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The other day someone commented on Dahleen Glanton’s post (I deeply respect her insights). He said he thought both sides were lying in the Jussie Smollett case. To me that’s the only thing that makes sense.

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Did you see this take? Essentially they take Smollett’s word over “the Chicago police.” That would require believing that his conspirators are also under the sway of CPD. And of course believing the ridiculous story in the first place (which, to be fair, many people did.).

https://blacklivesmatter.com/statement-regarding-the-ongoing-trial-of-jussie-smollett/

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I'm curious about just what they mean about "abolition."

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Some chatter on Facebook is suggesting that Smollett's career is over either way. I'm thinking, though, that he's probably at a low point right now but that given how a certain percentage of the people are supporting him and believing him, he will remain a celebrity and find opportunities to be famous/notorious. Even if convicted I can see him going on "Dancing with the Stars," for example. The public does tend to like second chances, and I'm racking my brain trying to think of other stars who have recovered from ignominy of one sort or the other. Suggestions? Ideas?

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There are too many to choose from https://stacker.com/stories/353/celebrities-who-made-comeback-after-run-ins-law

Smollet's problem is that he doesn't seem to know when to cut bait. He either needs to go on the 'learned a lesson, made a mistake' apology tour or the 'you can't fight the man, I need to get on with my life' pity party. Either way he needs to let it age out if he wants to be an actor. Otherwise, he has to leverage it into politics as the victim of the corrupt Cook County system.

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There would then be the little matter of perjury he'd have to deal with, so I doubt this will happen. Thanks for this link, though!

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Is this also the place to talk about sport betting? I'm trying to understand what 20% tax of gross betting revenue means. It CAN'T mean 20% off the top of all money going in. E.g. if Eric bets $100 on Georgia and I bet $100 on Michigan, 20% * $200 = $40. That much can not be taken in taxes. That would mean the house only has $160 to pay me when I win, never mind their vig. No chump would make that bet. So it must mean 20% of the vig. So if the house pays me $195 and keeps $5 for itself, $1 goes in taxes. Is that what this means?

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It's the place to talk about all issues in the PS! I think the latter interpretation is fairly obviously correct, but it still is going to impact what lousy odds sports gamblers actually have.

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So many alternate narratives. The defense seemed to think that they could achieve doubt by throwing everything at the wall. The CPD framed him, or 'rushed' to judge him, or didn't investigate. The brothers did it, or they didn't, or there were third parties involved, that may have been white or at least 'pale'. Smollet had an intimate relationship with one of the brothers, didn't know them well, rode around with them smoking joints as part of his 'process', was working with them but not keeping in touch. The brothers were clever, drug dealing, extortionists that were trying to avoid charges and were self-hating gays, or homophobes, wannabe actors or bodyguards and Trump supporters or not. A too obvious smoke screen with no coherence.

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