Category: Uncategorized

Thanks To Anon., A Life Well-Lived: Peter Buxtun — Passes At 86. Exposed The Forced Tuskegee Syphilis Studies…

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

I think I might rightly suppose Mr. Buxtun would say there were no heroes in this story — excepting the black men who endured… what was plainly even then a treatable disease — made far worse, for over a half-century — by shockingly unethical medical decision making. Official policy, in fact.

But he is certainly the main reason it all… ended. Travel well, and do travel light, sir. Here’s the story, courtesy of our erstwhile Anon. (and the Wa Po):

…Peter Buxtun, a whistleblower who exposed and helped end the Tuskegee syphilis study, a four-decade experiment in which the U.S. Public Health Service used hundreds of Black men as human guinea pigs, died May 18 at a memory-care center in Rocklin, Calif. He was 86.

The cause was complications from Alzheimer’s disease, said his friend John Seidts, who helped look after Mr. Buxtun in recent years. His death, near Sacramento, was first reported Monday by the Associated Press, which in 1972 published the first news story prompted by Mr. Buxtun’s disclosures.

A former venereal disease investigator with the Public Health Service, Mr. Buxtun spent seven years trying to draw attention to the Tuskegee study, meeting with journalists, doctors, public health officials and anyone who would listen.

His efforts, and the reporting that he inspired, brought widespread attention to one of the country’s most notorious medical scandals, revealing how 399 Black men in the segregated South were exploited for a study in which their syphilis would be monitored but not treated….

Onward… we will see brighter days. And do recover fully, and get well soon, Mr. President. We need your wisdom. [And, now… Scott Johnson can shove his sanctimonious, non-bio-science understanding BS right up his John Brown hind-parts, on that score. What a… putz!]

नमस्ते

I Am Loath To Return… To The Nutty Conspiracy Theories Here — But I Must, To Answer Hinderaker’s “Revisiting”, Tonight.

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Again, this theory is largely silly on its face (below), but Hinderaker spends almost 30 paragraphs explaining (in over 1,500 words!) all that he thinks Secret Service did wrong in Butler, PA last weekend tonight. All of his narrative tries to re-assure us, that it was not a Biden / “Deep State” operation, on various parameters. Fine. Nicely done. [It is his longest post, in well over four years, on word count.]

But because his vision is myopic (only taking a hard right perspective) — he leaves at least one possibility (the one I mentioned on Monday) unaddressed. Yet in doing so, he specifically offers his own concluding text, as (unwitting) support for this, the potential “hard-left” kooky conspiracy theory, thus:

…But one thing we can say for sure is that no one — the Iranians, the “Deep State,” whoever — would have relied on poor Thomas Crooks, a 20-year-old with a borrowed rifle, reportedly such a poor shot that he couldn’t make a high school shooting team, to try to assassinate [a candidate for] president of the United States….

The bolded part of John’s supposedly-highly competent concluding paragraph… is EXACTLY what the hinted at “remaining conspiracy” entails:

If one (perhaps less than credibly) posits a cadre of three to six true “cult / believer” acolytes serving Tangerine, as a dictator, personally — ones who’ve effectively forsaken their oaths, to the United States, and are his closest confidants, in his protective ranks (unfettered access, everywhere)… and well-armed (with concealed carry, too), and placed in key spots… they could have been recruited to stage a faked attempt — to garner a “WWF style drama” — going into the convention, in Milwaukee, in his favor.

Two of them lay on top of him when their own shooter, on the roof — with the “borrowed” 20-year old’s AR-15… fires wide, but near him (thus the NYT photo showing a bullet whizzing by!), from the rooftop — where two other acolytes have already killed the 20-year old… but then follow the script, and act out with his borrowed AR-15, letting a few rounds loose into the crowd, for utterly despicable “credibility“. [Recall that Tangerine has said he could kill someone on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight, and no one would care! Here, the nutty theory goes that his true cultists inside protective services did just that — and they chose a skinny 20 year old, perhaps a day or more earlier, to be the lamb / shill… and killed him. Thus Thomas didn’t graze Tangerine’s ear at all. No one did. A razor did, while he was being piled onto by the acolytes.]

So (the theory goes!), his ear was cut with a small razor, as at least two of the other cultists lay atop him — exactly like when, in WWF (as Trump did for show, decades ago!) a wrestler is tossed from the ring, and is stealthily cut — where he will bleed a lot, from a truly trivial ear or forehead wound. Just like that!

Surely this would explain how the 20 year old got to the roof in the first place — WWF scripter led him / hauled him there (perhaps dead within seconds of arrival).

Then Trump, according to the well-planned UN-reality TV script, rises — pumping his first, for the world to see… because he well-knew he was never in danger, at all. And the tiny cut on his ear doesn’t even need a stitch, as we see at top left — decidedly unlike any actual shrapnel / bullet-shard, ripping his ear apart (as has been claimed, by Tangerine).

And he (viola!) has a new NFT image / icon for tee shirts, and for wide resale… and a swell open for his Convention entrance.

To be clear — I don’t buy it (especially the part about intentionally firing into the crowd and killing a whyte 52 year old firefighter and father of two little kids!)…

But, John — if you were staging it all, this Thomas Crooks (small and slight of build, without training) would be a perfect scapegoat. Easily overpowered, when the moment came to kill him on the roof with a silencer round, a minute or so BEFORE the first shots are fired (by acolytes) who then stand up… and claim — for the world to see, that they have killed him, whilst HE was firing.

That possibility — a Tangerine staged reality / non-reality TV drama… is in no manner excluded by John’s would-be “expert’s” analysis. The security lapses were designed by Trump people. To set this stage, for Milwaukee. Yuck.

Now I’ll fall silent.

Out.

In The Texas Razor Wire Barrier Trial [Upcoming], AG Paxton Made A Critical Error, In Foot Dragging…

~ condor ~ 1 Comment

This order was entered late last night in the river barrier case — and the able federal Magistrate Judge is clearly… hot (peeved).

AG Paxton / The State of Texas apparently waited 13 days to even phone the US lawyers back.

That, despite an order two weeks ago, saying “have it all worked out…” by last night. So now Texas faces nearly impossible deadlines, since the US has already long ago filed all of theirs:

…Any motion must be filed by end of day Wednesday, July 17. Responses will be due by end of day Thursday, July 18. Replies will be due by end of day Friday, July 19. The parties’ joint advisory on all motions, limited to 2 pages per side, will be due at noon on Monday, July 22….

Judge Ezra will retain the discretion to entertain motions filed after the deadlines set above. But the parties are on notice that any late-filed motions may not be considered by the Court. As the scheduling order makes clear, the final pretrial conference is intended to address the “proposed final pre-trial order, exhibits and witness lists, deposition designations, motions in limine, motions to exclude witnesses, and any proposed fact stipulations.” Dkt. 97, at 2.

SIGNED July 17, 2024….

At trial, once the motion-flurries / avalanche of white paper… settles — Texas will certainly lose. The federal Rivers and Harbors Act is clear: the feds are rightly in charge here.

And the state of Texas local taxpayers will have to pay perhaps $800,000 in the federal lawyers’ legal fees, incurred to enforce plain black letter federal law — on lawless, vigilante Texas state agents.

Onward.

Mr. Gutierrez Will Finally Be Heard By The Supremes, On Whether He Has A Right To A DNA Test, Before Texas Executes Him…

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

So… DNA testing kits, and biological sciences generally, have evolved — and improved — in the decades since Mr. Gutierrez was sentenced to death in Texas (under decidedly questionable circumstances). And he may well be guilty — we accept that as a possibility.

But we (as a nation) should be in no undue rush to make. . . wholly-irretrievable errors with a man’s life.

Texas still possesses the crime scene physical evidence. Shouldn’t all capital case defendants — at their own expense, but using independent examiners — be granted the right to swab that evidence, for any DNA fragments. . . that might exonerate them? Plainly, it seems like at least four of the Supremes think so (or at least are willing to listen to his counsel, on the issue).

…For the last thirteen years, Ruben Gutierrez has been seeking DNA testing in both state and federal courts, seeking only access to the physical evidence so that he can test it at his own expense. In June 2019, the state district court initially granted Mr. Gutierrez’s motion for DNA testing, but then withdrew the order a few days later and denied the motion without explanation. In September 2019, Mr. Gutierrez filed a complaint under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in federal district court challenging, inter alia, the constitutionality of Texas postconviction DNA testing procedures.

The federal district court granted a declaratory judgment for Mr. Gutierrez on this issue, finding that Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 64 (“Chapter 64”) violates due process by improperly limiting a death-sentenced prisoner’s right to file a successive habeas petition: “Texas grants the substantive right to file a second habeas petition with a clear and convincing showing of innocence of the death penalty in Article 11.071, and then Chapter 64 denies the petitioner access to DNA evidence by which a person can avail himself of that right.” Gutierrez v. Saenz, 565 F. Supp. 3d 892, 910 (S.D. Tex. 2021)….

Now you know — and finally, he will be heard. And whatever the test reveals, he will live — or die — with the results. But what on Earth is wrong with the Texas / Fifth Circuit panel that voted he should be executed, without even using a common method now widely available? Is life precious there, or not? Or is it only wealthy whyte lives… that are precious to Abbott and Paxton? Out.

नमस्ते

Seems Hayward Cannot Read Plain English Deere Pressers — For Comprehension…

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Yep. Steve Hayward (again) demonstrates he cannot parse the English language.

So desperate is he, to torture the new world, back into his cramped, non-scientific 19th Century, definitively racist-sensibilities… that he misses the bottom half of the Deere press release’s import, entirely:

“…We fundamentally believe that a diverse workforce enables us to best meet our customers’ needs, and because of that, we will continue to track and advance the diversity of our organization….”

That’s just… precious, Stevie.

Out — what a putz.

Tangerine Uses GOP Convention, To Tout His Fourth NFT?!

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Or… Ike Is… Agog. Saint Ronnie Reagan Can’t Believe He Didn’t Think Of It First.

The Milwaukee GOP convention is now effectively just a grifting / late night QVC cable channel — for meme-coins and NFTs. [Candidly, even though I follow crypto-, generally (to laugh at it), I was only aware of his “mugshot” NFT. But he’s apparently grifted his followers two other times, by selling them NFTs, in addition to hats and gold shoes?! Wow.]

To be certain, yes, this is trivial — but I cannot imagine that Eisenhower would have tried to sell bags of little green plastic soldiers (made in China), and branded as “Mini-Ikes®” (of course!) — and certainly not from the podium at his nominating convention. Just. Wow.

Here is the “decline of GOP civilization” story from a crypto-booster outlet, and a bit:

…[Tangerine] has pivoted to embracing the crypto industry, saying “if we don’t do it, China is going to pick it up….”

[Tangerine] said his previous collections were “very successful” and sold out in a day: “The whole thing sold out: 45,000 of the cards. And I did it three times [and] I’m going to do another one, because the people want me to do another one. It’s unbelievable spirit. Beautiful….”

The late Hunter S. Thompson (on acid) could not have dreamed up a stranger, more debauched fiction… if he had tried.

But this… is fact. Jaw slacking US… history, unfolding.

In a perhaps not unrelated footnote, Steve Bannon (now jailed) yesterday saw his Chinese affiliate/associate, one 郭文贵, or “Miles Guo” but also known as Mr. Gao Wengui, convicted on multiple felony crypto-frauds (Bannon is awaiting similar separate fraud charges too). Hey — maybe they can bunk together, at FCI Danbury. Amazing.

नमस्ते

As Expected, Mr. Smith Has Appealed Cannon’s Lunacy To The Eleventh Cir.

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Just as we said. It will take a tick or two, but Jack will get his man — on theft of top secret documents, in Florida.

Here’s the appeal notice, filed overnight:

…NOTICE OF APPEAL

The United States of America hereby gives notice that it appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit from the order of the District Court entered on July 15, 2024, Docket Entry 672.

Respectfully submitted,
/s/ JACK SMITH
Special Counsel….

Now you know — grinning.

In “Turn Down The Heat”, Bill Otis BLAMES Democrats For THE FACT That Trump Committed 34 Felonies, Civil Frauds And Raped Women.

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

So… Bill Otis today (ever so helpful, he!) purports to explain that he “cannot turn down the heat”. He is (in his telling) duty bound to keep… lying. And making racist misstatements, against the demonized “others” — all non-whyte, non male, non GOP cultists.

Why? Well because… you see… Democrats are (very annoyingly!) pointing to FACTS. FACTS like felony convictions (so it is our fault that Trump has been a 40 year felonious crook — one not even smart enough to adopt mob-tactics?!); stolen top secret documents (cue the Eleventh Circuit appeal, Jack!); and over $450 million in civil fraud liabilities (judgments, actually, for which he’s had to post over $150 million in bonds!); plus the libel of a woman by lying, and saying he did NOT sexually assault her ($83 million JURY VERDICT)… just… stuff like that. [In Bill’s view, it is the Democrats’ fault that Trump is a walking crime spree — as numerous court judgments now conclusively establish, dontcha’ know.]

Bill and Paul and Scott and John and Lloyd and Steve all feel these FACTS / judgments mean they are free to tell odious, utterly unsubstantiated (and often racist) lies about Mr. Biden and VP Harris.

Or to try to defame Mr. Biden about the acts of his adult son (who has never held or sought any public office!)… all while Tangerine now campaigns to be the first felon President, in US history — again.

Here is just one of Bill’s recent and odious, nonsensical, lying race-baiting pieces. [The analogous examples of John, Scott and Paul appear here almost nightly now — and are easily found here — in spades — just search their names.]

So — as ever, these lying GOP shills project exactly what they are doing to others — on to Democrats who dare to quote… facts. These guys never advance any Tangerine policy of any kind (other than cheering for the torture of brown people at the border) — because he has no policy agenda — other than grifting America for own his personal gain.

So let’s show the boys what “heat” would look like — from my flame thrower:

It is now clear (after Monday) that the DJT stock on the NASDAQ (the holder of the Truth Social assets) is simply a conduit, for foreign “investor” government agents to pre-bribe Trump personally for things they want — like Putin buying stock at over $45/share — to get Trump’s commitment to stop arming/aiding Ukraine.

As soon as he’s overpaid, the stock falls back to $30… as we’ve been detailing here.

And when Trump sells his 67% share of the whole company, in September when the lockups end, this stock will go to its actual intrinsic value — under a buck a share — but Trump actually paid ZERO for his 67%, so no matter how you slice it, his perhaps $2 billion bribe will be all… gravy.

And it will be very hard to prove that Russian state and mid-east state affiliated actors were the buyers at these wildly inflated prices.

Of course lots of his followers (moms and pops) will lose their life savings too — but to make an omelet, a few eggs must be scrambled — Trump will say.

So — if we were to talk about what is likely — but not yet proved — WE would be “turning up the heat”.

No, we won’t do that. The court decisions (just so far) are plenty. But the insane Bill Otis notion that he must project and lie — because he cannot cite any actual countervailing facts… is self refuting.

And it is no excuse for endangering Mr. Biden or VP Harris. None.

Sit down you whiny sub-par doddering whyte boys.

And, In More Palatable Fare: Yesterday, NASA’s Blue Orb / “Meatball” Logo Turned… 65!

~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Hard to believe that it has been well-over a half century in uninterrupted service, and seen in an amazing variety of uses, original and derivative (as at right). And still as fresh as that first use on a 1959 summer’s day.

Wow. Do go read it all, at NASA — good fun!

…On July 15, 2024, NASA’s logo turned 65. The iconic symbol, known affectionately as “the meatball,” was developed at NASA’s Lewis Research Center in Cleveland (now called NASA Glenn). Employee James Modarelli, who started his career at the center as an artist and technical illustrator, was its chief designer.

The red, white, and blue design, which includes elements representing NASA’s space and aeronautics missions, became the official logo of the United States’ new space agency in 1959. A simplified version of NASA’s formal seal, the symbol has launched on rockets, flown to the Moon and beyond, and even adorns the International Space Station.

Along with its importance as a timeless symbol of exploration and discovery, the logo is also one of the world’s most recognized brand symbols. It gained its nickname in 1975 to differentiate it from NASA’s “worm” logotype. The “meatball” and these other NASA designs have made waves in pop culture….

“NASA’s brand elements are wildly popular,” said Aimee Crane, merchandising and branding clearance manager for the agency. “Every year, the agency receives requests to merchandise more than 10,000 NASA-inspired items….”

Now you know — and this at above right, is the Van-Gogh-ified version… yep, its a theme, today. Smile. Out.

नमस्ते

And… Not That I Buy It, For One Second… But What If The 20-Year-Old Kid Was Already Dead, On That Roof?

~ condor ~ 1 Comment

Okay, look. There are lots of VERY dumb conspiracy theories on both sides. [Hinderaker, to some extent, and in deep crazy mode, Billingsley — for certain — have offered a few brain-farts, from the Far Right.]

And this is likely one, as well… but what if the purported shooter/kid had already been captured and killed by forces sworn loyal to Tangerine as a person (not the Secret Service, per se)? He was dropped on the roof, at just the right time — and a real sharp shooter, loyal to Tangerine, with the same AR-15, shoots to miss Trump (thus the NYT bullet photo), but (to ensure believability) he lets a few stray shots go into the crowd?

Meanwhile, as Trump goes down, “the loyals” cover him, and use a small blade to cut his upper ear — a great place for lots of blood, from a small incision. [All as he witnessed, in all star wrestling acts — and (in part) participated in, for many years, over two decades, ago…?]

He rises, fists pumping… because he had scripted it all — reality / non-reality TV.

[I offer this idiotic tangent, solely because Mr. Martin Shkreli is musing this morning about scenarios only slightly differing from this one, above — on X-itter. Ugh.] Back to real legal substance, again, by tonight.

Yes, I believe the tragedies — of the two dead, two injured — in the crowd… are all too real. And political violence has no place in our system of ordered liberty.

Out.