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July 11, 2025
Sunrise — 5:33.
Talk about whatever you like in the comments. And please support the Althouse blog by doing your Amazon shopping going in through the Althouse Amazon link.
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66 comments:
If you ask Grok4 any kind of a political question such as ... oh, I dunno ... did the Jews deserve it in World War II ... and you ask it to do a DeepSearch ... one of the first thing it reveals is that it queries Elon Musk's X posts and posting history to see what his opinion is on any political subject first before responding so that it aligns with his beliefs.
This is why AI (no, this isn't AI) will fail ultimately.
The other big news of the day is that both Cash Patel and Dan Bongino are considering quitting the FBI over Pam Bondi's retarded handling of the Epstein List.
If you recall, Bondi told Fox News that the list was on her desk and she was reviewing it at the behest and direction of Donald Trump and then she released a memo this week claiming that lo and behold, there is no list.
"These are not the droids you're looking for," Bondi told assembled news reporters at a Cabinet meeting, waving her hand at those in the meeting.
Trump himself piped in wondering why in the world anybody would still be talking about Epstein, forgetting that Donald Trump himself said he would declassify the list and release it if only people would vote for him.
Now he can't figure out why anybody is still talking about Epstein and his debunked list that doesn't exist and also that is old news.
Cash and Dan Bongino are considering resigning. Which means there is a list and they are pissed and if they don't resign it means they're OK with the pedophile rapists getting official US government protection and violating the oath of office they took just months ago.
I'm thinking they're going to go that way. But they'll say they did consider resigning, so you should give them some credit.
You should not.
And in other news, the Texas county where nearly 100 people were killed and more than 160 remain missing had the technology to not build a bunch of little girls summer camps right in the riverbed of a fucking river that routinely floods.
Yet they did it anyway and now a bunch of kids are, as expected, drowned.
They had the technology they needed. They didn't use it.
That technology being their fucking brains.
FormerLawClerk you raise topics that are in the 2 posts below this one. Please use those posts to discuss these topics and keep this thread for other topics. It will be much clearer that way.
We’ve got a tornado watch here until 11.
Ann Althouse said...
We’ve got a tornado watch here until 11.
----------
Eat the potatoes while you can!
Don't put off for tomorrow...
I flossed before I killed myself
To show I was complacent.
And whatever happens next
Will show that I was patient.
When you lose yourself
It is not just limbs, or joy, or body.
It is losing voice
That makes you deviate
From poetry.
So I sincerely thank you all
For making me less lonely.
Sorry, the post said talk about anything. I'll revert to those ones then.
You gonna find out, sister
When you meet that cheesy twister
We've got a tornado watch until 8:00 p.m. There was also a thunderstorm warning of 3 inches of rain, 50 mph winds, quarter sized hail, etc. So far just .5 inches of rain. No tornadoes, no high winds, no hail. I trust today's meteorologists about as much as I trust the liberal MSM.
Stay with us, Tina Trent! You are fiery and your posts are always unusual and interesting.
Sounds like a good evening for you to work on your golf swing or maybe adjust that TV antenna you’ve never gotten around to, lonejustice.
First Alert weather beats WNBA tonight.
FLC wrote: "The other big news of the day is that both Cash Patel and Dan Bongino are considering quitting the FBI over Pam Bondi's retarded handling of the Epstein List."
Bongino has definitely damaged his brand especially amongst the MAGA Qanon wing.
For years, MAGA influencers claimed that Biden and the Democratic establishment were concealing Epstein’s master list of fellow abusers of underage girls.
Four of the conspiracy theorists later secured roles in the Trump administration: Vance as VP, Bondi as AG, Patel as FBI director, and Bongino as his deputy. With MAGA “truth tellers” now in power, they had the opportunity to expose the alleged Epstein conspiracy. Yet, these same figures now assert there was no “client list” after all. Nor was there evidence that Epstein was murdered in jail, let alone by the Clintons. In a memo, Bondi and Patel concluded that Epstein "took his own life". Trump has dismissed the Epstein topic — signaling to his MAGA base to drop the issue.
Let me offer two seemingly contradictory observations. First, Trump’s base was fed a steady diet of unfounded claims about a deep-state conspiracy protecting sexually abusive liberals, alongside other baseless narratives like the Comet Pizza pedophile ring and the stolen 2020 election. Second, America deserves a nonpartisan investigation into how and why a serial abuser like Epstein operated with impunity for over 30 years.
In another universe, the scales would now be falling from MAGA’s eyes, and Trump’s base would realize they’ve been misled for years. In our universe, however, Trump is counting on MAGA’s gullibility.
Shortly after the release of Bondi’s over hyped Epstein memo, the DOJ launched investigations into Brennan and Comey whom Trump accuses of orchestrating the 2017 “Russia hoax.” That alleged mother-of-all fake news stories was already examined by Trump-appointed special counsel John Durham, whose three-year investigation cleared both Brennan and Comey. Nevertheless, Trump is betting on MAGA’s short memory. “Look this way, dummies,” Trump seems to imply. “The deep state is over here.”
Trust Bongino.
The Epstein client list is an asset so long as it's secret. Like Hoover having dirt of everybody as a source of power.
Thank you, Iman. My body is betraying me. Shit happens.
News from Ahmedabad, India is frightening. According to the Official Preliminary Report from the Air India flight 171 crash investigation the fuel control switches were moved from "run" to "cutoff," meaning no fuel to the engines, no thrust, resulting in the crash. Someone needs to figure out how that happened.
I have reverted to my poetry shelves, as I can no longer use tools. And more than ever, I find they are the same thing.
It's a two step process to turn off the fuel control switches. IOW, it looks deliberate rather than a mistake.
I assumed and hoped that Tina's suicide poem was just artistic license.
Live long enough and your body will betray you eventually.
I liked the video of Meade harvesting new potatoes, but my post on that thread never went through. So I'll try here, since it's a post where you can "talk about whatever you want." Forgive me if it is a repeat.
I live on 5 acres of rich, black, Iowa dirt, and my wife and I have a good sized veggie garden. 7 tomato plants, green beans, cucumbers, bell peppers (red, yellow and green), jalapeno peppers, 2 varieties of lettuce, arugula, yellow zucchinis, eggplants, parsley, chives (that's all I can remember for now). We don't grow sweet corn or potatoes because they are so abundant and cheap at the farmer's markets. I sometimes wonder whether the time we spend tilling the garden, buying the seeds and nursery garden seedlings, planting everything, then watering and weeding the garden for the rest of the summer and early fall, is more expensive than buying everything at the grocery store. But for me it isn't the cost. It's the joy of being outside and putting your hands and feet in the warm earth, the exercise, the fresh air and sun, and most importantly, the taste of all the fresh produce you can eat all summer that you know is fertilizer and pesticide free. One of my favorite summer lunches is a BLT made from freshly picked lettuce and tomatoes from the garden. Life it good.
"The fuel control switches were moved from "run" to "cutoff," meaning no fuel to the engines, no thrust, resulting in the crash. Someone needs to figure out how that happened.
It could only be deliberate. Those switches are nowhere near anything that would even be touched on a normal takeoff and they are very difficult to move. You can't just be absent-mindedly reaching and bump them and shut off the engines. There is no muscle memory for turning those off, because it's simply never done. And there are two of them.
This was a suicide/murder mission and the investigation is going to focus on the pilots and what they were going through in their lives.
Trump is counting on MAGA’s gullibility. always!!!! and forever, one born every minute :(
What's Bongino mad about anyways? He peddled in Epstein rumor for years so he could insinuate that Democrats were on the list. Now he's mad it's put up or shut up time?
That's actually the whole ball game. They (Patel, Bongino++) have been lying to gin up the base for years. They can't admit that now or there might be a real revolt (again) if they unmask themselves as grifting schlocky salesmen. All of them.
@Tina Trent, do you have something you can recover from?
Epstein was a thief who stole money from people who trusted him, and a person who could make lasting friendships with many powerful and even the richest of people who seemed to like him including officers of great universities like Harvard. He had the political power to get a great plea deal that would have left him a free and rich man if he had just walked way from his pedo activity.
The pedo activity is relevant publicly mainly if it exposed that the political and wealthy cohort was involved in illegality.
Such illegality is only useful as a threat. I maintain that if Epstein left lists and videos at his island to be found, then there are other copies around too. Why would there not be, if they are valuable.
We are expected to believe:
1. Epstein left video around his island to be collected by the fbi instead of fedexing it to a safe spot somewhere in the world.
2. When Epstein died, of whatever cause,
2a. No lawyer released all the video.
2b. The US government did not charge others of crime.
Other t his conspirator.
3. It is better for the co conspirators to hide the video and collect money or power than release the list/video.
So, the conclusion is that Epstein had his files hidden and available to his partners, who are still blackmailing the perps.
All else is limited hangout.
NYPost: "President Trump announced Friday that he’s granting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “Total Authorization” to arrest violent protesters following a chaotic California cannabis farm raid that resulted in rocks being hurled at federal law enforcement vehicles."
Man, this is great news.
Donald Trump has announced that the cops now have the ability to arrest the drug dealers who shot at them yesterday when they were breaking up a child-labor exploitation ring at one of Gavin Newsom's donor's pot farms.
The violent protestors shot at ICE agents, who couldn't arrest them because Donald Trump waited until today to grant them Total Authorization to arrest people who shoot at them.
We have such a strong leader. Who else would today, after the fact, after all the shooting has stopped, grant TOTAL AUTHORIZATION for cops to arrest Gavin Newsome's donor's pot farm illegals?
Make America Great Again.
I’m wondering if the whole Epstein blow off might not be out of respect for thousands of victims. Or at their request. In any event, bondi was an absolute fool to stage the Epstein file influencer photo op. Makes me think she is incompetent.
Tina Trent, you are important here to us. Everyone wants the best for you.
I am going to create a new phrase, damning by stupid praise. This is when a person makes an argument by acting like a stupid supporter of their opponent.
This is flc’s specialty.
"I am going to create a new phrase, damning by stupid praise."
The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ... literally the top police officer in the United States ... and his top deputy, the Assistant Director - arguably the second most powerful police officer in the United States - are both tonight, according to multiple media reports - considering resigning their positions in the federal government because the President of the United States and his Attorney General are actively protecting pedophile rapists from being arrested. People who raped children.
I don't think I need much of an argument to offer damning praise.
Of course, there you go.
For civility, further dependent sayeth not.
Or deponent, spell check is a disaster
Tina, I always pause to read your posts carefully. I hope to see them for a long time.
@Tina Trent. Hang in there. We're going to need you in the Rebuilding Academia project!
when you hire incompetents you get incompetency, its not hard to figure. The whole group of misfits lead by the biggest misfit in history, They arent even touching the deep seated foolery goin gon in here. Cover up,lies, look over here's cmon man, You hired a freakin convicted felon to be the chief what the if you see kay think? This may be the worse I see before my dirt nap but anything is possible... Good Lord Madge lock the doors!!!
Fun Fact: Attorney General Pam Bondi – the official who approved Trump's illegal Qatari airplane gift – was previously paid a large stipend as lobbyist for Qatar.
Whatever she was paid, Qatar has long played a double game, seeking good relations with the United States and the Trumps while maintaining ties — if not support — for our adversaries. That pattern appears to be repeating itself again and again , with verified reports that the leadership of the terrorist group Hamas continues to be welcome to live in Doha.
Qatar has also provided a haven and financial support to radical groups, terrorist organizations, and American adversaries such as the Taliban, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood, while maintaining good relations with Iran.
Tina Trent, We appreciate your valuable insights on the important issues of the day. We love you!
I just finished a prayer for Tina Trent.
Answer: An AI Overview is not available for this search.
How many Trump cabinet appointees watched The Apprentice?
rhhardin is spot on, if the Epstein files are revealed, their utility as a control mechanism of very powerful men would end.
Bill Clinton should be deposed. I believe he knows a lot about this topic. Seems Dersh knows a bit, too.
Names on a list is not sufficient to indict someone publicly for pedophilia. Being on an Epstein flight is not sufficient for indictment. If evidence is not sufficient - no victims will testify for instance - and no case can be brought, then the names shouldn’t be outed.
Absent compelling evidence for indictment, the whole story without names should be told though, so we can determine how to detect and stop this type of thing from happening, if that’s at all possible.
Bondi should hold a press conference on this topic to explain fully what the H is going on.
“I know for a fact docs are being suppressed to protect individuals. I know their names & why they’re being suppressed, but I’m bound by confidentiality so I can’t disclose it. Files are being suppressed to protect them & that’s wrong.” ~ Alan Dershowitz
Dershowitz is on the list. He knows who is on the list, because he was there. Reminds me of that moment in political thriller films when the evil mastermind puts on a different coat, joins the crowd and starts yelling, “He went that away!”
What RH said.
If I remember correctly The Epstein List started out as the Epstein Island flight logs. Apparently it got so much mileage, it became, evolved, morphed into the Epstein client list. The Thing is reminiscent of the Eliot Spitzer scandal. Spitzer was “client #9”.
One of two things is possible:
One, Patel, Bongino and Bondi are covering it up.
Two, nothing really happened and they exploited the sexual abuse of thousands of children to get your man elected.
So -- which on do you want here....
The Spitzer madam: “Kristin M. Davis, previously known as the Manhattan Madam, is a former madam who was known for running a high-end prostitution ring in New York City which claimed to have offered its services to several high-profile clients, including Eliot Spitzer, Alex Rodriguez and David Beckham.”
Look it here: “In July 2018, Davis was contacted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in connection with his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election campaign.”
A dead Epstein beats a live Madame every time.
Trump’s second term cabinet hires typically have been top shelf. Bondi is the exception. She wants her face on the nightly news with little show for it. Trump needs a bulldog.
Ann Althouse said...
"We’ve got a tornado watch here until 11."
Let me guess. The first thing Meade did was go outside.
Tina @ 7:01.
Things going OK?
In some respects life is like a movie. You don't want to leave until the last of the credits scroll by. So you know who to hate.
It’s easy to conclude Bondi is doing a bad job if we’re the ones judging. Another perspective is she’s doing exactly what’s being ordered but unfortunately it’s not what was promised to us…
What you have to remember about Epstein si that the FBI were on that Island for days. They weren't gathering evidence. They were destroying evidence.
…just because it’s Trump we shouldn’t conclude he’s willing to abandon Washington norms of circling the wagons to protect status quo or assume he can single handedly drain the swamp. The swamp will not be drained unless the swamp wants to be drained. The swamp does not want to be drained…we got our little USAID show now stop being so ungrateful you imgrates…
After reading this comment thread I like this sentiment from Powerlinrblog:
VOTE REPUBLICAN
They may not be perfect
but the other side is insane
From now on I’m going to call an 8-1 Supreme Court decision unanimous if the one dissenter is Jackson.
Big Mike: “ They may not be perfect
but the other side is insane”
They’re ketanji, ketanji and the brain, brain, brain brain….
RR
JSM
Powerlineblog. Damn, I’m crappy at proofreading my own stuff.
The Epstein client list is an asset so long as it's secret. Like Hoover having dirt of everybody as a source of power.
The sword of Damocles is meant to hang, not fall.
Obviously the list is not full of powerful leftist billionaires and politicians are on the list.
If they were, they would not be attacking Trump and the right for fear of being exposed.
Unfortunately, if, indeed, the list is being hidden in order to hide the names of powerful podophiles', the culprits may be Republicans.
Rusty: stuff happens to the body. Thank God not the mind, though my morose state isn't being helped by reading a giant Emily Dickinsion bio, as I thought it would.
I'm going to start re-watching America's Top Model reruns and return to trying to shut down the San Diego State University Department of (positive) Jim Jones Studies, run by all the trust funders in his inner circle who handed out the Kool-Aid but didn't drink it themselves. Sometimes you've gotta know when to wade vigorously into stupidity. Thanks.
Thanks Lem, Big Mike, ect. Sorry to vent in verse. I'm just so sick of being bedridden. But, as a Sicilian, my list of enemies keeps me going.
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