Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[digitaldog]

Didn't Alan make a recent comment about “stealing someone else's photos”?
This is funny or sad depending on your POV:
Ted Cruz Raises Money By Signing, Selling Copies Of Dr. Seuss Book He Did Not Write
The Texas Republican is fundraising by charging $60 for the “cancel culture collectible."
Cruz, via fundraising emails and Facebook ads, this week asked supporters to pitch in $60 or more for a copy of Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs and Ham” that he’d autographed himself. Copies are selling on Amazon for $4.79.

[faberryman]

No point to read and quote an eight months old article.

Not only is the "article" eight months old, but the production amount of 300,000 cars is from 2019, so 15 months old. The chart comparing market valuation to car sales for 2016 was especially helpful. You have to be generous to consider this an "article". It looks like someone's PowerPoint presentation and contains virtually no financial analysis.

[TechTalk]

By the way, impeachment is supposed to be about Crimes.  In the US Consitution, it supposed to be for treason or [other] high crimes and misdemeanours.  Those are all crimes.  Impeachment is a political process but based on crimes, or should be. 

Well, you thinking that it "should be" doesn't alter the framers' purpose of separating impeachment, as a political process given to the sole discretion of Congress, from a court process based on criminal statutes. Congress determines what the political crime is for a charge of impeachment; not the United Staes criminal code.

[Alan Klein]

Well, you thinking that it "should be" doesn't alter the framers' purpose of separating impeachment, as a political process given to the sole discretion of Congress, from a court process based on criminal statutes. Congress determines what the political crime is for a charge of impeachment; not the United Staes criminal code.

Even if your interpretation is right, do you really want Congress to impeach for political offenses because one party has the votes over the president from the other party?  I don't think that is good for the country.   What goes around, comes around.   

[faberryman]

Even if your interpretation is right, do you really want Congress to impeach for political offenses because one party has the votes over the president from the other party?  I don't think that is good for the country.   What goes around, comes around.   

Attention: Straw Man Alert

[TechTalk]

do you really want Congress to impeach for political offenses because one party has the votes over the president from the other party?

No. I want them to follow their duty to protect the country from corruption by any office holders that abuse their oath of office and the power they are entrusted with as they did with Trump by impeaching him twice.

[TechTalk]

Unlike what happened to Trump where phony charges were used in his impeachments

It's pointless to discuss this with you given the gigantic blind spot that you have regarding any actions taken by Trump. You seem to view the world, particularly investigations of Trump, in black and white terms of heroes and villains, where Trump is a hero and Democrats are villains.

* No relationship to the post, but it reminded me of this music. I just find it amazing that someone can compose, arrange, and produce incredible music while simultaneously plagued by severe mental illness.

https://www.youtube.com/Brian Wilson performs Heroes And Villains live

[TechTalk]

And governors still are guessing which way to go.  Why?  Because there is no right answer.

There are no perfect answers. There are definitely wrong answers. One would be forget about masks and eliminate restrictions on the size of gatherings when a highly contagious virus is circulating and creating even more contagious variants, despite the fact that the vast majority of the population has yet to be vaccinated.

[LesPalenik]

I think the regular car companies are getting into EVs as well and some of them look a lot better than the Tesla.  But I hope he is successful since America can use some good news for a change. I'm working on a water-fired automobile engine and will be making an announcement as soon as I get a few bugs out of the system.

Yes, there are quite a few new EV companies and some of the new cars look very nice. But they are all years behind Tesla in batteries, software, production volume and affordability. Just in China, they have now over 600 EV car companies (not 600 suppliers, but 600 complete car companies!). Big shakeout is coming in the next few years.

The new Tesla Cybertruck looks quite futuristic and some even say ugly, but they already have 600,000 preorders. Toyota Mirai is one of the first hydrogen cars already on the road. Aptera is an interesting 3 wheeler with two seats in a pretty aerodynamic shell which runs pretty much on air. Charged by the built-in roof solar panel or a 110V electric outlet, with a maximum driving range up to 1,000 miles and a price tag approaching the entry-level 5-seater Tesla. Exciting times.

Jay Leno has a video driving Elon Musk in the Cybertruck protype.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3BH8edQVZ4

[faberryman]

Didn't Michael Cohen just do his seventh interview with the Manhattan DA earlier this week?

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen asked back for 8th interview in criminal probe as DA Vance prepares exit

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/12/former-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-aids-da-vance-criminal-probe.html

[faberryman]

I do not claim any special expertise, but it seems to me the city would not have settled the case for $27M unless it thought it was going to get its ass handed to it on a platter at trial. I don't see how you get to that amount without punitive damages.

Minneapolis reaches $27M settlement with George Floyd’s family in wrongful death lawsuit

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/03/12/george-floyd-death-minneapolis-settlement-lawsuit-family/4667831001/

[Chris Kern]

I do not claim any special expertise, but it seems to me the city would not have settled the case for $27M unless it thought it was going to get its ass handed to it on a platter at trial.

That's pretty much how it works.  Wrongful death lawsuits don't bring the victim back to life, but large judg[e]ments serve the important public policy purpose of encouraging changes in behavior that may deter similar future incidents.

I don't see how you get to that amount without punitive damages.

If the lawsuit had gone to trial and a jury verdict had specified money damages on that scale, they almost certainly would have included a punitive element.  But this lawsuit was settled, with the city conceding its right to defend in court and negotiating a payment with the plaintiffs.

[faberryman]

Now that's fast! I still haven't gotten my second check from the prior administration. Maybe I'll pay my taxes online this year so I can get paid faster the next time there is a pandemic.

Some Americans have already received the third stimulus payment

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/12/some-americans-have-already-received-the-third-stimulus-payment.html

[Alan Klein]

No. I want them to follow their duty to protect the country from corruption by any office holders that abuse their oath of office and the power they are entrusted with as they did with Trump by impeaching him twice.

Would that include Cuomo?

[TechTalk]

Would that include Cuomo?

Of course. They should go ahead with the investigation they just announced; examine the evidence; and if they're convinced, they should impeach and move forward to trial. What they shouldn't do is listen to you. You've already convicted him in your mind.

[Alan Klein]

Yes, there are quite a few new EV companies and some of the new cars look very nice. But they are all years behind Tesla in batteries, software, production volume and affordability. Just in China, they have now over 600 EV car companies (not 600 suppliers, but 600 complete car companies!). Big shakeout is coming in the next few years.

The new Tesla Cybertruck looks quite futuristic and some even say ugly, but they already have 600,000 preorders. Toyota Mirai is one of the first hydrogen cars already on the road. Aptera is an interesting 3 wheeler with two seats in a pretty aerodynamic shell which runs pretty much on air. Charged by the built-in roof solar panel or a 110V electric outlet, with a maximum driving range up to 1,000 miles and a price tag approaching the entry-level 5-seater Tesla. Exciting times.

Jay Leno has a video driving Elon Musk in the Cybertruck protype.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3BH8edQVZ4

My new design to compete with Tesla.

[LesPalenik]

My new design to compete with Tesla.

With an electric bicycle you could attach that Airstream trailer to it as a sidecar.

[Alan Klein]

It's pointless to discuss this with you given the gigantic blind spot that you have regarding any actions taken by Trump. You seem to view the world, particularly investigations of Trump, in black and white terms of heroes and villains, where Trump is a hero and Democrats are villains.

It's pointless to discuss this with you given the gigantic blind spot that you have regarding any actions taken by Trump. You seem to view the world, particularly investigations of Trump, in black and white terms of heroes and villains, where Trump is a villain and Democrats are heroes.

[digitaldog]

It's pointless to discuss this with you given the gigantic blind spot that you have regarding any actions taken by Trump.

And yet, Alan absolutely will continue to discuss this with any/all or no one.

[Alan Klein]

Now that's fast! I still haven't gotten my second check from the prior administration. Maybe I'll pay my taxes online this year so I can get paid faster the next time there is a pandemic.

Some Americans have already received the third stimulus payment

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/12/some-americans-have-already-received-the-third-stimulus-payment.html

I filed our taxes about two weeks ago using Turbotax and got the refund deposited into my bank account a week later including some stimmy money owed us.  Last year when I filed by mail, it took months and months to get their check, so late, in fact, they had to pay me interest. So yes, if you can file electronically, you'll get the refund and stimmy money quicker.  Then you can invest it in Tesla and lose it all.