Daily Tech News 5 April 2025

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In a pre-emptive response to the latest reciprocal tariffs, China has banned the sale of terbium, erbium, thulium, and thallium to the United States, so-called "rare earth" elements critical to the production of advanced technology such as Nixie tubes and bubble memory. (Tom's Hardware)

There are a few things to note here:

First, of course, it makes little sense to make a totalitarian fascist dystopia your sole supplier of anything.

Second, rare earth elements are not rare. What they are is messy and annoying to extract and refine, a fact that China used to take over the market. Australia, Brazil, Canada, and, yes, the United States all have significant mineral reserves available. And studies suggest that a square mile of seafloor mud is enough to provide the entire world with these metals for a year.

Third, China of course does this kind of thing all the time, and has restricted or outright banned sales of rare earth elements to other countries before.

Fourth, and perhaps most interesting, China now only produces 10% of its own rare earth resources. The same problem with them being messy and annoying to extract led it to move production to illegal mining camps operating in Burma, bypassing what passes for the government and working with local militias.

Tech News

I bought three more of those Wavlink laptop docks.

They're a very minimal laptop dock, offering three USB ports, HDMI, and 2.5Gb Ethernet. I wanted them mostly for the 2.5Gbit internet, though the HDMI port is also handy. And they cost me about $16 each a couple of months ago, so it's hard to go wrong when many docks at ten times the price still only provide gigabit Ethernet.

So why did I buy three more? Three reasons: They support Linux. They work with the USB-C port on my Beelink SER5s, which only have gigabit Ethernet.

And not only have they come down in price 25% even from the previous discount, if I bought three I got another 20% off that.

Which makes them about $10 each. Which is absurd.
Building a computer that runs Linux with just three 8-pin chips. (Dmitry.gr)

An Arm Cortex M0+, 8MB of serial RAM, and a USB-to-serial adaptor, which also acts as the voltage regulator for the entire system. It supports a microSD card for storage; the chips are so small that it looks like a full-size SD card in the photo.

It can boot Debian Linux. Specifically it boots Debian Linux for MIPS using an emulator, but that's a software issue.
If that's too fancy for you you could build an 8-bit computer using a handful of 74LS chips. (Ben Eater)

With 16 whole bytes of RAM!

You can even buy a complete kit for $300. Admittedly half of that cost is the breadboards, since the whole thing is built without a drop of solder.
AI could affect 40% of jobs and have a market value equivalent to Germany's GDP, a completely meaningless comparison but in any case they mean $4.8 trillion, by 2033, according to the UN. (CNBC)

I'm not sure whether CNBC added that nonsense comparing annual productivity to market valuations or if it was in the original report, so I blame both of them.

Anyway, if you look up the combined market cap of publicly-traded companies pursuing AI software or hardware right now it comes to over $12 trillion so the UN may be a little late to the game.

Yes, that includes giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Google, who are very heavily invested in AI but not dedicated to it, as well as Nvidia, which makes most of its revenue from AI hardware but has a much smaller involvement with AI software or services. But on the other hand it doesn't include OpenAI, xAI, or Anthropic, because none of those are publicly traded.
An abruptly former Microsoft employee disrupted the company's 50th anniversary and accused the CTO of being a "war profiteer". (The Verge)
"Shame on you," said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. "You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in our region. You have blood on your hands. All of Microsoft has blood on its hands. How dare you all celebrate when Microsoft is killing children. Shame on you all."
If you don't uninstall Windows today you are complicit in genocide.

Apparently.
Speaking of which, with just six months before support for Windows 10 ends how is Microsoft going with its plan to force everyone onto Windows 11? Badly. (The Register)

54% of Windows users are still on Windows 10, compared to a little under 43% running Windows 11. So the good news is that they've finally moved on from Windows 8, which has been unsupported for seven years.
The EU plans to protect security and privacy by, you guessed it, completely destroying security and privacy. (The Register)
Of course, we want to protect the privacy and cyber security at the same time; and that's why we have said here that now we have to prepare a technical roadmap to watch for that, but it's something that we can't tolerate, that we can't take care of the security because we don't have tools to work in this digital world.
The only reason that's not doublespeak is that it doesn't mean anything at all.
AMD could be preparing a 9070 GRE which is exactly what the 9060 should will have been once it was.* (Hot Hardware)

The rumoured specs would give it 48 GPU cores (compared to 64 on the 9070 XT) and 12GB of VRAM on a 192-bit bus (compared to 16GB on a 256-bit bus).

If it's three quarters of the hardware at three quarters of the price - $450 MSRP - it should sell. Nvidia's 5070, which also has 12GB of VRAM, starts at $550.

* Future-past perfect singular subjunctive. Time travel weirds language.
OpenAI's models memorised copyrighted content, a new study suggests, except that it suggests nothing of the sort. (Tech Crunch)

What the study shows is that the training operation made note of memorable word choices, exactly as a human would.

If it runs across the line Double, rubble, foil-wrapped Hubble it is more likely to remember that specific word sequence because that's not something it's ever likely to encounter.

What the study showed was that if you ask it what the next word after Double, rubble, foil-wrapped is, it gets it right, because it's seen that once before. And if it couldn't do that, it wouldn't work.
President Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok's exsanguination by another 75 days. (CNBC)

Just hold a public auction already.
I make a living on YouTube playing an anime character. I'm very shy, and it's helped me get out of my comfort zone. (Business Insider) (archive site)

Okay, which third-rate vtuber did Business Insider drag into oh my god Minki!

Mint Fantôme a.k.a Maid Mint a.k.a Minto a.k.a Minki, formerly Pomura Inpuff, formerly Mint Fantôme a.k.a well you know that bit is one of my favourite vtubers. She is quiet and unassuming and very entertaining, with an infectious energy and a delight in all things but mostly Metal Gear Solid. And also Hamtaro.

(Via Foxu News. You can see the chat exclaiming "Minto!" when they realise who the article is about. She's very much loved by the vtuber community.)

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Every little thing she does is DRAGON SLAVE!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 04:01 AM (ypFCm)

2 but

Posted by: Ciampino - Spacey stuff at April 05, 2025 04:01 AM (sPQoU)

3 No need to be up except call the nood

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 04:02 AM (ypFCm)

4 Morning all.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 05, 2025 04:05 AM (BLOW1)

5 Hullo Pixy.
That Skip guy has superfast electrons and good coffee!

Posted by: Ciampino - Spacey beanie stuff at April 05, 2025 04:09 AM (sPQoU)

6 Coffee is very important.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 05, 2025 04:10 AM (BLOW1)

7 Saw a story a couple years ago stating that we had significant, abundant sources of rare earth minerals. We simply don't have the will to provide for ourselves. This is national suicide performed in slow motion.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:13 AM (X+xvk)

8
Nintendo pauses new console due to Trump's tariffs

https://mol.im/a/14572237

Posted by: Ciampino - gaming stuff at April 05, 2025 04:14 AM (sPQoU)

9 WOW, Pixy! What a tech harvest!
Thank you!

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 04:15 AM (CQE5S)

10 7 Saw a story a couple years ago stating that we had significant, abundant sources of rare earth minerals. We simply don't have the will to provide for ourselves. This is national suicide performed in slow motion.

Posted by: Sam Adams

Yep. It's interesting that China, having cornered the market, is now doing the same thing to itself.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 05, 2025 04:15 AM (BLOW1)

11 7 Saw a story a couple years ago stating that we had significant, abundant sources of rare earth minerals. We simply don't have the will to provide for ourselves. This is national suicide performed in slow motion.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:13 AM (X+xvk)
----
It's the EPA and the Greens which are the problem.

Posted by: Ciampino - Lanthanides at April 05, 2025 04:16 AM (sPQoU)

12 >>>An abruptly former Microsoft employee

Ha! With the word-smithing.

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 04:17 AM (CQE5S)

13 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at April 05, 2025 04:18 AM (hoCmQ)

14 Billionaire Democrat donor @antoniogracias, now working with @DOGE, says the Biden administration’s border policies handed human traffickers $13–15 billion a year to bring in future Democrat voters.

https://tinyurl.com/2kjx7vfr

Posted by: Ciampino - The Plot at April 05, 2025 04:21 AM (sPQoU)

15 Mom reveals amount she was charged for ice cream on DC's National Mall

https://mol.im/a/14572507

Posted by: Ciampino - The Scam at April 05, 2025 04:25 AM (sPQoU)

16 10 7 Saw a story a couple years ago stating that we had significant, abundant sources of rare earth minerals. We simply don't have the will to provide for ourselves. This is national suicide performed in slow motion.

Posted by: Sam Adams

Yep. It's interesting that China, having cornered the market, is now doing the same thing to itself.

*****************************************

I'm a bit slow. Could you clarify that for me?

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:27 AM (X+xvk)

17 How Comic Legend Mel Brooks Defused Land Mines During World War II

https://tinyurl.com/ye27mnh4

Posted by: Ciampino - The Laugh at April 05, 2025 04:29 AM (sPQoU)

18 China has reduced its own production of rare earth metals by 90% and is now importing them from Burma and reselling them. Or now, not reselling them.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 05, 2025 04:30 AM (BLOW1)

19 It's the EPA and the Greens which are the problem.

Posted by: Ciampino - Lanthanides

***************************************

What I would give to see the shackles removed. We have more gold in Alaska, California, Arizona, Montana, etc. than anyone could imagine. We have more oil than we could use in the next two centuries. We have enough natural gas to last a thousand years.

We are a giant held down by Lilliputians. Hateful, tyrannical, totalitarian Communist Lilliputians.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:31 AM (X+xvk)

20 Why would China stop producing them? How could that possibly benefit them?

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:32 AM (X+xvk)

21 Secret Russian military satellites release mystery object into orbit

https://mol.im/a/14570929

Posted by: Ciampino - The Worry at April 05, 2025 04:33 AM (sPQoU)

22 20 Why would China stop producing them? How could that possibly benefit them?

Posted by: Sam Adam

Exactly the same reason America did. They're icky and it's easier to get someone else to do the work.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 05, 2025 04:34 AM (BLOW1)

23 That's astonishing. We won't make our own rare earth minerals. We'll just depend on the hostile foreign power that furnishes our military chip technology, and hope that they will eventually sell us more of the minerals that they are importing from someone else.

It makes perfect sense, if you're smoking basketball-sized rocks of crack with Charlie Sheen.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:42 AM (X+xvk)

24 Putin must meet a deadline for peace in Ukraine... or meet the consequences: NATO leaders' warning as they reveal Russia's staggering death toll in war

https://mol.im/a/14570849

Posted by: Ciampino - The Challenge at April 05, 2025 04:42 AM (sPQoU)

25 Trump frees American couple thrown in Mexican prison over timeshare

https://mol.im/a/14570129

Posted by: Ciampino - The Scammers at April 05, 2025 04:43 AM (sPQoU)

26 EU 'prepares to hit Elon Musk with potential $1 BILLION fine for breaking disinformation laws'

https://mol.im/a/14570693

Posted by: Ciampino - The Fine at April 05, 2025 04:45 AM (sPQoU)

27 Last time I asked whether what you could take so that you weren't up at 4;: 45 on Saturday as you need to be up at that time M-F I think Pixy said alcohol. I laughed. I came downstairs at 2:30. Because I couldn't sleep. Clearly FenSpouse needs to take alcohol as well because I hear him taking a shower ( except that he can't drink because of gout.)

Thanks for all the news, Pixy. If the entire CCP leadership fell in while and never came out I would have to honestly say I would not feel bad. I guess I should pray about my attitude.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 04:49 AM (jUu6F)

28 I need a nap. Later.

Posted by: Ciampino - The ZZZZ at April 05, 2025 04:49 AM (sPQoU)

29 "Every Little Thing She Does"

It's a real head-bopper tune.

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 04:51 AM (CQE5S)

30 Also up way too early, not because I want to be but because I'm used to being up early for work.

G'morning Horde.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at April 05, 2025 04:52 AM (O7YUW)

31 Actually, I do need to be up. More "rummaging" at the church today, God bless them. Yesterday a big seller was "gizmos" (tools, etc) from a 98 year old guy who was a machinist and who is moving to his daughter's house in SC.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 04:54 AM (jUu6F)

32 Grumpy and Recalcitrant at April 05, 2025

We should form a support group. 😊. At least FenSpouse does not have to deal with "S." And " L" the live wire boys on the bus.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 04:57 AM (jUu6F)

33 Trump-hating lawfare specialist Norm Eisen flew Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts over to the Czech Republic to stay at Eisen's 150-room mansion, so the two could talk about international legal issues.

Mmm-hmmm.

They certainly weren't colluding on the anti-Trump strategies they're implementing.

And I'm sure that John Roberts isn't coordinating, directly or indirectly, with Judge Boasberg.

Eisen swears that Roberts isn't corrupt. Who wouldn't believe him? (*cough*)

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:58 AM (X+xvk)

34 I wonder if John Roberts thinks that leaving the country to stay at his commie boyfriend's house in Czech Republic immunizes him from American law, FOIA, or any form of public accountability for his actions.

The stench coming off of the Chief Justice is just slightly more pungent than a hog farm in August.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 05:01 AM (X+xvk)

35 https://tinyurl.com/bdzed4ce

The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court flew to Czech Republic to spend a week at the home of one of President Trump's most rabid enemies, Norm Eisen.

Why?

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 05:06 AM (X+xvk)

36 >>Trump-hating lawfare specialist Norm Eisen flew Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts over to the Czech Republic to stay at Eisen's 150-room mansion, so the two could talk about international legal issues.

Wow.

Posted by: Lizzy at April 05, 2025 05:09 AM (Cki93)

37 I'm sure ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and PMSNBC will get right on it.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 05:14 AM (X+xvk)

38 Another hour, that was goid for me

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 05:14 AM (ypFCm)

39 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 05, 2025 05:16 AM (BW+Gb)

40 33 Trump-hating lawfare specialist Norm Eisen flew Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts over to the Czech Republic to stay at Eisen's 150-room mansion, so the two could talk about international legal issues.
Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:58 AM (X+xvk)

When?

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 05:17 AM (CQE5S)

41
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at April 05, 2025 05:17 AM (tljrc)

42 G'morning, all.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 05, 2025 05:19 AM (a1415)

43 Trump needs to stop responding to Boasberg completely. Point out that he completely lacks jurisdiction, and tell him to pound it up his backside.

Force John Roberts' corrupt, meddling hand. Make this commie puppet publicly rule on jurisdiction, and the power of district court judges over the Executive branch.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 05:20 AM (X+xvk)

44 "Shame on you," said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad, speaking directly to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. "You are a war profiteer. Stop using AI for genocide. Stop using AI for genocide in our region. You have blood on your hands. All of Microsoft has blood on its hands. How dare you all celebrate when Microsoft is killing children. Shame on you all."

Awww, c'mon now. That's a bit extreme. I'm annoying, that's all.

Posted by: Clippy at April 05, 2025 05:20 AM (BW+Gb)

45 "Known by name"

A reflection on seeing the image of God in others. Scripture: Genesis 32:22-32:

https://tinyurl.com/2ur4dhp2

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 05:20 AM (Dymsw)

46 40 33 Trump-hating lawfare specialist Norm Eisen flew Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts over to the Czech Republic to stay at Eisen's 150-room mansion, so the two could talk about international legal issues.
Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:58 AM (X+xvk)

When?
Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 05:17 AM (CQE5S)

--from the Revolvere News clip linked at your link:"He stayed, when I was ambassador...."
--Wikipedia gives these dates for Eisen's ambassadorship:

United States Ambassador
to the Czech Republic
January 28, 2011 – August 12, 2014

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 05:21 AM (CQE5S)

47 Well, Mrs VIA is on the road, heading downtown to start the Cooper River Bridge Run at 0800.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 05, 2025 05:21 AM (a1415)

48 Actually, John Roberts needs to recuse himself from any and all cases involving Norm Eisen that are working their way up to the Supreme Court.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 05:23 AM (X+xvk)

49 Roberts became Chief Justice in 2005. He has no business presiding over cases brought by his BFF Norm Eisen. The conflict of interest is staggering and undeniable.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 05:30 AM (X+xvk)

50 The church is studying a book, "Give Up something bad for Lent " by a Rev. Moore who had gone to be with the Lord. In the books he relates a story of a family that has a custom to share together at the end of the day something that gave them happiness. It could be seeing a blue heron or the kindness of someone. This is mine: We had some rummage items in the sanctuary. One lady came through, looked at our old altar table which had carved on it, "Do this in memory of me." She said, "That's nice" . Another lady paused and looked at the cross behind the altar and prayed."

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 05:37 AM (lO8HG)

51 Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at April 05, 2025 05:21 AM (a1415)

God bless she and her run as well as the other runners and watchers and helpers.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 05:39 AM (42Vb+)

52 Fen did you get a chance to shh the book my aunt wrote, Following Jesus His way?

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 05:45 AM (ypFCm)

53 Man sings acapella version of song, "How deep is the father's love for us":

https://tinyurl.com/az2akyaf

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 05:46 AM (lO8HG)

54 Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 05:45 AM (ypFCm)

Sorry, Skip. I got distracted. Can you please post a link again and I will read it. Thanks.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 05:48 AM (lO8HG)

55
Villa Petschek, Prague
The American Ambassador’s Residence in Prague
https://villapetschek.org

148 rooms
http://prague-navigator.com/otto-petschek-villa

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 05:50 AM (CQE5S)

56 Morning, Tech Peeps

Posted by: fluffy at April 05, 2025 05:53 AM (AN2gy)

57 Corny tech joke:

What is hardware?

"The parts of a computer system which can be kicked."

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at April 05, 2025 05:56 AM (fO7ke)

58 Software is the parts you can only swear at.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 05, 2025 05:59 AM (BLOW1)

59 58 Software is the parts you can only swear at.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at April 05, 2025 05:59 AM (BLOW1)

And hack!

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 05:59 AM (CQE5S)

60 https://muchmorefruit.com/
Hit book on left side, will open

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 06:02 AM (ypFCm)

61 20 Why would China stop producing them? How could that possibly benefit them?
Posted by: Sam Adam
Exactly the same reason America did. They're icky and it's easier to get someone else to do the work.

That is probably also why they stopped being the world's recycling center.

Posted by: fluffy at April 05, 2025 06:04 AM (AN2gy)

62 33 Norm Eisen flew Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts over to the Czech Republic
Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:58 AM (X+xvk)

I'm not seeing that substantiated.

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 06:05 AM (CQE5S)

63 Your skepticism borked the comments.

Posted by: fluffy at April 05, 2025 06:16 AM (AN2gy)

64 I’ll stick with my pirated copy of Windows NT

Posted by: TC at April 05, 2025 06:16 AM (r4IU7)

65 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at April 05, 2025 06:20 AM (dg+HA)

66 Evening and morning, Saturday toilers and early risers,

I feel like a tech whiz. Yesterday I copied almy files from the old Win XP machine on my bedroom desk, unshipped the computer and all its parts, set the iMac in its place (one cord instead of a tangle of them!), copied all my files in place, and got the interface and icons just as I like them.

Then I remembered I hadn't wiped the copied files *off* the old computer. Oops. I'll need to hook up the XP, its monitor, keyboard, and mouse to do that before I deliver it to the thrift store. I don't want a new user, if there is one, finding my writing or pictures of my cats.

Anyway: Saturday!!!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 05, 2025 06:21 AM (omVj0)

67 What the hell would Roberts know about international law?

Fly him over to port your chainsaw or show you how to make a killer flan, while you're at it.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 06:24 AM (KtIIi)

68 Anyway: Saturday!!!
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 05, 2025 06:21 AM (omVj0)

You can just use a cloth, you know

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 06:24 AM (KtIIi)

69 https://tinyurl.com/msxhputr
Powerlineblog.com week in pictures

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 06:25 AM (ypFCm)

70 62 33 Norm Eisen flew Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts over to the Czech Republic
Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 04:58 AM (X+xvk)

I'm not seeing that substantiated.
Posted by: m

***********************************

Okay. A supremely well-connected, wealthy, powerful American Leftist, known for fomenting "color revolutions" to overthrow foreign governments, had his very good friend, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, fly to the Czech Republic to stay at his 150-room palace for a week so that they could discuss legal issues.

This same supremely well-connected, wealthy, powerful American Leftist, Norm Eisen, has been the mastermind behind multiple lawfare efforts targeting Donald Trump.

Do you think John Roberts should recuse himself?

Do you think there are reasonable questions to be asked about all of this?

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 06:25 AM (X+xvk)

71 Miss Linda is dragging me to an Irish-Italian-Islenos parade in the eastern part of the city at 11 am. In return, I've extracted (and that's a precise term; a dentist would recognize it) a promise that she will, at last, sit down with me and discuss the concept of The Move. Maybe we can agree on something. It was she who suggested Kentucky in the first place. Now she tells me it's "full of evangelicals" (???).

In my core of cores I doubt she will be willing to leave this swamp, though. The dilemma will probably remain. I've got to go to retain my sanity; she doesn't want to.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 05, 2025 06:25 AM (omVj0)

72 Do you think there are reasonable questions to be asked about all of this?
Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 06:25 AM (X+xvk)

The first reasonable question to ask is "did this actually happen". Which was asked.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 06:26 AM (KtIIi)

73 I missed what the penguin memes are about

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 06:31 AM (ypFCm)

74 The first reasonable question to ask is "did this actually happen". Which was asked.

Posted by: Warai-otoko

*****************************

Norm Eisen says it happened.

Norm Eisen also says that his good friend John Roberts "isn't corrupt."

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 06:32 AM (X+xvk)

75 John Roberts is corrupt as hell so why should I believe anything else Norm Eisen says?

Posted by: Madame Mayhem (uppity wench) at April 05, 2025 06:43 AM (4XwPj)

76 69 https://tinyurl.com/msxhputr
Powerlineblog.com week in pictures
Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 06:25 AM (ypFCm)

Duncanthrax, don't click!!!!!

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at April 05, 2025 06:45 AM (PiwSw)

77 John Roberts is corrupt as hell so why should I believe anything else Norm Eisen says?
Posted by: Madame Mayhem (uppity wench) at April 05, 2025 06:43 AM (4XwPj)

What he's saying in this case would be fairly self incriminating, so if he's lying there would have to be something even more hinky than that going on.

With nothing else to go on, i figure he's probably telling the truth, and they really did just discuss "international law", and doesn't realize that sending SC justices on free vacations is still not kosher even if he is one of the Real People who get to Do Things because he's special.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 06:47 AM (KtIIi)

78 First, of course, it makes little sense to make a totalitarian fascist dystopia your sole supplier of anything.

Exactly.
It was never a smart idea to let this go on for three decades like we did.

Over and over we were told if we open up China, with trade, they will become prosperous, grow a middle class and demand democracy, destroying the CCP.

Except the CCP had already learned from the mistakes of the collapse of the Soviet Union and determined the only way they could survive was to make the economy capitalist while the state (CCP) retained total and complete control.

So China’s economy is a totalitarian state capitalism.

Otherwise known as fascism, the third position, the dialectic synthesis of communism and capitalism.

But Wall Street made a ton of money, so it’s all wonderful!

Literally nothing we were promised in the 80s and 90s about what free trade would do for the American economy came true.

The only person who warned us back then was Ross Perot, and now everyone, everywhere has heard the giant sucking sound as manufacturing went to China and other nations.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 05, 2025 06:48 AM (6ydKt)

79 "Dragon Slabe!" - Ah yes Lina Inverse and her blowing up small countries.

Speaking of VTubers, spicy fox girl Kirsche has teamed up with Gamer Supplements to sell some merchandise. One of them is a cup. Pre-order closes on April 11. Code KIRSCHE gets you 10% off. Par for the course, the perpetually offended are trying to cancel this collab.

Posted by: Anna Puma at April 05, 2025 06:48 AM (2Mc5H)

80 It is fun how the "appearance of impropriety" standard is so smart that it knows exactly to whom it does or doesn't apply in any given situation.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 06:52 AM (KtIIi)

81 @SpeakingOf,

Well said.

Speaking of Ross, I was once diagnosed with Ross T.O. Perotsis, a condition in which one's ears grow larger than one's head, and all you can hear is a giant sucking sound.

I'll show myself out.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 06:55 AM (X+xvk)

82 Imagine a Grima Wormtongue kind of character, with a Theoden King counterpart who was such a dullard that all the poisoned words just keep bouncing off of him, and hilarity ensues.

That could be a fun premise for a story.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 06:55 AM (KtIIi)

83 Transcript of a 16-second audio that is posted in an 𝕏 panel of "The Researcher" at a Revolver link that is provided at your link:

"John Roberts is not corrupt. I know the Chief Justice well. He stayed, when I was [United States] Ambassador [to the Czech Republic (January 28, 2011 – August 12, 2014)], under my roof [in the 148-room official residence of the United States ambassador in Prague, the Villa Petschek]; came and spent a week with us. We worked on American and European law issues together...."

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 06:56 AM (CQE5S)

84 75 John Roberts is corrupt as hell so why should I believe anything else Norm Eisen says?
Posted by: Madame Mayhem (uppity wench) at April 05, 2025 06:43 AM (4XwPj)

LOL

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 06:58 AM (CQE5S)

85 It's the EPA and the Greens which are the problem.

A few public examples broadcast on every network could help solve that problem.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 05, 2025 06:58 AM (lXCUP)

86 "Shame on you," said Microsoft employee Ibtihal Aboussad

Wait, I already see what the problem is here.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 05, 2025 07:01 AM (6ydKt)

87 "And most of the justices are trying to do their best. And they don’t see the world exactly the way that I do, but not Clarence Thomas and Alito to a lesser but still troubling extent."

Yikes.

Emminence Grease.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 07:03 AM (KtIIi)

88 On the bright side, Ibtihal did not explode with indignation.

Posted by: Anna Puma at April 05, 2025 07:03 AM (2Mc5H)

89 Government employees have been so corrupted its become a normal routine. They don't probably even realize how bad it has gotten.

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 07:03 AM (ypFCm)

90 G'mornin' everyone!

eh, I saw the bad signs back in the 80s, watched 'em get worse year after year ... quit talking about it decades ago, everyone thought I was weird and delusional ... arguing against obvious prosperity, what is he thinking?

"the gods of the full belly are never mocked"

until the belly doesn't get filled ...

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at April 05, 2025 07:04 AM (/Ghsb)

91 On the bright side, Ibtihal did not explode with indignation.
Posted by: Anna Puma at April 05, 2025 07:03 AM (2Mc5H)

iKeelYou

Posted by: Warai-otoko at April 05, 2025 07:04 AM (KtIIi)

92 Morning peeps. I can't see the extent of the flooding this morning until it gets light, but yesterday the road I live off of was under water and house across that road looked to have about 2-3 feet of water inside.

For the week: 9.3" and more is forecast today and tomorrow.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 05, 2025 07:05 AM (Q4IgG)

93 Martini Farmer you may want to change to Rice Farmer

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 07:17 AM (ypFCm)

94 Okay. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Just seems like everywhere you look when it comes to John Roberts, you find close ties to the most radical anti-Trump forces imaginable. He is close friends with Norm Eisen. He appointed James Boasberg to the FISA court. (Boasberg approved the FISA surveillance warrant based on Kevin Clinesmith's falsified FBI evidence.) He's in his little club with Beryl Howell and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

None of these people are anywhere near middle of the road. They are far, far left. They also appear to be working in concert against Trump on every conceivable front.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 07:19 AM (X+xvk)

95 Good morning morons

Mint Fantôme a.k.a Maid Mint a.k.a Minto a.k.a Minki, formerly Pomura Inpuff, formerly Mint Fantôme a.k.a well you know that bit is one of my favourite vtubers. She is quiet and unassuming and very entertaining, with an infectious energy and a delight in all things but mostly Metal Gear Solid. And also Hamtaro.
===

Whaat?

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 05, 2025 07:21 AM (RIvkX)

96 Shouldn't we have to call him John Glover Roberts?
If Amy is deserving of three names, why isn't John?

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at April 05, 2025 07:24 AM (dg+HA)

97 Sam Adams sure seems to be that way

Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 07:26 AM (ypFCm)

98 Roberts has proven he’s a fellow traveler ever since he joined the libs to decide that what was clearly a mandate to buy an insurance product or face penalty, was a tax instead in order for the Federal government to take over 1/5th of the economy.

Every ruling he’s made since then has only surprised us when he got it right.

I don’t know exactly whose thumb he’s under but he’s definitely pinned down and cooperating.
Roberts

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 05, 2025 07:35 AM (6ydKt)

99 Globalist president appointed globalist chief justice. Why is anyone surprised?

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 05, 2025 07:40 AM (RIvkX)

100 100

Posted by: m at April 05, 2025 07:40 AM (CQE5S)

101 Why does autocucumber not realize that there is a name of Roberts so that it won’t try to force in Robert’s as though Rob is always in possession of something?

Still waiting on that new improved AI, Tim Cook!

Why not save yourself so,e trouble and subcontract it out to Elon.

We could have a very nice AI called GrokisSirious.

The humor part of the AI system could be called BigusDickus.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 05, 2025 07:41 AM (6ydKt)

102 I don’t know exactly whose thumb he’s under but he’s definitely pinned down and cooperating.
Roberts
Posted by: SpeakingOf

Sheldon Snook is his top legal clerk. Also happens to be the husband of Mary McCord.. Just a coincidence.

Posted by: Sock Monkey * feeling a bit atavistic at April 05, 2025 07:44 AM (J1mV/)

103 Last night the champ on Jeopardy! thanked his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was a great moment, and even though he lost he still had a good four game run so he'll probably be back in a tourney.

Posted by: logprof at April 05, 2025 07:49 AM (4+dZ7)

104 OK, quote of the day about Vietnam removing tariffs:

"Agent Orange wins the Vietnam War."

Posted by: NR Pax at April 05, 2025 07:51 AM (lXCUP)

105 Sheldon Snook is his top legal clerk. Also happens to be the husband of Mary McCord.. Just a coincidence.

Posted by: Sock Monkey * feeling a bit atavistic

***************************************

His top legal clerk is married to Mary McCord?

Well, it really doesn't get more poisonous than that, does it?

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 07:51 AM (X+xvk)

106 The whole federal government is corrupt as well as the court system so it only make sense that the SCROTUM is also as corrupted. Roberts will do what needs to be done for the Deep State.

Posted by: Men's Room Wall at April 05, 2025 07:55 AM (R/m4+)

107 I don’t know exactly whose thumb he’s under but he’s definitely pinned down and cooperating.

-------

I used to figure it was possible that he's compromised.

Not anymore.

A guy who goes on extended European vacay to Norm Eisen's stately home is just another ruling class piece of shit who's out to get us.

A blackmail victim, I can feel sorry for. This guy should be milled into animal feed.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at April 05, 2025 07:55 AM (BI5O2)

108 she will, at last, sit down with me and discuss the concept of The Move. Maybe we can agree on something. It was she who suggested Kentucky in the first place. Now she tells me it's "full of evangelicals" (???).

It probably is. You can't be too careful.

Posted by: grammie winger - cheesehead at April 05, 2025 07:56 AM (SfhV1)

109 > Sheldon Snook is his top legal clerk. Also happens to be the husband of Mary McCord.. Just a coincidence.
---------
The capitol city is significantly infested with politically incestuous families. It's like the middle ages with the "cross pollination" going on between just a handful of them.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 05, 2025 07:57 AM (Q4IgG)

110 Good morning!

Let's smile & be happy & strike fear in the hearts of killjoy leftists everywhere.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 05, 2025 07:58 AM (u82oZ)

111 I hear tell West Virginia is almost heaven.

Posted by: Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. at April 05, 2025 08:00 AM (dg+HA)

112 Back from my workout, cleaned up, having breakfast. I see the most dramatic and suspenseful episode of the George Reeves Superman series, "Five Minutes to Doom," is on at 9 am Central on H & I.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 05, 2025 08:00 AM (omVj0)

113 Well, it really doesn't get more poisonous than that, does it?
Posted by: Sam Adams

Funny that his name never publicly came up when the Dobbs decision leak was being investigated.

Posted by: Sock Monkey * feeling a bit atavistic at April 05, 2025 08:01 AM (J1mV/)

114 Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.

Fuel your plane, and have an accessible reserve tank switch.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 05, 2025 08:02 AM (u82oZ)

115 {{{grammie winger}}}

Hope you and the Rev are both doing well.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 05, 2025 08:03 AM (u82oZ)

116 Hope you and the Rev are both doing well.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 05, 2025 08:03 AM (u82oZ)

Good morning!

Posted by: grammie winger - cheesehead at April 05, 2025 08:05 AM (SfhV1)

117 @Yudhishthira's Dice,

I was wrong. Roberts stayed at the official Ambassador's residence in Prague when Eisen was representing us there. I should have followed the link in the story. Credit "m" for pointing out my idiocy.

Please forgive my speculation. I still wholeheartedly believe that Roberts is colluding with his close friends Eisen and Boasberg in his efforts to destroy Donald Trump. The man surrounds himself with the most rabid Leftists imaginable. Mary McCord's affiliation doesn't make things better.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 08:08 AM (X+xvk)

118
Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.

Fuel your plane, and have an accessible reserve tank switch.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 05, 2025 08:02 AM

I understand this reference

Posted by: AltonJackson at April 05, 2025 08:09 AM (tljrc)

119 The capitol city is significantly infested with politically incestuous families. It's like the middle ages with the "cross pollination" going on between just a handful of them.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 05, 2025 07:57 AM (Q4IgG)

The upshot here is this ... When countries like France and Russia were forced to deal with their shitty nobility, it decapitated their societies. For better or worse, these political classes were real elites in that they were literally the only people in those societies who knew how to manage a society.

Our political class is purely parasitic. They are also of markedly lower intellectual quality than our middle classes. When we finally mill these fuckheads into animal feed it won't be a decapitation of our society. Just sawing off a gangrenous appendage.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at April 05, 2025 08:09 AM (BI5O2)

120 If you don't uninstall Windows today you are complicit in genocide.

Apparently.

- - - - - - - -

I farted to show my solidarity.

Posted by: Sock Monkey * feeling a bit atavistic at April 05, 2025 08:10 AM (J1mV/)

121 Funny that his name never publicly came up when the Dobbs decision leak was being investigated.

Posted by: Sock Monkey * feeling a bit atavistic

**********************************

Roberts actively prevented that investigation from succeeding, didn't he?

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 08:10 AM (X+xvk)

122 Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 08:08 AM (X+xvk)

Ah, gotcha.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at April 05, 2025 08:11 AM (BI5O2)

123 Please forgive my speculation.
=====

We demand it.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 05, 2025 08:16 AM (RIvkX)

124 Henry John Deutschendorf Jr.
Fuel your plane, and have an accessible reserve tank switch.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 05, 2025 08:02 AM
I understand this reference
Posted by: AltonJackson at April 05, 2025 08:09 AM (tljrc)

Wasn't John Denver in some crappy folk singers group before fooling all the dumb rubes out there with his fake country boy routine?

Posted by: Milli Vanilli at April 05, 2025 08:17 AM (R/m4+)

125 >>"This character I created allows me to have a public persona online without fully sharing my personal self."

--

This, too, is the story of The Horde.

Posted by: SloPitch Whiffer at April 05, 2025 08:19 AM (wzAuc)

126 Stuart Copeland completely rocks that tune. What a monster!

Posted by: pawn at April 05, 2025 08:19 AM (QB+5g)

127 John Denver - New Christy Minstrels and Chad Mitchell Trio.

Posted by: grammie winger - cheesehead at April 05, 2025 08:20 AM (SfhV1)

128 > Please forgive my speculation.
----------
The commentary here is nothing if not full of rhetorical flourishes and factual liberty. Simply... the best.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at April 05, 2025 08:22 AM (Q4IgG)

129 Putin must meet a deadline for peace in Ukraine... or meet the consequences: NATO leaders' (of countries without militaries) warning as they reveal Russia's staggering death toll in war (as estimated by the people who've lied about the state of the war since the beginning).
---------
The fact remains that Russia has won. Ukraine has killed off a significant percentage of its young men because Zelensky crotch sniffs a bunch of asshats with no stake in the game who like to walk around puffing out what would a chest in a man.

The US isn't going to get involved militarily which means all these other countries won't. They're like those videos where a dog is behind a fence, viciously barking, and you get to an open gate and they shut up.

It's all bullshit. It's bullshit designed to get a bunch or ethnic European men killed in furtherance of the globalists depopulation plans.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at April 05, 2025 08:22 AM (ExV1e)

130 Wolfus, I thought Indiana was atop the leader board of relocation destinations.
Although I recall from the days of my callow youth that if Indiana wants you, Lord, you can't go back there.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at April 05, 2025 08:23 AM (dg+HA)

131 The line, "Then she ate a Volkswagen Jetta" has had me howling for twelve plus hours.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 08:25 AM (X+xvk)

132 Forget Sotameyer retiring, Robert’s would be the golden ticket for Trump

Posted by: Jonah at April 05, 2025 08:26 AM (YCxFk)

133 Sam Adams

Cruel ace is the best ace.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 05, 2025 08:26 AM (u82oZ)

134 Actually, John Roberts needs to recuse himself from any and all cases involving Norm Eisen that are working their way up to the Supreme Court.
Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 05:23 AM (X+xvk)

Sadly, the best that would get us is a 4-4 tie which means that, theoretically, the circuit court's ruling would be final.

Eventually, Trump is going to just tell the judges to go fuck themselves. The media will scream. The House will likely impeach and it'll be up to the Senate to determine if they've thrown out the idea of the US being a republic in favor of being yet another kritarchy.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at April 05, 2025 08:27 AM (ExV1e)

135 How come we're not required to always use the Wide Latina's middle like we had to with Sandy Day and Ruthie Bader?
Is it a number of syllables thing?
Is there a style guide?

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at April 05, 2025 08:29 AM (dg+HA)

136 Wolfus, I thought Indiana was atop the leader board of relocation destinations.
Although I recall from the days of my callow youth that if Indiana wants you, Lord, you can't go back there.
Posted by: Quarter Twenty at April 05, 2025

***
Part one is why I want to get there before everybody else does. As for the other, LOL.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 05, 2025 08:29 AM (omVj0)

137 Nood

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 05, 2025 08:30 AM (RIvkX)

138 Let me try that again.

How come we're not required to always use the Wide Latina's middle name like we had to with Sandy Day and Ruthie Bader?
Is it a number of syllables thing?
Is there a style guide?

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at April 05, 2025 08:31 AM (dg+HA)

139 >>> Wasn't John Denver in some crappy folk singers group before fooling all the dumb rubes out there with his fake country boy routine?

I just went through Wikipedia and found no reference to military service. I guess that story I heard about him being a sniper in Vietnam was false.

Posted by: fluffy at April 05, 2025 08:31 AM (AN2gy)

140 Hamtaro! Used to watch that with the kids and John (late, first) Husband would do the dance for them.

Posted by: Polliwog the 'Ette at April 05, 2025 08:33 AM (lFFaq)

141 I think that was Billy Joel.

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at April 05, 2025 08:33 AM (dg+HA)

142 I missed what the penguin memes are about
Posted by: Skip at April 05, 2025 06:31 AM (ypFCm)

Trump included tariffs on a couple islands which are primarily (entirely?) populated by penguins. I saw something about there actually being a reason for it but I didn't care enough to retain the info, sorry.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic at April 05, 2025 08:36 AM (ExV1e)

143 Eventually, Trump is going to just tell the judges to go fuck themselves. The media will scream. The House will likely impeach and it'll be up to the Senate to determine if they've thrown out the idea of the US being a republic in favor of being yet another kritarchy.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic

Good points. God help us. Aside from Trump, we are utterly bereft of leadership.

Posted by: Sam Adams at April 05, 2025 08:38 AM (X+xvk)

144 Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article.
I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful info.
Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.

Posted by: Glucopure at April 05, 2025 09:43 AM (kzC/G)

145 Sounds like China is basing its tariffs on lines from Tom Lehrer's "Elements" song.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at April 05, 2025 10:20 AM (TizQb)

146 The EU plans to protect security and privacy

Basically, what they really want to do is come and install locks on the door to your house - really, really great locks that can't be picked - and then issue you a key.

Posted by: GWB at April 05, 2025 11:32 AM (XR+2F)

147 Hi there to all, how is all, I think every one is getting more from this web page,
and your views are pleasant designed for new viewers.

Posted by: ladangtoto at April 05, 2025 12:29 PM (6Gnt1)

148 Typing this on a PC upstairs running Windows Seven.
Piss on Microsoft.
In the morning; check mail, do a little browsing. And occasionally write a comment.

Posted by: John the River at April 05, 2025 12:46 PM (Li1E5)

149 A millennial making $368,000 secretly working 3 remote jobs says he has no loyalty to his employers: 'They can let you go at any point'

"As long as I'm doing my job and what's asked of me, I don't feel any guilt for it at all," said Damien, whose identity was verified by Business Insider but who asked to use a pseudonym, citing fears of professional repercussions.

He added that he feels no sense of loyalty to his employers because he doesn't believe they'd protect him from a layoff. "They can let you go at any point," he said.

Posted by: SMOD at April 05, 2025 01:04 PM (GITLP)

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