cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
John Deere Announces Strategic Partnership with SpaceX
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) announced it has entered into an agreement with SpaceX to provide cutting-edge satellite communications (SATCOM) service to farmers.
Stuff that doesn't really fit in either "Examples of" thread....
- Thread starter Roger A. Shrubber
- Start date
He knows a thing or three about "DEBANKING" people,bet the "Trump College" people who paid $$ feel "Debanked",a lot of NY contractors got "Debanked",and a lot of his online "donation" sites have also "Debanked" his followers w/fine print that takes more $$ than is intended. I think "Debanking" is a foundational tenet of "WINNING".
Hope their hydraulic lines perform better up there than down here.John Deere Announces Strategic Partnership with SpaceX
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) announced it has entered into an agreement with SpaceX to provide cutting-edge satellite communications (SATCOM) service to farmers.www.deere.com
printer
Well-Known Member
Hunter Biden benefactor defends millions in loans and close friendship
Hollywood lawyer and Hunter Biden benefactor Kevin Morris told House GOP investigators that he paid millions of dollars worth of expenses for the president’s son through loans due to a close friendship, with no suggestion or expectation that he would receive any special benefits from the White House or the president. Morris — who has helped Hunter Biden pay for around $5 million of dollars in tax, legal, housing, and public relations expenses — said that while there was not initially a clear agreement for repayment, the terms of an agreement later drawn up by their lawyers doesn’t require repayment until 2025.
Morris spoke to the House Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees last week in a closed-door interview as part of the Republican investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings and handling of the tax crimes investigation into Hunter Biden, which Republicans have put under the umbrella of an impeachment inquiry into the president. The committees released the transcript of that interview on Tuesday. Release of the transcript came after public squabbling over its contents. An attorney for Morris last week accused the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee of cherry-picking his testimony soon after it concluded.
Comer, in a statement after the interview but before the transcript was released, had seemed to imply that the payments weren’t loans, using the word only in quotes and saying that the lawyer had “access” to the White House. Morris said he had been to the White House just three times while Joe Biden was president, and only exchanged pleasantries with the commander-in-chief. Hunter Biden gave him a tour of the White House in 2021, during which Morris said the president waved and “made a crack about my hair” — “He always makes jokes about my hair.” Morris also attended the wedding of Naomi Biden, Hunter Biden’s daughter, in 2022, where he gave the president “a quick hello”; and attended the Independence Day picnic in 2023.
Morris repeatedly said that he got no benefit, favor, or consideration from the White House for paying Biden’s taxes and consistently denied any connection with a foreign government. And despite the unorthodox arrangement between the two men, Morris was insistent he expected the loan to be repaid, despite assertions from Republicans they might be forgiven. “I loaned money. I didn’t pay for anything,” Morris said at one point.
Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for Oversight and Investigations, said in a post on X that the Morris transcript was the “latest in House GOP ‘failure theater,’” saying Morris testified he “never discussed business with President Biden and never sought or received any benefit from him.”
The interview, though, provides some insight into a relationship that has long confounded Republicans.
Morris has served as both Biden’s attorney and as his friend, saying he felt a connection of brotherhood with the president’s son from their first meeting. “In what I do, I become very close to my clients, and I don’t — you know, and I usually — I almost always become friends with them. That’s just the way I do it. You know, some people don’t think that’s a good idea. That’s just the way I do it. I’m in their life. I’m in their corner,” Morris told investigators. Morris, who made his fortune in part through negotiating deals for the creators of South Park, said he first met Hunter Biden in November 2019 at a fundraiser for President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. About a week later, he visited Hunter Biden at his home for a five-hour conversation at the urging of a mutual contact, Lanette Phillips. Both men had journeys to sobriety, and grew up in the same part of the country.
“That was a very profound meeting, and it was, you know, one of the most important meetings of my life. And, you know, at that time and until today it was my belief that Hunter was being tremendously mistreated,” Morris said. Morris started acting as a general counsel of sorts for Hunter Biden. “I oversee sort of the squad. Sort of like a general counsel. But I am involved in everything,” Morris said, clarifying that one of Hunter Biden’s main attorneys, Abbe Lowell, does not report to him.
Just weeks after their first meeting, in January 2020, Morris started loaning Hunter Biden money and paying for various expenses via loans – including moving him and his pregnant wife from a house overrun with paparazzi to another residence, his tax debts, security expenses, and more.
Morris said loaning the money was his own idea — not Hunter Biden’s. “It’s immodest to talk about that stuff … I’ve been around for a while, so there’s a lot of charity. I help a lot of friends. I tend to try to help friends more than donate to charities,” Morris told investigators. But he acknowledged that he could not recall helping out any other friends to the tune of $5 million – the reported sum he’s sent to Hunter Biden.
Though a significant sum for Hunter Biden, the Hollywood lawyer told members of Congress the payments constituted “less than 5 percent” of his total assets. “Hunter never asked me for money,” Morris said. “You know, these are complicated, emotional things, but I — you know, I saw a guy, you know, that was from home, could have been my friend. He was getting — in my opinion, getting the shit beat out of him by the world. I found that he had danger — you know, to my opinion, worrisome lack of support. And he was an individual — and I believe, and still believe today he’s a very good person and a great guy. And, you know, that’s why I decided to step in. “Initially, there was no formal agreement on repayment – with Morris saying that it might not have been documented six months to a year later. An agreement where loan repayment would start in 2025 was struck by other lawyers for Morris and Hunter Biden.
“Let me be clear. You know, I’m not an idiot. I know the importance of these things being arm’s length,” Morris said of the loan structure.
And while the timeline of a repayment wasn’t made clear, Morris repeatedly asserted he expected to be repaid. When asked by a staffer why he was so confident in that, he shot back, “Because I’m confident in Hunter.” But Morris’s generosity and close client relationships were scrutinized by GOP lawmakers, with Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) describing it as a departure from his own time as a lawyer. “Maybe I wasn’t friendly enough with my clients when I was practicing. I don’t know,” Biggs said. “But the line seems so blurred between you as the professional attorney with Hunter Biden and you with this tremendous affinity, friendship, such that you talk to him every day.” “Because I’m not sure I ever had an attorney-client relationship the way you’re describing,” Biggs added. Morris shrugged that off. “Congressman, I do a lot of things very differently than other people. That’s just — that’s just my style,” he said, noting that in some cases he’s worked for people for free for years.
thehill.com
Hollywood lawyer and Hunter Biden benefactor Kevin Morris told House GOP investigators that he paid millions of dollars worth of expenses for the president’s son through loans due to a close friendship, with no suggestion or expectation that he would receive any special benefits from the White House or the president. Morris — who has helped Hunter Biden pay for around $5 million of dollars in tax, legal, housing, and public relations expenses — said that while there was not initially a clear agreement for repayment, the terms of an agreement later drawn up by their lawyers doesn’t require repayment until 2025.
Morris spoke to the House Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means committees last week in a closed-door interview as part of the Republican investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings and handling of the tax crimes investigation into Hunter Biden, which Republicans have put under the umbrella of an impeachment inquiry into the president. The committees released the transcript of that interview on Tuesday. Release of the transcript came after public squabbling over its contents. An attorney for Morris last week accused the Republicans on the House Oversight Committee of cherry-picking his testimony soon after it concluded.
Comer, in a statement after the interview but before the transcript was released, had seemed to imply that the payments weren’t loans, using the word only in quotes and saying that the lawyer had “access” to the White House. Morris said he had been to the White House just three times while Joe Biden was president, and only exchanged pleasantries with the commander-in-chief. Hunter Biden gave him a tour of the White House in 2021, during which Morris said the president waved and “made a crack about my hair” — “He always makes jokes about my hair.” Morris also attended the wedding of Naomi Biden, Hunter Biden’s daughter, in 2022, where he gave the president “a quick hello”; and attended the Independence Day picnic in 2023.
Morris repeatedly said that he got no benefit, favor, or consideration from the White House for paying Biden’s taxes and consistently denied any connection with a foreign government. And despite the unorthodox arrangement between the two men, Morris was insistent he expected the loan to be repaid, despite assertions from Republicans they might be forgiven. “I loaned money. I didn’t pay for anything,” Morris said at one point.
Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for Oversight and Investigations, said in a post on X that the Morris transcript was the “latest in House GOP ‘failure theater,’” saying Morris testified he “never discussed business with President Biden and never sought or received any benefit from him.”
The interview, though, provides some insight into a relationship that has long confounded Republicans.
Morris has served as both Biden’s attorney and as his friend, saying he felt a connection of brotherhood with the president’s son from their first meeting. “In what I do, I become very close to my clients, and I don’t — you know, and I usually — I almost always become friends with them. That’s just the way I do it. You know, some people don’t think that’s a good idea. That’s just the way I do it. I’m in their life. I’m in their corner,” Morris told investigators. Morris, who made his fortune in part through negotiating deals for the creators of South Park, said he first met Hunter Biden in November 2019 at a fundraiser for President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign. About a week later, he visited Hunter Biden at his home for a five-hour conversation at the urging of a mutual contact, Lanette Phillips. Both men had journeys to sobriety, and grew up in the same part of the country.
“That was a very profound meeting, and it was, you know, one of the most important meetings of my life. And, you know, at that time and until today it was my belief that Hunter was being tremendously mistreated,” Morris said. Morris started acting as a general counsel of sorts for Hunter Biden. “I oversee sort of the squad. Sort of like a general counsel. But I am involved in everything,” Morris said, clarifying that one of Hunter Biden’s main attorneys, Abbe Lowell, does not report to him.
Just weeks after their first meeting, in January 2020, Morris started loaning Hunter Biden money and paying for various expenses via loans – including moving him and his pregnant wife from a house overrun with paparazzi to another residence, his tax debts, security expenses, and more.
Morris said loaning the money was his own idea — not Hunter Biden’s. “It’s immodest to talk about that stuff … I’ve been around for a while, so there’s a lot of charity. I help a lot of friends. I tend to try to help friends more than donate to charities,” Morris told investigators. But he acknowledged that he could not recall helping out any other friends to the tune of $5 million – the reported sum he’s sent to Hunter Biden.
Though a significant sum for Hunter Biden, the Hollywood lawyer told members of Congress the payments constituted “less than 5 percent” of his total assets. “Hunter never asked me for money,” Morris said. “You know, these are complicated, emotional things, but I — you know, I saw a guy, you know, that was from home, could have been my friend. He was getting — in my opinion, getting the shit beat out of him by the world. I found that he had danger — you know, to my opinion, worrisome lack of support. And he was an individual — and I believe, and still believe today he’s a very good person and a great guy. And, you know, that’s why I decided to step in. “Initially, there was no formal agreement on repayment – with Morris saying that it might not have been documented six months to a year later. An agreement where loan repayment would start in 2025 was struck by other lawyers for Morris and Hunter Biden.
“Let me be clear. You know, I’m not an idiot. I know the importance of these things being arm’s length,” Morris said of the loan structure.
And while the timeline of a repayment wasn’t made clear, Morris repeatedly asserted he expected to be repaid. When asked by a staffer why he was so confident in that, he shot back, “Because I’m confident in Hunter.” But Morris’s generosity and close client relationships were scrutinized by GOP lawmakers, with Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) describing it as a departure from his own time as a lawyer. “Maybe I wasn’t friendly enough with my clients when I was practicing. I don’t know,” Biggs said. “But the line seems so blurred between you as the professional attorney with Hunter Biden and you with this tremendous affinity, friendship, such that you talk to him every day.” “Because I’m not sure I ever had an attorney-client relationship the way you’re describing,” Biggs added. Morris shrugged that off. “Congressman, I do a lot of things very differently than other people. That’s just — that’s just my style,” he said, noting that in some cases he’s worked for people for free for years.
Hunter Biden benefactor defends millions in loans and close friendship
Hollywood lawyer and Hunter Biden benefactor Kevin Morris told House GOP investigators that he paid millions of dollars worth of expenses for the president’s son through loans due to a close friend…
thehill.com
ooof-da
Well-Known Member
Why Do British Lawyers Still Wear Wigs?
In the late 17th century, wearing wigs became a common practice in law. But why has it endured for so long?
people.howstuffworks.com
I was curious about why they wear those wigs lol. Now I wonder what our wig is that someone will be wondering about.
and mirrors
printer
Well-Known Member
The 6 states facing the most serious groundwater crises
A heating planet and expanding commercial agriculture are putting increasing pressure on America’s vital aquifers — underground reservoirs that supply water to an estimated 145 milli…
thehill.com
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
There might be new land opening up in a few years as they replace livestock and dairy agriculture. Drought and lack of water will move them out of state just as well as technological change though. I figure fresh water will be an even bigger issue in the future and hope a partial technical solution to desalinate sea water is at hand, we will see when it is commercialized and from what I can see it should be and rapidly too, if it works as anticipated at scale.The 6 states facing the most serious groundwater crises
A heating planet and expanding commercial agriculture are putting increasing pressure on America’s vital aquifers — underground reservoirs that supply water to an estimated 145 milli…
printer
Well-Known Member
As Water Scarcity Increases, Desalination Plants Are on the Rise
After decades of slow progress, desalination is increasingly being used to provide drinking water around the globe. Costs for processing salt water for drinking water have dropped, but it remains an expensive option and one that creates environmental problems that must be addressed.
e360.yale.edu
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
That process out of MIT I posted about might be a game changer, I posted the paper, and it is very detailed and contains a lot of information an engineer could use to design a system. It is such a good idea I think it will found an industry and drive most present methods out of business. If it works out it should be rapidly adopted over the next decade or so. It won't solve the main issue, but it can keep a lot of people alive and might not be scalable except for water efficient agriculture with wastewater from cities. It doesn't produce toxic brine, or its discharge can be easily diluted.As Water Scarcity Increases, Desalination Plants Are on the Rise
After decades of slow progress, desalination is increasingly being used to provide drinking water around the globe. Costs for processing salt water for drinking water have dropped, but it remains an expensive option and one that creates environmental problems that must be addressed.
printer
Well-Known Member
Do you realize how many possible game changers you have brought to the forum? Are we in the thousands yet?
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Technology moves fast these days and where there were dozens doing work in areas 50 years ago there are thousands today. Have a look at the paper and judge for yourself, they appear to have solved many of the main issues.
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
The single indicator that the main issues have been solved is that one can buy a turnkey unit, with warranty.
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Condensed down to 7 1/2 words:
Reagan-era Republican policies aren’t bad enough.
www.politico.com
Reagan-era Republican policies aren’t bad enough.
Nikki Haley finally got Trump one-on-one. There’s a reason she’s still losing.
The real problem for Trump’s opponents isn’t really about candidate math at all.
www.politico.com
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
Their main problem is the old economic ideology is dead and Joe has got them by the nuts on the economy, which is starting to sink in with the population. You can't hide prosperity and not just for Wall Street but for main street too and jobs reports off the charts along with other economic indicators.Condensed down to 7 1/2 words:
Reagan-era Republican policies aren’t bad enough.
Nikki Haley finally got Trump one-on-one. There’s a reason she’s still losing.
The real problem for Trump’s opponents isn’t really about candidate math at all.
Trump losing a fortune in the news does not speak well of his management skills or IQ. Anybody who says they are voting republican because of the economy is full of shit! It makes it harder for many to square the circle, particularly foxnews who have no choice but to report some facts at least.
DIY-HP-LED
Well-Known Member
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
makes for bad bicycling
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
now China is deploying a large orbital constellation. Low Earth space is getting pretty busy. I expect reports of sats colliding to start coming in.
Chinese carmaker adds satellites in Musk SpaceX territory | Fortune
As competition in China’s auto market heats up, satellite communications are becoming an important selling point.
fortune.com