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Joinfortmill
Joinfortmill's Journal
Joinfortmill's Journal
October 18, 2023
'Trump aims to sue London firm over dossier alleging sexual perversions'
'...Donald Trump has said that a dossier alleging that he engaged in “perverted sexual behaviour” and paid bribes to Russian officials to further his business interests is “false” and “phoney”, and is seeking to sue for damages in London...
The former US president indicated that he was willing to give evidence at the high court in his case alleging breach of data protection rights by Orbis Business Intelligence over the 2016 “Steele dossier”. The dossier, investigating Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential campaign, was compiled by the Orbis co-founder Christopher Steele, who previously ran MI6’s Russia desk.
The AlterNet has more on this topic (my words)
https://www.alternet.org/trump-fani-willis-2666013579/
"In his witness statement, Steele said the decision to declassify his testimony, taken on Trump's last day in office, resulted in several Russian sources being exposed and suffering 'varying consequences.'"
Remember Christopher Steele?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/16/donald-trump-damages-steele-dossier-high-court-london'Trump aims to sue London firm over dossier alleging sexual perversions'
'...Donald Trump has said that a dossier alleging that he engaged in “perverted sexual behaviour” and paid bribes to Russian officials to further his business interests is “false” and “phoney”, and is seeking to sue for damages in London...
The former US president indicated that he was willing to give evidence at the high court in his case alleging breach of data protection rights by Orbis Business Intelligence over the 2016 “Steele dossier”. The dossier, investigating Russian efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential campaign, was compiled by the Orbis co-founder Christopher Steele, who previously ran MI6’s Russia desk.
The AlterNet has more on this topic (my words)
https://www.alternet.org/trump-fani-willis-2666013579/
"In his witness statement, Steele said the decision to declassify his testimony, taken on Trump's last day in office, resulted in several Russian sources being exposed and suffering 'varying consequences.'"
October 17, 2023
'holy fuck, Republican dipshittery is out of control' Jeff Tiedrich
'welcome to Day One of the Trump Gag Order Violation Watch. and, quite possibly, Day One of Holy Shit, the Rape-Enabling Insurrectionist Is Actually Speaker of the House. while we’ve been focused on these two unpleasant stories, there’s been a fuck-ton of Republican batshittery going on in the margins. let’s have a look.
every now and then, I remember that noted cosmetics influencer Sarah Huckabee Sanders is actually the governor of Arkansas, and my brain starts to hurt. how the fuck did this happen? how did a mediocre press secretary with a penchant for lying and practically nothing else on her resume get herself elected governor of an entire state — and then the veins in my head start to throb and I have to go lie down in a dark room...
welcome to lecterngate. it goes like this:...Sarah, using state funds, spent $19,000 on a lectern. that’s a lot of money, so you might be asking yourself: what’s so special about this lectern? is it magical? does it shit rainbows? no, it doesn’t do anything. it’s just a lectern. it just stands there being very lectern-like. here it is: and here’s a sample of bullshit Sarah vomits out when questioned about her excellent purchase. let’s look at some of those “features” Sarah’s been touting... well, Amazon sells one that looks a lot like it for $771.
another fun policy idea from Area Psychopath Ron DeSantis
hey, remember when Ron DeSantis was a candidate for president? technically he still is, but these days he’s been polling lower than scrotum cancer...this past Sunday he showed up on Face the Nation with a brilliant new policy idea: shoot every migrant wearing a backpack. because fentanyl, you understand...host Margaret Brennan was aghast, and pressed Ron for details. “can you explain how that would work? would a soldier have to ask his commanding officer for permission before he shoots anyone wearing a backpack or is this just a blanket ‘shoot anyone with a backpack’?”...Ron: “you have to make those judgements.”...great plan, Ronny. yeah, let’s make the extra-judicial murder of migrants the judgement call of some hapless soldier... it’s hard to believe that this guy liked to sit in on Gitmo torture sessions, and laugh.'
There's more (my words).
TIEDRICH
https://www.jefftiedrich.com/p/holy-fuck-republican-dipshittery'holy fuck, Republican dipshittery is out of control' Jeff Tiedrich
'welcome to Day One of the Trump Gag Order Violation Watch. and, quite possibly, Day One of Holy Shit, the Rape-Enabling Insurrectionist Is Actually Speaker of the House. while we’ve been focused on these two unpleasant stories, there’s been a fuck-ton of Republican batshittery going on in the margins. let’s have a look.
every now and then, I remember that noted cosmetics influencer Sarah Huckabee Sanders is actually the governor of Arkansas, and my brain starts to hurt. how the fuck did this happen? how did a mediocre press secretary with a penchant for lying and practically nothing else on her resume get herself elected governor of an entire state — and then the veins in my head start to throb and I have to go lie down in a dark room...
welcome to lecterngate. it goes like this:...Sarah, using state funds, spent $19,000 on a lectern. that’s a lot of money, so you might be asking yourself: what’s so special about this lectern? is it magical? does it shit rainbows? no, it doesn’t do anything. it’s just a lectern. it just stands there being very lectern-like. here it is: and here’s a sample of bullshit Sarah vomits out when questioned about her excellent purchase. let’s look at some of those “features” Sarah’s been touting... well, Amazon sells one that looks a lot like it for $771.
another fun policy idea from Area Psychopath Ron DeSantis
hey, remember when Ron DeSantis was a candidate for president? technically he still is, but these days he’s been polling lower than scrotum cancer...this past Sunday he showed up on Face the Nation with a brilliant new policy idea: shoot every migrant wearing a backpack. because fentanyl, you understand...host Margaret Brennan was aghast, and pressed Ron for details. “can you explain how that would work? would a soldier have to ask his commanding officer for permission before he shoots anyone wearing a backpack or is this just a blanket ‘shoot anyone with a backpack’?”...Ron: “you have to make those judgements.”...great plan, Ronny. yeah, let’s make the extra-judicial murder of migrants the judgement call of some hapless soldier... it’s hard to believe that this guy liked to sit in on Gitmo torture sessions, and laugh.'
There's more (my words).
October 15, 2023
A little bit of fun: '28 Rock Stars Older Than President Joe Biden'
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-stars-older-than-joe-biden/
October 13, 2023
My comments: This is an excellent and informative article describing the history and current situation in Palestine.
'What is Hamas? Hamas was formed in 1987 at the start of the first Palestinian uprising, or intifada, against Israel. It is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Sunni Islamist group that first formed in Egypt. Hamas, the Arabic acronym for "Islamic Resistance Movement," wants to create a Palestinian state. It rejects any peace deal with Israel, which it refuses to recognize...The organization's political chief is Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Doha, Qatar...The military wing is currently overseen by Marwan Issa, reportedly born in a Gaza Strip refugee camp, and Mohammed Deif, who is said to be the mastermind of the latest assault on Israel. Israel has previously tried to assassinate Deif...The State Department says Iran provides money and weapons to Hamas...In 2006, Hamas won legislative elections in Gaza and the West Bank but refused to join a coalition government with the opposition Fatah party — a key constituent of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, or PLO. Hamas later seized control of the Gaza Strip...
So, what did Hamas hope to accomplish?...Ali Barakeh, a senior Hamas official based in Lebanon, said the Oct. 7 attack came in response to "Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and the West Bank" and to "break the blockade on the Gaza Strip." He said it was also meant to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails...Hamas said it wanted to resist Israeli occupation and to seek revenge for Israel's 2021 raid on Islam's third-holiest site, Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the Old City of Jerusalem. Conditions in the Gaza Strip have worsened since the blockade was imposed in 2007. Most Gazans live in poverty and are dependent on aid. Unemployment is high.
For many in Hamas, opposing Israel is the organization's reason for existing, says Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council. "There's a core constituency in Hamas that this is what they live for ... what they're trained for, what they want to be doing."...It may also be a case of Hamas trying to maintain relevance and its leaders looking over their shoulders — concerned that they still need to show they can bring the fight to Israel, says Panikoff, who is a former deputy national intelligence officer for the Middle East. "You have even more militant jihadist groups in in the Gaza Strip. You don't want [defections] to those groups," he says.
Why Hamas and Israel reached this moment now — and what comes next...The strike by Hamas could also serve as a touchstone for others who want to fight against Israel, says C. Ross Anthony, a senior economist at Rand Corp. and co-author of Alternatives in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. "They were able to capture people and kill Israelis in a way they never had before," he says. "So that will inspire people in the Middle East, unfortunately, and probably some of the people on the West Bank."
How much support does Hamas have among Palestinians?...an opinion poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and Gaza Strip showed a dramatic surge in support for Hamas. In the poll, 53% of the 1,200 Palestinians surveyed said they believed Hamas is "most deserving of representing and leading the Palestinian people." By contrast, just 14% said the same of Fatah.'
'What did Hamas aim to gain by its brazen attack on Israel? Here's what to know'
https://www.npr.org/2023/10/12/1204881032/hamas-israel-attack-palestiniansMy comments: This is an excellent and informative article describing the history and current situation in Palestine.
'What is Hamas? Hamas was formed in 1987 at the start of the first Palestinian uprising, or intifada, against Israel. It is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a transnational Sunni Islamist group that first formed in Egypt. Hamas, the Arabic acronym for "Islamic Resistance Movement," wants to create a Palestinian state. It rejects any peace deal with Israel, which it refuses to recognize...The organization's political chief is Ismail Haniyeh, who is based in Doha, Qatar...The military wing is currently overseen by Marwan Issa, reportedly born in a Gaza Strip refugee camp, and Mohammed Deif, who is said to be the mastermind of the latest assault on Israel. Israel has previously tried to assassinate Deif...The State Department says Iran provides money and weapons to Hamas...In 2006, Hamas won legislative elections in Gaza and the West Bank but refused to join a coalition government with the opposition Fatah party — a key constituent of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, or PLO. Hamas later seized control of the Gaza Strip...
So, what did Hamas hope to accomplish?...Ali Barakeh, a senior Hamas official based in Lebanon, said the Oct. 7 attack came in response to "Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and the West Bank" and to "break the blockade on the Gaza Strip." He said it was also meant to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails...Hamas said it wanted to resist Israeli occupation and to seek revenge for Israel's 2021 raid on Islam's third-holiest site, Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the Old City of Jerusalem. Conditions in the Gaza Strip have worsened since the blockade was imposed in 2007. Most Gazans live in poverty and are dependent on aid. Unemployment is high.
For many in Hamas, opposing Israel is the organization's reason for existing, says Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council. "There's a core constituency in Hamas that this is what they live for ... what they're trained for, what they want to be doing."...It may also be a case of Hamas trying to maintain relevance and its leaders looking over their shoulders — concerned that they still need to show they can bring the fight to Israel, says Panikoff, who is a former deputy national intelligence officer for the Middle East. "You have even more militant jihadist groups in in the Gaza Strip. You don't want [defections] to those groups," he says.
Why Hamas and Israel reached this moment now — and what comes next...The strike by Hamas could also serve as a touchstone for others who want to fight against Israel, says C. Ross Anthony, a senior economist at Rand Corp. and co-author of Alternatives in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. "They were able to capture people and kill Israelis in a way they never had before," he says. "So that will inspire people in the Middle East, unfortunately, and probably some of the people on the West Bank."
How much support does Hamas have among Palestinians?...an opinion poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in the West Bank and Gaza Strip showed a dramatic surge in support for Hamas. In the poll, 53% of the 1,200 Palestinians surveyed said they believed Hamas is "most deserving of representing and leading the Palestinian people." By contrast, just 14% said the same of Fatah.'
October 12, 2023
Got my flu/ covid shots today together. No reactions.
October 11, 2023
Kari and Santos and Gym, oh my: JEFF TIEDRICH
'the full range of Republican fucknuttery was on display yesterday...beloved drag performer and dog rescue aficionado George If That Even Is Your Real Name Santos (R-Kleptopia) is almost as much of a twentyfour-seven felony factory as Republican standard-bearer Little Donny Fuckface...already under indictment for 13 counts of such super fun things as forgery and credit card fraud, yesterday’s superceding indictment added ten more kick-ass counts of wire fraud, identity theft and living large off campaign donations...Republicans continue to block the appointments of military leaders, ambassadors, and other government officials, because fuck you, that’s why. fright-wig fanboy Rand Paul has blocked the appointment of our ambassador to Israel because he’s convinced that Dr. Fauci is responsible for creating covid and just typing this sentence is making my head hurt.
remaindered author JD Vance has put a hold on all Department of Justice nominees, basically out of revenge for the DOJ’s indictments of Trump.failed football coach Tommy Tuberville is blocking military promotions because he’s super fucking annoyed that the Pengaton is allowing raped soldiers to get abortions. how dare they...one hundred and thirty seven year old Chuck Grassley has placed a hold on on a nominee for the Department of Veterans Affairs because … uhh … look, Chuck can’t even remember what he had for breakfast, don’t ask him to remember why he’s doing this. hand model and Olympic sprinter Josh Hawley is blocking all appointments to the Department of Energy...the Tesla clowncar that is the House Republican caucus continues to randomly crash and burst into flames as it casts about for a new Speaker.
shouty half-dressed degenerate wrestling coach Jim Jordan is one of the two main candidates for the job. Jim — one of the most extremist bomb-throwers in the House — has been talking out of both sides of his over-amped mouth, promising on the one hand to reach out to moderates and then in the next breath proclaiming that as Speaker, he wouldn’t allow one penny of aid to go to Ukraine...oh, and there’s this other totally fucking awesome thing about Jordan — he’s a depraved creep who covered up a molestation scandal when he was a wrestling coach at Ohio State. that’s right, good old Jim Jordan looked the other way in the shower room as the team doctor sexually assaulted Jim’s students. yesterday, four of the abused wrestlers spoke out, reminding the world that Jordan’s a complete piece of shit and unworthy of the job of Speaker.'
There's more, people. Read on (my words).
your Republican party: swindlers, traitors, morons and dipshits
https://www.jefftiedrich.com/p/your-republican-party-swindlers-traitorsKari and Santos and Gym, oh my: JEFF TIEDRICH
'the full range of Republican fucknuttery was on display yesterday...beloved drag performer and dog rescue aficionado George If That Even Is Your Real Name Santos (R-Kleptopia) is almost as much of a twentyfour-seven felony factory as Republican standard-bearer Little Donny Fuckface...already under indictment for 13 counts of such super fun things as forgery and credit card fraud, yesterday’s superceding indictment added ten more kick-ass counts of wire fraud, identity theft and living large off campaign donations...Republicans continue to block the appointments of military leaders, ambassadors, and other government officials, because fuck you, that’s why. fright-wig fanboy Rand Paul has blocked the appointment of our ambassador to Israel because he’s convinced that Dr. Fauci is responsible for creating covid and just typing this sentence is making my head hurt.
remaindered author JD Vance has put a hold on all Department of Justice nominees, basically out of revenge for the DOJ’s indictments of Trump.failed football coach Tommy Tuberville is blocking military promotions because he’s super fucking annoyed that the Pengaton is allowing raped soldiers to get abortions. how dare they...one hundred and thirty seven year old Chuck Grassley has placed a hold on on a nominee for the Department of Veterans Affairs because … uhh … look, Chuck can’t even remember what he had for breakfast, don’t ask him to remember why he’s doing this. hand model and Olympic sprinter Josh Hawley is blocking all appointments to the Department of Energy...the Tesla clowncar that is the House Republican caucus continues to randomly crash and burst into flames as it casts about for a new Speaker.
shouty half-dressed degenerate wrestling coach Jim Jordan is one of the two main candidates for the job. Jim — one of the most extremist bomb-throwers in the House — has been talking out of both sides of his over-amped mouth, promising on the one hand to reach out to moderates and then in the next breath proclaiming that as Speaker, he wouldn’t allow one penny of aid to go to Ukraine...oh, and there’s this other totally fucking awesome thing about Jordan — he’s a depraved creep who covered up a molestation scandal when he was a wrestling coach at Ohio State. that’s right, good old Jim Jordan looked the other way in the shower room as the team doctor sexually assaulted Jim’s students. yesterday, four of the abused wrestlers spoke out, reminding the world that Jordan’s a complete piece of shit and unworthy of the job of Speaker.'
There's more, people. Read on (my words).
October 10, 2023
'Sometimes we need to be reminded to actually practice the little habits that allow us to better understand and nurture the right bonds, or let go of the wrong ones. We need to be reminded to be selective in our battles, too. Oftentimes peace and love in our lives and relationships are both better than being right. We simply don’t need to attend every argument we’re invited to.'
My words: The list is excellent and I hope you all take a look at it. Part of why I'm posting here is that I had a kind of epiphany recently. The details don't really matter because the truth is that with difficult people, it isn't about you, it's about them. I had occasion to be in a temporary living situation with a family member who decided that he resented my presence for mysterious reasons of his own. As a result of this resentment, he began to ignore me whenever possible and to make snarky remarks to me in front of other members of the family. It was part passive/aggressive and part outright false statements that revealed his resentment of my being there. I was locked-in to this situation, at least for a short time, mostly because I didn't want to cause a huge family uproar about it. So, how did I handle it and what was the outcome?
First, the practical actions I took: While I remained living in this household, I ignored him as much a possible. I remained polite. I continued to contribute both financially and with chores. I didn't discuss this with the other members. It was impossible for them not to know, so if they wanted to address it, they would have. Although, occasionally they would point out this person's erroneous statements.
Second, the epiphany or I should say 'the decision': That didn't happen until I was able to get into my own space and decompress a bit. That's when the epiphany hit. It was quite simple, really. Even though this person was part of my family and I would need to interact with him, I didn't need to be invested in him emotionally. I made a decision that I just didn't give a damn one way or the other. It sounds easy, but actually I'm pretty damn old to be learning this lesson. In plain English, when you aren't emotionally invested, you actually don't give a shit what someone thinks or says or does.
I highly recommend it. It's a life changing realization. You see, I'm never going to change him and neither is anyone else. That is something he must do for himself. And, so far he hasn't made that decision.
12 Truths That Will Bring Peace When You Deal with Difficult People
https://bemorewithless.com/difficult-people/'Sometimes we need to be reminded to actually practice the little habits that allow us to better understand and nurture the right bonds, or let go of the wrong ones. We need to be reminded to be selective in our battles, too. Oftentimes peace and love in our lives and relationships are both better than being right. We simply don’t need to attend every argument we’re invited to.'
My words: The list is excellent and I hope you all take a look at it. Part of why I'm posting here is that I had a kind of epiphany recently. The details don't really matter because the truth is that with difficult people, it isn't about you, it's about them. I had occasion to be in a temporary living situation with a family member who decided that he resented my presence for mysterious reasons of his own. As a result of this resentment, he began to ignore me whenever possible and to make snarky remarks to me in front of other members of the family. It was part passive/aggressive and part outright false statements that revealed his resentment of my being there. I was locked-in to this situation, at least for a short time, mostly because I didn't want to cause a huge family uproar about it. So, how did I handle it and what was the outcome?
First, the practical actions I took: While I remained living in this household, I ignored him as much a possible. I remained polite. I continued to contribute both financially and with chores. I didn't discuss this with the other members. It was impossible for them not to know, so if they wanted to address it, they would have. Although, occasionally they would point out this person's erroneous statements.
Second, the epiphany or I should say 'the decision': That didn't happen until I was able to get into my own space and decompress a bit. That's when the epiphany hit. It was quite simple, really. Even though this person was part of my family and I would need to interact with him, I didn't need to be invested in him emotionally. I made a decision that I just didn't give a damn one way or the other. It sounds easy, but actually I'm pretty damn old to be learning this lesson. In plain English, when you aren't emotionally invested, you actually don't give a shit what someone thinks or says or does.
I highly recommend it. It's a life changing realization. You see, I'm never going to change him and neither is anyone else. That is something he must do for himself. And, so far he hasn't made that decision.
October 10, 2023
As always, it's very clarifying.
Rachel Interviews Rep. Daniel Goldman about the attack on Israel....
&t=293sAs always, it's very clarifying.
October 10, 2023
As always, it's very clarifying.
Rachel Interviews Rep. Daniel Goldman about the attack on Israel....
&t=293sAs always, it's very clarifying.
October 9, 2023
First, Ukraine... Now, Israel...Zelinksy calls for solidarity with Israel...
I had the thought this morning that this could lead to another great war, and wondered what someone who knew a thing or two about it thought. I found this:
Zelenskyy calls for solidarity with Israel, condemns Hamas attack
