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Oral Argument This Coming Thursday on Presidential Criminal Immunity The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments this Thursday on an appeal of the ruling of the DC circuit regarding claims of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. What did the three-judge panel of the DC Circuit say in the opinion that is the subject of this appeal? Maybe you don’t have the time or inclination to read the full opinion. Here is the concluding paragraph, unedited, from the three-judge panel’s opinion. You can find the full opinion on the courts website for free. We have balanced former President Trump’s asserted interests in executive immunity against the vital public interests that favor allowing this prosecution to proceed. We conclude that “[c]oncerns of public policy, especially as illuminated by our history and the structure of our government” compel the rejection of his claim of immunity in this case. See Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. at 747–48. We also have considered his contention that he is entitled to categorical immunity from criminal liability for any assertedly “official” action that he took as President — a contention that is unsupported by precedent, history or the text and structure of the Constitution. Finally, we are unpersuaded by his argument that this prosecution is barred by “double jeopardy principles.” Accordingly, the order of the district court is AFFIRMED. I’ve been in the chambers of the Supreme Court during oral argument; it is quite an experience. In my opinion, I believe the court will draw the line for criminal liability close to where they have drawn it for civil liability for presidents. The court unanimously confirmed that presidents can not be civilly liable for official acts; however, they determined that this immunity does not extend to their personal (unofficial conduct). Clinton v. Jones (520 US 681) 1997. It will be interesting to see if they go beyond general principles and decide the matter in the pending appeal. Are you waiting see what the court rules or could you care less? Obviosuly a US centric query. |
| It should have been dismissed immediately and a statement similar to the DC Circuit Court's issued. The fact that they've decided to hear this is insane. I wish I could say I have faith in the Supreme Court's handling of this matter, but I do not. I am, to bungle a term, terrifyingly resigned to a likely ruling that will in essence, make presidents Kings. |
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| Aiva Raine - I remain cautiously optimistic that a reasoned balance will be struck. I agree with you that this is an important case regarding the nature of the presidency in the US system of government. Certainly the founders and framers were not looking for another King. |
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Another Speculative Fictional Story Ruined by Reality So, you have this clever speculative fiction story with a chase scene through a modern city with the cops and bad guys using jet packs. The editor rejects the story with a note, well written with a clever plot and interesting characters and dialog. But we are only taking speculative fiction, nothing speculative about this. The editor gives you the link to a story from Dubai about a recent race, yes using jet packs. |
| That's the thing about spec fic in the scifi field - technology is developing so fast that is it speculative or just something that could well be happening right now? That's why I stick with horror; anything can be made scary. And fantasy; just add dragons. (Having said that, I've had a few scifi shorts published...) |
I used to have dreams all of the time with me flying using jet packs. It was so much fun!  |
| I got one in my garage.... But it's older model mileage sucks... And the electric model is limited due to the Cord. |
Writing Journal What a silly idea. My first thought as I started down the road of creative writing, several years ago. But I gave it a shot and at first, it felt awkward. Now, I’m writing in it or thumbing through it several times nearly every day. Flipping through it now, what do I find? Here is a partial list of my most common entries Tracking progress on clearing publishers editors comments for novels and short stories Story ideas and concepts Short story rough outlines Ideas for WDC news posts Character ideas and outlines Research notes on various topics Tracking progress on promotional tasks Notes on the craft of writing Interesting news or articles Lists of submission openings and publishers What about you? Have one and what’s inside? |
| I do have one, but not active now. Will share that if it's more... err... active. |
| While I have several writing prompt journals, I don't have a writing journal like this. I have a bunch of notes in my note app on my iPod that include various writing ideas/prompts, word counts, character ideas, and plotting. It's a very good idea though. I'll have to look into starting one of these myself. Might be a bit more organized that way. |
Literary Critics Strange Admission I've been doing some research on popular writers in the mass market and what literary critics have said about them. I came across this short bit about an LA Times critic and Tom Clancy, I think it is from around the time of Clancy’s death. The critic referred to the books as “technobabble thriller[s],” that were all about commerce. I guess as opposed to literature. He added that there’s nothing particularly interesting about such books. Then the real kicker as he added, “which is one reason I never read his books.” So, he was quite sure these books read and enjoyed by tens of millions of us common folk are not at all interesting without even reading the books. I have wondered if many of the self-appointed literati take a dislike to popular authors simply because of their success with the great unwashed masses. Without even giving them a read. This is a data point that tends to support that suspicion. Do you pay more heed to what literary critics say or what the marketplace says before taking a chance on a book by an author you have never read? |
Lazy Writer est 4/24/2008  - youre not alone. I've done that. Yeah, we're strange. Live with it, will ya. Lol Actually, I look at the cover, the back, any intro inside the jacket covers too. If the first pages don't grab me, I might open it to the middle. I'm not fond of what the popular critics say even about movies. They might hate it but I liked it. That being said, I had looked forward to the newest Ghostbusters movie. I d I d go see it, sat through the whole thing. but honestly I almost wished I didn't go. It didn't have the same appeal as the first one. |
| I don't read trending novels, but I can relate that to something I do enjoy every day: music. As an Imagine Dragons fan since 2017, one who reads every headline and knows every track they've produced since their inception, I know all too well that ID is despised across the board by music critics, even though they're popular beyond belief and can boast of a bevvy of loving fans. The critics accuse ID of being trite, canned, overproduced and unartistic... It seems to me as if they only like bands that nobody ever heard of, with potty mouths, who habitually shred their guitars onstage and rant and rave. I think it's an affectation, quite frankly. They don't want to admit that a band this popular is actually decent, or else they scoff at decency as being childish. So, to answer your question in a roundabout way, I don't pay attention to what anyone at all says about music I've never heard. I read the lyrics to see if there's anything nasty, check the artist to see if their behavior is trashy, and then I'll listen to the song. Which is why I don't use streaming services. I'm extremely fussy and can't bear having songs shoved randomly down my throat. |
Memorable Sites April 18th is World Heritage Day, celebrating landscapes and structures that mark cultures of the world. Outside of my home country, my top three memorable travel sites are: Himalayas from Nagarkot; Angkor Wat at Sunrise; the Treasury of Petra coming out of the slot canyon. What about you, what are your most memorable sites from your travels? |
I have very short term memory so right now, it's Yokohama's Red Brick Warehouse  . For some reason, it reminded me of a scene in Tim Burton's Wednesday Addams on Netfix when they had a red brick scene. Also, on that day of our travel, they had these really cool vintage cars from the oldest to the latest. And you can see the ferris wheel from there. Beautiful wheel (view). Pun intended. |
| My most memorable places are: Aya Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey(Tutkyie). Plitvice Lakes National Park and Dubrovnik in Croatia. Clock tower in Prague, Czech republic. Szechenyi bridge in Budapest, Hungry. Mozart house and Mira-bell garden in Saltzburg, Austria. Bled castle and The Pilgrimage Church of The Assumption of Virgin Maria Cathedral in Bled, Slovenia. Museo del Prado(Prado Art Museum) in Madrid and Sagrada Famila Grand Cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. Grand Cathedral in Fatima, Portugal. |
Darkest Monster is Not a Fiction There are some horrible monsters and creatures born of the imaginations of writers. One of our WDC colleagues s  even has a dictionary project of such beasts. There is a real monster far more powerful than any of these flights of fancy that is quite real. It has no soul or empathy for what it devours. Its name implies the darkness that lies deep within, so black that no living creature can survive an encounter with it. Just by approaching too close, your body would be ripped apart by forces so great that you would be reduced to a stream of material resembling a strand of spaghetti. You guessed what it is? Okay, a few more clues. Inside its realm, the laws of physics fall apart driving physicists insane trying to explain its inner workings. Surely you know now. Yes, the black hole is a monster beyond anything in fiction. Quite real and while scientists continue to learn more, the inner sanctum and the center point known as a singularity continue to drive them mad. |
Closing the Deal Have you ever read a book, or short story or watched a TV show or movie that you really enjoyed except you hated the ending? You want to search down the writer and give them a piece of your mind. Have you ever gone back and read one of your own stories and had the same feeling? A story that you feel really good about except you now regret how you brought it to a close. I have on a few occasions and it’s kind of a nagging sensation. There seem to be three things behind my failed closings: 1. Rushed closing without enough thought of how to wrap it up, sometimes a word count limit. 2. Unsettled decisions about loose strings from the story. 3. A final shift in the tone, for example wanting to put a happy smile on what is a dark story or the opposite. Any experience of regrets in story endings of your own? |
| Oh yeah, I have that issue. The story you r/r'd the other day is like that; I fear the character of Dan is too weak and undeveloped and annoying. The central clash of characters remains unresolved, and I'm not satisfied with it. |
I appreciate that you mention some common causes of problem endings. This can help us identify the problem in our own writing. Though in a movie, running out of money can also be a cause (if they're shooting in sort of the correct order), so I've read.  For me, my regret is not ending stuff at all. I might start something (mostly NaNo projects), but I don't ever end them.  I only seem to be able to end short stories.   |
Newbie Portfolio Worth Checking Out When you have a moment check out the growing portfolio of newbie aracrae  . Well worth a visit. Keep Writing and Posting on WDC. |
100 MILLION GIFT POINTS AT STAKE? Has anyone else heard the rumor? The first WDC recorded review on a streak of one hundred days will get 70 million GPs and the first login for one hundred consecutive days will get 30 million gift points. Not that you should sit at your keyboard at 11:59.55 EST ready to hit enter. But maybe it’s worth your time. I’m not one for practical jokes or rumor-mongering unless of course there is some fun to be had. Surely you can trust a writer with a palindrome for a nom de plume. Tell a friend or maybe not. FULL DISCLOSURE. THE AUTHOR OF THIS POST DOES NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN AND DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY FOR RELIANCE ON SAID INFORMATION.  |
What’s on your Menu? No doubt you have had the experience of walking down the sidewalk or plaza in a large city. The country of your origin for this mental exercise. It’s getting near dinner time and you're getting hungry, but you aren’t famished. You stroll past restaurants and eateries looking in the window and eyeballing the menus. Everything from street vendors selling meat on a stick, a family-style diner, to an expensive French Restaurant with a Michelin Star, and everything in between. Imagine readers scanning through stories on WDC or your published works on Amazon or such. What food or restaurant style most matches what you have to offer? My writing is like a burger joint with lots of fast food options on the menu. A comfortable and clean place where you don’t have to worry about how you are dressed. What’s on your menu? |
One Month in Amazon's Top 100 Got an email today from the managing publisher for an anthology with one of my stories that launched in March. A short note to the contributing authors and curating editor congratulating us for one month in Amazon Top 100. Of course, it is a small publisher and it is just the top 100 of American Horror. But still, it was a pleasant surprise. Now back to the rest of the inbox where I am likely to find some gentle rejections. Why not throw in a shameless plug along with the self-congratulations as well? See Damon Nomad’s Death Trap in: Buy Jane Nightshade's Serial Encounters @ Amazon.Com! |
| Too Busy Writing to Write When I first retired and started writing fiction, I spent a lot of time actually writing. At least what I thought was writing. More properly, I would say I was drafting original prose. On a sidebar, it was quite horrible and I kept at it for a while. But thats a whole other story that you can find it my portal under the folder What a Mess in Journey Traditional Publishing Novels. There is a lot of guidance that exhorts authors to write so many hours, pages, or words every day. Which I take to mean drafting original words on the page. If you want to publish then you’ve learned there is a lot more to writing than just writing. Here is a partial list of eleven writing activities I spend time on since pursuing traditional publishing: outlining, character development, research, drafting-writing, content editing, copy editing, searching for publishers, querying publishers, responding to publishers' copy edits, reviewing publishers' final layout, and promotion after publication. It becomes a time management issue to create stories and novels that meet your expectations and garner acceptance from traditional publishers. The last and greatest challenge of all, attract readers willing to pay for what you created. Do you ever find yourself too busy writing to write? |
| I have a 250 words minimum a day, either fiction or columns. I don't count editing in that. When it comes to submitting, finding publishers, writing job application letters, that rigmarole, I do it to start the day. I often won't get to my writing until late morning; today (it is 2:45pm Friday as I type this) I hit the book I'm working on at 11am, and have so far added around 1500 words, with a pause in the middle to help a woman look up a grave. I have a break every so often to do WdC, but will keep writing until probably 8 o'clock tonight, on and off, then listen to some music. Writing is all I do; too busy to write? Too busy not to. |
Lyrical or Purple Some writers strive for a poetic or lyrical style to their prose. What I refer to as artistic writing. Not what I look for as a reader and not what I strive for as a writer. When I see it done well, I can appreciate it, but I would not read a novel filled with it. I am quite sure that it requires great skill to be done correctly. I can appreciate why some writers would aspire to elevate their writing to artistic levels. My writing goals are simpler and easier to achieve; engage and entertain readers. That’s enough of a challenge for me. I’ve also read stories that are shooting for artistic that come off as stilted and pretentious. It’s dense and doesn’t flow. I admit that I don’t understand the mechanics of where the line between beauty and clunky lies. I only recently learned that editors and writers have a specific term for it being done poorly, “purple prose.” Here is an example cited in one article of getting it wrong which rings true with me: Her voluptuous locks, spools of inky threads of night, cascaded and tumbled in mother nature’s burdened breath, making his tender, aching heart palpitate with desire. That’s an overwrought way of saying, “he loved the way her thick, dark curls blew in the wind.” (Source See Link Below) WRITING MASTERY BLOG Do you risk getting bruised purple in search of beauty? If you do, then a tip of the hat for reaching higher. |
Amethyst Angel (House Mormont)  - I gave it a look, didn't look purple to me. Gave you a short review. Nice cover art for the story by the way. |
| It entirely depends on the writer. Some come across as forced. Others are absolutely stunning. I think the latter have a better understanding of when to pump the brakes, resulting in rich prose that doesn't descend into absurdity. |
Chemtrails/Contrails Government Mind Control or Harmless Condensation Here is another conspiracy theory I came across. It’s known as chemtrails and it involves the long white wispy clouds left in the trail of jets. The conspiracy is that governments around the world are spraying chemicals high in the atmosphere for a variety of purposes. The two most common theories are weaponization of weather and mind control. If you remember some basic chemistry, you probably recall that combustion reactions involve: Hydrocarbons + oxygen ------> carbon dioxide + water + heat So, jet engines expel water high in the atmosphere, and in the right conditions, those water droplets turn into thin clouds known as contrails (condensation trails). Something I’ve known since before going to college. Here is what the Harvard Atmospheric Science Group has to say about chemtrails. HARVARD CHEMTRAILS LINK What do you see when you look up at these thin white lines? Danger or harmless water vapor? |
of course the TRUTH is that there is a SECRET MULTINATIONAL BUSINESS group that creates these conspiracy theories to HIDE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.    |
Adherennium Dr of Phoolishness  - My multinational corporate masters would like to know where you reside. They want to send you a fruit basket.  |
| Danger and harmless water vapor. While contrails reflect incoming sunlight, thus reducing the amount of incoming radiation contributing to global warming, apparently they might also trap outgoing heat. According to this, anyway. So, short-term, it's just a cloud. Long-term, it adds to the climate effect of the CO2 produced. Science is still being done, but one thing's for sure: it's not mind-control chemicals. They told me to make sure I emphasize that. |
Hollow Earth Theory I’ve long been fascinated by various conspiracy theories, for lack of a better label. The ones that are sustained for years with vast followings. I’m a natural skeptic and I enjoy a good mystery. There must be reasons why some of these myths are so widely believed and sustained for so long. Those reasons may be sociological and scientific as well as a bit of scamming by some promoters. I’m not a believer without substantial evidence validated by sound science and forensics. They also make for fertile ground for story research. Here is one I came across that you might find interesting. Adherents to the idea that earth is hollow and contains a terrestrial paradise. According to one of the stories, the great explorer Admiral Byrd entered the hollow earth through a south pole opening in 1946 and 1947 searching for World War Two refugees. CHECK OUT ONE OF THEIR WEBSITES For me, the counter-evidence of geology and physics squashes this theory to the absurd, in my humble opinion. I sense a niche market to make some money. What do you think? |
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