President Trump has talked in recent days with associates about forming a new political party, according to people familiar with the matter, an effort to exert continued influence after he leaves the White House.
Mr. Trump discussed the matter with several aides and other people close to him last week, the people said. The president said he would want to call the new party the "Patriot Party," the people said...
It's unclear how serious Mr. Trump is about starting a new party, which would require a significant investment of time and resources.
Well, Trump skimped on his own election campaigns so I can answer how much money he'd pour into it: Like, forty bucks, total.
That said, his biggest contribution could just be as a high-profile endorser. Third-parties remain fringe concerns because no one believes they could actually win. If people did think they could win, more people would vote for them.
It's a Catch-22.
But if you have a high-profile endorser/patron, you get over that hump pretty quickly.
Ross Perot was able to turn the Reform Party into a significant player in the 1992 election -- and that was with him flaking in and quitting and then unquitting.
It's time.
The GOP is as aggressive an enemy against us as the Democrats are. It's time to starve that beast. Let them see how far they can get without actual human voters.
American Journalism is Back, Baby!: More Wisdom from Our Intellectual and Moral Betters
—Ace
Chris Wallace of the Chris Wallace's Leftwing Opinions Network (CLOWN) didn't just declare that Biden's slurring was the "greatest inauguration I've ever heard."
On Fox, Chris Wallace says Biden sent a message that "especially us in the media must note":
"Whether it's us on the air, on cable or broadcast, whether it's us on social media, on our Twitter accounts: understanding that we have to deal from facts, from the truth."
I wonder if this alte kacher ball-sniffer has been told he should "retire" within the month, so now he's decided to "Go Nova" with leftwing pronouncements.
Oh, and Bill Kristol's nepot son-in-law also thought this was the Bestest Inauguration Ever, and says it was much, much better than Trump's:
Every aspect of Biden’s inaugural—its structure, its bipartisanship, its quotations, its length—furthered his aim of realigning the office of the presidency with its traditions of institutional decorum. My column @FreeBeaconhttps://t.co/FRbIgjOVCC
Yes, Biden's speech was so "bipartisan" that he suggested the need for legal/military action against his internal American-citizen political enemies three times.
Remember when Trump's inaugural speech about an "American carnage" the citizens were facing was called "dark," and all the twitter ninnies and Beltway Cocktail Party Circuit-Jerkers shrieked about it?
Well, "darkness" is now bright and elevating.
And of course we have Nick Fury over here.
You just just suggested Biden use the military to attack Trump voters like al Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. https://t.co/WqFZDySDLh
In a news release announcing his campaign Wednesday, the hard-line conservative state senator said he was running to oust Cheney for her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump for his role in inciting a riot at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6.
"Wyoming was President Trump's best state both times he ran," Bouchard said in a statement announcing his campaign. "That's because Wyoming voters are strong conservatives who want our leaders to stand up for America, defend our freedoms, fight for our way of life and always put working people first as President Trump did."
"Liz Cheney's long-time opposition to President Trump and her most recent vote for impeachment shows just how out of touch she is with Wyoming," he added. "Wyoming taxpayers need a voice in Congress who will stand up to Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats, and not give them cover. That's why I'm running for Congress."
Bouchard had previously declared on FaceBook, after Cheney's impeachment vote: "I expect Never Trumpers to do this stuff. But Cheney should be run out of town, and back to Virginia for joining the blame game!"
"By announcing her decision to vote for impeachment Representative Cheney denied President Trump due process; she judged the 'evidence' before it was presented and refused to listen to the arguments made," the Wyoming GOP said in a statement last week.
"She did this for her own personal political gain," said Rep. Matt Rosendale. It was not a matter of conscience, the Montana freshman insisted. He told RealClearPolitics it was instead a betrayal meant "to elevate herself as one of the new leaders in the Republican Party," before pausing to add, "the 'New Republican party,' if you will." Who are these upstarts? According to Rosendale, they include those eager to put "the legacy of Trump behind them." He paused again, this time to clarify: "When I say legacy, I don't mean the legacy of the last 60 days that has been completely tainted and distorted."
...
Rep. Andy Biggs, a Trump ally and the current HFC chairman, was calling for Cheney's ouster before the impeachment vote on Wednesday. "The reality is she's not representing the conference," he said in a Fox News interview. "She's not representing the Republican ideals." She was "out there advocating for others to join her in impeachment," he said. "That's wrong, and I think she should resign."
Purge her.
They're joining with the left to brand 75 million Americans Uncharged Terrorists. Every time the neocon liberal Republican establishment people lose a primary contest, they defect to the Democrats to make sure the insurgent loses.
That's what Liz Cheney did. She doesn't like the insurgent politics of Trump, so she followed the neocon/Rockefeller Republican pattern of joining with the far left to defeat an internal party rival.
That's not how coalition politics are supposed to work. How it's supposed to work is this: We argue amongst each other, we even primary each other. But, within our own coalition, we accept the results of majority rule. If an establishment candidate wins, fine, the insurgents' supporters support the establishment candidate -- reluctantly, of course, but they still support him.
And if the insurgent candidate wins, the establishment is required to accept the will of the majority and support that candidate. Again, reluctantly, but again, they still must support their coalition partners.
As many commenters always -- rightly -- point out: We're always accepting the need to put internal party fights aside at the general election, and we always wind up voting for the Shit Sandwich we opposed, based on the promise that if and when our guy ever wins, the Establishment Corporatist Neocons will support our guy.
But this promise is a lie. They never do support our guy.
This is entirely a one-sided "partnership," where we have endless obligations to the self-declared "elite" and they have none whatsoever to us.
The Rockefeller Republicans, the "Kennebunkport Konservatives" of the liberal Yankee Bush wing, the corporate-humping establishment Never -- N E V E R -- accept the basic premise of coalition politics that sometimes, your interparty rivals will win an interparty dispute, and you are obligated to accept their win.
They never, ever respect an insurgent. They immediately begin scheming with Democrats to delegitimize that insurgent. They work with Democrats and the Deep State to enact a coup against him.
In the case of Richard Mourdock, a Tea-Party aligned insurgent candidate who beat ancient establishment liberal fossil Richard Lugar, they actually endorse the Democrat in order to prevent their rival from winning.
The Establishment wing of the GOP, and the grotesque corporate-sponsored "conservative" media that acts as its heralds, have now supported Democrats in the general election three cycles in a row -- 2016, 2018, and 2020. Some have done so overtly; most were too cowardly and dishonest to flatly state they were supporting the Democrat, so they did so by a thousand cuts.
But support the Democrats they did.
Because someone Not of the Corporate Body won an election.
This is not, then, actual "coalition" politics, because one side of the coalition absolutely refuses the right of the other parts of the coalition to have any political voice at all.
Any power given to the Establishment Neocon wing is just more power you're giving them for the next time you challenge them, and they decide, as is their standard operating procedure, to use the power you've given them to help the Democrats win and defeat your right to participate in representative politics at all.
They are not allies. They are not coalition "partners." They aim to rule us, and if they cannot do so themselves, they will ally with the Democrats to make sure that the Democrats rule us.
But make no mistake: No matter how it shakes out, the Establishment Corporate Neocons intend that you shall be ruled, by one master or another.
They must be purged. They must be purged, or we must form our own party.
4ward with honor.
A good question to ask Liz Cheney: Any real conservative in a media job should ask her, "If your Trump-supporting primary opponent beats you, will you respect the will of the voters and support him?"
She'll hem and haw. They never do support any Republican from the Republican Wing of the Republican Party. Only fellow Kennebunkport "Konservatives."
Fox News: Best. Inaugural Speech. Ever. CNN: The Lights At the Lincoln Memorial (That Taxpayers and Corporate Donors Paid For) Are "Almost Extensions of Joe Biden's Arms, Embracing America"
And if you recall, this Objective Nonpartisan Urinalist was considered so unbiased that he was made a moderator at a Republican primary debate.
TheHill, a thoroughly amateurish propaganda sheet, continues the very lazy non-journalistic practice of deciding the "news" is whatever word-fart the "journalist" read on twitter two minutes ago:
Nobel Prizes all around, I think.
Oh, and this decrepit old bone-jostler was just gushing. Fox News, through its Signature Opinion-Babbler Chris Wallace, declares it "The best inaugural I've ever heard."
Fox News' Chris Wallace: "Martha, I thought it was a great speech. I have been listening to these inaugural addresses since 1961. John F. Kennedy's 'ask not'. I thought this was the best inaugural address I ever heard." pic.twitter.com/LVnziRqqEY
Meanwhile, the leftwing media (in which category I include the NeverTrump Establishment GOP corporate media, which has supported Democrats three election cycles in a row) is fully unmasked:
American Journalism is Back, Baby! CNN's coverage of Trump's departure from the White House. Content warning: Jake Tapper is in full gloat mode.
"Today, the President-elect is wearing a navy suit and navy overcoat, both by American designer Ralph Lauren. Dr. Jill Biden is wearing an ocean blue wool tweed coat and dress by emerging American designer Alexandra O'Neil of Markarian."
@ajjaffe
Meanwhile, per an aide to Harris: The Vice President-elect is wearing Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson. Christopher is a young Black designer, from Baton Rouge, and lives in New York City. Sergio is Black designer from SC.
Doug Emhoff is wearing a Ralph Lauren suit.
Now that Trump has left the White House, Politico reported on information they've had forever: That Biden is in steep cognitive decline and anything he says is a heavily-memorized line written by someone else.
For higher-profile remarks, [Biden would] obsessively rehearse portions until he committed them to memory. And at times through the various iterations of outlining remarks, Biden could grow downright ornery.
"I would never say this," Biden once snapped at an aide, aghast over the prepared remarks he was reviewing, according to a person in the room during a speech prep session last year. "Where did you get this from?'"
The aide explained that Biden had just said it in a public speech a couple of weeks earlier.
Someone I know has dementia. Whenever he cannot remember something, he gets frustrated, and he "snaps" angrily, just as Joe Biden always does.
Dementia does not just ravage the memory: It also ravages the executive functions of the brain, including emotional control and judgment.
We're we told for five years that we could not afford to have Trump as president, because of his lack of emotional control and poor judgment?
But now we all have to support "President" Biden, who obviously has advanced dementia.
I guess the president, with the nuclear missile launch codes, doesn't need an intact brain any longer.
So we have that to look forward to. Thanks, National Review!
But you know, Biden's staff will write Nice Tweets for him.
And that's all that matters to our Twitter-Bound Political Class.
OK, listen up, all you morons! We got a bunch of new rules that have just been handed down and I've been told they go into effect today. Like, right now. Sorry for the lack of prior notice, but you know how these things are. So, let's get to it:
You all remember how "the #Resistance" was all the rage, right? All the cool kids were doing it. Well, not any more. Now it's a Bad Thing to try to oust the president. The new word is "insurrectionist", and it's a slur, not a compliment. We needed a new word, anyway, since "white supremacist" is starting to get worn out and it doesn't have the shock value it once had.
Any criticism of the Biden administration will now be called an insurrection.
The military is now good. Those brave soldiers are on our side now, right? At least, those we vet and approve of. Police, too. And military parades? Also cool now. 30,000 federal troops in the capitol should not raise an eyebrow, and any comparison to Nazis or Nuremberg rallies, which a year ago would've flooded the news cycles for days if Trump had done this, are to be discouraged.
You're going to have to drop the ACAB nonsense, too. Because we need the police to protect us from the insurrectionists. So you need to get on board with backing the blue!
Rioting is now bad. This rule was actually put in place on January 5th, but not many people knew that.
Fictional movies, plays, and books that depict the assassination of the sitting president as a good thing is now out of style. We don't do that any more. Our President should not be insulted that way. It's bad. For at least the next 4 years. Although there is an exception here for previous presidents, in particular, the last one.
FLOTUS is now beautiful again. Let a thousand magazine covers bloom. And her accomplishments, no matter how small or inconsequential, are too be praised.
This is not a new rule, but more of a continuation of an old rule, and you SNL writers should take note of this: no jokes about the president's mental capacity or how the vice president got a leg up (so to speak) in politics. Those topics are off limits. Bad taste, don't you know. Although I trust you guys, you did yeoman's work not making fun of the president's obvious quirks and flaws during the Obama yeas, so I know we can count on you to come through.
Another rule that is still in place is the hate speech/free speech dichotomy, only now the objects have switched.
Lastly, it's now OK to cover lighter stuff, like clothes and taste in music, in order to present the human side of the First Couple. So let the puff pieces and the tongue baths commence!
Listening To This Stuff For the Next Four Years is Going To Be Nauseating:
AoSHQ Weekly Prayer List
Please submit any prayer requests to “Annie’s Stew” at apaslo atsign hotmail dot com.
Prayer Requests:
10/7 – Lee Also requests prayers for her good friend who needs a lung transplant. He’s been on the list for a while, but it’s getting to the point where he needs it sooner than later. She also would like prayers for the family of the person whose untimely death will give life to her friend. They have lost someone they love. But their generosity will help her friend.
11/18 Update – Her friend has moved closer to the hospital, which means he’s up higher on the list. He’s getting rehab in preparation for the transplant, so keep praying for him, please. And prayers also for the family who lost a loved one and allowed their loved one’s organs to give new life to people like her friend.
12/23 Update – Her friend just got THE call. It may turn out that the lungs won’t be right, in which case, someone else will get them and he will have to wait. She requests prayers that her friend makes it through surgery successfully, and through recovery, and for the family of the donor, that they may have peace knowing that their generosity saved a life.
10/27 – Caiwyn requests prayers for his father, who has been battling pancreatic cancer for 3 years. His chemotherapy treatments are no longer effective enough to justify continuing with them, and they are being discontinued. Prayers for him, and for whatever more time God could possibly give him with his family.
1/10 Update – Caiwyn’s father passed away on New Year’s Eve, surrounded by his wife and children. The family is doing all right and mostly is just glad he’s no longer in pain. Caiwyn sends thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
11/16 – Adriane the Critic requests prayers for her friend “D”. He is fighting a very aggressive brain cancer and the doctors’ prognosis is horrifically short. Prayers are also requested for his exhausted wife and young children, and strength for his sister and family, who are doing a great deal of travel to try and be with him in the little visits they are allowed.
1/11 Update – Adriane the Critic sends: Thank you to the Horde for their prayers. My friend D. died early Saturday morning (aggressive brain cancer). He was able to see his parents and siblings for a few short but coherent visits. Continued prayers for his exhausted wife and young children.
12/2 – Sgt. Mom is asking for prayers for her daughter and unborn grandson, Jamie. The Daughter Unit is 40, this is her first pregnancy, and because of her age, this is considered a high-risk pregnancy, with an elevated chance of Downs’ Syndrome for Jamie. They had an ultrasound this week and an amniocentesis is scheduled for the week of Christmas. The Daughter Unit will carry on with the pregnancy regardless – but prayers for a healthy, normal child are humbly requested.
1/6 Update – Sgt. Mom sends her gratitude for the prayers, and they found out yesterday that her unborn grandson is health and developing normally. No spina bifida, and no trisomy disorders were found!
12/9 – Roxxee asks for prayers for her daughter, who has developed a severe addiction to prescription Adderall, and is now in deep psychosis. She has cut herself off from family and friends and will not respond to any of them. Praying for a Christmas miracle that she wakes up from her psychosis and gets help.
1/4 Update – Roxxee reports: God works in mysterious ways. On the Tuesday before Christmas, her daughter’s mental health tragically deteriorated. However, this event enabled them to get her in a treatment facility where she is finally getting the intensive help she needs. Roxxee asks for continued prayers that the doctors help her and she is able to make a full recovery.
12/12 – Katya, the designated driver sends an update that she was in the ER with shortness of breath last weekend, and has found she has a blood clot in her lung now. The blood thinner she was on for the clot in her leg wasn’t doing the job, so she is giving herself injections twice a day of enoxaparin sodium. She feels good, mostly. She sends her thanks for prayers and support through her chemo treatments.
12/29 Update: Last week was her last chemo treatment. She still has 4 infusion treatments of Keytruda, which is the immunotherapy drug that is still in clinical trials in the US. She has an appointment on Wednesday with the surgeon to scheduler her mastectomy. She sends thanks for continued prayers and support.
12/22 – Homer’s Donuts asks for prayers for work. He was laid off on 12/22 with only a few days of notice, and it feels horrible not knowing when the next paycheck is going to come.
1/11 Update – Homer’s Donuts has an interview on 1/13 that is well suited to his career experience. Please pray for that to work out well!
12/29 – NavyMom requests prayers for her family. Their daughter decided to cut NavyMom and her husband out of her life and her children’s lives. NavyMom’s husband is having lunch with her daughter’s fiancé on Wednesday, so prayers for the right words and hearts to be softened.
12/30 Update – NavyMom reports that the lunch went well, and they are hopeful that the divide can be healed. The next step will be lunch with their daughter. Prayers are still needed for hearts to continue to be softened. NavyMom sends her thanks!
12/29 – empire 1 asks for prayers for her husband, who recently died. She found him, and she probably could use some prayers, too.
12/30 – Prayers of healing are needed for Tikvah, who had part of her foot amputated today and requests prayers. She needs to stay totally off it for 6 weeks to heal.
12/30 – Fox2! requests prayers for his niece, VM, who is pregnant at a relatively high age for being prima (first birth).
1/6 – NaughtyPine has several requests: For the family and friends of Art, who they lost suddenly in late November. The tears come and he’s missed terribly. For the family of Russ, especially his children who are currently estranged from each other. Family healing would make it easier on everyone. For Michele, who lost her ailing father on New Year’s Day. Her “baby” brother died suddenly last March. She is now the sole survivor of her immediate family.
1/8 – Captain Whitebread requests the means to get an eye exam and some new glasses. His current glasses are 4 years old, and he can see distances fine, but his up-close work is blurry. Since he works around computer screens all day, that’s a big problem. His side jobs have all shut down due to Covid, so he’s barely getting the bills paid now; there is nothing to spare.
For Healing:
12/16 – Mishdog requests prayers for his mother-in-law, who lives in Russia. She has had high blood pressure for a couple of years and has been taking medication for it. A few weeks ago, she had to call an ambulance because her BP was over 200, but they couldn’t take her to the hospital because their hospital was only taking Covid patients. She was finally admitted to the hospital last Saturday but didn’t see a doctor until Monday. Additionally, they do not have staff to look after her, so she must track her own BP, heart rate, medication, etc. Please pray for a solid diagnosis and treatment plan.
12/21 – Toad-O requests prayers for his mother, who has just tested positive for covid-19. She is 88 years old and in a nursing home.
1/18 Update – Toad-O reports that his mother was released from quarantine and is back in her old room. She never did have any Covid symptoms. Prayers answered.
12/23 – Notsothoreau requests prayers for Jesse in DC’s mom. They believe she has had a stroke. She is in the hospital and being transferred to the stroke unit. She is 94 and would appreciate prayers for healing.
1/10 – Annie’s Stew requests prayers for healing and protection for a sweet young family, expecting their first baby. The mom-to-be has many health issues, and now the dad-to-be just found out that he has lymphoma.
1/13 - Coelacanth asks for prayers for a friend’s son who was snowboarding and had an accident. He was undergoing spinal surgery last night, and it is feared he may never walk again. His name is Gavin.
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 five weeks or so unless we receive an update.
Please remember the Prayer of St. Francis:
http://www.prayerguide.org.uk/stfrancis.htm
Monday Who Dis: It probably wasn't obvious from the photos I selected, but Jane Seymour has one green eye and one brown eye; a condition known as heterochromia. I showed 9 pics rather than the usual 7 because I found so many gorgeous photos of her that I could not whittle it down to 7. And I'm happy that many 'ettes were please with my male 'who dis' choice, Christopher Reeve. He and Ms. Seymore starred in the 1980 film Somewhere In Time, which I gather is sort of a cult classic. Or, at least it seems to be on many people's favorite movie list.
Today's Edition Of The Morning Rant Is Brought To You By Cat's Head Biscuits:
...A state of society where men may not speak their minds, where children denounce their parents to the police, where a business man or small shopkeeper ruins his competitor by telling tales about his private opinions; such a state of society cannot long endure if brought into contact with the healthy outside world. The light of civilised progress with its tolerances and co-operation, with its dignities and joys, has often in the past been blotted out. But I hold the belief that we have now at last got far enough ahead of barbarism to control it, and to avert it, if only we realise what is afoot and make up our minds in time. We shall do it in the end. But how much harder our toil for every day's delay!
- - Winston Churchill, October 16, 1938, Broadcast to the United States from London
Just to be clear, it is not Orwell's 1984, it is the Soviet Union of 1937 returned from the hereafter with a human face. There will be no Gulags; millions of people will not be executed. The dissidents will be dealt with "humanely." They will be purged from the universities, media, government jobs, and major corporations. The Bolsheviks; motto, "who does not work does not eat," will be replaced with a new one -- "who does not obey does not eat."
Dissent will be suppressed by a brute force of government agencies, including the power of the DOJ to bring frivolous lawsuits and bankrupt its victims and destroy their families...
... The ubiquitous sentinel of American democracy infamous for its colossal failures, the FBI, will regularly discover plots against the government, find caches of weapons and fabricate preposterous accusations against political opponents. As a deterrent, they will be given harsh sentences. The administration will harness every incident to seize greater control over the nation.
The people and businesses are beginning to fear the all-powerful government that is perfectly willing to deploy a full arsenal of state weaponry, such as DOJ, FBI, IRS, EPA, DOE and its powerful FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), DHS (Department of Homeland Security), DOL (Department of Labor), and other assets we may not know about. The corporations got the massage, ending contributions to the Republican Party...
... The Bolsheviks' aphorism: "We can only have two parties: one in power, the other in prison" will be replaced with "one in power, the other a permanent second-tier loser" assigned to maintain an image of the two-party system.
Neither education nor life experience has prepared Americans for grasping the epochal shift that took place this November. It is not surprising. From ancient times, the most tragic events of history have been triggered by people who, despite the obvious, failed to forecast the future.
D.C. isn't under military guard to protect our government, but a partisan political agenda.
The Democrats didn't want troops in D.C. when their own were rioting during President Trump's inauguration or violently attacking the White House. They don't need 25,000 troops to stop a few hundred protesters. They need them as a show of force to suppress political opposition.
Biden and the Democrats are using a military deployment for a show of political force, using a manufactured crisis to rally support behind their radical agenda, while suppressing dissent...
...America is not a banana republic. There is no place for military theater, lists of enemies, or declaring political opponents to be enemies of the state. The Democrats have already embraced fascism before even formally taking power. Fascists always claim to be seizing power in reaction to an emergency. The manufactured emergency is here. The power grab comes next.
I dread the future, but I am eternally grateful for President Donald Trump. Now more than ever, as the Enemy and Judases like Mitch McConnell try to eradicate him even after he leaves the White House, seemingly for the last time, they will not destroy what he started. A popular movement to restore this nation as founded as the beacon of freedom and the last best hope for a civilized, peaceful world.
Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary, on the eve of the First World War, lamented to his friend, "the lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime."
The lamps are going out all over America. G-d be with us.
"The president looked positively toward the future. But he failed in his farewell address to warn Americans of the dangers ahead." Valediction Contradiction
"Time and again, Rasmussen has proven to be reliable and accurate, which tells us the insanity of the Capitol Hill riot and the corporate media's determination to blame the president for it... is not penetrating into the electorate at large." Donald Trump Leaves Office with 51% Approval Rating
Angelo Codevilla: "The United States of America is now a classic oligarchy. The clarity that it has brought to our situation by recognizing this fact is its only virtue." Clarity in Trump's Wake
"A Missouri middle school forces teachers to locate themselves on an 'oppression matrix' and watch a video of 'George Floyd's last words.'" "Antiracism" Comes to the Heartland
Michael Goodwin: "That would prevent Trump from seeking the presidency in 2024 and arguably rob him of the ability to keep his voters intact. That seems to be the point, with McConnell reportedly saying that barring Trump from running again would rid the party of him and his movement. Deplorables, indeed." Mitch McConnell's Betrayal Hurts the Nation
"As the Civil War had redefined the American political landscape for the next hundred years, so will the events of January 6 reshape, realign and possibly destroy the existing political status quo." No Struggle Like a Party Struggle
"The report indicated that it was unknown how serious Trump was about the idea and noted that the investment of time and resources needed to make it a major player in American politics could be a deterrent to the president." Trump Talks to Allies About Starting His Own Political Party
"Assuming that future elections are fair, or even reasonably fair, we have every reason to expect that the GOP will be back on top, and soon." (when you ass-ume... - jjs) The GOP's Silver Linings Playbook
"A brief and unexpected sojourn among leftist revolutionaries provides a model for conservative activists in these troubled times." Thoughts on a Conservative Resistance
Victor Davis Hanson: "Americans hate one thing more than a sore loser, and that is an arrogant, vindictive -- and bullying -- winner." Stabbing Hector's Corpse
Crossfire Hurricane was the code name for the FBI investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. The Special Counsel's famed "Mueller report" later found that the evidence did not support claims that Trump and his surrogates "conspired" or "coordinated" with the Russian government. Here We Go: Trump Declassifies "Crossfire Hurricane" Docs on His Way Out the Door
CHINESE CORONAVIRUS FICTIONS, FACTS AND AMERICA IMPRISONED
"Without warning the marketing heads of the corporation that manages the radio stations that air the conservative Pratt on Texas radio show for the past fifteen years announced today they were cancelling the program, despite its profitable status and high ratings." Today's New Member of the Blacklist: Conservative Radio Host Robert Pratt
"Why is anyone who reads this still using Google? It is incredibly trivial to switch. More important, you will find that you are getting better information in your searches, as DuckDuckGo does not play favorites nor does it squelch results from some websites because it disagrees with their politics." New Daily Record for Search Engine DuckDuckGo
"The initiative will likely restore Title X funding to Planned Parenthood, expand abortion providers' ability to operate abroad using taxpayer funds, eliminate protections for religious employers who do not want to pay for employees' contraceptives, and could even eliminate the Hyde Amendment, which protects American taxpayers from directly funding abortion, the outlet notes." Biden Administration Preparing "Widespread Rollback" of Pro-Life Legislation, May Repeal Hyde Amendment
"He has published numerous articles in prominent U.S. news outlets, including The New York Times. He also allegedly lobbied lawmakers for policies favorable to the Iranian regime." Political Scientist Was "Secret Employee" of Iran, US Says
"Matthew Iverson, the chairman for the University of Wisconsin's Young America's Foundation chapter, said the library's reading list may have the opposite of its intended effect." (not at all; racialism and sowing hatred is the intended effect - jjs) University of Wisconsin Publishes Reading List on "Disrupting Whiteness"
Our intrepid science reporter notes, "New research using the boulders found on the top of Martian glaciers has now strengthened the evidence that Mars must have undergone many previous ice age cycles going back as much as 800 million years, with those glaciers waxing and waning during each cycle." More Evidence Mars' Glaciers Formed Across Many Ice Ages
NOTE: The opinions expressed in some links may or may not reflect my own. I include them because of their relevance to the discussion of a particular issue.
ALSO: The Morning Report is cross-posted at CutJibNewsletter.com if you want to continue the conversation all day.
“This historic inauguration is especially meaningful for American women and girls. The glass ceilings are breaking and it is the time to #LeadLikeAWoman.” Vanderbilt Kicker Sarah Fuller
“[With a] fast-food experience, you get your order and you go eat in the car or whatever. When you went to Pizza Hut, it was typically a family thing. You went with a big party or a group of friends after a game or recital. So there are a lot of memories of your childhood, your friends, your school crush or your family getting together for a fun night out without having to do the dishes.” Rebecca Rose, from Santa Barbara
Quote III
“So if I understand you correctly, you’re telling me that an unauthorized, non-employee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from Oct. 19, 2020, to Jan. 16, 2021, and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly,” Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz
Quote IV
“The candle exploded and emitted huge flames, with bits flying everywhere," she said. "I’ve never seen anything like it. The whole thing was ablaze and it was too hot to touch. There was an inferno in the room.” Jody Thompson of Kilburn, North London
I received the following "letter" from a friend of mine, I don't know who wrote it, but it expresses my sentiments towards President Trump. I haven't supported a president like this since President Reagan.
I'm not a deplorable. I'm not a bitter clinger. I'm not a member of a cult. I'm an American citizen proud of our president and his fight against the Deep State - Swamp.
My days on earth are numbered; But before I fade away, there is something important I need to say. It may not be important to anyone else; but it's important to me.
Win, lose or fraud...President Trump. I just want to say thank you for the last four years.
Thank you for making it cool to be an American again.
Thank you for showing us that we don’t need to be under China’s thumb anymore economically, or any other way.
Thank you for one of the strongest economies we’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. Thank you for all you have done for the minority communities, and the outstanding decrease in the unemployment rate you had.
Thank you for making it feel good to love our country and to be a proud patriot again. Thank you for supporting our Nation's flag and the men and women who fought for the freedom that stands behind that flag.
Thank you for supporting our nation's law enforcement organizations, and understanding how difficult their job really is.
Thank you for quelling the flood of illegal immigration, and bringing to justice the thousands of criminals that flood brought us.
Thank you for giving corporations a reason to come back to America to make our own products and put Americans back to work.
Thank you for bringing our troops home from endless deployments that presented us with little more than body bags; and for your commitment to strengthen our military.
Thank you for operation warp speed and keeping your promise to bringing the Covid 19 vaccine to us in less than a year.
Thank you for your never-ending attempts at bringing peace to the Middle East and your support for Israel.
Thank you for your Tax relief, and thank you for our energy independence. Most of all though...
THANK YOU for taking a damn rotten job that you never had to take!!
Thank you for caring enough for this country to want to try and make a difference.
Thank you for showing America how little Career Politicians actually work for their constituents; and for showing us how much those politicians despise you for showing America how easy it is to build a great nation, rather than rape her to line their own pockets and stock portfolios.
Thank you for allowing us to experience a President that wasn’t a lifelong politician, but a lifelong American.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Overcome by shock and astonishment, court attendees raised their hands to cover their open mouths Tuesday as District Court Judge Julie Kaelin ruled Louisville defense attorney Shameka O'Neil in direct criminal contempt after an unusual dispute in a virtual session of court.
In the hearing, the parties were set to approve a plea agreement for defendant Curtis Burns in a misdemeanor criminal mischief case.
CARBON COUNTY, WY, January 16, 2021 – The Republican Central Committee of Carbon County voted unanimously, 45 to 0, to censure Rep. Liz Cheney (WY) for her vote to impeach President Donald J Trump. Cheney is the elder daughter of Lynne Cheney and former Vice President Dick Cheney. She was first elected to congress in 2016, after holding several positions in the U.S. State Department during the George W. Bush administration.
“The Carbon County Republican Party does hereby censure U.S. Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming for her actions on Wednesday, January 13tn 2020, as those actions stand in contradiction to the quantifiable will of the majority of the electorate of Wyoming, and for devaluing the political influence of the State of Wyoming by voting in favor of a process that followed no known hearing process, provided no evidence to consider, called no witnesses to be sworn, and allowed none of the accusers to be questioned by the accused…”
In November 2018, Cheney was elected by her colleagues as the Chair of the House Republican Conference, the third-ranking Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives.
On Wednesday, January 13, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 231-197 to impeach President Donald J Trump, charging him with “incitement of insurrection” for his alleged role in the Capitol Building protest.
Driverless car startup Cruise, a GM subsidiary, today announced the finalization of a two-billion dollar equity fund from primary investors Microsoft, Honda, and GM.
Leading off: Microsoft’s money is the big ticket item here for Cruise. While the company’s valuation has skyrocketed to about $20 billion from investors, netting one of big tech’s trillion-dollar whales has pushed GM stocks up nearly seven percent.
Police say that Kohl was not complying with the Reopening Ontario Act.
"It was determined that police were contacted after several people were seen at the residence. Officers attending the area subsequently stopped a vehicle seen leaving and conducted an investigation," a statement from the OPP Norfolk country detachment said.
The OPP said in a statement that Kohl was not charged for leaving her children at their grandparents', but rather she was charged "with violating the Reopening Ontario Act."
Jeez, I have no idea why law enforcement can be held in such contempt at times.
The Department of Justice has dropped its investigation of North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr over allegations of insider trading, which was launched after it was discovered early on in the pandemic that he had sold off "significant" stock holdings ahead of the market taking a reactive dive.
An Antifa mob tried to stop police from responding to an armed man threatening to harm others and himself in downtown Portland on Friday afternoon.
I can’t help feeling there’s something rather telling about what follows:
Officers from the Portland Police Bureau responded to calls to the 300-block area of Southwest 4th Avenue after a 30-year-old man reportedly jumped from the second story window of the apartment complex, pulled out a knife and brandished the blade at people and cars passing by. According to police, the unnamed man is schizophrenic and threatened to kill himself.
Portland Police sent in its Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team but was interrupted and threatened by hostile Antifa protesters who had already been gathering nearby at Powell’s Books calling for Andy Ngo’s upcoming book [on Antifa] to be banned. “The extra noise and distraction made it impossible for the specially trained officers to speak to the man,” said the Portland Police in a press statement. “Officers implored the crowd to stop interfering, but their energy only increased.”
Although World War II is long over, the vestiges of battles with Nazi Germany at sea and on land, still litter English beaches and the countryside, making some places dangerous because old bombs, bullets and grenades from the period can look deceptively harmless.
Many decades old, some relics, like bombs and grenades, can even look like fossils.
That was the case in mid-December when a woman from Deal, in Kent, and her daughter came across something they thought looked like “old bones,” as they told the U.K.’s Mirror.
On this day: 19 Jan 1998
American singer, songwriter Carl Perkins died aged 65 from throat cancer. He wrote the classic rock & roll song 'Blue Suede Shoes', the first record on the Sun label to sell a million copies. His songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash. Paul McCartney claimed that "if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles." via thisdayinmusic.com
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On this day: 19 Jan 2006
American soul singer, Wilson Pickett died in hospital near his Ashburn, Virginia home of a heart attack aged 64. Pickett recorded the soul classics ‘Mustang Sally’, ‘Everybody Needs Somebody to Love’ and ‘In The Midnight Hour’ plus Pickett scored 15 other US Top 40 singles. via thisdayinmusic.com
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On this day: 19 Jan 2019
Scottish drummer Ted McKenna died aged 68 of a hemorrhage during a routine operation for a hernia. He worked with The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallagher, The Michael Schenker Group and toured with Ian Gillan for a short period in 1990. via thisdayinmusic.com
UNION TOWNSHIP — A motorist nabbed driving twice the speed limit along a local stretch of Ind. 130 denied being drunk even after learning his blood-alcohol concentration was more than five times the legal limit, Porter County police said.
A police officer said he was patrolling at 12:25 a.m. Saturday along Ind. 130 when he clocked an eastbound gray Infiniti passenger car traveling 70 mph in a 35-mph zone.
Barstool Sports Donates Money To Tennessee Bakery That Employees Only Special Needs Employees Saving It From Closing Forever…
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Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by Travel Advisories.
Notice: Posted with permission by the Ace Media Empire and AceCorp, LLC. The ONT did not harm any animals in the production of tonight's content. Caffeine was the main ingredient.
Following the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol, the conservative movement is aggressively folding to the Democrats – making capitulations designed to protect the wealth of the donor class even if it means the facilitating the death of American liberties.
The Federalist Society is one of the conservative organizations that is readying a pivot left-ward, with weak conservative members of the society agitating against pro-Trump lawyers involved with the group.
"Recent events... have me extremely troubled about the direction in which the Federalist Society is heading. While I embrace spirited debate and do not believe in the left's cancel culture instincts, I do believe there is a line that cannot be crossed-- insurrection and incitement to undermine the rule of law and our constitution,” attorney Jeremy Rosen wrote in an e-mail to Federalist Society leaders after the Capitol siege.
Trending: GOP Establishment Threatens President Trump with Impeachment Unless He Denies Election Fraud
Rosen, a former Trump judicial nominee who has served as the president of the Los Angeles Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society, is trying to engineer a purge of pro-Trump individuals, particularly those who supported an investigation into electoral fraud, from the group.
Report: Chris Stirewalt "Laid Off" Along With 20 Other Fox News Staffers
—Ace
@sarahellison
BREAKING --> Fox News political editor Chris Stirewalt was laid off today alongside just under 20 Fox News staffers. Stirewalt sat on the Fox News decision desk, which has come under fire for its early call on Arizona election night. Story forthcoming...
Stirewalt previously worked for the Washington Examiner -- shockingly enough!
Gee, why do all these liberals keep coming out of these billionaire-funded vanity rags? Is there some kind of connection?
Could it possibly be that billionaires tend to be socially extremely liberal and have used their money to hijack a formerly conservative party and turn it into a left-liberal socially/archlibertarian economically party?
I'm really sick of "conservative" organizations hiring liberals, figuring that if the liberal comes from the old Dixie states, that "counts."
Like when they foisted Kathleen Parker on us as a "conservative," even though she was a raging feminist leftwinger.
They thought her accent made her "conservative enough" to represent us.
No, it doesn't.
I won't be returning to Fox.
This is something that should have happened in 2018, after Fox's first mad dash to be more leftwing than CNN in its election calls.
It's too late now. Fox is a dead brand.
Let them continue chasing the Phantom Audience they would prefer, which is apparently NPR listeners who appreciate CNN's hyperleftwing take but would like some more bad rock-and-roll guitar riffs in show bumpers.
By the way, CNN didn't carry Trump's farewell address -- even after they criticized FNC for not carrying an empty dementia-ridden Biden speech.
CNN, whose media reporter earlier criticized FNC for not carrying Biden’s remarks today, is currently not carrying Trump’s farewell address pic.twitter.com/VjogdxGGSR
Tucker Carlson's Must-Watch Opener About the Occupied Capital, and the Left's Increasingly Violent Rhetoric
—Ace
Turns out the people always on the hunt for Nazis needed only to look in a mirror.
Today, the military is being demanded to take a quasi-loyalty oath to the Democrat Party.
In a year, this will be official policy, no "quasi" about it.
12 National Guardsmen have been dismissed from patrol duty due to supposed "extremist" posts on social media.
But remember: these fuckers have declared that support of the Constitution is a racist, extremist notion.
@RyanAFournier
I'm now hearing that National Guard troops are being sent home if they have "Pro-Constitution, or Pro-Trump" content on social media.
Hope this isn't true.
'
Yup:
@JesseKellyDC
The System is about to criminalize opposition to it and you still have people on the Right who think Trump and his supporters are the problem.
We have much bigger fish to fry. This is really bad and you morons can't see it coming. Or maybe you don't want to.
@JackPosobiec
WH source: The NRA, Turning Point USA & Patriot Guard Riders are three of many non-militia groups on the list CID / FBI are using to cross reference in vetting for potential "extremists"
Biden's Moderate, Centrist Pick for Second-in-Command of HHS Is... The Pennsylvania Transgender Who Sent Thousands of Covid-Infected People to Nursing Homes to Infect More People, While Rushing to Get His Mother out of the Nursing Home
—Ace
Ah, the moderate, centrist, sensible Democrat politicians promised to us by Never Trump.
Obviously this person is not chosen for the cabinet based on his qualifications or achievements, but for Identity Politics purposes only. Corrected: Not secretary of HHS, but Assistant Secretary of HHS.
National Review, Washington Examiner, all of the billionaires' playthings and PR firms-- burn in hell.
Biden's "deeply qualified," "historic" transgender pick for HHS has a miserable record of sending people back to nursing homes after COVID treatment in Pennsylvaniahttps://t.co/2ZYUgTbPnh
Bill Sammon, Fox News Channel's senior vice president and managing editor in Washington, is retiring at the end of the month, a spokesperson confirmed to The Hill.
Sammon told staff during a morning meeting on Monday that he is leaving the network, where he has worked since 2008. It is not yet known if the position will be filled.
"And the new year hasn't brought Fox News much positive ratings news either. Adding insult to injury, Newsmax once again beat the network in head-to-head ratings on Tuesday, this time topping Fox in the key demographic (viewers ages 25-54) during two separate hours.
...
Wallace, meanwhile, has been in hot water ever since Fox's decision desk accurately called Arizona for Joe Biden on election night--a matter of much internal consternation, often seen as a key reason a chunk of Trump-loyal viewers deserted the network for Newsmax.
Chris Stirewalt, the network's political editor who oversees the team that made the projection, has been missing from Fox's airwaves since mid-November.
This was not an accurate call. If they had an accurate sense of the race, they never would have called the race. You don't call a race in which millions of people have voted in which one guy supposedly has an 11,000 vote lead -- including many contested ballots.
The "too close to call" designation exists for a reason.
Fox News wasn't engaging in election analysis here, so much as wishful thinking and dreamcasting. Like many dying media companies, they decided to spurn their actual audience in favor of the political propaganda they personally wanted to push.
Twitter Permits Video Calling for Liberals to "Fight Back" Against Trump Supporters to Go Viral
—Ace
That video is below the fold. The video claims that Trump is literally forming a "new army" intent on violence, and then urges leftwingers to "fight back" against hypothetical, imaginary violence.
Given that he's saying his lunatics must "fight back" against hypothetical violence, I can't see how "fight back" can be read as "fight back with words."
The rules are different for the left. They have Violence Privilege.
Here are some of the Karen's who are sexually shriveled yet oddly aroused at the prospect of new opportunities to act as Stasi informers.
@kh_culver
People, if you know someone who is serving in the National Guard, who you suspect has become a radicalized Trump supporter. . . If that person has been sent to DC for the inauguration, please share your concerns with the FBI tip line 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
@ThaddMEvans
This is a great post.
elizagn
@elizagnnnn
Replying to
@ThaddMEvans
It is. Just call and report if they voted for him. Or if they said "I like how he passed the prison reform bill". This must not be allowed to stand. We must find anyone anywhere who dared support that monster in any way.
A friend notes ruefully that Covid gave these Stasi Karens just had a nine-month binge high for informing on non-compliance. They've become addicted, and they're not going to kick the addiction any time soon.
@JackPosobiec
WH official -- "Zero active threats as of this morning, just tons of anonymous tips from paranoid Biden supporters though...lines have been flooded with psychobable and nothing burgers since Friday."
@evanchill
Former intelligence official on PBS NewsHour tonight saying that the US should think about a "9/11 Commission" for domestic extremism and consider applying some of the lessons from the fight against Al Qaeda here at home.
For those of you who said Obama's hard push to turn the National Security apparatus away from detecting foreign Muslim terrorists to detecting domestic Republican voters, collect your winnings.
And here's that video which Twitter is allowing to go viral. It's a call for a Kristallnacht.
"The Invisible Hand" (Adam Smith's term) is often used to describe the millions of individual decisions that in the aggregate guide the economy. It is nothing more than self-interest multiplied by everyone on earth.
And that self-interest is a powerful driver of change. But not just economic; I refer to social and political change. And that is why it is imperative that conservative belief be channeled into behavior. The conservative movement in America is under unprecedented attack, and think tanks and strongly worded letters are not sufficient. In fact, our deeply held belief in the voting booth as an agent of change has been upended, so we are left with fewer tools with which to effect the change necessary to return our country to some semblance of sanity and respect for our founding and traditions.
But what is that self interest? It is more appropriately termed "enlightened self-interest," because the self-interest of the individual meshes perfectly with the desired direction of the country. And that "enlightened self-interest" is nothing more than fighting the encroaching fascism of the left. That means that we must push back at every incursion into the freedoms we hold dear. A small gesture or a large one...it doesn't matter. But as the Left is so fond of saying: "We Are The Resistance!"
If you see a politician in public? Harangue him. Tell him what you think. Do not allow them to flex their fascist muscles without confrontation. Boycott the most egregious violators of the idea that corporations are not agents of government. And do it loudly. Exercise your God-given rights as often and as publicly as possible. Speak freely! Buy guns! Go to church, and proclaim your beliefs. Attend local meetings and make sure that the powers that be, no matter how small and seemingly inconsequential are aware that you are watching and that you will hold them accountable. Tell your children's teachers and school administrators that leftist indoctrination is absolutely unacceptable. Say it in public. Call them out when they glorify the rot in our society. Go to their classes and record the perversions that they want to mainstream. Do what you can. But act! For yourself. For your family.
And that self-interest, multiplied by millions of us is the most powerful tool save one. After all, fascism is at its core a bundle of sticks. We cannot break the bundle, but we can break the individual sticks; the local sticks; the thin sticks!
We are "The Invisible Hand." It is up to us to exercise its power. If we act in concert then we have the power to achieve the change we desire for ourselves and for the society around us. But the longer we wait, the more perilous resistance to the state and its corporate lackeys becomes. The small injustices that we choose to ignore rapidly will become profound intrusions into our lives, and at that point it may be too late for peaceful action, and too late for any chance of success.
Is this Pollyanna-ish? Perhaps. But as many of you know, I am a firm and unyielding believer in American Exceptionalism, and I will continue to believe that it is a powerful and hopefully irresistible force until I have irrefutable evidence that it has left us.
Good morning, kids. I remember a comedian (Byron Allen?), back when we had actual comedians and not clown-nosed cultural revolutionaries, who said "I'm not afraid of flying. I'm afraid of plummeting on fire from 30,000 feet to a horrible death." Difficult as it is to describe my emotional state, I think that that comes close. As of noon tomorrow, it's going to be pedal to the metal on every horrendous, crackpot leftist/Socialist policy agenda imaginable, both foreign and domestic that has ever been tried before and proven to be at best a fiasco and at worst a lingering disaster -- inflicted a thousand-fold on a horrified, unwilling and extremely angry majority of people. That's the plummeting on fire from 30,000 feet part.
The horrible death part is uncharted territory, at least in this country, or what was this country since the United States of America as founded ceased to exist as of Black Wednesday. I'm referring to the purging from the public square of all voices of opposition and dissent to what is now the official regime line. That is, anything that goes against or protests any Democrat, Leftist, Progressive, Socialist dogma, meme or policy, from the legitimacy of Polident-elect Zhou Bai-Din to the insanity of men in dresses having access to female restrooms to the joys of post-natal infanticide to melanin as Caucasian kryptonite and everything in between.
It's funny, as in disgustingly hypocritical, how the Left always yammers on about multiple perspectives, how truth is purely subjective and how we cannot judge other cultures or societies through the lens of our own. Yes, tolerance, acceptance and that nauseating "Co-Exist" bumper sticker are their watchwords. And yet when it comes to anyone or anything that challenges them, they are so thoroughly intolerant, inflexible and absolutist in their belief that they are right than the most radical fundamentalist Tora-Bora cave-dweller enrolled at Embry Riddle (you can almost sense a theme here).
When odious, dim louts like Steve Cohen put forth a meme that National Guardsmen are not to be trusted because the vast majority are white, male and did not vote - to the best of their knowledge (nudge-nudge wink-wink) - for Zhou Bai-Din, it goes beyond the mere smearing of their politics, gender and race. He is not very subtly condemning them, and by extension all of us, as criminal enemies of "our democracy" (puke), meaning the regime. And that condemnation is a green light to all the thugs of BLM, Antifa and the James Hodgkinsons out there to take action.
Worse than that, it lays the groundwork for enabling acts of the sort last seen in the wake of the 1933 Reichstag Fire. Outlawing of opposition political parties, silencing of opposition media outlets and potentially mass arrests and show trials of opposition political leaders (not that the GOP-e is an opposition party in any sense of the word) and ultimately private citizens who dare speak out. Anyone who thinks that that's crazy talk is not paying attention.
"I did nothing wrong," Duke told the Boston Herald. "I was the one who was assaulted." Duke's name became public after her 18-year-old daughter tweeted the video while mocking her for being involved in the violence. Mom Punched in Viral Video From Pro-Trump Rally Loses Hospital Job
Julie Kelly: "Even though Trump's fate is sealed, the Supreme Court still has time to rectify the election's many wrongs. The only remaining question is -- will they?" Election Lawsuits Move Forward Despite Silencing Crusade
"Implausible claims of voter fraud shouldn't invalidate the case for real reform -- we need to harden our electoral system against disaster." Secure the Vote
"The problem for Democrats is that a huge swath of the population are content with the Constitution and won't gently yield the right to free elections." Stop the Steal
"A post-presidency impeachment trial would be unprecedented. On rare occasions, the Senate has held trials for impeached officials who were not in office at the time of the trial. However, senators did not vote to convict the impeached official in any of those trials. And in each of the trials, senators doubted whether they had jurisdiction to convict government officials after they left office." The Problems With Convicting Trump After He Leaves Office
"The incoming presidential administration has thrown off platitudes about national unity, but after four years of nonstop assaults on a duly elected president and his supporters, any platitudes about unity carry no credibility." Where Do Conservatives Go From Here?
"A barrage of left-appeasing unilateral actions is no way to lay the groundwork for any bipartisan cooperation in a Congress that Democrats control by the narrowest of margins." (yet another clueless writer who thinks it's just business as usual - jjs) Zhou Bai-Din's Risky Rush to Undo Every Trump Action
CHINESE CORONAVIRUS FICTIONS, FACTS AND AMERICA IMPRISONED
Because you were not sufficiently panicked over a more contagious strain of [Chinese] COVID-19 found in the U.K., he has some more news. On Meet the Press, he told host Chuck Todd that "more ominous" strains have emerged out of South Africa and Brazil. Dr. Fauci Issues Another Dire Warning as Biden Vows to Lead With "Science and Truth"
AMNESTY, IMMIGRATION, BORDER SECURITY
"To qualify, immigrants must have been in the United States as of Jan. 1, a move meant to blunt any rush to the border." (if they can forge millions of ballots, they can forge anything in the millions - jjs) Zhou Bai-Din: Amnesty for Everyone Who Was Here on January 1
"Mayorkas' widespread support among the business lobby and donor class comes as they have fought President Trump's asylum reforms, travel bans, visa rules, and refugee resettlement cutbacks." Corporate Donor Class Pushes Alejandro Mayorkas DHS Confirmation
"There is no chance that Orwell would have supported unelected billionaires deciding what ideas the public should have access to." Big Tech's Big Brother Moves
"Where's the Civil Rights Act when a conservative American, black or white or otherwise, needs it merely to reinforce a right already possessed?" Section 230 Empowers America's New Ku Klux Klan
OTHER FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH
"The day also marks the 48th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling by the Supreme Court, which legalized abortion nationwide. Since that 1973 decision, more than 62 million Americans have been killed by abortion, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." Trump Proclaims Jan. 22, 2021 "National Sanctity of Human Life Day"
"The State Department's public reproach of the charity means that it will no longer enjoy the legitimacy that comes with a close relationship with the American government or be able to cash in from this stamp of approval." (until noon tomorrow, I assume - jjs) State Department Cuts Ties With Islamic Charity Over Anti-Semitism
"Even as the world's despots continue to amass power, the incoming administration makes clear it intends to give them free rein." A Dangerous World
"The move is expected to be that last shot against the Chinese telecommunications company which collaborates with the Chinese Communist Party's military and provides the regime backdoor access to its data and devices." Trump Revokes $120 Billion Licenses for Sellers to China's Huawei
Our intrepid science reporter poses the question: "[Future space-fayers will have to] brave. I worry now however whether the present culture of fear and panic can produce future generations with the same bravery. If you are now a young person you must ask yourself this question: Would you have the courage to risk your life on a rocket when you are now afraid to go outside without wearing a mask?" Pioneers and the Future
FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY
Dennis Prager: "The left suppresses free speech because they have to. If there is free speech, there is dissent. And if there is dissent, there is no more left." Why the Left Has To Suppress Free Speech
NOTE: The opinions expressed in some links may or may not reflect my own. I include them because of their relevance to the discussion of a particular issue.
ALSO: The Morning Report is cross-posted at CutJibNewsletter.com if you want to continue the conversation all day.
“I felt real bad. Then I thought about who he was and what he did because if there was no Phil Spector, there would be no Darlene Love.” Darlene Love
Quote II
“They will never let up. There are doctors out there saying we may need to wear [masks] forever. That is ridiculous, and that defies the science.” Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)
Quote III
“Four years ago, we engaged in a very dangerous experiment by electing someone who was utterly unqualified for office, who had no moral or legal compass and frankly had impulses toward fascism and autocracy,Obama-era Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson
Smile, you're on candid camera when you're in a modern car with sophisticated driver-assist systems. And in the near future, those cameras will be joined by lidar VCSEL and radar sensors, as well. Yes, the same gadgets that vehicles must use to perceive the environment sufficiently to drive themselves will soon be keeping tabs on you and your passengers inside, too. Ah, progress …
President-elect Joe Biden plans to cancel the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office, according to several news sources.
The decision delighted advocates of the so-called “Green New Deal,” but will disappoint Biden’s own political allies in the trade union movement, who had backed the pipeline for the thousands of jobs it would create.
Earlier this month, a bunch of Trump supporters stormed the halls of the US Capitol building and caused havoc as Joe Biden’s presidency was being certified by Congress, resulting in the deaths of five people. These insurrectionists are learning about the consequences of their stupid act. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has already added a lot of rioters to a nationwide no-fly list, and more are being added.
However, these rioters might find it difficult to land a date online, as Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and OkCupid are kicking them out. As The Washington Post reported, these dating apps are using images captured during the incident to identify miscreants and remove them from the platform.
Three samples of ice cream tested positive for COVID-19 in China
"It's likely this has come from a person, and without knowing the details, I think this is probably a one-off," Dr. Stephen Griffin, a virologist based at the University of Leeds, told Sky News.
The article stated that anti-epidemic authorities in north China's Tianjin Municipality are tracing people who may have been in contact with batches of ice cream.
This list of the 50 greatest Westerns reflects that wide legacy from the very first entry, a film directed by a Hungarian and starring a Tasmanian. It’s been assembled, however, working from a fairly traditional definition of the Western: films set along the America frontier of the 19th and the first years of the 20th century. That means no modern Westerns, no stealth Westerns starring aged X-Men, and no space Westerns with blasters instead of pistols. (We did, however, make an exception for a certain comedy that concludes with its stars attending its own premiere.)
Hungary mulls sanctions against social media giants
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga on Monday raised the prospect of sanctioning social media firms over what she called “systematic abuses” of free speech.
The death of a Montreal Inuit man is being investigated after his body was discovered in a portable toilet just 25 metres from the homeless shelter he used to frequent.
The La Porte Ouvert shelter, which translates literally to "the Open Door shelter," normally operates 24 hours a day, but was closed due to "plumbing problems and a major COVID-19 outbreak," reports CBC Radio-Canada.
Soon after a gentleman in Beaverton, Oregon stole an SUV from a supermarket parking lot, he noticed a 4-year-old strapped into the back seat. Furious, he made a U-turn and found the child's mom, whereupon he berated her for her negligence, ordered her to get her child out of the car, and threatened to call the cops. Once she retrieved her child, the thief sped off again in the stolen car.
"He actually lectured the mother for leaving the child in the car and threatened to call the police on her," said Beaverton Officer Matt Henderson.
On this day: 18 Jan 1964
The Beatles made their US chart debut when 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' entered the chart at No.45 just ten days after its release, making it the fastest-breaking and the fastest selling single in Capitol Records history. It went on to spend seven weeks at the No.1 position. via thisdayinmusic.com
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On this day: 18 Jan 1989
At just 38 years old, Stevie Wonder became the youngest living person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, other inductees include The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, Otis Redding and Dion DiMucci. via thisdayinmusic.com
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“The first rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club.” “The second rule about fight club is you don't talk about fight club.” Genius Award Winners
The actions of a group of party-goers have been described as ‘disgusting’ after they posted videos on social media of them popping bottles inside an apartment. Pictures and videos were posted to the revellers’ public Instagram profiles, prompting social media users to report them to the police. Officers were called to the flat in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Saturday morning – but found no evidence of a breach of lockdown restrictions. But further investigations revealed a party had taken place there and four attendees were fined for breaking coronavirus regulations. Footage seen by the Manchester Evening News appeared to show guests posing close together for selfies, dancing, sucking on balloons, and popping bottles of Champagne. One picture posted to Instagram Stories shows the group toasting with bottles of Corona, featuring the words ‘happy f**king birthday to me’.
TAYLORSVILLE, Utah (ABC4 News) – A Taylorsville family has the quick actions of two local police officers to thank for saving their 17-year-old daughter last month.
The morning of Wednesday, December 9th started out as usual for Taylorsville High senior Sarah Canepari. She got in her car to head to school but doesn’t remember anything after that.
Sarah was driving when a sudden seizure caused her to blackout and slump over the steering wheel, drifting into oncoming traffic on 5400 South.
Fortunately for her, Unified Police Officer Jesse Allen and off-duty Murray Police Sergeant Jason Coons just happened to be at that same intersection.
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Tonight's ONT has been brought to you by Quarantine Advice.
Notice: Posted with permission by the Ace Media Empire and AceCorp, LLC. ONT tips, loose change, drink tokens and your Twitter account password to petmorons at gmail. Pissing, moaning and complaints to someone who cares.
A Logical Flaw In Conservative Thought (And Open Thread)
—CBD
The Left is not rational. They are not logical. They do not base their political philosophy on anything resembling the thinking skills developed over 2,500 years by the West.
It is dangerous to assume, even for a split second, that they base their actions on anything other than the raw emotion of class divisions and racial hatred and ethnic animosity and, quite simply, jealousy. Of everyone!
The point of this racist WaPo piece attacking black Trump supporters is basically: We the media created a “white nationalism” narrative about the Capitol Hill riot and now we need backfill & erase these minorities' existence https://t.co/PYVBKcGKaDpic.twitter.com/caRERa9TEc
.@RepCohen on his concerns w/ the National Guard securing the Inauguration: “The [National] Guard is 90 some-odd percent male; and only about 20 percent of white males voted for Biden … there are probably not more than 25% of the people there protecting us that voted for Biden” pic.twitter.com/ofQfLuCw8I
I spent a few minutes scrolling through Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's Twitter timeline yesterday, and I thought, damn, I'm really going to miss this guy. He really gets it. And then I got to wondering, who else will I miss from the the Trump administration?
First, I've always liked Trump's press secretaries. Sean Spicer, Sarah Sanders were good, but Kayleigh McEnany was absolutely superb and she really knew how to shove it up the asses of the rat bastard White House Press Corp, whose work really should be declared an in-kind campaign contribution to the DNC and reported to the FEC.
I'm going to miss Kayleigh the most.
I liked Betsy DeVos. She came from the private sector, not some government bureaucracy, so all the lefties hated her. Good. I loved to listen to 'em wail when Ms. DeVos promoted school choice.
Ric Grenell. Where did he come from? He was great. He just seemed to have an intuitive understanding of what Trump wanted to accomplish and did whatever he could to help. He's man who gets it.
Nikki Haley. No, wait, hear me out on this: President Trump gave her a specific job to do, to go the United Nations and represent American interests forcefully and unapologetically, and she did. I think she did a good job. I wish she was still there, doing what she did. But not now. Now I think she needs to get off the national stage. She's getting pimped by the media as some sort of contender for the GOP candidacy in 2024, which means they think she's the candidate most likely to lose to Biden. From what I've seen from her, Nikki Haley is precisely the kind of candidate that we *don't* need. I think she's more like Jeb! than Trump.
My biggest disappointment? No, not Tillerson, not Mattis, and don't get me started on Jeff Sessions. The guy was as useless as a condom in a convent. I never had much expectations for him. The winner here is Attorney General William Barr, because with him, I did. Seriously, with all the criminal activity hurled at President Trump, what, in the end, did he actually do about it? Oh, I know he investigated and even assigned John Durham with the expectation of criminal indictments, but all of that sort of went poof on November 4th, now, didn't it? That means that not only did the Democrats get away with stealing an election in broad daylight, which is maddening enough, but all of that other stuff, the spying on the Trump and the bogus "dossier" and the phony collusion charges leading to impeachment, most likely orchestrated by a cabal of Obama loyalists, that started the very day that Trump was inaugurated in 2017, is going to be swept down the memory hole and everyone is going to pretend that it never happened. It's absolutely infuriating. I'd like to know, what, exactly were Barr and Durham doing for all this time?
Friday Who Dis: was a repeat. I had gathered up the photos and then I checked to see if I had used actress Coleen Gray before (she was a staunch Republican, by the way). I rag on Pixy's blogging software quite a bit, but I must say the search function is fantastic. It told me that I had already shown Ms. Gray back in Nov. 2019, which I think was shortly after I started the 7-photo/5-photo format. I was going to find someone new, but I liked the photos better than the ones I used before. She worked with Stephen McNally in the gangster film Johnny Rocco, among other films. McNally was a Roman Catholic who was married to his wife from 1941 to his death in 1994 and they had 8 children.
Today's Edition Of The Morning Rant Is Brought To You By Baked Alaska:
Good morning, kids. Monday and I don't think I've had a more profound sense of dread in my life about what the next few days and afterward might have in store. About the only times that come close were the morning after Election Day and then 12 days ago on Black Wednesday, with Election Day 2008 bringing up the rear. In a bit less than 54 hours from the time of this post, the darkest, most malignant and dangerous enemy our nation, such as it was, had ever faced will seize power once and for all and never let go. Neither willingly nor, I fear, peacefully if at all. That enemy as Abraham Lincoln prophesied decades before the strife that tore this nation apart in the first Civil war sprang up amongst us.
We all know what will happen the moment Zhou Bai-Din lift's his filthy hand of The Bible and emits the words "so help me G-d" from a policy standpoint. We had more than a taste of it from 2009-2017. Blanket amnesty and instant citizenship alone for upwards of 30 million illegal aliens, and open borders for millions more mean not only further societal and cultural dissolution, but a permanent political majority for the Enemy's Democrat Party. On the bright side, at least you can be assured that elections will never again be rigged. Mostly because when Florida and Texas turn blue, they won't have to be.
For the past 50-60 years if not longer, the illusion of comity between the two main political and cultural factions, strained and often punctuated by bitter and sometimes violent confrontation, was maintained despite the vicissitudes of electoral politics. What everyone except the most perceptive of individuals failed to realize was that the rot had become so pervasive and so all encompassing that our house divided is now crashing down around us. We are now at a point where actual repression and persecution based on any political belief or opinion that contravenes the accepted meme of "Left = Good, Right = Evil" is not only acceptable but is demanded.
This is based on the so-called "riot" that took place on January 6th at the Capitol. As thousands of peaceful, patriotic Americans gathered to demonstrate their opposition to the certification of a stolen election, a few dozen or so Leftist confederates dressed in MAGA gear (and not very convincingly either) were allowed in by Capitol Police and other insiders, caused a ruckus and broke a few windows. Not exactly the Reichstag Fire in terms of actual damage, the cold-blooded execution of Ashli Babbit by an as yet unknown party notwithstanding. But the pretext was tailor-made to blood-libel two thirds of the nation as well as the President they support. So now, with January 20th almost upon us, is it just me or does anyone else think that another staged event of "right wing fascist white supremacist violence" is about to happen?
The failure to have any semblance of adequate security, despite apparent FBI warnings of possible trouble, is one of the baffling aspects of that day. It's why the Chief of the Capitol Police has resigned, and there needs to be a thorough investigation of how the Mayor of D.C. and others rejected requests for additional help.
Yet what is happening in D.C. now looks more like a military defensive posture than riot control or even an attempt to defend against small groups planning violence.
There are the National Guard troops, and bridges to the city will be shut on Tuesday. The 8-ft non-scalable fences around the Capitol are being replaced with 12-foot fencing. US Citizen and Immigration Services is closing its offices for two days.
AirBnb has declared a moratorium on people coming into the city using their services. Facebook has banned the creation of new event pages for D.C. It's likely these private entities took these actions at the request of security agencies...
...There are some possibilities. One is that this is a deliberate overreaction as a show of force to deter anyone even thinking about causing a problem. In a rational world, given the Capitol Hill riot, that would be an obvious explanation.
But this massive military show of force smacks of protecting against a threat that has not yet been disclosed publicly. They seem to be planning against a military mutiny. That's how it feels.
Something's happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear.
If there is some sort of Enemy action to remove Zhou Bai-Din and install Kamala-Toe or whomever, it's completely unnecessary. The Democrats and their RINO stooges can 25th Amendment his ass the hell out of there in a heartbeat. He's a puppet as it is and will go wherever Obama and Jarrett kick him. What I fear is some act being used as a pretext to declare a national emergency and shut down ALL voices of opposition. That includes not only the handful of patriots like Josh Hawley in Congress but this here website and all the others that are practicing actual journalism.
The sad truth is, given the brainwashing inflicted on at least two to three generations of Americans in the schools, the reinforcement of the messaging in the media and culture, the will to power of our elected politicians, the befehl ist befehl attitude of far too many in law enforcement and the rubber stamp of a corrupt judiciary, a pretext to "destroy the Constitution in order to save it" seems unnecessary. Then again, JFK was much more of an effective tool for the left in death than he ever was for his thousand days in the Oval Office.
Of course, there is always the possibility of DC being turned into an armed camp means the military is going to pull a Pinochet and ride to the rescue of President Trump and the nation. If you believe that, I have a bridge over the East River I can sell you. Cheap.
"The only three options available to the American people are civil disobedience, secession of states, or abiding by the status quo -- which latter means it's Bye Bye, Miss American Pie. There are no other alternatives." Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie
Roger Kimball: "There are many lessons to be drawn from the 2020 election. The transformation of the United States of America from a republic into an oligarchy is a large and portentous lesson." A Party of Faction and Fantasy
"Trump's election didn't trigger what we see today; it was, instead, the culmination of more than 50 years of leftist attacks on America." What We're Seeing in America Was Inevitable
"Is Trump holding a royal flush ready to play this week? Many think so but the game is almost over. I'm losing optimism but also hope Trump proves me wrong." (I admire Dr. Joondeph, but this is Pollyanna-ish in the extreme - jjs) What's Next? Great Awakening or Great Reset?
"Joe Biden may ask for unity, but it's not at all different from a thief asking his victims to agree to let him keep what he's already taken." What Do We Do with a Pretend President?
"Leftists and their fellow travelers on the right like to talk about the 'Cult of Trump.'" The Cult of Trump?
"Republicans have failed utterly in the macro dimension. But the micro might still be available to us as a route for salvation." Will America Survive Her Attempted Suicide?
Raheem Kassam: "As most now recognize, the January 6th timeline disproves the claim that a singular Donald Trump speech caused simultaneous violence two miles away. He hadn't even taken to the stage while thugs made their move on the Capitol. Thugs we now know include members of Black Lives Matter and registered Democrats." The Media's Incitement Campaign Against Congress Is What Really Radicalized Americans
Pamela Geller: "The left and its propaganda arm, the establishment media, is now working hard to make it illegal, and get you banned from social media, to state the obvious fact that the election was stolen." The Totalitarian Left Moves to Silence All Dissent
"The corporate boardroom wing of the ruling class is attacking our ability to travel freely about the country." Now, It's the No-Fly Lists
"There was a collaboration between the tech companies and law enforcement to make it impossible for them to use the internet to recruit and radicalize mostly young Muslim men at the same around the world. Now we're talking about the domestic audience in the United States." Former Facebook Official Calls for Verizon, AT&T, Others to Deplatform OANN and Newsmax
"By nixing Parler, Amazon has exposed itself to an impressive spectrum of risks, both legal and business." Amazon Goes Mad
"Social media censorship can be stopped immediately by states controlled by Republicans (meaning both legislative chambers and the governor). Here's how, from an attorney." (they did such a great job with the Electoral College - jjs) Republican-Governed States Can Stop Social Media Censorship
OTHER FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH
"The civil rights organization is getting away from Andrew Cuomo's mismanagement, high taxes, gun haters, and Attorney General Letitia James, who has vowed to hound, sue, and force the NRA out of existence. NRA "Dumps" New York to Start Over In... Aw, You Guessed...
"From the Belt and Road Initiative to the South China Sea, China's ambitions conform to classical theories of emergent Eurasian powers." China's "World-Island" Ambitions
"Authorities had ordered him to come back to Moscow by December 29, but Navalny was still recovering from his brush with death and refused to show up. He was promptly arrested after arriving at a Moscow airport. Navalny was on probation for a bogus theft charge." Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Arrested After Landing in Moscow
Spengler: "If the United States were to issue debt in order to rebuild its industrial base and reduce the current account deficit, increased debt might be justified. That is not the form that deficit spending is likely to take under a Biden administration, which is likely to offer lip service to investment in technology while spending lavishly on social and environmental programs." Bidenomics Will Bankrupt Us
"Will rising transit crime derail ridership recoveries?" Going Off the Rails
"Private security is an option for individuals and businesses with the means to pay. But it does little to promote the public good -- as the case of South Africa shows." Defunding the Police Means Paying for Private Security
"You can have life, or you can have safety at all costs, but you cannot have both." Practical Freedom, Part II
"Where the anxieties of the working class and Baby Boomers were channeled into Trump, the anxieties of the left were channeled into a furious, culture-wide censorship campaign." The Trump Era Held Up a Mirror to Our Shattering Culture
HITHER & YON
Spector's "Wall of Sound" -- merging vocal harmonies with lavish orchestral arrangements -- revolutionized music production in the 1960s, and John Lennon called him "the greatest record producer ever." He was serving 19-to-life for murdering actress Lana Clarkson when he died. Phil Spector, Famed Music Producer and Convicted Murderer, Dead at 81
"The titanic achievements of America's civil rights movement refute claims by the Left that the country remains "systemically racist.'" What King and Others Wrought
NOTE: The opinions expressed in some links may or may not reflect my own. I include them because of their relevance to the discussion of a particular issue.
ALSO: The Morning Report is cross-posted at CutJibNewsletter.com if you want to continue the conversation all day.
“Because you’re connected to the Internet, even though there are firewalls and intrusion detection software… those things can be gotten around if you’re really good and skilled,” Max Kilger, with the University of Texas at San Antonio
Quote II
"Isn't it a strange thing that in every period of social unrest men have the notion that they can pass a law and suspend the operations of economic law?" Calvin Coolidge (1872 - 1933), Governor of Massachusetts and Republican presidential hopeful, 1920
H/T Isophorone Blog
Quote III
“The worst thing we can do is shut down our economy, kill our spirit,” Unanue continued. “You know, we need a reason to get up in the morning: God, family, work. And they’re taking away our spirit. They’re taking away our ability to work. They essentially declared martial law, I believe, in this country, shutting everything down. It’s the worst thing we could have done just for political gain. I think it’s criminal. I think it’s immoral. To shutdown this economy for this basically political reasons and, you know, we’re one nation under God. We’re not one nation under Twitter. We’re not one nation under big media, or under central government.” Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue
Quote IV
“Online dating has never really been something I’m into but in these circumstances, I thought I’d try it and it didn’t work out. Maybe it’s for the best." Tahlia Paris
Quote V
“Everybody’s in shock and everyone in the neighborhood is worried. Whoever did this is going to be hexed by all of us.
This should serve as further proof that receiving the vaccine will not ‘return us to normalcy’ and that the elites plan to continue these anti human, draconian measures in perpetuity.” Twitter user Jordan Brown
Quote VII
Many a lido deck panel pontificated on the threat of censorship before everyone adjourned to enjoy a refreshing Zima and vie for the attention of the fussy likes of Jay Nordlinger as he made a pass through the throngs of assembled suckers. Ahoy! Kurt Schlichter
CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) -- Three Texas bounty hunters have been charged after they made illegal entry into a home and engaged in a shootout with one of the residents, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The bounty hunters arrived to the Cypress home just after 8 a.m. as the home renter was also just getting home, deputies said.
President-elect Joe Biden plans to immediately put forward legislation offering a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants.
Four people who have been briefed on the plan say Biden plans to announce the legislation on his first day in office, according to the Associated Press.
“This really does represent a historic shift from Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda that recognizes that all of the undocumented immigrants that are currently in the United States should be placed on a path to citizenship,” Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, said about the plan, which she was briefed on.
Biden’s incoming chief of staff, Ron Klain, confirmed Saturday that Biden would send an immigration bill to Congress “on his first day in office” but did not elaborate on what was in the plan.
Republicans and activists say their recall effort against Gov. Gavin Newsom (D., Calif.) is aimed at protecting the rest of the country from the failed policies of California Democrats.
More than 1.1. million Californians have signed the recall petition, rapidly approaching the 1.9 million necessary to force an election. The activists hope that an additional batch of 1.5 million mailed petitions can push the number over the edge. State assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R.) told the Washington Free Beacon that the campaign will challenge the growing influence California Democrats wield over the national political conversation—from coronavirus lockdowns to economic and environmental policies that reward big tech while hurting small businesses.
"Part of our responsibility in California is to warn the rest of the country," Kiley said. "The same failures that have led Gavin Newsom to do so much harm, we can't let that spread to the rest of the country."
Newsom has boosted his national star on late night television and in national media profiles. Even as the governor has wooed national Democrats, though, he has seen close allies leave for Washington, D.C. President-elect Joe Biden tapped current California attorney general Xavier Becerra (D.) to join his cabinet as the secretary of health and human services. Newsom appointed longtime associate and California secretary of state Alex Padilla (D.) to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the Senate.
Anne Dunsmore, a political strategist and campaign manager for the pro-recall group Rescue California, said that the loss of top Newsom allies to the Biden administration could open up further opportunities to chip away at the traditional dominance of California Democrats in future statewide elections.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell is joining the House Committee on Homeland Security one month after it was revealed he was targeted by a suspected Chinese spy.
The California lawmaker — who was revealed to have been duped by a Chinese honey-trap spy who cozied to him and other pols in a bid to infiltrate the US political system — announced his appointment back onto the sensitive post in a tweet on Friday afternoon.
“My committee memberships — along with my experience as a prosecutor and as the son and brother of law enforcement officers — will give me a unique opportunity to delve into one of America’s most serious national security threats,” Swalwell wrote.
A study of nearly 108,000 people has found that people who regularly drink a modest amount of alcohol are at increased risk of atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats in an abnormal rhythm.
The study, published today (Wednesday) in the European Heart Journal [1], found that, compared to drinking no alcohol at all, just one alcoholic drink a day was linked to a 16% increased risk of atrial fibrillation over an average (median) follow-up time of nearly 14 years. This means that while four teetotallers in 100 might develop atrial fibrillation over the period of the study, five per 100 might develop the condition if they consumed alcohol starting with slightly more than an alcoholic drink a week and more than 75% of them consumed up to one drink a day [2]. The researchers categorised one alcoholic drink as containing 12 g of ethanol, which is the equivalent of a small (120 ml) glass of wine, a small beer (330 ml) or 40 ml of spirits.
Criminals in the United Kingdom got a late Christmas gift when 150,000 arrest records were deleted from a major database after a mistake during routine maintenance.
Hopefully, the police reform advocates in the United States don’t get any ideas.
According to the Independent, the Police National Computer (PNC) is accessed 600 million times a year by officers, for information to support local, regional and national investigations.
Policing minister Kit Malthouse said that law enforcement officials were working to recover the data.
A rideshare employee is looking for a new job after being fired by Lyft. The company decided to sever ties after the driver, Cynthia Norman, picked up two men in their 20’s who tried to carjack her. Lyft didn’t fire her because of the attempted carjacking, but rather because she used her legally-owned firearm to defend herself against the two attackers.
“I had to fight with these two men. I had one choking me from the back,” Norman told a reporter during an interview.
A hardline Islamic cult leader who is constantly surrounded by a retinue of busty glamour girls has been sentenced to 1,075 years in jail after a long and controversial trial.
Adnan Oktar, who also goes by the names Adnan Hoca and Harun Yahya, was arrested on charges of kidnapping, sexual abuse and fraud in July 2018, along with some 160 of his cult members.
WASHINGTON -- A Massachusetts company has been granted approval to operate commercial drone flights without a person directing the machine and keeping it in sight.
It’s the first time that the Federal Aviation Administration has allowed fully automated commercial drone flights.
American Robotics Inc. touted the advantage of its machines as being able to operate continuously without “expensive human labor.” The Marlborough, Massachusetts, company said Friday it has tested fully automated drones for four years.
The US Army's main battle tank, the M1 Abrams, is about to receive a new multipurpose super tank round that can breach concrete walls, pulverize obstacles, and destroy bunkers, according to Forbes.
The Advanced Multi-Purpose, or AMP, is specially designed for the M1 Abrams to replace the rapidly aging inventory of tank munitions.
The new round is long overdue as tank crews on the modern battlefields in the Middle East have been confronted by new evolving threats.
Fifty-five people in the United States have died after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, according to reports submitted to a federal system.
Deaths have occurred among people receiving both the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, according to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a federal database. The system is passive, meaning reports aren’t automatically collected and must be filed. VAERS reports can be filed by anyone, including health care providers, patients, or family members.
VAERS reports “often lack details and sometimes can have information that contains errors,” according to the reporting system’s website. Still, reports on VAERS represent “only a small fraction of actual adverse events,” the site states, although underreporting is believed to be less common for serious events.
Phil Spector, who pioneered the "Wall of Sound" technique and produced artists like the Beatles, George Harrison and the Ramones, died Saturday at age 81.
The producer was serving a 19-to-life sentence for the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson. He was convicted in 2009.
Spector’s death was confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. “California Health Care Facility inmate Phillip Spector was pronounced deceased of natural causes at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at an outside hospital," reads a news release. "His official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner in the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office.”
Some people decided to use their extra time at home during the pandemic to brush up on skills that might make them more enticing to a potential employer. Others may have devoted their time to eating and watching TV. Either way, you may be interested in—and highly qualified for—the latest “dream job” contest, which involves getting paid $500 to eat pizza and binge-watch Netflix shows. Here’s what to know.
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The ONT Musical Interlude
Ont this day: 17 Jan 2016
English drummer Dale Griffin died aged 67. He was a founder member of Mott the Hoople best known for classic tracks 'Roll Away The Stone' and 'All The Young Dudes'. The band who made eight albums during their five-and-a-half year existence, reformed to mark their 40th anniversary in 2009 - but Griffin was too ill to take part. Griffin also produced numerous BBC Radio 1 John Peel sessions from 1981 to 1994 including the first professional recording session for Pulp in 1981. via thisdayinmusic.com
AND
Born on this day: 17 Jan 1949
Mick Taylor, guitar, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, joined The Rolling Stones in 1969 (aged 20), and left the Stones in 1974. He has appeared on some of the Stones' classic albums including Sticky Fingers and Exile on Maine Street and worked with Bob Dylan, Mike Oldfield, Jack Bruce and Ronnie Wood. via thisdayinmusic.com
A North Dakota man on probation for narcotics possession was wearing a “Don’t Do Drugs” t-shirt when he was arrested yesterday for methamphetamine possession.
Esequiel Robles, 40, was collared following a traffic stop in Williston. A search of his vehicle turned up a baggie containing meth and a spoon with meth residue, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in District Court.
Charged with narcotics possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, Robles was booked into the Williams County jail, where the above photo was snapped.
A runner jumped into a frozen lake in Pontefract, England, to save a drowning dog -- before carrying on with his run.
Bystander Paula Town posted footage of the rescue online, saying: "What a hero, this complete stranger rescued this family's dog when it got into trouble in Pontefract Park.
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Weekly commenter stats for week of 1-17-2021
Top 10 commenters:
1 [517 comments] 'Sponge - China is Asshoe!' [72.58 posts/day]
2 [494 comments] 'Skip'
3 [460 comments] 'CN'
4 [444 comments] 'Christopher R Taylor'
5 [438 comments] 'redbanzai the Southerner'
6 [386 comments] 'LeftCoast Dawg'
7 [386 comments] 'Duke Lowell '
8 [370 comments] 'garrett'
9 [339 comments] 'clutch cargo - processed in a facility that may contain lead' 10 [335 comments] ' '
Notice: Posted with permission by the Ace Media Empire and AceCorp, LLC. Legally proofed by the firm of Dewey, Cheatem & Howe, S.C. Hording cheese and serving your ONT needs since 2008.
Howdy, y'all, and welcome to the ol' Sunday Gun Thread! It's time once again to gather 'round and discuss guns, gun stuff, and shooting. I have to admit I'm more than a little sad at the thought this will be the last Gun Thread with our beloved President Trump at the helm. What will next week bring us? How soon will it take the assault on our Second Amendment rights to begin? I have to assume it will not be pleasant, nor long in the making. This being the hand we were dealt, however, we're just going to have to figure out ways to make the best of it and to continue doing the things that we like to do under a much different set of circumstances. All is not lost. There are a lot of guns and gun owners in this country, and I suspect few are willing to just accept the new rules, whatever they happen to be.
With that, let's head below and see what we have this week, shall we?
I had a few things to say last week which generated a lot of response both in the comments and at the new Gun Thread email address. Most of it was positive, which is always nice, and virtually all of it was constructive, which I really do appreciate. Truth is, I sort of rely on those who disagree with what I write to keep me on my toes. Anyhow, a number of you took issue with my suggesting consideration be given to adopting a "Gray Man" strategy, which left me sort of scratching my head and prompted me to go back and look at what I'd written. Although I said I was in no way suggesting anyone abandon their beliefs, it appears a few of you interpreted my comments as suggesting exactly that, or at a minimum advocating not advancing our cause. Nothing could be further from the truth. The point I was making, or at least trying to make, was simply to be smart about the things you say and how you conduct yourselves both online and publicly in the real world, especially now. Big Brother really is watching you.
******
First up, I suppose you have heard the National Rifle Association has declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, in a stated effort to reorganize themselves out of being a New York Corporation, and into being a Texas Corporation, among other things. Not having looked at their balance sheet, I have no idea what their financial health is, but absolutely understand the desire to get the hell out of New York State and away from it's hostile AG and regulatory environment.
I have been an NRA Life Member for years and have to wonder if it's just simply become too large and bureaucratic in its current form. I suppose it can't hurt to have them around, but I am no longer as big a supporter as I once was. That may be unfair, but when their primary function appears to be fundraising and trinket distribution, it's hard for me to take them too seriously. The Competition Division does good work and I'm sure some good work also goes on in their lobbying effort, but with society becoming increasingly polarized on the gun issue, I can't help but wonder how useful that really is anymore. Instead, I do support my state level NRA affiliate organization, and groups like Gun Owners of America who seem to represent a good alternative to the NRA.
What do you all think? Am I full of shit?
******
Next up, you all certainly remember our pal and delightful 'ette screaming in digital who recently became a gun owner and dangerous radicalized gun nut! I thought it'd be nice to hear her thoughts on the process of going from gun neutral to gun ownership and have it serve as a guide for others. Here's what she has to tell us.
I was afraid of guns most of my life and had virtually no experience or knowledge as of election day. I finally decided to buy a gun because I didn't want to be completely without physical defenses and I'm not sure how much longer we'll be able to buy guns. I procrastinated for a long time because the process felt overwhelming. But I knew one thing from lurking here and gun owners I know: most shooters LOVE to help beginners. All I needed was the courage (or, more accurately, to get fed up enough, which is a reasonable substitute for courage) to walk into a store and ask.
I asked a friend who had prior experience to go along and help me ask the right questions. I initially thought I should buy a rifle, since it had felt more comfortable to me the ONE TIME I'd been shooting. I live in Wyoming. I didn't research gun buying laws before going to the store. We went to the Sportsman's Warehouse that recently opened in our town. A very knowledgeable young man showed me rifles in my price range that are easy for beginners and patiently answered all my questions. I was about to choose a pistol caliber carbine when he encouraged me to hold off and do more research. I asked if there was a range nearby that offered rentals, and he recommended a range in Casper that also offers training. Finally he recommended that we both get pepper spray, and we did, but I left without a gun.
My friend called the range that day. We took a women's basic pistol class a week later. After training, I reconsidered a handgun. I know that a pistol isn't necessarily the best choice for home defense, but this may be the only firearm I can ever afford to buy. I don't plan to carry until I've had more practice and training, but I wanted something I could concealed carry.
Now... which pistol to choose? I'd like to tell you I did exhaustive research, but I didn't. I'm a librarian; I like searching and sorting through lots of information, but considering my ignorance in this field, I deliberately kept it simple to avoid decision paralysis.
I searched phrases like "best pistols for beginners" and "best pistols for small hands." I read several articles reviewing various pistols and cross-referenced against items in stock according to the store's website. I wanted to stay close to $500 for the gun, knowing I'd also need ammo (and other accoutrements). I found this article from Pew Pew Tactical especially helpful.
The Glock 19 (and 17) were highly recommended, but not in stock at my store. The Sig Sauer P320 was also mentioned in several places. I started following this trail and found the Sig P365, in stock for $500. Reviewers praised it as a great daily carry, easy for beginners, not a lot of recoil, accurate and reliable. I had a couple other models in mind in case it wasn't available or I didn't like the feel. The P365 was available when I got to the store, and the staff highly recommended it. I handled several different models, but selected the P365. I know I should shoot the actual model before buying, but the closest range that offers rentals is 2 hours away, and I felt like I'd waited too long already.
Making the purchase was easy. I had to show ID and complete a form, but nothing unexpected, aside from the question about being a "mental defective... I'm a Moron(ette), does that count? There's no waiting period in Wyoming. I walked out that day with my pistol.
Sometimes I wonder if this isn't a symbolic and meaningless exercise on my part. How can a mousy, middle-aged, (mostly) harmless gal with a tiny pistol be of any use if the SHTF or even to defend myself? Honestly, I don't know. Ultimately I must remember my refuge, strength and hope is in the Lord and this is a spiritual battle. I pray I can learn to stand firm against evil however I'm called to do so.
And this, folks, is how that is done. If any of you are considering buying a gun for the first time, this is the script to follow. Yes, it's great to try before you buy but that's not always possible, and I'm of the opinion we sometimes overthink this whole thing a little bit, anyway. Do your research, take an introductory class, talk to gun owners you know, and find a gun shop where the staff takes the time to answer questions. Shoot the same type gun if you can, but if you cannot it's not the end of the world. The important thing is arming yourself if that is what you want to do.
I bigly huge thank you to screaming in digital for taking the time to send this in, and again, welcome to gun ownership and the Gun Thread!
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Next up we have a great submission from our pal No Nic Given. Weasel ain't no engineer, and this sounds engineerish as the dickens, but at the same time very interesting.
Back when Polymer 80 released their P80 in (I think 2015) I was one of the first to sign up to build a G17. I enjoyed shooting it and managed to get probably 500-750 rounds through the first body before I broke the back rails which were polymer at the time. Fast forward to last year and I have now built a gaggle of P80 lowers into fully functional Glock clones none of which I would hesitate to EDC. In fact, in the colder days this year I'm as likely to pick up my G19 clone as I am my Sig P365.
On to the matter at hand. About six months ago, my son saved up and bought a 3D Printer with my facilitation and proceeded to print about half dozen things with it and then promptly stuck it in the back of his closet. Both he and I forgot about it. I think I printed one thing and it was a beer opener with a counter on it for the dock at the lake.
In October of this year I was itching to get a Strike Industries P80 frame because I thought they looked sweet (and really, can one ever have too many unregistered pistols?) and while goofing around looking for parts which are increasingly difficult to come by, I came across the printed pistol phenomenon.
Now, I'm an engineer by education so I was skeptical but still curious so I commandeered the printer, loaded it up and printed my first G17 lower. It made it about fifty 9mm rounds before it failed but I noticed it failed in a fairly predictable spot right where the trigger guard connected to the body just above the mag release.
Long story short, my problem was with both the materials I was using as well as the print orientation I chose.
For the past three months I've printed about a dozen guns with only a few failures at the front end. The three shown here are all G19 copies from a few different files easily found on the Internet. The yellow (which will shortly be embossed with the Gadsen Snek and "Don't Tread on Me") just had its 1000th (or so) round put through it with hardly a mar or an overly elongated pin hole on it. I added the Spartan helmet on the magwell in Fusion360. I'm tickled to pieces at how well it has held up! The other two have had 300-500 rounds each put through them again, with limited wear. The red one has the most visible signs of use and I blame that one on the material (PETG).
I'm printing with a Creality Ender 3 that my son bought off the Bay for about $150 and using a variety of filament (PLA, Carbon Infused Nylon, PETG) but my favorite is eSun's PLA+. It's very workable and seems to avoid the brittle factor I find in standard PLA. I'm bending or milling my own rails out of aluminum depending on the frame and mostly using stock Glock OEM lower parts. The upper parts are all over the map in terms of vendors. I think the yellow gun is 'mostly' Glock OEM internals with an aftermarket Lonewolf trigger.
So far I've printed G17's and G19's but am about to tackle an AR and a CZ EVO Scorpion next.
Would I trust these guns in a defensive gun use? Yes. If I had to.
Heck, I'm the one who put them together and really haven't had issues since I got my 'additive manufacturing' process dialed in more than I do on any OEM striker fired guns I own. But now I have the means and capability to defend my loved ones and property that can never be denied me. That's a pretty cool feeling.
I'm having a blast, literally and figuratively, and building my own guns has caused me to get into casting my own bullets and reloading more than I ever did before. I went to Wal Mart the other day for an oil change and the guy in the tire shop gave me about 50 lbs of assorted wheel weights when I asked him if he would give me any. Now if he only had some small pistol primers I'm down to 10,000. :) But, maybe this is another post for the future, I am going to try my hand at making my own primer powder. I've probably saved 10,000 caps and anvils.
Any moron who wants to reach out to me can and I'll point them in the right direction assuming it's legal in their local jurisdiction.
I must admit to knowing next to nothing about the 3D printing process, so, like I said, very interesting! Aren't hobbies fun? Just think of all the useful objects one could make! From what I gather, it's been legal to manufacture your own firearms for years, but there are still rules that can get you into big trouble if not followed, so make sure you're not printing yourself a problem.
What do you all think? Any other gunsmiths out there? If you're interested in learning more, NNG has generously offered to help. Just drop me an email with FORWARD TO NNG on the subject line and I will pass your message along to them.
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Next up, our pal and COB extraordinaire MisHum sends us the following article from The National Interest.
A design more than 100 years old, the 1911 remains a shooter favorite and I am a big fan. Are you? Thank you MisHum!
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Next up we have a note from our pal Catch Thirty-Thr33 who shares another shooting analysis system. This one is certainly different from the rest and even works with live fire.
I listen to a radio show out of Lubbock called "Pratt on Texas", which mostly focuses on Texas politics. But the host, Robert Pratt, loves his guns. He even has a feature called the "anti-wimp update" which features instances of gun usage in the name of self defense. Anyways, he got on the show yesterday raving about something called Mantis. I looked into this and though I cannot afford this just yet, the concept looks very intriguing to say the least. You attach a tracking device to your gun and download the app, and get them both in communication with each other via Bluetooth. From there, depending on which model you get, you can use it for dry firing, live firing, and there is even a model available for use on shotguns. I figure using every single advantage to attain proficiency is necessary, and things like this can only help.
Anyone have one of the several Mantis systems and care to share their thoughts?
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Some time ago our pal and delightful 'ette lin-duh sent in this handgun video and I think it's a good one, so for those of you who missed it before, here 'tis again.
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Here's a video from or pals at Brownells on long-term storage bags to protect firearms and other accessories.
The prices aren't great but they're not outrageous, either. There are also heavy food grade vacuum seal bags widely available in a variety of sizes that would be a good option for things you might want to put away for some time.
Here's a guy who had the same idea.
Anyone have thoughts on the use of the vapor tabs versus vacuum sealing? Any other helpful home storage solutions?
This week's entry is from our pal Fungus Boy. Possible MoMe doorprize candidate?
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Please note the new and improved protonmail account gunthread at protonmail dot com. An informal Gun Thread archive can be found HERE. Future expansion plans are in the works for the site Weasel Gun Thread. If you have a question you would like to ask Gun Thread Staff offline, just send us a note and we'll do our best to answer. If you care to share the story of your favorite firearm, send a picture with your nic and tell us what you sadly lost in the tragic canoe accident. If you would like to remain completely anonymous, just say so. Lurkers are always welcome!
That's it for this week - have you been to the range?
Food Thread: Saucy Ribs And Sharp Knives, A Match Made In Heaven
—CBD
I am a purist when it comes to pork ribs. if you aren't making ribs good enough to eat on their own, why should I hide the mediocrity under a layer of sweet, gloppy, monochromatic sludge? But what about sweet sauces that aren't just sweet? A few weeks ago on these pages I revealed my snobbery when it comes to BBQ sauces, but I just made one, courtesy of commenter Bluebell's recipe, and I have to admit; it is damned good.
Sweet, but not too sweet, and with a savory/tart background that compliments the other flavors. Really impressive. So impressive that I figured it would be good on salmon. And it was!
But why did an admitted pompous BBQ-sauce-ass make his own sweet sauce? Well, I was poking around the cupboard and found a bottle of molasses. Why it was there, and for how long, is lost in the mists of time. But I am a cheap bastard and didn't want to waste it, so I asked around, and Bluebell rose to the occasion with a Kansas City BBQ Sauce recipe. I still have 2/3 of the molasses left, but I also have about a quart and a half of some mighty fine sauce in the refrigerator, just waiting to be slathered on the pork ribs that I have planned for tomorrow evening's dinner. Yes, I am breaking my own rule: but food rules are made to be broken. Well, except shaking Manhattans.
And then maybe I'll try it on French Toast...the stuff isn't nearly as sweet as maple syrup.
I have been watching cooking shows on YouTube recently, in part because of the unrelenting shittiness of the real world, and in part because they are getting better and better. One of the best ones stars a guy named Andrew Rea, who by his look and background is probably a raving leftist loon. But I don't know, because he hasn't told me! And I like that. He will occasionally tout a charity, but I have not heard a single political comment or snide remark looking down on the great unwashed between the coasts. He is quite the capitalist though...many of his videos are sponsored by big names. Maybe I should call him up and find out how he managed that. I am sure that Bounty would love to sponsor, "Dildo's Delicious Delicacies."
He does Binging With Babish and a few other series, all of which are worthwhile; for the production quality, his humor, and most of all his infectious love of cooking and food.
I have not seen all of his videos, so I may be incorrect about him separating his politics from his work. So if I am wrong, please correct me. I will be disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised.
The answer is, "No." And I think it is a stupid question. Professional cooks need to know how to sharpen their knives, because no matter how good a knife is, it will eventually need to be resharpened. And home cooks don't need great knives because there are dozens of perfectly good knives available for a fraction of the cost of these high-end knives, and they are not noticeably inferior for most tasks. Spend the money you save on some sharpening stones, and then practice.
Now, if you want to go out and try to buy a Jim Kramer kitchen knife, have at it. He has some that are made from meteorites, which is about as cool as cool gets. And they are $30,000. But there are knives that are just as good, just not with the cachet of Kramer.
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I see that long-time commenter "LizLem" has thrown down the gauntlet! Gluten free? Damned show-off!
Celebratory Menu Challenge
Contestant: LizLem
Entire meal is gluten free; see below for dairy free recommendations
Starter: Tomato basil feta soup, $8
Entree: Lemon herbed cornish game hens, $35
Side #1: Roasted root vegetables, $5
Side #2: Rosemary garlic potato galette, $5
Dessert: Cheesecake with strawberry basil balsamic topping and nut crust, $15
Total Cost: $68
Notes on the Food:
Keep in mind, we have a lower cost of living out here, so the menu is completely doable at the budget listed. The stock items and meat I would buy on sale and have handy in freezer or pantry till needed. The entire meal is gluten free. Alterations to make the meal dairy free are listed below. With a few subs in the cheesecake and minus the galette, the meal is keto. Happy to send you recipes if you want them. I tried to pick dishes I love that have complimentary flavor notes, so there is a lot of rosemary, thyme, and basil scattered through the meal.
Soup uses homemade bone broth. Leave out the feta and cream, or use subs like coconut milk, and it's dairy free. I love game hens because everyone gets their own mini bird, and can have the parts of the bird they love best all to themselves. The game hens and the root veg are roasted together inside paper bags; keeps the birds moist but lets them get that lovely crispy skin. The skin of the hens are frosted in room temp butter infused with herbs and spices, the bird stuffed with the lemons. Can sub coconut oil or olive oil and would be dairy free. For root veg I would use carrots, radishes (cooked radishes have a diff flavor and are divine, I would peel to remove color), possibly parsnips. The potato galette uses olive oil and herbs and is dairy free. Yukon gold or red potatoes (or both combined for looks), sliced thin and even, are best. I love my cheesecake recipe; the crust is pulverized nuts and is completely gluten free, you don't miss the wheat at all. Sadly with all the cream cheese I can't make it dairy free; I would find an alternate dessert for the dairy free guest at the table. I usually make the strawberry basil balsamic topping for fancy ice cream, but it would top cheesecake beautifully. I could make/find a dairy free strawberry or vanilla ice cream, and put some of the strawberry topping on that, for the dairy free guest.
Some people don't include bread type foods as an actual side, so I left that out. But if I were making one, I have an amazing spoon bread recipe using cornmeal that is gluten free, that would pair well.
Hard to find anything wrong with this, except for the silly euro-trash metric system crap in the recipe.
Oops! Found something else that irritates:
This rich potato and cheese dish needs a ripe and rounded, but not too fruity, white. Go for a mâcon-villages from Burgundy.
Oh...shut up. I think I'll serve this with Coca Cola.
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Remember the Little Debbie recipe I posted recently? I have made them twice, and they are great. Next time I will make the filling but use chocolate chip cookies, because why not?
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One of the rules I have when it comes to cocktails is that when the booze is forward, it's important to use something that you would drink on its own. That doesn't mean that you should rush out and buy a case of Pappy van Winkle for your Bourbon and Coke, but your base liquor should be palatable. Not necessarily a great sipping liquor, but it should be something in the neighborhood of, "Yeah, I'll have one more."
So why turn a great cocktail on its head and bring one of the side flavors to the forefront? Sweet vermouth is a drink in certain backward parts of the world (Western Europe), but let's keep it as the secondary flavor in one of the great cocktails on earth.
What's next, a reverse Margarita? Three parts lime juice, three parts Triple Sec, one part tequila. Yum!
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Food and cooking tips, Large-breasted Muscovy ducks, young wild pigs, bartenders who use vermouth in Martinis (but not too much), pork belly that doesn't have 5-spice, low-temperature-roast chicken, and good tomatoes that aren't square, pale pink and covered with Mestizo E.coli: cbd dot aoshq at gmail dot com. Any advocacy of French Toast with syrup will result in disciplinary action up to and including being nuked from orbit. And yes, shaking a Manhattan is blasphemy...it's in the Bible!
First World Problem – Random Covid-Era Shortages Of Favorite Grocery Items [Buck Throckmorton]
—Open Blogger
The crisis is over – for the first time in almost two months I had Grape Nuts for breakfast today. Meanwhile, my stock of Hormel Bacon Bits continues to shrink, with none on any store shelves. The composition of my nightly salad could be facing a shakeup if Bacon Bits don’t return to the shelves soon.
Almost a year after our economy was turned upside down by economic illiterates, seemingly random grocery items still disappear from store shelves for extended periods. And then human nature kicks in – people stock up on products they use but which have gone scarce. When paper towels and toilet paper became scarce, I aggressively increased my household inventory of those products lest they become unavailable again. Which, of course, compounded the scarcity problem.
I recently asked a stocker at a grocery store why Grape Nuts are so hard to come by. She said that shipments have become infrequent, and when some finally shows up, people quickly buy it in bulk. Who knows - perhaps Grape Nuts will become a post-apocalyptic currency. I finally saw two boxes on the shelf this week. With great restraint I only bought one.
I know that as some of you read this, your main take-away will be “Buck eats Grape Nuts? WTH?” Well for starters, they’re wife-proof. Mrs. Throckmorton might go after my Raisin Bran in a midnight raid on the pantry, but she has no patience or interest while half-asleep in trying to make Grape-Nuts edible. In addition, I’ve liked the product since I was a child.
Unlike Ace’s childhood trauma with Kaboom cereal, I wasn’t denied premium-priced cereal as a kid. We had the good stuff. The only trouble was that it was the “good stuff” for adults. Grape Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Special K. The definition of “children’s cereal” in our house was “adult cereal with lots of sugar added.” And even the sugar was often in adult form – sugar cubes - which were on hand just in case guests wanted to sweeten their coffee. I recall adding crusty old sugar cubes to my Shredded Wheat or Grape Nuts. And I liked it. To this day, I’ll argue that a milky, half-melted sugar cube is preferable to a marshmallow in cereal.
By the way, whatever happened to sugar cubes? I better stock up on them too if I see some.
What random product shortages (outside of paper & cleaning) are you dealing with?
Thanks for letting me fill in this afternoon, but now I need to run to the store. Snow may be coming this way, so I need to run out and buy a couple gallons of milk and a dozen loaves of bread. Just to be safe.
A Serious Question: What Makes The Most Sense, Switching Party Affiliation To Independent, Or to Something (Anything) Other Than Republican?
—CBD
It's all done except for the check mark in the "Independent" box or one of the other minor parties that my state recognizes as a viable political organization.
Strangely, I see on the form that one of the choices is "Republican," but I don't see them as a viable political party as much as a funnel for money from the unwise to the head grifters. If I had hired a contractor or a car mechanic and got the kind of shoddy work I have received for my support of the Republican party in NJ (and nationally), I would have fired him that day and asked for my money back.
So...Conservative is tempting, but judging by the state of the website, I might be quite lonely.
And what about registering as a Democrat just to vote for the most idiotic and outrageous of their candidates? That would be fun but unproductive.
The U.S. Constitution Party is another option. That sounds like fun! But I might need a custom-made tinfoil hat. I mean, they are correct that our government is corrupt, but their perspective is right out of left field.
I can't see myself as a Green Party member. I just don't dig chicks with hairy armpits.
Libertarian? Yeah...no. I am not a stoner, and I want the damned borders closed.
Ooh! here's one! The Natural Law Party. I like their platform, all seven planks! It's nice and short and hasn't been touched since 2002.
In reality, it doesn't matter at all. the important message is that I am leaving the Republican party, not that I am going anywhere else. And it's not just that I am leaving them; I want to hurt them. They need to suffer; they need to bleed; they need to be driven from the public square, metaphorically chased by patriots with whips.
Good morning to all you 'rons, 'ettes, lurkers, and lurkettes, wine moms, frat bros, crétins sans pantalon (who are technically breaking the rules). Welcome once again to the stately, prestigious, internationally acclaimed and high-class Sunday Morning Book Thread, a weekly compendium of reviews, observations, snark, witty repartee, hilarious bon mots, and a continuing conversation on books, reading, spending way too much money on books, writing books, and publishing books by escaped oafs and oafettes who follow words with their fingers and whose lips move as they read. Unlike other AoSHQ comment threads, the Sunday Morning Book Thread is so hoity-toity, pants are required. Even if it's these "pants", which are suitable only if you've been invited to Anderson Cooper's barbecue.
Established in 1985, Tills is one of Edinburgh's oldest second-hand bookshops. It sits overlooking the Meadows, and has carved out a small literary corner in Edinburgh's South Side. First opened by Rick and Ann Till, the shop was taken over in 2019 by Kate and Joshua McNamara.
Open seven days a week, with a big selection of literary fiction both contemporary and classic, quirky sci fi, history and biography, philosophy and sociology, and the odd antiquarian gem. There are a few seats, a cosy fire, and staff ready for all manner of bookish discussions.
It Pays To Increase Your Word Power®
Here's something else we're going to be seeing a lot more of in the months ahead:
26 Probably the book that matters right now is Fahrenheit 451.
Posted by: blaster at January 10, 2021 09:12 AM (ZfRYq)
(This is a revision of a piece I wrote in June. h/t 'ette author Gunnar Grey for her contribution)
With the Democrats' successful theft of the 2020 election, our cultural life will shortly be entering a new phase as the 'woke' crybully mobs are now emboldened to come after us and our books. Because they only want you reading the correct books, the books they approve of, and all others will be banished, and all unapproved authors cancelled. Now, personally, I don't think they're going to succeed in this endeavor. I think 'wokeism' will eventually collapse. But the key word here is 'eventually'. It probably won't happen quickly. It's likely going to take quite a while. I will be 65 years old this year and I may not live long enough to see wokeism's defeat. It may be very rough going for us for a number of years.
So how do we go about preserving the books we have?
Obviously, the first choice is dead-tree editions, preferably well-bound hardback copies. But there are downsides: they're susceptible to damage from fire, water, pests, and age-related deterioration. Nothing lasts forever.
Also, they're bulky, take up a lot of space and so are easier for the woke mobs to confiscate or burn.
E-books solve many of these problems, but present difficulties for their own. Most of these drawbacks aren't intrinsic to e-books themselves, but just how most of them are purchased: from a single source (Amazon), each e-book wrapped in a layer of encryption (called DRM for 'digital rights management') installed by the vendor as an anti-piracy measure, and e-books are stored, ultimately, on their servers, not yours. Yes, they're actually on your device, but at any random time, it may ask to connect to Amazon to reconfirm the download, especially if you haven't connected for awhile.
So can we get around these limitations, and if so, how?
First, I've never liked "the cloud". It has always seemed to me to be so antithetical to the whole PC revolution. Because, in case we've forgotten, PC stands for "personal computer" with emphasis on the personal: It is my computer, my applications, my data. Back in the early days, due to technological limitations, computing was a bunch of dumb terminals wired to a giant central mainframe kept locked away in an air-conditioned room. All of your work, all of your data, was ultimately controlled by someone else, not you.
And that's why the PC revolution was so, well, revolutionary. It decentralized and redistributed computing power and resources downward to greater numbers of users.
So, in my view, "cloud computing" is a giant step backwards.
I was rudely awakened two three years ago when I picked up my device and it informed me that Amazon had pushed out "an important update" to one of my Kindle books. I guess it was some the minor edits in the text, but I also noticed that a free chapter of a subsequent book that I had been meaning to read was now gone.
I thought, hmmmm, if they can do that, they can make any changes they want, whenever they want, and I can do nothing about it. Because that's probably written to the terms of the agreement for using their platform and buying stuff from them.
You'll need to make or acquire backup copies of your purchased books to store in a safe place, preferably offline.
Whatever device you own, you're going to have to learn to "side-load" it. Meaning, transfer ebook files to it (usually via a USB cable) without going through Amazon or B&N. In order to do that, you need to find out where exactly ebooks are stored on your device. You'll have to familiarize yourself with its folder structure so you know where to look. A bit of sleuthing around using Bing or Google should be helpful. Then you can plug your device into your laptop or desktop PC and I don't know how it works in the Mac world, but in Windows 10, you'll be able to open the device in Explorer and navigate to where the ebook files are stored.
Anything you purchase from Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook) or Google (Google Play) you need to consider a loss. At any time, whatever purchase you've made can be modified or deleted by the vendor, and there's not much you can do about it, because they're a lot larger and a lot more powerful than you. So do not think that whatever books you buy from those vendors will always be available to you.
Another example: a couple of years ago, I changed the credit card I was using for Amazon purchases and suddenly I had to re-download the Kindle book I was reading. This suggests that your credit card info gets encrypted into the DRM layer of the ebooks you buy. They didn't change the content, but this incident reminded me that your device is expected to maintain minimal contact with the Amazon servers in order to be functional.
There are a couple of things you can do about this.
You can look for books without DRM. Baen's books are DRM-free as are some small percentage of Kindle books. Smashwords also sells DRM-free books. And check Gutenberg.org and archive.org if it's an older book.
There's also Calibre. It's not a book-seller, it's an application to manage your e-books. There are versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can do all sorts of organizing and editing of your ebooks with this application, and, in particular, you can install plug-ins to remove the DRM layer from your ebook. If you just search for "Calibre DRM removal", you will find all sorts of information on what to do.
So, once you've done all of this and are now in possession of a library of DRM-free ebooks, what do you do with them?
Here is what I do: I have a Samsung Android tablet I do all of my reading on, and if I want to read one of my ebooks, my favorite e-reader app is Google Play. It can handle pdf and ePub files, and I just sign in to https://play.google.com/books/ebooks and it's very easy to upload books. Since I didn't purchase the book from Google, it technically doesn't know I own it, although I suppose it can see it if some Google tech does some snooping. So I upload the ebook using my desktop and eventually, the Google Play app on my device will see the new book and automatically download it for reading. When I've finished the book, I delete it. And my archival copy is not involved at all.
If you don't want to use the Google Play reader, there are a number of other e-reader apps you can download (or side-load) that allow you to read e-books of a variety of formats, epub, mobi, pdf, azw, doc, txt, etc.
Obviously, I store nothing permanently on "the cloud". All of my archival copies are stored on a 6TB drive in a non-standard folder. That is, the folder is not named "Documents" or "My Documents" or "My Books", which are Microsoft's standard names for data folders. I thought it would be best if I used other names in another location. My folder structure is I:\archives\ebooks\author\title or something similar. If I really wanted to be safe, I'd unplug the drive when I wasn't using it, but I'm not that vigilant.
So that's my "system", and it works pretty well for me. Oh, and no 'Alexa' or 'Siri' devices for me, thanks. A lot of my friends think they're great, but they give me the creeps.
Who Dis:
(Last week's 'who dis' was actor, conservative, and all-around great American Gary Sinise.
Books By Morons
'Ette author Sabrina Chase wants you to know she has promotions going on for some of her books, including a free one! She thinks many Morons could use some discount escapism these days. The sale runs from January 13-22.
The Last Mage Guardian (was 3.99, now 1.99) Steampunk fantasy with magic, book 1 in the series.
Her great-uncle, the mage Oron, bequeathed to her his oak-shaded chateau and a debt of magical honor. But in a world where women do not do magic, Miss Ardhuin Andrews must hide her magical talents. How can she repay the debt? When Oron's enemies attack, how can she survive? Political intrigue, duty, and echoes of an old war not truly ended combine to create a smoldering crisis in a world where magic and science coexist.
The Scent of Metal (was 3.99, now 1.99) Space opera SF, book 1 in the series.
The expedition ship Kepler races to Pluto, intent on uncovering the secrets of the alien structure recently discovered under the ice. Computer scientist Lea Santorin can’t wait to figure out the alien technology. Instead, she wakes it up … and it continues its long-interrupted journey across the galaxy, taking Lea and Kepler with it.
Rogues and Heroes(FREE!) January 16-18 only, though. Collected short stories of all genres, including ghost Western :-)
...with a young woman desperate to leave her dusty planet for space ... a British boy determined to end WWII all by himself ... a cop in a dark world willing to do anything for a good read... an old cowboy with a final, heavy burden...and more, in this collection of short stories.
...Featur[es] interviews with hundreds of moms and candid stories from author Claudine Wolk’s own experiences as a mother, It Gets Easier! . . . and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers employs a healthy mix of humor, honesty, and insider strategies to give new and expecting moms a “leg up” on the challenging task of first-time motherhood...by addressing issues such as: “The Talk” you need to have with your husband before you give birth; what you really need to know about labor and delivery; the importance of a baby schedule (no matter what anyone else says); the 6 Baby Commandments that can foster good eating and sleeping habits; 5 new mom mantras that will help keep you sane; body image after giving birth; and how to keep housework to a minimum.
Actually, they do, I'm sorry to say. This is a real book. No, I'm not kidding. For those of you who aren't aware of the context: the 'woke' industrial complex has taken over huge chunks of the 'superhero' comic/graphic novel publishing business and this is the kind of crap that's now being cranked out. And they fully expect it to sell. When it doesn't, they'll blame it on "toxic fandom" or "white supremacy" or some such. Personally, I've always thought "we hate you, now give us your money" is not a good business plan, but maybe they're just being ironic.
Moron Recommendations
68 So a couple of weeks ago I re-read Killoyle: An Irish Farce by Roger Boylan. It's set in the fictional Irish town of Killoyle and is ostensibly about Milo Rogers, a headwaiter at Spudorgan Hall, the town's big hotel, but also dives into the lives, loves and drunken escapades of various other town characters.
What makes the book unique, though, is that each page has footnotes. Not, mind you, footnotes explaining things, but footnotes in the voice of an unseen narrator who, in the book's conceit, is reading over your shoulder and jostling you at various points to make an observation or tell a joke.
This is the sort of thing you like or hate, so take a look at the preview before you decide whether or not to buy. I happen to like it, a lot.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at January 03, 2021 09:32 AM (2JVJo)
Terry Pratchett also does the "humorous footnote" thing and I think it's a great gag if used sparingly -- which the footnotes in Killoyle definitely aren't. Any page in Killoye can have a footnote that takes up half of it. Fortunately, from what I can tell in from the preview, all of the footnotes end at the bottom of the page and don't continue on into the next, as some do in other books, which I find quite irritating.
A few years ago, my kids used to watch a TV series, I think it was Arrested Development that used this device -- an "omniscient" narrator commenting on the actor and it just drove me nuts, because (a) I wasn't interested in the show, (b) the TV was in another room so I couldn't really hear what was going on but (c) the actor who was doing the narration had a voice that carried, so I could hear him just fine. Only he just wouldn't shut up and it was like this constant irritating noise like a dripping faucet or squeaky wheel and I thought, why did they need a guy to tell you what you just saw and what should you think about it? That should be part of the story itself. It struck me as crappy storytelling.
I ripped through a book this week - Verity by Colleen Hoover, who apparently is a prolific, successful romance writer but dipped a toe into suspense with an Indy publisher with great success. Couldn't put it down. A great escape book and, whoa boy, do we need escape?
According to comments made by 'ette author artemis in this forum a couple of weeks ago, as popular as the romance genre is with women, the suspense+romance subgenre is like crack cocaine. Yes, yes, women readers are saying, I want you to shoot that stuff directly into my vein. Well, that's not *exactly* what artemis said, but I think it's probably close enough. :grin:
Here is the Amazon blurb:
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night their family was forever altered.
Comes with this warning:
Due to graphic scenes and mature content, this book is recommended for readers 18+.
So that's all for this week. As always, book thread tips, suggestions, bribes, insults, threats, ugly pants pics and moron library submissions may be sent to OregonMuse, Proprietor, AoSHQ Book Thread, at the book thread e-mail address: aoshqbookthread, followed by the 'at' sign, and then 'G' mail, and then dot cee oh emm.
What have you all been reading this week? Hopefully something good, because, as you all know, life is too short to be reading lousy books.
If you've ever been around Kevin Williamson, you're jaw drops at how down-to-earth, gifted, erudite, and flat-out smarter than everyone in the room he is. That’s what being around @ChrisStirewalt is like.
When Andrew McCarthy vouches for someone, that person is about to screw you.
@davereaboi
Notice which performatively "conservative" pundits and outlets have been silent or agnostic on the issue of Dems declaring half the country domestic terrorists.
And those who are openly supportive!
Parody of Conservative, Inc.'s renewed efforts to grift money from you:
@DarrenJBeattie
We need your help PATRIOT
We know you've been designated a domestic terror threat in your own country, and we're sorry we did nothing to stop that.
but if you don't whip out credit card and MOOOO donation AOC and the SQUAD will commence AMNESTY orgy with CHICOM spy gigolos!!!
Surprise! Disney Lucasfilm's new Chinese Communist Party version of Star Wars is a pungent propaganda fart against running dog capitalism CoRpoRaTIonZ aRE OUr FRenZ, COmradezzz! Ignore the inelegance of the translation. But due check out the political messaging, which Disney Lucasfilm is using Star Wars' IP value to push on behalf of its Communist Chinese business partners.
Now that the CCP's pet gerbil has been placed into the U.S. Presidency, and with the possibility of Bob Iger being appointed as ambassador to China, the propagandist possibilities are endless.
James Waugh, VP of Franchise Content & Strategy for Lucasfilm, says that the author of this story will bring very specific Chinese perspectives to the world building. Though it’s likely that James conflates the perspective of the Chinese people with the perspective of the CCP, which are entirely different and separate.
Chen Yang, the Vice President & Chief Editor of China Literature, claims that this effort will show online literature's "inclusiveness." Amusingly however, we already know that this "inclusive" story will feature an exclusively Chinese sector of the galaxy.
@dockaurG
"Lockdown is a luxury of the rich... luxury of the affluent. Lockdown harms the disadvantaged. We have given up looking after the vulnerable. I cannot understand how ppl cannot be sensitive to these issues. Much of the world does not have that privilege"
-Oxford Prof @SunetraGupta
Someone said: There are only lockdowns for the middle class. For everyone else, it's poor people delivering shit to rich people.
Nikki Haley -- Jeb Bush with a UTI* -- started a presidential PAC today. As expected.
@JesseKellyDC
We’re now 3.5 years away from the DC pundit-class being SHOCKED when Nikki Haley gets 5% of the vote in Iowa.
* Yes, I know, technically speaking, Jeb Bush himself is "Jeb Bush with a UTI."
