Archive for 2024

OPEN THREAD: Super Tuesday is over, but it’s still not too late to have a Wonderful Wednesday!

GREAT MOMENTS IN PRIORITIES:

Funny, I don’t recall reading about FDR, Truman, or their cabinet heads decrying the pollution output of the Nazis or imperial Japan during WWII, which I suppose shows just how blinkered their administrations’ focus was back then.

THE NEW SPACE RACE: China outlines position on use of space resources. “Johnson interprets the Chinese stance as seemingly largely aligned with the broader international consensus on the use of space resources. That is, the right to possess and use space resources is not only desirable by space agencies and national governments, but is also permissible under the current international law. Discussion and consideration of the use and legality utilizing space resources has grown in recent years due to advancements in the space sector, the rise of commercial companies and renewed interest in the moon.”

I’ve been saying that for several decades now, so it’s nice to see it becoming a consensus.

LAKEN RILEY UPDATE: Athens DA faces new effort to oust her from office. “The criticism is not new for Gonzalez, who has for years faced questions over her handling of high-profile charges, her decision not to prosecute certain low-level offenses and her approach to immigration cases. And when Gov. Brian Kemp pushed for a new state commission to punish ‘rogue’ prosecutors, it was Gonzalez he invoked as an example of a district attorney in need of reprimand. A revamped version of that law is now waiting for Kemp’s signature. Gonzalez is responsible for bringing justice to the killer of Laken Riley, the nursing student slain on the University of Georgia’s campus. Jose Antonio Ibarra, who authorities say entered the country illegally in 2022, is charged with her killing.”

GIVING THE PRESS THE RESPECT IT’S EARNED:

THE LATEST IN MY UNDERAPPRECIATED ALBUMS SERIES [VIP]: ‘From The Cradle.’ “If ‘Journeyman’ was Clapton’s apology for getting lost in the ’80s, ‘From The Cradle’ was the make-up sex.”

(OVER)ZEALOUS DEI PROGRAM LANDS PENN STATE IN COURT. Among many other things, a faculty “professional development” meeting featured “a training video entitled ‘White Teachers are a Problem,’ another sweeping attack on white faculty members simply because of their race.”

The simple fact is that if Penn State made black faculty members sit through a video called “Black Teachers are a Problem,” they would rightfully be livid, and everyone would recognize that as a hostile environment.

Disclosure: my firm, Allen Harris PLLC, represents De Piero.

JON STEWART, HOMOPHOBE? Jon Stewart Mocks Dr. Phil as Gay for Noticing Border Invasion.

Dr. Phil quickly figured out how open-border advocates deal with their critics.

“You’re a racist” for wanting any semblance of immigration control.

This week, Jon Stewart proved Dr. Phil right in the ugliest way possible.

* * * * * * * *

Dr. Phil visited the U.S. southern border recently and noted, among other things, how many Chinese men of military age were crossing it. That included very fit men ready for, well, we don’t know what.

It’s the kind of question an honest journalist might ask. Except we have very few who fit that description.

Enter Stewart.

The comedian suggested Dr. Phil was sexually aroused by the fit men crossing the border for unknown reasons, launching into a nasty, potentially homophobic attack on the TV veteran.

“I want to get a** deep on these immigrants,” Stewart said, mocking Dr. Phil’s southern drawl. The rest of the conversation got more lurid, so it won’t be repeated here.

Stewart briefly acknowledged the historic number of illegal border crossings but blamed the GOP for not passing strong border legislation.

It’s not true, of course.

In fact, Team Biden once bragged about eliminating nearly 100 Trump-era measures designed to bolster border security.

Why is Comedy Central such a cesspit of homophobia?

I AGREE: Too many screens? Why car safety experts want to bring back buttons.

Flashback: Bring Back Our Knobs: Analog vs. Digital. “Not so long ago, if I wanted to adjust the heat in my car, or the volume on my car radio, I could grab a nice, simple knob. Turn it to the right, and the car got warmer, or the radio got louder. Turn it the other way, and the opposite occurred. I could always sense how far I was adjusting things—without ever taking my eyes off the road—because millions of years of evolution have produced a neurological feedback mechanism that lets me know just how much I’m turning my wrist. Easy, effective, intuitive. That’s simply good design, right? You’d think. But in most late-model cars, making those kinds of adjustments requires pushing buttons multiple times, or navigating menus within menus, and—almost always—taking your eyes off the road.”

SAN FRAN RESIDENTS BEGIN TIMID RETURN TO REALITY: San Francisco Voters Deliver Blow to Soft-on-Crime Policies.

San Francisco residents on Tuesday voted to let police conduct more vehicle chases and deploy drones and surveillance cameras to fight crime. They also ordered mandatory drug screening for childless adults who receive welfare and housing assistance—benefits that will now be yanked from those who refuse testing.

Both measures passed by wide margins. The police initiative, which voters approved by nearly 20 points, would give law enforcement more leeway in when and why they can chase down suspects fleeing in vehicles. Officers are currently barred from chasing suspected thieves and can only go after those who they believe have committed a violent felony or pose immediate danger to the public. Police would also be able to deploy drones, facial recognition, and other surveillance technology to fight crime.

The welfare measure, which passed by 26 points, would require poor and homeless adults under 65 and without dependent children to be tested for drug use, and if they don’t pass their screening they would have to enter treatment to receive San Francisco’s cash payments and housing assistance. Those who fail a drug test and refuse to receive treatment will not be eligible for benefits.

Of course, much work remains for SF to avoid becoming Detroit by the bay: San Francisco’s Democrat Mayor Joins Republican effort to roll back law that made it nearly impossible to jail repeat shoplifters and people who deal fentanyl.