https://www.pilotonline.com/nation-world/ct-nw-roger-stone-donald-trump-tweet-sentencing-20200211-yk544zgx6zf4tckpmr2yhbrb4i-story.html

The sentencing recommendation is based on Federal Sentencing Guidelines (the article does note this). Also, the sentencing judge has latitude in deviating from the guidelines, either up or down. I would not be surprised if Judge Jackson goes up because Stone refused to follow her orders during trial. The prosecution can recommend time outside of the guidelines, but they have to justify that deviation, as does the judge.

Further proof that the Trump DOJ, under the leadership of William Barr, has absolutely NO independence from the administration, as it is supposed to.

And instead of tweeting that the prosecutors, who are doing their jobs, are asking for too much time, just pardon him and be done with it already.

Statements such as this ““As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people. They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing very badly hurt our nation,” Mr. Trump told an audience of religious leaders and followers. “They know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country.”” are indicative of the way he projects the things HE himself has done onto others who oppose him.

https://www.pilotonline.com/news/vp-nw-area-code-948-20200205-jms5if7gsvbunnitsrhfnhgzdi-story.html

While the idea of using #757 to assist in marketing the area was a good idea, it will start excluding new numbers sooner rather than later.

Too bad it took so long to come up with the idea. If it had started 5 years ago, it may have been a better outcome. COVA anyone?

I have included some key points for those who cannot get past the pay wall or find the piece on another site.

“A zombie idea is a belief or doctrine that has repeatedly been proved false, but refuses to die; instead, it just keeps shambling along, eating people’s brains. The ultimate zombie in American politics is the assertion that tax cuts pay for themselves — a claim that has been proved wrong again and again over the past 40 years. But there are other zombies, like climate change denial, that play an almost equally large role in our political discourse.”

Minor apologies to Monty Python.

https://www.pilotonline.com/virginia/va-vp-nw-virginia-secession-call-20200128-skp37vrbovbmxo5mhrvlraqdte-story.html

Does Falwell really think Virginia residents of any county want to shift to West Virginia over gun rights and for anti-choice government? If they want their public education to drop even further and to lose the tax monies they get from Richmond, feel free.

Are the invited counties contiguous to WV? Or is Chesapeake gonna be a territory in the vein of Guam?

https://www.cnn.com/videos/media/2020/01/28/john-bolton-from-fox-news-contributor-to-criticism-stelter-pkg-ctn-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/business-media/

Fox News, who paid John Bolton for 11 years, turns on one of its own. He used to be truthful and honest. Now he is a “tool for the left”.

I am not a John Bolton fan, but I will say that he is honest and forthcoming about his thoughts and ideas. I don’t see any reason to doubt him now.

https://www.pilotonline.com/opinion/columns/vp-ed-column-thomas-0125-20200125-kgrx2i6rdfhflj2pmtplfojoaa-story.html

Once again, a conservative cries about trying to take the country back to the 1950’s, when “toilet paper” was a vulgar phrase.

The only “war” I see is the one where people expect others to the live the life they expect and not follow the teachings of their own savior; love and acceptance. Attack and tell people you don’t like to change and become the person you THINK you are. The mantra of the minority right.

Mr. Klein provides an enlightening view of how the parties have changed and in what way.

He makes some interesting points about why the Democrats will unlikely win the White House or the Senate. Disheartening for some, reason to gloat for others.

https://www.pilotonline.com/business/vp-bz-planters-super-bowl-20200122-nvts6zxml5fmbo5fri37a4lzyy-story.html

In the trying times this country finds itself in today, it is sad to note the passing of a local iconic figure.

Farewell, our friend. You will be missed.

C’mon. We all need a bit of a smile these days.