Tuesday Links - 31 January

The Other McCain starts us off with The Diversity of ‘White Supremacy’. Mostly about Memphis and Tyre Nichols, but other subjects are touched upon, as well.

Excuse me for being sarcastic about matters of life and death, but if sarcasm was a crime, I’d be a habitual offender. Sarcasm is my response to everything, especially tragic circumstances over which I have no control. Do I want people to die because they resisted arrest or fled at 130 mph in a KIA? No, this is not what I want, but these people don’t seek my advice before they do the things that get them killed, so what happens to them is not my responsibility.

Mike Rowe - Coffee with Mom: It’s Hatchet Throwing Season!!!

Peggy Rowe is going to be 85-years-old tomorrow [Jan 28th]. I’m celebrating the occasion with the first of what I hope will be many episodes of a new segment on the podcast called Coffee with Mom, wherein I catch up with America’s Grandmother over a cuppa joe. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is threefold.

Impro Guns - Yorkshire farmer 3D prints AR15 assault rifle Either Impro Guns, or the gunsmiths, have been on a streak lately.

Campaigners have slammed a loophole in UK gun law which allows anyone with a 3D printer to become their very own assault rifle factory at home.

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog - The Latest, Greatest Russian Vaporware Coming To Ukraine

Once again, Russia has announced its latest Wunderwaffe is coming to Ukraine, which ZeroHedge treats seriously, because ZeroHedge.

The Adventures of Roberta X - Basic Civilization

Update: I'm still getting comments about how Tyre Nichols deserved what he got, from online "experts" who apparently know more than the police chief or prosecutor, who think they know more about the man's injuries from a bit of video than the doctors who examined him in person. Here's a tip: you don't.

Bookworm Room - Tyre Nichols, Race Baiting & The War on Police (Updated)

The death of Tyre Nichols was horrid and unnecessary, but racial and anti-police politics, not justice, appear to be front and center in this case.

Watts Up With That? - February Fantasy Versus Reality

Yesterday, Eric Worrall posted an interesting article entitled “Forbes: Global Warming is Causing Colder Februaries“. The title says it all.

They Can't Bother With Criminals, But They Will Prosecute Self-defense

Because DAs HATE self-defense. After shooting a man in River North, he fought attempted murder charges and won. Here's the remarkable story of how Ken Artis 'got his life back' - CWB Chicago

Once the prosecutors knew that that would have to face all of the evidence that they tried to keep out of trial, they dropped all charges. This is after he spent a year in jail and a year on house arrest. Because they HATE self-defense.

Last month, four days before Christmas, Cook County prosecutors dropped all felony charges against Artis, 24, and he pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor gun violation. A Cook County judge not known for being a pushover gave him probation.

Presumed innocent? Not on your life.

The man Ken Artis shot is Mekiel Hampton, a 6-foot, 7-inch, 263-pound man who is now 22 years old. Hampton is well-known to Chicago cops who patrol the State and Hubbard nightlife districts.

And he became well-known to much of Chicago after CWB Chicago published video of two men being viciously attacked and robbed after leaving Snickers bar on August 28, 2021.

With that footage, the prosecutors' ability to paint the guy who got shot as an "innocent victim" evaporated. Well, once he plead guilty to assault, the video was admitted as evidence.

The guy who defended himself did take a plea deal to a misdemeanor gun charge. He will spend some time on probation and have to do community service. You would think the time he spent in jail would be enough.

This all took place in Chicago and Cook County, Illinois, where the prosecutors can barely be bothered to prosecute anything. They have declined to prosecute murder charges where there was video evidence of the crime. This just indicates how much they hate, truly hate, self-defense. You must not take individual responsibility for your own safety. You must not take individual action. You MUST rely on the state, even for the things the state cannot provide.

Ten Years of Chicago Insanity

From HeyJackass! (and the new Substack) we get Ten Years of Chicago Values

In 2012 there was a "spike" in homicides. From holding stead for a number of years around 450, the number shot up to 500...

These days, 500 would be cause for celebration but in 2012 it was an anomaly where the average homicide count since the mid-aughts was roughly 450 give or take.

To find more information about these homicides, we didn't find much. While the Chicago Tribune along with their daily freebie rag RedEye did a pretty good job with tracking the newly deceased, the data was usually delayed a day or two and there wasn't a single place online where one could take in all the stupidity in less than 30 seconds.

This is where the 100w incandesant lightbulb started to flicker.

Click thru for how Rahm Emmanuel, onetime Obama staffer, and the Mayor of Chicago in 2012, coined the term "Chicago Values."

Why maintain a separate count of crime stats? Because Chicago PD ignores some crimes. If a crime happens on the expressway system in the city, the Illinois State Police have jurisdiction, and so the Chicago PD numbers don't include those crimes. And while it is more common for crime to occur on the streets of the city, they do happen on the interstates. There are other ways CPD cooks the books. They also don't count police shootings in their statistics.

Click thru for the stats from 2014 onward; that's when the methodology was solidified. The stats include #ShotInTheAss, total mass shootings, average per day, and the rest.

What does the future hold for HeyJackass!? Aside from a smoke and crater event, most likely more of the same. Trends will ebb and flow but crime will always be down.

HeyJackass! provides a valuable service for people interested in crime in Chicago. You would think city newspapers would do this work, but they are captured by the Democrats running the Blue Cities, and crime makes Dems look bad. Can't have that.

If Kia/Hyundai Can't Sell Cars, Maybe They Will Fix This Mess

Because they couldn't be bothered to fix it for the past few years. Insurance carriers refuse to issue new policies for Kias, Hyundais as thefts skyrocket in Chicago - CWB Chicago. This isn't just an issue in Chicago.

The cars, which have an ignition design flaw that makes them easy to steal by so-called “Kia boys,” are too much of a risk, and companies, including Progressive, are refusing to accept the risks.

On Friday, CWB Chicago tried to get insurance for affected Kia models in Lakeview, the Loop, and Wicker Park, but Progressive’s online quote service said no.

“We are unable to offer you a policy at this time due to high theft rates in your geographic location,” the Progressive site said after each attempt. Progressive suggested trying other carriers, including Hugo Insurance and Allstate.

The cars are apparently stupidly easy to steal, requiring only a screwdriver and a USB cable.

But hey. Their AUTOMOTIVE engineers, or something. They don't have to worry about security.

I wonder how vulnerable to hacking the vehicles are. Physical security. Data security. They're mechanical engineers, above that petty crap.

And I do recognize that the rise in carjackings is, in part, because stealing cars is - for the most part - hard when you don't have the key. Easier to take the car and the key/fob from the owner.

One of Those Days

I featured one song off Ozzy Osbourne's 2022 album that featured Tony Iommi, and another that featured the guitar playing of the late, great Jeff Beck. So let's continue with that series and listen to the song from that album that features Eric Clapton.

This is "One of Those Days" by Ozzy Osbourne off his 2022 album Patient Number 9. It features guitarist Eric Clapton.

While there are more songs that feature more guest artists from that album (I believe that only 1 more guitarist is featured) that exhausts the list of songs from the album that I like well enough to feature. YMMV

As I said earlier, I expected to hate this album. I actually like a handful of songs from the album, and I don't hate the rest. Ozzy O. has never been my favorite music.

You Must Depend on the State - UK Edition

This is not really a story of self-defense. This is a story about the conditions that prevail when a government prohibits its subjects from having and using the means to defend themselves. In other words, when a government creates defenseless-victim zones. The violent cul-de-sac in Birmingham's most deprived area where scared locals prepare for the worst

Birmingham is the second largest city of the United Kingdom. Located in the West Midlands; it is roughly in the center of England.

Druids Heath is a "council estate" in Birmingham, UK. In the US we would call it a housing project, or just the projects. From the pictures, and the few stories I've looked at, It isn't as bad as some of the things I saw when I was living in Chicago, riding public transit, but it isn't good, and seems to be getting worse. Of course the worst of the places in Chicago have been torn down.

One dad in Druids Heath crime hotspot keeps weapon in doorway and has cameras covering every angle as other residents scared to walk streets

The "weapon" is just an old roofing hammer, but if he ever needed to use it, the crown would probably prosecute him for using 'excessive force.' You must rely on The State, even for things like your personal safety, that they have proven they cannot provide.

So what do people do, when they are denied the means of defense? They put up cameras and signs, and hide in their homes after dark. The hope that hammers or bent bits of metal (fire brigade drop keys) will give them some means to defend themselves.

Local representation - according to the info I could find - is from the Green Party. I'm not sure, but somehow I don't think crime is on the top of the Green Party's agenda. A companion story to the one I have linked about is about the loss of "revitalization" funds for Druids Heath, and author of the article is worried about "decarbonisation" of homes in the area. I'm sure that would improve people's lives. Or maybe not given the state of crime. More police? That is NOT a progressive stance.

F*c*book - All Your Battery Are Belong to Us

So you might have a dead cellphone when you need to call 911. That isn't F*c*book's problem. Facebook secretly killed users batteries, worker claims in lawsuit

Facebook can secretly drain its users’ cellphone batteries, a former employee contends in a lawsuit.

The practice, known as “negative testing,” allows tech companies to “surreptitiously” run down someone’s mobile juice in the name of testing features or issues such as how fast their app runs or how an image might load, according to data scientist George Hayward.

The laws, morals, ethics, etc. F*c*book cares not for these things.

The future is stupid. And unethical.

Is Anyone Shocked that Big Tech is Riddled with Censorship?

At this point I'm looking for a main alternative to Twitter, though a lot of people I like are there... BREAKING: Elon Musk reveals ‘secret’ Twitter labels causing shadowbans on conservatives

On Thursday, conservative commentator Dave Rubin reported he had spent the last two weeks at Twitter's San Francisco headquarters talking to engineers, product managers, and Elon Musk and learned that the team still "have more questions than answers" including around a batch of "secret" labels used to shadowban conservatives beyond the revelations from the Twitter Files.

After making a good-show of honoring free speech, Twitter under Elon is once again banning conservatives because liberals have their panties in a twist. And the shadow banning continues. (I have been finding it difficult to locate people on Twitter I follow by searching for them.)

Suggestions in the comments would be welcome.

On December 8, Bari Weiss tweeted round 2 of the Twitter files which confirmed that leadership at the social media platform built blacklists and participated in shadowbanning for years under the watch of Vijaya Gadde, former Twitter lead counsel and former head of Twitter Trust and Safety Yoel Roth.

Examples of shadowbanning under former Twitter management included Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk being tagged with a "Do Not Amplify" tag. Talk show host Dan Bongino was tagged with a "Search Blacklist" tag which had a similar suppressive consequence.

And if you think this is only limited to Twitter, you really are not paying attention.

It's a mess. Built by people who HATE free speech. (You will only say approved things; you will only think approved thoughts.) What happened to this country that we want to become the old Soviet Union.

Gerard Vanderleun of American Digest

Gerard Vanderleun, 26 December 1945 - 27 January 2023. RIP. From Wombat-socho at The Other McCain FMJRA 2.0: Farewell To A Master

As most of you probably know by now, Gerard Vanderleun has left this vale of tears for a better place. For those of you who don’t, I suggest a long stroll through the pages of American Digest, his blog. It will be well worth your time. Like many others, I didn’t know him except through his writing...

Daily Mail Briefly Acknowledges Project Veritas Video on Pfizer

Then decides to run away. Daily Mail Briefly Commits Act of Journalism Before Deleting Story on Blockbuster Project Veritas Undercover Video

As corporate news outlets go, the Daily Mail is one of the least restrictive. While listed as “Right” by Media Bias Fact Check, they are really more right-leaning. But the important part is that they generally report on any and all stories rather than self-censoring like the vast majority of corporate media outlets.

Today was an exception. After publishing an article about the bombshell undercover video released by Project Veritas showing a Pfizer executive spilling the beans on gain-of-function research, the publication inexplicably deleted the story.

That is a failure of journalism. You hate the politics of Project Veritas SO MUCH, you are willing to help a biotech firm cover up devastating biotech research. Actually, that is a failure of humanity.

Lucky for us - at least for the time being - the internet doesn't forget. You can find the story at the Wayback Machine.

Here's how The Daily Mail story began. Begins. Whatever. A screenshot of the opening of the story is below.

An alleged Pfizer executive has revealed the company is exploring a way to mutate COVID in order to create more vaccines, new undercover footage claims.

Project Veritas released a new video on Wednesday that shows a man the activist group claims is Jordon Trishton Walker, a Pfizer Director of Research and Development.

Walker, whose LinkedIn page appears to have been deleted, begs the journalist not to tell anyone and then shares that the way they would mutate the virus would be by infecting monkeys.

At least someone seems to be taking notice. From The Gateway Pundit: Sen. Johnson Calls For Congress to Investigate Vaccine Manufacturers and Covid Vax Approval Process in Response to Project Veritas’ Exposé on Pfizer.

Senator Ron Johnson on Thursday called for Congress to investigate vaccine manufacturers and the Covid vax approval process in response to Project Veritas’ explosive undercover video exposing Pfizer’s alleged plans to ‘mutate’ the Covid virus.

Pfizer is experimenting with dangerous gain-of-function on Covid-19, according to a director of research for the Pharma company.

I predict that nothing will come of it. (The hat tip goes to Anonymous Conservative.)

They Couldn't Be Bothered to Stop a School Shooting

I've been trying to ignore this story as just another tragedy, but now there is something I can't ignore. Superintendent of Virginia school district where six-year-old shot his teacher in the chest is FIRED | Daily Mail Online

At Wednesday's press conference, [Diane] Toscano [teacher Abigail Zwerner's attorney] said: 'On that day, over the course of a few hours, three different times - three times - the school administration was warned by concerned teachers and employees that the boy had a gun on him at the school and was threatening people.

'But the administration could not be bothered.

'This tragedy was entirely preventable if the school administrators responsible for school safety had done their part and taken action when they had knowledge of imminent danger.

What. The. Fuck.

You can't be bothered about a student with a gun? You can't be bothered to call 911, or intervene yourself? What? you had MORE IMPORTANT things to do? Or were you hoping for a bloodbath so you could be famous? What?

At a Newport News school board meeting on Wednesday evening, Superintendent Dr. George Parker III was fired.

So one administrator was fired, and one resigned.

Whoever was warned and did nothing should be charged with something. Sadly felony stupidity is not a crime they can be charged with, but negligence might be something.

'Were they not so paralyzed by apathy, they could have prevented this tragedy,' [Toscano] added.

No doubt.

Of course the guy who got fired is suing, because "it's not fair," or something.

Another Reason to Block Ads from My Life - Malware

This has been going on for years, and Google can't be bothered to do anything much about it. (They're too busy censoring conservatives, or something.) Ransomware access brokers use Google ads to breach your network

So not only are ads annoying, the way they are served up is dangerous.

A threat actor tracked as DEV-0569 uses Google Ads in widespread, ongoing advertising campaigns to distribute malware, steal victims' passwords, and ultimately breach networks for ransomware attacks.

Over the past couple of weeks, cybersecurity researchers MalwareHunterTeam, Germán Fernández, and Will Dormann have illustrated how Google search results have become a hotbed of malicious advertisements pushing malware.

The latest round of attacks have been going on almost a year. (Or potentially more.) Microsoft started tracking this particular set of bad guys in February of 2022.

The good news is that Google has been removing ads as they are reported and detected.

The bad news is that the threat actors are constantly launching new ad campaigns and new sites, making it a giant game of whack-a-mole, and it doesn't feel like Google is winning.

Of course if they were either less interested in removing conservatives from YouTube, or if they were held liable for some of the bad outcomes, Google might devote more resources to the problem.

Impro Guns Has a Rough Example

I would be afraid to shoot this thing. Impro Guns: The Highland Gentleman / Sport King

Every spring placed on the outside of the gun? The meth is strong with this one.

Click thru for the photo.

A Bluebird of Bitterness Musical Interlude

We get nice song from two beautiful women. Today’s cultural moment

"Into The West" originally by Annie Lennox from Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, by The Harp Twins - Camille and Kennerly Kitt.

Word Police Continue to Dismantle the Language

Because of course they are. A View from the Beach: You May No Longer Say Someone is Outstanding in their Field

It offends the easily offended. At the Free Bacon, Michigan Cites Racism in Decision To Ban Term 'Field Worker' ‘While the widespread use of this term is not intended to be harmful, we cannot ignore the impact its use has on our employees’

And we can't offend the easily offended.

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 28 January

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain starts things off with In The Mailbox: 01.25.23

Cafe Hayek: Konstantin Kisin on the Environment and ‘Woke’ Culture, also, John Stossel on Paul Ehrlich and the Doomsters
CDR Salamander: The White Swan off Yemen

The Right Way - Top of the News

On Gerard- American Digest
HEAVEN AND HELL - ACCORDING TO HOYT - Born Free

EBL - Rep. Katherine Clark's (D-MA) Violent Cop Hating Child: I am thinking some jail time might help... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 🤔🤦🏻‍♀️

Jared Reily Dowell Araigned in Boston
I am guessing this individual should have gotten a dose of reality and consequences earlier than 23.

The DaleyGator - Weekend Political/Opinion linkage!

Bunkerville looks at WW3
Daily Signal- oh no, disinformation
Daniel Greenfield notes the latest threat to “Democracy” is Democracy!

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 26 January 2023

Welcome to the Podcast Applefornia. (Substack)
You can never leave, but you also can't check out. If you host your podcast with Apple, you're basically fucked.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 01.26.23

CDR Salamander: Riverine: our Stupidity is Ukraine’s Gift
Da Tech Guy: I’d Like to Expand on Ed’s Excellent Piece at Hotair Concerning Francis, Homosexuality and Sin in the Catholic Church

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Just Another DIY Thursday

House GOP to Hunter: Tell us all about your art sales -- and your clients – HotAir
Our Classified System Is A Joke
After The Past Decade, Why Would Anybody Trust The FBI? - The Daily Wire

Battleswarm Blog - LinkSwarm For January 27, 2023

Insurance companies are refusing to insure Hyundais and Kias because they’re too easy to steal.
How easy? This easy. All you need is a screwdriver and a USB cable…
Intel reports quarterly loss.

Vlad Tepes - Canadian media launches assault on “misinformation” to combat “vaccine hesitancy” and more: Links 2, January 26th, 2023

1. Best ‘died suddenly excuse yet’. This time for a healthy 14 YO teenage girl
BBC: Dad’s warning after girl, 14, dies from inhaling deodorant

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 01.27.23

Vox Popoli: Secret Stalker Society, Clown World Conservatives, and No Part of It
According To Hoyt: Ask, Heaven And Hell, Jokes and Conspiracies, and Cleanup Crew

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 01/27/2023

1/18 – LEAKED VIDEO: Facebook’s Zuckerberg Warned His Staff Not To Get the Vaccine
There aren’t enough four letter words for me to adequately comment

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 1/26/2023

Breaking: Project Veritas Exposes Pfizer Exec Discussing ‘Mutating’ COVID-19 Virus for New Vaccines, #DirectedEvolution Trends Worldwide
Project Veritas released a new video Wednesday

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California has temporarily enjoined enforcement of California’s new Orwellian statute designed to punish physicians for allegedly spreading covid misinformation and disinformation.

Don Surber - Highlights of the News January 26

ITEM 2: Zero Hedge reported, "Ukraine Rocked By Corruption Scandal, Wave Of Top Officials Resign: Sports Cars, Mansions & Luxury Vacations As People Suffered."

Maggie's Farm - Wednesday morning links

Dr. William Beaumont and the human gut
The Epidemic of #DiedSuddenly - Why is the public turning to ominous explanations for tragedies like Damar Hamlin’s collapse? Two doctors explain.

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 1/26/23

"These twerps, who claim to have no leadership but have the infrastructure to issue statements, are calling for more terrorism."
Turns Out the Atlanta Terrorists Are Children of Privilege

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: James O’Keefe Confronts FBI Stenographer Adam Goldman

• Welcome to Hotel California: Lawmakers Move to Tax People Who Have Left the State Turley
• WEF Chauffeur Says Elites Refuse to Ride in Electric Cars YT

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 01/27/2023

Sen Ron Johnson calls for an investigation into Pfizer, after Project Veritas video expose.
Daily Mail briefly commits act of journalism before deleting story on blockbuster Project Veritas undercover video.

I leave you with Wednesday gifdump from Wirecutter, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #919 from 90 Miles from Tyranny, and Thursday Memes … from MaddMedic.

Another Failure of the Victim-selection Process

The bad guys don't seem to have gotten the memo; Floridians are heavily armed. Haines City homeowner shoots suspected burglar; second suspect on the run, police say

According to the Haines City Police Department, the homeowner, who had a concealed weapons permit, came home to find the intruders inside his residence and fired his gun, hitting one of them.

Both suspects took off, but officers quickly caught up with the suspect who sustained a gunshot. He was identified as 27-year-old Tyriek Tramaine Washington. The Haines City chief of police said Washington has been charged with home invasion in the past.

The guy who got shot was taken to a local hospital. He will faces charges once the medical types are done with him. No information on the guy who ran away is available.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Lori Lightfoot of Chicago - America's Worst Mayor

From Bo Snerdly and The Daily BS: Tucker Carlson clobbers Chicago mayor over crime hurting the ‘poorest people’

“Someday, historians will untangle one of the biggest mysteries that we’re living through, which is why would our leaders want to make our society more dangerous? Why do they want more rape and armed robbery and murder? Clearly, they do want that,” Carlson, an honorary member of the Daily Caller News Foundation’s board, said.

“Why? We don’t know. We can only chronicle the effects. Lori Lightfoot has made Chicago intolerable for people and so dangerous. That’s intentional,” Carlson continued. “She banned police from chasing criminals on foot, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera and as a result, the poorest people are suffering the most. Street vendors robbed all the time.”

Chicago cops can't pursue bad guys fleeing in a car. Car chases are dangerous! Well, if they get special permission they can. They never get special permission, not even when pursuing violent criminals.

Cops can't pursue bad guys on foot in Chicago, unless they get special permission. That is apparently also not safe. (A couple of bad guys - who had guns - were shot and killed, and Lightfoot is all about making Chicago safe. For the bad guys!)

Of course Lightfoot is getting a lot of help from non-prosecuting attorney, Kim Foxx, but that is a story for another day.

I won't be shocked if she wins reelection, though the last report I saw said that she is behind in the polls.

Dark Necessities

Like most people, I became aware of Red Hot Chili Peppers when they released the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik in 1991. (Well, for those us who are not children, and were actually listening to the radio in 1991.) Anyway that was a great year for music. Two other albums released that year were Nevermind from Nirvana and The Black Album (officially titled Metallica) from Metallica. But today we are listening to a more recent composition from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

This is "Dark Necessities" by Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 2016 album The Getaway. I like it.

State of Georgia to Deal with Atlanta Rioters

From The Other McCain: State of Emergency: Gov. Kemp Issues Order to Deal With Atlanta Rioters

Governor Kemp is preparing to call up the National Guard to deal with the situation. Good.

If there is another riot in Atlanta, much of the responsibility will belong to the media, because of their idiotic repetition of the activist propaganda narrative. The belief that these “forest defenders” are protecting some kind of sacred indigenous territory is false and ultimately dangerous.

Click thru for the details.

Friday Links - 27 January

The Other McCain asks, is this The World’s Best Coffee? I haven't had Blue Mountain coffee in decades.

John Hoge’s already boosting Blue Mountain beans on his blog, and this could be the beginning of a market-changing phenomenon — like the 17th-century tulip craze or the South Sea bubble.

Conservative Brief - GOP Unveils Bill to Prevent Campaign Funds From Going To Candidate’s Immediate Family

California Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters has paid her daughter over $1.2 million in total over the last decade and it’s all been legal. Now, Republicans are aiming to put a ban on lawmakers from putting family members on the campaign payroll after many prominent Democrats have been called out over the practice.

Again from The Other McCain - Documents Here! Documents There! Classified Documents Everywhere!

We should be grateful for the incompetence of our nation’s enemies, because certainly our “intelligence community” isn’t very good at protecting our national security.

Megan Fox at PJ Media - Oh No! So Sad! Washington Post Journos Are Getting Fired!

I opened Twitter a few minutes ago to see my favorite thing ever: journalists crying big, salty tears over losing their jobs. The Washington Post is making cuts, and the puffed-up writers over there, who think they’re very special and irreplaceable, are having meltdowns. It’s beautiful watching the wokest people on earth suffer. I tried to hold back tweeting out “learn to code” and failed miserably.

Gateway Pundit - Uncovered Email Names Joe Biden in Oil Deal with China – Then Later in 2022 Biden Sold National Oil Reserves to Hunter Connected Chinese Company

The Bidens were involved in multiple deals with China involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

This week the Daily Mail uncovered another email found on Hunter’s laptop that included Joe Biden in a 2017 email discussing a multi-million dollar gas deal with CHINA.

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Ukrainian Officials Blew $100 Billion in US Uniparty Dollars on Sports Cars, Mansions, Luxury Vacations, etc.

Ukraine is embroiled in another corruption scandal after several top officials were caught purchasing sports cars, mansions and luxury vacations as the rest of the country suffered in the war with Russia.

Pirate's Cove - If You Have ‘Climate Change’ Trauma, You’re Not Alone (In Your Fake Mental Illness)

These people are convincing themselves that they have PTSD like soldiers in war from a tiny increase in global temperatures since 1850

Again from Gateway Pundit - “We Must Clean Out the Rot and Corruption in DC” – President Trump on the House Committee on the Weaponization of the US Government

America and President Trump were wrongly smeared and slandered during President Trump’s entire term in office. The mainstream media worked like puppets for the corrupt Deep State in an attempt to remove President Trump from office.

And again from The Other McCain - SMOKING GUN: Did Hunter Biden Use Classified Documents for Foreign $$?

Glenn Reynolds calls this a “Culture of Corruption” surrounding the Biden family, but it may be even more serious than that: Hunter Biden may have compromised U.S. national security in his pursuit of “business” with shady foreign clients.

Texans Are Still Armed...

And they look out for their neighbors. Homeowner shoots, kills would-be burglar attempting to break into neighbor’s NW Houston home, police say

This all took place at 5:30 in the morning. I'm not sure I would have noticed anything at 5:30, unless it was someone breaking into my home. Maybe they were making a lot of noise. Maybe people get up really early in Houston.

According to Houston Police Commander K. Campbell, the neighbor noticed a man attempting to break into a home next door. The owners were reportedly out of town.

Investigators said the neighbor confronted the suspect and told them he was “in fear of his life” when police said he pulled out a gun and shot the would-be burglar.

You would think the would be bad-guys would get the message about Texans.

The guy who got shot was pronounced dead at the scene, and a second person was found hiding nearby and was "detained."

I'm no lawyer, but it is my understanding that all homicides are referred to a grand jury in Texas.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Enabling Drug Addicts in San Francisco

I had a post yesterday in which I mentioned "safe spaces" to do drugs. (Hint: there is no safe way to do that.) Here is more on that. Native San Franciscan describes 'dystopia' on trip to downtown bar: 'I felt scared' | Fox News

The first part of the article is a description of the chaos that reigns in a once beautiful city. (It really was a beautiful city.)

Here is a bit that caught my attention.

Breed and Supervisor Hillary Ronen announced last week they planned to introduce a bill that would make way for the opening of "Overdose Prevention Sites" in the city, allowing individuals to use heavy drugs like heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl in a safe and supervised environment where there would be access to wraparound services for addiction, according to NBC Bay Area. The measure would need to be enacted by the Board of Supervisors.

Former drug dealer–turned-activist Ricci Wynne recently spoke out against harm reduction policies and potential safe consumption sites in San Francisco on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

"[It's] going to make the problem worse," he said. "It's already created such a buzz that people are coming here to San Francisco in droves for what I like to call druggy tourism. They come here because they know the consequences are minuscule if any, and they can come here [and] just use openly."

Making it easy for people to be addicted to drugs is not compassion. Making it easier for an addict to stay addicted is not compassion.

I'm Shocked That a Politician Would Lie

Maybe he was just mistaken or misinformed. He wouldn't lie, would he? NYC starts 2023 with more than 18% spike in serious assaults — after Adams says crime ‘trending downward’

Rapes were also up nearly 16% and robberies and burglaries rose 9.4% and 5.5%, respectively, for an overall 3.4% increase in year-to-date major crimes, according to NYPD statistics.

The ominous CompStat figures emerged after Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said that the city had finally turned the corner on crime and that worried New Yorkers could expect a better 2023.

Better for who?

Of course the time frame - 3 weeks - is quite short, but it doesn't excuse the "turned the corner" comment.

On the bright side, the latest numbers showed shootings and murders continued to decline this year.

So that is something.

I leave this here without comment

The response on Twitter has been interesting. Inmate beats 2 convicted child molesters to death with cane in prison, officials say

According to a news release sent by the California Department of Corrections, Jonathan Watson, 41, used a walking cane to beat [Graham De Luis-Conti, 62] and David Bobb, 48. Both victims suffered multiple head wounds, and Bobb died en route to the hospital, officials said.

The two inmates who died were serving life sentences for aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 years old, according to prison records.

Graham De Luis-Conti died on Wednesday at a local hospital.

Watson has served 10 years of a life sentence from Humboldt County for first-degree murder and discharging a firearm causing great bodily injury or death.

The Twitter reaction? See this Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 thread.

Enabling Addiction is NOT Compassion

Giving people what they want is not always what is good for them. San Francisco Bay Area mother of fentanyl user warns city is enabling son's drug use | Fox News

"My son, who is addicted to fentanyl and living on the streets of San Francisco, has told me that ... San Francisco is like hell because you can get everything that you want to stay addicted very, very easily and there's no pressure to get well," Jacqui Berlinn told Fox News.

But that is what liberal policies are all about. A "safe space" to do drugs doesn't acknowledge the fact that drugs are not safe.

Berlinn's 31-year-old son has been battling addiction and homelessness in different forms for years and has attempted rehabilitation several times. However, San Francisco's progressive policies soften the consequences for drug user and sellers, harming both the city and users alike, according to Berlinn.

Go read the whole thing. She is trying to convince the city to change course. I don't think she will have much luck.

Is Health Care a Profession?

Maybe it was once. Under the socialized systems, like the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom, it is just another blue-collar job. Granted, it requires more training than most, but that doesn't alter the qualitative aspects of working for a large bureaucracy. NHS strikes 'will only end if ministers offer workers a 10 PER CENT pay rise' | Daily Mail Online

There is much that is wrong with the NHS, and some of it is called out in the article. Nurses apparently haven't had a raise since 2010. Inflation has been low during most of that time, but it hasn't been zero. It certainly is not zero today.

Ambulance workers are going on strike for wages. Nurses also plan more strikes/slow downs. Ambulance drivers are underpaid in the US as well, and it contributes to staffing shortages, and long waits when you need assistance.

We have some of these problems because of how much the .gov pays (or in a lot of cases, doesn't pay) for health care. Ambulance drivers, EMTs, and the like are paid by the .gov, or by insurance company reimbursements. In both cases the payments are divorced from reality. Pay is low, even though the stress is high. Can you guess the effect that has on staffing?

But the bit that caught my attention in relation to the NHS is this:

It comes as teachers, civil servants, train drivers and nurses plan more action

Or in more detail...

[Matthew Taylor, NHS Confederation Chief Executive] added: 'I think there's a sense in Government that if they were to, to give way to compromise in health, then it would have knock-on effects on other public sector industrial disputes.'

So is nursing a profession, or is it little different from train drivers and other "public sector industrial" jobs?

I can't wait until we have socialized medicine.

The End of Your Rights

Because you are too stupid to run your own life. World Economic Fuck'em - by Quoth the Raven

Nothing more than an unelected globalist government slowly emerging behind the curtains, eager to abscond with your rights and tell you how to live. Really...nothing to see here.

They think they have the right to rule everything.

The “Forum” is increasingly starting to resemble a globalist government, stocked with globally unelected turbo-douchebags, who have been assembling quietly in the background while no one has noticed.

One minute you’ve never heard of them - did you know the WEF has been around for about 5 decades? - the next, the “Forum” is harboring incredible influence, mostly with “useful” bureaucratic idiots on the left who are happy to take their cues on how to napalm individual rights for betterment of advancing their agendas from anyone who will help, regardless of their motivation.

Go read the whole thing. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 25 January

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

4. Powerline discusses the Davos elite wanting you to eat bugs
5. Sultan Knish says a nation of Victims will fail

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkage

Watts Up With That? - Claim: 90% of Verra Carbon Credits are worthless “Phantom Credits”
Freedom Is Just Another Word… - Saturday Memes …..

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain - In The Mailbox: 01.23.22

Transterrestrial Musings: Meet President George Santos, The Biggest Rat, The California Dream, and Gerard Van Der Leun
Victory Girls: Kardashian Goes To Harvard; Hilarity Ensues

EBL - Antifa's Atlanta Getaway 🔥🍑😬

American Greatness: Top House Democrat's son arrested in Antifa riot
Instapundit: Dem House Minority Whip's son arrested w Antifa

The DaleyGator - Daily Top 5

American Thinker
Paranoid, but accurate?
Time Shows That The ‘Paranoid’ People Were Correct About COVID

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 24 January 2023: Monogrammed Kleenex Edition

A Google investor is pushing for the company to lay off 20% of staff - about four times what has been announced so far - and also slash salaries. (Blind)
Hang on. Wait. You can't do that.

The Political Hat - News of the Week (January 22nd, 2023)

American Education Policy Has Turned against Boys and Men
Feminists began taking over American education decades ago. They wanted to help females and largely viewed males as a problem.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 01.24.23

Shark Tank: DeSantis Administration Continues To Defend “Our Pro-Life Protections”
Shot In The Dark: The Gaslighting Project

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Russiagate FBI Agent Arrested for, Get This, Colluding with a Russian

Former Head of FBI Counterintelligence Division, and the Man Who Started the Russiagate Hoax Investigation Into Trump, Arrested for... Violating Russian Sanctions "NBC News: He didn't just "have a relationship" with Deripaska. He took the money from Deripaska.

Don Surber - Highlights of the News January 24

ITEM 3: Ace of Spades reported, "Former Head of FBI Counterintelligence Division, and the Man Who Started the Russiagate Hoax Investigation Into Trump, Arrested for... Violating Russian Sanctions."

Vlad Tepes - Physics is racist because you have to work at it: Links post 1 for January 21, 2023

2. Colorado College Professor: Astrophysics is Racist Due to Emphasis on Individualism and Exceptionalism
(Sunday is racist because it makes itself distinct from Monday and Tuesday.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 1/23/2023

Ghislaine Maxwell Drops Bombshell: Jeffrey Epstein ‘Was Murdered’
Ghislaine Maxwell has just dropped a bombshell by claiming her sex trafficking accomplice Jeffrey Epstein “was murdered.”

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

David Waugh warns of the combination on campus of wokeness and a demographic trend.
Daryl Morey reports on the rapid rise of woke-inspired self-censorship at M.I.T.

Proof Positive - Best of the Web*

Man who couldn't get elected VP calls PRESIDENT TRUMP a loser
Corporates Have Begun 'Geoengineering' The Climate, With Basically No One's Consent
Classified!

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

The Opponents of Free Speech Are Gaining Ground.
“Re-imagining Undergraduate Mathematics…with Structural Disruptions”: Vanderbilt Professor Denounces the Math Field as Racist

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 1/24/23

"When saving lives becomes a crime."
Chinese COVID Mess: "Something Very Dark is Happening"

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Are Democrats Trying To Take Biden Out Before 2024?

• The Corleone family had olive oil as a front business, the Bidens have politics John Ruberry
• Reckless Reparations Reckoning Victor Davis Hanson

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 01/24/2023

Ex-top FBI official involved in Trump-Russia probe is charged with ‘trying to get billionaire oligarch Oleg Deripaska off sanctions list in return for cash’: Also ‘took $225,000 from Albanian ex-spy working for China.’

I leave you with Sunday Funnies For 01-22-23 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Sunday Memes … from MaddMedic, Cartoon Round Up.... from Theo Spark, and Tuesday gifdump from Wirecutter.

Another Failure of the Victim Selection Process

Indiana has not morphed into New Jersey; self-defense is a thing in Indiana. Update: THPD ID Clay City man killed in Terre Haute shooting

How would you respond to an intruder in your home at 5:30 AM?

According to the Terre Haute Police Department, officers were sent to the 200 block of N. Fruitridge Ave. around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday after a call about a homeowner shooting an intruder in their home.

Another person with the guy who got shot was detained, but not arrested and released later.

Police also stated that no charges are being filed against the homeowner who shot and killed Bell.

Self-defense is a human-right.

20 Minutes is a Long Time to Wait After Calling 911

No where in a story about 911 response time in Portland, Oregon, do they mention "defund the police." Portland Police Bureau's average response time more than doubles in 6 years

According to data from the Portland Police Bureau, it took officers an average of 16.4 minutes to respond to calls in 2022. In 2016, it took them an average of 8.1 minutes.

In 2022, the month with the longest average call response time was October when it took police an average of 20.4 minutes to arrive at a scene. In July it took an average of 19.1 minutes.

Things have been getting worse since 2012, but they really started to go bad in 2019.

In a video PPB published in March 2021, the bureau said there are several factors that contribute to how soon officers may arrive on scene.

One of those things being how many police are on the job, when a call comes in, and is anyone free to take the next call.

I have had several posts about Police and 911 response time in Portland. Here is one from December of 2021: Portland Has a Shortage of Cops - 911 Response Impacted. This is not a new phenomenon, and it is pretty much what the "defund the police" groups wanted.

Portland isn't the only city to have this trouble, because they weren't the only city that defunded the police. If you click thru there is a list of a few of the usual suspects.

Still Alive and Well

Every now and then I find a new artist (or new-to-me anyway) via social media. That is how I tripped over Sass Jordan, a blues singer/composer from Canada.

I've really only listened to her most current album, but I will be listening to the older stuff in her catalog in the near future.

As for the rest of the band, this if from her website:

As such, anticipate piercingly fierce guitar licks and defiantly driving tempos alongside Sass’ soulful signature rasp and the full backing of a glorious assortment of rambling road dogs, The Champagne Hookers — guitarists Chris Caddell and Jimmy Reid, drummer Cass Pereira, keyboardist Jesse O’Brien, and Steve Marriner on bass and harmonica.

This song is "Still Alive and Well" by Sass Jordan from her 2022 album Bitches Blues.

The social media reference was Eric Alper on Twitter.

Cops Search the Wrong House

Again. Another case of cops not bothering to figure out where the hell they are. They got both the house number AND the street wrong. How many times will cops search the WRONG DAMN house before they learn to read? Channel 11 Exclusive: Woman says police searched wrong house while looking for shooting suspect

Because being a law enforcement officer means you don't have to be smart enough to read a freaking map, or a street sign. Or use a map application on your phone. Or read and follow directions. Or be a decent human being, apparently.

Monroeville police told the homeowner they tracked Brown to 1102 Deary Street in Larimer using a cell phone ping. But she lives on a different street, and her house number is 1101.

Details, details. Don't clutter the issue with facts.

How do you spell "Fucking clueless?"

Now she has damages to home and furniture, and kids who have been traumatized by police. The kids will probably be afraid of, and mistrustful of, police their whole lives. Yes, the city says, "We will pay. Just fill out this form."

As for being "decent human beings," no one will answer any questions. The chief was "out of the office" the day the media stopped by, and strangely, no phone calls are being returned by anyone to anyone. Not only are they clueless, but they're apparently unwilling to own up to their own mistakes. Does that make them gutless as well?

Way to go guys. You should get an award for being the biggest idiots of 2023. So far anyway. But don't worry, I'm sure it won't be long before some police force pulls an even bigger bone-headed maneuver. I mean, you didn't kill anybody, so you have that going for you. And you aren't nearly at the level idiocy as the police in Uvalde, Texas.

Here's a picture of some of the biggest losers in Texas, since I haven't reminded people of that lately. (They look cool though, right? At least they think so.)

Tuesday Links - 24 January

The Gateway Pundit is up first with UNBELIEVABLE: Urgent Care Physician Warns of Stroke Season After Flu Season (VIDEO). Next it will be "Died Suddenly" season.

An urgent care physician claimed that after flu season, about three or four weeks later, there is a stroke season.

You can’t make this up. The credibility of the medical community is rapidly declining.

The Other McCain - The Penn Scandal: Ivy League University Was Funnel for Biden’s Chinese Cash

Can anyone explain the Chinese Communist government’s sudden increase in generosity toward Penn once the university made its deal with Biden? As Guttman said, the selling point for the deal was Biden’s “unmatched personal connections . . . with world leaders,” and maybe what she meant was, “We’re going to get lots of Chinese payola.”

Adaptive Curmudgeon - The World Crawls Up Its Own Ass Faster Than I Can Write Jokes.

Alas, Hollywood digs through the graves of the past, grinds the bones it finds into a thick paste, and then smears it on the bathroom stall that is their current lack of creativity. Scooby-Doo existed from 1969 – 1976. Hacks have been squeezing that IP for the subsequent 47 years. (Not bad for a cartoon with basically one plot!) I assumed, sooner or later, someone would trash Scooby-Doo and my beloved Velma’s bullshit avatar. This year, the third or fifth or twentieth of a long panicked bullshit decline, is the year when Velma gets ruined.

Bear Bussjaeger - Aesop’s Lost It. Alec B. and safe gun handling. Or maybe not so safe.

Aesop might as well claim that Badlwin shouldn’t be charged because § 30-2-3 doesn’t specifically say not to point a [loaded] gun at people and pull the trigger when you don’t even know if it’s loaded. Those words aren’t there either.

“Without due caution and circumspection” are, and the Rules illustrate what due caution and circumspection look like.

Small Dead Animals - Scott Adams, “Anti-Vaxxers Were Totally Right”

I don’t completely agree with Adams that his process was largely correct but he got the wrong answer. A lot of people were comparing the wrong things when they decided to get the shots. That was a big part of the propaganda campaign. But kudos to Adams for going public with this. Far more people need to follow his example.

Again from The Other McCain - THE ATLANTA RIOT: Out-of-State Anarchists Torch Police Vehicle

It was clear from what the police chief explained at the press conference that the “protest” downtown was organized with the subsequent destruction as its objective. Embedded in a crowd of several dozen protesters were a comparative handful of anarchists prepared to engage in violence. It’s a pattern we saw in many cities during the summer of 2020 — the “mostly peaceful” protesters serve as a sort of bodyguard to conceal and protect the perpetrators of vandalism, arson, etc. The media pretend to be surprised and dismayed that the protest “turned violent,” despite the obvious pattern which demonstrates that the violence was pre-planned and that the organizers of the “peaceful protest” knew damned well what the ultimate result would be.

Impro Guns - This is Your Gun on Meth

Starter’s pistol conversion to live .22 caliber ammunition steps. 1: Meth. 2: Epoxy. 3: Hose clamp and a piece of tube snapped off of a selfie-stick

They Even Got the Definition of Victim Correct

Maybe word will get out that being a bad guy is becoming dangerous. Though since the courts are not doing anything, I doubt it. Man Accused of Robbing Concealed Carry Holder Who Then Shot Him Onboard CTA Train: Police

Concealed Carry in Chicago; it's a thing.

A 33-year-old Chicago man has been charged with two felonies after he tried to rob a concealed carry holder who then opened fire, shooting him onboard a CTA train, authorities said.

So he was shot and then he was arrested. My guess is that next the non-prosecuting attorneys for Chicago and Cook County will let him go.

As for the definition of victim, NBC Chicago seems to have gotten it right.

The victim, the man who fired shots, wasn't hurt during the incident.

I used to see about 100 stories a year, where the press called the criminals, who were shot when the law-abiding citizens defended themselves, the victims. When I would point out that criminals are not victims, sometimes they would argue with me, and sometimes they would say, "I never thought of that." Usually they would just ignore me.

The would-be bad-guy was shot in the leg. That doesn't make him a victim.

Self-defense is a human-right. It remains to be seen whether or not it is your legal right in Chicago.

Lies of Omission by NPR Are Still Lies

I was going to call this post "Lies, Damn Lies, and 911 Response Time Statistics," but the statistics are not lies. Only NPR's take is of questionable veracity. Why data from 15 cities shows police response times are taking longer

And it is not only NPR that is lying by omission; it is all of the Leftist media. They have acquired collective amnesia on the subject of Defund the Police. That amnesia is especially prominent when the subject of 911 response times arises.

This is a two minute radio segment by NPR (and the transcript) talking about increased response times for 911 calls in major cities. In some cases the response times have increased dramatically.

But those increases vary a lot. In New Orleans, average response times almost tripled, from 51 minutes in 2019 to 146 minutes last year. In New York, the number jumped less, from 18 minutes to 33. Asher says these figures are just a sampling of what's going on nationally. But the trend seems clear.

51 minutes is an incredibly long time to wait when something bad is happening, even assuming you can call BEFORE the bad things start happening. Though I will note that this article doesn't give a finer breakdown on times. The truly urgent calls versus less urgent calls.

So the question is, "Why are response times increasing so much?"

NPR does get as far as "staffing shortages."

CHUCK WEXLER: The national conversation among police is staffing is the No. 1 issue.

KASTE: Wexler runs the Police Executive Research Forum. He says older officers are quitting or retiring at a faster rate. And new recruits are harder to come by. He calls longer response times an early warning sign that the staffing shortages are now starting to have an effect.

WEXLER: If your house is being broken into and you need the police there in 4 minutes and they get there in 7 minutes, it makes a huge difference.

But why are officers retiring faster than ever before? Why are new recruits so hard to find? If this story from NPR was your only source of news on the topic, it would be a mystery.

Nowhere do they mention the "Defund the Police" movement. Nowhere do they mention the vitriol that has been spewed by the Left at police and policing. And they even seem shocked to discover that when a police department is understaffed, it can take longer to respond to a 911 emergency.

Google Employees and Layoffs

They thought it would never happen to them. Or something. And they have no appreciation for how these things are done, because that's what they're complaining about. Former Google employee's videos show shift from free office snacks to tears and layoffs

First off, I can tell you from personal experience, that there is no good way to be laid off. But this is sort of how it is done.

With more than 200,000 tech layoffs in the past few months—affecting employees at Twitter, Amazon, Facebook-parent Meta, and now, Google, there has been ample opportunity to do so. Terminated tech employees have gone online to detail their dismissals, from receiving unannounced midnight emails to finding out they had been fired when their access badges failed to open the office door.

What do they think should happen? That the company should notify you that you will be laid off in 2 days, so that you have time to steal intellectual property, plant back doors in web systems, sabotage projects, or get up to the things that your average disgruntled employee would do? No. They pull the rug out from under you because to do anything else is not responsible from a corporate/fiduciary point of view.

I realize that these people are not familiar with the concept of "responsibility," but I would believe that HR and legal are.

Google’s sudden reversal from massive hiring and spending to the chaos and confusion of last week’s layoffs was encapsulated in video diaries of Nicole Tsai, a former employee who worked in partner services for Google’s cloud unit since 2021. Tsai posted vlogs depicting her daily life at the company on her TikTok channel before and after the layoffs were announced.

YouTuber It'sAGundum has a great video on this from the end of November: The End of Adult Daycare? │TikTok Cringe. It's 12 minutes of people at tech companies showing how disconnected from reality they are.

Seeing privileged, entitled tech workers show off their fabulous lifestyle, their easy lackadaisical laissez faire days, and their wonderful meals...

Even if you just watch the first 2 or 3 minutes you get a feeling for the level of cringe, but if you watch more you will actually see the life of tech "workers." In quotes because it didn't seem like much of what I would call work was getting done.

The first TikTok is from someone at Meta. You have to get to the second, about 8 minutes in, to see "a day in the life" of a Google employee.

Look at this place! Mark Zuckerberg is throwing all this money at Meta and this is where it's going. For privileged white girls to make videos showing off how great their life is. This is how disconnected you have to be from reality...

And it is adult daycare. Google has nap rooms. When was the last you had "nap time?" It was in kindergarten for me. But then that is the way "adults" are treated today. There is a freaking Harry Potter conference room, which as It'sAGundum notes, must be canceled due to J.K. Rowling's wrongthink.

A Harry Potter conference room? Really? Grow the Fuck up!

But back to the linked article at the top:

“The worst part is no one was consulted on this decision and everyone is finding out about the layoffs at the same time. It just felt like a really bad game of Russian roulette and there was no consistency around who was let go,” Tsai said in the video.

No, honey, you weren't consulted. You were laid off. And the purpose of layoffs/downsizing is to save money on salary, and get rid of people who are doing jobs the company has decided they don't want to pay for. I've seen whole divisions shut down, and locations closed. So the next bit is also not surprising.

Google’s layoffs were algorithmic and not performance-based, Tsai said, meaning many terminated employees were chosen randomly as the company sought to cut costs. Long-tenured employees with two decades of experience at the company as well as high earners with annual salaries of up to $1 million were reportedly also targeted by the layoffs.

I should mention, I guess, that I've worked for companies that have been taken over, and whole divisions - including the one I worked for - were let go. I've also worked on the committees deciding who would be laid off. And before I got into management I worked on automation systems that closed whole divisions - many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of employees were let go. There are old sayings: Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. You should save for a rainy day. There are probably more that apply.

Layoffs, downsizing, and the like are part of the business cycle. And yes, tech companies are subject to the laws of nature and the economy. Welcome to The Real World™.

It'sAGundam gets the last word:

I only hope that the people that get fired make TikTok videos about being fired, so that I may profit off their misfortune...