31 December 2022

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 31 December

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain is up first with In The Mailbox: 12.28.22

Transterrestrial Musings: A Wrap Up of 2022, Job Hunting For Ex-Twitter Employees, and Charlie Brown’s Inside Job
Victory Girls: Rachel Levine Demands Censorship

The Right Way - Top of the News

Self-Defense- The most essential Human Right - The Daley Gator
NY State Legislature Accused of Lack of Preparation for Buffalo Blizzard - IOTW Report

EBL - How to prevent young people falling prey to socialism?

I fear, like most things, people learn the hard way. Through their failures. The lesson regarding what we have been doing to the economy for forty years will be a painful one. 

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 12/30/2022

12/29 – The Republicans’ Mitch McConnell Problem
A fair look at the good and the bad about Cocaine Mitch

The DaleyGator - The Daily Top Five

American Greatness
Top High School in Virginia Accused of Holding Back Awards in the Name of ‘Equity’

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 12.29.22

Victory Girls: Antiquated IT System Is Key Reason For Southwest Airlines Implosion
Volokh Conspiracy: New York’s Ultra-Broad Definition of “Blight” Continues to Enable Eminent Domain Abuse

Don Surber - Highlights of the News

ITEM 6: Just the News reported, "The FBI set up a command center in San Francisco in fall 2020 that forwarded censorship requests from bureau headquarters to social media platforms."

Political Hat - News of the Week (December 30th, 2022)

Gun ownership went up. Killings went down. Brazil debates why.
Brazil — Take away the açaí smoothies and the skewers of barbecued Brazilian meat and the four-day Texas ExpoTiro here could be a gun show anywhere in the United States.

Battleswarm Blog - LinkSwarm for December 30, 2022

Higher education can’t be reformed from within.
“EU bans imports of products linked to deforestation, freezing Europeans cut down forests to survive.” (Hat tip: Instapundit.)

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Republicans Pounce on FBI, House Drops Trump Subpoena

Elon Musk roasts Anthony ‘the Science’ Fauci while hinting corporate media might be next target of ‘Twitter Files’. Mike LaChance at LI, Elon Musk To Media: Info Coming Out of Twitter Has ‘Only Just Begun’.

Vlad Tepes - Enemy propaganda does hard vaxx push for year’s end: Links post 1, December 30, 2022

4. Canadian Conservative MP, Leslyn Lewis, who ran for leadership of the Conservative Party against Pierre Poilievre, published this PDF of a contract between The Canadian Government, and the World Economic Forum

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 12.30.22

American Conservative: Conservative Party Uselessness On Both Sides Of Atlantic
American Greatness: Criminology Student Arrested in Pennsylvania For University of Idaho Student Slayings

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 12/30/2022

S&P 500 Wraps Worst Year Since 2008; The three major U.S. stock indices are targeting their worst annual performance since 2008, with the S&P 500 skidding over 20% in 2022.

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

“Where do the savings go?”
Richard Vedder explains that “Lobbying has made American higher education fat and ineffective.”

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Nothing will stop the Democrats' planned invasion across the southern border

• Harvesting Votes Is Working Great For Democrats, So They’re Going For More: Victoria Marshall
 • Biden’s DHS released 150,000+ illegal aliens into the U.S. in the summer 2021: Rajan Laad

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

Supreme Court leaves Title 42 in place for now and Gorsuch is right
 Habitual Election Denier Rep. Jamie Raskin Calls Electoral College a ‘Danger’ to Democracy, American People

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 12/29/22

Victor Davis Hanson: "Black antisemitism is spreading in strange, dangerous ways. Why?"
The New, New Antisemitism

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 12/30/2022

Musk announces new science policy on Twitter emphasizing debate. So clearly all show, as conservatives begin getting shadowbanned again, and guys like Vox Day were never even let back on the platform to begin with.

I leave you with Cartoon Round Up.... from Theo Spark, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #683 from 90 Miles from Tyranny, and It's Thursday Morning . . . . LIBTURDS!!! from Woodsterman.

More Self-defense in Louisiana

I had to look twice be sure this wasn't the same incident I covered yesterday. It isn't. Homeowner fatally shoots alleged armed intruder on West Bank, NOPD says

The NOPD says the homeowner found an armed man inside of his home and opened fire, fatally striking the alleged invader. The age and identity of the dead man have not been disclosed. The NOPD said the homeowner is not being charged at this time.

Both incidents were on around midnight Thursday morning, though this shooting took place a little after 11:00 PM Wednesday. One was in New Orleans, and one in Bogalusa. Both were cases of homeowners defending themselves.

Self-defense is a human-right.

What Is the Value of a University Degree?

And how is the value of the degrees changing? From the NY Post: The woke university implosion — and what comes next

Left-wing indoctrination, administrative bloat, obsessions with racial preferences, arcane, jargon-filled research and campus-wide intolerance of diverse thought short-changed students, further alienated the public — and often enraged alumni.

Administrative bloat is an understatement.

At Yale University, administrative positions have soared over 150% in the last two decades. But the number of professors increased by just 10%. In a new low/high, Stanford recently enrolled 16,937 undergraduate and graduate students, but lists 15,750 administrative staff — in near one-to-one fashion.

This is in an era where college enrollment is falling. It fell 4 percent last year, or by 650,000 students. That was between 2021 and 2022. Men are staying away in droves, because there is only so many times you can be lectured about "toxic masculinity" before you're done, I guess.

Skeptical American employers, to remain globally competitive, will likely soon administer their own hiring tests. They already suspect that prestigious university degrees are hollow and certify very little.

Traditional colleges will seize the moment and expand by sticking to meritocratic criteria as proof of the competency of their prized graduates.

In short, there will be less of the insanity.

Fa Fa

A song from 2000, or maybe from 1999, via WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback. Tommy Lee was revisiting 2000. At least I think it was Tommy Lee. Y2K started the year, and then there was the dot-com bubble. But some of the music was OK.

Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa
Never be the same again

This is "Fa Fa" by Guster from their 1999 album Lost and Gone Forever. It was released as a single from the album in January of 2000.

Is this appropriate for New Year's Eve? Probably not, but I'm just not in a holiday mood this year.

An Update on the Idaho Student Murders...

From The Other McCain: BREAKING: Suspect in Idaho Student Murders Was Criminology Grad Student UPDATE: Killer Is ‘Obsessive’ Vegan?

UPDATE: The fact that Kohberger was attending grad school at Washington State University, just eight miles from the University of Idaho campus where the four students were murder in November, is certainly intriguing. Some had also previously suggested that the Idaho murders were the work of a serial killer, tying them to unsolved stabbings in Silverton, Oregon, and Washougal, Washington.

Click thru for the details.

30 December 2022

Deputy Isaiah Cordero

End of watch. California sheriff's deputy Isaiah Cordero shot and killed at traffic stop

Isaiah Cordero, a deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, was gunned down by William Shae McKay during a traffic stop in the city of Jurupa Valley around 2 p.m., according to Sheriff Chad Bianco.

The suspect was killed after a high-speed chase and an "exchange of gunfire" with police.

The Sheriff Chad Bianco had some harsh words about why the shooter was on the street.

Bianco slammed a San Bernardino County judge for not putting McKay away for at least 25 years back in 2021 after he was convicted of his “third strike” for kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon.

The judge lowered his bail that led to his release and then later released him again after he was arrested for failing to appear at his sentencing, he said.

This is one of the fruits of Social Justice™ - dead police. Another is dead citizens. I doubt the judge - who the sheriff did NOT name - will suffer so much as a sleepless night.

Friday Links - 30 December

I hope eveyone has a safe and fun New Year's.

Meep on public finance, pensions, mortality and more is up first with Twitter Files Hits COVID Stats: Good Luck with Rebuilding Trust, CDC. I would love to devote time for an entire post on this subject, but this is all you get. For now.

And this is what has been wearing me down throughout the pandemic — it’s not merely that the bureaucrats and politicians have had different policies than I preferred (and in some case, they had the same ones I preferred), but that they used lies to support these policies, and then blocked people using factual information who supported different policies.

Adaptive Curmudgeon - Attack Of The Lesbian Activist Squirrels: Chapter 9: Part 09: Mystery Inc.

This is the last post in this chapter. You’ve just had 12,000 words of free ice cream! I hope you liked it. The whole story is well over 100,000 words, it’s free to anyone who wants to read, and it’s my best attempt to treat the malady of uptight wokeness.

Sure, I’ll admit it; it’s unusual. I could have gifted y’all an ugly sweater or some shit you don’t need, but isn’t this a better Christmas present than that?

Battleswarm Blog - Biden’s America: Buffalo Looters Sack Family Dollar

Looting and rioting are both signs of societal breakdown. Recent election cycles have seen the hard-left wing of the Democratic Party encourage (and the rest of party at least tolerate) such behavior, seemingly on the working assumption that doing so helped keep black voters pulling the “D” lever, no matter how destructive it might be for economic opportunity and community cohesion in the long term.

Gates of Vienna - The Betrayal of Europe

The following poem by Michael Copeland from 2016 is relevant to the story of Luna, the little Swedish girl who was raped and turned into a quadriplegic by a culture-enriching “youth”.

Breitbart - Poll Shows Media, Politicians Hide Migration Numbers from Americans

Public opposition to President Joe Biden’s lax border policies surges when voters discover the huge scale of the economic migration, according to polling data from a December survey by Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll.

The Other McCain - ‘I Don’t Talk to the Police, Sir’

One of the difficulties of trying to get Americans to understand our nation’s crime problem is that most people don’t acknowledge the existence of the category “criminals.” That is to say, because of the way crime is portrayed in entertainment and news media, there seems to be a widespread belief that criminal behavior is more or less randomly distributed throughout the population.

Pirate's Cove - Hey, Remember When Trump Was In Office And It Was Racist To Make Chinese Take COVID Tests?

I’m waiting with baited breath for the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, etc and so on to call this racist now that Biden is doing it

Again from The Other McCain - Why Have Democrat-Controlled Schools Become Such Cesspits of Racism?

Consider the fact that the case before the court involved two students — Cedric Epple and Kevin Chen — who were expelled from Albany High School in Alameda County, California. This is on the east side of San Francisco Bay, barely three miles from the Berkeley campus of the University of California, which is to say that this school is nearly at the Ground Zero of Wokeness. Less than 5% of the voters in the town are registered Republicans. There is perhaps no place in America where “hate speech” is more strongly condemned, and yet here’s what was going on among these teenagers:

How Would You Respond to Someone Kicking in Your Door?

I wouldn't make tea. Bogalusa sees deadliest year on record with ninth shooting

This all took place at 12:30 in the morning in Bogalusa, Louisiana, which is about 60 miles north of New Orleans.

Police say Thomas had argued earlier that evening with a female relative over a phone he had allegedly stolen. Thomas left, but came back and began "causing a disturbance outside." Once he kicked down the door and charged at the man, the man said he shot out of fear for his life, according to police.

Police said no arrests have been made since the shooting appears to be justified.

He was shot once, and died before police arrived.

Indicating that the police believe that self-defense is legal in the state of Louisiana. Self-defense is a human-right.

Cobalt Mining and Lithium Ion Batteries

Lithium Ion batteries are in pretty much everything today that has a rechargeable battery. From cellphones to notebook computers to electric cars, they all rely on lithium ion batteries, which are made, in part, from cobalt.

The bulk of the cobalt mined on the planet comes from the Congo. And nearly all of that is mined by people in horrible conditions. Child labor and slave labor in some cases are part of the mix.

Pay no attention to the slave labor producing the batteries for your electric vehicle. Don't let the suffering and death taking place half-a-world away stop you from congratulating yourself on driving the hottest electric vehicle.

This is a 14 minute video from Joe Rogan: The Disturbing Reality of Cobalt Mining for Rechargeable Batteries

I'm sure people will dismiss the message based on the messenger, because the Left hates Joe Rogan. But he isn't the only person covering this. Every once in a while some "legitimate journalist" rediscovers the Congo, and cobalt mining.

A Conservative Would Be Canceled in a Heartbeat

Whoopi Goldberg puts her foot in her mouth for the 2nd time in less than a year, on the same subject. Whoopi Goldberg Apologizes After Repeating ‘Hurtful' Holocaust Remarks

She has basically doubled down on the statement she made last January that "The Holocaust wasn't about race." What exactly do you think it was about, Whoopi?

After "The View" co-host appeared to double down on the controversial comments she made about the Holocaust earlier this year, Goldberg released a statement clearing up her thoughts on the subject.

"Recently while doing press in London, I was asked about my comments from earlier this year," the 67-year-old said in a statement to E! News on Dec. 27. "I tried to convey to the reporter what I had said and why, and attempted to recount that time."

A smart person, or even a person who wasn't a complete idiot, would.. Shut. The Fuck. Up. That apparently doesn't describe Whoopi Goldberg, so I think we can categorize her as a complete idiot.

As Ryan Kinel said (he gets the hat tip - see below), canceling someone because of their political views is a hallmark of the Left, and not something I am in favor of. But if Hollywood/The Media/The Left is going to cancel people because of their political beliefs, then they need to do that - and do that in THIS case - or they need to STFU about it in general. Do you think they are going to do the latter? Me neither.

If it weren't for double-standards, they'd have no standards at all.

Goldberg found herself in hot water again on Dec. 26, after she told "The Sunday Times" that she didn't understand why her January remarks caused such an uproar and insisted that some Jewish people are also split over whether they're considered a race or a religion.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, had this to say:

"Whoopi Goldberg's comments about the Holocaust and race are incredibly disappointing, especially given that this is not the first time she had made remarks like this," he said in a statement to "The Wrap" on Dec. 27. "In a moment when antisemitic incidents have surged across the US, she should realize that making such ignorant statements can have real consequences."

And I still maintain that if a conservative was this far removed from the reality of the Holocaust, they would be canceled. So why isn't Goldberg?

If it weren't for double-standards, they would have no standards at all.

Here is the RK Outpost video on the subject: Whoopi Goldberg Gives FAKE APOLOGY After Doubling Down On INSANE Comments | People Want Her FIRED

OK, so Ryan's YT personality is an angry man. It works for him. And I have to say, I'm angry about a lot of this crap.

29 December 2022

What's the Interest Rate on Borrowed Trouble?

Was anything in his truck worth dying for? Because he could have been killed. Houston crime: Man shot after confronting suspected robbers | KHOU

According to police, the man was home when he heard noises in the driveway. When he stepped outside he found a man in his work van and another man on the side of his house.

He confronted them, and he was shot in the shoulder.

Trust me when I tell you that I know how being burglarized is disturbing. I don't know what it is like to be shot, though I have a firearm pointed at me.

I know we live in world where crime is a thing, and getting worse. It seems to be worse every day. But some things are worth facing death over, and some things are not. I don't know about you, but I don't store anything worth my life in my vehicle. You may look at the world differently, of course.

It doesn't say in the article, or in the others I looked at which covered this incident, but when I put Houston, and "work truck" together I feel justified in guessing that he was armed when he confronted the robbers. If he wasn't well, that would be one more reason to stay inside and call police. If he was, that's a reminder that having a firearm doesn't make you invincible. It only gives you a chance to fight for your life. Your life, not you stuff.

Concealed Carry in Detroit

He suffered a failure of the victim-selection process. Armed man killed while trying to rob tow truck driver with CPL, Detroit police say

An armed robber was shot and killed when he targeted a tow truck driver who had a concealed pistol license, Detroit police said.

What a way to start Monday after Christmas, by having to defend yourself.

Self-defense is a human-right.

He Didn't Understand the Word "Ex-girlfriend"

I'm not usually in favor of the death penalty, because I don't think government should have that much power. But cases like this might convince me. Florida man accused of shooting ex-girlfriend 15 times because she did not return calls, texts | WFLA

The "How dare you live without me attitude" in action.

They dated. They broke up after an argument. She wouldn't answer his calls or texts, so he decided to kill her. He went to her home when he knew she would be leaving for work. When she turned to go back into the house, he shot her 15 times in the back. That is a full magazine for a lot of (most?) semiautomatic 9mm pistols.

After pleading from his mother, he turned himself in.

When investigators asked Jones if he felt remorseful, he told them “No” and “if he had to do it again, he would have killed Sha’Dayla and her father.”

Her father, whom she lived with, found his daughter in a pool of her own blood.

This man should never be allowed to walk free. He is clearly a danger to the community.

Waiter Sues Bail Project for Freeing the Guy Who Shot Him

Someone needs to be held to account. Las Vegas waiter shot multiple times sues the Bail Project for freeing man days before shooting | Las Vegas Review-Journal

A lawyer for a Las Vegas man who was shot multiple times by a burglar in 2021 said Friday that a California nonprofit posted the shooter’s bail without considering whether the assailant might commit another crime given his background.

You could of course say the same thing for the judge who set the bail, but you can't sue a judge for getting things wrong.

Gaston-Anderson shot Wang after storming in and holding up the ShangHai Taste eatery, 4266 Spring Mountain Road, at the Shanghai Plaza mall in Chinatown, on Dec. 20, 2021. Wang was alone when Gaston-Anderson entered the Chinese restaurant with a firearm.

Incredibly, Wang survived the 11-shot barrage but remains under medical treatment and has suffered lifelong permanent injuries, according to Kaplan.

But don't worry. The Democrats are busy eliminating cash bail everywhere so there will be no one to sue.

There will be victims.

28 December 2022

Electric Cars, Emissions, and Costs

From Power Line, we get the following observation. Guess What: Electricity Isn’t Free

One of my favorite indicators of ignorance are the people who buy personalized license plates, or affix stickers, for their electric cars that say “Emission Free.” Even if you ignore the enormous environmental impacts associated with manufacturing an electric car (which are significantly higher than a gasoline-powered car), if you live in a state that generates a lot of its electricity from coal, you are essentially driving a coal-powered car.

And in Europe, electricity is becoming more expensive, to the point were that "expensive gasoline" is actually cheaper.

That price range is three- to -four-times higher than the average cost of electricity in the U.S. Still want to copy Germany’s energy policy?

Click thru for the rest of the story. (Hat tip to Maggie's Farm.)

See my other two posts from today on the subject of electric vehicles: Park a Sparky Car in My Garage? Not Likely and Tesla Won't Charge at 19 Degrees

Tesla Won't Charge at 19 Degrees

What will it do at -19 degrees? Tesla owner says he had to cancel Christmas plans because car would not charge in freezing weather

Domenick Nati told Insider that he plugged his electric car into a supercharger on Friday when it was 19 degrees outside. The car's battery level was at 40% at the time.

"Two hours went by and not much changed," Nati told the outlet. "It was very slow and the numbers got lower as the temperature dropped. Eventually, it stopped charging altogether."

He tried to charge his car at home. Also no results there. The next day he left his car plugged into a Supercharger, but it still wouldn't charge.

Nati said he tried contacting Tesla for customer support, but nobody responded to him. He told Insider that he ultimately canceled his holiday plans because his car only had a 19-mile range at that point and there were no available Uber or Lyft drivers. He was concerned that as a result, he would not be able to see his son on Christmas morning.

Now 19 degrees is cold for Virginia, and it might even qualify as cold for places like Chicago before Christmas. But Chicago and Minneapolis and a lot of other places will see MUCH colder weather in a month. 20 degrees below zero is not uncommon in Chicago in late January or in early February. What will Tesla batteries be like in that weather?

"Since I posted the video, a lot of people have mentioned having the same issue. Some fellow Tesla owners have even messaged me to see if I have found a solution," Nati told Fox Business. "Unfortunately my answer is no."

The guy who had to cancel his Christmas plans in this article is a "radio personality." My guess is that is the only reason we are hearing anything about it. If it was just some John Q. Public, the news organizations would shrug it off as no big deal. Unless of course it's because the Left has decided that all things Elon Musk must be destroyed now that they hate what he is doing at Twitter. Could be either, as far as I can tell.

Park a Sparky Car in My Garage? Not Likely

This doesn't happen all the time, but it isn't all that rare, either. Tesla catches fire inside garage overnight in Webster Groves

Webster Groves is about 2 miles from the St. Louis city line in Missouri.

The call came out around 3 a.m. from a home in the 400 block of Pasadena Avenue. While crews were arriving on scene, it was determined that a Tesla in the attached garage was on fire. There was a second car in the garage but it was later determined that it was not an electric vehicle. Firefighters were able to remove the Tesla from the garage and extinguished the fire.

They don't say whether or not the battery was charging, but I would guess it was. Also, at 3AM on the 26th, the temperature in St. Louis was a balmy 24 degrees Fahrenheit.

But I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Just a source of toxic smoke inside your home. And a fire. The house was damaged, but not destroyed.

So it will be some little time before I park one these sources of toxic fumes, and spontaneous combustion in my home.

Wednesday Roundup of Link Roundups - 28 December

Bacon Time!!!! is up first with Sunday Linkage

The Air Vent: Evidence
Watts Up With That?: Japan Embraces Nuclear Power, Cancels Phase Out Plans

EBL - US ECONOMY HEADING FOR DISASTER...

What can't go on forever, won't go on forever...
We can point the blame at Democrats and Republicans, but it is American voters who encouraged this disaster to unfold.

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain - In The Mailbox: 12.27.22

Chicago Boyz: All Hat and No Cattle – Section 25C Tax Credits, also, Christmas 2022
Da Tech Guy: The Three Dangers of the Frank Pavone Case – Danger #3

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 26 December 2022

Why you can trust CNET: We totally wouldn't point you to a site selling off cheap unauthorised Microsoft Office licenses at a 91% discount because that would almost certainly be a scam. (CNET)
Except of course they did and it is. 

Don Surber - Highlights of the News

ITEM 4: News Max reported, "Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, are still seething over the Senate passing last week's $1.7 trillion omnibus bill, and apparently not waiting until 2023 to negotiate terms for such a massive spending initiative.

Vlad Tepes - Jordan Peterson, Peter McCullough and the end of sexes in the US military: Links 1, December 27th, 2022

2. Former Russian President, Medvedev makes some interesting predictions for 2023. best to read them over at Oilprice.com. (Disclosure: I have no idea if oilprice.com is a Russian propaganda site or not. But this particular article is highly entertaining...

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 12/26/2022

Budget Deficit Hits Monthly Record Due to Biden’s Policies
America’s “monthly federal deficit hit a record $249 billion in November—$57 billion more than the same month last year—with federal spending also hitting new heights in consecutive months...”

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

Fraser Myers is correct: “We are paying a heavy price for our elites’ green fantasies.”
David Zweig reports on “how Twitter rigged the covid debate.”

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 12/26/22

"Ominous signs for the civilization that used to be called Christendom."
Losing Our Religion

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

The woke university implosion — and what comes next
WaPo Discovers That School Closures Pose Significant Problems—After Relentlessly Advocating for Them

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Your Government Hates You

• To All The Green Energy Screamers… - Market Ticker
• The EPA’s Latest Regulation Could Devastate The Trucking Industry - DC

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 12/27/2022

Georgia Supreme Court rules plaintiffs have legal standing in counterfeit ballot case.
Google currently employs at least 165 people, in high-ranking positions, from the Intelligence Community.

I leave you with Christmas Sunday Funnies from Flopping Aces, Sunday (Monday) Funnies for 12-26-22 from Stately McDaniel Manor, and Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #858 from 90 Miles from Tyranny.

Texans Are Still Armed

Home invaders are still getting shot. Freeport homeowner kills suspected burglar | thefacts

Just after 11 p.m., the department received an emergency call from a woman who said multiple people had broken into her home on the 1500 block of West Seventh Street.

Three people ran from the home, two of whom remain at large. The homeowner [a 28-year-old Freeport man,] went to St. Luke’s Health Brazosport Hospital in Lake Jackson, where he was last known to be in stable condition.

Cops found a guy across the street from the home who had been shot in the abdomen. He was declared dead at a trauma center.

Not many details have been released as I type this, but two things are clear. Texas is a bad place to break into occupied homes, and the bad guys have not gotten that memo.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Privacy Is Such a Quaint Idea

This is more than a little disturbing. A Roomba recorded a woman on the toilet. How did screenshots end up on Facebook? | MIT Technology Review

In the fall of 2020, gig workers in Venezuela posted a series of images to online forums where they gathered to talk shop. The photos were mundane, if sometimes intimate, household scenes captured from low angles—including some you really wouldn’t want shared on the Internet.

In one particularly revealing shot, a young woman in a lavender T-shirt sits on the toilet, her shorts pulled down to mid-thigh.

Click thru for a discussion of the hows and the whys of what happened. But don't worry... Roomba says it was all done with authorization! And only on special "development versions" of the Roomba. I'm sure the woman in question - or whoever in her household bought the Roomba - knew exactly what they were agreeing to when they opened the box/signed the consent form/whatever. (You know every time you open a package or install a new piece of SW that you have downloaded from the internet and click "agree" to the terms conditions you may be signing up for more than you realized.)

Every once in a while I think it would be nice to have a robot vacuum. And then I think again.

Hat tip to Pixy Misa, who had this to say.

If you have pets, small children, or a Roomba, always remember to close the bathroom door. (MIT Technology Review)

And while your dog might want to keep you company, at least it won't take pictures and post them to Facebook.  Probably.

245 Days

Another song courtesy of WXRT's Saturday Morning Flashback. They were revisiting 1989 on December 10th. A surprisingly good year. Just on the movie front: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Dead Poets Society, When Harry Met Sally..., Glory, Field of Dreams, Steel Magnolias, and so many more. That was all in 1 year. We can't get one more than 1 decent movie in a year these days.

The music was pretty good too.

Peter Himmelman was if not a big-deal in Chicago in the early 90s, then he was a medium-deal. I remember hearing his music when I was back in the city. I'm not sure how nationally famous he was.

This is "245 Days" by Peter Himmelman from his 1989 album Synesthesia.

27 December 2022

A Lone Star Parson Musical Interlude

Lone Star Parson brings us Keep Your Rifle By Your Side

Take note, UK.

"Keep Your Rifle By Your Side" by The Hope County Choir from Far Cry 5 Presents: When the World Falls (Original Game Soundtrack).

Trust Us, Bro!

We promise that all is well. Special Report: Binance's books are a black box, filings show, as it tries to rally confidence | Reuters

Yet a Reuters analysis of Binance's corporate filings shows that the core of the business – the giant Binance.com exchange that has processed trades worth over $22 trillion this year – remains mostly hidden from public view.

They won't even say where they are located, let alone give you details on the balance sheet. But hey, I'm sure it is all above board, I mean when has a cryptocurrency company ever done anything shady?

Binance's huge role in the crypto market – it accounts for over half of all trading volume – has made its operations a keen topic of interest for U.S. regulators. The company is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for possible money-laundering and sanctions violations, and Reuters reported this month that some prosecutors believe they have gathered sufficient evidence to charge Binance and some top executives.

Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen. Place your bets.

Tuesday Links - 27 December

Moonbattery is up first with “American” Struck from the Newspeak Dictionary

Despite the damage they have inflicted on American culture, America still stands for everything leftists hate, being a predominantly Christian constitutional republic, moral, healthy, and free. Otherwise, the educrats at Stanford would not have struck the word “American” from the Newspeak Dictionary.

The Hill - When the FBI attacks its critics as ‘conspiracy theorists,’ it’s time to reform the bureau

“Conspiracy theorists … feeding the American public misinformation” is a familiar attack line for anyone raising free-speech concerns over the FBI’s role in social media censorship. What is different is that this attack came from the country’s largest law enforcement agency, the FBI — and, since the FBI has made combatting “disinformation” a major focus of its work, the labeling of its critics is particularly menacing.

The Other McCain - Elliot Rodger and Nick Fuentes: The Satanic Politics of Self-Destruction

It should be obvious that the reason Mother Jones (and other liberal media) are giving a fringe figure like Fuentes free publicity is as a way to smear all conservatives as implicated in his craziness. And let there be no doubt about this — it is unmitigated lunacy.

HeyJackass! - Chicago Airing of Grievances

As is tradition on this day, Festivus begins with Airing of Grievances where we get to tell some people in this city how they've disappointed us.

Meep at Stump - Merry Christmas! Have Some Finalized 2021 U.S. Mortality Stats!

Only the best holiday presents for my readers

SiGrayBeard 0 Time For the Annual Holiday Celebrated By White Liberals

Is there any other holiday that was created by FBI COINTELPRO? In this case, the “African American” alternative to Christmas was invented by ’60s-radical and convicted felon Ronald McKinley Everett – who changed his name to the more “African” sounding Maulana Karenga back in the ‘60s. The only thing “African” about it is the corruption of a Swahili phrase, “matunda y kwanza,” which translates as “first fruits of the harvest.”

Again from The Other McCain - Have a Holly Jolly (Commie) Christmas

At this point, Hoge interrupted to inform me that Burl Ives had a few career achievements that may have been more important than this silly Christmas song, including playing “Big Daddy” Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1958, the same year he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as Rufus Hannassey in The Big Country. Well, OK, but as usual, Hoge’s interruption didn’t address my point, which in this case is that certain Christmas songs have a definitive version, which deserve a permanent place on the holiday playlist for the sake of cultural continuity.

Self-defense Is Legal in Virginia

Though not if prosecutors have much to say about it. Man acquitted in Newport News manslaughter case

A jury deliberated for less than 40 minutes Tuesday before acquitting a Newport News man of manslaughter charges brought after he killed a man in a fight outside a home five years ago.

At least he was out on bond during that time.

Prosecutors hate self-defense. And they are not interested in Justice, they are interested in winning, and they thought they could win. They were wrong. 40 minutes seems like they would barely have time to get organized and take a vote, but then I've never served on a jury.

The prosecutors on the case are refusing to comment. The relatives of the dead guy don't like self-defense, but then they never do.

Self-defense is a human-right, but it won't be your legal right in the state of Virginia if the prosecuting attorneys have a say in the matter. They prosecute. The do not seek justice.

Federal Judge versus California Gun Ban

I guess I'm not surprised that I didn't see this in the national media. They tend to ignore whatever they don't like. Federal judge to block part of California gun law modeled after Texas abortion ban

The part of the bill — signed by Newsom in July and set to take effect Jan. 1 — being challenged was a fee-shifting provision that would make it extremely financially risky to bring any lawsuit fighting California’s strict gun laws. Just as Texas lawmakers had used the provision to shield their abortion law from legal challenges, the California provision made it so any individual or group challenging a Second Amendment regulation would have to win each and every one of their claims, or else pay the government’s legal fees.

U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez, calling such fee-shifting provisions “abhorrent,” issued a tentative oral ruling siding with the gun-rights groups challenging the provision in two separate lawsuits. He said he’ll formalize his tentative ruling with a written order issuing an injunction that bars the enactment of California’s fee-shifting provision.

After the recent SCOTUS ruling in New York, a lot of California's gun laws are under "review."

The Left HATES the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

Hat tip to Jews Can Shoot.

The impending injunction comes at a crucial time for California’s strict gun laws, which are undergoing new or revived legal challenges thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year in a New York concealed weapons case. If plaintiffs and their attorneys were constantly under threat of having to pay the government’s legal bills, it would have severely restricted their ability to challenge California gun regulations, such as laws that ban assault weapons or homemade firearms.

Deaths Are Up, and It's Good For Business

If you're in the funeral business, that is. Not so much if you're in life insurance. The Funeral Business Is Booming (And Not Because Of COVID) | ZeroHedge

This is mostly about a statement from the 3rd quarter earnings call from Service Corporation International (SCI), the largest for-profit funeral operator in North America.

What we're telling you is, the third quarter of this year, we did 15% more calls than we did in the third quarter of 2019. That is not what anybody would have anticipated and that has just a very de minimis amount of Covid deaths [emphasis added] in it.

There are a lot more details, and some discussion of how Thomas L. Ryan, SCI's CEO and Chairman of the Board, ignored issues that would cause problems. Like mRNA. He concentrated on poor health, and delayed medical care during COVID.

As for the insurance industry... from a tweet dealing with the earnings collapse of Lincoln Financial.

Lincoln National group insurance death payouts for working age in USA 18-64 yr olds. 2019 is pre covid and is the baseline, 2020 covid hits no vaccine 9% increase, 2021 covid still here but now add the vaccine a 163% increase.

That is a large increase in what should be the healthiest part of the population.

26 December 2022

No Escape From Now

If you've been living under a rock, you might not know that Ozzy Osbourne released a new album. It is (or was) #3 on the Billboard 200. It apparently also hit #1 on the Top Album Sales chart. (I don't have a Pro subscription to billboard, but that is what I've seen.)

I was prepared to not like this album, and I don't like every song on the album, I do like most of them. This is not too surprising given the quality of musicians involved. For example, Tony Iommi plays guitar on this track.

This song is "No Escape From Now" by Ozzy Osbourne featuring guitar work by Tony Iommi. (He was a founding member of Black Sabbath.) It is from the Sept. 2022 album Patient Number 9.

In a completely unrelated bit of Tony Iommi news, we have this somewhat heartwarming story from December 16th. From Louder Sound/Metal Hammer: A best-selling author and lifelong metalhead was left stunned at his book-signing when Tony Iommi joined the queue

In one of the more wholesome moments of the week, one lifelong metal fan found himself star-struck after Tony Iommi joined the queue at his book-signing.

The fan in question was best-selling thriller writer Paul Finch, who was hosting a book-signing in Wigan for his latest hit novel, Never Seen Again.

Urutau 9mm Carbine

From Impro Guns: Urutau 9mm Carbine

The ‘Urutau‘ is a 3D printed 9mm bullpup carbine based on the FGC-9 which is currently being developed by a Brazil based designer. The Urutau is capable of semi-auto, full-auto and 3-round burst fire using a specially designed 3D printed fire control group.

No welding required, so it can be put together by anyone in limited space.

Click thru for the photos.

Armed Homeowner Stops Burglar

And it isn't the first home that he stole from. Or tried to, anyway. Nye Co. Sheriff: Pahrump homeowner shoots intruder

Pahrump is an unincorporated part of Nye County, Nevada. It is about 60 miles from Las Vegas.

A homeowner woke up because he heard an intruder in his home. The intruder then kicked open the bedroom door.

The homeowner, who is not facing charges, then shot Richard twice.

Two shots center-mass. They had to fly the guy out to a trauma center in Las Vegas.

Deputies found Richard in possession of a shotgun that was taken the previous night during a home invasion on the 8000 block of Ralph Court.

Richard also is facing charges of grand larceny of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, the sheriff’s office said.

That is in addition to the charges of home invasion and burglary.

The guy who got shot was on parole at the time of the home invasion.

Self-defense is a human-right, and Nevada has not morphed into New Jersey. Not quite.

“Follow the Science” Would Be Good If the Data Wasn't Censored

From The Daily Scpetic: Top Australian Doctor Reveals She is Vaccine Injured and Says Doctors Are Being Censored

Former Australian federal MP Dr. Kerryn Phelps has revealed she and her wife both suffered serious and ongoing injures from Covid vaccines, while suggesting the true rate of adverse events is far higher than acknowledged due to under-reporting and “threats” from medical regulators.

It would seem that "Follow the science" really means "Shut up and do what we tell you to do, peasant!"

“Regulators of the medical profession have censored public discussion about adverse events following immunisation, with threats to doctors not to make any public statements about anything that ‘might undermine the Government’s vaccine rollout’ or risk suspension or loss of their registration,” she wrote.

Very Scientific™

Or maybe not.

Do You Understand Crypto Enough to Buy NFTs

Are you sure about that? Web3 is Going Just Great brings us the following. Scammer steals fourteen Bored Apes from one victim, flips them for over $1 million

They thought they were negotiating to let their Bored Ape NFTs be used in some animated feature. The con artist in this case spent considerable time creating websites that looked like legit production companies.

After some back-and-forth, with legitimate-looking contracts and falsified emails appearing to come from the real company's real founding director, the NFT collector was asked to use their crypto wallet to sign a contract, via the fake company partner website that had been set up.

When the collector did so, the smart contract drained the collector's wallet of its fourteen pricey Bored Ape NFTs, then accepted the highest offers that were outstanding on each of the Bored Apes, netting 852.9 ETH.

The ETH was converted to another cryptocurrency and probably converted on from there.

I'm not saying you can't make money in crypto. I am saying that 99% of the people who are speculating in crypto don't know enough to keep themselves and their money or investments safe.

25 December 2022

Fighting With Family for the Holidays

And here I thought my family gatherings were tense. Family fight ends in claimed self-defense shooting - Local News 8

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (Bonneville County Sheriff's Office Media Release) - Just after 4 p.m. this afternoon, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies and Idaho Falls Fire responded to a disturbance on Dennis Circle where a man was shot. The reporting party advised dispatch an adult male family member had attacked him, and he fired a handgun in self-defense striking him in the leg.

The homeowner/shooter and his wife are cooperating with police, and the guy who got shot was taken to a local hospital.

This is another incident that points up the fact that people you know can be a threat. The Left loves to make a deal about how if you own a gun, you are statistically more likely to shoot someone you know. That is because you probably know - on some level - people who are going to be a problem. It doesn't have to be family, it could be the ex-coworker who turned into a stalker. It could be a creepy neighbor, or someone like that. Or it could be family. (See the definition of Domestic Violence.)

In any event, self-defense is a human-right.

Crime Isn't the Only Thing Driving People Out of the Cities

Taxes are going to kill Chicago financially. But then maybe that is the plan. Family's Chicago property taxes increase 440 percent, putting their small Lincoln Park apartment complex in danger of bankruptcy - ABC7 Chicago

Merry Christmas, from the City of Chicago and Cook County.

He and his mother own the 10-unit Lincoln Park apartment complex. Last year's tax bill for all 10 units combined was $23,674, but now the same 10 units are $128,282 dollars this year; up 440%.

"I was outraged. These are basically simple one bedroom units for college graduates who work downtown," added Markellos.

Of course property taxes are not the only bill. If he has to raise rents to cover this - which he will - people will move out. And since it seems that all landlords will be in the same boat, they won't have any choice but to leave Cook County and Chicago. Some will probably search for jobs outside of Illinois.

Chicago has a problem. They have promised gold-plated pensions to city workers, cops, the fire department, whoever, for decades, but they haven't been funding those pensions. Now after decades, the bills are starting to come due, so they raised the rates. And then they played other games, like what happened here, to raise taxes without actually changing the rates, only how the rates were applied, to increase tax revenue.

But when everyone who is gainfully employed moves out the city, the city won't be able to provide for those pensions or for more everyday services.

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

Shall we hear a classic Christmas carol by a modern performer? Why not?

Tarja is one of my favorite Metal singers. But this is not Metal. Well, the makeup in the video is a bit Metal.

This is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" as performed by Tarja, from her 2017 album From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas).

24 December 2022

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 24 December

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain is up first with In The Mailbox: 12.21.22

Adam Piggott: The End of the Peterson Fraud
American Conservative: ‘The Most Dangerous Show on Netflix’?

EBL - Thank you, Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul for fighting against the Omnibus

Instapundit: Nancy Pelosi Building? and Get Rid of McConnell
PJ Media: Rand Paul's Christmas Holiday Classic

The Right Way - Top of the News

Ukraine's President Zelensky to Address U.S. Congress Wednesday - Bongino Report
People’s Republik Of NY Passes Sweeping ‘Climate Change’ Plan Or Something - The Pirates Cove

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 22 December 2022

If you have pets, small children, or a Roomba, always remember to close the bathroom door...
And while your dog might want to keep you company, at least it won't take pictures and post them to Facebook. Probably.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 12.22.22

Don Surber: Bidenana Republic, also, The war on Americans from within
Gates Of Vienna: Who Would Have Thought Climate Change Could Kill So Many People So Soon?

Don Surber - Highlights of the News

ITEM 14: Media-ite reported, "Hispanic Business Council president Javier Palomarez said he’s almost ready to jump ship and join Republicans based on President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party’s handling of the border crisis."

Animal Magnetism - Animal’s Hump Day News

The Russians are laughing at us.
I love a happy ending.
This has to be a joke.

The DaleyGator - Weekend Politics/News/Opinion links

Ace- Lying liars the media ignores
American Greatness-Radical right?

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 12/22/2022

Stanford University is scrambling to respond to backlash following reports that an internal guide of removing “harmful language” from the school’s online materials included the term “American.”

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 12.23.22

Victory Girls: Jan 6 Report: Liz Cheney’s Lecture
Volokh Conspiracy: Marines Must Exempt Sikhs from Boot Camp Shaving Requirements

Again from Don Surber because this story can't be ignored. Highlights of the News

ITEM 12: Life News reported, "County Bans Christmas Decorations in Employee’s Homes."
King County, Washington. Now I know why the Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City.

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 12/23/2022

12/21 – American Journal of Medicine Says a Belief in Freedom Could Be Hazardous to Your Health
12/22 – Orwellian Language and Democrat Doublethink

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Arizona in Question

Matt Margolis again, Delaware Supreme Court Issues Full Opinion Overturning Same-Day Registration and Vote by Mail Racists! Don't they know blacks and women can't be expected to get to the polls! Chris Queen at PJ Media, When Democrats Lose, It's Voter Suppression.

Vlad Tepes - Remdesivir PSA, Trudeau’s Christmas skit: Links 1, December 24th, 2022

5. Let’s watch the German Minister of Health explain travel restrictions to avoid disease which if anyone quotes him directly, will be accused of being a conspiracy theorist.

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

David Henderson reflects on NYC mayor Eric Adams’s (1) correct understanding that the bulk of that city-government’s revenue is paid by a tiny percentage of income earners, and (2) incorrect presumption that those high-income-earning taxpayers belong to him.

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Only one word accurately describes the crime the FBI has committed: Treason

• The $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Is a Scandal NRO
• Capitol chaos: Senate unable to pass spending bill, shutdown deadline just one day away Jack Birle

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

The naked truth on the Hunter Biden laptop coverup
Gov. DeSantis takes aim at Florida teachers' unions with proposal to end automatic dues withdrawal

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 12/22/22

"According to a Ukrainian official, the Ukraine has worked out a method to pay for another 10,000 Starlink terminals by obtaining funding from several European nations."
SpaceX and the Ukraine resolve funding issues for Starlink terminals

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 12/23/2022

Omnibus silently endorses 4.6% pay raise for federal employees in 2023.
Republican Senators hold presser, accuse Biden of “intentional” border crisis – then vote for $1.7 trillion spending bill with no money for border.

I leave you with Wednesday gifdump from Wirecutter, Friday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Merry Almost Christmas Woodsterman Style from Woodsterman.

What Would You Do If a Naked Man Broke Into Your Home?

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that drugs were involved. It's just a guess. Naked man shot after breaking into Tennessee home, ransacking living room: police | Fox News

The homeowner and his wife fled to the home of a neighbor, who reportedly grabbed his 9mm handgun and went to investigate. The neighbor found the suspect in the driveway after the suspect allegedly jumped on the resident’s car, broke the windshield and swiped the windshield wiper as a weapon, according to WATE.

He was apparently out of it enough to ignore verbal warnings and a warning shot. After which he got shot once in the chest. He is in critical condition.

Self-defense is a human-right, and Tennessee is not New Jersey.

Full List Of Politicians Who Got Money from SBF and FTX

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried gave a lot of money to politicians, mostly Democrats. JUST IN: Full List Released Of Politicians Who Took Indicted Crypto CEO's "Illegal Political Donations" -- to Democrats And RINOs

This is from a few days back, but I wanted to be sure I can find it in the future.

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested for using customers’ funds to make illegal political donations. [SNIP]

We now have a list of politicians he paid.

The list includes Democrats and RINO Republicans.

Click thru for details

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Since I have had all (well, most of it anyway) the Christmas Spirit beaten out of me this year, I haven't had many Christmas songs. I thought we would have one today. It is a classic Christmas song, covered by one of my favorite vocalists.

This is "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" as performed by Geoff Castellucci.

Adam Kinzinger from The People's Republic of Illinois

From The Other McCain: The Shame of Adam Kinzinger

You don't have to like Trump to see that he was better than Hillary would have been, or better than lying Joe Bide has been. But TDS is a terrible affliction.

Something else Kinzinger doesn’t get: Congressmen are supposed to represent their constituents. In 2016, Donald Trump won the 16th District of Illinois by 17 points, with 55% to Hillary Clinton’s 38%. In 2020, the voters of the 16th District chose Trump by a 16-point margin, 56% to Biden’s 40%. In other words, the district that sent Adam Kinzinger to Congress voted for Donald Trump twice, by overwhelming margins, and you might think this would oblige Kinzinger to defend the man his constituents embraced, rather than to constantly attack Trump.

Who is it, really, that is the threat to democracy?

Why do Republicans like Kinzinger hate their own constituents?

He couldn't stand by and NOT attack Trump and his supporters. Because reasons.

This is what’s really wrong with the Republican Party, that so many politicians elected by the party apparently don’t feel any obligation to reciprocate the loyalty of GOP voters. If you are elected as a Republican, you ought to be enough of a team player that you don’t do what Adam Kinzinger has done, directly insulting his own party’s voters.

And so he's gone, mostly because of redistricting, but probably in part because he hates the people he was sent to Washington to represent. As Robert Stacy says, "Good riddance."

There is more about Tucker Carlson, and the rest of the selfish bastards still elected by Republican voters. Click thru.

23 December 2022

It Is Official: Disney/Marvel Is Run By Raging Idiots

Disney+ has destroyed every Marvel franchise that they touched. Some were wonderful bits of Intellectual Property dating from the 1970s, like She Hulk. Now they are going to change something they KNOW works, because they hate the fans and the IP. Charlie Cox Confirms 'Daredevil: Born Again' Will Attempt To "Appeal To A Slightly Younger Audience" - Bounding Into Comics

The Netflix version of Daredevil worked. A couple of the other Marvel properties done by Netflix worked and some didn't. But Daredevil was spot on. So of course Disney+ is going to change it.

Much to the dismay of the very few fans who were still holding out hope that The Man Without Fear would survive his jump to the Marvel Cinematic Universe without being ‘Disney-ified’, Matt Murdock actor Charlie Cox has confirmed that rather than continue in spirit from his original Netflix series, Disney Plus’ upcoming Daredevil: Born Again will attempt to “appeal to a slightly younger audience without losing what we’ve learned about what works.”

"What worked" was that Netflix took the IP seriously. And Daredevil was never meant to appeal to a younger audience. He was a brutal vigilante. But then I don't think Disney understands any IP that doesn't involve princesses.

The took Star Wars, arguably the greatest IP to come out of American cinema, and completely destroy it. They could get no one interested in a critically acclaimed SW show, Andor. They have been grinding the Marvel Cinematic Universe into dust. I haven't seen any of the recent movies in theaters, and I haven't even bothered to watch all of them, because they are terrible.

And since I am most definitely not part of a "younger audience" I will be ignoring Daredevil, even assuming I could find anyone who still has Disney+. (What are you paying for exactly?)

In fact I will be ignoring everything coming out of Disney for the foreseeable future, and includes the destruction of new Indiana Jones movie. I have no desire to see another franchise destroyed, though really they did that with that interdimensional space alien movie from years ago.

Friday Links - 23 December

The penultimate Friday Links post for 2022. Always assuming I actually get one out next week. Anyway, I am not going to do a year in review. I hope everyone has a good holiday weekend, whatever you are celebrating.

The Other McCain is up first with People Never Ask Me for Advice. On football and politics...

The more you care about politics, the harder it becomes to escape feelings of helpless despair, a sense of futility caused by your inability to influence events, because nobody seems to be listening. You understand what Ecclesiates is getting at: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!”

Impro Guns - FGC-9 Everywhere. Click thru for the photos!

It looks like people all over Europe and Asia are printing FGC-9s and no one can do anything to stop it.

Meep on Death and Taxes - More on Correlating COVID Vax Status with Traffic Risk

How many times do people have to learn what correlations mean? NOT CAUSATION

Steve MacDonald at Granite Grok - Fifth Circuit Court Tosses Another Biden Vaccine Mandate

People will put up with a lot for a federal contract. And the fear culture inspired many to cave early, but resistance is not futile. There’s been pushback. One such instance was a Biden order that all Federal COntractors mandate COVID-19 vaccination or they could (would) lose their contracts.

You could hear the ‘F**k You! for miles. And that shout heard ’round the world just won in court.

Don Surber - Biden investigates school library for removing child pornography

No federal agency comments on pending investigations They just leak it to gullible reporters who tell only the fed side of the story.

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain - Gone To The Dogs

O, the shame. O, the embarrassment. While compiling the last book post, I inadvertently omitted The Best Tweets From Actuary Problem Dog, originally recommended by In The Mailbox’s Favorite Actuary, Mary Pat (“Meep”) Campbell.

Pirate's Cove - With Police Departments Shortstaffed, Activists See A Chance To Change Departments

Here’s the question: was the whole defund the police movement just something that blew up and it unintentionally led to this point? Or was it planned behind the scenes, knowing that officers would quit after all the vitriol thrown their way, after being denigrated, after being limited in their ability to do their jobs, after being targeted by lunatic left wing politicians?

Again from Impro Guns - SMGs seized by NSW Police. And again, click thru for photos.

A Luty SMG and Professor Parabellum box tube MAC-11 seized by New South Wales Police.

The American Conservative - 'The Most Dangerous Show on Netflix'? On the show Ancient Apocalypse by Graham Hancock.

Hancock’s claims aren’t “dangerous” or “racist.” They are countercultural. These vile smears are the thrashings of a runaway monoculture that suppresses the discussion of any ideas that challenge prevailing narratives, especially from sources outside of mainstream, credentialed, left-of-center media and academia.

Adaptive Curmudgeon - Attack Of The Lesbian Activist Squirrels: Chapter 9: Part 07: Show Don’t Tell

I’m having a heck of a time getting posts out this week. Someone ordered up another winter storm and I’m working my butt off just keeping the pipes thawed.