16 May 2024

Crime Against 11-Year-Old Girl Incites Mob

Cops had to protect the slasher from an angry mob bent on "street justice." Mom wants justice for daughter, 11, slashed in NYC attack

The girl was walking down the street, holding hands with her mother, when this monster walks up behind them, and slices the back of her head and her ear with a box cutter.

“Bitch, get the f–k out of my way,” Cummings allegedly told the woman, prosecutors said at his Saturday arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.

So a mother, walking with her child, was going to slow, so he attacked the child.

The suspect was then cornered by a raging mob of Harlem locals seeking street justice, forcing a group of NYPD officers to protect him, video showed.

In the clip, a man appears to poke him with a cane as the alleged assailant cowers behind cops.

It is sad to say, but that mob would have dispensed Justice in a way that the New York Courts never will.

As no one is shocked to learn, Shaquan Cummings, 30, has a "lengthy rap sheet" including convictions for violent felonies. I wonder if his random attack on a child will be enough to keep him in jail pending trial, or if the New York courts will grant him bail, or release him on his own recognizance.

The AK-50 - Everything Is Bigger in Texas

Including the insanity, though the reference to Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool is good.

The AK-50 from Brandon Herrera. A semi-automatic rifle in .50 BMG with an AK-style gas system. (He is the AK-Guy, after all.) The video at the link and embedded below is how it came to be over the past several years.

Considering that .50 BMG ammo goes for between $5 and $10 a round... this is truly insane. I found 750 grain Hornady match-grade ammo for 9 bucks a round in a box of 10, dropping to $8.25 if buy 100 rounds. Plus shipping. (Ammo is lead - shipping is never free.) 660 grain ammo from PMC (South Korea) is $4.20 a round if you buy a case of 200.

Brandon Herrera is the owner of a firearms manufacturing company, and a YouTube personality.

The craziest thing about this video is that Brandon Herrera is running for Congress in whatever district includes San Antonio. The anti-gun, incumbent, Republican Tony Gonzales, didn't win the primary outright so there is a run-off election at the end of May between Gonzales and Herrera. At least he isn't 94 years old, like the rest of Congress. And he has a sense of humor, which he uses to poke the establishment bear.

From The Ultimate Answer to Kings to get a trigger warning:

Brandon Herrera was dropped on his head as a baby and is now incapable of completing a sentence that does not contain the word f*ck.

15 May 2024

Wednesday Link Roundup - 15 May

A slightly abbreviated post today, caused by the intrusion of Real Life™ into my blogging enterprise.

Pirate's Cove is up first with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

  1. Climate Depot has Polish farmers marching against “green poison”
  2. Cold Fury discusses the band Rockpile

EBL - Winston Marshall Debates That Populism Is Democracy at Oxford Union

Is populism a threat to democracy? Winston Marshall makes the point populism is democracy.
Changing populism into a perjoritive. Democrats are the anti Democrat party.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 5/12/2024

COVID-Vaccinated Test Positive for HIV, Top Studies Warn
Several leading studies have confirmed that people who have been injected with Covid mRNA shots are now testing positive for human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV).

Don Surber - Highlights of the Week

ITEM 8: Yahoo reported, “Bud Light sales still falling as Modelo, Coors fight to keep their gains.”
On February 3, 2023, Forbes gushed, “Bud Light Signals New Era In Marketing,” a story about the first woman to head the brand. Two months later, the boycott began.

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkage

The Air Vent - Fulton County Could Lose Over Ten Thousand Democrat Voters This Year
Watts Up With That? - There is NO CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Maggie's Farm - Saturday morning links

Corporate America got woke. Now it's having second thoughts.
Bud Light update
Two Students Were Kicked Out of High School for Blackface, but a Jury Agreed It Was an Acne Facemask

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Report: US withholding ‘sensitive intelligence’ from Israel to save Hamas

• Report: Biden Admin Offers Intel on Hamas Leaders If Israel Quits Rafah Attack - Breitbart
• Biden’s Secret Service Wants Republican Convention Disrupted by Hamas Supporters - Rick Moran

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 5/13/24

Robert Spencer: "It’s also the result of the Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of his [junta]."
Biden Regime’s Betrayal of Israel is Not Just to Get Votes

I leave you with Meme Dump... from View From The Porch, Sunday Funnies from Flopping Aces, Cartoon Round Up.... from Theo Spark, and Fucking Mondays gifdump from Wirecutter.

Journalism and Armed Self Defense

Usually if a "burglar" breaks into an occupied dwelling, it is known as home invasion, not burglary. I guess that sounds too mean, or something. One Dead in Burglary/Shooting Investigation in Southeast Missouri | WSIL

But expecting 21st Century journalists to get the language right is expecting too much.

The New Madrid County Sheriff's Office said they responded to a home near Lilbourn on Sunday at 4 p.m. This comes after a homeowner called authorities and reported they shot someone and alleged this was during a burglary attempt at their home.

She died at the scene.

The investigation continues

I guess calling someone a burglar is less offensive than calling someone a home invader in the mind of a journalist. The author of the article is a "professional journalist," and so we can all guess their opinion of armed self defense. We may be wrong in that guess, but ...

Self Defense is a Human Right.

Problems at Tesla

There are a couple of problems at Tesla: sales, and the vandalism of chargers.

They are in better shape than most electric vehicle manufacturers, but still having trouble with sales of at least some models. Tesla has so many unsold cars that it's storing them in an an abandoned mall parking lot

Parking lots full of Tesla vehicles are becoming impossible to ignore as the electric automaker seemingly can’t sell enough cars and trucks to match its rate of production. According to its own figures, the electric automaker produced 46,561 more vehicles than it delivered to customers during the first quarter of 2024. Where are all these cars going? Parking lots at its factories, malls and airports.

They are storing 10% of the cars they build.

In other news, criminals have noticed that Tesla charging stations have big copper cables hanging off of them. Thieves cut cables from Tesla charging stations in Vallejo, steal inside material

Thieves are targeting high-powered Tesla and other EV charging stations and stealing the heavy cable for the copper metal inside.

Not the 1st time this particular set of cables has been cut. And not the only chargers targeted.

Beatles Medley

More acoustic guitar but with a bit of energy. It is also all the Beatles songs I want to listen to for a year. Not really a fan of the Beatles, but I am a fan of Tommy Emmanuel, Australian guitarist extraordinaire.

This version of "Beatles Medley" features highlights from "Here Comes The Sun", "When I'm Sixty- Four", 'Day Tripper", and "Lady Madonna". [from the description of the video

There is a link to rent the entire film/concert can be found in the description of the video.

This "Beatles Medley" by Tommy Emmanuel from the live album/film Tommy Emmanuel – Center Stage. This was filmed at the Big Room at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico, CA.

14 May 2024

Tuesday Links - 14 May

Meep at Stump starts things off with Ohio Pension Drama Continues: Investigation Called on "Hostile Takeover"

Here continues the drama in the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System.

First, the news coverage:

The Center Square: Yost launches investigation into Ohio teachers’ retirement system

Pixy Misa - Daily News Stuff 12 May 2024: Singing Horses Edition

If you have an Asus anything, better hope it doesn't need to be repaired. (Tom's Hardware)

There's a video at the end of the post providing background, but among other scams, Asus wanted around $2700 to replace just the power connector on an RTX 4090 - a well-documented problem with these cards - and $200 for a literally microscopic scratch on an Ally Z1 gaming device

The Other McCain - White Criminal Gets Shot by Police

The reason I’m calling attention to this incident is because, if you get your information from the national media, you might believe that only black people ever get shot by cops. Or run over by cops, as in the Michigan case of Samuel Sterling. There is a sort of media script, when it comes to cops killing black suspects — the “family demands answers” stories, made-for-TV press conferences by the “civil rights” attorney, the protest crowd at the courthouse, etc.

Chicago Contrarian - Chicago’s Incredibly Shrinking Mayor

The first few months of 2024 have been rather unkind to Mayor Brandon Johnson. A bumpy ride, Johnson has suffered a series of reversals to his progressive punch list and badly bungled several controversies.

Tamara Keel at Shooting Illustrated - Reloading On The Fly

No reloading technique seems fast enough when bullets are flying, but a few simple gadgets may accelerate the process.

Adaptive Curmudgeon - Motorcycles, The Professor, And Life: Part 5: Pics Or It Didn’t Happen

I didn’t want to end on a downer, so here are a few photos:

Wombat-socho - Rule 5 Sunday: Low Effort Komiposting

Sad, lonely, and far from home is no way to do a Rule 5 post, but here we are.

Ceterum autem censeo Silicon Valley et Hamas delendam sunt.

Again from The Other McCain - Media Monday: Does Joe Biden Really Have a ‘Brand as an Empathetic Leader’?

Really? Do Democrats (or anyone else) actually think Biden is somehow widely admired because of how “empathetic” he is?

To borrow a phrase, what a load of malarkey!

Tam at View From The Porch - Solar Storm Disables... Tractors?!?

What happens when your farm machinery is GPS-guided and there's a solar storm? Weird stuff, apparently.

Reality Intrudes on CNN

Reality and CNN are not too things often connected. From the The Other McCain: Even CNN Has to Admit Biden’s Losing

Speaking as “someone worried about the prospects of a second Trump term,” Fareed Zarkaria yesterday told his viewers on CNN, “I think it’s best to be honest about reality,” i.e., Biden’s losing.

Because you know how Trump destroyed the country in his first term. Or maybe not.

Understand that Fareed Zakaria is not just a liberal, but a liberal who works at CNN, an echo-chamber/bubble/hivemind of Democrat partisanship, a media organization with zero balance. So if things look so gloomy for Biden that Zakaria is not only able to see it, but is allowed to say it on the air at CNN? Yeah, it’s very bad for Biden.

There is more, including what Dems might do to take the nomination away from Biden. Click Thru.

Gun Free Zones Do Not Make You Safe

I am not interested in whether or not you feel safe. I am interested in actually being safe. Campus protests highlight need for campus carry | Opinion

This is why I call "gun free zones" defenseless victim zones. That is what they truly are.

The editorial starts with quote from Florida Governor Ron D. about how protests such as those at UCLA and Harvard would get you suspended or expelled in Florida.

That’s well and good, but expelling students or even having campus police nearby doesn’t necessarily forestall a dangerous situation. What is proven to most effectively prevent threats is the robust presence of the Second Amendment. As such, gun-free zones on Florida’s campuses should be eliminated to empower students with their constitutional rights.

Now personally, armed or not, being in the presence of these protests/riots, armed or not, qualifies as a violation of the Rules of Stupid. But under more normal circumstances, disarming the population only shifts the balance to the bad guys.

But then there are those who believe that the government is morphing into the bad guys. I'm not quite there yet, but I have no faith in most of them, and of course the police are not there to protect you or me. Even if they wanted to protect everyone, when seconds count they are only minutes away.

After some thoughts on the protests, the editorial above does go on to discuss a few incidents from 2014 including one sexual assault on the campus of FSU. Later the victim would give a statement to the press.

She told the press that, though she had pepper spray and “ran for blue lights,” her attacker had a knife and was “faster, stronger.” [she] added that, with a gun, the outcome would have been different. “The way that I carry it now, I would have been able to prevent what happened to me.”

Click thru for more.

‡ The Rules of Stupid, courtesy of John Correia of Active Self Protection:

The Rules of Stupid: Don’t go Stupid places, with Stupid people, at Stupid times, and do Stupid things. Break one and you might be okay. Break 2 or more Rules of Stupid, though, and you’re in trouble.

Is Chicago Going to Party Like It's 1968?

Don't be surprised if it does. The DNC Is Preparing for the Worst in Chicago — Without the Help of the City’s Mayor

1968 was the year the Democratic National Convention was met with riots outside, and Walter Cronkite calling the floor managers for the DNC a "bunch of thugs" for removing Dan Rather from the floor.

There’s already a joke going around Democratic strategist circles that the main difference between 2024 and 1968 is that the Chicago mayor this year will be on the side of the protesters, not the cops.

I would say that the main difference is that in 1968 cops in Chicago were probably more interested in enforcing law and order, and less interested in being charged and/or losing their pensions over what the do in 2024. I could be mistaken.

Hat tip to Second City Cop: Even the Left is Worried.

When you've lost Politico, you've lost a big part of the left wingnuts.

Actual Justice in Florida

Not Social Justice, but real justice. ‘Brazen’ Florida Shoplifter Sentenced to 30 Years After Rejecting 3-Year Plea Deal for Stealing $20,000 Worth of Designer Sunglasses

A career shoplifter in Florida known for stealing designer merchandise was sentenced to 30 years in prison after she was convicted of a brazen heist at Sunglass Hut two years ago.

Ernesha Atmore, who had been in and out of prison for stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, faced stiffer penalties due to Florida’s recent crackdown on retail crimes.

I can't imagine why she turned down a 3-year plea deal, but it was probably because she was sure there were no consequences for her actions.

In recent years, the Florida Legislature has taken aim at retail thefts, elevating charges from misdemeanors to felonies and lengthening prison sentences for those convicted.

To the surprise of no one, this isn't the first time she's been arrested. Maybe it will be the last time; maybe she will learn that crime doesn't pay. Maybe.

13 May 2024

Burnin' For You

Today we have a Wombat-socho inspired Musical Interlude. FMJRA 2.0: A Winning Week

Had been thinking about buying Albert Bouchard’s Re:Imaginos albums (if you aren’t familiar with the story behind those, read this) but I decided to listen to the middle album of the trilogy, Bombs Over Germany (Minus Zero & Counting) on YouTube. This was a wise decision. I had hoped that the album, largely made of remixes of BOC songs, would mostly be in the style of BOC’s music from their third through sixth albums (Secret Treaties through Fire of Unknown Origin), but it was not, and I generally found the songs annoying and dissonant. Your mileage may vary.

Since I share that dim view of the Bouchard albums, we have one of the classics from Blue Öyster Cult.

This is "Burnin' For You" by Blue Öyster Cult from their 1981 album Fire of Unknown Origin.

The FBI Has Truly Become the Stasi

Because no one knows the history of the Cold War, the Stasi was The Ministry for State Security, or Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, of the old East Germany. They were at least as bad as the KGB, and given their actions in East Berlin, some would say worse.

How else can you describe a "police force" interested in ensuring certain political outcomes? The DOJ's Doctored Crime Scene Photo of Mar-a-Lago Raid

Well, maybe the FBI isn't as brutal as the Stasi was. Yet. Give it time. Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse. And the FBI is clearly defending the interests of the Deep State, over the political process.

The DOJ’s clever wordsmithing, however, did not accurately describe the origin of the cover sheets. In what must be considered not only an act of doctoring evidence but willfully misleading the American people into believing the former president is a criminal and threat to national security, agents involved in the raid attached the cover sheets to at least seven files to stage the photo.

Second City Cop gets the hat tip with Again, Time to Disband the FBI.

Even a third-world banana republic is more competent framing people that this outfit.

The End of Free Speech (and Rationality) in Germany

From Gates of Vienna we get a story about how discussing reality is a criminal offense. A Hardened Criminal From the AfD

Marie-Thérèse Kaiser is district chair for Alternative für Deutschland (AfD or Alternative for Germany in English) in Lower Saxony. She is 27 years old.

At that tender age, Ms. Kaiser just became a convicted criminal for voicing her concerns about the statistics for gang rapes committed by migrants from Afghanistan.

Her crime was using statistics about past crimes committed by Afghan immigrants to express concern about accepting more immigrants. The crime of rape is of some concern, but not to the powers-that-be in Germany.

Free speech was once the cornerstone of Western Democracy. It was the crown jewel of the enlightenment, which is why it is in the 1st Amendment to our Constitution. Why is it under attack everywhere?

Civilization Was Nice While It Lasted

This is a sad commentary on the state of the country. 4-time felon shot Wendy's drive-thru worker because his food wasn't ready: prosecutors - CWB Chicago

Officials said that Collins went to the restaurant at 8740 South Lafayette to pick up a late-night meal around 1 a.m. on April 4. But he allegedly became irate about the untimely fulfillment of his order and opened fire on the drive-thru window.

The woman working the drive-thru was shot in the arm.

At least they didn't set him free, pending trial.

[Judge Ankur Srivastava] said the alleged crime is “so violent and horrific” that electronic monitoring, which could allow Collins to move freely two days a week, could not protect the public.

There are a few reasons that drive-thru food is not ready right away. Most of them revolve around waiting for something to cook. Did he want cold fries, or was he just throwing a temper tantrum? He wants what he wants, and he wants it NOW. That sounds like a toddler throwing a fit. Except for the part where Aaron Collins, 34, was an adult with a weapon.

12 May 2024

SailGP Has Become the NASCAR of Sailing

Come for the speed, stay for the collisions and other mishaps.

Sail Grand Prix is an international organization that races one-design catamarans, known as the F50 class.

F50 foiling catamarans were developed from the AC50 foiling catamarans from the 2017 America's Cup race series. A couple or 3 boats from the 2017 competition were converted to F50s to start the Sailing Gran Prix series. Several more have been built since then.

These boats sail at between 60 and 75 kilometers per hour. That is between 32 and 40 knots, or 37 and 46 miles per hour for the metrically challenged land-lovers in the crowd. Boats in the videos are usually tagged with a graphic showing their speed.

If you saw the 2020 movie Tenet, the sailboats in that movie were F50s, belonging to the American and Japanese teams.

This is Sail GP video The BEST SailGP Moments in Bermuda ⛵️. There are a couple of near misses in the 4 minutes, and one collision.

For a slow-motion look at a capsize, that the American boat suffered during a training race, see this 1 minute video. The injuries were all described as minor.

Australia Used to be a Free Country

Now they are all in on censorship. Australian Government Threatens Gab With $500,000 Fine For Refusing To Censor Video

This morning Gab received a notice from the Australian government threatening us with a fine of $500,000 for refusing to censor a video of the tragic attack at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church in western Sydney. The video was posted by a Gab user and followed with a heartfelt message from Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was wounded in the attack. It’s worth mentioning that Meta and X, upon receiving similar requests from the Australian government, promptly complied by removing and censoring the video, while Gab alone remained steadfast in our opposition to censorship of the video.

But then Australia implemented COVID Concentration Camps. The video of those is disturbing.

The footage of the attack at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church that the Australian government wants us to remove is undeniably distressing to watch, as it captures the sheer brutality and senselessness of the violence that unfolded. While it may be challenging for some viewers to bear witness to such a tragic event, it is crucial to recognize that this video serves a vital purpose in informing the public about the reality of this horrific incident.

So many countries it what was once called The West of abandoned the core principles of freedom. Can't do anything to upset the narrative.

11 May 2024

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 11 May

Animal Magnetism starts us off with Animal’s Hump Day News

No. It’s much worse than 1968.
Squirrels may have given ancient Brits leprosy.
What comeback? There won’t be any comeback.

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.08.24 (Abbreviated Punditocracy Edition)

Baldilocks: Tactical Assault,
CDR Salamander: What Do We Do About Shipbuilding?

The Right Way - Top of the News

From Springfield, Illinois comes ‘news’ meant to scare people into capitulating to ‘green’ communism - American Thinker

EBL - Worms ate RFJ Jr's brain? 🪱🧠😬

AoSHQ: Seems like the media and Dems want to get rid of RFK, Jr.
Brain worms are bad. You really don't want them.

Vlad Tepes - Systemic antisemitism seems to be more of a pilot project for systemic anti-any culture or people: Links 1 for May 9, 2024

Trump was impeached the first time for blocking a US supplied shipment of weapons and ordinance to Ukraine that had been approved by Congress. Yet Biden did the exact same thing and no impeachment. One may suspect that the US government is everything Trump said it was but worse.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 5/8/2024

Felony Charge in Store for Anti-Israel Radicals Who Break Little Known Law
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost warned university presidents on Monday of a historic state law that could mean masked anti-Israel demonstrators on college campuses could face felony charges.

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - RFK Jr. Brain Worm Edition

'Bonchie' at RedState thinks Joe Biden's Insane Interview With Erin Burnett Should Be the Final Straw for American Voters. At Twitchy, 'Look at His Face'! Biden STUNNED (and Furious) As CNN Host Rattles Off List of BAD Economic Data.

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 05.09.24 (Afternoon Edition)

Dana Loesch: The Classified Documents Case Goes Off The Rails,
Don Surber: Trump Triumphing Over Evil

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 05/10/2024

5/5 – Has Leftist Lawfare Created the Police State Yet?
As if the January 6th Reichstag victims and President Trump’s treatment aren’t proof enough?

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 10 May 2024: Squashed Edition

OpenAI is considering allowing people to use ChatGPT to create porn. (The Guardian)
It will still lie to you and call you racist, but you'll get feelthy pictures out of the deal.

Small Dead Animals - Thursday On Turtle Island

Dementia Joe’s America: What Democrats think of black kids. The insanity of the Trump trial.
Blackie’s Canada: Justin’s CBC promotes polyamorous relationships. Trudeau rewards another one of his friends in the media.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.09.24 (Evening Edition)

Power Line: The Biden betrayal, The Daily Chart: Big Mac Bidenflation, and Princeton Takes the Cake?
Shark Tank: Miami Commissioners Delay Racial Gerrymandering Settlement

Battleswarm Blog - LinkSwarm For May 10, 2024

MIT bans diversity statements. Good. Such racist dross only hinders real engineering.
Something resembling justice? “Judge Indefinitely Postpones Trump’s Classified Documents Trial.”

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

The easiest way to be a rich and famous author is to be a rich and famous person who gets offered a book deal.
"Fully Self Driving" has been a scam. Perhaps in the legal sense, even.

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

My intrepid Mercatus Center colleague, Veronique de Rugy, talks with GMU Econ alum Adam Michel about government-debt reduction.
George Will offers an argument in support of “principled nonvoting.”

Once more from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.10.24

Don Surber: We don’t want journalism back
First Street Journal: A hunger strike is only effective if someone actually cares if you starve yourself to death

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

Dems’ kangaroo court against Donald Trump is only backfiring
Illegal Migrants Send List of 'Demands' to Denver Mayor

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 5/9/24

"In its obsession with ‘getting Trump,’ it now stands in bright sunlight for all to see."
The Deep State Exposed Itself

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: The Democrat Party’s Antisemitism Went Mainstream With Barack Obama

• Meanwhile, in the Red Sea... - David Strom
• Ben-Gvir: ‘Hamas loves Biden’ - JNS
• Is Russia still using the Crimean Bridge to boost its military in Ukraine? - EuroNews

Leave you with Wednesday's gifs from Wirecutter, Bumper snickers from Bluebird of Bitterness, and Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #1755 from 90 Miles from Tyranny.

Journalistic Euphemisms, the Homeless, and Self Defense

Because calling someone "homeless" is mean, or something. Unhoused man shot with pellet gun after reportedly refusing to leave property

He is so lucky that he was shot with a pellet gun, and not a 9mm or .45 ACP.

On May 10 just before 10 a.m., the Shreveport Police Department responded to a reported shooting in the 2500 block of Hersey D. Wilson Drive between Legardy and Stanley streets in the Martin Luther King neighborhood.

He threw a beer bottle at the homeowner, because of course he did, when he was asked to leave.

The homeowner then shot the unhoused person in the chest with a pellet gun, police say. Officials go on to say the homeowner feared for his life and acted out of self-defense.

Proving once again that the State of Louisiana has not morphed into a copy of Manhattan.

The guy was shot with a pellet gun, not a firearm. And not a hunting-capable air rifle. Yes, they exist, and I want one (not the only one), but whenever I have that much disposable income, I usually opt of something else. Anyway this guy will survive. No mention of charges.

Self Defense is a Human Right, and in Louisiana it seems to be your legal right. Also, if an armed homeowner invites you to leave, you should probably leave.

A Century of Bad Forest Management

It turns out homeowners insurance is really expensive in areas prone to burning down. California insurance crisis is changing how people buy and sell homes

And it isn't just the areas impacted by wildfire. Insurers are abandoning the entire state, because that is how insurance is regulated.

When Cindi Koehn listed her Lake County home for sale last year, she didn’t expect any trouble selling the beautiful 1.7-acre property overlooking the lake. But three interested buyers walked away. The cost to insure it, they told her, would be too expensive.

As a lot of journalists do, this author "gives a human face" to the problem by following one person. They do get around to the overall situation eventually.

In Lake County, the availability and affordability of insurance has been an issue for several years, according to Marie Wotherspoon, a real estate agent in the area. But the effects of the crisis have begun manifesting elsewhere. In San Diego, where Wotherspoon was based until last year, Foremost Insurance’s decision to stop offering condo insurance caused a number of condo owners to lose coverage, she said. Even in some coastal cities, buyers have struggled to find insurance, she said.

A century of "fighting every fire," followed by 30 or 40 years of environmentalists opposing every form of forest management has lead to an environment where fires like The Camp Fire are not a once in a lifetime occurrence, but a regular feature of life in California. Diseased trees that can't be removed, together with lots of undergrowth to provide kindling, means that fires are fairly well guaranteed to get out of control.

A list of posts on Forest Management:

Sad Theme for a Marriage

Lacrimas Profundere is a band that fascinates me. They’re German, named themselves in Latin, and sing in English. (Though they can be hard to understand at times.) Though they parted ways with Christopher Schmid, their longtime, baritone, lead singer. I haven't listened to them since he left, because what I loved was his voice. I should see who replaced him as singer. (He left on good terms with the band, and is often seen at their shows. He was having trouble with stress from constant travel.)

Here is a link to the lyrics for today's song. You will probably need them.

Technically they are a Gothic Metal band, but this song doesn't strike me as metal in any way.

This song is "Sad Theme for a Marriage" by Lacrimus Profundere from their 2006 album Filthy Notes for Frozen Hearts. I looked this song up recently for something on social media, but I can't remember exactly why now. Still, it has been stuck in my head for some time.

10 May 2024

Friday Links - 10 May

Juliette Ochieng starts us off with a comment on the state of the internet. Tactical Assault: Trolls have utility

I plead guilty to finding these people - online trolls - entertaining. It’s said that one should not feed trolls, but for a long time, I’ve been of the opposing opinion. You should always feed trolls because, in the end, they end up feeding you; via traffic, sure.

Vlad Tepes - Paul Weston reminds us of critical facts over Covid and deaths which point right at the guilty and must not be washed away

So about Matt Hancock. Remember these things he did and said?

Pirate's Cove - If All You See…

…is an evil fossil fueled vehicle, you might just be a Warmist

Mike Rowe - Peggy Rowe + 1

So – being forward of fifty myself – I decided to accompany her to the event, introduce her to the crowd, and see for myself what she says to large groups of people while unsupervised, before I headed home to California.

In short, I’m pleased to report that she absolutely crushed it.

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 7 May 2024: Excluded Mondays Edition

Republicans are pulling out all the stops to reverse EV adoption. (The Verge)

By which The Verge means Republicans are objecting to laws and regulations designed to make internal combustion vehicles more expensive and less efficient.

Lone Star Parson - What Have We Done (Amazing photos!)

Nothing good, American cities didn't used to be the urban hellhole wastelands they've become. But maybe you doubt me and think "it's always been this way." No, it hasn't, here's a few before and afters.

Flopping Aces - Food Deserts are the Fruit of Democrat Policies

Food deserts are one of those consequences. Retailers are typically not charities. They exist to make money. When violence, security costs and shoplifting make it so they can’t make money, they usually close. Hence, when all the food stores close, you have said “food deserts”.

Power Line - Is The New York Times Hopeless?

Well yes, of course. But at the Wall Street Journal, James Freeman highlights an interview with the Times’s current executive editor, Joseph Kahn. Hope springs eternal, I guess:

The Other McCain - A Made-for-TV Travesty: Can You Guess Who Takes Stormy Daniels Seriously?

The whole point of Bragg’s case — the raison d’être of this illegitimate prosecution — is to help reelect Joe Biden (which assumes, of course, that Biden actually was elected in 2020, but they’ll condemn you as a dangerous “extremist” if you raise questions about that). And this partisan campaign effort relies upon the willing cooperation of the media, to give it the semblance of being a serious legal matter (which, as previously explained, it’s not).

Bets on Whether the Cops Identified Themselves?

They aren't releasing many details, because that might make them look bad. Brownsville officer shot, hospitalized

Shortly after 10 p.m., Brownsville police officers responded to a home on the 0 block of Coahuila Ct. for a report of an open door.

First, when did an open door in spring/summer become an issue for police attention?

Granted it is hot and humid in Brownsville, Texas this time of year. It is on the Gulf of Mexico, right up against the border with Mexico. Even under those conditions, it is sometimes desirable to air out the house, say if you burned something in the kitchen, or even if the house has just been closed up for a long time.

Second, did they arrive with lights and sirens? My guess is no, since the photo indicates a suburban neighborhood. No need to disturb the neighbors, we will just approach this open door quietly. After all, what's the worst that could happen?

While officers were investigating the open door, the homeowner shot at the officers on his property, striking one of them in the chest, police said.

Since the homeowner is "being questioned" and not under arrest (or dead), I'm going to consider that more evidence that the cops know they f-ed up. I could be wrong, but I won't be surprised if I'm right.

I'm going to call this self-defense, because I believe that is what the homeowner thought he faced. Two unknown people approaching his open door at 10 PM. He still may be in trouble, because not everyone who approaches you house is a threat, but I still want to know if they were screaming "Brownsville Police," or if they were being stealthy.

Discrimination on the Basis of Race to end Discrimination on the Basis of Race

Only the Left thinks that is a winning strategy. From The College Fix we get the following. University airline program discriminates on basis of race: federal civil rights complaint

Alaska Airlines and California Baptist University partnered to create a program that has the aim of increasing the number of minority pilots working for Alaska Airlines.

But this program violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to Professor Mark Perry.

The retired professor, now a full-time civil rights activist, recently filed a complaint with the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

“Note that the University’s program only ‘supports minority aviation students at CBU,’ but illegally excludes and discriminates against non-minority students based on their race, color, or national origin,” Perry wrote in the complaint shared with The College Fix.

What was it that Dr. Martin Luther King said about a dream, and the color of your skin?

"Three minutes of absolute insanity" - Zack Snyder's Latest Fiasco

I don't know why people think Zack Snyder is such a great artist. Sure, he made some great movies, but in the ones I can think of, someone else did most (or all) of the writing.

Critical Drinker takes apart one three minute scene from Snyder's latest effort, Rebel Moon, Part 2.

It's exactly what happens when you allow shallow, superficial ideas, and pompous self importance to take priority over cohesive writing, and, honestly, you could practically use this whole thing as a case study for how not to make movies.

This is Critical Drinker's video The Dumbest Scene In Movie History.

Biden's Treatment of Israel Finally Getting to the Never Trump Crowd

From The Other McCain we get a bit of political analysis, and a lot of snark. Red-Pilled at Last? ‘Reliably Anti-Trump People … Have Had It With Biden’

The Never Trump Neocons were sure that anyone opposed to the uniparty was doing so out of  antisemitism. But now with college students chanting Hamas chants and screaming about death to Israel (and America) some of them are beginning to see the antisemitism on the Left. And there's a lot.

Biden is pandering to the extreme left — the college “camp-out for Hamas” crowd — and in the process alienating more moderate voters, including ex-Republican neocons like Goldberg, some of whom hated Trump because of the perception that his coalition harbored anti-Semites. Well, that shoe is now on the other (Democratic) foot, and Goldberg’s like the once-reputable sorority girl doing the “walk of shame” after pulling a train with the varsity basketball squad.

Read the whole thing.

09 May 2024

Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight

Also don't resort to violence over disagreements with your neighbors. Man shot in Grand Rapids, may face charges

They'd been in a dispute that morning and, according to our conversation with Grand Rapids Police, the man had left the homeowner's property to get a gun.

He came back after the daughter had arrived, pulling what turned out to be a knife from his waistband and charging.

The daughter is a concealed carry license holder, and when he charged, she shot him three times.

Cops arrived and had him taken to a hospital. The daughter is not expected to face charges, while the knife-wielding neighbor is, though nothing was announced.

So what disagreement with your neighbor could possibly be worth risking your life? He was shot in the abdomen, and the arm. He could have been shot in the heart, or the head, or the spine. What could be worth it? He not only got shot, but it is probably facing charges on the order of assault with a deadly weapon. What will that cost him?

Self defense is a human right, and it seems to be your legal right in Michigan.

Organized Retail Crime IS Really Organized

What happens when you "decriminalize" robbery? Steal less than $1000, and the cops will ignore it. Pretty soon they are ignoring all retail theft, until it gets out of hand.

From Not the Bee we get a story of organized crime, 21st Century style, out of Los Angeles. Watch: Police in LA raid warehouse FILLED with shoplifted goods

This is a level of organized crime we thought was gone from the world after the days of Al Capone. But it's still alive and well in LA.

That sounds organized. As does a "warehouse" filled with 100s of thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods. Actually it was the backroom of a relatively small market in LA, and not a warehouse. (Watch the embedded video at the link; it is less than 2 minutes.)

Welcome to Los Angeles, a nice place to live.

That is unless you're a normal American who cares about theft and organized crime being king of the city. Then it's not so nice.

This particular warehouse is connected to thefts in Arizona, Nevada, and California.

The same politicians and pundits who thought it was a good idea to treat retail theft as not-a-crime, denounce the eeeevil corporations, when they decide that they can't make money in a city and close down because of law and order problems. Or maybe that should be the lack of law and order. They really do want to have it both ways.

Tuberculosis Makes a Comeback

Tuberculosis is one of the diseases that had been (past tense) conquered by modern medicine. Or at least people thought it had been conquered. Not so much anymore.

From California we get an update on a health emergency. California Tuberculosis outbreak kills 1, infects 14 as officials declare health emergency

A deadly outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) has occurred inside a California hotel housing homeless people, leading to the death of one person and forcing city health officials to declare a public health emergency.

The alarming outbreak at the unnamed hotel infected 14 people, resulting in nine people being hospitalized, the Department of Health and Human Services for Long Beach announced Thursday. The identity of the deceased individual has not been released.

There are more details on the people exposed, and what the city/county is doing, though they actually are not saying which city is the site of this outbreak.

California is not alone in dealing with this disease. Tuberculosis breaks out at Chicago migrant shelters following measles cases

Chicago health officials have announced that a "small number" of tuberculosis (TB) cases have been reported at some migrant facilities following a recent outbreak of measles among migrants living in the Windy City's shelters.

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) said the TB cases were reported in "a few different shelters" in the city. However, officials did not disclose the exact number of confirmed cases or which shelter locations they originated from, Fox 32 Chicago reports.

Measles is another disease that seems to be making a comeback.

The confirmed tuberculosis cases come as more than 55 measles cases have now been confirmed in Chicago, with the majority of those cases being reported in the Pilsen migrant shelter on Halsted Street.

Modern civilization was great while it lasted. (Hat tip to Second City Cop.)

08 May 2024

Wednesday Link Roundup - 8 May

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

  1. Cold Fury shows both sides chanting FJB
  2. Da Techguy’s Blog discusses the end of Kristi Noem

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.07.24 (Afternoon Edition)

Upstream Reviews: The Powers of the Earth
Defending The Wood Perilous: Losing The Sexual Revolution

EBL - MAGA Indefinite Postponment of the Trump Classified Document Case 🤯☀️

Instapundit: PJ Media: Indefinite Postponement of Trial
With the recent shenangins that the DOJ did in this case, this is a BFD.
AoSHQ: DOJ admits it doctored photo above (to prejudice Trump)

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 6 May 2024: Bibbidy Bobbidy What Edition

With its player community up in arms and its reputation on fire - with 200,000 negative reviews landing in just three days - Sony has decided maybe Helldivers players on Windows don't need a PlayStation Network account after all. (MSN)

Political Hat - News of the Week ([May] 5th, 2024)

A Small Miracle: A Completed New U.S. Nuclear Power Plant A small miracle: Yesterday Georgia Power announced that the second new nuclear unit at Plant Vogtle entered commercial service, “the first new commercial reactors built from scratch in the U.S. in more than three decades.”

Small Dead Animals - Sunday On Turtle Island

Calgary’s socialist city council wants non-citizens to vote. And six million dollars for a Sikh exhibit.
Today In Islam: Coming soon to Canada. On trial for wrongthink. Interfaith dialogue in Nigeria. London has fallen again.

Don Surber - Highlights of the News

ITEM 11: April 4: “JK Rowling: Humza Yousaf will get comeuppance at the polls over hate law chaos.”
April 29: “Humza Yousaf resigns as Scotland’s first minister.”

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 5/6/2024

Anti-Israel Student Protester Cries Over Missing Graduation After She Was Arrested, Suspended
An Arizona State University senior who was arrested and suspended after trespassing during an anti-Israel protest broke down in tears

Chicago Boyz - Worthwhile Reading, Viewing, and Listening

Colorized 1890s videos of daily life in countries around the world
‘Woke’ hierarchy and an upper-class underclass
A former ‘woke’ woman. And another one.

Vlad Tepes - Israel, Islam, Ireland and the money behind the college colour revolutions: Links 1 for May 7, 2024

1. Once the left has finished assisting Islam into dominance in Western societies, they will have their night of the long knives. Muslims it turns out, aren’t into intersectionality

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Tuesday DIY - Judge Threatens to Jail Trump Whose Comptroller Testifies He Labeled the Checks "Legal Expenses"

Stephen L. Miller on X: "Why the political right settled on Trump."
New: Bernie Sanders Will Run for Re-Election – HotAir
The Karen Party has no place for men - Washington Examiner

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkage

The Air Vent - Here’s One for the Coincidence Theorists
Watts Up With That? - The Biden Administration Ever More Delusional on Energy

Cafe Hayek - Some Links

Scott Sumner has some rather remarkable news for the many people who believe that zoning protects residential and other non-industrial areas from being uglified by industrial facilities.

Maggie's Farm - Saturday morning links

Springtime for Sinwar - Notes on the pro-Hamas Left and its antecedents.
Rogan To University Protesters: "You Guys Are Doing Nonsense" At "Cult Camp"

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 5/7/24

"Students were given two options: leave and be warned, or stay and be suspended."
MIT Threatens To Suspend Any Anti-Israel Protesters Who Fail To Leave Encampment

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Why does the world accept the rape, torture and slaughter of Jews?

• Joe Biden, Dearborn Shahid, Commits Political Suicide via Hamas Appeasement - Josh Hammer
• An unholy alliance: Leftism and Islamism - Amil Imani

I leave you with Sunday Funnies For 05-05-24 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #1752 from 90 Miles from Tyranny, Meme Me from The DaleyGator, and Monday already? gifdump from Wirecutter.

Minnesota Democrat Says Women Are Too Stupid for Guns

It would be bad enough if some ancient man said this, but a woman actually said this. Granted, she was quoting from any number of gun-control screeds. It comes down to the same thing. Women are too stupid to have guns.

And the Democrats claim to be the party that supports women.

This is the Langley Outdoors Academy video Dem Rep Says Women Can’t Have Guns because Safeties Are TOO COMPLICATED… They Actually Said This…

It Hurts Me Too

Justin Johnson is a blues guitarist, who, publishes a lot of music on his YouTube channel. I mostly like the stuff that he produces.

This song is "It Hurts Me Too" by Justin Johnson. It is a blues standard that was recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red.

A Prequel to The Lion King No One Asked For

Disney is coming out with another "live action" animated movie. In this case, a prequel to the "live action" remake of The Lion King.

Why quotes? Because there is nothing live action about these movies. They are all computer animation.

The current trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King, which is only the teaser trailer, has been ratioed. On 7.1 million views, there are 133K likes to 352K dislikes. I think this mostly says that people are really fed up with Disney.

This was brought to my attention by Ryan Kinnel at RK Outpost, and his video Disney Gets DESTROYED Over Mufasa: The Lion King Trailer | Fans HATE This, Next Big FLOP On The Way?

See all of this, I thought it would be a good reason to revisit Chris Gore's take on these live action remakes, even though this is a prequel.

This link will take you to Disney Live-action Remakes: The Worst Films of Our Time.

07 May 2024

Tuesday Links - 7 May

The Other McCain is up first with Crazy People Are Dangerous

The man’s own family wants him locked up in the looney bin, but for some reason they kept turning him loose until he got shot by a cop.

Pirate's Cove is next with Chicago Mayor Looking To Implement Plan To Move Illegal Away From Downtown

It’s almost like the leaders in Sanctuary City Chicago do not want all the illegals in view for some reason.

Impro Guns brings us the following. Homemade MAC-10 Three videos on homemade versions of the MAC-10. The first video includes a lot of swearing, and not a lot of info. The 2nd is in Spanish. The 3rd is rundown of the design. This is a firearm that your average shade-tree mechanic has the tools, and the ability to manufacture.

Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: No Satisfaction

Just picked up the most recent in Klaus Schulze La Vie Electronique series of CDs on Thursday and ripped it today. First disc seems to have a lot of pseudo-operatic stuff that isn’t too great; we’ll see how the other two work out.

Meep at Stump - Public Pension Governance Drama in Ohio

Ohio State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) is having some drama, as a consulting firm has resigned due to power struggles between competing interests. The plan participants, whether current teachers or retirees, are angry about STRS investment staff getting bonuses while they do not get cost-of-living adjustments for retirement benefits. All of this while in an economic environment of high inflation… they aren’t the first and will not be the last.

Tam at View From The Porch - Red Gold

Apparently one of the things that has kept gold's price at record highs the last couple years is consumer demand in one of the largest economies on the planet.

Again from Wombat-socho - Rule 5 Sunday: Cherie Currie

Lead singer for the all-girl punk band the Runaways (you may have heard of her bandmates Lita Ford and Joan Jett), Cherie Currie went on to become an actress, a mom, and is currently raising hell on X.

The Forecast is Cloudy with Widely Scattered Gang Violence

Is Cinco de Mayo a serious holiday? Cinco de Mayo parade canceled due to 'gang violence,' Chicago police say - CWB Chicago

City officials canceled the annual Cinco de Mayo Parade on Sunday due to “gang violence in the area… to protect the safety of all in attendance, including families and children,” the Chicago Police Department said in a statement.

Trouble started brewing well before the parade’s noon start time. CPD officers posted near Cermak and Washtenaw reported hearing shots fired in the area around 10:39 a.m. A flood of 911 callers supplemented their reports. Just two minutes later, the officers reported several bursts of gunfire, some possibly from automatic weapons, at 21st and Washtenaw, resulting in the first “10-1” police emergency of the day.

The entire day was a mess. Also from CWB Chicago - 27 arrested, 3 guns seized during Cinco de Mayo parade mayhem: Chicago police

Chicago police say they arrested 27 people and recovered three handguns in connection with the Little Village Cinco de Mayo parade, which officials canceled on Sunday due to “gang violence.”

Despite the weapon recoveries, a CPD spokesperson said no gun-related charges were filed.

Because why enforce the laws already on the books? That would involve so much paperwork, and the DA in Chicago would probably ignore it anyway.

Civilization was nice while it lasted.

Do People Really Believe the Government Will Fix Things?

From Cafe Hayek - The Depth of Economic Ignorance Is Unfathomable

To everyone – left, right, and center – who believes that the market economy can and will be made to operate better if more power to superintended and intervene in the economy is given to government officials, spend the less than two minutes it takes to watch this performance by the current Chairman of the U.S. president’s Council of Economic Advisors. Then tell me, or tell even just yourself, why you have the faith that you do in government.

We are already printing so much money that its a problem. If one of these yahoos has their way, we will have hyperinflation. I guess there's a good chance we're headed there anyway.

Florida Man and the Fried Chicken Attack

Don't waste the chicken. Eat the chicken. Florida Man Arrested For Battery After Attacking Sister With Fried Chicken | Not the Bee

Most headlines containing the words "Florida Man" will not be for stories about rational people.

Okay, I know this Florida man attacked his sister and everything, but I'm just over here trying to figure out how someone just wastes a bag of Church's Chicken like this. I mean, that's a huge party fowl if you ask me.

I haven't had Church's Fried Chicken in a very long time. I used to love the dirty rice.

Looks like Khanye is using the hangry defense for the chicken attack, because his excuse for his outrage is that he was really hungry and his sister offered him one of the worst pieces in the bag. I'll assume she told him to deal with what was one of those tiny drumsticks with barely any meat on it, so then he proceeded to grab the bag from her and just start chucking pieces at her.

He was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, as he has a history of attacking his sister, but those charges were dropped. I hope he was forced to buy replacement chicken.

See also Blue Oyster Cult's take on "Florida Man." (It's a great song!)

That is Peak Florida. At least for today.

06 May 2024

Veil

Haken is a Progressive Metal band out of England that I tripped over a couple of years ago. Their album Virus which came out in 2020 caught my attention, or at least a few of the songs did. Since then I have slowly been exploring other albums. Overall I like their work. Definitely Prog without really being a copy of anyone, or not that I can identify.

This song is "Veil" by Haken from their 2018 album Vector. While parts of this song are calm, there are enough screaming guitars and thundering drums for a Monday afternoon. Mostly. Too much energy for an early morning listen.

Texans Are Still Armed

The would-be bad guys refuse to acknowledge that fact. Greendowns Street shooting: Homeowner claims self-defense after killing attacker in his driveway in southeast Houston, HPD says - ABC13 Houston

Investigators said the 45-year-old was arriving at his home with his family and got out of his car to move their trash can blocking the driveway.

As his wife was parking the vehicle, the homeowner was approached by a 29-year-old man described to be angry and behaving aggressively, according to HPD.

The two men began physically fighting, the homeowner shot the suspect, and he called the police.

The guy who got shot, died in a local hospital.

They both lived on the same street, apparently, so cops are not giving too much away. The investigation continues. Though I am not a lawyer, my understanding is that every homicide in Texas must be presented to a grand jury.

Then again, this didn't happen in New Jersey.

It Is Hard to Be Upset at the Demise of Meta

Or F*c*book, as I usually call it. Facebook’s AI Spam Isn’t the ‘Dead Internet’: It’s the Zombie Internet

AI has destroyed F*c*book? I'm so sad.

Over the last few months, many have proposed that the AI spam taking over Facebook is a great example of the “Dead Internet Theory,” which posits that large portions of the internet are made up of bots talking to bots, filtered through the lens of recommendation and engagement algorithms. Facebook is undeniably cooked, a decaying, depressing hall of horrors full of viral AI-generated content that seemingly gets worse every day.

But I do not think Facebook is the dead internet. Instead, I think it is something worse. Facebook is the zombie internet, where a mix of bots, humans, and accounts that were once humans but aren’t anymore mix together to form a disastrous website where there is little social connection at all.

But then I never thought giving so much power to one company was a good idea. I really do hope this is a case of The Mighty Have Fallen.

You have to subscribe to 404 Media to see the entire article, but who cares. Now I doubt that F*c*book will die in the short run, but if the AI gets worse, people will decide that it doesn't matter anymore.

After watching F*c*book (and other Social Media platforms) cancel so many people because of "the wrong opinion", it would be good to see them get canceled. (Hat tip to Tam at View from the Porch: The Zombie Internet.)