Open Forum

Where you can't be off-topic because there IS no topic.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Yet more evidence of how much of a vindictive, petty, a$$ this President is:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/us/politics/uss-mccain-navy-ship.html

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  2. steve says:

    I am old enough to remember women coming to the hospital with major complications after back alley abortions. Looks like we may have the chance to see that again.

    (Link)

    Edit Note: This comment was edited to put the URL inside the link above due to the fact that its length was causing a formatting issue. (DM)

  3. Kylopod says:

    Trump now says he had “nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected.”

    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1134066371510378501

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  4. DrDaveT says:

    As always, the folks at DuffelBlog can be counted on to put a different spin on current issues. In this case, it’s the new Alabama abortion law, of all things…

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  5. CSK says:

    Has there ever been any explanation of why Trump chose to name his youngest son “Barron,” with two r’s? The only “Barrons” I know of are Barron Hilton, son of Conrad; and John Barron, who is not, of course, an actual live human being but the name Trump used when he was calling up the newspapers to shill himself.

  6. CSK says:

    @Kylopod: And backtracked on it 20 minutes later.

  7. Mister Bluster says:

    Independence Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    Tuesday May 29 1787
    John Dickenson, and Elbridge Gerry, the former from Delaware, the latter from Massts. took their seats. The following rules were added, on the report of Mr. Wythe from the Committee [see the Journal]-
    Additional rules. [see preceding page] That no member be absent from the House, so as to interrupt the representation of the State, without leave.
    That Committees do not sit whilst the House shall be or ought to be, sitting.
    That no copy be taken of any entry on the journal during the sitting of the House without leave of the House.
    That members only be permitted to inspect the journal.
    That nothing spoken in the House be printed, or otherwise published or communicated without leave.
    That a motion to reconsider a matter which had been determined by a majority, may be made, with leave unanimously given, on the same day on which the vote passed; but otherwise not without one day’s previous notice: in which last case, if the House agree to the reconsideration, some future day shall be assigned for the purpose.
    Mr. C. PINKNEY moved that a Committee be appointed to superintend the Minutes.
    Mr. Govr. MORRIS objected to it. The entry of the proceedings of the Convention belonged to the Secretary as their impartial officer. A committee might have an interest & bias in moulding the entry according to their opinions and wishes.
    The motion was negatived, 5 noes, 4 ays.
    Mr. RANDOLPH then opened the main business. [Here insert his speech including his resolutions.] (Mr. R. Speech A. to be inserted Tuesday May 29) He expressed his regret, that it should fall to him, rather than those, who were of longer standing in life and political experience, to open the great subject of their mission. But, as the convention had originated from Virginia, and his colleagues supposed that some proposition was expected from them, they had imposed this task on him. He then commented on the difficulty of the crisis, and the necessity of preventing the fulfilment of the prophecies of the American downfal. He observed that in revising the foederal system we ought to inquire 1. into the properties, which such a government ought to possess, 2. the defects of the confederation, 3. the danger of our situation & 4. the remedy.

    Wednesday May 30, 1787
    Roger Sherman (from Connecticut) took his seat.
    The House went into Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union. Mr. Gorham was elected to the Chair by Ballot.
    The propositions of Mr. RANDOLPH which had been referred to the Committee being taken up. He moved on the suggestion of Mr. G. Morris, that the first of his propositions to wit “Resolved that the articles of Confederation ought to be so corrected & enlarged, as to accomplish the objects proposed by their institution; namely, common defence, security of liberty & general welfare: -should be postponed, in order to consider the 3 following:
    1. that a Union of the States merely federal will not accomplish the objects proposed by the articles of Confederation, namely common defence, security of liberty, & genl. welfare.
    2. that no treaty or treaties among the whole or part of the States, as individual Sovereignties, would be sufficient.
    3. that a national Government ought to be established consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive & Judiciary. The motion for postponing was seconded by Mr. Govr. MORRIS and unanimously agreed to.
    Some verbal criticisms were raised agst. the first proposition, and it was agreed on motion of Mr. BUTLER seconded by Mr. RANDOLPH, to pass on to the third, which underwent a discussion, less however on its general merits than on the force and extent of the particular terms national & supreme.
    Mr. CHARLES PINKNEY wished to know of Mr. Randolph whether he meant to abolish the State Governts. altogether. Mr. R. replied that he meant by these general propositions merely to introduce the particular ones which explained the outlines of the system he had in view.
    Mr. BUTLER said he had not made up his mind on the subject, and was open to the light which discussion might throw on it. After some general observations he concluded with saying that he had opposed the grant of powers to Congs. heretofore, because the whole power was vested in one body. The proposed distribution of the powers into different bodies changed the case, and would induce him to go great lengths.
    Genl. PINKNEY expressed a doubt whether the act of Congs. recommending the Convention, or the Commissions of the Deputies to it, could authorise a discussion of a System founded on different principles from the federal Constitution.
    Mr. GERRY seemed to entertain the same doubt.
    Mr. Govr. MORRIS explained the distinction between a federal and national, supreme, Govt.; the former being a mere compact resting on the good faith of the parties; the latter having a compleat and compulsive operation. He contended that in all Communities there must be one supreme power, and one only.
    Mr. MASON observed that the present confederation was not only deficient in not providing for coercion & punishment agst. delinquent States; but argued very cogently that punishment could not in the nature of things be executed on the States collectively, and therefore that such a Govt. was necessary as could directly operate on individuals, and would punish those only whose guilt required it.
    Mr. SHERMAN who took his seat today, admitted that the Confederation had not given sufficient power to Congs. and that additional powers were necessary; particularly that of raising money which he said would involve many other powers. He admitted also that the General & particular jurisdictions ought in no case to be concurrent. He seemed however not be disposed to make too great inroads on the existing system; intimating as one reason that it would be wrong to lose every amendment, by inserting such as would not be agreed to by the States.
    It was moved by Mr. READ 2ded. by Mr. Chs. COTESWORTH PINKNEY, to postpone the 3d. proposition last offered by Mr. Randolph viz that a national Government ought to be established consisting of a supreme Legislative Executive and Judiciary,” in order to take up the following-viz. “Resolved that in order to carry into execution the Design of the States in forming this Convention, and to accomplish the objects proposed by the Confederation a more effective Government consisting of a Legislative, Executive and Judiciary ought to be established.”

  8. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @CSK: You left out Clarence Barron, founder of Barron’s, the financial news weekly, but a brief perusal of the intertubes shows that no one in the family has ever explained it. The name is reported to have had a spurt of popularity at the turn of the millennium, so maybe it’s just another of Trump’s famous moves showing that he’s “just like us.” 🙁

  9. CSK says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker: Thanks for the reminder of Clarence Barron.

    Young Barron was born in March 2006. I think at that point, Trump was still trying to disassociate himself from the hoi-polloi. I do recall the first Mrs. Trump saying that her hubby was reluctant to name his first-born son Donald Trump, Jr. on the grounds that the kid might be a loser. Trump’s word.

  10. Kathy says:

    @CSK:

    It seems his fears were amply justified. No one knew Jr. could turn up so much like his father.

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  11. Kathy says:

    It’s really hard, stressful, and exhausting, to work under someone who can’t make decisions.

  12. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @CSK:

    [Trump] was reluctant to name his first-born son Donald Trump, Jr. on the grounds that the kid might be a loser.

    Good guess, Don :-)). Then again, apples don’t fall far from trees.

  13. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @Kathy: Nah, even Harry Chapin knew that kids grow up to be their parents. link (In some ways, the saddest song ever.)

  14. Kathy says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker:

    If Dennison didn’t know, then NOBODY fu***ng knew, could have ever fu***ng known, or even possibly fu***ng imagined or conceived it. Not even GOD himself.

  15. Kathy says:

    I just learned why photocopies and laser printouts come out warm (or hot). It turns out the toner doesn’t bond with the paper, but needs to be melted so it will stay fixed. Ergo heated printouts.

    This also explains why toner comes off jammed sheets when you clear them out.

    Inkjet and dot matrix printers, which do use actual ink that bonds to the paper, don’t face this challenge.

  16. MarkedMan says:

    @Kathy: I began my career many years ago at Xerox. I can tell you that in addition to heat you need to put a charge on the paper which you do with a very high voltage AC corona charger. The back of my head still aches when I think about accidentally touching that corona in a lab, with not very much distance between my skull and the cement block wall. Never work in a lab alone!

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  17. Kathy says:

    @MarkedMan:

    The back of my head still aches when I think about accidentally touching that corona in a lab, with not very much distance between my skull and the cement block wall.

    Ouch. I know what you mean. I get that feeling when I recall the time I bent down under a shelf to get some samples from their box, than tried to stand back up and my head met the bottom of the shelf hard.