Well, today has started like so many other mornings lately: by me being kicked out of bed by my dog. (We’re going to have to talk about this.) Then, like so many Fridays, I find myself thinking about how the entire weekend is going to be devoted to work and depressing chores, causing me to feel like I owe myself a tiny break today, but I won’t really take one, just slack off enough to make me feel lazy and irresponsible.
Then I visited my email, and told a website optimizer who claimed EA had “no web presence at all” to bite me. I wish it had more “presence” just as I wish I could figure out a way to make some money for the work I do here about four hours a day without minimizing readership, but I can’t, and that’s that. I didn’t start Ethics Alarms for profit, and I won’t run it that way.
Finally, as I stare at another blank “Add New Post” page, I find myself getting all warm, fuzzy, teary and grateful over the outpouring of appreciation and kindness I have received over the past horrible year from so many of you out there. I wish I were organized enough to write individual notes, but I’m not…that kind of thing was among Grace’s jobs, because I’m too scattered and easily distracted to do it competently.
This was especially true during the holidays. I got cards with messages that made me cry, gift cards, and checks: one of you even stopped by the house to deliver a gift (and give me some much needed human company and live face-to-face conversation.) I received almost as many seasonal greeting from the readers here as I did from people around the country I have actually met—hmmmmm, maybe that should tell me something.
It all meant a great deal to me, and does, and will. Thank you for reading, thank you for caring, and thank you for giving me something to look forward to during each and every day, especially during a year during which most days began with me hoping that everything was just a bad dream, and that I would find Grace in the shower, like Bobby Ewing at the end of that infamous fake season on “Dallas.”
Well enough mushy stuff: get to work. You have some brilliant comments to write, and I have to go argue with a pit bull….
Ethics Alarms 
Jack, I deeply appreciate your work here at EA. I learn something new almost every day either from you directly or from the many excellent commentators. Thank you for this work of love.
BUT – please take a break! We want you for the long term, so rest is an essential element in achieving longevity!
The pleasure was all mine.
–Dwayne
I fear the post-election euphoria has turned into exhaustion and gloom. The AUC hasn’t learned a thing from the defeat. They’re only busy denying they lost and remain convinced the people who voted for Trump don’t know what’s wrong with them. The hubris only seems to be getting more overweening. The immolation of large parts of Los Angeles doesn’t seem to have slowed them down a bit. It’s just confirmation that we’re all going to die unless we drive electric cars or live in silos in Democrat run megalopolises. Adam Schiff and Jamie Raskin are as petulant and evil as ever. You’d think they won the election.
I’m surprised there hasn’t been more screaming from the TDS inflicted about the inauguration taking place on MLK Jr. Day. But, if Harris had won it would have been a magnificent day of celebration.
Inauguration day should always be a national holiday. So one out of every four years Dr. King has to share.
But inauguration day doesn’t always fall on Monday. The last president to be sworn in on MLK Jr. Day was Obama on January 21, 2013 (The 20th was Sunday which moved inauguration day to the 21st). Before that it was Bill Clinton second term, January 20, 1997. Reagan’s second term began on January 21, 1985.
So, it isn’t one out of every four years that inauguration day and MLK Jr. Day coincide.
I should have been able to figure that out. Thanks. I’m a moron.
I guess they are moving Trump’s inauguration indoors due to “dangerous cold” – whatever that is. I guess “dangerous cold” is different for people south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Well, the last time one of our oldest Presidents was sworn in on freezing cold day, he died of pneumonia about a week later[ CORRECTION: It was a month later; I was talking off the top of my head and should have checked] , and he was a lot younger than Trump. I’d call this prudent.
I wouldn’t be surprised if enough information chatter has been picked up that there’s enough of a credible threat of yet another left wing lunatic going to make an attempt on his life – also encouraging the move indoors.
“Some Fox blonde with horn-rims was enthusiastically telling a panel about this fascinating bit of history she had just discovered, that an early President, William Henry Harrison, had been inaugurated on a cold day and died as a result.”
Well, I didn’t know either at the time of this Friday Open Forum comment; but, at least I looked it up after you replied with the comment above.
And I botched it and wrote a week rather than a month, which I just corrected in the comment.
” . . . Democrat run megalopolises.”
Interesting you say that. Watching Newsome’s response to the wildfires, he seems awfully excited that they will rebuild California with projects governed by the affirmatively further fair housing under HUD.
jvb
First – Jack, “Long May You Run”. I need my multi-daily fix of Ethics Alarm mind you, but I can stand a day or two off if it keeps you sane! First things first, your well being.
Speaking of priorites:
Does anyone else feel this commercial is child neglect? [Link is below] A Sheba catfood spot, where the catlady is more interested in her pussy than tending to her son’s bleeding cut. Not only that, she’s a smirking, smartass about it.
Her son calls from the other room that he fell. She tells him theire are bandages in the cabinet. He answers back, “But I’m bleeding?” Which she replies, “Grab two” and continues fawning and smiling over her cat.
Who thought this was a good idea? Who are the people that can relate to kissing and cuddling with your cat over tending to a frightened, bleeding, shook up after a fall, ailing child?
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/ZpfQ/sheba-the-fall
Wonderful. Modern feminist motherhood in a nutshell.
Speaking of marketing and PR debacles. How about the insurance industry and California? The recent devastating wildfires have certainly justified the insurers’ recent decision to discontinue writing homeowners’ policies in California and to not renew many of their existing policies. But they’ve continued running commercials, at great expense, claiming they’re good neighbors. Dumb. Why haven’t they gotten out in front on this? They are for profit businesses. They are not the government. They are not charitable organizations. They’ve assessed the risks of doing business in California and elected to simply not do business there. With good reason, as it turns out. Why can’t they make that clear? And hey! Jake from State Farm is a black guy who hangs out with black athletes. Surely, he can’t be a bad guy, right?
Your effort is appreciated, Jack, and I hope you feel it.
Well, another indication that Stanford Law School should be shut down has occurred. An endowed chair at the Stanford Law School, Max Lemley, publicly announced he is dropping Mark Zuckerberg as client because of his embrace of free speech.
He stated
“While I think they are on the right side in the generative AI copyright dispute in which I represented them, and I hope they win, I cannot in good conscience serve as their lawyer any longer.”
He also stated that Zuckerberg was suffering from toxic masculinity and was a neo-Nazi. He publicly stated that he was cancelling his Threads account because he described it as ‘Twitter-like” and run by a ‘Musk wannabe”.
The law firm, Lex Kumina stated that they don’t sell out on their values and stated proudly that they were dropping Zuckerberg because of this.
So much for everyone deserving representation.
I’ll write about this. Naturally, Above the Law, that despicable rag, thinks dumping a client for a political disagreement is admirable. I’m going to flame Lex Kumin and Max for this in my next several ethics seminars. Unethical assholes.
Legal question: We had a discussion a while back on the New England Patriots back who died before his appeals were final and therefore had his conviction vacated.
I heard talk that since Trump is now sentenced, he is now a ‘convicted felon’. But my question is — he has not yet exhausted his appeals, so doesn’t he have to do that before his conviction is legally final? Is he truly legally a “convicted felon’ yet or would that be later on?
I know the left has been savoring the chance to pin this label on him, and I sure would hate to burst their bubble………but I’ll make that sacrifice.
It varies by state: I was wondering the same thing. Massachusetts ultimately eliminated “abatement ab initio” but I think most states stil follow it.
Considering the general level of legal analysis from the AUC, that probably guarantees Trump will never be a ‘convicted felon’ legally.
In their dreams, though…….
https://x.com/mrddmia/status/1882456870344069468?s=46
Just a dirty clump of cells when discussing abortion.
Unborn child when discussing birthright citizenship.