Recent Comments

1. about 2 hours ago on ViewsEurope

   Russian authorities have given regulatory approval to three domestically developed shots — Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac. All three received the authorization before completing advanced trials experts say are necessary to ensure their safety and effectiveness in line with established scientific protocol.

   https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-immunizations-europe-coronavirus-pandemic-russia-0ca9d03310c85097422fc28181efc831

   Fact Check-COVID-19 does exist and autopsies in Russia did not show otherwise

   Autopsies of COVID-19 victims in Russia have shown COVID-19 to be the cause of death in thousands of instances. This is contrary to posts on social media claiming these autopsies revealed COVID-19 does not exist and people are instead suffering from treatable blood clots caused by bacteria. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, not a bacterium, and although it can trigger blood clots, this is not the only effect of the disease.

   https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-russia-covid-autopsy-idUSL1N2M82C9

   In a related story:

   Nearly 1,500 reported arrested at Navalny rallies in Russia

   https://apnews.com/article/russia-180-reported-arrest-alexei-navalny-demonstrations-b0fd8e696c86792b5cb1a291fb6338e4

2. about 3 hours ago on Drew Sheneman
   For one thing, Mars’ thin atmosphere makes it difficult to achieve enough lift. Because the Mars atmosphere is 99% less dense than Earth’s, Ingenuity has to be light, with rotor blades that are much larger and spin much faster than what would be required for a helicopter of Ingenuity’s mass on Earth.

   It can also be bone-chillingly cold at Jezero Crater, where Perseverance will land with Ingenuity attached to its belly in February 2021. Nights there dip down to minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius). While Ingenuity’s team on Earth has tested the helicopter at Martian temperatures and believes it should work on Mars as intended, the cold will push the design limits of many of Ingenuity’s parts.

   https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8712/6-things-to-know-about-nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter/

   Milestones:

   Unlock rotor blades.

   Spin up rotor blades for the first time on Mars (to a speed below what would be needed for flight) while still on the surface.

   Spin up rotor blades full-speed for the first time on Mars (to the planned flight speed of ~2400 RPM) while still on the surface.

   Lift off for the first time in the thin Martian atmosphere.

   Fly autonomously.

   Land successfully.

   https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/#

3. about 3 hours ago on Rob Rogers

   As I posted above:

   https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=Hj%2FMTUWK&id=F4B0912CA7735ED52FAA4BB9C73B840F71390400&thid=OIP.Hj_MTUWKUPzKrF5YSmuMfQAAAA&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.genealogybank.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F04%2Fanchorage-daily-news-newspaper-0418-1971-pogo-earth-day.png&exph=463&expw=380&q=pogo+we+have+met+the+enemy+quote&ck=22A2FC7AC3826236BF35B31881501CDB&selectedindex=2&form=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR1e3fcc4d458a50fccaac5e584a6b8c7d%3Frik%3DAAQ5cQ%252bEO8e5Sw%26pid%3DImgRaw&pivotparams=insightsToken%3Dccid_L8drqtkl*cp_C195CA238B6825073AC4B40D0A57A0AE*mid_B1C3E253AEE7CCACC61BAB1E74B75614B6F78476*simid_608031424893181937*thid_OIP.L8drqtklPyva5OSOA8wA9gAAAA&vt=0&sim=11&iss=VSI&ajaxhist=0

4. about 3 hours ago on Rob Rogers

   Lest we forget:

   https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=Hj%2FMTUWK&id=F4B0912CA7735ED52FAA4BB9C73B840F71390400&thid=OIP.Hj_MTUWKUPzKrF5YSmuMfQAAAA&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.genealogybank.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F04%2Fanchorage-daily-news-newspaper-0418-1971-pogo-earth-day.png&exph=463&expw=380&q=pogo+we+have+met+the+enemy+quote&ck=22A2FC7AC3826236BF35B31881501CDB&selectedindex=2&form=IRPRST&ajaxhist=0&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR1e3fcc4d458a50fccaac5e584a6b8c7d%3Frik%3DAAQ5cQ%252bEO8e5Sw%26pid%3DImgRaw&pivotparams=insightsToken%3Dccid_L8drqtkl*cp_C195CA238B6825073AC4B40D0A57A0AE*mid_B1C3E253AEE7CCACC61BAB1E74B75614B6F78476*simid_608031424893181937*thid_OIP.L8drqtklPyva5OSOA8wA9gAAAA&vt=0&sim=11&iss=VSI&ajaxhist=0

5. about 4 hours ago on Clay Jones

   Please see my above reply to @DD Wiz above concerning the American use of the phrase “Anglo-Saxon”

6. about 4 hours ago on Clay Jones

   ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Is What You Say When ‘Whites Only’ Is Too Inclusive

   A new message proves too toxic for the Republican Party.

   The Anglo-Saxonism to which I refer has little to do with the Germanic peoples who settled in medieval England. Rather, it’s an archaic, pseudoscientific intellectual trend that gained popularity during the height of immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe to the United States, at the turn of the 20th century. Nativists needed a way to explain why these immigrants—Polish, Russian, Greek, Italian, and Jewish—were distinct from earlier generations, and why their presence posed a danger.

   https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/04/anglo-saxon-what-you-say-when-whites-only-too-inclusive/618646/

7. about 5 hours ago on Jeff Danziger

   GOVERNOR OR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

   must be at least 25 years old upon assuming office

   must be a resident of Minnesota for at least one year before the general election

   https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/become-a-candidate/candidate-qualifications/

8. about 5 hours ago on Jeff Danziger

   (Conclusion)

   As with pardons, commutations are another way a president may grant clemency to a convicted criminal. But unlike pardons, which formally forgive the individual of their crimes and restore what may have been lost through the conviction (such as voting rights or the right to own firearms), a commutation merely ends the individual’s sentence.

   The rules and procedures for seeking and receiving a pardon are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 28, Chapter 1, Part 1). Anyone who wishes to apply for clemency at the federal level must follow the rules and file a petition with the Department of Justice (specifically, the Office of the Pardon Attorney).

   The Pardon Attorney and their staff review petitions for clemency (either for a pardon or a commutation), conduct investigations, and prepare recommendations for the President. While the guilt or innocence of the petitioner isn’t considered (i.e. the conviction stands), the decision to grant clemency generally rests on the following factors:

   Post-conviction conduct, character, and reputation;

   Seriousness of the offense;

   Acceptance of responsibility, remorse, and atonement;

   Need for relief; and

   Official recommendations and reports.

   Although there are formal procedures and guidelines in place for a presidential pardon or commutation, the President is not bound by these rules and may issue clemency in accordance with the powers granted by the Constitution.

   https://www.findlaw.com/litigation/legal-system/presidential-pardon-power-and-its-limits.html

9. about 5 hours ago on Jeff Danziger

   As written in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the President’s power to pardon seems nearly limitless:

   “[The President] shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.”

   However, the details of the presidential pardon have been fleshed out through the courts and the legacy of former chief executives. Since the Constitution refers to “offences against the United States,” the President’s power to pardon is limited to federal offenses only. State governors have similar authority to grant clemency (the broader term for an executive’s power to lessen a punishment) to those convicted of state crimes.

   The U.S. Supreme Court clarified presidential pardon power in an 1866 case (Ex Parte Garland) challenging the pardon of a former Confederate soldier by President Andrew Johnson. In its opinion, the Court stated that this power “extends to every offense known to the law, and may be exercised at any time after its commission, either before legal proceedings are taken or during their pendency, or after conviction and judgment.”

   Presidents also may issue pre-emptive pardons — or rather, a pardon for any crimes an individual may have committed or may have been charged with. For example, President Gerald Ford issued a pardon to outgoing President Richard Nixon even though Nixon had not been charged with any federal crimes at that point.

   Additionally, the President may use this power to grant conditional pardons (such as serving a lesser sentence) or commutations; or to grant remissions (returns) of fines or forfeitures and respites (i.e. delaying a sentence).

   (To be continued)

10. about 5 hours ago on Peanuts

    A repost from https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/2021/04/04

    Times Charlie Brown’s baseball team won:

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1958/04/26

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1964/03/19

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1965/06/10

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1966/08/05

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1967/08/01

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1968/08/16

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1969/04/22 (forfeit)

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1969/04/23 (forfeit)

    Story arc begins: https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1973/04/02 (with Rerun)

    Story arc ends: https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1973/04/21

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1993/03/30 (Charlie Brown hits game winning home run)

    https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1993/06/29