trumpty plumpty

[Back2Lawrence]

Weren't Plano and OG Gutter always calling each other names and shit? Plano essentially calling gutter a crazy motherfucker?

Precisely the irony I was alluding to. They went to a ballgame, dinner, and drinks weekend before last and now they're a couple. Who can explain the vagaries of bro love?

I'm sure Gutter would take you to a Soccer match if ever in Chicago and the Fire/Team USA (either one) were in town.

[JKLivin]

Weren't Plano and OG Gutter always calling each other names and shit? Plano essentially calling gutter a crazy motherfucker?

Precisely the irony I was alluding to. They went to a ballgame, dinner, and drinks weekend before last and now they're a couple. Who can explain the vagaries of bro love?

yeah, see, you are bringing douche-baggery into this that might not be necessary. I do understand your mean girls mentality, to a point. But you are not innocent in that fight. Consider this from an outside source. You and I have never had a personal confrontation, for what it's worth. Prolly cuz i'm two dum.

You and I have never had a personal confrontation because you are respectful in disagreeing with me. The people I don't get along with get the treatment they get from me because I have already tried 1) placating, 2) ignoring, and 3) asking them to stop in that order. Being nasty in return is a last resort and I hate doing it. I'd honestly rather not, but that seems to be the only thing that bullies respond to.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Weren't Plano and OG Gutter always calling each other names and shit? Plano essentially calling gutter a crazy motherfucker?

Precisely the irony I was alluding to. They went to a ballgame, dinner, and drinks weekend before last and now they're a couple. Who can explain the vagaries of bro love?

1. Overlander and I actually spoke about our busting each other's chops in the past. I'm confident neither of us are going to stop doing it if we feel it is warranted. Why would we?
I bust your chops but it doesn't mean anything more than I am busting your chops. I think you and I could get along just fine if we met in person and had a conversation about things that interest us that doesn't involve politics.
2. Yes, we sat down at a restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner.
3. He and I are no more a couple than you and Bill Self are a couple.
4. Nothing has changed after he and I met in person - from how he and I were before we met in person - other than we have now met in person.
You want to assess our "bro love" and assume things, so be it.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

Weren't Plano and OG Gutter always calling each other names and shit? Plano essentially calling gutter a crazy motherfucker?

Precisely the irony I was alluding to. They went to a ballgame, dinner, and drinks weekend before last and now they're a couple. Who can explain the vagaries of bro love?

I'm sure Gutter would take you to a Soccer match if ever in Chicago and the Fire/Team USA (either one) were in town.

Yes. Yes I would.

[JKLivin]

Weren't Plano and OG Gutter always calling each other names and shit? Plano essentially calling gutter a crazy motherfucker?

Precisely the irony I was alluding to. They went to a ballgame, dinner, and drinks weekend before last and now they're a couple. Who can explain the vagaries of bro love?

1. Overlander and I actually spoke about our busting each other's chops in the past. I'm confident neither of us are going to stop doing it if we feel it is warranted. Why would we?
I bust your chops but it doesn't mean anything more than I am busting your chops. I think you and I could get along just fine if we met in person and had a conversation about things that interest us that doesn't involve politics.
2. Yes, we sat down at a restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner.
3. He and I are no more a couple than you and Bill Self are a couple.
4. Nothing has changed after he and I met in person - from how he and I were before we met in person - other than we have now met in person.
You want to assess our "bro love" and assume things, so be it.

You are obviously free to do as you wish. Makes me no difference. My point was that your a-hole quotient went the roof immediately afterward. Coincidence? Maybe.

[Overlander]

Weren't Plano and OG Gutter always calling each other names and shit? Plano essentially calling gutter a crazy motherfucker?

Precisely the irony I was alluding to. They went to a ballgame, dinner, and drinks weekend before last and now they're a couple. Who can explain the vagaries of bro love?

As per usual, you have one tiny bit of a story, and pound it full of hyperbole and made up shit. A whole lot like your hero.

I find it interesting that you create this world that paints you as equal parts hero and villian… antagonist and protagonist….brilliant yet even more brilliant.

You complain about name calling while slinging names like you are selling funnel cakes at fair.

You complain about what you consider bragging while at the same time bragging about yourself.

You are like a trick coin, whichever way you flip it the coin reads the same, that you come across as a douche bag. You condescending tone and holier-than-thou schtick is literally all that you have.

I have met several people from these boards. My experiences in meeting these folks have helped me understand who and what they are as people. I have travelled great distances and spent money to meet them because I WANTED to get to know them.

I understand why your knowledge of us who have chosen to get to know each other sets you off so much. And deep inside, you know why as well.

Go ahead and fire off your snide comment and low rent psychoanalysis. That is your calling card. It is all that we expect.

[Sparko]

Deep in the rabbit hole it is hard to come back to the light Psych/Randy. Soon MAGA loons will migrate and you'll still be buried in your backyard conspiracy pit.

[JKLivin]

Weren't Plano and OG Gutter always calling each other names and shit? Plano essentially calling gutter a crazy motherfucker?

Precisely the irony I was alluding to. They went to a ballgame, dinner, and drinks weekend before last and now they're a couple. Who can explain the vagaries of bro love?

As per usual, you have one tiny bit of a story, and pound it full of hyperbole and made up shit. A whole lot like your hero.

I find it interesting that you create this world that paints you as equal parts hero and villian… antagonist and protagonist….brilliant yet even more brilliant.

You complain about name calling while slinging names like you are selling funnel cakes at fair.

You complain about what you consider bragging while at the same time bragging about yourself.

You are like a trick coin, whichever way you flip it the coin reads the same, that you come across as a douche bag. You condescending tone and holier-than-thou schtick is literally all that you have.

I have met several people from these boards. My experiences in meeting these folks have helped me understand who and what they are as people. I have travelled great distances and spent money to meet them because I WANTED to get to know them.

I understand why your knowledge of us who have chosen to get to know each other sets you off so much. And deep inside, you know why as well.

Go ahead and fire off your snide comment and low rent psychoanalysis. That is your calling card. It is all that we expect.

You keep on doing you. It seems to be accomplishing what you hoped it would.

I’m not set off at all. It troubles me that someone as genuinely nice and guileless as Gutter is suddenly acting like you, but it’s more of a “That’s a shame” thing than being upset.

In the end, you have to live with yourself.

[Overlander]

Gutter is a good guy. We have had our spats in the past, but they were just message board spats.
Through IMs we got to know each other better.

I have been very open with Gutter on what I found frustrating in his persona. And I truly hope he took my observations to heart, because they were offered out of caring.

The people I have met here and on .com of been good folks. Mainly, I think, because they have proven to not be judgmental, have been open minded, and have the ability to have compassion.

[japhy]

For those doing their own research, this sure seems like it might be a blow to their sources.

Facebook owner Meta says it is banning several Russian state media networks, alleging they use deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations and evade detection on its platforms.

"After careful consideration, we expanded our ongoing enforcement against Russian state media outlets. Rossiya Segodnya, RT and other related entities are now banned from our apps globally for foreign interference activity," Meta said.

The bans are expected to come into effect in the next few days.

The Russian embassy in Washington, broadcaster RT, formerly Russia Today, and the owner of the Sputnik news agency, Rossiya Segodnya, did not immediately respond to BBC requests for comment.

Russian state media outlets have come under increased scrutiny over claims they have tried to influence politics in Western countries.

As well as Facebook, social media giant Meta owns Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.

The move marks an escalation in world's biggest social media firm's stance towards Russian state media companies.

Two years ago, Meta took more limited measures to limit the spread of Russian state-controlled media, including stopping the outlets from running adverts on its platforms and limiting the reach of their content.

After the start of the war in Ukraine, Meta - like other social media platforms - complied with requests from the EU, UK, and Ukraine to block some Russian state media in those regions.

Earlier this month, the US accused state broadcaster RT of paying a Tennessee firm $10m (£7.6m) to "create and distribute content to US audiences with hidden Russian government messaging".

An indictment said videos - which often promoted right-wing narratives on issues such as immigration, gender and the economy - were secretly "edited, posted, and directed" by two RT employees.

Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions against RT, accusing it of being a "de facto arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus".

The top US diplomat told reporters on Friday that RT is part of a network of Russian-backed media outlets which have sought to covertly "undermine democracy in the United States".

He added that the Russian government has "embedded within RT, a unit with cyber operational capabilities and ties to Russian intelligence".

Eloon will let them stay on his platform I'm sure, cuz he is a free speech opportunist.

[japhy]

It's another GREAT day for the rubes! trumpty plumpty is gonna make you all rich beyond your wildest dreams! All you need to do is invest your life savings in his new grift and you too could become a billionaire!

Donald Trump and his children unveiled a new cryptocurrency business Monday in a virtual address from his Mar-a-Lago estate, the latest venture that stands to benefit the former president as he seeks another four years in the Oval Office.

Details on the new business, which will be called World Liberty Financial, remain limited, but his son Donald Trump Jr. suggested the new company will provide opportunities for people who cannot get financing from traditional banks. The GOP nominee himself has teased the latest expansion of his family’s business empire from the same social media account that carries his political messaging and shared vague thoughts Monday about the perceived upside.

“It’s very young and very growing,” Trump said of the cryptocurrency industry. “I do believe in it.”

The virtual event proceeded as planned despite Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt on Trump while golfing at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Real estate investor Steve Witkoff, a close friend who was golfing with Trump during the episode, also joined the call and confirmed his involvement.

No major party nominee has ever leveraged their candidacy for personal profit quite like Trump has during his third White House bid. Since entering the race nearly two years ago, Trump has netted millions of dollars selling new items featuring moments from his political life while also generating billions of dollars in wealth through a social media site where he speaks directly to supporters.

His fans can buy coffee table books featuring pictures and letters from his presidency or, if they prefer, a Trump-themed Bible. He has sold $399 golden sneakers and recently advertised to supporters “fifty all new stunning digital trading cards” for purchase at a cost of $99 each. Buy 75 and get access to a dinner gala with Trump, plus pieces of a suit he wore in his debate against President Joe Biden.

“These cards show me dancing and even holding some bitcoins,” Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social.

But this latest enterprise, taking off just 50 days before the election, comes with a hornets nest of ethical conflicts should Trump win in November. On the campaign trail, the former president has promised to usher in a wave of policies favorable to digital currencies as he courted the votes and financial support of the bitcoin community. Now, a company he is helping to get off the ground could stand to benefit from the actions he takes in the Oval Office.

There’s little precedent for a candidate creating such obvious overlapping obligations so close to an election, said Jordan Libowitz with the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

“You generally see presidential candidates try to separate themselves from their conflicts of interest instead of bringing new ones into the fold,” Libowitz said. “It’s definitely new to see a president launching a new company while also at the same time talking up new policies that would potentially directly affect that company.”

Yesha Yadav, a law professor at Vanderbilt who studies financial regulation and cryptocurrencies, said Trump’s new undertaking also raises questions about what would happen if it necessitates enforcement action by the next administration.

It’s a reality that “needs to be taken seriously,” Yadav said, given the financial risks of a project that may attract hackers and investors “purely based on the celebrity of the former president and his family.”

No law requires presidents to divest from their wealth before taking office, but those who have held the office have traditionally gone to great effort to assure voters they had disentangled their executive decision making from their personal finances to prevent even the appearance of impropriety. President Jimmy Carter put his peanut farm in a blind trust before he took office. President Ronald Reagan and his Vice President George H.W. Bush moved their considerable wealth into trusts, too.

Trump, though, shattered historical norms in his first term when he turned over his businesses to his two sons instead of divesting or shielding himself from the management of the family’s transnational conglomerate.

The Trump campaign did not respond to questions about these concerns, while also insisting that his latest project would not distract from the former president’s intensifying race against Vice President Kamala Haris, now in the home stretch.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung argued that Trump has “out-worked” Harris and would continue to.

“There is nobody more committed than President Trump to save America from the weak, failed, and dangerously liberal policies of Kamala,” Cheung said.

Trump was a businessman long before he entered politics and he has cashed in on his fame for decades, putting his name on everything from buildings to steaks. The businesses Trump has launched while campaigning have proven quite lucrative for the lifelong dealmaker.

Trump made about $7.2 million in 2023 through a licensing deal with NFT INT, LLC, the company that is selling digital NFT, or non-fungible token, “trading cards” featuring the former president, according to financial disclosures he filed in August.

In December, Trump began selling special edition NFTs featuring his Georgia mugshot after he was indicted on charges related to his failed attempts to overturn the 2020 election there. Those willing to buy the full set were offered a special physical card with pieces of the blue suit and red tie Trump wore in the photo. The price? $4,653.

Advertisements of Trump promoting the NFT deals are shot in nearly identical fashion to videos his campaign released of the former president announcing his agenda for a second term. In both the infomercials and the campaign videos, Trump, wearing a navy suit, appears positioned with American flags on either side of him as he makes a direct-to-camera pitch from inside the same Mar-a-Lago room.

“It was a great suit, believe me, a really good suit,” Trump said in the video for the mugshot NFTs. “It’s all cut up, and you’re gonna get a piece of it.”

Trump reported making more than $5 million through another business, CIC Ventures LLC, largely in royalties from his books “Letters to Trump” and “Our Journey Together.” He also reported making $300,000 in royalties from “The Greenwood Bible,” a venture associated with country singer Lee Greenwood. The bibles have since been renamed the “God Bless the USA Bible” after the Greenwood anthem that plays when Trump enters his campaign events.

“Happy Holy Week! Let’s Make America Pray Again. As we lead into Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to get a copy of the God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump wrote in a March social media post that directed his supporters to a website selling the book for $59.99.

The launch of these new licensing deals and products have come as mounting legal bills and court defeats have proven costly for the former president. His line of golden sneakers debuted a day after a Manhattan judge ordered Trump to pay over $454 million as part of a civil fraud case. He first hawked the shoes at a Philadelphia conference for sneakerheads, and then appeared hours later at a rally in Michigan – an illustration of how Trump has also mixed business with the campaign trail.

The largest share of Trump’s net worth, at least on paper, is his ownership share of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of the Truth Social social media network he started in his post presidency after he was kicked off other sites. Trump reported in his disclosure owning nearly 115 million shares of the company’s common stock.

Speaking to reporters Friday in Los Angeles, he insisted he had no plans to sell his majority stake in Trump Media. A lockup clause that prevents Trump from shedding shares until six months after the company went public is scheduled to end later this month.

The episode provided an example of how the former president, in a matter of moments, can cause his net worth to fluctuate by nine figures just by opening his mouth. Trump Media stock, which has fallen sharply in recent months, jumped 25% after Trump’s remarks Friday.

Perhaps none of Trump’s post-presidency endeavors to date, however unusual, present the potential for ethical quandaries quite like his next venture.

Trump did not divulge the extent of his involvement, though Witkoff said he worked with Trump and his children for nine months on the project. Other details about World Liberty Financial remain sparse, but Trump’s oldest son argued the banking system has become biased and politicized, using his own family’s difficulties getting credit lately as an example.

“This is going to be an evolution,” Trump Jr. said.

Others on the call said the goal is to get everyday people involved in the cryptocurrency marketplace.

In launching World Liberty Financial, Trump and his family are entering a nascent industry that has clashed with federal regulators as it seeks to gain legitimacy. The next president is certain to confront questions about whether to put guardrails around or encourage growth in this burgeoning but highly speculative sector of financial technology.

“He would be in a position to directly impact the fortunes of this company,” Libowitz said.

Trump, who once dismissed bitcoin as “not money,” has already made several cryptocurrency-friendly policy commitments. He pledged to fire Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, whose bearish outlook on cryptocurrency has made him a regular target of their scorn, and promised to create a “strategic national bitcoin stockpile.”

“If crypto is going to define the future, I want it to be mined, minted and made in the USA,” Trump told the industry’s largest annual gathering this summer.

His support came as cryptocurrency leaders and investors have donated millions of dollars to his campaign and aligned political committees. Trump’s campaign has not explained the former president’s 180-degree turn on bitcoin or the potential conflicts raised by this new crypto project. Brian Hughes, an adviser for the campaign, told CNN in a statement that Trump “is ready to encourage American leadership in this and other emerging technologies.”

While Trump’s about face on bitcoin was cheered on by the industry, there is growing concern that his personal interest in cryptocurrency is the latest example of a celebrity looking to capitalize on a buzzy new investment opportunity.

“A lot of projects have been building in this space for years with experienced teams and audited systems,” said Gareth Rhodes, an attorney at the regulatory firm Pacific Street and a former financial regulator for the state of New York. “Is this going to be part of that group of companies or is it more of a barometer of his political prospects like a meme coin or his media stock, which fluctuates whether people think he’s going to win the election?”

“Most people I talk to think it’s going to be in the latter camp but they’re waiting to see what the product is,” Rhodes added.

There are also potential security risks of having a president closely involved in an industry that has already suffered serious setbacks from high-profile fraud cases as well as orchestrated hacks by nefarious actors, sometimes in foreign countries.

Nic Carter, a crypto investor who supports Trump, warned on X that the new company would be “the juiciest DeFi target ever” for hackers, using a shorthand term for “decentralized finance.”

“At best it’s an unnecessary distraction, at worst it’s a huge embarrassment and source of (additional) legal trouble,” Carter wrote.

Yadav, the Vanderbilt professor, agreed, saying it could “damage his credibility as the crypto-president if the venture fails or results in members of his voter base losing their funds.”

Already, hackers posted messages on X accounts of Trump’s daughter Tiffany and his daughter-in-law Lara that linked their followers to a fake World Liberty Financial website.

Meanwhile, the biography for the real X account of World Liberty Financial reads like an omen of these potential pitfalls.

“Beware of Scams!” it says. “Fake tokens & airdrop offers are circulating. We aren’t live yet!”

Don't listen to there naysayers, those aren't "red flags", they are RED WHITE and BLUE flags!

This sounds amazing! How can I get own board? All of the true believers will be investing. And for those of you having trouble getting financing, the trumps feel your pain and they will help you!

No, this is not a pawn shop or a payday loan scheme. It's more elegant and less understandable and transparent.

Come on rubes, give them your money! There is no one you trust more than the trumpty family.

[KUTradition]

peoples lives will be ruined

[japhy]

Only people not named trumpty.

[KUTradition]

vance: stop calling trump a fascist and threat to democracy

trump: she’s a marxist and communist who is destroying our country and who’s election will bring about ww3

jfc

[jfish26]

vance: stop calling trump a fascist and threat to democracy

trump: she’s a marxist and communist who is destroying our country and who’s election will bring about ww3

jfc

I recall that some people have trouble understanding what gaslighting is and is not.

One helpful trick is that anyone who is telling you that it's the democrats who are responsible for the temperature of our political rhetoric, is gaslighting you.

[KUTradition]

vance: stop calling trump a fascist and threat to democracy

trump: she’s a marxist and communist who is destroying our country and who’s election will bring about ww3

jfc

I recall that some people have trouble understanding what gaslighting is and is not.

One helpful trick is that anyone who is telling you that it's the democrats who are responsible for the temperature of our political rhetoric, is gaslighting you.

lmao

i almost mentioned gaslighting

[japhy]

And he is NOT a racist, he has a black friend.

[Back2Lawrence]

I recall that some people have trouble understanding what gaslighting is and is not.

One helpful trick is that anyone who is telling you that it's the democrats who are responsible for the temperature of our political rhetoric, is gaslighting you.

The playbook has been, and will be, whatever they warn, they are doing. It's like saying you are offended or something is cringe, awkward, or whatever emotive response you are trying to hide behind.

Now, you may feel that way, but these words have been hijacked to allow the user a line of first assault to deflect any meaning/influence of who their 'offfender' is. Trump does this brilliantly (I don't think he's brilliant).

[jfish26]

I recall that some people have trouble understanding what gaslighting is and is not.

One helpful trick is that anyone who is telling you that it's the democrats who are responsible for the temperature of our political rhetoric, is gaslighting you.

The playbook has been, and will be, whatever they warn, they are doing. It's like saying you are offended or something is cringe, awkward, or whatever emotive response you are trying to hide behind.

Now, you may feel that way, but these words have been hijacked to allow the user a line of first assault to deflect any meaning/influence of who their 'offfender' is. Trump does this brilliantly (I don't think he's brilliant).

He is brilliant, in a reptilian sort of way.

It is the tragic paradox of our time that as our individual access to information and knowledge improves, our collective reasoning degrades.

[Back2Lawrence]

He is brilliant, in a reptilian sort of way.

Yes, I agree, but I hesitate to hint at any acknowledgment of brilliance or execution of plan in this setting. Psych isn't wrong with the mean-girls stuff (what he fails to mention is that he's the mean girl, or tries singularly to be with certain regularity). I actually wish I had a ledger of both sides of this so I could mock both sides accordingly. Ultimately, most of the arguments here devolve to this point, which allows this forum to be a microcosm of the nation as a whole.

For that reason, whether she is telling the truth or not, Kamala coming to the center and offering an olive branch (again, whether it's bullshit or not, TBD), I'm all in favor.