Category: Bizarre

Lewandowski Refuses To Answer Post-Campaign Questions Before The House Intelligence Committee

 

The day after the dubious refusal of Steve Bannon to answer questions before the House Intelligence Committee, Corey Lewandowski refused to answer lawmakers’ questions after pledging to answer any and all questions.  Lewandowski said that he was not prepared to answer questions concerning the period following his campaign tenure.  That is not a recognized basis to refuse to answer congressional questions. It ranks with “my dog ate my notes” as a basis for remaining silent.  He can always answer questions by saying that he does not recall but the basis for refusing to answer is highly problematic.

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Leading Thai Scholar Arrested For Challenging The Myth Of The Famed “Elephant Battle”

440px-WatSuvandaramMuralWe have previously discussed the harsh limitations on free speech and free press in Thailand.  Now, a leader scholar,  Sulak Sivaraksa, 85, has been arrested for simply questioning the factual accuracy of the famed “elephant battle” held over 400 years ago.  He merely responded to questions from fellow academics by cautioning  “not to easily believe in things. Otherwise, you will fall prey to propaganda.”  For that, he was charged with “lèse-majesté,” or defaming the monarchy — a ludicrous charge that could bring a 15-year prison sentence.

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Bannon Refuses To Answer Questions Before Congress — Faces Subpoenas and Potential Contempt Sanctions [UPDATED]

Screen_Shot_2016-08-18_at_9.57.02_AMSteve Bannon is now under subpoena by both House investigators and the Special Counsel after he refused to answer questions before Congress. Following a problematic pattern of current and former Administration figures, Bannon reportedly did not invoke executive privilege (which must be asserted by the White House) but refused to answer questions about his work on the transition team and White House.  There is no basis for such a broad assertion of executive privilege and, unless Bannon changes course, he could be looking at contempt sanctions down the road.  Despite his refusal to cooperate with the committee, he has reached a deal to speak with the Special Counsel investigators outside of a grand jury.

Update: The White House is now asserting that there were prior discussions with the Committee and the Committee violated the agreement on scope.  Notably however the agreement was to discuss only matters from the campaign and not the transition or White House periods. That would be an astonishingly limited scope for the Committee staff to agree to given the material events after the campaign, including the time periods covered by statements made by Bannon in the Wolff book.

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Muggles Move To Lift Criminal Sanctions Against Witches and Wizards In Canada

John_William_Waterhouse_-_The_Crystal_Balldownload-1It appears that muggles in Canada are finally lifting the criminal sanction against all of the witches and wizards who have been hiding in Canadian counterparts to the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley.  Our neighbors are moving to rescind Section 365 of Canada’s criminal code, which made it  crime to pretend to practice witchcraft, sorcery and fortune telling.  Soon the streets of Canadian cities will be full of muggles and magicfolk alike.

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Pennsylvania Man Arrested For Assaulting Police Horse After Eagles Playoff Game

taylor-hendricks-eagles-game-horseTaylor Hendricks, 22, is charged with assault after he was ejected from the Philadelphia Eagle playoff.  For anyone who has been to a Philly game, that is hardly a surprise. However, Hendricks is charged with assaulting a police horse named Nicky by repeatedly punching the horse in the face.

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Seattle Sugary Drink Tax Take Effect: $10.34 Tax On $15.99 Purchase

download-8.jpgI have previously discussed my opposition to sugary drink bans or prohibitive taxation schemes in Chicago and New York.  While Cook County reluctantly yielded to public opinion and court decisions recently, Seattle has gone forward with a ridiculous tax of 1.75 cents per ounce on sugary drinks. This paternalistic law is designed to make such drinks economically undrinkable or at least unpalatable for citizens who do not share the views of the majority on beverages and health.  The result is that a large box of 35 bottles of Gatorade at Costco with a list price of $15.99 is now taxed at $10.34.  So almost $10.50 of the $26.50 price is taxes.

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TSA Questions Texas Tech Fan For Using “Finger-Gun” Salute With Another Fan At Airport

240px-tsa_-_logoTexas Tech fans are known for their finger-gun salutes and “Wreck’em slogan.”  It appears however that the TSA training does not include such common displays.  When Diana Durkin recently returned to the University, she spotted another fan in line at the airport security for William P. Hobby airport in Houston and gave him the Texas Tech salute.  She was immediately pulled out of the line by alarmed TSA personnel but after being delayed and questioned, she was allowed (this time) to leave with only a warning.

 

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Chickens Prefer Foxes: Scientists Find Poultry Favor Good-Looking People

download-6Just in case your New Year’s resolution has not already put you on the defensive . . .  now we are being judged by the chickens. There is an interesting article in National Geographic with some surprising facts about chickens including that chickens favor good looking people over not good looking people.  While it is unlikely that the the idea of fat-shaming poultry will get vegans to change their dietary preferences, it does raise the rather provocative idea of looks being a bona fide occupational criteria.  Could Perdue join Hooters in looking for good-looking employees?  Ok, probably not.

 

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Suspended Lawyer Ordered By State Bar To Pay $50,000 . . . Lawyer Attempts to Rob Bank For $50,000

download-5According to police, Richard Evan Kriger, 60, is still struggling with elements of legal ethics training.  Kriger alleged attempted a bank holdup for $50,000.  That is the amount that he owes on an ethics violation involving a trust account for his son.  Before the robbery, he made an appointment to take out a $26,000 loan in unmarked bills for his nephew.

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“How To Kill Someone And Not Get Caught”: Texas Woman Faces Murder Charges After Self-Incriminating Search

murderSandra Louis Garner, 55, is facing murder charges after police investigating the death of her husband found that, before his murder, Garner searched “how to kill someone and not get caught.”  The search does not appear to have offered in terms of compelling advice given the evidence unearthed by investigators.

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Sen. Perdue Denies President Said “Shithole” Countries Remark

David_Perdue,_Official_Portrait,_114th_CongressAs we discussed yesterday, both Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have said that President Donald Trump did indeed refer to Haiti and Africa as “shithole” countries.  However, Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.) on ABC This Week says that the word was never used. Period. He also said that the meeting was “productive” and suggested that Durbin is lying (and has lied previously) about such meetings.  PreviouslyTom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Sen. Perdue have said that they simply do not recall.  Now Purdue says that he has a clear recollection and the words were never used.  Sen. Jeff Flake has said that he met with members in the meeting before the words were made public and that members openly discussed Trump’s use of these words.  Finally, a conservative columnist has gone public with the allegation that he spoke to friends of the President who said that he called to boast about using the term to energize his base.

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Doctor Who Branded His Initials On Livers Of Patients Is Given No Jail Time By English Court

We have been discussing the outrageous acts of Simon Bramhall, 53, who branded with his initials on the livers of patients.  In a clearly insufficient sentence, Bramhall has received no jail time and simply a 12-month community order and fined £10,000. He was allowed to plead guilty in the Birmingham Crown Court to two counts of assault by beating.

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Hoestra Finally Apologizes To Dutch For False Statements About Muslim Terror in Netherlands

1200px-Pete_Hoekstra_official_photoWe have been following the train wreck following the arrival of our new ambassador, Pete Hoekstra, to the Netherlands.  The former Republican congressman was confronted by reporters about a false statement that he made in 2015 when he said “the Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burnt, there are politicians that are being burnt. And yes, there are no-go zones in the Netherlands.”  When confronted by the reporters that no such chaos occurred, Hoekstra denied making the statement.  He insisted “I didn’t say that. That is actually an incorrect statement. We would call it fake news. I never said that … it’s not what I said.”  The reporter then played the tape and Hoekstra stumbled with “I didn’t call that fake news. I didn’t use the words today. I don’t think I did.” If Hoekstra thought that that would be the end of it, he was mistaken. This week he held his first press conference and and again refused to retract and apologize for the statement. The reporters reminded Hoekstra that in the Netherlands, reporters actually expect leaders to answer questions and continued to press him.  Hoekstra was clearly used to reporters in the states who shrug and move on with questions as evasive responses.  The problem is that it does not work in the Netherlands and now Hoekstra has painfully and belatedly apologized.

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Durbin Contests Trump’s Denial of “Shithole” Comment As Press Search For Other Members [UPDATED]

donald_trump_president-elect_portrait_croppedPresident Donald Trump is denying that he referred to Haiti and African countries as “shithole countries” in a meeting with members of Congress.  Clearly someone is lying and it should not be hard to determine who.  One of the members in the meeting, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), says that Trump is lying and that he clearly made the statement.  The question now is recollection of some of the other people in the room, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).

Update: Sen. Graham has now issued a statement that appears to confirm that the President said this and says that he
directly challenged the President after his comment.  Another member has said that Graham told him that President did say it.

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Maduro: Food For Freedom

440px-Nicolás_Maduro_in_meeting_with_Iranian_President_Hassan_Rouhani_in_Saadabad_Palacedownload-2.jpgI have long been a critic of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his authoritarian predecessor President Hugo Chávez. Chávez remains an icon for many in the left in this country and around the world — despite his destruction of free speech and free press.  Now Maduro has reached a new low after starving his country with moronic socialist policies of government controls and centralized powers.  The international community has collected massive food donations for the starving populace but Maduro has stopped them at the border.  He will not allow his people to eat unless the opposition recognized his internationally ridiculed National Constituent Assembly. He created the assembly to disband the constitutional legislative authority and assume authoritarian control over the government.  Now he is turning to the ancient Roman tactic of offering bread to the masses in exchange for acquiescence for his disastrous rule.

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Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks