IT’S SATIRE, BUT IS IT REALLY, THESE DAYS? High School Runner Not Feeling Great About Her Chances Against The Girl With The Beard.
Archive for 2020
February 13, 2020
THE HOUNDING OF JORDAN PETERSON: The internet has an addiction to hate — and it’s killing us all.
Last week, it was reported that Jordan Peterson, who has been struggling with addiction issues and other health problems, was suicidal, had been near death, and sought treatment in Russia.
The response online was disturbing.
One social media user named Emily Gorcenski tweeted a link to an article with the headline, ‘He nearly died several times,’ alongside her own commentary: ‘Look at how much it sucks to be a bigot when not being a bigot is free,’ adding, ‘We narrowly missed the first case of they pronouns killing someone,’ and ‘Imagine name searching Jordan Peterson, who died when he was crushed by a falling pronoun.’
In other words, she was joking about Peterson’s near-death, conveying that she felt gleeful at the possibility he might suffer and die.
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Far too many of us are too comfortable vilifying and dehumanizing those with whom we have disagreements. It is not enough, on social media, to say, ‘Well, I agree with some things she says, but not others.’ Or ‘I think he is wrong.’ Or even, ‘I think this person is painfully stupid.’ If a person doesn’t share our views, only hatred and hyperbole will do, otherwise you aren’t truly serious about your politics.
A friend described it as ‘performative sociopathy’. It shows those you wish to demonstrate allegiance to that you are so committed to your politics, you literally don’t care if those you disagree with live or die.
Read the whole thing.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE GWOT: Senate Passes Resolution Limiting Trump’s War Powers in Iran.
PADDLING CONTROVERSY GETS INDIANA U. “SEXFEST” CANCELED: Yep, it’s what you think, and yep, there’s (fairly underwhelming) video.
People often wonder why free speech organizations like FIRE spend time defending unpopular or fringe expression. This case is a great example of why. IU Provost Lauren Robel, who ordered an unnecessary “investigation” into the paddling demonstration, last made the news less than 3 months ago when she publicly condemned Professor Eric Rasmusen for tweeting things deemed insufficiently pro-woman. That the same person is behind both efforts is no coincidence. When a government bureaucrat takes on the job of regulating the expression of adults, nobody is safe.
SHOCKER: Grown Men Won’t Dress Like Toddlers, RompHim Clothing Firm Goes Bust. “If I tried really hard, I might be able to squeeze out a tear for the people who came up with this, but I’d probably have to put Tabasco on my contact lenses and pull out a fistful of leg hair while remembering that scene when E.T. died in order to do it.”
And on a somewhat more serious note for PJMedia/Townhall VIP members: The Road to 1,990: Is It Bernie’s Race to Lose? “The temptation to write off Joe Biden’s chances of winning his party’s nomination is just like the temptation to order a second martini at lunch on a workday: You know you shouldn’t, but it feels so right.”
As always, there’s that VODKAPUNDIT discount code if you’ve been thinking of becoming a member.
WITH DNC IN MIND, CITY BANS CARRYING URINE, FECES: The Secret to Mike Bloomberg’s Success: Never, Ever Go to the Bathroom.
(Classical reference in headline.)
“HELL NO” IS STILL MY FIRST CHOICE: ‘Not sure’ third in latest 2020 Democratic poll, ahead of Bloomberg.
CHINA: Rule in the Time of Coronavirus.
Xi Jinping may also be thinking of it as an opportunity. Remember that Xi is part of political party that killed an estimated 65 million of its own people, and was happy to put a couple of million Uighers in concentration camps in order to reeducate them about their racial inferiority to the Chinese. They had to hold off tiananmening a few thousand Hong Kong activists only because too much of the world was watching and too much money is at stake.
But now? Now they’ve got tens of millions of people under quarantine, they’re reportedly burning thousands of bodies that died from the virus without reporting them, so many that they’re showing up on satellite photos mapping particulates. With the quarantine and even heavier than usual censorship, the communist government has ideal circumstances for score-settling and purging “subversive” elements.
Authoritarian lefties (but I repeat myself) prefer not to let a crisis go to waste.
EXTINCT, BUT NOT GONE: The ‘Ghost’ of an Unknown Extinct Human Has Been Found in DNA of Modern West Africans. “Similar to how humans and Neanderthals once mated, new research suggests this ancient long-lost species may have once mingled with our ancestors on the African continent. Using whole-genome data from present-day West Africans, scientists have found a small portion of genetic material that appears to come from this mysterious lineage, which is thought to have split off from the human family tree even before Neanderthals.”
21ST CENTURY POLITICKING: Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Suddenly Drops Memes Everywhere.
The Bloomberg campaign is working with Meme 2020, a new company formed by some of the people behind extremely influential accounts.
Mick Purzycki is the lead strategist of the Meme 2020 project. He is also the chief executive of Jerry Media, a media and marketing company that is a powerful force in the influencer economy. The company’s portfolio includes some of the most notable meme accounts on Instagram. Jerry Media was at the center of controversy last year after a debate around proper crediting in meme culture.
In January, Mr. Purzycki tapped a number of large influencers who he had formed relationships with through his association with Jerry Media. (Elliot Tebele, the founder of Jerry Media, has no involvement in the project.)
The campaign, which launched this week, has already placed sponsored posts on Instagram accounts including @GrapeJuiceBoys, a meme page with more than 2.7 million followers; Jerry Media’s own most popular account, with more than 13.3 million followers; and @Tank.Sinatra, a member with more than 2.3 million followers.
The accounts all posted Bloomberg campaign ads in the form of fake direct messages from the candidate.
The first real test of Bloomberg’s latest high-tech startup firm — his campaign — is on Super Tuesday, March 3. I’m very curious to see if he can buy his way to the nomination via TV and social media, rather than traditional campaigning.
ERIC CIARAMELLA IS NOT A “WHISTLEBLOWER,” HE’S AN OPERATIVE: YouTube Removes Video Of Rand Paul Naming Alleged Whistleblower Eric Ciaramella On Senate Floor.
HE HAS LEARNED NOTHING, AND FORGOTTEN NOTHING: Congressman Most Famous for Loud Fart Suggests He’s Game for Investigating Trump…AGAIN.
ENCOURAGEMENT NOT NEEDED BUT ALWAYS WELCOME: Why scientists are encouraging people to drink more coffee. “According to a new study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, there is a robust association between habitual coffee consumption and the prevention of bone fracturing later in life and the development of metabolic illnesses. In other words, more coffee for everyone!”
Coffee is the beer of nonalcoholic beverages: There’s nothing it can’t do.
GOOD: Man who refused to decrypt hard drives is free after four years in jail: Court holds that jail time to force decryption can’t last more than 18 months. Sounds like they owe him damages for the other 2 1/2 years.
AS SARAH HOYT WOULD SAY, “PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE”: ‘He would arrest us tomorrow’: Joe Scarborough says Trump would strip freedom of press if he could.
CHRISTIAN TOTO: Is Liberal Media Finally Fed Up with Woke Hollywood?
Two major outlets shred more than just the Oscars telecast. Are they finally on to the con?
Quick question: name the outlet that wrote the following about Sunday’s Oscars telecast:
What I did mind was a sinking feeling that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, for all its inclusiveness, had wound up excluding more viewers than ever. Couldn’t they have promoted that dual appearance by Steve Martin and Chris Rock? Bang that drum just a little, and another 3 million viewers might have watched. Shouldn’t they have done just a little bit more of what Renée Zellweger attempted when she said something nice about those in the Armed Forces, or Bong when he devotedly quoted Martin Scorsese?
National Review?
The Daily Wire?
American Greatness?Wrong. Try the far-left Deadline.com.
Read the whole thing.
DEAD CANDIDATE WALKING? Elizabeth Warren campaign shows warning signs after New Hampshire primary loss.