Category: Uncategorized

So Very… Ironic — Hinderaker, Again.

~ condor ~ 2 Comments

It is truly mind-numbing, to see John on his high horse again — yammering on about Hume, Locke, Aquinas and Plato… and the grand tradition of objective truth he claims to adhere to.

He’s decrying denialism in some quarters — about Hamas. [But he denies any wrongs have been done by Israel, in a last morning’s post.]

He goes on… to fault some of the most educated Muslims — for feeling no need to apologize for related to Oct. 7, 2023.

Yet recently he told Belgium, that were he leading that nation, he’d refuse to apologize for the appalling practice of cutting off hundreds of thousands of Congolese Africans’ hands — and worse… as late as the 1910s.

So… he really never fell heir to, or at least never took the full meaning of… Aquinas’s objective truths.

What a… putz.

I’ve Debated About Mentioning This — At All. But Here It Is. This Is A Sad Subversion Of US Public Co. Corporate Governance… By Bitter Dead-Enders… It Will Doubtless… FAIL.

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Several large public companies have seen a spate of stupid “strike” initiatives added to their proxy packets, this year by what are obviously hard right organizations. I wasn’t going to mention it, but I’ve decided it needs a wider airing. I will not link these groups’ SEC filings — as they are purely agit-prop pieces. But you should be aware of these moves against your investment dollars.

Merck has — in the past week — been targeted by them, in SEC filings. [And true enough, various orders of Catholic nuns have targeted Merck and others before, related to women’s health issues — but at least that had some nexus to Merck’s businesses.] This bit of propaganda tries to substitute itself, for the role that all shareholders have entrusted to the board of directors, and the executive management. That is to say, it is an ordinary, internal business / HR and advertising question. These guys disagree with Merck’s take on it. That’s okay, truly.

Of course, since the dawn of public companies… the answer, if one doesn’t like a company’s stances… is to sell. To vote with your feet. There are other pharmas which don’t hold these views, to be sure. [But they don’t perform financially nearly as well. Gee – why might THAT be?]

So these capitalists think some pigs are more equal — that they alone should be allowed to tell the company how to run HR, and spend advertising dollars, while still holding on to the financial benefits of owning stock — where they collectively comprise far less than one-tenth of one percent of all shares outstanding. Hilariously, and wrong-headedly… entitled, are they.

The issue? Valuing the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. [It bugs these dead-enders that whyte guys aren’t always picked first any longer.] And as I said, this is long the province of internal business-decision making — based on numerous studies they’ve conducted (not loony whyte replacement theorists). So, no — I won’t give these groups any exposure. You can find their manifestos on the SEC EDGAR databases, at various companies.

Diversity is good business. If given the chance — I know you science minded folks will say so. And… I encourage you to, if given a chance in your proxy materials this season. Onward — grinning.

No eclipse road trip tomorrow; everything socked in tomorrow — even if we drive out eight long hours in the right directions. So it goes.

नमस्ते

Somehow Hinderaker Has Forgotten Jim Comey’s Role — In His Telling Of September 2016…

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John’s entire fabulist narrative of this Sunday morning is punctured by the fact that HRC in fact lost, after Jim Comey did what he did, on national TV, to boot — in his “whimsical attempt” at showing just how tough he could be — and that HRC would coast to a win, over Tangerine, anyway (or so he imagined).

All the rest Hinderaker writes… becomes just silly, after his omission of that fact. He cannot be trusted to tell a straight story. There is no left wing conspiracy in the US intel community to seat only Democratic Presidents.

And he goes on to omit entirely the fact that it was exclusively a GOP effort, most recently — to forcibly prevent a lawful election outcome — with now dozens doing decades in prison for felonies, on and after 01.06.2021.

Yep — he’s… a fabulist, of the first order. Or, First Order, if you prefer.

O U T.

[C’mon, Iowa!]

A Lil’ Late With This, But JNJ Will Pay ~$13 Billion For Expanded Cardiovascular Intervention / Device Market Leadership: Getting Shockwave Medical.

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There are certainly lots of competitors in the devices arena for cardiovascular surgical suite space globally, and lots of differing needs. But given what high-stakes, high priced procedures these almost always are… it is not surprising that a behemoth would emerge. And not surprising it would be… in JNJ’s stable.

And that is exactly how this one is playing out. There is still plenty of market need for the Edwards LifeSciences of the world… but it too may eventually be on JNJ’s shoppin’ list. [Just a word, to those looking ahead, for M&A gainsplay….]

Here is the latest on all that, from JNJ’s MedTech division, itself (but with the renewed vigor of the DoJ’s Antitrust desk in evidence, I might ease off the “market leadership” type boastings):

…[JNJ’s MedTech unit] announced it entered into a definitive agreement under which Johnson & Johnson will acquire all outstanding shares of Shockwave for $335.00 per share in cash, corresponding to an enterprise value of approximately $13.1 billion including cash acquired. The transaction was approved by both companies’ boards of directors….

With the addition of Shockwave, Johnson & Johnson will expand its MedTech cardiovascular portfolio into two of the highest-growth, innovation-oriented segments of cardiovascular intervention – coronary artery disease (CAD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). The transaction follows Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s successful acquisitions of Abiomed, a leader in heart recovery, and more recently Laminar, an innovator in left atrial appendage elimination for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AFib). These acquisitions complement and build on Johnson & Johnson’s established global leadership position in electrophysiology through the Biosense Webster portfolio….

So it goes — with all my NCAA picks turning up roses — and the Kentucky Derby not too far off, now. Smile.

नमस्ते

Mirengoff (And Hinderaker) Now Feel It Is “Foolish” For The US To Seek An End, To Wars… But Only SOME Wars.

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So… Paul Mirengoff is trying to dissuade his President from seeking peace in the Mideast. He does so by urging Mr. Biden not to oppose Israel’s open attack on Rafah. His view is best summarized as “kill them all” — then there will be no need for a Palestinian state.

[Funny — he did not, and will not, suggest that Putin should “nuke” Ukraine, to end that war.]

Hinderaker, too is utterly non-plussed tonight, by the globe’s outrage over the indiscriminate shelling of what was clearly an international soup kitchen. Hinderaker’s rationale being… killing seven food relief workers is no big deal. Get over it, he says.

But he wailed over losing a dozen US troops, and his party held months of hearings over the deaths of 12 in a military operation, as we pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021. Though regrettable, losing those troops doubtless saved tens of thousands of lives.

Hey Paul and John — killing international, non-combatant relief workers indiscriminately will NOT “save lives”. All it does is turn the world’s public opinion… more and more against the War in Gaza.

Somehow you two, and Bibi, are unable to grasp that the protests by Israelis, increasingly IN ISRAEL, too… mean you’ve lost the hearts and minds.

Time to accept that (as with so many other matters — like Trump’s troops in Lafayette Square, DC — in 2020 — with his upside down bible photo op)… you guys are out of touch with the reality most Americans are living.

Do go take your nightly Ketamine doses, and dodder off now. Geez.

With My Eldest In Country, After Six Months… My Plans Have Changed For Viewing Monday: Now, A Road Trip, Exclusively — If That.

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Some may recall that I had grand plans to be in the Sea of Cortez by dawn Monday… but my daughter is suddenly back from over six months in the EU (let go of all reservs in Mexico), and (assuming clear skies around Cleveland, or thereabouts) — she and I will road trip before dawn on Monday.

But only if the skies are truly flawless. I saw a perfect one in August 2017 in the Shawnee wilderness — so a partially cloudy one… is probably not worth the effort.

We shall see, but it will be an oh-dark-thirty Monday morning call, for certain. Experiences are what enrich our lives, in the last measure, through memories — not material things, per se… and so, why not a sublime experience, indeed?

But if you do go, be sure (per the NASA PSA masthead above) to only use approved (by genuine scientists!) goggles or other eye protection. Onward — grinning just the same.

नमस्ते

At US Law, Any Mark Adopted As My Own… Is My “Signature” — Paul Whines About This FACT?!

~ condor ~ 3 Comments

I write to note that Mirengoff is now clutching his pearls over the fact that a local law enforcement officer signed some police academy graduates’ certificates — with HIS OWN signature — a series of Chinese chops. That is, in fact, his signature, Paul.

Here in Chicago, we have entire Fire Stations (and Police Precinct houses — staffed by Whyte, Black and Asian-American men and women firefighters and officers!) where almost all the external signage — and all pump trucks and ambulances bear Chinese language chops. Yes, it is located in Chinatown, on Cermak… and I love the rich culture it reflects, and the comfort I imagine it must give — to newly arrived (from Taiwan and China) immigrants, residing there — as well as some now old and gray long time city dwellers. [They must know this is a sign that America isn’t like Xi’s China — where only loyal party higher echelon dignitaries will see fast, first rate services.]

But then, the real reason I write — is to call out Paul. Call him out on an even worse piece of odious racism.

He closes by making an entirely illogical leap, to suggest that — because the certificates were signed in a Chinese chop fashion — the training must have been sub-par.

This is the same as Candace Owens and Bitsy saying they don’t want to fly any commercial plane if either sees a Black female pilot in the right hand seat. Damn, Paul — and damn, Candace. And damn, Bitsy. Here is Paul’s in context:

…In the end, I doubt much will be lost if Herndon officers remain barred from being trained by the county academy under Wilson Lee. In all likelihood, the training is less about effective, crime-preventing policing and more about indoctrination in left-wing policing themes….

There is simply no evidence here — other than, of course, Paulie’s prejudice — in copious evidence.

Damn. Out.

[U] CBP Still Feels The Fifth Cir. Should Rule Quickly On The Land Razor Wire Appeal…

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Updated Sat. April 6, 2024 — it seems that AG Paxton and the State of Texas are … unaware, that the Fifth Cir. (and the Supremes, by implication) have already said the District Court TRO was improvidently granted. That is, Judge Moses should never have tried to tell the CBP and DHS that they are not the exclusive arbiters of how to handle international border / asylee matters.

So it is, that Texas overnight yammered on for six pages about what the trial court (Alia Moses) originally ruled (now regarded, universally, as in error by all judges who’ve looked at the matter). Including Alia Moses, on reflection.

She herself has specifically said her thinking has changed immensely, now that the facts of January 2024 are in the record — and nowhere does Gov. Abbott or AG Paxton express a shred of regret for letting a mom and daughter die in the river on a cold January night. Instead Texas says, in effect, they were dead when CBP got to Shelby Park.

Which of course means… Texas agents let them die.

So it changes nothing — except that the GOP in Texas is soul-less to the core. End, updated portion.

That said, the feds themselves still feel the Fifth Circuit should promptly hear argument and bounce AG Paxton and Gov. Abbott out on their ears.

Here is that new bit, from this morning, from counsel for US CBP — followed by the panel’s original request on the parties’ views (AG Paxton has not offered his views, as of noon on the due date):

…The government does not consider the district court’s supplemental findings to bear on the propriety of expedited review. The government acknowledges that the Supreme Court’s vacatur of this Court’s injunction pending appeal, see Department of Homeland Security v. Texas, No. 23A607 (U.S. Jan. 22, 2024), removes the basis on which the government sought expedition in December, see Mot. to Expedite 4-6.

Nonetheless, the government does not oppose the resolution of this appeal on an expedited schedule, or on any timeline the Court determines is appropriate. See also 5th Cir. R. 47.7 (calendaring priority for actions seeking preliminary injunctive relief). The appeal is fully briefed, and the government stands ready to present oral argument whenever the Court elects to hear it….

[Original:] …This case has been removed from abeyance.

The court would like the parties to address whether, in light of the district court’s supplemental findings, expedited review is still warranted. The parties should respond by letter to the court on or before Friday, April 5, 2024….

I still expect that feckless Texas AG Paxton (for MAGA Gov. Abbott) will still push for an answer, quickly as well — but it is clear that FHS and CBP are in charge again along the Rio Grande.

As we said, it is all over, except for the shouting now. Onward.

नमस्ते

Just For The Record — And Likely Future Securities Fraud Litigation Against DJT…

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This is comical — and cringe-worthy, all in one. He thinks “experts’ opinion” is uniform: that what he writes is the most sought after thinking in all the world?!

How utterly self-deluded. Damn.

Of course, he’s writing the below orange hued garbage because the stock is down about 45% in a single week. Hilarious… the EF Hutton (no relation!) brokers managing Reg. M activities are likely getting close to running out of capacity to help market-make, for the name.

Moreover, without any serious doubt, Tangerine offers some other materially misleading statements — on the stock symbol “DJT” tonight — so I’ll preserve them all (for future federal class action litigation):

“…All of the competitors to TRUTH SOCIAL, especially those in the Radical Left Democrats Party who are failing at every level, like to use their vaunted “disinformation machine” to try and convince people, and it is not easy to do, that TRUTH is not such a big deal and doesn’t “get the word out” as well as various others, which they know to be false.

I THINK TRUTH IS AMAZING! First of all, it is very solid, having over $200,000,000 in CASH and ZERO DEBT.

More importantly, it is the primary way I get the word out and, for better or worse, people want to hear what I have to say, perhaps, according to experts, more than anyone else in the World.

My TV ratings are by far the highest, and my Rallies are not equaled, even close, anywhere or by anyone. Look, I had hundreds of millions of followers on various platforms, and could have them back again, but was cancelled for largely political reasons.

Those platforms all want me back…They need me back! On Truth I have 7,000,000 followers…”

He is contractually obligated to this waifish (half million regular users’ base) site he created.

And actually — this week, Caitlin Clark v. Angel Reese outdrew his last televised speech.

That was a college women’s hoops game — and not even the championship.

His lies are as silly as silly might be.

Out.