27 November, 2021

27 November, 1896

Also Sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) by Richard Strauss, inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel, debuts in Frankfurt.

This was made famous as the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey

You Should Not Give the NBA Any of Your Money

Famously Woke NBA Releases Statement On Rittenhouse Verdict, Claims Rittenhouse’s Attackers Were Peacefully Protesting | The Daily Wire

I’ve been saving this picture. This is an example of the “peaceful protests” in Kenosha.

Car_Source_Kenosha_Burned_out_car_lot

The NBA should be ashamed for defending this. Everyone who has defended this should be ashamed.

By the way, this is exactly where Kyle Rittenhouse was. He was trying to defend this car lot.

Disgusting.

For the record, has the Kenosha rioters actually been “peacefully protesting”, I would be on their side. As this blog has made quite clear, I am an unabashed supporter of free speech. I set the bar extremely high to impose any restrictions upon it.

Arson, rioting, looting, vandalism do not constitute free speech. They are theft and acts of violence.

If you’re on the side of that, I will never be on your side, and you are not on the side of American liberty.

This Would Constitute Child Abuse

RED ALERT: Fauci Says Babies May Be Jabbed By Early 2022 (lifezette.com)

The numbers for children, especially boys, don’t justify this. In fact, they justify just the opposite. If I had a baby boy, and they came at him with a China Virus vaccine, they would have to go through me.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke out this week to say that babies and toddlers aged six months to five years could be eligible for the COVID-19 shot by early next year.

“Hopefully within a reasonably short period of time, likely the beginning of next year in 2022, in the first quarter of 2022, it will be available to them,” Fauci told Insider, He then made sure to add that “you’ve got to do the clinical trial” before this can happen.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Parents, don’t let them do this to your kids.

They Were Racist Pigs, but I Wouldn’t Kick Them Out for That

Campus Reform | EXCLUSIVE: Students behind viral ASU video face Code of Conduct charges. Faculty say that is racist.

Faculty members are pushing back against Arizona State University for charging Code of Conduct violations against the female students who attempted to kick out two White men from the school’s Multicultural Community of Excellence Center earlier this year.

The faculty is right. If you don’t remember the incident, it’s here.

I stand up for free speech always. Even, and especially, free speech by jerks like these.

Although This Is a Strong Second on the Misinformation List

ESPN Lies About Jacob Blake Shooting, No Correction Issued – PJ Media

The Most LOL-Worthy Take On the Rittenhouse Trial

The Independent Falsely Stated Rittenhouse Shot 3 Black Men | The Daily Caller

“Full story: Teenager who shot three black men with rifle found not guilty on all charges,” the Independent wrote in a bullet point on the main page of its website Friday. The error was quickly corrected, although the outlet did not publicly acknowledge or apologize for the mistake

LOL.

The sad thing is that it was easy to make this mistake. The media has repeatedly told you that Kyle Rittenhouse is a white supremacist, and has done everything to imply that his actions were racially motivated.

So, one not closely following the case would likely think that Kyle’s attackers were black.

And Now the Gaslighting Begins on the Russia Hoax

Russia hoax whitewash era begins | Power Line (powerlineblog.com)

They’re going to try to make us believe they haven’t been lying to us for the last four years.

How Did the Media Screw Up the Rittenhouse Saga? Let Us Count the Ways.

Once more with feeling! Media coverage of the Rittenhouse case was hot garbage – HotAir

This is a good one from Politifact. You want to revise your Truth-O-Meter, Politifact?

And our dear President.

Much more here:

Drew Holden on Twitter: "THREAD It’s time to revisit the coverage of Kyle Rittenhouse. With the news that he has been acquitted on all counts, don’t forget the ways that Dems and the corporate press came together to craft a false narrative in his case. Let’s break down how we got here⤵️" / Twitter

Crowder Nails It Too

If Rosenbaum and Huber were alive, Kyle Rittenhouse would not be. Would you be making this same tweet about his tragic loss of life? If not, then you’re a horrible person.

Walsh Sums It up Perfectly

Again, if you’re upset with the verdict, you’re on the side of the child rapist attacker. Which means I am not on your side.

Welcome to Portland

There was a Riot In Portland Following the Rittenhouse Verdict – PJ Media

Once again I will lament what has happened to Portland over the last couple of decades. This is a shining example of why Democrat “leadership” is something to avoid at all costs.

Except in Portland. There, the professional radical agitators didn’t really need much of an excuse. It was the weekend, so any radicals who actually had a day job were free to throw a few Molotov cocktails and toss some rocks through windows to “protest”… what?

Well, there’s “white supremacy,” because Kyle Rittenhouse killed two white allies of the anti-police movement—36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum of Kenosha and 26-year-old Anthony Huber of Silver Lake, Wisconsin—and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, a protester from West Allis. But that’s not quite the same thing as if Rittenhouse had shot a black protester or two, screaming “Zieg Heil” when they fell.

But they just know that’s what he was thinking.

Fox 12 of Portland, a news outlet that has become one of the most experienced at covering riots in the entire world, reports that police in Portland declared a riot after a protest against the Rittenhouse verdict became “violent and destructive” near the Multnomah County Justice Center.

Fox News:

Rioters were throwing objects at officers, smashing windows and damaging the justice center’s front gate, FOX 12 of Oregon reported.

“Due to violent, destructive behavior by a significant part of the crowd, the gathering in downtown Portland is a RIOT. All participants are instructed to proceed away to the WEST,” the Portland Police Bureau wrote on Twitter.

Riot about something that didn’t affect you that happened 2,000 miles away.

Strong Words. Back Them Up.

‘I Would Like To See CNN Evolve Back To’ Doing News, ‘Actually Have Journalists’: Incoming Top Shareholder | The Daily Wire

CNN should “evolve back” to covering news and “actually having journalists” on the payroll, which would be “new and refreshing,” according to the leading force in the company poised to buy out the ratings-deprived Cable News Network.

Liberty Media Chairman John Malone said “good journalism could have a role” in any company he controls, implying that would require major changes at the nation’s first 24-hour news network.

If I were employed in front of the camera at CNN, I think I would be nervous for my job.

“I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with and, you know, actually have journalists,” Malone replied, adding that the presence of bona fide journalists on CNN “would be unique and refreshing.”

As a former CNN watcher, I would love that also. Maybe they could bring back Headline News, which was terrific with Don Harrison.

They Were in the Tank for Biden All Along

Remember, Trump ran on “law and order”. His main point was that these riots were killing our cities. So, this article that proved his point couldn’t be published before the election.

NBC Can Bite Me

NBC Columnist: Parents ‘Aren’t Qualified,’ ‘Should Keep Their Noses Out’ Of Education | The Daily Wire

“Part of the problem is that parents think they have the right to control teaching and learning because their children are the ones being educated,” Wyman wrote. “But it actually (gasp!) doesn’t work that way.” She then likened parents taking issue with course materials to interfering with surgery because the patient is their child.

Actually (gasp!) it does. Please stay away from my kids. Please stay away from all kids.

Nadler’s Just Throwing Some Red Meat to His Base

He’s not really stupid enough to think the DOJ is going to do anything.

Oh wait, this is Repl. Jerry Nadler (D-NY-10). Maybe he is that stupid.

Jerry Nadler Wants to Sic the DOJ on Rittenhouse Following Acquittal – PJ Media

Again:

Rittenhouse did not cross state lines with an AR-15, but was, in fact, provided with the weapon earlier in the day.

Looting and rioting are also not protected by the First Amendment.

People have gotten really stupid over this.

And a Peek at Rittenhouse Verdict Reaction From the Left

Leftist Meltdown Over Rittenhouse Not Guilty Verdict (legalinsurrection.com)

I’m going to say two things right off.

  1. If you were at all surprised by the verdict, you haven’t paid attention to the facts in this case. As some have said, you need to rethink your news sources
  2. If you’re upset by the verdict, then you must feel that it was okay for people to attack Kyle Rittenhouse and not okay for him to defend himself. Make no mistake about it, if Kyle Rittenhouse had not done what he’d be dead now. Period. More bluntly, if you’re upset with the verdict, you want Kyle dead. Period.

Ugh. These are horrible.

Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum are child rapists and kidnappers. And they would have been killers if Kyle hadn't defended himself.

I would hate to live in such a world

Maybe don't riot and attack people carrying guns.

Kyle wasn't the one burning up a city.

When you have no argument, bring up something that has nothing at all to do with the case in question.

Yes, 1619 is quite relevant to this case 402 years later. *eye roll*

Everything in this tweet is either irrelevant or wrong.

The system is designed to protect those who protect themselves.

Let me help you. Wrong: Rioting, burning, attacking people who are trying to stop you from doing that. Right: defending yourself from violent attackers and rioters.

Twelve impartial jurors disagree.

What a hack.

Again, irrelevant and/or wrong. Kyle was legally allowed to carry the weapon, and who cares that he went across state lines. Why would anyone think that's important?

I don't care what a racist homophobe like Joy Reid thinks about anything.

We don't know that. And irrelevant anyway. Are you suggesting because some injustice might have occurred if Kyle were black, that he should also suffer injustice? Because that's how it sounds to me.

He can claim self defense, because it was self defense. Did you not watch the trial?

Consequences for the judge? For what? He bent over backwards giving the prosecution as much leeway as he could.

I'm not even sure what the point of this tweet is.

Well, they weren't victims, and otherwise, youy watched a different trial than I did.

Again, no argument, so bring up a lot of cases that have no bearing on this one.

Any "enraged" young people need a better education in our justice system from the schools, and in the nature of right vs. wrong from their parents.

That sounds suspiciously like a threat.

I suspect he will not face censure for this.

I Wonder if We’ll Ever Know Who Killed Him

It’s pretty certain his death was not an accident and not due to normal causes.

Never Mind Waldo, Where's Hoffa? Back in New Jersey, Tipster Claims – PJ Media

No one knows where union leader Jimmy Hoffa’s body is, but the latest tale claims he is buried in Jersey City, N.J., under a roadway called the Pulaski Skyway, which might look familiar to fans of “The Sopranos.”

The FBI confirmed they conducted a site survey of the area, though they wouldn’t disclose the focus of the search.

“On October 25th & 26th, FBI personnel from the Newark and Detroit field offices completed the survey and that data is currently being analyzed,” FBI Special Agent Mara Schneider wrote in a statement. “Because the affidavit in support of the search warrant was sealed by the court, we are unable to provide any additional information.”

Hoffa’s been rumored to be all over the place. I’ll believe the rumors when they actually find a body.

Overdue, but Some Initial Reactions to When Kyle Was Acquitted

Plus the video of the verdict being read, which I could watch 1,000 times.

‘Justice Is Alive’: Social Media Erupts In Reaction To Not Guilty Rittenhouse Verdict | The Daily Wire

And finally:

The responses to some of these tweets are incredible. There are some really sick people out there.

Is There Nothing It Can’t Do?

Ivermectin may stop spread of river blindness, West Nile virus, studies say - UPI.com

Horse de-wormer, my a**.

Mass treatment with ivermectin, a drug that has become controversial during the COVID-19 pandemic, eliminates river blindness transmission and can reduce spread of West Nile virus, according to findings presented Thursday during the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

The drug has effectively stopped the spread of river blindness in two states in Nigeria, Plateau and Nasarawa, the first Nigerian states to achieve this distinction in a country that has the world's most cases of the disease, the researchers said.

“Effectively stopped”.

But let’s keep on mocking its use in humans.

26 November, 2021

26 November, 1941

A rare double “On This Day” post for me. But I’m going to be hitting Pearl Harbor pretty hard over the next two weeks, and this is where it kind of officially begins.

The Kidō Butai  sets sail for Pearl Harbor, it’s exact destination still under sealed orders.

The Kidō Butai (機動部隊, "Mobile Unit/Force") was the Combined Fleet's tactical designation for its combined carrier battle groups.[15] The title was used as a term of convenience; it was not a formal name for the organization. It consisted of Japan's six largest carriers, carrying the 1st Air Fleet.

File:PearlHarborCarrierChart.jpg

Thus began the first phase of the planned attack on Pearl Harbor.

On November 26, 1941, a Japanese task force (the Striking Force) of six aircraft carriers—Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū, Hiryū, Shōkaku, and Zuikaku—departed Hittokapu Bay on Kasatka (now Iterup) Island in the Kuril Islands, en route to a position northwest of Hawaii, intending to launch its 408 aircraft to attack Pearl Harbor: 360 for the two attack waves and 48 on defensive combat air patrol (CAP), including nine fighters from the first wave.

26 November, 1942

Here’s looking at you, kid.

Casablanca premieres in the U.S.

Possibly the best movie ever made.

Well, That’s Because We Were

Campus Reform | WATCH: Students stunned by Thanksgiving inflation, say Americans were better off under Trump

Last year, Americans enjoyed the least-expensive Thanksgiving dinner in decades. Just one year later, and on the heels of sky-high inflation, reports warn that this time around could be the most costly Thanksgiving feast in American history.

Campus Reform's Addison Smith talked to students in Washington, D.C. about this alarming shift. Several had no idea inflation was at its current state.

"That's my first time hearing about [inflation] being a problem]", one said.

No, No, a Thousand Times No

Tom Cotton Wants Complete Olympic Boycott In 2022 - Victory Girls Blog

I’ve said more times than I can count that the American withdrawal from the Moscow Olympics in 1980 was one of the dumbest decisions of the Carter Presidency (and that’s setting the bar really freaking high). I don’t want Biden to repeat that stupidity.

We went to Berlin in 1936, remember?

We should do the same next year in China. Go there, kick ass, come home.

Don’t make political pawns of American kids who have been training their entire lives for their one shining moment in the sun.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

“Victory” Girls are for it. I will have to put Victory in quotes from here on out. As apparently, they’d rather run than fight.

A diplomatic boycott does send a message, but a total boycott would be a bigger message. But there probably isn’t enough momentum among politicians and athletes for more than this half measure. Team Brandon has demonstrated that they are pretty wimpy on China, and asking the athletes to stand up against China’s human rights abuses is hard to do when it feels so abstract.

Perhaps if they had a concrete example to rally around, like a missing Chinese tennis star, more athletes would consider a boycott on moral grounds. I have no doubt that it would be very difficult, because despite their corruption, the title of “Olympian” does still carry a cachet. I’m not saying it would be easy for the athletes to give up their Olympic dreams, but Tom Cotton is right. We know what is happening in China, and the participation of the United States and other countries who claim they care about human rights provides China with a moral whitewash that they don’t in the least bit deserve.

Wrong.

This Might Be the Most Ominous Sign of All for Democrats

Republican Blue State Governors Are Most Popular in the Nation – PJ Media

When Republican Governors are exceptionally popular in blue states, it gives them many opportunities to expand the map.

Leading the pack of blue-state Republican chief executives is Vermont’s Phil Scott, who shows a startling 79 percent approval rating. Second is Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker with 72 percent approval followed by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan at 70 percent.

It also hints at a shift in the political spectrum. Again, not good news for the party in charge.

What Could Go Wrong?

Your Future Car Will Be Pulling You Over to the Side of the Road if it Doesn’t Like Your Driving (lifezette.com)

Like I said before, this is all prelude to taking driving away from humans completely.

Your car of the future will also be programmed to shut you down if you are driving erratically.

Do they care if you are stuck in the middle of nowhere next to the house of a child molester?

No.

Do they care if you are erratically driving to escape a forest fire?

No.

And breathalyzers too. What could possibly go wrong?

This Fits the Pattern

Keep companies confused and worried about what might happen if the mandate gets the court blessing and they miss the deadline.

Biden Goes Rogue: Flouts OSHA, Court Rulings on Vaccine Mandate – PJ Media

“Let me be very clear: Our message to businesses right now is to move forward with measures that will make their workplaces safer and protect them — their workforces from COVID-19,” Psaki replied. “That was our message after the first day issued by the Fifth Circuit. That remains our message and nothing has changed.”

Psaki then noted that polling shows that 60 percent of businesses are “moving forward” with “components or versions of these vaccine requirements.”

Texas Rep Says ”We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore”

Biden Administration Targets Texas School District. Texas GOP Rep Strikes Back. | The Daily Wire

Two rules the Democrats should learn:

  1. Never attack success
  2. Never anger a woman from Texas

Both are unwise moves.

This Is Good News, Particularly Given Stanford’s History

Stanford president defends campus free speech in face of controversies | The College Fix

The criticism came from a handful of professors, including David Palumbo-Liu, an Antifa sympathizer who sits on a university free speech committee.

Stanford professors have also tried to cancel Scott Atlas, a skeptic of COVID restrictions and a former advisor to President Donald Trump.

“A foundational aspect of our mission is that the university has to be a place that supports and nurtures a diversity of ideas and viewpoints,” President Marc Tessier-Lavigne (pictured) said in his interview with The Stanford Daily. “It’s also central to our educational mission: to prepare students for a world in which you will all have to engage with diverse points of view. Every single day you’re going to be bombarded with them, so we would be failing our students if we didn’t expose you to a diversity of views.”

This is a good sign. I hope he follows up his words with actions. And I hope he inspires others to do the same.

I Mentioned This Before, but Trump Has a New Book

Donald Trump Shocks Publishing World With Announcement of New Book – PJ Media

“Today I am thrilled to announce I will be publishing a wonderful book in time for Christmas!” Trump told the Washington Examiner in a statement. ‘”‘Our Journey Together is a collection of beautiful photos captured during our successful time in the White House. From center stage to behind-the-scenes — this is a must-have for all Patriots. Every photograph has been handpicked by me and every caption is mine, some in my own handwriting.”

Looks interesting. Doubt I’ll get it, but if there’s a Kindle Edition, I might grab that.

BBB Passes the House and No One Is Surprised

BREAKING: House Passes Massive $1.75 Build Back Better Bill – PJ Media

The vote was close — 220-213  with a lone Democrat, Jared Golden of Maine, voting against the bill, along with all Republicans present.

On to the Senate, where the bill faces major obstacles in the name of Sinema and Manchin. We shall see.

Even That’s Too Long. 36 Minutes Would Be Better.

And if I thought it was possible, i would say 36 seconds.

Banks must report major cyber incidents within 36 hours under finalized regulation – CyberScoop

Banks must report major cybersecurity incidents to federal officials within 36 hours under a rule that U.S. financial regulators finalized on Thursday.

Beginning in May 2022, financial executives will need to be more forthcoming about computer system failures and interruptions, such as ransomware or denial-of-service attacks that have the potential to disrupt customers’ ability to access their accounts, or impact the larger financial system.

The rule, dubbed the Computer-Security Incident Notification Requirements for Banking Organizations and Their Bank Service Providers, was cemented by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. There is currently no specific window that banks must repot such incident to the agencies in question.

Seriously, this is a great improvement. And having been through a cybersecurity incident, I understand how reporting earlier is likely to lead to misinformation and confusion. When we went through ours, I think it was several days before we had a good idea of what had happened and how, and longer than that before we determined the impact.

But everyone needs to be better and faster on these. And better at preventing them.

Did He Take Pee Breaks or Sit Down Any?

Ok, I’m being silly about something quite serious.

Longest Floor Speech in History, Rep. McCarthy Condemns BBB – PJ Media

But Democrats did mock him for it. I guess mockery is all they have.

McCarthy didn’t waste his opportunity. For the next 8 1/2 hours, the minority leader made the case and put the Republicans firmly on the record as being united in their opposition to Joe Biden and the Democrats’ plans to try and turn America into something it never was and was never supposed to be.

Fox Business:

McCarthy said Democratic lawmakers were “out of touch” with the needs and wishes of ordinary Americans. Republicans universally oppose the legislation, which they denounce as a fiscally irresponsible initiative that will exacerbate the inflation crisis, damage the long-term economy, and introduce to large a degree of socialism.

“Never in American history has so much been spent at one time,” McCarthy said. “Never in American history will so many taxes be raised and so much borrowing be needed to pay for all this reckless spending.”

In the lead-up to the vote, the Congressional Budget Office released its score for the bill, claiming it would raise the deficit by $367 billion over the next ten years. But the CBO based that score on the ludicrous notion that “reforming” the IRS would bring in a robust $260 billion.

Yeah, that’s gonna happen. And the CBO’s estimates are going to be low. They’re assuming a lot of things that are unlikely to happen, as I’ve discussed many times in the past.

And, I would be remiss if I did not point out the childishness of the Democrats:

Democrats hooted and jeered at McCarthy for most of his speech — just what you’d expect from a bunch of adolescent morons.

Yahoo News:

At one point, he quoted Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., saying Americans didn’t elect Biden to be FDR, to which Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., interrupted and yelled, “I did!”

McCarthy added he could wait for Democrats to stop talking. “Keep going,” Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, yelled back. “No one is listening.”

Send them back to pre-school.

WTA Dials It up a Notch Over Peng Shuai

With an assist from the UN? Wow.

Peng Shuai: UN calls for proof of Chinese tennis star's whereabouts – CNN

"What we would say is that it would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing, and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault," Liz Throssell, the spokesperson of the UN Human Rights office, told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

    "According to available information, the former world doubles No. 1 hasn't been heard from publicly since she alleged on social media that she was sexually assaulted. We would stress that it is important to know where she is and know her state, know about her wellbeing," Throssell said.

    The head of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Steve Simon has said he is willing to lose hundreds of millions of dollars worth of business in China if Peng is not fully accounted for and her allegations are not properly investigated.

    "We're definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it," Simon said in an interview Thursday with CNN. "Because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business," added Simon.

    Wow, and for the NBA, people get in trouble for having “Free Tibet” on their shoes.

    Kudos to the WTA and (surprisingly) the UN for taking this stance. China is becoming increasingly hostile to freedom and frankly to the rest of the world. They must be stopped.

    It Is, and It Will

    I said I would rarely do polls. I need to get back to keeping that promise.

    Or unmake it.

    92% Say Inflation Is A Serious Problem; 56% Say Build Back Better Plan Will Make It Worse (scottrasmussen.com)

    Discouraging numbers if you’re the party in charge of the Executive and Legislative Branches, and you’re promoting Build Back Better.

    Like the OSHS mandate, the Democrats might be better off now if BBB doesn’t pass. Then they can’t be blamed for its failures, and they can blame the Republicans for not allowing their “solution” to pass.

    Ninety-two percent (92%) of voters say that inflation is a serious problem these days. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that just 5% disagree and 3% are not sure.

    Those totals include 64% who consider inflation to be a Very Serious and 2% who say it is Not at All Serious.

    The survey also found that 56% believe the Build Back Better plan being considered by Congress will make things worse by increasing inflation. Just 14% think that legislative plan will help by reducing inflation. Nine percent (9%) don’t think the legislation will have any impact on inflation and 22% are not sure.

    Voters are not paying much attention to the Congressional debate on President Biden’s proposal. Just 19% know that the infrastructure bill has passed and the Build Back Better plan hasn’t.

    Because of that, polling on the topic is heavily dependent upon how the proposed legislation is described. For the questions on inflation, respondents were told that it would increase both government spending and taxes. Nothing else was added to the question.

    Other data shows that voters generally believe that more government spending leads to higher inflation. Fifty-seven percent (57%) see inflation as a tax on the poor. Just 23% disagree.

    Also, I need to check on Scott Rasmussen. I seem to recall him being kicked out of his own company, which is why he has this new one, and there being some problems with the reputability of his polling.

    But there have been so many pollsters with issues over the last decade or so, it’s just as possible I’m thinking of someone else.

    This Is Amazing

    First, it’s amazing that President Joe Biden (D-USA) could be above water in any group on the economy. But the difference between white college grads and working class, wow.

    Trump’s populism and Biden’s ineptness have caused the working class, once the core of the Democratic Party, to abandon the Democrats in droves.

    This Is So Sad

    Gay Couple Force Christian Florist to Retire – PJ Media

    After nearly a decade of litigation, Christian florist Barronelle Stutzman has agreed to settle with the same-sex couple who sued her for refusing to serve their wedding.

    The couple, Rob Ingersoll and Curt Freed, were apparently unable to find any other florists for their same-sex wedding and will be paid $5,000 in exchange for no longer pursuing any damages against Stutzman’s business or personal assets.

    Stutzman, a 76-year-old grandmother, told Fox News that she’s retiring and leaving her business to its employees.

    “We’re all in trouble – whether we’re religious or not – when we don’t have the freedom to live consistent with our faith and our beliefs, when I don’t have the freedom to run my business according to my beliefs, live my life according to my beliefs,” she said. “Rob and Curt have every right to live the way they do and the way they feel with their beliefs, and I’m just asking for that same [right].”

    If I ever open a business again, I’m putting a big sign on the door that will read:

    WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE, FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.

    This may be because:

    • We don’t like your hair
    • We don’t like the way you dress
    • We don’t like your body odor
    • We think you wear too much makeup
    • We think you don’t wear enough makeup
    • You’re straight
    • You’re gay
    • You’re a woman
    • You’re a man
    • You’re non-binary
    • You’re cisgendered
    • You’re transgendered
    • You’re tall
    • You’re short
    • You’re thin
    • You’re fat
    • You’re obnoxious
    • We’re just feeling cranky that day
    • You arrived one minute before opening
    • You arrived one minute after closing
    • Your car needs a new muffler
    • Your socks don’t match
    • You’re not wearing any socks
    • We just don’t like you

    In short, as the top line says: WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE, FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER

    Oh, Another One of These ”Accidents”

    Chase pulled payment processing for Donald Trump Jr. event (reclaimthenet.org)

    “It seems you’re using WePay Payments for one or more of the activities prohibited by our terms of service,” a copy of the message, forwarded to The Missouri Independent, states. “More specifically: Per our terms of service, we are unable to process for hate, violence, racial intolerance, terrorism, the financial exploitation of a crime, or items or activities that encourage, promote, facilitate, or instruct others regarding the same.”

    Harsh, but ok. However…

    However, after being asked for a statement about the censorship, the company reversed its decision, saying that it was a mistake and insisting it would never cancel a contract because of a client’s political affiliation.

    “After further review, we determined that this organization didn’t violate the terms of service, and we are reaching out to the client to discuss reinstating the account,” the company wrote in a statement. “To be clear, we have never and would never close an account due to a client’s political affiliation.”

    Oh, it was an “accident” and they would never close an account due to a client’s political affiliation. So glad they cleared that up. I’m sure nothing like this will ever happen again.

    *eye roll*

    This Case Seems Really Suspicious

    Chinese tennis star who accused party leader of abuse has disappeared and now (allegedly) recants by email – HotAir

    If you have any kind of public platform in China and you dare to say something the government doesn’t like, there’s a very good chance you will disappear. It has happened to bloggers covering the COVID outbreak, to billionaires, to doctors, to Chinese movie stars and now it seems to be happening to tennis star Peng Shuai.

    Earlier this month, Peng wrote a post on the Chinese social media site Weibo accusing a senior member of the Communist Party named Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her:

    In the 1,500-character post, Peng gave a detailed account of her encounters with Zhang, now 75, which began a decade ago. Peng claims, in her post, she had an on-again, off-again affair with Zhang, who was married, starting before he rose up the party ranks and became vice premier.

    About three years ago, after Zhang retired from his role, he invited her over to his house to play tennis with him and his wife. She said he then sexually assaulted her while his wife stood outside guarding the door…

    Eeep.

    Then someone claiming to be her sent an email in English recanting the whole story. The WTA isn’t buying it.

    It was sent to the WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon, CGTN reported.

    Simon has said he doubts the email is authentic.

    “The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts,” Simon said in a statement. “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her.”

    He added: “Peng Shuai must be allowed to speak freely, without coercion or intimidation from any source. Her allegation of sexual assault must be respected, investigated with full transparency and without censorship.”

    American media isn’t buying it either.

    As Patrick McEnroe points out in this clip, the WTA approach to this issue is basically the opposite of the NBA approach to China. Instead of softening its tone, Steve Simon is basically calling BS on this email and demanding an investigation of the retired party official she accused. It’s good to see some people in the sports world still have a little backbone.

     

    Something smells.

    As Professor Reynolds Often Says, ”Faster, Please”

    An Experiment Using Human Stem Cells Ended Up Reversing Diabetes in Mice (sciencealert.com)

    A technique capable of converting human stem cells into insulin-producing cells could hold huge promise for future diabetic treatments, if results seen in a recent experiment with mice can be successfully replicated in humans.

    In a 2020 study, researchers figured out a new way to coax human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into pancreatic beta cells that make insulin. When these insulin-producing cells were transplanted into mice induced to have an acute form of diabetes, their condition was rapidly cured.

    "These mice had very severe diabetes with blood sugar readings of more than 500 milligrams per deciliter of blood – levels that could be fatal for a person," explained biomedical engineer Jeffrey R. Millman from Washington University in February last year.

    "When we gave the mice the insulin-secreting cells, within two weeks their blood glucose levels had returned to normal and stayed that way for many months."

    Wow. Sounds wonderful. Hurry up.

    Translation: IOC Kills Women’s Sports

    International Olympic Committee Says Biological Male Trans Athletes Should Not Have to Lower Testosterone to Compete in Women’s Events (dailysignal.com)

    And 50+ years of progress in women’s athletics…pffft…wiped away with the stroke of a pen.

    The International Olympic Committee recommended that sports organizations allow biologically male, transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports without lowering their testosterone levels.

    The committee stated that no athlete should be excluded from competition based on unverified, alleged, or perceived unfair competitive advantage due to biological sex in a Tuesday report. The report says athletes should compete in sports based on their self-determined gender identity and should not be subject to “targeted testing” to determine biological sex.

    If you’re a male athlete who desperately wants to compete in the Olympics, but you’re just not quite good enough, declare yourself trans, enter the women’s events. The gold medal is yours.

    “Athletes should not be deemed to have an unfair or disproportionate competitive advantage due to their sex variations, physical appearance and/or transgender status,” the report said.

    But they do, and to deny that is to deny reality. You can’t change truth because of your beliefs. Women’s sports will suffer horribly for this. And it’s not even a matter of time. They’re already suffering, and it’s going to get dramatically worse quickly.

    Shocker! It Doesn’t Cost Nothing!

    It Doesn’t Pay For Itself | Power Line (powerlineblog.com)

    The CBO estimates on Build Back Better are in. And they are, well, not good. Team Biden has been telling us that it won’t cost anything. Which was always stupid, but they claimed that since they raised taxes to pay for it and therefore it didn’t affect the debt any, it was free.

    Well, even that laughable statement turns out to be untrue.

    Sure enough, earlier today the CBO released an estimate that, as I read it, indicates the bill will increase the federal deficit by over $791 billion between 2022 and 2026, and $367 billion between 2022 and 2031. So much for paying for itself.

    Joe Manchin, for one, has been pointing to the forthcoming CBO estimate as an important factor in evaluating the Democrats’ spending spree. We can imagine what he will make of $791 billion. And, given the inflation that has taken off over the past year and that already is being fueled by out of control federal spending, it is hard to imagine who would be so irresponsible as to advocate increasing the national debt by the amounts that the CBO suggests.

    It is really hard to see Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) voting for this monstrosity. Poor Dems. I know exactly how they feel Stupid centrists ruin it for everybody. Smile

    He’s Just Lucky at This Point That There Are No Calls for Him to Be Prosecuted

    Parental Rights Activists Call for Merrick Garland To Resign – PJ Media

    Attorney General Merrick Garland is facing calls to resign following the release of an internal FBI email proving that the agency was actively tracking and investigating and alleged “threats” against school board members.

    “The attorney general needs to resign,” said Ian Prior, the executive director of the political action committee Fight for Schools. “He has completely lost the trust of the American people in the impartiality of the justice department.”

    When you a) declare war on American parents, b) use the full weight of the Department of Justice to enact your war, and c) lie about that to Congress, well, it’s time to go.

    DLTDHYOTWO.

    25 November, 2021

    25 November, 1952

    The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie opens in London.

    The Mousetrap

    It’s still running!

    Ye Gods, They’re Just as Crazy in the UK

    British School Cancels Winston Churchill, Replaces ‘House’ Name With 24-Year-Old Soccer Player | The Daily Wire

    Hey Brits, you do know that you’d all be speaking German now if it weren’t for Winston Churchill don’t you?

    The names of Winston Churchill, the British prime minister who guided Britain through World War II, and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling have been axed as school ‘house’ names at one British school in an attempt to promote diversity.

    According to the Belfast Telegraph, “Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School in Richmond has renamed houses honouring Britain’s wartime leader and Harry Potter author after footballer Marcus Rashford and nurse Mary Seacole.”

    Churchill, who at one point stood nearly alone against the encroachments of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, will be removed, and Rashford, a 24-year-old soccer player for Manchester United will take his place.

    Diversity. Well, at least it’s not because he’s no longer welcome. At least that’s what they say. I imagine that it is in fact that. Since Rowling was removed at the same time.

    I wish I were famous enough to be canceled. I think I’d like the notoriety of that. And the company.

    Harris Loses Her Comms Director

    But it’s the why that’s important.

    Kamala Harris' comms director Ashley Etienne LEAVES her team | Daily Mail Online

    Kamala Harris's communications director Ashley Etienne is leaving the vice president's office after reports staff are in-fighting and her boss is being sidelined.

    Etienne, a former staffer to Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama, joined Harris' team shortly after the election. At the time she said she would stay only a year. Vanity Fair first reported the news.

    Etienne is leaving in December to pursue other opportunities, the White House said.

    This fits with what I said earlier. Biden is pushing Harris out. And everyone can tell. They just need to find a way to force her to resign. I doubt they can without uncovering some skeletons in her closet. I think it’s clear that Harris’s team knows what’s going on, and she’s going to force him to force her out if he can.

    He may not be able to.

    Garland Lied to Congress and I’m Supposed to Be Surprised by That?

    Proof that AG Garland misled Congress about silencing parents who dissent (nypost.com)

    He told lawmakers that Justice and the FBI are not using counterterror tools to target parents, as the National School Boards Association had requested in a letter crafted with the White House. Yet House Republicans this week released a whistleblower’s bombshell e-mail — sent on behalf of the FBI’s Counterterrorism and Criminal Investigations divisions the day before the AG testified — asking agents to “apply” a “threat tag” and “track” threats against school officials.

    That order followed on Garland’s instructions for US attorneys to “convene meetings” with FBI agents and local leaders to address the supposed threats from parents — which don’t actually exist. Even if the AG didn’t know his underlings were following his orders when he testified, he should have corrected himself publicly once he learned.

    Sounds like a lie to me. But this whole escapade has been disgusting and reprehensible. Garland should resign for ever even considering putting the weight of the DoJ against concerned parents wanting to ensure the safety and proper education of their children. This is wrong on so many levels that I don’t even know where to start.

    OSHA Blinks

    Prediction: The OSHA mandate never goes into effect.

    OSHA Suspends Its Vaccine Mandate: What That Means, And What’s Next | The Daily Wire

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Wednesday morning it had temporarily stayed its vaccine mandate for employers of over 100 employees. To date, more than thirty lawsuits have been filed across the country, including the Daily Wire’s

    And more here:

    [T]he OSHA vaccine mandate’s legality is likely to be decided soon. The Fifth Circuit was unusually quick in its order. The Daily Wire and others have moved in the 6th Circuit to have the entire court hear these cases en banc, bypassing the normal three-judge panel process in order to get a definitive ruling from the 6th Circuit. Litigation would most likely continue to the Supreme Court, appealed by whichever side loses. As of now, employers, if they aren’t healthcare or government contractors, are no longer required by the federal government to mandate employee vaccination.

    This is going to the Sixth Circuit which is almost as conservative as the Fifth. It will likely be shot down quickly there also and then possibly go to SCOTUS, if OSHA appeals. I’m not altogether sure that they will. And SCOTUS may decide that since the Fifth and Sixth were in agreement that there is no need to take up the case.

    This Is Also Fine

    And it doesn’t conflict with what I said in my last post.

    Gov. DeSantis signs multiple bills limiting private businesses from imposing vaccine mandates on employees | One America News Network (oann.com)

    First of all, DeSantis is limiting businesses from imposing mandates, not municipalities, and secondly, this appears to only apply to vaccines. It appears that businesses would be be able to enforce mask mandates.

    So, really, this syncs up perfectly with what Governor-elect Youngkin (R-VA) has said.

    And this is correct. The Florida government should protect the right to work for its citizenry.

    This Is Fine. It’s What Federalism Is All About.

    Local trumps state. State trumps nation. That’s how it is supposed to work.

    Glenn Youngkin Won’t Ban Local COVID-19 Mandates | The Daily Wire

    I’m sure that lots on the right are upset about this, but they shouldn’t be. Local municipalities should be able to decide for themselves what they want to do.

    Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin (R) will not outlaw local COVID-19 mandates when he takes office in January.

    While the governor-elect will be lifting some state-wide mandates when he gets into office, Youngkin clarified over the weekend that he would not stand in the way of local governments implementing their own COVID-19 restrictions.

    “Localities are going to have to make decisions the way the law works and that is going to be up to individual decisions but, again, from the governor’s office, you won’t see mandates from me,” Youngkin told a local news outlet.

    This is exactly right. If there’s a sudden outbreak in an area, and the people of that area think that a mask mandate will help them get through the outbreak, they should be allowed to do that, without getting interference from the Governor. I’m happy with this decision.

    You’ll Start Seeing These Every Day, I Predict

    Vaccine deadline suspended at Newport News Shipbuilding | 13newsnow.com

    Huntington Ingalls Industries, the parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding, has suspended its vaccine deadline as of Tuesday.

    The company's CEO shared the news in a letter to employees saying the company confirmed that, except for specific contracts, their contracts, "do not include a requirement to implement the mandate."

    The deadline suspension goes into effect immediately.

    No one likes the mandates. No one likes hearing that their employees will walk because of it. No one likes the idea of losing business because of it. This is just going to become a bigger and bigger nightmare for Team Biden. The best result for them at this point is likely to lose the battle for it in court. That will at least take a while and in the meantime, many companies who are unsure of the outcome and afraid of getting caught with their pants down, will go ahead and enforce it.

    I Wouldn’t Say Goodbye Yet, but BBB Is Certainly Gasping for Air

    Bye bye, BBB? | Washington Examiner

    With BIF enacted, neither Sen. Manchin nor Sen. Sinema has any incentive to support the $1.75 trillion bill that would drastically expand the welfare state. The progressives gave up the leverage they had in terms of votes in the House of Representatives. Manchin or Sinema can now safely come out in opposition to BBB.

    Even before BIF passed the House, months after the Senate had done so, Manchin already expressed reservations about the BBB. His concerns included paid family leave provisions and how the BBB would affect inflation. And, right now, inflationary concerns are only growing. Meanwhile, Sinema has come out in opposition to certain tax increases, limiting how revenue could be raised under BBB.

    Richman thinks it will never pass. He’s more optimistic than I am. But it certainly seems like Manchin and Sinema are still firm “no”’s. I don’t know how much arm-twisting can be done. I suspect they’re going to have to re-write part of the bill and cut it again. If they cut it too much, they’ll lose the support of the progressive wing, though. Biden is going to have to be charming and walk a tightrope. Neither of these are typically in his skillset. We shall see.

    I Think Yellen Just Told Us How to Stop Build Back Better

    Yellen Says Biden’s $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Demands Raising Of The Debt Limit ‘As Soon As Possible’ | The Daily Wire

    But as I recall, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the Democrats were on their own for the debt ceiling raise. He gave them a temporary reprieve, but made it clear he wasn’t going to bail them out again. He gave them enough time to do it on their own. It does not appear to me that they’ve done anything, and time is once again running out.

    “Yesterday, the President signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which appropriates $118 billion for the Highway Trust Fund,” her letter explained. “These funds must be transferred into the Highway Trust Fund within one month after the enactment of the legislation, and the transfer will be completed on December 15. Promptly thereafter, the funds will be invested in nonmarketable Treasury securities subject to the debt limit.”

    “While I have a high degree of confidence that Treasury will be able to finance the U.S. government through December 15 and complete the Highway Trust Fund investment, there are scenarios in which Treasury would be left with insufficient remaining resources to continue to finance the operations of the U.S. government beyond this date,” she continued. “As the federal government’s cash flow is subject to unavoidable variability, I will continue to update Congress as more information becomes available.”

    “To ensure the full faith and credit of the United States, it is critical that Congress raise or suspend the debt limit as soon as possible.”

    Suspend. The Democrats always want to suspend it. Then they can pretend there is an infinite supply of money. Both sides do that really, but raising the limit every year allows them to at least pretend they care about it.

    I’ve always maintained that the debt limit ceiling should be based on a percentage of GDP. And I would create a law mandating that and have the law set a pretty high percentage initially (because we’re over any sane amount already), and have it slowly drop to a more fiscally responsible number.

    “I Think We’re Going to Faceplant on It”

    Dems stuck in spin cycle as inflation slowly ruins everything – HotAir

    Slowly???

    Privately, some Democrats have a blunter assessment of the persuasiveness of the new inflation spin. Some worry that, regardless of the White House carefully casting Build Back Better as an anti-inflationary measure, connecting the two during an inflation crisis will necessarily invite questions about the bill’s impact in the short-term.

    It’s a “huge risk” to sell Build Back Better as an anti-inflationary measure at all, a source close to the White House told The Daily Beast. After passage, inflation could easily persist, and Democrats facing tough reelections in 2022 could be vulnerable to GOP attacks that they sold a false bill of goods.

    “I think we’re going to faceplant on it,” this source said.

    I think you can count on the faceplant.

    “When You’re on the Left and Lose the Post, You’ve Really Gone Too Far”

    When You Lose the Washington Post, You've Gone Way Too Far – PJ Media

    When you’re on the left and lose the Post, you’ve really gone too far. It’s abundantly clear at this point that the Post is fully on board with the authoritarian Biden/Garland agenda. Its coverage of the Attorney General siccing the FBI on law-abiding anti-CRT parents included such Orwellian headlines as “Faced with Republican criticism” — which all good Post readers know is something that is always wrongheaded, ill-advised, cynical, opportunistic, and on the wrong side of history — “Attorney General Garland defends school board memo”; “A man gave a Nazi salute at a school board meeting to oppose mask rules. Ted Cruz defended it as a form of protest”; and “Garland asks FBI to address recent ‘disturbing spike’ in threats against educators.” Nonetheless, if you go too far too fast, you risk waking up the sleeping populace, and so the Post is now calling for the Injustice Department to slam on the brakes.

    Post media critic (yes, they really have such a thing; it’s kind of like Colonel Sanders having a fried chicken critic) Erik Wemple noted that Trevor Timm, executive director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, tweeted: “I’m sorry, but this is worrying from a press freedom perspective—unless & until DOJ releases evidence Protect Veritas was directly involved in the theft [of Ashley Biden’s diary]. Because if there is none, then the raids could very well be a violation of the Privacy Protection Act.”

    And if you’ve forced The Washington Post to defend James O’Keefe, you’ve really gone too far.