rayckeith

rayckeith, 9 days ago to random

White Collar s3e2 "where there's a will" is funnier than the typical episode (of the ones I've seen).

I'd like to quote the best bits of dialog, but I want to finish watching it first.

rayckeith, 12 days ago to random

The “Originalist” Supreme Court vs Democracy

"The way you outline originalism’s rise is so plausible to me because it situates this story within the context of a broader counter-mobilization against the progressive changes of the 1950s and 60s. Inventing these legal theories and laundering them through legal academia is one dimension of this broader rightwing political project; another is the creation of an institutionalized conservative legal movement. And like you say, this also ties in with the grassroots mobilization of rightwing activists, and, by the 1990s, has managed to connect to, and take over, the power centers of conservative politics. We are not looking at separate stories coincidentally unfolding at the same time. We are dealing with a decades-long, multi-level effort to roll back the racial and social progress towards egalitarian democracy."
https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/the-originalist-supreme-court-vs

rayckeith, 21 days ago to random

When I try to visualize something, I "see" black on a black background. Visualizing a rubics cube, I basically imagine a black wireframe on a black background.

But my dreams are full color movies.

When I was dreaming very recently, I tried to imagine something and it was black on black, but it turned into full color with photographic detail. Which surprised me and then I woke up.

rayckeith, 30 days ago to random

if someone can publish (this dreck I just read), then I should be able publish my book.

rayckeith, 15 days ago to random

Why Dems Shouldn't be Shy about Trump's Conviction

"According to Friday morning’s Politico Playbook, Democrats seemed divided over how—and how much—to discuss Trump’s conviction. My most recent post about Trump’s conviction was used as evidence of said division.

"While I appreciate anyone and everyone sharing the Message Box with their network, I would like to clarify a few points about how I think Democrats should approach the seismic event of Trump’s conviction. I believe Democrats should take a more aggressive stance than they have in the last 24 hours."
https://www.messageboxnews.com/p/why-dems-shouldnt-be-shy-about-trumps

rayckeith, 22 days ago to random

"Andrea Junker &
@Strandjunker
Follow
Nothing says ban assault rifles like 5 school officers, 8 federal DEA officers, 13 U.S.
Marshals, 16 sheriff's deputies, 25 Uvalde officers, 69 officers of nearby law enforcement, 91 state police officers plus 149
U.S. Border Patrol agents being scared of 1 shooter with an AR-15.
12:45 PM • 5/24/24 From Earth • 30K Views"

rayckeith, 12 days ago to random

The “Originalist” Supreme Court vs Democracy

"In this crusade to entrench and maintain discriminatory hierarchies of race, gender, religion, and wealth, conservatives are deploying “originalism” as a key weapon to dismantle the civil rights order. They are trying to turn the clock back – as far back as to before the Reconstruction Amendments that were adopted after the Civil War – by repealing whatever racial and social progress they say is not in accordance with the Constitution’s “original public meaning,” not “deeply rooted in American history and tradition.” And somehow, they got much of the legal establishment, mainstream political discourse, and liberal America to accept “originalism” as a coherent intellectual project and the dominant philosophy of constitutional interpretation."
https://thomaszimmer.substack.com/p/the-originalist-supreme-court-vs

rayckeith, 28 days ago to random

"Whooping cough is caused by a bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis often begins like most other respiratory infections, with typical symptoms including a runny nose and a fever. The distinctive "whoop" cough may only appear after a week or so of illness – though it does not occur in all cases. As such, confirming cases of whooping cough may require a laboratory test.

Whooping cough is very infectious. On average, a single case of pertussis can transmit infection on to around 15-17 other people. This infection rate is similar to measles and higher than the COVID variants.

The reason whooping cough is so infectious is in part due to pertussis having a very long infectious period of up to five weeks – where infected people can pass the bacteria on to others. Prompt treatment can greatly reduce transmission – antibiotics shown to reduce contagiousness just five days after starting treatment."
https://flipboard.com/@sciencealert/health-43m5auulz/-/a-DibHQr-dQdupkv4ryPjYvA%3Aa%3A565656366-%2F0

rayckeith, 25 days ago to random

Revolution, Fear, and Power: The Unseen Threads Connecting Stalin’s Russia to Modern America

"Fred Koch, the founder of the Koch dynasty, had made his first big money “building refineries, training Communist engineers, and laying down the foundation of Soviet oil infrastructure” for Stalin. He saw up close and personal how violent the USSR really was, and apparently never forgot it.

Koch Industries — and thus the Tea Party and the best of today’s Republican infrastructure — would never have happened were it not for the money Stalin gave Fred Koch for his services. Neither would the John Birch Society, which Koch heavily funded in the wake of the “communist” Brown v Board Supreme Court decision, have ever acquired the influence it did."
https://hartmannreport.com/p/revolution-fear-and-power-the-unseen-e28

rayckeith, 11 days ago to random

"Flynn’s Lethal Alternate Reality Game - by Jim Stewartson"

I don't know if this guy is legit...

"Two weeks after I started investigating QAnon I wrote about how Q appeared to be modeled on alternate reality game techniques I helped to pioneer. I had the unusual skill set of being able to decode what was effectively a malevolent version of internet experiences I had previously built.

Nearly four years ago, I wrote that Flynn was going to “take control” of the QAnon movement, and laid out the themes he would use…"
https://www.mind-war.com/p/flynns-lethal-alternate-reality-game

rayckeith, 9 days ago (edited 6 days ago) to random

State Investigative Report On Trump Shows Complexity Of Alleged Mob Ties - Fast Company
https://www.fastcompany.com/3057495/state-investigative-report-on-trump-shows-complexity-of-alleged-mob-ties/

"Trump was first linked to organized crime in the 1980s, when a $7.8 million subcontract for Trump Plaza was awarded to S&A Concrete, which was partially owned by Salerno, the boss of the Genovese crime family, and Paul Castellano, the boss of the Gambino crime family who was later gunned down outside midtown Manhattan’s Sparks Steak House in 1985. In the 1986 federal indictment of Salerno, government prosecutors noted the company’s work on Trump Plaza.

Trump himself discussed the company’s notorious backers when he acknowledged that S&A Concrete was “supposedly associated with the mob” in a December 2015 interview with the Wall Street Journal. He emphasized that many other developers hired the company and he praised the quality of their work"

rayckeith, 19 days ago to random

Review: I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons – Peter S. Beagle – Liminal Fiction

"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Unicorn comes a new novel with equal amounts of power and whimsy in which a loveable cast of characters trapped within their roles of dragon hunter, princess, and more must come together to take their fates into their own hands."
https://www.limfic.com/2024/05/14/review-im-afraid-youve-got-dragons-peter-s-beagle/

rayckeith, 24 days ago (edited 24 days ago) to random

rayckeith, 27 days ago to random

Russia Is Buying Politicians in Europe. Is It Happening Here Too? | The New Republic

"The Voice of Europe scandal is merely the latest example of Russian influence on the continent. Last year, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project revealed that politicians in Germany, Italy, and Cyprus were paid by Russian operatives to introduce legislation literally written by Russian intelligence officers. The OCCRP also uncovered examples of parliamentary staff members, party activists, and members of think tanks publishing articles in European press outlets under their name, while the articles were actually written by Russian handlers…"
https://newrepublic.com/article/180630/russia-corruption-network-europe-buying-politicians-america?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SF_TNR

rayckeith, 18 days ago to random

Behold The Terrors of the Texas Republican Platform
https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/behold-the-terrors-of-the-texas-republican

rayckeith, 25 days ago to random

"What is going on? How is it possible that the leading candidate to become president of the United States can float the prospect of executing a general and the media response is…crickets?

How is it possible that it’s not front page news when a man who soon may return to power calls for law enforcement to kill people for minor crimes? And why do so few people question Trump’s mental acuity rather than Biden’s, when Trump proposes delusional, unhinged plans for forest management and warns his supporters that Biden is going to lead us into World War II (which would require a time machine), or wrongly claims that he defeated Barack Obama in 2016."

https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/the-case-for-amplifying-trumps-insanity

rayckeith, 21 days ago to random

Eclipse just peed on a paper bag that was lying on the floor where we used to have a litter box. She is perfectly capable of using the litter boxes in the garage and balcony, and can even go into the backyard.

rayckeith, 23 days ago to random

"Experts say abruptly removing millions of workers from the U.S. economy could send it into a tailspin.

Writing in the Washington Monthly, economist Robert J. Shapiro crunches the numbers and finds Trump’s ambitious deportation goals would remove about 4.5% of the current U.S. workforce, and create ripples that would cause hundreds of thousands of native-born Americans to lose their jobs, as well. Shapiro posits that “if Trump’s program were carried out over three years, it would produce a downturn that could approximate the Great Recession in 2009, when GDP fell 2.6% and sluggish growth persisted for years.”"

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/trump-plan-deport-millions-2025-20240523.html?utm_source=social&utm_campaign=gift_link&utm_medium=referral

rayckeith, 21 days ago to random

I think an important component of America's economic boom is the Biden administration forgiving so many educational loans. Millions or billions of dollars are no longer going to pay interest on decades-old loans and are instead going to pay for real things that improve people's lives.

rayckeith, 21 days ago to random

Proposed Texas GOP platform would lock Democrats out of state office | The Texas Tribune

"Republican Party of Texas delegates voted Saturday on a platform that called for new laws to require the Bible to be taught in public schools and a constitutional amendment that would require statewide elected leaders to win the popular vote in a majority of Texas counties.

Other proposed planks of the 50-page platform included proclamations that “abortion is not healthcare it is homicide”; that gender-transition treatment for children is “child abuse”; calls to reverse recent name changes to military bases and “publicly honor the southern heroes”; support for declaring gold and silver as legal tender; and demands that the U.S. government disclose “all pertinent information and knowledge” of UFOs."
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/25/texas-republican-party-convention-platform/

rayckeith, 23 days ago to random

Working the System - by Mary L Trump
https://marytrump.substack.com/p/working-the-system

rayckeith, 9 days ago to random

Trump's early history needs more examination.

rayckeith, 18 days ago to random

"hey if you live in the usa i am on my knees begging you to go to benefits.gov and take their quiz to see if you qualify for literally any government benefits at all. the income requirements for some stuff (i.e. SNAP) are actually not quite as low as one might think! the quiz is really straightforward and only took me around 5 minutes to complete. i do recommend a computer over a phone but it works ok on mobile too. it will share so many great resources for you and will show you things even if you only technically meet one eligibility requirement"
https://www.tumblr.com/ethanrayne/751773862899974144

rayckeith, 6 days ago (edited 4 days ago) to random

Read this verbatim transcript and tell me whether it’s from an escaped mental patient or the GOP nominee for the President of the United States.

“…I say what would happen if the boat sank from its weight and you’re in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery and the battery is now underwater and there’s a shark that’s approximately 10 yards over there. By the way, a lot of shark attacks lately. You notice that? A lot of shark. I watched some guys justifying it today. Well, they weren’t really that angry. They bit off the young ladies leg because of the fact that they were, they were not hungry, but they misunderstood what, who she was. These people are cray. He said there’s no problem with sharks they just didn’t really understand a young woman swimming. Now really got decimated and other people too. A lot of shark attacks. So I said, so there’s a shark 10 yards away from the boat. 10 yards over here. …

https://x.com/7veritas4/status/1799952335273103474?s=12&t=3d9pIKw692D3Dy-4Ms4pFA

rayckeith, 6 days ago to random

Election commissioner presents evidence that 'Trump caught paying people to attend rally' - Raw Story
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-caught-paying-people-to-attend-nevada-rally/