Mask Wearing Leads to Death

This would be funny if it wasn't about people dying for no reason. Study Finds 'Positive Correlation' Between Higher Mask Usage And COVID-19 Deaths.

Since Math Is Hard™ and most people don't study statistics I will note that "positive correlation" means that more mask wearing means more death.

Beyond finding no benefit to mask mandate compliance in curtailing the spread of COVID-19, the paper found a “moderate positive correlation” between the use of masks and COVID-19 deaths.

“Moreover, the moderate positive correlation between mask usage and deaths in Western Europe also suggests that the universal use of masks may have had harmful unintended consequences,” it asserted.

The correlation was not statistically significant, which means I can't actually say that people died, buy you actually CANNOT say that mask-wearing is good.

"Follow the Science!" Somehow I don't think this will be science that anyone in government wants to follow.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 25 May

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

11. Green Jihad notes German farmers resorting to horse and buggy
12. Jo Nova covers the Australian elections

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkage

The Intrepid Reporter: Got Food?
Watts Up With That: Go Organic, And Starve!

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain - In The Mailbox: 05.23.22

BattleSwarm: Red China’s Last Year? also, Houston Exceeds Its Credit Limit
Behind The Black: Pushback – Prof Fired For Having Opinions Wins Legal Victory

Political Hat - News of the Week (May 22nd, 2022)

Pro-Abortion Activist: Mothers Should be Able to Abort Children After Birth
“I believe in whatever the woman wants to choose to do. That’s her choice.”

EBL - MAGA Crooked Clinton Russian Collusion ☀️

RedState: Is Justice Coming for the 51 Intels? (Biden next?)
Legal Insurrection: Hillary's Russian Hoax
Powerline: Hillary Did It!

A View from the Beach - "The Doom Loop . . . Has Begun"

Kevin Downey at PJ Media says My Biden-Voting Friend Had 'No Idea' Things Could Get This Bad. Buckle Up, Buddy, We're Just Getting Started. "My response to him was, “You get what you vote for.” “But I didn’t vote for this,” he argued. Yes, he did."

Proof Positive - Best of the Web*

Science/Technology
How Greenpeace’s Dream Of A Solar-Powered Village Fell Apart In Just A Few Years

Cafe Hayek - Some Non-Covid Links

GMU Econ alum Ryan Young makes clear that today’s baby-formula shortage is made worse by cronyism.
Alberto Mingardi remembers Independent Institute founder David Theroux.

Vlad Tepes - NATO has a message, Vaxx fail data, and Hungary now in a state of WAR: Links 1, May 24th, 2022

2. Alex Berenson: What do Oklahoma and Portugal have in common? Not much, besides mRNA vaccine failure

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

The liberals’ underlying assumption is that women can never be adults
Woke Mob Wants To Cancel The Word “Obesity” Because It’s “Racist”…
What does hate get you?

Pixy Misa at Ace of Spades HQ - Daily Tech News 24 May 2022

Why it's hard to sanction ransomware groups. (Ars Technica)
Because they're criminals.

Don Surber - Highlights of the News. (And a musical interlude)

ITEM 8: Life News reported, "A Pensacola, Florida, abortion facility that allegedly botched three abortions so badly that one woman had to be resuscitated and another had an emergency hysterectomy had its license suspended Saturday.

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 05/24/2022

Arizona Sheriff’s Office investigating active organized voter fraud in Yuma County: “A recent pattern of fraudulent voter registration forms leading up to the 2022 Primary Election.”

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report - 5/24/22

"Just one day into Davos and we're already hearing some disturbing things."
World Economic Forum Panelist Demands "Recalibration" of Free Speech

I leave you with F*cking Mondays..... from Wirecutter, Monday chuckles from Bluebird of Bitterness, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #427 from 90 Miles From Tyranny, and Sunday Funnies For 05-22-22 from Stately McDaniel Manor.

It Is All About Attitude

Self-defense that is. Armed robbery of 55-year-old victim on Red Line leaves one offender critical, wounded with his own knife

You could say that they suffered a failure of the Victim-selection Process.

Police said a 55-year-old male victim was riding the CTA Red Line train near the 95th Street Terminal in the Roseland community area around 3:00 a.m. when he was approached by two male offenders. One offender pointed a handgun at the victim demanding his belongings while the second offender held a knife.

The 55-year-old reportedly did not want to give up his bag so the two offenders began to physically struggle with the victim attempting to take his bag. It was unclear how but, during the altercation, the male offender who was armed with a knife sustained a wound to the leg.

I have no idea what the laws in Chicago are, but I would not be surprised to discover that legal concealed carry is not available on CTA trains and busses. Because obviously there is no need to defend yourself.

In the end the guy lost his bag. The guy who had a gun ran off with it, leaving his injured partner for the cops to collect.

This incident also brought to mind a Heinlein quote from Starship Troopers:

There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men.

The guy who ran like a rabbit proved, once again, "there is reportedly still no honor among thieves."

I'm Shocked - Shocked! - That a Politician Could Be Corrupt

Okay, I'm not shocked at all. Anaheim Mayor Resigns Amid Federal Corruption Probe

I am shocked that a Republican was mayor of Anaheim, CA, but I'm not shocked that a Republican Politician would be corrupt. (I'm originally from Illinois, where corruption knows no bounds. It certainly is not restricted to one party.)

Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu, a Republican, resigned effective Tuesday amid a corruption probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation over the land sale of Angels Stadium — a probe that’s already resulted in money laundering charges being brought against one of Sidhu’s political allies, former Anaheim Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Ament.

It is about some alleged backroom dealings around a new stadium for a baseball team.

The mayor's team (well, ex-mayor now) was saying that a "fair and thorough" investigation will show that nothing underhanded was done. By implication that any investigation that turns up wrong-doing is neither fair nor thorough.

Click thru for the details.

And remember: They are all lying to you about something.

Ship To Wreck

Every now and then I run across a musical group via social media. (IT isn't bad if you can avoid the political insanity.) Today's song comes from such discovery. (Thanks to Eric.)

He was talking about Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine (commonly seen as Florence + The Machine). She is a great singer, and that is a band that is producing Indie Rock, like you might have found in America before AutoTune, PC software, and electronic drum tracks took over everything.

Florence + The Machine had an album scheduled to come out May 13th. I haven't looked for it, but I probably will.

This song is "Ship To Wreck" by Florence + The Machine from their 2015 album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. It was also released as a single.

I'm actually not sure if this is the first I've heard of Florence + The Machine, but if I had heard of them, I certainly hadn't thought about them in years. The music sounds very familiar somehow.

A Coffee or Die Musical Interlude

Top 10 lists are always a problem, but I don't hate this one, even though I don't care for some of the songs. Sound & Fury: The 10 Best War Songs Ever Written

Just about every generation in America has its own war, and its own war songs along with it. While most of the American public will never directly experience war, they can get some sense of what combat is like through art, photography, and music.

Tuesday Links - 24 May

The Other McCain starts us off with a story of self-defense. Texas Armed Robber Killed by Delicious Fried Chicken and Well-Aimed Gunfire

Mainly, though, it was the gunfire:

Glen Greenwald - CNN's New "Reporter," Natasha Bertrand, is a Deranged Conspiracy Theorist and Scandal-Plagued CIA Propagandist

The most important axiom for understanding how the U.S. corporate media functions is that there is never accountability for those who serve as propagandists for the U.S. security state. The opposite is true: the more aggressively and recklessly you spread CIA narratives or pro-war manipulation, the more rewarded you will be in that world.

Again from The Other McCain - Liberals Want Ukraine to Negotiate?

Meanwhile, however, the liberal Surrender Caucus has made its presence known.

The Feral Irishman - On Mom and Dad.... On dealing with the realities of aging parents. I'm not sure why I want to include this post. Maybe it is because I have lost both of my parents to protracted illnesses, and it touches a memory.

The National Pulse - Wuhan Lab Publishes Study Manipulating H7N9 Virus To Be More Lethal.

The paper follows continued revelations about the Wuhan Institute of Virology engaging in “gain of function” research with U.S. taxpayer funds from Fauci’s National Institutes of Health (NIH) agency.

Coffee or Die - The Story of Denys Antipov, a Fallen Ukrainian Soldier

When Russia invaded his homeland again, Antipov never made a deliberate decision to go back to war. The truth is, there was only one path his life could take by then. His country was under attack, and it was his duty to defend it. That’s the way he saw it. Going to war was simple arithmetic, gravity for his soul. Simple as that.

Antipov resumed active-duty service after the Feb. 24 invasion. He regained his previous rank of first lieutenant and became the leader of an assault platoon in the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade.

Vodka Pundit - Even Democrats Are Getting Sick of Presidentish Joe Biden

Presidentish Joe Biden keeps setting new records. Record gas prices, record inflation rates, record wage losses.

And now a new record-low approval rating, even among Democrats

Victory Girls - Alexandria Ocasio Cortez Really Hates Christians

If you’re a Christian who believes that abortion is immoral, then Alexandria Ocasio Cortez thinks you should just shut up.

Again from The Other McCain - The Fresh Prince of Foxborough? Philadelphia a through the eyes of Jonnu Smith, who recently signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots.

Wow. Imagine if that was your hometown. What is going on in Philadelphia, to turn it into such a wretched hive of scum and villainy? The homicide total so far this year is 180 in “Killadelphia,” meaning that the city’s averaging about one homicide a day, but nobody seems to consider this an emergency, and Congress is sending billions to Ukraine.

Flopping Aces - Is it Wrong to Dox New York Times Reporters and Call Brian Stelter a Potato? Changes in American politics over 20 years, as seen thru the eyes on one man.

Up until a few years ago I would have opposed each of these actions. Now, at best I’m shrugging my shoulders with a “Meh”, and at worst I’m pointing and saluting like Nelson Muntz. How did we get here? Have I morphed into some frothing at the mouth Ultra Maga loon that Grandpa Sponge Brain S*** Pants1 sees as an existential threat to his crackhead son’s son’s perma grift, or did something else change? A fair question, and let’s dive in.

Self-defense In LA

This has the reporters a bit confused. LA homeowner shoots, kills armed burglar after he and his wife hear footsteps overnight: deputies | Fox News

Self-defense is not "taking matters into your own hands." That phrase usually refers to vigilante action. Self-defense is a recognition that when seconds count, police are only minutes away.

A 27-year-old man and his 26-year-old wife said they heard footsteps and went to investigate the noise.

The male homeowner confronted an armed burglar, and a shootout between the two unfolded. The suspect was shot in the upper torso and was pronounced dead at the scene, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.

An accomplice ran like a rabbit.

Now if the homeowner chased down, and executed the accomplice, that would be characterized as "taking the law into his own hands."

Self-defense is a human-right, and even in Los Angeles it may be your legal right.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Hillary Clinton's Dirty Tricks

I would love to link to the WSJ op-ed, but it is behind a paywall. WSJ Editors Eviscerate Hillary, Lapdog Media in Blistering Op-Ed About Russia Collusion Lies

It’s time to drop the words “fake news,” “hoax,” and any other descriptor short of blatant and purposeful lies, in reference to Hillary Clinton’s engineering, oversight, and final approval of releasing to the sock-puppet media a preposterous fairy tale that even the worst of armchair sleuths could spot as complete bullcrap.

I will include this one bit from the original - the opening paragraph.

The Russia-Trump collusion narrative of 2016 and beyond was a dirty trick for the ages, and now we know it came from the top—candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. That was the testimony Friday by 2016 Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook in federal court, and while this news is hardly a surprise, it’s still bracing to find her fingerprints on the political weapon.

Nothing will happen to Clinton. The FBI, the Swamp (but I repeat myself) will never charge her with a crime. They love Hillary.

The Other McCain weighs in on the topic with ‘Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!’.

John Durham has already won. Regardless of how the Michael Sussman trial ends, the Special Counsel has proven through evidence and testimony that the person responsible for the “Russian collusion” smear against Donald Trump was none other than Hillary Clinton.

And I'm going to jump out in front of the situation and say that Robby Mook didn't kill himself.

Chicago Mass Shooter Was Out on Bail

The shooting will be the gun's fault, not the fault of the judges, legislators, et al who released him because keeping violent people in jail is unfair. #20: Alleged mass shooter had a felony gun case pending when he killed 2, wounded 7 near Magnificent Mile, records show - CWB Chicago

A 21-year-old South Shore man who allegedly shot 9 people outside the Chicago Red Line station on Thursday night had a felony gun case pending at the time of the mass shooting, according to court records.

Jaylun Sanders, 21, is the 20th person charged with killing or shooting — or trying to shoot or kill — someone in Chicago this year while awaiting trial for a felony. The alleged crimes involve at least 49 victims, 11 of whom died.

At the time of the shooting he was on bail for felony unlawful use of a weapon.

So, why do they want more gun laws when they won't prosecute gun laws? Oh yeah, to make it difficult for law-abiding citizens, not the criminals.

You can't have civilization without law, order, and security.

So, how is that bail reform working out?

Where Angels Fear To Fly

Battle Beast is a Power Metal band out Finland. They sing in English. Noora Louhimo has a great voice for Power Metal, and it doesn't include any of the Death Growl/harsh vocals that seems to offend the tender sensibilities of some people. (Kids these days and their Melodic Death Metal music... Get off my lawn!)

I don't think it is as good as "Eye of the Storm," but it was working its way up the Spotify Kickass Metal playlist the week after the album was released. And it is better than most of the drek released by the American music industry. It wouldn't quite have been at home on a 1970s Rock & Roll station. Not quite.

This is "Where Angeles Fear to Fly" by Battle Beast from their album Circus of Doom, which was released on January 21st.

As is the case with most music videos, I find it distracts from the music. But it is a good song. Enjoy.

Self-defense Is Legal in Virginia

You can never be sure, but Virginia has a pretty good track record of recognizing your right to defend yourself. Criminal charges dropped in deadly Danville apartment complex shooting

The shooting, which took place in April, was referred to a grand jury.

The jury ultimately dropped the manslaughter charge on Wednesday because they believed the defendant acted out of fear for his life.

Click thru for the details.

How Is That Bail Reform Working Out?

Not to well, according to the victims and their families. #18: Man escaped from electronic monitoring and ran over a cop in a stolen car while fleeing a murder scene, prosecutors say - CWB Chicago

In September, we told you about Antonio Gonzalez after cops allegedly caught him driving a car that was taken in an armed carjacking — while he was on bond for a felony gun case. After our story ran, Gonzalez paid a $1,000 deposit to get out of jail on electronic monitoring.

Then, last month, he allegedly cut his ankle monitor off and went missing. Monday, prosecutors say, Gonzalez stole another car and ran over a cop who was trying to take him into custody for investigation of a murder that had just occurred. The cop’s partner was also injured.

#18 is the count for bail issued in 2022. There is a separate tally for bail issued in 2021. #71: Burglar opened fire on a woman while fleeing her apartment (and while on felony bail), prosecutors say.

Prosecutors on Tuesday said the burglar who fired the shots was her cousin-in-law, Kendall Irvin. He was on bond for felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle and a separate misdemeanor criminal trespass to vehicle case at the time of the alleged crime. He’s now charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, residential burglary, and two counts of misdemeanor aggravated assault.

Irvin is the 71st person charged with killing or shooting — or trying to shoot or kill — someone in Chicago last year while awaiting trial for a felony.

But it would be unfair to keep people in jail.

What Happens When Government Mandates Organic Agriculture?

20 to 50 percent of the food supply disappears. Switch to organic is splitting Sri Lanka apart at the seams | AGDAILY

Sir Lanka mandated Organic agriculture. Food shortages and an economic crisis are in full swing, and the Prime Minister resigned.

Most accounts show that production dropped between 20 percent to 50 percent of what it was prior to the switch, leaving many of the country’s 22 million people in dire straits. These happenings paint the picture of the clear connection between synthetic crop protection products and food security. And not only had Sri Lanka’s ban on fertilizers, pesticides, weedicides, and fungicides resulted in massive food shortages, it also led to the doubling in price of rice, vegetables, and other market staples.

If you double the price of food, you hurt poor people.

There are some indications that it was a land-grab. Force farmers off the land, by bankrupting them. But starving people are not going to keep voting for the status quo.

Starving people have been known to build guillotines.

Hat tip to Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog: Green Delusions Bring Chaos And Death, in which it is noted that the crisis was predicted.

“Predicted” is the word you want to use there. Or “foretold” if you want to be a little grandiloquent and Biblical for dramatic effect.

And lo, just as the prophecy foretold, it came to pass: [SNIP]

Just as with Lysenkoism or Mao’s war on birds, reliance on delusional theory rather than actual science led to famine and death.

Life Lessons of Modern Entertainment (they suck)

In short, the lessons taught by modern entertainment are horrible.

Critical Drinker has some fascinating videos. Some make me laugh out loud. Some make me think. Some, do both.

This is the Critical Drinker's video: Why Modern Movies Suck - They Teach Us Awful Lessons, from March 11th.

I don't why I first watched a Critical Drinker video. Probably he had a review of a movie I was thinking of seeing. But he made enough of an impression that I watched more.

You Are Not Protected By Your Zip Code

A crime wave in an "upscale neighborhood." Riverside man shot several times during home invasion

The main focus of the article is on a particular home invasion. The homeowner was shot multiple times, and is in a local hospital.

But my interest is on the following statement.

This is the third armed home invasion during the last month in the upscale Alessandro Heights neighborhood, according to police.

Those details are provided, and the statement that at least 2 seem related.

I'm a bit surprised that there are no quotes from neighbors about how shocking this whole thing is.

When my father wanted to spend time with friends, they would sometimes go fishing at one of several lakes near his home. When my father wanted to catch fish, he would go to Canada for a week's vacation. My uncle didn't go elk hunting in Illinois; he went out west.

If people want to steal nice stuff, they are going to go to the nice neighborhoods. I don't know why this ever shocks anyone. If you can read this, then you live in The Real World™ where crime can, and all too often does, happen.

Anyway, civilization was nice while it lasted.

Biden Has the Time to Visit Buffalo, Couldn't Go to Waukesha

I guess some victims are more important (to the narrative) than others. Ron Johnson rips Biden for 'apparently' finding resources to go to Buffalo after avoiding Waukesha | Daily Mail Online

'Last year when Darrell Brooks murdered six innocent people and injured over 60 during the Waukesha Christmas parade, the White House claimed President Biden couldn't go to Waukesha because it would require too many 'assets' and 'resources,' Republican Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin told DailyMail.com in a statement.

'But within hours of the most recent senseless tragedy, the White House apparently found the resources to plan a presidential trip to Buffalo,' he added. 'These horrors deserve equal attention from the President of the United States, and the media should be pointing out the disparity in his response.'

"The Media" of course, will do no such thing.

Here is the real difference between the two incidents - aside from the race of the bad guys, that is.

Biden, during his trip to Buffalo on Tuesday, will again demand gun control legislation.

Because the gun made him do it, the same way spoons have forced me to be fat. Or something.

No mention of the fact that the Buffalo-shooter referenced gun control in his manifesto, noting that there would be defenseless victims. "Don't clutter the issue with facts!"

Unity or division?

Another Law that Won't Be Prosecuted

Chicago really was a great city. (Past tense) Chicago curfew tightened after killing near 'Bean' sculpture

So there were 5 homicides, and 30 non-fatal shootings in Chicago this past weekend, but one of them has Mayor Groot (Lori Lightfoot) in a snit. It was in front of Cloud Gate, a sculpture in Millennium Park that is commonly known as "The Bean," because it looks like a large mirrored bean.

That is critical, because Millenium park is one of the places suburbanites, and city dwellers go on the weekend, before spending oodles of money on food, and goods in the city. They used to anyway, before the woke policies of this mayor, and the Cook County State's Attorney, Crimesha (also known as Kim Foxx) decided that Law and Order were racist 19th Century concepts that a progressive city like Chicago could do without.

Lightfoot said she hoped and expected that people would abide by the restrictions and that it would not lead to widespread arrests. She said they “don’t want to arrest children,” but those who break the law will be.

Except all they have to do is run away. Cops are not allowed to do foot pursuits, because reasons.

And the shooting that has the mayor in such a snit... a 17-year-old shot a 16-year-old.

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 21 May

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain - In The Mailbox: 05.19.22 (Afternoon Edition)

American Thinker: “Leftugees” On The Move
Animal Magnetism: Animal’s Hump Day News

The Right Way - Top of the News

Nancy Pelosi reveals the Democrat campaign for the midterms - American Thinker
On Russian TV Retired Russian Colonel Indicates The War Is Lost - The Lid

EBL - Testosterone Treatment Turns Democrat Voters More Conservative 🤔🤯

Instapundit: Testosterone Treatment Turns Democrat Voters More Conservative
Flashback: Buzzfeed Crew Shocked To Learn They Have Low Testosterone Levels.

Battleswarm Blog - LinkSwarm for May 20, 2022

Melvin Capital, the hedge fund that got clobbered when they were caught performing naked shorts of Gamestop stock, is shutting down.
Citadel head Ken Griffin threatens to leave Chicago over the spiraling crime rate.

Cafe Hayek - Some Non-Covid Links

My GMU Econ colleague Bryan Caplan has no patience for vacuous nonsense.
Ryan Bourne and Brad Subramaniam are not impressed with Elizabeth Warren’s newly unveiled whackadoodle scheme to outlaw so-called “price gouging.”

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 05.20.22 (Morning Edition)

Victory Girls: DOJ Employees Want Leave For Out-Of-State Abortions
Volokh Conspiracy: Academic Freedom & The Mission Of The University

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 5/19/2022

Video: Carlson Slams Talking Heads Who Claim Free Speech is Racism
Fox News host Tucker Carlson took aim at anchors on NBC and MSNBC Wednesday who are pushing the notion that anyone who wants to preserve free speech is really a racist.

Vlad Tepes - Left from right and Monkey Pox or Cow Pox: Links 1 for May 19, 2022

4. Remember this from January 2022?
Police: Truck with 100 monkeys crashes, some of them missing
This article casually mentions en passant, that these monkeys “were on their way to a lab”.

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 05.20.22 (Afternoon Edition)

The Lid: U.S. Carriers & Amphibious Assault Ships Making Red China Nervous
Legal Insurrection: Progressive Rep. Torres Accuses DCCC Chair Of Racism As Panicked NY Dems Form Circular Firing Squad

Pixy Misa at Ace of Spades HQ - Daily Tech News 20 May 2022

Netflix has made it's broken user interface into a feature. (9to5Mac)
I cancelled my subscription because it took longer to find something to watch than it did to watch it.

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

More about the rage for certainty
Doocy to Jean-Pierre After Jankowicz Resigns: “The Disinformation Board is Being Shut Down Because of Disinformation?”

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report - 5/20/22

Grover Norquist: "He wants to give your favorite government agency more money — and the power to spy on you."
Supersizing the IRS: Another Big, Bad Biden Idea

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 05/19/2022

Patterns identified in New Mexico voter rolls are not consistent with random, human behavior, indicating that manipulated and corrupt voter rolls are being used in the state.
Nearly 2,400 registrants listed on New Jersey’s voter rolls are 105 years old or older.

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Analysts: National Average Gasoline Prices Over $6 Gallon by August

• Why Diesel-Fuel Costs Are Really Rising Jim Geraghty
• Philadelphia Schools Tout Radical Transgender Conference CJ

I leave you with Wednesday gifdump from Wirecutter, Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world from Bluebird of Bitterness, and Thursday Memes .. from MaddMedic.