And apparently assumed that the constitution should be re-written every 17 years or so. That’s the ‘constitutional convention’ ploy, which I’m not so sure it it’s a good idea or not, at this time. smh. we’re so fecked. wait, where’s I put my optimism… it’s around here somewhere.
I did notice Altria / Phillip Morris were also in that list. :-(
Perhaps so, alas. And the rates of obesity and diabetes continue to rise. sigh.
Imagine how much plastic waste could be eliminated if we just boycotted these companies.
How do you feel about government backed currencies?
suddenly crickets
I’ll take indicted co-conspirators, for all 3.
My point being that one doesn’t need a fixer, unless one does illegal things. Can we not have criminals in places of power? Soonish?
“Pecker? He was just the Chai Walla. I never even knew his name.” More popcorn please.
I was curious about a specific term:
"In a pivotal stretch of testimony, David Pecker, the longtime publisher of The National Enquirer, described a 2015 meeting with Mr. Trump and his fixer at the time, Michael D. Cohen, at Mr. Trump’s midtown Manhattan headquarters.
Fixer
Noun
2. A person who uses influence or makes arrangements for another, especially by improper or unlawful means.
WAIT A MINUTE!!! You mean Douglas Adams was actually an LLM?
Thanks for all you do Ernest! I hope you feel better soon!
What’s a good FOSS replacement?
More or less like that regarding work. And on weekends it’s nice to go places, and/or have a vehicle to haul stuff. But that’s not everyday. So yeah, common ownership of a vehicle for roadtrips, and/or hauling stuff would be an elegant solution.
LoL, I must be living the ‘life of Riley’, then. My commute is less than a mile, and almost always by bike. And most of my errands, etc can be done by bike, as well. And yet the need for a car in our family is indeed extant.
Thanks, that’s helpful. I’m reluctantly considering purchasing a vehicle, possibly even relatively close to new. The ancient beater I drive when the bike won’t do the job isn’t subject to these issues, and might even be proof against an EMP. Tho’ where the hell I’d get petrol in a post apocalyptic landscape is an as yet unanswered question. lol. I like the idea of the ‘bells and whistles’ of modern conveyances, and do so much in other spheres to limit corporate access that it makes sense to consider how to minimize in the case of a more modern car.
Wouldn’t end-to-end encryption with, for instance, Signal sidestep some of this data collection? Specifically related to text, telephony, video conferencing? Could one use a masked email to put a layer between oneself and one’s car/ car company?
I’m just ‘brainstorming’ as this is a big issue, and I"m sure there are folks that have done deeper study and thinking on these impacts on our privacy. What about using a VPN?
In case you wanted to know: From the Congressional Research Service: The Emoluments Clauses of the U.S. Constitution: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/if/if11086