WendyMcElroy.com
Donations
|
Wednesday 28 April 2021
News and commentary round up for April 28From Zero Hedge: JP Morgan Launches Bitcoin Fund For Rich Clients After Years Of Bashing Crypto. In a sudden reversal...
From Reason: Scofflaws Paved the Way for Legal Marijuana. Defying authoritarian laws helps to preserve freedom and to undermine prohibitions.
Everyday Finances. From Zero Hedge: Even The 'Cheapest' Homes In America Are Rising At 4x The Fed's Inflation Target. "Of course, due to the lagged nature of Case-Shiller's data, it has yet to really be impacted by rising mortgage rates..." AND Why Global Inflation Is About To Go Into Overdrive [Ed: important read. Stock up now, if you haven't been already.] From Mish Talk: Think Biden's Tax Hikes Wouldn't Negatively Affect You? Then You Are Very Wrong.
From the Uprising: Reality Winner Wants Biden's Answer on 'Glaring Discrepancy'. Jailed for leaking intel report, she wants to know why she's behind bars for longer than Russian spy [Ed: because Winner is a whistleblower who made the US gov. look bad; the Russian spy is business as usual. Heretics are always punished more than infidels.]
From the Federalist: What Happened When Hungary Revived Classical Architecture In Budapest
From Conservative Brief: Australian TV Anchor Ridicules Biden’s ‘Loopy Left’ Climate Summit. [Ed: hat tip to David who comments, This commentary is excellent (although it concedes too much to international efforts to control 'greenhouse emissions'). You are strongly encouraged to watch.]
Social Media and Privacy. From Axios: ACLU says it shares user data with Facebook, a frequent target of ACLU's criticism. From NPR: Apple Launches Major New Privacy Protections For iPhones And iPads. [Ed: if you can believe a word Apple says. But, at least, they are acknowledging that the public perceives a problem.]
From Sunny Skyz: This Free Tool Will Bring Your Old Family Photos To Life. An online genealogy platform is bringing old photos to life with animation technology they are calling "Deep Nostalgia". [Ed: good!...as long as they don't sell your data. Checkfor this first.]
From Big League Politics: Ashli Babbitt’s Family Readies Civil Suit Against U.S. Capitol Police for January 6 Killing.
The Media. From Politico: Biden isn’t banning meat, USDA chief says. Conservative lawmakers and commentators spread false claims that Biden’s recent pledge to curb greenhouse gas emissions included a proposal to cut red meat consumption by 90 percent. [Ed: I didn't include this item in previous newsfeeds because it had a 'wrong' feel to me.] From the Hill: Commentators blast Washington Post fact check on Tim Scott. From Politico: The Real Reason the Times Has Quit Using the Term ‘Op-Ed’. It’s not just about reader confusion. It’s about reader dollars.
From the Daily Mail: Harry and Meghan could be 'ditched' from the Royal family by Prince Charles as he streamlines the Monarchy to save money, expert claims.
From FOX News: Can Derek Chauvin get his convictions tossed on appeal? Although rare, retrials and acquittals have been granted because jurors felt pressured. [Ed: Maxine Waters' statements will not help either.]
From the National Review: Oscar Ratings Crater, Hit Another Record Low. "The Oscars always had problems but in the last decade they’ve become turgid, sanctimonious, predictable, joyless, and boring, not to mention bitter and negative about the country that has created so much splendor and wealth for the lucky few who get to appear onstage at the ceremony." [Ed: ratings were down 58% from last year's record low.]
From Claire Wolfe: Rats! Your guide to protecting yourself against snitches, informers, informants, agents provocateurs, narcs, finks, and similar vermin. [Ed: a free read, a must read.]
From Zero Hedge: Biden's Stimulus Checks "Wreck Labor Pool" As People Get Paid To Stay Home. "The federal government has incentivized people to stay home and not be productive..." From Inside Edition: This McDonald's Is Offering $50 to Anyone Who Shows Up For a Job Interview
Iran and the U.S. From Politico: GOP tears into Kerry amid Iran controversy. Leaked audio of Iran's foreign minister claiming that John Kerry acknowledged secret Israeli airstrikes has Republican hawks up in arms. From the Hill: Kerry faces calls to step down over leaked Iran tapes. [Ed: information from these tapes will be dribbling out and they will change the Middle East.] From NBC News: Iran, U.S. warships in first tense Mideast encounter in a year. Tehran did not immediately acknowledge the incident in the southern reaches of the Persian Gulf, which resulted in no injuries or damage. [Ed: impossible to say if this would have happened without the leaked tape.] From Foreign Affairs: Israel and Iran Are Pulling the United States Toward Conflict.
From Of Two Minds Blog: What's Yours Is Now Mine: America's. Era Of Accelerating Expropriation.[Ed: a must read.]
From CNN: Biden establishes pro-union task force chaired by Harris. "... task force aimed at empowering workers to organize and bargain with their employers." [Ed: hopefully, she will be as incompetent at this task as she is at addressing the border.]
From the BBC: The guards caring for Chernobyl's abandoned dogs. The descendants of pets abandoned by those fleeing the Chernobyl disaster are now striking up a curious relationship with humans charged with guarding the contaminated area. [Ed: this one is for you, Brad.]
Covid-1984 and Vaccines. From the Intercept: Over 100 Drug Lobbyists Working to Block Generic Covid-19 Vaccines. [Ed: the entire matter is more political than medical.] From Vice: Indians on Twitter Are Desperate for COVID Help. They’re Getting Censored. From KHN: Time to Say Goodbye to Some Insurers’ Waivers for Covid Treatment Fees.
From Reason: Scofflaws Paved the Way for Legal Marijuana. Defying authoritarian laws helps to preserve freedom and to undermine prohibitions.
Everyday Finances. From Zero Hedge: Even The 'Cheapest' Homes In America Are Rising At 4x The Fed's Inflation Target. "Of course, due to the lagged nature of Case-Shiller's data, it has yet to really be impacted by rising mortgage rates..." AND Why Global Inflation Is About To Go Into Overdrive [Ed: important read. Stock up now, if you haven't been already.] From Mish Talk: Think Biden's Tax Hikes Wouldn't Negatively Affect You? Then You Are Very Wrong.
From the Uprising: Reality Winner Wants Biden's Answer on 'Glaring Discrepancy'. Jailed for leaking intel report, she wants to know why she's behind bars for longer than Russian spy [Ed: because Winner is a whistleblower who made the US gov. look bad; the Russian spy is business as usual. Heretics are always punished more than infidels.]
From the Federalist: What Happened When Hungary Revived Classical Architecture In Budapest
From Conservative Brief: Australian TV Anchor Ridicules Biden’s ‘Loopy Left’ Climate Summit. [Ed: hat tip to David who comments, This commentary is excellent (although it concedes too much to international efforts to control 'greenhouse emissions'). You are strongly encouraged to watch.]
Social Media and Privacy. From Axios: ACLU says it shares user data with Facebook, a frequent target of ACLU's criticism. From NPR: Apple Launches Major New Privacy Protections For iPhones And iPads. [Ed: if you can believe a word Apple says. But, at least, they are acknowledging that the public perceives a problem.]
From Sunny Skyz: This Free Tool Will Bring Your Old Family Photos To Life. An online genealogy platform is bringing old photos to life with animation technology they are calling "Deep Nostalgia". [Ed: good!...as long as they don't sell your data. Checkfor this first.]
From Big League Politics: Ashli Babbitt’s Family Readies Civil Suit Against U.S. Capitol Police for January 6 Killing.
The Media. From Politico: Biden isn’t banning meat, USDA chief says. Conservative lawmakers and commentators spread false claims that Biden’s recent pledge to curb greenhouse gas emissions included a proposal to cut red meat consumption by 90 percent. [Ed: I didn't include this item in previous newsfeeds because it had a 'wrong' feel to me.] From the Hill: Commentators blast Washington Post fact check on Tim Scott. From Politico: The Real Reason the Times Has Quit Using the Term ‘Op-Ed’. It’s not just about reader confusion. It’s about reader dollars.
From the Daily Mail: Harry and Meghan could be 'ditched' from the Royal family by Prince Charles as he streamlines the Monarchy to save money, expert claims.
From FOX News: Can Derek Chauvin get his convictions tossed on appeal? Although rare, retrials and acquittals have been granted because jurors felt pressured. [Ed: Maxine Waters' statements will not help either.]
From the National Review: Oscar Ratings Crater, Hit Another Record Low. "The Oscars always had problems but in the last decade they’ve become turgid, sanctimonious, predictable, joyless, and boring, not to mention bitter and negative about the country that has created so much splendor and wealth for the lucky few who get to appear onstage at the ceremony." [Ed: ratings were down 58% from last year's record low.]
From Claire Wolfe: Rats! Your guide to protecting yourself against snitches, informers, informants, agents provocateurs, narcs, finks, and similar vermin. [Ed: a free read, a must read.]
From Zero Hedge: Biden's Stimulus Checks "Wreck Labor Pool" As People Get Paid To Stay Home. "The federal government has incentivized people to stay home and not be productive..." From Inside Edition: This McDonald's Is Offering $50 to Anyone Who Shows Up For a Job Interview
Iran and the U.S. From Politico: GOP tears into Kerry amid Iran controversy. Leaked audio of Iran's foreign minister claiming that John Kerry acknowledged secret Israeli airstrikes has Republican hawks up in arms. From the Hill: Kerry faces calls to step down over leaked Iran tapes. [Ed: information from these tapes will be dribbling out and they will change the Middle East.] From NBC News: Iran, U.S. warships in first tense Mideast encounter in a year. Tehran did not immediately acknowledge the incident in the southern reaches of the Persian Gulf, which resulted in no injuries or damage. [Ed: impossible to say if this would have happened without the leaked tape.] From Foreign Affairs: Israel and Iran Are Pulling the United States Toward Conflict.
From Of Two Minds Blog: What's Yours Is Now Mine: America's. Era Of Accelerating Expropriation.[Ed: a must read.]
From CNN: Biden establishes pro-union task force chaired by Harris. "... task force aimed at empowering workers to organize and bargain with their employers." [Ed: hopefully, she will be as incompetent at this task as she is at addressing the border.]
From the BBC: The guards caring for Chernobyl's abandoned dogs. The descendants of pets abandoned by those fleeing the Chernobyl disaster are now striking up a curious relationship with humans charged with guarding the contaminated area. [Ed: this one is for you, Brad.]
Covid-1984 and Vaccines. From the Intercept: Over 100 Drug Lobbyists Working to Block Generic Covid-19 Vaccines. [Ed: the entire matter is more political than medical.] From Vice: Indians on Twitter Are Desperate for COVID Help. They’re Getting Censored. From KHN: Time to Say Goodbye to Some Insurers’ Waivers for Covid Treatment Fees.
Tuesday 27 April 2021
News and commentary round up for April 27First issue of “Journal of Controversial Ideas,” out now… [Ed: doesn't seem to need a subscription for any of the articles.]
From the Sacramento Bee: Newsom Recall Effort Has the Signatures. Process will take a bit longer, with the election likely in the fall
From NBC: Census Bureau set to release state population totals and House seats Monday [yesterday]. "The count, which occurs every 10 years, determines the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state receives." [Ed: let the redistricting begin!] From Zero Hedge: Census: TX Gains 2 House Seats, CA, NY Lose One As US Political Map Is Redrawn. [Ed: I wonder if the establishment Dems can arrange to get rid of some progressive districts, like AOC's.It would make their lives easier.]
All Things Crypto. From Crypto Economy: No, Dogecoin Does Not Compete With Bitcoin. The short answer is because dogecoin and bitcoin serve fundamentally different purposes... [Ed: a lot of coins were designed for entirely different purposes.] From Gold, Goats & Guns: The Fall Of Turkey, The Rise Of Bitcoin. It never ceases to amaze me how tone deaf those with power are... From Zero Hedge: Second Turkish Crypto Exchange Collapses, Four Employees Arrested On Suspicion Of Fraud. "Just days after major Turkish Crypto exchange Thodex collapsed, its CEO fled with a rumored $2 billion...]
From Zero Hedge: Supreme Court To Consider Second Amendment Concealed Carry Case. [Ed: on whether NY must allow residents to carry a handgun inpublic. First ruling in almost 3 decades on guns.]
From Politico: As Manchin hogs limelight, West Virginia's other senator seizes her moment. Shelley Moore Capito is playing a starring role in Washington’s central debate over Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. [Ed: aha. A missing piece of why Manchin will not commit to the Dem's plan. The other WV Senator, a Rep., could easily "show him up" and another Rep. could win his seat.] AND Liberals want to expand the Supreme Court. Many Democrats disagree. Senate Republicans are still seizing on the issue in the lead-up to the 2022 midterms.
From Moon of Alabama: Investigation Launched Into Premature Release Of Turtle Through Windscreen Story. [Ed: not from the Onion. Now a moment out for the bizarre.]
From the Saker: Putin rewrites the law of the geopolitical jungle. [Ed: recommended.] From The National Interest: How Russia Will Retaliate Against the West.
Myanmar. From Straits Times: Myanmar activists call for new non-cooperation campaign. From Asian Nikkei Review: Myanmar junta chief meets UN special envoy in Jakarta.. [Ed: remember to check #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar for the latest.]
From Sunny Skyz: When This Island's Penguin Population Dropped From 2,000 To 4, They Sent Dogs In To Protect Them [Ed: and it worked wonderfully.]
From Jonathan Turley: Portland Mayor Belatedly Urges Residents To Help "Unmask" Rioters, Stops Short Of Condemning Antifa. AND Twitter Admits To Censoring Criticism of The Indian Government [Ed: Turley is one of my 'go to' sources for legal perspective.]
Inflation is Coming...Fast and Hard. From the Economica Blog: Fed-Induced Inflation Has Resulted In Collapsed US Births... Twice
The Elites. From the Detroit News: Michigan lawmaker dropped governor's name during DUI arrest, state police say. State Rep. Jewell Jones told troopers that their actions were "not going to be good for you," according to a state police report. "I run y'all budget, bro." [Ed: thisone is funny.]
From the Activist Post: Singapore Births New National Digital Identity System “Singpass” [Ed: digital national passports are a state's wet dream.]
Covid-1984. From MedPage: Why the Panic Over Israeli Study on Infections After Vax? — Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad on how mild COVID cases after vaccination are freaking people out. From New York Magazine: The Forever Maskers. From PJ Media: Fauci Flip-Flops Again: Outdoor COVID Infection Risk Is "Miniscule". "...when you look around at the common sense situation, the risk is really low.". From the Babylon Bee: Study Finds Anyone Still Wearing A Mask At This Point Is Probably Just Super Ugly
From the Burning Platform Blog: Signs, Signs Everywhere...but few will heed them. [Ed: a must read.]
The Media. From the Washington Examiner: Politico forbids 'crisis' when describing border surge, despite Biden's own use. From the Post Millennial: WATCH: Anderson Cooper ducks Project Veritas' questions over CNN director’s admission that the network runs propaganda
From the New York Times: Iran’s Foreign Minister, in Leaked Tape, Says Revolutionary Guards Set Policies. From Al Jazeera: Leaked Javad Zarif recording stirs hot political debate in Iran. [Ed: I tend to disbelieve anything from the NYTs but, when an entirely different source has the story, the reporting gains credibility.]
From the Bored Panda: Here Are 30 Things That Were Supposed To Be The Next Big Thing, But Ended Up Forgotten, As Shared By People Online
From Real Clear Politics: Here's What Data Says About The Myth Of "Racism" In Police Killings. [Ed: important read on a subject that cannot be discussed; it is taboo. But everything must be open to discussion.]
Everyday Finance. From ProPublica: State-Supported “Clean Energy” Loans Are Putting Borrowers At Risk of Losing Their Homes [Ed: never go into debt willingly.] From Washington Post: Minnesota gasps at the financial damage it faces from the Texas freeze. "When Texas’ natural gas supplies froze up, prices soared..." [Ed: reader friendly. Gas prices in Minnesota rose to 70 times their normal level and some providers are charging 9% interest on outstanding payments.I doubt if this is just Minnesota.]
From the Sacramento Bee: Newsom Recall Effort Has the Signatures. Process will take a bit longer, with the election likely in the fall
From NBC: Census Bureau set to release state population totals and House seats Monday [yesterday]. "The count, which occurs every 10 years, determines the number of congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state receives." [Ed: let the redistricting begin!] From Zero Hedge: Census: TX Gains 2 House Seats, CA, NY Lose One As US Political Map Is Redrawn. [Ed: I wonder if the establishment Dems can arrange to get rid of some progressive districts, like AOC's.It would make their lives easier.]
All Things Crypto. From Crypto Economy: No, Dogecoin Does Not Compete With Bitcoin. The short answer is because dogecoin and bitcoin serve fundamentally different purposes... [Ed: a lot of coins were designed for entirely different purposes.] From Gold, Goats & Guns: The Fall Of Turkey, The Rise Of Bitcoin. It never ceases to amaze me how tone deaf those with power are... From Zero Hedge: Second Turkish Crypto Exchange Collapses, Four Employees Arrested On Suspicion Of Fraud. "Just days after major Turkish Crypto exchange Thodex collapsed, its CEO fled with a rumored $2 billion...]
From Zero Hedge: Supreme Court To Consider Second Amendment Concealed Carry Case. [Ed: on whether NY must allow residents to carry a handgun inpublic. First ruling in almost 3 decades on guns.]
From Politico: As Manchin hogs limelight, West Virginia's other senator seizes her moment. Shelley Moore Capito is playing a starring role in Washington’s central debate over Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. [Ed: aha. A missing piece of why Manchin will not commit to the Dem's plan. The other WV Senator, a Rep., could easily "show him up" and another Rep. could win his seat.] AND Liberals want to expand the Supreme Court. Many Democrats disagree. Senate Republicans are still seizing on the issue in the lead-up to the 2022 midterms.
From Moon of Alabama: Investigation Launched Into Premature Release Of Turtle Through Windscreen Story. [Ed: not from the Onion. Now a moment out for the bizarre.]
From the Saker: Putin rewrites the law of the geopolitical jungle. [Ed: recommended.] From The National Interest: How Russia Will Retaliate Against the West.
Myanmar. From Straits Times: Myanmar activists call for new non-cooperation campaign. From Asian Nikkei Review: Myanmar junta chief meets UN special envoy in Jakarta.. [Ed: remember to check #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar for the latest.]
From Sunny Skyz: When This Island's Penguin Population Dropped From 2,000 To 4, They Sent Dogs In To Protect Them [Ed: and it worked wonderfully.]
From Jonathan Turley: Portland Mayor Belatedly Urges Residents To Help "Unmask" Rioters, Stops Short Of Condemning Antifa. AND Twitter Admits To Censoring Criticism of The Indian Government [Ed: Turley is one of my 'go to' sources for legal perspective.]
Inflation is Coming...Fast and Hard. From the Economica Blog: Fed-Induced Inflation Has Resulted In Collapsed US Births... Twice
The Elites. From the Detroit News: Michigan lawmaker dropped governor's name during DUI arrest, state police say. State Rep. Jewell Jones told troopers that their actions were "not going to be good for you," according to a state police report. "I run y'all budget, bro." [Ed: thisone is funny.]
From the Activist Post: Singapore Births New National Digital Identity System “Singpass” [Ed: digital national passports are a state's wet dream.]
Covid-1984. From MedPage: Why the Panic Over Israeli Study on Infections After Vax? — Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad on how mild COVID cases after vaccination are freaking people out. From New York Magazine: The Forever Maskers. From PJ Media: Fauci Flip-Flops Again: Outdoor COVID Infection Risk Is "Miniscule". "...when you look around at the common sense situation, the risk is really low.". From the Babylon Bee: Study Finds Anyone Still Wearing A Mask At This Point Is Probably Just Super Ugly
From the Burning Platform Blog: Signs, Signs Everywhere...but few will heed them. [Ed: a must read.]
The Media. From the Washington Examiner: Politico forbids 'crisis' when describing border surge, despite Biden's own use. From the Post Millennial: WATCH: Anderson Cooper ducks Project Veritas' questions over CNN director’s admission that the network runs propaganda
From the New York Times: Iran’s Foreign Minister, in Leaked Tape, Says Revolutionary Guards Set Policies. From Al Jazeera: Leaked Javad Zarif recording stirs hot political debate in Iran. [Ed: I tend to disbelieve anything from the NYTs but, when an entirely different source has the story, the reporting gains credibility.]
From the Bored Panda: Here Are 30 Things That Were Supposed To Be The Next Big Thing, But Ended Up Forgotten, As Shared By People Online
From Real Clear Politics: Here's What Data Says About The Myth Of "Racism" In Police Killings. [Ed: important read on a subject that cannot be discussed; it is taboo. But everything must be open to discussion.]
Everyday Finance. From ProPublica: State-Supported “Clean Energy” Loans Are Putting Borrowers At Risk of Losing Their Homes [Ed: never go into debt willingly.] From Washington Post: Minnesota gasps at the financial damage it faces from the Texas freeze. "When Texas’ natural gas supplies froze up, prices soared..." [Ed: reader friendly. Gas prices in Minnesota rose to 70 times their normal level and some providers are charging 9% interest on outstanding payments.I doubt if this is just Minnesota.]
Monday 26 April 2021
News and commentary round up for April 26From the New York Post: Jerusalem tension triggers Gaza-Israel fire exchange as Netanyahu asks for calm. [Ed: hmm. I usually think of Netanyahu as a warhawk.]
Latin and South America. From Reason: In Peru, Another Near Miss for Latin American Liberty. Costly mistakes have allowed socialism to rise again in the 21st century. [Ed: hat tip to Brad.] From the Associated Press: Bolsonaro: I Might Send Army Into the Streets. President says local pandemic lockdowns are worsening hunger in Brazil [Ed: if it isn't thugs on the left, it is thugs on the right.]
From the WarZone: All B-1B Bombers Have Been Grounded (Updated). The swing-wing bombers have become increasingly unreliable after years of constant work over Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
The Arizona Recount. From the Gateway Pundit: Arizona Election Workers are Running Ultra-Violet Ballot Testing on Maricopa Ballots (VIDEO) AND Arizona Justice Confirms Lower Court’s Ruling — forensic audit will continue — Until At Least Thursday! From MPR News: Election conspiracies live on with audit by Arizona GOP. [Ed: this is the other wise of the argument. But what makes the conspiracy theory live on is the Herculean efforts the Dems. went to in order to block the recount. If nothing is wrong, why not allow transparency?]
From CD Media: Deep State Releases Information On Seth Rich 98% Redacted.
From Buzzfeed: North Carolina Officials Called On Police To Release Bodycam Footage Of The Fatal Shooting Of Andrew Brown. [Ed: it is never wrong to call for transparency.] From UPI: Unarmed Black man shot in Virginia after deputy mistook phone for gun. [Ed: and protest/riot season has only begun.]
The Media. From Media Lens: Shocking Omissions: ‘Capitalism’s Conscience – 200 Years Of The Guardian’ – John Pilger and Jonathan Cook Respond. [Ed: I wish the title had used the words "crony-capitalism's conscience" because it is not the fault of capitalism proper But a fascinating article..] From Jonathan Turley: Hits and Misses: HuffPost and Washington Post Criticized ... [Ed: Turley is always worth the read.] From Reason: Jane Coaston: Meet the Libertarian New York Times Podcaster.
From Spiked: The vanity of the global climate talks. Who in their right mind thinks Boris, Biden and Ursula will ‘save the world’?
From the Libertarian Institute: Jim Bovard: The Feds Are Coming For Libertarians. The de facto definition of terrorism now seems to be "anything that frightens politicians." [Ed: recommended. And please take precautions.]
Money and Banking. From GoldMoney: Why the Future Money is Gold and Silver. [Ed: I would include cryptocurrency, but you need to be careful the ones you choose.] AND Gold & The Coming Oil Shortage – Part I. AND Part II. From RT: ‘Know your customer’ indeed! Banks deploy AI systems to monitor customers & employees alike. From Lew Rockwell: Bitcoin vs. History.
From the Associated Press: NY won’t say what it told Justice Department about nursing home outbreaks . [Ed: the cover-up is as bad as the crime.]
From Sunny Skyz: Dog Owner Makes Hilarious Collage Of Her Lab's Many Facial Expressions. [Ed: they are hilarious.]
Biden and World Opinion. From Politico: Biden to make first overseas trip in June for G-7, NATO summits. [Ed: I wonder if non-US media will overlook his many, many missteps, gaffes and decline.] From Zero Hedge: "Pathetic Appeal To Hysterical Media, Frightened Voters" - Aussie TV Anchor Unloads On "Loopy-Left Era Of Joe Biden" [Ed: it is clear to the rest of the world that Biden is in severe mental decline and is being used a puppet.]
From Unherd: Democrats are riding the BLM wave. But they don't have the power to control it
The Upcoming Election. From Politico: The redistricting cycle is about to begin. Next week's census announcement will serve as the start of the chaotic and sometimes ruthless process of redrawing the country's political maps. [Ed: no, it is not too early to talk about it. In fact, I'm not sure you can understand many of the current political moves without doing so.] AND Bartos super PAC muscles into Pennsylvania Senate race. The contest is likely to be one of the most expensive in the nation next year. AND Troy Carter wins Louisiana special election in blow to progressives. Carter, a Democratic state senator, overcame a candidate endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and backed by national liberal groups. [Ed: Politico is giving a lot of coverage to elections, ongoing and upcoming.]
From Forbes: Breakthrough Malaria Vaccine Is 77% Effective, Giving Hope Against One Of The World’s Biggest Killers. [Ed: good, because there are reports of a drug-resistance strain appearing in Africa.]
Germany. From Mish Talk: Euroscepticism Grows In Germany As 63% Say EU Is Excessively Bureaucratic. "Dexit" Is the New Brexit... [Ed: the EU should fall apart.] From Der Speigel: Green Candidate and Kingmaker: Annalena Baerbock Holds the Keys to Germany’s Next Election
From Alt-Market: The Reasons Why Leftists Will Never Successfully Disarm Americans [Ed: recommended.]
Everyday Finances. From Bloomberg: The Grocery Price Shock Is Coming to a Store Near You. [Ed: stock up right now.] From the Hour: Struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic, people turn to strangers online for help.
Latin and South America. From Reason: In Peru, Another Near Miss for Latin American Liberty. Costly mistakes have allowed socialism to rise again in the 21st century. [Ed: hat tip to Brad.] From the Associated Press: Bolsonaro: I Might Send Army Into the Streets. President says local pandemic lockdowns are worsening hunger in Brazil [Ed: if it isn't thugs on the left, it is thugs on the right.]
From the WarZone: All B-1B Bombers Have Been Grounded (Updated). The swing-wing bombers have become increasingly unreliable after years of constant work over Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.
The Arizona Recount. From the Gateway Pundit: Arizona Election Workers are Running Ultra-Violet Ballot Testing on Maricopa Ballots (VIDEO) AND Arizona Justice Confirms Lower Court’s Ruling — forensic audit will continue — Until At Least Thursday! From MPR News: Election conspiracies live on with audit by Arizona GOP. [Ed: this is the other wise of the argument. But what makes the conspiracy theory live on is the Herculean efforts the Dems. went to in order to block the recount. If nothing is wrong, why not allow transparency?]
From CD Media: Deep State Releases Information On Seth Rich 98% Redacted.
From Buzzfeed: North Carolina Officials Called On Police To Release Bodycam Footage Of The Fatal Shooting Of Andrew Brown. [Ed: it is never wrong to call for transparency.] From UPI: Unarmed Black man shot in Virginia after deputy mistook phone for gun. [Ed: and protest/riot season has only begun.]
The Media. From Media Lens: Shocking Omissions: ‘Capitalism’s Conscience – 200 Years Of The Guardian’ – John Pilger and Jonathan Cook Respond. [Ed: I wish the title had used the words "crony-capitalism's conscience" because it is not the fault of capitalism proper But a fascinating article..] From Jonathan Turley: Hits and Misses: HuffPost and Washington Post Criticized ... [Ed: Turley is always worth the read.] From Reason: Jane Coaston: Meet the Libertarian New York Times Podcaster.
From Spiked: The vanity of the global climate talks. Who in their right mind thinks Boris, Biden and Ursula will ‘save the world’?
From the Libertarian Institute: Jim Bovard: The Feds Are Coming For Libertarians. The de facto definition of terrorism now seems to be "anything that frightens politicians." [Ed: recommended. And please take precautions.]
Money and Banking. From GoldMoney: Why the Future Money is Gold and Silver. [Ed: I would include cryptocurrency, but you need to be careful the ones you choose.] AND Gold & The Coming Oil Shortage – Part I. AND Part II. From RT: ‘Know your customer’ indeed! Banks deploy AI systems to monitor customers & employees alike. From Lew Rockwell: Bitcoin vs. History.
From the Associated Press: NY won’t say what it told Justice Department about nursing home outbreaks . [Ed: the cover-up is as bad as the crime.]
From Sunny Skyz: Dog Owner Makes Hilarious Collage Of Her Lab's Many Facial Expressions. [Ed: they are hilarious.]
Biden and World Opinion. From Politico: Biden to make first overseas trip in June for G-7, NATO summits. [Ed: I wonder if non-US media will overlook his many, many missteps, gaffes and decline.] From Zero Hedge: "Pathetic Appeal To Hysterical Media, Frightened Voters" - Aussie TV Anchor Unloads On "Loopy-Left Era Of Joe Biden" [Ed: it is clear to the rest of the world that Biden is in severe mental decline and is being used a puppet.]
From Unherd: Democrats are riding the BLM wave. But they don't have the power to control it
The Upcoming Election. From Politico: The redistricting cycle is about to begin. Next week's census announcement will serve as the start of the chaotic and sometimes ruthless process of redrawing the country's political maps. [Ed: no, it is not too early to talk about it. In fact, I'm not sure you can understand many of the current political moves without doing so.] AND Bartos super PAC muscles into Pennsylvania Senate race. The contest is likely to be one of the most expensive in the nation next year. AND Troy Carter wins Louisiana special election in blow to progressives. Carter, a Democratic state senator, overcame a candidate endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and backed by national liberal groups. [Ed: Politico is giving a lot of coverage to elections, ongoing and upcoming.]
From Forbes: Breakthrough Malaria Vaccine Is 77% Effective, Giving Hope Against One Of The World’s Biggest Killers. [Ed: good, because there are reports of a drug-resistance strain appearing in Africa.]
Germany. From Mish Talk: Euroscepticism Grows In Germany As 63% Say EU Is Excessively Bureaucratic. "Dexit" Is the New Brexit... [Ed: the EU should fall apart.] From Der Speigel: Green Candidate and Kingmaker: Annalena Baerbock Holds the Keys to Germany’s Next Election
From Alt-Market: The Reasons Why Leftists Will Never Successfully Disarm Americans [Ed: recommended.]
Everyday Finances. From Bloomberg: The Grocery Price Shock Is Coming to a Store Near You. [Ed: stock up right now.] From the Hour: Struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic, people turn to strangers online for help.
Sunday 25 April 2021
News and commentary round up for April 25From Just the News: Police declare riot, state of emergency extended in violence-plagued Portland
From The Hill: Manchin floats breaking up Biden’s infrastructure proposal. [Ed: for one thing, he is the Senator from W. Virginia and that's coal country. It might be worth his seat to vote for it.] AND The Heroic Congressional Fight to Save the Rich. A handful of Democrats want to hold up a $2 trillion infrastructure bill to save a choice tax deduction for the wealthy, not that you'll hear it described that way. [Ed: I disagree with Taibbi on taxing anyone, but the analysis is very interesting.] From Roger Pielke: Tracking Progress Towards President Biden's 2030 Emissions Reduction Target [Ed: a must read.]
From PJ Media: Seattle Antifa group threatens to burn down church, community over event with conservative speaker. [Ed: how quickly it moved from police brutality onto censorship of ideas.]
From Bored Panda: 35 Times UPS Drivers Were Lucky To Meet Dogs On Their Routes And Shared The Pics On This Group (New Pics)
From Yahoo News: Montana Gov. Gianforte signs bill invalidating federal gun restrictions.
From Townhall: Chauvin Trial Juror Says She Feared Intimidation at Her Home, Riots If Verdict Wasn't Accepted. [Ed: the intimidation worked, which means there will be more of it.] From the Judicial Watch: Hold Maxine Waters Accountable!. [Ed: for callng for more violence in the streets.]From the Organic Prepper: How to Survive Riots and Civil Unrest
From the Washington Post: 'That Picture Hijacked My Life'. Mary Ann Vecchio, the girl in famous Kent State photo, reflects 50 years later. [Ed: for Brad who has a particular interest in the incident at Kent State.]
From Sunny Skyz: Spain To Give Pets The Same Rights As Humans. Spain has given domesticated animals the same legal status as humans. [Ed: no one loves dogs more than me butthis is crazy.]
Vaccinations. From the Daily Mail: US vaccination sites are closing from California to Texas, Ohio to Mississippi as demand for Covid shots plummets across the country - despite less than 28% of the population being fully inoculated. From the Hill: Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine gets green light to resume distribution. From Zero Hedge: "It's On" - Germany, France Back EU Push To Sue AstraZeneca Over Botched Vaccine Rollout. ...one by one, each country reportedly fell in line..
From the Babylon Bee: NASA Frantically Building Real Moon For Elon To Land On. [Ed: referring, of course, to the rumors that the first moonlanding was staged.]
From RT: Putin & Biden summit will delight media, but it won’t change anything… relations between Russia & US are being slowly dismantled. [Ed: the new Cold War.] From Responsible Statecraft: Why Biden’s new Russian sanctions are shortsighted, and dangerous
From Al Jazeera: US lawmakers urge maintaining Israeli aid without preconditions [Ed: more than 300 lawmakers signed. The new Real War.] From Air Force Magazine: HASC’s Smith: U.S. Should Abandon Quest for Military Preeminence
Some Perils of Digital Currency. From the American Institute for Economic Research: Make No Mistake: Programmable Digital Currencies Are Weaponizable Money. China, by launching its digital yuan project, is traversing new territory in the realm of authoritarian monetary planning... [Ed: and it will cause a crackdown on real cryptocurrency. Also a flight to it by those who know what is going on.] From Zero Hedge: Dozens Arrested After CEO Of Turkish Crypto Exchange Flees With $2 Billion. [Ed: always maintain control of your keys. U.S. exchanges are no more trustworthy than others.]
From the Wall St. Journal: Biden Focuses on Capital-Gains Taxes as He Seeks Money for Social Programs. Proposal to raise top tax rate revives long-running debate over taxation of labor versus investment income. [Ed: reader friendly.]
An American Divided. From Politico: The Forgotten Precedent for Our ‘Unprecedented’ Political Insanity. The decades after the Civil War saw mass participation and mass outrage, followed by a period of orderly reform. What can we learn from that era today? From the Epoch Times: The United States Of 2 Americas. If you haven’t noticed, the United States is reorganizing itself into two Americas - blue and red...
From the Hollywood Reporter: Here Are Your Razzies 'Winners'. 'Worst Calendar Year Ever' got a special award.
Armenian Genocide. From the Associated Press: Biden Formally Recognizes Armenian Genocide. No previous president has used the term for mass killings under Ottoman Empire. [Ed: of course, it was genocide but it is odd that Biden mentions it now.] From Zero Hedge: Turkey Blasts Biden's Armenian Genocide Statement As Opening A "Deep Wound" In Relations
From Unherd: What makes us hate? A new book on prejudice dresses up common sense as scientific theory
From the No Mercy/No Malice Blog: Hidden Threats - 3 Things To Worry About That Mainstream Media Refuses To Discuss
From The Hill: Manchin floats breaking up Biden’s infrastructure proposal. [Ed: for one thing, he is the Senator from W. Virginia and that's coal country. It might be worth his seat to vote for it.] AND The Heroic Congressional Fight to Save the Rich. A handful of Democrats want to hold up a $2 trillion infrastructure bill to save a choice tax deduction for the wealthy, not that you'll hear it described that way. [Ed: I disagree with Taibbi on taxing anyone, but the analysis is very interesting.] From Roger Pielke: Tracking Progress Towards President Biden's 2030 Emissions Reduction Target [Ed: a must read.]
From PJ Media: Seattle Antifa group threatens to burn down church, community over event with conservative speaker. [Ed: how quickly it moved from police brutality onto censorship of ideas.]
From Bored Panda: 35 Times UPS Drivers Were Lucky To Meet Dogs On Their Routes And Shared The Pics On This Group (New Pics)
From Yahoo News: Montana Gov. Gianforte signs bill invalidating federal gun restrictions.
From Townhall: Chauvin Trial Juror Says She Feared Intimidation at Her Home, Riots If Verdict Wasn't Accepted. [Ed: the intimidation worked, which means there will be more of it.] From the Judicial Watch: Hold Maxine Waters Accountable!. [Ed: for callng for more violence in the streets.]From the Organic Prepper: How to Survive Riots and Civil Unrest
From the Washington Post: 'That Picture Hijacked My Life'. Mary Ann Vecchio, the girl in famous Kent State photo, reflects 50 years later. [Ed: for Brad who has a particular interest in the incident at Kent State.]
From Sunny Skyz: Spain To Give Pets The Same Rights As Humans. Spain has given domesticated animals the same legal status as humans. [Ed: no one loves dogs more than me butthis is crazy.]
Vaccinations. From the Daily Mail: US vaccination sites are closing from California to Texas, Ohio to Mississippi as demand for Covid shots plummets across the country - despite less than 28% of the population being fully inoculated. From the Hill: Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine gets green light to resume distribution. From Zero Hedge: "It's On" - Germany, France Back EU Push To Sue AstraZeneca Over Botched Vaccine Rollout. ...one by one, each country reportedly fell in line..
From the Babylon Bee: NASA Frantically Building Real Moon For Elon To Land On. [Ed: referring, of course, to the rumors that the first moonlanding was staged.]
From RT: Putin & Biden summit will delight media, but it won’t change anything… relations between Russia & US are being slowly dismantled. [Ed: the new Cold War.] From Responsible Statecraft: Why Biden’s new Russian sanctions are shortsighted, and dangerous
From Al Jazeera: US lawmakers urge maintaining Israeli aid without preconditions [Ed: more than 300 lawmakers signed. The new Real War.] From Air Force Magazine: HASC’s Smith: U.S. Should Abandon Quest for Military Preeminence
Some Perils of Digital Currency. From the American Institute for Economic Research: Make No Mistake: Programmable Digital Currencies Are Weaponizable Money. China, by launching its digital yuan project, is traversing new territory in the realm of authoritarian monetary planning... [Ed: and it will cause a crackdown on real cryptocurrency. Also a flight to it by those who know what is going on.] From Zero Hedge: Dozens Arrested After CEO Of Turkish Crypto Exchange Flees With $2 Billion. [Ed: always maintain control of your keys. U.S. exchanges are no more trustworthy than others.]
From the Wall St. Journal: Biden Focuses on Capital-Gains Taxes as He Seeks Money for Social Programs. Proposal to raise top tax rate revives long-running debate over taxation of labor versus investment income. [Ed: reader friendly.]
An American Divided. From Politico: The Forgotten Precedent for Our ‘Unprecedented’ Political Insanity. The decades after the Civil War saw mass participation and mass outrage, followed by a period of orderly reform. What can we learn from that era today? From the Epoch Times: The United States Of 2 Americas. If you haven’t noticed, the United States is reorganizing itself into two Americas - blue and red...
From the Hollywood Reporter: Here Are Your Razzies 'Winners'. 'Worst Calendar Year Ever' got a special award.
Armenian Genocide. From the Associated Press: Biden Formally Recognizes Armenian Genocide. No previous president has used the term for mass killings under Ottoman Empire. [Ed: of course, it was genocide but it is odd that Biden mentions it now.] From Zero Hedge: Turkey Blasts Biden's Armenian Genocide Statement As Opening A "Deep Wound" In Relations
From Unherd: What makes us hate? A new book on prejudice dresses up common sense as scientific theory
From the No Mercy/No Malice Blog: Hidden Threats - 3 Things To Worry About That Mainstream Media Refuses To Discuss
Friday 23 April 2021
A few more Google alternativesBrad here. It seems like everyone is getting on the Googlexit (Gexit? Gooxit?) bandwagon. Joining the club, to my astonishment, is Popular Science, with an article entitled "Ditch Google for good with these apps and gadgets" (h/t Instapundit). My brief comments about their recommendations:
Browser: This is the first I've heard about Vivaldi. It's available for Linux, so I might check it out. (Though I already have six non-Chrome web browsers installed on my desktop.) Update: if this review is reasonably accurate -- "Opera meets Chrome" -- I definitely want to try Vivaldi.
Search: DuckDuckGo. I concur.
Webmail: ProtonMail. I concur, but note that there are many other good options.
Photo Storage: They suggest Dropbox. I'm not a fan of cloud storage except as a backup, so I have no recommendation here.
Maps: This is the first I've heard of Here WeGo. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
Calendar: I can't agree with their choice of the awful Microsoft Outlook. Try something else instead.
Online Docs: I've seen Zoho recommended before. Again, I abjure working in the cloud; best to keep your tools and your docs on your own computer.
Smart Speakers: Just say no, to Google Nest and Amazon Echo. They all snoop on you.
Smartphone: Both iOS and Android are problematic. I don't know what I'll do when my venerable Blackberry Z10 gives up the ghost.
Browser: This is the first I've heard about Vivaldi. It's available for Linux, so I might check it out. (Though I already have six non-Chrome web browsers installed on my desktop.) Update: if this review is reasonably accurate -- "Opera meets Chrome" -- I definitely want to try Vivaldi.
Search: DuckDuckGo. I concur.
Webmail: ProtonMail. I concur, but note that there are many other good options.
Photo Storage: They suggest Dropbox. I'm not a fan of cloud storage except as a backup, so I have no recommendation here.
Maps: This is the first I've heard of Here WeGo. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
Calendar: I can't agree with their choice of the awful Microsoft Outlook. Try something else instead.
Online Docs: I've seen Zoho recommended before. Again, I abjure working in the cloud; best to keep your tools and your docs on your own computer.
Smart Speakers: Just say no, to Google Nest and Amazon Echo. They all snoop on you.
Smartphone: Both iOS and Android are problematic. I don't know what I'll do when my venerable Blackberry Z10 gives up the ghost.
Tuesday 20 April 2021
Monday 19 April 2021
| Donate with Paypal |
 | Donate Bitcoins! |
New Bitcoin address - 30 Nov 2020
1Ee7g7zAUReViPRWtLPBEgnPDRP62qxq3J
1Ee7g7zAUReViPRWtLPBEgnPDRP62qxq3J
Our news can be syndicated by using these rss feeds.
