Not YOUR lawyer
@mzaynard.bsky.social
Nerd enough to know the terms, but not necessarily the names.
I am, in fact, a lawyer, but nothing here is to be construed as legal advice.
I am, in fact, a lawyer, but nothing here is to be construed as legal advice.
Nah, it’s easier than that. “Part of the settlement/plea deal is that I can’t talk about it.”
December 30, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Nah, it’s easier than that. “Part of the settlement/plea deal is that I can’t talk about it.”
Honestly, I thought it was just a repackaging of Game of Thrones.
December 26, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Honestly, I thought it was just a repackaging of Game of Thrones.
One at a time or all at once, either is good.
This “half a season now, half a season later” bullshit, though, can just go die in a fire.
This “half a season now, half a season later” bullshit, though, can just go die in a fire.
December 26, 2025 at 10:07 PM
One at a time or all at once, either is good.
This “half a season now, half a season later” bullshit, though, can just go die in a fire.
This “half a season now, half a season later” bullshit, though, can just go die in a fire.
I saw a commenter complain about Leo being “holier than thou” and was like “uh, yeah? That’s kind of how you define Pope?”
December 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
I saw a commenter complain about Leo being “holier than thou” and was like “uh, yeah? That’s kind of how you define Pope?”
Batman Returns is best Christmas movie.
December 25, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Batman Returns is best Christmas movie.
I… wut? Is that a thing?
December 25, 2025 at 12:52 AM
I… wut? Is that a thing?
* The problem with meritocracy being that the merit in question is generally how like the decision-maker one is.
December 24, 2025 at 6:21 PM
* The problem with meritocracy being that the merit in question is generally how like the decision-maker one is.
Well, yeah, as could almost everyone in industry. But this is 100% give them enough rope to hang themselves with, and they are really doing a great job of that, at least.
14/14
14/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Well, yeah, as could almost everyone in industry. But this is 100% give them enough rope to hang themselves with, and they are really doing a great job of that, at least.
14/14
14/14
What it comes down to is that the DOJ done fucked up, big time, probably because they fired the people who knew how to do exactly this thing, and DOJ leadership is *breathtakingly* corrupt and incompetent.
Could I have done it better and cheaper?
13/14
Could I have done it better and cheaper?
13/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
What it comes down to is that the DOJ done fucked up, big time, probably because they fired the people who knew how to do exactly this thing, and DOJ leadership is *breathtakingly* corrupt and incompetent.
Could I have done it better and cheaper?
13/14
Could I have done it better and cheaper?
13/14
Of course, all of that assumes that they just used Acrobat, which… well, frankly, I feel that’s pretty likely. There are tools, like Relativity, which are specifically intended for doing this sort of thing… but cost money. Money spent on tools can’t be pocketed, so…
12/14
12/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Of course, all of that assumes that they just used Acrobat, which… well, frankly, I feel that’s pretty likely. There are tools, like Relativity, which are specifically intended for doing this sort of thing… but cost money. Money spent on tools can’t be pocketed, so…
12/14
12/14
(cont) It isn’t hard to verify, of course, but it does mean opening the documents. Even the 30k drop in the bucket production would take quite a bit of time.
11/14
11/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
(cont) It isn’t hard to verify, of course, but it does mean opening the documents. Even the 30k drop in the bucket production would take quite a bit of time.
11/14
11/14
Second: Even if the redactors were using the Pro version, redacting has more than just the drag-and-draw step. The doc needs to be cleaned as well, or… well, yeah.
Third: Visually, a black highlight and a black-box redaction look exactly the same.
10/14
Third: Visually, a black highlight and a black-box redaction look exactly the same.
10/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Second: Even if the redactors were using the Pro version, redacting has more than just the drag-and-draw step. The doc needs to be cleaned as well, or… well, yeah.
Third: Visually, a black highlight and a black-box redaction look exactly the same.
10/14
Third: Visually, a black highlight and a black-box redaction look exactly the same.
10/14
(Cont) In the free version of Acrobat, you can highlight in black, but that doesn’t delete the text underneath. Note: The government has done this before… a lot.
Not deleting the text means it is still there, still searchable, and can be revealed with a simple cut/paste.
9/14
Not deleting the text means it is still there, still searchable, and can be revealed with a simple cut/paste.
9/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
(Cont) In the free version of Acrobat, you can highlight in black, but that doesn’t delete the text underneath. Note: The government has done this before… a lot.
Not deleting the text means it is still there, still searchable, and can be revealed with a simple cut/paste.
9/14
Not deleting the text means it is still there, still searchable, and can be revealed with a simple cut/paste.
9/14
Assuming that the PDFs were redacted using Adobe products, there are multiple points of failure.
First: Redaction is only available in Acrobat Pro, which costs money. Given what we know about the administration, it’s unlikely they would want to spend that money.
8/14
First: Redaction is only available in Acrobat Pro, which costs money. Given what we know about the administration, it’s unlikely they would want to spend that money.
8/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Assuming that the PDFs were redacted using Adobe products, there are multiple points of failure.
First: Redaction is only available in Acrobat Pro, which costs money. Given what we know about the administration, it’s unlikely they would want to spend that money.
8/14
First: Redaction is only available in Acrobat Pro, which costs money. Given what we know about the administration, it’s unlikely they would want to spend that money.
8/14
So, there are a zillion Epstein documents, some of which are redacted, and some of which are just highlighted in black. These look the same to someone who isn’t paying attention, but they are not the same.
7/14
7/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
So, there are a zillion Epstein documents, some of which are redacted, and some of which are just highlighted in black. These look the same to someone who isn’t paying attention, but they are not the same.
7/14
7/14
Rather, it’s a corruption of that: I am an expert in one thing, thus I am an expert in all things. It’s Dunning-Kreuger, “I Know What I’m Talking About” thinking, generously salted with “I’m the smartest guy in the room.”
6/14
6/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Rather, it’s a corruption of that: I am an expert in one thing, thus I am an expert in all things. It’s Dunning-Kreuger, “I Know What I’m Talking About” thinking, generously salted with “I’m the smartest guy in the room.”
6/14
6/14
That brings the third category of expert hostility, the experts themselves. I think it comes from Musashi-like thinking: From one thing, know ten thousand things, I.e. knowledge can be transferred to other goals.
5/14
5/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
That brings the third category of expert hostility, the experts themselves. I think it comes from Musashi-like thinking: From one thing, know ten thousand things, I.e. knowledge can be transferred to other goals.
5/14
5/14
We have seen a widespread brain-drain in the federal government, replaced based not on merit* but on loyalty. Not, uh, a great way to run things, tbh.
This is a good time to mention that this is all conjecture; I’ve got no source other than my own expertise.
4/14
This is a good time to mention that this is all conjecture; I’ve got no source other than my own expertise.
4/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
We have seen a widespread brain-drain in the federal government, replaced based not on merit* but on loyalty. Not, uh, a great way to run things, tbh.
This is a good time to mention that this is all conjecture; I’ve got no source other than my own expertise.
4/14
This is a good time to mention that this is all conjecture; I’ve got no source other than my own expertise.
4/14
That is a peculiar pathology of the rich, the powerful, and (surprisingly) the highly skilled.
The first two are pretty obvious: No one ever tells them no, so why would they need an outside expert? No one is going to tell them they are wrong, QED they must be right.
3/14
The first two are pretty obvious: No one ever tells them no, so why would they need an outside expert? No one is going to tell them they are wrong, QED they must be right.
3/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
That is a peculiar pathology of the rich, the powerful, and (surprisingly) the highly skilled.
The first two are pretty obvious: No one ever tells them no, so why would they need an outside expert? No one is going to tell them they are wrong, QED they must be right.
3/14
The first two are pretty obvious: No one ever tells them no, so why would they need an outside expert? No one is going to tell them they are wrong, QED they must be right.
3/14
Is it incompetence? Is it someone maliciously complying with orders they disagree with? Did they even do anything wrong?
Well, probably “yes” to all of them. After all, we are dealing with a group that is hostile to outside expertise.
2/14
Well, probably “yes” to all of them. After all, we are dealing with a group that is hostile to outside expertise.
2/14
December 24, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Is it incompetence? Is it someone maliciously complying with orders they disagree with? Did they even do anything wrong?
Well, probably “yes” to all of them. After all, we are dealing with a group that is hostile to outside expertise.
2/14
Well, probably “yes” to all of them. After all, we are dealing with a group that is hostile to outside expertise.
2/14