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Articles by Thomas Harper
Book details Trump's billion-dollar grift
President Donald Trump's con and grift are on full display in Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan's book "Regime Change." The authors reveal that between his two presidencies, Trump came to believe he had been too accommodating of long-established norms in his first term. He bemoaned stopping short of what ethics watchdogs demanded and vowed his second term would be different - one where his sons and the sons of Steve Witkoff, his Middle East envoy, could do as they pleased.
On Self-Regulation
The government is part of the capitalist system. A vote is a form of capital. Votes can be exchanged. People pay for and consume government products and services. If they don’t like the way government is functioning, they can work to change it or get rid of it and form a new government. Government is no meta-economic entity. Imagine a planet with no regulation of business and industry.
Good Government?
Good Government? By Thomas Harper, S.B. Sun Mar 16, 2025 | 3:31pm Add to Favorites I’m pretty certain that humans are incapable of self governance. I mean, geez-louise, how is Marxism different from capitalism and can anyone point to any country with a “good” government? We seem incapable of working together toward anything. Giggle, wheeze, cough, ow … it kinda makes one happy to be terminally ill. Giggle. I’m ready to “shuffle off this mortal coil.”
The UK-US Data Bridge: Practical Considerations for UK Organisations | JD Supra
October 13, 2023 To embed, copy and paste the code into your website or blog: The UK-US Data Bridge (the "Data Bridge") has now come into effect, potentially simplifying transfers of personal data from the UK to the US. On 12 October 2023, the Data Bridge took effect.
95.5 Percent
Santa Barbara was a sustainable community for about 15,000 years, then the Padres arrived and knock the ecosystem out of whack. Does anyone seriously think it will ever be sustainable again? I do. When about 99.5 percent of the population disappears! Login Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription Username or Email Address Password Remember Me Not a member? Sign up here.
Mere “upset” not sufficient for GDPR compensation claims - Advocate General | JD Supra
The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU has issued an Opinion stating that mere "upset" is not sufficient to give rise to a claim for compensation under Article 82 of the GDPR. Background In the underlying case, the defendant (a postal company) collected personal data (including that of the claimant) for the purpose of publishing address directories. The defendant used an algorithm to classify the claimant within possible target groups for election advertising.
On Pleasurable Beliefs
A Qanon believer walks with a "Trump JFK jr." flag in Carson City, Nevada, US, January 16, 2021 (Photo by Ty O'Neil via Getty Images.) In November 2021, a few hundred people set up camp outside Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, where John F. Kennedy was assassinated 58 years earlier. The people gathered there believed that the slain president’s son, John F. Kennedy Jr., who died in a plane crash in 1999, was about to return.
Sediment and Sand
Gibraltar Dam recently had its centenary to no fanfare at all. A monument to the lack of foresight in all things Santa Barbara, it was built and started filling up with sediment. It was raised but was still filling up with sediment at an alarming rate. A number of debris dams were built which are all filled in with sediment. Go humans, you are enlightened and beautiful.
Fascism is un-American
By Thomas Harper, Las Vegas Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 | 2 a.m. Kudos to the writer of the Jan. 17 letter “QAnon doesn’t act like patriots” for recognizing that President Donald Trump and the far-right conspiracy group QAnon detest antifa and that antifa is short for anti-fascist, which means Trump and QAnon are pro-fascist. Fascism is authoritarianism, contemptuous of electoral democracy. It’s violently exclusionary and arouses popular enthusiasm by using propaganda.
Disasters abound on Trump’s watch
By Thomas Harper, Las Vegas Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 | 2 a.m. In the Oct. 27 letter “We’ve been down Biden’s road,” the author poses the incredible question of what is wrong with a picture in which Joe Biden blames President Donald Trump for the current dismal state of affairs of our country. Apparently, he is not aware of former President Harry S.
A Walk
Letters A Walk By Thomas Joseph Harper, S.B. Sat Aug 15, 2020 | 4:51pm Having a walk down Dolores Huerta (formerly San Andres Street). Add to Favorites × Login Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription Not a member? Sign up here. Privacy Policy Copyright ©2020 Santa Barbara Independent, Inc. Reproduction of material from any Independent.com pages without written permission is strictly prohibited.
Men Are a Minority
Letters Men Are a Minority By Thomas Joseph Harper, S.B. Wed Mar 04, 2020 | 1:02pm -Men are a minority. -Men don’t live as long. -94% of prison population is male. -79% of suicides are male. -It is men who have to fight wars. #metoo #malelivesmatter #thefutureisfemale Add to Favorites × Login Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription Not a member? Sign up here. Privacy Policy Copyright ©2020 Santa Barbara Independent, Inc.
Pat Toomey failed ‘true test of morals’ with Trump impeachment votes | Opinion
“Choose the harder right over the easier wrong.” This principle, featured in the United States Military Academy Cadet Prayer, is part of the bedrock of true leadership. As a former Boy Scout and elected representative of this Commonwealth, Senator Pat Toomey undoubtedly knows that principle well. Having proudly worn the uniform as a service member for more than 17 years, I can personally attest that while such a principle is easy to agree with, it can often be challenging in practice.
A phase III randomized controlled trial of tiotropium add-on therapy in children with severe symptomatic asthma
Article in Press A phase III randomized controlled trial of tiotropium add-on therapy in children with severe symptomatic asthma Stanley J. SzeflerxStanley J. SzeflerSearch for articles by this authorAffiliationsDepartment of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, The Breathing Institute, Aurora, ColoCorrespondenceCorresponding author: Stanley J.
The Immaculate Reception Monument
Before 1972, the Pittsburgh Steelers hadn’t won an NFL championship for 40 years. But on December 23, 1972, the team had its first playoff game in franchise history. Down by one point against the Oakland Raiders, it was 4th down with only seconds to go in the 4th quarter, when one of the most famous—and controversial—plays in American sports history went down.
The Summit Scaling Subculture of Highpointing
We aspire to climb to the summit of Mount Rainier in Washington, as well as Charles Mound, at the top of a family’s driveway in northwest Illinois. We wish to ascend to the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains — Colorado’s Mount Elbert — as well as Panorama Point, a low rise on a bison ranch in Nebraska. We want to climb the very pinnacle of the continent — Denali in Alaska at over 20,000 feet above sea level — as well as Britton Hill, at 345 feet above sea level in a park in the Florida Panhandle.
Grave of George Swanson
George Swanson loved his 1984 Corvette so much, he made a promise with his wife that he be buried in it. In the historic Brush Creek Cemetery near Irwin, Pennsylvania, Caroline Swanson made sure that promise was kept. On May 25, 1994, George, a local beer distributor and World War II veteran, was laid to rest in his beloved white muscle car.
No Smoking Shenanigans
It is onerous, misguided legislation like the city’s proposed smoking ban that got Donald Trump elected president. People are getting sick of thoughtless shenanigans like this. I smoke only to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The clients at the Fellowship Club smoke to alleviate anxiety. I have been suffering badly from car exhaust fumes for the last nine days; my lungs ache, my eyes burn, my head hurts, and my stomach is sick. The city does nothing to curtail automobile use.
McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
This unique presidential library was built on the grounds of the William McKinley National Memorial, which contains the remains of the assassinated 25th President of the United States. The complex contains not only the domed mausoleum and presidential archives, but also a planetarium, science museum, and history museum, complete with animatronic dinosaurs and McKinleys, respectively. Born in nearby Niles, Ohio, William McKinley served as an officer in the Ohio Infantry during the Civil War.
Ausable Chasm | Atlas Obscura
For almost 150 years, travelers have left messages at the "Post Office" rock formation in Ausable Chasm in the Adirondacks. A mile-long gorge cut by the Ausable River, Ausable Chasm was a thriving industrial center during the mid-19th century. Power for iron mining and logging was aided by the rushing Rainbow Falls at the head of the gorge, and many mills and factories lined the river.
Wyler Aerial Tramway
A cable car once used to maintain a radio transmission antenna now takes visitors to the top of Ranger Peak in Franklin Mountains State Park for wide views of the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez area. El Paso, Texas, sits at the base of the Franklin Mountains, and the end of the range separates the east and west halves of the city. Ranger Peak commands a wide view of the area, and the KTSM radio station selected it as the place to build their transmitter.
Pittsburgh Snoopy Doghouse
Built by a Pittsburgh Public Works carpenter, the sleeping Snoopy and his doghouse keeps electrical conduits and wires out of the way of pedestrians with whimsical tribute to Charles M. Schulz. Near the intersection of the Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix Street in downtown Pittsburgh, Snoopy sleeps on his doghouse in an iconic 3D image straight from the Peanuts comics.
Rent-a-Wright: High Architecture That Anyone Can Enjoy (for a Price)
Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings are prized, celebrated, and priceless works of architecture. While some Wright houses and buildings can be visited and toured, there are a few scattered across the United States that can also be rented. In these "Rent-A-Wrights" one can enjoy his design principles while cooking dinner, watching TV, doing laundry, or even drinking beer in a backyard created by one of the most gifted architects of the 20th century.
Zeroes After Zeroes: The World's Highest Currencies
Throughout the history of paper money, there have been instances of bills printed that go into the millions, billions, trillions, and even the quintillions. Some are historical relics worth much mainly to collectors, while others are still in use today. The United States $100 bill is known the world over. According to former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, two-thirds of all $100 bills circulate outside of the country.
Zeroes After Zeroes: The World's Highest Currencies
Throughout the history of paper money, there have been instances of bills printed that go into the millions, billions, trillions, and even the quintillions. Some are historical relics worth much mainly to collectors, while others are still in use today. The United States $100 bill is known the world over. According to former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, two-thirds of all $100 bills circulate outside of the country.
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