BLOG SHUTDOWN?

 As we are not (surprisingly) an essential element of the government, we may get shut down if the government gets shut down. And let's face it- who wants to work if the EPA isn't working?

In other news, the director of the FBI fired all the remaining agents who haven't previously been fired. "I told you I was going to shake this place up, and I have" crowed Patel. The FBI will currently employ a woman named Mavel who will handle fraud complaints for all states west of the Mississippi, and two guys named Dareen and Ngyuen for everything else. "That should about cover it" said Patel. "And if needed, Mavel can help the FDA in disapproving new drug applications. She got a B in her high school health science course and RFK Jr is very impressed." 

The Dolphins won MNF, we won our healthy bet, and we are heading into days of reflection and contrition. 

For those of you not working starting sundown Wednesday, you're in good company- most of the federal government will be joining you. Of course some people will be fasting because they aren't getting paychecks or money from government programs that are shuttered, but a fast is a fast, right? 

DOLPHINS MNF EDITION

 We know we promised an expose of the Comey indictment, but life (work) intruded. Now we might not get to it until Friday. 

But that doesn't mean we are not going to ride our suddenly hot hand and not pick the MNF game, especially when it is here in Miami. 

Yesterday we hit big on KC over Ravens, Cheaters over Panthers, Eagles over Tampa Bay, and Cowboys at home getting 6.5. With our bankroll way over the Mendoza line, and no more opportunities to lose money on the Mets until 2026, we are suddenly flush with cash, and we are putting chunk of it on your Miami Dolphins at home -2.5 over the J E T S Jets Jets Jets!

Back off the Bengals over Denver. We like them, but just a little. 

Both games are over 44.5 and we like a little parlay fun after a hard Monday slugging it our with judges who give us sickeningly sweet smiles while mentally composing their orders denying our motions.  

NFL WEEK 4 2025

 Good Sunday morning. Our bankroll, like the bears of Katmai is getting fatter, thanks to a late back-door cover of a parlay of over 52 and Oregon over Penn State on Saturday. 

The week starts with a 930 am kickoff in Ireland with the Vikings playing the Steelers.  We aren't fans of these European games, and we tend to stay away from them, as travel and time zone issues play a part that we have a hard time calculating. Erin go blitz. We love Dublin and have downed many a pint of Guiness while swapping stories with new mates in a pub, but we see no need for Football in Ireland. 

We are all in on our Fins getting a home win Monday night against the J..E...T...S, mostly because we think Miami has the better QB even with Justin Fields returning. Miami -2.5 Monday. 

Detroit is the popular pick in the Survivor pools. But those Browns have been pesky (beating Green Bay last week) and the 15 seems to many points to lay. 

You know who our guy is? Daniel Jones! Cast out of NYC and  from the Giants, the QB   has found new life in Indy. Can the rollicking Colts win getting 3 in LA against the Rams? Maybe. But we are going with the over 50. 

Two great games today. Eagles at Tampa Bay and Ravens at KC, closely followed by Green Bay at Dallas. 

KC is getting 2.5 at home over the Ravens, who always find a way to lose against tough opponents, and you know we LOVE home dogs, so that is one of our picks. Eagles haven't lost since it seems like GHWB was President. Tampa is another home dog getting 3.5. The Bucs have won every game they have played this year with a late comeback with a few minutes left. That magic just cannot continue and it stops today against the most complete team in the NFL- Philly -3.5.

Dallas is a home dog +6.5. They are up and down this year, and today they are our best bet over the Packers who lost to Cleveland last week. Take those Cowboys. 

And only if you're very bored and must. Cheaters at home over the Panthers -6.5 and Bengals +7.5 over Denver. 

THE SURVIVOR POOL

The Lions are the top pick in the Survivor pool, but one contestant with the shortest last name appears to be playing 3D chess whilst the rest of us are playing checkers. Will his strategy work? 

week 4 by Anonymous PbHV4H

GAME 162 ⚾

And because we love baseball...the NY Mets play their last game of the season here in Miami. The Mets, arguably one of the most talented teams in baseball, were running away with the division and then, in mid-June something happened. One of their pitchers went down, the rest of their pitching disappeared, and now, in game 162 they need to win and they need the Cincinnati Reds to lose to just make the playoffs.  The Mets have two 30-30 players- 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases- Lindor and Soto. Soto is a 40-40 player this year. But the maxim in baseball is that pitching is everything, and the Mets had none to speak of in half of June and all of July and August. Three rookies brought up from AAA have steadied the boat and made fans hopeful for next year, but after the Amazin run the Mets had last year in the playoffs, this year their fans expected a World Series in Queens. Alas, that will not happen. This year. 

THEY'RE BACK AND FATTER THAN EVER

 Good Saturday morning. We eschew posting our thoughts on the Coney indictment (thin) and will post about it Monday, as well as a can't fail motion to dismiss. Saturdays should be about fun, unless you're a federal blogger who works on top of a garage and is currently immersed in the intricacies of the rules of civil (yuck) procedure. 

SERGIOS TURNS 50

Before we get to the plump ursines, we note that El Herald is reporting the 50th Anniversary of a favourite Rumpole hangout: Sergios! You can often find us deep in a breakfast serving of mezclado and a colada many days of the week. And nothing beats a late-night steak sandwich or Cuban sandwich (or both!) after imbibing some of our favourite adult beverages. 

FAT BEAR WEEK!!! VOTE HERE 

Yes it's one of our favourtie times of the year when we get to vote for our favourite chunky denizen of the Katmai National Park. This is the cam that allows you to watch these chubsters chunk up for the winter on salmon. 

Our guy is Chunk (naturally). He is an eating machine...and it shows. Unlike 88% of the REGJB, no mounjaro for him. If he was in Miami, he definitely would be rampaging through Sergios with us.  While his main source of calories is wild salmon, he never met a carb he didn't like.  While Ben may have quit Jerrys (or was it the other way around?) he can go through a case of Jerry Garcia and then finish it off with gallons of Chunky Monkey. He votes 9.9 for every pizza Dave Portnoy reviews. And no "one bite" for him, unless its half a pie going down in one mouthful. 

So Vote Chunk. Because big is beautiful. 

CHUNK IS THE HEFTY FELLA ON THE RIGHT

Sunday we set about rebuilding our bankroll with some can't miss bets, and Monday we tell you all that is wrong with the Comey indictment. Hint: Everything. 

SPEECH, CIVIL LAW ,THE INDEPENDANCE OF THE DOJ AND THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE

                                            THE DEAR LEADERS 
                                

SECOND UPDATE: JAMES CONEY INDICTED! One US Attorney, with many years of experience, refused to seek the indictment of former FBI Director James Coney, so the Dear Leader fired him, brought in a civil lawyer with ZERO experience in criminal law, and lo and behold James Coney was indicted Thursday evening. 

Let September 25, 2025 be remembered as the day the Age of Totalitarianism arrived in the United States. 

And while we are at it- how about re-examining the grand jury system, because if some know-nothing civil shrill can get an indictment of James Coney, the grand jury system is broken. Just let the Dear Leader decide who should be charged. He knows so much about everything else and is, as he has said, a "very stable genius." 

Coming soon: The indictments of Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Jimmy Kimmel, George Clooney, Kamala Harris, Chris Christie, Lettia James, King Charles, Mitch McConnell, Pope Bennedict, Alex Baldwin, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Skenes (for throwing a sinker/splitter that is unhittable and should be illegal) and Russell Wilson (because his QB play - especially throwing the ball away on 4th down was downright criminal.) 

Aren't you just bursting with pride over our Best In The World- criminal justice system tonight?  Think about it- where else in the world can a leader orchestrate the arrest of his political opponents? Bolivia? Venezuela? North Korea? Iran? Cuba?  Russia (no- they just assassinate Putin's opponents and dispatch with the show trials we have here). All the great countries we should be emulating and with the help of our Dear Leader are. 

TNF Update before we begin. We like the over 43.5. The Cardinals are home dogs getting 1.5 against the surging Seahawks. If you have to, Seattle reverts to the mean and comes down to earth. Arizona +1.5. But if you want to go that route, eschew the points and take Arizona +110.  

We want to say goodbye to a few things. 

1) Freedom of speech. Check out Mr. Markus's blog. A very respected AUSA was FIRED because in 2017, before he was working for the government, he made some posts critical of the Dear Leader in DC. Exposed (and who exposed him has been the subject of intense chatter in the federal courthouse), he was FIRED because criticism of the Dear Leader will NOT be allowed. 

2) A moment of silence if you will. Mr. Markus has confessed on his blog he is, it really pains us to write this, engaged in a three-month CIVIL TRIAL. Ewww Gross. 

Another one bites the dust. 

3) The failing NY Times today reported here  that the DOJ instructed multiple jurisdictions to open investigations into George Soros for his criticism of the Dear Leader. The DOJ was told to do this by the Dear Leader himself.  So goodbye to the independence of the DOJ. If you recall, last week the Dear Leader ordered HIS Attorney General to immediately indict  NY AG Letitia James  and former FBI Director James Comey. If you recall, James obtained a civil judgment against the Dear Leader's businesses in NYC and that, of course, is a crime. The crimes of Comey against the Dear Leader are well known and need not be repeated here. 

A word about civil law. 😢

Ah the siren song and allure of the civil world, much like the allure of the dark side of the force, is strong. It is beguiling and ensnares even better men (and women) than us- as Mr. Markus surely is.   

Careful readers will remember that our namesake, in the episode entitled Rumpole and The Bubble Reputation sees our grizzled veteran of the Old Bailey's criminal cases eagerly jump into the civil defense of a newspaper charged with libel in which there is both a large retainer and, as Rumpole salivates over-  £500/day refreshers. 

Alas we have lost another to the power of the Dark Side. 

DAVID WEED REMEMBERANCE TODAY AT PDS OFFICE 2 PM

 A reminder that the Celebration of Life for David Weed will be at the Law Offices of the Public Defender, Carlos J. Martinez, at 1320 NW 14th St., Miami, FL 33125 at 2 PM today. 

Here is the link to R.S.V.P. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/david-weed-celebration-of-life-tickets-1636821740889?aff=oddtdtcreator. If you cannot make it in-person, the Zoom link will be emailed to individuals who register.

 

VITAMIN C AND TYLENOL

 Fresh on the heels of the big announcement Monday that Tylenol causes autism ( as per Robert Kennedy Jr, Lunatic, Mass: "A couple of people we know who have autistic children said their wives took Tylenol while pregnant and while the Biden administration hid this valuable research, we will not...")  comes the warning from Robert Kennedy and the FDA ( Motto: "Science driven until January 2025") that Vitamin C causes liberalism. 

"Liberalism is a disease as we all know. And who are liberals? Democrats. And Democrat starts with D and what comes before D? C!" 

Besides a campaign to ban vitamin C Kennedy announced new "recommendations" including 1) don't ever go to a hospital. Where do most people die? In a hospital. So what do the statistics show us? To avoid dying, do not go to a hospital.  2) People need to "tough it out" when having a heart attack or an appendicitis attack. If people would just exercise more, it would all go away. 3) Kennedy dared Covid to come back. The next time we get a Covid attack we will, as president Trump said in his first term, just chug a little Clorox. The days of vaccine makers fooling the public are over when Clorox will do the trick.  4) Announced a public "shaming" of all children who have been vaccinated. "Children who have been vaccinated will be required to enter school through a side entrance where the rest of the children will be lined up and will chant SHAME SHAME at those stupid enough to get vaccinated. Parents of vaccinated children should face immediate prosecution under existing child welfare laws. 5) Announced the resumption of bleeding therapy. "It was good enough for the 1700s, why shouldn't it be good enough today?" 6) Ordered the removal of all references to Doctor Jonas Salk from all government buildings and texts and further ordered that he be labeled a "a criminal of the twentieth century" for his "misguided work on Polio. Everyone knows that it is vitamin B that protects children from Polio. All that Salk did, like Hitler, Biden, and Obama, was line his pockets money from with disinformation. 

So there you have it. Vitamin C causes liberalism. Science sucks. And we are headed straight back to the dark ages. 

Just remember this. When the next pandemic hits, and it will. And people cry out for the experts to invent a vaccine and cure, the United States will not have anyone available to help as Kennedy has fired most of them and purged scientists from the government programs where science used to carry the day. 

LIONS AT RAVENS & APPLE

 We do not have a strong feeling on tonight's game. The Over 54 seems too high. We like the Lions +4.5 but only for a few bucks. 

In the market today Apple soared over ten dollars after the demand for the iPhone 17 was record breakingly strong this weekend. The news out of China, where Apple has faced stiff competition for the last few years was even better, as demand was very strong and that did not include the surprise hit of the iPhone 17 Air which currently cannot be sold in China until the chip in the phone is approved. 

All in all, Apple once again surprised critics by bringing a superior product to market and quieting the naysayers. And the ten-point run today occurred without any news about Apple's AI project which is not expected to be unveiled until 2026. Apple has been beaten up pretty badly for most of 2025 because of its perceived laggard performance in AI. And yet all they did was bring a fantastic series of new phones to the market. Faith in Apple has always been rewarded, even if sometimes it tests your patience. That is why we reiterate the maxim "Hold Apple; Do Not Trade It." 

If Apple could surprise the market with the new iPhone 17, imagine what they are going to do when they do unveil their new AI next year. 

And speaking of AI, Nvidia popped today when CEO Jensen Huang revealed a small 100 Billion (with a B) investment in Open AI. 

These are amazing times we are living in. We are on the cusp of an AI revolution that will change nearly everything about how we live our lives, including how law is practiced, and how law firms are staffed (hint- current AI is replacing teams of first, second, and third year legal associates). 

There's never been a better time to consider plumbing as a profession. Just sayin read the writing on the wall: 

"AI WUZ HERE" 

DO YOU REMEMBER

 Sunday was the 21st day of September. 

Do you remember?

NFL WEEK THREE 2025

Update and a lesson in betting:

Here are our thoughts on the 1pm NFL games.  The Eagles over was lox and bagels. So the day is shaping up nicely to restore our bankroll from a horrible start to the season.  And the NY Jets are just snakebit right now. And we should have never ignored our rule about the Bengals in September. 

Now read what happened to us. We had a nice parlay Eagles -6 & Buccaneers -6.5. We tune into the Eagles game. There is no time left, and the Rams are lining up for a FG and the Eagles are up by one, so we are going to lose the front end of the parlay. AND THEN the Eagles block the FG and a bg-ol defensive lineman picks up the ball and rumbles like 80 yards for a TD and we are back in this! So we tune into the Jets game and Tampa is up by six with two minutes left, but no worries, they are on the 20, it is 4th down and they are lining up for a FG to go up by 9 and our parlay will hit. And the JETS BLOCK THE FG and pick up the ball and run it in for a TD. Although Tampa comes back to win the game, with the Jets up by one and us giving 6.5 in the parlay, we cannot cover and win. 

The gambling gods giveth, and the gambling gods taketh away.  But no worries. Our biggest bet of the day is Seattle -7 and things so far are looking good.  We have never been involved in two bets in which a FG was blocked for a TD and altered the outcome of the game. 

Good Sunday to you! As Miami recovers from the partying that went on late into the night celebrating the Canes (the only Miami football team with a winning record this year, and you know how Miami's frontrunning fans love a winner)  win over the Gators (nicely increasing our shrinking bankroll, although at the last moment we unnecessarily teased the 7.5 line down to 6, sacrificing some odds to do so), we have our thoughts on an intriguing week three in the NFL.

Our Upset Special: The Sunday Night game has the NY Giants at home vs the struggling KC Chiefs. The Gints are getting six and that maybe enough to keep it close. 

Beware Cincinnati in September we keep saying. And yet something about a battle of backup QBs in the Bengals vs Vikings game is whispering to us to take the Bengals and +3 and the over 41.  Jake Browning at QB for the Bengals vs Carson Wentz for the Vikings. 

We will take the +2 Arizona is getting in San Fran (keeping with our thesis that the Cardinals will be the surprise team of the first half of the season), and also the 1 the Bears are getting at home vs the up and down Cowboys. 

Best game of the week is the Monday Nighter as Detroit goes to Baltimore. We like to take good teams feeling the heat of not playing great and in this matchup that is the Lions +4.5. The Ravens always seem to mess up against good teams allowing the game to remain close. 

The Eagles keep winning at home vs. the Rams this week, and the over 45 looks as juicy as a Philly Cheesesteak.  If you are a foodie on IG like we are, then you know there are dozens of competitors in Philly to Pats or Genos, but none of them may be as good as the Bradley Cooper/ Danny Giampietro (he of Angelo's Pizzeria of Philly) collab Danny & Coops. Want to meet Rumpole? You can often find him on East Tenth street and Avenue A in the East Village grabbing a sandwich there.   

Ready to hop on the J...E...T.....S bandwagon? Maybe not yet as they are on the road in Tampa and Baker "The Touchdown Maker" Mayfield is playing like an MVP.  But we can be lured into teasing that +6.5 line up to 7.5 and might take a flyer for a couple of sawbucks. The Jets are better than their record and at some point they are going to go on a 4-0 or 5-0 run. 

Before we post the survivor pool, we have an off-topic question. Any interest in our retrospective of United Press/CBS News Reporter Richard C Hottelet? One of Murrow's Boys, he reported on WWII from England, flew on a bomber in the opening minutes of D Day, and spent 4 months in a Gestapo Prison in 1941 on the charge of espionage. 

The Survivor Pool.  The Seahawks (over the Saints) and the Bucs (over the Jets) seem like the popular picks. Everyone has made a pick except Weisman. If you know him, text him or he's out.  Update: Looks like everyone survived. 

week 3 by Anonymous PbHV4H

MIAMI IS HOPPING

 The Magic City is alive. You can feel the energy in the air from Ocean Drive to dive bars in Wynwood to the stuffy eateries of the Gables and Pinecrest. 

And what is fueling this energy? 

Canes v Gators. 

Families take sides. Law firms are fractured. The judges have been furiously texting each other. 

The town is hopping. 

Predictions? 

THURSDAY NIGHT DOLPHINS AT BILLS

 Well, that's enough civil law for the blog for 2025. We have more important issues to resolve, namely what to do about the Dolphins getting 12 points in Buffalo tonight? 

Something tells us to take the points. There is much turmoil in Dolphin land. Whispers that the coach has lost the locker room. And then there's the star wide receiver's continued involvement with the law. 

But a team on the edge of losing a season in September and going 0-3 with no hope in sight  is a dangerous team, especially when the team has some talent. Achane can run the rock. Tua can throw it, and Hill can catch it, and they have a D. So maybe a team that is feeling the heat plays with reckless abandon and keeps it close. 

We also like Achane over 54 yards rushing. Even in a shootout he breaks runs. That's our best bet of the night actually. 

So while our bankroll is awfully thin these days, Fins +12 and over 50 sounds like something that will keep us interested through the pizza and hard seltzers we have lined up for the evening. 

THE GOSNEY COMPLAINT

 Someone said we should post the Gosney complaint. And then they did the leg work and sent it to us. So we figured why not? A little civil law never hurt anyone. 

Actually that's not true, but read it if you want, or have trouble sleeping, or in conjunction with your GLP1 diet (isn't like half the REGJB on some form of GLP1 these days?) as an appetite suppressant.  Or just because you're a law nerd. 

Complaint 1 by Anonymous PbHV4H

FEDERALIST TEN

COMING THURSDAY- You're not going to want to miss this one. The Gosney Complaint! You asked for it, and we got it.  

We were bored waiting for a judge who was late, and took to reading Federalist Ten authored by James Madison. He was not only quite profound, but fairly prescient when he wrote 

"It is in vain to say, that enlightened statesmen will be able to adjust these clashing interests, and render them all subservient to the public good. Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm."

Perhaps the understatement of the millennium. 

Madison was examining the ability of the republic to handle various "factions" that would not always been seeking to act in the public good. In that regard he wrote another paragraph that some people, educated and not wearing MAGA hats, may find similarly prescient in describing a congress that current has the backbone of a bowl of soup and the integrity of a Hialeah property inspector at the end of the month:

Under such a regulation, it may well happen that the public voice pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good, than if pronounced by the people themselves convened for the purpose. On the other hand, the effect may be inverted. Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests of the people. 

Now we do not expect the loyal members of the federalist society to get much out of this post. They simply join a club to help them become a judge, or stay one, without the slightest understanding (or desire to understand) the nature of philosophy and how concepts like epistemology affects the answer to questions like "what are rights?" and "where do rights come from?"  

PACER SURRENDERS FOR NOW

 Confusion has reigned for weeks as PACER - the federal on line filing and docket system - implemented multi factor authentication which required the use of an authenticator app to log on and file your objections to the PSR which recommended a two-level increase in the guidelines for sophisticated because your client used a motor vehicle during the course of the conspiracy.   Here’s their memo. 

Of course all of this stems from the panic over the hack of the federal court system by the Russians who apparently got access to judge’s private chats where they are discussing innovative ways to deny motions in as few words as possible.  “I can deny that rule 29 motion to dismiss in 32 words.” And of course the Supreme Court’s ruling on their shadow docket: “I can grant the Trump administration’s canceling research into childhood cancer in twenty- five words.”

The PACER Service Center (PSC) is currently experiencing long call wait times due to the enforcement of several security features that will enhance the security of PACER accounts, including updated password standards and multifactor authentication (MFA).

To help mitigate the wait times, enforcement of the updated password standards has been temporarily delayed. In addition, only users who receive a prompt to enroll in MFA when they log in should do so. If you do not receive an MFA enrollment prompt, no action is necessary. Please do not contact the PSC with questions about MFA until you are required to enroll. This ensures support is available for those who need it. 

NFL WEEK TWO 2025

 Once more dear friends unto the breach and our vain attempt to restore our bankroll and make you some money on the NFL. Unless of course you have been betting against the hapless Mets for the past month, (who lost their 8th straight last night 😱 and no longer have a playoff spot) which means you're probably driving a Bugatti by now.  Thanks to the Florida Gators for keeping it close with LSU. It allowed us to cover with ease our expen$$ive night out at Sunny's last night. The meals are great. The bill is hefty. 😨

Survivor wise, the picks this week appear easy; The Ravens at home over the hapless Browns, or the Bengals at home over the Jaguars. But beware the ides of March and Cincinnati's football team in early September, which barely escaped with a win over the Browns, and often starts the season 0-2. There's also the Giants, who are going nowhere fast with an aging QB against a Cowboys team that looked pretty darn good opening the season in Philly. If you like a well-rested team looking for a win, the Cowboys are your pick. 

So we will start with Dallas at home, -5 over the NY football Giants.  Couple of numbers for you. Gints are 3-16 in last sixteen games against the Cowpokes and are riding an 0-13 streak. The Giants drafted a promising rookie running back and ...Rusell Wilson was NY's leading rusher last week. Those are stats that get a head coach fired. Next up for the Giants? KC. It doesn't get any easier. 

We also like Arizona at home over the Panthers -6.5. 

We kinda like the over 40 in the Steeler - Seahawks game. Last week was no fluke, the old guy Aaron Rodgers still has some juice in that arm and can throw up some points, while the over-paid Steeler D continues to under-impress and has two starting members of the secondary out with injuries. 

And then there's the "who's worse?" game, with the Cheaters coming to town playing the Fins who could not have looked any worse against Indy. If you believe, as we do, in the regression to the mean betting philosophy, then the Dolphins were better than they played last week and should bounce back and win by a field goal at home, under the warm hot September sun against New England.  The line is Miami -2 and if you must because you're going to the game and need a distraction, lay the points and take the cannoli.

J E TS Jets! Jets! Jets!  The new look New York Jets are for real! But here's the problem. If they could not beat the Steelers, a solid second tier team at best, how are they going to beat arguably the best team in the AFC? Not bloody likely as they say in London's east side.  Gang Green is getting 5.5 at home, which is not enough unless there's a backdoor cover late in the 4th quarter. We are ready to jump on the Jets bandwagon, just not this week. 

Survivor pool to be posted soon. We are going to take either the Ravens or Cowboys. Not sure yet.  Waiting for some stragglers to make their picks.  POSTED BELOW Cowboys and Ravens are top picks. De La Over playing some 3d chess by picking the Lions!!? against divisional rival Bears (whose new head coach is the former D coordinator for Detroit, so maybe he has some insight on how to stop that potent offense)  who we think will play them tough. 

The Long Walk

Long time and careful readers of the blog know that one of our favourite short stories/novellas is Stephen King's The Long Walk, written in the tradition or homage to Shirley Jackson and her short story The Lottery. 

The movie came out this weekend, and it was something we have been looking forward to.  We will not reveal anything other than to say we are conflicted about the ending. The long walkers have been reduced from 100 to 50 to start, probably for movie purposes. And there are no crowds allowed during the walk except at the end, which we did not like. All your favourite characters are in the movie including Barkovich (the villain) Hank Olson (who is Asian), Stebbins whose story line is combined with another character from the book which we won't reveal, and  Peter McVries who is black and forms a close bond with hero Ray Go Go Garrity (Maine's Own!). 

King was the exec producer, so he had a say in the changes, which we respect. We are just not sure yet if we like the ending, which included an expanded story line for the major which we did like. 

If you see it, and you should definitely read the book over a long weekend, or while on holiday, (or maybe during a boring Heat game), let us know your thoughts.

week 2 by Anonymous PbHV4H

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

 It was quite a week for the United States of America. We paused on September 11 to remember the attack on our country twenty-four years ago, and then there was the murder of Charlie Kirk, ostensibly for political reasons. 

We have a few thoughts. 

9/11 might well be the last time the country was united without thought to politics. The nation rallied around President Bush, and mourned the brave fire fighters of the New York Fire Department ("New York's Bravest") and other first responders who ran towards the danger, not away from it.  

There was no thought that if President Bush succeeded in the days after 9/11, then his political enemies would fail. Politics had nothing to do with the initial response to the attack, something that we sadly think would not have been the case if President Obama had been the president at the time. The strategy of Obama's political enemies was to thwart his successes, and work for his failure, even if the country suffered. 

As to the murder of Mr. Kirk, someone we had never heard of, it was immediately blamed on "leftists" and "liberals" before anyone was in custody. The nearly immediate narrative reminded us of what occurred when someone broke into Speaker Pelosi's home and attacked her husband while looking for her. Desperate to change the narrative after the assailant was caught, dark theories emerged suggesting that it was someone from the left who attacked him, when clearly it was the opposite. 

So we began to think about other high-profile assassinations and assassination attempts, and the narratives that emerged after them. 

When President Reagan was shot, it was not by a Democrat or a liberal,  but by a troubled young man trying to impress an actress he was imagining a relationship with. There was no political motivation,  and when the Gipper walked into the State of Union address a few months later, the sustained standing ovation from both sides of the aisle was heartfelt. 

What were the political beliefs of the man who assassinated President Kennedy? He had been a Marine, gone to live in the Soviet Union, and handed our "fair play for Cuba" pamphlets. No mutterings from the Democrats that the Republicans and Nixon were behind the assassination. 

Very few people reading this blog will even know that President Teddy Roosevelt assumed the presidency when President.....(can you guess without Chat GBT? Nah, didn't think so) McKinley was shot by....(if you didn't know McKinley was assassinated, you won't know this)   Leon Czolgosz, who was an anarchist who had lost his job during the panic of 1893. McKinley liked meeting the public and shunned the protections of his office. His secretary William Cortelyou was so worried about the trip to the Temple Of Music in Buffalo that he took it off the schedule twice, only to have McKinley restore it twice. 

Before McKinley, President James Garfield was assassinated, and there is a great book on that if you want to read about it. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President  by Candice Millard. 

And before Garfield it was Lincoln, whose assassin shouted sic semper tyrannis after firing the fatal shot and jumping on to the stage at Ford's theater.  And no, sic semper tyrannis does not mean "take the Dolphins and the points on Sunday", but thus always to tyrants. 

 Our point is that most assassins are deeply troubled people, with an inflated sense of importance, who act for their own reasons, and are not part of a larger political movement like the Democratic or Republican party. 

And yet sadly, it appears the MAGA crowd, upon learning of the shooting of Mr. Kirk, immediately attempted to politicize the murder.  

And that is an arrant display of disrespect to Mr. Kirk who leaves behind a wife and two young children. Even if his killer had political ideals, he does not represent the mainstream thought of either party, just like Oswald or Czolgosz or Booth did not represent any major political movement. 

Moments of tragedy have no place in politics. There was no politics when the NYFD ran into the World Trade Center to rescue people. And there should be no attempt for political gain in the tragic murder of a young man who leaves behind a family to go on without him. 

Many people in the comments and in private emails asked our thoughts on these events. Well, here they are. 

YOUR NEXT THREE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY JUDGES .....

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A JUDGE .......

The JNC for the 11th Judicial Circuit recently interviewed a number of candidates for one new Circuit Court seat and two new County Court seats created by the enactment of SB 2508 during the 2025 legislative session.

The JNC has nominated the following individuals for appointment to the Circuit Court seat. The Governor has 60 days to name our next Circuit Court Judge: (all six are current County Court Judges, meaning the Governor will get a two-fer).

Alicia Garcia Priovolos

Cristina Rivera Correa

Elisabeth Espinosa

Jorge Perez Santiago

Rita Gonzalez Cuervo

Stephanie Silver

The following individuals have been nominated for the two County Court seats. The Governor will name two of the 12 as our next County Court Judges:

Alexander Shear (APD)

Jose Rohaidy (ASA)

Andrew McGinley (Fla. Dept of Children & Families)

Kimberly C. Hillery (Dept. of Homeland Security)

Christian Dunham (Federal APD)

Michelle Roth (pvt. practice, former ASA)

Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken (AUSA)

Patricia Salman (CABA Staff Attorney)

Jeffrey Pierce (ICE - Dept. of Homeland Security)

Yaneth Baez (ASA)

Jennifer Trautman Levin (pvt. practice)

Zahara Markoe (pvt. practice, former ADA) 

TAKING BETS ON THE THREE WINNERS (name your three in the Comments) .....

IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION .....

Governor DeSantis has been in office for slightly more than 6.5 years. In that time, he has made

326 judicial appointments.

Today alone, he named one new Circuit Court Judge in the 7th Judicial Circuit and two new County Court Judges in St. Johns and Monroe County. Two of the three new judges come directly from the State Attorney’s Office, while the third is a former ASA.

Of the 326 judges he has appointed to date, 208 had ASA/AUSA/AAG on their resume (64%), and 103 of those 208 were current prosecutors at the time of their appointment (32%).  Contrast that with the fact that only three of the 326 were APDs (two state and one federal) at the time of their appointment (1%), and only 16 of the 326 had APD on their resume (5%). 

Yes, elections do have consequences. (Good luck with your interviews in Tallahassee, Alexander Shear and Christian Dunham, - you have about a 5% chance of getting the call).

CAPTAIN OUT .......
Captain4Justice@gmail.com

MONDAY MYSTERY

 We are in that in-between time for Judges when their summer vacation has ended and the holiday slow down has not yet begun. So the only thing left to do is try some cases and listen to the prosecution eloquently say “victim wants max.” 

Broweird 

Anybody see the story of the Broward judge who went to first appearance for a friend, identified himself as a Judge to the ASA and asked for a lower bond and then appeared on the record as counsel for the defendant? It didn’t make a bigger  splash because this being Broward, dog bites man just isn’t news. The only redeeming part of the story is he didn’t wear his robe whilst making the appearance. 

Clerk’s Office Mystery  

Everyone knows we love a good clerk’s office mystery. There have been so many good ones over the years. 

Does anybody know what this means? 

So is this window just for the Herald ? Does the Herald even have a dedicated courts reporter these days for state court ? Or is it for social media where IG influencers can drop by, shoot a video and post it? 

“Hey I’m here at the Miami criminal court house and I just had some yummy Cuban toast and a cafe con leche and now I’m at the Clerks office on 9 and it’s so cool you all should come by and check it out.” 

So what’s going on because we don’t get it. 

NFL WEEK ONE 2025

Update: Survivor pool posted. 

Good Sunday morning. Have you been waiting for the first NFL football Sunday the way a judge waits for a free buffet dinner?  Isn't this the best time of year? Football all day, plus a GREAT US Open final @ 2pm, and the baseball playoff races are heating up. #LGM (Let's Go Mets!). 

We are going to do something a little different because we started the season on a bit of a losing streak, dodging some serious losses, but nonetheless down in pro football picks (The Canes and Texas saved our bankroll Saturday. No way Miami covers 55.5.). 

Here's what we do not like about the NFL. 

1. The National Anthem. Despite you MAGA mouth-breathers who think the right to watch football is in the Constitution and the bible, it is not- as the NFL makes clear by spreading the games over a dozen apps. The worst move ever was putting the games on You Tube. Only snapchat has a worse app. 

Where does it say that you have to be jingoistic patriot to enjoy football? A transgender immigrant communist vegan has as much right to enjoy football as anyone. So spare us the national anthem before every game followed by some military jet flyovers. It is meaningless. We are not honoring anyone with this facade. You want to honor Veterans?  Pay them more and fix the VA and provide more mental health counseling instead of spending money on jet flyovers. Play the national anthem at the start of the season and at the super bowl. Enough is enough. It's a waste of time. And that applies to all sports. 

2. Spare us the television introductions of players and where they went to college. Who cares if the Titans starting left guard went to the University of Wisconsin? Who came up with this lame idea and who is in charge of continuing this nonsense? It's a complete waste of time. How about two less commercials and skip the intros? Everyone has the internet. If you cannot watch Vegas /Patriots without knowing where the slot receiver went to college then freaking google it (or chat gbt it) and let the rest of us watch the game in peace. 

3. On the radio broadcasts of the games, we are DONE with mid law firms sponsoring plays. "Jim that third down conversion was brought to you by the injury lawyers. If you are facing third and long in your injury case, just dial 1-800-ambulance chaser and get in the game."  Are teams that desperate for money? Really? Come-on man. You can do better. 

Okay, here's a few thoughts for the games until we get back on track. The Bengals -5 over the hapless Browns seems a safe bet. Denver over Titans along with the Bengals seems like the safe survivor picks. Denver -8 seems like a lot. Maybe we tease it down to 6.  Lots of touts picking Vegas over Cheaters in NE. We'd like to see it happen, but we are not confident. Maybe tease Vegas +2.5 to +3.5. Arizona -6 at New Orleans seems like a good pick. 

And our best bet of the day is the Sunday night game. The Buffalo Bills at home +1 over the Ravens. Give us a home-dog revenge game bet any day of the week. 

Quick tip- new weather report shows rain throughout the Seahawks-Patriots game in NE. Grab the under 48 like we just did. Money never sleeps, nor do the betting lines, but sometimes they are slow to adjust. 

SURVIVOR 

Jason Ireland, Lucy Lew and Fantasy Football Champ De La Over all nailed the 44 total for the Eagles win Thursday night and won a covered second pass for the season. Picks will be up around 1pm. 

Survivor Week 1 by Anonymous PbHV4H

NFL 2025 KICKOFF

FRIDAY UPDATE: We are going to take some credit for warning you away from the Eagles line and over. If you took the fav or went over, you lost. Our take is the D in CeeDee. Lamb is for "drop" because he dropped two balls at the end of the game, one eminently catchable that would have given Dallas the game. Dallas played a good game. They may well be more competitive than we originally thought. Our disdain for Philly WRs for Fantasy Football was confirmed. If you had them  on your team, they greatly underperformed. 

And if we have not done so, PROPS to last year's FF Champion Judge De La O. He will have a hard time defending his win with selections like Vikings WR (vastly overrated) bust Justin Jefferson. But we shall see. Rumpole plays the champ in week one. 

The spitting incident Thursday night before the game is inexcusable. Commissioner Rumpole imposes a 50K fine and two game suspension. We might mitigate that to one game, but it would take a lot. 

KC- LA Chargers. Friday night.  We have trouble picking a line when teams fly 6,000 miles for a game. We have a parlay Mahomes over 246 yards and 1.5 TDs for +160.  If you want to bet the line, the Chargers are getting 3 and we suggest giving it. KC has a surprisingly good Defense which also has us leaning to the under 47.5, which the more we think about it, is the best bet for this game. 

And speaking of best bets for the weekend, borrow if you have to, and put all your money on the Bills at home +1 for the Sunday night game. We have that and a parlay Bills +1 and under 50.5 for +230. This bet will allows us to expand our Opus One collection this year. 

******

 The NFL season starts Thursday night. Are you ready? 

We had our fantasy football draft Wednesday night, and after some last-minute drama where your blogger, the commissioner, was locked out of the league minutes before the draft, all ended up well as we finally got in, and with the fifth pick in the first round we eschewed the Justin Jefferson WR scam (as we did two years ago when we won the league; we leave the Jefferson pick to judges who have short last names) and reached down for rookie RB Austin Jeanty. If things turnout the way we suspect, we will once again be a powerhouse team to be feared. 

Eagles v. Cowboys. The line dropped from 8.5 to 8. Still too much. Eagles -8 leaves you vulnerable to a backdoor cover (for example, the Eagles are up 14 with two minutes left and the Cowboys score a meaningless TD, and now your Eagles bet is a loser). 

Here is our sleeper pick- Cowboys WR George Pickens to score a TD. You can get some good odds (we got +200) on this one, and start the season off in the black.  A Hurts over 200 yds passing parlay with Barkley rushing over 100 yards also seems nice. 

We will save our picks for Sunday but will provide a bit of a season preview. 

No, you will not get pedestrian pablum like "The Broncos will surprise a lot of people", or "The Commanders will make a deep run again" (they won't). If you want that stuff, go to ESPN or some half-baked podcast. We give you some real information that you can use, like....

Your Arizona Cardinals may have the best record in the NFL at the halfway point before fading. 

The Atlanta Falcons will surprise some people; the Saints will not- they are in the lead for the first round pick of the 2026 draft along with perennial loser Cleveland Browns.  

Your Miami Dolphins are heading for (best case scenario) a one-and-done-playoff appearance. Sorry, but this is not a team with legitimate super bowl aspirations. 

So who will be standing at the end of January? 

In the AFC it will come down to the Bills and Ravens, and as sure as Miami Dolphin fans will abandon the Fins after a few losses, you can count on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson to throw an INT late in the 4th quarter of a close game, or lose the ball in a strip-sack. The Bills make the super bowl, and yes, Denver will make a run. 

In the NFC the Eagles will be the team to beat. But don't discount the San Fran 49ers. What about the LA Rams you say? An old, injured QB is not the way to pave the road to the super bowl, we reply. 

And what about the Packers? Over hyped. Micha Parsons was not the missing piece. But they will be tough. And the Lions? Yup- they will be there at the end, along with Philly. And the surprise team will be the Falcons, and/or maybe the Tampa Bay Bucs. 

It's going to be a great football season. Enjoy. And if you bet, remember, bet it all, you can always make more money! 

FANTASY FOOTBALL

 Join up, Log In, Play against your favourites. 

Draft Wednesday Evening. 

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or here 

  https://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/f1/460591/invitation?key=6cb4ae5ff6685f06&soc_trk=lnk&ikey=1a085c02d38e366e

Rumpole tip- Denver and Atlanta QBs are real good late round value picks. Avoid Kyler Murray.