Song Befitting What the Senate Did to Our Country on January 31, 2020

Link to a Befitting Song

New Impeachment Standard Thanks to Marco Rubio

Little Marco has earned his name when he explained why the Impeachment clause does not mean what it says in plain, compulsory language: "Just because actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a President from office. ... I will not vote to remove the President because doing so would inflict extraordinary and potentially irreparable damage to our already divided nation." Just as an fyi, the Impeachment clause says this: "the resident, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from office if convicted in an impeachment trial of Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors" (emphasis added).

Lon's (at the Hermosa Inn in Phoenix)

It's been several years since eating at Lon's, and it's a pleasurable to report it's as good as it was and actually better in one respect. The setting, particularly outside, is simply lovely (be sure to ask for patio seating when making a reservation), the food is delicious (e.g., the roasted vegetables might be the best thing you've every eaten), and the prices, while not bargain basement, are not as bad as one might fear. But the most pleasant surprise is that the service is excellent and courteous and efficient and  (assuming one's memory is accurate in this regard) not at all officious as it used to be.

Link to Lon's Website

Smart Parking

We had thought that none of our loyal readers or anyone else is still parking or un-parking their own car instead of letting the car park itself and un-park itself and bring itself to you. But, it's been reported to us that there are still some readers who aren't quite sure even what smart (or smaht) parking is, much less having a car that does it for them. For them, and for anyone else who enjoys a great ad, here is what smart/smaht parking is all about: Link to Smaht Parking Ad

Question Time in the Senate: A Total Waste of Time

Maybe it will change as the questioning goes on, but the first 4 hours of so-called question time could not be more disappointing, and a total squander by the Dems of their time. With a couple of irrelevant exceptions and one good question from Senator Collins to the WH counsel, all the "questions" (some of which are little speeches and not questions) by the Rep senators were softballs directed to WH counsel so they can repeat their case or argue some irrelevancy, and all the "questions" by the Dem senators were softballs directed to House managers so they can repeat their case. I guess the rule upon becoming a senator is, if you are a lawyer, check your lawyer-ship at the door and do not begin to think that the chance to put cross-examination questions or just plain difficult questions to opposing counsel is a golden opportunity that you are using your tax-payer salary and staff to squander.

PS: Even still, after watching a couple of more hours, as feckless as the questions were, House manager (and again especially Schiff) answers were fantastic (e.g., "I can tell you what others thought Bolton meant by that but we can call him and find out") and the WH answers ranged from laughable (if this weren't so serious) to bizarre (e.g., Q: What did Bolton mean by a "drug deal"? A: "I won't speculate on what he meant").

PPS: The Failing NYT clearly fed my letter of yesterday about an "alternative deal" to Schiff. He just challenged WH counsel to stipulate to the facts of what Bolton will say consistent with his transcript in exchange for not calling him. 

Alternative "Deal" for Bolton Testimony

Here is the text of another letter the Failing NYT will bury:

"While a “deal” for witnesses (e.g., Bolton if Biden) is one the House Managers should jump at, here is a deal the House Managers could make that would frame the “witness issue” squarely: Bolton (and Mulvaney and the others) need not testify if the Senate confirms that the record establishes, by stipulated agreement, that President Trump held up aid to Ukraine solely for the purpose of, and for no other purpose than, pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into the Bidens to help Trump in his 2020 presidential election race. If the Republicans accept that deal, then they must give up the “even if he did it” qualification to their “doesn’t rise to the level of impeachment” defense. And if the Republicans do not accept that deal, then it puts even more pressure on them to allow Bolton (and the others) to testify. In all events, it would be insightful to see the Republicans’ reaction to such a proposed deal."

Good Reason to Boycott the Super Bowl Broadcast

The Super Bowl this year is being broadcast by Fox. A loyal reader has tipped us off that, just before the game, Fox will show an interview (likely taped) of President Trump by Sean Hannity. We checked it out and the loyal reader is not kidding. This is in addition to any add Trump is running during the game. 

Caution re Whole Foods (at Least in Central Phoenix)

[Prefatory Note: As all loyal readers and the horde of other readers know, I shun Whole Foods. Not only are the prices ridiculous and the customer service snootily outrageous, but their disregard of shelf-life for fresh items and even hummus (which we wrote about in December 2014: Link to Said Post) is nothing short of shamefool. The below post is courtesy of a loyal reader based on a very recent experience at Whole Foods, confirming that Whole Foods has not cleaned up its act even though its had 6 years to do so]

On January 24, 2020, a loyal reader bought a bag of organic Brussel sprouts, and promptly upon returning home put them in the refrigerator. Three days later, the bag of sprouts was taken from the refrigerator to prepare them for roasting. They were rotten. While the loyal reader sent in a photo of them, it was so disgusting our Food Investigative Team (FIT) decided not to post it here for fear of grossing out our readers. Here's the punch-line: The "Use-By" date was January 18--i.e., nearly a week before they were bought.

LESSON: If you insist on shopping at Whole Foods (at least in Central Phoenix), do not buy anything without looking at the "Use-By" date.  

Trump's Impeachment Defense Theme Song and Logo/Mantra

One can only wonder what inspired the Trump lawyers yesterday to make the "defenses" they did especially from Ken Starr ("we need to tamp down what's become an 'age of impeachment'") and Pam Bundi ("Giuliani did great stuff in Ukraine") and Dershowitz ("I know I'm the only one who espouses this view but everyone else including the Founding Fathers are wrong"). Here was the rallying cry that inspired them to take to the Senate floor:

Link to Impeachment Defense Theme Song

And here's the defense team's logo/mantra:

Dershowitz: An Embarrassment to Harvard and to Sanity

Dershowitz is now arguing that, even if what Bolton said is true in the manuscript, that’s not an abuse of power and not impeachable. This blog is known for deep analysis and careful thought. That said. Let's be clear on one point: Dershowitz is truly a total insane evil nut job.

Jury Duty

Jury duty is something everyone should take seriously even if the Republicans in the Senate do not. You should welcome the opportunity to serve. If you have a valid reason to be excused from jury duty, though, you should state it. Do not embellish it. Just state it. And, if you can draw a chuckle from the other 89 people called to serve and the judge, so much the better. And, if accepted, the judge just might let you continue with your blog (although do not mention your blog) instead of showing up for 4 weeks of a criminal trial. 

Pence: What a Kidder

[Prefatory Note: This post is thanks to a loyal reader alerting us to the point]

"The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Vice President Mike Pence urging Senate Democrats to follow the example of Edmund G. Ross, who “bucked his party and voted to acquit Andrew Johnson.” Pence praised Ross, who served as a Republican senator during Johnson’s presidency, for resisting “pressure” from his party and staying “true to his own convictions” to “render a fair judgment.” He favorably cites John F. Kennedy’s 1956 book Profiles in Courage, which depicts Ross who resisted “legislative mob rule” and “partisan impeachment.” The vice president draws parallels between Johnson and Donald Trump, asking, “Who, among the Senate Democrats, will stand up to the passions of their party this time?” As it turns out, Ross was likely bribed by the president for his vote.

Link to Article

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005, on Kanopy for Free or Amazon for Rental)

First of all, it's a true story. Second of all, it's very very good--unless you hate tear jerkers. The acting (Julianne Moore in particular; Woody Harrelson as well but not sure he was perfectly cast) is fantastic. The costumes and everything else truly capture the 1950s and into the 1960s. Third of all, it's unlike anything you've seen before which is what movie-making should be about. At the plot level, it's the story of a woman who enters jingle contests to keep her family above water. At the what's this movie/story about level, it's about what people do to keep going. 

IMDb Link to The Prize Winner

Fallacy of the Subjective Standard

Everyone agrees that Schiff's presentations were oral advocacy at the finest level. Indeed, the only dispute is whether anyone has ever done better. When it comes to evaluating the other House managers, there is some disagreement as to how good any of them were. Here's the key point to remember if you find yourself in such a disagreement: Just as there is an objective standard for what constitutes great vs. good vs. fair vs. poor vs. awful writing, or art for that matter, likewise, there is an objective standard for what constitutes great vs. good vs. fair vs. poor vs. awful oral advocacy. And when all  one is doing is reading a prepared script, as long as one can read, the highest level one can obtain by any fair objective standard is fair, and poor is the more common grade. In short, the idea that "I know what I like" is a fair standard by which to measure the greatness or lack thereof of a piece art or writing has no more bearing when brought to measure oral advocacy. 

National Theatre Live: Fleabag at the Phoenix Art Museum

The National Theatre live broadcasts live performance from London to theatres or other locales, such as the Phoenix Art Museum (in Phoenix, AZ). Fleabag is a one-act monologue-play starring the same star as Fleabag. It in effect is a distilled version of Season 1 although actually a little raunchier. It's not clear that it adds anything and it lacks the great asides the TV series is known for.

As to the technology, if you watched Fleabag at home on a decent high-res TV of decent size with a decent sound-bar, you will find the screening at PAM (not to mention the poor parking) to be very disappointing. The screen looks smaller than a home screen and it's down-right fuzzy. Astoundingly, they do not, despite any request, turn on closed captioning. Sheesh!

Link to NTLive Website

Accessing a Website From a Smart Device's Home Screen

Due to the strong growth of the smartphone market, the share of mobile phone website traffic is increasing every year, with more than half of all website traffic generated through mobile phones worldwide in recent years according to Statista .

If you also use your mobile phone to visit some particular websites regularly, you may find it more convenient and time-saving to go to the websites straight away from the home screen with just one tap, without going through a huge collection of bookmarks saved inside a browser.

To ease your task, some browsers have already allowed you to create a shortcut on the home screen to access a web page you like. Adding a web page shortcut to the home screen using a browser takes only about two steps. For example, in Chrome, tap the three-dot menu on the top right while on a web page, select "Add to Home Screen"; In Firefox, select "Page" from the three-dot menu, then tap "Add Page Shortcut".

Like app icons, web page shortcuts added from the browsers will appear as icons on the home screen. However, shortcut icons may look the same if they refer to the same website.

As an alternative, here is an Android app known as Website Shortcut that allows you to add web page shortcuts to the home screen with icons of your choice. Link to Website Shortcut

The Presentation by the House Managers and Particularly Schiff

The job Schiff did is nothing less than fantastic. Without a doubt, he’s the best advocate on his feet I’ve ever seen. His command of the record and his stamina are beyond belief, and his ability to speak in a persuasive manner (in the main without notes) is breathtaking. My ONLY criticism (beyond the selection of some other or even any other managers, particularly Nadler) was their taking the full time and being so repetitive. If they had gone from 11-2, and then let the TV stations take over for re-cap and re-play and analysis for the rest of the afternoon, and then come back with Schiff  for 1-2 hours of early prime time, followed again by a couple/few hours of re-cap and re-play and analysis, the presentation of the case against Trump would have been perfect. 

What to Watch for When the President Rebuts on Monday: Will the Dog Bark?

There were two things the president's team did very well today: They spoke in calm tones; and they finished in two hours. By finishing in two hours, TV, which had allotted 8 hours of impeachment trial coverage time, spent the rest of the day in one-hour time tranches going over what happened so, for anyone who missed the presentation, they got to see highlights of and extensive commentary about it. 

On the other hand, beside engaging in the most part in irrelevancies, misrepresentations, and lies, and never really answering the case made by the House managers, the defense surely said enough about various factual issues as to the president's motivation and to the lack of first-hand witnesses to what the president said or did or thought to give them further ammunition to argue for witnesses and documents. But, either by design to avoid a fatal trap or to wait until they have a larger live audience, the defense did not assert that Biden and his son were corrupt--worthy of being investigated or even that the president actually believed they were corrupt. How this omission sits with the president is anyone's guess. But, if he wants his team to assert that he "did nothing wrong" and the phone call was "perfect," they have got to say that Trump believed (and had some reason to believe) the Bidens were corrupt. And, if they do that, unless the Dems take the position that the Bidens cannot be called as witnesses, the witness/document door should fly wide open.

Home Away Update 2 and Note of Caution re Disputing a Partial Credit Card Charge

We know that there are many loyal readers and others following the saga of getting a refund for a house rental where staying in the place is not possible because it was uninhabitable. We appreciate the expressions of sympathy we have received from them, and hope they will be heartened to hear that the fight is not over yet. Specifically, when all other recourse has failed, one can try disputing the charge with the credit card company, and that's just what we have done. While we don't know yet if that ultimately will work, one note of caution: If you're disputing a portion of a credit card charge and not the whole amount, do not do the dispute online, because it does not give you the option of disputing part of a charge, and it will register a dispute for the whole amount. So, in such circumstances, just submit the dispute by phone. 

Scalp Scrub Recommendation: Christophe Robin

The endorsements by Claudia Schiffer and Catherine Deneuve left me skeptical. But, when my friends Natalie (Portman) and Tilda (Swinton) told me about Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt, I tried it and immediately joined The Scrub Club. It not only deep cleans the scalp, but also moisturizes it and leaves it feeling hydrated. It's 250 ml is well worth the $53, but it can be found on Amazon (with free one-day delivery) for under $50.

Link to Christophe Robin Website

What to Watch for When The President Rebuts

The best hope the Dems have is that the President's defense team makes the following argument (as they did in their trial brief): Trump did not hold up the aid to Ukraine for any corrupt purpose or to further his own political advantage ... he did so in furtherance of fighting corruption or seeking to have allies increase their financial commitments to Ukraine--and if they push it, by arguing there is no non-hearsay or direct evidence to the contrary. That would present the most compelling, and perhaps the only compelling, argument at this point as to the need to have Mulvaney, Bolton, and the other OMB reps testify, to-wit: They have first-hand knowledge of the president's intent because they were, as Hamilton would have said, "in the room when it happened." Similarly, the President's defense team might not be able to resist arguing that there actually is evidence to establish corruption by Biden or his son, and so, if any witnesses are called, the Bidens must also be called. Let's just hope the House managers jump to say, "We are open to having any witness the President wants to call provided we can call the witnesses we want to."

Another Two Perfect Quotes Invoked by Schiff

Schiff opened the trial quoting a letter from Hamilton to Washington (as shown in an earlier post). He opened up the last day with a quote from Lincoln: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”

And Schiff opened the peroration of his closing  with the following quote from Robert Kennedy: "Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.”

Trivia Question: Most Impressive Statistic in All of Modern Sports?

[Courtesy of PTI]

Answer: Wayne Gretzky would be the all-time NHL point leader ... even if he had not scored a single goal.

Fair Impeachment Trial to the American People

Here is the text of another letter the Failing NYT will likely turn a deaf ear to:

"In a normal trial, the party with the burden of proof goes first and last, i.e., it gets to rebut the defense’s arguments. Under the Senate impeachment rules, the House managers do not get to go last or rebut what the President’s impeachment team is going to say. At least they don’t get to do so in the Senate trial. But what they can and should do is have a rebuttal video ready to go the minute the President’s defense rests to play on television for the American public to see. While that would not insure a fair trial in the Senate, it would go lengths to insure a fair trial before the American people."

Setting Up and Using a Home Fax Machine on Your Primary Landline With Voice Mail

While faxing is pretty much yesterday and e-faxing can obviate the need for a home fax machine, some people find it nice to have a home fax machine. Unless you're willing to pay for a separate fax line (in which event set the fax machine to fax only), or there's no voicemail on your primary line (in which even set the fax machine to fax/tel), and you are running the fax on your primary landline that has voice mail, it is a bit tricky. First, set the fax machine to Manual. Outgoing faxes are sent just like always. But for incoming faxes, when the fax rings in, you need to pick up your telephone and hit * 5 1, and then hang up the phone. On the one hand this is a bit of a pain (made easier if you create a * 5 1 speed dial), but on the other hand, it obviates your getting unwanted faxes.  

How and Why the Republicans Should Vote to Convict and Remove

[Prefatory Note: Below is an excellent idea submitted by letter to the Failing NYT. As implausible as you might find it ever happening, it is safe to say that it more likely that it will happen than the Failing NYT printing the letter or conceding that it's letter selection committee is a bunch of babies and losers]

       "The impeachment trial presents the last chance for the Republicans to save our constitutional system and get rid of Trump. Getting enough Republican senators to reach 67 votes to convict is unlikely if not impossible, because those 14 Republicans would be hung out to dry. But, if all 53 Republicans agreed to vote to convict, Trump is gone and stripped of much of the power to punish those who betrayed him. And tactically, if all 100 senators agreed to vote that way, they could go to Trump before the vote and give him 30 minutes to exercise his pardoning power. Then, upon his pardoning himself and his family, and whomever else, the public support for convict and remove will have spiked, and the country can move on. 

"Putting aside any patriotic motivation, the impeachment trial presents the last chance for the Republicans to save their party. A major portion of Trump’s 40%-43% support are not Republicans in any traditional sense. They are Trump loyalists. If Trump loses in 2020 or even if he wins, once Trump is gone, the Republican party, such as it is (or perhaps better said such as it was), will have no hold on them. Put another way, there is no one (fortunately) enough like Trump to take his place with them. Nor would the Republican party’s supposed principles of smaller government and  fiscal responsibility have any appeal to them. So, given all that, the choice for the Republican party is whether to try to save the party and themselves by convicting him and removing him now by impeachment, or waiting until it’s too late."

Windows 10 Updater

Windows 10 by default will install various updates automatically. But not all. It's a good idea to go to Start/PC Settings/Update & Security and Check for Updates and, if there are any, the install will happen right from there. Easy Peasy as they say. There might even be computer updates as well as Windows updates. 

Google Takeout

[Courtesy of the Failing NYT]

Google offers many tools to manage your user data. But most of us don’t use them because they are difficult to find. Google Takeout (google.com/takeout), which lets you download copies of your Google data, is one worth perusing. If you want to take your files and move them to another web service, Google Takeout can streamline the process. Let’s say, for example, you pay a few dollars a month to store photos on Google Photos and decide you no longer want to pay. On Google Takeout, you can download all the photos to your computer before canceling your subscription.

Here’s how:

• At google.com/takeout, check the box for Google Photos. Then click Next step.

• Set Delivery method to Send download link via email and Frequency to Export once. For the file type, choose .zip and for the file size, choose 50 GB.

• Click Create Export. Google will take some time to compile an archive of your photos. When your archive is ready, you will receive an email with a link to download your photos. When it’s done downloading, just double click the .zip file to decompress it into a folder containing all your photos.

How Stupid Can Schumer and the Dems Be?

Ted Cruz (apparently with consent of the White House) offered that Bolten could testify if Hunter Biden testified. Schumer shot down the proposal which may not be surprising given is shortage of intelligence. But so did Schiff which is just stunning given what a brilliant advocate he seems to be. Their position should be: You can call any witnesses you want, and we hope you will allow us to call any witnesses we want. I'm in shock and depressed beyond words.

Link to Story

PS: This is not the first time the Dems have proven themselves to be idiots. In 2000, if David Boies, clearly pushed by Joe Lieberman and okayed by Al Gore but also likely his own view of how to proceed, had not advocated cherry-picking what got recounted in Florida (which involved excluding even foreign military ballots), but instead had asked for a state-wide recount, Gore likely would have become president, we would not have invaded Iraq, and 16 years later, Trump would not have become president. 

Schiff's Opening Statement and Hamilton's Letter to Washington: Must Read

"Mr. Chief Justice, Senators, counsel for the President, and my fellow House managers:

'When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits—despotic in his ordinary demeanour—known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty—when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity—to join in the cry of danger to liberty—to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion—to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day—It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may ‘ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.’

"Those words were written by Alexander Hamilton in a letter to President George Washington, at the height of the Panic of 1792, a financial credit crisis that shook our young nation. Hamilton was responding to sentiments relayed to Washington as he traveled the country, that America, in the face of that crisis, might descend from “a republican form of Government,” plunging instead into “that of a monarchy.

"The Framers of our Constitution worried then—as we worry today—that a leader could come to power not to carry out the will of the people that he was elected to represent, but to pursue his own interests. They feared that a president could subvert our democracy by abusing the awesome power of his office for his own personal or political gain.

"And so they devised a remedy as powerful as the evil it was meant to combat: Impeachment."

------------------

This link continues Schiff's Opening: Link to Schiff's Opening

The Problem I Have With My Friends

My friends and I spent many joyful hours playing games. Dictionary was one of them, where Galactagog won for getting the most votes as "a synagogue in the Milky Way." Alas, time has marched on, and now it's just not the same. As well put by the New Yorker, here is what it's now like trying to play charades with these people:

Curb Your Enthusiasm (New Season on HBO)

We stopped watching the last season of CYE because it just got bad. The new season premiered this Sunday on HBO and, if the first episode is an omen, it's a really good omen. It's a pretty pretty good episode. Not perfect. But more than enough hold your stomach laughs to bring you back for the second episode. BTW, while Jeff Greene looks like Harvey Weinstein, trust me, he's not. 

Avenue 5 (on HBO)

A new series on HBO starring Hugh Laurie. We love Hugh Laurie ... but this series is truly stupid and boring. It will not last.

Stockholm (2018 on Amazon)

Stockholm is riveting. It's only 1.5 hours and it grips you from the beginning and doesn't let you go to the end. Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace are fantastic as is the rest of the cast. It's the story of a bank robbery ... no it's a story that takes place in a bank robbery ... where the Stockholm Syndrome is featured as is the story of the police and the politicians and a bunch of others. This is MUST SEE stuff. And btw (which means by the way), it's based on a true story.

IMDb Link to Stockholm

Two Impeachment Mistakes

Trump Impeachment Team's Mistake:  If the Trump team actually followed the Dershowitz argument, which in effect takes all the factual allegations of the impeachment articles as true, and then argues that they are insufficient to warrant conviction and removal, they would have a strong case to preclude the calling of any witnesses. Instead, unwilling to rely on the Dershowitz defense, here is what their brief argues: "'President Trump had legitimate policy concerns about foreign aid,' the memo said, claiming that Trump had put the military aid on hold due to 'policy concerns' and that the aid was released after those concerns were later satisfied. That contention not only would compel the calling of witnesses, it would say that Trump himself would be the key witness to support that defense--and while the House Managers cannot compel his appearance, they sure should focus on the point in the so-called court of public opinion.

House Manager Team's Mistake: Not only is there scant reason to believe the House Managers appreciate the above point, worse, it appears Nadler (unfortunately, one of the House Managers) at least appears to be on a campaign to justify his not allowing the Bidens to testify at his hearings and now to argue they should not be compelled to testify in the Senate trial. The position of the House Managers on witnesses should be: We will not oppose the Trump team's calling any witness to testify (other than to insure that the whistle blower's identity will not be compromised if he or she is called to testify). Put another way, it is time for the Democrats not only to be fair and to look fair, but to be and to look fair beyond even a scintilla of doubt as to their fairness. 

The Carry on Closet

While we remain committed to the soft duffle bag, because of how easily it stores in the overhead bin, if one is going with a hard suitcase, the "carry on closet" (which the NYT alerted us to) from Solgaard (and others) is worth a look-see. It's big advantage, especially on trips where you might be staying at a given place only a night or two, and don't want to spend time unpacking and repacking, is that it's its own closet (and doesn't cost more than luggage of equal quality, size, and materials).

Closed:                                        Opened:




Link to Solgaard Website

Trials Where the Judge Is the Jury Happen Every Day

However much the brilliant TV pundits get paid for their analysis and explanation of things we in the audience are too stupid to know, it is too much. For example, in informing us that, "unlike a trial," here the jury (the senators) are also the judge (the senators). What are they (including even Jeffrey Toobin and others who used to practice law) talking about? Every day cases are tried to judges with no juries, and in some cases, there is no right to a jury trial. Our Executive Director and Chairman can attest to this because, before starting this blog, he lost plenty of cases in judge trials where there was no jury.

PS: Speaking of Toobin, in debating Dershowitz, whose only point was (and apparently the one and only point he will argue in the Senate as part of Trump's legal team) that supposedly no crime is asserted to support the impeachment, besides making faces of incredulity and generalized assertions that Dershowitz was wrong, never thought to put a simple proposition to Dershowitz: If the GAO's finding that what Trump did in withholding aid to Ukraine was illegal, would that change Dershowitz's conclusion, and  if so, doesn't the Senate have to make the determination as to whether or not the GAO's finding was correct or not?

Fix If Google Play Store Keeps Stopping

There are two extreme fixes if you keep getting a "Unfortunately, Google Play Store Has Stopped" error message on your phone or tablet: (i) A factory reset; or (ii) abandon (disable or remove) Play Store, and use another app store. There are three easy fixes: (i) Check that your clock is showing the correct time and, if not, reset the time; (ii) clear the cache and date from the Play Store app; or (iii) uninstall and re-install your Google Account. Between the two extremes, and in all likelihood the appropriate fix, is to re-install the latest Play Store APK (Android Package Kit) by opening the device's browser, finding the latest Play Store APK on any mirror site (e.g., APKmirror.com), downloading that APK, finding it in your downloads (My Files), and installing it (after giving permission to install from third-party sites), and re-starting your device.

Projector TVs Are Back Baby ... Better Than Ever and Affordable

[Prefatory Note: We were shocked to learn that some people are still watching movies and sports and other TV stuff at home on TVs that are just 75" or even smaller. Projector TVs used to require their own room, cost up to $100,000 to install, and involved a host of other shortcomings. If you still think that's the case, it's time to break your Luddite chains and join us in the 21st Century. The following article from the WSJ explains how practical and convenient and inexpensive and other wonderful projector TVs, called Ultimate Short Throw (UST) projectors have become]  

As we approach this year’s Super Bowl—the first to be broadcast in 4K—projector TVs have evolved temptingly. You no longer have to ratchet them into ceilings, or spring for blackout curtains because they require total darkness. Gone too are the days of spending way more than you would for a traditional TV setup (though competitive perfectionists still can). So if you’re looking to casually impress friends and family come kickoff, read on.

What’s Changed

You can position them more flexibly

While most projectors are still hot heavy boxes that need to be placed across the room to beam their incandescent images, Ultimate Short Throw projectors are changing the way this technology is used and installed. Meant to sit on a console, UST projectors project onto a wall that’s right in front of them. No more running a cable across a room to a complex installation spot.

The VAVA 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector ($3,499, vava.com) will fire up a 150-inch, 6,000 lumens, 4K image while sitting just a few inches from the wall. Plus, it has three fans for temperature control and offers Netflix and other streaming apps for download.

The latest UST projectors also sound good. Most ceiling-mounted projectors need to be wired for sound, but the VAVA (situated in front of you, not behind) doubles as a soundbar, blasting the game’s play-by-play back at you with acoustics designed by Harman Kardon.

They’re no longer dim bulbs

You’re not constrained to projecting shows in pitch darkness anymore. Many projectors now use lasers and digital light projection tech that creates flat-screen-like images, delivering enough brightness and contrast to let you watch a game on a sunny afternoon. Pair a cutting-edge projector with a good screen (see sidebar, “Game On”) and you’ll be adequately set up for less than you’d think.

While not at all cheap, LG’s Laser Smart Home Theater CineBeam Projector ($5,600, lg.com) projects a 120-inch, 4K image bright enough to be seen even with the blinds open. Its built-in Google Assistant lets you connect it to smart home devices.

Prices have plunged

According to data analysis company Thinknum, which tracks retail prices across dozens of online retailers, the average price of projectors sold at Best Buy has dropped from an average of $1,300 in 2018 to just $800 today.

Prices of higher-end projectors have dipped too. For $2,000, you can pick up the Xiaomi Mi Laser Ultra-Short-Throw Projector (mi.com), which has smart TV tech built in and can produce a 5,000 lumen, high-def image that scales up to 150 inches.

What Hasn’t

You still get a ‘disappearing TV’

While these devices project bigger and brighter images, one of their key advantages remains intact: Your “TV” vanishes as soon as you kill the power. No more 65-inch black rectangles dominating your otherwise chic living room, no more arbitrary yule logs or music videos unfolding on that box just so the light isn’t sucked out of your party. Now that you don’t have to mount the projectors, they can be hidden away too.

They’re still compatible with most tech

A bit more good news: Projectors come complete with HDMI ports and HDR imaging and can connect to Wi-Fi, smartphones and Bluetooth headphones (should loved ones be asleep). And fret not, gamers: The latest PS4 Pro will plug right in without a hassle. It’s no longer a project to own a projector.

GAME ON / THE BEST SURFACES FOR BEAMING IMAGES

ILLUSTRATION: NISHANT CHOKSI

Plain Old Pain

No need for a screen if you have a big, empty wall, matte white paint and a confident brush stroke. Uniformity and flatness are key when rolling on coats of Sherwin Williams’s ProClassic Extra White. From $78 per gallon, sherwin-williams.com

ILLUSTRATION: NISHANT CHOKSI

Portable Pull-Down

Beyond delivering a giant image, a projector’s other selling point is its portability. Want to take the party outside? Unroll this 75-inch Insignia screen, which sits atop a lightweight tripod, and you’re good to go. $120, bestbuy.com

ILLUSTRATION: NISHANT CHOKSI

Fixed-Frame Favorite

Serious about image quality? Get a serious fixed-frame screen that reflects the most light and provides a flat and even viewing surface. This 120-inch Monoprice option gives UHD content the respect it deserves. $649, monoprice.com

ILLUSTRATION: NISHANT CHOKSI

Motorized Movie Theater

Not only will this 120-inch Monoprice screen give you a great viewing surface for a season of games, it disappears into its casing with the click of a remote, turning the living room back into a library. $906, monoprice.com