June 2020 Archives

Guess where?

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Photo from a 3rd world shithole:

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Where is it? Here

On the heels of the FCC declaring them a national security threat

A presentation by Christopher Balding at the Oslo Freedom Forum:

From the site:

China scholar and economics expert Christopher Balding, reveals why was Huawei accused of working with the Chinese Communist Party to collect data on its users. China, being the most surveilled country in the world, with millions of tracking devices, raises concern as evidence shows that the way business is done often ends on human rights violations and democratic oppression. What are the limits of technologies in China?

China is asshoe.  Two websites with more to come:

Made In America Co. - their list

Made In America Co.
Discover 800+ Made in USA companies! Shop Made in America Homewares, Kitchen Item, Clothes, Apparel, Jeans, Denim, Footwear, Shoes, Food, Tools, Pet Items & much more. Proudly dedicated to American Made since 2013.

Made in USA Forever

All of our products are Made In The USA!
The big chain stores have made it hard to find American-made products, but our goal is to make it fun and easy. From the practical to the premium, it's all cool. Every item is 100% guaranteed to be produced in the USA. Quality, style, and Made in the USA -- You have my promise. No compromise. We each can make a difference -- keep it Made in USA!!!
Todd Lipscomb President & Founder

Of course - from station WTOL-11:

4 Toledo City Council members arrested amid 'pay-to-play' bribery probe
Democrats Larry Sykes, Yvonne Harper, Tyrone Riley and Gary Johnson were named in a complaint Tuesday. Attorney Keith Mitchell is accused of funneling bribes.

Four Toledo City Council members and one local attorney are accused of participating in a bribery and extortion scheme that encouraged soliciting and/or accepting cash, checks, money orders or other things of value from local business owners in exchange for their votes on city council.

The scheme was revealed in a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Named in the filing are Democratic council members Larry Sykes (At-Large), Yvonne Harper (District 4), Gary Johnson (At-Large) and Tyrone Riley (District 1).

The federal charges of bribery and extortion carry maximum penalties of 10 years and 20 years in prison, respectively, according to US Attorney Justin Herdman.

All Democrats - what were you expecting? Much more at the site including a copy of the Federal Complaint. Nice to see these low-life's being rolled up and put away.

Cute commercial - coffee

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Veteran owned Black Rifle coffee:

Curious - Russia

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From Reuters:

Russia denies nuclear incident after international body detects isotopes
Russia said on Monday it had detected no sign of a radiation emergency, after an international body reported last week that sensors in Stockholm had picked up unusually high levels of radioactive isotopes produced by nuclear fission.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), which monitors the world for evidence of nuclear weapons tests, said last week one of its stations scanning the air for radioactive particles had found unusual, although harmless, levels of caesium-134, caesium-137 and ruthenium-103.

The isotopes were “certainly nuclear fission products, most likely from a civil source”, it said. It tweeted a map showing where the material was likely to have originated, which included parts of several Baltic and Scandinavian countries as well as a swathe of western Russia.

Asked on Monday about reports that Russia could have been the source of a leak, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We have an absolutely advanced radiation levels safety monitoring system and there are no any emergency alarms.”

“We do not know the source of this information.”

Hmmm... Cesium isotopes are definitely a result of nuclear fission. Half-lives are in the couple-year range so any "naturally occurring" sources decayed millennia ago.

Mail-in voting - corruption free

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Yeah - right. From The Daily Signal:

1 in 5 Ballots Rejected as Fraud Charged in New Jersey Mail-In Election
Following accusations of widespread fraud, voter intimidation, and ballot theft in the May 12 municipal elections in Paterson, New Jersey, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced Thursday he is charging four men with voter fraud—including the vice president of the City Council and a candidate for that body.

With races still undecided, control of the council hangs in the balance. Paterson is New Jersey’s third-largest city and the election will decide the fate of a municipal budget in excess of $300 million, in addition to hundreds of millions more in education spending and state aid.

In the City Council election, 16,747 vote-by-mail ballots were received, but only 13,557 votes were counted. More than 3,190 votes, 19% of the total ballots cast, were disqualified by the board of elections.

They have nothing to offer so they have to cheat. Simple as that.

If he gets elected - from CNBC:

Biden tells donors: I’m going to get rid of most of Trump’s tax cuts ‘and a lot of you may not like that’
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden told potential donors to his campaign that his administration would end most of President Donald Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax cuts – even though “a lot of you may not like that.”

Biden’s warning to his backers came as the candidate laid out an ambitious suite of policy goals during a virtual campaign fundraiser on Monday.

No clue. He has zero comprehension of basic economics.

And dinnertime

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Got some ahi steak thawing out - time to make a marinade and start the rice cooker.

Stopped by the farmer's market this afternoon and got some fresh fava beans and fixings for a salad.

Heh - the Wuhan flu

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So true:

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Found over at Knuckledraggin

From the Federal Communications Commission:

FCC Prohibits Subsidized Huawei and ZTE Gear From America’s Networks
WASHINGTON, DC, June 30, 2020—Today, the Federal Communications Commission formally determined that Huawei and ZTE pose a national security threat to the integrity of our communications networks and communications supply chain. This decision means that funds from the FCC’s Universal Service Fund cannot be used to purchase, obtain, maintain, improve, modify, or otherwise support any equipment or services provided by Huawei or ZTE.

This designation is the latest step that the FCC has taken to secure America’s communications networks from the threats posed by Communist China and bad actors that might do its bidding. Those efforts include prohibiting a company linked to Communist China from connecting to our communications networks, directing numerous other entities to show cause why their authority to remain connected to our networks should not be revoked, and launching a proceeding aimed at removing Huawei and ZTE gear from our communications networks.

“We cannot treat Huawei and ZTE as anything less than a threat to our collective security,” Commissioner Carr stated. “Communist China intends to surveil persons within our borders and engage in large-scale, industrial espionage. Nothing short of prohibiting subsidized Huawei and ZTE gear from our networks could address this serious national security threat. After all, Chinese law does not meaningfully restrain the Communist regime given its authoritarian nature.

Good. They are not on our side. Look at the security holes in TikTok and Zoom.

Looks like our Governor Inslee is getting some pushback - from NOQ Report:

Jay Inslee forced to move press conference inside over hecklers: ‘We will not comply, we are not sheep’
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has been at the forefront of both the original coronavirus lockdowns and now the “2nd wave” of lockdowns being passed down by authoritarians across the country. Fear of the disease, which thus far has been far less deadly than the carnage caused by the economic catastrophe caused by the lockdowns, has given Democrats like Inslee (as well as some Republicans) carte blanche in pushing their control agenda.

Protesters at his press conference today voiced their concerns. Though the group was small, they were vocal enough to prompt the governor to move the briefing indoors and away fro the yelling crowd.

Ashley Stubbs was there and has some video:

And of course:

Once inside, he proceeded to lay out his plans to attempt enforcement of his executive order calling for mandatory face masks, indoors and outdoors. While acknowledging he’s aware there will be less compliance with this round of lockdown orders, he offered no concrete plan on how he intends to punish those who break his mandate.

Part of his and other authoritarians’ push to ramp up the lockdowns included the standard fearmongering we’ve seen since the coronavirus became an issue in the United States. He declared that one hospital was nearly at capacity with only one ICU bed remaining. Notably, he did not share statistics from other nearby hospitals or give a total on ICU capacity. Anecdotal data has been a hallmark of the Governor’s push for lockdowns from the beginning.

Anecdotal data as well as the output from the computer models - these are the models that have been consistently well over 10 to 100 times higher than actual observed data. Fail.

And your answer?

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I'm waiting...

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Showing some stones - Seattle Mayor

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Wonderful news - from The Seattle Times:

Durkan asks Seattle City Council to investigate Sawant for ‘contemptuous’ behavior
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is asking the Seattle City Council to investigate Councilmember Kshama Sawant, noting the council may “punish or expel a member for disorderly or otherwise contemptuous behavior.”

Good - Sawant is an ideologue and a socialist tool. She is simply not that bright and has been seriously overstepping her bounds as a member of the City Council. It would be wonderful to see her fired. The liberals would be running around with their hair on fire. Fun to see...

Money problems in WA State

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Looks like they did not have any contingency plans in their budget - something that you always need to have.
From The Seattle Times:

Washington state may need federal loans to cover unemployment claims by year’s end
Washington state may need to borrow federal funds to cover claims for jobless benefits after a new forecast shows a likely shortfall in the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund.

The shortfall, announced Monday by the state Employment Security Department (ESD), reflects the unprecedented number of layoffs during the pandemic coupled with a new forecast for a slower economic recovery and lingering unemployment in Washington state.

The ESD, which has often struggled to process claims for benefits, was also hit by widespread fraud that siphoned off hundreds of millions of dollars in both state and federal unemployment benefits.

The state’s unemployment trust fund, which stood at $4.7 billion on March 1, is now at $2.8 billion and is expected to be depleted by late 2020 or early 2021, ESD officials said.

Yet another example of poor management from our Governor and our State bureaucracy. Unemployment benefits (which are funded by business owners - we pay for this through our taxes) are running out and yet, in the bowels of Olympia, there are hundreds of State employees with degrees in underwater diversity theory taking home $150K/year with full medical, benefits and pension.

As soon as the government of WA State made the decision to shut down, they should have hunkered down, stopped all unnecessary spending (funding for arts, social programs, etc...) and been fiscally prudent until the pandemic was over.

Of course, one agency will not change their behavior because some other agency might need funding or resources. That is the Governor's job and he is not doing it.

When the liberal media comes after a liberal politician, things are really bad. From The Seattle Times:

Western State’s failure rests with Gov. Inslee
The reasons Washington state’s largest psychiatric facility just lost millions in federal funding should come as no surprise to state officials.

Federal inspectors have been citing myriad problems at Western State Hospital since 2015. They even gave the hospital a rare second chance to shape up.

Finally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services this week decided enough was enough. After the Lakewood hospital failed yet another inspection, the agency announced Western State would lose its federal certification and $53 million in funding starting July 1. That’s money the state now has to make up.

This latest blow highlights the ongoing failures of leadership, internal governance and quality control that have persisted at the hospital under Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s watch, despite the state Legislature continually throwing money at the problem since Inslee took office in 2013.

He is a bad leader - no two ways about it. What really gives me the chills is this little line at the end:

Last month, Inslee announced a five-year plan to start moving civilly committed patients out of Western State and into community treatment facilities.

Two things.

First - the idea of a Five-Year Plan is a direct cut+and+paste from this kind of government:

Five-year plans for the national economy of the Soviet Union were a series of nationwide centralized economic plans in the Soviet Union. The plans were developed by a state planning committee based on the theory of productive forces that was part of the general guidelines of the Communist Party for economic development. Fulfilling the plan became the watchword of Soviet bureaucracy (see Overview of the Soviet economic planning process).

The same method of planning was also adopted by most other communist states, including the People's Republic of China. Nazi Germany emulated the practice in its four-year plan designed to bring Germany to war-readiness.

These plans generally failed as a massively centralized government is not an efficient government. Never has been. Never will be.

Second - the act of moving civilly committed patients into community treatment facilities was the genesis of the whole homeless problem. It was a failed attempt by the liberals to recognize the "individual rights" of the mentally ill and to allow them to make their own choices as to how to live their lives. I wrote about that here:

Starting around 1970, the progressives started lobbying against these psychiatric hospitals calling them inhumane. They started pushing for Deinstitutionalisation and for the social rights and justice for the mentally ill. These people were transfered from their safe environment and their care was shifted from in-house 24/7 care to walk-in centers where they had to take it upon themselves to visit and to show up for appointments for their treatment. President John F. Kennedy's Community Mental Health Act is the keystone of this program. 

I wrote more about that here too.

Governor Inslee is hurting Washington State with his incompetent leadership. His "big idea" is couched in 1940's Communist rhetoric and it tries to do what was done already in the 1970s and failed.

There are some good people out there - they need to be voted into office. I am partial to this guy.

Doubling down on stupid.

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Talk about going full retard. You never go full retard. Period. President Trump trolled the Illinois governor and the Chicago mayor with a well-written letter three days ago. He called them out on their failure of leadership and offered to step in if they needed his help. His letter closed with these two paragraphs:

Unlike previous Administrations of both parties, I am willing to tackle unsolved challenges. If you are willing to put partisanship aside, we can revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Chicago, together. But to succeed, you must establish law and order. The combination of crime, high State and local taxes, and onerous State and local government regulations have caused thousands of Illinoisans to flee to other States. Between 2010 and 2019, Illinois lost more of its population than any other state in the Nation. If you are interested, I am willing to ask members of my Cabinet to meet with you and help devise a plan to make Chicago safe, since a successful formula has escaped both you and your predecessors. My Administration would also welcome the opportunity to engage with you and your colleagues as you develop bipartisan policy recommendations to improve policing and make our great cities safer for all.

Unfortunately, you continue to put your own political interests ahead of the lives, safety, and fortunes of your own citizens. The people of Chicago deserve better.

Mayor Lightfoot tweeted the next day:

She didn't really react until today. From MSN News and the Chicago NBC affiliate:

In New Message, Lightfoot Accuses Trump of Targeting Cities With Female Mayors
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused President Donald Trump of targeting Democratic, female mayors in larger U.S. cities with "misogynistic and racist rants" after the president wrote a letter to her on the city's increasing violence.

"What's abundantly clear over this last month in particular, there's some obvious dots to connect as part of his regular rotation of criticisms," Lightfoot said during an unrelated press conference Monday. "He has started attacking and trying to undermine every big city Democratic mayor, especially the women."

Among the female leaders Lightfoot cited in her message were Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta, Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. and Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle.

Hey Groot - read President Trump's letter again and try to understand it this time. What he was complaining about is your political interests, your failure of leadership and your inability to care for the people and the city that elected you. With this letter, you are deflecting from the problem and trying to hide behind some charge of gender bias when the real problem is piss-poor leadership.

Let's hope the good citizens of the great city of Chicago come to their senses next election day. What a putz.

Got nothing for now

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Doing laundry this morning.

I am still keeping Cristobal in the bathroom - he is settling in and now likes to be held and brushed (blowing his coat right now). I'll let him out for a bit later this afternoon. Was pricing cat trees and I am in the wrong business - these things are super overpriced for what you get. Turns out that Amazon has some really nice ones under their Amazon Basics line - got one on order. $80 - about 1/2 what the pet stores charge:

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Still planning to rename him but waiting for his true personality to show before I decide.

Overcast this morning - sun peeking through but still cool and cloudy. Working here for a bit more and then out for coffee, sit and read for a while and then back home. The library has resumed loaning books so reading one and have a couple of others in the pipeline. Funny how the simple stuff is really missed when it is gone.

Some of the bushes outside need pruning - take care of these this afternoon.

From Big League Politics:

Supreme Court Rules That Foreign Soros-Backed Operatives Do Not Have First Amendment Rights
The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Monday making it clear that a major front of progressive billionaire oligarch George Soros does not have 1st Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.

In the case of Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, and John Roberts ruled against 1st Amendment right for the Soros front. Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented against the majority while Justice Elena Kagan did not take part in the case.

The Alliance for Open Society International hoped to soak up federal funds earmarked to stop HIV/AIDS throughout the world. However, they hit a snag due to an act of Congress banning any group that supports prostitution from taking these funds. The pro-hooker leftist group attempted to sue to get around that act of Congress, but were rebuked by the conservative majority. Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion for the case.

Quoted from the Majority Opinion:

“We appreciate that plaintiffs would prefer to affiliate with foreign organizations that do not oppose prostitution,” Kavanaugh wrote. “But Congress required foreign organizations to oppose prostitution in return for American funding. And plaintiffs cannot export their own First Amendment rights to shield foreign organizations from Congress’s funding conditions.”

“Those foreign organizations are legally separate from the American organizations. And because foreign organizations operating abroad do not possess constitutional rights, those foreign organizations do not have a First Amendment right to disregard the Policy Requirement,” he continued.

“In sum, plaintiffs’ foreign affiliates are foreign organizations, and foreign organizations operating abroad possess no rights under the U. S. Constitution,” Kavanaugh concluded.

Nice and succinct. Interesting in that Soros has enough money to hire the best lawyers out there and they still failed. Punch back twice as hard. Open society is a major funder of the Black Lives Matter cartel as well as a bunch of other progie organizations.

In Joe's basement

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The man who would be King is still living in his basement. His minders let him out every so often for a contrived media event and then he is shuttled back. Here is a recent candid photo:

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Tip of the hat to Pitnipes Gripes

Trouble in the Left

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Some interesting thoughts from Rotten Chestnuts:

Losing Slower
I’m increasingly convinced that the Left have screwed the pooch. bigtime.

First, consider the argument, detailed below, that the “Left” is far from a monolith. To us outsiders, it looks like one big, shiny black obelisk of bugfuck lunacy, but it’s actually more like an avalanche — a whole bunch of little pebbles of bugfuck lunacy flowing willy-nilly in the same general direction. The general direction in which they’re flowing is, of course, “the destruction of Western society,” and that’s step two of my argument: The pebbles at the front of the avalanche believe they’re somehow controlling the avalanche… but meanwhile, the big boulders in the back know better. For them, this is endgame.

As Z Man keeps pointing out, lots of what we’re seeing in the Imperial Crapital is a palace coup. There’s open civil war on the Left. I, too, have been beating this drum for years. The orcs and their True Believer enablers in the Media are fed up with triangulation and half-measures. As radical as Pelosi, Schumer, Schiff et al seem to us, the orcs and their propagandists see nothing but geriatric White milquetoasts. They hate Boomers for the same reasons we do, but double, because while we hate them for not riding gracefully into the sunset like every previous generation, the orcs, being natural conspirazoids, see The Man keeping them down again.

We look at Pelosi and see our parents and grandparents, who missed out on the Summer of Love and never got over it. We see them as fundamentally narcissists, and while that doesn’t excuse them in the slightest, it means that their actions have no grand plan, no deep design. Narcissism, you’ll recall, is the bone-deep conviction that life is a movie, and you’re the star. It doesn’t matter to a movie star if the movie he’s in bombs at the box office. To him, the important thing — the only thing — is that he’s the star. Pelosi et al are doing whatever it takes to keep themselves strutting and fretting on stage for another brief hour, that’s all.

They look at Pelosi et al and see The Man. White people are no strangers to paranoia, of course, but our out-and-out conspirazoids, the real tinfoil hat-wearers, are, for us, the fringe of the fringe. As anyone who has been around POCs can confirm (and you can see for yourself if you dare venture into the fever swamps of social media), they’re pretty much all tinfoil-hatted crackpots. Blacks, especially, believe any paranoid nonsense they stumble across, so long as Whitey is the villain (and he always is), but the rest of them aren’t much better….

There is a lot more at the site - this is a very well-crafted rant and very much worth the ten minutes spent reading it.

Bad for us. Worse for them.

Could 2020 get any worse?

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Hold my beer - from The Beeb:

Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China
A new strain of flu that has the potential to become a pandemic has been identified in China by scientists.

It emerged recently and is carried by pigs, but can infect humans, they say.

The researchers are concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person, and trigger a global outbreak.

While it is not an immediate problem, they say, it has "all the hallmarks" of being highly adapted to infect humans and needs close monitoring.

As it's new, people could have little or no immunity to the virus.

A bit more:

So far, it hasn't posed a big threat, but Prof Kin-Chow Chang and colleagues who have been studying it, say it is one to keep an eye on.

The virus, which the researchers call G4 EA H1N1, can grow and multiply in the cells that line the human airways.

They found evidence of recent infection starting in people who worked in abattoirs and the swine industry in China.

Hmmm - the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic - was also an H1N1 variant. It killed over 570,000 people worldwide. Remember the masks? Remember the scramble for ventilators? Remember the lockdown? Remember how the media excoriated President Obama for his piss-poor handling of the event? Remember how it caused a huge spike in unemployment? Remember the travel bans and the quarantines?

Me neither...

And back again - stuffed

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Stuffed with buckwheat soba yesterday, stuffed with spaghetti Bolognese tonight. Been craving carbs for the pasta couple of days.

Surf for a bit and then to bed.

Out for dinner

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Don't feel like cooking so heading out for a bowl of pasta at a local pizzaria.

Back in a little while...  Turned into a nice day but the latest forecast has a Small Craft Advisory and rain. Lots more rain.

From Zero Hedge:

83 Tons Of Fake Gold Bars: Gold Market Rocked By Massive China Counterfeiting Scandal
Over the years, we have periodically - reported of the occasional gold bar discovered as counterfeit in Manhattan's Diamond District which instead of containing the yellow precious metal would be filled with gold-plated tungsten or in some cases copper. The news would spark a brief wave of outrage, prompting physical gold holders to run ultrasound spot checks of their inventory, at which point interest would wane and why not: buyer, after all, beware in gold as in every other market, and if someone is spending thousands to buy fake gold, well that's Darwinism in action.

Yet one market which seemed stubbornly immune to any counterfeiting was that of physical gold in China, which was odd considering that over the past decade China had emerged as the world's biggest counterfeiter of various, mostly industrial metals used to secure bank loans, better known as "ghost collateral", and which adding insult to injury, would frequently  be rehypothecated meaning often several banks would have claims to the same (fake) asset.

All that is about to change with the discovery of what may be one of the biggest gold counterfeiting scandal in recent history. And yes, not only does it involve China, but it emerges from a city that has become synonymous for all that is scandalous about China: Wuhan itself.

With that preamble in mind, we introduce readers to Wuhan Kingold Jewelry Inc., a company which as the name implies was founded and operates out of Wuhan, and which describes itself on its website as "A Company with a Golden future."

Heh - much much more at the story. This reaches into the top of the Chinese government. What with the rains, the possible troubles with the Three Gorges Dam and the Wuhan flu, this is not a good year for China.

I wrote about this back in 2012 here: Gold counterfeiting -- ten bars found in New York City

I also linked to this company: ChinaTungsten Online - still online and still in business.
You can buy your own "gold" bar. From the website:

How to Make Tungsten Gold plated Bar?
Start with a tungsten alloy about 1/8-inch smaller in each dimension than the tungsten alloy gold bar you want, then cast a 1/16-inch layer of real pure gold all around it. This product would feel right in the hand, and tungsten alloy gold bar would have a dead ring when knocked as gold should. tungsten Gold plated bar would test right chemically, weigh exactly the right amount, and also pass an x-ray fluorescence scan, the 1/16" layer of pure gold being enough to stop the x-rays from reaching any tungsten.

Tungsten alloy gold bar and tungsten gold plated bar as a gold substitution could be regarded as the special present for some fields. If you are a broker in stock, manager in a big bank or insurance company, you can use Chinatungsten tungsten alloy gold plated bar engraved with your company's name as souvenirs to your VIP customers. It is a very decent present without costing too much, and also could attract more customers for your business.

And from their ABOUT US page, we see that they have been in business since 1997 - 23 years.

This will turn out as expected - liberals seem to not comprehend that actions have consequences.
From the New York Post:

De Blasio plans to cut NYPD budget by $1 billion as NYC shootings spike
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that he’s come up with a plan to cut or transfer $1 billion from the NYPD’s $6 billion budget and would not guarantee the department’s headcount won’t shrink — even as shootings surge across the city.

“I’m excited to say we have a plan that can achieve real reform, that can achieve real redistribution — while at the same time ensure that we keep our city safe, while we make sure that our officers are on patrol around where we need them around this city,” de Blasio said during his daily City Hall press briefing.

“We can do this, we can strike the balance, we can keep this city safe,” he later added.

And, of course, he will waffle and kick the can down the street when this blows up in his face. Liberals seem to have a really hard time understanding that events in the future are not created by their narrative - they are created by the actions of the present. Once again, liberalism is a form of mental illness.

Well - so much for the sunshine...

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Yesterday's forecast was for sunshine. Today started out clear - gorgeous sunrise - but it clouded over and is now just another dull gray day with temps in the 50's.

Heading out for coffee and to run a few errands.

Cristobal is being more perky - he came out from his spot when I came in and didn't fuss at all when I picked him up. Getting used to his new home. Sweet critter, just a little shy and uncertain. I know nothing of his history - he is a few years old.

Now this is interesting - from LifeZette:

Before ‘takedown’ of General Flynn, he was planning to audit John Brennan for running billions ‘off the books’
Sidney Powell, attorney for retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, said her client, in his duties as the White House national security adviser, was prepared to “audit” the U.S. intelligence community.

That, according to the former federal prosecutor, is partly why federal agents “set up” Flynn.

Powell, who took over Flynn’s defense last summer, told the “Vickie McKenna Show” on 1310 WIBA Madison that her client was “totally set up” because he threatened to expose wrongdoing by top intelligence officials in the Obama administration.

Now that he is a free man, maybe he can start working with Barr and Dunham and get to the bottom of this mess.

Our new normal

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Three headlines and one bit of good news:

The second story is chilling - all this is is a big shakedown. This is not about history or culture. It's all about political power and taking over our government so they can award themselves the top spots. They can become the Nomenklatura by dint of political 'pull' rather than by qualifications or ability.

Good - hope the moke spends 20+ years behind bars

Software development - two memes

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Kim DuToit has a bunch of them today - here are two that caught my eye:

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I know the first one all too well - a simple "correction" can introduce a world of hurt at time.

Two more Three Gorges Dam videos

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From NTD News:

100-year storm. Chinese quality construction.

And that is it for me for tonight

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Feel a good food coma coming on - the noodles were perfect. Needed more cabbage and the daikon was a bit too "woody" but everything else was spot on. Ate too much - I figured I would make enough for a second meal. Silly boy. Ate it all.

Cristobal is comfortable - no cries of discontent and he does not try to race for the door when I come in to say hi. Give him one more day and then let him out into the house.

Cleared up today - nice warm day and tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous. Grocery deliveries in the afternoon and working at home tomorrow morning. Lots of people out on the water this evening. I need to get a mooring buoy so I can get my boat out and working...

Watch some video and then an early bedtime.

The religion of peace

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From John Hinderaker writing at Powerline:

THE SANE VS. THE INSANE
Via Ann Althouse, check out this confrontation between a young woman who is a BLM activist and an older African-American man. They are standing in front of, and arguing about, the Emancipation Statue that freedmen paid for and where Frederick Douglass spoke. You don’t have to understand the words the young woman is screaming to know that you are witnessing a dialogue between a normal person and one with serious mental or emotional problems:

We see this all the time with the protesters. All the time. Shrill yelling with zero attempt at holding a discussion. Their agenda, all the time.

The poster child for this mental illness is, of course, triggly puff:

Behavior so aberrant that it is worth an entry in DSM. This entry from October 2015 is satire but it is so close to the mark as to be real enough:

DSM-IV 301.95 Progressive Personality Disorder
Nails it - from John Moore:

DSM-IV 301.95 Progressive Personality Disorder
A. A pervasive pattern of progressive political and inter-personal thought and action, rooted in discredited leftist (neo-Marxist) beliefs, beginning in early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by at least five of the following (individual must be at least 18 years of age to qualify for the diagnosis of Progressive Personality Disorder, as many of the criteria are age-appropriate for adolescents). This disorder often coexists with Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

      1. Utopian thinking, e.g. a delusional belief that there exist simple, linear, side effect-free solutions to all social problems.
      2. Lack of historical knowledge and perspective, and repression of personal memories dissonant with this belief system. e.g., the national mood post 9-11, including that of PPD patients, is suppressed in order to avoid conflict with subsequent reversal of beliefs as the PPD delusions were reinstated - hence the downplaying of terrorism as a threat and the obsessive concern for the "rghts" of temporarily feared and hated terrorists. (Note to clinician: please differentiate between mere historical ignorance, e.g., a doctorate in history from an elite university, vs. neurotic or psychotic delusions necessary to sustain these beliefs. )
      3. Anthroplastic delusion, e.g. The delusion that behavioral conditioning performed by the government or some other collective will cure all behavioral and social problems, rooted in denial of fixed human nature. Implicit in this delusion is the idea that human beings are infinitely malleable and subject to behavioral manipulation leading to perfect control and predictability. Free will, personal conscience, and objective morality are denied, devalued or denigrated.

Much more at the site - this nails it perfectly.

And break for dinner

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Was planning to get my ham radio set up in time for tomorrow's radio network but it was so nice outside that I worked out there and in the garage all afternoon. I'll continue to use the hand-held unit as I have been doing.

Checked in on Cristobal several times and he seems to be settling in just fine - food eaten, litter used. I'll keep him in the room for another day and then let him explore the house.

Fixing some cold ramen for dinner - BBQ pork, some vegies, an egg - spice it up a bit. Made some Sichuan hot pepper oil (from the actual peppercorns) a while ago and a few drops of that adds a wonderful flavor. Little bit of shredded cabbage and some pico de gallo on top. In the mid 70's so perfect.

And home again

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Cristobal is chilling in the second bathroom. I do not use it so he is set up with litter, food and water. He and Bear met - I was holding him but the two sniffed each other and seemed friendly.

Cristobal is a good cat name but I will probably rename him once he shows his deep personality - Merlin comes to mind but we will see (and this is Merlin the falcon, not the wizard nor the rotary airplane or rocket engines) Appeals to the Celt in me.

I will visit him every couple of hours but will keep him there for a day or two until he knows this is a safe place. Then, let him explore.

Turned into a gorgeous day so working outside for a bit.

Flooding and crop damage in China

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The affected area is one of their major agricultural areas - this is going to hit them hard:

Saw this online yesterday and found a tweet with it embedded so here's the link.

Quiet Sunday so far

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Nothing much on the internet - heading out for coffee and to pick up some cat food. Already have a litter pan ready to go. Interviewing at 1PM this afternoon. It will be good to have a second source of chaos around here again.

Woke up to overcast this morning but the clouds are starting to thin and the sun is peeking out at times - supposed to be sunny tomorrow and then back to overcast (sigh).

We are going to get a summer here aren't we? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Socialists

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A little bit whopping ton of cognitive dissonance:

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From 90 Miles From Tyranny who makes the astute observation: Socialists Are Always Unhappy Until The Revolution Starts And They Are The First To Get Killed By The Socialists In Charge...

Three Gorges Dam

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Take this with a grain of salt but it sounds plausible.
The area is suffering a 100-year event with intense rains and flooding.

Video from NTD News Service:

As pouring rain continues to soak central and southern China, an expert warns that the Three Gorges Dam, one of the world's largest dams, is at risk of collapse.

The Three Gorges Dam is built above the Yangtze River and situated in China’s Hubei province.

A branch of China's Yangtze River is bracing for the largest flood ever in 80 years. Authorities have evacuated 40,000 locals, issuing a yellow alert for rainstorms.

On Saturday, June 20, water inside the Three Gorges Dam reservoir rose 6 feet above the warning level.

Chinese authorities insist that the dam is structurally sound, but a famed hydrologist, Wang Weiluo, said the dam is of poor quality, and can't provide flood protection.

This will be interesting to follow. This area is China's breadbasket - there are videos out there of melons floating away, cities with several feet of flowing water. Their economy is going to be hit hard even if there is no problem with the dam.

Double boiler redux

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Bit the bullet and bought a Tramontina stainless steel combi double boiler/steamer. Four pieces - sauce pan, boiler insert, steamer insert and lid. Not having much space in my kitchen, I like having things with more than one function. This does three and Tramontina makes nice stuff - I have some of their other cookware. Made in Brazil too - not China. Keep my money in this hemisphere. Under $50. There were some really nice looking units from Cuisinart & co. but they were in nosebleed territory - $150 on up. Just for reheating soup? Nope.

Heading out to let Bear rumble around for a while and to watch the sunset. The bones were greatly appreciated. Watch some videos and then an early bedtime. Interviewing for a cat tomorrow afternoon - all set up on this end and Bear has lived with cats before so probably no surprises.

According to Google?  Here's the thing:  Go to Google.com, type in a random three digit number followed by [space]new[space]cases.  ie: "nnn new cases" and see what comes up. Here are nine of my Google queries - such an unbiased source:

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20200627-Google0500.jpg

20200627-Google0501.jpg

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20200627-Google0998.jpg

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Hmmmmm... Does this look a little bit outside the bounds of statistical normalcy? A little hinky if you ask me.
You try some numbers and let me know.

I love that every one of the searches turned up over 1,000,000 results with some of them turning up numbers in the billions.

Tip of the hat to Vanderleun

This guy looks good

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I had been a fan of Loren Culp but Joshua Freed looks to be a lot better - he has more of a grasp of the urban problems that WA State has:

Some great points. More video here. His campaign website here: Freed for Governor

High up there in my pantheon of graphic design. From the New York Times:

Milton Glaser, Master Designer of ‘I ♥ NY’ Logo, Is Dead at 91
Milton Glaser, a graphic designer who changed the vocabulary of American visual culture in the 1960s and ’70s with his brightly colored, extroverted posters, magazines, book covers and record sleeves, notably his 1967 poster of Bob Dylan with psychedelic hair and his “I ♥ NY” logo, died on Friday, his 91st birthday, in Manhattan.

His wife and only immediate survivor, Shirley Glaser, said the cause was a stroke. He also had renal failure.

Mr. Glaser brought wit, whimsy, narrative and skilled drawing to commercial art at a time when advertising was dominated by the severe strictures of modernism on one hand and the cozy realism of magazines like The Saturday Evening Post on the other.

Much more at the site - 91 is a good run. This guy was amazing.

The Progressives eat their own

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Fun to see - Woodrow Wilson was the OG Progressive - he was the first President to serve who believed in it and who started us down the road to centralized large world government. One of the worst Presidents ever - if he had not started the ball rolling, Obama could never have been elected.  The liberals (used to) love him. From Breitbart:

Princeton Removes Woodrow Wilson’s Name from Public Policy School Due to ‘Racist Thinking’
Princeton University is removing President Woodrow Wilson’s name from its public policy school and a residential college due to the former president’s “racist thinking.”

“The trustees conclude that Woodrow Wilson’s racist thinking and policies make him an inappropriate namesake for a school or college whose scholars, students, and alumni must firmly stand against racism in all its forms,” announced Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber on Saturday.

“Wilson’s racism was significant and consequential even by the standards of his own time,” added Eisgruber. “He segregated the federal civil service after it had been racially integrated for decades, thereby taking America backward in its pursuit of justice.”

The board voted on Friday to change the names of both the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and Wilson College.

Heh - during the terror of the French Revolution, ardent revolutionaries were frequently guillotined for some minor variation from rightthink. What goes around, comes around unless you learn and remember your history.

And I have a bridge to sell you. From The Gateway Pundit:

WATCH: US Postal Worker Caught on Video Throwing Stack of GOP Congressional Candidate Campaign Mailers in Dumpster
A US Postal worker was caught on video throwing a stack of GOP congressional candidate campaign mailers in a dumpster.

Sheriff Troy Nehls is running for Texas Congressional District 22.

Mr. Nehls is a pro-Trump conservative, a church-going family man, tough on crime and tough on border security.

No wonder why the left is trying to derail his campaign.

“A US Postal worker was just caught on video throwing a stack of my campaign mailers in a dumpster. Some patriots nearby heard a noise when she tossed them in & went to investigate. They found a stack of them and called me. No wonder people are skeptical of mail in voting.” Sheriff Nehls said.

From Sheriff Nehls' twitter account:

The video is from a surveillance camera far away but in the comments, there are photos of the dumpster contents with a large quantity of Sheriff Nehls' mailings in it. Tampering with the US Mail is a felony.

Just wow - speaking truth to power

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President Trump sent this letter to the Chicago Mayor and the Illinois Governor:

President Donald J. Trump’s Letter to the Governor of Illinois and Mayor of Chicago
Dear Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot:
I write to you today to call your attention to and urge action on the devastating violence in Chicago. While I have been heartened to see crime reductions nationally the last few years, I have been horrified by the continued violence in this great American city.

I recently read an article from the Chicago Sun-Times on June 8, 2020, “18 murders in 24 hours: Inside the most violent day in 60 years in Chicago,” which discussed the severe crime and lack of law and order in our Nation’s third largest city. The article details how “85 people were shot and 24 killed the previous weekend, the most in modern history in Chicago.” Your lack of leadership on this important issue continues to fail the people you have sworn to protect. I am concerned it is another example of your lack of commitment to the vulnerable citizens who are victims of this violence and a lack of respect for the men and women in law enforcement. The article recounts the following horrors:

President Trump cites some of the statistics - horrible violence, most of it is black on black and then he gets to this:

The American people (hardworking taxpayers) send you millions of dollars in Federal funding each year to support public safety in Chicago.  In 2018 and 2019, the City of Chicago benefited from $136 million in funding from the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program, and another $68 million was recently announced for Chicago from this important program.  The Department of Justice awarded and is in the process of awarding nearly $20 million to support law enforcement and law-enforcement related entities in the City of Chicago and Cook County across 2019 and 2020, including resources for combating opioid abuse and recidivism reduction.  The Department of Labor has also awarded funding to programs targeting prisoner re-entry and recidivism reduction in the Chicago area.  My Administration allocated $898.6 million to the City of Chicago and Cook County from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, which helps support your first responders on the front lines.  In the absence of any modicum of leadership, however, these substantial sums of taxpayer money are not being turned into results, and the safety of your most vulnerable communities continues to deteriorate.  These funds are in addition to those collected through your combined insatiable appetite to tax the people of Illinois and Chicago.

Yes, you and I are sending them this money and yes, it is disappearing down a rat-hole.

He closes with this:

Unlike previous Administrations of both parties, I am willing to tackle unsolved challenges. If you are willing to put partisanship aside, we can revitalize distressed neighborhoods in Chicago, together. But to succeed, you must establish law and order. The combination of crime, high State and local taxes, and onerous State and local government regulations have caused thousands of Illinoisans to flee to other States. Between 2010 and 2019, Illinois lost more of its population than any other state in the Nation. If you are interested, I am willing to ask members of my Cabinet to meet with you and help devise a plan to make Chicago safe, since a successful formula has escaped both you and your predecessors. My Administration would also welcome the opportunity to engage with you and your colleagues as you develop bipartisan policy recommendations to improve policing and make our great cities safer for all.

Unfortunately, you continue to put your own political interests ahead of the lives, safety, and fortunes of your own citizens. The people of Chicago deserve better.

That is going to leave a mark - he put them on notice. He did it publicly so now all of the Illinois voters know this too. Put up or shut up and I love how there is just the hint that the sweet sweet federal money may just dry up if progress is not made.

These mokes were elected to represent their citizens - they are not and need to be held accountable. End of story.

Had a fun time satisfying my inner Ferengi except for the bain-marie. I knew that these cost about $15 and I would need two of them (round stainless steel pot with sloping sides - they nest leaving about an inch or two at the bottom for the boiling water and about 3/8 inch between the two walls for the steam jacket). The local restaurant supply did have them but they were $28 each. Not paying $60 for something to heat up my left over soups and stews thank you very much.

Two of the local thrift stores have opened back up and I have been looking for a double-boiler there for the last month. Amazon does have a Winco four quart pan for $13 plus $9 for the lid - may get that - you do not want to fill it up all the way hence getting a four quart size. 1/2 max. 1/3 is better.

Got everything else I was looking for. Lots of cool stuff for sale at the photo store but nothing I wanted. Looking for a good telephoto in the 600mm range. There are some older Nikon lenses that are not auto-focus so not as "in vogue" but they are tack sharp - it is the glass that matters after all.

Unpack the car and get dinner going - a salad and some fresh corn on the cob. I had made some cold tuna salad a few days ago so putting the last of that in with some fresh lettuce and other goodies.

Picked up a bag of dog bones on the way back. Bear has been very very attentive. We still both really miss Grace - she was a complete part of our lives and her death has left a large hole.

Back in a bit

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Heading to points North today - back this afternoon.

Trouble in China? Three Gorges Dam

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Nothing concrete as yet but... This tweet from Jan Jekielek:

Some more tweets with video: Today #1Today #2Today #3 

Some background information from FOX News (July 10th, 2019):

Integrity of China’s Three Gorges Dam questioned despite officials dismissing it as safe
China’s Three Gorges Dam, the world’s biggest and most controversial hydropower structure, was rumored to have been cracking and splitting as people posted satellite images of the structure last week. Chinese officials stated the structure was sound, denying online rumors that the construction was at risk of collapse.

Safety experts of the government-run China Three Gorges Corporation said on its official website that the dam had warped a few millimeters due to temperature and water level changes, but the changes were well within their normal range of safety indicators, Reuters reported.

They are having severe rain storms and nearby cities are flooding.

Staying classy - Democrats

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They really have nothing at all to recomend themselves. From The Washington Free Beacon:

House Dems Unanimously Block Resolution Condemning Violence and Rioting
House Democrats unanimously blocked a resolution condemning acts of violence and rioting—including the "deliberate targeting of law enforcement officers"—in the wake of George Floyd's death.

The resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R., Fla.) late Thursday morning, condemned Floyd's killing at the hands of police, calling it "inconsistent with the values and conduct expected of law enforcement officers." The resolution also supported peaceful protesters, but it noted that protests have been "exploited by violent extremists" carrying out "acts of violence, looting, destruction of business and personal property, and additional loss of life."

Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) spoke in favor of the resolution, arguing that while Floyd's death was "wrong as wrong could be," there is a "big difference between peaceful protest and rioting." Jordan also spoke against defunding the police, calling it "one of the craziest public policy proposals I have ever seen."

And the article closes with this observation:

No House Democrats voted in favor of Steube's resolution. Rep. Justin Amash (I., Mich.) voted with Republicans to support the measure.

A number of Democratic lawmakers have supported the call to defund police following Floyd's killing, including far-left Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.). Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) advocated for the dismantling of the Minneapolis Police Department in June, calling it "rotten to the root" and a "cancer."

While major cities across the United States have already proposed or approved slashing police budgets, decades of research indicates that better-funded police departments drive down crime and create social benefit. Officials in New York City, Hartford, Austin, Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Los Angeles have all entertained defunding or abolishing police, despite holding some of the highest violent-crime rates in the nation.

And we wonder why these cities are such third-world shitholes. Democrat leadership is a contradiction in terms.

Vote by mail - you know - COVID

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Nope, no fraud here - from Real Clear Politics:

1 in 5 Ballots Rejected as Fraud Is Charged in N.J. Mail-In Election
Following accusations of widespread fraud, voter intimidation, and ballot theft in the May 12 municipal elections in Paterson, N.J., state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal (pictured) announced Thursday he is charging four men with voter fraud – including the vice president of the City Council and a candidate for that body.

With races still undecided, control of the council hangs in the balance. Paterson is New Jersey’s third largest city and the election will decide the fate of a municipal budget in excess of $300 million, in addition to hundreds of millions more in education spending and state aid.

More at the site including examples of the fraud and cases where people were shown as having voted but they never received a ballot. Again, the Democrats have nothing to run on so they are forced to cheat.

On the road shortly - Bellingham

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Heading up there for two hours or so - run a few errands. The city of Everett is a lot closer and I spent a full day checking out all the hardware stores and tool suppliers, the lumber stores and the food coop and none of them came even close to what Hardware Sales and Millwork Supply (and Windsor Plywood) had to offer in Bellingham so that is still my go-to place for making stuff. The Skagit Food Coop is about five times larger than the Everett store. Also cruising through Quicksilver Photo - they consign used equipment and there are a few lenses I am looking for - not an active search but if I am in the area...

Also stopping at the Mt. Vernon farmer's market - yesterday's grocery deliveries ran long so missed the one down here. Restaurant supply (Smart Food-service) to pick up a bain-marie. Not using the microwave as much so this is the perfect alternative to warming pre-cooked food. Quick run through the food coop and then back home.

The weekend curse is holding true - overcast and was raining lightly earlier. Working at home later this afternoon - ham radio stuff. I will also be starting to process the photos I took last Thursday evening. The friend wants as high a resolution as possible so trying several pieces of software to "stack" multiple images. There is enough camera movement that the pixels will overlap and stacking will yield that much more fine detail. Checking out this application from Microsoft: Image Composite Editor. It is intended to stitch together multiple images for a larger panorama but I will see how it does for stacking. There are some open source utilities for this too - checking them out. A fun project.

And that is it for this evening

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Nice high tide outside - was out there for a while watching the waves against the bulkhead. Saw a bald eagle earlier while eating dinner - it was fishing in the ocean but did not see it catch anything. Swooped down a couple of times but no pounce.

Time to switch to some video and then to sleep. Up to Bellingham tomorrow - got some stuff to do there. Working at home this weekend. Got some parts (rack shelving) today for the ham radio station - mounting it in one of the three equipment racks I got at auction a few months ago. Working on getting that on the air - we do a network every monday and I want to get the big rig on the air for this coming session.

The rest of 2020 - a bingo card

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Gerard has it:

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And the fun never stops.

From the website of the United States Senate:

Civil Rights Act of 1964 - The Senate and Civil Rights: Debate and Filibuster
When the House of Representatives’ civil rights bill, H.R. 7152, became the Senate’s pending business on March 26, 1964, Senator Richard Russell of Georgia pledged that he and his colleagues in the southern bloc would fight the bill to the bitter end. “Despite overwhelming odds,” he proclaimed, “those of us who are opposed to the bill are neither frightened nor dismayed.” The bill’s opponents, Russell declared, would wage a “good fight for constitutional government.”

Anticipating a lengthy filibuster in the Senate, the bill’s proponents honed their strategy. President Johnson urged Majority Leader Mike Mansfield to break the filibuster by holding the Senate in round-the-clock sessions to exhaust the bill’s opponents. Johnson, as Senate majority leader, had successfully employed this tactic in 1960 to pass a civil rights bill.

Mansfield respected the president’s counsel, but he refused to follow his advice. He believed that, in addition to exhausting the Senate’s older members, 24-hour sessions would make a spectacle of the institution. The Senate, he explained to journalists, is not “a circus or a sideshow.” The image of members shuffling to the Senate floor in “bedroom slippers, without neckties, with hair uncombed and pajama tops sticking out” to respond to quorum calls or take roll-call votes was unbecoming to the Senate. Mansfield was determined to uphold the “dignity and decorum” of the institution, “as long as I happen to be leader.”

The upshot - from another page at the same site:

That protracted filibuster, along with the broader debate over the bill, continued through 60 days of debate, until cloture was invoked on June 10, 1964. This marked the first time in its history that the Senate invoked cloture on a civil rights bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 19, 1964, by a vote of 73 to 27.

Sixty days of debate - this is the longest delay of this kind in US history. Nowhere in the record is listed the party affiliation of the dramatis personæ. To make things easy for you, those in favor? Mostly from the Republican Party. Those opposed? Mostly from the Democrat party. The final vote - after many people had changed sides (been bribed with pork), there were six Republicans voting against along with 21 Democrats. These people voted against equal rights for all citizens. The Southern Bloc? Democrat. Senator Byrd - the leading voice against civil rights? Democrat and major member of the KKK. The final tally was 73 for to 27 opposed. They needed a 2/3rds margin so this was a very close thing.

What makes things really interesting is that nowhere in this Senate Website are the party affiliations mentioned. There is no complete roster of the Southern Bloc although there is one photograph showing more than 20 people seated at a table. Not an out-and-out purge down the memory hole, more like a little tidying up. Getting rid of the inconvenient truths...

Is the history of the Democrat Party making some modern-day progressives uncomfortable? Good. They own this.

Also, President Lyndon Baines Johnson was no choir-boy - here is one quote regarding his formation of The Great Society - the program of welfare and government handouts:

These Negroes, they're getting pretty uppity these days and that's a problem for us since they've got something now they never had before, the political pull to back up their uppityness. Now we've got to do something about this, we've got to give them a little something, just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference. For if we don't move at all, then their allies will line up against us and there'll be no way of stopping them, we'll lose the filibuster and there'll be no way of putting a brake on all sorts of wild legislation. It'll be Reconstruction all over again.

And after his bills were passed and signed into law? This quote:

I’ll have those niggers voting Democratic for 200 years

Johnson was also a Democrat but he was a political realist and understood that the Civil Rights Bill had to be passed or there would be hell to pay for everyone.

Two very good things happened today

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First, from President Trump's twitter account:

And, from the Office of the Attorney General (PDF):

MEMORANDUM FOR All HEADS OF DEPARTMENT COMPONENTS AND UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS
FROM : THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
SUBJECT Department of Justice Task Force on Violent Anti-Government Extremists
I thank the many dedicated men and women serving the Department of Justice during these historic and challenging times. In recent weeks, wehave witnessed significant threats to the rule of law. Amid peaceful demonstrations protected by the First Amendment, we have seen anti-government extremists engaged in indefensible acts of violence designed to undermine public order. Among other lawless conduct, these extremists have violently attacked police officers and other government officials, destroyed public and private property , and threatened innocent people. Although these extremists profess a variety of ideologies, they are united in their opposition to the core constitutional values of a democratic society governed by law . They seek , in essence, to become a law unto themselves by violently opposing those who stand in the way of their particular vision. Some pretend to profess a message of freedom and progress, but they are in fact forces of anarchy, destruction, and coercion.

And the meat of the matter:

To strengthen the Department's capabilities in this important mission, I am today directing the creation of a task force devoted to countering violent anti-government extremists. The task force will be co -headed by Craig Carpenito , U.S.Attorney for the District of New Jersey, and Erin Nealy Cox , U.S.Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. The task force will include members of United States Attorney's Offices, the FBI, and other relevant components across the Nation. Drawing particularly on the capabilities of the FBI, the task force will develop detailed information about violent anti- government extremist individuals, networks, and movements — and will share that information as appropriate with federal, state, and local law enforcement, especially in places where these extremists pose a threat. The task force will also provide training and identify resources to help law enforcement at all levels identify, investigate, and prosecute violent acts by anti-government extremists. The ultimate goal of the task force will be not only to enable prosecutions of extremists who engage in violence, but to understand these groups well enough that we can stop such violence before it occurs and ultimately eliminate it as a threat to public safety and the rule of law.

Good news - these children keep pulling this shit because they have always been able to away with it. Now, things are different. Make it hurt. The people acting out are operating on a six-year-old emotional level. Remember though, you will never see a six-year-old touch a hot stove twice. Once burned, they will remember.

If you want to see the vitriol we are up against, visit the link to President Trump's twitter site and check out the comments people have left. Some serious mental health issues there. Really serious.

Friends don't let friends...

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Word:

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So true - manufactured racism

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There is so little racism in this Nation that those people who seek to use it to divide us are forced to manufacture it.

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This is not about race, this is about bypassing orderly elections and clawing their way into tyrannical power.

Hunter Biden - Globe trotter

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Hunter Biden's interests extend way beyond Ukraine - Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking for all the trips made by Hunter Biden: #1) - where he had a Secret Service protection detail and #2) - during the time his dad was the Vice President.

Judicial Watch Obtains Secret Service Records Showing Hunter Biden Took 411 Flights, Visited 29 Countries
Judicial Watch announced today it received records from the U.S. Secret Service showing that, for the first five and a half years of the Obama administration, Hunter Biden traveled extensively while receiving a Secret Service protective detail. During the time period of the records provided, Hunter Biden, son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, took 411 separate domestic and international flights, including to 29 different foreign countries. He visited China five times.

Full reply is here - the letters accompanying it are really interesting to read. A lot between the lines.

A bolt out of the blue - Lightning

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Ho. Li. Crap. Talk about raw power - from phys.org:

700-km Brazil 'megaflash' sets lightning record
The UN's weather agency announced Thursday the longest lightning bolt on record—a single flash in Brazil on October 31, 2018 that cut the sky across more than 700 kilometers.

That is equivalent to the distance between Boston and Washington DC in the United States, or between London and Basel, Switzerland, the World Meteorological Organization said in a statement.

WMO's committee of experts on weather and climate extremes also reported a new world record for the duration of a lightning flash, with a single flash that developed continuously over northern Argentina on March 4, 2019 lasting for a full 16.73 seconds.

The new "megaflash" records, which were verified with new satellite lightning imagery technology, were more than double the previous known record-holders, WMO said.

The bolts are not getting bigger, we are getting better detection and wider coverage of the planet.
Amazing power there. I love lightning.

Three letters - J. O. B. S.

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The title of the post is one of Slow Joe's many gaffes.
An interesting alignment along party lines - from RealClear Politics:

The Blue State Jobs Depression
The latest Department of Labor employment data confirm that when it comes to the economy, America is two nations: red and blue.  As the post-coronavirus shutdown era begins, blue states are losing jobs at record paces and red states are starting to gain them. 

Here is what the data is telling us: 10 states had unemployment rates in May above 15%.  They are all states with Democratic governors, with the exception of deep-blue Massachusetts with its liberal Republican governor, Charlie Baker. 

Ranked from highest to lowest they are Nevada (25.3%), Hawaii (22.6%), Michigan (21.2%), California (16.3%), Rhode Island (16.3%), Massachusetts (16.3%), Delaware (15.8%), Illinois (15.2%), New Jersey (15.2%), Washington (15.1%). 

The five states with the lowest unemployment rates are all red states – most of which never shut down at all. These are Nebraska (5.2%), Utah (8.5 %), Wyoming (8.8%), Arizona (8.9%), and Idaho (8.9%). 

This is exactly as Arthur Laffer and I predicted in a study we conducted back in March on the economic effects of lockdowns.  States with very strict business shutdown and stay-at-home orders would be facing a much tougher recovery period than states that never shut down, like Utah and Wyoming, and states that rapidly reopened, such as Arizona.  This would be a bifurcated red state, blue state recovery – and so it is, so far.

The numbers do not lie. Narrative does not equal reality. We need to know what is happening and lead from that rather than the promoted narrative. Political correctness is only valuable in academia. It has no use and serves no function in the real world.

China is asshoe - proven yet again by this story at Bored Panda:

Guy Who Reverse-Engineered TikTok Reveals The Scary Things He Learned, Advises People To Stay Away From It
Facebook got itself into a sensitive data scandal when it did shady business with Cambridge Analytica, Instagram confirmed a security issue exposing user accounts and phone numbers, but these apps are basically online security havens compared to TikTok, according to one senior software engineer with about 15 years of professional experience.

2 months ago, Reddit user bangorlol made a comment in a discussion about TikTok. Bangorlol claimed to have successfully reverse-engineered it and shared what he learned about the Chinese video-sharing social networking service. Basically, he strongly recommended that people never use the app again, warning about its intrusive user tracking and other issues. Considering that TikTok was the 4th most popular free iPhone app download in 2019, this is quite alarming.

The amount of data they are gathering is stunning - here are just the major points:

So I can personally weigh in on this. I reverse-engineered the app, and feel confident in stating that I have a very strong understanding for how the app operates (or at least operated as of a few months ago).

TikTok is a data collection service that is thinly-veiled as a social network. If there is an API to get information on you, your contacts, or your device... well, they're using it.

    • Phone hardware (cpu type, number of course, hardware ids, screen dimensions, dpi, memory usage, disk space, etc)
    • Other apps you have installed (I've even seen some I've deleted show up in their analytics payload - maybe using as cached value?)
    • Everything network-related (ip, local ip, router mac, your mac, wifi access point name)
    • Whether or not you're rooted/jailbroken
    • Some variants of the app had GPS pinging enabled at the time, roughly once every 30 seconds - this is enabled by default if you ever location-tag a post IIRC
    • They set up a local proxy server on your device for "transcoding media", but that can be abused very easily as it has zero authentication

The scariest part of all of this is that much of the logging they're doing is remotely configurable, and unless you reverse every single one of their native libraries (have fun reading all of that assembly, assuming you can get past their customized fork of OLLVM!!!) and manually inspect every single obfuscated function. They have several different protections in place to prevent you from reversing or debugging the app as well. App behavior changes slightly if they know you're trying to figure out what they're doing. There's also a few snippets of code on the Android version that allows for the downloading of a remote zip file, unzipping it, and executing said binary. There is zero reason a mobile app would need this functionality legitimately.

On top of all of the above, they weren't even using HTTPS for the longest time. They leaked users' email addresses in their HTTP REST API, as well as their secondary emails used for password resets. Don't forget about users' real names and birthdays, too. It was allllll publicly viewable a few months ago if you MITM'd the application.

Much much more at the REDDIT site - other readers have carried on bangorlol's work and explored even further. This is pure malware. Evil stuff.

Biden is turning out to be very dirty. From PJ Media:

Does a Newly Released Document Prove Hunter Biden Was Selling Access to the Obama Administration?
Newly released State Department memos reveal that the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings landed a deal with an Obama administration renewable energy program. Burisma signed the deal with the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine (MERP) in October 2014.

The deal was made soon after Hunter Biden joined the board at Burisma
Hunter Biden got his lucrative position on the board of Burisma Holdings in May 2014, despite having no experience in the field. His only qualification was that his father was the vice president of the United States and was Obama’s point man for U.S. relations with Ukraine. Despite Hunter Biden’s lack of qualifications, he made between $80,000 and $166,000 a month, sparking allegations that he was selling access to the White House. Burisma’s MERP deal with the Obama administration was made six months after Hunter Biden joined their board. Are we really supposed to believe that was just a coincidence?

Burisma was under a corruption investigation at the time of the deal
The timing of the deal is also noteworthy because when the deal was signed Burisma was the subject of two separate corruption investigations into the company’s alleged financial schemes. One investigation was by the British government and the other by the Ukrainian government. Burisma’s notorious corruption would have been enough of a red flag to avoid entering into a deal with them, but being the subject of two corruption investigations raises even more questions about how that deal could have possibly been approved without the Biden connection.

Much more at the site - this lays out the timeline point by point and there are links to source materials and documentation. The evidence is overwhelming that Joe Biden was selling access and the money was being routed through his son Hunter. 

This is the man who is being groomed to be our next President?

Going outside without a mask

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Is now illegal in the State of Washington. Fortunately, our local Sheriff has a lot of common sense and issued this memo:

In response to Governor Inslee’s press release yesterday, we are fielding a lot of questions about what you can expect from the Island County Sheriff’s Office during the governors statewide mask mandate.

Our position hasn’t changed since our last post on the topic.
Our priority is the safety of the public. During COVID-19 restrictions, we will be focusing on educating people on how to best help keep themselves, their families, and our communities safe, especially our most vulnerable members.

When deputies encounter people who are not complying with the governor’s order, we will remind them of the current restrictions and the reasons for them with a goal of education and voluntary participation as we all work to reduce the impact of this virus.

We have no desire to be arrest or ticket anyone for violations of the current restrictions.

Perfect. I like our Sheriff a lot - really good people. He was elected in 2018 and hope that he serves for as long as he wants to.
Our Governor? Not so much - from NOQ Report:

Gov. Jay Inslee invokes 1st Amendment to defy his own face mask mandate. We should, too.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee may be the least self-aware politician in America. We can ridicule people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or shake our heads in disbelief at former Vice President Joe Biden, but even the intellectual lightweight from New York and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee with mental acuity issues have reasons for being the way they are. Inslee has no excuse. He’s not stupid. He’s not suffering from dementia. He just lacks an understanding of why his own rules don’t apply to him.

The incident that prompted this critique happened earlier this week during an outdoor press conference when the basically made the case for people to ignore his executive order to wear masks at all times in public. It doesn’t matter if you’re indoors or outdoors. It doesn’t matter if you’re properly social distancing. According to Inslee’s order, only the very young or those who can prove wearing a face mask might kill them are exempt.

But that’s not what he did during the press conference. He removed his mask because he was outside despite not allowing other citizens in his state to have such a privilege. He removed his mask because he was social distancing despite that not being an exemption listed in his executive order. Then, he had the nerve to claim he was doing so because of the 1st Amendment.

His likely intention was to erroneously claim that freedom of the press meant he was obligated to make sure media members heard him, but that’s not how it was received. Instead, citizens of Washington took to social media to claim their own exemption based on the 1st Amendment. Even left-leaning local media had to scratch their collective heads and inquire about the apparent contradiction.

The core problem here:

The reality of face mask mandates is they have very little to do with keeping people healthy and much more to do with leftist politicians flexing their authoritarian muscles. This is why they break their own rules when they become inconvenient.

Exactly. This is about power and politics, not about public health. I will be carrying a fabric mask with me and will wear it if there is a Karen around. I am also planning to wear one of my welding masks - a little bit of reductio ad absurdum. The mask in question is for wearing under a hard hat - here is a photo:

20200626-weld.jpg

I will be wearing it minus the blue hood. Quite the fashion statement...

From DataHand Technology:

How To Access Netflix's Hundreds of Hidden Categories
The way Netflix works is very simple when it comes to recommending you things to watch - it analyzes what you view the most and the ratings you give, and uses those tags to suggest similar material, following the idea that if you liked this Quentin Tarantino film, you will like this other one. That’s also why every Netflix feed looks different based on the user.

But sometimes you will find that you’ve seen most of what’s being suggested or the suggestions just stopped looking interesting, and you want to dive into new categories. Now, there is a way to do that, and it’s incredibly easy.

And the sooper sekreet:

When navigating Netflix you will notice that whenever you enter a category, the URL address changes. For example, the Action & Adventure URL is “https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/1365”, and the same goes the sub-categories within a genre, like “Action Thrillers”, “Boxing Movies”, and so on.

That number at the end is the category code.

So select one genre, highlight the URL, go to the end of the URL, backspace over the digits and type in your own from this list:

Action & Adventure: 1365
Action Comedies: 43040
Action Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 1568
Action Thrillers: 43048
Adult Animation: 11881
Adventures: 7442
African Movies: 3761
Alien Sci-Fi: 3327
Animal Tales: 5507
Anime: 7424
Anime Action: 2653
Anime Comedies: 9302
Anime Dramas: 452
Anime Fantasy: 11146
Anime Features: 3063
Anime Horror: 10695
Anime Sci-Fi: 2729
Anime Series: 6721
Art House Movies: 29764
Asian Action Movies: 77232
Australian Movies: 5230
B-Horror Movies: 8195
Baseball Movies: 12339
Basketball Movies: 12762
Belgian Movies: 262
Biographical Documentaries: 3652
Biographical Dramas: 3179
Boxing Movies: 12443
British Movies: 10757
British TV Shows: 52117
Campy Movies: 1252
Children & Family Movies: 783
Chinese Movies: 3960
Classic Action & Adventure: 46576
Classic Comedies: 31694
Classic Dramas: 29809
Classic Foreign Movies: 32473
Classic Movies: 31574
Classic Musicals: 32392
Classic Romantic Movies: 31273
Classic Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 47147
Classic Thrillers: 46588
Classic TV Shows: 46553
Classic War Movies: 48744
Classic Westerns: 47465
Comedies: 6548
Comic Book and Superhero Movies: 10118
Country & Western/Folk: 1105
Courtroom Dramas: 528582748
Creature Features: 6895
Crime Action & Adventure: 9584
Crime Documentaries: 9875
Crime Dramas: 6889
Crime Thrillers: 10499
Crime TV Shows: 26146
Cult Comedies: 9434
Cult Horror Movies: 10944
Cult Movies: 7627
Cult Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 4734
Cult TV Shows: 74652
Dark Comedies: 869
Deep Sea Horror Movies: 45028
Disney: 67673
Disney Musicals: 59433
Documentaries: 6839
Dramas: 5763
Dramas based on Books: 4961
Dramas based on real life: 3653
Dutch Movies: 10606
Eastern European Movies: 5254
Education for Kids: 10659
Epics: 52858
Experimental Movies: 11079
Faith & Spirituality: 26835
Faith & Spirituality Movies: 52804
Family Features: 51056
Fantasy Movies: 9744
Film Noir: 7687
Food & Travel TV: 72436
Football Movies: 12803
Foreign Action & Adventure: 11828
Foreign Comedies: 4426
Foreign Documentaries: 5161
Foreign Dramas: 2150
Foreign Gay & Lesbian Movies: 8243
Foreign Horror Movies: 8654
Foreign Movies: 7462
Foreign Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 6485
Foreign Thrillers: 10306
French Movies: 58807
Gangster Movies: 31851
Gay & Lesbian Dramas: 500
German Movies: 58886
Greek Movies: 61115
Historical Documentaries: 5349
Horror Comedy: 89585
Horror Movies: 8711
Independent Action & Adventure: 11804
Independent Comedies: 4195
Independent Dramas: 384
Independent Movies: 7077
Independent Thrillers: 3269
Indian Movies: 10463
Irish Movies: 58750
Italian Movies: 8221
Japanese Movies: 10398
Jazz & Easy Listening: 10271
Kids Faith & Spirituality: 751423
Kids Music: 52843
Kids' TV: 27346
Korean Movies: 5685
Korean TV Shows: 67879
Late Night Comedies: 1402
Latin American Movies: 1613
Latin Music: 10741
Martial Arts Movies: 8985
Martial Arts, Boxing & Wrestling: 6695
Middle Eastern Movies: 5875
Military Action & Adventure: 2125
Military Documentaries: 4006
Military Dramas: 11
Military TV Shows: 25804
Miniseries: 4814
Mockumentaries: 26
Monster Movies: 947
Movies based on children's books: 10056
Movies for ages 0 to 2: 6796
Movies for ages 2 to 4: 6218
Movies for ages 5 to 7: 5455
Movies for ages 8 to 10: 561
Movies for ages 11 to 12: 6962
Music & Concert Documentaries: 90361
Music: 1701
Musicals: 13335
Mysteries: 9994
New Zealand Movies: 63782
Period Pieces: 12123
Political Comedies: 2700
Political Documentaries: 7018
Political Dramas: 6616
Political Thrillers: 10504
Psychological Thrillers: 5505
Quirky Romance: 36103
Reality TV: 9833
Religious Documentaries: 10005
Rock & Pop Concerts: 3278
Romantic Comedies: 5475
Romantic Dramas: 1255
Romantic Favorites: 502675
Romantic Foreign Movies: 7153
Romantic Independent Movies: 9916
Romantic Movies: 8883
Russian: 11567
Satanic Stories: 6998
Satires: 4922
Scandinavian Movies: 9292
Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 1492
Sci-Fi Adventure: 6926
Sci-Fi Dramas: 3916
Sci-Fi Horror Movies: 1694
Sci-Fi Thrillers: 11014
Science & Nature Documentaries: 2595
Science & Nature TV: 52780
Screwball Comedies: 9702
Showbiz Dramas: 5012
Showbiz Musicals: 13573
Silent Movies: 53310
Slapstick Comedies: 10256
Slasher and Serial Killer Movies: 8646
Soccer Movies: 12549
Social & Cultural Documentaries: 3675
Social Issue Dramas: 3947
Southeast Asian Movies: 9196
Spanish Movies: 58741
Spiritual Documentaries: 2760
Sports & Fitness: 9327
Sports Comedies: 5286
Sports Documentaries: 180
Sports Dramas: 7243
Sports Movies: 4370
Spy Action & Adventure: 10702
Spy Thrillers: 9147
Stage Musicals: 55774
Stand-up Comedy: 11559
Steamy Romantic Movies: 35800
Steamy Thrillers: 972
Supernatural Horror Movies: 42023
Supernatural Thrillers: 11140
Tearjerkers: 6384
Teen Comedies: 3519
Teen Dramas: 9299
Teen Screams: 52147
Teen TV Shows: 60951
Thrillers: 8933
Travel & Adventure Documentaries: 1159
TV Action & Adventure: 10673
TV Cartoons: 11177
TV Comedies: 10375
TV Documentaries: 10105
TV Dramas: 11714
TV Horror: 83059
TV Mysteries: 4366
TV Sci-Fi & Fantasy: 1372
TV Shows: 83
Urban & Dance Concerts: 9472
Vampire Horror Movies: 75804
Werewolf Horror Movies: 75930
Westerns: 7700
World Music Concerts: 2856
Zombie Horror Movies: 75405

Of course, now I am tempted to go to Sci-Fi Adventure: 6926 and then enter 6927 or 6925 - these are not listed and might lead down an interesting rabbit-hole. Those numbers both show No matching titles found. but who knows, a little poking around...

And back home for good this time

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Ho. Li. Shit.  There is one house on this island that really caught my eye when driving around.  The main structure is hidden behind a gate - a delirious wonderful metal fantasy sculpture. I can see a large shop from the road and have been getting up my nerve to knock and introduce myself. Fate intervened tonight.

My friend from the arts group is doing some work for these people and what she wanted me to photograph was on that property. We talked a little bit, did not make any plans but looking forward to a potentially long friendship with a very creative person. The more time I spend here, the more I love this place.

Having a couple beers tonight - feeling tired and had a very long day. Surf a bit first...

Season is open - antifa

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Time for a bit of varmint hunting:

Tip of the hat to Vanderleun who reminds us that there is no bag limit.

And back home for a bit

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A salad with some tuna for protein - quick simple dinner. Nice and warm out so eating on the back deck. Photo shoot has been pushed back to 6:30

News item about this morning's crash at our local paper: Stanwood Camano News

3 injured in 3-car crash Thursday morning between Stanwood and Camano
Three people were injured in a morning crash on Highway 532 between Stanwood and Camano Island.

The three-car crash blocked both lanes and slowed traffic to a crawl for about three hours before the road reopened fully at about noon, according to the Washington State Patrol. On Camano, the backup reached to the IGA. In Stanwood, the backup reached past Pioneer Highway.

The crash happened at about 8:40 a.m. Thursday when the driver of a white Toyota Tundra traveling east crossed into the oncoming lane, striking a white Ford F-150 pickup truck and a white Chevy Impala, according to troopers.

And:

The causing driver was called in as driving erratically just prior to the crash

No mention as to the cause of the erratic driving.

Nothing happening

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Had lunch and a quick surf - nothing happening online except for the Biden Cancer Foundation. Corrupt. No???? Yep.

Back in a couple of hours - wonderful weather today, nice and warm.

In the middle of the drill when the local fire station went whizzing by with blinkey lights and sirens. Camano Island was isolated from the mainland for a few hours due to a fatality accident on the bridge. We did not participate in any traffic handling but were monitoring closely. A good reminder that shit happens and having a group of people with these skills is important.

Home for a late lunch, out for a bit and then shooting some photos for a friend later this evening - need softer light.

An early night

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Got a ham radio event starting at 7AM tomorrow morning so making this an early night for me. Eight hours so making sure my batteries are topped off and bringing a couple extras. Drills are good stuff as well as a lot of fun.

Life one island to the west

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From the Whidbey Island police blotter:

Tuesday, June 9
At 4:02 p.m., a driver reported that a man with a shaved head and a mask was holding a red poppy in his mouth and staring at cars on Fish Road near the highway.

Yes, there is something in the water over there.

A blast from past (2008) - Iowahawk

Tip of the hat to Chris Lynch for the reminder.

The Bubba Wallace story

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Hoax - plain and simple. Knew it when it first surfaced. This meme sums it up perfectly:

20200624-bubba.jpg

Captain Obvious? Paging Captain Obvious - to the White Courtesy Phone please.

The Summer of Love - CHAZ/CHOP

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The anarchists controlling Capitol Hill are just peaceful people who want to engage in a quiet social experiment. Yeah - and I have a bridge to sell you. From NewsBusters:

What Shooting? Nets Skip Third CHOP Shooting in Four Days
The west was wild again. With the so-called “Capital Hill Occupy Protest” (CHOP) being the source of numerous accounts of arson, assaults, burglaries, property destruction, a rape, and three shootings, it’s no wonder that Seattle’s mayor, Jenny Durkan (D) had finally had enough of the “summer of love” and vowed to dismantle the “autonomous zone.” But all of that went unnoticed by ABC, CBS, and NBC on Tuesday, even though the latest shooting occurred before their morning shows went to air.

Local station KING-5 did carry the story:

Man injured in third Capitol Hill shooting since Saturday
A man in his 30s was injured Tuesday morning in the third shooting since Saturday near the "Capitol Hill Organized Protest" zone, also known as CHOP.

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) started to receive 911 calls at 4:37 a.m. about a man that had been shot in the 1100 block of East Denny Way, according to a SPD Blotter post. The location is by the northeast corner of Cal Anderson Park, which is near the CHOP.

The national media? Does not fit the narrative so   . . . crickets . . . 

This year - what's next

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Great image - sure feels like it:

20200624-july.jpg

The Strzok notes - some more

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Interesting revelation. Joe Biden has denied knowledge but notes released in today's judgement show that he was an active participant.
From The Right Scoop:

Peter Strzok’s notes indicate BIDEN is the one who suggested using Logan Act to go after Flynn!
More proof has come out today that the Obama Whitehouse ordered the FBI to try and get Flynn on the ‘Logan Act’, and it was Biden himself who suggested it.

The post has screen-caps of the documents in question. Looks pretty damning. As the deep-state is unraveled.

Just wonderful - Seattle

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Seattle's Mayor sure knows how to pander to the mob - from Law Enforcement Today:

Seattle Mayor caves to protestors, announces they’re cutting the police department budget by $20 million
The mayor of Seattle says it’s official – they’re cutting the budget for the police department amid calls to “defund the police”.

This, despite the fact that insurrectionists have taken over part of the city and blocked out police.

She said it’s time to deal with racism.

In a letter that was leaked to Law Enforcement Today, she said it’s been a long time coming:

We must as a City government reckon with our own legacy of injustice. We work within a system that has helped perpetuate institutional racism and we have work to do to eradicate these failings. For our Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) neighbors, the pain and consequences of this moment are life and death.

Full text of the letter at the site as well as much much more - they explore Durkan's promise to dismantle CHOP of which she has done nothing. They also look at the City Council's decision to ban the use of tear gas and foam projectiles for riot control. Things are not going well in that city - so glad I moved out.

Charges dropped - from Zero Hedge:

Appeals Court Orders Flynn Judge To Dismiss Case
In a major victory for Michael Flynn, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ordered Judge Emmet Sullivan to grant the Justice Department's request to dismiss the case against the former Trump National Security Adviser.

"Upon consideration of the emergency petition for a writ of mandamus, the responses thereto, and the reply, the briefs of amici curiae in support of the parties, and the argument by counsel, it is ORDERED that Flynn's petition for a writ of mandamus be granted in part; the District Court is directed to grant the government's Rule 48(a) motion to dismiss; nd the District Court's order appointing an amicus is hereby vacated as moot, in accordance with the opinion of the court filed herein this date," reads the order.

A reminder about the case:

Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his conversations with former Russian Ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak, during the presidential transition following the 2016 US election. He later withdrew his plea after securing new legal counsel, while evidence emerged which revealed the FBI had laid a 'perjury trap'.

Some interesting things are coming out - specifically that President Obama and VP Joe Biden were in on the initial entrapment. Peter Strozk's notes were released and they sure indicate this.

Nothing much this morning

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Working around the house and out in a little while for coffee

Grocery deliveries this afternoon.

All words, no action - Seattle

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As much as I would expect - Seattle's Mayor is 99% virtue signalling and 1% thinking about maybe acting sometime but I need to get my nails done first. A two-fer from Law Enforcement Today:

First - from yesterday, June 22nd:

It’s happened again: Seattle police, fire blocked trying to respond to juvenile shot inside “autonomous zone”
Another person was shot in the Seattle “autonomous zone” late Sunday night.  And sources in the Seattle Police Department told Law Enforcement Today that the police and fire departments were ‘prevented’ from responding to the incident.

Second - from today, June 23rd:

Seattle claims they’ll dismantle the “Autonomous Zone”, but police sources say there’s no solid plan
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan stated on Monday, June 22, they will begin to end the police-free zone called the “Capitol Hill Organized Protest” (CHOP) after one deadly shooting and one other shooting.

But is there really a plan to do it? Or is it all hot air? We’re getting conflicting messages between the mayor’s office and our sources within the Seattle Police Department.

Needless to say, much more at the two links. Typical:  lots of talk and rhetoric but no action. Push the narrative but don't actually commit to any kind of action - someone else might complain about it. Zero leadership.

News you can use

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269 companies who do not need my business - from Conservative Firing Line:

List of 269 Companies Supporting ANTIFA, Black Lives Matter
One would think that the United States intelligence services would know this kind of stuff, along with the elites supporting the same criminals involved and actually bring justice against those funding these thugs.  Actually, maybe they do have it and they are just looking the other way to implement the agenda of their masters.  In either case, it’s important that the people know exactly which companies are supporting these criminals that are not protesting, but engaged in insurrection and crimes against the people in the US.

Here are the first ten:

    1. 23andme: https://archive.is/Mjbwk
    2. 72andSunny: https://archive.is/B1x7Y
    3. AbbVie: https://archive.is/Q2Vqj
    4. Abbey Road Studios: https://archive.is/AJlrg
    5. The Academy (the Oscars): https://archive.is/cNRYf
    6. Activision Blizzard: https://archive.is/qfRJ1
    7. Adidas: https://archive.is/ezQ22
    8. Airbnbhttps://archive.is/GmMjl
    9. Alaska Airlines: https://archive.is/wnICf
    10. Amazon: https://archive.is/lBR4u

The links all point to saved screen-caps at The Wayback Machine as these companies may well pull their "statements" if they come to their senses. The rot in our society is very very deep. Black Lives Matter is not a group against racism, it foments racial division - they are marxists pure and simple.

Just crazy - WA State Governor

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He is a moron. He has made the good decision to get advisors but the problem is, they are morons too. From MyNorthwest:

Gov. Inslee announces face coverings to be mandatory statewide
Gov. Inslee announced Tuesday that face coverings will be mandatory statewide, issuing an order that takes effect Friday, June 26.

“We need to remain vigilant, diligent, and resourceful,” to stop this virus, Inslee said.

Unfortunately, the governor reported, there has been an uptick of cases in Washington state as businesses and public places start to reopen.

Inslee noted that Washingtonians were committed and disciplined when businesses had to be shut down early in the pandemic response to maintain social distancing. As we have reopened our economy, the same social distancing strategy is not as available to us, the governor said. As a result, cases are rising, as is the number of people that one person infects.

In other words, everything is normal but we need to ramp up the fear and get everyone virtue signaling. Masks are useless - they offer zero protection against a virus. No word as to when the masks will not be needed. This is disgusting. This is stupid.

Pitch perfect - from Lansing, Michigan station WILX:

Gov. Whitmer asks Washington to help state's budget
Governor Gretchen Whitmer held a press conference Thursday afternoon to provide an update on the state's continued response to COVID-19.

The governor said she's worked with her administration to protect Michigan residents from the health and economic crises as a result of the coronavirus.

During her press conference, the governor listed the amount of money the state has spent in fighting COVID-19. She said the state has more than $436 million fighting COVID-19 in the past 10 weeks, which is money the state wasn't planning on spending when the budget was set a year ago, on top of the $3 billion the state has already lost in tax revenue.

The governor said there is no way to cut spending enough to fill the estimated $6 billion hole over the next two years. She called on the federal government to come together to help Michigan and other states facing budget challenges. Under the current federal cares act, states can't use federal aid money to pay for things that were in the budget before the pandemic started.

Has half-Whit never heard of saving for a rainy day? Crap like this pandemic (whether manufactured or not) will always happen. You should not spend every dollar that comes in from your tax base. Piss poor management on her part.

As for lost tax revenue, she was the one who enforced a total lockdown. Tell me again why the rest of us need to pay for your failure?

Yikes - earthquake in Mexico

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Got the alert a few minutes ago - 7.4 Mag which will cause substantial building damage. It was a bit deep which will mitigate the damage somewhat but still, not good.

More news as it comes out.

And coffee time

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Out for a little bit.

Did laundry this morning and will be spending the afternoon putting audio equipment into one of my racks - got the last of the hardware for that yesterday.

Local farmer's market this afternoon.

Not surprised - CNN Fake News

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Must push the narrative:

20200623-CNN.jpg

Something to think about

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Government "fixing" our social problems:

20200623-government.jpg

A quote on fairness

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Great observation:

'Fair' is one of the most dangerous concepts in politics. Since no two people are likely to agree on what is ‘fair,’ this means that there must be some third party with power…to impose its will. The road to despotism is paved with ‘fairness’.
— Thomas Sowell

And that is it for tonight

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Piddling around here tomorrow  - coffee of course but working at home for the rest of the day.

Got some hardware for a small project in the music room so working there for a bit. Still working on the upstairs too.

Nice colors in the sky - the days are getting shorter now. Still waiting for summer to come.

In order to be a non-profit organization (501(c)3), you need to adhere to some IRS rules regarding what your organization can and cannot do. These rules are very specific. Seems like the people running Black Lives Matter do not want the transparency so they are going through a shell corporation.
From the Daily Wire:

‘Black Lives Matter’ Not Recognized IRS Charity, Raises Funds Through ‘Fiscal Sponsor’
Earlier this month, FactCheck.org and Politifact confirmed that Black Lives Matter Global Network is not a recognized IRS charity, instead raising their funds through a fiscal sponsor, global nonprofit Thousand Current, which would likely “have a legal obligation to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the funds they receive are spent consistent with 501(c)(3) restrictions.” Some critics of the group suggest that its financial arrangement “blocks full transparency.”

FactCheck.org notes that ActBlue helps to raise funds for Black Lives Matter Global Network by directing donations to Thousand Currents, their fiscal sponsor.

“The partnership between the network (ActBlue) and the nonprofit (formerly the International Development Exchange) was announced in 2016,” the site explains. “The nonprofit organization (Thousand Currents) said it would provide ‘fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative services to BLM.'”

Much more at the site and in the two links in the first paragraph. Black Lives Matter is not a charitable agency; it is yet another fundraising arm of the Democrat Party. A nice thorough reaming audit would be really interesting to see.

Finally - CHAZ

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Finally realizing that this is not a good thing. From Associated Press:

Seattle will move to dismantle protest zone, mayor says
Faced with growing pressure to crack down on an “occupied” protest zone following two weekend shootings, Seattle’s mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago that President Donald Trump asserted is run by “anarchists.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a news conference that the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality. She said the city is working with the community to bring the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone to an end.

“The cumulative impacts of the gatherings and protests and the nighttime atmosphere and violence has led to increasingly difficult circumstances for our businesses and residents,” Durkan said. “The impacts have increased and the safety has decreased.”

No shit Sherlock - it took you more than two weeks to see that the Summer of Love was a pipe-dream? I wonder what sort of "reparations" will be made to business owners and residents in the area for property and income losses.
Waiting in 3... 2... 1...

Good news from Florida

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Getting serious - from Sarasota, FL station WWSB:

Felony charges filed against alleged Tampa looters
The Hillsborough State Attorney announced Thursday that the first set of felony charges against alleged looters has been filed.

11 defendants are charged with a total of 15 felony crimes in connection with rioting and looting on the nights of May 30 and 31.

“If you’re out to peacefully protest, you can expect support from our community. But if you’re out to hurt, destroy, or steal—you can expect to be held accountable under the law,” State Attorney Andrew Warren said in a press release.

Good - show them you are serious and prosecute. This will make the rioting dry up and blow away. Show that there are consequences.

When you screw up, never own up to your mistakes. Always find a place to blame someone/thing else.
From Breitbart:

Cuomo: We Had High Number of Nursing Home Deaths Because Feds Didn’t Tell Us Virus Was Coming from Europe
On Monday’s “MSNBC Live,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said that New York had more nursing home deaths than any other state “Because we had more people die. Because the federal government missed the boat and never told us that this virus was coming from Europe and not from China.”

Host Stephanie Ruhle asked, “House Republicans are looking into New York’s March 25 order that directed nursing homes to take in infected patients. This thing is not going away, sir. 6,300 people died in New York nursing homes. That is the most in this country. The more time has passed, the more your office has been able to look into this. Do you take responsibility for that order and the role it may have played in those deaths?”

Cuomo responded, “Yeah, the Republicans, Stephanie, are playing politics. They don’t want to talk about how they are now handling this COVID virus –.”

Ruhle then cut in to state that lives are being discussed.

I wonder how long Ms. Ruhle will be working for MSNBC - she broke the narrative and put the governor on the hot seat.

Not too long ago (March 22nd, 2020 to be exact), New York City held a big Chinese New Year parade and a lot of politicians attended.

Cuomo is trying to edit history and this will not work.

An unsurprising I Told You So! from the New York Post:

Shootings surge in NYC amid disbanding of NYPD’s plainclothes anti-crime unit
Shootings are surging this week in New York City, with 28 incidents and 38 victims reported since Monday — the day the NYPD disbanded its plainclothes anti-crime unit, The Post learned on Friday.

By comparison, the same week last year there were only 12 shootings for the entire week.

And the driving force behind this?

“This is what the politicians wanted — no bail, nobody in Rikers, cops not arresting anyone,” one angry law enforcement source said Friday.

Why are the politicians doing this? Who is paying them? Are they in the pocket of criminal gangs? Same thing with Pelosi and Schumer being so opposed to the wall on the Mexican border - are they being paid off by the drug cartels? Carefully laundered of course but...

I knew all along that it was a big giant nothingburger - why would the Russians want President Trump to be in office? They would not.
From Don Surber:

Pulitzer blinded him to the real story
Adam Entous was part of the team at the Washington Post that won the Pulitzer Prize for promoting the Russian Collusion hoax. He now peddles this lie at the New Yorker. His latest piece is on Russian expert Fiona Hill (likely one of his inside-the-administration sources in the hoax) inadvertently tells the truth that Democrats colluded with Russians to concoct the Russian Collusion hoax.

Hill works at the liberal Brookings Institution. (Entous wrote in the piece, "After Trump’s victory, the mood at Brookings was funereal" and "Strobe Talbott, who became the president of Brookings in 2002, served in Bill Clinton’s Administration as his leading Russia expert, and he was rumored to be on the shortlist for Hillary Clinton’s Secretary of State.")

Washington calls Brookings a think tank but it seems more like a holding pattern for the next Democrat administration.

Hill joined the Trump administration but Entous exonerated her, writing, "In one of more than two dozen conversations that I had with Hill this spring, she told me that she had not been seeking a position in the new Administration, but that she was 'open to advising whoever came along and offering my two cents’ worth.'" She said Talbott told her to take the job to be one of the "grownups in the room" -- aka, a mole.

She talked to Entous while he was at The Post for while she was on the federal payroll, she was still working for Brookings. (Entous wrote, "Brookings had said that Hill’s job there would be kept open for three months in the event that she quit or was fired.") She later left the administration and testified to impeach him.

A half-year later, Hill gave Entous a scoop that he downplayed. Democrats had hired Fusion GPS to get dirt on The Donald. Fusion GPS hired retired British spy Christopher Steele to collect the dirt. Steele colluded with the Kremlin to get the dirt, even if it were fabricated.

Much more at the site. A poorly-crafted attempt at a coup. They did not have a leg to stand on and now, the deep state is being slowly unraveled. Could not be happening to a nicer bunch of people. A fun read - Don did some great research connecting the dots.

And nothing much happening here

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Woke up a bit late - coffee and hung out and read for a little while. Grocery deliveries and now back home prepping for a Zoom meeting with the board of directors of the local arts group.

Got some left-over sauce from yesterday's pasta and reheating that for dinner. Surf for a bit.

And that is it for tonight

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Gorgeous sunset - another stunner. Clear skies so should see some stars. Supposed to be nice tomorrow.

Working at home and grocery deliveries tomorrow afternoon.

I am not alone

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in not wanting to live in a city any more. Two headlines - clickable:

And it's not just the pandemic - life in general.

Perfect time to be putting my farm and my store on the market. Got a 30 acre farm for sale as well as an established rural grocery store (gross sales $1m+) with income property (Air B&B units and offices for rent) plus second building site across the street. About 40 minutes due East of Bellingham in a very prime all-year recreational area.

The genesis of The Kingsmen movie series:

Dinnertime

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Getting the spaghetti sauce started - a bit late but was distracted sorting through some stuff. Got a couple of new cables in for my music equipment and started organizing my older wiring. Going to be using this room for many years so want to get it right instead of having it evolve ad hoc.

Another good question

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Do not forget:

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A good question

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Six months into 2020 - what is in our future:

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She still around?

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From Yahoo/BBC:

Greta Thunberg: Climate change 'as urgent' as coronavirus
Greta Thunberg says the world needs to learn the lessons of coronavirus and treat climate change with similar urgency.

That means the world acting "with necessary force", the Swedish climate activist says in an exclusive interview with BBC News.

She is a tool. A meat puppet and I am surprised that her handlers have not thrown her under the bus and moved on to someone new.

Coronavirus was a big fat nothingburger. Ditto with climate change. We are entering a cooling period.

Editing history - Aunt Jemima

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Turns out that the descendents of Ms. Jemima are pissed at Quaker for getting rid of her. From Texas station KLTV:

Family of woman who portrayed Aunt Jemima opposes move to change brand
An East Texas family is not happy about the ‘brand changing’ of a popular pancake syrup: Aunt Jemima.

The iconic “Aunt Jemima” has long-standing ties with the city of Hawkins, and a goodwill ambassador named “Lillian Richard.”

Living in Forney, Vera Harris is the family historian for the Richard family of Hawkins, and could hardly believe a big part of their family legacy, the “Aunt Jemima” brand, was about to be erased from supermarket shelves.

“A lot of people want it removed. We want the world to know that our cousin Lillian was one of the Aunt Jemima’s and she made an honest living. We would ask that you reconsider just wiping all that away. There wasn’t a lot of jobs, especially for black women back in that time. She was discovered by Quaker Oats to be their brand person,” Harris said.

Lillian Richard became a goodwill ambassador for Quaker Oats, and for decades, portrayed Aunt Jemima all over Texas.

“She made an honest living out of it for a number of years. She toured around Texas,” Harris said.

In the Fouke community just outside Hawkins is a historic marker dedicated to Lillian Richard, who is recognized as one of several women who portrayed Aunt Jemima.

These morons have zero concept as to the unintended consequences of their actions. They have the attention span of a six-year-old and think only of themselves and their "feelings".

From the Daily Caller:

New York Is Named After A Horrendous Slave Trader
New York, both the city and the state, is named after the house of York and particularly for James Stuart, then Duke of York, one of the most successful slavers in colonial American history.

And some numbers:

The Duke of York, who later became King James II of England (and James VII of Scotland), created Britain’s greatest slave empire known as the Royal African Company, which transported between 90,000 and 100,000 African slaves to the Caribbean and American colonies between 1672 and 1689.

We need to remember that these slaves were sold to the traders by the Muslims. Islam has a long and rich history of slave ownership and commerce. They still practice it to this very day.

The fools rioting are ignorant of their history. Useful idiots.

The Singer legs were in really good shape.  There are two breaks in them but the previous owners did not attempt to repair them and this will be a perfect candidate for TIG brazing. The legs are made from Cast Iron which has a different Coefficient of Expansion than normal steel. Too many people try to weld these closed and since the two materials expand and contract at very different rates, as the weld cools down, it puts a huge stress on the rest of the cast iron. The weld will look nice and strong but it is a failure just waiting to happen. Cast Iron is very brittle so the smallest stress point can cause big problems.

You can buy special alloy filler rods for Cast Iron, these are used to repair old engine blocks but they are not common and are priced way up in the nosebleed territory ($80/pack).

TIG Brazing uses a regular TIG torch with an inert shielding gas (Argon) to heat the metal and then you apply a filler metal that has a much lower melting point and is also a lot more ductile. It will squish and stretch to compensate for the cast iron expanding and contracting. The repair is not as strong but it is a lot more fool-proof and is easily reversed if something goes wrong.

Went South to Win-Co and picked up some kitty litter and a dish pan for it. As I said, I am looking at adopting a cat from the local shelter - Bear and I are both missing Grace and need a little bit of chaos in our lives.

Putter around here for a little bit - doing some spaghetti for dinner.

And out the door for a little while

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Puttering around here this morning.

Saw some Singer sewing machine legs for sale so heading out to get them - building a small table for the bedroom and they will be perfect. I do a lot of stuff like this with welded steel and nice to have a change.

Kind of blah weather - warm but overcast. Sunrise was nothing special.

Sunset

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Definite Sailor's Delight

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From the deck about 20 minutes ago. Yes, I did tweak the contrast and gamma a little bit but the colors are true. No HDR tomfoolery.

Going to be a gorgeous print when enlarged.

Meanwhile, in flyover country

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An interesting story - a comment left at Instapundit:

Signs and portents of a metastasizing low-trust society.

Took the fams out to the Bass Pro Shop in Rancho Cucamonga today, so we could buy some stuff for Annual Big-Ass Camping Trip. Bass Pro Shop had an enormous line out front -- easily a hundred people. I would ordinarily not stand in a line that long, but we drove a long way to get there, so we shrugged and found the back of the thing. Almost immediately, we started saying, "This can't really be the line just to get into the store," and finally the woman in front of us decided she would go check.

She went to the entrance, came back, pointed at the massive line, and said, "You don't have to wait to get into the store -- this is just the line for firearms."

Funny how autonomous zones, blue flu, and talk of defunding the police leads to massive lines for guns.

Afterward, we circled around to the back side of the Angeles Crest Highway, out by Wrightwood, so we could have a long drive home through the woods. As we passed Buckhorn Campground -- fifty miles of mountain road out of Los Angeles -- I was quite surprised to see the gate open, because I had just looked at the Forest Service website a couple days ago and saw that Buckhorn was still closed. So we drove through the gate and all around the campground: completely full, to the tune of fifty-plus campsites. Then we got home, and I went online to see when the Forest Service had opened it.

They haven't.

But now, in addition to the emphatic notice on the website that Buckhorn is closed, there's also a warning that it's a crime to cut open the gates to federal campgrounds, and the people who are doing it had better knock it off.

The illusion of government control is but a thin veneer. It is only effective if you agree to be bound to it.

A fun list - Engineering hoaxes

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From Design News magazine:

The 20 Greatest Hoaxes in the History of Engineering
From scandals and cons to faux innovations and pranks, here's a look at the most infamous hoaxes throughout engineering history.

A fun slide-show - everything from The Mechanical Turk chess playing automaton from 1770 through a lot of the late 1800's stuff - perpetual motion, the Keely motor, etc... through to a wonderful pair of videos from the University of Michigan (here and here). They close with the Theranos scam.

Quite the speech

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President Trump spoke for almost two hours - quite the speech.

The usual pundits will analyse it tomorrow but he certainly had the crowd (and me) in the palm of his hand.

The video feed also has a window up periodically showing the antifa "protests" outside the venue. They do not create. They have nothing to offer. They just want to tear down.

UPDATE: Heh - the National Guard just moved the antifa people out of the way so people could exit the venue.

The Tulsa rally

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Streaming live from Right Side Broadcasting Network:

Their backup YouTube channel is here: RSBN2

Have a feeling that this speech is going to be a real stemwinder. The arena is packed and very orderly.

Memory lane - the Brothers Gibb

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More popularly known as the BeeGees - from 1956

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The Daily Timewaster of course...

From PJ Media:

Uh-Oh: Violent Antifa Activist Crossed State Lines to Riot
They call it crossing state lines and Portland and Seattle violent antifa mob members have been doing it for years.

If Portland police indicate they’re cracking down on the May Day violence, antifa activists go to Seattle to destroy, riot and create mayhem. I-5 is filled with vans packed with brass-knuckled antifa trying to get from one city to the next.

And what this means:

As I reported days ago, on June 10 the Department of Justice indicted dozens of rioters including “two Pennsylvania men for traveling to Cleveland” to commit acts of violence.

Victoria identifies one of the rioters from Portland and places him in Seattle with a video of him assaulting a Preacher. The same a**hole is also photographed with the Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison

MN attorney general Keith Ellison promoted an antifa manual by one of its main ideologues. (He deleted the photo after I was beaten) He also met violent Portland antifa activist Luis Marquez last year.

Lots more at the site - photos, videos, links, arrest history, etc... What makes crossing state lines so interesting is that this is now a Federal offence and not just a matter of the local jurisdiction. We need to lock people like this away for a long long time - Guantanamo is not being used that much these days.

Looks like Mayor Durkin's "summer of love" is not turning out as planned. It never has. It never will. From FOX News:

Seattle police union chief calls for 'leadership' after fatal shooting in CHOP zone
The head of Seattle's police union lamented the lack of "leadership" in the city Saturday after reports emerged that an early morning shooting in the so-called 'CHOP' left one person dead and another in critical condition.

According to The Seattle Times, police homicide and assault detectives are investigating the shooting, citing a post on the Seattle Police Department's blotter.

"On June 20th, at approximately 2:30 AM, East Precinct officers responded to a report of shots fired in Cal Anderson Park," a statement on the blotter said.

"This is inside the area referred to as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). Officers attempted to locate a shooting victim but were met by a violent crowd that prevented officers safe access to the victims. Officers were later informed that the victims, both males, had been transported to Harborview Medical Center by CHOP medics.

This is what we are dealing with - the first responders "were met by a violent crowd". Peace love and understanding. Yeah. Right. It is well past time to go in and dig them out building by building. Or, to cut water and electricity - you want "autonomous"? You got autonomous. Let them buy the power and water at market rates.

What were they doing all that time

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Really good question to ask people:

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And back - lunch and work

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Quick lunch and then to work wasting the afternoon just piddling around.

Stopped raining and it has gotten warmer - got some sun forecast for tomorrow afternoon and Monday looks really nice. Back to partly cloudy for the rest of the week.

Put up a fourth hummingbird feeder and each one has birds on it. 'Tis the season.

And out for the day

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Heading up to Mt. Vernon first - food coop, check out the farmer's market and pick up some fresh corn tortillas. Take Bear for a nice long run. Back to the island: coffee, post office, sit and read for a bit and back home to work.

Very low (and high) tide for the next couple of days - Summer Solstice. Will post some photos as the beach has a gentle slope to it so the water is very far away from the nominal shoreline.

A fun video - shootout

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In Chinese but with English subtitles:

Did a lot of work with Borland Turbo Pascal in the late 80's - it was a really decent compiler as well as development system for only $50. Other languages were priced in the several hundreds so Turbo Pascal was the language of choice for a lot of people. The executables were compact and quite fast for their day. Back then, the most common language was interpreted BASIC and Pascal ran rings around it.

Turns out that there is a Free Pascal language and they just released a new version - they have been in development since June 1993. 27 years!

Open source and it runs on just about every single platform out there:

Free Pascal is a 32, 64 and 16 bit professional Pascal compiler. It can target many processor architectures: Intel x86 (including 8086), AMD64/x86-64, PowerPC, PowerPC64, SPARC, ARM, AArch64, MIPS and the JVM. Supported operating systems include Linux, FreeBSD, Haiku, Mac OS X/iOS/iPhoneSimulator/Darwin, DOS (16 and 32 bit), Win32, Win64, WinCE, OS/2, MorphOS, Nintendo GBA, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Android, AIX and AROS. Additionally, support for the Motorola 68k architecture is available in the development versions.

Got nothing this morning

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Quiet rainy morning so far - surfed a bit but nothing catches my eye.

Work upstairs for a bit and then head out for coffee.

Low on some staples so food coop later - pick up some more of the delicious corn tortillas too. Take Bear for a run.
A nice lazy day...

And good night to all

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The rain is starting to come down pretty hard - cooled off quite a bit.

Heading over to YouTube for some video and then an early bedtime - sleepy.

Working at home most of tomorrow and Sunday - radio and electronics space. Planning a run to the farm next week - ready to bring a bunch more stuff to sort and toss or reallocate.

Just the thing for my ham shack. I had been looking for a small 24-hour clock but this offers a lot more and I already have the equipment to build it - a Raspberry Pi and a small touch-screen. Here is a sample screen:

20200619-hamclock.jpg

I love that it has the small thumbnail of solar activity in the top right corner. The clock can switch between UTC (Greenwich Mean) and local (touch screen remember?) and it shows not only your location but the location of the person you are communicating with at that time.

Software here: Ham Clock
Build article here
A slightly different implementation here

Heh - CNN's Jim Acosta, a smackdown

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CNN is known for fake news and bias. They are the house organ of the Communist Democrat Party.
K-Mac delivers some truth:

If he had any balls, that would hurt. Tip of the 'ole fedora to Diogenes Middle Finger

Gravid

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Did the grocery deliveries - one of the houses was in a very old small settlement off the beaten track. Wonderful smaller older cottages from the 1900's - people's vacation homes. Not on the water but very close and there was a large yacht club nearby so they would have kept their boats there. Even though I have been here for two years, I am still discovering fascinating places and bits of history.

Visited the main farmer's market - know a lot of the vendors so always fun to visit and shop. Had dinner at a local restaurant and now back home again.

Was in the 60's most of today but spiked up to almost 80 and very high humidity. Cooling off a bit - 72°F outside right now but really really really feels like rain. Do not see any thunderheads but would not be surprised to if a t-storm happened tonight. 80% chance of precip forecast for tomorrow. The weekend curse.

Made some more nectar yesterday so refilling the hummingbird feeders. Also, been looking at the local animal shelter for a cat. My old one (Koshka) passed away a couple years ago. Time for a new face around here - Bear and I really miss Grace.

Hanging out here waiting for the rain to start - the sky is gravid.

The statues are fighting back

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With all the statues being toppled by the kiddies recently, this is not surprising. From Eat Liver:

The Statues Are Finally Fighting Back
We’ve all heard about people taking down statues as a part of BLM protests and riots that have been happening recently. Meanwhile the statues around the world have apparently started to fight back. Scroll down to see for yourself!

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More at the site - cute idea.

The fix is in - voter cheating

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The dead are casting ballots in Michigan - from Breitbart:

Hundreds of Michigan Residents Turn Over Unsolicited Ballot Applications Sent to Dead, Noncitizen, Underage ‘Voters’
Hundreds of Michigan residents have responded to state Sen. Ruth Johnson’s (R-Holly) request for evidence of ballot applications sent to dead, noncitizen, or underage “voters” by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D).

Breitbart News previously reported that Benson used $4.5 million of CARES Act funds to usurp the power of local clerks to automatically send unrequested ballot applications to all 7.7 million Michigan registered voters.

Several people took to social media or contacted Johnson’s office to complain that applications arrived at their address for previous occupants, many of whom moved away years ago or are dead.

Again, Democrats have nothing to run on so they are compelled to cheat. Typical.

Much more at the site - there are lots of instances of ballot fraud and the Michigan Sec. State is not being shy about her cheating.

And outta here - coffee and stuff

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Heading out for coffee and some errands. Got another round of grocery deliveries this afternoon - we are looking at winding it down in the next couple of weeks. People can get out and about now.

Nice sunny day but forecast to cloud over later. The big farmer's market is this afternoon.

Summer solstice happening this Sunday - been seeing some very large tides. Great for walking on the beach. Hard to believe that the days will be getting shorter again - a very long, wet and cold spring. Still waiting for a nice stretch of warm sunny weather.

It was running on my Android phone

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Not a conspiracy theory when you see it on your own personal phone and you did not give permission for it to be installed. Wonder what else is running under the hood here. From Zero Hedge:

How To Check If Your iPhone Is Secretly A Coronavirus Tracker
If you downloaded the latest iOS update back in May, and any following updates, then congratulations...your COVID-19 infection status will likely soon be tracked by state health officials as part of each state's contact tracing efforts.

Many iPhone users across the US have over the past few days started to notice a new setting under the "privacy" subtab of the iPhone health app. It looks like this, and allows users to "toggle on" COVID-19 exposure logging.

It's all thanks to the latest update of Apple's iOS operating system for iPhone, iOS13.5.

It uses Bluetooth so you can turn it off but then you lose the other connectivity for music streaming and interfacing with your automobile. Much more at the site including how to check Android devices.

I do not give them my permission to be surveilled.

COVID (the Wuhan flu) - some facts

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From Swiss Policy Research:

Facts about Covid-19
Fully referenced facts about Covid-19, provided by experts in the field, to help our readers make a realistic risk assessment. (Regular updates below)

“The only means to fight the plague is honesty.” --Albert Camus, 1947

Overview

    1. According to the latest immunological and serological studies, the overall lethality of Covid-19 (IFR) is about 0.1% and thus in the range of a strong seasonal influenza (flu).
    2. In countries like the US, the UK, and also Sweden (without a lockdown), overall mortality since the beginning of the year is in the range of a strong influenza season; in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, overall mortality is in the range of a mild influenza season.
    3. Even in global “hotspots”, the risk of death for the general population of school and working age is typically in the range of a daily car ride to work. The risk was initially overestimated because many people with only mild or no symptoms were not taken into account.
    4. Up to 80% of all test-positive persons remain symptom-free. Even among 70-79 year olds, about 60% remain symptom-free. Over 95% of all persons develop at most moderate symptoms.
    5. Up to 60% of all persons may already have a certain cellular background immunity to Covid19 due to contact with previous coronaviruses (i.e. common cold viruses).
    6. The median or average age of the deceased in most countries (including Italy) is over 80 years and only about 4% of the deceased had no serious preconditions. The age and risk profile of deaths thus essentially corresponds to normal mortality.
    7. In many countries, up to two thirds of all extra deaths occurred in nursing homes, which do not benefit from a general lockdown. Moreover, in many cases it is not clear whether these people really died from Covid19 or from weeks of extreme stress and isolation.
    8. Up to 30% of all additional deaths may have been caused not by Covid19, but by the effects of the lockdown, panic and fear. For example, the treatment of heart attacks and strokes decreased by up to 60% because many patients no longer dared to go to hospital.
    9. Even in so-called “Covid19 deaths” it is often not clear whether they died from or with coronavirus (i.e. from underlying diseases) or if they were counted as “presumed cases” and not tested at all. However, official figures usually do not reflect this distinction.
    10. Many media reports of young and healthy people dying from Covid19 turned out to be false: many of these young people either did not die from Covid19, they had already been seriously ill (e.g. from undiagnosed leukaemia), or they were in fact 109 instead of 9 years old. The claimed increase in Kawasaki disease in children also turned out to be false.

These are ten nails into the coffin of the Pandemic. There are twenty more at the site. All with links to corroborating data. At the end of this list is an excellent article amplifying these "inconvenient truths" and going into further detail. The lockdown is a power-grab. Nothing more, nothing less.

Also known as EMP - from the Washington Examiner:

China develops weapons to fry US electric grid, eyes high-tech ‘Pearl Harbor’ attack
With the help of stolen U.S. technology, China has developed at least three types of high-tech weapons to attack the electric grid and key technologies in a “surprise Pearl Harbor” assault that could send America into a deadly blackout, according to a new analysis.

According to the report from the independent EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security, China has built a network of satellites, high-speed missiles, and “super-electromagnetic pulse” weapons that could melt down the U.S. electric network, fry critical communications, and stifle aircraft carrier groups.

EMP is a serious concern. The sun outputs strong solar flares from time to time which have the same effect. We dodged a bullet in 2012 when huge one happened but it was pointed away from Earth at the time. Nine days earlier, things would have been quite a bit different. There was a big one in 1859 - The Carrington Event and we have had other lesser storms in 1921, 1960 and 1989. These events are not uncommon.

What China is trying to do is launch nuclear weapons into orbit (and I am sure we have some up there as well) and detonate them 200+ miles up over the US. The resultant EMP would fry out power grid and kill most modern electronics.

A good start

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Now go get the rest of them - from World Net Daily:

Former federal worker who leaked classified details sentenced to jail
A former federal employee at the Defense Intelligence Agency has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for leaking classified information to journalists.

Good. Hope that this serves as an encouragement to the others out there.

An interesting (and chilling) thought from John Watson at American Thinker:

Where are all the guns and ammo purchased under Obama?
During the last two years of the Obama administration, some unusual purchases were made. Large quantities of ammunition were purchased, as were firearms, mostly for somewhat obscure agencies or agencies with no real need for such weaponry. Estimates are that over 1 billion rounds of ammunition were ordered, which resulted in making ammunition scarce for the normal civilian market.

Also significant was Obama's troublesome statement made during his campaign, as follows

We cannot continue to rely only on our military ... we've got to have a civilian security force just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded. We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set.

What national security objectives? Surely, he is not talking about arming the civilian population, as he wants to disarm us. Why would he want such a "civilian security force"? Could it be that he realized he couldn't use the U.S. military to enforce his social dysfunction for multiple reasons? One is the Posse Comitatus laws, and another was the simple fact that the military likely would refuse his orders. Looking below, we can see he was arming agencies under his Executive Branch control.

John then cites some of the purchases - these are significant quantities:

    • Department of Energy: approximately $50,000 worth of M-16 fully automatic rifles
    • General Services Administration: approximately $16,000 in shotguns and Glocks
    • Bureau of Reclamations: approximately $697,000 for firearms and ammunition
    • EPA: almost $70,000 for ammunition
    • Smithsonian: approximately $42,500 for ammunition
    • Social Security: approximately $61,000 for ammunition
    • $426,268 on hollow-point bullets, including orders from the Forest Service, National Park Service, Office of Inspector General, Bureau of Fiscal Service, as well as Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The latter three, sure, but the Forest Service, National Park Service, and Inspector General's Office?

Here is a link to a 55 page PDF report on the topic - the arming was very widespread.

John closes with two points:

We are now seeing anarchist groups like Antifa, BLM, and others carrying nice weaponry.  Just look at a recent photo of a CHAZ resident with his tricked-out AR-15 or M-16.

And this:

Perhaps it is high time that the president orders a detailed inventory and audit of these weapons and ammunition. If anything is missing, where is it? Also, has any of these weapons been used in any known crimes?

Most have probably forgotten about Obama's aforementioned statement and his subsequent unusual purchases for odd agencies, but maybe we had better wake up and take a look around before it is too late.

Certainly easy enough to do - make the agency's funding dependent on an audited inventory.

Yes - they actually are that stupid

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Hard to believe but... From James Woods - be sure to visit the link and read the comments.

From The Mind Unleashed:

New Reading of Mayan Calendar Suggests That the End of the World is This Weekend
2020 has really been one hell of a year. Not only have we seen a global pandemic that’s showing little signs of losing steam, but we’ve also seen social unrest, people’s livelihoods vanish into thin air, a tanking economy, plagues of locusts, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and massive firestorms.

If you think that we might be heading fast toward Armageddon, who can blame you?

But according to some conspiracy theorists on Twitter, the Mayan prophecy about a cataclysmic end of the world that supposedly would bring the world to a crashing halt on Dec. 21, 2012, was actually misinterpreted – instead, the calendar theorizers suggest, the Mayan doomsday will supposedly happen this week or next.

The difference between the Julian and Gregorian calanders - they counted the dates wrong. Supposed to be raining anyway so not like the EOTW is going to spoil anything.

And then, there is always this list: List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events

Two stories from CNN

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The first is from 2016 poo-poohing Hillary's frequent loss of balance and facial seizures, the second is considering that President Trump's health is failing because he walks slowly.

Doctor: What Clinton's stumble tells us

Why the Donald Trump-West Point ramp story actually matters

CNN is the house organ of the Democratic Party. Their job is to push and preserve the narrative.

Wise words

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So true and yet not many people realize this:

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The media covers whomever shouts the loudest, not who speaks the truth.

Gorgeous sunrise this morning

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Woke up about half-way through it. Wonderful colors.

Unfortunately, there is that whole "Red sky at morning" thing happening so rain is in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday. The weekend curse is still with us.

Surf some more, puttering around at home for a little bit and then out for coffee and some errands.

I want that shirt

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Been cutting way back on buying novelty tee-shirts but will make an exception for this one.
Found over at Bayou Renaissance Man

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Turns out that Quaker Oats is owned by Pepsico. Pepsico may be pandering to the woke crowd but in so doing, they are memory-holing a cultural icon. From Breitbart:

Nancy Green, Freed Slave and Trailblazing Corporate Model, Was 1st Aunt Jemima
Pepsico, the corporation that owns the Aunt Jemima brand, is erasing the name and the logo portrait of a black woman “to make progress toward racial equality” and in doing so is also erasing the legacy of Nancy Green, a freed slave who had a long career with the Quaker Oats company as a storyteller, actress, and singer.

Nancy Green’s story is told in a number of places, including in a YouTube video about her life and career. She is also featured on the African American Registry website:

On this date we celebrate the birth of Nancy Green in 1834. She was a Black storyteller and one of the first black corporate models in the United States.

The world knew her as “Aunt Jemima,” but her given name was Nancy Green. The famous Aunt Jemima recipe was not her recipe but she became the advertising world’s first living trademark.

Miss Green was born a slave in Montgomery County, Kentucky. Chris Rutt, a newspaperman, and Charles Underwood bought the Pearl Milling Company and had the original idea of developing and packaging a ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour. To survive in a highly competitive business, the men needed an image for their product.

But Nancy Green, at 56, was hired to help the company sell their product at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Green, as Aunt Jimema, cooked and served thousands of pancakes while telling stories and even singing songs.

“Her warm and appealing personality made her the ideal ‘Aunt Jemima,’ a living trademark. Her exhibition booth drew so many people that special policemen were assigned to keep the crowds moving. The Davis Milling Company received over 50,000 orders, and Fair officials awarded Nancy Green a medal and certificate for her showmanship.”

After the fair, Green was signed to a lifelong contract and worked until she died in an car accident in 1923, according to the African American Registry.

The Women of Every Complexion and Complexity website described Green as a “talented entrepreneur” and “transitional symbol.”

The people acting out today have zeero sense of history and zero sense of the future. All they are aware of is the immediate NOW and satisfying their wants NOW. Just like a 6-year old.

And, of course, other corporations have to follow suit to show that they can be just as progressive and WOKE! as everyone else:

Mrs. Butterworth’s to Undergo ‘Complete Brand and Packaging Review’

Uncle Ben’s Plans to Change Its ‘Brand Identity’ to ‘End Racial Biases’

The only race that I can see is a race to the bottom. Who can out-pander the other in the hopes that they will be cancelled last. Show some stones people. I bet your shareholders would back you up on this. These are some historic and famous brands you are tossing out with the bathwater.

Subvert the dominant paradigm

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Wonderful to see some pushback to these toddler tyrants - from National File:

BLM Protester In Ohio Told ‘This Ain’t Seattle’ And ‘We Don’t Put Up With Your Sh*t Here’
A Black Lives Matter protest that descended on the small rural town of Bethel, Ohio this week was met by over 700 mostly peaceful counter-protesters affiliated with motorcycle clubs and “Back the Blue” groups.

This is a really good number to think about:

Black Lives Matter protests throughout the country were cited as the impetus for the massive turnout amongst counter-protesters on Sunday. Protests that have devolved into violent race riots in Minnesota, New York, Georgia, and Illinois have seen countless instances of property damage, robbery, and politically motivated assault.

The death toll from the 2020 riots has exceeded the total number of unarmed black people killed by police in 2019, despite police brutality often being cited as justification for the violence by rioters

Emphasis mine.

Heh - more of these stories please!  I love it. Tell them that No means No. I am looking forward to July 4th - should be interesting to say the least. A couple videos at the site.

A perfect model citizen

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New York City used to have a low crime rate under Mayor Guilani and even under Mayor Cuomo.
Warren Wilhelm Jr. Bill de Blasio has reversed their good work and turned the city into a stinking shithole.
From the New York Post:

Brute accused of shoving elderly NYC woman has been arrested over 100 times
A career criminal with more than 100 arrests to his name was busted for cruelly shoving a 92-year-old woman into a Manhattan fire hydrant — leaving his victim too scared to walk alone in her own neighborhood.

The injured elder, a Bronx native named Geraldine, spoke to The Post on Tuesday after cops arrested convicted sex offender Rashid Brimmage, 31, and charged him with attacking her.

And the choirboy in question:

The frequent offender has now been arrested 103 times since 2005 for petty crimes and sex offenses, sources said.

The creep was convicted of sexual misconduct in 2012, then arrested for two sex offenses in 2014, police sources said.

And this:

At the time of Friday’s attack, Brimmage had three open criminal cases in the city, according to court records.

Just wonderful. At the risk of being labeled raacissss or something, Mr. Brimmage is not melanin-challenged. There are a lot of people blaming Caucasians for their problems. How about you clean your own house first before you start throwing stones. Just sayin'

Beer run

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Done with dinner and feeling like a beer or two. Do not feel like socializing so picking up a pack from the local grocery store.

Nice night - some clouds but sunny and warmish. Doors and windows open - house is airing out.

Back in a little while...

Portland Oregon - fun times

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People in Seattle went full retard and took over six blocks of Capitol Hill. Portland said: "Hold my beer and watch this".
From NOQ Report:

Portland Antifa tries to lock people in at Justice Center, then light it on fire
According to the Portland Police Department and independent journalists on the scene, violent Antifa “protesters” were locking doors from the outside of the Justice Center in downtown. Then, they were trying to light fires around the building with people still inside.

This comes a day after the city removed the fencing around the building to allow peaceful protests which, for over a week, haven’t ended since the fence went up. It was supposed to be a sign of goodwill for deescalation but ended up encouraging these domestic terrorists to try even harder.

The city should never have removed the barricades. You simply are not able to appease these people. They will not back down if you give in.

The people setting the fires need to be looking at ten years in jail for a very minimum. This is a calculated attempt to murder. Video at the site.

Dodged a bullet there - Tim Kane

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The guy is an idiot - from PJ Media:

Tim Kaine Claims America Invented Slavery; Roman Empire and Egyptian Pharaohs Demand Apology
Tim Kaine (D-Va.) gave a puzzling speech on the floor of Congress today where he claimed that Americans had invented slavery. “The United States didn’t inherit slavery from anybody. We created it,” he said, completely seriously.

This claim sent shockwaves of outrage through the recesses of Hell, where Egyptian pharaohs and the emperors of Rome reside. “How dare he take credit for slavery,” said King Tut. “Who the hell does he think built the pyramids? Aliens?”

Diocletian wasn’t any more complimentary. “The Roman methods of torturing slaves are so renowned around the world that millions of people wear the instrument of our torture around their necks as a reminder of the sheer brutality we wrought on the world’s underprivileged. Americans tried hard, but until you feed people to wild animals in front of cheering crowds you haven’t even begun to realize your potential in crimes against humanity.”

Julius Ceasar told reporters, “Those were the days. One time I sold 53,000 citizens of Gaul to traders on the same day. Man, what a windfall that was.”

Satan had to get his two cents in there too and declared, “I am the true creator of slavery. Duh. My specialty is putting people in bondage. It’s like, my whole gig.” Mohammed then piped up, “Not so fast, Beezelbub, my contributions to the history of enslaving people continues to this day,” he grinned. “Boko Haram is kidnapping African children right now!”

Dodging the bullet? Remember, in 2016, he was Hillary's choice for Vice President. Had she won, this moron would be #2 in line for the Oval Office. That gives me the willies. Seriously.

John Bolton's new book

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Parts of it have been leaked to the media and I am spending this afternoon listening to Mark Levin delivering a righteous Fisking

So may errors and misstatements - the guy is just as much a fabulist as Michael Wolff.

Bolton got two million dollars for the book - he basically sold out all of his coworkers for money.
Like I said before, his book will hit the remainder shelves in 3... 2... 1...

Politically correct - mug shots

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This is downright funny - from Florida's Tampa Bay Times:

Tampa Bay Times drops mugshot galleries
The Tampa Bay Times effective today will no longer publish the mugshot galleries of those arrested around parts of Tampa Bay.

The galleries, which had been accessible on the tampabay.com homepage, included photos of every person arrested in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Manatee counties.

Several news organizations have discontinued such galleries amid criticism that they disproportionately show black and brown faces. The arrest information is publicly available on law enforcement websites.

“The galleries lack context and further negative stereotypes,” said Mark Katches, executive editor of the Times. “We think the data is an important resource that our newsroom will continue to analyze and watch carefully, but the galleries alone serve little journalistic purpose.”

So rather than address the problem (black children not growing up with a strong family structure), they memory-hole the outcome as it doesn't fit the narrative.

It's what we do not see that gets us:

20200617-trump.jpg

You think the rioting is bad now? Wait until November 4th.

The "protesters"

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Also known as Useful Idiots:

20200617-pawn.jpg

From Daily Timewaster which is anything but.

The truth - Nancy Pelosi

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From America's Newspaper of Record - the Babylon Bee:

Democrats Clarify That Black Lives Will Only Matter Until November
A team of political experts released its latest prediction on the Black Lives Matter movement today, saying the group’s current surge will likely only last until early November. The experts say after votes are cast in the 2020 election, politicians will no longer have a need for the black community, and everything will go back to normal.

The team of experts out of UCLA has been following Black Lives Matter since it emerged back in 2014 when an unarmed black man was killed by police in St. Louis. The popular civil rights group also made headlines in 2016 and 2018.

"We have to pander to them to see if they will matter," said Nancy Pelosi. "We stand committed to elevating black voices when we need their votes and not a moment after."

“It’s a strange phenomenon,” said UCLA professor Azad Khanna. “Every few years Black Lives Matter comes onto the scene for a couple of months and then just sort of disappears in November. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Khanna paused for a moment, noticing a young white woman who had kneeled before him. The woman asked his forgiveness for her white privilege and her years of racism toward African Americans and then started kissing his feet. Khanna kindly informed her that he is from India.

The Bee may be a satire site but they are so close to the truth it is hard to tell.

They should practice what they preach - from BizPac Review:

‘Light that man on fire’: Man in MAGA hat, toting US flag is punished for existing in Seattle’s new CHOP zone
A Trump-supporter carrying a U.S. flag triggered leftists as he walked through Seattle’s Capitol Hill Organized Protest Zone.

Wearing a signature Trump “Make America Great” cap and carrying a large pole with the American flag, the man was repeatedly verbally attacked and had his property taken as radicals occupying the downtown area let him know he was not welcome. One set of whining women berated him for “traumatizing” them.

All the non-conformists look and sound alike. They are living on the Democrat plantation - thinking what they want you to think, saying what they want you to say, doing what they want you to do. Preserve the narrative above all.

Tearing down our culture

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134 years of pre-existing history tossed in the trashcan - Quaker Oats. From Today:

Aunt Jemima to remove image from packaging and rename brand
The breakfast brand Aunt Jemima is removing its logo and will be renamed amid public outcry that the branding perpetuated a racist stereotype, its parent company said Wednesday.

Quaker Oats said in a statement that the longtime brand will remove the controversial image of Aunt Jemima from its line of maple syrups, pancake mixes and other foods starting at the end of 2020, while the name change will happen at a later date.

“We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype," Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer of Quaker Foods North America, said in a statement to NBC News. "While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough.”

Not enough? Nothing is enough for the social justice warriors. Once you yield, they will keep pushing until you are destroyed. In a situation like this, people need to punch back twice as hard. Now more than ever. The Aunt Jemima website is still here - time to screen-cap it before it goes away down the memory hole.

True words - hymns

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The great hymns of the church are on the way out. They are not gone entirely, but they are going and in their place have come trite jingles that have more in common with contemporary advertising ditties than the psalms. The problem here is not so much the style of the music, though trite words fit best with trite tunes and harmonies. Rather it is with the content of the songs. The old hymns expressed the theology of the Bible in profound and perceptive ways and with winsome memorable language. Today’s songs are focused on ourselves. They reflect our shallow or nonexistent theology and do almost nothing to elevate our thoughts about God. Worst of all are songs that merely repeat a trite idea, word, or phrase over and over again. Songs like this are not worship, though they may give the church-goer a religious feeling. They are mantras, which belong more in a gathering of New Agers than among the worshiping people of God.
— James Montgomery Boice

So true - the Church is being dumbed down and stripped of its backbone. The people doing this do not see the increasingly empty pews as the consequence of their meddling.

Here is one that never fails to inspire me:

Once to ev'ry man and nation
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth and falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
Off'ring each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever
'Twixt that darkness and that light.

The final verse is chilling in light of recent events:

Tho' the cause of evil prosper,
Yet the truth alone is strong;
Tho' her portion be the scaffold,
And upon the throne be wrong:
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own.

God is not always visible in the light. Sometimes, God stands in the shadow but is still keeping watch.

Out for a bit - coffee, etc...

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Spent the morning working upstairs and doing a load of laundry.

Heading out for some coffee and to run a few errands. Grocery deliveries later this afternoon.

Sums it up pretty well:

20200617-july.jpg

What were they thinking? From the Associated Press:

US: Company provided subpar steel for Navy submarine hulls
For decades, the Navy’s leading supplier of high-strength steel for submarines provided subpar metal because one of the company’s longtime employees falsified lab results — putting sailors at greater risk in the event of collisions or other impacts, federal prosecutors said in court filings Monday.

The supplier, Kansas City-based Bradken Inc., paid $10.9 million as part of a deferred prosecution agreement, the Justice Department said. The company provides steel castings that Navy contractors Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding use to make submarine hulls.

Bradken in 2008 acquired a foundry in Tacoma, Washington, that produced steel castings for the Navy. According to federal prosecutors, Bradken learned in 2017 that the foundry’s director of metallurgy had been falsifying the results of strength tests, indicating that the steel was strong enough to meet the Navy’s requirements when in fact it was not.

And a bit more:

Investigators said the fraud came to light when a metallurgist being groomed to replace Thomas upon her planned 2017 retirement noticed some suspicious results. The company said it immediately fired Thomas.

“While the company acknowledges that it failed to discover and disclose the full scope of the issue during the initial stages of the investigation, the government has recognized Bradken’s cooperation over the last eighteen months to be exceptional,” the company said in an emailed statement. “Bradken has a long history of proudly serving its clients, and this incident is not representative of our organization. We deeply regret that a trusted employee engaged in this conduct.”

Yikes - what was she thinking? There is no graceful exit strategy to a fraud like this. Any accident would trigger an investigation and discovery.

She seriously needs to spend some jail time - if not for her, to send a strong message to the next generation of deep-state wannabes

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CHAZ - as the details come out

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Unsubstantiated but, as they say, where there's smoke. From The Gateway Pundit:

The Mysterious Case of RAZ from CHAZ – BLM Warlord Owns Multiple Guns (including an Uzi), a Tesla, BMW and Jaguar XJ, Millions in Properties, and Is Supported by Dubai Government
Solomon Samuel Simone (aka RAZ from CHAZ or CHOP) is the proclaimed warlord of CHAZ, the multi-block area located in Seattle.  Raz hates America but owns multiple guns, luxury automobiles, millions in real estate.

More importantly, Raz is supported by the Islamic government in Dubai.

The leader of CHAZ, Warlord Raz Simone was previously identified running guns in the newly formed country in the center of Seattle. Today we have more on RAZ thanks to the work of Yaacov Apelbaum.

Raz the warlord, doesn’t only run guns, he owns guns. Raz owns a couple of handguns, which were somehow ‘restored’ through a special intervention after a conviction.

Raz somehow received a grant for $82,000 from the city of Seattle to open his own studio in a building he purchased with another loan.

And Raz owns multiple luxury cars, including a Tesla, a BMW and a Jaguar XJ.

He also owns some prime real estate and rental properties.

He owns the RAZ fashion line, the Aurora Smoke Shop, a social club called “The Spot”, the Black Umbrella Corporation. All this came from funding in sweetheart deals.

Just your basic deep-state warlord. For the people. Yeah. Right.

Much more at the site - photos of him with islamofascists, more details, etc... I think there is good grounds for a RICO bust.

Again, this is just from a single source but I do not doubt that there is a lot that is true. This guy floated to the top of the cesspit in a very short time. Betting that he was embedded many years ago and was called to service.

A good quote - socialism

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Socialism is the bane of the Dunning-Kruger intelligentsia:

"Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it."
--Thomas Sowell

And back home again - fun time

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Some Moose Drool was consumed. Some conversations were had.

A good time was had by all.

Taking care of a few emails and surf for a little bit. Topped off two of the hummingbird feeders. Now that it is getting to be the major feeding season, I make a lot more nectar each batch and save the leftover in the fridge. Two of the feeders were almost empty after two days! I am using these feeders: Best-1 Hummingbird Feeder and they hold two pints. That is a lot of nectar to be going through in just a few days. Lots of hungry birds.

And out for a beer or two

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Done with dinner - the last of the corned beef. Yum!

Heading out to my local for a beer or two.

Heh - some good numbers

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What recession. From Don Surber who also writes the quote of the month:

Trump ended the Fake Recession
The National Bureau of Economic Research sure was quick to declare a covid-19 recession on June 8. It cited an increase in unemployment, a decrease in retail sales, and a drop in economic activities -- lasting more than a few months.

Don then cites the NBER:

In a January 13, 2003, letter, the NBER noted, "A recession is a significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, visible in industrial production, employment, real income, and wholesale-retail sales. A recession begins just after the economy reaches a peak of activity and ends as the economy reaches its trough. Between trough and peak, the economy is in an expansion. Expansion is the normal state of the economy; most recessions are brief and they have been rare in recent decades."

And yes, we have had three months of economic decline caused by the Wuhan COVID lockdown but:

"The U.S. government reported a record 17.7% increase in retail sales for May. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected a gain of 7.7%."

The 17.7% gain in retail sales was more than double the expected 8.4% rise.

The economy is roaring back like gangbusters. Unemployment is way down and now? Retail sales are way up.

Don's quote?

The surest sign that the economy has recovered is Barack Hussein Obama is taking credit for it.

His minder, Valerie Jarrett, said, "The unemployment rate for the African-American community started coming down as a result of the steps that President Obama did to right our economy back in 2009. President Trump has benefited from those steps and created the spur that got our economy going in the right direction."

Sure, sweetie, sure.

I love it: "The surest sign that the economy has recovered is Barack Hussein Obama is taking credit for it"

Obama did not build that. He is mentally and physically incapable of building anything remotely close.

Got nuttin' this morning

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Quick surf but nothing out there. Working upstairs in the loft today - ham radio setup and electronics workspace.

Turning into a nice day and sunshine is in the forecast for the coming week.

Heading out for coffee, post office and some errands - dog food and other stuff from Costco. Picking up a countertop from one of the box stores - re-thinking my electronics bench and going to start from scratch and build a new one rather than try to retrofit my old one into this space. Better to sell the old bench than try to cut it down and change it.

Back in a while.

Defunding the police

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What happens if they become privatized? Here is one such example:

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Wonderful

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From matt's idea shop:

Tip of the hat to vanderleun

Got a couple more - Syria

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Great news from military.com

Drone Strike Kills 2 al-Qaida Commanders in NW Syria
A drone strike in northwestern Syria on Sunday killed two senior commanders with an al-Qaida-linked group, opposition activists said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the strike was believed to have been carried out by the U.S.-led coalition, which has been targeting extremists in Syria for years.

The drone strike hit a vehicle carrying the two commanders -- a Jordanian and a Yemeni -- in the northwestern province of Idlib, the last remaining rebel stronghold in war-torn Syria. Idlib is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants, and is also home to 3 million civilians.

The Observatory said the men killed were with the al-Qaida-linked Horas al-Din group, Arabic for “Guardians of Religion.” Horas al-Din are hardcore al-Qaida elements who broke away from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest insurgent group in the Idlib enclave.

And also:

In neighboring Lebanon, the Lebanese army said the military carried out an operation in the eastern town of Brital on Sunday liberating 23 people, including women and children, who were kidnapped two weeks ago.

Great news indeed. We do not need a large standing presence over there. We have the high ground - both morally and technologically. Bomb these mokes back into the 9th century where they come from.

I love this woman

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Two minutes of clear on-point red pill truth:

This was filmed in Seattle.

From America's Newspaper of Record - the Babylon Bee:

Five-Year-Old Starts 'Abolish Bedtime' Movement
Five-year-old Timmy Newman has started a controversial new “abolish bedtime” movement. In this movement, Timmy identified the existence of bedtime as a creator of conflict and decided that its elimination would lead to a more peaceful family.

“He really laid it out for us,” said Jim Newman, Timmy’s father. “He was careful to stress that this doesn’t mean he won’t sleep. It just means sleep will occur without all the restrictions that lead to yelling and threats.”

“We’re excited for this new paradigm in parent/child relations,” stated Jill Newman, Timmy’s mother. “And we’re a bit ashamed we let the oppression of bedtime go on for so long.”

By most recent reports, Timmy was up until 3 a.m. last night, banging pots and yelling, “NO BEDTIME!” before finally exhausting himself. This is just assumed to be a bump in the road, though, to a more peaceful future.

After all - it's for the children.

Hate it when it hits home

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Olympia, WA is about as liberal as parts of Seattle. It is also home to the WA State Capitol. From The Olympian:

Olympia mayor’s home, downtown vandalized during Friday night protest
On Friday night, two groups converged in downtown Olympia, and some became destructive, burning flags, smashing windows, and spray painting businesses and Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby’s home.

One group was made up of about 50 black-clad protesters who came to Sylvester Park for a rally advertised on social media as an event akin to last Friday’s protest downtown with an open mic. The other group of around 30 wore neon-yellow T-shirts with the word “peacekeeper” emblazoned on the front and back, some holding paintball guns.

Airsoft rifle - way to go to get shot by the police accidently. At night, the lighting is not good and it would be a very easy mistake. Dumbass. They also showed up at the mayor's home:

“I’m really trying to process this,” she told The Olympian over the phone Saturday. “It’s like domestic terrorism. It’s unfair".

The mayor is discovering what "vibrant diversity" feels like.

Down in major urban areas in the USA only. From Breaking911:

WIDESPREAD OUTAGE: Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T All Down In Parts of US
All major wireless carriers in the United States were suffering widespread outages on Monday.

Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint users all reported issues from coast-to-coast.

Down Detector, a website that tracks outages, has received hundreds of thousands of complaints from wireless users, including phone call connection issues and social media browsing.

A possible cause for the problem was not immediately clear.

Curious - here is a heat map of the outages:

20200615-cellphone.jpg

Florida is a bit of an outlier but the other locations are cities with lots of protesters riots. Wonder if there is going to be a major roll-up of these miscreants tonight. That would be a joy to see. Coupled with them facing serious charges and serious prison time, that will go a long way to take the wind out of their sails.

Deluge

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Pouring down rain - got 0.2" already since this morning.

This is not showing up in the river flow yet. Takes about six hours.

Looks like President Trump is trying to block it for very very good reason. From ABC News:

Trump administration expected to attempt to block John Bolton's book
Just a week before the much-awaited book by President Donald Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton is set to go on sale, the Trump administration is expected to file a lawsuit in federal court seeking an injunction to block the book from being released in its current form, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The lawsuit is expected to be filed in the coming days and could come as soon as today, sources said, cautioning that some details are still being worked out.

And the reason why?

The NSC claimed the book continued to contain “significant amounts” of classified information, but Bolton’s lawyer pushed back, claiming that none of it “could reasonably be considered classified.”

Sounds like they are looking at shades of gray but this is not valid - a piece of information is either classified or it is not. There is no gray territory. Sounds like they are pulling this bullshit to garner publicity. Betting that the book will be toothless and it will be on the remainder table in 3... 2... 1...

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men"
-Frederick Douglass

Pandering to the narrative - Pelosi

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Totally clueless - from Bizpac Review:

Pelosi presenting special US flag to Floyd family sparks outrage; ‘an insult to our service members’
Scores of Americans were outraged after seeing a picture of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) presenting an American flag to the family of George Floyd as though he had been killed fighting for the country.

The photo, which was seen posted on various social media sites, was confirmed as genuine by BizPac Review after locating it as part of a collection involving the family of Floyd on Pelosi’s official Twitter feed.

“Philonise Floyd’s heart-wrenching testimony to @HouseJudiciary left its mark on us all. May this flag, which flew over the Capitol on the day of his brother’s murder, serve as a symbol of our shared commitment to securing justice for George & all victims of police violence,” she wrote on her post containing the photo.

The article has a small sampling of the replies to her action. George Floyd should not have died but he was a career criminal and was being arrested for passing counterfeit money. He never served in the Military and does not deserve this honor. Way to piss off the Gold Star families.

A respite

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Checked in with the coordinator of the grocery delivery program and there were no orders today - I do not need to do deliveries this afternoon.

Spending the rest of today doing a dump run as well as getting some stuff from the storage locker. Starting to do some organization in the loft - ham radio station and electronics bench.

CHAZ in the news again

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Some naif left his belongings in his tent and... From Twitter:

Be sure to visit the link and read the comments - some comedy gold there. They are getting the sympathy they deserve.

Heh - working with the land

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Compare and contrast - the photo on the right is the "sustainable agriculture" being practiced in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.

There may be enough for a small community salad in a month or two if they keep things watered and weeded.

These people are just playing at being adults - they are really just six years old.

From the Canadian Broadcasting Comany:

Canadian scientist sent deadly viruses to Wuhan lab months before RCMP asked to investigate
Newly-released access-to-information documents reveal details about a shipment of deadly pathogens last year from Canada's National Microbiology Lab to China — confirming for the first time who sent them, what exactly was shipped, and where it went.

CBC News had already reported about the shipment of Ebola and Henipah viruses but there's now confirmation one of the scientists escorted from the lab in Winnipeg amid an RCMP investigation last July was responsible for exporting the pathogens to the Wuhan Institute of Virology four months earlier.

Dr. Xiangguo Qiu, her husband Keding Cheng and her students from China were removed from Canada's only level-4 lab over what's described as a possible "policy breach." The Public Health Agency of Canada had asked the RCMP to get involved several months earlier.

And a bit more - the reaction:

"It is suspicious. It is alarming. It is potentially life-threatening," said Amir Attaran, a law professor and epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa.

"We have a researcher who was removed by the RCMP from the highest security laboratory that Canada has for reasons that government is unwilling to disclose. The intelligence remains secret. But what we know is that before she was removed, she sent one of the deadliest viruses on Earth, and multiple varieties of it to maximize the genetic diversity and maximize what experimenters in China could do with it, to a laboratory in China that does dangerous gain of function experiments. And that has links to the Chinese military."

Gain of function experiments are when a natural pathogen is taken into the lab, made to mutate, and then assessed to see if it has become more deadly or infectious.

Most countries, including Canada, don't do these kinds of experiments — because they're considered too dangerous, Attaran said.

"The Wuhan lab does them and we have now supplied them with Ebola and Nipah viruses. It does not take a genius to understand that this is an unwise decision," he said.

This is chilling - there is only one reason to do an experiment like this. They are trying to weaponize these materials. They do not have the intelligence or wisdom to do this kind of work - this is why China is continually stealing our intellectual property (here, herehereherehere for starters). Those labs that do have the brains, simply do not do these kinds of experiments. Period. Too fscking dangerous. End of story.

Quote of the month

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The whole gospel of Karl Marx can be summed up in a single sentence: Hate the man who is better off than you are. Never under any circumstances admit that his success may be due to his own efforts, to the productive contribution he has made to the whole community. Always attribute his success to the exploitation, the cheating, the more or less open robbery of others. Never under any circumstances admit that your own failure may be owing to your own weakness, or that the failure of anyone else may be due to his own defects - his laziness, incompetence, improvidence, or stupidity.
Henry Hazlitt

Hazlitt wrote this: Economics in One Lesson which is one of the best short primers on how economics actually works in the real world.
Do yourself a real favor and spend the time to read it - an hour or so. You will be much improved by doing this.

Illusion versus reality

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Great tweet from Scott Adams:

Be sure to visit the tweet and read the follow-up comments - spot on.

An epic rant

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Wonderful stuff - found over at Ann Barnhardt who found it somewhere herself:

Folks, this EPIC rant applies to far more people than just the Antifa brats

Some of you have done NOTHING with your life and you’re mad. You have a college degree & a smart phone with access to virtually *anything* and you can barely get out of bed in the morning while you spit on people who built a whole world with nothing but a horse, map, & axe.

You’ve made nothing with access to everything. You’ve conquered nothing. Hell you can’t even conquer yourself. So go tear it all down. Scream into the void how unfair it all is. It’s not that you’ve wasted your short time here. Surely not.

Don’t bother with your own legacy - you’re busy shitting on the long dead who aren’t here to care. Go burn down every Starbucks. That’ll show them. Torch the Target. Tear down every monument. Deface every memorial. But what have you built? What do you leave behind?

So take your benzos. Watch your porn. Get Uber to drop off your dinner. Buy an adult coloring book. Have sex with strangers to ease your crippling anxiety. It’s not you. It’s the system really. It isn’t fair. Go cancel someone. Dox someone. They deserve it. You’re the good guy.

Don’t write an epic novel worth building a statue to remember you. Go troll seven year old problematic tweets ever on the hunt for the boogeymen. See now you’ve accomplished something. Cancel everyone. You’re a warrior now. A real hero.

And lastly, whatever you do, never ever take even a moment to self reflect on your own failures. Never own them. Never take a hint of responsibility. Remember you’re just a helpless victim of circumstances beyond your control. This all means nothing. Its like you weren’t even here.

Dinnertime

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Had a late lunch (sandwich) so just making a big salad for dinner. Good place to stop for the day.

Did not make it to the dump but got the van pretty well loaded so will be ready for it tomorrow - dump and then coffee in the morning.

Nice this afternoon - good temp and some sunshine. 100% chance of precip forecast for tomorrow though. Bleagh. It will minimize the wildfires this spring but... Starting to really get a lot of hummingbirds at the feeder - was at Costco Friday and picked up another 25 pound bag of sugar. The little buggers run through a lot for being so tiny. They require the pure sugar - super high metabolism. They also eat a lot of insects for protein so they do eat a balanced diet. Keep the mosquitoes down.

Separated at birth

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This is downright uncanny:

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Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an amazing American writer of horror fiction.
The other guy? Computers or something I think.

Not just a Presidential birthday (the slice of chocolate cake was delicious)

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Coffee (and cake)

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Storage unit and dump today. Cleaning the house - got a bit more paperwork and need to do some emails for an upcoming project.

Was raining this morning but clearing a bit (and yes, it has been raining more on the weekends than on the weekdays) - maybe do some work outside if the sun comes out. Take Bear for a nice long walk. We both really miss Grace - he is still subdued.

Happy Birthday

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Have a piece of cake today to celebrate President Trump's birthday. The world is a much better place for his being here.

From Nature:

A discrete neuronal circuit induces a hibernation-like state in rodents
Hibernating mammals actively lower their body temperature to reduce energy expenditure when facing food scarcity. This ability to induce a hypometabolic state has evoked great interest owing to its potential medical benefits. Here we show that a hypothalamic neuronal circuit in rodents induces a long-lasting hypothermic and hypometabolic state similar to hibernation. In this state, although body temperature and levels of oxygen consumption are kept very low, the ability to regulate metabolism still remains functional, as in hibernation. There was no obvious damage to tissues and organs or abnormalities in behaviour after recovery from this state. Our findings could enable the development of a method to induce a hibernation-like state, which would have potential applications in non-hibernating mammalian species including humans.

Space travel here we come. Also, a good way to deal with the next pandemic lockdown.

Honest elections

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Now that would be nice - a look at Broward County, Florida by The Westside Gazette:

Election Data Sits in a Database: County Election Office Is Denied Access
The Supervisor of Election, as defined by Florida statutes, is the custodian of all election documents and records, from voter registration to candidate filings and election results. So, you can imagine my surprise when a senior election office official acknowledged that while they maintain custody of the Microsoft SQL Server database where all votes are recorded, no one in the office can log into the database or query its data.

According to the senior official, Election Systems & Software, the company who owns the election management system software the county uses, refuses to give them a user account. The company says it is a preventative measure to reduce the risk of record tampering, whether intentionally or accidentally. ES&S also issued a mob-like warning: if the election office accesses the database through a backdoor, or other means, the company will automatically revoke all results pending certification and terminate the contract immediately.

And a bit more:

The audit was conducted by the Broward Citizens Audit initiative, a non-partisan group of citizens advocating for integrity and transparency in election results. Despite initial skepticism on both sides, election office leaders and representatives of BCA have been able to find common ground around the issue of accuracy and integrity in the SOE’s results.

This particular meeting was to review some minor discrepancies between precinct tabulator totals and those posted by the SOE, and to get clarity on an answer concerning a data file I had requested. Sharing the results was going to be the easy part. I had no doubt Antonacci and his team would welcome such positive results coming from a group of citizens. What wasn’t going to be easy was hearing them confirm my suspicions about their election database and how results are reported and certified. If what they were saying was true, they were no closer to verifying the results than BCA.

“We can log into the server where the SQL Server database files are located,” said John Wolf, the election office IT Director, “but we don’t have user access to the database.”

I was employed by Microsoft for five years and part of the time was as a member of their SQL Server lab team. I like databases - they are fun to play around with and I have a reasonably good general working knowledge of MS SQL.

The one thing I like about Structured Query Language (SQL) is that it keeps a record of everything. Absolutely everything. Were someone to log into the server and make a change, that act would be recorded. The data prior, the fact that someone logged in, the fact that they changed the data and the new data. Everything would be recorded.

Some more - about the company: ES&S:

In this Information Age, where such terms as open source are part of the common vernacular and users share data across multiple platforms, ES&S clients find themselves locked into a system and contract that equates secrecy with security and views data sharing as a high risk threat. What ES&S is doing is nothing short of unethical and runs counter to industry practices regarding data collection systems.

For years, the company has hidden behind the veil of proprietary rights and patents, when asked to share even the most basic components of their software. But a software company can’t have proprietary rights to a user’s data, and any patented rights surely do not extend to a user’s data.

ES&S is based in Omaha, Nebraska and has nearly 500 employees. The company is owned by the McClatchy Group, a private equity firm, which means their financial records aren’t public. Conservative estimates say the company controls nearly 50% of the U.S. election system market, which equates to approximately 70 million votes processed using any combination of the company’s hardware and software.

The company has a well-earned reputation for routinely filing lawsuits against competitors and election officials when they don’t win contracts or has them taken away. They have even gone so far as to sue voting jurisdictions and groups advocating for greater election security. Not looking to push the issue or make any enemies, Wolf dropped the reporting project and focused on other areas.

Security is definitely one thing - ES&S has every right to protect their intellectual property but, as the author said, the data belongs to the user. ES&S is privately owned, the McClatchy group is a major media outlet and given the inherent bias in the mainstream media, these are people I do not want to have controlling my election data. Their routine use of lawfare points to their having something to hide.

The article goes on to cite several examples of where the results gathered from the individual voting machines differed from the "official" tally by a significant margin. Not good.

Wonder if there is a potential whistleblower in there - this would be an amazing exposé if there was.

Heading towards a long hot summer

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The people controlling the rioters bit off more than they can handle. Chauvin might be acquitted after all. If this happens, all kinds of hell will happen as the usual suspects have been priming their constituency. Back on June 7th, I wrote that the state attorney general was overstepping the charges against Officer Chauvin beyond what was called for and I concluded:

My concern is that Ellison is ratcheting up the charge way past what the actual crime was and that in a jury trial, the only verdict would be acquittal for Chauvin. He did not intend to murder Floyd, it was a horrible accident. Chauvin was not observing the situation well enough and the man in his custody died as a result. The autopsy already clears the way for that verdict. Floyd died from a heart attack, he had major drugs in his system.

Ellison will come back and say that black men can never get justice in Amerikka and if we think the riots are bad now, hold my beer. The Democrats are doing everything they can to prevent President Trump from being re-elected. They have no candidate, they have no platform, they have nothing so they must cheat.

Now this morning, I read this excellent analysis from Gavrilo David writing at Medium:

Why Derek Chauvin May Get Off His Murder Charge
The world has united in protest after a graphic video emerged showing a Black man dying under the restraint of a White police officer. The victim, George Floyd, was in clear distress. He was pinned to the ground by three officers, with one officer — Derek Chauvin — placing a knee on his neck. For over five minutes, he tells the officers that he is unable to breathe. George Floyd died as horrified bystanders told the officers they were killing him.

And a bit more:

There are six crucial pieces of information — six facts — that have been largely omitted from discussion on the Chauvin’s conduct. Taken together, they likely exonerate the officer of a murder charge. Rather than indicating illegal and excessive force, they instead show an officer who rigidly followed the procedures deemed appropriate by the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). The evidence points to the MPD and the local political establishment, rather than the individual officer, as ultimately responsible for George Floyd’s death.

Here are the first two points:

  1. George Floyd was experiencing cardiopulmonary and psychological distress minutes before he was placed on the ground, let alone had a knee to his neck.
  2. The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) allows the use of neck restraint on suspects who actively resist arrest, and George Floyd actively resisted arrest on two occasions, including immediately prior to neck restraint being used.

Much more at the site. This is a long article but really well worth reading as it explores what really happened as opposed to the sensationalized sound bites. George Floyd was no choir boy by a long shot and Officer Chauvin acted according to MPD guidelines. Not a popular sentiment these days but it is the truth regardless.

Glad I do not live in a city - I will be even more glad when the verdict comes out.

From the facebook page:

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Going to be watching for the video feed of this - I want to see the expression on the faces of the wanna-be tough guys when they meet some honest-to-God tough guys. This will have tears of laughter streaming down my face.

Speaking truth to power

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Atomic Fungus is on a roll - very good observation:

You know what kind of politician hates police? The dirty one, the corrupt one, the criminal one.

Sad that so many people are doing this but great that they are being found out and removed. From Science:

Fifty-four scientists have lost their jobs as a result of NIH probe into foreign ties
Some 54 scientists have resigned or been fired as a result of an ongoing investigation by the National Institutes of Health into the failure of NIH grantees to disclose financial ties to foreign governments. In 93% of those cases, the hidden funding came from a Chinese institution.

The new numbers come from Michael Lauer, NIH’s head of extramural research. Lauer had previously provided some information on the scope of NIH’s investigation, which had targeted 189 scientists at 87 institutions. But his presentation today to a senior advisory panel offered by far the most detailed breakout of an effort NIH launched in August 2018 that has roiled the U.S. biomedical community, and resulted in criminal charges against some prominent researchers, including Charles Lieber, chair of Harvard University’s department of chemistry and chemical biology.

China is stealing our intellectual property. We have been too lax for too long.More at the site - some staggering numbers.

It will be interesting to see this building in a year and again in ten years. From the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods:

City of Seattle will transfer Fire Station 6 to community
We at the City of Seattle understand the urgency behind making bold investments in the Black community and increasing community ownership of land in the Central District.

The City believes in the vision behind the William Grose Center for Cultural Innovation and we remain committed to making the transfer of Fire Station 6 to the community a reality.

We have received Africatown’s list of community requests along with a longer list of asks from other black-led organizations. Deputy Mayor Shefali Ranganathan has already met with the King County Equity Now coalition and, on behalf of Mayor Durkan, she will be working with Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development to work on next steps with the community.

Gorgeous building - Art Deco built in the 1920's and designed by George Stewart. In 2005, they tried to declare it a Landmark Building (PDF). I bet that in ten years, it will be falling down. Revolutionaries never have a long view. They never have any sense of history or preservation. The idea of maintaining infrastructure is not in their wheelhouse. Never has been and never will be.

A fun day

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Got to play with radios, met someone fun and had a great time.

Despite the forecast, we had a great turnout with lots of people and the Center had a very profitable day. The weather even held off with light sprinkles but none of the forecast downpour and the sun even came out from time to time. The Center runs the thrift shop to make its operating funds and having the Wuhan flu shut it down puts a big crimp in what the Center can do for people.

Shared my station with someone I had seen but not met before - we had a really fun and wide-ranging conversation. She even laughed at my jokes. Scary.

Tired so surf for a bit and then an early evening - went out for Thai food.

And I am outta here

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Spending the day on the radio and directing traffic and people movement. See if I can get anyone interested in the wonderful world of amateur radio 😁

Should be a lot of fun - know and like the people who work at the center. Great group of people.

Raining lightly with more in the forecast ☹

Nite nite...

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Got the radio stuff packed in the car along with clothing for rain or shine. Couple sandwiches in the fridge and I am ready for tomorrow.

Dinner was perfect - hit the spot. Went out to a favorite local for two pints of beer and to socialise with friends. Early bedtime - long day tomorrow.

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Check out CHAZ:

Dinnertime

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House smells wonderful - dinner and then check the radios for tomorrow's event. Bringing two in case I need a backup.

Rain let up a bit this afternoon but it is starting back up. Farmer's Market was nice - some new vendors including someone who does wild fermentation. We talked about that and homebrew for a while.

Great response to the call to defund the police - from CDL Life:
(CDL = Commercial Driver's License - what you require to drive a large truck)

Truck Drivers Say They Won’t Deliver To Cities with Defunded Police Departments
As cities across the country are discussing defunding or disbanding their police departments, truck drivers are voicing concerns of safety. Seventy-seven percent of truck drivers say they will refuse to deliver freight to cities with defunded police departments.

Truck driving is historically ranked as one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In 2018, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic reported truck driving as the most deadly job in the country.

Truck drivers have spent the last year on the front line of a global pandemic and protests. Now many are fearful of what might happen if police departs disband or are defunded.

Truck drives have been voicing their concerns on the CDLLife App. After reading about their concerns, CDLLife posted a poll on the app.

We asked drivers on the app, “Would you pick up/deliver to cities with defunded or disbanded police departments? Why or why not?”

To date, 77% of drivers say they will refuse loads to cities with disbanded or defunded police departments.

Heh - you want your pop tarts and your beer? Bring the police back. Want the neighborhood Target to restock its selection of televisions so you can go "shopping" again? Bring back the popo.

No big surprise there - Chicago

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From Yahoo:

Chicago Cops Hung Out Inside U.S. Rep’s Office as Protest Raged. They Made Popcorn, Drank Coffee, Napped
As protests across Chicago devolved into chaos last week and residents started to loot nearby stores, police officers were making popcorn and drinking coffee while “lounging” inside Congressman Bobby Rush’s office, officials said in a stunning news conference on Thursday.

Speaking alongside Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Rush said at least 13 Chicago Police officers were loitering inside his South Side campaign office in the early hours of June 1 and were “relaxing” while nearby stores were being looted and burned, and their fellow officers were clashing with demonstrators.

“They even had the unmitigated gall to make coffee for themselves and to pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave, while looters were tearing apart businesses within their sight and within their reach,” Rush (D-IL) said.

Rush is backpedaling trying to cover his ass. The cops were in his office to give him personal security in case the rioting came near. His office is on the ground floor with windows facing the street and it had been broken into earlier. The video is here. This narrative is falling apart - two posts from Second City Cop:

First post - the blog author calls Mayor Lightfoot "Groot" - a perfect nickname if you have seen both on video: 

Popcorn Story Falling Apart
Even parts of the media are smelling Groot's bullshit:

It was an assigned detail. Rush has been lying his entire life, from the "racial profiling" that didn't happen, to being the insider who set up Fred Hampton. Groot's hatred of the CPD has blinded her to this fact.

Second post:

Groot's Scorched Earth
So after Officers (who were ordered to protect Booby Rush's burglarized office - check the PCAD dispatches. We did and it was a fixed post assignment) were caught taking a load off of their feet, utilizing the facilities and - improperly - using a microwave to make some popcorn in the absence of any real food being delivered to their post or even being able to take a lunch during a riot, Groot apologized to Booby:

Lightfoot apologized to Rush during the news conference on behalf of the city for his office being treated “with such profound disrespect.”

“That’s a personal embarrassment to me,” Lightfoot said. “I’m sorry that you and your staff even had to deal with this incredible indignity."

Not that anyone remembers, but did the former black panther ever apologize to the officers who pulled him over a few years back for his unsubstantiated accusations of racial profiling after a traffic violation despite the existence of actual video that proved Rush was lying?

Yeah, we didn't think so. The officers were wrong in availing themselves of popcorn and coffee that wasn't theirs, but they were ordered to hold that position with no relief and, tactically, no ability to stop hundreds of persons bent on mayhem.

Both posts have over 100 comments worth reading. Chicago is falling apart and they are blaming everyone but themselves.

Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.
--George Orwell

Got some deliveries to make. Tri-tip is in the sous vide and will be delicious around 4:00PM or so - boil up some cabbage and vegetables and that will be dinner for a few days. Perfect weather for it.

Cleaning the house, refilled the hummingbird feeders. Basic household maintenence.

A bit of history - police

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From someone who would know having lived through it:

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A couple of headlines

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These stories write themselves:

We have been surrounded by useful idiots and political activists. These people are seriously overplaying their hands - President Trump is going to be re-elected in a landslide. If they had a serious candidate (John F. Kennedy for example)  and mounted an intelligent campaign, they might have defeated him but they see that their "base" is slipping away so they have thrown in with the fringe elements.

The Democrats have nothing to offer America. It is just that simple. They have nothing that we want or need.

Three thoughts for this morning

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From My Pensive:

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We are seeing the face of socialism and yet some people still call for it.

A quiet rainy morning

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Finishing off some very overdue paperwork and a couple of bills. Overcast and raining so perfect day for hunkering down and working on boring menial crap. There is a Navy air station on the island next to me and they are doing exercises with large jets - low rumbling thunder rolling through the heavens.

Finally getting around to cooking the corned beef and cabbage for dinner tonight - the sous vide process takes about four hours for Tri-Tip so need to start it around noon. Perfect day for hearty comfort food. Grocery deliveries this afternoon and then prepping for the ham radio event tomorrow - a community event and me and a couple other people are directing traffic.

Working here for another hour or so and then out for coffee - surf for a bit now.

Own a piece of history - Seattle

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There is a wheeled amphibious vehicle called a DUKW designed and built from 1942 through 1945. It is amphibious and has six all-wheel-drive tires so it can go almost anywhere. Many of these units are now used for tourism in marine environments. Seattle being one such place. Unfortunatley, the Ride The Ducks company suffered a bad fatal accident in 2015 and had a general downturn of business prompting them to issue the following statement:

Statement from Ride the Ducks of Seattle
Late last week we made the very difficult decision to close Ride the Ducks of Seattle. We’ve been working hard to rebuild our business over the past few years and had been making great progress, showcasing our beautiful city through our iconic tours. In reality, the legal issues surrounding the tragic crash in 2015 were simply too much for our company to overcome. We’ve been working to hold the manufacturer of the vehicle that we believe caused the tragedy accountable, and while we believe we will be successful, it will come too late for Ride the Ducks of Seattle. While the COVID-19 situation certainly accelerated our decision, we were faced with a set of financial realities that were inescapable.

We have many people to thank for making Ride the Ducks of Seattle a part of our city’s landscape, including the millions of guests we’ve welcomed aboard and the local business community that has supported us. Most important, though, we want to share our profound gratitude to our wonderful team of employees who worked to make Ride the Ducks of Seattle the most popular tourist activity year after year. We could not have come as far as we did without their dedication and hard work.

Sad as they were a major part of the waterfront and a popular tour.

That being said, now is your chance to own a bit of history - their assets are being auctioned off by the James G. Murphy auction company

Now is your chance to own a bit of history:

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Yes, it would be fun to have one and go out for coffee in it but...

There is also a very interesting connection between one of the designers of this vehicle and me and my parents. In 1992, we were all on board a wonderful voyage to Antarctica - I have a picture Dennis painted hanging on my living room wall. The ship we were on sunk fifteen years later in 2007. No losses.

Delightful - could not be happening to a nicer person. From Diogenes' Middle Finger:

Only on The Tweeter Can We See the Rise and Fall of Homophobic Warlords in Real Time

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Much more at the site. It seems that the reigning warlord of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone has quite the history of homophobic and racist tweets. Many of these have been discovered and I am certain that many more will be unearthed in the next day or so.

William Shakespeare said it best - Henry IV, Part II Act III, Scene 1:   Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown

Bias much?

First - from Associated Press' Oklahoma affiliate:

Trump says without evidence that 75-year-old Buffalo protester ‘could be an ANTIFA provocateur’
President Donald Trump ignited fresh controversy over his hard-line “law and order” push Tuesday by peddling yet another unfounded conspiracy theory, this time trying to raise suspicions about a 75-year-old protester who was hospitalized after being shoved by police and falling.

Trump tweeted without evidence that the confrontation in Buffalo, New York, may have been a “set up” as he once again sided with police officers over protesters and demonstrated anew his willingness to spread and amplify bogus charges cooked up by far-right outlets.

Second - from Jack Dunphy writing at PJ Media

There's More to the Story of the 'Elderly' Protester Knocked Down by Buffalo Police Than You're Being Told
The coronavirus may not be as deadly as we once may have feared, but it seems to have caused a great many people to lose their minds. Dr. Fauci never warned us this could happen.

How else to explain the nationwide paroxysms of grief over the death of George Floyd, however unjust his death may have been? Floyd was after all a habitual criminal who, among his many misdeeds, once pointed a gun at a pregnant woman’s stomach in the course of invading her home and robbing her.

And the 75-year-old "protester? Jack posts the video of the event and continues - Gugino is the "protester"

Upon further scrutiny, Gugino’s behavior is even more curious. Note the odd way Gugino holds and manipulates his cellphone as he approaches and makes contact with the officers, pressing it against one and then another.

Gugino may have been trying to capture radio and/or cellphone data from the officers via their Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices, a violation of both state and federal laws. This may sound farfetched, but I’ve been trained in these methods by former military special forces operators who used them while working covertly overseas, and to me, this appears to be exactly what Gugino is doing.

If it still seems implausible that some superannuated hippie would be engaged in intelligence gathering against law enforcement, have a look at Gugino’s Twitter feed (which has since been deleted), where he proudly expresses his revolutionary ideals and his animus for the police.

Much much more at the site. Gugino failed to realize that the internet is forever. He is not the "innocent lamb" that the progressives would like you to believe. Willful ignorance and susceptibility to propaganda are not only the purview of the young. Old people can be useful idiots as well.

That Associated Press would buy into the liberal narrative shows that they are the media arm of the democrat party and not independent journalists.

The guy is a feckless fool - a tool of the Seattle billionaires. His leadership abilities in two headlines:

Inslee is not a leader.

He did build that

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One of the worst Presidents ever - he had no leadership, only divisiveness:

20200611-obama.jpg

Seattle - guess what is happening

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The six-year olds took over a section of Capital Hill, pushed out the police and established their own autonomous zone. Guess what happened? Ace of Spades has the details:

People's Autonomous Republic of Cap Hill Gets Rid of Evil Presence of Police and Within 24 Hours They Have an Armed Warlord Who Beats People Halfway to Death (On Video!) For Spray Painting Grafitti Messages He Doesn't Like
This anarchy has devolved into lawlessness?!!? Who could have predicted this?

And there is one other problem. They are finding that an armed and organized element with leadership that isn’t afraid to use violence pretty much trumps all the slogans and antifa bullsh** you can spout. 

A hip-hop artist, at least according to his Wikipedia entry, who goes by the name of Raz Simone is now the de facto ruler of the autonomous zone.

Ace posts some tweets outlining the decent into madness and tyranny as reported by people in the compound. They then offer this in closing:

I just can't believe this collection of drug addict filth-squatters, unmedicated schizophrenics, trust fund Chavista weakling runts who are LARPing revolution because of the opportunities it grants them for drug-raping high school freshmen, transexual nomads with borderline personality disorder, rat-tail-braided wan blue-blotched sk8terbois who rent out their mouths in the bus station bathrooms at twenty bucks a load, homeless gender studies majors with a personal interest in fat acceptance who want to be paid to life-coach people into morbid obesity, and hardcore racist gangbanger sub-retards can't make self-government work.

This is the left's army -- lead-brained droogs and scabrous nightwalkers convinced that they'd be on top if only the system wasn't stacked against them.

Newsflash, you developmentally delayed, physically repulsive, low-impulse-control mentally sick losers: You'd be on the bottom of any system.

You will always sink to the bottom. You are refuse.

Nobody has ever "held you down." No one would ever have to. No one holds down a stinking, rotting carcass of a road-killed dog -- it ain't going anywhere, you know?

Talk about speaking truth to power. Talk about classic Dunning-Kruger - this is not the creme of the intelligentsia we are talking about.

Glorious sunset yesterday but

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Glorious sunrise this morning - red skies in morning, sailor take warning. Clouded over and cooled off.

Only 20% chance of rain today but the next few days are going to be wet. Doing a ham radio event Saturday (helping to direct traffic) so planning to dress accordingly.

Spent the morning doing some paperwork - clean house and do laundry for a bit and then, coffee time. Taking care of the hummingbird feeders today as well.

Glorious sunset

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The colors of the clouds are straight out of a Maxfield Parrish painting:

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And. HOLY CRAP!

Parrish lived in New Hampshire - I had visited his home and studio several times when I lived in Boston. My parents retired to New Hampshire for ten years before moving to Seattle.

Out of curiosity, I looked and his home, studio and property just went on the market: The Oaks - the asking price is $799,000 for 45.67 Acres • Main House, Studio & Guest House • 15,534 SF. That is a steal in anyone's book. If I did not love it here so much, I would get this place in a heartbeat. Perfect for an Air B&B and blacksmith shop. Parrish's hobby was machining so I would be carrying on the spirit of the land.

Life in a bubble

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Being this out of touch with reality would drive me up a wall. From the NOQ Report:
CHAZ is Capital Hill Autonomous Zone

CHAZ in Seattle has a warlord in charge and Jay Inslee supposedly knows nothing about it
It must be nice being Washington Governor Jay Inslee. He can hold press conferences and get asked questions about events that are two days old, claim to know nothing about it, and mainstream media won’t press him on it. That’s exactly what happened today when Inslee was asked about “CHAZ,” the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle.

A six-block section of Seattle that includes the East Precinct has been taken over by Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and communists in general who have occupied the space. They control the precinct. Police officers are not able to enter, having abandoned their base. Local businesses are reportedly having to pay fees to those in charge of the new mini-country in Seattle. And now, there’s a “warlord” in charge of security and pretty much everything else. Rapper Raz Simone and his armed crew are the only law in this area.

Much more at the site - links to tweets (and screen-caps as these will be taken down (inconvenient to the narrative)). The French Revolution is being played out for our edification minus Madame la Guillotine (these are modern times after all). Here is the video:

I bet the Democrat leaders did not know this - the media did not know this either. From NOQ Report:

Pelosi’s Kente cloth photo op hearkens to tradition of Ashanti slave ownership and trade
Democrats love photo ops. That can be said about all politicians, but Democrats in particular are keen to get involved in symbolism and fanfare whenever possible. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a master of producing photogenic moments for the press to fawn over, but her latest attempt to virtue signal in response to George Floyd’s murder appears to include a major misstep that would be comical if it weren’t so sad.

The Kente cloth stoles she and her fellow Democrats wore during their eight-minute kneeling ceremony (socially distanced, of course) have an ironic history as it pertains to this moment. In modern times, they are considered to be a sign of affluence as the colorful woven scarves are often more expensive than their normal counterparts. Most are prints which are more affordable, but the woven scarves the Democrats chose to wore weren’t cheap. But it’s in their historical significance that we see the real faux pas manifest

These scarves were traditionally worn by the wealthy land-owners and dignitaries of the Ashanti (or Asante) tribes of what is now known as Ghana. They were made of silk, making them not only rare but also symbolic of wealth. More importantly, they were adorned by those who were involved in the pervasive slave trade the wealthy of the Ashanti tribe embraced.

You read that right. The elite in the Ashanti tribe who wore these stoles throughout history were slave owners and even slave traders. They were a scourge throughout the reason, taking people from tribes they would conquer and selling them as slaves.

Yeah - the party of the slave owner. Here, here and here for starters. This is my surprised face.

Heh - perfect solution

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They want their own "nation" - lat them play at the adult's table.
Eaton Rapids Joe has his take on the events in Seattle:

Seattle Autonomous Zones
Source

What began as an attempt by Seattle Police to ease tensions after a week of protests by retreating from the Capitol Hill neighborhood has resulted in the establishment of the so-called "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" - a six-block section of town which Antifa and other activists have occupied, setting up barricades and claiming the area near the Seattle PD East Precinct as theirs.

I am a very simple guy.

Let Antifa have the occupied zone. It is now their country to run.

It is a major breach of international law to discharge untreated sewage into a foreign country. Seattle should collapse the sanitary sewage lines leading out of the autonomous zone. If Seattle won't do it, the EPA should.

Foreign countries have frontiers and procedures from passing over the border. Gates should be erected and passports demanded.

Foreign countries are often subjected to tariffs and capital flow restrictions. Those are things that get hammered out in the Senate and can take decades.

Power lines to the "autonomous zone" should be cut. After all, generating that power created CO2 emissions and we don't have a CO2 treaty with the autonomous zone.

Knock yourselves out, baby. Show us how to run a country.

But the powers-that-be in Seattle have no intention of treating Antifa like responsible adults. They are complicit in the show.

Perfect solution. These people are playing at governance - let them get a good dose of what is really involved. This is going to take a lot more than struggle sessions and community voting. Is there not in the deepest part of their brain a faint questioning voice as to why communism has always failed. There are no worker utopias anywhere for a very good reason. Like unicorns, they do not exist. ERJ is a daily read for me.

Ahhhh - much better

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Nice nap - much needed.

Some history - George Floyd

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From People Magazine:

George Floyd, Derek Chauvin Had Friction Working Together as Nightclub Security Guards: Coworker
According to a man who claims he worked at the same Minneapolis nightclub that once employed George Floyd and his alleged killer, disgraced policeman Derek Chauvin, the two men were well acquainted, and, at times, "bumped heads" over the officer's aggressive handling of the club's patrons.

David Pinney spoke to CBS News on Tuesday, the day Floyd was laid to rest, telling the outlet he worked at the El Nuevo Rodeo club with Chauvin and the 46-year-old who died May 25 when the former officer planted his knee on the handcuffed man's neck for nearly 9 minutes.

According to Pinney, the two men had a history of tension.

"They bumped heads," Pinney explained. When asked to elaborate, Pinney responded: "It has a lot to do with Derek being extremely aggressive within the club with some of the patrons, which was an issue."

There have also been unsubstantiated rumors that the club was actively engaged in illegal activities and that Chauvin and Floyd were the "protectors"

More will be coming out over the next month or so - this story has some interesting components...

That guy is still on the stage?

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I thought his fifteen minutes were over years ago - to think he was a contender for President. From CNBC:

Trump’s coronavirus response is a ‘denial’ of science, experts and facts, John Kerry says
The U.S. has “reneged on its role as leader of the free world” under President Donald Trump and failed in its response to the coronavirus crisis, according to former Secretary of State John Kerry.

Speaking to the CogX conference in London on Monday, Kerry slammed Trump’s “reckless” response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and said the U.S. had failed to show international leadership through the crisis.

“The odds were against us in the beginning because you had China, which is always somewhat secretive and which clearly began to manage the news in the beginning, and you had the United States with a leader who has no ability to tell the truth, or face it, or to lead,” he said.

He can speak with gravitas, he can dress well, he has great hair. Those are his credentials for leadership. He is a bouffon (this is the correct spelling - a buffoon is a similar but different character) in the classical sense.

Slow day

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My errands in Bellingham took a lot longer than expected so played hooky and let one of the other drivers take my grocery deliveries for today.

Back home - going to take a nap and fix a simple dinner. Picked up some chicken satay at a local Thai place and chopping that into a salad for when I wake up from my nap.

Back in an hour or so...

So glad I moved out of Seattle

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From FOX News:

Seattle protesters storm City Hall, demand mayor resign after driving police out of area, declaring autonomous zone
Hundreds of protesters, aided by a sympathetic City Council member, stormed Seattle's City Hall Tuesday night to demand the mayor's resignation, just days after seizing a six-block downtown zone that includes a shuttered police precinct.

Demonstrators remained peaceful, without reports of violence or injuries, but are pushing Mayor Jenny Durkan to step down if she refuses to defund the city's police department.

The protesters continued to camp out in a self-declared “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” (CHAZ)-- a region spanning six blocks and encompassing the precinct-- which has effectively been abandoned by law enforcement after the Seattle Police Department closed the East Precinct on Monday.

And of course, Seattle's unapologetic Socialist was in the thick of things:

Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant met protesters inside City Hall on Tuesday night-- even though the building is usually closed at night-- Komo News reported.

For their own sakes, I hope that Seattle voters are aware enough to vote her out of office when she is up for reelection.
Door. Ass. Bang.

Quiet morning

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Nothing much happening in the internets. Finished a small project, cleaned the house a bit (kitchen) and heading out for coffee. Up to Bellingham today to visit the bank and some other errands. Grocery deliveries this afternoon.

Gray day - partially overcast with visibility at around six+ miles.

More faster please - antibiotics

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From Science Daily:

'Poisoned arrow' defeats antibiotic-resistant bacteria
A team of Princeton researchers reported today in the journal Cell that they have found a compound, SCH-79797, that can simultaneously puncture bacterial walls and destroy folate within their cells -- while being immune to antibiotic resistance.

Bacterial infections come in two flavors -- Gram-positive and Gram-negative -- named for the scientist who discovered how to distinguish them. The key difference is that Gram-negative bacteria are armored with an outer layer that shrugs off most antibiotics. In fact, no new classes of Gram-negative-killing drugs have come to market in nearly 30 years.

"This is the first antibiotic that can target Gram-positives and Gram-negatives without resistance," said Zemer Gitai, Princeton's Edwin Grant Conklin Professor of Biology and the senior author on the paper. "From a 'Why it's useful' perspective, that's the crux. But what we're most excited about as scientists is something we've discovered about how this antibiotic works -- attacking via two different mechanisms within one molecule -- that we are hoping is generalizable, leading to better antibiotics -- and new types of antibiotics -- in the future."

The greatest weakness of antibiotics is that bacteria evolve quickly to resist them, but the Princeton team found that even with extraordinary effort, they were unable to generate any resistance to this compound. "This is really promising, which is why we call the compound's derivatives 'Irresistin,'" Gitai said.

This is big. Nobel Prize big if it pans out. Holy Grail. Once they figure out the mechanism, they will be able to develop a class of these drugs tailored to specific bugs.

Quite the milestone

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Talk about the stories you will be able to tell your grandchildren - from EYOS Expeditions:

Kathy Sullivan becomes first woman to Challenger Deep; EYOS coordinates call between International Space Station and DSSV Pressure Drop
In a world first, EYOS Expeditions today coordinated a call between the International Space Station and the DSSV Pressure Drop, the mothership of submersible DSV Limiting Factor. Limiting Factor ‘LF’ had just returned from a full ocean depth dive in the Challenger Deep, the deepest point in the ocean, with pilot Victor Vescovo of Caladan Oceanic and oceanographer/astronaut Dr. Kathy Sullivan onboard. The ISS is in Low Earth orbit at an altitude of 408 kms (254 miles) while the LF operates at a depth of nearly 7 miles.

Kathy Sullivan had just completed her historic dive to become the first woman to reach the deepest point in the ocean and the first human to have been in space and at full ocean depth. In 1983, Dr Sullivan, a veteran of three space shuttle flights, became the first American woman to walk in space. She is the 8th person to reach the bottom of the Challenger Deep (The first two were Don Walsh and Jacques Picard in 1960. James Cameron also reached the bottom of Challenger Deep in 2012).

Last year, Victor Vescovo became the fourth person in history to reach Challenger Deep as part of his Five Deeps expedition; over the course of 7 days, his team made 5 dives in the Mariana Trench.

Very very cool - there is so much about Earth that we do not know. Every exploration like this opens new horizons. This is an incredible planet to live on if we could just stop with the political activism and get our shit together. We could do so much more.

Project Veritas has gone undercover in Antifa and has - to date - released three videos. To set aside any claims that they infiltrated some rogue branch of the orgnization, Video #1 was filmed in Portland, Oregon, Video #2 was filmed in New York City and today's Video is of an undercover reporter and her experiences in North Carolina:

Militia Wing of ANTIFA Believes in Complete Abolition of the System itself, including Police
Project Veritas today released a third installment of the #ExposeANTIFA series, which debuted last week. In addition to secretive meetings and violent combat training, today’s footage brings to light members of an Antifa group, Redneck Revolt, practice shooting with semi-automatic weapons at a local gun range.

“Our latest video further demonstrates how dangerous Antifa is. This well-organized international organization is willing to engage in street fights and apparently prepares for armed combat. Project Veritas will not stop until we pull back the veil and find out who is empowering this very heavily-armed group,” said Project Veritas CEO and founder James O’Keefe.

Chilling - these people are well funded, organised and distributed throughout the United States.

Grace under pressure

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Looks like Chicago is having a bit of management trouble - from Legal Insurrection:

Chicago Mayor Lightfoot Tells Alderman He’s ‘100 Percent Full of S***’ After Describing Ward as a War Zone
Earlier today I blogged about Chicago having its deadliest day in 60 years. The city saw 18 murders in 24 hours on May 31.

On that same day, Mayor Lori Lightfoot met with Chicago officials to discuss the mass riots and looting across the city in response to George Floyd’s killing.

While Lightfoot raged against the chaos, she also told one alderman he was “100 percent full of shit” when he described his ward as a “virtual war zone.”

Much more at the site - links, audio and transcripts. She is in over her head.

Meanwhile...

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While everyone is distracted by the latest crisis:

20200609-meanwhile.jpg

And today was a bust

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Productive day yesterday, not so much today. I am installing some equipment racks in the music room and wanted to put something on the bottoms to not scratch the new hardwood flooring. I had been using peel and press felt pieces but they are quite expensive for what you get. I was thinking that there are carpet squares with repositional adhesive so I would get some of them for the bottoms - put the sticky side on the rack and the carpet side towards the floor.

Lowe's did not have anything like that. One of my most disliked phrases in big-box retail is: "We can order that for you" Excuse me but do I look like I fell off a turnip truck? I can spend some time on the internet and find a broader selection of this thing for a cheaper price. This buzz-word not only offers no information of use to me, it offers no information at all. A waste of time and atmosphere.

Plan B - I looked at their selection of rolled carpet. Picked one out and went to get one foot of it and was told that their carpet machine was not in service. Fine. Home Depot then.

Home Depot had the squares - perfect. The shelving unit these were on had a big sign saying that the items were for sale individually, that they were kept in their boxes for neatness. Fine, I took out four squares and was told that those were only for sale by the box. The other stuff was vinyl flooring. I did not want to spend over $90 on a full box when I only needed a few square feet.

Their roll carpet machine was not in service either.

Finally, went into a place I had driven by but never stopped. Mount Vernon Carpet One. Absolute night and day. They did not have the squares but they did not offer to order them for me. Thank you for respecting my intelligence. They had some carpet in rolls - the sales clerk took be into their warehouse, I picked out something that looked good and I had 12 square feet of it cut for me for under $20. Perfect. Looks like a really awesome company too - in business for 30 years. Woman owned.

My next remodeling project is the kitchen as well as the two bathrooms - guess where I will be going for flooring. They also do tile so the backsplashes are taken care of too. Really nice people.

My final destination was my bank. I use a large bank for my investments and a small local bank for daily life. The branch of Chase I use has been closed down. I was just in Bellingham a few days ago - have to make another trip up there tomorrow.

Stopped off at the farmer's market - too late to do the sous-vide but will to some quick pasta for dinner tonight and do the corned beef tomorrow - more time to marinate.

And outta here for a while

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Coffee, read for a bit, bank and then back home for lunch and work here for the day.

From The Atlantic:

The End of Minimalism
Keeping a cluttered house has long been considered a little tacky, a little weak. But now it’s looking very wise.
When I go home to visit my parents a few times a year, my mom and I have a little dance we do. She asks me to go through some of the stuff in my childhood bedroom and decide what I want to get rid of. I tell her I will, and then I do not. I wouldn’t know how to begin sifting through the drawers and storage containers brimming with high-school notebooks and old sweatpants, and my mom offers no guidance. Instead, we both gesture at a mutual effort to declutter, and that’s enough to tide us over until the next time I return to Atlanta.

And she warms to her subject:

Clutter isn’t an American concept—Victorians, for example, lived in spaces overflowing with objets d’art and many other kinds of objets—but modern Americans cultivate clutter’s presence in ways that set them apart. While previous generations had plenty of stuff, they “would accumulate those things over a lifetime and value that process,” says Susan Strasser, the author of Never Done: A History of American Housework. “Your grandmother would die, and you would welcome her furniture rather than thinking you’d rather have something that looked new from IKEA.”

A bit more:

Packing light for a lifetime has its perks, but it’s not a strategy that’s highly adaptable to sudden unemployment or overburdened supply chains. America’s economy asks its residents to cycle new things in and out of their home constantly, and for decades, the process has looked like a perpetual-motion machine to all but the poorest among us. When the pandemic hit, it became clear that the process was much closer to musical chairs. Tossing everything that isn’t just right in the moment is its own kind of privilege, which is why Kim Kardashian’s house looks like a mausoleum, and why the set for the anti-capitalist film Parasite is all sharp edges and sleek wood. The pursuit of domestic perfection should be done only by those who don’t have to worry about what unforeseen wants or needs might lie ahead. Among consumer culture’s most impressive sleights of hand is convincing far too many people that they’re in that group.

My clutter, animated by the catastrophe for which it had been waiting, is no longer a moral failing or character deficit. It is, in a thousand unexpected ways, a savior, and it feels bizarre that in the recent past, I regarded my extra jars of on-sale spaghetti sauce and the T-shirts I never parted with as slightly disgraceful. The whole world now lives in the future my family always planned for, where an abundance of spaghetti sauce and cozy old shirts is among the best-case scenarios available to people living regular lives. I fought it for some 30 years, but now I’m willing to admit it: My mom was right, and the slopdinis have a point.

I love the line: Tossing everything that isn’t just right in the moment is its own kind of privilege

Yes, I have too much stuff and need to downsize a bit BUT, I am not going to go below a certain level of comfort and practicality. To advance to the level of a Marie Kondo or The Minimalists is more a neurosis than a lifestyle. I am relaxed and productive in my space and that is what matters to me and to the people I spend time with and care for.

Two articles not even fifteen minutes apart. Screen caps in case they dissapear down the memory hole:

First: June 8, 2020 5:40 PM ET

Even In A Pandemic, WHO Believes That Public Protests Are Important
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization took time at its daily press conference to address another pressing issue: the wave of protests against police violence and racial injustice. 

And this:

Modelers say it's difficult to assess how the protests will influence COVID-19 infections.

We all have seen how accurate their models have been so far. Why should we start believing them now?

Second: June 8, 2020 5:54 PM ET

Trump To Restart Political Rallies This Month Despite Coronavirus Pandemic
President Trump this month will begin hitting the road once again to make his pitch for reelection in the 2020 White House race, despite the deadly coronavirus pandemic, which continues to wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of households across the country.

Screen caps:

20200609-NPR01.jpg

20200609-NPR02.jpg

What media bias? The title of the post? This wonderful quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.

National Public Radio (yes, our tax dollars at work) is consistent in their bias and their promulgation of the latest liberal diktat. All Hail the Narrative.

Wanting it both ways - Chicago

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Of course she does - from Law Enforcement Today:

As businesses get torched, Chicago mayor pleads with retailers to stay in her criminal-friendly city
Several major retailers, including Walmart, have openly discussed leaving Chicago following looting and rioting in their stores.

It’s been reported that Mayor Lori Lightfoot participated in a conference call earlier this week with said retailers. The mayor said that she was begging them to stay in the city.

I want to let my voters act out whenever they want to but I also want that sweet tax revenue so I can keep funding the bread and circuses.

Justice served - the riots

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An example of what is happening in our cities - from Disrn:

Man accused of killing David Dorn had been sentenced to 7 years in 2014, never served a day
Stephan Cannon, the man charged with murdering retired St. Louis police Captain David Dorn during recent riots, had been previously convicted of felony robbery and sentenced to seven years in prison. However, the judge in that case suspended Cannon's sentence and granted the murder suspect probation, meaning Cannon never saw jail time.

Cannon then went on to violate his probation twice, but was offered leniency by the court and never sent to jail. The 24-year-old now stands accused of the murder of Dorn, who was attempting to protect the pawn shop of a friend the night of June 2.

Cannon's previous felony robbery conviction occurred in 2014, meaning had he been serving his seven-year sentence, he would not have been on the streets the night he shot Dorn.

Peaceful protest? Yes - absolutely. George Floyd's death was a tragic accident and Officer Chauvet should have not handled it the way he did.  He will pay the price. The people being arrested are thugs and criminals and paid political activists brought in to amplify the narrative.

It is worth remembering that Floyd himself was not a choirboy - he was a convicted felon and served five years for a home invasion robbery where he held a gun on a pregnant woman.

Up and at 'em

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Woke at 4:30AM this morning - could not sleep. Finally napped for three hours and began my day a little while ago. Steady rainfall - sounds wonderful on the roof but it is wet, overcast and cold. Working at home today so a good cantidate for a fire to warm things up a bit. Corned beef and cabbage sounds like a perfect dinner tonight.

Forecast is to clear up later and a partly cloudy day tomorrow but back to rain for the next five days or so. No yard work for this kid for a while...

Quick surf and then out for coffee, read for a bit and stop at the bank.

The coop had it. Ran out of my big jar of Costco popcorn a few weeks ago. Don't always fix it but it's a nice snack if I am looking for something to munch on.
Sounds like I will have to make a big bowl and sit back and watch the show - from PJ Media:

Justice Is Coming: 'As Many as 16-17' Obamagate Criminal Referrals Headed to DOJ
As America reopens from coronavirus lockdowns and protests and riots engulf American cities, Attorney General William Barr is hard at work on Obamagate. According to award-winning journalist Adam Housley, “as many as 16-17” criminal referrals will be headed to the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the Obama administration’s spying on the Trump campaign in 2016.

“Criminal referrals have already been sent to the Justice Department and the overall number may reach as many as 16-17 by the end of next week. Investigators are working on additional ones as we speak and some are targeting the Mueller probe and how [retired Gen. Michael Flynn was] investigated,” Housley tweeted.

Perfect timing too - the election is in 148 days. They will need time to ramp up their prosecution but things should be glowing nice and hot when November 3rd rolls around. The media will not be able to gloss this over - not when people start going to jail.

From Bastion of Liberty but I have seen these numbers a lot of places:

20200608-FBInumbers.JPG

Last week in Chicago was one for the books:

Last Week’s Totals (5/31 – 6/6)
Shot & Killed: 29
Shot & Wounded: 138
Total Shot: 167
Total Homicides: 32

This is not about racism, this is about ruined families, a culture of drug dependence and futility and an addiction to big government. The Democrats need to keep the black population down on their plantation. Throw them a little lagniappe and harvest their votes. President Lyndon Baines Johnson kicked it into overdrive with his Great Society handouts. He is quoted as saying that "This will have them niggers voting Democrat for the next 200 years"

Remember, Dr. Martin Luther King was a Republican. Even Malcom X was a Republican.

From The Texas Tribune:

George W. Bush won't support Donald Trump’s reelection, report says
George W. Bush will not support the re-election of Donald Trump, according to people familiar with his thinking, The New York Times reported Saturday.

The paper said the former president and Texas governor won't vote for Trump's reelection and that his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, "isn't sure how he'll vote." The paper spotlights several members of the Republican Party who are dissenting from party lines, though Bush was the only prominent Texas politician mentioned. Freddy Ford, a spokesman for Bush, told The Texas Tribune that Bush would steer clear of speaking publicly on his presidential vote and called The New York Times assertion false.

"This is completely made up," Ford said in an email. "He is retired from presidential politics and has not indicated how he will vote."

And the mainstream media wonders why sales and advertising revenue is falling. Nobody wants fake news except the very vocal true believers and they are in the minority.

The left eats its own. We see this time again. They try to appease some splinter faction and discover to their dismay, that nothing is ever enough to a dedicated Social Justice Warrior. No matter what they do, they will be publicly called out for not doing enough. Don Surber has a good writeup on this phenomenon today:

BLM turns on white liberal mayors
I blog from my living room. Atop the TV is a garden statue of Godzilla eating gnomes. My wife put it there and I ignored it until today when I realized it is a perfect metaphor to what the Black Lives Matter monster is doing to the Democrat gnomes who serve as the mayors of Minneapolis, New York City, and Seattle.

The anti-police lawlessness that these mayors have encouraged is turning on them.

What do you mean we, Paleface?

Old joke. Older truth.

And he cites examples:

The Seattle Times reported, "Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued a statement Saturday calling on Mayor Jenny Durkan to resign, describing her as responsible for violence and brutality in the city’s response to overwhelmingly peaceful protests against institutional racism and police killings of Black people.

And:

The New York Times reported, "For Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, a Walk of Shame," a headline so devastating (meaning true) that the Times changed it to "For Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, a Stinging Rebuke."

The white liberal foolishly attended a BLM rally, was called out for not supporting the disbanding of the Minneapolis police force. They ordered him to leave.. He did. They jeered him as he walked (slinked) away.

And:

The New York Post reported, "Mayor Bill de Blasio was shouted down with boos and shouts of 'F— you, de Blasio' when he tried to take the podium at a George Floyd protest in Brooklyn on Thursday.

More at the site. The left is grossly overestimating their importance and this movement will crash and burn but there is going to be a lot of destruction and heartbreak between now and then. I was talking with someone today and we were joking about how the island has just one bridge connecting it to the mainland and how easily defensible it is - lots of woods and the island end of the bridge is on a high bluff where the mainland side is all level floodplain.

Title of the post? The great Rodney Dangerfield

And back home for the night

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Chinese was delicious. Picked up some bolts from the local Fastenal for a project in the music room and did some shopping at the coop. Been thinking about corned beef and cabage so picked up a nice small cabbage at the coop. Got some yellow spuds too - make some colcannon. An Irish comfort food two-fer. Pull some tri-tip out of the freezer and get it marinating tomorrow. Sous-vide of course.

Groceries

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Out to deliver groceries now - been a busy and productive day so far. Probably heading North for Chinese food for dinner.
Still planning to do Bean and Bacon soup but not for another night or so.

Busy...

The next plague

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I was thinking it was the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa but this is a viable option as well - from RedState:

Behold the Next Plague: West Nile Virus Is Ready to Rock 2020
It seems it’s been one thing after another in 2020, right? As Red State‘s Nick Arama reminded us Friday, it’s “proven to be one of the most ‘What the Heck Is Going On’ years” in our lifetimes.

But if the Wuhan coronavirus, hordes of carnivorous rodents (of Unusual Size) and murder hornets,  or the comets whizzing past don’t take down Planet Earth, maybe this will…

Scientists shared this week that the West Nile Virus is back for the 2020 season, with both Michigan and California reporting the capture of mosquitoes infected with the disease.

According to WILX:

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reporting the first case of West Nile virus in 2020.

The MDHHS said the virus was reported in a captive hawk from Lapeer County.

Just wonderful... 2019 was bad for me and I was hoping that 2020 would be better.
Fat chance for that...

My other favorite Third Place opened this weekend - heading over there. Read some more Douglas Reeman and enjoy a frosty pint or two

Mark Twain said that - very true. Three links to Busted Knuckles - a daily read for me:

I do not "do" conspiricy theories but it seems that we are in for some very hard times. The rioting is just the beginning.

Dinnertime

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Good place to break for the day.

Not doing the bacon/bean soup tonight - just feel like a salad. Had a late large lunch and not super hungry. Got some lettuce from Friday's farmer's market. Wonderful to be getting local produce again.

Surf a bit first...

Good news from Legal Insurrection - pushing back against China's expansionism:

India, Australia Sign Military Agreement Amid China’s Rising Aggression
India and Australia inked a series of defense agreements on Thursday aimed at countering Communist China’s growing military aggression in the region. Both countries elevated their ties to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” at a video summit between Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.

The military logistics pact, signed as part of this partnership, gives the Indian Navy “a strategic access deep into the Indo-Pacific region,” The Times of India newspaper reported. The agreement gives “reciprocal access to each nation’s respective military bases,” Japanese newspaper The Nikkei explained.

The partnership between the two countries comes as Beijing militarizes the South China Sea by building artificial islands equipped with naval harbors, air strips, and military bases. In recent months, Communist China has threatened many of its neighbors, including New Delhi and Canberra. Last week, Chinese troops crossed the Indian border and fortified positions along the Himalayan frontier, reigniting a 60 year-old conflict.

“We are committed to an open, inclusive, prosperous Indo-Pacific and India’s role in that region, our region, will be critical in the years ahead,” Morrison said. Amid China’s growing land grab in the South China Sea, the Australian leader added: “We share an ocean and we share responsibilities for that ocean as well.”

A unified front blocking China's plans. Lesser leaders would do a Neville Chamberlain and try to appease them. This will not work. Never has. Never will.

Some thoughts

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Found on the internet:

  • If a dude pretends to be a woman, you are required to pretend with him.
  • Somehow it’s un-American for the census to count how many Americans are in America.
  • Russians influencing our elections are bad, but illegal immigrants voting in our elections are good.
  • It was cool for Joe Biden to “blackmail” the President of Ukraine, but it’s an impeachable offense if Donald Trump inquires about it.
  • Twenty is too young to drink a beer, but eighteen is old enough to vote.
  • People who have never owned slaves should pay slavery reparations to people who have never been slaves.
  • Inflammatory rhetoric is outrageous, but harassing people in restaurants is virtuous.
  • People who have never been to college should pay the debts of college students who took out huge loans for useless degrees.
  • Immigrants with tuberculosis and polio are welcome, but you’d better be able to prove your dog is vaccinated.
  • Irish doctors and German engineers who want to immigrate must go through a rigorous vetting process, but any illiterate Central-American gang-banger who jumps the southern fence is welcome.
  • $5 billion for border security is too expensive, but $1.5 trillion for “free” health care is not.
  • If you cheat to get into college you go to prison, but if you cheat to get into the country you go to college for free.
  • People who say there is no such thing as gender are demanding a female President.
  • We see other countries going Socialist and collapsing, and it seems like a great plan to us.
  • Some people are held responsible for things that happened before they were born, and other people are not held responsible for what they are doing right now.
  • Criminals are catch-and-released to hurt more people, but stopping them is bad because it’s a violation of THEIR rights.
  • And pointing out all this hypocrisy somehow makes us “racists”?!

Society is going bonkers. The history books are going to be interesting.

Just wow - Douglas Reeman

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I mentioned in my last post that I was starting to read his stuff and that I was already quite familiar with his Bolitho series written as Alexander Kent.

This is like night and day - different writing styles and if I did not know, I would say that these were written by two different people.

Two different subjects and time periods - what I am starting to read now was based on Reeman's personal experience as he served in the British Navy during WWII whereas the Bolitho series is historical fiction set in Nelson's Navy but still, a lot different writing style. Very very good - very dense so it takes a little while to get into it but I am hooked.

Started this morning with A Dawn Like Thunder - not the first but these books seem to be stand-alone stories unlike the Bolitho series.

To my joy, Mr. Reeman was quite a prolific author (he crossed the bar in 2017) - there are 32 books in the WWII canon. There is a used book store in Mt. Vernon selling them for $3 each - this will keep my brain fed until the library reopens.

And I am outta here (for a bit)

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The coffee is calling me and I must go. Woke up around 6:30 to wonderful rainfall - steady but not a downpour. Great for the earth. Cleared off a bit - still quite cloudy but the sun is peeking through at times. Unless it happened while I was asleep, the thunderstorms that were forecast for last night did not materialize.

Spend some quality time hanging out and reading - there is a bakery/coffee house I like that has reopened.

Recently finished the Alexander Kent's Bolitho series - historical fiction set in the time of the British Royal Navy and excellent excellent stuff. On par with Patrick O'Brian and Dewey Lambdin. Turns out that Alexander Kent is the pseudonym of Douglas Reeman who has a series about the Submarine Service during WW-II.  This is one of my interests so picked up a couple of these books at a local shop a few days ago. Tuck into the first one and see if I like it.

Working in the loft this afternoon - making the bean and bacon soup for dinner tonight.

Liberal? Just suck on this

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You could take the Red Pill if you wanted to see the truth - it is out there:

20200606-binkey.jpg

Weaponizing fear for politics

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I see this going on with masks - same thing with officials kneeling to protesters.
Not a good precedent to be setting - we need to be raising adults and not infantalized 40-year-olds.
Virtue signalling gone horribly wrong.

20200607-fear.jpg

From National Review:

New Floyd Murder Charges Will Be Tough to Prove and May Imperil Good Cops
Prosecutors in Minnesota have filed an amended complaint against Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd, adding a second-degree “felony murder” charge. This dangerously flawed theory could be used to portray any police restraint of a resistant suspect as criminal assault.

The amended complaint against Chauvin also re-alleges the two homicide charges originally filed last week: third-degree “depraved indifference” murder and second-degree manslaughter, both of which better fit the facts of the case while posing no risk of criminalizing the legitimate use of force by good cops.

Separately, the other three fired Minneapolis police officers involved in the killing have been charged, after a week of demands by the Floyd family, as well as intense anti-police rhetoric (and worse) by Black Lives Matter activists and protesters.

Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder (the new charge against Chauvin) and manslaughter. Weirdly, under the circumstances, the three are not charged with the “depraved indifference” murder count; nor are they accused of committing manslaughter as principals — they are charged only as aiders and abettors, a theory that does not jibe with a negligence charge such as second-degree manslaughter (which is negligent homicide under Minnesota law).

Some more - talking about the new charge compared to the old one:

In the latter, prosecutors would concede that it was lawful in principle for the police to subdue Floyd, but argue (correctly) that their manner of doing so was recklessly indifferent to human life, causing his death. By contrast, the new “felony murder” count, spearheaded by Keith Ellison, the radical leftist state attorney general, puts police on notice that they can be charged with a crime — felony assault — for doing their job, which routinely involves physically restraining suspects who resist lawful commands.

My concern is that Ellison is ratcheting up the charge way past what the actual crime was and that in a jury trial, the only verdict would be acquittal for Chauvet. He did not intend to murder Floyd, it was a horrible accident. Chauvet was not observing the situation well enough and the man in his custody died as a result. The autopsy already clears the way for that verdict. Floyd died from a heart attack, he had major drugs in his system.

Ellison will come back and say that black men can never get justice in Amerikka and if we think the riots are bad now, hold my beer. The Democrats are doing everything they can to prevent President Trump from being re-elected. They have no candidate, they have no platform, they have nothing so they must cheat.

Something brewing...

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Quite the updraft going on with the big cloud:

20200606-clouds.jpg

Cliff Mass has some info about what to expect - possible lightning

Nothing yet on the lightning map

And today's newsreel

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I remember them - before the feature in theaters:

Hat tip: Vanderleun

What happens when colleges and universities churn out hundreds of thousands of "qualified applicants" for a few tens of thousands of employment opportunities?
Chaos ensues. Some fun reading from  Breitbart:

Authors: Antifa Rioters Are the Tech Economy’s College Discards
The black-clothed Antifa activists who are leading the anti-police riots are mostly the discarded, angry college-grade workforce of an increasingly high-tech, globalized economy, say a variety of experts and millennials.

Colleges are producing many “graduates who’ve absorbed a worldview that trains them for “metropolitan elite” job types that turn out to be far scarcer than the graduates competing for them,” writes Mary Harrington, a young writer at Unherd.com. She continues:

The result is a frustrated would-be middle class, treading water in what the writer Venkatesh Rao has called ‘premium mediocre’ lifestyles, a rented simulacrum of a genuinely prosperous existence designed to signal preparedness for the day when, by luck or application, they make it into the dwindling numbers of the real bourgeoisie.

These graduate left-behinds are then stuck in a holding pattern, in precarious housing and employment, as opportunities to take the big steps into adult life — traditionally home ownership, coupledom and kids – recede ever further into the distance. A recent Pew report showed 30% of millennials living with a spouse and child, a fall of 10% on Generation X and a whopping 40% drop on the 1968 generation. That’s America, but ONS data shows the age of first child climbing relentlessly in Britain too — while the birth rate is falling in all cohorts save the over-40s.

They are failing because the investor class is pushing them and their college peers out of good jobs to make room for an imported workforce of cheap and compliant visa workers.

This means Antifa people are now going through the same outsourcing pain and poverty that was imposed on the American working class by the elite’s imposition of mass migration and free trade deals with Mexico and China.

They are not getting what they were promised and are very upset and frustrated. Poor widdle babies. Mommy needs to give them their binky and tuck them back into their crib. I would have thought that anyone with a modicum of intelligence would have investigated the employment opportunities for their chosen field before going into hock for several hundred thousand dollars and four years of their lives.

Much more at the site - this is a very in-depth analysis of a very major problem in today's society.

Heh - the left eats their own

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From Breitbart:

‘Get the F**k Outta Here!’: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Forced to Leave Protest for Refusing to Defund Police
Minneapolis protesters told Mayor Jacob Frey (D) he was no longer welcome to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd — an African-American man who died in police custody in the city — after he refused to commit to defunding its police department.

Footage shared to social media shows a masked Frey, who is under fire from both Republicans and Democrats over his response to protests and violent unrest, telling a crowd of protesters that he believes the city’s police department must undergo “structural reforms” and that a “systemic, racist system needs to be revamped.”

Then, one speaker pressed Frey on whether he would defund the police, asking him: “We have a yes or no question for you. Yes or no, will you commit to defunding the Minneapolis Police Department?

A bit more:

Frey responded “I do not support abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department,” prompting the protester who asked him the question to shout “get the fuck outta here” at him.

Multiple protesters then began to boo Frey loudly and chant “go home Jacob, go home!”

Additional footage shows a downcast Frey then departing the protests amid more booes and chants of “shame!”

Frey did everything right - he failed to realize that you can never reason with a mob. Nothing you do for them will ever be enough. This is shades of the French Revolution or The Dark Knight:

The social justice mob always eats its own. Many of the players know this and hope that they will be the last to be eaten. Senator Pelosi is a perfect example. Hillary too but she is not that smart.

Taking a break - still nothing

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Slow news day. Working in the loft getting some stuff moved around and organised. Turned into kind of a nice day - clear with fluffy clouds. Supposed to be some potential for T-Storm activity but nothing yet.

And nothing this morning

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Working at home and not seeing anything of interest on the Internet.

Heading out for coffee, take Bear for a run and then back home.

Off and on gentle rainfall - more in the forecast. Gray but a bit warm - good day to hunker down at home and get things done.

Full moon tonight - the strawberry moon. Moonrise at 9:21 - got the usual tide extremes. Nice low tide this afternoon.

Watch some videos and go for an early bedtime - busy day today and looking at a bunch of stuff to do tomorrow. Painting in the music room closet (getting ready to put in some shelving) as well as organizing the loft - shifting things around a little bit. Moving the ham radio equipment up there - a lot less dust and dirt than in the garage.

The new (to me) dehumidifier is working great - I have it with a hose draining to the outside but I used its internal tank for a few days first to make sure it worked and then, it was pulling more than a gallon a day out of the air. Should go a long way to keep the rust down.

An oldie but a goodie:

A three letter word - JOBS

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President Trump on today's numbers:

More here

Title of this post? Joe Biden's gaffe from 2008

Oh, That Joe! (No. 29 in a Series) -- Obama & Biden's Three-Letter Word: J-O-B-S
With the economy floundering, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., told Ohio voters today that he and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., would focus on one specific issue that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has neglected.

"Look, John's last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S," the Democratic veep nominee said at a morning rally in Athens.

Famous even then - was this a symptom of the onset?

From Catherine Herridge's twitter:

Catherine is a CBS journalist who seems to be actually doing her job. Nice. Fallout from this will be interesting to say the least.

James does not start a campaign until he has many videos ready for release - they can deny or lie about the first one or two (but but but... it was taken out of context) but when six or seven of them come out from different cities showing the same thing, it really shows the evil at the heart of the organization. I love also that he releases the uncut unedited video as well - people who claim that the videos on the website were selectively edited can view the whole roll and see for themselves that they were not.

Yesterday's video was from Portland, Oregon. Today - from Project Veritas:

BREAKING: NEW YORK ANTIFA MEMBERS TRAIN FOR VIOLENCE: “So, if That Doesn't Knock Them Out…Poke the Eyes…Absolutely”
In a second video installment, Project Veritas today released footage exposing the violent nature of the New York-based Antifa chapter.

"Our second #EXPOSEANTIFA installment, demonstrates just how far the group will go to engage in physical combat, evade arrests and promote the most damage possible on the streets," said James O'Keefe CEO and founder of Project Veritas.

Here are a few statements from Antifa members in our latest video:

Chris, Antifa Fight Instructor: “If you get a good liver or kidney shot, it's pretty much crippling them. They're going to be doubled over and in a lot of pain. If you break one of the floating ribs, which are small and right down here. Those are also very painful, it's hard to move after that, to catch a breath. So, one good body shot could potentially give you all the time in the world to run away while they're doubled over in pain, or really put a beating on them after that if you really want to make it personal.”

Much more at the site including a video of the training session.

We learned two days ago that the antifa terrorists were casing the homes of police officers:

Warning: Reports of groups canvassing residential neighborhoods, taking photos of homes with police cars in driveways
Law enforcement officials from across the country have reached out to Law Enforcement Today asking us to warn police across America about a potential threat.

Now, they are acting on this information - this will not end well. From Disrn:

Rioters hit police cars with Molotov cocktails outside officers' homes
Three rioters have been arrested and jailed after setting fire to two police cars outside the homes of police officers in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Alvin Joseph, Lakaila Mack, and Ebuka Chike-Morah were all arrested and charged with crimes ranging from first degree arson to criminal trespass. Police say that the trio used Molotov cocktail-like devices to set the fires.

I was in my teens when the first Long Hot Summer happened in 1967. Looks like we may be in for another one if we do not quash this right away.

More than glad I no longer live in a city.

And back for the night

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Farmer's market was a lot of fun - there is a new market manager and they were able to get a couple of food vendors as well as the usual crowd of farmers and makers. Nice turnout today - good omen for the year. Saw a bunch of friends so spent about an hour wandering around talking with people.

Big grocery deliveries today too - people stocking up for the weekend.

Having the last of the feijoada for dinner tonight. Picked up some salad fixin's and some fresh strawberries so that is dinner for me. Bean and bacon soup tomorrow.

Jim Cramer is a journalist, lawyer and investment guru - quite the interesting character. About as smart as they come.

He writes at CNBC and is looking at who benefits from the COVID lockdown. Hint: it is not We The People

Jim Cramer: The pandemic led to ‘one of the greatest wealth transfers in history’
The coronavirus pandemic and corresponding lockdown made way for “one of the greatest wealth transfers in history,” CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Thursday.

The stock market is rising as big business rebounds from state-ordered stoppage of nonessential activity, while small businesses drop like flies, the “Mad Money” host said.

“The bigger the business, the more it moves the major averages, and that matters because this is the first recession where big business … is coming through virtually unscathed, if not going for the gold,” he added.

Of course - Walmart and the other big box stores come out on top while the local hardware stores and retailers have to close their doors and some close for good. Hertz is the sole failure and they were on the glide-path to crashing regardless of what happened.

And out for a bit

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Working at home this morning - finishing off bills and paperwork. No rest for the wicked.

Rewarding myself with a coffee and running a few errands - dump run later this afternoon (still sorting through a lot of my folks old paperwork). Grocery deliveries this afternoon - this program is running through the end of this month. The Center is looking at folding in a minimal version of this service into their Meals on Wheels program. Farmer's market later - a lot of fun. See a lot of familiar faces. Last tuesday's was the small one on the island, today is the big one in the town of Stanwood.

Imagine

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The National Jobs Numbers were posted today and they are spectacular - from President Trump, a two-fer:

What came to my mind is this: Imagine how many more jobs could have been added. How many more people could be going back to gainful employment. Imagine how many more people would be able to pursue their dreams and support their families if President Trump did not have to fight the constant oppression against him by the one-note Democrats, the Never-Trumpers and the Media.

In SPITE of all that has happened in 2020, we are seeing a resurgance of American Excellence.

President Trump on George Floyd

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A very powerful three minutes:

There is a huge difference between the genuine protests and the outside funded and organised riots. The rioters are using the same techniques and materials in each city - these are not spontaneous uprisings. The riots are well funded and organised at the top levels of the Democratic party. Their hatred for President Trump is white hot - he is the first president in living history to seriously threaten their power. Of course, Twitter censored it:

BREAKING: Twitter Removes President Trump’s Incredible Video Tribute To George Floyd

I find it comforting that some of them have overstepped - from the New York Post:

De Blasio booed off stage, protesters turn their backs at George Floyd rally
Mayor Bill de Blasio was shouted down with boos and shouts of “F— you, de Blasio” when he tried to take the podium at a George Floyd protest in Brooklyn on Thursday.

“F— the mayor’s curfew!” some shouted. “Turn your back! Turn your back!” others shouted. Many in the crowd did turn their backs.

“Shut the f— up!” protesters shouted.

The heckling was so intense, the mayor kept his remarks under five minutes, and then was no longer seen on the stage.

We The People are waking up and we are pissed. Wonderful news - very heartening.
This is a great Nation and its media and politicians are failing to honor it.

Thai food for dinner

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Heading out for some Thai food for dinner as well as a bit of grocery shopping at the coop.

Good day - got a lot done. Turned out nice and sunny which is a big plus. Got the house airing out. Doing some sous-vide bacon - I'll use some of it for some bean and bacon soup and then portion out the rest and freeze it. Always nice to have extra bacon around...

Happy Killdozer Day

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Sixteen years ago - from Infogalactic:

Marvin Heemeyer
Marvin John Heemeyer (October 28, 1951 – June 4, 2004) was an American welder and an automobile muffler repair shop owner most known for his rampage with a modified bulldozer. Outraged over the outcome of a zoning dispute, he armored a Komatsu D355A bulldozer with layers of steel and concrete and used it on June 4, 2004 to demolish the town hall, the former mayor's house, and other buildings in Granby, Colorado. The rampage ended when the bulldozer got stuck in the basement of a Gambles store he was in the process of destroying. Heemeyer then killed himself with a handgun.

Heemeyer had been feuding with Granby officials, particularly over fines for violating city ordinances and a zoning dispute regarding a concrete factory constructed opposite his muffler shop.

More here: Happy Killdozer Day

We all need to have a little of Marvin in our souls - do not put up with their bullshit.
They will keep pushing and pushing if we do not push back just as hard.

Los Angeles is going to have some troubles on their hands - from Law Enforcement Today:

Los Angeles: Cutting up to $150M from LAPD budget, reinvesting into ‘communities of color’
The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, levied a challenge toward the city on June 3rd to identify budgetary cuts in the realm of $250 million to be redirected in investing into communities of color, women and “people who have been left behind.”

Apparently, up to $150 million has already been identified and is being cut from the LAPD’s budget.

And of course:

Melina Abdullah, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter’s Los Angeles outfit, reportedly feels as though the budget cuts mentioned are not enough.

It is never enough to these people. You never appease a Social Justice Warrior - they will never ever be satisfied. As for our 50+ years of investing into communities of color, a few headlines that tell the story:

The last link has this telling graph:

20200604-poverty.jpg

$15+ trillion dollars of our taxpayer dollars wasted and nothing has changed - nothing will ever change. We are approaching this problem from the absolute wrong direction and nobody has the political stones to say this out loud.

And out for a while

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Heading to Bellingham to do a few things - working at home this afternoon. Rebuilding another computer, paying bills and doing some paperwork. Bleagh.

Cool and overcast - gray day. Get some coffee first.

Meanwhile in Coeur d’Alene

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From the Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Press:

Armed ‘Patriots’ patrol Coeur d’Alene
Reports and rumors that groups bent on rioting and violence in Coeur d’Alene brought out men and women with guns on Monday determined to stop them if they arrive.

Dan Carson was patrolling Sherman Avenue with an AR-12 semi-automatic 12-gauge across his chest, an AR-15 strapped to his back, two 9mm handguns holstered and a .38 special, too.

“I heard there are some people on the way who shouldn’t be here,” he said early Monday evening.

Carson talking about the death of George Floyd:

“By all means. I’m on their side. I disagree with what happened,” he said. “What I don’t agree with is when you turn to violence, and you start rioting and destroying businesses and hurting people who have nothing to do with anything.

“That’s what I’m here to hopefully prevent,” he said, adding, “I’m not going to be alone. There’s a lot more on the way.”

He was right. Soon, more armed men, self-described as a loosely formed group of patriots, arrived. They took up posts at corners on both sides of Sherman Avenue.

Later, they were joined by hundreds of citizens packing rifles, semi-automatic weapons, handguns, and bows and arrows.

The sidewalks were packed with people walking up and down Sherman Avenue, firearms proudly displayed for all to see.

I love it. This is what We The People looks like - the organised and funded rioters are terrorists and need to be shut down. Coeur d’Alene is a gorgeous little town - been through there a couple times and loved it.

Could have just as easily been filled with Happy Meal toys or some such.
Hat tip to The Unwanted Blog for the link.

James O'Keefe founded Project Veritas. He brings in undercover video and audio recording and exposes the corrupt for what they are. His team were the people who brought down ACORN in 2009.

From today - Project Veritas:

ANTIFA: “Practice things like an eye gouge, it takes very little pressure to injure someone’s eyes.”
“Depending on the setting, if I were to be caught or found out in a setting where I am present with them, it could escalate to violence against me,” said the Project Veritas Undercover Journalist.

“Project Veritas does not condone any violence whatsoever. It is a sad time in our
nation’s history with Antifa activists hijacking #blacklivesmatter protests in cities across the country, attacking the police and engaging in violence,” said Project Veritas Founder and CEO, James O’Keefe.

“In many places, it appears the violence is planned, organized & driven by anarchic left extremist groups — far-left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics.”

There is a very chilling five minute video at the site. Portland, Oregon so you know it's good.
As is the case with Project Veritas - more to follow.

Should be a lot of fun

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This year's Democratic National Convention should be quite the s*it show:


20200604-dem.jpg

This whole election cycle is going down as the most interesting in history.

Good news from DHS

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Department of Homeland Security is going after the ringleaders - from The Daily Wire:

Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf: Feds Have Opened Up Investigations Going After ‘Leaders Of Antifa And Other Organizations’
Acting Department of Homeland Security Chad Wolf told Fox News on Wednesday night that federal law enforcement officials have opened cases up against leaders of Antifa and other organizations who are believed to be behind violent riots that are plaguing the nation’s inner cities.

When asked by Fox News host Bret Baier who was behind the violent riots, Wolf answered, “I think, overall, what we have seen as far as taking place, sort of boots on the ground in these metropolitan areas, are the groups like Antifa or anarchists in general.”

“And those are the types of people that we see. That’s the intel that we’re getting back, primarily moving these violent protests and these organizations in a certain way. It usually occurs after nightfall. So, during the day, we usually see the nonviolent protests occurring,” Wolf continued. “And then, when it gets to the night, we see the more violent protests starting to happen, criminals starting to take place, organized, loosely organized during the day to achieve a specific goal.”

Good - lock them up for 30 years. Guantanamo is not being used very much these days.

This ought to get them some extra special lovin' from our Government - from Reuters:

Greek demonstrators hurl firebombs towards U.S. embassy in Athens
Demonstrators hurled firebombs in a march towards the U.S. Embassy compound in Athens on Wednesday in a protest over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Reuters journalists saw demonstrators throwing several flaming objects which erupted into flames on the street towards the heavily-guarded embassy in central Athens and police responding with rounds of teargas.

Estimated 3,000 protesters. Hoping that someone is following the money on all of this.

Some metal from Japan

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Ran into these people - been playing for 30 years! Ningen Isu

Good stuff - English subtitles available. Click on the tool icon (the little gear) to turn them on. English website.

Clueless - NYC Mayor

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Meeting in 30 minutes

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Setting up the cam and lighting for a Zoom meeting.

More universities behaving badly

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From The College Fix:

Universities try to block Congress from accessing documents detailing their ties to China
Attorneys for universities under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education are trying to block Congress from obtaining records that detail the schools’ ties with China, according to a May 19 letter exclusively obtained by The College Fix.

The letter, written by the Education Department’s General Counsel Reed Rubinstein, tells lawmakers who requested the documents that the universities’ lawyers “claimed Freedom of Information Act exemptions and legal privileges to block record production to Congress.”

Too big for their own good - they have lost sight of their core business.

Started on college campuses of course. From Campus Reform:

Colleges 'allow Antifa to work under their noses,' former member says
Former Antifa member Gabriel Nadales sounded off on the riots in major American cities as many far-left activists take advantage of the untimely death of George Floyd, the unarmed black man who was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis.

Nadales, who is an employee of Campus Reform's parent organization, the Leadership Institute, said on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle Monday night that Antifa has been around for decades, but only in the last couple of decades has the group's existence really taken root here in the U.S.

Nadales said the group today is much more violent than when he was a part of it back in 2011, which he says is due to "the fact that so many college administrators and college campuses that allow Antifa to work under their noses."

Nadales recalled a story from the University of Florida that Campus Reform reported, in which Antifa openly recruited on that campus.

"We don't allow ISIS to recruit on college campuses and we should not allow Antifa to do that either," Nadales said.

Universities need to take a long clear look at what they are doing. Too much overhead too - drives the cost up. How many administrative assistants for diversity do they need anyway (hint: zero).

Straight out of the communist playbook - from Law Enforcement Today:

Warning: Reports of groups canvassing residential neighborhoods, taking photos of homes with police cars in driveways
Law enforcement officials from across the country have reached out to Law Enforcement Today asking us to warn police across America about a potential threat.

Transparently – our team debated internally whether or not to cover this story. We are America’s largest law enforcement owned and operated media outlet, and we are unapologetically pro-police.

Although we don’t hesitate to call out and provide media coverage of bad apples, our priority is in giving the voice to law enforcement that they’re often denied in the mainstream media.

The last thing we want to do is put officers at risk by giving bad people ideas.

But soon after this threat started spreading like wildfire online, we had law enforcement from across the country reach out. They pointed out that the threat is already circulating.

And what is happening?

In a number of different communities in states ranging from California and Texas to Florida – reports have come in that small groups of individuals appear to be canvassing neighborhoods and taking pictures of homes that have police cruisers in the driveways.

“I can absolutely confirm this,” told us one police spokesman, who asked that his department be kept anonymous because of the threats. “We’ve received multiple reports throughout the weekend both in terms of phone calls and alerts that neighborhood residents are putting out on community watch apps.”

It comes as police are receiving direct, personal threats through social media, calls and emails.

“We and our children are receiving threats,” one police lieutenant told Law Enforcement Today.

Much much more at the site - videos and social media screen-caps. This is a very well funded and organised group whose goal is the destruction of  America and the institution of a socialist communist government in its place.

Seattle bullshit

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"Protesters" were moving to block I-5 so the Washington State Dept. of Transportation shut it down:

Same thing as Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

And of course - from The Seattle Times:

Durkan promises to meet with Seattle protest organizers: ‘The plan has to come from community voices’
After four consecutive days of protests in Seattle, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan promised a crowd of thousands of demonstrators Tuesday afternoon that she would meet with their organizers the following day to start creating a plan for addressing police accountability and racial justice.

The impromptu meeting was a key moment after days of tension, and the first indication of a tangible step, beyond voicing sympathy, that Durkan and her administration were willing to take to address protesters’ calls for action.

Yeah - negotiating with terrorists. Let me know how that works out for you. Time for a clean sweep in November.

Busy day today

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Heading out for coffee, taking care of Grace and then grocery deliveries. Online general meeting with our local arts group tonight - there are more than 100 members so it should be interesting. I am running an event in October so will have some major stuff to talk about tonight - seeking volunteers, etc...

Good - starting to prosecute them

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From the New York Post:

Woman charged with inciting riots after posting Facebook Live video
A Michigan woman faces up to 10 years behind bars for encouraging others to loot and throw bricks at buildings in a Facebook Live video, according to a report.

Alexandria “Ally” Lyons posted the livestreamed video over the weekend during riots in Grand Rapids that left more than 100 businesses damaged, MLive.com reported.

In the video, Lyons is seen swigging beer — likely stolen from a bar called Mojo’s in Grand Rapids — and showing off clothes allegedly swiped from F. David Barney Clothiers, according to court records.

And a bit more:

The 22-year-old was nabbed after numerous people ratted her out to police, saying she “was responsible for causing and creating a lot of damage in the downtown area,” police said.

While she was at the police station, cops received videos via text message allegedly showing her kicking in a window of a county building during the riots.

Lyons is charged with inciting a riot, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, and malicious destruction of property, a five-year felony. She is being held on a $40,000 bond, according to MLive.com.

I would love it if they used her to set an example. Go a long way to stop this stupidity.

Normal is a wonderful thing

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Connected with people I know and had a great time sitting and shooting the shit. Missed that more than I realized.

Third Places serve a vital function in a normal society and to restrict access to them is a tool of the tyrant.

Lenin, Mao, Castro, Chavez - they all shut down the public places to quell discourse. In the prelude to America's War of Independence, coffee houses, taverns and houses of worship were valuable places to meet and argue and explore ideas about how the government should function and how We The People should be governed.

Our nation will reopen and I hope that when the next "crisis" manifests, the people pulling this kind of shit will be shouted down. All of the current problems seem to be found in cities which have a history of Democratic ownership.
Disagree? Change my mind.

And out for an hour or so

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Heading over to the Crow's Nest - get a bite to eat and a beer or two.

Who hides behind a patina of smugness. Governor Cuomo took him to the woodshed - from Washington Examiner:

'Did not do their job': Andrew Cuomo blasts Bill de Blasio for police presence
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ridiculed Mayor Bill de Blasio for the rioting and destruction that took place in New York City.

Cuomo's condemnation of the New York City mayor came Tuesday, a day after rioters looted shops and police officers were attacked amid the protests, some of which have turned violent, over the death of George Floyd.

“The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night. I believe that. Second, you have 38,000 NYPD people," Cuomo stated. "It is the largest police department in the United States of America — use 38,000 people and protect property. Use the police, protect property, and people. Look at the videos; it was a disgrace."

He also noted that “technically, a governor could remove a mayor” but said he didn't intend on using that power.

Anyone could have done a better job of running New York City in the last six months. He may be glib with a sound-bite but he is not a leader by any stretch of the imagination. The citizens of New York City deserve better.

Rainy cold day

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Goes with my mood. DId not bury Grace yet - too wet and did not feel like it. The local farmer's market started up today - a good number of people showing up. People are craving normalcy. One of my favorite local taverns is opening tonight after being shut down - planning to go out for a burger and a beer or two.

Local stuff

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Interesting - got two notifications that traffic on Interstate 5 has been closed to traffic Northbound and Southbound. This is the major corridor for the west coast and runs through the heart of Seattle. What makes this interesting is that there is very little mention of this in the media. A search will turn up other instances from 2017 and 2018 and various major crashes and suicides but nothing about protestors "occupying" the freeway - from today:

And yesterday:

And Sunday:

Looks like the police and the State Patrol are being very safe but these useful idiots need to be taken off the freeway.

Some good local news

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The town of Snohomish is famous for its historic old-town, specifically First Street which borders the Snohomish river. Lots of art and antiques and good restaurants. A place to avoid on a nice weekend as parking can be unreal but during the week? A lot of fun. It is also about 30 minutes from Seattle - close. This tweet from a Snohomish resident:

Robert Sutherland is the State Representative for the area - from his website:

We are facing some challenging times in Washington state. The Legislature must return to fiscal responsibility and sustainable budgets. I am focused on cutting through government bureaucracy, reducing state property taxes, making our communities and schools safer, and dramatically improving our transportation system, especially along the I-5 corridor, WA-9, US Route 2, SR-522 and WA-20. Finally, with our economic downturn we must encourage small business growth to strengthen our local economy and bring jobs back to our communities.

We need more people like him in office - WA State is beholden to the Seattle money interests but it has a lot more people than just those few. Our governor is a moron.

The Snohomish area is also home to this curious antenna array

Slept in this morning

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Really miss Grace - an integral component of my life. Going out for coffee and then burying her on the shop property - I would prefer have her here at the house but I have a groundwater problem necessitating installing a french drain and do not know where the excavation will need to go. Best to have her grave undisturbed.

Bear is really subdued this morning too.

Quick surf and then on with it.

  • All the democrat malarkey
  • The Wuhan Flu
  • Murder hornets
  • Rioting and murder

And now, say hello to our little friend - from the New York Post:

New Ebola outbreak reported in Congo
Authorities in Congo are reporting a new outbreak of Ebola in the western part of the African nation on Monday.

And this is just after they declared another outbreak finished. The kicker? This is 620 miles away from the previous outbreak. Congo is locked down for the Wuhan COVID. This outbreak is in a city of 1.5 million souls. Stay tuned and pray...

A wonderful Go Fund Me story:

Scores Sports Bar Mpls Rebuild
Scores Sports Bar was set for a grand opening this spring but when COVID-19 hit that was put on pause. Now, just as Scores was gearing up to welcome customers with updated guidelines from the govenor, George Floyd was murdered and everything changed overnight.

Scores Sports Bar was LOOTED, VANDALIZED and DESTROYED 5/27/2020. This black-owned business is left trying to pick up the pieces amidst mourning with the community.

About the Bar Owners: Kb Balla & his wife Twyana are active members of their community. KB is a Firefighter on the Brooklyn Center Fire Department and Twyana was a member of the Sounds of Blackness. They have a 4 beautiful children and the toll of this entire situation is heavy. KB has been a community entrepreneur for decades and coaches and contributes to the community in which they live.

Anything you can donate to start the rebuild process will be a blessing

They were hoping to raise $100,000. The current tally:

20200601-scores.jpg

There is hope for the human race after all. Just wonderful.

With each house running the air conditioner. From The Daily Beast:

Brace for Blackouts in the Summer of COVID-19
Quarantine is about to take a dark new twist.
Hot weather blackouts have long plagued neighborhoods and towns from New York to California to Texas. But now experts are warning that millions of Americans who are working from home or are unemployed—cranking their air conditioners as the temperature rises on sunny days—will only strain transmission lines and transformers further.

Energy producers and distributors are quick to point out that America’s overall power usage has plummeted since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the shuttering of large commercial and industrial buildings. But those structures usually sit on the most capacious portions of an urban electrical grid, said Yury Dvorkin, assistant professor at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. By contrast, the power infrastructure in residential areas is typically designed to accommodate heavy use in the early mornings and evenings, with hours to cool off during the day. Consumption patterns in these districts have already changed during the crisis, with demand spiking in the daytime. Overall usage is already up by an average of 7 percent in New York City apartments, and by 15 to 20 percent in homes in California. 

As the summer heat peaks, and juice-sucking air conditioners remain on through the afternoon, the risk of failure in aged transformers and other equipment increases.

Not clear how widespread but our grid is very carefully designed and built with very little spare capacity - that costs serious money. Downtown buildings feed off very large grid ties while residential (especially sub-urban and rural homes) have pretty minimal capacity. Each house may have a 200 AMP service but heaven help the neighborhood if everyone fires up their welders at the same time.

Live in a city? Read this.

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Published in 2012 and quite a long read but a good one and it outlines the need for preparedness.
Not IF, more like WHEN

By Matt Bracken writing at the Western Rifle Shooters Association

When The Music Stops – How America’s Cities May Explode In Violence
In response to recent articles in mainstream military journals discussing the use of the U.S. Army to quell insurrections on American soil, I offer an alternate vision of the future. Instead of a small town in the South as the flash point, picture instead a score of U.S. cities in the thrall of riots greater than those experienced in Los Angeles in 1965 (Watts), multiple cities in 1968 (MLK assassination), and Los Angeles again in 1992 (Rodney King). New Yorkers can imagine the 1977 blackout looting or the 1991 Crown Heights disturbance. In fact, the proximate spark of the next round of major riots in America could be any from a long list cribbed from our history.

We have seen them all before, and we shall see them all again as history rhymes along regardless of the century or the generation of humankind nominally in control of events. But the next time we are visited by widespread, large-scale urban riots, a dangerous new escalation may be triggered by a fresh vulnerability: It’s estimated that the average American home has less than two weeks of food on hand. In poor minority areas, it may be much less. What if a cascading economic crisis, even a temporary one, leads to millions of EBT (electronic benefit transfer) cards flashing nothing but ERROR? This could also be the result of deliberate sabotage by hackers, or other technical system failures. Alternatively, the government might pump endless digits into the cards in a hopeless attempt to outpace future hyperinflation. The government can order the supermarkets to honor the cards, and it can even set price controls, but history’s verdict is clear: If suppliers are paid only with worthless scrip or blinking digits, the food will stop.

Like I said, a long read and something this debilitating might never happen. But then again, it just might and fortune favors the prepared. You do not have to implement everything that Matt talks about but it is well worth 20 minutes of your time to have your brain stretched around what might be needed and for you to learn from history. Events like these have happened before and they will happen again. Again, fortune favors the prepared. The 400+ comments contain really good information as well.

George Floyd's autopsy

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You can bet that the M.E. is crossing every T and dotting every I on this one.
From Tom Lydon of KMSP-TV, in Minneapolis/St. Paul:

I am not saying that Chauvet is not 100% guilty but... One of the major symptoms of a heart attack is shortness of breath. If the officer was constricting Floyd's throat enough to suffocate him, how could someone record his cries from a cell phone 15+ feet away. He would barely have been able to whisper. Chauvet needs to be convicted of murder but Floyd was not strangled. The stress of his being arrested coupled with his drug use and an underlying heart condition was what did him in.

Good speech today

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President Trump's speechwriters are knocking them out of the park recently:

I love the line:

Mayors and governors must establish an overwhelming law enforcement presence until the violence has been quelled. If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the U.S. military and quickly solve the problem for them.

Even a Democrat mayor can see the humiliation of having to have "daddy" step in and deal with the bullies. They need to grow a pair and do this themselves. This is not a game - never was.

A screen cap of a tweet

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One word - kayfabe

20200601-fake.jpg

From My Pensive

Damn - RIP Grace

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My older shepherd Grace had been having some behavioral issues in the last couple of months and it seems that there was an underlying medical problem that I did not catch.

She was lethargic yesterday and passed away sometime during the night. Woke up about an hour ago to find her curled up near the bed and stiff with rigor. She would have been 13 this August. Taken too soon dammit - this is the one place where God really screwed up.

I have grocery deliveries this afternoon but going to start a little cemetery down here. Been digging too many graves in the last 20 years - other farm critters as well as my Mom and my Dad. It does give closure to pat the final clods of dirt over them but damn it hurts.

20161113-grace.jpg

A really good friend, much loved by many. Thank God I have Bear for company.

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