Yesterday, I did get my grocery order, along with some problems. One was nobody’s faukt – I woke up feeling as usual, but sometime between then and the order arrival. several body part involved in lifting and moving stuff decided to become really, really painful. But the other problem was unauthorized substitutions. In theory, they emailed me early enough that i was supposed to be able to get into the site and change them (delete them really), but I couldn’t. I tried more than once on more than one computer and nothing. So, besides the frustration, what with the pain getting everything in, it took me hours to put away perishables, and to just get non-perishables into the rooms where they will be put away (And it was a comparatively small order.) I took some extra OTC pain meds before bed, in the hope that sleep would help resolve the pains. (Those of you who pray, I’;; remn=ind youthat it is perfectly theologically sound to pray for an outcome which, at the time you are praying, has already either happened or won’t, provided that you don’t know which.)
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Civil Discourse – Judge Luttig Weighs In
Quote – It has become popular in some quarters for pundits to dispense legal opinions that are results-oriented—they figure out what political corner they want to land in and then shoehorn their views of the facts and the law to get there. Judge Luttig doesn’t indulge in that sort of gamesmanship here. As a former Scalia law clerk who has been dismissed by progressive groups as an ultraconservative who leaned too far right to be considered for a Supreme Court seat, you might expect him to. But lawyers and judges are trained in law school to evaluate the facts and the law from 360 degrees and come up with the right answer, not the expedient one. That’s what the best ones do. Click through for details. You may remember Judge Luttig as the J6 committee witness who spoke so slowly many people assumed he was recovering from a stroke (He wasn’t – that was his wa of being passionate.) When a conservative says/does the right thing it’s newsworthy IMO.
Slate – If the “Abortion Pill” Gets Banned, There’s Still One Good Move
Quote – It’s an alarming possibility that underscores the recklessness of giving politicians and appointees full authority over the nation’s reproductive health: An unelected official could singlehandedly revoke the FDA’s approval of a safe, widely used medication—and the Supreme Court may be inclined to let him…. But there’s an alternative: Mifepristone is only one of two drugs consumed in a standard medication abortion. In higher doses, the second drug, misoprostol, can also terminate a pregnancy on its own. Click through for article. Counting on right-wing ignorance (even as prevalent as it is) is proably not the best long-term strategy. But in the short term, this is good knowledge to have.
Glenn Kirschner – EVEN MORE classified documents found in Trump’s office, & these docs had been uploaded to the cloud!
Thom Hartmann – Did Far Right Turn Religion Into Authoritarian Cult?
Politics Girl – Wanna Save Democracy? (Yes, the primary is over now – Janet Protasiewicz won the open primary, and that’s good. But she won with a plurality, not a majority, and now we need to win the general. As far as I can gather from what I have found about the candidates, Wisconsin could really use its own Stacey Abrams right now.)
Parody Project – Parody of Mac the Knife about Jack Smith Special Prosecutor
My deer are getting high on Nitrous Oxide (NOS–laughing gas). Watch them lose their minds!
Yesterday, I mostly recuperated from the weekend. Yeah, my life is – what should I say – inside out? – now. Fridays are the days i dread and Mondays the ones I look forward to. I did get an order in to the store I couldn’t order from last time – they have updated their website again, and this update actually works. Si I’ll have an order come in today. Other than that, if you have heard that the US has placed new sanctions on Russia, this time prohibiting US coffeemakers (among other things) from being sent there, and are wondering WTF, wonder no more. Modern coffeemakers contain computer chips whichcanbe extracted and used to repair broken weapons. And apparently they still have some people there smart enough to do that. Laugh if you will. May as well. (That may even be part of the point.)
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Colorado Public Radio – From baseball phenom to Colorado community leader: The life and legacy of William ‘Bay Bay’ Richardson
Quote – For decades William Richardson touched the lives of hundreds of young people in his close-knit Colorado community, but many of them had no idea that before then their longtime coach and mentor had already made his mark on Black history, American history and sports history. For a time even his own children were unaware of all that he’d accomplished and the sacrifices he’d made in his young adult years to play the game he loved — baseball. In honor of Black History Month, this never-before-told story chronicles Richardon’s journey from a pitcher in the Negro Baseball Leagues, sports leagues born out of America’s racial segregation era, to a Colorado community leader. Click through for full story. I don’t like to use thwo short takes the same day from the same source, but this one just popped up, and it may help to alleviate the bad taste the other article will leave you with.
Colorado Public Radio – What we know about the stalking case involving Black ranchers in El Paso County
Quote – It is unclear at the moment why the sheriff’s office didn’t assign someone else to investigate the claims, because the Mallerys have also complained about Gerhart, claiming he was complicit in intimidating them and trying to force them off of their land. Gerhart stated in the affidavit that he was the subject of four of the Mallerys’ complaints against El Paso County Sheriff deputies in the last two years — all of which were dismissed. In total, Gerhart said the Mallerys filed more than 15 internal affairs complaints against deputies. Click through for full story. As you read, think about the Black History article I shared yesterday concerning white comfort. (I did not simply assume the Clarks are white – I searched and confirmed it.) I know whom I believe.
Yesterday, I got to see Virgil. I passed on greetings, and He said to tell y’all they are appreciated. Today he seemed to have grasped that he willnot be getting out of prison alive, but he asked me – and I know it wasn’t s much as every five minutes, but it was often – how long we had been married (39 years this May) and also, though much less frequently, how old he is (79 – will be 80 in July.) He didn’t appear at all frustrated by not knowing, at least. I left at exactly the right time – five minutes later and the glare would have been too much.Neither visitors nor inmates are allowed watches, but there are a few windows in the room, and they face roughly west, so that if there is sun the light hitting the floor (snd eventually the wall) acts like a makeshift sundial. Six stripes on the south wall means time to go. Once we get back to DST it shouldn’t be a problem – visitation ends early enough that I’ll be fine staying until it’s over – and that will happen for my next visit on March 12. Now, in November, it appears there may be what we called in the military a fire drill, but using an ethnic slur which I won’t repeat. My state has passed legislation to keep DST, as has Ohio. Missouri and Texas have not. California voters have passed a referendum, but the legislature has yet to act. Needless to say, Australia will not be affected by us. For anyone in the US, I highly recommend a bit of research on your state between now and November.
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Crooks & Liars – Beltway Media Still Doesn’t Understand Where Right Wingers Get Their Ideas
Quote – In 2016, Stephen Gossett of Chicagoist recounted the history that these Times reporters don’t seem to know: “There is a very simple two-part explanation as to why this happened: President Obama’s adopted hometown is Chicago; and Chicago struggles with gun violence. So its not surprising to find an example that stretches all the way back to Obama’s first presidential campaign.” Click through for article. Yes, Obama is still the bogey-an for way too many people, and probabloy some arenot even MAGAs.
Medium – 5 Reasons Why White People Are Afraid of Disposing of Their White Comfort
Quote – White comfort shows up everywhere, for instance, in the workplace when keeping Black people a way from senior positions, discriminatory hiring practices. Also, in schools that refuse to teach Critical Race Theory, states that ban books, and the way white people avoid discussing race relations and racism. All of these instances, are sensitive to white people because it pricks them into their skin like a needle; they feel like they are being attacked because they are being asked to be held accountable, and face the reality of the changing world that is being inclusive of everyone but them for once. Click through for article. White privilege, white fragility, white comfort – they are very similar, though there are subtle differences. All are so subtle yet all-pervasive that many white people don’t know they exist, and often actively fight the idea that they exist. People of color know that if they say or do anything which distirbs white comfort, even someting as innocuous as being in a particular place, their risks extend all the way up to death.
Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”
James O’Keefe has been forced out of “Project Veritas,” the duplicitous propaganda organization which he founded 13 years ago. I wish I could call this good news, but I can’t. Project Veritas is 100% on board with all the work he has done for it – it just disapproves of his stealing from them to purchase luxuries. And he claims that his work is not done and that he will start a new organization – and we all know he is the poster child for disingenuosity.
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Project Veritas fired James O’Keefe over fear of losing its nonprofit status – 5 questions answered
James O’Keefe, the founder of Project Veritas, says he has been fired. He is no longer leading the conservative nonprofit organization, which is known for its use of hidden cameras and false identities to try to catch members of the media and progressive leaders saying embarrassing things and to expose their supposed liberal biases.
To learn more about the accusations against O’Keefe and what the legal consequences might be for the tax-exempt organization, The Conversation asked nonprofit law scholar Samuel Brunson five questions to explain the situation and the issues it raises.
Who is accused of what, exactly?
The board of directors of Project Veritas has accused O’Keefe of “financial misfeasance.” Its allegations of financial improprieties by the man who until recently served as the group’s chairman include that he spent money donated to the organization on various luxuries for himself, such as charter flights and theater tickets.
If the accusations prove valid, it is possible that this misuse of Project Veritas funds could imperil the group’s tax exemption. A tax-exempt organization cannot use its money to benefit certain individuals, especially insiders such as its leaders and major donors. It can pay its employees, but the staff and its leaders cannot receive unreasonable compensation or any other type of benefit that looks like the tax-exempt organization is sharing its profits with them.
While it sounds odd that a nonprofit would have profits, it is not. The rule for nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations is not that they cannot make profits; it is that, unlike for-profit entities, they cannot distribute their profits to shareholders.
2. Why would it be a big deal if Project Veritas were to lose its tax-exempt status?
Tax-exempt status provides at least three benefits to Project Veritas.
First, these groups don’t need to pay taxes on most of their revenue.
Second, and likely more importantly, it means that donations to Project Veritas are tax deductible for many wealthy supporters. Through what’s known as the charitable deduction, donors can essentially get a subsidy from the federal government for their donations.
But, in fact, tax exemption does not represent any type of government approval. That’s because the government cannot deny tax-exempt status on the basis of ideological disagreement.
O’Keefe also indicated in the video, which he said was being recorded on Feb. 20, 2023, that he may intend to launch a new organization. “I’m not done,” he said. “The mission will perhaps take on a new name.”
4. In a situation like this, are the authorities likely to look into the accusations?
The Internal Revenue Service could investigate the allegations if it wanted to do so. Although the agency is underfunded and understaffed, it sometimes uses high-profile and highly publicized instances of noncompliance to discourage other people and groups from violating tax laws.
That said, based on the publicly available facts, I can’t yet tell whether Project Veritas has violated the rules governing tax-exempt status. While O’Keefe may have misused the group’s funds, it looks like he did it without the board’s knowledge or approval.
The Tax Court, a federal court that adjudicates tax disputes, has explained that a charity does not lose its exemption just because an officer of the charity has “skimmed or embezzled or otherwise stolen from the charity.” Unless there is some evidence that Project Veritas deliberately allowed O’Keefe to use its resources for personal consumption, I suspect the IRS will not pursue this.
5. How can such a demonstrably partisan group have nonprofit status?
Project Veritas claims exemption as an educational organization. According to U.S. Treasury Department regulations, an organization that advocates for a particular viewpoint can be educational for exemption purposes, even though it “advocates a particular position or viewpoint,” as long as it fully presents the facts in a way that allows listeners to make an informed conclusion.
Does Project Veritas meet what the IRS calls the “full and fair exposition” test? If so, and as long as it complies with the other requirements for tax-exempt status, it qualifies as exempt – notwithstanding its ideological leanings.
============================================================== Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, since you no longer pick people up and carry them off to Hades, I don’t really know what exactly you can do about this. I would love to see Poject Veritas investigated under the “full and fair exposition” test, but, although the infrastructure act gives them funds to hire mote people, I’m pretty sure they haven’t seen and won’t see a penny of it before nest yesr, and when they do it will not be all at once.
Yesterday, the radio opera was “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” by Dmitri Shostakovich. It was based on a novella of roughly the same name, as unfair as that name is to the protagonist, who is essentially reacting to being abused, not only by her husbamd, but by her father-in-law, and then by an employee of the family business with whom she has an affair which essentially begins with a rape. No, murder is never justified, but it really is not hard to have empathy for her. There is a revised version from 1962, which the composer felt was different enough to rename it “Katerina Izmailova,” but it’s the original version (and the original title) which is usually heard today. The opera is one of many of his works which got him into deep doodoo with Stalin (he used to keep a fully packed suitcase by his front door so that if the secret police came in the middle of the might he’d have some possessions to take with him.) As always, I’ll comment when I get back from seeing Virgil.
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Crooks & Liars – Why Hasn’t Russia Destroyed Even One US HIMARS System In Ukraine?
Quote – The HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) has been credited with changing the trajectory of the war. Though Ukraine only has about 20 of these systems sent from the United States, Russia seems to have no counter. And many have wondered why Russia has not managed to destroy a single one of them Click through for article and video. I don’t know much about Czech history or culture. I would not have expected this. But, upon reflection, it fits very well with the little I do know. (And it’s most amusing.)
A Jim Crow–Era Murder. A Family Secret. Decades Later, What Does Justice Look Like?
Quote – It’s like “legal archaeology,” Burnham says. The students read old newspapers, travel to Southern towns to obtain court transcripts, and speak with surviving families. “It’s really not enough to say, ‘Those were horrible days,’ and let them pass,” Burnham told the Northeastern Law magazine in 2010. “The details matter. These stories are important, and to the extent these people are still around, their stories deserve to be told.” Click through for story. I don’t really have words. I’m thankful for this project – but then I look at the complete erasure of reality DeSatan is perpetrating in Florida. I hope these stories do not disappear like the family photographs mentioned.
