May 12, 2025

NOTHING STOPS A VOLUNTARY INDUSTRY CONSORTIUM OR STANDARDS BODY CONTINUING THE PROGRAM:  Industry groups are not happy about the imminent demise of Energy Star.

There is no reason the government should be involved.

Oh, wait, the real reason the industry is salty. The government forced them to retool and chase ridiculously counterproductive goals all these decades. Now they don’t even know howt o research to improve, instead of impair their product. And they’re terrified their competitors will there there first.

Posted at 2:00 am by Sarah Hoyt

OH, YEAH, THE NAZIS, FAMOUSLY KNOWN FOR PREVENTING THE JEWS FROM ENTERING GERMANY AND CLAIMING ALL SORTS OF WELFARE, RIGHT?  Mob of Leftist Protesters in NYC Compare ICE to Nazis.

I’d say these idiots should be ashamed to evoke the holocaust and the Nazis to fight against national sovereignty of the country that beat the Nazis. But they’d have to read history. And first they’d have to learn to read.

Posted at 1:26 am by Sarah Hoyt

THE LATEST ABOMINATION LOOKS LIKE MICHELLE OBAMA IN A HOODIE:  Invasion of the Fem Godzillas.

And before the mentally vacant reeing about how we’re a culture in decline, or the equally pudding-headed reeing that this is because we don’t pay enough to artists, be real. This is the arts “establishment” which is mostly funded by various NGOs and “charitable” charities which are probably getting money from the government. It’s not our culture and it never was. if people liked these horrors, they’d freely pay for them out of pocket, without the government resorting to theft. As for artists, even if they were paid tomorrow for making pretty things most of them would be chasing the “significant” and “important” because they’ve been trained to chase the rinsed and spun government dollars.
Writing is still in similar straits despite the availability of indie.  We need indie for artists too, yes, and it’s coming as soon as the economy improves and materials are a little cheaper.

The rats put in our head by our overculture being captured by governmental cash and ultimately enemy propaganda that made oikophobia and uglification the thing to chase? That might only pass away when two more generations go to their graves, in the natural way of life.

But anything you can do to undermine is appreciate it. We don’t fight in vain, and even if victory comes fully only after we’re gone? In the end we win they lose. Because humans like beauty.

Posted at 1:06 am by Sarah Hoyt

May 11, 2025

OPEN THREAD: The weekend’s not over until we say it is!

Posted at 9:30 pm by Ed Driscoll

THIS ERA IS THE MOST PIVOTAL IN HUMAN HISTORY:

This era stands as the most pivotal in human history, surpassing the trials of Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, the Victorian era, and the Cold War. Rome’s collapse disrupted 70 million lives; today’s threats would annihilate 8 billion. Medieval plagues ravaged regions; pandemics now encircle the globe in days. Victorian progress reshaped economies; AI could redefine humanity itself. The Cold War’s nuclear peril was singular; this era’s risks—AI, nuclear war, pandemics, and socialist propaganda—are multifaceted and amplified by global connectivity. The Soviet Union and Venezuela’s socialist failures warn of propaganda’s ruinous potential, a threat magnified by digital platforms. This is not merely a chapter but the hinge upon which history turns, where our decisions will forge or fracture humanity’s future, unmatched by any moment before.

Hey, at least before AI goes full Skynet and destroys mankind, it’s allowing us to make cute Ghibli-style cartoons and simulated action figures. So really, how terrifying can it be?

Posted at 9:14 pm by Ed Driscoll

DISPATCHES FROM THE HOUSE OF STEPHANOPOULOS:

Here’s the Journal article: Trump Wants a New Air Force One So Badly He’s Refurbishing a Qatari Plane.

UPDATE:

Posted at 8:30 pm by Ed Driscoll

GEORGE SOROS: THE MAN AND HIS EMPIRE.

He’s the universal symbol of progressive tyranny, the image of Davos despotism. He’s the immigrant who broke the Bank of England and hedge fund master who plundered Wall Street. He’s a globe-trotting globalist active in dozens of countries, yet loyal to none. He’s the embodiment of philanthropy’s decay from its biblical pedigree into cultural Marxism. He’s a narcissist out to remake the world in his own cynical image. To those familiar with his “open society” ideology, he’s a menace bent on killing the West.

For millions across the world, George Soros is simply the face of evil.

But much of the notorious mega-donor’s life and legacy is complicated and hazy. Even at 94, Soros wields enormous influence over the institutional Left — the armada of activist, lobbying, policy, and litigation groups that really run the modern Democratic Party — something he aims to pass on to his 39-year-old playboy son and heir, Alexander, who took control of his father’s hedge fund and foundations less than two years ago.

This writer began reporting on George Soros’s dark money spigot at its zenith in the early Trump years, when it seemed money could buy anything in Washington. Fast forward to 2025, and Soros’s open society vision is itself on the ropes — and that’s stunning.

Related: Was Soros Involved? Trump Finally Reverses Biden’s Travel Ban on Prominent Soros Critic.

Posted at 8:00 pm by Ed Driscoll

GREAT MOMENTS IN PRIORITIES: Senator Chris Murphy’s Stammering Symphony: A Masterclass in Evasion on Transgender Athletes in Sports.

Let’s break this down, shall we? First off, Murphy starts strong with, ‘I don’t have any fear of transgender athletes participating in sports.’ Oh, bravo, Chris. Very brave. Very progressive. But then Douthat, bless his heart, throws a curveball: ‘If you had a daughter competing against a biological male, would you find it unfair?’

And here’s where the fun begins. Murphy, in a stroke of genius, responds with, “I don’t have girls’. Wait, what? Is that supposed to be an answer?

Douthat, not one to let a good dodge slide, presses further: ‘Have some empathy for those of us who do. So would you find it unfair?’ And Murphy, ever the wordsmith, counters with, ‘I’ve talked to lots of parents of girls in Connecticut who do not think it’s unfair … I think everybody can come to their own conclusion.’ Sure, Chris. Because nothing says ’empathy’ like dismissing the concerns of parents who actually have skin in the game.

Contrast with: Democratic senator reveals ‘people we care about most’ are ‘undocumented Americans’ in US.

Exit question:

Posted at 6:00 pm by Ed Driscoll

BOMBSHELL BODY CAM FOOTAGE HAS HOUSE DEMOCRATS FACING POTENTIAL ARREST FOR ASSAULT:

A trio of New Jersey Democrats in the U.S. House may soon find themselves in handcuffs after their so-called “oversight visit” to an ICE detention center that got very insurrection-y on Friday. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the incident—which reportedly involved physical altercations with federal agents—could lead to arrests.

Representatives LaMonica McIver, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez, accompanied by Newark’s far-left Mayor Ras Baraka, allegedly stormed the Delaney Hall Detention Center unannounced. Baraka was arrested on the spot and charged with trespassing. Things escalated quickly, with DHS officials confirming that at least one ICE agent was assaulted during the confrontation—an incident that was captured on body cam footage.

So much for respecting the rule of law.

In response, JD Vance tweeted:

Meanwhile, much airbrushing of 2021-2024 tweets is likely going on: Dem Sen. Brian Schatz Trips Over Some Old Tweets While Getting Triggered by Possible Arrests of Dems.

 

Posted at 4:00 pm by Ed Driscoll

FASTER, PLEASE: Why Regime Change in Iran Is Becoming Inevitable. “Iran’s growing internal unrest and external failures present a strategic opportunity for the United States and its allies. The West should begin planning for a future without the Islamic Republic.  The Islamic Republic’s foundational pillars—religious legitimacy, economic governance, and regional power—are in collapse. Though the regime still holds coercive control through its security forces, it has lost its societal foundation. Regime change in Iran is no longer a distant hope—it is an increasingly likely outcome. The question for Western leaders is not if it will happen, but how to help shape a peaceful, stable, and democratic transition.”

Posted at 2:00 pm by Ed Driscoll

ROGER KIMBALL: The Power in a Papal Name.

When, to the surprise of many, the Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost got the nod from the College of Cardinals, the white smoke had not yet dissipated before the world was atwitter about the name the first American Pope had chosen: Leo.

What did it mean? I canvassed several knowledgeable friends about our new Pope. The responses ranged from cautious optimism all the way to avid enthusiasm. “All early signs are very positive,” quoth one pal who worked in the Vatican for Pope Benedict. “I think he will be a great pope.”

Given the source, I take that as a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Read the whole thing.

Posted at 12:00 pm by Ed Driscoll