If The Races Were Reversed...

There would be an outcry over the lack of Justice, but that isn't the case. Ethan Liming: Deshawn Stafford and Tyler Stafford

Jurors on Monday handed up their verdicts in the involuntary manslaughter trial of two brothers for a fight that ended in the death of 17-year-old Ethan Liming.

Deshawn and Tyler Stafford were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter charges. Deshawn was found guilty of felony aggravated assault as well as a misdemeanor count of assault. Tyler was also found guilty on a misdemeanor count of assault.

Yeah. That doesn't sound like justice. (Hat tip to Moonbattery.)

First Amendment Win in the Ninth Circuit

And a religious-based win. Fellowship of Christian Athletes scores big Ninth Circuit win for religious liberty and freedom of association | The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

In April 2019, controversy erupted at the San Jose Unified School District’s Pioneer High School in California over a Fellowship of Christian Athletes requirement that student leaders comply with the group’s Statement of Faith and its Sexual Purity Statement. The former requires student leaders of the group to hew to the tenets of traditional Christian theology and the belief that “marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman,” while the latter affirms that “the appropriate place for sexual expression is in the context of a marriage relationship.”

They applied for recognition again in 2020, and they were rejected.

As with most cases of constitutional law, this one is not simple, and amenable to a few excerpts. You should click thru and read the whole thing. (Hat tip.)

Wednesday Link Roundup - 27 September

Pirate's Cove starts us off with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

7. Chicks On The Right covers Biden saying he’ll veto a bill that raises military pay
8. Climate Depot notes the global war on farming

EBL - Well someone has to be the Democrat Party scapegoat...

Instapundit: Some chutzpah announcing his reelection
Legal Insurrection: Menendez won't resign

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 23 September 2023: Too Many Words Edition

The tragedy of Google Search. (The Atlantic)
Leaving aside the moment the irony of The Atlantic commenting on a once-prominent institution turned to shit.

The DaleyGator - Daily Top 5

Is the Left Happy That They Got Their Wish?
Woke continues because its privileged creators believe “What I create for others, certainly will not apply to me.”

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 09.26.23

Adam Piggott: The Communist Plot behind The Voice
American Conservative: Yes, Social Media Censorship Is a First Amendment Issue

Small Dead Animals - Sunday On Turtle Island

Dementia Joe’s America: Biden can’t tell Black and Hispanic people apart. The DIE cult. Joe Biden is a liar. Old Joe helped incite the India crisis with Canada. Your morning meme.
Everybody Is Going To Die News: A new pandemic is coming?

Political Hat - News of the Week (September 24th, 2023)

Germany: Leipzig school obliges children to attend climate rally
Last Friday, participation in the “Global Climate Strike” of the radical organisation “Fridays for Future” was compulsory for tenth graders at a Leipzig grammar school.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 23 September 2023: Too Many Words Edition

Remember when NFTs sold for millions of dollars? 95% of the digital collectibles are now probably worthless. (Markets Insider) (archive site)
Remove "95% of", "now", and "probably".

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Hunter Sues Rudy

At Da Caller, IRS Whistleblower Was Removed From Hunter Biden Case After Rift With Top Prosecutor, IRS Officials Testify. The way I read this is Shapley wanted to move ahead with Hunter's prosecution, and Weiss wanted to bury it, and Weiss stopped taking Shapley's calls.

Vlad Tepes - Tucker Carlson speech extract like a laser in the darkness, NDP leader shows his real beliefs, and dialectical destruction of sexual dimorphism in schools: Links 1 for September 26th, 2023

3. Here is a very interesting Twitter thread showing how the left abuses movies like Sound of Freedom

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 9/25/2023

‘Zombie Apocalypse’: San Francisco on Track to Crush Overdose Death Record as Addicts Die in Streets
San Francisco is poised to surpass a record-breaking year for overdose deaths.

Don Surber - Highlights of the week

ITEM 2: TMZ reported, “Cindy Crawford says when she went on Oprah’s talk show back in the day, she didn’t think it would turn into what looked like a Miss America-type competition.

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

As part of the Cato Institute’s marvelous “Defending Globalization” project, Phil Magness reviews the history of American tariffs from the founding era until the mid-20th century.

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

Is Censorship a Partisan Issue?
Why do public intellectuals condescend to their readers?

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Now They’re Just Poking Their Fingers in Our Eyes

• Democrats Shred Senate Dress Code Into Rags Deroy Murdock
• Biden’s Corrupt DOJ Gets No Credit For Indicting Easy Target Bob Menendez Federalist

J.J. Sefton at The Morning Report — 9/26/23

"Pro-impeachment wing headed for the ‘boring’ and ‘complicated’ traps."
How Republicans Will Botch the Biden Impeachment

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 09/26/2023

American Express just cut MyPillow’s credit line by 90% after working with them for 15 years.
CatTurd on Twitter was Swatted:

I leave you with The Week in Pictures: Take a Flyer Edition from Power Line, Mondays..... gifdump from Wirecutter, Monday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Sunday Funnies For 09-24-23 from Stately McDaniel Manor.

At 40% of Baltimore City High Schools, Zero Students Proficient in Math

Thank the teachers' union. At 13 Baltimore City high schools, zero students tested proficient on 2023 state math exam | WBFF

They didn't count the students from the high school located in the Baltimore City Detention Center. That leaves a total of 32 high schools, and 13 that I think you can say are failing to teach math.

The latest round of state test results is raising alarm in Baltimore City Schools. Project Baltimore found that 40% of Baltimore City high schools, where the state exam was given, did not have any students score proficient in math. Not one student.

And I'm sure someone will say say something like, "This means we need to spend more money on schools."

Last school year, Baltimore City Schools received $1.6 billion from taxpayers, the most ever. The district also received $799 million in Covid relief funding from the federal government. And still, not a single student tested at 13 City high schools scored proficient on the state math test.

“So, it's not a funding issue. We're getting plenty of funding,” said [Jason Rodriguez, deputy director of People Empowered by the Struggle, a Baltimore-based nonprofit].

And these numbers are not public. They were provided by a source inside the school system. The school system doesn't want parents to know how bad the schools really are.

When the state officially releases them later this month, the results will likely be heavily redacted, making it more difficult for parents to see how many schools are performing.

Your tax dollars at work. (Hat tip to A View from the Porch: Forget It Jake, It's Baltimore.)

The Kelly Criterion

Akira the Don has an unusual approach to music. I haven't heard a lot of stuff by him, but it is always interesting. I'm not sure it is always good.

Don't risk everything
Stay outta jail
Don't risk everything
'Cause you could just lose everything

This is "The Kelly Criterion" by Akira The Don & Naval Ravikant

Tuesday Links - 26 September

Pirate's Cove is up first with Surprise? Massive Amount Of Democrats Are Against Free Speech

This is not really new, unlike what the article says: Democrats have been building to this for decades, but, especially in the 20th Century

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 25 September 2023: Chellenge Pellow Edition

In which Donald Knuth plays Twenty Questions with ChatGPT and runs into the usual authoritative-but-entirely-wrong answers. (Stanford)

The DaleyGator - YES, they ARE coming for your hamburgers………….

Not a surprise really at all is there? We all could see this coming

Freethink - Reflecting sunlight to cool the planet will cause other global changes

Some researchers are exploring proposals to engineer similar effects, for example by launching reflective aerosols into the stratosphere — via planes, balloons, and even blimps — in order to block the sun’s heat and counteract global warming.

Pipeline Online - Jim Warren: Guess what happens when eco-zealots are put in charge of making climate policy?

Magical thinking—Emissions reduction benchmarks and deadlines often involve impossibly high expectations that simply cannot be met by mere mortals. Crusading policy makers often fail to anticipate the many technical, economic and social barriers that can frustrate overly optimistic green transition targets

The Other McCain - ‘Who Fought for Ukrainian Independence Against the Russians’ in WWII?

Because they think of the proxy war against Putin as an expression of their moral superiority, liberals are utterly blind to any problems with their friends in Ukraine. So you have the liberals in the Canadian parliament applauding a literal Nazi, and if you object to this . . . Well, you’re a right-wing extremist and probably racist, too.

He Was Executed Because His Car Was Too Loud

I'm going to miss civilization. 58 years for man who murdered driver because the victim’s van was too noisy; ‘This s*** is funny as hell’

Sitting in his Irving Park home last year, 20-year-old Gaven Leon became annoyed by the noise of a van stopped for a nearby red light. So, prosecutors say, Leon fired a shot from his apartment window at the van’s driver, killing him.

You can click thru for the details, and how taking a human life didn't effect him in the least. Well, not until the cops showed up, tied him to the murder and another shooting incident.

Judge Atcherson found Leon guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle in July, according to court records. On Thursday, she handed him 25 years for the murder plus a 25-year sentencing enhancement for using a firearm during the commission of the crime. Those years must be served 100%, according to her hearing notes. She added eight consecutive years for the other charges. That will be served at 50%.

So he will do 54 years in prison, before he is elligible for parole. He will be 74 when that happens.

Chicago Teachers Are Also Up to No Good

The prior post talked about NYC teachers. They are not alone. Long-time Chicago teacher gets 10 years for sexually assaulting two girls - CWB Chicago

Eugene Westmoreland, 62, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 13, predatory criminal sexual assault, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 18 by a person in a position of trust, according to court clerk computer records.

Judge Steven Watkins sentenced him to 7 years and 3 years for the latter charges, respectively. Those will be served consecutively.

The incidents were between 2003 and 2014. Do we think this is it, or are there more?

NYC Teachers Arrested

These are the people who you are expected to trust around children. 12-year-old NYC students allegedly punched, groped in separate assaults by teachers

First we have a violent teacher.

Cops first arrested educator Brian Thomas, 33, after he allegedly punched a 12-year-old boy inside PS 161 in Manhattanville just after 12:30 p.m., according to police.

The boy was taken to the hospital, but was not seriously injured.

Next, we have a sexual predator.

The second teacher was arrested for sexual misconduct after he allegedly touched a 12-year-old female student’s chest, according to sources.

Mohamed Baksh, 70, was taken into police custody at 1:40 p.m. on charges of sexual misconduct, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.

But that isn't the end. Here's another article: NYC school worker slams autistic student, 6, against wall — the third DOE employee arrested in two days

A staffer at a Queens elementary school allegedly slammed her 6-year-old autistic student against the wall Friday — marking the third public school employee arrested for abusing kids in just two days.

Fauzia Naznin, 49, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child following the attack at PS 213, The Carl Ullman School, in Oakland Gardens, according to cops and law enforcement sources.

And this is the most disturbing sentence in the whole article:

The Carl Ullman School has a history of students with disabilities being abused by their trusted teachers.

Why hasn't this school been closed, or all of the teachers/administrators reassigned? (Because the schools are more about protecting the teachers than the students, that's why. Or that is my opinion anyway.

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time believing that these three incidents are the ONLY incidents; they are only the three that we know about.

The union was apparently not asked for a comment.

Rest In Peace

More from Dorothy? Sure. I really like this band.

As I said earlier in the month... I found out about Dorothy, because the lead singer from the band, Dorothy Martin, performed on Nita Strauss' most recent album. I liked her voice, so I went looking for the band. The band consists of vocalist Dorothy Martin, guitarist Sam “Bam” Koltun, bassist Eliot Lorango, and Jake Hayden playing drums.

This song is "Rest In Peace" by Dorothy from the 2022 album Gifts from the Holy Ghost.

St. Louis Police Constrained by 911 Call Center Shortage

Police were kept from doing their job, because the city didn't have enough 911 call takers and dispatchers. St. Louis police were routinely told to limit activity amid dispatcher woes this summer

The police couldn't request warrant checks or run license plate numbers, because of 911 staffing problems.

You can click thru for the details, but it came down to the fact that they were not paying enough.

In an effort to fill dispatcher vacancies, city officials gave dispatcher salaries a big boost in July. As a result, by Sept. 8 they’ve received more than 100 new applications, hired 26 and welcomed back three who previously quit.

Answering 911 calls is a high stress job, and 911 call centers go out of their way to make it a miserable work environment with procedures. You are talking to people on one of the worst days of their lives: women who have just been assaulted, mothers whose children are not breathing, etc. You cannot expect to fill those positions if you don't pay enough, and yet organizations all over the country have - for years - not paid enough.

And of course, the first thing to fall by the wayside under these conditions is "broken windows" policing.

Schroeder said there’s no hard and fast rule, but when officers receive memos to limit interactions with the public, they would likely pursue only more serious observed crimes like robbery or motor vehicle theft.

So if you called 911 in St. Louis over the past year, you would have gotten a substandard response, both in terms of answering the calls, and in police response. If you lived in St. Louis during that time, you could be assured that police were not working at 100% efficiency. (And that doesn't even consider the St. Louis PD was understaffed by about 23 percent.

This kind of thing seems to be prevalent across the Blue Cities.

I'm going to miss living in a civilized society.

Major 2nd Amendment Victory

Federal judge again strikes down California law banning gun magazines of more than 10 rounds

California cannot ban gun owners from having detachable magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, a federal judge ruled Friday.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez won’t take effect immediately. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, has already filed a notice to appeal the ruling. The ban is likely to remain in effect while the case is still pending.

Clayton Cramer gets the hat tip with Major Victory.

And yes, this is a case on which I have worked as an expert witness. I am feeling pretty good.

Can We Call a Crook a Crook? Probably Not

From The Manhattan Contrarian: The Bidens: "Stone Cold Crooked" (9) -- When Can We Start Calling It What It Is, Namely Bribery?

The Biden family corruption scandal gets deeper with every passing day. Speaker Kevin McCarthy finally opened an impeachment investigation in the House last week, and now the first hearing in that investigation has been scheduled for September 28 before the House Oversight Committee.

So what is the potential impeachable offense? You will undoubtedly recall, in the context of the two Trump impeachments, the endless semantic contortions that took place trying to shoe-horn Trump’s conduct into the vague constitutional catchall of “high crimes and misdemeanors” that might support an impeachment. Now, with Biden, the conduct at issue goes by various euphemisms like “the family business,” “business dealings with foreign nationals,” “influence peddling,” “selling access,” or maybe just “corruption.” But are these impeachable offenses?

There is more of course.

Should You Believe Bob Iger?

Not just no. Hell No.

Bob Iger, the person who oversaw the hiring of all the Woke Activists at Disney, says he wants to "quiet the noise" about the Culture War. There are a couple of problems with the statement. One is he said exactly the same thing last November, and the other is that he didn't mean it then, any more than he means it now.

This is a bit of the Friday Night Tights video, in which this "quiet the noise" statement came up.Ahsoka SAVES Star Wars! Hollywood Demolished, Culture Healing | Friday Night Tights #268 Joel Berry. I'm only recommending that you listen to about five minutes or so. I usually watch (or listen) to Friday Night Tights, either while I'm cooking dinner, or later if something is going on Friday evening. (I'm retired, so I find the weekend annoying. Thank God It's Monday!) But I know most people don't have that kind of patience, or even interest in pop culture. I have the video queued up to the appropriate bit.

Critical Drinker also has something to say on the same subject. Disney Finally Admit They Went Too Far, But Is It Too Late? That is a 6 minute video.

I'm talking, of course, about Bob Iger. The CEO of Disney, and the man largely responsible for changing the company's public perception from a wholesome, patriotic, family-friendly, and highly respected entertainment brand that strove to honor the ideals and principles of its founder, into a sinister corporate behemoth that gobbles up studios and IPs quicker than Lizzo consumes hors d'oeuvres at a party, cannibalizes and destroys beloved franchises and legacy characters with a series of disastrous sequels and soulless remakes, and uses the hard work and talent of previous generations as a convenient platform to push The Message™.

To put it in diplomatic terms, this turned out to be a "sub-optimal strategy."

And in case the collapsing share value, cratering park attendance, and flat-lining box office revenue, and highly publicized and damaging political battles weren't enough to clue you in to clue you on this fact, then a recent statement by Old Bob himself during an investors presentation at Disney World that he wants to "quiet the noise" around the culture war is really the final nail in the coffin.

It's the executive equivalent of saying, "Yeah, I fucked up Bro," and it's as close as we're likely to get to a public admission that people aren't buying what they've been selling, no matter how many times they try to do it, and the only option now is to either change course rapidly, or go bankrupt.

The Wall Street Press is still burbling on about how Disney is an excellent buy right now, being as price of the stock hasn't been this low in 9 years. Wall Street refuses to see just how damaged the Disney Brands have become under Iger. Lucasfilm has systematically destroyed the intellectual property it purchased from George Lucas. No one, or very few people, care about the Star Wars franchise, and Indiana Jones and the Insufferable Feminist is the final nail in the coffin of that franchise. Pixar and even Disney animation can't seem to produce a hit.

And even park attendance if falling off. But then when they put men in dresses in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to help transform little girls in princesses, I can't imagine that they thought families would flock to that.

Relatives of Dead People Don't Like Self-defense

This story is from a couple of days ago, but now we are getting reactions from the family of the guy who got shot. Family of school leader killed in high-rise upset after shooter released without charges: ‘He didn’t have to kill my brother’

The family of an assistant principal who was shot and killed by his neighbor in a Loop high-rise is hoping to get justice after the shooter was released without charges.

He did get justice. He was attacked, and he defended himself. That is legal, even in the People's Republic of Chicago.

“We’re hopeful that they’ll relook into this case and charge this man,” said the brother of Abnerd Joseph, an assistant principal at Intrinsic School who was shot after a confrontation between tenants last week.

For details on the incident, you can see my post "Role Model" Shot in Justifiable Homicide from Tuesday.

As for the brother, I know that he is hurting because his brother is gone, but what exactly was the shooter supposed to do. Stand there and let your brother attack him?

A 3D Printed .22 Long Rifle Semiautomatic Pistol

From Impro Guns we get another offering. Releasing of The Beach Pigeon

A play on "Desert Eagle."

With just a 3D printer, 8 springs, a handful of M3 bolts and a piece of brake-line tubing, you too can make your very own Beach Pigeon at home.

Click thru for a photo of the gun, and a video of a test firing.

Hit Someone in the Head With a Bat = No Jail Time in NYC

Because it has nothing to do with Justice. Bat-wielding suspect caught on camera Karim Azizi whacking homeless man in the head avoids jail with sweetheart plea deal

A bat-wielding man caught-on-camera whacking a homeless person in the head during a shocking attack on a city street will avoid jail time under a sweetheart plea deal with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, The Post has learned.

Prosecutors said they offered Karim Azizi the cushy deal in part because they’d been unable to find his victim – a 47-year-old homeless man who suffered gruesome injuries to his face and head in the Nov. 29, 2022, beatdown in Sugar Hill.

Video evidence is not enough.

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 23 September

Wombat-socho starts us off with In The Mailbox: 09.20.23 (Morning Edition)

The Geller Report: WAIT, WHAT? Zelensky Visits Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers in NYC Hospital
Glenn Reynolds: Fetterman Nation

The Right Way - Top of the News

We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us - Theo Spark
RAY EPPS : Is The Fix In? ️ - Evi. L Bloggerlady

EBL - Fire Ants Will Destroy Europe 🐜🙀

Watts Up With That: Fire Ants in Europe
Oh wait, I thought this was referring to a different sort of alien invader. Nevermind.

Animal Magentism - Animal’s Hump Day News

Hunter Biden indicted on firearms charges. Well, it’s a start.
The lesson? Get Woke, Go Broke.
Panic Button? More Brutal Polling for Democrats

The DaleyGator - Some much needed fun links

TCIF from Whores and Ale! Features Barbarian movie babes!
The War on Guns has thoughts on “Toxic” Masculinity

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 09.22.23 (Abbreviated Afternoon Edition)

Baldilocks: Corporations Pretend To Commit Suicide
CDR Salamander: An Inadequate Navy? A Common Affliction

Battleswarm Blog - Bad Guy Beatdown Roundup

Out in El Monte, California, a would be thief armed with bear spray and a hammer got a righteous beatdown trying to rob a family jewelry store.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Merrick in the Mire

Dan Flynn at Am Spec asks the obvious question, Was Ray Epps a Jan. 6 Fed Conspirator? "The delay in his charging, and the lone misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, fuels theories."

Vlad Tepes - Some surface analysis of yesterday’s protest and other items inserted into the news cycles: Links 1 for September 21st, 2023

2. Relating to yesterday’s demonstration: Third of Children Put on Puberty Blockers Saw Mental Health ‘Reliably Deteriorate’, UK Researchers Find

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 9/21/2023

Cody Weems says his wife asked two people doing drugs outside their children’s bedroom window to move away from the home when she was attacked.
A 28-year-old mother of three was fatally stabbed Monday

Small Dead Animals - Wednesday On Turtle Island

Biden’s America: The president is fine. A policy of low expectations. America’s descent into madness. The continuing cultural revolution. UN summit pushing masterplan for humanity.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 09.22.23 (Evening Edition)

Transterrestrial Musings: Long-Haul Trucking, Blue-Collar Workers, and Weird Climate Logic
Victory Girls: Ukraine Gravy Train Will Continue Even If Gov’t Shutdown Happens

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

John Phelan explains that, when it comes to people’s abilities as workers, reality isn’t optional.
Bruce Rottman understands that economic growth can’t be conjured into existence merely by increasing demand.

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 9/22/23

Christian Toto: "Guillermo del Toro, Mark Ruffalo, Chelsea Handler attack straw men, ignore real threat."
Celebs Rally Against ‘Book Bans,’ Ignore Real Censorship

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

Suppressing negative thoughts may be good for mental health after all, study suggests
The Case for Mediocrity

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: DHS Names Liars and Russia Collusion Hoaxers as “Experts” to ID Disinformation

• Ibram Kendi's Center for Anti-racism lays off majority of staff John Sexton
• Ardern at UN: we are at war, so censorship is necessary David Strom

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 09/21/2023

DeSantis sounds kind of like a bot in this piece where tasked with charming Tucker Carlson and his wife, he spends an evening rattling off his policy proposals and at one point kicks one of the Carlson’s dogs under the table.

I leave you with Wednesday's gifs from Wirecutter, Wednesday Memes … from MaddMedic, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #1348 from 90 Miles from Tyranny, and Have pun will travel from Bluebird of Bitterness.

Will the Last Person to Leave CNN Please Turn Out the Lights

I can't believe that they are making money with this audience, though I haven't found any details. CNN records lowest weekend ratings in demo in recorded history

I looked at some of the Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. financials online, but what I have access to doesn't break out CNN. Warner Bros. as a whole is losing money, but that is hardly surprising given the string of box office failures and the rest of the news.

The network’s Sunday primetime lineup, which featured “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” and “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy,” drew 43,000 in the demo.

The ratings are the network’s worst since 1991 — the earliest TV data is readily available.

Data prior to 1991 is largely not digitized.

They have a new CEO coming in, Mark Thompson. He was formerly the CEO of the New York Times Company. I doubt he will be able to fix CNN in the time he will be given. How long will it be, before anyone outside of the rabid anti-Trump camp trusts anything the CNN has to say? (Hat tip to The Other McCain.)