AdamSmith

Comey, who will publish a book next month, also tweeted. “Mr President,” he wrote, “the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/17/donald-trump-lawyer-andrew-mccabe-fbi-fired-brennan

Fierce.

Because, seriously, I can't stomach organized sports ruling any college campus the way that basketball claimed 2/3 of all Duke students' thought pathways. Not what I went to college for. Sorry to be such a sourpuss. (The twin, unrelated, factor was that 51% of all men students, and 49% of women, belonged respectively to fraternities and sororities.) Sorry: on this I am (as Nixon said of Robert Kennedy) a "fiery seventeenth-century Jesuit priest." What brings the thought up, btw?

Having said that...

P.S. Possibly the most basic reason I call myself 'atheist' instead of 'agnostic' (and, again, this is not meant as any criticism of anyone's choice in belief) is that -- in the dreadful event I am called to appear before the Judgment Seat -- the Almighty will ask me: 'Had you not the courage to choose?'

Stephen Hawking's theory on everything, in his words Stephen Hawking was one of the most beloved scientists in this generation -- not only for his intellect, but for his wit and humor. He died at the age of 76, and left behind provocative as well as comical quotes. On the universe "It would not be much of a universe if it wasn't home to the people you love." On scientific discoveries "I wouldn't compare it to sex, but it lasts longer." -- at a science festival in 2011. On persistence "However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up." -- at an Oxford University Union speech in 2016. On curiosity "So remember, look at the stars and not at your feet." -- at the Sydney Opera House in 2015. On intelligence "I would never claim this. People who boast about their IQ are losers."-- in response to a 2017 question if he believed he was the most intelligent person in the world. On space "May you keep flying like superman in microgravity." -- to NASA astronauts in 2014. "I have always tried to overcome the limitations of my condition and lead as full a life as possible. I have traveled the world, from the Antarctic to zero gravity. Perhaps one day I will go into space." -- to the New York Times in 2011. "I have already completed a zero gravity flight which allowed me to float weightless, but my ultimate ambition is to fly into space." -- to ITV in 2017. On God "God may exist, but science can explain the universe without the need for a creator." -- in a 2010 CNN interview. "The scientific account is complete. Theology is unnecessary." -- in a 2010 CNN interview. On women "My [physician assistant] reminds me that although I have a PhD in physics, women should remain a mystery." -- in his first Reddit AMA. (His PA is a woman, by the way.) On his appearance "Unfortunately, Eddie [Redmayne] did not inherit my good looks." -- of the Oscar-winning actor who portrayed him in "The Theory of Everything." https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/world/quotes-stephen-hawking/

Beethoven's legs 'sugared'?!?

A far better 'Vienna provider'...

And I have said it many times before: many several of those whom I merely engaged to fuck me; I fell in love with. And have gotten it back, for life.

The most challenging day in our epistolary. in every way. i think that is what our Lord meant.

The Myth of the Birth of the Hero A Psychological Exploration of Myth Expanded and Updated Edition by Otto Rank translated by Gregory C. Richter, PhD, and E. James Lieberman, MD. With an Introductory Essay by Robert A. Segal, PhD First published in German in 1909, Otto Rank's original The Myth of the Birth of the Hero offered psychoanalytical interpretations of mythological stories as a means of understanding the human psyche. Like his mentor Sigmund Freud, Rank compared the myths of such figures as Oedipus, Moses, and Sargon with common dreams, seeing in both a symbolic fulfillment of repressed desire. In a new edition published thirteen years after the original, Rank doubled the size of his seminal work, incorporating new discoveries in psychoanalysis, mythology, and ethnology. This expanded and updated edition has been eloquently translated by Gregory C. Richter and E. James Lieberman and includes an introductory essay by Robert A. Segal as well as Otto Rank's 1914 essay "The Play in Hamlet." Otto Rank (1884–1939), one of the most important figures in psychoanalysis, was the author of The Incest Theme in Literature and Legend: Fundamentals of a Psychology of Literary Creation and Psychology and the Soul: A Study of the Origin, Conceptual Evolution, and Nature of the Soul. Gregory C. Richter, PhD, is a professor of German and linguistics at Truman State University. E. James Lieberman, MD, is professor emeritus of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University. Robert A. Segal, PhD, is the Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen. https://jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/content/myth-birth-hero

Thank you. You usually do.

Nothing innately tragic about his passing, especially at such an astoundingly ripe age given his conditions. And of course all the unsurpassed achievements, of every kind. Just the sense of how we will miss his eternally fresh presence among us, deep insights into present and future, utterly wry and dry wit...

In a sense, we each assemble & construct our own unique selves out of the best bits and pieces of others whom we discover to be our heroes.

Beautiful. We are in harmony here. P.S. My 'Can you grok...' was not meant to have the challenging tone it did take on.

Now we're talking! Stormy Daniels suit could back Trump into a corner By Asha Rangappa Updated 2:44 PM ET, Fri March 9, 2018 Asha Rangappa is a senior lecturer at Yale's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. She is a former special agent in the FBI, specializing in counterintelligence investigations. Follow her @AshaRangappa_. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. (CNN)The recent lawsuit by Stephanie Clifford, also known as adult film actress Stormy Daniels, against President Trump, may appear to be just another sideshow in the ongoing chaosin the White House. But her legal claims offer more than just fodder for first-year law school contracts exams -- the suit also raises some serious political headaches and potential legal consequences for the Trump administration. The basis for Clifford's lawsuit is a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) that she entered into before Trump took office, prohibiting her from discussing any alleged relationship she had with the President. Clifford isn't seeking money from the court, but a "declaratory judgment" on the validity of the NDA. Clifford's NDA involved three parties: Clifford, named in the contract as "Peggy Peterson;" a private company, or LLC, called "Essential Consultants;" and "David Dennison," whom Clifford claims is a pseudonym for President Trump. The NDA prohibits Clifford from discussing any aspect of her alleged relationship with "David Dennison" in exchange for $130,000, which Essential Consultants (represented by President Trump's private attorney, Michael Cohen) paid her. Clifford's suit makes two arguments. First, she argues that the NDA did not form a valid, binding contract because one of the parties -- ostensibly President Trump -- did not sign it. In contract law, a valid agreement requires what is known as a "meeting of the minds," or an agreement to the terms of the contract. One element of that agreement is each party signing it. Contract law is governed by state law -- in this case, California -- and even in the absence of a signature of one of the parties to the agreement, a "meeting of the minds" can be proven in other ways. Second, Clifford argues that even if the NDA is valid, it is no longer enforceable because when Cohen spoke publicly in January about the NDA and his payment to her under the agreement, he breached the agreement's required confidentiality and nullified the bargain. Whether Clifford prevails on her legal claims remains to be seen, but what's more significant about Clifford's lawsuit is that she has used her complaint as a vehicle to tell her side of the story, including the circumstances of her alleged affair with the President, the creation of the NDA and even the consequences she has suffered since her story surfaced in January. Most importantly, the lawsuit includes as an attachment a copy of the NDA itself (in order to show that it was not signed by one of the parties), which ultimately undermines the very point of the agreement to begin with. If Clifford is successful in her suit, making the NDA and the circumstances surrounding its creation public doesn't cause her any problems. But if she isn't, then the lawsuit itself could constitute a breach of the NDA on her part, which could expose her to legal liability -- which could include having to pay damages to the tune of $1 million. How to respond to the lawsuit is a dicey proposition for both Donald Trump and his lawyer. In order to countersue Clifford for breach of contract, a court would have to examine who the parties to the contract were, including the person under the alias David Dennison. The court would also have to inquire into what that person knew about the contract, and whether they were aware of and agreed to its terms: If David Dennison is the President, this means that, at the very least, the President would have to acknowledge that he was the party to the agreement and agreed to pay a settlement in order to force Clifford not to talk. If the court finds that the NDA is not a valid agreement, then the fair result is that Clifford should not be enriched at the expense of Cohen or a third party. The problem is that for Cohen to recover his money, he would have to prove to the court that he made the payment to Daniels out of his own funds, as he has publicly stated. If this is true, it could cause him professional problems, since lawyers cannot ethically pay third-party settlements from their own funds. And if it is not true, it could open a Pandora's box by opening up an inquiry into where the money came from: If the money trail leads to Trump's campaign funds, this would be illegal under campaign finance laws. Ultimately, Clifford's suit could back the President into a corner. The Supreme Court's precedent in Clinton v. Jones held that the president does not have immunity from a civil lawsuit for acts performed before he assumed office. While that case was brought in federal court, the same rationale would likely apply to state court in a case like this. If so, then the President, as the named defendant in Clifford's lawsuit, would be forced to respond to her complaint, and potentially deposed, which is the last thing Trump would want to do. (Remember that President Bill Clinton was caught lying in a deposition in a civil suit for one of the articles of impeachment brought against him.) sexual harassment by Paula Jones -- and perjury was And choosing not to respond at all would result in a default judgment -- meaning that Clifford would win simply because her claims are not contested -- leaving her able to discuss her version of the story in detail with no legal consequences. In short, the Clifford v. Trump lawsuit is a brewing storm for an administration already facing legal troubles elsewhere. https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/08/opinions/stormy-daniels-trump-lawsuit-could-be-trouble-rangappa-opinion/

Um-HUHM. Another Trump attorney involved in Stormy Daniels case https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/politics/stormy-daniels-jill-martin-trump-organization/index.html

@Larstrup P.S. I am now also still an atheist. Can you grok both, together? 'Adonai, Adonai, how hast Thou forsaken me?' And so much more. To be clear, all positive, not negative.

Hanford's Hot Tanks http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2011/ph241/eason2/

Just a cheery little reminder from 1998, whose effects remain still far from remediatIon today. The underground plume of leakage from these tanks is creeping ever closer to the Columbia River. HANFORD TANK WASTE REMEDIATION SYSTEM HIGH-LEVEL WASTE CHEMISTRY MANUAL Prepared for Nuclear Regulatory Commission Contract NRC-02-97-009 ABSTRACT The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to privatize the waste treatment and immobilization operations of the Hanford Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) program. A Memorandum of Understanding has been established between the DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the first phase of the TWRS program. To assist the NRC in developing technical and regulatory tools for the TWRS privatization effort, the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses is providing the NRC with information and tools needed to assess the chemical, radiological, and criticality hazards of Hanford tank wastes and operations addressed under the privatization initiative. Of primary concern are those reactions that could occur during waste retrieval and processing, but potential reactions during continued interim storage are also important... https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0336/ML033640258.pdf

You think that doesn't happen in Stately English Homes in the 21st century?

How so? ...linear thinking is the enemy!

'Twelve-foot-long'-them.' memblin.

I am quite grieving. I didn't realize how much I loved him.