@aquamarineinca
Mostly retired in central coastal CA - career focused on wetlands, watershed ecology, stream restoration and soil science. I love a good topo map. Scuba diver, sea kayaker, nature and animal lover in general.
I worked in Office of General Counsel at Department of Defense. This by Dan Maurer, former JAG, is spot on.
Hypothetical Legal Advice to SecDef Hegseth on “No Quarter” Statement (from Office of General Counsel)
Warns of criminal liability
Gives legal precedents
Recommends retraction of statement
Looks like there's going to be another hearing on the legality of posting the depositions (gift article): www.nytimes.com/2026/03/13/n...
We are currently living in the stupidest country.
I'm still waiting for my paycheck for attending "No Kings" protests....
Ah!
Those flowers are more white than blue?🤔
Here's some baby blue eyes a few weeks ago along Shell Creek Road, San Luis Obispo County, CA.
Donald Trump is notorious for filing lawsuits at the drop of a hat. He's filed over 4,000 of them. Many for defamation.
But Donald *will not* sue Ted Lieu for defamation. Why? He's been told by lawyers that in defamation actions, truth is an absolute defense.
Ossoff: "The WH put out a video depicting this war as a video game. When service members are returning in flag-draped coffins, & even more have lost limbs or suffered brain injuries or are fighting for their lives, this WH treats war like a game. It's a disgrace. And it speaks to a moral rot."
🚨NEWS: Democrat Andy Thomson has won the Boca Raton mayoral race by just ONE vote.
🔵 Thomson — 7,568
🔴 Liebelson — 7,567
With 100% of votes in, Thomson becomes the first Democratic mayor of Boca Raton in over 30 years.
One vote decided the election.
He seems seriously unqualified to be talking about war. But I guess that means he fits in well with the Trump cabinet.
Just so we're all clear, this is a war crime and would be punishable by life or death under U.S. law.
Thx for the shortcut.
(1) The accused declared, ordered, or otherwise indicated that there shall be no survivors or surrender accepted; (2) The accused thereby intended to threaten an adversary or to conduct hostilities such that there would be no survivors or surrender accepted; (3) It was foreseeable that circumstances would be such that a practicable and reasonable ability to accept surrender would exist; (4) The accused was in a position of effective command or control over the subordinate forces to which the declaration or order was directed; and (5) The conduct took place in the context of and was associated with hostilities.
✋ Former USG war crimes lawyer here.
Apropos of SecDef's remarks this morning:
Denial of quarter—even the declaration of no quarter—is a war crime.
And recognized as such by the US Government.
From DoD's Manual for Military Commissions.
Murphy: I have great sympathy for our soldiers and our military leaders they are being given directions by a senile old man who is losing his mind. And so it's no surprise that this war is going horribly
What world does she live in?! Well...forget I asked that...
The killing of schoolchildren should shock our conscience and cause us to recoil in horror. A nation whose leaders can so easily shrug off the death of children, no matter the cause, is in need of moral repair. There must be accountability and lessons learned from this tragedy. And we must never forget that Iranian children, too, are children of God. 7:08 PM · Mar 12, 2026 · 7,179 Views
Shouldn't be rare to see this said by a US senator
Despite the slight mistake, I strongly recommend this CBC News video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Ql...
Under a federal 1997 settlement agreement, parents and children can generally not be imprisoned for more than 20 days in immigration jails, although the Trump administration is suing to reverse that ruling — and has violated it many times at the ICE family jail in Dilley, Texas.
"Top Trump officials acknowledged to lawmakers during recent classified briefings that they did not plan for the possibility of Iran closing the strait in response to strikes, according to three sources familiar with the closed-door session."
How is this real life? AYFKM
Please read and share. The “grassroots” support for the SAVE America Act is a lie. The campaign pushing this bill is being run by Cleta Mitchell and Scott Presler, two of the most notorious election deniers in the country.
bookmark this one, it's going in the hall of fame of regrettable historical quotations
Medicare for All - "That's socialism!"
Social Security - "That's socialism!"
Debt free education - "That's socialism!"
Universal childcare - "That's socialism!"
$1 billion per day on a war in the Middle East that no one wants, while millions of people at home struggle.
"That's just how it is."
Maasdam: What we’re doing overseas — spending billions of dollars a day. In two weeks, we probably spent $25 billion. We had an Ayatollah Khomeini to start, and now we have a new Ayatollah Khomeini. And how is this making things in my district more affordable for people? It’s not
Still not sure if we need Medicare for All?
Excellent😄.
Well, that explains *that*🤣😂🤣😂🤣...good god, what an idiot.
And we're stuck with him for 3 more years...
