In A Few Hours, The First Private Venture Soft Drop Lunar Landing Should Be Complete… [Sorry, Elon.]

April 25, 2023April 25, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

To be clear, this eclipses Mr. Musk’s efforts thus far, and by quite a distance.

A Japanese company, iSpace, in a for-profit joint venture with Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (in the UAE), has taken a long, slow low-energy ride to the moon (smart conservation of resources!) — and around lunch in New York, will drop the craft at right gently onto the lunar surface. Or so it is hoped. Here’s the story of the first private enterprise “feet on the moon” — and a bit:

…Live coverage of the landing is expected to begin Tuesday as early as 11:20 a.m. ET, or about an hour and 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled landing. Touchdown is expected to occur Tuesday at 12:40 p.m. ET, which is Wednesday at 1:40 a.m. Japan Standard Time.

The lunar lander, called Hakuto-R, is carrying the Rashid rover, which was built by Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — the first Arab-built lunar spacecraft.

In history, only three countries have ever executed a controlled landing on the moon — the United States, the former Soviet Union and China. The US remains the only country to have put humans on the moon….

Now you know — more lobby disclosures up next — for Amgen, and then, maybe tomorrow… Amazon. Grin….

नमस्ते

Nailed It! The Entire Litigation Is Now Settled. Antitrust Suit About Zetia® Generics Delay… Goes POOF! 2008-2021.

April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Well… just as I told ya’ we might see, all weekend-long… and last week, too.

The entire multi-billion dollar case is now settled, and we may never know for precisely how much. But it is being dismissed as I type this, down in Norfolk, Virginia — and the jury sent home:

…Before jury selection commenced as scheduled, the court was advised that the Retailer Plaintiffs had reached a settlement agreement with the Merck Defendants and the Glenmark Defendants.

The jury panel will be released from duty and the trial is removed from the court calendar. Counsel were instructed to file an agreed dismissal order with any necessary motions within thirty (30) days….

Onward… smiling. It may appear as a line item in the Merck Q1 2023 SEC Form 10-Q, in the litigation section. We shall see.

नमस्ते

[U: Hinderaker Comments.] Tucker Carlson: “F*-ed Around…” And Now, Finds Out.

April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Updated @ 8 PM EDT: Hinderaker has provided the obligatory boot-licking tribute to the lying sack of dung called Tucker. About the only thing I worry about with Tucker… is that he becomes a Tangerine Veep running mate. But it is widely reported that Tucker openly loathes Trump. So, unless Trump will agree to be Tucker’s Veep /running mate / nominee… I have no concerns. NONE.

Tucker will never reach three million homes per night again (if he ever did). He was always and only a mean little clown, riding a “one trick pony” — and that pony just threw him into the manure, at the county fairgrounds.

If he turns up on some alternate internet or cable hard right outlet… he will never fully rebuild that audience.

Far too many of his octogenarian / base watchers know ONLY how to find Fox on an old school broadcast TV set’s analog dial. Despite what Johnny says, he is effectively over — unless he is running for Senate or 1600 Penn. And he’s not. So — I love it, all. End, updated portion.

It seems that having to pay $787.5 million in libel settlements is not without consequences — at ole’ Faux.

Most savvy legal observers agree that Tucker’s own internal emails and recorded remarks… sank all hope of an effective libel defense against Dominion’s $1.5 billion claims. [Which, ~~while not wishing to be pedantic,~~ is why I quote the estimable EmptyWheel, in that link — as she’s updated hers to reflect that, indeed Rupert fired him for embarrassing the endless lie-festival the network was running, on dozens of fronts with his private emails and deposition answers ~~(for the contra-suggestion)~~ — the goal of Faux is to tell lies — he inadvertently hurt the network’s chances of continuing to do so. Game over.]

Ah — Well done, Tucker! [Perhaps he is running for Preznit. Or… he is to be Tangerine’s Veep candidate in ’24 (not likely). Or… most likely… he’s had a particularly bad bimbo eruption. Or even a male bimbo eruption.]

In any event… he’s cashiered — without even a goodbye on air.

I. Love. It.

Whatever he builds next — or wherever he goes… he, and his hateful lies — will never again reach three million homes a night.

Flawless.

Scott Johnson Is Promoting A Book By A Guy Who’s An Insufferable Ass Around Aspen…

April 24, 2023October 2, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

…And so, I decided that I’d promote a guy I trust and like — who’s also written a book.

His book matters. The Aspen guy’s… doesn’t — it is (like him)… simply inane.

The one that matters is called “The Shadow Docket“. It is a careful, well crafted data-driven explanation of why we should all (liberal or conservative) be concerned about the rise of “off the normal path” rulings from the Supremes.

Steve is also a friend. Go buy this book in your local bookstore — or via Amazon, today.

[The author of the stupidly inane book apparently sues small contractors in federal court in Colorado over his own failure (despite claiming to be a renown attorney) to get a written contract drawn up, before building a $3 million home about an hour outside of Aspen, Colorado. Yawn.]

That is all. Now you know.

Thank you for listening

Hinderaker KNOWS Trump Will Run A Third Party Campaign And Nothing Anyone Can Do… Will Stop Him.

April 23, 2023April 23, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

As is often true with John’s posts, the things he does NOT say are the only ones that are true — in his silly rants.

Tonight he is bleating about how bad all the polling numbers look… for all known likely candidates for 2024. Maybe so. But somehow, he manages to avoid the most obvious conclusion:

Democrats plainly have a runaway lead on keeping the White House in 2024, no matter whom they ultimately nominate.

Under that though, he avoids saying what anyone with a working forebrain knows: Trump will not go away quietly, even though it is now absolutely certain he CANNOT win in the general. [The best bead on 2024 will be found here — to a certainty, BTW.]

That is — he will run as a MAGA something party, or as the high-jacked “new” GOP when he fails to secure a nomination the regular way. [Eerily, and impotently — very much as he tried on 01.06.2021.]

And that, Hinderaker well-knows… is the end of… everything he’s ever thought of as the Republican Party.

He and his fellow morons are handing control of the White House to us intelligent Democratic Party leaders… for a generation — on a silver platter.

This will be… hilariously bad for DeSantis and Haley… and all other would be GOP nominees.

Thanks boyz — leading members of your own party are already saying you face a wipe out in 2024 over your radical, hateful anti-abortion laws and overreaching.

We will clean up.

Paul Mirengoff Wants To Help Sen. Cotton Support Insurrectionists Of 01.06.21

April 23, 2023April 23, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Let me offer you some excellent unbiased, factual real-time, in the courtrooms trial coverage, of what these Proud Boys (soon all to be doing 4 to 12 years in federal prisons) were up to on 01.06.21.

After you read that… do go see Mirengoff’s near treasonous defense of them, overnight — he’s at it, again.

He’s channelling Sen. Cotton, BTW. A supposed US Senator. Damn.

I’m old enough to remember when BOTH parties condemned enemies of our nation — foreign or domestic.

Just… damn.

[Bump And Update: 04.23.23] And Trivially, Scott Cannot Comprehend Libel Law…

April 23, 2023April 23, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

Updated: I am bumping this since Scott Johnson here on Sunday morning has returned to his silly whining about various Matty-Dick-Pics Taibbi BS. It seems that Scott believes, that at some DeVry Institute of Law, they teach you that when you libel someone, or a group of someones, the press and social media is required to give you “equal time” — that is they are required by law to cover your libel with an air of credulity. They must help you amplify your lies.

Well, Scott — that is decidedly NOT the law. All of the above are free to ignore libelous stories (lest they have to pay — for example — $787.5 million in settlements for said… lying!). So it should come as no surprise that media outlets and social sites are… ignoring you and Matty, in the main. No one wants a billion dollar libel tab, idiot. So — do sit down, and shut up. End of the updated bump. Out.

[Original Dateline 04.21.2023:] This is barely even worth mention.

But I will. Heh.

Tonight, Johnson complains loudly that FB has blocked links to his libelous “51 intel officials’” rant.

He imagines himself a victim because (in essence) FB doesn’t have a “must carry” / equal time rule… for the libelous BS he writes.

Charming.

Equal time ended during Ron Reagan’s first term in any event, idiot.

Why would (say) a “members-only” country club be required to post your drivel on a cork-board in the formal dining-room, locker-room or its ballroom?!

What a clueless idiot — but that is what FB is: a private club.

Sod off.

Why Is Hinderaker So Ignorant Of History, On Taxation?

April 22, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

The Powerline boys (John in particular) forgets that just 20 years ago, the GOP regularly out-raised Democratic candidates by an average of 6-to-1.

But then the GOP stumbled badly — especially on large corporate donor care and feeding. Under the thrall of the Tea Partiers, and the even more reactionary MAGA wing, the GOP missed that the American consumer, and then Madison Avenue (and thus corporate brands’ interests) were bending toward more progressive ideas. The US skewed / grew younger — and more tolerant.

The GOP ignored… this entirely. And that was not… good business. And that started being reflected in falling donor totals.

So now, well behind the political power curve, John wants to paint himself (and his fellow multi-millionaires) as… victims.

Damn.

John, just shut up and get used to paying a fair share in taxes — finally.

For your entire adult life, you’ve enjoyed unfair tax advantages and tax breaks.

That time is now ending.

Just shut up, you fecklessly malevolent moron.

Hinderaker “NEEDS” That Manifesto?! Why?

April 22, 2023 ~ condor ~ Leave a comment

So… few moments in 2023 would be as revealing of his narcissistic personality… as John Hinderaker publicly declaring that his “need” to demonize trans people should outweigh an ongoing mass murder investigation — in Nashville.

He scoffs that he knows there cannot be an “ongoing investigation” (he reasons idiotically, because the shooter is also dead). John seems unaware that there could be concerns that the shooter didn’t act alone; or might have been put up to it for money or some other form of consideration.

And, just maybe… that manifesto provides some dangerous “roadmaps”. John’s an idiot.

But no, Hinderaker feels his need to make political hay of it… should “Trump” everything.

What a depraved, decrepit loser he is.

Out.