54 Comments

Let's wait and see how this plays out. I can easily see how Jack Smith laying a tiger-size deadfall trap for Trump in plain sight by imposing pretrial restrictions on Trump's penchant for litigating his defensive in front of cheering crowds. Placing a gag order on Trump as a condition of bail is an irresistible lure that Trump will leap at in a paroxysm of rage and claim of being victimized by the Deep State. Ventilating in a public forum would violate the gag order, resulting in an immediate court filing for arrest and incarceration. Trump will have been told that he may not engage in witness tampering or attempting to influence potential jurors. He cannot do otherwise. And that will break him. No jailhouse interviews. No public statements. Out of the public eye, Trump will wilt and shrivel. He'll rot on the vine, and he'll have to endure the run-up to trial while in jail.

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What a delicious catch-22 that would make.

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Aha, Trump's blusterings and scowls as he attempts to vindicate rights at the very heart of these legal controversies, only aid and abet his own prosecution, so for that sub-issue in a tissue of torrential Trumpian tripe, it's case closed, baby!

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Catch-22 is delish? Suspect it is 22fish heads, tiny little fish heads, in a tomato-based broth soup w/potatoes, celery and carrots. No soup for me. Will stick w/Catch of The Day but you can have my bread roll to go w/your soup. Yum-Yum.

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Deliciously ironic, was my drift. Envisioning Arthur's trap and how defendant Trump would have to accept any terms for bail but then be unable to abide by that one, and infuriating torture for every waking minute that he did. Crafted for the very nature of the demon within that man.

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Yes, followed it as intended. Do agree if anyone is stoopid enough to thumb his nose at a Judge's orders, it is Herr Trump. Trump knows he has little chance in a Court. His only hope rests in the Court of MAGA Opinion as he deduced on 6Jan.

Then my doorbell rang with my twice monthly delivery of fish and seafood from my beloved Massachusetts. The regular FedEx driver (my doggos know the sound of his truck hence do not go all GSD on him as they do on the brown truck.). And no, my haddock doesn't come with heads attached, only tails. So, still no soup for you.

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Aaah, hah. Well, sausages it shall be for me then. Angus beef, in the slow cooker with left over juices and vegetables of last night's lamb shanks. Salivations and salutations to you good sir.

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Your humor is always in all ways perfectly timed and delivered as opposed to l'esprit de l'escalier seen from Rs/cons.

HUGE fan of lamb shanks. Wasn't that long ago they were treated as discarded remnants and priced as so compared to other cuts of lamb. Nice repurposing of juices. Respect

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From your lips to the Triple Goddess's ears, make it so!

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I have been wanting him held in jail pre-trial since his first indictment. It is the only way to shut him up. If he is given a gag order, he will cry "1st amendment rights" louder than you can imagine. But I hope your scenario is correct, and he is thrown in jail, without a cell phone or television or any other means of communication on a regular basis...just like any other prisoner. Let him get in line to make a phone call.

If that's the case, who do you think he would call?! His wife?!

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"Sure I was complaining and telling these people I am the victim here folks, it's the greatest witch hunt ever in American history, I name the names of these lying witnesses against me because it's my First Amendment right, why do Jack Smith and his crooked wife hate the First Amendment, anyway, folks, have you noticed the wind out here today, right in my face, it's awfully windy, kills lots of birds the wind does, they tried to shut down my golf course in Scotland, thousands of jobs, they don't care, just protect the wind turbines they said, what about protecting my rights?" blah blah blah.

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You perfectly pinned down the maggot’s stream of consciousness blathering. 😆

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Thanks Shee-rah , in all honesty let me see if I can find the clip I stole some of that from, ran in a Jimmy Kimmel rerun this week, unfortunately "Trump vs. Wind" - a compilation of what seems like several DOZEN clips of Trump bloviating about those zany zephyrs coagulating his comb-over and violating his visage, is only on Facebook, no Facebook for me! But if you visit FB it's there under Trump vs. Wind, hilarious bit.

youtube.com/watch?v=buMrmQFz7c0

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You do have a way with alliteration! Thanks for the link!

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So have you had a miraculous recovery from the vaccination reaction, or are you typing with your toes? At least no one can say you're doggin' it.

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I have had that jab and it isn't the worst thing I ever did, but it didn't tickle and my arm was pretty stiff for a day or so

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Based on your last line, Lucian, when they eventually lead him off in handcuffs we should send him a message : "Parting is such sweet sorrow" :)

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"But we'll indict again, before the morrow."

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Wow. I’m glad I read your email!

Sure, it may not happen tomorrow. Even so, I like the heads up!

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Two down, two--or maybe even more--to go.

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Listen, look on the bright side: Trump is constitutionally incapable of adapting his self-destructive behavior in his own legal interest, so it's a done deal he will keep on creating ancillary indictable crimes, including serious felonies, as he bemoans his world-historical victimization by all that is Evil, for he alone represents all that is Good.

If Trump had ever heard of it, he would insist he was the prophet destined to replace Mani and lead his own universal cult, no doubt!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manichaeism Here's the opening excerpt:

Not to be confused with Mandaeism.

Manichaeism

آیینِ مانی 摩尼教

Sealstone of Mani

Sealstone of Mani, rock crystal, possibly 3rd century AD, Irak. Cabinet des Médailles, Paris.[1][2] The seal reads "Mani, messenger of the messiah", and may have been used by Mani himself to sign his epistles.[3][1]

Type Universal religion

Classification Iranian religion

Scripture Manichaean scripture

Theology Dualistic

Region Historical: Europe, East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, Siberia Current: Fujian, Zhejiang

Language Middle Persian, Classical Syriac, Classical Latin, Classical Chinese, Old Uyghur language, Tocharian B, Sogdian language, Greek,

Founder Mani

Origin 3rd century AD

Parthian, Sasanian Empire

Separated from Jewish Christian Elcesaite sect, and the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, and Zoroaster

Separations

Manichaean schisms

A portrait of a Persian Manichaean. Line drawing copy of two frescoes from cave 38B at Bezeklik Grottoes.

An image of a Manichaean temple with stars and seven firmaments. Line drawing copy of two frescoes from cave 38B at Bezeklik Grottoes.

Manichaeism (/ˌmænɪˈkiːɪzəm/;[4] in New Persian آیینِ مانی Āyīn-e Mānī; Chinese: 摩尼教; pinyin: Móníjiào) is a former major universal religion,[5] founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian[6] prophet Mani (AD 216–274), in the Sasanian Empire.[7]

Manichaeism teaches an elaborate dualistic cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness.[8] Through an ongoing process that takes place in human history, light is gradually removed from the world of matter and returned to the world of light, whence it came. Mani's teaching was intended to "combine",[9] succeed, and surpass the teachings of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Marcionism,[9] Hellenistic and Rabbinic Judaism, Gnostic movements, Ancient Greek religion, Babylonian and other Mesopotamian religions,[10] and mystery cults.[11][12] It reveres Mani as the final prophet after Zoroaster, the Gautama Buddha and the Jesus Christ.

Manichaeism was quickly successful and spread far through Aramaic-speaking regions.[13] It thrived between the third and seventh centuries, and at its height was one of the most widespread religions in the world. Manichaean churches and scriptures existed as far east as Han Dynasty and as far west as the Roman Empire.[14] It was briefly the main rival to early Christianity in the competition to replace classical polytheism before the spread of Islam. Under the Roman Dominate, Manichaeism was persecuted by the Roman state and was eventually stamped out in the Roman Empire.[5]

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Thanks for reporting this! We decided to take the night off from MSNBC.

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The endless news cycle pace demands serious time off from viewers, that's for sure.

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Lev Parnas reads a 10 page letter he wrote to Congress. Is he to be believed? If so, this seems like case closed. https://youtu.be/8eUq2cb7sGo

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Thank you for posting this video. It’s certainly damning of Trump, Giuliano, et al and tells us that all the so-called “dirt” on the Biden’s was bupkis! I doubt Lev’s letter will convince anyone on the so-called Freedom Caucus.

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Auto correct did not like “Ghouliani.”

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LOL, someone should (with trademark & copyright permissions) adapt that "Sven-Goolie" dude with a "deep fake," but in this case, legally authorized use of the AI technology around now - the guy who used to introduce weird, terrible B-movies and yet entertaining horror and sci-fi movies on late night tv, still does appear in reruns - set him to work on Giuliani, Bannon, Trump, Eric and Don Jr., the whole pestiferous bunch.

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Love the word pestiferous!

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Yes!

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Pestiferous: harboring infection and disease.

"the pestiferous area around the prison"

I am a nurse and never heard the word before! Fits!!

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Thanks Carla. Lev sure sounds believable, and much more intelligent than I had thought.

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If it is not tomorrow, when is the next time the Grand Jury meets? Next Tuesday? I can't wait and then Georgia will come next!

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YIPPEE!! Hanging onto the edge of my seat...

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The only real question is whether an indictment will allege conspiracy to commit insurrection. That's what all this maneuvering around to overturn the election results. This would not be winning on a technicality, bur a built up case from the ground is what the country needs to see and hear.

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Cannot bear another word about Hunter Biden. Disheartening situation to say the least and so personal and painful to the Biden family. One admirable Substack author wrote an endless number of paragraphs, all about Hunter, and that was before the mixup in court today. Maybe because the flaming crazy R’s have pounded the story without pause, to hear it amplified on MSNBC is revolting. Buried In the Backyard looking good.

First shingles vac inflamed entire upper arm for three days and could not raise it above head. Second had no reaction at all. If this shot is your first, I will volunteer to take your second for you if you promise to not write about Hunter Biden. Thanks for all your work.

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I’ve no frame of reference specific to this denomination. Certainly cannot give the most informed response other than to say I’ve seldom witnessed anything like the most extreme kind of allegiance that religious affiliation creates.

What I suspect is that those statistics have a lot to do with Ceausecu’s policy of switching up populations. The perpetually divided Balkans and sanity were not friends, imo. And not expected to be. [may I suggest Balkan Ghosts by Robert D. Kaplan/1993/St.Martin’s Press]

That said, I can say that despite my fathers agnosticism (at best) I was immersed in Greek Orthodox ritual/mysticism by a great Aunt, born in in 1870s, a very loved nanny/housekeeper to us. When not caring for us she was on her knees praying or going to church to pray. And taking me with her (armed by a gold cross and a pinned amulet she filled with herbs and decorated with an embroidered cross.)

It’s no surprise that on mainland Greece - up into borders in the North - patriarchy thrives. On the islands, at least when I lived there, you didn’t cross any woman who was raised to take care of business while her husband was at sea. I’d pit any one of them against a spartan.

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Q: Did the immersion include eating salad after the main course?

Fishing communities subculture is a world unto itself. You captured the essence of adhering to a local/traditional belief system and not to muck with the wimmin.

Each and every time see any reference to Sparta or Spartans instantly see (ret) General Mattis in the UEA dubbing their people and mil as Little Sparta/ns. All the while convincing the Beltway media and DoD he never took a dime from them, traveled there on his own dime and paid his own expenses. What a hero. What a legend. His myth almost as gargantuan as the Spartans.

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Fingers crossed...and eyes...and legs.

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Follow up to main post.

Media: Trump attorneys told by SC office to expect an indictment.

Hmmm. SC doesn't come off as a dude who would tell Trump attys that unless the GJ had already voted to indict Mr. Trump.

Still struck by American culture's lack of patience. Start introducing little ones at home and in K-3 to the game of GO (Weigi).

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Lucian, can you explain why someone who committed high treason (on TV) isn't in prison awaiting a sentence of life in prison or execution? I don't understand. Is it just a money and power thing? Why are some ground MAGAts going to prison but not the politicians (trump and everyone on the platform with him that day; and greene, boebert, hawley, cruz...) and their assistants and funders (ginnie thomas) who planned the overthrow of our government and enabled the attempt? AND who are STILL trying to destroy our republic?

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Lock 'im up, lock 'im up, lock 'im up!

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