Fourth of July Party (FOJP)

Did anyone else think the cat was standing on hot coals at first look?

After all, the only reason the government is partially shut right now is because they aren't generally allowed to BORROW money until the limit is lifted. Why would we be borrowing money if the tariffs are all we need, no income taxes required?

Cartoon of man opening door to agents with guns. Caption reads "Honey, did you post something negative about the regime?"

What they want our future to be, I fear.

We can't let that force us into silence.

Don't obey in advance.

#Pinks
#FreeSpeech

YouTube video by Evan Edinger Why Americans Don't Walk to School Anymore

Who designed this fly-by-night country? (particularly, its road diet)

Play The Mini Crossword All the fun of the larger New York Times Crossword, but you can solve it in seconds.

My fastest one yet, I believe
www.nytimes.com/badges/games...

Surely, there is a consulate, embassy, or mission of some humane nation in Maryland that might be willing to extend a hand of protection and put an end to this sham?

What "concerns" a perverted sex trafficker/deplorable human being and what concerns most Americans including myself are two different categories. It didn't concern her what Epstein did for decades, or not enough to stop being his right hand associate.

Disrespectfully, the DOE could make it easier to turn mining products into real, sustainable power. It's called nuclear fission. There's uranium and thorium in them thar hills. The admin even says it's a clean, green source of power. Why on 🌍 are we saying coal is good?

As advice to the idiot Republicans pushing this line of inquiry, charge these folks with state level crimes if it is your concern that these people committed crimes and are unpunished. Go through with this plan if you want to lose an expensive court battle at either the Circuit or SCOTUS level.

Neither Congress, nor the Supreme Court, nor any other person on Earth has control over this act, and I suspect even JJ Thomas and Alito would agree with this analysis, bent as they are on ruling in favor of Trump in every case or controversy.

Again, all this is to say: if the President is acting as President, and nothing has removed him, and he employs people to record his pardons

If they record it, that person is pardoned.

POTUS could implement internal policy about when a pardon is final. If they do, that's when it's final. Period.

If Kamala and at least a majority of the cabinet disapproved, assuming they knew, they had a remedy if they could substantiate a belief that he was unable to discharge the office, they had a remedy under the 25th Amendment. And there is a process for deciding that fact pattern.

Congress, however, doesn't even have a right to know who he pardoned, ever. Executive privilege plus the court-recognized practice of pocket pardons means half of the United States might have a pardon from Joe right now, and there would be no way to know, unless they question those individuals.

If Joe was displeased by their use of his authority, he had a remedy: fire them immediately at any time. If Congress was displeased, tough, but if they wanted, they could impeach and convict him at any time they chose, and this is also nearly unchecked and unreviewable.

I say all this to highlight:

The stupid theory about the "autopen pardons" being invalid is stupid. If the president's employees with his authority to write out his pardons and sign them for him write out a pardon and use his signature, they're pardoned. There is no check to this authority.

Do you all know what removes the authority of the President of the United States? There's only six options

1. January 20th, noon, 4 years post-inauguration
2. They declare themself unable
3. The VP/cabinet declares them unable
4. Resign
5. Impeachment and conviction
6. Shuffle off this mortal coil

... so I did reactivate my Facebook/Insta accounts. They won't make much money off of me, I suppose. But I will never dream of going back to Xitter. Unless he sells the damned thing, and maybe not even then.

YouTube video by penguinz0 They Think You're Stupid

Charlie is increasingly one of my favorite sources of news, largely for humor reasons. I'm also convinced he's something of a sleeper "Rogan" of the center-left.

I got Genius! How many words can you make with 7 letters?

I pride myself in my spelling!

He's really not a fan of that Equal Protection clause. I'd mention the Insurrection clause, but that apparently means nothing at all, as interpreted by SCOTUS.

Can I just say that maybe, just maybe, no one should be granted a permit to build any residential or commercial building in city limits, anywhere, unless there's a current or planned regular public transit line that stops within about a kilometer or less (as the pedestrian walks) of that property?

I only hope that referred to Tim, because how would you differentiate between him, and people that would be willing to be seen with him in public? even if he was paying?

I am inclined to think any rational Senator would say "fuck, no!" to a judicial nominee who, as a member of the Bar and officer of the Justice Department, told his subordinates either in style or substance to give the finger to federal court rulings, but what do I know...

Through a combination of the United States Congress rapidly devolving into a ceremonial body, not unlike the Roman Senate during the Empire period, and the fact that they were never really big into placing tight regulations on immigration enforcement to begin with... Well, shit, here we are...

YouTube video by The United States Army Field Band The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Happy Juneteenth, but may we have an advancement of liberty, equality, equity, and justice next year, instead of a stern regression...

Trump at the deposition table:

Aww, man, did you drop an Upper Trumper?

I need to go use the donald JOHN trump

Today's episode of "had to look at the link address after reading the headline to see if it was the Onion, odds were about even"

In case you haven't seen this phenomenon of young white men adoring Rhodesian soldiers, it's basically "idolizing Confederate soldiers doesn't adequately convey how racist I am, I don't think segregation/apartheid should have ever officially ended"