Ace of Spades HQ

November 23, 2024

Open Thread

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

Posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 09:40 PM Comments

Saturday Night Movie Thread [moviegique]: Potpourri

—Open Blogger

The Los Angeles-Israeli Film Festive kind of snuck up on us this year, and it doesn't look like The Boy and I will be able to catch any of them, but we still managed to see a half-dozen good-to-great films this fortnight-and-a-half.

Let's get started.

Heretic

It's ridiculously hard to find a picture from this movie that isn't completely murky.

In what some (not me) are calling the best horror movie of the year, Hugh Grant plays a maniac atheist who lures a couple of young LDS missionaries into his house to test their faith. Top notch acting with Grant avoiding his famous and easily-impersonated acting twitches and stammers, and the two girls (Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East) giving surprisingly nuanced performances.

The major surprise of this film is how it avoids many of the expected tropes. The two girls are presented in veritably clichéd ways at first, but as the movie goes on, we're surprised by how they respond to the various challenges they face. Hugh Grant gives a lecture on how Christianity mirrors dozens of faiths in the past—there's a theme here of imitation which touches both metaphysical and literal aspects of the story—and his big reveal is that it's all just a control mechanism.

But he's a literal maniac, a cruel monster beyond even what we see right away, and at no point is he admirable. He's basically the stereotypical Internet atheist, only more energetic.

There's a reference here to something called "The Great Prayer Experiment" which purportedly showed that prayer didn't work. I found that fascinating since as I was growing up, I remember reading studies that shower prayer did work. Looking it up it seems like the current "science" is that prayer actually makes things worse. Heh.

Saturday Night

Can you figure out who is supposed to be who in this picture?

I generally avoid biopics, as they tend to reduce people's lives into very formulaic cartoons, but the Barbarienne wanted to see this—she's a big Jim Henson fan—and it's very entertaining, and absurd. It takes a lot of vignettes (mostly from the first generation Saturday Night run) and shoves them into the two hours before the premiere took place.

Chevy Chase is shown as an insufferable egomaniac who loses his girlfriend to an overly endowed Uncle Milty, and his future disastrous late night talk show career is presaged. John Belushi is a fragile, barely sane, self-imagined Marlon Brando who quits because Polaroid is going to sponsor the show. Dan Aykroyd is a smooth-talking lothario. Jane Curtin is skilled but clear-eyed about what's going on while Laraine Newman is more of a wide-eyed naïf being seduced by Aykroyd. Gilda is kind of low-key and whimsical. Garrett Morris has no idea why he's there.

First host George Carlin hates everything and everyone.

When they're "on", the not-ready-for-prime-time players are pretty good, though lacking even a fraction of the original cast's charisma. When they're in the background and to the side, it's easy to forget who's who.

That's okay, though, because it's really the Lorne Michaels story. Will he be able to get the show on the air or will they end up re-running Carson? Will he figure out what his relationship is with his sort-of wife? (They try to make a thing out of what name she's going to use, but it's not really a strong part of the film, just kind of '70s weirdness.) What even is this show? Nobody can answer!

I'm sitting there going "It's a variety show with an emphasis on comedy, a perfectly ordinary thing for 1975, just a little saucier."

As surviving cast members have commented, while not strictly accurate, it captures the feel of the era, and I can buy that. The pace makes it such that it's a very lively (real time) watch.

The Burmese Harp (1956)

A pacifist Japanese WWII movie?

Ever hear of it? Me, neither. The Boy and I saw this on Election Day and, while it's a great movie, The Boy was too stressed to enjoy it much. It's very low-key: A Japanese troop in Burma at the end of WWII has one soldier, Mizushima, who has learned to play the Burmese harp, and dresses in Burmese clothes, so he can act as a scout.

The harp ends up alerting them to danger, saving them from a deadly firefight, and identifying Mizushima at various points in the movie.

The plot is that, after trying to save a bunch of holdouts from getting shelled by the British, Mizushima is separated from his troop and has to cross Burma on foot to rejoin them, which he does in the stolen robes of the monk who saved his life. And on the journey he is treated with the tremendous respect accorded to Burmese monks, and also a witness to the mountains of Japanese corpses who died in the jungle.

The journey changes him and he's torn between wanting to go home and feeling a need to bury his dead countrymen.

Really interesting and moving film, but probably not the best to watch if you're biting your nails over election results. (I wasn't but, as mentioned, the Boy was.) My two random observations were: 1) That doesn't sound like a Burmese harp. It sounds like a western harp. 2) I wonder if all those gorgeous Buddha monuments are the ones the Muslims destroyed?

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

Maggie Smith in her prime. Pamela Franklin not?

I wasn't actually expecting that much from this, Maggie Smith's breakout film, beyond a great performance from the late Ms. Smith herself, and was actually pretty bowled over. It was nuanced in a way I can't imagine a modern film being (and by 1969, the grossly simplistic Boomer world-view was being ensconced).

It's 1930s England, and Miss Jean Brodie (Smith, duh) is teaching her class at the all-girl school where she proudly announces she's "in her prime". The sole source of this is her own heart, which is the source of almost everything she does, much to the annoyance of the school staff and faculty.

So, you think "Oh, free-thinking woman sticking it to the stuffed shirts"—but, no! She's basically loathed at her school by everyone but her students and the two men wooing her. Her professed love of her students is a weirdly narcissistic fantasy with dire consequences. She decides their fates, incorrectly, and spends a large amount of time lavishing adoration on Francisco Franco and Benito Mussolini.

Meanwhile, she's in love with the school's art teacher. They had a fling which she broke off, and he's been chasing her ever since. (He's a married Catholic man with an increasing number of children as the movie goes on.) There's a staid, dependable, wealthy guy who adores her, but she's strongly resisting his proposals. (Although I do think they canoodle.)

And the camera is showing us all the time: This is not this woman's prime. She's 35 (which is ancient for a single woman in 1969) and Dame Maggie looks at least that old. (She aged rapidly, I think, and even in her 20s didn't look that young.)

And still, for all her ridiculousness and narcissism, we still like her. We're rooting for her. It's a tragedy, in that sense, as she has no capability to self-correct. One can hardly imagine what lies in her future. In today's world, we'd suspect lots of white wine and cats.

Smith won a well-deserved Oscar. Rod McKuen was nominated for the title song, which is loathsome, but his ham-handed romantic score actually works in the film proper because it's basically white-hot irony (whether McKuen knew it or not).

(We played guess the rating after watching this, with Pamela Franklin being fully nude in this movie that features a middle-age man in an affair with a 16-17 year-old girl. It was and remains rated PG.)

Juror #2

o/~I heard he played a good song...~\o

Clint Eastwood's (maybe) last film is a solid morality tale which I probably rate higher than most, because it's a real movie from Hollywood, where the characters have believable motivations and are driven to desperate, even evil actions, such that the sort of happy ending crowds like just can't happen without some sort of deus ex machina, and that ain't the way Eastwood rolls.

Nicholas Hoult finds himself as the titular juror in a case that Toni Collette is trying. She's trying put away a guy who allegedly killed his girlfriend and dumped her body in a ditch during a rainstorm the previous fall. Except the more Justin (Hoult) hears, the more convinced he becomes that he was the one who killed the girl.

Justin, who's expecting a child (after losing twins on the night of the death), tries to figure out all possible ways he can of getting the accused off, but Collette is running for D.A., so she needs to put someone away for the crime. If he can't get the jurors to acquit, if he hangs the jury, they'll just hold the trial again. But the more he tries to get the falsely accused off, the more he risks implicating himself.

So we start with a 12 Angry Men type premise, and go into an almost "Columbo"-style reverse engineering of a crime we already know all about, and then end up with the moral dilemma.

Very solid flick. Not a crowd-pleaser, but nowhere near as dark as, say, Mystic River. It's a shame that WB seems to have buried it. It was amusing to see Hoult and Collette reunited. (They played son and mother in About A Boy, speaking of Hugh Grant.)

Bogart: Life Comes In Flashes

Iconic.

I naturally adored this biography of Humphrey Bogart, which leans heavily on Bogie's own writings (read by someone doing a mild impression of Bogart). Lots of fun and interesting vignettes detailing his struggle as an actor, as an already thrice-married man whose last wife was literally insane and shooting at him—and whom he told the already smitten Lauren Bacall he had to give another chance since she said she had given up drinking.

He seems like a decent, hard-working guy who never believed his own press.

Biographies usually tend to linger too long after the deaths of their subjects, and I appreciated that this one didn't. (It didn't dwell overmuch on his death, though it was a horrible one.) I thought it spent too much time on things that weren't particularly relevant (like his mother being a suffragette and Prohibition) or which have been overdone and which weren't enlightening. Like, Bogie and Bacall objected to the HUAC and because Bogie was that famous, both the Communists and the anti-Communists decided he was a Red.

Meh. I would've liked to hear more about how the Hollywood power couple started the Rat Pack, and more about Bogie's lifetime friendships with John Huston, Leslie Howard, Hepburn and Tracy, and so on.

Still, if you're a Golden Age of Hollywood fan, it's a must see.

Close it up

Posted by Open Blogger at 07:31 PM Comments

Hobby Thread - November 23, 2024 [TRex]

—Open Blogger

Welcome hobbyists! Pull up a chair and sit a spell with the Horde in this little corner of the interweb. This is the mighty, mighty officially sanctioned Ace of Spades Hobby Thread.

We gave the Ace of Spades Wheel of Hobbies(TM) a spin and it landed on a theme of making music for this week. Apparently the Wheel is interested in hearing about the musical talents of the Horde. This is NOT a music thread. Repeat. This is NOT a music thread where we debate the voice of Geddy Lee, the wardrobe of Elton John, or the drums of John Bonham. There is a place elsewhere for that.

This is a thread about music made BY THE HORDE. What do you play? What did you play as a child? Can you play multiple instruments? Do you still play? If not, do you wish you could rekindle the magic? Did you grow up hating piano lessons but now glad you can punch out chopsticks on the piano in your living room? Do you play an unusual instrument? Is there an instrument you would love to learn to play? Are you wise in the ways of the French horn? Someone here has to know how to play the accordion, right?

Did you parents encourage you to practice as a child but cringe when you played drums in the living room?

Posted by Open Blogger at 05:30 PM Comments

Ace of Spades Pet Thread, November 23

—K.T.

* * *

Good afternoon and welcome to the almost world famous Ace of Spades Pet Thread. Thanks for stopping by. Kick back and enjoy the world of animals.

Would you like a treat?

Let's relax a little with the animals and leave the world of politics and current events outside today.

* * *

Posted by K.T. at 03:29 PM Comments

Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Nov. 23

—K.T.

Happy Thanksgiving Prep Week! Above and below, gorgeous fall colors from Hrothgar.

Here in the South-Central San Joaquin Valley, we were supposed to catch part of the "Atmospheric River" that produced flooding in the Bay Area, but we only got a few sprinkles. Our power went out for a little while yesterday, though.

How is the weather treating your yard and garden?

Posted by K.T. at 01:30 PM Comments

O Canada, O Montreal

—K.T.

Thanksgiving is earlier in Canada than in the USA,
and is more popular in Vancouver than in Montreal

If you are thinking about visiting Canada, you might want to skip Montreal right now and go to Vancouver instead.

h/t to San Franpsycho for this piece from the Montreal Gazette:

Three people were arrested after pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO protesters smashed windows, clashed with police officers, and set vehicles ablaze on Friday evening.
The protest coincided with the arrival of approximately 300 delegates from NATO member states and partner countries attending a high-level summit, running from Nov. 22 to 25 in Montreal, focused on Ukraine, climate change, and the alliance’s future. The protest also came as the second day of the wave of student-wide pro-Palestinian protests across Montreal.

There are a lot of disturbing photos and details at the link.

*

Gad Saad is a Jewish professor from Lebanon who teaches in Montreal and who has been thinking about moving to the USA. He appreciates that many people are holding Trudeau's feet to the fire concerning the situation in Quebec (some people may blush at his characterization of the sexual dynamics of Trudeau's "type" - nsfw) but there is blame to spread around:

I suppose that the @senateCA chose to ignore my warnings for the past few decades then? https://t.co/hUpBouLxZI
— Gad Saad (@GadSaad) November 23, 2024

He even asks Pierre Poilievre if he will consider mass deportations. He is looking for actual clarity!

How does the situation in Canada compare to our situation here?

* * * * *

History - The Trudeaus

As kids are returning for the holidays, there is an opportunity for some discussion of history. Over at Powerline, Lloyd Billingsley has written America's Trudeau, which some may fault for starting out with a quote from David Frum, who has a history of changing his political stances. But in this case, Frum may be worth heeding. He was born in Canada and it was there that he repudiated leftism (perhaps not permanently):

Pierre Trudeau opted not to serve in World War II, although of age and in good health. He traveled to Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union to participate in regime-sponsored propaganda activities. He wrote in praise of Mao’s murderous regime in China. Trudeau lavishly admired Fidel Castro, Julius Nyerere, and other Third World dictators. The Soviet dissident Andrei Amalrik scathingly recalled Trudeau’s 1971 prime ministerial visit: Trudeau visited the Siberian city of Norilsk and lamented that Canada had never succeeded in building so large a city so far north – unaware, or unconcerned, that Norilsk had been built by slave labor. As prime minister, Trudeau to the extent he could, tried to reorient Canada away from the great democratic alliance.
It’s telling I think that Trudeau came to the edge of endorsing the communist coup against Solidarity in Poland in December 1981. . .

That's pretty extreme.

Billingsley:

And so on, but Trudeau’s service for Stalinist dictatorships never got the attention it deserved. At one time the Royal Canadian Mounted Police handled intelligence matters but in 1984, on Trudeau’s watch, the RCMP was replaced by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. In 1989, the CSIS “destroyed a Cold War dossier on Pierre Trudeau instead of turning it over to the national archives.” Consider the parallels with the composite character president David Garrow profiled in Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama.

There is more interesting information in this piece on parallels between the Trudeaus and Obama, though not all of it is confirmed. There are some things to think about there. I was not aware that Pierre had ties to Stalinists and other communist dictatorships that were quite that deep.

Why would Canadians elect his son?

Billingsley agrees with Steven Hayward that it is time for Canadians to smack down Justin Trudeau.

Quoting more Frum, from 2011, about Pierre:

Canada’s achievement overcoming Trudeau’s disastrous legacy should not inure Canadians to how disastrous that legacy was. Three subsequent important prime ministers – Brian Mulroney, Jean Chretien and Stephen Harper – invested their energies cleaning up the wreckage left by Pierre Trudeau. The work has taken almost 30 years. There was nothing small-scale or parochial about him. As a political wrecker, he was truly world class.
Trudeau believed in a state-led economy, and the longer he lasted in office, the more statist he became. . .

Billingsley:

And so on, inviting a comparison with the record of Justin, in power since 2015. From 2014-22, according to Canada’s Fraser Institute, “Canada’s annual average growth rate declined sharply, ranking third-lowest among 30 countries over the period.” In 2022, “the median employment earnings of workers were lower in every Canadian province than in every U.S. state.”
Like Pierre, Justin Trudeau, is a world-class wrecker. As the anthem puts it, giving him the boot would be a plus brilliant exploit.

We have an entire giant statist machine here. This is interesting. How a small team of attorneys is beating back federal agency overreach

The number of regulations being generated or changed by our government is truly astonishing. Reading part of the Federal Register (and a professional sheet by professional readers of the Federal Register) and sharing my findings with others was once part of my job duties. This kind of activity goes on in companies throughout the country. But ordinary people can also comment on proposed regulations. The link above provides some inspiration and ideas for citizen involvement.

* * * * *

O CANADA, the history

You can't imagine anyone in the Trudeau Regime writing about a plus brilliant exploit in connection with Canada, can you?

O Canada is the National Anthem of Canada.

The music, written by Calixa Lavallée (1842–91), a concert pianist and native of Verchères, Quebec, was commissioned in 1880 on the occasion of a visit to Quebec by John Douglas Sutherland Campbell, marquess of Lorne (later 9th duke of Argyll), then governor-general of Canada, and his wife, Queen Victoria’s daughter Princess Louise. The original French lyrics were written by Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier (1839–1920), later chief justice of Quebec. The English lyrics, which are not a translation or rendering of the French, were written in 1908 by Robert Stanley Weir (1856–1926), a lawyer and recorder of Montreal.

The official lyrics are quite different from the original lyrics, and the original lyrics in French and English are quite different from each other. These are the last two verses of the original French verses:

De son patron, précurseur du vrai Dieu,
Il porte au front l’auréole de feu.

Ennemi de la tyrannie

Mais plein de loyauté.

Il veut garder dans l’harmonie,

Sa fière liberté;

Et par l’effort de son génie,

Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité,

Sur notre sol asseoir la vérité.

Amour sacré du trône et de l’autel,

Remplis nos coeurs de ton souffle immortel!

Parmi les races étrangères,

Notre guide est la loi;

Sachons être un peuple de frères,

Sous le joug de la foi.

Et répétons, comme nos pères,

Le cri vainqueur: “Pour le Christ et le roi,”

Le cri vainqueur: “Pour le Christ et le roi.”

And I like this from the original verses in English:

O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies
May stalwart sons and gentle maidens rise,

* * * * *

Weekend

The Week in Pictures: Dance Craze Transition Edition

* * * * *

Music

French Canadian Fiddle Weekend in Australia

* * * * *

Hope you have something nice planned for this weekend.

This is the Thread before the Gardening Thread.

Serving your mid-day open thread needs

* * * * *

Last week's thread, November 16, How are lefties you know reacting to the election?

Comments are closed so you won't ban yourself by trying to comment on a week-old thread. But don't try it anyway.

Close it up

Posted by K.T. at 11:07 AM Comments

Saturday Classical Coffee Break & Prayer Revival

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

Good morning Morons. Hasn't November been a wonderful month?!?!

Before we get going. Just a few housekeeping matters to go over. (Rulz for those of you in Arroyo Sacco)

1. This is an open thread. Feel free to lurk, opine and/or bloviate away.
2. Be nice, be kind. And for Heaven's sake, no jumping on the furniture.
3. Running with sharp objects can be harmful and/or fatal. Yes, we will laugh.
4. Have a great weekend.
5. Happy Thanksgiving this upcoming Thursday.

*****

Coffee break material................

The Saturday Joke

A new grocery store super-center opened up by my house.

It has an automatic water system to keep the produce fresh. Just before it goes on, you hear the sound of distant thunder and the smell of fresh rain.

When you go to the milk cases, you hear cows mooing and experience the scent of freshly mowed hay.

When you approach the egg cases, you hear chickens clucking and the air is filled with the scent of bacon, eggs and homemade biscuits cooking.

The seafood section has a salt water tang in the air and a sound system playing the gentle splash of waves hitting the beach.

The veggie aisle features the smell of freshly roasted, buttered corn.

I don't buy toilet paper there anymore. (H/T Hrothgar)

Nice kitty said our Genius Award Winner.

THIS is the shocking moment a pet lion savages a man who was trying to snap a selfie with it, ripping into him with its huge jaws.

The brutal attack happened just outside the beast’s cage in Pakistan when the young man got too close with a camera.

Last but not least is our Prayer Revival.

AoSHQ Weekly Prayer List

Please submit any prayer requests to me, “Annie’s Stew” at apaslo atsign hotmail dot com. Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks unless we receive an update.

Prayer Requests:

10/7 – Piper requested prayers for her stepfather, who fell and broke his wrist. He will need surgery to put a plate in. He is in a lot of pain.
11/2 Update – Piper’s stepfather’s surgery went well and he is in PT.

10/24 – B requested prayers for a friend (age 43) who is having heart and lung problems. He had to take “the shot” for work, so B is concerned about what that might mean.
11/6 Update – The friend does have cancer. He was given less than 12 months to live. Prayers for his family (his wife and 4 daughters, ages 6 – 14) are very much appreciated.

10/25 – Mental Block requests prayers as his prostate cancer journey transitions from active surveillance to deciding between two treatment options: a prostatectomy or 6 weeks of radiation combined with hormone therapy. Treatment will begin by mid-December.
11/21 Update – Mental Block started six months of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) which stops his body from producing testosterone. He starts radiation therapy on 12/4, which will be 5 days per week for 6 weeks.

10/26 – Teresa in Fort Worth asked for prayers. She got some troubling and totally unexpected medical news on 10/25, and is being referred to an oncologist to see where she goes from here. She said she is freaking out because this wasn’t even on the radar. It was found while being tested for something completely unrelated.
11/8 Update - It turned out to be bile duct cancer, which has locally metastasized into the liver. The plan is for 3 rounds of chemo starting after Thanksgiving, and then surgery in February or March. This is a rare cancer (8000 cases/year), and aggressive (5 year survival rate of 2-3%). Teresa plans to fight as hard as she can, but this is the situation. She appreciates the thoughts and prayers.
11/16 Update – She had a port installed, which helps avoid needles. She still doesn’t feel sick.
11/19 Update – She saw the oncologist. Without treatment, she might live 6 months. With chemo and surgery, she might make it 12 months. Maybe longer if she’s lucky. She’s eating all the desserts and buying all the yarn she can in the meantime.

10/27 – Jim Sunk New Dawn posted an update. He was feeling poorly at the TxMoMe. Aviator (a neurosurgeon) and Nurse Ratchet visited with him for a while, and the doctor gave him a “look over”. He insisted that Jim visit his local ER first thing on Monday. He did so, and was in the hospital until Thursday. Jim was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). He has a 3-5 year life expectancy. He appreciates a raft of Horde Prayers – y’all is the Best Horde EVER!

10/31 – Nan in AZ is thankful for all the prayers; she got good news from the cardiologist this week that after the heart attack and hospitalization in July, and 3 stents, the ejection fraction is back to normal and the external defibrillator has been discontinued. She has to follow up in 4 months, and will be able to resume full function and work, caring for her 84 year old mom. Good is good!

11/2 – FB asked for prayers for his friend, Jeff, who was just diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He started chemo this week. They’ve been friends for over 30 years; their daughters grew up together, and Jeff is the best fly fisherman FB ever met. Please pray that they can fish the spring steelhead run together.

11/2 - Farmer Bob requested prayers. His older sister is suffering, as her son with autism is hospitalized in a medically induced coma, fighting sepsis from a skin lesion. Her grandson, whom she has raised, has significant medical issues which required a liver transplant. His father has descended into the madness of radical transgenderism. Farmer Bob’ s younger sister is a substance abuser whose behavior has alienated her from the family. Please pray for them, too.

11/2 – J.J. Sefton posted that his latest MRI came back negative. It looks like he has a good shot at beating the odds and stats for glioblastoma. He sends his thanks for the prayers, and he sends prayers, too, for all those who are suffering.

11/2 – Stateless’ 88 year old mother, who had been doing well, has pain in her side after eating. If she lays down, it goes away. She has been treated for diverticulitis using antibiotics, but that has not helped. They are also trying changes to her diet: probiotics, yogurt, etc. They will bring her to ER for a CT scan if needed.

11/6 – Morgan, loyal lurker, is postponing his employment decisions until the new year. He asks that God reveal His will for him, and what direction He wants him to take. He also asks for blessings on Misanthropic Humanitarian for all his efforts on the ONT and his well-deserved retirement.

11/8 – Jim in Kalifornia could use prayers. He was scheduled for laparoscopic surgery to clean abscess(es) and add drain.
11/16 Update – Jim was released from the hospital on 11/12. He still has the drain, is on 2 antibiotics and an antifungal for another 12 days. His anti-rejection regimen was reduced to allow him to fight the infection(s), but at a potential risk to the transplanted kidney.

11/8 – Ron asked for prayers for his mother, who lost her vision and also fell. They are hoping for a medical procedure in the near future to restore (some of) her vision, and that the fall didn’t injure her too badly.

11/9 – SD requested prayers for her husband, whose kidney function is declining. They had a scare when an ultrasound suggested a mass on his right kidney, but thanks be to God, the CT scan said it was no mass, just an irregularly rotated lobe of his kidney. He sees a nephrologist on 12/3.

11/9 – tbodie Lurker sent thanks for the prayers. Tbodie had follow-up surgery on 11/6, and it went well.

11/10 – Farmer asked for prayers for Julie, who went to ER and almost died. She had “septic shock with multi organ failure secondary to perforated gastric ulcer with kidney and liver failure”.
11/16 Update – Julie was taken off the ventilator for 3 hours. Her eyes were open and got real wide when she saw him. So she is still there and coming back, slowly but surely.

11/13 – NR Pax requests prayers for his friend’s family. They have to sell their home and move because the local drug dealers have been making escalating threats to them.

11/13 – R asked for prayers for his mother. She lost her vision and she fell. They are hopeful that a medical procedure will soon restore some of her vision, and that the fall did not injure her too badly.

11/13 – Nightwatch needs prayers. His sister Kathleen suffered a massive stroke and is in the ICU. This news was given to him 2 hours after he got home from his wife’s aunt’s burial, and a week after the untimely passing of his nephew at age 34.

11/15 – Pooky’s Girl asked for prayers for Lil Pooky’s possible abdominal hernia.
11/19 Update – His hernia is pretty minor and can be fixed laproscopically with a single stitch. Surgery will be in mid-January. Please pray that Lil Pooky will have minimal discomfort until then.

11/15 – Notorious BFD asked for prayers from those so inclined, after Notorious BFD’s brother-in-law passed away unexpectedly.

For submission guidelines and other relevant info, please contact Annie's Stew, who is managing the prayer list. You can contact her at apaslo at-sign hotmail dot com. If you see a prayer request posted in a thread comment, feel free to copy and paste it and e-mail it to Annie's Stew. She tries to keep up with the requests in the threads, but she's not here all of the time, so she may not see it unless you e-mail it to her. Please note: Prayer requests are generally removed after four weeks or so unless we receive an update.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

Close it up

Posted by Misanthropic Humanitarian at 08:14 AM Comments

Daily Tech News 23 November 2024

—Pixy Misa

Top Story

Elon Musk's new ideas for improving government efficiency are not in fact new. (The Verge)

Do tell, O Verge.
Though DOGE isn't a real department - and may in fact just be President-elect Donald Trump's way of placating Musk by giving him the appearance of a real job - it represents a long-running right-wing attempt to gut the civil service, a plan the incoming administration fully supports.
So it only appears to be a real job, but the administration fully supports it?
In any case, Musk and Ramaswamy have proposed cutting "thousands" of federal regulations and determining the "minimum number of employees required at an agency for it to perform its constitutionally permissible and statutorily mandated functions."
Awesome.
This time around, it's not clear whether the courts would stop Trump, who, in his first term, nominated more judges to the federal judiciary than any of his predecessors and will inherit an extremely friendly Supreme Court. And as Musk and Ramaswamy noted in their explanation of how DOGE will function, the incoming Trump administration has something new at its disposal: the recent Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the landmark case that overturned Chevron deference.
Better and better!
The goal is mass deregulation - a weakening of checks and balances and a major cut to basic government services, all in the name of concentrating power among a small group of plutocrats.
As opposed to the way things are now, where government regulations are the primary tool for concentrating power among a small group of plutocrats?

Posted by Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM Comments

The ONTs Of Others

—WeirdDave

Greetings Horde! Tonight we have a special medal for whoever posts 3st!

Posted by WeirdDave at 10:00 PM Comments

Police Cat Cafe

—Ace

Holy Island, Northumberland
by Jim Scott

I must eat your head now.

The kitten chose violence.

It's a group watch.

Youth vs. wisdom. TBH, I think youth is winning here.

Cats are chaos agents and that's just the way it is.

Proving that you can look cool on a Vespa.

Dogs at the swimming hole.

Sleeping off a hangover.

Don't let this fool you, winter is awful.

Seriously, do not believe winter's lies. It's nothing like that. It's a frigid shitshow.

After a dog was lost for three years, his owner gets a tip out of the blue that his beloved mutt might have been found living on the street as a stray.

ICYMI: The jelly budgie strikes again.

Sleepy tiger cub.

Older brother dog looks out for younger brother dog.

Wait, today is Friday? Even better!

Scrubbing the turtle, if you mark my meaning.

Big elephant shares with little elephant (though I think a little more generosity wouldn't go missing).

Manatee hugs her calf.

Baby cows running around like puppies.

This is how elephants protect their babies.. pic.twitter.com/LONTJ07IrN
— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) November 20, 2024

Nosey neighbors..🐾😅 pic.twitter.com/TlCRjhlOvS
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) November 21, 2024

Where is he..🐈🐾🐶😅 pic.twitter.com/ezj6EVAkg8
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) November 21, 2024

Apparently everyone in Amsterdam is so high they made a cat a cop.

Police cat in Amsterdam, Netherlands..🐈‍⬛👮‍♂️😍

📹police_cat_amsterdam pic.twitter.com/nN8zgKwbWW
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) November 15, 2024

Is he really a cop? Well, that depends: Do you want to live in a world of whimsy and wonder, or do you want to know the truth?

There are gorgeous cats everywhere, peeking from windows, trotting down scenic streets, and even leaping from rooftops. With so many canals in the city, cats are often near the water. It's for that reason the city also has an unofficial police cat!
Nimis, the Police Cat of Amsterdam

A black cat, Nimis, lives on a houseboat with his senior brother, Tommy. His mom, Lydia, adopted him as a kitten. At two years old, he's still extremely playful. Unfortunately, that means he sometimes falls into the water! So his mom, Lydia, started putting a bright yellow life vest on him.

As you can see, she works on the police force. But whenever she goes out for walks with Nimis, people would laugh. His vest purrfectly matches her police uniform! It made the day more fun, and to make it even funnier, she applied police patches to his vest. From that moment on, his unofficial duties began.

Nimis is the cute nemesis to anyone who would be in a bad mood.

"He's been going through the neighborhood, and now everyone thinks of him as our local police agent cat," she said.

One day, Lydia started posting videos of Nimis on social media. At first, it was aimed at entertaining the family, and her young nieces. But then, the videos went viral, reaching millions of views!

"I wasn't about to start doing funny dances, so I did this," she said."It's crazy. It's crazy! I never expected that, of course. It was just for fun."

Every morning, Nimis wants to go on patrol, hopping to the round portal to see the view. When it's time, Lydia opens the window and he hops out to begin his adventures.

The Knight Cat (codename: K.I.T.T.Y.) goes on patrols and adventures which are documented here.

I'm gonna catch it..🐕🐾🚘😅 pic.twitter.com/IuLUmad2ar
— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) November 21, 2024

Close it up

Posted by Ace at 07:22 PM Comments

It's a Clown World After All

—Ace

The Bulwark continues farming their hysterical, paranoid readers for trauma-clicks:

You can read excerpts from this hysteria-farming at Hot Air. The writer spins out fantastical scenarios about Trump ignoring the Constitution's prohibition on being elected to more than two terms, including the Reich-Wing Supreme Court just saying, God-Emperor Trump can do whatever he wants.

This is desperation. They are preying on their fearful, mentally-ill readership's hysterias to keep the clicks coming and keep Pierre Omidyar funding them.

Bill Kristol, JV Last, Tim Miller and the gang of cowardly, moneygrubbing psychopaths have nothing left to sell their hard-left donors but fear porn and assassination prep.

MSNBC is sad that Laken Riley's killer was convicted.

Thanks to Deb Heine of American Greatness.

Excerpts from this Sympathy for the Devil article from Hot Air:

What a ghastly thing to publish.
What completely unnecessary and callous words to scribble.

With what feels like a cavalier bone thrown to Laken's devasted family only in the very last paragraph. Such soulless good sports they are.

...The judge also hit Ibarra with consecutive sentences instead of concurrent sentences. A concurrent sentence is much better for a defendant. It means he serves all his sentences at the same time. Three concurrent 20-year sentences mean a defendant serves 20 years. Three consecutive 20-year sentences equals 60 years behind bars. Under Georgia law, concurrent sentences are the default, but the judge here felt concurrent sentences -- for life sentences, no less -- weren't sufficient punishment. This provides the best glimpse into the judge's opinion of this defendant.
Sometimes defense counsel just gets handed a truly awful, unwinnable case. The defense's choice of a bench trial not only saved the state the resources of a wasted jury trial; it also likely avoided unnecessarily prolonging this traumatic experience for the victim's family.

Re: the terrible rumor that Trump was looking at Deep State operator Mike Rogers for head of the FBI:

@JackPosobiec
BREAKING: Andrew McCabe went on CNN last night and endorsed Mike Rogers for FBI Director

Tells you everything you need to know

DC_Draino
@DC_Draino 3

Goes without saying - Mike Rogers cannot be FBI Director
Otherwise nothing will have changed

Gunther Eagleman
@GuntherEagleman

Mike Rogers has been on Fox and Friends this morning pushing his name out there for FBI Director.
Get loud, #KashOnly

Dan Scavino Jr.
@DanScavino

Just spoke to President Trump regarding Mike Rogers going to the FBI. It's not happening -- In his own words, "I have never even given it a thought." Not happening.

Donald Trump Jr. @DonaldJTrumpJr 1h
Winning

via andycanuck.

Remember the spree stabbing in NYC on Monday? Well there was another one on Wednesday.

A 55-year-old tourist was attacked with a knife while walking on the sidewalk in a swanky neighborhood in New York City on Wednesday, police said.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed to Fox News Digital that the stabbing in broad daylight occurred at approximately 10:23 a.m. in a neighborhood on the Upper West Side.

Police said that the 55-year-old's left ear and left cheek were slashed during the seemingly random attack. The victim was transported to a local hospital following the stabbing.

The suspect fled following the attack, authorities said. Surveillance footage, obtained by Fox News Digital, showed the suspect running from the scene. He was spotted with a knife.

The NYPD are continuing to investigate the incident.

The stabbing comes just two days after a knife-wielding man was charged with killing three people on Monday.

Police arrested 51-year-old Ramon Rivera, a career criminal, earlier this week after he allegedly went on an unprovoked stabbing spree across Manhattan.

Meanwhile, the disgusting, corrupt Soros DA Alvin Bragg continues persecuting Trump and Daniel "The White Man" Penny.

Posted by Ace at 06:14 PM Comments

Just The News: The Capitol Hill Cop Who Murdered Ashley Babbit Had Long Disciplinary Record Including Reports of Mishandling Firearms

—Ace

What a hero.

Can we vote him a Congressional Medal of Honor, to be presented by Lindsey Graham, who demanded the Capitol Police begin indiscriminately murdering citizens?

Cop who fatally shot J6 protestor has lengthy disciplinary record that includes gun incidents
The issues in officer Michael Byrd's background included a failed shotgun qualification test, a failed FBI background check, a suspension for a lost weapon and referral to prosecutors for firing his gun at a stolen car.

By John Solomon and Steven Richards

The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 riots and then was promoted has a lengthy internal affairs and disciplinary record that includes firearm-related incidents, a sweeping congressional investigation has found.

The issues in Captain Michael Byrd's background included a failed shotgun qualification test, a failed FBI background check for a weapon's purchase, a 33-day suspension for a lost weapon and referral to Maryland state prosecutors for firing his gun at a stolen car fleeing his neighborhood, according to congressional and police documents obtained by Just the News.

...

The incidents described in Loudermilk's letter are corroborated by congressional records and police reports that date as early as 2004 including:

A 2004 incident where Byrd, who was off duty, fired his weapon at a stolen vehicle as it was fleeing his residential neighborhood;

A 2015 "conduct unbecoming an officer" complaint filed by a fellow officer after Byrd, again off duty, confronted him while the officer was working at a high school football game in an incident with racial overtones;

A 33-day suspension in 2019 after Byrd left his service weapon unattended in a public Capitol Hill bathroom;

A failure to pass a routine background check shortly after Jan. 6 when attempting to purchase a shotgun for home protection, after the USCP worked to provide Byrd a department-issued shotgun instead, he failed the training; and

Three further referrals to the Capitol Police Office of Professional Responsibility for which records are reportedly missing.

Mark Schamel, the lawyer representing Byrd, did not respond several requests for comment. The U.S. Capitol Police also did not return several inquiries from Just the News.

"I showed utmost courage"

In his only interview to date, Byrd told NBC News' Lester Holt about his experience on Jan. 6 and defended the decisions that he made that day, including to use his firearm against Ashli Babbitt, a pro-Trump protestor who had entered the Capitol.

"I believe I showed utmost courage on January 6, and it's time for me to do that now," Byrd said when he was asked why he decided to come forward publicly.

...

By 2023, Byrd was promoted to the rank of captain by Capitol Police leadership.

Loudermilk is specifically concerned about Byrd's promotion because of his lengthy disciplinary history, which includes at least two firearm incidents and one confrontation with another officer while off duty.

Oh boy, we sure don't want Trump filling the government with "loyalists." No one in the government is a "loyalist" to their fellow leftwing Deep State Regime operatives right now.

In more Deep State news: Wray and Mayorkas decided they didn't feel like showing up for a congressional Homeland Security hearing so they just blew it off.

There is a prison cell missing two hoodlums.

Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI director Christopher Wray did not show up for a Senate Homeland Security hearing on Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to relieve both of them of their duties.
The break with precedent sparked outrage from committee chairman Senator Gary Peters (D., Mich.) and other lawmakers.

"In a shocking departure from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's longstanding tradition of transparency and oversight of the threats facing our nation, for the first time in 15 years, the Homeland Security Secretary and FBI Director have refused to appear before the Committee," Peters said.

"Their choice to not provide public testimony about their departments' efforts to address wide-ranging national security threats robs the American people of critical information and the opportunity for public accountability of what the federal government is doing to keep Americans safe," he added.

When reached for comment, the FBI and DHS both told National Review the committee lawmakers would be better off meeting in a classified setting to discuss the threats to American national security.

"We remain committed to sharing information about the continuously evolving threat environment facing our nation and the extraordinary work the men and women of the FBI are doing," the FBI said in a statement.

...

"DHS and the FBI already have shared with the Committee and other Committees, and with the American public, extensive unclassified information about the current threat environment," the spokesperson added.

Unsatisfied with that explanation, Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) a member of the committee, is calling for Mayorkas and Wray to face subpoenas to testify.

"This is Mayorkas & Wray giving the middle finger to the American people. They are REQUIRED BY LAW to testify. And now they're saying it's good enough to post something on a website? Both are unfit for office. The Senate should subpoena them immediately and hold them in contempt," Hawley said on X.

Muh Normzzz.

Posted by Ace at 05:10 PM Comments

Musk, Vivek Lay Out Their Plans to Make America Solvent Again

—Ace

The New York Times ran another hair-on-fire article last week warning of the dangers of Elon Musk's cost-cutting.

See, this Lunatic has a crazy way of cutting costs: He just cuts what he thinks can be cut, then sees if he's cut too much and makes adjustments later.

Or, if he hasn't cut enough, he cuts some more.

It's insane! No company could possibly survive such a regime of cost-cutting!

Except for the several billion dollar companies Musk created, which are flourishing.

Slash First, Fix Later: How Elon Musk Cuts Costs Mr. Musk dug into his companies' budgets, preferring to cut too much rather than too little and to deal with the fallout later. Under Donald Trump, he is set to apply those tactics to the U.S. government.
On a Saturday morning in December 2022, Elon Musk summoned finance executives at Twitter, which he had bought six weeks earlier, to a conference call. Then he drilled into a spreadsheet that contained the social media company's expenditures.
Mr. Musk was angry, three people who were on the call said. Even though Twitter had just shed more than three-quarters of its employees -- leaving it with just over 1,500 workers, down from nearly 8,000 -- the company's spending still appeared to be out of control, the billionaire told attendees.

Over the next six hours, Mr. Musk read out the spreadsheet line by line and asked workers to account for each item. He ordered some items -- such as car services for executives -- to be cut completely. At one point, he confronted an employee who was responsible for a multimillion-dollar contract related to website security and said his electric vehicle company, Tesla, spent far less on the same task. After the employee pushed back, Mr. Musk said she was no longer with Twitter.

The meeting was characteristic of the approach that Mr. Musk has taken to cutting costs. Frugal to a fault, the 53-year-old has been intimately involved in hacking down budgets at his companies, including Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter, which he renamed X. Over nearly three decades as a tech entrepreneur, he has honed his penny-pinching by digging into minutiae and cutting as deeply as possible -- often preferring to cut too much rather than too little, according to 17 current and former employees and others with knowledge of Mr. Musk's strategies.

Perhaps most importantly, Mr. Musk has been brutally unsentimental about the cuts, paying little regard to norms and conventions. The tech mogul has been unabashed about slashing costs to the point that corporate processes -- and sometimes even product safety -- break down, philosophizing that he can just fix things later, the people said. And he has been unafraid to offend, stiffing vendors to negotiate better prices and sidestepping traditional suppliers to manufacture cheaper parts from scratch.

"He used to be a deity," said Jim Cantrell, SpaceX's first vice president of business development. "But you know he's just a business guy. And he wants to cut everything to the bone."

."

Oh no! He might bring that wealth-generating, growth-spurring frugality to the US government!

They say that they can cut $2 billion from the government's discretionary budget.

It's not nothing.

They say they'll be relying heavily on the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning so-called "Chevron deference" -- the idea that courts must defer to unelected bureaucrats' "rule"-making, treating these non-laws as if they're Congress-passed laws -- to overturn regulations and permit Trump to cancel, or "reciss," spending.

Reciss. You know what that sounds like.

Our nation was founded on the basic idea that the people we elect run the government. That isn't how America functions today. Most legal edicts aren't laws enacted by Congress but "rules and regulations" promulgated by unelected bureaucrats--tens of thousands of them each year. Most government enforcement decisions and discretionary expenditures aren't made by the democratically elected president or even his political appointees but by millions of unelected, unappointed civil servants within government agencies who view themselves as immune from firing thanks to civil-service protections.
This is antidemocratic and antithetical to the Founders' vision. It imposes massive direct and indirect costs on taxpayers. Thankfully, we have a historic opportunity to solve the problem. On Nov. 5, voters decisively elected Donald Trump with a mandate for sweeping change, and they deserve to get it.

President Trump has asked the two of us to lead a newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to cut the federal government down to size. The entrenched and ever-growing bureaucracy represents an existential threat to our republic, and politicians have abetted it for too long. That's why we're doing things differently. We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as outside volunteers, not federal officials or employees. Unlike government commissions or advisory committees, we won't just write reports or cut ribbons. We'll cut costs.

We are assisting the Trump transition team to identify and hire a lean team of small-government crusaders, including some of the sharpest technical and legal minds in America. This team will work in the new administration closely with the White House Office of Management and Budget. The two of us will advise DOGE at every step to pursue three major kinds of reform: regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions and cost savings. We will focus particularly on driving change through executive action based on existing legislation rather than by passing new laws. Our North Star for reform will be the U.S. Constitution, with a focus on two critical Supreme Court rulings issued during President Biden's tenure.

...

DOGE will work with legal experts embedded in government agencies, aided by advanced technology, to apply these rulings to federal regulations enacted by such agencies. DOGE will present this list of regulations to President Trump, who can, by executive action, immediately pause the enforcement of those regulations and initiate the process for review and rescission. This would liberate individuals and businesses from illicit regulations never passed by Congress and stimulate the U.S. economy.

When the president nullifies thousands of such regulations, critics will allege executive overreach. In fact, it will be correcting the executive overreach of thousands of regulations promulgated by administrative fiat that were never authorized by Congress. The president owes lawmaking deference to Congress, not to bureaucrats deep within federal agencies. The use of executive orders to substitute for lawmaking by adding burdensome new rules is a constitutional affront, but the use of executive orders to roll back regulations that wrongly bypassed Congress is legitimate and necessary to comply with the Supreme Court's recent mandates. And after those regulations are fully rescinded, a future president couldn't simply flip the switch and revive them but would instead have to ask Congress to do so.

A drastic reduction in federal regulations provides sound industrial logic for mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy. DOGE intends to work with embedded appointees in agencies to identify the minimum number of employees required at an agency for it to perform its constitutionally permissible and statutorily mandated functions. The number of federal employees to cut should be at least proportionate to the number of federal regulations that are nullified: Not only are fewer employees required to enforce fewer regulations, but the agency would produce fewer regulations once its scope of authority is properly limited.

....

Conventional wisdom holds that statutory civil-service protections stop the president or even his political appointees from firing federal workers. The purpose of these protections is to protect employees from political retaliation. But the statute allows for "reductions in force" that don't target specific employees. The statute further empowers the president to "prescribe rules governing the competitive service." That power is broad.

...

With this authority,>b? Mr. Trump can implement any number of "rules governing the competitive service" that would curtail administrative overgrowth, from large-scale firings to relocation of federal agencies out of the Washington area. Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don't want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn't pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home.

Finally, we are focused on delivering cost savings for taxpayers. Skeptics question how much federal spending DOGE can tame through executive action alone. They point to the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, which stops the president from ceasing expenditures authorized by Congress. Mr. Trump has previously suggested this statute is unconstitutional, and we believe the current Supreme Court would likely side with him on this question. But even without relying on that view, DOGE will help end federal overspending by taking aim at the $500 billion plus in annual federal expenditures that are unauthorized by Congress or being used in ways that Congress never intended, from $535 million a year to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and $1.5 billion for grants to international organizations to nearly $300 million to progressive groups like Planned Parenthood

...

With a decisive electoral mandate and a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court, DOGE has a historic opportunity for structural reductions in the federal government. We are prepared for the onslaught from entrenched interests in Washington. We expect to prevail. Now is the moment for decisive action. Our top goal for DOGE is to eliminate the need for its existence by July 4, 2026--the expiration date we have set for our project. There is no better birthday gift to our nation on its 250th anniversary than to deliver a federal government that would make our Founders proud.

6-3? I hope you're not counting on ACB or John Roberts.

But if the Court does back them up, we might actually see government spending costs cut for the first time in recent history.

The "Biden" Administration sees the threat of racist recissions to the massive piles of newly-printed Fake Dollars Biden spammed out, largely through the Inflation Creation Act.

Worried that Musk and Vivek might cancel some of the tens of billions of unspent inflationary fake dollars, the Regime has ordered all of its corrupt functionaries to start shoveling it into any stray Democrat's pockets.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is on an urgent mission: get as much high-tech spending out the door before Donald Trump takes office.
The Biden administration is aiming to commit nearly every unspent dollar in its $50 billion microchip-subsidy program before President-elect Donald Trump takes over in January, an effort that would effectively cement a massive industrial legacy before the GOP can reverse course.

"I'd like to have really almost all of the money obligated by the time we leave," Raimondo said in an interview with POLITICO. "That's the goal, and I certainly want to have all the major announcements done as it relates to the big, leading-edge companies."

The effort to spend her department's full CHIPS Act budget would put a capstone on a signature Biden economic policy.

It also speaks to the urgency facing a host of Biden's historic raft of spending programs, many of which could be vulnerable to a Republican White House and Congress eager to pare back the most ambitious Democratic spending packages.

...

Raimondo said she recently directed staff to work through the weekend -- and even made personal calls to tech CEOs -- to speed the talks along.

Wow, government bureaucrats working through the weekend. It must really be the highest of high priority missions to piss away taxpayer dollars and aggravate inflation further.

The forthcoming change in administration is "a clear deadline" that "focuses the mind," Raimondo said, but added she's not overly concerned about budget-conscious Republicans clawing back money from the program next year, despite their threats to do so.

Posted by Ace at 04:10 PM Comments

Shocker: After Briefly Tamping Down on Illegal Alien Migration Just Before the Election, Biden Re-Opens The Spigots As He Exits the Stage

—Ace

Remember when Biden and then Kamala ran on the claim that the Biden-Harris Administration really took illegal immigration seriously and was fighting to tamp down on it?

Well, that was a political strategy called "Lying."

I'm sure the leftwing media will be calling them out on this deception and flip-flop.

The Biden administration is quietly rushing to implement new policies that will loosen restrictions on migrants who entered the US illegally -- a parting attempt to thwart President-elect Donald Trump's immigration crackdowns and mass deportations, sources tell The Post.
And the Big Apple will be ground zero for these changes.

The outgoing administration intends to launch an ICE Portal app starting in early December in New York City that will allow migrants to bypass in-person check-ins to their local ICE office.

Homeland Security sources tell The Post the app will make it easier for migrants to flee authorities in part because the software has proven to be glitchy and unreliable.

Even when it's working correctly, the new app doesn't check for past arrests or outstanding warrants -- something the current system tied to in-person appointments does, sources said.

Up to 100,000 migrants will be enrolled in the first wave of the program, sources said.

That's just one of a handful of initiatives being pushed through before inauguration day -- including allowing migrants to contest government orders to undergo electronic tracking while they await their immigration appointments.

And experts said rolling back the policies might not be as simple as Trump waving his pen, because changes could be subject to both procedural hurdles and legal challenges.

"A lot of lawsuits get filed, maybe frivolously, but it just kind of stalls what the administration wants to do," one DHS source said.

Former acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan slammed the Biden administration's last-minute moves as "the opposite of a peaceful transition of power."

"This is an obstructionist transition," said Morgan.

"What they're trying to do in the last final day, they're going to try to put up as many roadblocks and obstacles and throw as many grenades as they can on their way out."

The illegals know this, and they've got one (?) more massive caravan coming to to America before Biden officially leaves office.

Posted by Ace at 03:10 PM Comments

California Defaults on Federal Covid Loan to Pay for Illegals;
State Shellacks Business Owners With 50% Increase in Payroll Taxes (for Years and Years) To Pay the Loan Back
Plus: The Rise of the ASE (Anti-Search Engine)

—Ace

Unrelated: The sentencing hearing in the Alvin Bragg persecution has been cancelled, and the judge has given leave for Trump to file a motion to dismiss charges. They can't jail a man that the public has chosen to be their president -- it's a rule.

I don't know if dismissing charges is the right move. If they're dismissed with prejudice, that means they're dismissed forever. If they're dismissed without prejudice, that allows Bragg to re-file, that means Bragg (if he doesn't get booted out of office) can re-file them when Trump is out of office.

Obviously the corrupt regime operative Merchan will attempt to dismiss without prejudice.

I want them to appeal and have the court obliterate the charges. Maybe Trump can still do that if the charges are dismissed with leave to re-file.

I dunno -- lawyers, once a verdict is reached, if the charges are dismissed without prejudice, can you still appeal the charges? Or will an appeals court say the appeal is moot?

Or does double jeopardy attach after any dismissal? I'm out of my depth!

Back to the actual headline story:

Kicking out the illegals will destroy our economy.

Who will pick our crops?

Now they're jacking up payroll taxes on businesses by 50%, next year it will be 100%, the year after that, 150%. And on and on, until the loan is repaid.

Chef Andrew Gruel @ChefGruel
We just ran payroll. The payroll taxes were 2K higher than calculated. We called the payroll company. They explained (in summary) that California has a budget shortfall, and the federal government wants money back that it lent California for UI that it "lost." They are making up for it by having business owners pay it. Keep in mind that it was around 10% of our total payroll. When people say, "Why isn't California business-friendly?" remember this.

Everything for illegal aliens, nothing for citizens except burdens and victimization.

The Hoover Institute wrote about this last year -- but it's only this year that business owners are getting hit with the shock of tens of thousands of additional taxes owed.

Little did California businesses know that they were cosigners on the state's nearly $20 billion loan from the federal government that was used to cover California's unemployment fund shortfall during the COVID pandemic. This ugly truth became apparent when the state recently decided to stop making payments on this loan. When a state defaults on its federal unemployment insurance loan, federal law requires that the state's businesses repay the loan.
What makes this default even more egregious is that the stone-age-era IT system of the state's Employment and Development Department (EDD) opened the floodgates to bad actors, permitting more than $30 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims during the pandemic. Those receiving fraudulent payments include incarcerated felons, a person impersonating a one-year-old, and a person impersonating Senator Dianne Feinstein. A single residential address received checks for around 60 separate individuals filing from that address.

This could have been avoided with a competent EDD. But this department's performance has been deficient for decades, and California businesses, many of which are struggling, are left paying for blatant and costly mistakes that should and could have been solved years ago.

With an unpaid federal unemployment insurance loan, the federal government raises the unemployment insurance tax immediately by 0.3 percent on each business within the state, and an additional 0.3 percent each year after that until the loan is fully repaid. The normal federal unemployment insurance tax rate is 0.6 percent per year, which means that California businesses will be paying several multiples of the normal federal tax rate before the loan is retired.

The state's Legislative Analyst Office predicts that repaying the loan through higher taxes on businesses is not expected until 2029 or 2030 and note that retiring the debt could take longer, depending on the state's economic performance. A recession would almost certainly delay repayment, and the odds of a recession in the next seven years are significant.

The state's decision to default is inexcusable. California recorded a nearly $100 billion state budget surplus last year, thanks to the state's top earners, that could have been used to repay the debt. The state received $27 billion in federal COVID aid it could have used to repay the debt. The state's record $300 billion--plus 2022--23 budget could have retired the debt. Even after defaulting, the state could have resumed its payments this year and offset the tax burden on businesses, as it planned to do in its 2023--24 budget. But as the state's finances continue to decline, the state has walked back making payments or offsetting higher business federal unemployment insurance taxes.

Twenty-two states received federal unemployment loans during the pandemic, and California is just one of four states that have not yet repaid the debt. As of the end of last year, California owed nearly two-thirds of the outstanding $27.5 billion federal unemployment insurance debt among these four states. The other states with remaining unpaid debt are New York, Illinois, and Connecticut, all of which are high-tax and high-spending states that are all losing population to other states. I will let you draw your own inferences about why people are leaving California and these other three states and moving to states with lower taxes, fewer regulations, more economic freedom, and lower living costs.

...

How did state government respond to this fiasco? In July 2020, Governor Newsom appointed a "strike force" to evaluate the EDD. By September 2020, Beverly Hills police arrested individuals who were buying expensive clothing, jewelry, and cars using EDD debit cards, which electronically provide unemployment benefits. Those arrested showed the police how easy it was to obtain these cards. Rapper Nuke Bizzle penned a song about the ease of committing EDD fraud that goes like this: "I done got rich off EDD. . . . I just might swipe me a lump sum. I'm in Dior havin' money fun. . . . Ten cards, I'm swiping 10K a day. Counting up bills like a CPA."

...

Even after all this, the EDD can't identify all the fraud that occurred. The EDD estimated about $20 billion in fraud, but Lexis-Nexis, an independent data and analytics firm, reports the fraud is approximately $32.6 billion.

In addition to just giving away billions in fraudulent payments -- which California doesn't seem to mind, because the state is pro-criminal -- they also spent huge sums on paying for free health care for illegal aliens.

For some definitions of "free." Business owners do not consider this "free."

More than 700,000 immigrants living illegally in California will gain access to free health care starting Monday under one of the state's most ambitious coverage expansions in a decade.
It's an effort that will eventually cost the state about $3.1 billion per year and inches California closer to Democrats' goal of providing universal health care to its roughly 39 million residents.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers agreed in 2022 to provide health care access to all low-income adults regardless of their immigration status through the state's Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal.

California is the most populous state to guarantee such coverage, though Oregon began doing so in July.

Newsom looked at the huge federal loan intended to help citizens of California stay alive while in forced unemployment due to state-mandated lockdowns, and said, say, I'll just embezzle this money for my illegal alien voter friends!

Gov. Gavin Newsom said today the state is partnering with philanthropic groups to provide disaster relief to undocumented immigrants affected by the coronavirus who have been left out of other pandemic assistance programs.
Ten percent of California's workforce is undocumented, Newsom said, and they are not eligible for unemployment insurance or aid through the federal stimulus package. The new $125 million Disaster Relief Fund will include $75 million in taxpayer funds and $50 million in philanthropic contributions to help undocumented workers affected by coronavirus secure a one-time payment of up to $500 per person or $1,000 per household.

"We feel a deep sense of gratitude for people who are in fear of deportation but are still addressing the essential needs of tens of millions of Californians," Newsom said, pointing out that many work in essential sectors like health care, agriculture, food, manufacturing and construction.

...

The state also recently allowed for "presumptive eligibility" in its Medi-Cal program, allowing anyone who is uninsured, including undocumented people, to be tested and treated for COVID-19. The eligibility also means they can be treated in a health center or community clinic instead of a hospital emergency room, Newsom said.

A friend summarizes:

Instead of using the Fed loan for what it was for (unemployment benefits during COVID), Newsom instead misappropriated it to cover fully cover illegal immigrant health care. And now that they have to pay it back, California is bilking business owners with massive increases in payroll taxes

BTW, it's hard to google this connection, because the Google algorithm hides every article talking about the expenses caused by illegal immigration, and instead spams dozens of propaganda articles posted by the state of California telling you how much money illegal aliens pay in taxes. Try it yourself. Google has decided you're not allowed to know about the costs of illegal immigration, only the sweet, sweet benefits. We're all living on easy street now, cuz!

I had to ask my friend to check his X account to find this article, because Google is now an Anti-Search Engine. It blocks you from seeing the articles you want, and instead pushes articles Google demands you accept as "truth."

Posted by Ace at 02:10 PM Comments

Joe and Mika's Ratings Continue Collapsing Since They "Slithered on Their Bellies to Lick Trump's Boots"

—Ace

That quote is from Megyn Kelly.

Remember, the Adulterous Pair had already lost half of their audience. Then, they announced they went to the Wolf's Lair, I mean Mar-a-Lago, to meet with Literal Hitler, I mean Trump.

And their audience dropped by another 15% overall, but far worse, the ratings in the demo most sought by advertisers dropped 41%.

Ratings continue to sunset at MSNBC's "Morning Joe" after the hosts surprised audiences earlier this week by announcing they had gone to visit Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago following years of feuding with him.
On Wednesday, MSNBC's morning mainstay lured an average of 647,000 viewers overall, and just 51,000 viewers between 25 and 54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers in news programming. On Monday, the four-hour program reached 770,000 overall and 86,000 viewers in the demo, meaning Wednesday's overall audience fell by 15% and its viewership among people between 25 and 54 tumbled nearly 41%.

The figures mark the second consecutive decline in viewership since co-anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski told viewers Monday that they had gone to visit the former and soon-to-be next U.S. President at his home in Florida in a bid to reach a sort of detente after years of criticizing him on the program. On Tuesday, the four-hour broadcast of the show captured 680,000 total viewers, and 86,000 viewers among adults between 25 and 54, both representing a decline of 12% from Monday's program.

Breitbart reporter John Carney says he has sources at Comcast who tell him they considered the possibility of attempting to reform the gonzo propaganda and defamation channel, but realized that leftwing activists inside the operation would attack the executives for even trying. (As leftwing activists did at CNN when Chris Licht attempted some minor shifts to bring CNN slightly closer to the center. They ultimately succeeded in pressuring Warner Discovery to fire Licht rather than face a general revolt by their leftwing staffers.)

A source close to the Comcast spin-off decision tells me the fear of the far left inside of the cable networks—especially MSNBC—was one of the reasons they decided to spin it off. They considered trying to reform the programming but believed the internal resistance would be too…
— John Carney (@carney) November 21, 2024

David Strom rounds up some more good news: CNN and MSNBC and other leftwing propaganda organizations will be firing some of their most toxic activists.

The Washington Post is leading the way, but other outlets like MSNBC and CNN will be shedding even more of their worst "journalists" as the collapse of the Pravda Media continues apace.

what the hey: I was informed Monday that I will be removed as senior politics editor at the end of the year. I will leave it to others to explain why." Eggen says he is "crushed" by the news. I have reached out to @washingtonpost for comment.
— Lachlan Cartwright (@LachCartwright) November 21, 2024

Don't worry, there's a place for you at Bluesky, dude.

CNN just posted its worst ratings in 24 years.

Long-struggling CNN had its smallest Tuesday audience in 24 years this week among the demographic most coveted by advertisers.
CNN averaged only 61,000 viewers from the critical demographic of adults age 25-54 on November 11, its smallest audience on a Tuesday since June 27, 2000, when former President Bill Clinton resided in the White House.

CNN also had its worst turnout during daytime programming in a decade on Tuesday, as the struggling network managed only 60,000 average demo viewers from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. ET for its worst non-holiday weekday rating since 2014.

As we've talked about before: CNN is asking its top "talent," such as it is, to accept big pay cuts or else to Seek Opportunities Elsewhere. Anderson Cooper cannot continue being paid $20 million per year to deliver among the worst primetime ratings in basic cable TV.

Speaking of massively overpaid toxic pigs:

These people are a special kind of stupid, it's almost art. https://t.co/1fK41jnkjz
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) November 22, 2024

NEW: The View's Joy Behar says people like their show because they tell the truth, unlike "dragon believer" Joe Rogan.

Lmao.

Whoopi Goldberg later chimed in & claimed conservatives on X are bullying people off the platform and that Elon Musk is the real Vice President.

Behar:… pic.twitter.com/fXtkMIvw6L
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 21, 2024

NEW: @ScottJenningsKY's reactions are priceless as Brian Stelter ‘reports’ that Joe/Mika met with Trump because they feared retribution:

"I mean, isn't it possible too that they're just two people who are so full of themselves, so full of self-aggrandizement that they would feel… pic.twitter.com/Ecr6QItBq3
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) November 20, 2024

Rachel Maddow had been paid $30 million per year to do a one hour propaganda show per week.

She's been forced to take a pay cut.

Don't get excited -- MSNBC is still insane and caters to lunatics, after all.

Alex Marlow @AlexMarlow
They are still paying her $25m/year to lie to their audience one night a week.

The corporate media is completely broken.

Close it up

Posted by Ace at 01:09 PM Comments

After Staging an Insurrection for a Week and Attempting to Steal an Election By Counting Invalid Votes, Bob Casey Finally Concedes the Race for PA Senate to the Winner Dave McCormick

—Ace

All it took was the PA Supreme Court telling him to knock it off or face the law.

He's claiming he wasn't grubbily attempting to steal a seat he lost, but instead just make sure all the people's votes were counted. Including all the dead people, fake people, and illegal alien people.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) has conceded the race to Republican Dave McCormick after two weeks of contesting the election results.
Casey announced his concession in a video released to social media on Thursday.

"I just called Dave McCormick to congratulate him on his election to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Senate," he said. "As the first count of ballots is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last."

"This race was one of the closest in our commonwealth's history, decided by less than a quarter of a point. I'm grateful to the thousands of people who worked to make every eligible vote cast could be counted. Including election officials in all 67 counties," he added.

ThePersistence @ScottPresler

It was an honor helping to defeat you & elect future Senator Dave McCormick.

Your election denialism did serious damage to democrats in Bucks County, as well as Shapiro's image.

We won't forget that you tried to steal the election.

Congratulations, President Trump.

Posted by Ace at 12:00 PM Comments

THE MORNING RANT: WSJ Advocates for Airline Consolidation into an Even Tighter Oligopoly…to Enhance Competition

—Buck Throckmorton

Spirit Airlines is in the news as its massive debt burden can no longer be serviced, especially with its pricing model and cost structure, forcing it to declare bankruptcy. The discount airline is not going out of business, or at least not for now, but is reorganizing through bankruptcy court. Its stockholders have had their investments wiped out, and the bondholders are getting a haircut - they too may lose everything. If the reorganization doesn’t work out, Spirit may eventually shut down.

This is all part of the cycle of failed startups, successful corporations, wealth creation, creative destruction, etc. that we who champion capitalism understand and expect.

But the “pro-business” editors at the Wall Street Journal are appalled that the government has not come to Spirit’s rescue by consenting to a competition-suppressing merger with JetBlue Airlines. That merger would have reduced the number of major airlines to just five, who combined would have 78% control of the market. In an editorial earlier this week, the WSJ Editorial Board opined that not allowing the airlines to coalesce into an even tighter oligopoly is “anti-business” and would result in “less competition.”

For the record, I am assertively pro-free market and pro-capitalism, but I am distressed how the term “pro-business” is now becoming a synonym for the embrace of anti-competitive corporatism.

The WSJ editorial makes the case that “the Justice Department cut off a lifeline by blocking its merger with JetBlue Airways.” No, bankruptcy court still remained as a lifeline, and the court has now been engaged.

This line was particularly funny, coming from the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page:

Too bad the government won’t compensate the workers, flyers and creditors harmed by its blunder.

This is the same editorial page that spent decades championing the destruction of American manufacturing while celebrating the economic displacement of those whose jobs were offshored. We now know of at least one occasion when the Wall Street Journal does not rejoice at working class Americans losing their jobs.

[Justice Department] antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter never lets economic reality interfere with his anti-business crusades. DOJ challenged the merger as anti-competitive.

The Justice Department hailed the [JetBlue - Spirit] deal’s termination as “a victory for U.S. travelers who deserve lower prices and better choices.” Now passengers can look forward to fewer choices and higher prices as a result of Spirit’s bankruptcy.

More competitors is “anti-competitive.” More airlines to choose from is “fewer choices.” Advocating for more businesses in a market is “anti-business.” War is peace. Freedom is slavery.

Don’t forget, Spirit will continue to fly post-bankruptcy filing, and it will be competing with Jet Blue rather than being a part of JetBlue.

The Wall Street Journal might consider me “anti-business” since I want businesses to face competition - and possibly fail - rather than consolidate into a too-big-to-fail cartel that allocates customers, rather than competing for them. And maybe Spirit will still not survive at all, despite its visit to the bankruptcy court. Fine. Let another challenger rise in it place.

Posted by Buck Throckmorton at 11:00 AM Comments

Mid-Morning Art Thread

—CBD

The Parting Cheer
Henry Nelson O'Neil

From The National Maritime Museum:

This large-scale painting, both ambitious and complex in conception, is the key mid-19th century image addressing emigration. Rich in interpretative material, it focuses on the reactions of those left behind on shore. The scene is set along the Thames although the artist has deliberately denied a precise geographical location. Groups of figures, in a mix of gender and social class, are shown on the quayside as an emigrant ship departs on the far right. Red and blue shirted sailors are shown cheering from the deck of the ship and from the sides of the rigging. They wave hats and arms or stretch out to maintain the links with shore for as long as possible. Partly in shadow, a group of emigrants look out from the deck below. They are subdued in contrast to the scene around them. Some wave handkerchiefs towards the people on the quay, but are otherwise passive participants of the scene on the shore. A steam-tug guides the emigrant ship away from land; its red funnel spewing out the dark smoke, which spreads over the scene. The increasing expanse of water on the right places a physical separation between the ship and the quay.

Posted by CBD at 09:30 AM Comments

The Morning Report — 11/22/24

—J.J. Sefton

Good Morning Kids. Lots going on to talk about, first and foremost more than two weeks after what was both a massive victory for Trump and a concomitant rebuke of Democrat failure, Bob Casey the soon-to-be ex Senator from Pennsylvania has finally conceded to Republican Senator-elect Dave McCormick. By some miracle enough ballots to overcome the latter's total could not magically appear and more miraculously would not be allowed by a dodgy-at-best judiciary to be counted. Sadly in my new home state of Wisconsin, Eric Hovde was for sure denied IMHO a victory over the revolting, rotund reprobate Tammy Baldwin:

The Democrats may have made a significant mistake in their all-too-obvious attempt to steal a U.S. Senate seat from GOP candidate Eric Hovde. As Hovde explained in a November 12 video, in the early hours of November 6, 2024, he received congratulatory calls for his apparent win. Then, suddenly, by 4:00 am, “a staggering 108,000 absentee ballots were dumped from Milwaukee, with two-term incumbent Senator [and [Democrat candidate]Tammy Baldwin receiving nearly 90 percent of those votes.” Hovde objected: “Statistically, this outcome seemed improbable, as it didn’t match the patterns from same-day voting in Milwaukee, where I received 22 percent of the votes.”
The problem for Democrats is that the late-night drop of an improbable 108,000 thousand absentee ballots that were nearly all for the Democratic candidate fitted an all-too-recognizable pattern of election fraud made possible by cryptographic algorithms embedded covertly in the official State Board of Elections (SBOE) voter registration database. Unfortunately for the Democrats, Andrew Paquette, Ph.D., had previously found an illegal clandestine algorithm in the SBOE voter rolls. As reported on GodsFiveStones.com,

This study of Wisconsin’s voter rolls reveals strong evidence of multiple ID number assignment algorithms, with two appearing over-engineered, enabling data segregation and hidden assignment. The presence of over 60,000 records with encrypted ID numbers further suggests hidden attributes, potentially violating public disclosure laws.

Paquette has also discovered similar illegal cryptographic algorithms in New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arizona, with algorithms yet to be reported also found in New Jersey, Texas, and Hawaii.

Democrats lie, cheat and steal to maintain and expand their grip on power. Is this really news? While there is likely nothing that can be done to redress this, what might have been done ahead of time by the vaunted revamped RNC that supposedly had a handle on this and was primed to stop this kind of garbage? Somehow Trump did capture all the key swing states, as well as a Senate majority while preserving the House.

The action of course is always in the judiciary. At every level, from the lowest local bench all the way up to the SCOTUS.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office defended a deal Thursday to trade four appeals court nominees for faster confirmation of President [lame vegetable] Joe Biden’s district court picks. The decision was a calculated move to secure progress in confirming federal judges amid Republican resistance, according to Schumer’s spokesperson, as reported by Politico. The deal involved dropping four appeals court nominees in exchange for advancing more than three times as many district court candidates.
To date, Senate Democrats have confirmed 221 of Biden’s judicial appointees, with the most recent being Sharad Desai for a federal judgeship in Arizona, Politico said. However, Republicans have persistently employed procedural tactics this week to hinder the confirmation process for additional Biden nominees. Meanwhile, Trump urged Senate Republicans to halt the Democrats’ confirmation of additional judges as Biden is only 15 judicial confirmations short of breaking Trump’s first-term record, Axios reported.

Trump took to X, previously known as Twitter, to voice his concerns as the Democrats managed to confirm two more judges on Wednesday with narrow 50-48 votes, as Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Republican Indiana Sen. Mike Braun were absent.

“The Democrats are trying to stack the Courts with Radical Left Judges on their way out the door. Republican Senators need to Show Up and Hold the Line — No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day,” Trump wrote.

Whatever anti-American anti-Constitutional tyrannical thuggery the left advances historically will only be preserved protected and defended by hacks in black sitting on the judiciary. That of course and the lack of any real opposition party that only seeks to perverse protect and defend its place at the public trough.

That's why the next four years are going to be quite "interesting" indeed vis a vis President-elect Trump's mission to advance a pro-American pro-growth pro-prosperity for all Americans agenda to continue the quest to Make America Great Again. Frankly, when you take a look around not only at the government but society at large, we have to make America AMERICA again, before we can make it great again.

One of the stories I had spotted during my downtime, which made my blood boil and is also quite illustrative of my rant so far is that of Daniel Penny:

Disclaimer: It is impossible for me to be objective about the Marines, and thus I am hard pressed even to try to see the “justice” in the prosecution of Marine sergeant Daniel Penny for acting as the very definition of what we think of as a good Samaritan on the subway in New York City — and, judging by the statements of those he protected, maybe even saving those on the train from the lunatic Jordan Neely.
This is written as the defense begins its case in what is clearly to me a persecution, with clear and distinct racial overtones.  I will look at Sgt. Penny and his background of defending his country; the “victim,” a non-white person alleged to have been choked to death by Sgt. Penny; and the trial thus far.

Daniel Penny, 26, is a native of West Islip on Long Island and signed up for the Marines upon completion of high school. Witnesses called by the defense, including his sister, described him as “kind” and  “peaceful.”  His sister expressed surprise that he joined the Marines because “he was a very calm, soft-spirited person.”  But it wasn’t completely surprising, because “he was always patriotic, and men in our family served.”  One article noted, in connection with the family tradition of serving the country in uniform, “Penny, whose grandfather served in the US Navy and uncles in the Merchant Marines, was a star lacrosse player at West Islip High School.”

. . . Jordan Neely was a homeless man who had been arrested 42 times for petty larceny, theft, and unprovoked assaults on women in the subways.  He was by all accounts well known to law enforcement officials in the subway system as an abuser of K-2, a synthetic marijuana, and involved in many previous incidents on subway trains similar to this one . . .

. . . Although no one, especially no one with actual jury trial experience, would even venture a guess as to how this jury will decide the issue of Sgt. Penny’s guilt or innocence, I believe that most experienced lawyers with that kind of background would agree that this is, quite simply, the best possible panel of jurors Sgt. Penny could have dreamed of.

There is a time-honored old phrase that exemplifies the pride the Marines have of their service in the Corps: “Once a Marine, always a Marine.”

Sgt. Daniel Penny is the living, breathing personification of this credo, and what he did on that subway train that day was a perfect example of the “honor, courage, and commitment” he was taught in his training.

As despicable as Alvin Bragg’s persecution of President Trump was, in my opinion, what he has done to this proud Marine is an outrage and a disgrace to the Rule of Law.

We can only pray that the jury, or perhaps just one of them, as that is all it will take, will make the right decision and give this Marine his freedom back.

Semper Fi, Sgt. Penny!  Godspeed!

So, Neely was a degenerate failure. How he got that way in no small part is the fault of Democrats going back to LBJ's Great Society that destroyed the black family in a quest to create and maintain a vast underclass dependent on government largesse in exchange for votes and permanent power.

Daniel Penny, by contrast represents everything that America had traditionally stood for and what we hope and pray that it can return to. The "GREAT" in great again, from my perspective.

Equally offensive and representative of maintaining and reinforcing a narrative in service to power, is an Illinois court's tossing of the conviction of race hoax perpetrator Jussie Smollet's hate crime hoax conviction. Well, if America is an illegitimate nation built on white supremacy and colonialism, then how can this be a hoax? Preserve protect and defend the narrative by any and all means necessary. You almost want to think that Trump really did make inroads with black Americans, and that cannot be allowed to stand, can it?

Well, beyond the internal divide and conquer cancer that is ever-metastasizing from theLeft, we have the Denver Mayor openly planning to use his Police Department to protect illegal aliens from deportation by the incoming Trump administration:

I suppose he can always deputize the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua thugs already in-country and arm them with weapons from the Obama/Holder Fast & Furious disaster, or contact his local Taliban emissary and get his hands on some of the billions in weapons left behind in Afghanistan when Biden bugged out.

Meanwhile, to hell with the International Criminal Court.

On a personal note, thanks to all of you for your continued support. Some of my thank you notes to those of you who hit our tip jar have bounced back. We thank you as always from the bottom of our hearts.

Have a great weekend!

ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY

Jeffrey Younger's fight to prevent his son from being chemically and surgically castrated is over, and he has lost, as has his son. This defeat has been a long time coming, and perhaps it was inevitable given the prevailing mindset of a nation that, for all of its technological advancement, is flirting dangerously with entering a new Dark Age.
Father Loses His Fight to Save His Son From Transitioning
The left is right to worry about a well-preserved, smarter, savvier Donald Trump
Unburdened By What Has Been, Trump Is Poised To Deliver Bigly

ISRAEL vs IRAN & GAZA/HAMAS/Hezbollah . . . AND BIDEN

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the decision to issue the warrants “a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism.”
ICC Blasted Over Arrest Warrants For Netanyahu, Gallant
'We will continue doing everything in our power to combat this pro-terrorist, illegitimate court,' House GOP whip Tom Emmer tells Free Beacon
'You Can Expect a Strong Response': Republicans, Weeks Away From a Trifecta, Ready ICC Sanctions Following Bibi Arrest Warrant
Daniel Greenfield: Only 31 Senate Dems Voted Against Israel Arms Embargo, 19 Voted For
37% of Senate Dems Voted for an Arms Embargo on Israel.

* * * * *
Discouraging terror and violence.
At the University of Michigan, Getting Tough with Hamas Supporters

WE-ALL-SLAM-FOR-I-SLAM
Raymond Ibrahim: Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, the Muslims of North Africa (“Barbary”) thrived on enslaving Europeans. According to the conservative estimate of American professor Robert Davis, “between 1530 and 1780 there were almost certainly a million and quite possibly as many as a million and a quarter white, European Christians enslaved by the Muslims of the Barbary Coast.” (With countless European women selling for the price of an onion, little wonder by the late 1700s, European observers noted how “the inhabitants of Algiers have a rather white complexion.)
Remembering Why the U.S. Navy Was Formed: To Combat Islamic Terror
Daniel Greenfield: UK Police crack down on critics of Islamic terror.
Thought Police

CIVIL WAR 2.0: J-6 FBI FALSE FLAG "RIOT" & AFTERMATH, LEFTIST PERSECUTIONS, DEMOCRAT PUTSCH, AMERICAN DISSOLUTION
congressional investigation found that the Capitol Police officer who carried out the only killing on January 6th, 2021 had a long history of disciplinary actions against him due to negligence and other shortcomings. (Isn't Malig-Nancy Pelosi culpable to some degree in Babbit's murder? - jjs)
Probe: Capitol Police Officer who Shot Ashli Babbitt had Long Disciplinary Record
19 Republican senators demanded answers on guidance for relief workers to skip Trump homes.
‘Chilling’: Republican Senators Say FEMA Has Fallen ‘Well Short’ Of Its Mission
‘The DoD IG knowingly concealed the extent of the delay in constructing a narrative that is favorable to DoD and Pentagon leadership,’ the letter says.
Exclusive: DOD ‘Intentionally Delayed’ National Guard Deployment To The Capitol On Jan. 6
Lloyd Billingsley: Still a clear and present danger to the people.
FBI.Gov.Con
“We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you.”
Daniel Greenfield: How the Neo-Nazi Left Brainwashes its Recruits to Kill (A K-post/grad education? - jjs)

"BIDEN/HARRIS BORDER BLOODBATH," AMNESTY, IMMIGRATION, BORDER SECURITY
"I don’t know where they would find the forces to begin to do that." (The already in-country criminal invaders, once deputized - jjs)
Shot: Denver Mayor Suggests Police May Be Used to Block Deportation of Illegals
"Castillo forced himself on the 14-year-old daughter of the homeowner, sexually assaulting her."
Chaser: Illegal Alien Charged With Raping 14-Year-Old Girl In Denver As Mayor Opposes Deportation Effort
“Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray’s refusal to speak publicly about their department’s work will only increase the concerns that many Americans have about our nation’s security at a challenging time.”
Dem Chair of Senate DHS Committee Blasts Mayorkas, Wray for Skipping Hearing
The caravan’s exact crossing point into the U.S. remains unspecified. Matamoros, close to Brownsville, Texas, represents the southernmost U.S. border crossing. To reach this point, an adult migrant traveling on foot would require approximately 16 days of continuous walking. Participants in the caravan believe that traveling in large groups provides safety and complicates detainment by immigration authorities. (A-10 Warthogs on a strafing run? - jjs)
Migrant Caravan 1500-Strong Advances Through Mexico.
A new exclusive report from the New York Post has exposed the Biden-Harris administration’s new ICE portal app that will allow migrants in NYC to skip in-person check-ins at ICE offices. With an online system that is unreliable at best and does not check users for criminal records, this new program could allow violent criminal illegals to avoid Trump administration efforts at deportation with practically no records available on who and where they are.
Biden Junta Rigging System to Protect Illegals From Trump
Byron York: All the reasons why.
The Case for Mass Deportations
The House Judiciary’s report details that more than 531,000 individuals entered the United States through the Humanitarian Parole program as of September. The report points out that out of the almost 3 million applications, nearly 760,000 have been filed on behalf of Cuban nationals, nearly 1.5 million for Haitian nationals, nearly 178,000 on behalf of Nicaraguan nationals, and more than 432,300 on behalf of Venezuelan nationals.
Report: Biden ‘Humanitarian Parole’ Enabled Sex Trafficking, Fraud

FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH
“The projected losses, which the paper’s leadership revealed in a recent staff meeting, do not account for the exodus of 250,000 subscribers upset over the paper not endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential bid”
Anger and Fear Grip Washington Post Staffers as Paper on Track to Lose $77 Million This Year
The outlet has been embroiled in controversy since then-executive editor Sally Buzbee stepped down in June.
Bezos’ WaPo Clean-Up Could Be Underway As Senior Editor Reportedly Gets Canned
The move suggests Comcast executives can no longer justify to shareholders the enormous incomes of "star" hosts such as Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough, and Joy Reid. MSNBC and other Comcast-owned cable networks continue to make money, but those profits have declined substantially in recent years.
Gravy Train Derails at MSNSDAP: Top Anchors Face Huge Pay Cut After Comcast Severs Ties With Left-Wing Network
By seeking "warning labels" and other limits on social media, critics damage your free speech rights.
Conservatives Shouldn’t Embrace Statist Solutions For Digital Regulation

RED-GREENS, CLIMATE CHANGE HOAX, DEMOCRAT-LEFT WAR ON FOSSIL FUELS, JUNK SCIENCE, LYSENKOISM
There are also other signs that the tide is turning against climate crisis promoters, including the lack of political heavy-hitters at CoP29.
President of Azerbaijan Boldly Asserts that Oil, Gas Are ‘Gift of God’ at Climate-Cult Conference
“Geoengineering is sometimes a point of convergence between the mainstream and the fringes...In recent years, anxiety about geoengineering has evolved away from chemtrails.”
The Rise of Green MAGA
As we grapple with the twin challenges of energy security and energy reliability, revisiting Nixon’s vision offers valuable lessons. (We can drill for gas and oil and cal wherever we find it! - jjs)
How Trump Can Make The Nixonian Dream Of 1,000 Nuclear Power Plants A Reality
“SpaceX does not help humanity; it’s a sci-fi fantasy for the rich and powerful,” Josette Hinojosa, with South Texas Environmental Justice Network, partly said in a statement. “Elon Musk inviting Trump to watch our low-income community used as a testing site for rocket explosions is a blatant example of white supremacy.”
If ordinary people don’t show up at those upcoming FAA Starship/Superheavy public meetings they WILL be screwed

CRIME & PUNISHMENT, NON-DOSTOYEVSKY
How will the jury decide in one of the explosive trials of the year?
Semper Fi, Sgt. Penny!
In March 2022, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in Cook County jail, 30 months of probation, pay a restitution of $120,106, and a fine of $25,000, after being found guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report after he hired two brothers from Nigeria to stage a fake hate crime against him.
Jussie Smollett Hate Crime Hoax Conviction Overturned by Illinois Supreme Court
"He was acting like a lunatic, like a crazy person."
NYPD Didn’t Tell Daniel Penny That Jordan Neely Had Died When They Initially Interrogated Him
The case for incarceration (Meh, build more gallows - jjs)
Build More Prisons

AMERICA AND THE WORLD IMPRISONED: CHINESE CORONAVIRUS FICTIONS AND FACTS
Naomi Wolf delivers the harrowing facts about the Pfizer jab.
Crime of the Century?

EDUCATION, AND WHAT PASSES FOR IT
The destiny of our nation depends on education. The effort to revitalize our schools must be as bold as our aspirations.
Make Education Great Again!

ABORTION
Richards oversaw nearly 4 million abortions while leading the organization for 12 years, between 2006 and 2018, according to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. The Medal of Freedom is given at the discretion of the president to a civilian who has made an “especially meritorious contribution” to the United States.
Catholic Joe Biden Awards Medal of Freedom to Former Abortion Giant Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards

THE 2020 AND 2022ELECTION HEISTS & AFTERMATH AND 2024 SHENANIGANS
The numbers behind his loss add up only if one recognizes that a cryptographic algorithm manipulated the outcome.
Eric Hovde’s Wisconsin Senate Race Opens the Door to a Criminal Investigation
RCV has largely been pushed by Democrats and has led to the Democrat victory of seats for which Republican candidates ultimately received the majority vote. It has also been shown to produce inaccurate election results as well high rates of discarded ballots.
Boosted By Out-Of-State Dark Money, Alaska’s Ranked-Choice Voting System Is Here To Stay

DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST AND RINO SCANDALS, MESHUGAS, CHUTZPOCRISY
The bogus allegations stem back three years, when Hegseth, as a member of the DC National Guard, was tasked with supporting the 2021 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden with crowd control and protecting the parade routes. One day prior to the inauguration, he was told by his unit leadership to “stand down,” and that his orders had been revoked.
Two Far-Left Veterans Behind Claim Pete Hegseth’s Tattoos Are Linked to White Supremacy
All of the evidence indicates Pete Hegseth was pursued by a married woman who then regretted her decision to have an affair.
The Police Report About Pete Hegseth’s Alleged Sexual Assault Vindicates Him Of Criminality
Democrat operative pleaded guilty in 2013 to embezzling funds from the United Steelworkers Union (This is a democrat resumé enhancer! - jjs)
Chuck Rocha, a Convicted Felon Who Embezzled Union Funds, Eyes Bid for DNC Chair

POLITICS
Gaetz went on to say his nomination has become too much of a distraction, and therefore, he is withdrawing his name from consideration for the highly sought position.
Matt Gaetz Withdraws Name from Consideration for Attorney General Nomination
Bondi, 59, served as Florida’s first female attorney general from 2011 to 2019 and has been a longtime ally of the 45th president.
Trump picks former Florida AG Pam Bondi as AG nominee after Matt Gaetz withdraws – and the ex-congressman approves
Casey’s concession comes just a little over two weeks after he repeatedly contested the election results despite having no path to victory.
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Concedes Election to Republican Dave McCormick
The AP called the race late Wednesday night, projecting that [Nick] Begich will win with 48.4% of the vote compared to Peltola’s 46.4% share. Peltola conceded the race on Wednesday night, telling supporters via social media that she is rooting for Begich to succeed in his new role.
GOP Challenger Unseats Dem Incumbent To Win Alaska’s Lone House Seat
The new sheriff is tall, proud, and wears a white hat. And more often than not, he’s riding with his posse. Well, life is now imitating art in post-election America: Donald Trump is moseying over to Washington Town, ready to drain the swamp, protect the people, and rescue the city from outlaws, thieves, thugs, and gangs.
Grab ‘Em by the Posse: Sheriff Donald Trump Has Deputized an All-Star Team of GOP Desperados!
Now begins the hard work of translating plans into action and promises into policy..
Ten bold ideas for President-elect Trump and the new Congress
If they can balance the interests of working-class voters and the pro-disruption tech sector, Republicans could lock in a political realignment.
Grand New Bargain

THE UKRAINIAN "FRONT"
The Ukrainian president condemned his “insane neighbor” for what he called an attempt to destroy “normal life” in nations surrounding Russia. Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, Zelensky asserted, “will do anything to keep his neighbor from slipping out of his grasp.”
Zelensky: Ukraine Has Not Confirmed Russia Used ICBM, but ‘Insane Neighbor’ Using Ukraine as ‘Testing Ground’
The U.S. is providing more ammunition, weapons, and missiles.
Biden Junta Sending [goniffing] Another $275 Milion In Military Aid To Ukraine Before Trump Takes Office
This recent development is part of a broader pattern of financial and military support from the U.S. to Ukraine, with the government’s total expenditure nearing $60 billion. In April, Congress passed legislation that included $9.4 billion in loan forgiveness for Ukraine as part of a package allocating $61 billion for military resources and governmental operations.
Biden-Harris Junta Forgives $4.7 Billion in Ukrainian Loans.
Fred Fletiz: Given the havoc that Biden’s post-election Ukraine policy decisions have caused, Donald Trump cannot return to the Oval Office fast enough.
Russia and Ukraine Likely to Ignore Biden’s Attempts to Sabotage Trump’s Ukraine Peace Effort

FOREIGN AFFAIRS, INTERNATIONAL
A new international agenda.
Trump’s Iran Strategy Could End Middle East Wars

DEFENSE, MILITARY, SECURITY AFFAIRS
Members of these multi-trillion-dollar-funded agencies no longer see themselves are public servants but rather as rulers while citizens are seen as subjects.
The Pentagon Loses $824 Billion

DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, THE COURTS, WASTE/FRAUD/ABUSE
The decision was a calculated move to secure progress in confirming federal judges amid Republican resistance, according to Schumer’s spokesperson, as reported by Politico. The deal involved dropping four appeals court nominees in exchange for advancing more than three times as many district court candidates.
Schumer Stands By Democrats’ Decision To Sacrifice Appeals Courts For Biden’s Agenda

HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE
Meanwhile, The New York Times is scare-reporting on the US response.
CA Health Dept. Reports a Child Tested Positive for Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu Strain

ACTUAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
Nov. 16, 1974, was a day like any other in our troubled world. The Vietnam War was raging. ABBA left for its first tour of Europe. The Republicans were reeling following the loss of four Senate seats and 45 House seats after Richard Nixon resigned in August.
The Arecibo Message Beamed Into the Universe is 50 Years Old
The number of companies developing orbiting cargo capsules, either to provide supplies to the new space stations or to do manufacturing in orbit for return and sale on Earth, appears to be growing by leaps and bounds.
A U.S. startup building a returnable capsule raised $44 million in investment capital

FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY
Men are Women. Women are Men. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Comply or lose your job. Practicing medicine used to require the belief in science and biology. Now being a physician requires you to surrender those ideals to a dystopian movement set on re-writing truth. A registered nurse in Kansas might lose her license after daring to question transgender ideology.
Kansas Nurse Under Investigation for Questioning 'Transgender' Ideology
"They're endangering girls of all kinds," AOC claimed.
Titty Caca AOC: Keeping Men Out Of Women’s Bathrooms Is ‘Endangering Women’

CULTURE WARS, NATIONAL SUICIDE
In June of this year, Louisiana became the first U.S. state to mandate that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms. The law includes any educational institution receiving state funds, from kindergartens to public universities.
Appeals Court Upholds Judge’s Halt on Displaying Ten Commandments in Schools.
Rep. Jamal Bowman, who is still somehow a congressman despite being an absolute lunatic, took a break from pulling fire alarms to stop official congressional business to rant about how plans to boycott the next Star Wars franchise installment if the lead Jedi is anything other than a black man. Because, as we have learned, it’s always about race for these whackos.
Democrat Rep Says He'll Boycott Star Wars If the Next Lead Jedi Isn't Black
Christian Toto: Paramount+ teases two more seasons of actor's popular mob series (It's excellent IMHO - jjs)
Stallone’s MAGA Move Can’t Stop ‘Tulsa King’

HITHER & YON
The Daily Mirror reports Tammy Faye, a joint creation by the Tiny Dancer singer alongside James Graham, and Scissor Sisters frontman Jake Shears – officially opened at New York’s Palace Theater on 14 November.
Elton John’s $25 Million Broadway Musical Announces Closure Days After Opening
Neuralink, a brain-computer interface company founded by Elon Musk, has been granted approval by Health Canada to start recruiting participants for its first clinical trial in the country. This marks a notable advancement for Neuralink in its objective to develop technology that aids individuals with paralysis in controlling external devices using mental commands.The Canadian trial will be conducted at the University Health Network hospital in Toronto, where complex neurosurgical procedures will be performed. The trial will concentrate on assessing the safety and initial capabilities of the implant for those with quadriplegia, a condition involving paralysis of all four limbs. The aim is to restore some level of independence for users by enabling them to control digital devices through thought alone.
Neuralink Secures Approval for First International Brain Chip Trial.

NOTE: The opinions expressed in the links may or may not reflect my own. I include them because of their relevance to the discussion of a particular issue.

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Close it up

Posted by J.J. Sefton at 07:40 AM Comments

Open Thread

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

Saturday Night Movie Thread [moviegique]: Potpourri

—Open Blogger

Hobby Thread - November 23, 2024 [TRex]

—Open Blogger

Ace of Spades Pet Thread, November 23

—K.T.

Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Nov. 23

—K.T.

O Canada, O Montreal

—K.T.

Saturday Classical Coffee Break & Prayer Revival

—Misanthropic Humanitarian

Daily Tech News 23 November 2024

—Pixy Misa

The ONTs Of Others

—WeirdDave

Police Cat Cafe

—Ace

It's a Clown World After All

—Ace

Just The News: The Capitol Hill Cop Who Murdered Ashley Babbit Had Long Disciplinary Record Including Reports of Mishandling Firearms

—Ace

Musk, Vivek Lay Out Their Plans to Make America Solvent Again

—Ace

Shocker: After Briefly Tamping Down on Illegal Alien Migration Just Before the Election, Biden Re-Opens The Spigots As He Exits the Stage

—Ace

California Defaults on Federal Covid Loan to Pay for Illegals;State Shellacks Business Owners With 50% Increase in Payroll Taxes (for Years and Years) To Pay the Loan BackPlus: The Rise of the ASE (Anti-Search Engine)

—Ace

Joe and Mika's Ratings Continue Collapsing Since They "Slithered on Their Bellies to Lick Trump's Boots"

—Ace

After Staging an Insurrection for a Week and Attempting to Steal an Election By Counting Invalid Votes, Bob Casey Finally Concedes the Race for PA Senate to the Winner Dave McCormick

—Ace

THE MORNING RANT: WSJ Advocates for Airline Consolidation into an Even Tighter Oligopoly…to Enhance Competition

—Buck Throckmorton

Mid-Morning Art Thread

—CBD

The Morning Report — 11/22/24

—J.J. Sefton

California Defaults on Federal Covid Loan to Pay for Illegals;
State Shellacks Business Owners With 50% Increase in Payroll Taxes (for Years and Years) To Pay the Loan Back
Plus: The Rise of the ASE (Anti-Search Engine)