Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yes, democracy hangs by a thread. "Peaceful protesters" may not be able to threaten violence with as much force as they would otherwise. Outside the courthouse. OUTSIDE. THE. COURTHOUSE (so, fuck your stupid ass jury trial analogy -- JFC -- and btw, these courtrooms seat about 50...and it will be filled, so, whatever). Such a super secret proceeding. And the public is NOT A PARTY. JFC.

You don't respect process and you never will. You don't value it. And never will. You pull it out as a gimmick when things aren't going your way, but has all the sincerity of an apology from The Wizard. For you, ends will always win. Always.

I actually respect process. And the process for this issue is that a bad district court ruling gets overturned by the Circuit Court or, less likely, the Supreme Court (only b/c the Circuit Court will almost assuredly address it). The Missouri judge (obviously forum-shopped, btw) and the ruling on the Missouri gun law is bad, but our system will resolve it. As it did with the joke rulings on DJT's immigration order.

As I said, I agree with you if you call the substantive decision garbage (assuming it is what it is), but the histrionics about "borderline" ethical violence and "secrecy" is trash. For the reasons I've outlined.

If you want to parrot your prog bullshit hear on legal issues then fuck that. I ain't letting it pass.

Well yeah, you got me. I place substance ahead of process. I thought I made that clear when saying a while back that we could use a few more judges like William Douglas, heh. I think you care about the ends more than you let on but that's a topic for another day. I'm not delaying brunch any more for this nonsense.

Go blow off steam at your wife and kids, if you're not hiding from them in some Champaign County dive bar. But do it knowing you wrong. You wrong, boy.

[iam416]

You wouldn’t make it out of Mechanicsburg alive. You should visit ASAP.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The Russian army, mostly the Wagner PMC that is focused on Bakhmut, makes glacial progress or none at all. One observer noted that Ukrainian forces occupying what remains of various buildings on the western side of the Bakhmut River sit well protected in defensive positions and pick-off the Russian soldiers trying to advance in the open, without armor or useful artillery support. The UK Defense Ministry labels that part of Bakhmut a "killing zone." Ukrainian sources claimed 500 Russian casualties in the last 24h of fighting in Bakhmut.

For the first time political analysts heard an admission from a Kremlin spokesperson that there is infighting among Putin's inner circle elites. Apparently it is over the loss of control of the information space critical to keeping citizen support for the war high. Over the last month, reports that Wagner PMC's boss Prigozhin has been elevating his presence in this so called information space. In the recent days, he has announced the opening of Wagner PMC recruitment centers throughout Russia. Analysts believe he is working towards creating a parallel Russian military force. There have been efforts by the Kremlin to elevate the Russian MOD at the expense of the Wagner PMC both within Ukraine's battle space and at home in Russia.

Just to be clear. One can offer that Prigozhin is a threat to Putin's presidency and there are suggestions of that from several sources. Fault lines in the political and military leadership inside Russia have been identifiable. But Prigozhin is a thug who exhibits irrational extreme Russian nationalism well beyond anything that Putin puts out there. That Putin has really not gone all in for his war in Ukraine is reflective of his more rational world view. Prigozhin, not understood to be aligned with Dimitry Medvedev who has threatened the use of nukes, has suggested that Putin should deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. He's not the guy you might want as a replacement for Putin.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Jeff, read the room

Why?

[iam416]

Good point. No room anywhere in the history of all living things has ever read “please post, Buchanan.”

[Dr. Strangelove]

You were interrupting an important (very!) discussion for Covid update #1,071. Shameful behavior sir.

[Dr. Strangelove]

9571760e6f433386.jpg

Returning to this for a minute.

She works (worked?) for the UK branch of the bank, which I’ve heard was fairly walled off from the main bank.

From reporting I’ve seen SVB didn’t even HAVE a risk assessment executive for most of 2022 and early 2023.

[Hannibal]

You don't need risk management when you have the magic of diversity.

[Hannibal]

It's a tricky area, since the Federal government is heavily involved in banking anyways. There's also the gray area of banks getting to play with OPM (Other People's Money).

[THE_WIZARD_]

You don't need risk management when you have the magic of diversity.

I believe Diversity is an old wooden ship...

[Dr. Strangelove]

It's a tricky area, since the Federal government is heavily involved in banking anyways. There's also the gray area of banks getting to play with OPM (Other People's Money).

Allowing banks to play with other people’s money is the only incentive to operate a bank though. “Oh you’d like me to guard your money indefinitely, not risk it in anyway, and not charge you for my trouble? I’d be delighted”

Banking is a highly psychological industry. If we start requiring banks to be fully liquid at all times it’d be fucking tough to ever get a loan.

[Hannibal]

Yeah I am not opposed to at least basic regulations for banking. But I am very opposed to "Social Responsibility" regulations or any other such concepts that force banks to make decisions that might lose them money, and force them to make it up by taking risks in other areas.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Whatever. Trumper. Don't you know it bv takes a village to earn a profit?

[Dr. Strangelove]

Lots of sellers on Etsy screwed until the SVB mess gets cleared up

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna74475

[Jeff Buchanan]

This statement from Treasury is impressive in it's scope and objective. Dow futures up sharply:

https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20230312b.htm