James Stephens, JD

The End of Ethics A new rule promises to snuff out any sparks of integrity remaining in the Justice Department

The End of Ethics
open.substack.com/pub/lizoyer/...

Does it have a heartbeat? Does it use tools? Does it have consciousness? The shifting measures of humanity would be fascinating if so many of them weren't coming from the impulse to oppress.

This #WinslowHomer painting captures what it feels like for a decent, responsible adult trying to push through life in the United States during the #Trump regime's reign of stupidity and terror. Keep going. Survive. Help others survive. Rebuild when it's finally over.

Don't We Have To Judge People By The Standards Of Their Time? Many who reach for this cliché want it to function as a shield against judgment altogether.

". . . let’s consider one way the cliché is frequently used by white people in the United States: in conversations about the history of enslavement, especially ones about 'Founding Fathers' who enslaved people."

Technology and freedom From Karl Marx to Elon Musk, many have claimed that in the right hands, technology is a liberating force for good. But there is increasing challenge to this notion, with figures from Obama to Tim Bern...

From Karl Marx to Elon Musk, many have claimed technology is a liberating force for good. But there is increasing challenge to this notion. | https://bit.ly/46V5WSv

Join @yanisvaroufakis.bsky.social, Tim Nguyen, and @janneteller.bsky.social to discuss if we should really be socialising big tech.

Best wishes. May your recovery be quick and complete.

I wonder what would happen if Canada decided we needed a regime change?

Intel report warns large-scale war ‘unlikely’ to oust Iran’s regime A classified U.S. report doubts that Iran’s opposition would take power following either a short or extended U.S. military campaign.

“A classified report by the National Intelligence Council found that even a large-scale assault on Iran launched by the United States would be unlikely to oust the Islamic republic’s entrenched military and clerical establishment, a sobering assessment …”

"Christian" con-artists, praying to Mammon to bless the Prince of Lies. #MAGA is heresy. #FakeFaithful

So, Russia has #fakechristians too.

Choppy waters, yellow, white and grey tones, sprinkled with sailing boats and a small rowing boat in the foreground. To the left in the distance a piece of the coast with some houses and a lighthouse. The sky covered with huge white/grey clouds and some blue in between.

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭
"𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝐸𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑢𝑟", 1865, 𝐼𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑠𝑚

It seems as if nothing more and nothing less was necessary to make the painting a perfect depiction of a scene as it presented itself in a specific moment in time. Just flawless.

#art #painting #impressionism

A mix of bright pink, purple, and red spring flowers growing in a somewhat uncultivated plot of grass.

Some anemones and hyacinths for #FlowersOnFriday .This weekend, I hope you all find reminders of the beauty in our universe. (Archived photo) #OnlyBeautifulThings #Flowers #DailyFlower #EastCoastKin #PhotographersUnited #PhotographersOfBluesky #photography
#scape #garden

This is a Sennelier watercolour painting on Hot Pressed Aquarelle Watercolour Paper. it is only a small painting but the bird took me awhile due to my mental state. It is 14.5 cm x 12.5 cm. The Marsh tit (Poecile palustris) is classed as Least Concern globally (distributed across temperate parts of Europe and Asia) but with a decreasing population trend. It the UK it is Red Listed due to population declines caused by habitat loss and degradation. It prefers deciduous woodland to coniferous. They have declined in the UK by 48% between 1995-2023. This species is monogamous and pairs for life and has a diet of invertebrates and seeds. It can be seen frequenting garden bird feeders for peanuts and sunflower seeds. It breeds around mid April but is starting to breed earlier with climate change and typically lays 7-9 eggs that are incubated by the female. They look very similar to willow tits (Poecile montanus), but have a glossier black head, a neater and smaller black bib and a white patch on the beak.

'The Marsh Tit.' My most recent (and the one I am the most happy with this year) #watercolour #painting of a #marsh #tit. #art #artists #birds #bird 🪶 #BlueSkyArtShow Please see ALT text. Edit: This is a second upload because I took the photo in natural light (outside) so it is more true to colour

Bonhoeffer's Theory of Stupidity They’re Not Deceived – Evangelicals Are CHOOSING the Lies YouTube video by Renardo Brown

They aren't brainwashed. You can't salvage your relationships with your MAGA friends and family by helping them to see the truth. They already know the truth, but reject it in favor of comfortable lies. youtu.be/Wv_y7084t7w?...

V painted more than pretty girls with pearl earrings.

Did Vermeer Paint the Most Beautiful Painting In the World? Balance and precision in View of Delft

#Vermeer "Beneath the apparent simplicity lies a creative precision and attentive sensibility that elevates this painting — I believe — to something closer to meditation." medium.com/p/could-this...

Another renaming I suggest is changing the phrase "Up Shit Creek without a paddle" to "Up MAGA Creek without an education."

Trump looks like this pig.

The Bay of Pigs should be the Bay of Trump. #Cuba ( Pictured here is "Donny the Hog." )

This is sweet. It's a wonderful idea. #Kindness

That said, I want Trump gone, and I don't care how it happens. Hopefully soon. It'll be a #betterworld without him. On that day, my wife and I will open a bottle of champagne and give thanks to God, though we know his regime, policies, and evil supporters will remain severe problems to be overcome.

In general, freewheeling #Bluesky welcomes and celebrates wisdom, knowledge, sincerity, directness, and values good art. Decency and kindness are the rule here. In contrast, I've found speaking against the grain on brutish Reddit et al. can be dangerous to one's peace of mind and bodily safety. ☮️

That... is... appealing, and sensible.

He's protected from reprisals. To him, that's all that matters. It probably never occurred to him that others might get hit. And now that it's been brought to his attention, #Trump thinks the suffering of others isn't relevant, which is his default. #Sociopath or #Psychopath? Probably the former.

Re: Iran negotiations. It used to be that only the gullible believed #Trump. But now, after many painful lessons, even the gullible have learned, leaving only the fanatical cultists willing to believe Trump's promises. However, #Iran doesn't have Trump cultists, lucky them.

If you've ever had a whiplash injury, you know it is very unpleasant. Yet, #MAGA keeps inviting their fascist pedo god to rear-end them.

a man in a tuxedo and tie is making a funny face . ALT: a man in a tuxedo and tie is making a funny face .

A war of conquest in #Cuba is next for the Trump regime? Why is this dangerous imbecile felon not in prison, rather than in the world's most powerful government position? People have been hung under #internationallaw for less.

Whatever it takes.

The End of Persuasion? Why it matters that Trump isn’t trying to change your mind

Core Element of U.S. Politics Broken, No Attempt to Persuade Non-Trumpers: "Trump and his surrogates focus on rallying supporters and putting down those who disagree with them. That’s a problem, because persuasion should be at the center of democratic politics." medium.com/@worldhistor...

#US dropped approximately 8 million tons of #bombs on #Vietnam more than triple the total tonnage used in World
War II #history

It didn't work. Why? Vietnamese wanted foreigners out whatever the cost-which was huge.

#Iran will never become vassals to #US or #Israel.