#due process is a constitutional right and it’s a good one

[workingforitallthetime]

“In response to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by The Daily on Sept. 17, the University of Michigan indicated that no records related to a suspension of either athlete from their respective teams exist.”

- but both students were obviously identified as the vandals over a week before this as they apologized to the community on September 8?

- Pretty sure J***** was absent from practices and stuff around this time too. Even if it wasn’t an “official” suspension

I don’t know how to feel about it taking a relatively long time for Michigan athletics to take action. What was Michigan waiting for? The school obviously knew what happened weeks before they removed Johnny from the team.

it would be pretty surprising if they managed to navigate this without leaving a paper trail, but much depends on the specifics of Michigan’s FOIA law and how the FOIA request was phrased. for example, if the request used the word “suspension,” maybe there are no responsive records because johnny wasn’t suspended, he was removed.

it’s almost certainly not accurate to assume that the school took no action until the statement that was released last week. removing an athlete from a team, particularly one who’s on scholarship, has due process protections associated with it, and it takes time to get through the notice/appeal rights involved. i assume that johnny’s lawyer was active on that front as well.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Some Law-Related Vocabulary

for your poem/story (pt. 2/4)

Admiralty - of or relating to conduct on the sea

Alter ego - second self

Attractive nuisance - a thing or condition on one's property that poses a risk to children who may be attracted to it without realizing the risk by virtue of their youth

Bequest - an act of bequeathing

Bequeath - to give by will

Bona vacantia - goods that are unclaimed and without an apparent owner

Capricious - governed or characterized by impulse or whim (e.g., lacking a rational basis; likely to change suddenly); not supported by the weight of evidence or established rules of law—often used in the phrase "arbitrary and capricious"

Colorable - having an appearance of truth, validity, or right

Damnum absque injuria - a loss for which the law provides no means of recovery

Dying declaration - a statement that is made by a person who firmly believes that he or she is about to die and has no hope of recovery and that concerns the circumstances or cause of the presumed death

Eleemosynary - of, relating to, or supported by charity

En ventre sa mere - in the womb

Euthanasia - the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured persons in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy; called also "mercy killing"

Exculpate - to clear from alleged fault or guilt

Filius nullius - an illegitimate child; bastard; called also "filius populi"

Finger - to accuse or identify as guilty

Fireman's rule - a doctrine holding that a property owner or occupant is not liable for unintentional injuries suffered by firefighters or police officers in responding to a problem on the property

First blush - initial view, appearance, or consideration—used especially in the phrase "at first blush"

First degree - the grade given to the most serious forms of crimes

Hereditament - inheritable property

Homestead - a home and surrounding land

Inchoate - not yet made complete, certain, or specific : not perfected

M'Naghten test - a standard under which a criminal defendant is considered to have been insane at the time of an act (as a killing) if he or she did not know right from wrong or did not understand the moral nature of the act because of a mental disease or defect; called also "M'Naghten rule"

Mulct - fine, penalty

Mysterious disappearance - the loss of property under unknown or puzzling circumstances which are difficult to explain or understand

Pierce - to see through the usually misleading or false appearance of

Poison pill - a financial tactic or provision used by a company to make an unwanted takeover prohibitively expensive or less desirable

Prior art - the processes, devices, and modes of achieving the end of an alleged invention that were known or knowable by due diligence before and at the date of the invention

Pur autre vie - for another's life

Shark repellent - any measure taken by a corporation to discourage a hostile takeover attempt

Silent record - a record of a criminal proceeding which does not show that the defendant acted with knowledge or understanding of his or her rights (as in entering a plea of guilty or waiving the right to counsel)

Sui generis - constituting a class alone; unique or particular to itself

Vexatious - lacking a sufficient ground and serving only to annoy or harass when viewed objectively

Wrongful birth - a malpractice claim brought by the parents of a child born with a birth defect against a physician or health-care provider whose alleged negligence (as in prenatal testing or diagnosis) effectively deprived the parents of the opportunity to make an informed decision whether to avoid or terminate the pregnancy

Yellow-dog contract - an illegal employment contract in which a worker disavows membership in and agrees not to join a labor union in order to get a job

More: Law-Related Words ⚜ Word Lists

[reality-detective]

I'm going to spell it out one more time for those of you who are lost and not registering the 100's of fuckin clues I've been dropping for you. So please pay close attention because I'm tired of repeating the same shit. 👇

YOU ARE WATCHING A MOVIE 🎬 📽️

A lot of what you are seeing is complete bullshit and fake. It's so outrageous on purpose to get your attention at this point and it will continue until it has accomplished the goal fully and arrest will be ongoing with or without you.

There isn't/and never was a Biden presidency. The real Biden was executed for his crimes long ago, along with Clinton and many other deep state goons. You can't arrest them if no crime has been committed and the minions are still committing crimes.

You are seeing actors. Some have masks. That's why Biden keeps referring to himself as the mask president. This means they are the good guys in this movie on the team of freedom.

This whole election was fake along with a fake inauguration.

Fake Biden executive orders.

Fake oval office.

It's all bullshit.

Wake up. 👀

The military right now is controlling our country until the new elections in the coming months. The Insurrection Act has been signed. Executive Orders from Trump are in full effect and I've pointed those out.

Things will soon be revealed publicly. Hopefully, you can wake up before then so you don't have a heart attack in the process.

They really tried stealing our election that part is real. Trump knew this and allowed it to happen to expose them and arrest those involved and he and the military will be implementing a blockchain fraud proof election system, which was already patented back in August 2020. He skipped the 9th circuit corrupt courts because they, too, were compromised and went 100% FISA. This whole thing has been a total military sting operation.

The goal was to arrest and remove these crooks first before ever winning an election. Furthermore, the Vatican owned the corrupt DC corporation, and that is no longer intact, it has been dismantled.

It will soon be a republic for which it stands under the constitution as originally intended. You will get a history lesson in the process along with a solid grasp of what the constitution actually is.

Many corrupt DC rats and Hollywood pedophiles have gone to jail and/or have been executed for crimes of high treason, conspiracy and other crimes against humanity. Many more are in the process of meeting justice via military tribunals as I'm posting this.

Things will be made public in due time, no more secrets, no more games.

There are many actors in this movie, not just the Biden double comedian guy. Who's who at this point is somewhat of a mystery. We don't know exactly who is who 100%. Some actors have been playing a part from the very beginning. Others flipped for a deal and are now playing a part in this movie to avoid the death penalty.

The best thing you can do right now is just wake up to the truth that's being shown to you, take heart and know that communists have no real power over our country and look forward to the things Trump has already pre-planned long ago for you.

I'll warn you now. Things WILL get stranger from here on out.

If you pay attention and listen to what I've been trying to tell you here, you'll start laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole production.

If you are watching the mockingbird media CNN or the other FAUX NEWS networks, you'll probably cry.

Whatever you do, please don't call Joe Biden the president. He really has been long gone, and his double has no power. And that ain't Kamala Harris.

Enjoy the show 🍿 As the federal government is being removed via the military.

https://rumble.com/v5cidlv-8.26.24-the-tipping-point-on-revolution.radio-with-l.t.-col.-riccardo-bosi.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp

If you people would listen to Riccardo Bosi in the above 👆 link you will see what I'm saying. The interview begins at the 1:11:11 mark it's about an hour long. Scott McKay talks about other things before bringing on Lt. Col. Bosi. I posted this 👆 earlier and I know people didn't listen to it. A lot of you are still stuck on the fake bullshit and if you wanna know the truth then put in the time required to learn it. I can't put this anymore clearly. 🤔

[rin-and-jade]

Home Sweet Home..! : A Post about Your Inner-world.

That's right, it is no other than your own comfortable place to rejuvenate and meet your beloved parts.. We all want to access the inner-world as sometimes, the outside world can be daunting, right?

Come and take a seat on this imaginary, velvet textured, freshly imported sofa, i'll tell you what's this about:

to each and every one of those who yearns to visit its own mental home, this post is for you! And also for those who are front-stuck, or wanted to see--and build its world as a better place. This is also a well-rounded discussion regarding today's topic for those seeking general information on worlds.

TLDR PASS: AVAILABLE

-- This post will be long, and be split into three different sections, 1. The Basics 2. How to create a World 3. Ways to access your World So, make sure you sit somewhere comfy before reading. --

1. The Basics

Okay, but why is it called "inner" world?

Well, in general it constitutes things around emotions, sensations, memories, or other intangible things. There is no defined meaning for the inside world, as everyone experience them differently:

"The Inner World is full of choices wherein we choose what we want to do and what not, our emotions, expectations, our perception of things, expression of our attitude, our inner thoughts and our self-concept." - LinkedIn

Though for systems, our usage for the inner-world is similar to daydreaming, or in another name, mental visualization.

This is as to how the mental mindscape is used to express different part's thoughts or feelings, and also develop a sense of appearance which is often disconnected from the biological appearance for better expression and sense of cohesion/alignment for each alters.

Hm.. does everyone have one?

If you're asking wether all system has this mindscape by default? No.

Apparently, there is a common belief where all systems have inner-worlds, but thats due to the expectations of what a system "normally" has or do. Everyone manifests their own disorders differently, there is no right or wrong way, or things that makes you more or less of a system through this topic.

How should i use my world, though?

There's more than one way to use or interpret how it is utilized. Inner-worlds isn't only about imagination,, in fact, it is a mental palace where all internal processes like processing feelings, generate thoughts, or where you also create an artificial interpretation of the outer world for a better perception.

Inner-worlds are also made of literal and symbolic elements. Both shapes how your inner-world looks like, or work like.

Some utilized the mind's world through a storyline or a simulation to navigate it's experiences, some focus on world building to portray how they perceive its own life or state, and others express mainly through feelings or inner monologue without spending time and effort to create a visualized mental world scape. Anyone can do a little bit of those, or all at the same time too, this is about how the world is utilized.

Here are some examples:

Use it as a meeting spot for better communication and identify other speakers easier

Use the imagination to explore how every alters feel with their identity, appearance, and preferences

Use it to depict your state of mind through the areas of your innerworld, that can represent values or beliefs or emotional experiences Your world can be as simple or complex as you want--go wild!

Do i need a world?

It depends on what you want to do. This isn't a yes or no answer, but i would always recommend people to spend more time creating its own mental world to create a stronger gateaway for system communication and self expression.

You can still live a good system life without having or accessing the inner-world often, you know?

But i can't see internally!

Aphantasia is a condition where you cannot imagine mental images--or keep them clear for long periods, lack of color or foggy lines can also indicate a lesser degree of the condition. For this remedy, step back and remember--your mental senses isn't bound to images only, what about vibes? Or tactile sensations? Utilize your other senses to good use, it's still possible. The mindscape is all about memorization and familiarity, you can still navigate the world, although blind, because of this.

2. How to create a World

Before we get into the steps, here is a reminder that mental sensations are reflected from real-life sensations you remember.

For example, think how you can recall that one moment with your favorite food: you can remember how warm it felt, what the texture is like, what layers of flavor it has.

The innerworld works the same too, by reliving or replicating that same detail, projecting it again within the mind's eye.

--

First phase - starting from scratch

For those who hadn't started, the area would look bland or devoid, interpretation can differ greatly for others. Take this moment to think momentarily, and select a theme or vibe you're going for, example: a house if you want to make it the world feel homey / comfortable.

Start from how big you want the floor to be, how tall the walls are, what about the color or pattern? Would you like a plank or a ceramic tile? How much of natural light do you prefer, that can answer how many windows you want to map out later.

Then the furnitures, invoke whatever you want--the perfect fluffy sofa you wish to sleep on, or that huge circular stairway you often see in the movies. Feel them, touch them as if you're currently on it,, things might look foggy at first, which is normal for developing a new item you wish to add.

Tip: laying a groundwork with the 3d interior maker or a sketch (either paper or digitally) can help you plan and visualize better when this first phase is challenging for you to finish mentally from scratch.

Second phase - getting more personal

Now that you've laid the foundation, practice recalling them and remember every crook and cranny of each rooms or paths you have mapped out even more. This will help the ease of visualization whenever you want to access your innerworld, needing minimal strain to immerse fully in your own mind.

Resuming from your previous progress, its time to add your own personal touches (for each alters)! What kind of items or belongings would you want to own? Do you like a specific decor theme? It's best to start with the things you had seen/touched due to the reason explained previously.

When you're confident and had memorized how the main place, try branching off by adding the external background. (E.g. city scenery/forest/mystical). You can even make them as floating islands, there is no bounds to this.

Tip: its best to write out what each alter likes and their preference to personalize their room/area better while also keeping track of any details of the mindscape.

Third phase - room for expansion

This is where you often stumble into uncharted areas in your world, often discovering them without proper visualization. These often get created from qualities / states that you have internalized on the outer world, they can even represent different parts of your own perception (for example, you stumble into a cemetery, where you associate dormant alters resting at) or wellbeing (for example, the weather changes depending on your mood or stress levels). Often times you'll meet interactive elements--or already did so in the earlier phases.

Expanding an area usually means it is built within a different border, separated from your main area and often has a 'transition tunnel' to access the new area. This can be expressed through magical doors, portals, teleportation, or walking. You can also redo phase one and two to expand more areas as you wish, and connect them through a transition tunnel.

As the conclusion, this phase is done through introspection, through deciphering your own well-being. This is because your innerworld is a subconscious reflection of how your mental and emotional state, and vice versa. This can also manifest in ways like designated areas or interactive elements from the world.

Tip: let your mind wander around freely. Your expectation and prediction kills abstract creativity, which your mind is designed for. This can sometimes happen when you least expected it, don't use this as a time to rush, go slow!

3. Ways to access your World

Behind the scenes

Every system processes, including your world, happens in rest mode-- this is because our brains operate through sets of programs/functions that transitions depending on demands.

There are many sets your brain operates in, but for the sake of simplicity i will educate you on the necessary ones:

DMN - activates when relaxing, exploring creativity, or performing low cognitive tasks. You don't process a lot on this state, and usually related with creative thinking moments.

Do you know why you get creative solutions when you're in the shower but not at the heat of the moment? The DMN does just that. Annoying, i know... i wish it came earlier and not when the argument is over.

VAN - activates when exposed to threats, or sudden change of stimuli. This mode is mainly tasked in selective attention, focusing on what is deemed important depending on your values. Operates in fright factors

Suddenly jerked your head to the falling sound of a plastic cup from the other room whilst focusing on your activity? VAN is the culprit, sudden yells or getting your name called also counts.

CEN - activates your directed focus and controls how long you commit to a task. It is responsible for cognitive demanding tasks that requires problem solving or decision making. You are in a state of action or processing, which is the opposite of rest.

Like how time passed without your awareness, or when you ponder less while committing all your attention to that one difficult combo you have to pull of in the game because you can't risk any distractions or disturbances until you absolutely made it to the next level after the 11th try? Now that's a CEN for you.

--

Now that you're all on the same page, time to get into the details:

The only way to access your world is to look inwards -> inwards mean you engage with thoughts and images -> thoughts and images usually pop when you're calm and not distracted -> a calm state is achieved in a safe place or non-busy environments.

So if you ever thought of being busy, or feeling stressed makes talking to your alters more difficult, you're not making that up! That's exactly what your brain modes are doing even if you are never aware of it.

Tips to facilitate better communication & access

Find videos or songs that promotes calmness

Retreating to a less bustling room, silence is your friend

Balance your emotional state to feel more stable

Tune out any distractions if any

Focus to any subtle signs or alter thoughts you've missed

These tips help you connect to your DMN state easier, which will make it easier to retreat to your innerworld or talk to your other parts.

Now it's time to bring you to your world;

(Important. Only do this when you're calm, because the only moment you can do so, is within the DMN. It is not effective nor recommended to attempt this within high stress or busy moments, and for reasons on how frustration and added stress on not being able to retreat mentally blocks your ability even further.)

Start closing your eyes, and recall a specific place you want to be in your world, determine your position, are you sitting or standing somewhere? What are you doing inside there if you can notice? Pour all your attention as your mind creates a mental picture, which brings you to your world.

Designating a real piece of furniture or item you own in the real world and associate it as an item in your mental world would also create an easier short cut to transition between two dimensions, it can be your bed, or a chair, or even a hanged painting.

Im stuck outside for a long time, help!

This phenomenon is when you are stuck within the threat-detecting mode, as your brain thinks the danger has not passed away--and should not waste time or be vulnerable to return to DMN.

When you have been struggling to access or communicate to your alters, think back on what is keeping you anxious, paranoid, or scared, as all these negative emotions keeps you away from a calm state.

Chronic exhaustion or stress also plays a role into this. In conclusion, when you have been stuck for long periods and unable to notice system activities--or happening less often, it's time to dig deeper to the root of cause.

This post right here will help you educate and prepare solutions for your stuck troubles. Here, is another post for all about system communication.

But if you need help from an experienced person, or if the posts are just not cutting it,, you can always DM me to overcome your struggles regarding this situation, im here for you!

Takeaway - What a Tour!

(this post is subjected to tweaks and add-ons in the future)

Here's two questions to end the post: what phase are you at on your world-building progress? When is the usual time your system activity peaks at? Feel free to share your experience or questions in this post, i would love to hear what you have to say and answer any concerns you might have!

I hope this post has been worth reading, this totally took longer than it should be, thanks to @starburstsystem for helping me perfect this post for everyone within this community, give some love to the bro <3

- chrono

--

TLDR SECTION

Inner Worlds: Imaginary mental spaces used by some people, especially those with dissociative disorders, to rejuvenate and meet their alters. They vary greatly in form and function, similar to daydreaming or mental visualization.

Usage: Inner worlds can be used for communication, expressing emotions, and creating a sense of cohesion among alters. They aren't necessary for all systems but can be beneficial for those who have them.

Creating an Inner World:

Starting from Scratch: Visualize basic structures and themes, like a house with specific details (floors, walls, furniture).

Getting More Personal: Add personal touches for each alter, including their preferences and items they would like to have.

Room for Expansion: Explore and expand new areas that represent different aspects of your mental and emotional state.

Accessing the Inner World:

Use techniques like relaxing environments, calming music, and focusing on subtle signs to access the inner world.

Understand brain modes (DMN, VAN, CEN) to know why relaxation is key to accessing inner thoughts.

High stress and exhaustion can block access; addressing these issues can help regain access.

Takeaway: The inner world is a useful tool for some people to communicate and process emotions. It's personalized and can evolve with introspection and creativity.

[azspot]

Let’s be clear: without due process rights, anybody — yes, that means you — could be swept up in a raid and dumped in some hellhole and then the government could say, “Well, too late.” Citizenship is no protection if there’s not even a process in place to determine one’s legal status. One need not have any sentimental feelings about the victims of these violations: it doesn’t matter if they are good people, bad people, or if you just don’t like the looks of them; they are entitled to Constitutional rights. Insisting on the rights of others is entirely self-interested because, in principle, if it can happen to them, it can happen to you. That’s the whole idea of rights: they apply to everybody. What we are deciding now is if we still have a Constitution in this country.

No Person Shall Be Deprived...

[seafoamreadings]

week of january 7th, 2024

these are written predominantly for the *rising* signs but they are also intuitively "channeled" enough that they should work for any dominant energy you have! (try your sun if you don't know rising, or more advanced readers can try moon, anywhere you have a stellium, etc and see what works best for you!)

aries: it is a great week to be you. but it may not feel like it. the reason is that the sun is squaring the nodes and that's a lot of clashing cardinal energy, like maybe you have ten million things to do at once. but really - mars is doing so much good stuff behind the scenes. trust the process.

taurus: the aspects this week are invigorating and strengthening. your sign is known for kind of languishing in relaxation and it's actually good for you nearly always but this week? please go outside, please get up and accomplish things. it is so auspicious for you to be in movement and flow right now. crash on the weekend if you must.

gemini: you may feel quite antsy about staying at home, like you can't bear to see your own walls a moment longer. alternatively, or even simultaneously, there may be a feeling that you can't handle the public eye. maybe it helps to go wander around in disguise, or at least with big giant sunglasses and a floppy hat on.

cancerians: the new moon in capricorn is fresh relationship vibes. a new romance, a breakup, an engagement are all possibilities. no, probably not all at once. set an intention around how you want your commitments to actually look in real life, regardless of what happens to you at this time.

leo: this time of year can be hard for solar creatures like you, especially north of the equator. but this week is bookended by two lunar ingresses that are quite supportive to you, especially if you are out there looking for love. create something new. it can be just for yourself. it should probably involve glitter.

virgo: you have a lot of supportive astrology all week in taurus and capricorn. go out of your way to create, learn, and grow. granted, commitment is not really your thing right now. dabble and have fun and if you need to shed a few things, people, or situations, do so.

libra: even though lots of great things are likely to happen this week, the quality of the period can be quite frazzling to your typically very delicate constitution. watch for omens but make what changes you can if you don't like what you see. you don't have to resign yourself to a bad lot.

scorpio: this is a great week for your relationships. ALL kinds of relationships. it's okay, and indeed quite good, to nurture romantic ones! but do NOT forget all the manifold other ways to love. go out of your way to spread love in your community locally, online, to children, to animals, to the vulnerable, to your friends, to your family... what else can you think of?

sagittarius: be cautious with mercury-things, yes even though it's direct now, because it is right at the end of your sign preparing to move. it's still in the shadow zone, and especially at the so-called critical degrees it can feel like you just went back in time a week or two for a moment. probably not in a good way. just be careful.

capricorn: you're in a good, steady, stable place and picking up momentum. mercury re-enters your sign and mars gives you a major boost. you're getting things done and probably not feeling too depleted by the effort. one caveat; mercury is still retracing its retrograde path, so you're not done with the themes of the last few weeks yet, you're just wrapping them up. probably in really nice littel satin bows.

aquarius: beneath all the jolly jupiter vibes lies the constant hum of electric current due to your ruling planet uranus. rebellions in the name of justice do well at this time, but on a smaller scale too you might want to revolutionize your own life.

pisces: expect a little agitation early in the week. but keep in mind that agitation can serve as a boost to improve things. so it's not a time to be lazy, but it is a time to scry for omens, at least figuratively. scry and then act.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Emily Tankin for The UnPopulist:

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too.” So declared U.S. President Donald Trump at a Feb. 4 news conference while standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first leader to visit the White House following Trump’s inauguration. “This has been happening for years. It’s all death. If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza.” It is not a defense of Hamas, the designated terrorist organization currently in power in Gaza that carried out the brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, to say that Trump’s plan would constitute forced displacement, given that he is on record saying that Palestinians wouldn’t be allowed to return to the shining, new city he plans to build.

This is hardly the only concerning step he’s taken toward Palestinians or the Middle East. Trump lifted sanctions on violent, extremist West Bank Israeli settlers during his first hours in office. And then there are those he has chosen to be part of his team: U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, a Christian Zionist who once said that Palestinians aren’t a real people and that annexation of the West Bank by Israel is “of course” possible during Trump’s new term; as well as his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who appears to support the West Bank’s annexation by Israel.

The Trump administration’s disregard for the human rights and dignity of Palestinians extends to the institutions and international legal frameworks that provide them some modicum of support. He has again withdrawn the United States from the U.N. Human Rights Council and has cut future funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a body created three quarters of a century ago specifically to provide aid to Palestinian refugees. And he sanctioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, describing the warrants as “illegitimate and baseless.” The point is not that the Trump administration disagreed with the court’s verdict. The point is that it retaliated and tried to totally quash the international body, one of the few that tries to deliver justice under international law.

Meanwhile, here at home, the Trump administration has gone after pro-Palestinian protesters and activists under the guise of fighting antisemitism. It was allegedly to fight antisemitism that last week it suspended $400 million in grants to Columbia University, home to some of the most high-profile protests against Israel and its war in Gaza. It was also allegedly to fight antisemitism that it announced it was deporting Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and green card holder whom the Department of Homeland Security accused, without presenting any evidence, of being “aligned to Hamas.”

Supporters of liberal democracy ought to be outraged by the assault on Palestinian rights in the Middle East and the United States and on international law and institutions. Trump’s foreign policy, both towards Palestinians and in general, is marked by cruelty and caprice. He vacillates between an isolationist abandonment of allies in one moment and talk of “taking over” Gaza in the next. He displays neither a sensible regard for long-term national interests nor a hopeful vision of America as a force for good in the world. His domestic policies likewise respect neither the Constitution nor rights like due process. In this sense his approach is markedly different from that of previous administrations.

[...]

Biden’s Vacillation on Human Rights

Sadly, many previous U.S. administrations have excused Israeli actions that have violated the human rights of Palestinians and caused great suffering. Consider the West Bank settlements: despite a 1978 legal opinion from the State Department declaring Israeli settlements inconsistent with international law, successive administrations have failed to apply the political pressure necessary to convince Israeli leaders to seriously address the problem. The Biden administration’s own State Department acknowledged that there were credible reports of a wide range of human rights abuses. But to acknowledge the abuses and not change policy is to effectively say that human rights abuses don’t matter. If they did, then it shouldn’t matter that Israel is an ally. Universal human rights are universal or they aren’t; the United States believes in their application or it doesn’t. Biden’s posture towards international institutions represents another missed opportunity to defend liberal-democratic principles abroad. Biden had ordered U.S. agencies to share evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine with the International Criminal Court, even though the United States is not a member of the court. But when the court issued warrants for the arrests of Netanyahu and Gallant along with those for Hamas’ leaders, Biden blasted its action as “outrageous.” Biden proclaimed that, “whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence— none—between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.” But the ICC’s arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leadership do not claim a moral equivalence. They merely assert that the court found reasonable grounds to believe that the parties involved each violated international law. Again, it is not a defense of Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, to say that Israel too is not exempt from international law. The Biden administration could have argued that the ICC had not presented sufficient evidence of war crimes to justify the arrests of the Israeli leaders. Instead, its statement suggested that it believed that international law should simply not apply to Israel. In other words, it is appropriate to hold some parties accountable to it, but not others. The same double standard was evident in the Biden administration’s handling of campus protests. It could have stressed that, though all students had the right to learn with safety and dignity, free assembly and protesting government policy were cherished rights that needed to be protected. Instead, it stressed that “order must prevail” and blasted the protests as antisemitic. There have been protesters who have crossed the line into antisemitism, violence, and violent antisemitism. But to concede that protests against Israeli actions are inherently antisemitic or motivated by antisemitism is bad-faith politics.

Trump’s attacks on the human rights of Palestinians is predicated on cruelty. Biden wasn’t much better on Palestine issues, but compared to Trump, he tried to show some dignity towards the Palestinians.

[sgiandubh]

Five minutes of Instagram fame

The Brazilian fan is back with more attention-grabbing content, one week after she had thousands of eyes on her London shenanigans. Which I am not going to discuss, simply because I do believe there is no need to give the anecdote more space than it deserves. Enough is enough, and the apparent collective loss of all sense of measure is a sure sign that pause is needed, in that department.

What I am going to discuss, however, is the chutzpah of a 23 year old Nobody, who just wishes to keep those five minutes of fame rolling on and on and on.

Yesterday, she felt compelled to publish another batch of Instagram stories, in which she delivers her Toxic Shipping 101 lecture:

In the process, she basically just rephrases the main Anti Bible arguments, calls thousands of people 'insane', quotes two influential shipper blogs (slàinte mhath, @bat-cat-reader!) that didn't even come close to what I wrote about her, brings on board her mother and grandmother just to explain how upset she was about 'older American women picking up on her'. And ends with a rather pathetic plea for all of us, shippers, to 'seek immediate medical attention'. Same unnerving sotaque Paulista (São Paulo accent), with a posh and very fake tinge of British English. Same incoherent, amateur and immature discourse, endlessly seeking to bring attention to herself, mildly trying to victimize herself. Blah, blah.

I would have given her grace, were it not for this particular argument, in response to a X user asking a rather uncomfortable question, as she definitely has the constitutional right to do:

'OH God, not her again 23 yr old Brazilian trying to be a reporter in London, complete fail. but in BIG OL LONDON, 'JUST HAPPENED' TO Spot Sam, how dumb do you think we all are?'

Answer is the real dumb part of the story, if you ask me, especially coming from a very young woman: 'Forbidden to be a journalist and meet a celebrity in the street. Forbidden to go for a walk as a journalist, paging all my colleagues, ok? I had no clue I could be as scheming as they say I am.'

Ok, buttercup: it is my honest understanding that you want to be taken seriously and treated as a professional, right? Did I miss something, here?

Right. As the daughter of a journalist and a former Government expert in media policies (specifically dealing with media content broadcasting), I am going to do exactly this and honestly ask you, Mrs. Silva:

Do you consider, in all good faith, that you acted like a professional journalist, in this very circumstance?

Do you consider to have kept your impartiality and have you at least checked all the relevant facts and POVs, before slandering all those people on your social media account? Or did you content yourself to report the hearsay shared with you by other bloggers, and just conveniently quoted four random bloggers and commenters?

Have you the slightest idea that one of the commenters who reached out to you on Instagram, questioning your version of the facts, is not even a shipper (and actually, very violently far from being one)?

During the week separating your first post and this reaction to people's feedback, have you or have you not respected your due diligence obligation to contact and engage with the people you so easily treat as a bit less than the scum of the Earth?

Did you or did you not ask for permission to quote their published content on your social media account, especially in a polemic context?

Unlike you, I have diligently perused both your website and your Linked In account. Maybe it is time to tell all those people you have insulted the truth about who you are, professionally, at this very moment:

Marketing student, 3rd semester.

Let me count: 3 internships (correct me if I am wrong), in various junior positions for 1 local media outlet, 1 international corporation and 1 website, 4 different jobs - or should I say 'stints' (3 with your current employer, 1 as a freelancer for a local media outlet).

Still learning. There is absolutely nothing bad about it. But you have still a LONG way to go until you could pretend to be a real voice. And there is nothing in what you posted that could grab my professional attention and make me hire you. Quite the contrary and, believe it or not, I am awfully sorry to say so.

My three free and totally unsolicited pieces of advice:

Always check your facts, always get in touch with the people you plan to write about. In fact, your anger and ego got the best of your professional self and you lost a great opportunity for a paper you could have even titled ' Viagem na Shipperlândia' (A Trip to Shipperland). I would have read that. But you haven't. You preferred to act just like all the other 23 year old girls and make a belly-button story about yourself.

Never bring your family forward in questionable contexts. You expose people who have nothing to do with the irrelevant insanity of a fandom war, to which you contributed your own, perhaps involuntary, dose of chaos and unnecessary drama.

Never lie on your Linked In resume. Potential employers might and will read it. Never write things like:

.. when you also fail to accurately describe your former job position, denoting poor spelling:

Especially when words are your craft, bread and butter. The devil is always in the details:

As I mentioned in a previous post, you could have been my daughter. I have been that 23 year old girl myself, desperate to list every single internship and tempted to inflate language proficiency, in the hope it would land me the job of my dreams. And I have learned the hard way that being a true professional is cancelling your ego.

You'll learn. Until then, stop bitching on things you have no idea about and act like an adult, not an attention hungry teenager. This comes from a place of tough love: sometimes, the most effective life lessons are given by complete strangers.

[lilulicious]

Coe-Pilot: The Space Between Us

Chapter 2: The Future is Now

THEN:

Slate: UC SYSDEF/AEGIS UNSUB #54387XYEE455

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "Tell me again where you came from?"

Unsub: "I told you already. Five times. What I'm really supposed to tell you, by the book, is my name, rank and serial number. But from what I'm seeing, all bets are off here and no one is coming for me, so there's no point in playing around anymore. I will tell you this: I am a US Army Sergeant assigned to 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta. I was in a chopper with a Ranger detachment, we were going to meet up with another G Squad Delta at Naval Base Kitsap when we.... I don't know... we hit some sort of electrical storm and turbulence. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, like a tunnel of electricity, sound, bright light, almost like... a wormhole but not like what I'd seen in the sci fi movies. And a sound like screaming, I can't even describe it."

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "Uh-huh."

Unsub: "*snort* Yeah, fine. Well, anyway... The helo lost power and we went down into some sort of bog. I thought maybe we'd gotten off course in the confusion and crashed into Lilliwaup Swamp over by Lake Cushman. It wasn't until you all showed up that I realized you weren't the Army or Navy or even the goddamned Coast Guard coming to rescue us. And then I realized there wasn't even an 'us'. It was just me, and part of the wreckage. You still haven't told me if there are more survivors. Are there? Did anyone else come out of that swamp?"

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "I don't have that information and even if I did, it would be classified."

Unsub: "Of course it would, you're a good little spook, aren't you? Well, that's all there is, you know the rest because your people have been here the rest of the way. You've had me locked up in this cozy little holding cell for like... forever it feels like. Judging by the meals and lights out, what, 3 or 4 days? I appreciate 3 hots and a cot as much as the next girl, but isn't there some sort of due process in this place. Who are you people anyways? What is the UC? Are you Americans? What is this place? Can I call an attorney? Don't I have Constitutional rights here?"

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "US Army. So you're implying you're from the United States. As in Earth. The same Earth that has been uninhabitable since 2203."

Unsub: "Uninhab...What the fuck? What are you talking about? What do you mean uninhabitable SINCE 2203? What fucking year are you going to try to tell me it is now? Oh, I can't wait to hear this."

Aegis Agent [REDACTED]: "It's 2330".

Unsub: "Fuck you, man. Let me out of here. You're full of shit. I don't want to be hearing this. No way. No. When I left home, it was 2025. 20-fucking-25. So, what, I'm 334 years old now? Am I under arrest or am I free to go or what the fuck happens now? LET. ME. OUT!!"

NOW:

So, it was day 3 working for Argos Extractors on Vectera, but Lilu felt a bit of anticipation. Lin said a special contract was on the menu today, a rare mineral for a collector who would be flying in to pick it up later. And, more encouragingly, Lin thought that she, Lilu, would be perfect to try out something a little more specialized. Lin, being a veteran herself of this Colony War that Lilu knew so little of, had been entrusted with some of Lilu's UC-classified history as a condition of this secret, time-traveling Earthling being placed with Argos, and perhaps she could see not only the potential in her new miner, or "dusty" as they were called as a colloquialism, but knew that if she couldn't keep Lilu engaged, it wouldn't take long for trouble to start brewing. Lilu liked Lin. She was no-nonsense and easy with which to relate. And she appreciated someone who finally seemed to be in her corner. Yeah, yeah, she knew never to really trust anyone she was assigned to by total strangers because who knew their motivations, but she had a good feeling that Lin was not the duplicitous sort.

And so it was, as they travelled down the elevator into the mine, her, Lin, and that wiseacre Heller, she pondered this change in fortune. Or was it a change in attitude? Acquiescence? Look, she had realized several weeks ago there was no going back. Moving forward and making a new life was the only thing to do. Maybe some military operation somewhere could find a use for her eventually, or maybe she could be used for a merc, but she'd have to work her way loose from under the UC's watchful eye. Her "freedom" to work with Argos was conditional upon Lin's custody, as it were, and it was subject to reports back on her progress and whereabouts.

Lilu was clearly no longer considered to be a serious danger to the "Settled Systems" as they were called, but the UC still was either a) not completely sure about her yet or b) the most likely scenario, they thought maybe she could be useful at some later juncture. Apparently, historic US government and military archives, being computerized, had been saved but needed to be decoded. The UC was eventually able to verify not only her story about her mission, but the DNA records that the US military started keeping back in 1991 to identify remains was also able to identify her. The nature of the work she did for the US government and military, however, seemed to make them nervous.

In any event, she wasn't completely free to roam the galaxy. And she wasn't knowledgeable enough about it, other than learning it was not some far flung galaxy far far away, like that famous space movie with the Princess and the Scoundrel, but instead, it was humanity's old friend the Milky Way. Nevertheless, she was no astronomer to try to escape and hide somewhere. Because other than Jemison, and the now dead Earth, Vectera was the only other planet she had been on in her life.

Lilu was instructed by Lin to grab a cutter, and she snapped out of her reverie. Lin said she should mine what minerals she could whilst they waited for Heller and another "dusty" (really, folks thought of the most reductive nicknames for people who did the grunt work that powered the world, Lilu thought) to use the big continuous miner machine to chew through the rock into the chamber that they were after. Lin's scanner and gravity readings suggested the contract rare minerals were located somewhere inside that chamber, so boring a hole into it was priority one. The other dusties were hard at work trying to squeeze what bits of "shine" they could from that mine, but it was clear there wasn't much left and whatever real money was in that operation, or at least in that almost tapped-out vein, was going to be in that special contract.

Suddenly, Lilu's comms buzzed in her spacesuit helmet. Wow, spacesuit helmet. Still hard to wrap her head around the fact that she was on a planet with no breathable atmosphere, that she was wearing a SPACESUIT, and once outside the base habs, one slip up and it might be all over.

Lin's voice crackled through her doomsday musing: "Get up here, we're ready."

As quickly as Lilu could move sheathed in several layers of insulation and what felt like aluminum foil, she worked her way up to where Lin and Heller were standing past the continuous miner machine. The giant, rotating drum covered with great, angry teeth had bored through the rock and broken through to what looked like an endlessly black void. She could see Heller's face through the visor of his face mask. He was looking at the readouts on his scanner and frowning.

"Lin," he said, "something is really fucked up about these readings."

Lin glared at him and then turned to Lilu and said, "Ok, dusty, your turn, it's right through there," and she gestured across a dark land bridge across an even darker and more terrifying chasm that plummeted to unseen depths. The land bridge led to a smaller cave opening that probably housed carnivorous alien creatures that would likely tear Lilu limb from limb. Great, she thought. Just fucking great. Survive a chopper crash to be eaten alive. "If anything goes wrong," continued Lin, but Heller jumped in.

"Just what would go wrong, Lin?" he asked.

"Will you both shut up?!" Lin was annoyed but looked a bit anxious, which did nothing to calm Lilu's nerves. "The buyer is heading here now, just do your damned jobs, please."

Lilu took a deep breath, turned on her flashlight, and started across the bridge to the narrow opening. As she entered the cave, she could see a glowing blue light ahead. It wasn't terribly unlike the one that surrounded the electrical storm and the weird portal that took the chopper that night, but there was a weird, harmonic, musical tone coming from the direction of the glow. That certainly hadn't happened during the chopper crash. And there were rocks floating in the air as if no gravity existed in the cave, but she wasn't floating. This was the strangest thing, ok maybe the second strangest thing, she'd ever seen.

In the middle of the cave was a pillar of rock covered in a crystalline material, and underneath she could make out something silver and forged into some sort of shape. She pulled out her cutter and started carving at the crystallized rock on top of the object, and it popped and sizzled away until the strange, curved item was laid bare. It had some faint etchings on it. It looked as if it could be just pulled free. Lilu reached out her hand to grab it. Lights and music overwhelmed her. It was the last thing she remembered.

When she woke up, she was in the medical bay in the Argos Extractors base, with Lin and Heller looking down at her. Apparently, they found her passed out with this piece of metal clutched in her hand. She was... smiling, inexplicably. She told them that she heard music, saw lights, visions, a man she didn't know but felt like she knew, if she was religious she would have sworn it looked like Jesus, and she laughed. But they stared at her and she realized they probably didn't know who Jesus was in this new society, she certainly never saw any crosses in New Atlantis. Lin sat her up and made sure she was ok, gave her a juice pack. She felt like a school kid being looked after by her mother again. And then Lin got a buzz on the comms that the contract buyer was on their way to Vectera.

"Our Constellation buyer is almost here," she announced. Heller scoffed.

"Constellation? The explorers?! I didn't know they were around anymore."

Lilu had zero idea what Constellation was, but she wanted answers about this... thing... she plucked out of the rock. Maybe this buyer could help tell her what was going on here. There was a tiny but nagging sense... or was it a sort of pull... that either this object or something about the experience was related to how she had gotten to this space and time, but she had no idea what it was yet. The more she could learn, the better. So, she put her helmet back on and followed Lin and Heller outside the mining hab into the sunlight. A ship was landing and Heller was again poking fun at this Constellation group because of the supposed dilapidated state of the vehicle. She didn't know ship from Shinola. Did this bode well?

A man in a red, white, and blue spacesuit emerged from the craft, which she would later learn was named the Frontier, followed by a large, bipedal robot. The man, handsome, older, and Black, had his name on his suit breastplate: Barrett. The robot was Vasco. Lilu knew her history: Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese explorer. Constellation was an explorers group, the humor was not lost on her. Her attention turned back to the conversation that was unfolding around her. Immediately, Barrett had greeted Lin with a warmth that was not returned in kind. There was clearly some unpleasant history between those two. It didn't seem romantic, and Lin really seemed like a straight shooter. Maybe this Barrett fellow bore watching, smooth and good-looking though he may be. It was always that kind of guy, wasn't it?

"The new dusty here found it," said Lin, gesturing toward Lilu, "and no, Barrett, this didn't go smoothly, she passed out, woke up saying a bunch of stuff that didn't make sense."

"Is that so? Wild ride, huh?" said Barrett, now turning his attention to Lilu.

Lilu felt intensely uncomfortable. How would he know about that? What else does this guy know? Could he identify what or who she saw in the vision? Still, best to play things close to the vest for now. "Yeah, you could call it that," she said, tightly.

Barrett laughed. "Sounds fun. Not the best..." But he was cut off as the robot, Vasco, said, "Barrett, there's a ship approaching rapidly from orbit".

"Damn, is it them again? I'd hoped I'd given them the slip," said Barrett.

"Barrett..." said Lin. And then...

"Oh shit, that's pirates! I think it's the Crimson Fleet!" screamed Heller.

Lin yelled at Lilu to grab a gun. Finally, something she absolutely knew how to do. Be a soldier. She ran up to a mining bin that held a semi-automatic pistol called an Eon, and some 7.77mm ballistic ammunition. How in the universe that, 300 years later, ballistics were still a thing was beyond her comprehension and vision for what she thought the future would be like, but she was deliriously grateful for it now. There was no learning curve to master. Chamber a round and shoot until the clip is empty, reload, and go again. She sprinted towards the pirates' ship and crouched behind a metal barrier, waiting for them to tumble out of the ship's hatch.

It didn't take long. The poor miners, most of them were armed with only cutters against pirates who, typical to most outlaws, couldn't shoot for shit, but were still armed with what looked like submachine guns. The miners bore the brunt of it but Lilu breathed steady, sighted in, and started picking off pirates one by one. She could see Lin out of her peripheral vision, doing the same. The woman was a warrior, no doubt about it. Lilu could see some of the miners had obviously been killed, others had been wounded and crawled away to safety, and yet others had run to hide. Who could blame them? They weren't trained soldiers, they weren't paid to fight, and they were hoping for the best from their colleagues who were fighting for them.

A burst of pain and blood exploded out of her left shoulder and she realized one of those goddamned pirates had come up and tried to plant an axe in it. It was a glancing blow but it was still incredibly agonizing. Lilu swung her pistol around and ended the pirate, and shot two more before she realized that was it. It was over. She fumbled in her hip bag for one of the med packs she had been given and injected it into her arm. Well, she thought, I guess the future has some perks, because as she watched, the bleeding in her shoulder slowed and it seemed as if everything was knitting from the inside out. She had thought a hole in her spacesuit would doom her, but apparently not this day. She would later learn that the spacesuits of the age were "self-healing", and the med packs themselves were so powerful that if you popped enough of them fast enough, you could bring yourself back from the brink of death and exsanguination. Medical miracles.

She went back to where she saw Lin and Barrett standing, towards the landing pad where the Frontier was sitting, undamaged and serene. The robot, Vasco, was still there, as well. Barrett praised her.

"Looks like you know how to handle yourself under pressure," he said. "I think you need to come with me to New Atlantis and Constellation. You don't belong here; you are a part of our journey now."

Before Lilu could protest, Lin spoke up. "Oh no, Barrett, no, you cause all this trouble and think you can just walk away?"

Barrett considered this and said, "OK, Lin, how about I make you a deal. I'll send your dusty to New Atlantis in my place, and I'll stay here and help you until you're evacuated. No, no," he continued, seeing Lin was about to shut him down. "If she's been through anything like I was when she touched the Artifact, she needs to get to Constellation. She isn't just some dusty anymore."

Lilu felt her heart skip a beat. Was this her ticket out of here and out from under the UC's custody? Or at least a step towards that eventuality? If so, she'd gladly take it. But she felt a pang of guilt, too. Lin had been really good to her in the brief time she had been there. It felt faithless to just desert her and Heller and what was left of the others like that.

"Fine," said Lin. She turned to Lilu. "Go on, then, dusty. Just take care of yourself out there, it's still a big galaxy that you don't know a lot about."

Lilu swallowed hard. "Are you sure? I mean, what about the mine, won't you need me still?"

Lin said, "Are you kidding? Our job here is over, we have to pack up and evacuate before more pirates come. But..." and here Lin lowered her voice and spoke in an aside to Lilu, "I am going to have to let UC SysDef know where you'll be, it's still in their territory, you understand. They'll probably contact whoever is in charge of Constellation to let them know, too."

Lilu said, a little disappointed but understanding, like soldiers do, about the requirement of doing ones duty: "Of course. I understand. Thanks for everything, Lin. I mean it."

"Get out of here, dusty, you don't want to make me say something I might regret," replied Lin, but Lilu could see the warmth in the older woman's eyes. Lin didn't know Lilu that long to put her reputation on the line to vouch for her by letting her off her leash unreported, but Lin was still good people.

"Now that's settled," Barrett said, "Take this, you'll find it extremely useful." He handed Lilu what looked to be a watch, which she strapped to her wrist over her spacesuit. "Look at that, it fits you perfectly. It'll let you into the Lodge, that's Constellation headquarters. And sometimes it even works to tell you the time." He turned towards the robot.

"Vasco, get her to the Lodge, Protocol Indigo. And Vasco! Help the Frontier to stay in one piece!" yelled Barrett as he took off with Lin towards the mining buildings.

Lilu turned and ran towards the Frontier. Looks like she was about to be a starship Captain. At least, with the help of Vasco. But she was going BACK to Jemison, and New Atlantis, the place she'd just gotten out of less than a week ago. But this time, it wasn't to a glorified holding cell meant to look like quarters. It was to a place called the Lodge, to join Constellation. She hoped they had good coffee. No one in the future so far seemed to be able to make any that was acceptable. Lilu took one last look back towards Lin, Barrett, Heller, and the Argos Extractor base. And then she climbed the ladder and passed through the Frontier's hatch.

---------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2 Song:

"I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world,

I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog, and my home.

Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone.

But there's really nothing, nothing we can do, love must be forgotten, life can always start up anew."

------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: Apologies that this segment was so long. I wanted to get off Vectera but I wanted to add some more worldbuilding. Rather than break into a third chapter, I opted to make everyone suffer instead (lol?). I'll try to pace these a little better in the future. This is my very first time writing fanfic and I can get wordy. Also, TIL there are two hashtags in use for Sam Coe/Starfield fanfic writers, I will use them here even though I have not gotten to Sam yet. But we're gonna get there hopefully by Chapter 4, no later than Chapter 5. Thanks for your patience if that's what you're hoping to read!

[democracyunderground]

THE END OF LAW

Robert Reich February 10th. The Trump regime is refusing to be bound by the federal courts. Where will this end?

Friends, He is the most lawless president in American history. He’s allowed Musk’s rats unfettered access to the Treasury’s payments system. Banned birthright citizenship. Refused to spend money appropriated by Congress. Closed independent agencies without Congress’s approval. Substituted political loyalists for civil servants. Unleashed the military on civilians. And on it goes.

Republican lawmakers won’t restrain him. In one of the most shameful apologia for dictatorship I’ve ever heard coming from a public official, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina admits that much of what Trump is doing “runs afoul of the Constitution in the strictest sense.” But, Tillis adds, “nobody should bellyache about that.”

We shouldn’t bellyache about Trump’s torching the Constitution?

As Trump’s marauding continues, America's last defense is the federal courts. But the big story here (which hasn’t received nearly the attention it deserves) is that the Trump-Vance-Musk regime is ignoring the courts.

On Sunday, Vice President JD Vance declared that “judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”

This is bonkers. In our system of government, it’s up to the courts to determine whether the president is using his power “legitimately,” not the president.

Consider Trump’s freeze on all federal spending. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to appropriate money, not the president.

So far, two federal judges have stopped Trump’s freeze, pending full hearings on the lawsuits. But Trump is ignoring these court decisions and continues to freeze funds Congress has appropriated, notwithstanding.

The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, says the freeze will continue even though Trump's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has withdrawn the memo implementing it -- an Orwellian move that last week prompted U.S. District Judge AliKhan to reprimand the OMB.

“It appears that OMB sought to overcome a judicially imposed obstacle without actually ceasing the challenged conduct. The court can think of few things more disingenuous.”

On Saturday, federal district court Judge Paul A. Engelmayer temporarily denied Musk’s young recruits access to the Treasury’s payment and data systems, finding a risk of “irreparable harm.” The judge ordered anyone who had been granted access to the systems since January 20 to “destroy any and all copies of material downloaded” from it.

Well, good luck with that. How will Engelmayer know all copies have been destroyed in an administration that denies judges have the power to control what the president does?

Worse yet, Musk’s gang have access to the computer code. How will the judge prevent them from changing that code?

Another federal judge, John Coughenour, has blocked Trump’s executive order altering birthright citizenship, calling it “clearly unconstitutional.” The judge didn’t pull any punches:

“It has become ever more apparent that, to our president, the rule of law is but an impediment to his policy goals. The rule of law is, according to him, something to navigate around or simply ignore, whether that be for political or personal gain.”

Exactly. But how can Judge Coughenour guarantee that the Trump regime will grant citizenship to all children born in the United States to undocumented parents? Trump and Musk have tunneled into the entire federal government, even including the passport office (When transgender people try to renew, new passports list their sex at birth.)

Federal judges considering the legality of Trump’s mass deportations are bound by Supreme Court rulings that noncitizens have a right to due process before being deported — including the right to be informed of the charges against them, the right to an attorney, and the right to present evidence in their defense.

Here, too, Trump’s regime has ignored these rulings.

Meanwhile, in a lawsuit filed Friday, several “sanctuary” cities and counties are challenging both Trump’s executive order withdrawing federal funds from places that refuse to help carry out his immigration agenda and his Justice Department's threat to prosecute any jurisdiction that refuses to comply.

Plaintiffs are seeking to “check this abuse of power” by asking the courts to declare the Trump regime’s actions unlawful and prevent their enforcement.

The law is clearly on the plaintiff’s side. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the federal government cannot force cities and states to adopt laws or to enforce federal mandates.

But Trump isn’t budging.

Over the next months, these and dozens of other federal cases will be appealed to the Supreme Court — either by the plaintiffs arguing that Trump is ignoring lower-court decisions, or by Trump’s Justice Department appealing those decisions.

Then what?

You have every reason to be cynical about the current majority on the Supreme Court. But the cases I’ve just cited, along with many others, are based on the Supreme Court’s own precedents that say that Trump cannot legally do what he’s doing.

Yes, the Roberts court has shown itself willing to reverse its prior opinions (see: Roe v. Wade), but my betting is that at least on some of these issues the high court will rule against Trump.

All of which raises a final, perilous question: What if the Trump regime ignores the Supreme Court just as it has ignored lower courts?

In his 2024 year-end report on the federal judiciary, Chief Justice John Roberts anticipated this possibility, noting that judicial independence “is undermined unless the other branches [of government] are firm in their responsibility to enforce the court’s decrees.”

Roberts mentioned defiance by southern governors of the Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. Their defiance required that federal troops enforce the Supreme Court’s decision.

Roberts then commented on more recent defiance:

“Within the past few years … elected officials from across the political spectrum have raised the specter of open disregard for federal court rulings. These dangerous suggestions, however sporadic, must be soundly rejected.

There’s no secret whom Roberts was referring to. His first initials are JD and he ought to know better. Vance graduated Yale Law School Class of 2013, and his wife, Usha, clerked for Roberts from 2017 to 2018.

Yet Vance said on a 2021 podcast, “When the courts stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did and say: ‘The chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.’”

Here’s Vance in a February 2024 interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos: Vance: “The president has to be able to run the government as he thinks he should. That’s the way the Constitution works. It has been thwarted too much by the way our bureaucracy has worked over the past 15 years.”

Stephanopoulos: “The Constitution also says the president must abide by legitimate Supreme Court rulings, doesn’t it?”

Vance: “The Constitution says that the Supreme Court can make rulings, but if the Supreme Court — and, look, I hope that they would not do this — but if the Supreme Court said the president of the United States can’t fire a general, that would be an illegitimate ruling, and the president has to have Article II prerogative under the Constitution to actually run the military as he sees fit.”

In other words, if the Supreme Court rules against Trump on an important issue, there’s a fair chance the Trump-Vance-Musk regime will thumb their nose at it.

What then? Impeachment isn’t a possibility because Republicans run both chambers of Congress and haven’t exactly distinguished themselves with integrity or independence.

If Trump simply ignores the high court, is that the end of law?

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© 2025 Robert Reich

[misfitwashere]

BRING THE BOY BACK HOME!

Where is Freda Payne when you need her?

This is something the music business can get behind. This is something that can be done quickly. This is something that even Jason Aldean might deign to sing on. You deport an innocent man without due process and you ignore the court decisions and are in cahoots with the President of El Salvador and...NOTHING IS HAPPENING?

Imagine yourself in said prison. Hell, you saw "Midnight Express." But in this case, Kilmar didn't smuggle any dope. His only offense was having the wrong nationality.

"First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me"

Pastor Martin Niemöller

Be afraid, be very afraid.

That's the nation we now live in, one akin to Chile, where they DISAPPEAR PEOPLE!

This is not about left or right, Democrat or Republican, this is about human rights.

Especially if you're MAGA... You keep saying you believe in FREEDOM! What about the freedom to live your life peacefully, pursue wealth and happiness and retain the ability to speak your truth. Now THAT'S freedom. And if you commit a crime, or are suspected of one, you're entitled to DUE PROCESS UNDER THE LAW!

Aren't we a nation of laws? That's what I always thought.

But we've got Steve Bannon on Bill Maher insisting that not only does Donald Trump have the right to run for a third term, but HE'LL WIN! Sure, we need to talk to our adversaries, but when they spew B.S. like this it's okay to denigrate them. The Constitution means nothing to Bannon, THERE ARE WAYS AROUND IT!

All you people who supported Native Americans, starving people in Africa, you can't stand up for this victim of illegal procedure?

So you still think he's a criminal. Fine, but read the above by Pastor Niemöller, eventually you're the target, if you don't take a stand for others, no one will be left to take a stand for you.

Which is why seemingly every Jew, including myself, is against the incarceration without due process of the Columbia graduate student. Because we know the wind could change and it could be us.

This is kind of like saying the murderer can't be culpable for the death of his victim because he's already dead.

This is the kind of gobbledygook Trump and his team are spewing in court, they're twisting not only truth, but the law. They interpret everything narrowly, always claiming an exception, and when the court rules against them, THEY STONEWALL!

Don't you get it?

If you're not a lawyer, you probably do not. Victory in court means nothing without enforcement. There's a law on the books combatting bots, but it has no effect on ticketing, because there's no enforcement.

Even worse, TRUMP IS IN CHARGE OF ENFORCEMENT!

Trump was legally elected, he is President. I own that, however I'll never forgive Biden, Harris and the Democratic brass for cocking this up, almost anybody else could have defeated Trump.

But the President is not a dictator, he must obey the law. But Trump believes we're in an emergency situation and he can bypass procedure. Collateral damage? Well, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is only one person.

And back to that due process. You're entitled to a defense. Charles Manson was entitled to a defense. But good luck getting a first tier law firm to defend you if Trump is after you, they all settled with the man to protect their pocketbooks. Watergate lowered the estimation of lawyers in the public consciousness, Skadden and Paul Weiss put a stake in the heart of the profession. I had to take an ethics exam to become an attorney, didn't these people? Or are they so tied up with corporations that they do what's expedient and...you wonder whether the same lawyers capitulating to Trump are perverting the justice system on behalf of their clients.

But one single guy who did nothing wrong. This is unheard of in America. We can't even kill people on death row, but they flew this guy out of the country and there's nothing we can do about it?

As for Bukele... Yeah, his hands are tied... He made a deal with Trump, otherwise he'd return Kilmar in an instant. It's like Putin, who says one thing and does another. No, he did not blow up Prigozhin's plane...

This is when protests in the street make a difference. Because it's not that heavy a lift for Trump to change course and bring Kilmar home.

We must express our outrage. This cannot happen in the United States.

And, once again, those who are in favor of deporting supposed criminals with no due process, no hearing...

You could be next. And believe me, you'll want the full protection of the law.

So if the courts can't save us, WE MUST SAVE OURSELVES!

Once again, rights, belief in the Constitution...those are 101, everybody believes in those. This is not a red or blue issue. This is a human rights issue, and last time I checked we were all human.

Hell, just get Freda Payne and everybody who can sell out an arena to rerecord "Bring the Boy(s) Home." Doesn't matter if radio is too scared to play it. We make the hits these days, we can stream the song ad infinitum.

And that's just the first step. If Kilmar isn't returned immediately, or god forbid dies in prison like Navalny, we need to tighten the noose.

And there are so many ways to do this.

Our hands are not tied.

We need to show Trump who's boss.

US!

[coochiequeens]

Good news for Women’s sports!

By WDTV News Staff Published: May. 2, 2024

CLARKSBURG, W.Va (WDTV) - Judge Thomas A. Bedell has granted a preliminary injunction, allowing the four students who sued the Harrison County Board of Education to continue playing after their protest on April 18th.

The ruling came after more than three hours of testimony from school officials, a parent, and two of the five girls who participated in the protest.

Judge Bedell addressed the court to specify this hearing was not addressing the issue of transgender athletes in sports. Instead, it was focused on whether there was a violation of due process and if the school prohibited free speech.

Much of the plaintiffs’ case hinged on whether an unwritten rule could be enforced. According to Lincoln Middle School Track Coach Dawn Riestenberg, she adopted the “scratch rule” four years ago, one year after taking on coaching the team.

According to Riestenberg, if a student opted out of participating in an event voluntarily, they wouldn’t be allowed to compete in that same event at the next meet. Importantly, that rule was never written down, nor given to the student athletes in writing.

Instead, Riestenberg testified that she tells the student athletes of her scratch rule at the beginning of the season. The two students testifying disputed that claim.

A lawyer with the Harrison County Board of Education claimed that the students’ free speech rights were not infringed upon by following the scratch rule. Multiple people testified that there were other forms of protesting the issue of transgender athletes in sports throughout the season.

Riestenberg, LMS Principal Lori Scott, and a student all testified that multiple students wore “SWS” shirts -- short for “save women’s sports” -- at meets and were not reprimanded. They only reason, the BOE’s lawyer argued, that the students were not allowed to participate in the next meet was because they violated their coach’s scratch rule.

In the end, Judge Bedell said that both sides made good points, but was going to grant the plaintiff’s preliminary injunction motion.

That means the students will be allowed to compete in their next (and final) two matches of the season, regardless of whether they protest by violating Coach Riestenberg’s scratch rule.

All parties agreed that should the scratch rule want to be enforced in the future, it would need to be in writing.

Riestenberg and Scott committed to making that happen for next season.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey issued the following response on Judge Bedell’s ruling.

“I want to say to these students and their parents: I have your backs. You saw unfairness and you expressed your disappointment and sacrificed your personal performances in a sport that you love; exercised your constitutionally protected freedom of speech and expression. These girls didn’t disrupt anything when they protested. They should be commended, not punished. We need to teach them that it is noble to stand firm in their beliefs and address their grievances within the protections guaranteed by our constitution. They need not to be silent. They have won by having their voices heard. So glad we were able to weigh in on behalf of these courageous young girls and that they are able to play.”

[sublimeobservationarcade]

Trump Tariff BS Continues With China

The Trump tariff BS continues with China, as the can gets kicked down the road for another 90 days. Has there ever been a more chaotic incompetent President of the United States of America? If you travelled back in time, even just a couple of decades ago, no one in that Administration could ever have believed what is going on right now. The nation has traded in expertise for ineptitude. America has backed all out corruption over civil service. Hey, previous federal governments were never perfect, far from it, but there was the stated intention of serving the Constitution and, therefore, the American people. Now, under Donald Trump, the great destroyer of government, that has all gone. “The US will lower those tariffs from 145% to 30%, while China's retaliatorytariffs on US goods will drop to 10% from 125%.” - (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx0ry7kdk5o)

Trump Tariffs Largely Piss & Wind

These Trump tariffs have to be the biggest economic con job sprung upon the American people. So far, nothing has actually emerged out of them that you could take to the bank. Not that you would or could trust the financial realm with Trump at the nation’s helm. It is piss and wind just like the great man himself. Much ado about nothing, which will hurt consumers in the short term via upsetting the distribution of so many products in America. Trump sees himself as a permanent page one story in terms of the old legacy media model. He wants to be seen as the prime determinant for global trade because it makes him feel real important. The world media run around playing their roles as useful idiots in this staged play.

The American Sickness & Trump America is the home of out of control careerism and individual ambitions to the detriment of the planet. Their elected representatives and high court judges never know when to leave office and are there in their 80’s and beyond. The nation lacks generational revitalisation on this basis due to the selfishness of their leaders over decades. No limits have been set and in a culture of too much is never enough a toxic greed has flourished. Billionaires are the illustrative example of this and their lionisation by many Americans is proof of a sick materialistic society. Trump is a symptom of this sickness and his destructive behaviour is the outcome. Abraham Lincoln wrote about presidential power and his constitutional responsibilities. Lincoln & Executive Power “The president still found it necessary in 1864 to explain and defend his actions with regard to emancipation, which remained unpopular with many Northerners. In an April 4, 1864 letter to Albert G. Hodges, editor of the Commonwealth newspaper in Frankfort, Kentucky, Lincoln was careful to distinguish his own opinions from the actions he felt constitutionally justified in taking. "I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel," he began. "And yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially upon this judgment and feeling." His presidential oath bound him to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States," and each step in the process of emancipation was in the interest of preserving the nation, and thus preserving the Constitution. “ - (https://www.loc.gov/collections/abraham-lincoln-papers/articles-and-essays/abraham-lincoln-and-emancipation/)

Donlad Trump by contrast is grifting billions via digital currencies to the benefit of his family whilst being President. Now, it seems he is accepting a $400 million luxury jet liner as a gift from Qatar. There is no bounds to the corruption and kleptocracy under Trump. The ugly American has broken free from any restraints to climb the Empire State building like a bloated aged King Kong with patchy orange hair. The world looks on in stunned silence at the outrages committed by this throwback to the 1930’s. All the time he is threatening ever larger tariffs upon nations near and far, most likely, in search of more gifts to stash away in boltholes for tomorrow. He is a tinpot dictator forever damaging the reputation of the United States. “The disengagement with traditional politics by the American population is legend. The success of Donald Trump as populist demagogue is based on his reality TV celebrity status during the long running show The Apprentice. It therefore makes sense that he would extend this success via incorporating other screen celebrities in his government. Empty headed crassness knows no bounds in the USA. Congress, on the GOP side has been cast into silence and blanked out, whilst the TV stars make government for the adoring right wing fans. “ - (https://www.housetherapy.com.au/click-bait-celebrity-politics/) Don’t You Forget About Trump! The Trump tariff BS continues with China, as Trump cries out to the world –‘look at me! At how important a personage I am.’ In case you forgot him for a moment his social media posts are on speed dial. What will be the fate for this uber hubristic chap? The dark eventually balances the light. I think on the fate of Mussolini as quite possibly Trump suitable in the scales of justice. We will have to wait and see. Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump. ©HouseTherapy

Read the full article

[sealochs]

Hey girl! How does the evidence for evidence against exercise work? Would love to try it on my own anxiety lol

hello! so the evidence for evidence against exercise is like taking your anxiety to court. put her on trial! cross-examine her! she's a liar, your honour!

on the face of it, it's very simple, like it's so simple i can't believe it works so well; it makes me feel simple every time it works. i will say that it does sort of rely on you focusing on one (1) fear, on one main thing that's causing you to be anxious; but there's nothing to stop you doing it multiple times for multiple anxieties, one by one, if you find it hard to separate or identify a principal cause. although, even the act of doing that can help; what are you principally anxious about, & which extra anxieties are you recruiting to that cause? i often find my seemingly generalised anxiety is actually a pretty specific one when i sit down & force myself to be honest on paper, but that doesn't mean that's true for everyone!

when you have your one (1) fear, you basically sit & you write a list of evidence for that fear coming true; a list of evidence for your anxiety being entirely reasonable and founded in a rational reading of reality. when you do this, & i think it helps to do it by hand, you realise you have much less hard evidence than your brain has led you to believe. last night, i discovered a lot of mine were starting with the word 'maybe', & what followed was just wild conjecture. objection, your honour! sustained! strike that last from the record!

then, you write a list of evidence against. this might be a list of actions or words from someone that would indicate that they do not, in fact, hate you. or a list of previous achievements that would indicate that you are not, in fact, doomed to fail the challenge you're currently facing. or a list of facts about a situation that act as alternative explanations for something bad having happened, and so indicate that it was not, in fact, all your fault. this list might also include reasons why things on your 'for' list may not, actually, constitute hard evidence. the jury are nodding their heads, they're murmuring approval, they're casting nasty glances at your anxiety in the witness box.

you can stop there, but i've found that writing that second list of evidence against often turns into a general free writing exercise where i start to explore the thing that's making me anxious from a far more rational perspective; i've found it works as a way into empathy, into generously & in good faith imagining what another person might really think, might really feel, or how a situation might really turn out, without the ultimately self-centred & distortive lens of anxiety blinding me. i am literally always stunned when it works in this way, when my brain - which was just one hour ago already spiralling into a grief process for something that hasn't happened yet - manages to do a complete one-eighty & see the situation entirely differently.

which is probably the final thing to note: i've often found that doing this exercise is in itself a terrifying prospect, & i've often put it off or simply not done it, & Suffered instead. because it's like: but what if i prove myself right? what if i do actually come up with a lot of hard evidence that this thing that i am deeply anxious about is, in fact, something i have due cause to be deeply anxious about?

& yet, with one glaring exception*, i have never yet proven myself right with this exercise. i haven't always definitively proven myself wrong, but i've always been able at least to realise that there are many alternative explanations or possibilities for something beyond the one worst case scenario that my anxiety has decided is the most likely, & to temper my anxiety with an acceptance of those.

this got weirdly long, but i hope it helps somewhat! i'm sending you love <3

[beardedmrbean]

everybody have called people saying Trump and his administration is echoing Nazi Germany crazy yet the whole autism registry thing, EEOC giving up people's personal information to the government the weather or not they are Jewish, it's not really helping, especially since you got Trump going again the supreme Court vote that ruled against him and people don't want due process. it's really uncomfortable and people side waving these worries like nothing's going to happen because this didn't happen in Trump first term feels like it's going to make someone kill themselves for real

I made a comment to that effect on the autism thing on a ask I got about it earlier, I don't think the register is a good idea unless it's 100% voluntary even then I'm iffy about it because I want less government involvement in my life not more.

That's the leftists that want more government

Not seeing anything directly related to the EEOC so this may or may not be what you're talking about

This is news to me, looks like a incredibly poorly thought out way to try and take the pulse of the Jewish community in academia.

oop and just spotted this

likely well intentioned and poorly thought out, at least I hope.

Supreme court thing at least with that one guy could be resolved by sending him anywhere but El Salvador, which should have been how it went in the first place, executive branch is well within its rights to deport people, but he had a asterix by his name that said 'not to el salvador' guy was denied asylum but did get that.

Rest I don't know much about.

He shouldn't be ignoring them though I do think if he actually crossed the line there would be impeachment proceedings happening, so he may well be within the scope of the power of his office.

Which with all of these things he could be handling them a whole lot better, I will not disagree there.

We can also find parallels to any group we want to from all corners of the political spectrum, doesn't really matter who is in charge or what country we're looking at either, there's always going to be something and the people pointing that out are going to be screaming it at the top of their lungs too.

I don't like any of these goings on up here, at least not as they're laid out. The email thing isn't horrible, just badly thought out from what I read, the idea of a registry for autistic people is baffling, and that dude needs to be locked up but just not in el salvador apparently.

As for the supreme court checks and balances is still in play, balance may be off right now but I can't be sure since I'm not as well versed in constitutional law as I could be.

Fingers crossed I'm right

[shaharbansblog]

HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN REAL ESTATE IN DUBAI

Investing in real estate in Dubai is highly lucrative, especially through property flipping and distressed property dealings. Now, let me go to the simplified explanation of how such methods are approached.

Property Flipping

Property flipping involves the process of buying any particular property, improving it, and then selling it for a good profit. This is how you can go about it:

1 Find the Right Property: Search out undervalued homes or ones in disrepair that may be in up-and-coming sections of town, or in some sort of distressed sale.

2. Plan the Renovation Needed: Based on what really needs to be improved or replaced, prepare the cost estimate involved. Focus efforts on the right kind of renovation that is bound to raise property value.

3. Secure Financing: Let renovation and purchase of a property be facilitated by savings, loans, or joint ventures.

4. Renovate Wisely: Carry out all intended renovations, putting in mind very good budgeting and timing. Quality work largely boosts the selling price of the house.

5. Sell at the Right Time: Once renovations are complete, list the property for sale. Timing can be important: selling when the market is hot can raise your profits significantly.

Dealing in Distressed Properties

Distressed properties are those that sell for less than their current market value because the owner is in a distressed situation and needs to sell immediately. The following describes how to profit from a distressed property:

1. Find distressed properties: These could be in the form of an auction, bank foreclosures, or properties which have just been on the market for some time.

2. Analyze for potential: Not every distressed property constitutes a good deal; check out what needs repairs and what after-repair value it can reach.

3. Negate the Purchase: There is always some rush from the sellers to sell the house, so always give in to accommodating some negotiation leverage. Seek to buy at a price that will allow renovation costs plus a profit margin.

4. Renovate and Sell: Buy the property and enhance features necessary for sale at an appreciated value.

Key Considerations

First, relevant market research is done to establish the trend in the prevailing real estate market in Dubai. This may indicate that some areas would offer better prospects either for flipping or for distressed property deals.

Legal Compliance: The transaction should be in complete compliance with the local laws and regulations. It is highly advisable that a real estate attorney is consulted to go through all the legal requirements.

 Financial Planning: Have a very clear budget in mind: purchase price, renovation cost, holding costs-like utilities and taxes-and contingency for unexpected expenses.

Risk Management: Estimate other likely pitfalls, from market fluctuation to the risk of unforeseen repair costs. Settle upon a backup plan if possible that would decrease these risks.

While Dubai is a very vibrant real estate market, with some very real substantial opportunities for flipping and distressed property investment, this will require careful property selection and very detailed management of the renovation process.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQ)

1. What is Property Flipping?

Property flipping, in simple words, means property bought, renovated, and sold for an amount higher than the original buying price. In other words, through renovations, you plan on increasing the value of the property.

2. What is a distressed property?

A house which is being sold at an even lower price due to urgency arising at the owner's end to sell his property either due to foreclosure, financial issues etc