Lighting a Candle

For John, BLUF:  We should all be aware of the Miracle of Hanukkah, and fortunately, it falls during the general time of CHristmas.  This movie captures the spirit of the event. And it can be found in song.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Hanukkah on the Rocks

From IMDB.

Here is the story line:

One week before Hanukkah, corporate lawyer Tory finds herself unexpectedly unemployed and questioning the career she's dedicated years to.  As she helps her Bubby prepare for the holiday, she embarks on a quest across Chicago to find the last box of coveted Hanukkah candles.  Her search leads her to Rocky's, an Old Town bar, where she encounters Jay, a charming doctor from Florida, his grandfather Sam and a cast of quirky regulars who make her rethink everything.  Torn between keeping her job loss a secret and embracing a newfound sense of belonging, Tory ends up bartending at Rocky's, transforming it into the vibrant "Hanukkah on the Rocks" celebration.  Through festive food, drinks, and games, she revitalizes the bar, bonds with Jay, and finds the courage to pursue her true calling.  As Tory navigates the holiday, she learns that sometimes a detour can lead you exactly where you're meant to be, lighting the way to a future filled with joy, romance, and self-discovery.

I admit I was totally charmed by Actress Stacey Farber, playing the lead as recently terminated lawyer Tory.  The rest of the cast is pretty good also.

The movie is about hope and spiritual growth, as Tory and other cast members work through their early trials.  And their spiritual issues.  Thus, it is a true ovie in the spirit of Christmas.

Hanukkah is a holiday that Americans should honor.  The eight days of Hanukkah represent the period needed for ritual purification of the victorious returning Maccabee soldiers, so they could produce ritually pure oil for the Temple.  upon returning, they had found one cruse (cruit) of ritually pure oil available.  The miracle, aside from the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, was that the one day of oil lasted for seven more, so that properly ritual oil could be produced.

The Maccabees were fightong for religious, freedom to worship God as they thought right and proper.  This is a goal that all Americans should applaud and support.

Regards  —  Cliff

Kevin, alone in His Father's House

For John, BLUF:  Well, it made me think of Kevin in Home Alone.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Cycle C

Here is the Gosoel Reading (Luke 2:41-52):

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
and when he was twelve years old,
they went up according to festival custom.
After they had completed its days, as they were returning,
the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem,
but his parents did not know it.
Thinking that he was in the caravan,
they journeyed for a day
and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
but not finding him,
they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.
After three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers,
listening to them and asking them questions,
and all who heard him were astounded
at his understanding and his answers.
When his parents saw him,
they were astonished,
and his mother said to him,
“Son, why have you done this to us?
Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”
And he said to them,
“Why were you looking for me?
Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
But they did not understand what he said to them.
He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor
before God and man.

The thing I took from the Gospel was the way Jesus, alredy demonstrating knowledge of who He was and His eventual mission, still understands the importance of family and family relations.  He returns with his Parents to Nazareth "and was obedient to them."  This is a model for all families.  Members of families need to respect their place in the group and all work together to make everyone succeed.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Christmas List

For John, BLUF:  Not every movie has to be serious.  This is a movie that relaxes and entertains.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH

Here is the sub-headline:

"CHRISTMAS ROMANCE MEETS OLD HOLLYWOOD MAGIC"

From Movie Guide, by .

Here is the lede plus one:

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH on Great American Family is a delightful “Christmas romance meets Old Hollywood” spectacular.  Mario Lopez stars as Brian Ortega, a small-town mayor who revisits his childhood Christmas wish list.  He discovers a deeper meaning of Christmas and a rekindled appreciation for his community.  Meanwhile, a real estate tycoon has plans to turn the town into something more modern, trendy and corporate.  With the help of his childhood sweetheart, played by Mario’s real life wife, Courtney, the Mayor must find a way to bring in more revenue to save his special town.

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH is an unusually highly entertaining Christmas romance promoting Christmas spirit and the importance of community.  Full of dancing, singing and festive fun, it’s a holiday delight.  Great acting and choreography keep viewers clamoring for more fun.  The movie opens with schoolchildren singing the classic Christmas carol “Silent Night.”  It also has plenty of delightful singing, dancing and Christmas cheer promoting the reason for the season and celebrating love and community.  ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS WISH is a win!

I thorooughly enjoyed this movie, although I fully admit that it is corney.  It is, however, pure Christmas, with Saint Nicholas showing up in the guise of a local Santa playing helper.  The Christmas Wish List has been hidden in a wall in the back stage of the Elementary School Auditorium.  The Mayor, watching a Fourth Grade Student sing a Christmas Carol reminds him of his time in Fourth Grade and the list and why he hid it.  It was his Fourth Grade sweetheart announcing that the family was moving away that made him abandon the list.♠  When he pulled out the list he found the items on the list come to fruition.  And thus the story evolves as the list is completed.

I strongly recommend this movie as a good Christmas relaxation story.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Is there something about Fourth Grade?  The prettiest, smartest, strongest student in Fourth Grade, Susan Sawyer, moved away at the end of the school year.  Her Father had been given the job of Assisstant City Manager for Philadelphia and they had to move to the City.  Tragically, her Father died of a heart attack a short time later.  We never saw Susan again, unlike our Hero, Mayor Ortega, who gets to reacquaint with his Fourth Grade love.

A Long Trip to Bethlehem

For John, BLUF:  Be skeptical of fancy new ideas.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Fourth Sunday of Advent

Here is the sub-headline:

Cycle C

Here is the First Reading (Micah 5:1-4a):

Thus says the LORD:
You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient times.
Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time
when she who is to give birth has borne,
and the rest of his kindred shall return
to the children of Israel.
He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the LORD,
in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;
and they shall remain, for now his greatness
shall reach to the ends of the earth;v he shall be peace.

Just in time for Christmas, The Daily Mail has an article "Scientists reveal exactly where Jesus was born - and say it probably Wasn't in Bethlehem".♠ 

On the otherr hand, Bethlehem-Ephrathah fits with scripture, not just the book of Micah, but also the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 2:1-6).

Wise Men from the East Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

The Wise Men out of the East knew to come to Jerusalem, in Israel, where they inquired about the one they sought.  The priests and scribes went ot Micah and guided the Wise Men to Bethlehem, in the land of Judah.  That makes sense to me.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  I question the use of the term "Scientist" to describe the people doing this speculation.  Is this science or is it something else?  I was not convinced by the article.

His Last chance to Make Everyone Happy

For John, BLUF:  As the Biden Administratino winds down there is a question some minds as to how it will end.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away?

Here is the song:

Dan Hicks Sings It

President Joseph Robinette Biden has been in politics since 1970, and in Federal Office since 1973.  He did have a four year hiatus while Donald J Trump served his first term.

Some wondered if Cabndidate Biden running his 2020 Campaign out of his Basement was a sign that he was being hidden away.  That was viguriously denied by one and all, including by Presidential Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, including, recently, with her classic line regarding "'Cheap Fake' Videos".

REPORTER:  There seems to be a sort of a rash of videos that have been exited to make the president appear officially frail or mentally confused. I'm wondering if the White House is especially worried about the fact that this appears to be a pattern.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah, and I think you all have called this the cheap fakes video and that's exactly what they are. They are cheap fakes video, they are done in bad faith and, and some of your news organizations have been very clear, have stressed that these right-wing, the right-wing critics of the president have a credibility problem because of the fact-checkers have repeatedly caught them pushing misinformation, disinformation.

And so we see this and this is something coming from your part of the world, calling them cheap fakes and misinformation. And I'll quote the Washington Post where they wrote, they wrote about this and they said how "Republican used misleading videos to attack Biden in a 24 hour period" and to their credit, we have a conservative Washington Examiner did call them out as well, calling out the New York Post.

Ironically several recent cheap fakes actually attack the president for thanking troops -- for thanking troops. That is what they're attacking the president for, both in Normandy this happened and again in Italy, and I think that it tells you everything that we need to know about how, how desperate, how desperate Republicans are here. And instead of talking about the president's performance in office, and what I mean by that is his legislative wins, what he's been able to do for the American people across the country, we're seeing these deep fakes, these manipulated videos. And it is again done in bad faith.

This all came up for review two days ago in an article in The Wall Street Journal.  .

I believe some are asking themselves if President Biden will make it to 20 January.  His deteriorization has been slow.  Is it to a point when it could pick up speed and he could find himself undeniably incapable of czrrying on as President.  None of us should wish that on him, but it is possible.  It could happen to any of us who have reached the 82 age mark.

There is, however, another possible branch for this story.  It is possible that President Biden could step aside and allow his Vice President, Kamala Harris, to become President for the last month of this Administration.♠  I, for one, think this is a distinct possibility.  I would give it a one in three chance.  If President Biden ressigned, it would make Vice President Kamala Harris the first female President, even if it were just for a month.  It might also set a precedent as to the idea of Presidents stepping down when they find that physically or mentally they can't keep up.  A previous example could have been President Woodrow Wilson, who sufferred a stroke in October 1919, with his Wife, Edith Wilson, basically assuming the office.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  While President Biden appears to be angry with the leadership of the Democratic Party, and thus is unlikely to take actions to help out the party, his Wife, Dr Jill Biden, may well be thinking that such a move would enhance his place in history, and thus be an good thing.

Life Advice from John the Baptist

Treat People fairly.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Third Sunday of Advent—2024

Here is the sub-headline:

Cycle C

Here is the Gospel (Luke 3:10-18):

The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two cloaks
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”

Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Christ.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor
and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Exhorting them in many other ways,
he preached good news to the people.

Johm the Baptist's advice to the average Joe or Jolette is fairly straigt forward.  It is what one would expect.  Share and help your Brothers and Sisters.

What is perhaps a little surprising is his advice to government employees.  It isn't quit your job.  It is do your job properly and don't abuse your office to ripe off others.  Good advice from both a secular and a religious point of view.

Regards  —  Cliff

Ignorance in the Young

Those who don't know history are in danger of being led around by the nose by dangerous ideologues.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University

Here is the sub-headline:

At Columbia University

From 𝕏, by Eyal Yakoby, 16 December 2024, 8:17 AM.

Here is the posting on 𝕏:

Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University revealed they are "fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization."

Why are taxpayer dollars going to Columbia University when they are teaching students to take down Western civilization?

cuapartheiddivest  —  FOLLOW

• •• We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization. We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South. Our Intifada is an internationalist one-we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people. We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized.

As the fascism ingrained in the American consciousness becomes ever more explicit and irrefutable, we seek community and instruction from militants in the Global South, who have been on the frontlines in the fight against tyranny and domination which undergird the imperialist world order. "Biplob Cholbe" (Revolution must continue)

Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD)  —  "The Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary, wherever [they are], as a cause of the exploited and oppressed masses in our era." - Ghassan Kanafani.

The problem with not knowing history is that one is likely to fall for any rubbish that comes down the road.  Judging by student reactions on campus one can only assume that these students learned little history, and no economics before graduating from high school and this ignorance was not corrected in college.

It is sad.  Very Sad.

I blame Ms Randi Weingarten.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Medical Staff Avoiding the Jab

For John, BLUF:  This is about COVID Vaccinations in the United Kingdom and the British health care system, the NHS.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why NHS staff are shunning the vaccines

From The Conservative Woman, by Ms Sally Beck, 9 December 2024.

Here is the lede plus two:

NHS staff are boycotting covid and flu vaccinations while the government is busy promoting them to the public in a television and radio campaign.  Concerned by the low uptake in the health service, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has appealed to healthcare practitioners to get jabbed.  This season, only 14 per cent of NHS workers took covid jabs and only a quarter received flu vaccines.

The NHS say this is because hospital staff are busy and have no time.  Official figures tell a different story as NHS staff are taking double the days off sick post-covid vaccine rollout than they have since 2009.  Unusually, in 2020, absences rocketed in the summer months; absence is traditionally low between May and November.  Covid vaccines were offered to front-line staff from December 2020, a sharp rise in absences began in March 2021, three months into the rollout, when seasonal illness is traditionally waning.

Sick days have doubled from the baseline of 3.75 per cent to 6.75 per cent, the highest since 2009, and have not dropped back to 2019 numbers which were between 4.5 per cent and 4.75 per cent.  Even during peak pandemic months, absences ranged between 4.75 per cent in February 2020 to 6.10 per cent in May 2020.

This is just one more hit on our faith in the integrity of our health care systems.  Doctor Fauci did not increase trust in Medicine, but rather reduced it.  How long will it take to rebuilt that trust?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

SecDef Nominee

For John, BLUF:  There is a lot of opposition to many of President Elect Trump's nominations for his Cabinet,  The Republican Wets are the problem.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Here is the message:

Oilfield Rando
@Oilfield_Rando
The people who turned the US military into a social laboratory for “transgender rights”, “racial equity”, abortion advocacy and climate change want you to know that Hegseth is too dangerous to lead it because he’s a Christian

4:12 PM · Dec 7, 2024

The Department of Defense has been led by the head of GM and the head of Ford, by a US Congressman, and a variety of people with other backgrounds.  I would sugget that since I joined the Air Force, back in 1960, no one has done a great job runninng that place.  I will give credit to Secretary Robert S McNamara for bringinig in the Planning, Programming and Budget System (PPBS), but then he made a hash of the war in Viet-nam..

Given that the Pentagon's major problem is recruiting and retention of uniformed personnel, Nominee Pete Hegseth seems like a good choice.  He will, of course, have a fight from the inplace bureaucracy, but he should be able to handle that.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Penny Update

Even the lawyers get it.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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From Twitter / 𝕏, by Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley), 4 December 2024, 12:14.

Here is the Tweet:

Word from attorney in Manhattan court house today:

“Everyone with a shred of common sense about the madness surrounding crime in New York is on pins and needles, desperately hoping for an acquittal for Penny. Today, I spoke with prosecutors, clerks, court officers, and my colleagues in the defense bar. In absolute unison, they agree: this is a case that should never have seen the inside of a courtroom. G-d save Daniel Penny.”

I agree with the quoted lawyer.

Could there have been some out of touch political theater going on here?  Perhaps the Jury will enlighten us.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Crime and Response

For John, BLUF:  Reaching back in history 60 years we see a New York City indifferent to violent crime.  Now we have New York City prosecutivng someone for not showing indifference.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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37 Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police; Apathy at Stabbing of Queens Woman Shocks Inspector

From The Old Gray Lady, 27 March 1964.

Here is the lede plus one:

For more than half an hour 38 respectable, law‐abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens.

Twice the sound of their voices and the sudden glow of their bedroom Iights interrupted him and frightened him off. Each time he returned, sought her out and stabbed her again. Not one person telephoned ‐ the police during the assault; one witness called after the woman was dead.

And today someone is on trial for not showing apathy.  Former Active Duty Marine Daniel Penny is on trial for the outcome of his coming between subway passangers and a deranged man.  The outcome ended up being the death of the man threatening passangers, Mr Jordan Neely.

Jurors Set to Weigh Penny’s Fate in Choking Case That Divided New York Prosecutors in Daniel Penny’s manslaughter trial finished closing arguments Tuesday.

The trial has touched on fears about crime and the city’s failure to help its most troubled residents.

It turns out that Mr Neely was not only having emotional problems, but he was physically in poor shape.  As a result, he died from being restrained by Mr Penny.

Unlike the neighbors of Ms Kitty Genovese, who ignored her murder while it was in progress,♠ Mr Penny acted like a stand-up guy.  The outcome of the jury decision may determine if we have more stand-up guys, or gals, or not.

In the mean time, the real culprit is the City and State of New York for not having the needed mental health facilities and the laws that would allow people like Mr Neely to be hospitalized and treated.  This was an unnecessaqrry death.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Subsequent reporting suggests the origiinal headline is an exageration of the indifference of the neighbors, but the fact is that there was no Daniel Penny to stand betwee Ms Kitty Genovese and her attacker.

Disinformation Again?

For John, BLUF:  It is That City, so who knows what to trust coming out beyond the Beltway?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Pardon Me

Here is the sub-headline:

There are two sides to Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter ... and lots of shades of gray

From Truth and Consequences, by Political Analyst Michael A Cohen, 2 D3cember 2024.

Here is the lede plus two:

So this is a tricky one.

It’s tough to defend Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter on the merits. Biden has used his absolute pardon power to grant a reprieve to his son, who earlier this year was convicted of lying on a gun application and pleaded guilty to a series of tax evasion charges. Even if the president believes, as he claims, that the criminal justice system mistreated his son, the fact is Hunter Biden committed multiple felonies — and a jury of his peers found him guilty.

And Biden’s pardon went beyond these two cases — he issued a sweeping pardon that covers any criminal behavior by Hunter Biden dating back to 2014.

I am not believing this "Biden pardons Hunter" story.  President Biden has assured us he would not pardon his Son, Hunter Biden.   He gave his word as a Biden.  His Press Secretary, Ms Karine Jean-Pierre, assured us President Biden would not pardon his Son.

Might not this be another case of Disinformation, like The New York Post article on the alleged Hunter Biden Laptop?  Fifty-one Intel Leaders assured us the laptop srory actually had all the earmarks of Russian disinformation.

Wold Presidet Biden betray us that way?  Remember, he promised to bring us together

Hat tip to Speech Boy.

Regards  —  Cliff

Be Ready

For John, BLUF:  A good start to Advent.  We get a look beyond Christmas, to the Second Coming.

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First Sunday of Advent

Here is the Gospel for this First Sunday in Advent (Luke 21:25-28, 34-36):

Jesus said to his disciples:
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,
and on earth nations will be in dismay,
perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will die of fright
in anticipation of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand.

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

HThere is an end, accompanied by a new beginning.  We are advised to be aware and prepared.

Regards  —  Cliff

Greta Cringes

For John, BLUF:  Science is slowly emerging from a period of suppression.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Scientists Officially Declare End of ‘Climate Emergency’ During Prague Climate Conference

Here is the sub-headline:

Climate Intelligence Group (Clintel) “calls upon the entire scientific community to cease and desist from its persecution of scientists and researchers who disagree with the current official narrative.”

From Legal Insurrection, by Leslie Eastman, Monday, 25 November 2024 at 10:00am.

Here is the lede plus six:

Legal Insurrection readers will recall that in my post on the United Nations climate conference in Azerbaijan this week, its president boldly declared that oil and gas were a ‘gift from God’.

The eco-activists attending the event were enraged.

The climate cultists will likely be working themselves up into even more hysteria because of another climate conference that occurred mid-November in the Czech Republic city of Prague.

The Czech division of the International Climate Intelligence Group (Clintel) organized a two-day climate conference in Prague on November 12-13, 2024, where climate scientists declared that the “climate emergency” is over. The conference concluded with a communiqué drafted by the participating scientists and researchers that targeted the climate hysteria promoted by the United Nations body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

‘The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which excludes participants and published papers disagreeing with its narrative, fails to comply with its own error-reporting protocol and draws conclusions some of which are dishonest, should be forthwith dismantled.’

This declaration supports the conclusions of the major Clintel report, The Frozen Climate Views of the IPCC.

Moreover, the scientists at the conference declared that even if all nations moved straight to net zero emissions, by the 2050 target date the world would be only about 0.1 C cooler than with no emissions reduction.

Later the article says:

The declaration has 18 different point referencing climate science and facts that counter the narratives being pushed by the IPCC and those who want to push their green agendas. I have listed the first six below (which should be familiar to Legal Insurrection readers); there remainder can be found in the copy of the declaration.

Here are the first three:

1. The modest increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide that has taken place since the end of the Little Ice Age has been net-beneficial to humanity.
2. Foreseeable future increases in greenhouse gases in the air will probably also prove net-beneficial.
3. The rate and amplitude of global warming have been and will continue to be appreciably less than climate scientists have long predicted.

Ms Greta Thunberg must be appoplectic.  This is a direct confrontation with those who believe climate change is real.

Science has alwys been the fight of insurrectionists against the establishment, even when the establishment thought of itself as "science".  We have only to look at Dr Fsauci and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases fighting agaist the Great Barrington Declaration.♠  And, now, climate change.  I am so old I can remember when the big fear was global cooling.

As this chart shows, COVID did not hit every nation the same.  And, Sweden, with a different approach, did better than the United States, with it svaccines and lockdowns.

For it to be science, there must be a free exchange of ideas, with each side getting a chance to make a fair presentation of its ideas.  The use of ipse dixit is not science.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  In the US the Federal Government, comfortable in its assessment of the situation, worked to suppress alternative idea, thus suppressing the scientific method.

Returning Home

For John, BLUF:  God will return His People to their land.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

From , by .

Here is the Reading, Jeremiah 31:7-9:

Thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
    exult at the head of the nations;
    proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
    the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them back
    from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the world,
    with the blind and the lame in their midst,
the mothers and those with child;
    they shall return as an immense throng.
They departed in tears,
    but I will console them and guide them;
I will lead them to brooks of water,
    on a level road, so that none shall stumble.
For I am a father to Israel,
    Ephraim is my first-born.

Ephraim?  Who is Ephraim?  He is, per the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph ben Jacob and Asenath, as well as the adopted son of his biological grandfather Jacob, making him the progenitor of the Tribe of Ephraim.

The point of the reading is that God will console the exiles of Israel, and will return them to their ancesteral lands.  Thus, the Jews returning to the Holy Land and forming the nation of Israel.  I, for one, would not wish to get in God's way in this matter.

But, as Father Mark Jette, down in Conneticutt, pointed out in an EMail, the Gospel (Mark 10:46-52) has a powerful lesson.  Blind Bartimaeus, upon hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was approaching, cried out "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me".  This is basically the Jesus Prayer.  It is short (3 Seconds) and yet powerful.  Invoking this short prayer is an effective way to orient the moment on God.

Regards  —  Cliff

How You Score DJT

For John, BLUF:  Is this the "October Surprise" of the 2024 Election Season?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trump's former chief of staff called him a 'fascist.' Harris is campaigning on that

From NPR, by Reporter Ximena Bustillo, 23 October 2024, 1:53 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus two:

Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, who was former President Donald Trump‘s longest-serving chief of staff, called Trump’s leadership style “dictatorial,” “fascist” and lacking empathy in new interviews this week.

Now Vice President Harris — who is trying to peel off moderate Republican voters and independents in key swing states — is seizing on those warnings to bolster her argument that her opponent is a threat to democracy and too dangerous to hold the office.

Trump has made more than 100 threats to prosecute or punish perceived enemies "So the bottom line is this, we know what Donald Trump wants — he wants unchecked power. The question, in 13 days, will be what do the American people want?" Harris said, referring to Election Day on Nov. 5.

I want to switch this up because I am not sure I understand how Progressives view “fascism”. I distinctly remember some woman being interviewed on NPR saying, about Mao, and the Great Leap Forward, that to "Make an Omlet you have to break some eggs."  Really?

Anyway, I ask each of you to tell me where, on this spectrum, you put Candidate Donald J Trump in terms of his fascism.

1. Woodrow Wilson (New Jersey)
2. António Salazar (Portugal)
3. Francisco Franco (Spain)
4. Benito Mussolini (Italy)
5. Adolf Hitler (Germany)
6. Joseph Stalin (Russia)
7. Mao Zedung (China)
8. Pol Pot (Cambodia)

In thinking about this, keep in mind that in Italy Carlo Levi survived WWII to write a book, but, in the Netherlands Anne Frank did not survive WWII, to allow her to edit her diaries.  The Ukrainians probably have yet to forgive Russia for the Holodomor.  While I have forgiven The Old Gray Lady and Walter Duranty and the Pulitzer Panel for lying about it, I haven't forgotten their failures.

Anyway, give DJT a score.  A score with a decimal fraction is fine.  For instances, my score for Candidate Trump is 0.8.

Then ask yourself where you would put Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.  Think especially about their views on freedom of speech (First Amendment) and the right of People to be wrong.

Exit Question:  If, as I would assert, Joseph Stalin was worse than Adolf Hitler, does that make his Left Wing Government more right wing than Nazism?

Regards  —  Cliff

Dems Call DJT a Fascist

For John, BLUF:  I am going to blame high school history teachiing for the false belief that Donald Trump is a Fascist.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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My Middle Brother, who is a Progressive, sent me this article

Harris and Democrats Lose Their Reluctance to Call Trump a Fascist

Here is the sub-headline:

Since Gen. Mark Milley was quoted as saying Donald Trump is “fascist to the core,” a term avoided by top members of the Democratic Party is suddenly everywhere.

From The Old Gray Lady, by Jonathan Weisman, 17 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus six:

The word “fascist” has hovered around former President Donald J. Trump from the moment he rode down his golden escalator in 2015 to warn of Mexican rapists and drug dealers in the memorable opening of his bid for president. But for most top Democrats, it was a provocative term loaded with dread, historical import and potential incitement — best left unsaid.

Until Vice President Kamala Harris this week made clear — again and again — that it would be just fine with her to use the word.

On Tuesday, as the radio host Charlamagne Tha God interviewed Ms. Harris, he interjected as the vice president contrasted her vision with her rival’s. “The other is about fascism,” he said of Mr. Trump’s vision. “Why can’t we just say it?”

Ms. Harris’s response: “Yes, we can say that.”

On Wednesday, speaking in Washington Crossing, Pa., Ms. Harris quoted Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Mr. Trump, describing his former boss as “fascist to the core,” as detailed in a new book from the journalist Bob Woodward.

“America,” she said, “must heed this warning.”

The quotation of Mr. Milley may have opened the floodgates for Democrats, granting new permission with the authority of his uniform and his unique closeness to the inner workings of Mr. Trump’s administration. But an element of political risk remains, even as Mr. Trump freely uses the word himself against Ms. Harris.

As an aside, one wonders if General Milley is sort of a Paronist.

But, since we are crediting General Milley with opening up the use of the word fascist, via Reporter Bob Woodward's book, War, we need to ask what it means.  I expect that to most Americans the term fascist conjurs up the image of German Fuehrer Adoph Hitler.  I think that is wrong.  Fascist comes from Italian leader Benito Musolinni, Il Duce.  He was a former Communist, looking for a new system.  This was parallel to Adolph Hitler creating a new approach for Germany, National Socialism.  While Wikipedia says "Nazism is a form of fascism", I am doubtful that Adolph Hitler was modeling his party on what was happening in Italy at the same time.  I doubt that Hitler saw Musolinni as an influencer.

It would seem that those who followed in the fascist path are Spain (Francisco Franco) and Portugal (António de Oliveira Salazar).

Yes, Benito Musolinni was a bad guy, but he was no Hitler.  Remember that Carlo Levi, a Jewish Italian Physician and Painter, lived through the war to write Christ Stopped at Eboli.  We know that Anne Frank, a Jewish teen in German occupied Holland, did not live to edit her diaries.

So, does General Milley think that Trump models himself after Musollini or after Hitler?

Yet, there are others in the Twentieth Century who might have been worse than Hitler.  I am thinking of Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union), Mao Zedung (China), Pol Pot (Cambodia) and the Kim Family (North Korea).  Each has been ruthless and each has killed a higher percentage of its Citizens.  And yet we tend to shy away from examining the evil in those four leaders and from using them as standards of evil by comparison.  A prime example is Reporter Walter Duranty, who won a Pulitzer Prize while reporting for The New York Times on the Soviet Union and the Holodomor.

In fact, it appears sometimes that Progresssives make space for such evil.  I remember, about a decade or so ago, sitting in the parking lot of the Raytheon Facility in Sudbury, Massachusetts and listening to a woman on NPR talking about Mao's Great Leap Forward, "That to make an omlet you had to break some eggs."  wikipedia has a low estimate of 15 million dead, with a high of 55 million.  Elsewhere I have heard the number 100 milliion dead.

When someone claims Candidate Donald Trump is a fascist it tells me more about the speaker than it does about Donald J Trump.

Regards  —  Cliff

Blame it on Russia

For John, BLUF:  It appeas that Russian interference in domestic politics is not going away and is not limited to the United States.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Not that Russia doesn't deserve a lot of criticism, but still, there are limits to the evil responsibilities of President V Putin.

Trudeau accuses Jordan Peterson and Tucker Carlson of being funded by Russia

From True North Wire, by Reporter Clayton DeMaine, 17 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus one:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Canadian author and psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson, as well as American media personality Tucker Carlson, of being funded by Russia without providing any evidence to substantiate his claims.

While testifying at the ongoing foreign interference inquiry on Wednesday, Justin Trudeau accused the two conservative media personalities of being on the Russian payroll.

Prime Minister Trudeau was even asked if there was a connectino between Russia and the Freedom Convoy in 2022, durihng the COVID-19 outbreak.  There appears to be none, but I am sure the Prime Minister would like to be able to point to one, since it was a thorn in his side

I have not been a close follower of Canadian politics since Blogger Ed Morrissey switched from Captain's Cabin as his blog location, but I do think Prime Ministeer Trudeau fis may be in a bit of trouble, politically.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Restricting Space Travel

For John, BLUF:  This is over a month old, but the story has not gotten better with time and now SpaceX has sued the California Coastal Commission over obstruction based on Mr Musk's political views.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Biden Admin to SpaceX:  Drop Dead!

From Vodka Pundit, by Stephen Green, September 11, 2024, 10:00 AM.

Here is the lede plus three:

It isn't a joke whenever I say that the new space race is Elon Musk versus the rest of the world, and I'm not joking now when I tell you that his company's biggest competitor isn't China — and it certainly isn't Russia — but the Biden-Harris FAA.

SpaceX's Starship promises to revolutionize spaceflight by reducing launch costs by two orders of magnitude — that's a 99% savings — and vastly expanding current limits on the size and mass of what can be lifted into orbit and deep space.

If SpaceX can get permission to perform the necessary flight tests, that is — and the FAA is dragging its feet.

"Starships are meant to fly," the company reminded the Biden administration in a lengthy statement released on Tuesday. "We recently received a launch license date estimate of late November from the FAA, the government agency responsible for licensing Starship flight tests. This is a more than two-month delay to the previously communicated date of mid-September. This delay was not based on a new safety concern, but instead driven by superfluous environmental analysis."

"Starships are meant to fly."  That is correct.  There is, however, an apparent tension between our free enterpise approach of exploring space and the desire of progressives to protect the environment by constraining free lance exploration that damages our enviroment and could damage enviornments on other worlds.

My sense is that a cheap trick now will cost us later.  We need to let ingenuity roam free and count on self interest to ensure we do not act, in the long run, in stupid ways.  Early constraints on such exploration is reminiscent of China in 1405 to 1433, which had conducted seven voages by its treasure fleet, only to back away from it all and eventually fall into a period of decline, finally pulling out recently.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Trudeau in Trouble?

For John, BLUF:  There is political trouble in the always polite neighbor to our north.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Some Liberal MPs are mounting a new effort to oust Justin Trudeau

Here is the sub-headline:

MPs were pulled into meetings across Parliament Hill this week to sign a pledge demanding change at the top

From Canadian Broadcastting Corporation, by David Cochrane, John Paul Tasker, Catherine Cullen, 11 October 2024, 8:00 PM EDT.

Here is the lede plus four:

Pressure is building on the prime minister and his office as a growing number of anxious Liberal MPs are co-ordinating efforts to force Justin Trudeau to step down as Liberal Party leader, multiple sources have told CBC News.

Disgruntled Liberal MPs held a series of meetings to discuss a path forward for the party since the surprising Toronto-St. Paul's byelection loss in June.

Those talks accelerated with Parliament's return and the Montreal byelection loss. They escalated further this week with the prime minister and his chief of staff, Katie Telford, out of the country for a summit in Asia.

Some MPs are being asked to sign their names to what amounts to a pledge to stand together in calling for Trudeau to resign, multiple sources said.

The document isn't a letter to be circulated; sources describe it as a vehicle to secure a commitment from MPs to seek a leadership change, and to bind the MPs to that goal if the prime minister and his supporters push back.

If the Canadians are finally seeing the problem with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, surely American Votrs will be able to see the problems ahead with a Harris/Walz Administration.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Musk Frustrated in the Golden State

For John, BLUF:  California Bureaucrats are acting to strangle Mr Elon Musk's ingenuity and initiative.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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California officials reject more SpaceX rocket launches, with some citing Musk's X posts

From The Los Angeles Times, by 11 October 2024 at 2:35 PM.

Here is the lede plus five:

SpaceX's plans to launch more rockets from the California coast were rejected by a state commission this week, with some officials citing Elon Musk's political posts on X and raising concerns about the billionaire's labor record at his companies.

The plan to increase the number of rocket blasts into space up to 50 a year was rejected by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday despite assurances from Space Force and Air Force officials that they would increase efforts to monitor the effects that rocket launches have on nearby wildlife.

The military also vowed to mitigate the reach of sonic booms that often span across 100 miles of coastline, an issue that has caused controversy.

Members of the California Coastal Commission commended Space Force and Air Force representatives for reaching an agreement, but some cited their concerns about Musk, the owner of SpaceX, before rejecting the plan.

Among the issues raised were Musk's decision to insert himself in the presidential race, his spreading of conspiracy theories, the labor record of his companies and derogatory comments he has made about the transgender community.

"We're dealing with a company, the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race," commission Chair Caryl Hart said.

We are talking about shutting down an operation that just recaptured a first stage back onto a gantry, ready to refuel and relaunch.  For the first time.

Is there any question about why firms are leaving California?

This kind of action in California adds to the swirl around if the Federal Government is out to get Mr Elon Musk.  I hope this is just internet misunderstandings.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Relook at Voting History

For John, BLUF:  An interesting dive into history that looks at a big political myth.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Goldwater landslide myth

Here is the sub-headline:

Alabama political columnist needs a history lesson

From Don Surber Substack, by Reporter Don Surber, 15 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus ten:

It’s that time in the presidential election year when lazy journalists roll out their frightening fairy story about Nixon’s southern strategy. The fable is meant to portray Republicans as racists. It is of course a lie but it goes like this, as reported by Steve Flowers whose weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature.

He wrote:

Lyndon Johnson was the Democrat nominee for president. Johnson carried 44 states and won the presidency by a landslide. Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona carried only his home state and the five deep south states, including Alabama. Goldwater carried Alabama overwhelmingly, thus the label given to the Republican victory in the south was ironically the Goldwater Landslide.

The so-called “Solid South” had been Democratic more out of tradition and protocol than philosophy. Both national parties took the south for granted in national elections. The Democrats ignored us because we were in the barn and the Republicans ignored us for the same reason.

The 1964 election was the turning point when the deep south states voted for Barry Goldwater. The south has never looked back. It was the race issue that won them over. Goldwater and the Republican party captured the race issue.

Let us look at the facts.

Goldwater was one of only 6 Republican senators who opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The other 27 voted for the act — clearly a higher percentage of the support than the Democrats who split 44-23 on passage of the law. The two-thirds majority was necessary to overcome a Democrat filibuster.

Goldwater indeed carried 5 of the 11 Confederate states with his stand against civil rights. Four years later, Nixon too carried 5 of the 11 Confederate states.

None of them, however, were the 5 states Goldwater carried. Those five states all went to a Democrat which shows that if Nixon had a Southern strategy of wrangling klansmen into the Republican Party, he failed miserably.

For example, Goldwater received 87% of the vote in Mississippi in 1964. Four years later, Nixon received less than 14% of the vote in that state.

Of course, Nixon had no such designs on the South. He was an ardent supporter of civil rights as vice president and therefore, President of the Senate.

This is different from how the "Nixon Southern Strategy" is normally portrayed.

It should be pointed out that the Candidacy of Alabama Governor George Wallace iin 1968 impacted who got which Elecoral College votes.

This year we are seeing such blocks breaking up as votes look to issues rather than to racial groups.

Regards  —  Cliff

Reason for Large Illegal Immigration

For John, BLUF:  The Department of Homeland Security has a problem with putting out a coherent story that sells across the fruited plain.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Trust Me, We Would NEVER Do That, Says Mayorkas to Disbelieving Americans

From PJ Media, by Reporter Victoria Taft, 14 October 2024, 9:18 AM.

Here is the lede plus six:

Alejandro Mayorkas, the impeached Department of Homeland Security Secretary, wants you to know that he's vewy, vewy angwy that people would dare say that the reason he, Border Czar Kamala Harris, and President Joe Biden, have opened the borders to a marauding horde of millions of illegal aliens is to import new Democrat voters.

That's just "disinformation," he said on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday morning, with just a tad too much-feigned disbelief in his voice.

Mayorkas told Margaret Brennan that these kinds of stories combined with the concerns over helping North Carolina hurricane victims vote this election have caused Americans to "lose confidence in the integrity of the election system, and we need people in positions of authority to actually communicate accurate information to the voting public."

Getting "accurate information" would be a refreshing change, wouldn't it?

But this was my favorite line from Mayorkas. Make sure you're not eating or drinking anything while you read on.

"The notion that we in law enforcement have sought to intentionally allow individuals to cross the border illegally for the purpose of voting is preposterous, and everyone should condemn that rhetoric," he solemnly told Brennan. "Everyone, regardless of party affiliation."

That's right. It's not his contemptible behavior that begs explanation, it's our daring to ask the question that's the problem.

So, can we say that the flood of illegal immigrants is due to incompetence on the part of the Bush Administration?  Or, are they tryihng to compensate for all those childless cat ladies?  Maybe it has to do with fertility collapse.

Fertility has collapsed worldwide owing to female empowerment, urbanization, economic insecurity and climate concerns. "Peak humanity" is upon us – and that's before we factor in another pandemic or accelerating climate disasters.

Yes, we need more immigration in the United States.♠  However, we need to do it the right way.  The Senator Schumer supported Immigration Reform Bill is not the right way.  For one thing, it allows for 1.82 milllion illegal immigrants a year before actions kick in, if they are not waived by the Administration.  Really?  Just go with the House Bill they have been suppressing.  Hypocrits all the way down.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠ 

Getting the News

For John, BLUF:  Back in the day we believed that there was objectivity in our news sources, the days of Yellow Journalism having passed.  No more.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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CBS and Objectivity

From Chicago Boyz, by Mike, 10 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus four:

CBS has had an interesting week. First there was the interview of Ta-Nehisi Coates by “CBS This Morning” co-anchor Tony Dokoupil regarding Coates’ book “The Message.” Dokoupil treated Coates well, like a Republican, in that he asked some pointed questions about Coates’ book; his claim Israel was a white supremacist ethnostate akin to the Jim Crow South, that he treated Palestinians exclusively as victims without agency, and that he failed to state how Israel was surrounded by enemies pledged to destroy it.

Tough, but civil…. and then all heck broke loose

Apparently the morning show staff was so traumatized by the interview that CBS held a struggle session the next day. One of the criticisms that was hurled at Dokoupil was that he ignored the “one-sheet:”

”…the network went through its standard protocol of vetting questions through its legal, standards, and race and culture departments. The properly vetted questions were then included on what’s known as a ‘one-sheet,’ from which everyone within the show works.”

It’s standard protocol to vet questions through a race and culture department?

Mike seems to think that CBS is a fraud in terms of being an objective news organization.  For example, he calls out one of my big concerns:

The first is the standard DEI mantra of equating a certain percentage of racial/gender/LGBT+ identities in their newsroom with a diversity of viewpoints.

It is a little sad that we need to filter our news, looking for inherent biases that might distort what we are learning.  It is even sadder that there are people working in such organizations who have to filter what they say or write in order to conform to some socially constricting standards impose by identity politics.

It is incumbent on all of us to widen our news souorces and do the tear and compare of what we are hearing, so we can be better voters and citizens.

Regards  —  Cliff

You Still Have to Govern

Blog Template.
Winning an election is only the first step.  Then you must govern.  It appears the aparliamentary Labour Party og Greak abritain was not prepared for this second step.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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LABOUR DITCHES 100 DAY CELEBRATION

Here is the sub-headline:

NO PLANS FOR CELEBRATION OF DISASTROUS FIRST 100 DAYS OF LABOUR

From Order Order, by Guido Fawkes, 11 October 2024, 12:26.

Here is the lede plus one:

No 10 has just confirmed at today’s Lobby briefing that there are no plans to hold a celebration to mark 100 days of government.  Starmer will be holed up in Downing Street this weekend working on his “reset”…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has run into a number of issues since moving to No 10 Downing Street.  Among them is a major popularity crash.  Not that the Tories (Conservatives) have managed to get their act together .

The best of British Luck to our cousins across the pond.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

24/7

For John, BLUF:  I am impressed that Waffle House provides greaat waffles 24/7, and works to do it under all conditions.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Yes, Waffle House really has a storm center

Here is the sub-headline:

Waffle House has a reputation for not only staying open 24/7, 365 days a year, but also for its disaster response. Here’s what we can VERIFY about its storm center.

From Verify This, by Author Erin Jones, 5:29 PM EDT, 9 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus one:

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday, Oct. 9.

On Oct. 8, an X post with over 2.6 million views claimed Waffle House, a popular restaurant chain with more than 1,900 restaurants in 25 states, set up a storm center ahead of Milton.

“Waffle House has a Storm Center with an entire operations team that is so good at their job they assist FEMA during hurricanes,” the post said.

Many people who commented on the post questioned if Waffle House really has a storm center.

Yes, Waffle House has a storm center and it works to keep its resturants open or to get them back up and runnihng, even if with a limited menu and on temporary power.

Excellent food and excellent serice, 24/7.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Ignorant Students

For John, BLUF:  Asw a college graduate I am embarrassed at the way students at Columbia University, and elsewhere, are acting toward Israel and their Jewish Classmates.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Columbia's Student Protesters Really Have Embraced Hamas

From Hot Air, by Opinionator John Sexton, 8:40 PM, 10 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus seven:

I touched on this earlier this week when Columbia's anti-Israel group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), held a walkout/protest on the anniversary of 10/7, but I think it probably deserves more attention.

You may remember this guy, Khymani James, one of the student organizers at Columbia who made news earlier this year when a video circulated of him saying, "Zionists, along with all white supremacists, need to not exist." He added, "Be glad, be grateful that I'm not just going out and murdering Zionists."

After this made news in April, James was suspended and CUAD put out a statement, apparently from James himself, apologizing for his comments.

“CUAD and the Gaza Solidarity Encampment have made clear that my words in January, prior to my involvement in CUAD, are not in line with the CUAD community guidelines. I agree with their assessment,” the apology read. “Those words do not represent CUAD. They also do not represent me.”

This week, CUAD reversed course, not only saying it regretted its earlier statement but making it plain that the group supports violence, i.e. it supports Hamas.

The pro-Palestinian group that sparked the student encampment movement at Columbia University in response to the Israel-Hamas war is becoming more hard-line in its rhetoric, openly supporting militant groups fighting Israel and rescinding an apology it made after one of its members said the school was lucky he wasn’t out killing Zionists.

“We support liberation by any means necessary, including armed resistance,” the group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, said in its statement revoking the apology.

The group marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by distributing a newspaper with a headline that used Hamas’s name for it: “One Year Since Al-Aqsa Flood, Revolution Until Victory,” it read, over a picture of Hamas fighters breaching the security fence to Israel. And the group posted an essay calling the attack a “moral, military and political victory” and quoting Ismail Haniyeh, the assassinated former political leader of Hamas.

One wonders what is happening at Columbia University.  From a cultural point of view there students seem to have slipped away from American, into some new grouping.  It is one thing to be against Zionism, or evewn the return of Jews to their ancesteral home, now Israel.  It is another to call for killing of Zionists.

Further, the student protestors seem to not give a fig for the 7 million Israelis.  What is to become of them.&nsp; To not care about them is to betray the progress our Western Culture has made in accepance of Jews.  It would be like the United States standing by and saying nothing as Liberia was buldozed into the Atlantic Ocean.  Morally unacceptable.

There is no doubt we need peace in the Middle East.  To get there e need to recognize the underlying animosity of Iran toward israel and the United States.  Not Irran as a whole, but the Mullahs of Iran, from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on down.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Compare and Contrast

For John, BLUF:  Not all Parishes are the same, but it is the smae Mass and same Communion; the sme Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church

Last weekend I Celebrated Mass in a different location:

THERE—As I walked in there was holy water for me to bless myself.
HERE—Not so much

THERE—Processioning down in front of the Celebrant was an Altar Server with the Cross and seventeen other Altar Servers.
HERE—Not so much

THERE—Two Readers, one for each of the first two readings.
HERE—One person for both plus the Psalm.

THERE—There were nealers for those receiving Communion who wished to use them.
HERE—What, kneeling to receive?

THERE—Three Priests distributed Communion.
HERE—Praise God for our Lay Euchristic Ministers.

THERE—Just after Mass started the Deacon had to duck into the back to get a replacement microphone set.
HERE—Mics seem iffy.

Regards  —  Cliff

Register Your Chickens

For John, BLUF:  The British Government has gone overboard in its fight against avian flue by registering every owner of a chicken in England.  It has not gone well.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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As God Is My Witness, I Thought Roasted Chickens Could Fly

From VodkaPundit, by Blogger Stephen Green, 10:15 AM on 8 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus five:

Ordinary people need to enjoy a little taste of rebellion against their oppressors now and then, particularly when it comes in the form of a delicious roasted chicken. But there's something I need to get off my chest before we get to Britain's tawdry tale of chicken registrations and crashed government websites.

Watching the once-Great Britain slowly slide into soft totalitarianism has been a great disappointment. It's virtually impossible to do anything in the UK any longer without being surveilled on video, audited, indexed, reported to the authorities, or jailed for silently praying. You can't own a pistol, and they've considered banning knives. You'll be hounded or stabbed by Islamic colonizers or beaten with reeds for using the incorrect imaginary personal pronouns.

I made up the part about the reeds. But Britain's Labour government has considered making it a hate crime punishable by up to two years in jail for purposely using the "wrong" pronouns.

All this is from the people who invented the English liberty that evolved here into American exceptionalism.

True, it's sad, but glimmers of Ye Olde English Liberty remain.

Following a 2021 outbreak of avian flu that resulted in millions of culled birds, the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) was placed in charge of new registration requirements for chickens.

I was beginninhg to have my doubts about Vera Lynn and her singing There Will Always be an England:

There'll always be an England
And England shall be free
If England means as much to you
As England means to me

I am not English.  I am an American.  But, both. physically and politcally I am a descendent of England,  Thus, this gives me hope.  This tells me there are people in Merry Old England who still believe in individual freedom and who are willing to tweek the nose of oppressive government.

The point is that if you have just one chicken, even for a pet — and I won't judge you, I swear — as of Oct. 1, you have to register your bird with DEFRA. (I swear I keep reading that as "DERPA.")

This is when Britons have finally said, "Enough!" because pranksters hit the registration page so hard last week that they crashed it.

The prank registrations aren't limited to Tesco roasted chickens. Some people have reportedly registered rubber chickens and even chicken nuggets.

As of this writing, one week later, the website is still "unavailable due to technical issues."

Good on you People of England.  Good on you for standing up to petty bureaucrats who would crush the idea of individual freedom.  Good laws make everyone safer and happier.  However, oppressive petty restrictions are the bane of freedom and democracy.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

China's Economy

For John, BLUF:  The economy in China is being kept moving by stimulations.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Did Democrats Take Control of China?

From VodkaPundit, by Blogger Stephen Green, 8:45 AM on 8 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus four:

Obamanomics — borrowed from FDR and since resurrected as Bidenomics — was the fine art of taking an economy that had been knocked on its back, firmly stepping on its throat with the jackboot of regulation, and bashing it repeatedly on the head with a giant sackful of money while shouting, "WHY WON'T YOU DO ANYTHING?"

While we're just four weeks out from learning whether Obamanomics will be rebranded once more as Kamalanomics, our friends in Communist China are learning the hard way what it's like to be ruled by truly ambitious Democrats. Or Communists. It's all so confusing sometimes.

The point is that China's massive economy has been flat on its back for a while now, thanks in no small part to strongman Xi Jinping's determination to restore Communist control. His severe COVID lockdowns only made things worse, convincing consumers that they'd better stuff all their money under the proverbial mattress.

This is where classic New Deal/Obamanomics comes in.

The New York Times breathlessly reported Monday that "China’s Policy Reversal Sparks ‘Mind Boggling’ Stock Rally." The report opened with, "Just a few weeks ago, many investors in China’s stock markets were ready to give up and eager to sell. Then late last month, traders rushed in to make bullish bets after the government’s leaders announced a series of steps to stimulate China’s faltering economy."

Then it fell and more stimulation is needed.

Is it possible that the economy in China is like the economy under Bidenomics?  At many levels no, but at some yes.  China is caught in an effort to be a capitalist society with Communist characteristics.  Perhaps the question is, how much freedom do people need to make a capitalist systaem work?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Happy 5785

For John, BLUF:  Today, 3 October, is the beginning of the new Jewish Year, Rosh Hashanah.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Rosh Hashanah

Here is a Wikipedia explanation:

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day observance and celebration that begins on the first day of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year. In contrast to the ecclesiastical lunar new year on the first day of the first month Nisan, the spring Passover month which marks Israel's exodus from Egypt, Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the civil year, according to the teachings of Judaism, and is the traditional anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman according to the Hebrew Bible, as well as the initiation of humanity's role in God's world.

Happy New Year and a better year in 5785.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Spirit Falls

For John, BLUF:  The Holy Spirit falls far and wide.  As Christians we should be open to what the Spirit wishes to empower us for.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

First Reading (Numbers 11:25-29):

The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses.
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses,
the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders;
and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.

Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad,
were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp.
They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent;
yet the spirit came to rest on them also,
and they prophesied in the camp.
So, when a young man quickly told Moses,
"Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp, "
Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses' aide, said,
"Moses, my lord, stop them."
But Moses answered him,
"Are you jealous for my sake?
Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets!
Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!"

I think this is an importnt passage from the Old Testament, about the new Christian church.  Saint Paul lists the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as (1 Corinthins 12, Douay-Rheims):

8 To one indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom: and to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
9 To another, faith in the same spirit; to another, the grace of healing in one Spirit;
10 To another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, diverse kinds of tongues; to another, interpretation of speeches.
11 But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as he will.

So the 72, including Eldad and Medad, received, from the Spirit, the gift of prophecy, just as Saint Paul tells us, Christians who received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit may receive, amongat several gifts, the gift of prophecy.  Thus, as one should expect, there is continuity between the Old and New Testament.

And the infilling of the Holy Spirit is something each Christian should strive for.  And they shoould be open to exercising the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Regards  —  Cliff

A Fuzzy Picture

The Democrats in Congress often have a hard time supporting our Middle East ally, Israel.  And,they have no solutions to bring peace for all.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Ocasio-Cortez nailed with online backlash after bizarre response to pager attack on Hezbollah

Here is the sub-headline:

The congresswoman demanded to know if the US had any hand in the attack.

From The Blaze, by BLAZE NEWS, 18 September 2024.

Here is the lede plus three:

Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York offered a bizarre response to the astounding pager attack on members of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

While many praised the ingenuity and precision of the attack on the terror group, Ocasio-Cortez issued a demand for assurance that the U.S. didn't provide any assistance to the operation.

"Israel’s pager attack in Lebanon detonated thousands of handheld devices across of a slew of public spaces, seriously injuring and killing innocent civilians," she wrote in a post on social media.

"This attack clearly and unequivocally violates international humanitarian law and undermines US efforts to prevent a wider conflict," Ocasio-Cortez added. "Congress needs a full accounting of the attack, including an answer from the State Department as to whether any US assistance went into the development or deployment of this technology."

Were civilians injured or killed in this event?  I am sure there were.  But, how?  The carelessness of the Hezbollah targets, the "soldiers" of a terrorist organization?  Likely.  Say a Hezbollah terrorist giving his pager to a young neice to play with.  Being careless often has consequences.

I suspect Representative Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is just looking for reasons to whinge against Israel.  I wonder if she is one of those "river to the sea" types, who has no ideas what to do with eight million Israelis who would be displaced by her desired solution?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Faith Without Works is Dead

For John, BLUF:  Our Love of God should result in action.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Here is the Second Reading (Epistle of Saint James, 2:14-18):

What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
"Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, "
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.

Indeed someone might say,
"You have faith and I have works."
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.

From a Sermons by Saint Peter Chrysologus, we have the concept that "Prayer knocks, fasting obtains, mercy receives".  In my mind mercy and works merge and are actions that represent our faith in action.

Regards  —  Cliff

America Turning Inward

For John, BLUF:  In politics one needs to chase after the voters.  This article suggests the Democrats have something to learn by listening to Trump and his supporters.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Deep Roots of Trump’s Isolationism

Here is the sub-headline:

Democrats Need Their Own “America First” Agenda

From Foreign Affairs, by Prof Charles Kupchan, 9 September 2024.

Here is the lede plus three:

The mainstream U.S. foreign policy establishment views former President Donald Trump as a dangerous neo-isolationist, completely out of step with American ideals and interests. Internationalists at home and abroad shudder at the prospect of Trump’s potential reelection in November, fearing that he would dismantle the liberal order that the United States and its allies have built and defended since World War II.

Such fears are justified; Trump may indeed seek to do away with at least some core elements of the U.S.-led liberal order. But to portray his “America first” approach as a dark deviation from the American experience is to misunderstand its deep historical and ideological roots, as well as its considerable political appeal. Trump’s statecraft is a response to a changing world and to demand signals from the U.S. electorate, not a capricious effort to take apart the world that the United States made.

None of this is to deny that Trump’s return to office could be disastrous. At home, he may well imperil American democracy. Abroad, Trump’s mere reelection would set the world on edge. U.S. allies would have to face the reality that their security guarantor—the globe’s premier power—has been beset by intractable political dysfunction; they would have no choice but to question Washington’s long-term reliability and make other plans. Meanwhile, autocrats would be emboldened and the cause of democracy everywhere debilitated.

Yet the best way to avoid that highly unattractive outcome is not to recoil at Trump’s “America first” movement or to see it merely as the work of a know-nothing felon. Rather, the way forward requires unpacking that movement, understanding its considerable political appeal, and appropriating its worthy elements. If the Democrats are to defeat Trump and his neo-isolationist agenda, they should cull central elements of his “America first” program and pivot toward a more modest, restrained, and pragmatic brand of U.S. statecraft.

I think this article, although written from "left of center,” offers an alternative look at how we might conduct our foreign policy, perhaps going back to our roots in our early decades.  While it looks askance at President Trump and his ideas, the author teases out what he sees are veins of thought that resonate with the American People. Thus, its positive points may well outweigh its partisanship.

One place I strongly disagree with the author is his characterization of Senator Chuck Schumer's "bi-partison" immigration bill, which he brought forward to supplant the House Bill, which the Senate Majority Leader had buttonholed.  The Schumer Bill did not do the job.  For example, it would allow 1.82 million illegals a year without triggering actions.  As it is, President Biden's Executive Order♠ has an annual limit of only 912,500, which is still a lot of illegals per year.

The Author is Dr. Charles Kupchan, Professor of International Affairs in the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University, and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2014 to 2017 Kupchan served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council in the Obama White House. He was also Director for European Affairs on the NSC during the first Clinton administration. Before joining the Clinton NSC, he worked in the U.S. Department of State on the Policy Planning Staff. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Politics at Princeton University..

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  One wonders how Preesident Biden issued that Executive Order after whinging for three years that he couldn't.

Somewhat Off the Hook

For John, BLUF:  People are piling on with blame for Vice President Harris for the events of the last three and a half years.  It isn't fair.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Voters Say Kamala Can’t Escape Biden’s Legacy, Despite Her Flip-Flops

From The Media Research Center, by Reporter Craig Bannister, 5 September 2024.

Here is the lede plus one:

Vice President Kamala Harris can claim she’s not responsible for the Biden-Harris administration’s failed policies, but voters aren’t buying it, results of a new national poll reveal.

Despite her claimed rejection of Biden policies, ranging from fracking and taxing tips to finishing former President Donald Trump’s border wall, U.S. likely voters largely blame Democrat presidential nominee Harris for Biden’s policy failures and credit her for their successes.

The job of the Vice President is actually very limited.  For example, Vice President Harry S Truman had no idea about the A-Bomb when he took over as President from Franklin D Roosevelt.  As Vice President John Nance Garner, III ("Cactus Jack") said about being Vice President, it is “Not worth a bucket of warm spit.”

Here is my take on Vice President Harris' responsibilities:

Her primary job is being ready to be President.

Preside over the US Senate—Where her's was the deciding vote to pass the infamous "Inflation Reduction Act", which helped spike inflation and impacted drug research.

Some apparent organizing responsibility in the 25th Amendment.
Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.♠

Plus Administration appointed Tasks:

• Chairman of the Space Council.
• Border Tsar. (Maybe)

I am not saying she is without sin in the Biden Administration, but I am saying she was not in charge.  The failures of the Biden Administration can not be passed from President Joseph R Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Having said that, to the degree she participated in discussions♥ or accpeted assignments (eg, Border Tsar) she bears some responsibility.  The job for the voter is to sort through this and then make a decision, in part on this work experience, how to vote.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  This raises one of those "Whaat did she know and when did she know it" questions.
♥  For example, in the past Vice President Harris has said she was the last one in the room with President Biden when the Afghan withdrawal decision was made.