rattlesnake

Direct quote from Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger.

From the article: He told Lockdown TV that “if only one version of the facts is allowed then that gives a huge incentive to wealthy and powerful people to seize control of things like Wikipedia in order to shore up their power. And they do that.” He said it (Wikipedia) “seems to assume that there is only one legitimate defensible version of the truth on any controversial question. That’s not how Wikipedia used to be.” [...] Mr Sanger cited the example of an article about US President Joe Biden and says it doesn’t include information from the Republicans’ perspective. I'll pass on the Pavlovian anti-Putin drivel.

Kasparov is a great chess player and he should stay at the chessboard, the "regime change" he advocates is a thing of the past, Pax Americana and everything it entails is over and "the West" no longer calls the shots, it should be obvious by now.

What Sanger says is that Wikipedia is not an objective outlet and overwhelmingly leans towards the political views of those who run it. Based on this premise, it is not a valid source to be quoted as fact. I am sorry for Navalny, his wife and children. But as always, I am wary of simplistic dichotomies and am aware of the nuances and gray areas of someone who is clearly a very dubious character. And I can only laugh cynically at the hypocrisy of those who hail him as a hero because the media says that is how it is, but will readily turn a blind eye to Julian Assange who is facing the same fate in the UK and USA, which are of course incredibly democratic countries without a drop of blood on their hands.

And the next three paragraphs: He told Lockdown TV that “if only one version of the facts is allowed then that gives a huge incentive to wealthy and powerful people to seize control of things like Wikipedia in order to shore up their power. And they do that.” He said it (Wikipedia) “seems to assume that there is only one legitimate defensible version of the truth on any controversial question. That’s not how Wikipedia used to be.” Wikipedia is visited by millions every day and is the first online repository of information for many.

You can't expect to know the truth if you read sources such as Wikipedia. Here is what its co-founder Larry Sanger says about it: Nobody should trust Wikipedia, says man who invented Wikipedia https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/wikipedia-founder-larry-sanger-democrats-b1885138.html

He was a convicted crook who had a long-standing history of corruption and embezzlement with his brother Oleg. Russian investigators accuse Alexei and Oleg Navalny of defrauding a Russian subsidiary of the French cosmetics company Yves Rocher out of about 26m roubles (about $811,000; £505,000). [...] In a further charge, the Navalny brothers are charged with laundering 21m roubles (about $656,000, £408,000) in funds. [...] In that case, he was found guilty of heading a group that embezzled timber worth 16m roubles from the Kirovles state timber company, while working as an adviser to the governor of the Kirov region, Nikita Belykh. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-24731503

He was a crook who was neck deep in corrupt activities, such as the fake freight company he created with his brother Oleg, or the Kirov sawmill. He managed to stay out of jail until 2020 but was finally sentenced for various serious criminal activities such as embezzlement, and was due to stay inside until 2042. Hardly anyone knows or cares about him outside of Moscow, where he is essentially known for his illegal activities.

Some people really need to get help.

All one needs to do is read books such as Times of Feast, Times of Famine: A History of Climate Since the Year 1000 by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie. The world has always been through cycles of cold and heat. We are currently entering a warmer cycle, yes. But the doctrine put forward by the likes of John Kerry? A political agenda, solely based on "findings" by dubious bodies such as the GIEC, which will not stand the test of time.

For what it's worth, the smaller scooters always give me lower back pain after a few km. Never a problem with a larger one such as PCX and above, due to better riding position and weight distribution of the bike. With those small scooters, you're always compensating with your body one way or another, even without realising it.

The whole world has seen a dramatic drop in birth rates over the past couple of years. Very compelling. What is the common denominator?

I recommend the PCX, it is so much more comfortable than the Click.

Build Back Better!

As I said, I don't play the crystal ball game and avoid bold assertions (something lots of users here should emulate). It seems Habba is dropping the "mentor" avenue. “Since Ms. Kaplan has now denied that there was ever a mentor-mentee relationship between herself and Your Honor, this issue has seemingly been resolved,” Habba wrote the judge. But in a footnote to that sentence, Habba added: “There are, however, various other issues relating to the Court’s conduct, including potential bias hostility towards defense counsel, that will be raised in post-trial motions and on appeal.” https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/30/e-jean-carroll-lawyer-rejects-trump-judge-conflict-concern-from-habba.html

And you repeat that as a "fact"? No I don't. Unlike a lot of people here, I tend to refrain from hasty dogmatic assertions and wild predictions. Just yesterday, I was told on this thread that Alina Habba would never appeal. Now, one day later, okay she is appealing but it holds no water… Looking forward to tomorrow. How about waiting a bit before making bold statements? Sure, the media are saying Trump is toast, but they are the same media who have been saying this since 2015. How about learning from past mistakes? Surely by now you should know that wanting something doesn't make it happen?

Indeed!

I've been with my Thai wife for 13 years. First marriage, currently aged early 40s.

That is certainly the case for most long-lasting couples I know. Gotta have a + and a -.

The relevant part pertains to the unnamed source which, according to Alina Habba, claims the judge was Carroll's lawyer's "mentor", which suggests a strong relationship, and if that is indeed true, the fact that it was not disclosed can constitute a violation and grounds for dismissal. It seems unlikely to me that Trump's team would only find this out now. They probably intentionally refrained from revealing it previously.

Trump's lawyer did not disclose it. In her motion, Habba cited a recent New York Post article which quoted an unnamed source suggesting Roberta Kaplan had considered Judge Kaplan her "mentor" at the law firm. https://www.newsweek.com/alina-habba-conflict-judge-kaplan-e-jean-carroll-lawyer-1865169

Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan and Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan worked together in the early 1990s. A source indicated that the judge was once Roberta Kaplan’s mentor. This is called a conflict of interest and constitutes grounds for a reversal in an appeals court.

I can't compete with that level of analysis, it's white flag waving time for me.

You mean like this? KATHY GRIFFIN IS more adamant now than ever before that she was not in the wrong when she posted a graphic photo of herself holding up President Trump‘s bloody head in her hand earlier this year. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/kathy-griffin-still-not-sorry-over-trump-photo-i-knew-what-i-was-doing-123599/ Or this? Madonna, at Women's March on Washington, says she has thought about "blowing up the White House" The pop singer used several obscenities during a speech at the Women’s March on Washington to emphasize her opposition to Mr. Trump. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/madonna-womens-march-washington-dc-white-house/ Or this? Robert De Niro wins ovation for '<deleted> Trump' speech at the Tony awards De Niro has long been a vociferous critic of Donald Trump. After calling him “totally nuts” in August 2016, the actor released a video during the election campaign stating his desire to punch Trump in the face, and calling him “an idiot, a national disaster, an embarrassment to this country … this fool, this bozo”. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jun/11/robert-de-niro-wins-ovation-<deleted>-trump-speech-tony-awards

E. Jean Carroll has said that she’s certain that former President Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. But the 79-year-old advice columnist does not know the year. It may have been 1995. Or it could have been later. https://slate.com/technology/2023/05/carroll-trump-trial-verdict-rape-sexual-assault-memory.html#:~:text=But the 79-year-old,in the spring of 1996.