Happy Birthday Giorgio Moroder

Love it or hate it, Disco had a huge impact on music, especially when it morphed into House (Chicago), Techno (Detroit), Electro-industrial (Canada), and more.

Giorgio Moroder is the father of Disco. Born in Urtijëi, South Tyrol, Italy, in 1940, he is 84 today.

Disco was created in the discotheques of West Germany during the Cold War. We all lived under the threat of thermonuclear annihilation, as we still do, but in the '60s and '70s it was very real. And the West Germans, and in particular the people in West Berlin, dealt with the Cold War in very tangible ways. Checkpoint Charlie. The Berlin Wall. etc. My understanding is that the club scene was intense at least through the 1980s. Maybe it still is.

Disco in the US had become soulless by the mid to late 1970s, when it was firmly in the hands of the suits that ran the American music industry. They had tiny minds that could only reproduce what they had heard 10 minutes before. It was easy to hate it by then. House, Techno, etc. wasn't on the radio because it wasn't what the suits liked, and it hadn't been on the radio 10 minutes before. The music industry (and the tiny minds running it) inevitably take a genre of music and squeeze the life out of it. Things haven't changed in 50 years. Think modern Pop of today. All the same. Over-produced. Nothing real, or very little anyway.

Giorgio Moroder started producing music in the German music scene in Berlin and Munich in the 1960s. His most recognizable hit is probably "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" featuring vocals by David Bowie, from the 1982 film Cat People. He wrote that song, and the entire soundtrack for that movie and produced the soundtrack.

This song is "Giorgio by Moroder" by Daft Punk from their 2013 album Random Access Memories. I include it because of the narration at the opening in which Giorgio describes what he came to do to start Disco.

Friday Links - 26 April

Chicago Contrarian is up first with Chicago Owned Grocery Store Would Be Subsidizing Dysfunction.

A better way to eliminate food deserts would be to admit where Chicago went wrong with groceries closing. Of course, that will lead to some uncomfortable conclusions for Chicago progressives, if an honest study is done.

Forget the study, here is the remedy: Arrest shoplifters — and aggressively prosecute them. Then invite big grocers back.

Granite Grok - Massachusetts Is “Going After Everybody Who Has Money.”

It is unusual for a Democrat or uniparty stooge to say the quiet part out loud, but this isn’t new to Massachusetts. David Ismay, Charlie Baker’s undersecretary for Climate change (can’t be much of a ‘republican’ Gov. if you have one of those – and he wasn’t), said openly that they need to put the screws to everyone in the name of climate change.

Colion Noir - NY Judge Convicts Man Over Gunsmith Hobby & Says 2nd Amendment Doesn't Exist In Her Courtroom. A video about an outrageous judge in the People's Republic of New York. (Fullscreen mode is active on the 8 minute video)

The Other McCain - TikTok Inluencer Hangs Herself

While hanging yourself is bad, it beats lighting yourself on fire, I suppose. Unless and until the contents of Eva’s suicide note are made public, we have no idea what motivated her suicide, but probably a lot of social-media “influencers” are desperately depressed.

My Daily Kona - "How Do Gun Rights Advocates respond to the claim that AR-15's are useless..........."

The U.S. has employed drones, A-10s, artillery, guided missiles… a whole hell of a lot of resources [in Afghanistan]. Hundreds of billions of dollars.

After nearly 20 years of fighting these “poorly armed” people, we’re about to finally quit. Because there is no [feasible] way to win. We don’t even know what “winning” looks like today

Professor David Yamane at Gun Culture 2.0 - News Reporting or Newsadvocacy? Thoughts Inspired by The Trace

I am simply highlighting the fact that The Trace functions as an interest group advocating for the social construction of gun violence as a top public problem in American society. The work of The Trace — as evidenced by the results it seeks — goes beyond news reporting.

Moonbattery - Arizona AG Launches Lawfare Attack on Trump Allies

Only recently, Arizona was a bastion of Americanism, home of the great Barry Goldwater. Then came colonization by California. Currently, the state is ruled by the likes of Attorney General Kris Mayes, who like her New York equivalent Letitia James is plunging the state into banana republic territory and trying to take the rest of the country with it by criminalizing opposition to Democrats in the runup to the November elections.

Red State has the last word with the following. Hilarity Ensues After Sprinklers Go Off Overnight at Harvard 'Gaza Solidarity' Encampment

Back to the sprinklers, a funny thing happened in the overnight hours in the "liberated zone," as recounted by the Harvard Crimson, which provided this play-by-play

Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 0

You might say that they suffered a failure of the victim-selection process. Homeowner shoots attempted burglary suspect: Surprise PD

The home invasion victim didn’t want to talk on camera but said the suspects rang his doorbell at 4 a.m. He didn’t answer but says they came in through the back door and cornered him.

He says he did not know who the men were and doesn’t know if his roommates knew them either.

The homeowner opened fire, striking one of the two home invaders.

Surprise, Arizona is a suburb of Phoenix.

Officers arrived at the scene and took both suspects into custody, one of whom was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Neighbors, of course, were shocked to discover that they live in The Real World™ and not a mythical safe space, like Pleasantville. That is something everyone should realize. You are NOT protected by your zip code.

"It’s pretty shocking because this is a neighborhood where you can leave your cars unlocked, nothing like that happens here," a neighbor named Justin said.

Your odds of being victimized may change with locale, but those odds are never zero. Bad guys can drive to your area.

One neighbor says to get a guard dog. Good advice, but most people will get a family pet with no idea of how to train a guard dog. (A guard dog is NOT a family pet.)

But you should do something. Like the homeowner in this story, I prefer fast-moving lead projectiles. Not everyone is comfortable with that, however, and you should make your own determination.

A 911 Outage in February That I Missed

I usually look for, and often find, problems in 911 services around the country. I missed this one in February, but it is worth noting. AT&T cellphone outage leaves 1.7 million users without service for hours

More than 1.7 million AT&T customers across the country reported problems with their cellphone service Thursday morning and early afternoon, according to a network monitoring company. Many saw only an “SOS” on the top right corners of their phones, indicating they had no cell reception — not even to call 911. A large number of AT&T customers lacked service for most of the morning, and some, like Joshua Walton of Charlotte, still couldn’t use the cellular network at noon.

This is doubly odd, because you are supposed to be able to call 911 from any cellphone, even if you don't have service currently tied to that phone. 911 is supposed to always go thru.

The ability to call emergency services was disrupted for some people across several states — such as California, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas — prompting some 911 centers to urge AT&T customers to use a landline for any calls, or find a cellphone that uses a different carrier.

Now how you are supposed to hunt up a phone when confronted with a bad guy, they don't say. The WaPo article does link to a discussion of, "should you have a backup phone?" They talk about land lines, which are great when you are at home, and less great when you are not at home.

By around 3 p.m., AT&T said it had restored service to all customers. “We sincerely apologize to them,” Jim Greer, a company spokesman, said in a statement. “Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future.”

The hat tip for this goes to Liberty Doll and her video 911 Services Lost in Four States. It is an 11 minute video, in which she covers the outage I mentioned on Monday, this outage, and a few more. "Just call 911" sounds great, except what do you do, when you can't call 911?

How Is That Criminal Justice Reform Working Out?

Not too well. Judge refuses to detain man accused of carjacking Uber driver at gunpoint - CWB Chicago. (Yes, it has been stuck in the drafts folder for a while. Still worth a look.)

April 9th Tamar Moses sped away from a traffic stop, crashed into an unmarked police car, and was found with a loaded pistol.

Under provisions of Illinois’ criminal justice overhaul legislation called the SAFE-T Act, Moses was released from the police station without being brought before a judge, the court files say.

Just five days later, Chicago police arrested Moses after he was identified as one of two people who fired a handgun while carjacking an Uber driver on the West Side, a CPD arrest report said. The alleged hijacking occurred late on April 8, about three hours before Maywood police arrested Moses.

Maywood, Illinois is a suburb of Chicago. It is due west of The Loop about 15 miles from Lake Michigan.

So despite being caught with 2 guns in 1 month, committing (allegedly) armed carjacking, and fleeing from police, he was again released, this time by a judge. Prosecutors, citing the 2 guns, and the rest asked that he be held. The judge said no can do, and released Moses, though he was given a curfew.

Under the provisions of the new "Bail is mean and unfair" law in Illinois, they will continue to release this guy, until he actually kills someone. Such is Justice in the 21st Century.

Concealed Carry License Holder Defends Himself in Chicago

Concealed Carry is becoming quite the thing in Chicago. From HeyJackass! - Video: CCL Shooting 300 S. Michigan Ave

These days we rack up more shootings involving concealed carry license holders than police-involved, but since we don’t yet require these CCL’ers to don body-worn cameras, we have to settle for a distant traffic camera to pick up the action.

300 S. Michigan Ave is basically in the south end of the loop. It is about a block and a half to The Art Institute of Chicago, a half dozen blocks or so to The Chicago Stock Exchange. About that same distance to the Willis Tower, which was originally the Sears Tower, etc. The incident took place at 5:35 AM on 14 March, 2024.

A guy was walking along, when another guy turned the corner and broke into a run straight at him. Apparently he believed that this constituted a threat, and he defended himself.

To our knowledge, the CCL’er wasn’t charged, nor have we been presented with high school graduation photos of the lead recipient or stories on how he was shot before while attempting to kill his uncle. No matter, Justice for Bum-rushing Guy!

As noted, there is video; use your own judgement as to whether or not you want to watch the video.

Good News on the Geek Front - Voyager 1 Phones Home

From The Silicon Graybeard: Voyager 1 is Awake and Communicating!

This past Saturday, April 20, Voyager 1 updated ground control about its health status with a coherent message for the first time in 5 months. While she still isn't fully operational and sending science data back to Earth, Voyager 1 is now returning usable information about the health and operating status of its onboard systems.

If you're a regular reader, you'll recall that back in November, Voyager suddenly started acting like something was seriously wrong. I likened it to the probe having had a stroke, although that's too anthropomorphic. The probe seemed to take commands and respond, it still kept its position and kept the data link back to Earth running, it's just that the replies it sent back were more like incoherent ramblings. Something about its uncle having been eaten by cannibals before the mission started. No, sorry. I made that up.

Click thru for the details. (The image is courtesy of NASA/JPL by way of WikiMedia. Click the image for more details.)

Voyager 1 launched 5 September 1977. It was sent on mission to visit Jupiter, and Saturn. It crossed the heliopause and entered interstellar space in 2012.

Not bad for 1970s tech.

The Other McCain Takes up His Role as Grammar Police

Because everyone is entitled to a pet peeve or two. It’s ‘Protester,’ NOT ‘Protestor,’ Dammit!

Why do you do this to me, Babylon Bee? For more than 20 years, going back to when I was an assistant national editor at The Washington Times, this has been one of my pet peeves. There is no such thing as a “protestor.” The correct word is protester. I can explain very clearly why this is so, and why allegedly “educated” people keep making this mistake.

Here is the song "Word Crimes" by Al Yankovic. Can't imagine why that popped into my mind.

Of course not everyone agrees. The Content Authority - Protestor Vs Protester: What’s The Correct Word To Use?

According to prominent dictionaries like Merriam-Webster and Oxford, both spellings, “protester” and “protestor,” are correct. Both words refer to the person partaking in a protest singly or in a group. A protestor/protester also states a solemn declaration or dissents from an established policy.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 24 April

Pirate's Cove is first with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

13. Moonbattery discusses the Lincoln Center cancelling Mozart
14. Outside The Beltway wonders if a Tik Tok ban is Constitutional

The DaleyGator - Weekend Assortment

Bunkerville loves Passels
Busted Knuckles has a drinking problem? Or a problem drink

Political Hat - News of the Week (April 21st, 2024)

Major 2nd Amendment Victory In California
AUS district court judge in California granted summary judgment against the state’s one-gun-a-month (OGM) law, finding it unconstitutional.

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 04.22.24

Cafe Hayek: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: “Council of Political Enablers”
CDR Salamander: Israel’s Measured Response
Chicago Boyz: Ukraine, and the World Outside US Borders

EBL - Supreme Court Rule 9-0 in Support of Reverse Discrimination Lawsuits

Instapundit: Leftists freak over 9-0 SCOTUS ruling
AoSHQ: Morning Report 04.19.24

A View from the Porch - Flotsam and Jetsam - DIY Done Come On Tuesday

Baltimore city accuses Dali owners of negligence in Key Bridge disaster
Companies behind cargo ship that destroyed Baltimore’s Key Bridge seek exemption from legal liability – Baltimore Sun

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 4/22/2024

Bill Gates Unveils Plan to Fight ‘Climate Change’ by Targeting Food Supply
Billionaire Bill Gates has unveiled his latest plan to wage war on the food supply as part of an alleged effort to “fight climate change.”

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 04.23.24

Baldilocks: A Few Changes, Coinages, also, On Payback
BattleSwarm: Texas Election Roundup For April 23
Behind The Black: Voyager-1 back online after software patch works

Vlad Tepes - Australian Senator not only doesn’t want Ozzies to know the truth about the stabbing of an orthodox priest, she wants people who allow it to be known to be jailed: Links 2, April 23, 2024

2. New survey on Islamic attitudes about the West within Germany won’t surprise anyone here. But it’s still worth knowing.
3. Please read Mark Steyn’s column on the fate of the Jewish people in the UK.

Tam at View From The Porch - Tab Clearing...

John Hearne writes about Understanding Criminals and Their Motivations.
Bobbi on troubleshooting a mysteriously malfunctioning door.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 21 April 2024: Oops Edition

Workers installing a light pole in Missouri dug into a fiber cable and cut off 911 services in Nebraska - I forgot Missouri has a border with Nebraska, South Dakota, which borders on Nebraska, and, somehow, Nevada.

Don Surber - Highlights of the week

ITEM 5: From the Island of Misfit Never Trumpers comes this dispatch: “The Economy Is Awesome and Here's Why That's Bad for Biden.”

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkage

The Air Vent - The Communist Gaian’s Aren’t Even Trying To Hide Their True Agenda
Watts Up With That? - Evaluating The Model Projections

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

“Why turn off lights for Earth Day when California is already growing dark?”
In the video here, Johan Norberg makes the case that the best economic system for the earth (and for humanity) is capitalism.

Small Dead Animals - Tuesday On Turtle Island

Dementia Joe’s America: Biden’s corrupt judges. A howl of rage. The Neo-Nazi Left.
Blackie’s Canada: Don’t upset the Indians. Promoting terrorism in the Ontario Legislature. Singh spreads false claim about Poilievre.

Maggie's Farm - Saturday morning links

Equitable Grading?
Student Suspended After Anti-Israel Protest Complains About Facing Consequences for Her Actions

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 4/23/24

“For those of us who remember Soviet totalitarianism, it was a déjà vu.”
How the West Suppresses Dissent

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: War By Affirmative Action?

• How Do You Solve a Problem Like Mike Johnson? - Brian C. Joondeph • Consequences? Ilhan Omar's Daughter Faces a Few - David Strom

I leave you with Bookworm Beat 4/19/24: Get yer red hot memes here!, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #1736 from 90 Miles From Tyranny, and Tuesday's memes from Wirecutter.

Neighbors Were Shocked

‘It’s very shocking:’ Police investigating after homeowner shoots carjacking suspect in Herlong area

He was in a stolen car when police tried to stop him. He abandoned that car and fled to a neighborhood, where he tried to steal another car.

Then she said her neighbor, Don – the homeowner who the suspect is accused of attempting to carjack– shot him.

“So, when he starts coming towards him, Don says ‘Stop’ because the guy already told him he was going to kill him and so Don shot him.”

He only shot the (alleged) bad guy in the leg, but that did let the cops take him into custody.

As for the neighbors...

“It’s very shocking,” neighbor K.P. Lancaster said.

“It’s been a day and I’m sorry that it happened, and I’m sorry it happened it here,” neighbor Sheryl Anglin said.

No matter how nice your house is, you are not protected by your zip code from crime. It must shocking to realize that you do live in The Real World™ where crime can, and often does, happen.

The cops are continuing to investigate, and then the DA will make any determination on charges. I have no idea what the DA in Jacksonville is like when it comes to questions of self defense. If you know, please leave a comment.

The New Upgrade to the FGC-9 Build Process

From Impro Guns - The FGC-9 is about to get a whole lot easier to build. (Click thru for the photo of the new bolt.)

The ‘Nutty 9’ is an ingenious new and improved bolt design for the FGC-9 which consists of nothing more than four nuts and two bolts screwed into a printed connector piece. The only thing left for you to do is simply drill a hole for the firing pin

In case you haven't figured it out, FGC-9 stands for F#@K Gun Control - 9mm. The bolt is a hunk of metal, now literally a bolt and some nuts. The barrel is typically a length of tube, with an appropriate inside diameter. There is even a way to create rifling using electrochemical machining, which is sort of the opposite of electroplating.

I'm almost tempted to build one to see what all the fuss is about. That's a maximum almost.

Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

It is Giorgio Moroder's birthday this week. For people who don't know, he is generally regarded as the father of Disco. Disco started in Germany, and in particular West Berlin, discotheques of the late 1960s (in particular, 1969) and the early '70s. Of course by the time Disco came to the US the suits running the American music industry had squeezed most of the life out it. By the late 1970s it was easy to hate Disco. Anyway, Moroder went on to have some success in movie soundtracks, including today's song.

This is "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" by David Bowie from the soundtrack to the 1982 movie Cat People. It was written and produced by Giorgio Moroder. Bowie was apparently not happy with the soundtrack version and rerecorded it for his 1983 album Let's Dance. This is the original from the movie soundtrack. Most reviewers liked the original more than the remake; I agree. You are probably more familiar with the remake.

Zack Snyder's Attempt to Make Star Wars

I don't know why people think Zack Snyder is 2024's answer to Steven Spielberg or Nicholas Meyer. He's not.

His first Superman movie, Man of Steel, was OK, not great. The 2 movies of his that have stood out were 300 and Watchmen. And Watchmen failed to make its money back, being darker than your average superhero movie, and not finding an audience as a result. In both of those cases, which are good, genre movies, based on solid graphic novels, someone else was responsible for the writing.

His latest effort is a ripoff of (or homage to) Star Wars. I could tell you what I thought, but I haven't bothered to see all of it. Part one really wasn't worth finishing. It came in 2 parts, because he needed 6 hours to do what George Lucas did in 2. And he failed to do that.

So here is what Will Jordan (The Critical Drinker) has to say. He watched the movie so you don't have to.

It all adds up to a big pile of pretentious, dull, unimaginative dog shit, without an ounce of energy or creative imagination. A film that was an absolute chore to get through, that has nothing to say, and seems to have no particular reason for existing. I mean, don't get me wrong. I totally get why people wanted these movies to be good. I know we need to start creating new things to replace the tired, old franchises that are being slowly bulldozed into the ground, but while it pains me to say this, Rebel Moon isn't the answer, and Zack Snyder isn't the man to provide it.

This is The Critical Drinker video Rebel Moon Part Two - Please Make It Stop!

Tuesday Links - 23 April

Legal Insurrection starts us off with the latest insanity from the Biden Administration. Biden’s Title IX Protects Biological Males in Female Sports and Spaces

Let’s say the quiet part out loud: This is all about males in female sports and spaces. A little itty bitty tiny bit involves females in male sports and space.

Professor David Yamane at Gun Culture 2.0 - Without: Guns

Omar is an admitted skeptic about civilian ownership of firearms. I credit him for seeking me out as someone who is not. We need more civil dialogue across our differences on this issue.

The Other McCain - Max Azzarello: ‘Just Another American Driven Insane by the Past Few Years’

Despair is the essence of the kind of radicalism that leads people to engage in suicidal gestures (Azzarello died late Friday night). And despite my general cynicism about politics, I consider it my duty to remain hopeful

The Ultimate Answer to Kings - Bread recipe, desert hermit style

Keep in mind that bread in the developmental stage is very sensitive to environmental stuff, like altitude and humidity. I’m at 6000 feet with really low humidity and this is how I do it after seventeen years or so – your efforts may not work perfectly if you follow these instructions slavishly. Be prepared to adapt to your own circumstances.

Again from The Other McCain - Crazy People Are Dangerous

Got that? No more traffic stops in Chicago. This is insane — a demand to end enforcement of traffic laws, because Dexter Reed got killed after he shot first in a confrontation with five police officers.

Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: Home For Tax Day

Both of these things happened, and oddly enough I wound up putting in the kind of hours at home the last weekend of the season that I had the last two years at the Damonte Ranch office in Reno. I haven’t checked to see if I brought in enough revenue to earn a post-season bonus, but by God I certainly worked hard enough on some complicated returns that I’m sure I came close.

Divemedic at Area Ocho - Warning Signs

Joe Biden’s economy is claiming more victims. I have been saying that restaurants don’t just compete against each other, they compete against home kitchens. When it becomes too expensive to dine out, people begin cooking more at home. That is what it looks like is happening.

Juliette Ochieng - Strategic Assault

In one of Mr. Gatto’s interviews, he cites a 19th century directive from a Cambridge organization, which I will paraphrase. Public educational systems were to begin emphasizing the memorization of personalities, events and dates without teaching context - that is explaining the connections between such items and/or teaching students how to make those connections themselves.

I leave you with a poem from Smitty - Para-Dogs

The thing about the Para-Dogs
Is: they are rooted in a ruse
That people are just pollywogs
Livestock for elite to use

Journalists and the Concept of Self Defense

It is not a concept that journalists seem to be able to wrap their minds around. Two killed in homicide police are investigating as 'justifiable'

All murders are homicides, but not all homicides are murder. Murder is a crime. Homicide may be a crime and it may not be a crime, depending on the totality of circumstances.

Two people are dead, and a third was wounded in a shooting that took place in an apartment complex in Indianapolis. They are not providing many details, or any really. But there is an examination of what is self defense, and a note that self defense is increasing in central Indiana since 2023.

Attorney Guy Relford gives an overview of the self-defense laws in Indiana, but I get the impression that something was missed in the editing. Be that as it may, click thru for those details.

“It's becoming quite normal for a lot of people in Indiana, to have the means to defend themselves,” shared Relford. “Unfortunately, given the amount of crime that we have in Central Indiana, people are called upon to defend themselves, but where they do, and that's legal, and that's justified.”

Legal self defense may be bad for the bad guys, but it is good for the law abiding citizens. The "professional journalist" in this instance doesn't really seem to grasp that. But then I wouldn't expect them to understand.

Cops Threaten to Arrest Man for Being Jewish in London

Because the cops in London don't hate Jews. Police threaten to arrest ‘openly Jewish’ man for walking near pro-Palestine protest

Scotland Yard are allowing no-go zones for Jews in London, a man has claimed, after officers threatened to arrest him for “antagonising” pro-Palestinian marchers.

Gideon Falter, head of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a kippah skull cap when he was stopped by officers last Saturday in the Aldwych area while on a walk with friends after attending synagogue.

What was Gideon Falter doing to "antagonize" the protestors? He was walking in London. He wasn't protesting. He wasn't carrying a sign. He was wearing a yarmulke.

The police sergeant told him: “You are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. I am not accusing you of anything but I am worried about the reaction to your presence.”

In another exchange a short time later he was told if he did not leave the area he would be arrested.

The point of the story is that it is basically illegal to be Jewish in London during certain times.

There is a bit of Irony in this story, because Gideon Falter is a member of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, and that organization had said that Tommy Robinson was not welcome to be in the vicinity of one of their gatherings just 4 months ago. Tommy Robinson not welcome at march against antisemitism, say leaders.

Organisers of a march against antisemitism billed as Britain’s biggest since the second world war have demanded that the far-right leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon stay away.

Yaxley-Lennon, who uses the name Tommy Robinson, has claimed to support the aims of the march through central London due to be held this Sunday.

To be clear, my position is that both incidents were wrong. The cops should not be excluding Jews from London today, or any day, and the Campaign Against Antisemitism should also not be excluding people from London based on their views, religious beliefs, race, etc. Both can be wrong at the same time.

Still, I am going to miss civilized society.

The Trans-Atlantic Race

A single-handed sailboat race across the North Atlantic Ocean. The North face of the Atlantic.

Known as the Transat or Transat-CIC, the 15th edition of the race is set to start on Sunday, 28 April 2024 at 13:30 local time, or 11:30 UTC, from Lorient, a seaport in Brittany (Western France), to New York City, with the finish line being slightly south of Long Island. That's a distance of roughly 3500 miles. It takes the fastest boats about 8 days to complete the race.

"The Transat CIC, whose course is open to the Atlantic, is the most complicated single-handed transatlantic race, because at the end of April - beginning of May, there may be a series of low-pressure systems over the North Atlantic generating headwinds," explains Francis Le Goff, Race Director of The Transat CIC. "The competitors may have to do a lot of upwind sailing in fairly difficult and uncomfortable conditions for several days", he continues. In fact, unlike other transatlantic races that run from east to west, such as the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe, the second part of the course is not downwind. "The sailors won't be going downwind in search of the Tradewinds. The Transat CIC doesn't head for the sun. There could be fog, rain and wind. The most direct route (great circle route) is via the North, heading up towards Newfoundland, but that's not necessarily the fastest. It depends on the weather conditions".

This is a race for professional sailors, sailing relatively large boats like the IMOCA 60 monohull or the ORMA 60 racing trimaran class, and more. The boats are expensive to build and maintain, and so there are a lot of corporate sponsors involved.

This serves as one of the qualifying races for the Vendée Globe (around the world, nonstop, alone) race, which will be run staring in November of this year. That race starts in France, ends in France, scheduled to catch (somewhat) better weather in the Southern Ocean.

If you are curious about the Transat race, you can find more information at the link at the top of this post. Some about the race, the 48 skippers who are entered, and a race tracker that will have real-time tracking of the boats once the race starts on Sunday.

The party starts today, the 23rd, in the ramp up to the start of the race. Bands, parties, boat tours, etc. You didn't think there would be boating, and not drinking, did you? You haven't been boating much, I see.

I know most of you don't follow sailing, but it reminds me of a time in my life that I miss, though I never had the desire to sail in waters as cold as the North Atlantic.

While this video is taken from the 2020 Vendée Globe, it shows the Imoca 60 monohull in action. Vendee Globe 2020 and the insane IMOCA 60 foiling yachts. The video is about 2 minutes.

Which Hunts - 2024 Edition

From The Other McCain - Is New York City in 2024 Better or Worse Than Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692?

There was less crime in colonial Salem than in Alvin Bragg’s Manhattan, and certainly more justice than Donald Trump is likely to get with Judge Juan M. Merchan presiding over this 21st-century witchcraft trial.

Click thru for details, analysis and a bit of snark.

The Grey

I have been sampling a few songs from TesseracT since I tripped over them on social media recently. While I was unsure about the first song I featured, this is definitely appropriate for Metal for Mondays.

Here is a link to the lyrics for today's song.

This song is "The Grey" by TesseracT from their 2023 album War of Being .

Felony Murder and Self Defense in California

I'm beginning to feel like I've stumbled thru the Looking Glass. An Oakland man opened fire on two home invaders, killing one. The other is facing the murder charge

Two guys broke into a home in east Oakland, California. The mistake they made was that the home was occupied, and the homeowner was armed.

After an exchange of gunfire, one of the men, Charles Calloway, was dead. His alleged accomplice, David Washington, took off, only to be arrested 10 days later.

Now Washington, 38, faces a murder charge in Calloway’s death, even though police don’t believe he fired the fatal shot, court records show. Washington is expected to enter a plea during a hearing in Alameda County Superior Court on Friday.

That is what most of us non-lawyer types call Felony Murder. Someone died as a direct result of a crime you were committing, so you're responsible. Or in this case David Washington is responsible. Allegedly. That is what the courts will decide I guess. The crime has different names in different jurisdictions, but they all share one thing in common; The Left believes that it is unfair to hold people accountable for the perfectly foreseeable consequences of their actions.

And since we are dealing with California, the journalist in question is either confused, or sure that his readers are confused, about self defense.

In the exchange of gunfire at the East Oakland home on March 15, the homeowner was shot in his foot and was hospitalized, police said. He was not charged with any crime. Under state law, homeowners are allowed to use deadly force to defend themselves against intruders if they fear for their safety, legal experts said.

And as for the Left REALLY not liking Felony Murder, click thru for the restrictions placed on its use by prosecutions in that state. It is quite frankly, insane.

In the meantime, self defense is a human right, and even in The People's Republic of California, it might be your legal right.

“Just Call 911” They Say

The don't say what you should do when you can't dial 911. 911 outage reported across multiple US states, officials say

Several U.S. states experienced a 911 emergency services outage late on Wednesday, including the entire state of South Dakota and portions of Nevada, Texas, and Nebraska, according to local officials.

It was not immediately clear what was causing the outages.

Calling 911 is a fine thing to do. Better hope that system never goes down, or your someplace where you can't call 911, or your phone didn't get destroyed, or ...

So what caused the outage? Company with $36 million SD 911 contract says outage caused by Missouri light pole installation

A 911 outage affecting hundreds of calls for emergency services throughout South Dakota on Wednesday night was caused by a company installing a light pole in Kansas City, Missouri, according to South Dakota’s 911 telecommunications provider Lumen, formerly known as CenturyLink.

They are not providing details, so all I can do is guess, but I would guess that someone installing the light pole cut a cable while digging. That the 911 systems for 4 states can collectively have such an obvious single point of failure just reinforces something I've been saying for a long time. No one does proper systems design anymore.

Hat tip to Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms: What Happens When You Can't Dial 911?

"You don't need a gun. Just call 911."

I've lost track of how many times I've heard a gun control activist say something along those lines over the years. But what happens when calling 911 isn't an option?

Mary Jo Kopechne Was Not Available for Comment

From Red State we get the following story about Kennedy family hubris. Nope: Kennedys Extol the Supposed 'Values' of Kennedy Family in Biden Endorsement, Leave Some Things Out

The Kennedy family hates Donald Trump and despises one of their own, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in his third-party quest to be the next president.

So who is left for them to support in the presidential race? President Joe Biden, who they formally endorsed Thursday during an event where several members of the Kennedy family were present, and where Biden also spoke.

Kerry Kennedy, as the spokesperson for the clan, talked about how Joe Biden shares Kennedy Family Values.

What are those values?

There was Rosemary Kennedy's lobotomy, the murder trial for Michael Skakel in the Martha Moxley case, President John F. Kennedy's numerous affairs (not to mention affairs other Kennedy men had), the infamous Chappaquiddick incident in 1969 where Sen. Ted Kennedy left Mary Jo Kopechne to drown, Ted Kennedy's sexual mauling of a helpless waitress in the mid-80s along with Sen. Chris Dodd in what has been referred to as the "waitress sandwich," the mafia connections, and more.

Anyway, the idea that I care a rat's ass for what anyone in that family thinks, or that what they think would impact how I would vote, is laughable. ("Sheer Fucking Hubris.") Click the link at the top for more details.

Supreme Court Rules 9-0 That DEI Is Cause for Lawsuit

As usual Ace has a good take on the situation. Supreme Court Rules 9-0 That Reverse Discrimination Is Good Cause for Lawsuit; Left Frets That This Ruling Will "Complicate" Their Desire to Discriminate Against Straight White Men

Let me clarify this confusion for you: It's illegal to discriminate against someone based on their race. Even if the race being discriminated against is white (spit!).

And even if your justification is "equity."

This lawsuit was actually about sex discrimination against a woman. So, the standard sort of discrimination suit.

Leftist tears deluge has already begun of course. "But what will happen to my diviersity programs?"

These people are insisting that there's "good discrimination based on innate characteristics" and "bad discrimination based on innate characteristics."

There is no such distinction in the law. All discrimination based on innate characteristics is unlawful.

As was noted on Twitter, don't expect the media to talk about this. They don't want to advertise the fact that their whole DEI push is illegal. Imagine that. Discrimination is illegal in 2024.

A Bridge That Didn't Fall Down

Maybe that should be, "It didn't fall down yet." It will still be closed for months due to a crack that was found. Gunnison bridge failure means 300 mile detours, with no estimate for repairs, reopening

Inspectors don't yet know the extent of damage to a bridge on U.S. Highway 50, when repairs might begin or how long local residents will have to wait to regain use of this critical route between Gunnison and Montrose, transportation officials said on Friday morning.

300 miles is a long way for a detour. Even more problematic is the interuption to emergency services. It is a heavily used route for truck traffic in and through that area, but most of that can be rerouted easily.

A crack near the midpoint of the bridge, which was built in 1963, was first observed during an inspection last week. A more thorough inspection found the visible crack extended 3 to 4 inches, but ultrasonic testing on Thursday showed the crack extended through the steel.

At this point it isn't even clear when inspections will be complete, let alone what it will take to fix the bridge, or whether it will need replacing.

Chicago Public Schools and the Sexual Abuse of Students

Chicago Public Schools sued by former student, claiming district failed to protect her from Lawndale High dean, Brian Crowder - ABC7 Chicago

A former student filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Chicago Public Schools, claiming the district failed to protect her from a former dean of students.

The one-time dean of Little Village Lawndale High School, Brian Crowder, was charged with assaulting the woman while she was in school. Those charges came down in 2022.

South Lawndale is one of the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago. Little Village is an area in South Lawndale that is sometimes called the Mexico of the Midwest. South Lawndale is home to the largest number of foreign-born Mexican people in Chicago. (That last bit is from the Wiki, but still probably not far off, even if you can't really trust the Wiki.)

The now 25-year-old claimed Crowder sexually abused her from 2013 to 2016.

The lawsuit also alleges that Crowder subjected the victim to two pregnancies, coerced her to have two abortions and posed as her parent to sign off on the procedures while she was still a student.

The suit basically says that Chicago Public Schools knew what what was going on, and did nothing.

The student said she reported the abuse to a teacher at the time, who is required by law to report it, but the teacher did nothing.

How many times have people said that the schools, and the unions, look out for themselves and their own, and not students, and then been shouted down? Well, here we have a case of exactly that. A teacher was told of the abuse, but did not report it. Teachers in the State of Illinois are required BY LAW to report such abuse. Apparently teachers in Chicago don't believe the law applies to them if it means ratting out their union brothers. The abuse was never reported. Why is that? Could it be because teachers and the the unions look out for their own and not the welfare of the students? No. I'm sure that's not the case.

Hat tip to Second City Cop - Teach Teachers Not to Rape

No wonder the Teachers' Union wants to keep parents in the dark about pronouns, transitioning kids to the genital choppers, and having CTU employees escort minor children to abortion centers. It's to cover up crimes.

Knowledge Discovery versus Money Making

Academia is no longer about discovering how the universe works. It is about writing grant proposals and obtaining funding.

Sabine Hossenfelder has a Ph.D. in physics. She worked in academia for a long time, but she had to give it up because she came to realize that there is something really wrong with the modern research industry.

The moment you put people into big institutions the goal shifts from knowledge discovery to money making.

She calls this a paper production machine. Research papers. Grant proposals. Round and round.

This shows up in a couple of ways. Studies and research papers that cannot be reproduced. An entire area (high energy physics) that is just plain stuck, and hasn't made progress in decades.

... Normal academic procedure, but I knew it was bullshit. Just as most of the work in that area is currently bullshit, and just as most of academic research that your taxes pay for is almost certainly bullshit.

This is the video My dream died, and now I'm here: Why academia sucks from Sabine Hossenfelder. While she has a Ph.D. in physics, this video - at 13 minutes - is very accessible.

Disney Buying Lucasfilm Was a Bad Investment

From Forbes we get a review of the cost of Lucasfilm and the profits generated. Or not generated. Disney’s Star Wars Box Office Profits Fail To Cover Cost Of Buying Lucasfilm

Last month, ahead of Disney's earnings call, the company released a 67 page presentation saying what a great deal they got on Lucasfilm, and how great the return has been. But there is a problem.

However, buried in the fine print is the revelation that the purchase price of Lucasfilm isn't even included in the ROI calculation. Instead, it is purely based on the box office performance of Disney's Star Wars trilogy, its two spinoff movies, merchandise, DVD and Blu Ray sales.

This is beyond a PR-move; this borders on lying to investors.

Forbes then goes into the cost of all the Star Wars movies, and the revenue those movies generated, taking into account the fact that theaters get roughly half of the box office. When it comes down to it, the reason that Disney ignored the cost of purchasing Lucasfilm is that they have not made money on the deal.

Bearing this in mind it's little surprise that Disney's presentation didn't work out the return on its acquisition of Lucasfilm by using the profits of the movies as it has still got a long way to go just to break even.

Of course, the calculation above doesn't include the huge profits Disney makes on the Star Wars merchandise, DVDs and Blu Rays. However, it also doesn't include the massive marketing costs of the movies as well as the costs of the Star Wars streaming shows and theme park attractions which also don't have revenue streams directly connected to them as visitors get access to all of the rides for the price of a single ticket.

Read the whole thing.

And it should be noted that any numbers don't include the money lost on the Disney Star Wars hotel, which closed after 18 months. And while Forbes does talk about a couple of Disney+ shows, notably The Mandalorian, they don't focus on the fact that the budets for these shows are huge, and the payback is nebulous. Did Disney+ see a subscriber growth because of The Mandolorian? How much, and what were the monthly fees relative to the cost of the series. And what about the Obi-Wan Kenobi series that was universally hated, or Andor, which was ignored, or the others?

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 20 April

The Right Way starts things rolling with Top of the News

Caroline Glick on Iran’s attack on Israel - The New Neo
FOR THE BOYS… AND MEN - ACCORDING TO HOYT - Born Free

EBL - Battle of Lexington and Concord

Sam Whittemore was a tough old man!
Instapundit: Remember Samuel Whittemore

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 04.19.24 (Afternoon Edition)

Baldilocks: Being Ready To Go,
CDR Salamander: The Demographics Of The Russian Way Of War, also, Diversity Thursday

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 18 April 2024: Mostly Dead Edition

Turns out I was wrong: Google had nine of yesterday's pro-Nazi protesters arrested, then fired all of them. (CNBC)
I still wouldn't trust Google with anything sharper than a rubber spoon, but this is a rare positive sign.

Animal Magnetism - Animal’s Red Thursday News

Real Estate Mogul on Squatters: ‘Something Bad Is Going to Happen’
George Soros’ Tides Foundation Funding Coordinated Pro-Hamas Bridge Blocking Protests

Battleswarm Blog - LinkSwarm For April 19, 2024

Powerline has a pretty staggering chart on Biden inflation
“Traffick a kid in California, spend the weekend in jail; try it in Florida and they execute you.”

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 04/19/2024

4/13 – It’s been a long week for NPR’s new CEO
4/14 – The Deep State and the Biden regime are at war against the American people

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - DIY Friday

There's an Update on the Kind of Classified Information Biden Mishandled
John Kennedy Asks Merrick Garland Point-Blank Why DOJ Let Statute Of Limitations Pass On Hunter Biden - The Daily Caller

Vlad Tepes - Geopolitics,Columbia U, Israel and Iran, and the inverted status of thieves Vs victims: Links 1 for April 19, 2024

5. So. you did what the insurance company asked, and installed a tracker on your car, and it gets stolen, and you know where it is…
But if you try and stop the thief yourself…

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 04.19.24 (Evening Edition)

Dana Loesch: Programming Note,
Don Surber: The war on Lucky Charms
First Street Journal: Crazy people are dangerous

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 4/19/2024

Anger Towards Trudeau Government at Six-Year High: Poll
Canadians are angrier and more pessimistic about Justin Trudeau than ever.

Small Dead Animals - Thursday On Turtle Island

Global Warming Scam News: The good news about climate change. A climate alarm.
Dementia Joe’s America: The kill switch. A new NASA crew. Joe Biden tells another whopper.

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

Also writing about Tariff Man Biden’s newly announced intention to raise tariffs on steel impose punitive fines on Americans who purchase steel are Clark Packard, Scott Lincicome, and Alfredo Carrillo Obregon.

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 4/19/24

"Why don’t people fight obvious evils?"
Prager U Fireside Chat: Hamas, Nazis, and Calling Out Evil

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

AI can get you sued
‘Non-binary, neurodivergent’ activist ordering psychiatrists to push ‘gender affirming’ surgery over therapy

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Supercharged Spying Provision Buried In "Terrifying" FISA 702 Reauthorization

• In True Journalistic Fashion, NPR Can’t Take What It Dishes Out I & I
• Tim Scott: Biased Lawfare Pushes Black Voters to Trump PJM

I leave you with 'One more day until Friday' gifs from Wirecutter, Thursday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Friday chuckles from Bluebird of Bitterness.

Another Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

He apparently thought that breaking into an occupied home was a good idea. Police say man dead after alleged home invasion attempt in Beaver Falls

According to District Attorney Nate Bible, the unidentified man had allegedly tried to break into the basement of a home along the 1000 block of 10th Avenue in Beaver Falls on April 17. The homeowner was upstairs at the time of the incident and heard the sound of breaking glass, leading them to investigate the sound.

The homeowner ended up shooting the intruder 3 times. He did not survive.

The homeowner is not facing charges at this time, though the investigation is still open. That is because even in Pennsylvania, self defense may be your legal right.

3D Printed Suppressed Pistol

From Impro Guns we get another new (to me) 3D printed fiream. 3D Printed Suppressed .22lr Semi-automatic Pistol

The barrel in this case is simply a piece of steel break-line tube pressed into a printed outer barrel. These types of almost fully 3D printed semi-auto pistols are starting to show up seized around the world – now coupled with fully printed silencers that rival commercially made ones.

Click thru for links and a photo.

Jarðartrá

Eivør (Eivør Pálsdóttir) is a Faroese singer that I have featured a few times. I really like the music she produces. (Faroese is the language spoken on the Faroe Islands^‡.) I'm not sure exactly how I stumbled over her music, but I would guess that one of the music streaming services (Pandora or Spotify or YouTube) offered up one of her songs, when I was listening to something similar.

Since the song is in Faroese, here is a link to the lyrics and their English translation.

There is more on the meaning of the poem/lyrics at the translation link.

This song is "Jarðartrá" by Eivør. It is a single released ahead of her June, 2024 album Enn. It was released at the end of March.

‡The Faroe Islands are a grouping of islands, that are legally a portion of Denmark. They are about halfway between Norway and Iceland, or about 320 kilometers NNW of The United Kingdom.

Friday Links - 19 April

Tood Starnes is first with a story about the ongoing march of censorship. Student Suspended For Using Term ‘Illegal Alien’

The word that caused the kerfuffle was “alien.”

Student Christian McGhee asked his teacher if she was referring to space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards.

Jihad Watch - 126 Killed in Chicago Since Mayor Called for Ceasefire in Gaza

Mayor Johnson’s approval rating dropped from 28% in November to 21% in February. At this rate, he’s gonna make Lori look like a rock star.

The Daley Gator - Then, The Left Came for Your Car

The Left wants to tell us where to live, what to eat, what we may drink, and yes, what kind of car we may drive, and if we possess a car at all

First Street Journal - Sometimes you just have to be an [insert slang term for the rectum here] to do things right

Is Mayor Cherelle Parker Mullins (D-Philadelphia) an [insert slang term for the rectum here]? The city’s left are aghast that Mrs Mullins has promised that the city government will not provide even a single dollar for the syringe exchange program to ‘reduce harm’ to the junkies who shoot up in Philly’s streets.

Pirate's Cove - Unsurprise: United Arab Emirates Flooding Blamed On Global Boiling

There is article after article after article on this, but, the amazing thing is that there hasn’t even been time to do proper research to make any true scientific determination as to causation, much less Blaming it on humanity.

The Daily Signal - With NPR’s Left-Wing Bias Again Exposed, Its Taxpayer Subsidies Draw Renewed Scrutiny

The West’s compromised and radical institutions won’t reform willingly. They are part of a tightly knit, self-reinforcing system that uniformly rewards left-wing ideology and punishes even mild dissent.

The Other McCain - Crazy People Are Dangerous (and Pennsylvania Democrats Are Crazy)

Kevin Boyle has a master’s degree from Harvard University. He’s also a mentally ill criminal from Philadelphia who is currently a Democrat serving in the Pennsylvania legislature.

What Does It Take to Keep a Bad Guy in Jail?

Quite a bit, or so it seems to me. Paroled 8-time felon had gun, meth, fentanyl, cocaine, pot, and heroin in a stolen car, prosecutors say - CWB Chicago

Eight felony convictions seems like a lot. Still he was on parole for the latest conviction when he was stopped by police for a traffic stop.

He is now charged with Class X armed habitual criminal, Class X armed violence, manufacture-delivery of cocaine, manufacture-delivery of fentanyl, manufacture-delivery of heroin, manufacture-delivery of cannabis, manufacture-delivery of another substance, manufacturing methamphetamine, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He’s also charged with misdemeanor driving on a revoked license.

Given his 8 prior convictions and his parole violation, the judge held him without bail on public safety grounds. Which is amazing, because Illinois almost never holds someone before murder charges are brought against them.

So how is that Criminal Justice reform working out? Or is considering recidivism now considered racist or something?

You Really Should Take Security Seriously

From Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony we get the following two stories about security - Daily News Stuff 16 April 2024: Bonfire of the Bathroom Vanities Edition

Roku is making two-factor authentication mandatory for all accounts after 600,000 customers got hacked. (The Register)

It doesn't seem that Roku itself was hacked, but that a lot of people still reuse passwords across multiple sites. Understandable, but not a good idea.

Meanwhile smart lock company Chirp still hasn't fixed 50,000 locks that it was informed were insecure in 2021. (Krebs on Security)

Yeah, with one of these here smart locks your home can be even less safe than your television channel.

People, do NOT reuse passwords. Pick a password manager, and use unique, hard to break passwords for every account. Any password that you used for email 10 years ago has probably been hacked and posted on the dark web. That is how bad security was on email 10 years ago. If you are using those passwords KNOW that they have been published on the dark web associated with your email address.

Also, don't use smart locks. Or smart lightbulbs. I would say, "or smart anything." But definitely NOT smart locks.

Disney+ Will Never Recoup Its Losses

This is an investment that Disney will NEVER recoup. If they achieve breakeven this year, as Bob Iger has promised, it won't be the great success that Disney would like you to believe. Bob has only said that running costs will be offset by current revenue. He is not counting the costs of purchasing Hulu, buying the tech base Disney+ sits on, etc.

$11 billion in operating loss. The purchase of Hulu, which is being merged into Disney+. And more. The quote starts at about 3 minutes and 30 seconds in.

Jonas, what's the total spend you expect Disney to finish paying off, to fully acquire Hulu?

Well it would be easy to say it's 8.6 billion dollars, but that's for the last remaining share, and only a down payment on the last remaining share of Hulu. That is the share held by NBC/Universal, otherwise known as Comcast. That payment is probably going end up being higher. The other third was purchased in the Fox acquisition, and if it's equal in value right now, we're talking about $16 billion for those ⅔ of Hulu.

So $11 billion, plus $16 billion, plus a 10% share of Hulu purchased from another player, and the cost of the purchase of BAMTech, which is the tech base that Disney+ was built on. That started with 30% purchase of that company for $1 billion in 2016. Disney has increased its ownership of BAMtech to at least 75% since then.

It is a long video, as WDW Pro videos often are. It comes in at 23 minutes, but it is an exhaustive look at that 30 billion dollars.

Why the focus on Hulu? Because Bob Iger's grand plan to say that D+ is "profitable" is to merge Hulu into D+. A lot of people think that will just kill Hulu, but hey, who can say at this point.

This is the WDW Pro video Exclusive: Disney Plus Is 30 BILLION DOLLARS in the HOLE! Bob Iger's Plan Puts Mickey on the Brink!

RIP Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers

Forrest Richard Betts: 12 December 1943 – 18 April 2024

The Allman Brothers helped to define Southern Rock of the '70s, together with Charlie Daniels, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet and more.

After Duane Allman died in a motorcycle crash, Dickey Betts moved into the role of lead songwriter for the band. He wrote the following song, which is probably the largest commercial success that band had.

This song is "Ramblin' Man" by The Allman Brothers Band from the 1973 album Brothers and Sisters. It was written by Betts.

A Musical Interlude from The Feral Irishman

This is sort of amazing. ♫♪♫ Add A Little Eruption To Your Covfefe This Morning... Definite Caffeine Booster !! ♫♪♫

From Nina DiGregorio we get an interpretation of a Van Halen classic: Eruption - Van Halen - Violin Cover By Nina D

Click thru.

California Mayor Channels Florida Sheriffs

Is it my imagination, or is self defense really becoming more common in The Golden State? California homeowner shoots home invasion suspect, police say | Fox News

A resident in an affluent Southern California neighborhood shot a suspected home intruder Tuesday morning, police said.

The homeowner shot the suspect inside a gated home in coastal Newport Beach, authorities said.

When cops arrived they found one guy in the street with a gun and a gunshot wound. They found another guy with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

No word on the condition of the guy who was shot, or what charges he may be facing.

Police say this was targeted, and that the bad guys knew the intended victims.

As for the mayor...

"If you are thinking about coming into our city to commit crime, know that we will defend ourselves," Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill said in a video statement.

That is almost worthy of Sheriff Jady Grudd from Polk County, Florida. (Probably my favorite sheriff today!)

Self defense is a human right, and it might be your legal right in California.

Germans Don't Want Electric Cars

[In your best Col. Klink voice...] "We have ways to make you drive electric." Germany Electric Car Sales Plummet 30% As Country Floats Idea Of Weekend Driving Ban!

In my previous post I looked at Canada's response to electric vehicles. Germany isn't much different.

The massive sales drop is bad news for the current German socialist-green government, which aims to have 15 million vehicles on the road by 2030. Currently there are just 1.4 million!

The dismal trend underscores the unpopularity of electric cars and consumers’ hesitancy when it comes to purchasing them. Electric vehicles are plagued by limited range, sparse charging infrastructure, steep upfront purchase price and their huge environmental impact, which involves the largescale mining of rare earths.

And since people won't do what the powers that be want them to do, the people will be punished.

Germany’s federal minister of transportation, Dr. Volker Wissing, is threatening to ban driving on weekends by motorists in order othe country “to meet climate goals set forth by the Climate Protection Act.”

Does that sound like democracy? Does that sound like something the the people would actually vote for, or does that sound like tyranny?

Canadians Don't Want EVs

I'm shocked. EVs are twice as hard to sell today compared to 2023 | Financial Post

As automakers continue to delay their electric-vehicle plans and report lower-than-expected sales, Canada’s goal of ensuring that at least 20 per cent of new vehicles sold by 2026 are electric seems to be in jeopardy.

Problems with cold. Problems with the vehicles. And more.

Hat tip to Small Dead Animals: We Don’t Need No Flaming Sparky Cars

Where, oh where, did the stupid rich people go?

Wednesday Link Roundup - 17 April

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

10. neo-neocon wonders if people understand war
11. The First Street Journal puts WWIII on Jimmy Carter

EBL - Did Joe Biden greenlight Iran's assault on Israel? 😬🔥

PJ Media: Did Biden greenlight Iran's assault on Israel?
Instapundit: Did Biden try to stop it?
Townhall: Fetterman breaks with Biden over Iran attacks

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 04.16.24 (Afternoon Edition)

Stoic Observations: Special Effect, The New Space Age,
Going Orthogonal: Based Book Sale Followup

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 16 April 2024: Bonfire of the Bathroom Vanities Edition

Tesla is laying off 10% of its workforce - about 14,000 people - amid slowing sales of electric vehicles despite governments everywhere doing everything short of targeting conventional vehicles with drone strikes. (Tech Crunch)

Political Hat - News of the Week (April 14th, 2024)

Belgian Health-Fund President: Euthanize Old People to Save Money
Earlier this month, I noted that a U.K. columnist was pushing euthanasia for the elderly as a way of saving national resources.

Don Surber - Highlights of the week

ITEM 4: Alec Stapp tweeted recent NYT headlines announcing Harvard, Yale, Brown and MIT will require test scores from student applicants again.
Now to get Harvard to require test scores from its college presidents.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Trials Begin in New York

Mike LaChance at LI reminds us The Biden Administration Gave Iran Billions in New Sanctions Relief Exactly One Month Ago. From Breitbart, Biden Let U.N. Sanctions on Iran Missiles Expire Before Unprecedented Israel Attack.

Small Dead Animals - Tuesday On Turtle Island

Dementia Joe’s America: A final warning. They used to hang pirates, now they import them. Chicago leftists show their love for America. And Joe Biden is a coward.
Global Warming Scam News: We need a cooling down tax.

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

Here’s my intrepid Mercatus Center colleague, Veronique de Rugy, on inflation.
The Fund for American Studies president Roger Ream reflects on NPR reporter Uri Berliner’s recent revelation of the extreme bias at NPR.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 4/15/2024

Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Armorer Sentenced to Maximum Time in Fatal on-Set Shooting
Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer sentenced Hannah Guiterrez Reed to 18 months in prison after a jury found her guilty of manslaughter

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkage

The Air Vent - Intergalactic Coincidence Theorist – Peter Daszak
Watts Up With That? - Illustrating The Absurdity Of New York’s Energy Transition

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

Rebranding DEI: How Colleges Are Getting Around State Bans
Why Did Harvard Fire Martin Kulldorff?

J.J. Sefton at at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 4/16/24

"And will the U.S. be dragged along for the ride?"
Will Israel Go Nuclear Against Iran?

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: What Iran’s attack on Israel means for the Jewish state, America and the region

• “Demeaning”: Radical Leftist NPR CEO Strikes Out at Editor Who Exposed 100% Bias of Company Turley
• We Broke The Censorship Fever In Brazil Public [$]

I leave you with Sunday Funnies For 04-14-24 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Tuesday Memes … from MaddMedic, and Tuesday's gifs from Wirecutter.