The Rest of Everything Archives

Balloons, Balloons, Balloons!

February 15, 2023

Balloons, Balloons, Balloons!

Mark Rubin

Balloons, balloons, balloons! Decades ago, a Tucson businessman name Sid Omansky ran commercials for his appliance store – which focused on selling color television sets – with the tagline Balloons, balloons, balloons. (Competitor Ted Flash TV ads, voiced by talented Frank Kalil, closed with “Open … and Sundays after church.”)

I thought of Sid’s because of the balloon controversy. What a load of nonsense! Pure, unadulterated Nonsense!!!

A Non-Story

First, does anyone think China will learn anything significant – anything it can’t learn by other means – by floating a great big airbag over our nation? That we risked our national secrets because we didn’t shoot the effing thing down before it left the Pacific

balloons, China, Congress, Senate, Venn diagram

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Vote Like Your Life Depends On It!

November 7, 2022

Mark Rubin

Vote like your life depends on it!

Mark Rubin

Vote. Vote like your life depends on it. It matters greatly!

Crime

Be smart, too. Senators and Representatives have almost nothing to do with crime. (When we talk about crime, we mean property crimes and violent crimes?) Criminal laws exist at the state level, but for a limited number of crimes which the United States Code defines. Want to say something about crime? Elections for sheriff matter a bit, as do those elections for District or County Attorney. Truth be told, though, crime occurs for a slew of reasons that have nothing to do with elected officials at any level. Want to reduce crime? Improve economic conditions and support services

Law, The Rest of Everything

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Stephens / NYT / Climate Change

October 31, 2022

Mark Rubin

Stephens / NYT / Climate Change

Bret Stephens

I am a Sunday NYT subscriber. The paper arrives early, in its blue bag. It sits on the sidewalk for days, usually. Next stop? Atop the doghouse on what might be called the front porch.* Etc. My point? If I didn’t have to get a paper copy to access the online paper, I’d pass. Not my thing, simply!

Until October 28, 2022. I saw Yes, Greenland’s Ice Is Melting by Bret Stephens, went to print it out to read it – long – and saw lots of art. I decided to wait until Sunday and make a rare newsprint date. And I am glad I did.

Mr. Stephens shares his conservative perspective

Bret Stephens, climate change, John Englander, New York Times

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Politics: What a Mess!

October 22, 2022

Mark Rubin

Politics: What a Mess!

Mark Rubin

Schadenfreude: The Bannon Thing

Schadenfreude. Taking pleasure in another person’s misery. Not my thing, mostly, but every “not so much” provides a basis for exceptions.

I encountered Steve Bannon more than 25 years ago. My partner sued him and I went to work on the case soon after. I only suffered through being in this man’s presence once, but that contact – coupled with the actions that supported the lawsuit – offered many reasons to dislike him. (The actions that formed the basis for the suit provided better ones.)

It took me moments, when Americans started hearing about this guy, to realize I knew him and had sued him. Candidly, the only doubt occurred

carly simon, democracy, gas prices, Ian Hamilton, Joanna Simon, Lucy Simon, polls, Steve Bannon, voter intimidation

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Accepting Results When You Lose

October 17, 2022

Mark Rubin

Accepting Results When You Lose

Mark Rubin

I turned 65 almost five weeks ago. Thank you and all of you for providing me with guaranteed health insurance coverage through Medicare. Not sure if I am a net winner or loser, and we should ALL have access to affordable health care. Not what I am here about today, but thanks anyway.

I mention my age because people even younger than I am grew up with bromides from our mothers and fathers. One, of course, was Nobody likes a sore loser. Turns out, I am sorry to say, that Mom and Dad – mine, at least – got it wrong. About 40% of Americans like, and I mean, Really Like, the sorest

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My Dinners With Irwin

September 8, 2022

Mark Rubin

Rochelle Rubin, Irwin Sattinger, and Reille

My Dinners With Irwin

Irwin Sattinger died on September 5, 2022, two days after his 96^th birthday. Irwin was my stepdad in every way, but for the fact that he and Rochelle, my mom, never married. (I’m not messing with legalities or details here; for all purposes, he was my dad.)

My mom and Irwin lucked out. They found love and lived that love for many years. They understood, better than anyone I have ever known, how to accommodate one another. (Truth be told, Irwin knew how to attend to Rochelle and her flights of fancy. Best example? She sells her downtown San Diego condo within a year of her passing. Wants to

Food, The Rest of Everything

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Special Masters

September 2, 2022

Mark Rubin

Special Masters

Mark Rubin

Former Guy wants a new shiny object: a Special Master! A what?

Special Masters

Judges appoint special masters to assist them with some part of a case. Their role depends on the case but every special master acts subject to the limits of the order appointing them. Always, the judge makes final decisions.

Let’s start here: We are dealing with criminal proceedings, albeit at an early stage. Nothing in the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure provides for appointing a special master. But, federal and state courts believe judges have inherent authority to appoint a special master.

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provide for appointing masters expressly in Rule 53. The rule provides for lots

Former Guy, special masters, trump

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COVID Strikes

August 28, 2022

Mark Rubin

COVID Strikes

Mark Rubin

My COVID Stuff

My first positive COVID test appeared on Saturday, August 27, 2022. Roughly 30 months after we first learned about this rotten virus.

I traveled to Rochester NY on Tuesday to meet my new granddaughter, Estée Ora. First grandchild, by the way, and a lovely little girl who will be four weeks old on Monday morning. Call me smitten … and angry about my diagnosis.

My flight on Southwest Airlines arrived on time. No luggage issues. Unfortunately, most of the people on the plane did not see fit to wear masks. And, especially on the Phoenix to Chicago flight, the constant coughing and sneezing had me expecting a positive diagnosis. Obviously, I can prove

covid, granddaughter, rochester

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The Fifth Amendment and Former Guy (Trump)

August 12, 2022

Mark Rubin

The Fifth Amendment and Former Guy (Trump)

Donald J. Trump

My oh my! Former Guy appeared for a deposition – testimony under oath – on August 10, 2022. He relied on the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as a basis for providing no substantive responses.

The Fifth Amendment

The relevant language in the constitutional amendment states: “No person … shall be compelled in a criminal case to be a witness against himself … .” I don’t know what Former Guy said, in fact: Reporting suggests that he used the words “same answer” repeatedly. Generally, a witness who relies on the Fifth Amendment says, more or less, “I refuse to answer on the grounds that an answer may tend to

Donald J. Trump, Fifth Amendment, Former Guy, Merrick Garland, trump

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Search Warrant at Mar-A-Lago

August 9, 2022

Mark Rubin

Search Warrant at Mar-A-Lago

Former Guy

The Federal Bureau of Investigation served a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, Former Guy’s Palm Beach Palace, yesterday. Let the whining begin!

I expect that the FBI and those in charge at Main Justice obtained the search warrant because they believe Former Guy / others have committed serious crimes. This man deserves no more respect than anyone else when it comes to investigations of criminal conduct. That said, I am confident that the powers that be understand prosecutorial discretion. Yes, if evidence suggests a crime, authorities should investigate. However, reports of a roach in the White House would not and should not generate a criminal investigation of WH occupants for possession of marijuana.

Merrick Garland

Donald J. Trump, Former Guy, Mar-a-Lago, Merrick Garland

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