#doing justice

[jasper-book-stash]

Deep understanding of any subject or set of facts requires active inquiry. That in turn requires asking questions. Every kind of question—searching questions, uncomfortable questions, broad questions, narrow questions, long-shot questions, repetitive questions, hypothetical questions. Many questions should be asked twice, perhaps even a third time, and rephrased each time to make sure the question was really understood and to make sure you understood the answer.

Smart questions are good; dumb questions are even better. There is no such thing as a dumb question, the saying goes, but the shorthand is useful here. So-called dumb questions are often foundational; they tend to get to the basics, to the bottom line. Dumb questions uncover superficial reasoning, reveal bad logic, and expose false experts. The world is populated, even in rarefied workplaces, with bullshit artists. People are forever using acronyms they can't expand, spouting jargon they can't translate, trafficking in concepts they don't grasp. They parrot shallow talking points and slogans and other people's recollections. When you take at face value everything said to you—even from supposed subject matter experts opining with great confidence—you are at risk of perpetuating everyone's superficial understanding of the matter at hand. There is no shame in asking basic questions, in virtually any context. In fact, it is essential to your personal understanding of any issue. Too often, people like to play in the treetops before working at the roots. That is a mistake in any job and in life generally.

I don't know the right number of questions a person should ask in any particular context. But what I do know is this: find the person in the new job who asks the fewest questions, and there's your problem. One veteran in my office gave this advice to newly minted supervisors: "People are going to come into your office and ask some crazy stuff. They're not the ones you need to worry about. It's the guy you haven't seen in six weeks."

-Doing Justice: A Prosecutor’s Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law, Preet Bharara (2019)

[pangur-and-grim]

a lot of you probably knows Belphie's story, but I'll summarize just in case.

Devon Rex cats are better for people with allergies (less shed fur + less Fel d1 protein in their saliva), so on February 16, 2024, I went the breeder route and put down a deposit. before Belphie even opened his eyes, he was mine!

every Friday, the breeder sent me a new photo. I had a broken leg, and was basically rotting in bed at that point, so it was the best part of my week. then, at 12 weeks old, I BROUGHT HIM HOME!

at first, he was so alive! like a wind-up monkey that never shut off. he dangled from the wall-hangings, savaged my feet as I walked, and used my elderly cats as jumping poles to do cool acrobatics over. but all this gradually faded.

first, he stopped playing. then he stopped climbing. then he stopped moving much at all. my vet ran tests on him and found multiple pathogens (calcivrius + mycoplasma), but the medication didn't help - he kept declining.

on September 17th, I woke up to find him swollen like a balloon. we finally had an answer: he had Feline infectious Peritonitis, aka FIP. before 2017, this would've been a death sentence. he would've kept bloating until he drowned in his own fluids. and before 2024, I would've been forced to inject him with black market drugs. but thankfully, South Tower Animal Hospital in Fergus, Ontario was doing a study on the oral medication! we drove two hours, enrolled him, and left with the GS-441524 pills.

and he went from those photos above.....to this:

I thought Belphie would die as a kitten. I'd accepted that he would never grow up. but now he gets to LIVE!

and all for the low cost of $7,553.....ahhhahaha........god.

that + a recent home disaster has wiped out my savings, but I still need to pay for Belphie's medication. to remain in this study, I need to do bloodwork monthly until Feb 2025, and he'll need daily pills until March 2025.

I've put a risograph print + enamel pin set up at greerstothers.shop. I hate asking for help, but if you'd like to support Belphie's continued treatment, please consider checking them out!

[sparkoflena]

Kon: Why are you staring at me so intently?

Tim, completely casually: I think I want to stab you with Kryptonite a few times. In different areas. For science.

Kon: ...why is my best friend considering torturing me?

Tim: I'm wondering if it takes you down so badly because it is truly that dangerous to you or if the invulnerablility of Kryptonians gives you a weak pain tolerance.

Kon: And you're asking me, a half human, instead of Clark or Kara?

Tim: They'd start telling Bruce about my "concerning villainous behavior" again.

Kon: And I won't?

Tim: I've kept fighting through pneumonia, a gunshot wound, and broken bones. And you go down when I poke you with a rock. Come on, you've got to be curious.

Kon: ...okay, I am a little curious.

Tim: YES! You won't regret this!

Kon: I will absolutely regret this.

[bloomeng]

core 4 magical girl set finally reunited

[thisiswhereikeepdcthings]

Justice League identity reveal where they don’t know who Batman is and one day a bunch of them walk in on him just casually eating yogurt in the cafeteria with his cowl off. A bunch of them recognize him, a couple don’t, and they’re all shocked.

Turns out Batman didn’t realize none of them knew who he was, since it had taken him all of ten minutes and three google searches to put everyone’s secret identities together and he just assumed they had all figured it out by this point. Or maybe he had meant to tell them and then just forgotten. Either way, he regularly interacts with half of them outside of hero stuff and hasn’t bothered with the whole separate persona thing with them in years. Shouldn’t they really have figured this out by now? So what if he forgot? This is clearly on them.

[lungthief]

sometimes u just gotta remind yourself that while ace attorney is about law and justice and stuff it is also about a bunch of young adults living in [CALIFORNIA]

[haveihitanerve]

Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Spoiler, Batgirl, all hug their teams after missions, check in, make sure they’re fine, because its what Bruce would do, what Batman did, after a rough patrol, or a difficult mission, he’d crush them close, ensure their safety, check in afterwards because maybe the mission was a little harsher and more trying so Bruce was a little more bitchy and he just wants to check in, make sure they’re good, make sure his kids are okay, that they’re safe, and the League sees this happen and is like “where did crime lord Red Hood learn this?” to just hug his teammates after battle? Weird. And then they all are like- “wait batman doesn't hug yall after battle?” And the League is like “wtf no????” and yeah…

I just want the kids to be the tadest bit oblivious to the fact that their Batman is also their Dad and is not the League’s Batman.

[plainclothesdisaster]

DPxDC Mechanical Engineer Danny

Danny caught the attention of Batman while studying at Gotham University for his alternative energy projects. He’s hired right out of college to work on the Watchtower.

He shows absolutely no tell of his abilities till there’s a dire situation- Flash’s electric discharge messes with one of his projects in progress and the whole base would have lost air pressure if he hadn’t done a quick fix using telekinesis and ice.

Of course Batman notices.

Batman assumes the worst- he suspects Danny’s a rogue of some kind, someone who has infiltrated the Justice League with an ulterior motive. But he can’t just fire Danny now- he’s the only one who knows how the new Watchtower energy source works. Plus, he’s not letting Danny go anywhere until he’s figured out his true motives.

Cue Batman subtly testing Danny- tossing things at him to trigger inhuman fast reflexes, having him lift too-heavy machinery, setting up convenient opportunities to steal or snoop or otherwise be up to no good. Danny does take advantage but only once, to use a computer terminal with unlocked clearance. He didn’t plant any bugs that Barman could find, and he otherwise kept up his powerless civilian act perfectly.

Still, Batman’s not satisfied. He brings an infrasonic sound emitter to Danny’s lab one day, and that, of all things, is what gets Danny to break.

“I know what you’re doing,” Danny admits with a sigh, finally. “If you’re really that suspicious of me, I can leave, but I kinda like my job so I’d prefer not to. The benefits are insane compared to what’s standard.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure. yeah. How about you turn off the freaking noise generator and we can talk?”

“Hm.” Batman obliges, and he takes the stool next to Danny at his gesture.

“Number one, I’m not a meta. Despite all the data and conclusions you’ve probably drawn otherwise. Number two, I’m on your side. I’m here to work on the base, that’s it. I follow your rules to the letter.”

“The-“

“The classified files I looked at? Yeah that was the one exception. You already know what I looked at, I’m sure, but maybe you haven’t figured out why. It goes back to point one- I may not be a meta, but I am something that organization, the GIW, cares about. I looked at your files on them to sus out your relations. Seeing as I don’t particularly love being the victim to twelve degrees of human rights violations if I can avoid it.”

“Hm.” The Ghost Intelligence Ward was one of many government agencies that the Justice League hadn’t worked closely with. But they also hadn’t been flagged for Justice League investigation. Danny’s comments made him doubt that call.

“Any other questions?”

“If you’re not a meta, what are you?”

“I’m an engineer. A pretty decent one. And I’d really, really like it to stay that way.”

Batman considers, and ultimately lets him stay. He likes Danny (everyone likes Danny), and it would be a massive pain in the ass to replace him. He really is a good engineer.

It’s only much later that his faith in Danny is repaid in spades.

Batman finds Danny on the Watchtower command bridge. Alarms are blaring, the station has been knocked out of orbit, out the window there’s shrapnel floating everywhere as a space battle rages around them.

On the station it’s chaos. Technicians run around, shouts from the med bay, sparks from the walls.

Batman and Danny stand at the main controls, watching the battle outside, stoic, unmoving.

Wonder Woman’s harried voice crackles through on coms: “We need backup.”

“There is no more backup.” Batman replies, while looking pointedly at Danny.

“What?”

Batman doesn’t move.

“What.”

“The impact from Darkseid’s initial attack should have sent this station on a terminal trajectory toward the planet.”

“Well. We aren’t currently plummeting to our deaths, so turns out it didn’t do that.”

“You did something.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re lying.”

“Maybe Superman nudged us back on course in all the chaos.”

“I’ve been watching the trackers. No one else with the capability has come near the station.”

“Can’t you just be grateful we got lucky?”

Sounds of peril screech over the coms. Danny’s face scrunches.

“Luck had nothing to do with it. As it is now, we are going to lose this fight.”

“Isn’t there anyone else you can call?”

“I’m asking you. You can help, can’t you?”

The glare-off lasts a long moment more before Danny breaks.

“Fuck. Fuckity fuck.” Danny runs his hands through his hair. “Shit. You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“I’m asking you to save this and countless other worlds from a genocide. I’m also asking you to save my friends.”

Danny looks at him, hard, weary, and with a kind of deep resolve that feels far too ancient to be on the face of a supposed twenty-something.

“Fine. Fine. Okay.” He steps back and transforms. If Batman is surprised when he shakes off his human appearance like an old coat, he doesn’t show it. But what’s undeniable is the being in Danny’s place has the unmistakable presence of power.

“No one else can know.” His voice echoes in a way that’s sonically impossible, both sounding closer and further away than he should be.

He pulls a gear-shaped medallion seemingly out of thin air and puts it over his head in one motion.

“If I get in trouble for this, I’m blaming you.”

He vanishes. Outside, the shape of the battle changes instantly. The stars seem to glow brighter as the arms of the galaxy flash with the colors of the aurora. Then it’s like the void of space itself comes alive. It moves the spaceships back like they’re toys, plucking them from one side of the field to the other. It finds Darkseid at the heart of the chaos and massive arms of nothingness and darkness wrap around him. He’s screaming as it swallows him whole.

His armies scatter. The battle turns. The JL deal with the stragglers, but the air of relief is palpable.

Danny reappears next to Batman, once again donning his grease-stained coveralls. Arms folded.

“Happy?”

It took all of five minutes. Less, probably. Batman tamps down a thousand questions.

“Thank you.”

“I’m gonna need two weeks off minimum.” Danny snaps. “One to deal with the bureaucratic nightmare you’ve just caused me, and another to recover from the headache.”

Batman blanks. “Granted.”

Danny sighs. “And I’m not fixing the station until I’m back. It won’t fall out of the sky as is. Make up whatever excuse you want.”

“Done.” He considers. “I would prefer to tell them the truth. That you saved us.”

Danny glares. “I’m not supposed to save you. I made a pact not to use my power to influence the mortal realm.”

“A pact with who?”

Danny rolls his eyes. “The embodiment of Time. The concept of Justice. Among others.” He smirks at Batman’s confusion.

“And what, exactly, does that make you?”

He stands, framed by the space window, haloed by the stars. “I’ll give you three guesses.”

Batman frowns.

“Look. I like you guys. I like working on your base. I like supporting the work you do. But you can not go factoring me in to any of your plans or contingencies. This was a one time thing.

“So to answer your question again: I’m an engineer.”

[adam-scott]

Lupita Nyong'o attends the 97th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 02, 2025 in Hollywood, California

[jasper-book-stash]

The investigator's orientation matters. The mind-set and motivation are key. You must want to find the truth, must want to get it right. All too often, people simply want to win, facts and truth be damned. But to begin an inquiry, when justice is the goal, you must not be wedded to any result, must not have a thesis in advance. To be open-minded means proceeding without a theory. You develop a thesis from the facts, not vise versa.

Why is this so important? Once you commit to a theory or a thesis, it's hard to let it go. Psychologists are familiar with this phenomenon. People tend to tune out facts that conflict with their original thesis. They will downplay contrary evidence or, even worse, may not even recognize new facts as undercutting their first belief. First beliefs are sticky. Unproven first beliefs weaken your bain and dull your thinking just as a fever weakens your body. In any given inquiry, without constant vigilance, obvious first principles are at risk of degrading into facile catchphrases. You know them all: keep an open mind, don't prejudge, don't assume, don't jump to conclusions, guard against bias.

This open-minded approach meets resistance because it slows the speed of an investigation. After a horrible disaster of a violent crime, the world understandably clamors for accountability; they want the bad guys caught. The victims have faces; sympathy and empathy naturally pour forth. It's understandable that people want to see the faces of the evildoers. They want culprits, and they want them fast. In the wake of a crime, everyone turns into a NASCAR fan. They want speed, speed, speed.

Speed is an investigation's best friend and also its worst enemy. Speed is your friend because some evidence evaporates like a puddle in the sun. Memories lapse, witnesses walk, documents go missing too. So you want to get your hands on all the nuggets you can in short order.

But undue speed can cause you to overlook evidence or misinterpret it. It can force mistakes. As the Roman senator Tacitus said, "Truth is confirmed by inspection and delay; falsehood by haste and uncertainty." When you are always racing forward, it becomes hard to take a step back. But stepping back can be the key to a case. An investigator must maintain a near-impossible balance between patience and impatience. A burning drive to find the truth quickly is essential, but so is a calm resolve to take your time to get it right.

-Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law, Preet Bharara (2019)

[manzanamarim]

These attorneys sure are ace or smth idk

[cutetanuki-chan]

i can be your angle....or yuor devil

[clumxy]

matching colours

[nondistinctmeganerd]

obsessed with the idea that outsiders (specifically the JL) hear whispers of Red Hood, and strapping themselves in for Batman to have another rogue on his hands, preparing for the sour mood and curt responses, and it just never happens??

there's talk about Red Hood becoming a force to be reckoned with and how he's gonna be less than easy to handle, but after word spread there was just nothing.

Flash asks Batman and he just grunts out 'its handled' and no one brings it up again.

Everyone is unsettled and slightly worried until an attack relatively close to Gotham has the Bats rolling up, right behind them is the infamous red helmet and an undeniable bat painted on his chest.

the JL comms explode into yelling

Batman mutes his earpiece

[manguopudding]

go loud

[graysbullshit]

I have been vacinated about 30-45 times in my life. Do you know how much I paid for it? Not a dime.

My great-aunt had a tumor and had to treat it with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She was fully recovered. Do you know how much she paid for it? Not a dime.

One of Brazil's most famous tv show hosts who has been in show business for over 40 years with over 30 milion views had a kidney transplant this year. Do you know how much he paid for the transplant? Not a dime.

When my mother is bored she walks a block up to the public health center and gets a check up. Do you know how much she pays for this? Not a dime.

My mother has been going to the psychologist. Do you know much she has paid? Not a dime.

Does this enrage you? It should. When Luigi said "this" was a insult to the American people's intelligence he probably meant the mediatic circus around his person, but if we're to be honest you could say the same about USA's healthcare politics. Do not let them tell you it "has to be this way" and "there is no other way." There is. You CAN have better healthcare. You DON'T have to sell your house to pay your medical debt. They are MAKING you do this ON PURPOSE. Don't forget that.

I don't usually have any kindness to spare USAians, but we are with you in this one. The world is watching. You CAN turn this around! Don't let them desincourage you.