read news that is absolutely false," her statement opened. "I never had any sexual relationship with (Jimmy) Bennett."

    Argento's statement said that her late boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain, considered her accuser "dangerous" but decided Bennett's need for money was worthy of "compassion."

    This is a bizarre story to begin with.  If Bourdain was involved it makes things even stranger.


    Parent

    What is strange (none / 0) (#78)
    by MKS on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 02:27:25 PM EST
    about Bourdain?

    Parent
    His suicide a few months after (none / 0) (#79)
    by McBain on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 02:51:23 PM EST
    making the payment for one thing.  Argento makes it sound like it was extortion against Bourdain..

    link

    "Bennett knew my boyfriend, Anthony Bourdain, was a man of great perceived wealth, and had his own reputation as a beloved public figure to protect....
     

    I wonder what he was afraid might happen?

    ...Anthony was afraid of the possible negative publicity that such a person, whom he considered dangerous, could have brought upon us,"


    Parent
    Don't "wonder," then. (none / 0) (#89)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 06:33:11 PM EST
    Linking Anthony Bourdain's suicide to alleged hush money payments is a real stretch. In some quarters, that's called rumormongering. It's best to not leap to conclusions in the absence of any evidence to support your contention.

    Parent
    I wouldn't call it rumormongering (none / 0) (#91)
    by McBain on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 08:08:20 PM EST
    Donald. I provided a quote from Argento but I should have worded my comment a little bit better.  I don't know if Bourdain's suicide had anything to do with this latest twist.  I don't know if Argento is telling the truth. But this entire saga, going back to Argento's allegations of Weinstein and now including Bourdain, is very odd.

    The implications of the NYT article is that Argento paid Bennett because of the emotional and financial problems he had after allegedly having sex with her.  Now she's saying she didn't have sex with him and the money was for something else that sounds like extortion.  

     

    Parent

    You're speculating without foundation. (5.00 / 2) (#94)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 02:12:35 AM EST
    You can't possibly know what Anthony Bourdain was thinking prior to his suicide. To imply that the payment to Bennett on behalf of his girlfriend might have had something to do with his decision to take his own life -- which is what you did by linking the two together -- is both irresponsible and disrespectful.

    And yes, that's exactly how rumors get started. When you don't know, then you don't assume and you don't speculate. Just don't even go there.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I clarified my comment (none / 0) (#96)
    by McBain on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 09:00:14 AM EST
    if that's not good enough for you that's your problem. I find cases/stories like this to a refreshing break from politics.  If you don't want me to continue to comment on it, stop responding.  

    Parent
    Jimmy Bennett releases statement (none / 0) (#99)
    by McBain on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 05:47:02 PM EST
    through his attorney.
    "I did not initially speak out about my story because I chose to handle it in private with the person who wronged me. My trauma resurfaced as she came out as a victim herself," Bennett's statement read in part. "I was underage when the event took place, and I tried to seek justice in a way that made sense to me at the time because I was not ready to deal with the ramifications of my story becoming public. At the time I believed there was still a stigma to being in the situation as a male in our society."


    Parent
    Justice Baby Teeth (none / 0) (#69)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 11:53:23 AM EST
    Is blithely gliding below the news of the day.

    just FYI

    The air quality in the Seattle area... (none / 0) (#75)
    by desertswine on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 02:01:38 PM EST
    has been reported to be worse than Beijing due to the record number of forest fires.  They just had the worst quality ever recorded for a 24hr period for Seattle.

    I think Mueller now MUST (none / 0) (#82)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 04:02:33 PM EST
    Subpoena Trump.  And he should

    IMO if there is any doubt at all he "can be" subpoenaed he has to do it.  I think people need to know if anyone is above the law.

    I believe there will be widespread agreement in public opinion that no one is

    Anyone else notice that (none / 0) (#84)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 05:10:26 PM EST
    Duncan Hunter (R) CA Indicted Today (none / 0) (#85)
    by CoralGables on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 05:40:00 PM EST
    Can't keep up with the crooks without a program.

    According to the indictment, ... (none / 0) (#88)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 06:26:54 PM EST
    ... Hunter and his wife Margaret (who's also been indicted) are accused of spending over $250,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses, including trips to Italy and Hawaii, between the years 2009 and 2016. That averages out to $31,250 / yr. which they allegedly pilfered.

    Bookkeeping error? I don't think so.

    Parent

    We're getting ready for Hurricane Lane. (none / 0) (#86)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 05:44:39 PM EST
    It's starting to swing in our direction and it's presently a Category 4 storm. While we likely won't take a direct hit in Hilo, we're going to be getting some pretty fierce winds and rains. On Lane's present track, Honolulu is at much more at risk than we are. Forecasters are predicting that the eye of the storm will pass just south of Oahu and Kauai on Friday.

    As of 8:00 a.m. HST on Friday, ... (none / 0) (#87)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Aug 21, 2018 at 06:08:54 PM EST
    ... NOAA / NWS is predicting that the eye of Hurricane Lane will be at 20.6N 158.2W. If you have Google Earth, plug in those coordinates in the search engine, and you'll see just how close it will be to Honolulu. It's batten down the hatches time for Elder Daughter and family.


    Parent
    UPDATE: Lane's outer bands are hitting us. (none / 0) (#102)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 12:11:53 AM EST
    We've received about 5 inches of rain today in Hilo, with a lot more on the way. But the winds won't pick up until tomorrow. This is a large, ponderous and very wet storm as hurricanes go, and NOAA/NWS is forecasting about 20 inches of rain for Oahu.

    Parent
    Is the volcano (none / 0) (#106)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 08:21:13 AM EST
    Still actively erupting? Anything interesting about the potential interaction of the two extreme events?

    Parent
    The latest eruptive phase has shut down. (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 11:41:19 AM EST
    But while it was active, the heat generated by the eruption and lava flows was intense enough to create its own weather patterns over Puna, which resulted in lots of rain.

    But there is no correlation between Hurricane Lane, which as of this writing remains a Category 4 storm located 235 miles SSW of Kailua-Kona on the Bid Island's west side and moving NNW at 9 m.p.h., and the ongoing Kilauea eruption.

    We are presently in an active flood warning stage here in Hilo, having received about 10 inches of rain in the last 24 hours with a promise of much more to come. This hurricane appears to be an abnormally wet one by most indications.

    And this poses a significant threat in that regard because Lane has slowed its advance from 18 m.p.h. to half that in the last 24 hours, which means that it's likely to linger in our vicinity through the entire weekend.

    We're being sideswiped but good here on the Big Island. But if Lane doesn't start to both weaken and divert / track westward tonight as predicted by NOAA/NWS, it could pass directly over Honolulu late tomorrow afternoon as at least a Category 3 storm -- and given the million-plus people on Oahu, the potential casualties and property losses could be quite significant.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Good luck over there Donald. (5.00 / 1) (#125)
    by fishcamp on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 05:23:02 PM EST
    I'm sure you're prepared with extra water and other supplies.  Yes those slow moving hurricanes are terrible.  Some of ours have been that way and even if they are a cat 1 if they linger it's devastating.  The keys are still recovering from hurricane Irma, which was a terrible disaster.  You have had to suffer both the volcano and now hurricane Lane.  It sounds like you'll be ok and let's hope it takes a left turn before it gets to Honolulu.  Stay in touch with us, and good luck.

    Parent
    Just saw a satellite photo (5.00 / 1) (#127)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 06:43:05 PM EST
    of the hurricane approaching Hawaii. Looks awful. Trying to hold you in the Light, Donald, as my Quaker friends say.

    Parent
    That lack of proximity hasn't stopped the hurricane from inflicting a truly torrential downpour upon us. The sheer volume of water has been astonishing and frightening to behold.

    My younger daughter and I helped my friend evacuate his elderly parents and their two small dogs from their home last night in the nearby upscale neighborhood of Reed's Island, which has been flooded by a rampaging Wailuku River. They were trapped upstairs; the downstairs had two feet of standing water. We had to go in on foot and lead them out by hand. If I had to guess, I'd say their house will be a total loss.

    Hilo has really taken a beating these last 24+ hours. Preliminary estimates from NOAA/NWS are that we've received nearly 30 inches of rain. Much of lower downtown along the waterfront is flooded. My office building is okay because it's on elevated ground, but it's completely cut off by the surrounding water. This event has been almost biblical.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Yikes! Stay safe. (none / 0) (#146)
    by desertswine on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 09:25:05 PM EST
    Mahalo, Peter and fishcamp. (none / 0) (#129)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 07:36:28 PM EST
    We'll be fine. As I said earlier, our biggest issue here is the prodigious amount of rain; up to 15 inches so far with lots of thunder and lightning. We're two miles upslope from Hilo Bay at 900 ft. elevation, so we're not susceptible to flooding like the communities down along the shoreline. But still, it's definitely not a day to be out and about, that's for sure.

    This footage from Big Island Video News was posted three hours ago, and gives you an idea of what conditions here are like right now. The Wailuku River is rampaging right now, and being about a half-mile away, we can hear it roar from our backyard.

    And speaking of our backyard, I'm glad we had our drainage issues fixed last year; it was formerly subject to ponding during heavy rain events. And since we average 191 inches of annual rainfall here in Hilo, it was always a potentially serious problem.

    I'm much more concerned about our eldest daughter and her family in Honolulu, should the storm not begin to deteriorate and track westward as expected later tonight. But they're all hunkered down for the duration over there, and we had the townhouse roof in Kuliouou Valley re-constructed in 2004 to withstand hurricane-force winds. So we'll just have to trust that they're going to be okay, too.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    UPDATE: It's still raining here in Hilo. (none / 0) (#154)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 07:30:42 PM EST
    But for the most part, the worst appears to be over. Our neighborhood has received nearly 40 inches, and much of downtown is still flooded. It will take a few days for the water to recede and drain so people can determine the full extent of the damage. Highway 19 to Waimea and Hwy. 20 to Kailua-Kona remain closed due to extensive landslides, and Hwy. 11 is closed near Volcano village, so travel to the rest of the island is a moot point for now. But Hilo airport is open again, and so is the harbor and its port facilities.

    We'll know in a few days how bad it actually was. President Trump had declared a state of emergency before the hurricane arrived, which was good because FEMA officials were already prepositioned in Honolulu. So about 100 of them are now on the ground here in Hilo assessing the situation. We expect a federal disaster declaration to follow shortly. That said, the Big Island weathered its ordeal (bad pun intended) without any loss of life or significant injuries to residents and visitors, and that's what really counts.

    Talk to you all later.

    Parent

    Drainage? (none / 0) (#157)
    by jmacWA on Sun Aug 26, 2018 at 11:32:23 AM EST
    So I take it your drainage fix stood against 40" of rain?

    Parent
    Yes, it did. (none / 0) (#160)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Aug 26, 2018 at 06:48:28 PM EST
    You can't see it with the naked eye on a dry day, but our house sits in a large yard that's bowled just enough to trap water, particularly out back. We had to install a system that drains the water to the street.

    Like many homes in Hilo, which averages 191 inches of rainfall annually, our house is set high enough on its foundation that there was no real danger of flooding. But still, having standing water in your yard for days on end isn't a good thing, either.

    Per NOAA/NWS, 51.53 inches of rain fell in the Hilo area between noon on Wednesday, Aug. 22, through 4 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 26. The figure is preliminary, but it stands as the third highest rainfall total from a tropical cyclone in the United States since 1950. Over 17 inches fell at Hilo Airport on Friday alone, making it the single wettest day in the city's history.

    I'm really looking forward to some much-welcome sunshine.

    Parent

    CASTLE ROCK (none / 0) (#98)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 04:50:12 PM EST
    This is SO good.  It really is.  It will pop up at EMMY time.

    This weeks episode (they drop on Wed) is the best so far.  Episode 7.  Of 10 I think.

    If Sissy doesn't at the very least get a nomination for playing a brilliant woman slipping into dementia I will be unhappy.

    So (none / 0) (#100)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 06:54:00 PM EST
    Who was Trumps third congressional endorsement?

    Someplace day drinking probably

    Jeff Sessions is endorser number 3. (none / 0) (#101)
    by caseyOR on Wed Aug 22, 2018 at 07:11:06 PM EST
    Anybody heard any rumors of a Sessions indictment?

    Parent
    No, I haven't. (none / 0) (#103)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 12:14:07 AM EST
    Should we start our own instead?

    ;-D

    Parent

    The only (none / 0) (#104)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 06:01:24 AM EST
    rumors I have heard is that Sessions is cooperating with Mueller.

    Parent
    THE SINNER (none / 0) (#111)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 11:00:42 AM EST
    USA.  This is also great.  Seriously great.

    It's an anthology series.  Different stories with the point being we know who, what and when and the story is to understand why.

    This season, (the first season was worthy of EMMY nominations) the incredible  Carrie Coons will be in competition with Sissy for supporting actress in a drama.

    We've been watching 'Animal Kingdom.' (none / 0) (#130)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 07:42:51 PM EST
    It's a wonderfully trashy show about a family of degenerate criminals in Oceanside, CA. Season three just ended Tuesday night.

    Parent
    If you have not seen (none / 0) (#131)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 07:36:35 AM EST
    The film of the same name it's based on you really should

    I tried it because I love the movie and couldn't get there because the movie is so much better.

    Parent

    That movie was totally awesome. (none / 0) (#143)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 03:50:18 PM EST
    Jackie Weaver was a force of nature as the emotionally manipulative and conniving Smurf. In my opinion, she should've won the Oscar as best supporting actress for that role in 2010. I won't compare the film and the TV series. I've stuck with the latter, and it's since grown on me.

    Parent
    John Bolton (none / 0) (#124)
    by KeysDan on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 04:37:23 PM EST
    asked at Geneva Conference by BBC reporter if Trump is a security threat.   What a state of affairs.

    Bolton asked? (5.00 / 3) (#128)
    by Peter G on Thu Aug 23, 2018 at 06:46:28 PM EST
    Or Bolton was asked? I like your original version better.

    Parent
    Allen Weisselberg (none / 0) (#132)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 09:58:08 AM EST
    Trump org CFO granted immunity in Cohen case.

    This might be the worst news yet for Cheeto.

    I read this comment on another site..... (none / 0) (#145)
    by vml68 on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 08:50:57 PM EST
    "Hello, and welcome to the Robert Meuller Plea Deal Hotline. We are experiencing an EXTREMELY high volume of calls right now, but your call is important to us. Continue to hold on the line and one of our representatives will be with you shortly." :-)!!!!

    Parent
    Weisselberg's and Pecker's immunity orders (none / 0) (#147)
    by Peter G on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 09:41:30 PM EST
    do not necessarily suggest plea deals. They may just be forced by this kind of immunity order to testify, by taking away their Fifth Amendment right to refuse. Formal immunity orders are particularly valuable, however, more than plea agreements in this respect, because they are binding on state authorities as well as federal.

    Parent
    Thanks, Peter. I had meant that to be a stand (none / 0) (#152)
    by vml68 on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 02:42:47 PM EST
    alone comment and not as a reply to Capt Howdy.
    What can I say, the news regarding Manafort, Cohen, Pecker and Weisselberg and the effect it must be having on Tr*mp has me a little giddy. I might have been celebrating a bit prematurely when I wrote the comment ;-)!

    Parent
    Many of (none / 0) (#153)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 06:42:19 PM EST
    us feel that our national 2 year nightmare is ending. To start the healing from PTSD we have to get rid of the one causing it.

    Parent
    Yes, Trump is a disaster for the nation. (none / 0) (#155)
    by caseyOR on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 08:16:44 PM EST
    But be careful what ou wish for. Mike Pence will also be a disaster as President. His policies will not be better for the country than Trump's. And Pence brings that special sauce of right wing religious fervor to his bigotry.

    Manafort handpicked Pence as veep. It seems likely that Pence is also under the sway of Putin.

    There is no easy way out of this long national nightmare.

    Parent

    I don't (none / 0) (#156)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Aug 26, 2018 at 05:50:00 AM EST
    wish for Mike Pence. Pence is just as dirty as Trump. I just consider getting rid of Trump the beginning. Basically this is going to be a long haul getting rid of the evangelical influence in politics. However, if we at least take the house we can gum up a lot of the crap Mike Pence wants to do.

    Parent
    Lindsey and Grassley (none / 0) (#133)
    by KeysDan on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 11:59:00 AM EST
    have given Trump the green light to unload Sessions, after the elections.  Last year, that was a no, no.  Grassley had no time for hearings  What changed so fast?   What is in that safe of Pecker?  

    A replacement for Sessions, by any senate confirmed officer, would be something.   Betsy DeVos as AG? She would be Trump's Roy Cohen.

    I get the feeling (none / 0) (#135)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 01:48:28 PM EST
    All this, Grassley, Lindsey, after the "election" stuff etc is to calm and placate the emperor

    Just keep him happy for a little bit longer.

    Parent

    Yeah, (none / 0) (#140)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 03:06:20 PM EST
    what good is it going to do to fire Sessions after the election? At this point things are too far gone where firing anybody is going to do any good frankly. Like you say below Pecker and Weiselberg got immunity months ago.

    Parent
    NEXT WEEK (none / 0) (#134)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 01:45:27 PM EST
    Please note that next week is the end of the made up imaginary open window for all manner of legal shenanigans before the midterms

    If you do not get the feeling things are building to a finale I would suggest you consume more news.

    Next week is going to be .......interesting

    Weisselberg (none / 0) (#136)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 02:02:59 PM EST
    He was given immunity some time ago.

    Why are we learning it now.  Same for Pecker.  

    I think we are learning it now because

    Next week

    Parent

    What (none / 0) (#141)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 03:08:07 PM EST
    do you think is going to happen next week? Truly I have no idea. It's so look over here, look over there lately.

    Parent
    Who knows (none / 0) (#148)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 08:57:52 AM EST
    I just get the feeling something is about to happen.
    Maybe more than one thing

    Parent
    Well, we've got (none / 0) (#149)
    by Ga6thDem on Sat Aug 25, 2018 at 10:25:48 AM EST
    73 days until November 6th. So within 13 more days is when something is going to happen. I would guess the obstruction of justice report from Mueller is going to drop.

    Parent
    John McCain (none / 0) (#137)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 02:11:23 PM EST
    Come on.  Media wh0re?  Of course.  But

    He will be remembered as the last republican to "correct" a bat sh!t crazy full mooner calling Obama an "Arab".

    He saved Obama care.  Admit it.

    He has chosen to end treatment for his glioblastoma.

    I salute you sir.

    You can (5.00 / 2) (#139)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 03:04:58 PM EST
    disagree with someone but still respect them. That is the way I feel about John McCain.

    Parent
    Maybe (none / 0) (#138)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 02:32:57 PM EST
    I called both (none / 0) (#142)
    by Ga6thDem on Fri Aug 24, 2018 at 03:09:12 PM EST
    senators and my congressional rep. They are all fine with Trump being named an unindicted co conspirator by the SDNY.

    SHARP OBJECTS series finale (none / 0) (#158)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Aug 26, 2018 at 05:17:51 PM EST
    PREACHER season finale.

    THE DEUCE season 2 in 2 weeks.

    Wow (none / 0) (#162)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 27, 2018 at 12:27:01 PM EST
    SHARP OBJECTS

    I nailed the killer in the first episode and have comments to prove it.

    Parent

    Playwright Neil Simon... (none / 0) (#159)
    by desertswine on Sun Aug 26, 2018 at 06:04:35 PM EST
    Adieu.

    Even a partial list of his works summons the comic highlights of late 20th-century American theater: "Barefoot in the Park." "The Odd Couple." "Sweet Charity." "Plaza Suite." "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers." "The Prisoner of Second Avenue." "Brighton Beach Memoirs." "Lost in Yonkers." "Laughter on the 23rd Floor."
    And that's just for starters. Simon wrote more than 30 plays.
    Add in his original screenplays -- such as "The Out-of-Towners," "The Heartbreak Kid," "The Goodbye Girl" and "Seems Like Old Times" -- and one can get a sense of Simon's dominance.


    That is sad. (5.00 / 4) (#161)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Aug 27, 2018 at 12:09:26 PM EST
    Back in the early 90's, when I worked as a waiter, he was a lunchtime regular in my section. He was always friendly and appreciative of those who said "Hi," but he really seemed to relish the hour or so of uninterrupted writing time he was able to get at my table. He wrote in longhand, on a tablet of lined paper.

    RIP Mr. Simon.

    Parent

    Trouble in paradise (none / 0) (#164)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Aug 28, 2018 at 10:58:11 AM EST