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Tuesday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Tue May 05, 2015 at 01:55:22 PM EST
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Here's a new open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Tuesday Open Thread | 200 comments (200 topical)
    I think it's reasonable, considering Mosby's (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:13:46 PM EST
    sloppiness regarding Gray's knife and the charging docs of two of the officers, to question whether she is competent enough to lead this prosecution.

    Wrong people charged for Gray death (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by McBain on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:15:23 PM EST
    http://tinyurl.com/nn5e7dp

    Someone  got the names/addresses wrong for two of the officers.  People not involved with Gray's death were harassed over the mistake.

    It's also been reported the knife was illegal after all.  Looks like SA Mosby rushed the charges to appease the mob or for her own political gain.

    Between the task force, which was (5.00 / 3) (#11)
    by Anne on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:49:53 PM EST
    being run out of police HQ, and the prosecutor's office's parallel and police-assisted investigation, I find it somewhat doubtful that they got the knife thing wrong.  It had to have been looked at, examined, the code had to have been read and re-read and other case law reviewed.  Mosby isn't going to reveal the inner-workings of her office's investigation, and I just find it kind of glib and presumptuous for people who haven't even seen the knife to be declaring that it was illegal.

    One has to wonder - or at least I do - whether what transpired with Freddie Gray wasn't a case of "oh, look - here's a knife; we don't have anything else on this mook - no drugs, no gun, nothing - but if I write this up as 'spring-assist' we can jack this guy up for a few hours or days until it gets thrown out."

    You kind of have to know how things work here, the kinds of things people get picked up for, and how often these charging slips are completely bogus to understand why I think this is a very possible scenario.

    You may find this instructive.

    As for the mistakes on the charging documents, while I agree that it's a detail that should have not been overlooked, it's not like she charged Joe Smith and Mary Jones instead of Bill Doe and Barbara Roe.  

    Parent

    If the media is to be believed (none / 0) (#34)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:38:35 PM EST
    Mosby indicated last Friday in her presser that the knife was legal in "Maryland."

    However, if the knife has springs, etc., it seems pretty likely that it would not be legal in Baltimore.

    Perhaps she believes state law takes precedence over city law in this matter?

    Parent

    It is so refreshing and unusual to read comments (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by oculus on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:08:13 PM EST
    defending the prosecutor's office!

    Parent
    lol (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by The Addams Family on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:09:26 PM EST


    Parent
    I'm mostly a facts guy, I think they matter. (none / 0) (#53)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 05, 2015 at 05:06:42 PM EST
    Regardless of who's ox they gore!

    Parent
    Strange Bedfellows Indeed (none / 0) (#56)
    by ScottW714 on Tue May 05, 2015 at 05:38:52 PM EST
    When a case basically pits two groups generally not favored here, against each other, there is going to be a dynamic not normally seen.

    So what is your take on it ?

    Parent

    I haven't studied the charging document or (5.00 / 2) (#59)
    by oculus on Tue May 05, 2015 at 06:17:23 PM EST
    information provided by the media.

    I do think it is highly unusual to shackle a detainee/arrestee's legs for any reason.  Is there any reliable information the arresting officer was unable to subdue Mr. Gray b/4 the decision was made to shackle his legs?  

    Seems like a tough case to prove against any officer at the beginning of the transport if none were in the van w/him and he died a week later in the hospital after being transported from the pre-trial detention facility to the hospital.  

    Of course, law enforcement officers at the scene b/4 transport have a federal constitutional duty not to consciously disregard Mr. Gray's need for serious medical care.  

    Parent

    It is nice to know that they have (none / 0) (#83)
    by Militarytracy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 09:03:12 PM EST
    Federal constitutional duty to not disregard the health needs of someone who is arrested.  Listening to some opinions in my vicinity, and they are just opinions, there seems to be a general lack of this basic knowledge.

    Parent
    Don't forget though: (none / 0) (#86)
    by oculus on Tue May 05, 2015 at 09:26:41 PM EST
    "conscious disregard" and "serious medical needs."

    Parent
    highly unusual? (none / 0) (#135)
    by Mr Natural on Wed May 06, 2015 at 11:24:22 AM EST
    You're living in the past, Oculus.  Nowadays, even five year olds get shackled.

    Parent
    I saw that headline after I posted the comment! (none / 0) (#138)
    by oculus on Wed May 06, 2015 at 12:26:27 PM EST


    Parent
    Presumptuousness serves neither "side" (none / 0) (#157)
    by JanaM on Wed May 06, 2015 at 03:39:36 PM EST
    I just find it kind of glib and presumptuous for people who haven't even seen the knife to be declaring that it was illegal.

    But isn't that what you just did with regard to what you speculate the police did?

    And isn't that what you just did with regard to what you assume the prosecution did?

    We aren't privy to either what the prosecutor did to get to the point she did in charging the officers and in her conclusions and we aren't privy to what the cops did or didn't do regarding the knife.

    It isn't out of the realm of possibility that the prosecutors got it wrong. It happens all the time in the real world.

    I do find it telling that the prosecutor referred only to the allegedly seized knife as not a switchblade and therefore not illegal when the police report doesn't call it a switchblade.  The police report described it as "a spring assisted, one hand operated knife" which is in fact illegal under city law and IIRC Maryland state law as well.

    This issue is going to be more important than I think people realize. If the prosecutor got this wrong it's going to undermine her entire prosecution. It's important that the prosecutor not overplay it's hand in various ways but overcharging and being deliberately deceitful are two ways to sink any prosecution.  And rightfully so.

    Parent

    Reading serves everyone (5.00 / 4) (#158)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 03:46:00 PM EST
    I just set up a Freddie Gray thread (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by Jeralyn on Tue May 05, 2015 at 06:57:18 PM EST
    so the discussion can be in one place and not take up too much of the open thread.

    Parent | Reply to This |  1  2  3  4  5



    Parent
    Or, as we say, (5.00 / 2) (#160)
    by Zorba on Wed May 06, 2015 at 04:31:06 PM EST
    "Reading is fundamental."
    Apparently, some people don't bother to read.  At least, not with any meaning.   ;-)

    Parent
    Oh well, Captain (5.00 / 2) (#162)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:09:54 PM EST
    might as well get it over with on this thread. Now, about that knife.  I have a thought or a bias, no--- strike that,  I have absolute knowledge about it, got it from FOX. No need to wait for any next steps in the judicial process.  

    Parent
    "Looks like" (none / 0) (#91)
    by Yman on Tue May 05, 2015 at 10:14:05 PM EST
    A common qualifier used when someone wants to make an accusation with no facts or evidence to support it.

    Parent
    There goes another thread (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:17:28 PM EST


    Yes (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Zorba on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:27:15 PM EST
    I'm beginning to wish that Jeralyn would start dedicating certain threads exclusively for the Freddie Gray related discussions, and ban mention of it from the Open Threads, the way she did with He Who Shall Not Be Named, But His Last Name Starts With Z.

    Parent
    Oh well (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:31:50 PM EST
    if not him something else.  Where there is a will to play stupid passive aggressive games and then whine about being called out for it, there is a way.

    Parent
    What is your issue (none / 0) (#36)
    by NycNate on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:52:31 PM EST
    with the Freddie Gray case?  I don't practice law for a living.  As such, I learn a lot from these type of cases.  What draws your ire regarding this case and Zimmerman?  They are not even similar cases.  

    Parent
    Unfortunately, there are more than ... (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:19:47 PM EST
    ... a few people listing to port politically, who also appear to be pathological in their beliefs that African-Americans are simply thuggish at heart, and are thus fully deserving of whatever the fates so happen to deal them, even in the face of clear evidence to the contrary. You seem to be one of them.

    The absurd extent to which people such as yourself become emotionally vested in the outcomes of these cases tends to highlight the underlying shallowness of your own lives. It's likely that you're not as interested in seeing actual justice prevail, as much as you are desperately trying to preserve the decaying remnants of an obsolete social order that was based upon race and gender.

    Judging from the totality and content of your comments here, you have an obsession with race for which TL's host has specifically cautioned you. It sometimes appears as though your own miserable existence is somehow validated by the comforting knowledge that there are others who will always be worse off than them, by pure happenstance of their own ethnicity. And really, how pathetic is that?

    And if you're offended by what I'm saying, well, good and who cares. I have no patience for your racism and race-baiting nonsense any more, and as I told you earlier, I'll call it out as I see it.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Port is left, fwiw. (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:38:04 PM EST


    Parent
    Port is also (5.00 / 3) (#55)
    by Zorba on Tue May 05, 2015 at 05:28:25 PM EST
    a very nice Portuguese fortified wine.  I particularly enjoy a good, aged, tawny port.  Saúde!  (Cheers!)    ;-)


    Parent
    I often (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 05:47:24 PM EST
    list to port on multiple levels.

    Parent
    Something we have in common. (5.00 / 1) (#96)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed May 06, 2015 at 12:38:44 AM EST
    A little something to sip after dinner.

    Parent
    You're right. (none / 0) (#68)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:13:10 PM EST
    My bad. Don't ever board a boat on which I'm captain.

    Parent
    For the record (none / 0) (#74)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:25:22 PM EST
    right is starbucks

    Parent
    Right is also Pizza Ranch (none / 0) (#156)
    by Farmboy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 03:33:15 PM EST


    Parent
    I heard that Pizza Ranch ... (5.00 / 1) (#170)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:02:25 PM EST
    ... has pretty much cornered the market on free range pizzas, which are much better than those raised in holding pens at Little Caesar's.

    Parent
    PR pizzas are free-range in name only (none / 0) (#195)
    by Farmboy on Thu May 07, 2015 at 08:04:43 AM EST
    They come with strings attached.

    Let's say you want to donate money to a GOP candidate, but whoops, you've given the limit. One route open is to invest in your local Pizza Ranch, which takes your investment money and donates it to the candidate. Free speech, and pizza, for all.

    Parent

    I Heard... (none / 0) (#198)
    by ScottW714 on Thu May 07, 2015 at 09:19:21 AM EST
    ...all pizzas are kept in ovens.  

    The free range non-sense is a conspiracy because during Benghazi, instead of calling for the holocaust of Libya, HRC was eating pizza with Castro and Soros while burning the flag and figuring out how to marginalize the white christian male.

    Parent

    My issue is not with the Gray case itself, (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by Zorba on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:31:12 PM EST
    But that the Open Threads tend to get clogged up with one particular case, to the extent that they tend to fill up quickly and leave out commenters who may want to talk about other things.
    Just in case you haven't mastered reading comprehension at the functionally literate level, I wasn't suggesting that Jeralyn ban all discussion of the Freddie Gray case.  I was suggesting that she dedicate a few threads just for this case, as she did with the Zimmerman case, so that people who want to discuss it, learn from it, and hash or argue over its minutiae, may do so to their hearts' content, without filling up the Open Threads.
    Now, I will turn the question around to you.  What exactly is your issue with the Freddie Gray case?

    Parent
    I just set up a Freddie Gray thread (5.00 / 1) (#63)
    by Jeralyn on Tue May 05, 2015 at 06:57:18 PM EST
    so the discussion can be in one place and not take up too much of the open thread.

    Parent
    Thank you :) (5.00 / 3) (#65)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:00:56 PM EST


    Parent
    I really wish they would have put the (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by ruffian on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:18:14 PM EST
    federal takeover of Texas up for a vote. Don't we send them enough of our tax money as it is?

    This sort of reminds me (5.00 / 5) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:25:22 PM EST
    of the phenomenon of fat ugly straight guys worrying about being hit on by a gay man.

    Why on earth would we want to take over TX?  No offense to Texans but seriously.  It's a mystery to me.

    Parent

    I only hope there is an exit strategy (5.00 / 6) (#9)
    by ruffian on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:40:02 PM EST


    Parent
    lol!~ (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:16:21 PM EST
    Thanks for that analogy!

    Parent
    Because all fat people (none / 0) (#22)
    by Redbrow on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:20:55 PM EST
    Are ugly and all gay people are lookist?

    Ever hear of bears and chubby chasers?

    Parent

    Never (5.00 / 6) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:22:18 PM EST
    explain it t me.

    Parent
    Baa waa was (5.00 / 1) (#43)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:34:08 PM EST
    You are brave my friend!!

    Parent
    Ha! Let's take it over (none / 0) (#61)
    by MKS on Tue May 05, 2015 at 06:49:35 PM EST
    Great comment.

    Parent
    Hillary sounded good today (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by MKS on Tue May 05, 2015 at 06:59:27 PM EST
    at a round table in Las Vegas.   She said she supported a pathway to citizenship, would oppose the efforts to roll back the executive order regarding the Dreamers, and would go even further, if permitted under the law, in issuing executive orders....

    And, I believed her.  Hillary will do even beter than Obama with Latinos.....Lights out.

    And, Bernie sounded really good on Tweety's show.....Throwing in climate change as an issue...The environment as an issue, could it be true?

    This Primary season may be good for  Democrats.  Bernie needs to talk about no more wars.....Hillary will be fine on domestic issues....a little tug to the Left on Foreign policy would be good.    

    And Hickabee (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:09:29 PM EST
    barked at the moon.  As crazy as he is I can't help thinking he may surprise some and be a bit more of a force than some think.  
    He has spent the last 6 years honing his message on FOX.

    Parent
    For example (none / 0) (#69)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:17:39 PM EST
    he opposes TPP.  

    Parent
    For that reason, when (none / 0) (#73)
    by MKS on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:25:17 PM EST
    the Social Conservatives implode over marriage equality, etc., many of them may start to vote for progressives on economic issues

    ....basically going back to the dominance of the Democrats prior to 1980.

    Parent

    In my anecdotal experience (none / 0) (#75)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:27:34 PM EST
    there is substantial opposition to TPP from conservatives.   I think it may end up being a smart choice.   It will be interesting to see.

    Parent
    Strange, isn't it? (none / 0) (#143)
    by NYShooter on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:13:17 PM EST
    Insofar as the Multi-National Banks & the Corporations (the Conservative's masters) are the primary movers behind the TPP, that the Conservatives are against it. The answer why?

    President Obama is for it. The same reason they'd be against air & water.

    Parent

    As logical (none / 0) (#144)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:20:17 PM EST
    and attractive as that explanation is I honestly think, in this one case, it is more complicated than that.  At least with the people I encounter.
    This is the land if the Dixiecrat,  which means all you would think but there is also a populist streak that is often missed.   The fact that this deal is popular with the billionaires running the world is not a positive but a red flag with many tea party types.
    They don't like or trust this deal and it goes beyond Obana hate.
    Huckabee has staked out some other populist territory.  Like Social Security and Medicare.

    Smart IMO.

    Parent

    Yeah... (5.00 / 1) (#146)
    by kdog on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:43:32 PM EST
    Obamahate is most likely a factor, but I think some working class republican voters may be also starting to realize they've been voting against their economic interests for over 30 years.  That would explain the new economic populist tone from some Brand R clowns.

    Brand D would be wise to double-down on economic populism, lest they be perceived as the new party of the rich and insanely rich.

    The truth is (as we know too well), the rich and insanely rich have two parties, and 90% of us have no party when it comes to economic issues, we only have social issue parties.

    Parent

    From your lips.........n/t (none / 0) (#147)
    by NYShooter on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:53:09 PM EST


    Parent
    Of course, you're right, (none / 0) (#145)
    by NYShooter on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:42:29 PM EST
    that it's more complicated than that. Obama-hate is simply the starting point for all their positions.

    But, I'm glad you pointed out that the TP'ers have a dislike for the Wall Street gang. I've often stated here that if Progressives were smart they'd look for those small areas where they, and the Tea Party, shared common values, and used it to their advantage in elections. Peeling off even a small percentage of right wing votes could prove critical in many tight elections.  

    Even here in Tennessee, in the short time I've been here, I've seen a swing in thinking. More and more, on some of the talk shows, I'm seeing guests questioning why many of the benefits the rest of the country is enjoying, Tennessee is rejecting? The big one is the Medicaid expansion which, if the Legislature had approved it, would have benefitted 280,000 poor Tennesseans. It came down to one vote in Committee, 6 voted for, 7 against. That became pretty big news, and when the 7 who voted against approval were questioned by the media, it was obvious none had even read the proposal.

    Oh, and another positive sign; all the newscasts at their conclusions pointed out that the seven members who voted against were themselves receiving free State paid health insurance.

    Parent

    I Agree... (none / 0) (#150)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 02:25:18 PM EST
    ...but I think Obama being for it certainly solidifies what they didn't like.

    I also think the nationalist streak that runs through the R party plays a part in any global economy discussions as it should.

    I also wonder if after a couple decades of cheap goods is waking people up on the high costs of those goods, namely living wage paying jobs.

    Parent

    I watched his speech today (none / 0) (#84)
    by Militarytracy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 09:18:06 PM EST
    He's utterly full of it, but that has never concerned his base.  He's starting exactly how they like em.

    The monied forces are already working behind the scenes to get some who have announced excluded from the scheduled debates because the candidate isn't polling high enough.  There are so many candidates though with at least a couple more possible, who decides what the polling threshold is this early in the game, and how do they decide it?  Will the tea party and hard right stand for this sort of weeding out?  Word has already leaked out it is being attempted.  Will it destroy the morale of the wingnutty base?

    Parent

    It's better than that (none / 0) (#87)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 09:33:48 PM EST
    Rachel just did a long segment on this.  It's looking like one of the measures they, the RNC and the TV people, will use to winnow the huge (20+viable candidates) field is how much money they have raised.  
    TIME-

    Largely out of view, executives and journalists from Fox and CNN, with input from the national party, are weighing the entrance criteria for the first two debates. Among the options being considered is using polling as a rough inclusionary test, followed by a fundraising metric--dollars raised or the number of individual donors activated. All of these things are in flux as the networks and the national party struggle with the largest plausible debate field in history.


    Parent
    Will it blow up in their faces? (none / 0) (#88)
    by Militarytracy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 09:48:11 PM EST


    Parent
    Honestly (none / 0) (#89)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 09:58:18 PM EST
     doubt it.  It should.  IMO excluding someone because they have not raised enough money is pretty outrageous.  But we are talking about republicans.  
    It would only be a problem if the excluded all the wing nuts.  Then it would be Pataki and the moderator.  I expect they might exclude people like John Bolton or Peter King or the like.

    Parent
    Some of these Republicans around me (none / 0) (#90)
    by Militarytracy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 10:13:56 PM EST
    Are very touchy right now about being steered, and Huckabee is a Southern boy.  I get the feeling that if he was weeded out by press, or the monied powers, or both...there's going to be some really pissed off people.  They want their votes to decide this. If the votes end up coming out Jeb I think they make peace, I'm not sure they make nice after having power players lop off candidates getting debate space and the air time.

    Parent
    I think I ead there will be 6 (none / 0) (#97)
    by oculus on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:02:26 AM EST
    Dem. debates.  How is this possible w/only two debaters?

    Parent
    Maybe each could be devoted to (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by Anne on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:44:34 AM EST
    a particular topic, i.e., foreign policy, the environment, national security/privacy issues, the social safety net/income inequality, etc.  I'd like them to drill deep into the issues so we can get more than just campaign slogans and sound bites.

    Parent
    I think it is an opportunity (5.00 / 1) (#110)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:24:24 AM EST
    You have the clown debates alongside Hillary and Bernie speaking to real problems.  Hillary and Bernie are smart, they will make this work and work well.  They should both hog up all the real oxygen in the primaries.  Who knows how much they will change the debate of the Presidential election?  I think it's a huge opportunity if done well, and neither one of them does things poorly.

    Parent
    I think he will make the cut. (none / 0) (#113)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:36:04 AM EST
    sitting gov. Won Iowa the last time he ran.  Hard to see it not happening.  At least at first.  

    Parent
    Oops (none / 0) (#114)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:39:38 AM EST
    firmer gov not sitting gov.  

    Parent
    At least 3 too many (none / 0) (#133)
    by CoralGables on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:56:13 AM EST


    Parent
    Feliz Cinco de Mayo (5.00 / 3) (#81)
    by desertswine on Tue May 05, 2015 at 08:57:21 PM EST
    We're having enchiladas (and Margaritas, of course).

    We had shrimp enchiladas (5.00 / 2) (#85)
    by Peter G on Tue May 05, 2015 at 09:23:45 PM EST
    and margaritas.

    Parent
    The bartender comped us a shot of (none / 0) (#95)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed May 06, 2015 at 12:35:07 AM EST
    "Sin Rival - Silver" tequila. Smoothest tequila I've ever had.

    Parent
    Or, as it's known in America, ... (none / 0) (#98)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:40:33 AM EST
    ... "Mexican St. Patrick's Day." (Per Larry Wilmore of "The Nightly Show.")

    Parent
    The people (5.00 / 2) (#127)
    by lentinel on Wed May 06, 2015 at 09:58:06 AM EST
    sending out things purporting to be from American Express are getting pretty good at imitating Amex's logos, cards, etc.

    They "require" updates to account information.

    Thank heavens they are illiterate... because without their incredible stupidity, it might be pretty easy to be fooled into clicking on a link to ruination.

    Here is a sample of their text:

    In spite this improvement, By passing back and forth personal details that only you and us know, you can feel even more secure with your cardmember access experience. We recognize you and you recognize us.

    Thank Lordy I dint pass back and forth personal details that only me know - so my access experience be not too badly.

    My Last Home Refi... (none / 0) (#139)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 12:41:37 PM EST
    ...fell through because I was getting emails from people asking me to sign documents and none of their emails had similar domains or domain I recognized.

    I told them I am not signing stuff because some stranger sent me an email request.  It really ticked me off in that they have you sign 1001 things protecting them, but for me, it was send me whatever and act like I was the problem for wanting some sort of verification.

    I wanted the names of people and where they worked, that would be sending me stuff.  GreenTree could not provide it because the assembly line mortgage went through so many companies they had no idea who would be contacting me.

    I assume other people are signing at will.  I bet I got 30 calls, from people I had no idea why they were involved.  One person got really hot when I asked 'How do I know you are who you say you are ?'.  The people at GreenTreen were nice, but for them not to know who would be processing various aspects really rubbed me the wrong way.

    I said to hell with it, I have a variable rate that is super low, but I wanted to lock in a rate, but it would be marginal and for me not worth dealing with people who are so careless with my liability while going to absurd lengths to minimize theirs.  Granted, my mortgage is getting down there and the refi wasn't much more than my last car loan.

    Bank of America, who I actually liked, sold the loan years ago to GT, who I liked fine until I tried to refi.  But it bugs me that I pick a company to finance my largest purchase, and they just change the dynamic without customer input.  But if I tried to move my mortgage to another person, good god, we would be signing papers for days.

    Parent

    In case you thought "stupid" (5.00 / 1) (#161)
    by NYShooter on Wed May 06, 2015 at 04:51:15 PM EST
    has reached its nadir......

    Guess again.

    FROM The New Yorker

    "Last week, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, headed by Texas Republican Lamar Smith, approved a bill that would slash at least three hundred million dollars from NASA's earth-science budget. Earth science, of course, includes climate science.

    It means that not only will climate studies be ignored; some potentially useful data won't even be collected.

    The vote on the NASA bill came just a week after the same House committee approved major funding cuts to the National Science Foundation's geosciences program, as well as cuts to Department of Energy programs that support research into new energy sources."

    Well, why do we need (none / 0) (#163)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:13:35 PM EST
    new energy sources anyhow?   Gas is cheap this week.

    Parent
    A global, if not celestially-based (5.00 / 1) (#164)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:30:39 PM EST
    federal lawsuit was filed in Omaha by a Sylvia Drishell, against all homosexuals on behalf of God and his son, Jesus Christ. A federal judge is being asked to rule on whether homosexuality is a sin.  If damages are awarded, Ms. Drishell will be the envy of Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee--they could have gotten cash without a grifting anti-gay campaign.  If the case gets to the Supreme Court, I predict a 5/4 decision with Scalia for the Court.

    OMG (none / 0) (#166)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:38:45 PM EST
    You know this stuff this going to get worse, right?
    Was just reading

    this on right wing watch

    Long and amazing

    Parent

    Well, in a way (none / 0) (#171)
    by KeysDan on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:06:41 PM EST
    a federal lawsuit is progress.  Sylvia Drishell is taking the judicial approach to her grievance.   An improvement over the Huntington Beach, CA attorney who wants a referendum to put to death gays by a bullet to the head.

    Parent
    I'm not sure (5.00 / 1) (#173)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:21:03 PM EST
    did you read it?  If not you really really should.  She is a little vague about her goals a desired outcomes but something tells me I might prefer a bullett.

    Parent
    Also (none / 0) (#168)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:43:36 PM EST
    sort of justifies the existence of spell check don't it?

    Parent
    The Hasty Prosecutor (none / 0) (#8)
    by Uncle Chip on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:39:22 PM EST
    From Page Croyder:

    Baltimore's Hasty Prosecutor

    How about Mosby's own mistake [about the knife]...

    It's Mosby who made the "illegal" arrest, and could be charged under her own theory of "false imprisonment."

    And sued to boot, since she forfeited her immunity from civil action by doing the charging herself.  



    You guys should start a club (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:44:45 PM EST
    or maybe another blog!

    Parent
    Ha! Agreed that one would have been enough (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:51:56 PM EST
    regarding this pretty remarkable, imo, turn of events.

    All of this makes Mosby look like a complete lightweight...

    Parent

    Is she not part of the same messed up (none / 0) (#13)
    by ruffian on Tue May 05, 2015 at 02:56:59 PM EST
    criminal justice system that is at the heart of the matter to begin with? Not surprising - how many other people has she wrongly named as criminals?


    Parent
    Yes, Marilyn Mosby is the one and (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Anne on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:07:52 PM EST
    only person in the state's attorney's office - she does it all, from initial arrest investigations, to typing and filing, to prosecuting each and every case.

    Lordy.

    Yes, Marilyn Mosby, holding the position for all of 4 months since winning election in November, is your scapegoat of the day.  Marilyn Mosby, who comes from a long line of family in law enforcement, has it in for the cops.

    Sure hope no one named "ruffian" is ever arrested and charged with a crime, because I hate to tell you this, but if you have the same name as someone who has, your phone's going to be ringing.

    Parent

    She should have waited a few days (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by McBain on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:11:36 PM EST
    before charging to make sure she had her ducks in a row.  He job isn't to appease the mob, prevent riots or gain popularity in the black community.  

    Just get this one right.  Don't overcharge, don't give bad cops a free pass.  Get it right.  

    Parent

    You've already decided that (4.40 / 5) (#29)
    by Anne on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:26:48 PM EST
    she was wrong, so what difference would a couple of days made?  If she'd not filed the false imprisonment charges, would Gray be less dead?

    And you know what I'm pretty sure of?  That if she'd waited until Monday or Thursday, and the city had started to smolder and burn again, people like you would be blaming her, the mayor and as many people as you have fingers to point about where they had gone wrong and what were they waiting for???

    Parent

    Like I said before (none / 0) (#76)
    by McBain on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:30:28 PM EST
    She was in a no win situation.  She was going to be criticized no matter what. Her best move was to take more time and get it right.  

    "That if she'd waited until Monday or Thursday, and the city had started to smolder and burn again, people like you would be blaming her, the mayor and as many people as you have fingers to point about where they had gone wrong and what were they waiting for???"

    Who are people like me?
    I would not have blamed Mosby for weekend riots if she took more time to make charges. I do have some problems with how the Mayor handled things.

    Parent

    Did you somehow miss (5.00 / 2) (#77)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:37:44 PM EST
    he dedicated thread and the request to take this there?

    Parent
    Yes Howdy I missed that before I wrote my last (none / 0) (#79)
    by McBain on Tue May 05, 2015 at 08:50:37 PM EST
     response.  Geeez

    Parent
    You passion for justice (none / 0) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:15:33 PM EST
    is inspiring

    Parent
    Why didn't she ask (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by jbindc on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:19:58 PM EST
    Her Chief of Homicide to investigate?  A seasoned prosecutor?  Why didn't she use a grand jury (rhetorical - I know why).

    I'm betting most or all of the charges ate going by the wayside at some point.  This really is looking like an incompetent investigation.

    Parent

    Boy (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:24:13 PM EST
    a lot of people upset about "rushing to judgment" seem to be kind of, you know, rushing to judgement.

    Parent
    Going to the grand jury first is not (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by Anne on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:38:48 PM EST
    the typical way these things are handled in Baltimore - I had described this in an earlier comment some days ago.  Typically, people are charged via these charging documents, arrested and booked, then it moves from the District Court to the Circuit Court and that's the point where the grand jury process would get underway. Indictments would then issue from the grand jury.

    So, actually, you don't know why it didn't go to the grand jury first.

    Janice Bledsoe is Mosby's chief investigator and by all accounts she is excellent at what she does.  Here's a little background; I think her experience on both sides of the law is an advantage, not to mention her experience with the Police Integrity Unit.

    Is the second-guessing all about people not liking the results and assuming that some other person, some other investigator, would have just made all of this go away?

    Parent

    Sooo . . . (none / 0) (#26)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:25:12 PM EST
    What do you think happened?

    Parent
    I don't know (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by jbindc on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:35:08 PM EST
    Do YOU know?

    It's just curious that she wouldn't use the Chief of Homicide to investigate a high profile case.

    Why would she, or someone in her office, not personally check things like arrest warrants in such a high profile case, instead of assigning it to a sheriff's deputy?  (Conspiracy theorists could surmise that a fellow cop was trying to disrupt the case on purpose).

    Regardless, there's lots of sloppiness put forth in this case.

    Parent

    No, but I do know (5.00 / 4) (#37)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:56:28 PM EST
    a guy was arrested on flimsy grounds (at best) put in a van (shackled) and emerged dead. I just don't really see all the charges going by the wayside. My imagination can't stretch quite that far, but then again, there is reality where these things tend to happen . . .

    I wouldn't say lots of sloppiness either.  A couple of incidents, while not ideal, is not "lots". There seems to be a lot more 'sloppiness' in the actions of the cops, imo. You don't end up with a dead person if you are being correct and careful . . .

    Parent

    For someone who now admits she (5.00 / 2) (#129)
    by Anne on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:21:03 AM EST
    doesn't know what happened, or how it happened, to Freddie Gray, and has already demonstrated she doesn't know how these cases are handled here in Baltimore and in MD, you sure do have a lot of opinions about how the case is being prepared and managed - not that you've seen more than a tiny slice of it - and don't seem to have any reservations about casting aspersions on Mosby by implying that she didn't go to the GJ first because she feared not getting the indictments.  At least, that's what I got from your "two words" response.

    The problem with throwing mud in the hope that it will stick is that sometimes it sticks to you.

    It's always a delicate balance when the cooperative and synergistic worlds of law enforcement and prosecution have to manage the prosecution of or investigation into a member of law enforcement.  Those who want to blame Mosby for not making this a truly joint investigation don't seem to have given much thought to this.

    And, for what it's worth, the police department task force already includes the Commander of the Homicide Unit, and the materials compiled by that task force have been shared with Mosby's team since Day One.  

    Parent

    You do? (none / 0) (#92)
    by Yman on Tue May 05, 2015 at 10:19:11 PM EST
    Why didn't she use a grand jury (rhetorical - I know why).

    Share, please ... along with any evidence.

    Parent

    Two words (none / 0) (#103)
    by jbindc on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:31:08 AM EST
    Robert McCulloch.

    Parent
    That doesn't explain anything (none / 0) (#104)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:39:44 AM EST
    And BTW, you're probably as correct about this issue as you are in your belief that people are shunning cities for suburbia.

    Parent
    Hilarious, coming from you (none / 0) (#118)
    by jbindc on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:54:45 AM EST
    The absolute King of Nonsense and Bull*#$%.  You and the Chipster do love to hold court!

    Parent
    Coming from you (none / 0) (#122)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 09:10:11 AM EST
    that's a compliment.  👽

    Parent
    Two other words (none / 0) (#116)
    by Yman on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:46:53 AM EST
    Different person.

    Parent
    Two more words (2.00 / 1) (#119)
    by jbindc on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:56:05 AM EST
    Same situation.

    Two more.

    Political career.

    Parent

    Two more (none / 0) (#181)
    by Yman on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:04:39 PM EST
    Not evidence.

    But when it's all you've got, it might convince someone who's clueless.

    Parent

    She's so clueless (none / 0) (#197)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Thu May 07, 2015 at 08:46:04 AM EST
    if Sherlock Holmes met her he'd think he was in a sensory-deprivation tank.

    Parent
    The Best Part... (5.00 / 5) (#44)
    by ScottW714 on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:34:41 PM EST
    ...is the immediate swarm over what is essentially a clerical error, but when someone dies while in custody we need every single minute detail to draw any conclusions.

    Whether the knife was legal or not has no real bearing on the murder trial unless the police are going to claim the could tell by the shape in his clothing that it was indeed carrying a spring loaded knife.

    I think the charges related to that one item are the least of anyone's problems, except here at TL where the entire case seems to hinge on a spring, literally.

    Parent

    "...the immediate swarm" (none / 0) (#52)
    by christinep on Tue May 05, 2015 at 05:01:41 PM EST
    What an excellent description here, ScottW.  And, so telling of what may be behind that noticeable swarm ... whatever it is, the motivation for the "swarm" does have the sense of an emotional pounce.  

    Thanks for the insightful description,

    Parent

    Been there...it does happen (none / 0) (#18)
    by ruffian on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:15:34 PM EST
    my point is this problem is not limited to attempted prosecutions of police.

    Parent
    Of course (5.00 / 2) (#48)
    by FlJoe on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:46:15 PM EST
    The system has been "messed up" up for a long long time. How many poor, minority and other disenfranchised people have been wrongly named as criminals? How many rich and powerful people have? How many police? It is obvious on who's head the mess falls.

    If this had been  a couple of rednecks tossing a hogtied "suspect" in the back of a pickup the charges up to and including murder would not be controversial at all. Why should  prosecution of police be seen in any different light?

    To be sure there is a lot of "throw the book at them" in these charges, a tactic well known to prosecutors since they invented the job. In my book once the ME declared it a homicide, charges were warranted. Mobley struck quickly, deeply and broadly. Win or lose I am pretty  sure the police departments in Baltimore and elsewhere get the message.

    Parent

    You made my point better than I did (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by ruffian on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:57:04 PM EST
    Which is that the people that are making a huge issue over whatever errors may or may not have been made in these charges against the police don't care a whole lot when errors or worse happen in cases against the rest of us.

    Parent
    Ya, If the knife was illegal, (none / 0) (#14)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:07:03 PM EST
    then her false imprisonment charges are baseless, and she is falsely imprisoning two people herself as we speak.

    Now that I write that I think I am going back to believing that the arresting cops wrote up a legal knife as illegal.

    Mosby can't have been that lame to be mistaken about the knife's legality, and then charge and imprison the cops due to that mistake.

    Just show us the knife already.

    Parent

    How silly of people (5.00 / 2) (#28)
    by Redbrow on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:25:40 PM EST
    To discuss a high profile legal case on a site dedicated to just that.  

    Maybe you should go to someplace like DK where they base legal discussion on emotion and prejudice more than on reality, facts and law.

    Parent

    Great (5.00 / 2) (#31)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:31:01 PM EST
    once ppj arrives we will have a quorum

    Parent
    At your pleasure, Howdy (none / 0) (#71)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:21:45 PM EST
    But how sad it must be for you since I noted I don't see how he killed himself.

    Parent
    At your pleasure, Howdy (none / 0) (#72)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:21:46 PM EST
    But how sad it must be for you since I noted I don't see how he killed himself.

    Parent
    Not that you don't think (5.00 / 5) (#169)
    by jondee on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:45:17 PM EST
    he killed himself..

    You just haven't figured out how he did it yet.

    Parent

    It getting hot in the hills (none / 0) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:19:28 PM EST
    and the dogs have once again chased some poor creature under the back porch to die.  Fortunately it smells like a small one.

    It's that time again! (none / 0) (#24)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:22:34 PM EST
    What's in your garden?

    Iirc, I have over a dozen varieties of tomatoes (yet again). I'm just SUCH a sucker for trying heirloom varieties. Most are new to me this year. More seeds to add to my collection . . .   :) Three or four plants have already set tomatoes, as of last look, may be more today . . . the weather is perfect back there.

    Oh yeah, lots of other stuff out there also. This year has been extremely buggy, but now that the plants are maturing, less of a problem.

    I put tomatoes and peppers and cucs (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:25:26 PM EST
    in big plastic tubs.  Sort of a lazy experiment.  

    Parent
    I cut the bottom out of containers (none / 0) (#30)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:31:00 PM EST
    and sink the containers in the soil a bit. Worked well last year and used less water.  Also keeps The Spotted One from trampling the tomato garden ;) She's much better out there now, seems to have grown out of her young deer phase. All bets are off though if she catches scent of a critter, so the container area is a must, as is fencing around the main bed.

    Parent
    I elevated mine (none / 0) (#32)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:32:16 PM EST
    for pretty much the same reason


    Parent
    I was actually surprised it worked so well :P (none / 0) (#38)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 03:57:29 PM EST
    The Spotted One is not known for being subtle . . .

    Parent
    One of these days (none / 0) (#45)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:36:05 PM EST
    I want to have the time to garden. Not much just enough to keep me in some vegetables for the summer.

    Parent
    I Planted 2 Key Lime Trees... (none / 0) (#49)
    by ScottW714 on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:47:24 PM EST
    ...does that count ?

    I am from Wisconsin so citrus is new to me, but I love limes.

    I have room for two more trees, any suggestions ?  I don't like lemons and I need something that won't get over 6 feet tall and would like some sort of fruit.

    Parent

    How about a nectarine or peach tree? (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:18:26 PM EST
    I'd think that those would grow fairly well where you live. Admittedly, they're not citrus, but the fruit's good eating.

    Parent
    In LA (none / 0) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:51:54 PM EST
    i had orange trees about that size.   I had every kind of citrus in that yard.

    Parent
    Do You Know What Kind ? (none / 0) (#124)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 09:52:20 AM EST
    I went to the landscaping place, and then mentioned tangerine trees didn't get tall, but that orange trees did.

    Parent
    I don't (none / 0) (#126)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 09:56:02 AM EST
    it was landscaped when I bought.  Plus it was probably closer to 10 ft tall.  There was a couple.  The oranges were very sweet.  I had the most lemon trees.  There was 5 I think.   I still miss going out to the yard to get lemons for lemonade.  

    Parent
    One of my favorite W.C. Fields movies, (5.00 / 1) (#136)
    by Mr Natural on Wed May 06, 2015 at 11:39:01 AM EST
    It's a Gift, ends with him sitting on a veranda, leaning over and grabbing an orange off a tree.  Getting to that ending was quite a process.

    Parent
    I really miss that yard (none / 0) (#128)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:10:24 AM EST
    i found out the person who owned it before me and who landscaped it was the person who ran the LA arboretum.  But it doesn't reall look landscaped.  It looked entirely natural with open spaces and close ones.  Since I don't live there any more I don't see what's wrong with posting the address.  In google earth enter-

    10111 Breudt Ave, Tujunga, CA.

    you will see a tiny house (800 sq ft) that is barely visible from the street because of the greenery but notice the back.  That big green space is all my old yard.   It was a double lot that I signed an agreement to not sell separately.  I bought that place for 200,000 and sold it exactly 2 years later for 300,000 almost entirely because of the yard.  I added the wrought iron fence.  And the wooden one around the back.  10,000 bucks worth of fence was pretty much my only improvement.

    Parent

    Curses etc (none / 0) (#130)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:29:38 AM EST
    its BREIDT ave

    Parent
    Google Knew That (none / 0) (#154)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 02:52:22 PM EST


    Parent
    Google Maps... (none / 0) (#200)
    by ScottW714 on Thu May 07, 2015 at 09:34:41 AM EST
    ...allows you to send the LINK of an address.

    Parent
    That counts! (none / 0) (#58)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 05:53:31 PM EST
    You could do an orange or apple tree, and there's always stone fruit. Cherry season is starting here soon, so I'll indulge on them for awhile and also grab some sour cherries for pastry. After that come the bigger stone fruits and I'll be making jams and cooking sauces, along with freezing massive amounts. Last year I made some great BBQ sauces with stone fruits :)

    You just have to watch for freezing with your fruit trees. Keep them wet in the winter before a deep freeze, but apples like a good cold winter. I would do some reading up on what variety of fruits were traditional to your area and start there. Oh wait, never mind! You're not in Wisconsin anymore! Still read up on what grows traditionally where you are to see if something strikes your fancy.

    Parent

    We have a tangerine tree (none / 0) (#60)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Tue May 05, 2015 at 06:40:51 PM EST
    that is bearing fruit for the first time in years after a rare  frost blasted everything but the rootstock into oblivion.  We are growing cherry and Roma-type tomatoes, the latter said to be a heritage variety, although I have my doubts on that one.  2 zucchini plants, some okra and chili plants, along with Japanese eggplants that were blasted by the frost  last year but have recovered to where they'll be flowering in a few weeks or so.

    Parent
    Are you sure they are Tangerines? (none / 0) (#67)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:12:15 PM EST
    We're waiting to see if my mom's lemon is still a lemon after the same thing happened. If it's root stock fruit, it could be this nasty tasting fruit that they use for root stock. They look like very infant lemons, so we wait and hope :)

    Do you remember the name of your Roma? I've planted several old school varieties over the past few years. This year I opted for Amish Paste and Grandma Mary's Roma (or Paste, can't remember). And I have a couple volunteers that I think are Romas from last year's planting.

    Do you have one of those spiral cutters for your zucchini? Makes for great 'pasta' noodles when you just can't figure out what else to do with it. I froze a bunch in single portions for quick lunches . . .

    Parent

    The fruit are round (none / 0) (#93)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Tue May 05, 2015 at 10:52:01 PM EST
    so it's either orange or tangerine.  In a few months they should be ripe so I can tell what they are.

    The Roma variety is called San Marzano, and they are suppose to be bearing right up until it frosts, which is usually mid-November to early December here.

    As for the zucchini, we use it to for stir fry and other things like spaghetti.  The last time we grew some, I gave some to a cousin of mine and she made a big pot of zucchini soup, of which she gave us a quart or so in return.

    Donald's suggestion below is a good one.  We have 5 nectarine trees, they're white-flesh and very sweet so they make good dried fruit as well using a small dehydrator to process them.  The best place to plant them is by a wall or fence on the a south side of a property to reflect heat and help them ripen properly.  This was a trick the  English came up with in order to grow peaches in their climate which tends to be colder than is optimum for them.

    Parent

    San Marzano is an old variety (none / 0) (#94)
    by nycstray on Tue May 05, 2015 at 11:29:20 PM EST
    Baker Creek seed company sent them out to their customers in special seed packets a couple years ago to protest GMO/industrial tomatoes and bring awareness. I've grown them (yeah, from the seeds they sent me) and they produced nicely.  I let my tomato plants all go until the freeze kills them. I like harvesting around Thanksgiving, lol!~ I try and grow enough for a year's storage plus. I usually freeze gallon bags full. Hey, if yer gonna make a pot of sauce, it might as well be a big one ;) I also freeze some in smaller amounts for other things. I've started halving and freezing cherry varieties also. Great for pizza and other dishes in the middle of the winter.

    My growing area is at the back of my lot and basically the warmest place with great sun. It also sports a gravel ground (along with being fenced on 3 sides with some wind blocks), so it radiates heat back to the plants. I'm bay/coastal, so we don't have too many too hot days. I should think about a white nectarine back there. I buy boat loads of them at the farmers market every year!

    Parent

    What they might not tell you (none / 0) (#125)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 09:53:17 AM EST
    At the FM is that they tend to ripen on a given tree all at once, so that you have a period of a couple of weeks where you have a whole lot of them at once.  It also helps to thin them at the appropriate time.  The variety I have tends to favor quantity over quality of size, so they look nice in the Spring with multitudes of blossoms, and are a great attraction for bees and the like.

    If they're overripe and you don't pick em right away they'll drop to the ground PDQ.  You probably won't have that problem until the 3rd or 4th year of bearing fruit, so that's when you look into a dehydrator or making them into jam.

    Parent

    Good to know! (none / 0) (#191)
    by nycstray on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:23:04 PM EST
    Thanks. What I like about my apple tree is I can process the apples with little pressure of them dropping to the ground, lol!~

    I think all my bees (and butterflies and humming birds) would like the additional floral :) And yes, that is the possessive 'my' ;)

    Parent

    Corporate America Doing Something Awesome ? (none / 0) (#47)
    by ScottW714 on Tue May 05, 2015 at 04:40:02 PM EST
    Chryster is offering the opportunity for free college tuition to anyone working at their dealerships.  LINK
    The degrees will be offered as a benefit at no-cost to employees, including books and other expenses, at the 2,400 Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat dealerships through Strayer University, a private for-profit institution whose entire bachelor degree program can be finished online.

    To participate, the employee's dealership will have to pay a flat fee to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. A bachelor's at Strayer usually runs $42,000.


    That is literally, unbelievable.

    Is that similar to what Starbucks is doing? (none / 0) (#82)
    by ruffian on Tue May 05, 2015 at 08:59:03 PM EST
    Love to see this happening in companies that hire people that don't already have degrees. Tuition reimbursement has been a common benefit in tech companies I have worked for, for people to get advanced degrees, but I hope this is really becoming a trend and that people are able to take advantage of it.

    Parent
    Who said it (none / 0) (#54)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 05, 2015 at 05:27:36 PM EST
    Vladimir Putin or Tywin Lannister

    I'm not kidding you, a couple of weeks ago I had (5.00 / 1) (#80)
    by ruffian on Tue May 05, 2015 at 08:55:21 PM EST
    a dream Tywin was the chairman of one of the change boards at work. When I realized who he was standing in for in my dream I laughed so hard. It was so perfect.

    Just finished Penny Dreadful - what a bloodbath! Literally!

    Parent

    Freddie Gray has his own thread now (none / 0) (#62)
    by Jeralyn on Tue May 05, 2015 at 06:54:57 PM EST
    So please continue the discussion of his case on the new thread, and leave this one to other topics so it doesn't get monopolized by one topic. Thanks.

    From our "Ignorance is Bliss" file: (none / 0) (#78)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 05, 2015 at 07:38:58 PM EST
    Crane High School in Texas, which has adopted an abstinence-only approach to sex education, is currently beset by an outbreak of chlamydia that has affected about 20 students thus far.

    While the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis is a common STD that infects both males and females, if left untreated in women of reproductive age it can render later attempts at conception difficult if not impossible for them. It can also cause spontaneous abortions and premature birth in pregnant women, who can further pass it on to their newborn infants at birth.

    And chlamydia-related conjunctivitis was once a leading cause of blindness worldwide, although the number of cases has dropped by over 80% over the last 20 years or so.

    Aloha.

    From our "Hosseini Can You See" file: (none / 0) (#99)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 03:14:30 AM EST
    Parents in Coeur d'Alene, ID want John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" banned from high school classrooms because, for one thing, "the teachers actually had the audacity to have students read [words like 'bastard' and 'Gawddamn'] out loud in class."

    Forget it, Jake -- it's Idaho.

    But then there's Asheville, NC, where parents have managed to get Khaled Hosseini's critically acclaimed 2003 novel The Kite Runner pulled from the A.P. English reading list at Reynolds High School because of its profanity and adult themes, not to mention that it's "demeaning to women."

    Pending a review by a committee -- and how cliché is that -- school officials have replaced Hosseini's book with Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, no doubt in the hope that once read, students will finally be dissuaded from engaging in massed infantry charges under artillery fire against a well-entrenched opposition armed with heavy weaponry.

    (Sigh!) To think that 36 years ago, in my American Literature class at my Catholic High School, we were actually reading Joseph Heller's Catch 22 and Alan Ginsberg's Howl. And over in my World Civilizations class down the hall, my teacher used Yukio Mishima's short story Patriotism -- which included a very erotic sex scene, BTW -- to illustrate the unbridled militarism that had overtaken Imperial Japan in the decade prior to Pearl Harbor.

    But then, that's California for you. Godless friggin' Commies, the lot of us.

    Oops! Forgot to cite the article. (none / 0) (#100)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 03:17:39 AM EST
    LINK.

    Parent
    Not just CA (none / 0) (#121)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 09:08:16 AM EST
    in my small town high school in AR we read things I found out later many people did not read till college.  My lit teacher in high school had a huge impact on my life.  The Koch brothers et al drive to take over government starting at the local level is working as planned.

    Parent
    To the credit of our Alabama H.S. (none / 0) (#132)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:38:50 AM EST
    Freshman English has read and discussed 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and are now reading 'Farenheit 451'.  The school has been evolving rapidly, with the military drawdown and three different high schools that the on post kids can choose from, you need to be the high school with the best college acceptance.  The schools get extra federal dollars per active duty military child.  During the flush years of the Iraq War nobody had to try very hard and the students just showed up, not so much now, and the local H.S. is evolving because of that?  They even have a health instructor teaching a real health class.  

    Combined with the local judge putting his foot down and gay marriage happening here, some parents are pretty distressed.  Everything is just going to hell around here :)

    Parent

    Haha (5.00 / 1) (#134)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:58:14 AM EST
    And then they have you to rile things up you rabble rouser. :)


    Parent
    I do my best to listen respectfully (none / 0) (#175)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:28:05 PM EST
    It doesn't do a bit of good to act as if they are loons.  I do have empathy that they feel distressed.  The level of that empathy though reaches as deep as the empathy they had for me when I was distressed that soldiers were being killed and wounded and mentally destroyed in Iraq, no WMDs, and the war raged on and on.  It is a surface sort of empathy, deep as a puddle.  I think their kids will be okay even if they see two men or two women walk down the street holding hands. I want them to know that everything little thing's gonna be alright :)

    Parent
    You know what (5.00 / 1) (#176)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:36:21 PM EST
    lets take a recent example.  Texas.  Look at what is happening in Texas.  It's hard to know if you should laugh or cry.  But you know what, IMO what they need most is t be told loudly and often that they are loons.  And loons are not exceptional or surprising but seeing them so publicly pandered to by a governor and several presidential candidates is actually scary.
    It's sad it's outrageous it's embarrassing.  They are freakin loony toon loons and the need to be told as much.

    On the off chance anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about try googling "jade helm 15"

    Parent

    I am making friends though locally (5.00 / 1) (#183)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:38:28 PM EST
    And part of some civic organizations now.  It has taken me awhile to venture out like this, and they know I'm Liberal and they have chosen to allow me in so to speak.

    I am very much an extrovert, without a strong outer world involvement I feel very claustrophobic.  Living here until recently has been hard for me.

    Things are moving in the right directions here right now.  I would have never guessed or foreseen that. And I learned in a leadership class that there is great value in just holding space and attitude when change is underway.  I do not give any indications, energy, or support to the status quo.  I simply exude that these changes will be okay.  Everyone is likely to survive and life will be better for all on the other side.

    Parent

    in other words (none / 0) (#177)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:48:08 PM EST
    when Rick Perry is calling you out for being a paranoid idiot you have serious issues

    Parent
    And on this specific issue (none / 0) (#189)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:56:41 PM EST
    Hmmm..well the military plans for everything and I do understand concern.  Texas has always been a little more paranoid than cautious.  BUT, it is okay for citizens to question the Pentagon and stateside exercises.  Keeps them accountable.  You don't want them not focusing on accountability first.  Stateside law enforcement was given a social pass and people are paying the price.

    Vermont freaked out about the F-35, everyone survived...even though that damn thing is bleeding the budget to death, but Texas and the Army and special operations will survive this too.  And a Colonel has to talk to the people.  He'll be a better Colonel for it.  He's standing on the wall in special operations, these probably aren't his first loons and they probably won't be his last...if he handles this well they definitely won't be his last :)

    Parent

    I'm pretty sure (none / 0) (#159)
    by CoralGables on Wed May 06, 2015 at 04:10:22 PM EST
    a good chunk of Alabama wishes they could live in the good times of Fahrenheit 451.

    Parent
    Josh and I had such a deep discussion (none / 0) (#190)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:04:28 PM EST
    About current technology cutting people off, or uniting people?  A year ago I would have said tech was isolating people, but it seems less so now?  Josh brought up several specific incidents where existing tech/smart phones made our family run more efficiently, more organized, and made more time for quality family time instead of everyone trying to keep up with unforeseen schedule changes and not being able to connect.

    Fascinating getting Josh's perspective.  He feels horribly for the main character so far, and how nobody really gives a damn about him.

    Parent

    replacing it with (none / 0) (#167)
    by jondee on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:39:31 PM EST
    with All Quiet on the Western Front..

    A book that decades ago had American right-wing conservatives up in arms, in more ways than one, because of it's pacifistic anti-war themes..

    Parent

    44 years of Conservative political dominance ... (none / 0) (#101)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 04:20:44 AM EST
    ... in the Canadian province of Alberta came to an abrupt and smashing end this evening, as the New Democratic Party scored a resounding electoral upset across the board today in local legislative elections.

    Coming as this shocking result does in Alberta, which has heretofore been a very reliable Progressive Conservative stronghold, and with federal parliamentary elections to be called by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper no later than this fall, the Conservative government in Ottawa looks quite vulnerable right now.

    Aloha.

    I don't know how (none / 0) (#102)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:19:56 AM EST
    accurate Q polls are especially on caucuses but the latest has Jeb with a 7th place showing out of Iowa. New Q caucus poll shows: Walker 21, Rubio 13, Rand 13, Cruz 12, Huck 11... Jeb 5.

    Jeb (none / 0) (#105)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:41:18 AM EST

    It's all down hill from here for Jeb.

    Parent
    The money people like him (none / 0) (#107)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:50:36 AM EST
    But that's about it.  

    Parent
    I (none / 0) (#108)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:05:58 AM EST
    keep having this nagging feeling that Jeb might not run. I am pretty sure he would not welcome the intense media scrutiny of his background. If the media were to apply the Clinton Rules the entire Bush clan's doings for the past 20 years would be fair game (I know wishful thinking) but still there would be some
    uncomfortable  "questions" to be answered.

    If his polling numbers continue to tank I think there is a decent chance he will decide to punt and throw his weight behind his political ally Rubio. I think Rubio would be an acceptable surrogate for the Bush/Neo-con cabal. Again just a gut feeling, conjecture on my part.

    Parent

    Sort of interesting (none / 0) (#112)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:33:43 AM EST
    hadn't thought about that but it seems possible if as you say he continues to tank.  And he is tanking.  I don't think it will be Jeb.  And it does seem unlikely he would run and lose.

    Of course the other commenter is right.  Money loves him.   But there is no shortage of money.

    Parent

    Don't underestimate (none / 0) (#117)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:54:01 AM EST
    the entitlement of the Bush clan. He may be hoping to win by being the last man standing.

    But that ego also could cause him to quit. Of course if he quits the money people in the GOP are going to be raving made because they have thrown money down the drain.

    Parent

    I think (none / 0) (#123)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 06, 2015 at 09:33:32 AM EST
    Ego plays a part in all presidential aspirations, in varying degrees of course. Think Bernie Sanders on the low end Trump/Cruz on the high end.

    If Bush's ego will not allow him to take crushing defeats in the early primary I can see him throwing his weight behind Rubio with the money boys right behind. Saying Bush who?

    Parent

    Yeah, (none / 0) (#131)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed May 06, 2015 at 10:35:24 AM EST
    it seems that the GOP has people who are willing to part with millions on a losing crackpot candidate.

    Parent
    President mum's the word. (none / 0) (#109)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:13:03 AM EST

    A police officer with his duty pistol neutralizes two body armor wearing terrorists bent on mass murder at a Texas art exhibit.

    Can the president say something nice about the cop?  No.

    Can the president say something about the freedom of speech or that sanctions on blasphemy have no place in a free society?  No.

    Can the president say anything about this ISIS inspired attack?  No.

    Can the president even manage an unkind word about the weapons the two attackers used?  No.

    Such leadership.  With no racial divisions to enflame, what's a guy gonna do?
    .

    Whoa (5.00 / 4) (#111)
    by FlJoe on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:25:54 AM EST
    there
    Can the president even manage an unkind word about the weapons the two attackers used?
    Are you suggesting he should infringe on the terrorists second amendment rights? Blasphemy!

    Besides I am sure his advisors have told him to refrain from even mentioning anything regarding Texas until the takeover is complete. Loose lips sinks ships after all.

    Parent

    Here"s an article from the Hill (5.00 / 1) (#115)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:45:07 AM EST
    Apparently our triple-A friend is wrong about some of his charges against the Kenyan Ursurper, according to the Hill:

    The White House on Tuesday called a shooting outside a "Draw Muhammad" contest in Texas "an attempted terrorist attack" but said it was too early to say whether the incident is tied to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

    Press secretary Josh Earnest said the shooting is still under investigation by the FBI and intelligence agencies, and it's premature to say ISIS has reached U.S. shores.

    He praised law enforcement for their actions to "foil what appears to be an attempted terrorist attack."
    Earnest said the Obama administration is "very vigilant about the efforts" of extremist groups to recruit Americans to carry out attacks in the U.S.

    Asked whether it was appropriate to draw depictions of the prophet Muhammad, which Muslims find offensive, Earnest said it's not a judgment for the administration to make.

    "There is no expression, however offensive, that justified an act of terrorism or even an act of violence," he said.



    Parent
    There's a shocker (none / 0) (#120)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:56:59 AM EST


    Parent
    As you note, some minion spoke (none / 0) (#193)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu May 07, 2015 at 12:17:13 AM EST

    The Prez not so much.  OTOH, he could personally call the police that arrested prof Gates "stupid." Or personally say that anger was justified at the grand jury's failure to indict officer Wilson.

    Parent
    Uh, that"s the job of the WH Press Secretary (none / 0) (#196)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Thu May 07, 2015 at 08:44:26 AM EST
    to speak for the President.  Are you that oblivious to reality that you can't acknowledge that fact?

    And now you're a**-hurt because he had some personal opinions that you obviously disagreed with in the past.

    Keep fighting against the Kenyan Ursurper, Triple-A, you'll be able to convince us one of these days that the latest regurgitations from Faux Noise have some merit to them

    Not.

    Parent

    Ummm... (none / 0) (#137)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 12:12:46 PM EST
    ...so you ask a question, then answer your own questions incorrectly, truly remarkable nutery.

    I'll tell what he's not gonna do, ever please the truly demented, from eating a hotdog to wearing his lapel pin, the idiot brigade would rather die than say Obama has done one thing right.

    If only I could remember an entire network, and its pin-headed disciples screaming bloody murder about all the America haters who dissed their own president.  

    But I guess that only applies when republicans are in the White House, which thankfully will not happen in the foreseeable future.

    More nutery please.

    Parent

    Bad Patriots! (none / 0) (#140)
    by jbindc on Wed May 06, 2015 at 12:53:12 PM EST
    Bad Tom Brady!

    "Hold out your wrist, Tom, so we can (none / 0) (#141)
    by Anne on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:01:56 PM EST
    gently slap it.  We promise not to leave any marks."

    Pretty sure that's what the "penalty phase" of this investigation is going to result in.

    Parent

    I'm not quite sure that we're done here. (none / 0) (#174)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:27:47 PM EST
    For one thing, I think that report by Warren Sharp which you and I were talking about a few months ago when this story first broke -- in which Sharp pointed out the absurdly low rate of fumbles by the Patriots as opposed to other NFL teams -- probably deserves another round of scrutiny, given the NFL's findings here.

    Parent
    Bad Link (none / 0) (#142)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:10:24 PM EST
    I think this is it.
    An N.F.L. investigation has found that "it is more probable than not" that New England Patriots personnel intentionally deflated footballs to gain an advantage in the A.F.C. championship game last season, and that Tom Brady, the Super Bowl most valuable player, was probably aware of it.

    Not exactly scathing, a lot of maybes and nothing most people didn't already know.  But good to see the NFL release the report days after the draft.

    I guessing winning the Super Bowl proves that you are the best and that cheating doesn't really matter so long as you can prove you didn't need to.  And the most important thing to remembered, the packers beat them in the regular season.

    Parent

    "More probable than not" (none / 0) (#149)
    by MKS on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:59:54 PM EST
    is the modern phrasing for the old "preponderance of the evidence" standard in civil cases.

    The judicially approved civil jury instructions in California now use the phrase "more probable than not" as the burden of proof in civil cases...

    So, by that standard, Pats and Brady would be civilly liable.....Go sue 'em!

    Parent

    Very hard to read the texts and not (none / 0) (#151)
    by Anne on Wed May 06, 2015 at 02:34:56 PM EST
    conclude that "more probably than not" is quite a bit more than just a 51% confidence factor.

    See here.

    For example, on October 17, 2014, following a Thursday night game between the Patriots and the New York Jets during which Tom Brady complained angrily about the inflation level of the game balls, McNally and Jastremski exchanged the following text messages:

       McNally: Tom sucks...im going make that next ball a fkin balloon

        Jastremski: Talked to him last night. He actually brought you up and said you must have a lot of stress trying to get them done...

        Jastremski: I told him it was. He was right though...

        Jastremski: I checked some of the balls this morn... The refs fked us...a few of then were at almost 16

        Jastremski: They didnt recheck then after they put air in them

        McNally: Fk tom ...16 is nothing...wait till next sunday

        Jastremski: Omg! Spaz

        On October 21, 2014, McNally and Jastremski exchanged the following text messages:

       

    McNally: Make sure you blow up the ball to look like a rugby ball so tom can get used to it before sunday

        Jastremski: Omg

        On October 23, 2014, three days before a Sunday game against the Chicago Bears, Jastremski and McNally exchanged the following messages:

    Jastremski: Can‟t wait to give you your needle this week :)

        McNally: Fk tom....make sure the pump is attached to the needle.....fkin watermelons coming

        Jastremski: So angry

        McNally: The only thing deflating sun..is his passing rating

        The next day, October 24, 2014, Jastremski and McNally exchanged the following messages:

       

    Jastremski: I have a big needle for u this week

        McNally: Better be surrounded by cash and newkicks....or its a rugby sunday

        McNally: Fk tom

        Jastremski: Maybe u will have some nice size 11s in ur locker

        McNally: Tom must really be working your balls hard this week



    Parent
    That Made Me Laugh So Hard... (none / 0) (#165)
    by ScottW714 on Wed May 06, 2015 at 05:36:19 PM EST
    ...christ they straight up say he's getting bribed and it's clear who is putting the pressure on.  But that is what you would find in my phone if I were texting about work, too funny.

    I have to wonder if he ever carried out his threat to give Tom some watermelons.

    I would go far as saying that Brady's part seems to be more than probable, and nearing 'beyond any reasonable doubt' territory.

    Parent

    Since Jim McNally is likely out of a job ... (none / 0) (#172)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 06:13:51 PM EST
    ... with the Patriots, he'll have plenty of opportunities to say "fk tom" every time he sees the still-employed Brady on TV.

    Parent
    Or... (none / 0) (#199)
    by ScottW714 on Thu May 07, 2015 at 09:27:47 AM EST
    ...he will be Tom's Kato, living in the guest house and unable to remember anything.

    On the news they said Tom refused to allow the NFL to examine his text messages.  I get that, but it does not help his claim, at all.

    I was also surprised to hear them discussing how hard the NFL will come down on him.  I don't expect them to do anything but tarnish his reputation for a year.

    Parent

    Is the NFL going the Lindy England route? (none / 0) (#152)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 02:38:55 PM EST
    Its report leaves Patriots management and Coach Bill Belechick in the clear, and further says only that it was "more probable than not" that QB Tom Brady "was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities[.]"

    But otherwise, the NFL only suggests that Brady asked / ordered that it be done, based on an exchange of text messages between him and two lower-tier members of the team's staff, Jim McNally (locker room attendant) and John Jastremski (equipment assistant).

    Rather, the report almost too conveniently pins responsibility squarely upon those two poor schmucks and dutifully sites them in the league's crosshairs, thus providing us with the primary fall guys here. Their days of basking vicariously in the Patriots' reflected glory are probably at an end, although it certainly wouldn't surprise me if the team takes care of them in other ways.

    Brady should rightly be facing a suspension by the NFL of a fairly decent interval, but I honestly don't know whether that will ever happen, given his standing as one of the league's marquee names and individual commodities. And I further find it hard to believe that nobody up the Patriots' chain of command -- particularly Belechick -- ever knew about what was going on here.

    But the bottom line here is that the Patriots cheated. Maybe they didn't have to, given their level of talent, but they did anyway. And they got caught, even though the NFL likely really didn't want to do that and would probably have let it go, had not the Indianapolis Colts forced the league's hand by filing an initial complaint with game officials.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    On second thought, my lead is more ... (none / 0) (#153)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Wed May 06, 2015 at 02:49:22 PM EST
    ... than a little hyperbolic. Declaring "Deflategate" analogous with the horrific CIA torture scandal at Abu Ghraib is clearly inappropriate and way over the top. My bad.

    Parent
    Donald, who would say the (none / 0) (#180)
    by MKS on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:29:14 PM EST
    top 3 NFL RBs of all time are?

    Just trying something here.....

    Parent

    I'll play (5.00 / 1) (#182)
    by CoralGables on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:05:06 PM EST
    In no particular order...

    Walter Peyton - Jim Brown - Barry Sanders

    Would love to say Emmitt but won't use my Gator bias.

    Parent

    Good list (none / 0) (#185)
    by MKS on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:43:16 PM EST
    I would say Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith (because I am from Texas originally), and Gayle Sayers (because he ran pretty)....Payton and Barry Sanders are great too.

    You know who we both left out?  Someone who had power, speed, size, grace.  Someone who had broken all the records of his day.  A track star with very good speed. Probably the best talent of them all with perhaps the exception of Jim Brown.  

    OJ Simpson has disappeared from football.....No one thinks of OJ when running backs are discussed.  It is as if he never played.  When OJ is mentioned, his crimes are what one thinks of.  People have forgotten he actually played football.

    The NFL can make Tom Brady disappear too.....(and, no, what he did is not as bad but he cheated, and the NFL may not take kindly to that.)

    Parent

    I left OJ out (none / 0) (#194)
    by CoralGables on Thu May 07, 2015 at 07:31:44 AM EST
    because i saw him against the Dolphins in the Orange Bowl long ago and watched him step aside on a broken play and let his QB get smashed rather than even give a hint of a block.

    Parent
    Eric Dickerson is #1. (none / 0) (#192)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Wed May 06, 2015 at 11:17:09 PM EST
    Bo Jackson.

    Lary Csonka.

    Parent

    "lede". And, yes, you did get carried (none / 0) (#184)
    by oculus on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:38:50 PM EST
    away. Intentionally underinflating NFL footballs is to Abu Ghraib as X is to ___.  

    Parent
    Well, attacking football (none / 0) (#186)
    by MKS on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:44:30 PM EST
    by cheating is to denigrate our national religion.  So, deflategate is like denigrating the Prophet Mohammed.

    Parent
    Why is it "lede?" (none / 0) (#187)
    by MKS on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:48:31 PM EST
    I never got that.

    Parent
    To me, the same as a "lead"--think (none / 0) (#188)
    by oculus on Wed May 06, 2015 at 08:54:05 PM EST
    h.s. English.  But I was misinformed.

    Parent
    Patriots found guilty in deflategate (none / 0) (#148)
    by MKS on Wed May 06, 2015 at 01:56:25 PM EST
    Report says Brady probably knew....

    More reason to dislike Pats....

    Look, it's (none / 0) (#178)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:18:20 PM EST
    DeFlaterMouse

    Parent
    Tom Brady is a Republican (none / 0) (#179)
    by MKS on Wed May 06, 2015 at 07:22:18 PM EST
    This could be a big problem....Lance Armstrong fell too.

    Pete Rose did not make it into the Hall of Fame....and he didn't cheat during the games he played.

    Parent

    Watching tornados form (none / 0) (#155)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed May 06, 2015 at 03:22:41 PM EST
    live on the weather channel. If you are near OK City, duck.   Pretty gripping video.

    Tuesday Open Thread | 200 comments (200 topical)