Generally, attorneys can advise you on how best to win a lawsuit. Attorneys are UNABLE to advise you on how a lawsuit can RUIN your IMAGE.
Currently, Melania Trump is suing the Daily Mail for a story they later withdrew, which implied that Melania may have been an escort back when she first came to the US.
Almost certainly told that the libel suit would bring no money without damages, Melania's attorney advised Melania to state that Melania intended to use her position as First Lady to make money from the products Melania sells.
This excellent legal advice was an incredibly stupid political move. Now we all get to talk about the lawsuit and its salacious allegations. (It is not slander or libel to report on a filed court case.) Worse, Melania's image as a First Lady has been seriously undermined. Making money off of being First Lady is incredibly tacky if not actually illegal.
Corporations make this mistake all the time. We can WIN that lawsuit, they tell themselves. They rarely check with their public relations department about the stupidity of using a lawsuit to beat up a vulnerable person. SOMETIMES SETTLING QUICKLY IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THE ENTIRE MATTER OUT OF THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION. (The Disney crocodile incident is an excellent example of a corporation (probably) accepting responsibility for something even if they had a robust defense available.)
There is absolutely NO WAY to PROVE the allegations against Melania.
My first reaction was, WHO CARES? A slightly racy First Lady is OK by me.
My second reaction was, DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT PRETTY WOMAN WAS BASED ON A REAL ROMANCE?
As a fan of the fallen woman with a heart of gold fictional plot device, I found Pretty Woman to be an entirely new take on the issue. Could it have been based on rumors of a real relationship?
Melania should drop her lawsuit, have lunch with Julia Roberts and then move into the White House.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Thursday, February 2, 2017
THE BETRAYAL OF THEIL
Peter Theil* was an early supporter of Trump, donating a million dollars to his campaign.
In response, Trump made numerous comments that he supported gay rights and that gay marriage was settled law. Then Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court.
Gorsuch is an originalist, which is the belief that he should make legal decisions as if he was one of the people who wrote the constitution.
I greatly admire the people who wrote the constitution. They wrote a document that is still a vibrant outline of how our government should be run.
At the time of the US revolution, women were chattels, with about the same legal status as a cow. Practicing gay sex was considered to be immoral, illegal, and beyond reprehensible. Child labor was common.
As a Judge, Gorsuch was able to reach the conclusion that a person could use religious belief as a legally acceptable reason to deny rights to another person. I believe our founders would have been appalled at such a ruling.
If you are gay and/or a woman, you should do everything you can to oppose the confirmation of Gorsuch.
If you believe that my analysis of Gorsuch is incorrect, please talk to a gay rights attorney, to a labor lawyer, or a women's rights advocate.
The cleanest way to stop this appointment is to pressure Republican Senators to vote against the confirmation of Gorsuch. I think snail mail is an excellent way to get the attention of YOUR Senator. Please write "Re: Gorsuch" in the lower left of the envelope to make mail sorting easier.
Every person who lives in a state with a Republican Senator should write a snail mail letter to each Senator, send an email copy, and make a phone call to the Senator. WE DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. WE OPPOSE THE CONFIRMATION OF GORSUCH.
* Peter Theil is a Silicon Valley billionaire who said, "I am proud to be gay," when he spoke just before Trump at the Republican National Convention in 2016.
In response, Trump made numerous comments that he supported gay rights and that gay marriage was settled law. Then Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court.
Gorsuch is an originalist, which is the belief that he should make legal decisions as if he was one of the people who wrote the constitution.
I greatly admire the people who wrote the constitution. They wrote a document that is still a vibrant outline of how our government should be run.
At the time of the US revolution, women were chattels, with about the same legal status as a cow. Practicing gay sex was considered to be immoral, illegal, and beyond reprehensible. Child labor was common.
As a Judge, Gorsuch was able to reach the conclusion that a person could use religious belief as a legally acceptable reason to deny rights to another person. I believe our founders would have been appalled at such a ruling.
If you are gay and/or a woman, you should do everything you can to oppose the confirmation of Gorsuch.
If you believe that my analysis of Gorsuch is incorrect, please talk to a gay rights attorney, to a labor lawyer, or a women's rights advocate.
The cleanest way to stop this appointment is to pressure Republican Senators to vote against the confirmation of Gorsuch. I think snail mail is an excellent way to get the attention of YOUR Senator. Please write "Re: Gorsuch" in the lower left of the envelope to make mail sorting easier.
Every person who lives in a state with a Republican Senator should write a snail mail letter to each Senator, send an email copy, and make a phone call to the Senator. WE DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. WE OPPOSE THE CONFIRMATION OF GORSUCH.
* Peter Theil is a Silicon Valley billionaire who said, "I am proud to be gay," when he spoke just before Trump at the Republican National Convention in 2016.
Monday, January 30, 2017
KING FOR A DAY
Over the weekend, we have had a demonstration of how Presidential power is limited by the US Constitution. My biggest worry was that Homeland Security would NOT obey judicial orders. However, the judicial orders were obeyed.
Therefore, I can be secure in my belief that I live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The country of the US has THREE branches of government.*
The EXECUTIVE branch, headed by the President, is tasked with running the day to day business of the government.
The legislative branch consists of the House of Representatives, elected every two years from districts of substantially equal populations; and the Senate, elected every six years, with two senators per state.** The legislature passes laws and approves funding.
The JUDICIAL branch decides the outcome of lawsuits and has the authority to find that a law or proclamation is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Federal judges are appointed for life. Federal judges can void a law passed by congress or find an action by the President to be unconstitutional. SUCH JUDICIAL ORDERS ARE OBEYED.
It is important to note that ALL court decisions on unconstitutionality require that the law, order, regulation, be unambiguous. One is actually not allowed to say, "Well, I meant this to apply to green cards, but I have changed my mind." People who have to obey the laws, etc. must be supplied with a written manifestation of the law, regulation, etc.
People are giving money to the ACLU. Excellent.
But if immigration is your key issue, please consider giving to the National Immigration Law Center and the International Refugee Assistance Project.
Do NOT protest at airports. Demonstrations at airports are an excellent excuse for Homeland Security to deny attorneys access to clients being held at airports. These immigrants need attorneys way more than they need protesters. If you must protest, do not protest at airports.
THIS IS ALSO A RED HERRING, AFFECTING ONLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
WHO GETS APPOINTED TO THE US SUPREME COURT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THIS NATION.
* Each state also has a government with three branches. Counties, cities, and towns, have governments. Many regional areas form governments for very special purposes like running regional transit.
** Currently, there are 50 US states, so there are 100 senators. There are 435 representatives.
Therefore, I can be secure in my belief that I live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The country of the US has THREE branches of government.*
The EXECUTIVE branch, headed by the President, is tasked with running the day to day business of the government.
The legislative branch consists of the House of Representatives, elected every two years from districts of substantially equal populations; and the Senate, elected every six years, with two senators per state.** The legislature passes laws and approves funding.
The JUDICIAL branch decides the outcome of lawsuits and has the authority to find that a law or proclamation is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Federal judges are appointed for life. Federal judges can void a law passed by congress or find an action by the President to be unconstitutional. SUCH JUDICIAL ORDERS ARE OBEYED.
It is important to note that ALL court decisions on unconstitutionality require that the law, order, regulation, be unambiguous. One is actually not allowed to say, "Well, I meant this to apply to green cards, but I have changed my mind." People who have to obey the laws, etc. must be supplied with a written manifestation of the law, regulation, etc.
People are giving money to the ACLU. Excellent.
But if immigration is your key issue, please consider giving to the National Immigration Law Center and the International Refugee Assistance Project.
Do NOT protest at airports. Demonstrations at airports are an excellent excuse for Homeland Security to deny attorneys access to clients being held at airports. These immigrants need attorneys way more than they need protesters. If you must protest, do not protest at airports.
THIS IS ALSO A RED HERRING, AFFECTING ONLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE.
WHO GETS APPOINTED TO THE US SUPREME COURT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THIS NATION.
* Each state also has a government with three branches. Counties, cities, and towns, have governments. Many regional areas form governments for very special purposes like running regional transit.
** Currently, there are 50 US states, so there are 100 senators. There are 435 representatives.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
BY THE NUMBERS
The largest one day protest ever.*
400,000 in New York City
100,000 in Boston
250,000 in Chicago
500,000 in Los Angeles
60,000 in St. Paul
50,000 in Philadelphia
40,000 in San Diego
50,000 in Austin
85,000 in San Francisco Bay Area
20,000 in both Houston and Phoenix (40,000)
10,000+ crowds in Tucson, Sacramento, Kansas City, New Orleans, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, Miami and Olympia (90,000)
500,000 in DC
+ marchers in small towns throughout the entire US, including Alaska and Hawaii
1,000,000 outside the US
Perusal of photos of the crowds leads me to believe that the majority of the marchers were SOCCER MOMS.** It is generally considered to be a bad political idea to anger soccer moms. It is an even worse idea to anger politically active, internet connected, politically organized soccer moms.
For the future of women's equality, there is nothing more important than the next US Supreme Court Justice.
The US President nominates the candidate for the US Supreme Court, and the US Senate confirms the candidate.
This nomination is important for EVERYBODY.
It is important that the candidate support equal treatment of marginalized people.
It is also important that the candidate support the constitutional protections against governmental search and seizure.
Do not let numbers denial distract you from shouting*** your objections to any appointment that does not meet with your approval.
* The Women March, January 21, 2017. Number sources from thehill.com.
** No longer used political slang for middle class women who invest time in driving their children to activities.
*** Hopefully, social media will start reflecting the beliefs of actual people rather than the beliefs of Russian trolls.
400,000 in New York City
100,000 in Boston
250,000 in Chicago
500,000 in Los Angeles
60,000 in St. Paul
50,000 in Philadelphia
40,000 in San Diego
50,000 in Austin
85,000 in San Francisco Bay Area
20,000 in both Houston and Phoenix (40,000)
10,000+ crowds in Tucson, Sacramento, Kansas City, New Orleans, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, Miami and Olympia (90,000)
500,000 in DC
+ marchers in small towns throughout the entire US, including Alaska and Hawaii
1,000,000 outside the US
Perusal of photos of the crowds leads me to believe that the majority of the marchers were SOCCER MOMS.** It is generally considered to be a bad political idea to anger soccer moms. It is an even worse idea to anger politically active, internet connected, politically organized soccer moms.
For the future of women's equality, there is nothing more important than the next US Supreme Court Justice.
The US President nominates the candidate for the US Supreme Court, and the US Senate confirms the candidate.
This nomination is important for EVERYBODY.
It is important that the candidate support equal treatment of marginalized people.
It is also important that the candidate support the constitutional protections against governmental search and seizure.
Do not let numbers denial distract you from shouting*** your objections to any appointment that does not meet with your approval.
* The Women March, January 21, 2017. Number sources from thehill.com.
** No longer used political slang for middle class women who invest time in driving their children to activities.
*** Hopefully, social media will start reflecting the beliefs of actual people rather than the beliefs of Russian trolls.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
SAY IT ISN'T SO!
We tried to "make it so." Instead, the Trump is going to be our President.
Stop saying, "Let's (violent act) Trump." We are a DEMOCRACY. At all times, at least 50 % of us disagree with the other 50% regarding a political issue.
This is not "Game of Thrones" or "House of Cards."
In the United States of America, WE DO NOT KILL PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH US!
Take your anger and use it to reform your local political process. We need to fix each gerrymandered district.
Take your anger and write Trump a letter telling him, in human terms, just how much he can help you.
We need homes for people, we need health care for people, we need equal opportunity for all of our citizens. We need to protect the sick, the poor, and the disabled.
STOP THREATENING TO KILL THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
If you can not celebrate, join me as I watch Bill Maher. He will make jokes. I will have a toke and a drink and mourn my dreams of fair and equal treatment for women.
Honestly, if you want to know how I truly feel, I feel that women have supported Black, Brown and Gay causes, and that many Blacks, Browns, and Gays have NOT supported women being in power.
I told you that we would all "hang together or hang separately". I enjoy hanging out with you all. But it is time for you all to examine yourself. In my humble opinion, many men do not truly accept women as human beings who are totally equal to men.
Enjoy your peaceful protests. I will be there in spirit.
Stop saying, "Let's (violent act) Trump." We are a DEMOCRACY. At all times, at least 50 % of us disagree with the other 50% regarding a political issue.
This is not "Game of Thrones" or "House of Cards."
In the United States of America, WE DO NOT KILL PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH US!
Take your anger and use it to reform your local political process. We need to fix each gerrymandered district.
Take your anger and write Trump a letter telling him, in human terms, just how much he can help you.
We need homes for people, we need health care for people, we need equal opportunity for all of our citizens. We need to protect the sick, the poor, and the disabled.
STOP THREATENING TO KILL THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
If you can not celebrate, join me as I watch Bill Maher. He will make jokes. I will have a toke and a drink and mourn my dreams of fair and equal treatment for women.
Honestly, if you want to know how I truly feel, I feel that women have supported Black, Brown and Gay causes, and that many Blacks, Browns, and Gays have NOT supported women being in power.
I told you that we would all "hang together or hang separately". I enjoy hanging out with you all. But it is time for you all to examine yourself. In my humble opinion, many men do not truly accept women as human beings who are totally equal to men.
Enjoy your peaceful protests. I will be there in spirit.
Friday, January 13, 2017
FAKE MEDICINE
We have now all experienced the dangers of fake news.
Let us now consider the dangers of fake medical advice.
As a January ritual, many of us try to improve ourselves and our lives by making New Year Resolutions. Usually these are propaganda based decisions. Women have to be skinny. Men have to have great jobs.
It is VERY LUCRATIVE to sell diet stuff.
There is a recent study that dietary supplements are USELESS. The study did NOT involve vitamins.
SO PLEASE IGNORE THE EVIL IDIOTS WHO ARE TELLING YOU NOT TO TAKE PRENATAL VITAMINS. Prospective mothers' use of prenatal vitamins has greatly reduced nerve and brain based birth defects.
ANYTIME someone tells you that a medicine does or does not work, you can look at various websites to see if the person is totally unscientific and/or lying to you in order to make lots of money. I prefer websites connected with real science and medicine, like the Mayo Clinic website. University Hospitals have good info also.
There are an incredible number of wanna be healers out there. If you want to experiment with your own body, be my guest. But please do not spread fake medical information. The grandchild who is harmed may be your own.
Let us now consider the dangers of fake medical advice.
As a January ritual, many of us try to improve ourselves and our lives by making New Year Resolutions. Usually these are propaganda based decisions. Women have to be skinny. Men have to have great jobs.
It is VERY LUCRATIVE to sell diet stuff.
There is a recent study that dietary supplements are USELESS. The study did NOT involve vitamins.
SO PLEASE IGNORE THE EVIL IDIOTS WHO ARE TELLING YOU NOT TO TAKE PRENATAL VITAMINS. Prospective mothers' use of prenatal vitamins has greatly reduced nerve and brain based birth defects.
ANYTIME someone tells you that a medicine does or does not work, you can look at various websites to see if the person is totally unscientific and/or lying to you in order to make lots of money. I prefer websites connected with real science and medicine, like the Mayo Clinic website. University Hospitals have good info also.
There are an incredible number of wanna be healers out there. If you want to experiment with your own body, be my guest. But please do not spread fake medical information. The grandchild who is harmed may be your own.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
THE BARD'S TALE
I ADORE the fantasy history stories about bards, especially how bards had immunity from retaliation.
Life in a small town can lack really excellent music, especially prior to recorded music. If you cut off a bard's head for singing an obnoxious song, then you would not have anybody to play at your daughter's wedding.
So an unspoken deal was made. The bard was allowed a few songs which reminded the king (actually little more than a warlord) that he was not omnipotent. But the rest of the night would be light, fun, excellent music.
One of the reasons the king allowed such liberties was that the king got 'cred' for hosting such amazing entertainment. The king also got a sense of what his people were secretly thinking by listening to the 'protest' songs.
Live music is still appreciated, especially at milestone events.
I am ashamed that our musicians will not play for our new president. I think that 'shunning' is a useless tactic. Without access to our president, how can we convince him that he is wrong?
Elizabeth Ferguson has NAILED the solution. She will sing for our new president, if she can sing "Strange Fruit". This is a win, win, win. She and Trump win by getting publicity. We all win by rehearing old songs that we should rehear.
I vote for Billy Joel singing, 'We Didn't Start the Fire",
Life in a small town can lack really excellent music, especially prior to recorded music. If you cut off a bard's head for singing an obnoxious song, then you would not have anybody to play at your daughter's wedding.
So an unspoken deal was made. The bard was allowed a few songs which reminded the king (actually little more than a warlord) that he was not omnipotent. But the rest of the night would be light, fun, excellent music.
One of the reasons the king allowed such liberties was that the king got 'cred' for hosting such amazing entertainment. The king also got a sense of what his people were secretly thinking by listening to the 'protest' songs.
Live music is still appreciated, especially at milestone events.
I am ashamed that our musicians will not play for our new president. I think that 'shunning' is a useless tactic. Without access to our president, how can we convince him that he is wrong?
Elizabeth Ferguson has NAILED the solution. She will sing for our new president, if she can sing "Strange Fruit". This is a win, win, win. She and Trump win by getting publicity. We all win by rehearing old songs that we should rehear.
I vote for Billy Joel singing, 'We Didn't Start the Fire",
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