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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#281726: May 29th 2019 at 2:55:16 AM

Something housing related: Separated by Design: How Some of America’s Richest Towns Fight Affordable Housing. Kinda wondering if this is more classism or racism.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#281727: May 29th 2019 at 2:58:21 AM

They probably intersect, let's be honest.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
Hylarn (Don’t ask)
#281728: May 29th 2019 at 3:07:12 AM

I'm inclined to say that's mostly classism, but classism and racism are closely related in America

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#281729: May 29th 2019 at 3:08:00 AM

There's a reason I've come to loathe suburbia.

I prefer cities anyway. The more grid-like arrangement in cities is a more pleasing aesthetic to me than the weird curves of a lot of suburbs.

Edited by M84 on May 29th 2019 at 6:09:22 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Oruka Since: Dec, 2018
#281730: May 29th 2019 at 3:26:05 AM

Koyaanisqatsi has a very interesting sequence showcasing urban grids, scored with a monumental Philip Glass soundtrack. Here for your pleasure.

Edited by Oruka on May 29th 2019 at 4:24:56 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#281731: May 29th 2019 at 4:19:11 AM

im not watching no tube video with an explanation,no sir

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#281732: May 29th 2019 at 7:08:13 AM

Mueller is going to make a statement in an hour.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#281733: May 29th 2019 at 7:22:58 AM

They reject free money?! Can't Congress, SCOTUS, or executive orders make them?

This is just off the top of my head, but a federal law requiring transparency in grant acceptance, denial, and fulfillment of terms might help. If it doesn't exist already.

Like, if it was a 100% public thing and the West Virginia government had to publicly say, "We REFUSE your economic rejuvenation grant on grounds that it would create jobs we don't like," that might have an impact on the culture of the state. If they can just quietly kill the grant, then that contributes to the impression that Democrats simply aren't trying.

But maybe that's already a thing and I'm talking out of my ass.

Edited by TobiasDrake on May 29th 2019 at 8:24:07 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#281734: May 29th 2019 at 7:24:25 AM

It happened in Kentucky when they tried to refuse Obama Care.

The public revolted and they were forced to accept it.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#281735: May 29th 2019 at 7:33:12 AM

Saw a headline on CNN that Mueller's going to speak about the probe today.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#281736: May 29th 2019 at 7:48:07 AM

From yesterday's WTFJH feed:

Trump's lawyers reached an agreement with the House Intelligence and Financial Services committees to not enforce the subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Capital One for Trump's financial records for now. In April, Trump sued Deutsche Bank and Capital One to prevent them from supplying information to congressional investigators. According to the filing, "the parties have reached an agreement regarding compliance with and enforcement of the subpoenas during the pendency of Plaintiffs' appeal."

Another subpoena bites the dust.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#281737: May 29th 2019 at 7:58:27 AM

@Septimus Heap: No, it's about overinflated property values. Providing affordable housing options in overpriced living areas like San Francisco would ruin the million-dollar investments that people who already live in nice places have made and are continuing to make.

MrHellboy The Shadow from A world of my own Since: Dec, 2017 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
The Shadow
#281738: May 29th 2019 at 8:06:41 AM

Anyone else expecting this "substantial" Mueller statement to come to absolutely nothing?

Remember, Barr approved of this.

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#281739: May 29th 2019 at 8:12:46 AM

Not to drift too far off-topic, but I've been watching European politics lately and you'd have a very hard time convincing me that the political center is that much farther left than in the United States, what with so many countries voting themselves conservative governments that want to restrict immigration, adopt hard money policies, and be isolationist.

The financial crash and a decade of austerity has had a dramatic impact on European politics. A decade ago, the claim was true. Ten years later, Europe is catching up fast.

In the UK, it's so extreme that the UN Poverty Envoy has made it clear that he believes the party of UK government is even worse than the Republicans (he dealt with both the US and the UK, so it's his own personal investigation of both countries that has led him to that conclusion).

So, while our left-wing politics are still to the left of the Democrats (barely), our right-wing is potentially even more extreme than the US right-wing.

Generally, pacifism has long been a staple of progressive movements. Jeremy Corbyn is so appeasing towards Russia, even when they murder British citizens, that I could never vote for his party, but he still is a progressive, absolutely no question about it.

If you're talking about the poisonings, you might want to double-check your facts. The FCO gave MPs its initial findings (which was a nerve agent 'of a type that has been developed by Russia') and British Intelligence asked them to wait and not jump the gun because they still needed to confirm the intelligence.

Corbyn followed that advice, May ignored it. We then had British Intelligence admonish May for jeopardising their investigation and a leak from the FCO indicating the FCO was angry that May was using incomplete findings as evidence. As soon as British Intelligence finished confirming the intelligence and gave the politicians the green light, Corbyn swung fully behind the findings.

A British politician following the advice of British intelligence agencies isn't appeasing Russia.

Edited by Wyldchyld on May 29th 2019 at 4:32:11 PM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#281740: May 29th 2019 at 8:40:30 AM

Apologies for the double-post, but Mueller's speech is being reported at the moment:

Special counsel Robert Mueller just explained why he couldn't charge President Trump with a crime.

Mueller reiterated the finding in his report, saying if his office "had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so."

"We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the President did commit a crime," he said.

Mueller then explained, citing Department of Justice policy, that a President "cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional."

The above is basically going to be reported by the press (and probably Democrats, too) as 'I couldn't charge Trump because of DOJ guidelines'. And regarding any testimony:

"Now, I hope and expect this to be the only time that I will speak to you in this manner. I am making that decision myself. No one has told me whether I can or should testify or speak further about this matter. There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress. Any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report. It contains our findings and analysis and the reasons for the decisions we made. We chose those words carefully and the work speaks for itself. And the report is my testimony. I would not provide information beyond that which is already public in any appearance before Congress."

Edited by Wyldchyld on May 29th 2019 at 4:47:03 PM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#281741: May 29th 2019 at 8:42:01 AM

[up][up][up][up]It's all about those precious, precious property values.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#281742: May 29th 2019 at 8:43:51 AM

Mueller is resigning.

He also said it was up to Congress to charge him and the ball was in their court.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#281743: May 29th 2019 at 8:46:03 AM

Mueller seems to have felt that his job was only to determine if the President could be exonerated, not to indict him, which explains much of what he did. Whether we agree with this position is one question, but not a strictly relevant one. Mueller is strictly reading the established Justice Department opinion that Congress, and only Congress, can prosecute a President.

It's important to note that this opinion has never been tested in the Supreme Court, and so its constitutionality is not established. There is nothing strictly written in the Constitution that makes the President immune from criminal litigation.

Edited by Fighteer on May 29th 2019 at 11:48:00 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
MrHellboy The Shadow from A world of my own Since: Dec, 2017 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
The Shadow
#281744: May 29th 2019 at 8:47:52 AM

Well, then we're boned, right?

The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#281745: May 29th 2019 at 8:49:38 AM

We are boned in the sense that we must rely on Congress to impeach and convict Trump, and in the current political climate this would require control of the House and a two-thirds majority in the Senate. While the former is something we have now, the latter is nearly impossible.

Impeachment was always a long-shot. Our best chance to remove him from office is what it's always been: the 2020 elections. There is still an outside chance that the 25th Amendment could be invoked, but I wouldn't count on it.

Edited by Fighteer on May 29th 2019 at 11:51:18 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#281746: May 29th 2019 at 8:50:14 AM

Mueller seems to have felt that his job was only to determine if the President could be exonerated, not to indict him, which explains much of what he did. Whether we agree with this position is one question, but not a strictly relevant one. Mueller is strictly reading the established Justice Department opinion that Congress, and only Congress, can prosecute a President.

Basically, yes. Mueller's made it clear that current DOJ policy factored into his thinking (he does refer to which bit). Whether or not that policy is accurate or stands up in a court of law is another matter.

And, yes, Democrats are already saying that this is confirmation that the only reason Mueller didn't charge Trump is because of DOJ guidelines. Justin Amash is also saying the same thing as the Democrats.

Donald Trump has already responded, too:

Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you.

Edited by Wyldchyld on May 29th 2019 at 4:52:31 PM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#281747: May 29th 2019 at 8:50:27 AM

Mueller is a character that will be examined for many years after Trump's presidency because he doesn't fit into the political polemic very easily. He didn't take sides despite being a lifelong Republican, he just did his job and took his oath as a police officer (FBI) seriously.

The job above politics is something I almost forgot existed outside of Terry Pratchett's Guard.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#281748: May 29th 2019 at 8:50:27 AM

The Report at least did not explicitly exonerate Trump. So there's that.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#281749: May 29th 2019 at 8:51:38 AM

It nicely once more knocks the issue back in Congress' table.

Do something or be doomed.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#281750: May 29th 2019 at 8:52:21 AM

Which makes taking the Senate and House even more important,I'd be almost tempted to tell voters "Look,just forgot about Presidency for moment,focus on getting the houses,that's all the matters here if you want to truly punish Trump" but having both is really nice and they're in arm's reach of each other

have a listen and have a link to my discord server

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