357 Magnum

So I was listening to the Kickass Metal playlist on Spotify on the 26th, and this song was number 3.

What follows is the official video, and as usual I find that it distracts from the music. There is a link at the bottom to just the audio. I can't decide if I like this song or not. Parts of it are appealing, but the songwriting is a bit weak. The fact that the lyrics are about cancel culture helps.

Here is a link to the lyrics.

'Cause everybody's talking bitch
Oh no, they'll never let go
Of something you said 10 years ago
They're cancelling, cancelling you
And they won't stop 'till everybody's

Zombified

This song is "Zombiefied" by Falling in Reverse. It was released at the beginning of January as a single ahead of the album Neon Zombie.

Here is a link to the audio, for those of you who don't care about videos.

Stolen guns. Lots of stolen guns. Scores of guns stolen from trains cause more problems in LA

Last August, Los Angeles police officers arrested two people in Lincoln Heights carrying a pair of shiny new .22 caliber handguns.

The guns were clean, like they came right off the shelf — not at all like the ones typically found following arrests. Just days later, officers patrolling in neighboring Northeast L.A. arrested a person with a similar handgun, in the same pristine condition.

When traced, it turns out the guns were part of a shipment of 36 guns headed for Tennessee.

And before anyone says, "It's only a .22," that can still kill you.

There was also a missing shipment of 46 shotguns.

Only a handful of the 82 guns known to have been stolen from trains passing through the Eastside neighborhood have been recovered. Investigators are not yet sure how many other weapons may have been pilfered, [LAPD Capt. German] Hurtado said.

And they are not sure if that is the end of the weapons stolen, because LA in general has its head up its collective ass.

No, they aren't just making a mess and stealing running shoes.

Somehow I'm sure that the response of LA's politicians will be to advocate for more constraints on legal gun owners, fewer police, and more "services" to the criminals.

From Meep at Stump we get a bit of completely predictable financial news. Original Sin (or Pandora's Box) and Public Finance and Pensions

The title to this post is quote from Herbert Stein in the 1980s, which was itself a paraphrase of 1974 statement by Friedrich Hayek.

I thought about using the phrase, "If you find yourself at the bottom of a hole, stop digging." I don't think NYC or Chicago or Honolulu or the other cities really know how to stop.

I’ve been blogging more about mortality of late, and less about public finance and pensions, partly because I have found public finance so depressing over the past year. The federal government turned on the printing presses, threw a bunch of newly-printed money into a black hole, and I couldn’t see beyond the event horizon. Not at the time, at any rate.

Maybe the state and local governments would put the money to paying down pension debt and not promising more. Maybe money would be used in a prudent way.

Maybe.

Well, things didn't get better.

The reports cited deal mainly with underfunded  pensions, and not funding other retiree benefits, such as health care. There are graphs showing the per-person per taxpayer liability for these promises in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Honolulu, Portland, and more.

For example, the per-taxpayer burden (to pay for unfunded liabilities) in NYC is more than $70,000. In Chicago, the per-taxpayer liability is more than $40,000.

Click thru if you think you can stand the details. Like the fact the NYC has funded about 3 percent of the non-pension retiree benefits that they promised to deliver.

There is also quite a bit about the "innovative" ways to fix this mess.

The kinds of messages that are welcomed are “innovative” in terms of telling you that you don’t have to do the thing you really don’t want to do (put more money into the pensions, promise less, cut back on many things, tax more, etc.)

One more bit, then I will break off before I depress myself.

I haven’t been writing much about public pensions during the pandemic because of all the federal bailout money papering over cash flow issues in the states. Not only have they been flush with the direct bailout funds, but their state income tax flows have been strong, inflation has boosted stock market prices as well, and the numbers, on paper, have looked pretty good so far.

The balance sheets, as we see above, don’t necessarily look good. But the liquidity has been fine, and as far as it goes for politicians, as long as they can get their hands on cash, whether from taxpayers, bond buyers, or the money printers, they do not care.

The Other McCain has sad news of a sudden demise. A Death in New Jersey.

According to the obituary, (what Robert Stacy McC. calls “a masterpiece of understatement”) he died suddenly.

The muzzle velocity of a standard 9-mm pistol is about 1,250 feet per second, which is pretty doggone sudden. The late Daniel Ackley was armed with a large knife — so large that responding police officers thought it was a machete.

Click thru for the BestBuy looting status, the coverage (non-coverage?) by CNN and more. It is definitely worth your time.

They wanted to win. Justice? They don't care about that. Man acquitted of capital murder in Birmingham shooting that killed brother of NFL lineman.

A Jefferson County jury, after two days of deliberation, decided Darrius Frazier fired in self-defense when he killed 27-year-old Gjamal Antonio Rodriguez and wounded Rodriguez’s girlfriend, Dedria Johnson, more than two years ago.

Under the heading of "The process is the punishment," Mr. Frazier has been held in jail since October, 2019.

The dead guy had fired at Frazier the day before the encounter. The dead guy had sworn to shoot him every time he saw him. He showed up where he was solely for a confrontation. What would you think?

Self-defense is a human-right, but it won't be your legal right if prosecutors have their way.

It seems that especially in the case of Domestic Violence, the system just doesn't care. Disjointed justice system leaves Scott County woman fighting for her life.

Kizzetta McClendon met Tony Boyd in November of 2019, and just four months later, she said, he was trying to kill her.

He has strangled her, shot her in the shoulder, tried to run over her with a car, raped her, and still "The System" keeps releasing him. Why? Because they don't care.

Cops have ignored her. Judges keep reducing bail until he can walk free. Prosecutors are not interested.

Advocates and former police officers who worked in Forest and Scott County say what happened to McClendon does not surprise them.

Stephanie Stockton, a former advocate with the Care Lodge in Meridian, visited Forest Municipal and Scott County Justice Courts as part of her job. Her goal was to make sure domestic violence victims knew there were services out there to help them go through the legal system, which can be confusing and daunting.

Officials from the courts would not coordinate with her and often made things more difficult for victims, she said.

Click thru for the sad details.

No where in the piece does anyone mention self-defense. Not in relation to this case or any other. This is in Mississippi, not New Jersey, but Leftists and Journalists (but I repeat myself) and Police and Prosecutors don't like self-defense no matter what state they are in. Though this may be mostly the Professional Journalist (so called) blocking that topic.

If you have a violent stalker, then you need a plan for your self-defense. I believe in the efficacy of fast-moving lead. You are free to choose another solution. But "relying on the system" should not be your only plan. That system has proven over and over again that it cannot protect you, and really it is not interested in protecting you. And the Supreme Court has said that they have no duty to protect you anyway.

The police want to end the freedom of the press in Melbourne. Probably in other places as well. WATCH: Police THREATEN jail unless Avi Yemini REMOVES this video - Rebel News

Avi Yemeni is a reporter for Rebel News in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The police claim that a reporter posting video he took on a public street to the internet, video that shows police arresting some people, is against the law. They want the video removed. Since that video contradicts what the police said happened before the arrest, I'm sure they are hoping to get the video pulled.

There are 2 videos at the link above. The first is Avi Yemeni talking about the "notice" he got from police, and his reaction, and some info from his lawyer. That video is about 8 minutes long.

The 2nd video at the link above is embedded below. That is the video that the cops want to suppress.

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain starts things off with In The Mailbox: 01.26.22 (Morning Edition)

Adam Piggott: Science Vs. God, also, Do Doctors Pray?
American Conservative: Drone Swarms In Ethiopia
American Greatness: Journalists Need To Learn How To Lay Bricks

EBL - Evangeline Lilly: Resisting Mass Formation Psychosis ☣️🤯

Daily Dose Of Vitamin Fred: MFP And We!
Da Tech Guy: A $10 Word For Something That’s Not New
Hogewash: Everybody Blog About Mass Formation Psychosis Day

The Right Way - Top of the News

What Putin Really Wants in Ukraine - American Power
LGBTQ activists are vigorously attacking Christianity - American Thinker

A View from the Beach - In a Fit of Mass Formation Psychosis, Justice Breyer Says Sayonara

A WaPoo, Glenn Youngkin opines Virginia’s parents can decide what’s best for their children. What a novel idea! They won't always be right, but on balance, they'll be right more often than the schools.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 01.26.22 (Afternoon Edition)

Weasel Zippers: Florida Man Does Something Not Meth-Related For Once, Biden Polling Hits New Record Low, and White House Unleashes Hashtags Against Putin

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 1/28/21

Segregation Now, Segregation Forever?
The party of Segregation just can’t kick their old habits

Vlad Tepes - Ontario government gaslights father over 17 YO son’s vaxx death: Links 2, January 27, 2022

4. This may be the key to a lot of things. Please click though to RAIR foundation and read the related materials. This father lost a son to the vaccine and all levels tried to cover it up. He had to get his OWN autopsy done to try and find out what happened

And again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 01.27.22

Power Line: Betraying The American People, A Day In The Life, and Why Do Democrats Hate Children?
Shark Tank: Eskamani Considering Run For Congress?

Battleswarm Blog - LinkSwarm for January 28, 2022

“Trudeau Claims Truckers Only Hate Him Because He’s Black.”
Speaking of which: “L.A. Schools Will Require Non-Cloth Masks (Even for Sports) and Vaccination Next Year.” As if parents even needed another reason to flee Los Angeles public schools…

Political Hat - Quick Takes – Modern Education: Secret Indoctrination; BLM Guiding Principles; Brainwashing In 21 Days

The Marxist derived tenets of the “Black Lives Matter” movement are being taught… to Kindergarteners.
“A Denver public elementary school system is planning on teaching gender and race sensitivity lessons using Black Lives Matter’s “13 Guiding Principles” as a model.

One more time from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 01.28.22

Don Surber: NYT Finally Opposes Harvard’s Racism, also, Frampton Comes A-Cropper
First Street Journal: What Good Are Gun Control Laws When Larry Krasner Won’t Enforce Them?

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

Seattle Target store picked clean by shoplifters (plus Michael Rappaport witnesses shoplifting in NY)
Putin's Waited 30 Years to Sort Out Ukraine

Splendid Isolation - News Roundup

IN HER SIGHTS Ukraine mum arms herself with massive sniper rifle & sets up sentry post in kitchen warning Putin ‘I’ll start shooting’

Cafe Hayek - Some Covid Links

Well, I hope Neil Young will remember, Joe Rogan don’t need him around anyhow.
Rich Lowry rightly criticizes the American left’s mindless addiction to mask-theater for schoolchildren

Pixy Misa at Ace of Spades HQ - Daily Tech News 28 January 2022

Nvidia's RTX 3050 is here aaand it's sold out. (Tom's Hardware)
Seems to be available here in Australia - and graphics cards have increased from one per customer to three per customer - but it's at least 50% over MSRP.

I leave you with Wednesday gifdump from Wirecutter, Senior moments from Bluebird of Bitternes, and Wednesday Memes … from MaddMedic.

If not with a gun? Woman shoots, kills man in self-defense after he breaks into house, sheriff’s office says.

The sheriff’s office told FOX13 that 63-year-old William Hoskins began shooting outside of a house on Oak Valley Drive near Coldwater, MS, broke into the house with three people inside and continued shooting.

A woman who knew Hoskins shot him after he broke in.

I wish someone on the gun-hating Left would explain to me what she should have done differently.

Cops consider it a case of self-defense, which is a human-right.

Well, that is what the people voted for - reduced police enforcement, reduced prosecutions. What did they think would happen? NYC workers feel powerless over shoplifting surge exposed by Rapaport video.

The incidents come amid a recent surge in shoplifters making bold thefts at retail and grocery stores that critics blame on soft approaches to prosecutions that have emboldened people to commit low-level crimes.

Most retail operations operate on fairly thin margins. If this goes on much longer, the businesses will close. Or move somewhere that Law & Order are still in existence.

It isn't just NYC, of course. Why shoplifting is soaring across the US — and will only get worse.

Shoplifting no longer fits its traditional mold as a nonviolent crime perpetrated mostly by teens or substance-abusing adults. Nearly two-thirds of the retailers surveyed by the National Retail Federation said that violence associated with store thefts has risen, led by organized gangs that resell the goods they steal. Like retailers, top law-enforcement officials place some of the blame for the crime surge on a widespread lessening of penalties for shoplifting.

“Without deterrents and accountability, communities will be victimized, and businesses terrorized,” said Laura Cooper, head of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

There is more at both links.

The Other McCain brings us Mass Formation Psychosis: What Is It and Why Is Everybody Talking About It Now?

Have you ever heard of “The Streisand Effect”? It’s what happens on the Internet when someone tries to suppress the truth:

That's is exactly what the Democrats, the Legacy Media, and the Left in general is discovering now that some truth about COVID-19 vaccines, side effects, etc. are coming to light.

In a free society, such censorship efforts always fail, if citizens understand what is at stake. Today was Everybody Blog About Mass Formation Psychosis Day, an effort to bring attention to a dangerous censorship effort.

Click thru for links to explanations of the whole thing. If you follow all the links, well, grab a coffee. It is worth your time.

A somewhat abbreviated, somewhat late, Friday links. I hope your week is going well.

Victory Girls - Neil Young Loses Chicken Game With Spotify I had to have something on the Neil Young Kerfuffle; it made me smile.

Samizdata - The state is not your friend…

Gateway Pundit - Paul Sperry: What Did Clinton Know and When Did She Know It? The Russiagate Evidence Builds

The Other McCain - Crazy People Are Dangerous

Before we go any further with this story, permit to ask this question: Why is it that we never hear about the mental health of such people until after they shoot a cop?

American Greatness - Journalists Need to Learn How to Lay Bricks

Vlad Tepes - Dr. Mary Bowden gives an overview of how hospitals did all they could to PREVENT treatment of Covid19

Climate Depot - 2021 ‘hottest year’ BUST: NASA GISS, UK Met Office, RSS, UAH, all show global temps declining since 2016 – 2021 an ‘imperceptible 0.134C warmer than 30-year average’

Juvat at Chant du Départ - I’mmm BAAAAACK! Juvat has an after-action-report on a wine cruise to Costa Maya, Belize and Roatan.

Again from The Other McCain - Good News From New York

Important, because most of the news from there is bad nowadays.

SiGraybeard - How Strong Was That Tongan Volcano?

An international group that monitors for likely atomic detonations has reported that ... the infrasonic wave from the Tongan volcano is the largest thing they've ever measured, even bigger than the Soviet Union's Tsar Bomba, the biggest nuclear detonation in history.

Clayton Cramer - Less Drama Russia is ready to invade Ukraine.

But at least no mean Tweets.

Roberta X - Where the Bad Guys Get Their Guns

And again from Roberta X - Confirmation Bias: Teachable Moment

Tempest, meet teapot; teapot, meet Totenberg. Oops.

Then there is no check on your actions but your own character. Character seems to be in short supply today. Ex-Northwestern University professor Wyndham Lathem gets 53 years in killing boyfriend in River North - Chicago Sun-Times

Well, the rule of law is supposed to be check on the actions of people, but that is in short supply in a lot of places.

He was a university professor and microbiology researcher. He killed his boyfriend - stabbed him 70 times - as part of some sexual fantasy. Because in world where there is no good and evil why not? Personally, I call this evil.

Cook County Judge Charles Burns called the killing of Trenton Cornell “cold-blooded,” “calculated” and an “execution” as he sentenced Lathem to 53 years in prison.

At the time of his arrest in 2017, he was an associate professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois. And in case you were not clear on the standing of Northwestern, Feinberg School of Medicine ranked 15th among American medical schools for research by U.S. News & World Report in 2022.

So how does someone working as a researcher in microbiology at a top university throw it all overboard for some twisted fantasy? And people continue to maintain that there is no evil in the world.

I'm not sure why people think they are. "I was actually shocked:" Double homicide in Georgetown leaving resident surprised - 47abc

An argument leading to a double homicide right here at this Georgetown restaurant Saturday night. Now, detectives are left trying to put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

“I was actually shocked and I really had no idea that something like that would happen in this town,” Jessica Lindenmeier, a Georgetown resident said.

I'm sorry to break it to you, but if you are reading this you don't live in Pleasantville or Mayberry RFD, you live in The Real World™ where crime can, and all too often does, happen.

Yes, some places are more dangerous than others, that doesn't mean your chances of encountering a criminal are zero.

What's the opposite of Diversity? University.

Andy Ngo's presentation at Darmouth canceled due to threats of violence. Antifa win again as Dartmouth cancels my event on far-left violence.

The irony runs deep at Dartmouth. A presentation on Leftist violence is canceled due to threats of Leftist violence. I think that makes his point better than anything he could have said. It is still sad.

I was scheduled to speak last week at Dartmouth College by invitation of the chapter College Republicans and Turning Point USA. The Thursday “Extremism in America” event was meant to highlight America’s long history with far-left violent extremism, a subject politicians and media oft ignore and deny.

Gabriel Nadales, a former member of California militant leftist groups, was the co-speaker. But we never got to step on stage to a live audience.

Soon after the event was announced, Antifa and its army of online trolls threatened violence to shut it down.

Go read the rest.

Not that there aren't reasons enough just in the way it gets used. Malicious PowerPoint files used to push remote access trojans

Since December 2021, a growing trend in phishing campaigns has emerged that uses malicious PowerPoint documents to distribute various types of malware, including remote access and information-stealing trojans.

And for no real reason, here is Life after Death by Powerpoint. It's 9 minutes of why PowerPoint should be banished from every business. Even if you only watch the first couple of minutes... If you have ever had to partake in a PP-driven meetings, you will understand.

And one of the strangest charges I've ever seen in a story of this kind. Evansville police: Homeowner shot suspect who tried to break into her home.

According to an agency police news release, the man was shot once in the 400 block of Kimber Lane after he smashed a sliding-glass door with a shovel. The caller reportedly told dispatch the man had brandished a gun while trying to break in.

Arriving officers located the man, arrested him and found a gun in his possession.

He was taken to the hospital.

As for the charges he faces:

Pending medical release, the man faces preliminary charges of attempted burglary, operating a handgun without a license and resisting law enforcement.

Operating a Handgun without a license is new to me. But whatever works.

If there is any Justice, he will go away for a long time. In that part of Indiana, there may be some Justice.

Self-defense is a human-right.

I am not surprised by the constraints. School District reports a 334% hike in cybersecurity insurance costs.

Insurance costs went from $6,661 in 2021 to $22,229 in 2022.

"In light of events that have negatively impacted the Cyber Insurance market, SSCIP was unable to initially find the required coverage for the group," mentions the memo.

Suburban School Cooperative Insurance Program (SSCIP) is a cooperative of school districts formed to get better rates.

As for the constraints.

As the District 87 memo mentioned, the insurer has also required that the district fully implement multi-factor authentication protection on all its accounts.

The school estimates that they can conclude this change by March 30, 2022. However, until that happens, the coverage limits will remain decreased, well below the consented amount.

Given all of the press about schools being hit with ransomware in the past few years, why is multi-factor authentication not in place?

Oh, yeah. "It's too hard." "I don't understand computers." And a host of other excuses.

I hope that helps, but my guess is that in a year or two, not cyber insurance will be available for hacking and ransomware. Unless law enforcement is better than it has been.

Every once in a while, someone proves that they are wrong to think that. Former Oklahoma undersheriff indicted in federal court for allegedly hitting 3 handcuffed suspects who were allegedly not resisting arrest

A former LeFlore County undersheriff has been indicted for allegedly striking three handcuffed suspects who were allegedly not resisting arrest.

He allegedly hit them because he thought he could. One of the three was a juvenile.

His antics have already cost the department in question $4 million in a civil suit.

Hat tip to Wirecutter: "RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!!!".

I hate missing important anniversaries. Wolfgang Van Halen remembers Eddie Van Halen on late dad's birthday

If you click thru you will find is a picture a Wolf and Eddie when Wolf was 4, and picture from 2015 when Wolf joined his father as a member of the band Van Halen.

I know I've featured this song before, but I never get tired of it. "Respect the Wind" by Eddie and Alex Van Halen from the soundtrack to the movie Twister. It played during the closing credits.

Edward Lodewijk van Halen died at 65 after a long battle with cancer.

At least based on how much people listen to it. And if you only listen to "Popular Music." Is Old Music Killing New Music? - The Atlantic. And so we have a non-music-based musical interlude.

I listen to a lot of New Music, that most people have never heard of, sadly. But then most people only listen to the 100 or so songs that were popular when they were in high school. Everything else is trash. Any technique or style or genre that wasn't popular when they were in high school is ridiculous. Almost by definition. It is why Oldies Stations are one of the few types of radio still surviving. They are fossilized in 1970, or 1980, or whenever they were in high school.

That said, a lot of new music is trash. It is because of how the music industry has devolved.

Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market, according to the latest numbers from MRC Data, a music-analytics firm.

The problem isn't just the new music, it's that people expect to find music today, the way the found music 30 years ago. I listen to exactly 1 radio station, and it is several hundred miles away from where I live, because my local radio stations suck. The radio station I listen to is WXRT from Chicago. And because FM can't compete with the fidelity of a high-quality stream from someplace like Spotify or Pandora or Amazon or YouTube Music or wherever. And there are a lot of choices besides the big names, like Napster and more. And then my entire CD collection has been ripped to FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) files, some of which are always downloaded to my phone, for playing in the car.

There are various anecdotes on the status of new music. and a few data-backed observations like the one above.

One of the anecdotes is about what happened when the Grammy Awards were postponed recently. What happened? Nothing. But then who cares? Rick Beato had a video - I will leave you to find it - on the songs nominated for a Grammy this year. For the most part they are forgettable, a few are aggressively awful. No one cares.

For myself, I have thought that the Grammy Awards were meaningless from the time, many years ago when Jethro Tull won an award for best Metal/Hard Rock song or performance. Jethro Tull was neither Metal nor Hard Rock. But that didn't stop the music industry from proving that they were clueless. But then I think most awards shows whether Grammy Awards or Oscars have become meaningless.

This article has inspired a couple of videos from musicians. I think they are both good, but then I love music, new or old, as long as it is good.

Rhett Shull has a video on this article from the point of view of a working musician. Old Music Is Killing New Music (why it's a GOOD thing). The video is about 15 minutes long. Managable with a cup of coffee, or something stronger.

Rhett mentions an album he was involved with, that was recorded in a more old-school way, instead of the over-processed way most new music is created. It's country, but it doesn't sound like traditional country, really. You can find that album at the following link: Blue Wall by Noah Guthrie.

Rick Beato also has a video on this article. Why Old Music is Killing New Music. This video is more like 30 minutes.

Remember, not all of the music that needs to be written has been written.

Bacon Time!!!! - Sunday Linkage

The Other McCain - Aspiring Rapper Update: ‘C Blue’ Accused of Shooting NYPD Officer (Accidentally)
Bustednuckles - Soon They Won’t Be Able To Walk Down The Street

Pirate's Cove - Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

1. Da Techguy’s Blog says no dough for you
2. DC Clothesline notes the catty reason a substitute teacher was fired

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain - In The Mailbox: 01.24.22

American Greatness: Wokeism – A Cruel & Dangerous Cult, also, The Coming Dethronement Of Joe Biden
American Power: The Case For Ukraine, also, The Case Against Ukraine

EBL - Joe Biden Economy: How are the markets doing? 🐻🐂😬

The market took a dive today but then (sorta) recovered. Things seem 😬 more 🐻 than🐂.
If you had to sell your car, now is still a good time to do so!

Daley Gator - Your Mad News Update For Tuesday (01/25/22)

Leftist Psychopathy Update: Unhinged White Karens Yell ‘Black Lives Matter’ While Assaulting Black Man On Elevator For Not Wearing A Mask – National File

Political Hat - News of the Week (January 23rd, 2022)

DA George Gascon continues to bring his special brand of justice to Los Angeles
How has DA George Gascon failed the city of Los Angeles lately? Let me count the ways.

A View from the Beach - Biden Administration 2nd Year Blues Continue

Rich Moran at PJ Media, Poll: 72% Think the U.S. Is Headed in the 'Wrong Direction', but to be fair, half of them are socialists thinking we haven't stolen enough fast enough. Also, The Political Power of Inflation Will Destroy Joe Biden and the Democrats

Battleswarm Blog - The Time Of The Turning?

Canada looks to be in a world of pain over vaccine mandates, given how much of their food comes from the U.S., and that some 50% of truckers are refusing to comply. Indeed, the issue has prompted a long convoy to Ottawa to protest those mandates

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report - 1/24/22

"It runs counter to everything we've been told about keeping ourselves safe from [Chinese] COVID."
There's Disturbing Vaccine Data Coming Out of Scotland

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 1/24/2022

Neil Young Comes Out in Favor of Censorship, Demands Spotify Drop Joe Rogan
Canadian rock icon Neil Young posted an open letter to his record label demanding that his music library be removed from music and podcast streaming giant Spotify

Vlad Tepes - On mass line Maoist narrative attacks and false flags: Links 1, January 25, 2022

3. AN URGENT WARNING: The world’s most mRNA vaccinated countries now have shockingly high Covid infection rates. Hospitalizations and deaths are rising fast too. The mRNA experiment needs to stop. Immediately.

Cafe Hayek - Some Covid Links

Here’s a report on how some principled, intrepid, and creative people managed at least temporarily to halt a government-orchestrated ‘voluntary’ vaccine-passport scheme in Orange County, CA.

Splendid Isolation - News Roundup

Volcano, Tsunami a Result of Climate Change
…oh, that climate change: is there anything it can’t do?

Maggie's Farm - Tuesday morning links

Althouse on the Supremes' college diversity case
CBS Host Stunned NOT ONE Participant in Face the Nation’s Focus Group Believes America is in a Better Place After One Year of Joe Biden (VIDEO)

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Biden administration is sleepwalking America into wars it can’t win against Russia and China

• Did over 100,000 people older than 124 years vote in Wisconsin? Andrea Widburg
• Sotomayor rails of SCOTUS ‘disaster’ in blistering TX abortion case dissent TMH

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 01/24/2022

Blood from athletic mice may give a brain boost to couch potato rodents.
Three or four days after it was covered here, Alex Jones discusses how Red States were targeted with tainted COVID vaccines.

I leave you with Sunday Funnies, 01-23-22 from Stately McDaniel Manor, Sunday gifdump from Wirecutter, Sunday Funnies from Flopping Aces, and Happy Funday Y'all ~ 1 from Woodsterman.

He apparently thought it was a good idea to break into an occupied home. Homeowner shoots and kills intruder in Reno near Idlewild Park, police say | KRNV

Police responded to a 911 call that indicated the homeowner shot an intruder.

Police said the suspected home intruder was dead on scene and the homeowner is cooperating with the investigation. An arrest will not be made at this time as the shooting appears to be an act of self defense, according to the Reno Police Department.

Self-defense is a human-right, and in Nevada it might be your legal right as well.

From The Other McCain: Aspiring Rapper Update: ‘C Blue’ Accused of Shooting NYPD Officer (Accidentally).

Yes, it’s time for another Aspiring Rapper Update.

Click thru for the details on C Blue, also known as Camrin Williams.

At age 16, Camrin “C Blue” Williams was already on probation for a weapons charge, and yet his lawyer claims there was “no reason” for cops to search him. But riddle me this: If the turn you loose on probation, rather than sending you to prison, and if one of the terms of your probation is that you avoid carrying weapons, doesn’t this constitute more or less permanent probable cause to search you?

Anyway, there is more. Click thru.

Orianthi is an Australian guitar player, who probably had her first big break when she played on the 2nd stage at the 2007 edition of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, which was held in Illinois that year. The Wiki (take it with a grain of salt) says her break came when she appeared at the 2009 Grammy Awards show, as guitarist for Carrie Underwood. Though you could say that meeting Carlos Santana, and then he helped her to get signed with Geffen Records in 2006 was what really mattered.

She is quite a guitar player, and not a bad vocalist.

This song is "Blues Won't Leave Me Alone" by Richie Sambora + Orianthi (RSO). It was included on the 2018 album Radio Free America by RSO.

As is usual, I find the video distracts from the music, but that is way they sell music. And it does include the lyrics. Not that you can't understand the lyrics from the song.

I suppose that The Atlantic will be censored for questioning The Science™. They are questioning ALL science. Gamers Are Better Than Scientists at Catching Fraud.

There were recently 2 cases of fraud. One in the gamining community regarding "speedrunning," and the other in medical research. Guess which community did a better job of policing the fraud.

Two weeks before Dream’s confession, and halfway around the world, another fraud scandal had just come to a conclusion. Following a long investigation, Japan’s Showa University released a report on one of its anesthesiology researchers, Hironobu Ueshima. Ueshima had turned out to be one of the most prolific scientific frauds in history, having partly or entirely fabricated records and data in at least 84 scientific papers, and altered data and misrepresented authorship on dozens more.

The medical research fraud has barely made a ripple in the media. There were no English-language articles on it outside of Retraction Watch, which exists to track the retraction of scientific papers.

The scientific community has long looked the other way when fraud allegations fly. That Ueshima’s university made such an extensive investigation of his work and published it for all to see is unusual. Skeptics and whistleblowers who spot potential fraud in researchers’ work are routinely ignored, stonewalled, or sometimes attacked by universities or journal editors who don’t have the time or inclination to dig into potentially forged (and potentially dangerous) studies.

And that is a problem because people - doctors - make decisions on scientific research. When that research is wrong, but not retracted, they are making decisions based on wrong data.

There is more, like how it took 12 years to expose the most prolific medical fraudster in history.

End of Watch - Texas deputy shot and killed during traffic stop in 'ambush attack' | The Post Millennial

The fatal shooting occurred at 12:45 am Sunday morning in the 9100 block of Beechnut. Police say Galloway had pulled a car over and the driver exited the vehicle. That's when the driver then fired gunshots toward Galloway's police cruiser, striking the deputy repeatedly, according to law enforcement.

And it looks like self-defense might be legal in Illinois. State’s attorney: No charges filed against clerk who shot alleged robbers at Rock Island vape shop

Three men, at least one of them armed, tried to rob a vape shop in Rockford, Illinois.

Charges will not be filed at this time against a clerk at Blackhawks Tobacco & Vape Shop who shot two alleged robbers, killing one, Tuesday night, Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal said.

“After a preliminary review of surveillance video and witness interviews, it appears the use of force by the employee was justified as self-defense and for the defense of others inside the store during the robbery,” she said in a media release posted on her Facebook page Wednesday night.

The store had been robbed twice in recent months, so the owner had a gun on the premises. One employee was able to retrieve the gun and defend himself and the other employee.

One guy was shot and killed. One guy was shot and wounded. A third guy was arrested.

The two surviving bad guys face charges of aggravated robbery, with more charges "being considered." It isn't clear what charges can be brought. Felony Murder is no longer the law in Illinois, because the Left considers holding someone accountable for the completely foreseeable consequences of their actions to be unfair.

Cooperation is a strategy for dealing with a violent encounter. Robbrie Thompson sentenced for murder of Puyallup store clerk.

And the irony of this guy's name is next level.

First, let's talk about cooperation.

On April 27, 2019, Thompson, who was a 16-year-old at the time, and another suspect went into the Handy Corner Store with a gun and demanded money. Police said Nam gave the suspects the money, and they shot her in the back.

The Left loves to go on about how if you "Just give them what they want," they will leave you alone. Of course one of the things that violent criminals want, is no living witnesses to their crimes.

And violent criminals do not stop being violent criminals because of anything you are, or are not doing.

As for the name: Robbrie Thompson was sentenced to 40 years after being convicted of crimes that include robbery, and murder.

Cooperation with criminals is not the guarantee of safety that the Left would have you believe. It is a strategy for dealing with violent criminals. Of course being armed in your own defense is also no guarantee. There are no guarantees in this life.

Nothing in this world is absolutely certain but death and next winter’s snow.
   — Marion Zimmer-Bradley. The Saga of the Renunciates (Darkover Saga)

Don't leave comments about the other reasons for the war; they won't get published. Rutherford County officials investigate Civil War monument arson at Stones River National Battlefield

In all the excitement of destroying Confederate monuments, I shouldn't bee surprised that someone firebombed a Union monument, after all they did the same to a monument to General William C. Lee from United States Army Airborne from World War II. Why? Because they don't know the difference between WWII and the Civil War, or Robert E. and William C. The American educational system at work.

According to the fire marshal’s office, someone used improvised incendiary devices, also known as Molotov cocktails, against the monument on the north side of Old Nashville Highway.

The Hagen Brigade was a Union brigade that died in the fighting at Round Forest between Nashville Pike and the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad during the Battle of Stones River on December 31st 1862. You can find more information at this link.

But the history of these men dying while fighting against the slave-holding South didn't matter to the Woke vandals, because that would require knowing history. And history is apparently not worth knowing, or it's racist, or something.

The Hazen Brigade Monument is the oldest American Civil War monument still standing in its original battlefield location, according to the National Park Service.

Hat tip to Wirecutter: The stupid fucks firebombed a UNION monument.....

A live Heavy Metal concert where they captured the "Wall of Death" at the beginning of the video. That alone would make this video worthwhile, but the music is also good, and the recording is top notch for a live concert.

This is 'Consign To Oblivion" by Epica. It was recorded live in Paris at The Zenith in 2017.

I mean it only contains medical info and passport details. China’s Olympics App Is Horribly Insecure

China is mandating that athletes download and use a health and travel app when they attend the Winter Olympics next month. Citizen Lab examined the app and found it riddled with security holes.

The "key findings" are listed at the link, which I take it means that there are more problems. Here is one of the issues.

MY2022 includes features that allow users to report “politically sensitive” content. The app also includes a censorship keyword list.

Because you're an athlete. You can't talk about Xinjiang or Tibet or anything else that might upset the Chinese masters.

Self-defense is becoming a thing in California. Homeowner shoots trespasser in Paso Robles, self defense police say

According to deputies, two trespassers were confronted by a homeowner, 67-year-old Daniel David.

During the dispute, officials say, David fired a shotgun at the car, 37-year-old Michael Fordyce was hit, injuring his shoulder and face. He was then taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The investigation continues, but the cops are calling it self-defense, and the 67-year-old feared for his life.

Self-defense is a human-right, and it may even be your legal right in California, though I'm not sure I would count on that.

That is not the criteria for self-defense. Truck theft suspect shot, Longmont homeowner arrested

A Longmont man faces charges including attempted second-degree murder after he shot a 13-year-old who was among several people he spotted attempting to enter his truck, according to Longmont Police Services (LPS).

In most cases, you have to be in fear of death or grave bodily injury, or someone else must be in danger of those things. Stealing your truck, or even just what it in your truck is not a valid reason to open fire. That is why you have insurance. It is only stuff.

From Ace of Spades HQ: The Morning Rant: As Blue-City Civilization Collapses, Pro-Crime Democrats Must Be Made To Own It.

The broad civilizational collapse that is occurring in blue cities across the US is unprecedented, and it is self-inflicted by elected politicians who genuinely seem to be pro-crime.

Click thru for several links to what that breakdown looks like.

I will leave you with this tidbit.

I hope that there are teams of conservative activists scouring social media for incriminating pro-crime posts from likely Dem candidates. It’s something we can all do ourselves, too. We know the local political aspirants. A great many of them who live in solid-blue areas felt comfortable being publicly pro-crime the past two years. Let’s capture their most outrageous comments and posts before they’re gone. The pro-crime community activist of today may well be a Senate candidate in a few short years.

Tam at View From The Porch brought us a timely reminder. Happy Birthday to le Maitre

Just your friendly annual reminder that Fabrique Nationale started selling striker-fired pistols designed by John Moses Browning in 1899, thirty years before Gaston Glock was even born.

Click thru for the image of some of those pistols.

To be fair, it is both Great Lakes and Inland Waterway infrastructure, though the Illinois River system does feed into Lake Michigan.

It seems that there actually is some infrastructure being paid for by the Infrastructure Bill. Great Lakes projects get funding under new law

People never think about the amount of goods that are transported by frieghter and barge around the interior of the country on the Inland Waterway system. It is a fairly important economic driver.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it would pump $479 million into construction of a new navigational lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, expanding a complex that enables vessels to haul bulk cargo between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes.

There is a lock there, but only one that can handle large freighters.

This article is a bit of PR ploy for the Biden Administration. Construction of the new lock began in 2021, which funding would have been provided under the previous adminstration. You can find info on that at the following links: New Lock at the Soo 2021 construction begins, and New Lock at the Soo. That second includes a look at what the finished product should look like.

About 7,000 vessels pass annually through the Soo Locks on the St. Marys River, which connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron and has a 21-foot elevation drop. Two locks are operational but only the Poe Lock can accommodate the biggest freighters, which are around 1,000 feet (305 meters) long.

US made steel, for automobiles and appliances, mostly comes from iron ore mined in Minnesota or The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and is transported by frieghter to the steel mills.

That is not the only bit of infrastructure being upgraded.

Additionally, the Corps will devote $226 million to the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, where plans call for the installation of obstacles to prevent invasive carp from migrating up the Illinois River to Lake Michigan.

That is not all that will be done for the $226 million. The Brandon Road Lock and Dam were slated for a rebuild in 2023 for a couple of years now. That work is to be done along with upgrades to the Dresden Island Lock and Dam in Morris, Illinois. This work was after 6 other locks on the Illinois River were closed for overhaul in 2020. You can find my post on that infrastructure upgrade at this link from a couple of years ago.

The image above is of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Clicking on the image will take you to the USACE Brandon Road website.

And we all need to spend more time at the range. Practice is essential. New Friarsgate shooting in Irmo and home invasion investigated.

He apparently thought it would be a good idea to break into an occupied home.

Responding officers soon learned that a man had apparently entered a residence through the back door and allegedly charged at the homeowner. That's when, police believe, the homeowner opened fire and the suspect ran.

They don't know if he was wounded by the gunfire or not.

News19 spoke to Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale who acknowledged that the incident happened a relatively short distance away from where a victim was found shot dead just days earlier in the same subdivision.

They don't believe that the 2 incidents are related, but they provided no details about why that is the case.

Self-defense is a human-right.

Because the LA District Attorney's Office has decided that this blatant theft is not worthy of their time to bother with prosecution. So, of course, it is increasing. Union Pacific threatens to leave LA, citing rampant cargo theft.

Is the Left doing everything it can to make the supply chain problems worse?

UP has its own police department which has increased patrols. Agents have made over 100 arrests, but UP says it hasn’t been contacted about any court proceedings. That’s because the thieves are rarely prosecuted.

The company sent a letter to LA County District Attorney George Gascón’s office last month about the 160% increase in theft. It wants the DA to reconsider a December 2020 special directive that calls for a number of misdemeanor charges to be dismissed.

The DA's office is in full spin mode, but the images that are all over the place make that a bit hard to do.

The thieves break into railroad containers and empty the goods on site. “Once the goods have been tossed out of moving freight trains, others swoop in looking for the most valuable items,” ABC 7 reports.

The Leftist DAs WANT chaos. It is why they were elected. The new DA in NYC said that not prosecuting crimes will make people safer. From what, he did not say.

Imagine a law enforcement official calling for law and order. In Massachusetts. Springfield police commissioner says ‘quick release’ of repeat offenders must end (Viewpoint)

Cheryl C. Clapprood , the police commissioner of Springfield, Massachusetts is frustrated by the continual release of violent criminals. And the general inability of the Criminal Justice system to maintain order.

society deserves to be protected from those who are determined to harm us and cause us to live in fear. Unfortunately, there are those individuals who are not going to change.

They are dangerous people who hurt, kill and disrupt lives without a second thought. The innocent, law-abiding citizens deserve protection.

And Massachusetts in general, and Springfield in particular, isn't experiencing the worst of this.

Two songs I hadn't heard before, that I think I like. That doesn't happen often. ♫♪♫ A Couple From Pandora....♫♪♫

Click thru for "The Beginning and the End" by Anathema, and "Helios Erebus" by God Is An Astronaut.

Anathema was an English Rock & Roll band. God Is An Astronaut style themselves as "Post Rock." The song in question strikes me mostly at Rock with a hint of electronica.

Click thru and enjoy. I need to listen to both of these groups more to decide if they are worth adding to my weekly queue.

Thich Nhat Hanh introduced a lot of Americans to Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh, influential Zen Buddhist monk, dies at 95.

Though he wasn't my introduction to Buddhism all those decades ago, I did read several of his books.

Thich Nhat Hanh was born in Vietnam, and he was exiled for calling for peace. He came briefly to the United States in 1961, but settled in southern France at retreat center called Plum Village.

Wombat-socho at The Other McCain - In The Mailbox: 01.19.22

Cafe Hayek: Gloriously Sane Florida, also, More Panic Porn
CDR Salamander: On The Navy, China, Taiwan, & Words Matter, also, Understanding Kazakhstan

EBL - Oregon Muse, RIP 😢

AoSHQ: Oregon Muse, RIP and Morning Report 01.19.21
I am greatly saddened by this. He was a good egg and it was a pleasure to read his posts. RIP.

The Right Way - Top of the News

Texas Synagogue Terrorist Came Out of U.K. Islamist No-Go Zone - American Power
Since the vaccines fail against omicron, science and reason tell us to end all vaccine mandates and COVID passes - American Thinker

Battleswarm Blog - LinkSwarm for January 21, 2022

“Texas has regained all lost pandemic jobs while New York trails far behind.”
Related: New York City fines wrong woman $259,000 for violations by her neighbor. Bonus: They couldn’t correct the record for 20 years.

Daley Gator - Your Mad News Update For Thursday (01/20/22)

Sex trafficking convict and former Jeffrey Epstein ‘madame’ is giving up a legal battle to conceal the identities of eight men who abused girls she had allegedly groomed and provided to the billionaire pedophile.

Political Hat - Quick Takes – Climate Fascism: Civilian Climate Corps; Banning The Internal Combustion Engine; “Climate Revolution”

The Democrats want to make the Gaia Jugend real…
They even want to ban the internal combustion engine.

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism, 1/21/21

Why Ruling Class Minions Are So Suddenly Doing Damage Control On Covid
Yes, another longer piece, and this one sadly throws some cold water on any excitement we may be experiencing about the truth about The Wuhan Flu starting to slither out

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 01.20.22

Legal Insurrection: America Wins – Senate Filibuster Remains Intact, Gov. Youngkin Hires Anti-CRT Diversity/Opportunity/Inclusion Officer, and NYC Removes Teddy Roosevelt Statue From Museum Of Natural History

A View from the Beach - The Filibuster Still Stands - Day Two

"Democrats OK to cheat" bill that was ultimately filibustered to death. Da Caller, White House Scrambles To Clean Up, Clarify Biden’s Comments On Ukraine And 2022 Election. Capt. Ed, Psaki circles back: Biden didn't mean what he explicitly said about midterms being illegitimate.

Vlad Tepes - Israel vaccinates itself to all time high in Covid infections: Links 2, January 21, 2022

1. When is an armed uniformed person a police officer, protecting the rights of the citizen, Vs. a state thug, enforcing Mao like humiliation and thuggery on law abiding citizens for political reasons? This is one of the few questions people should be asking themselves each day.

And again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 01.21.22

American Power: Ukraine Fears Minor Attacks Are In Russia’s Game Plan
American Thinker: How To Lose Friends & Influence People
Animal Magnetism: Rule Five Class War Friday

Don Surber - Highlights of the News

ITEM 8: Zero Hedge reported, "Overwhelmed supply chains and truck driver shortages worsened when Canada imposed new border mandates prohibiting unvaccinated American truckers.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 1/20/2022

More Voters Believe Trump Was Legitimately Elected Than Biden, Poll
More voters (61%) believe that former President Donald Trump was legitimately elected in 2016, than believe President Biden was legitimately elected in 2020

Cafe Hayek - Some Covid Links

Canadian school teacher Stacey Lance decries the fact that her students “were taught to think of themselves as vectors of disease. This has fundamentally altered their understanding of themselves.”

Maggie's Farm - Thursday morning links

Arizona, Texas Have Recovered All Jobs Lost During Pandemic
CBS News Links Tonga Volcano With ‘Climate Change’
Bitter Fruit: Marshall McLuhan and the Rise of Fake News

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report - 1/20/22

Victor Davis Hanson: "As the 2022 midterm elections approach, who will stop our descent into collective poverty, division -- and self-inflicted madness?"
Is America Heading for a Systems Collapse?

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 01/20/2022

Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries slips and admits Democrats’ federal elections takeover bill is inspired by Venezuelan socialist Hugo Chavez.
Democrats fail to change Senate rules to pass voting rights bill.

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: The January 6 Narrative is Starting to Unravel

• FBI raid jeopardizes Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar's reelection bid David M. Drucker
• Prominent Democrat, Publicly Critical of Joe Biden Border Policy, Gets a Visit from FBI CTH

I leave you with Thursday gifdump from Knuckledraggin My Life Away, Thursday Memes .. from MaddMedic, Libturd is the Word For Thursday ~ 1 from Woodsterman, and Oh, the weather outside is frightful from Bluebird of Bitterness.

Being armed helps too. Police: Home invasion victim stabbed, shoots suspect in Sanilac County.

The Sanilac County Sheriff's Office says a 37-year-old man broke into the residence and stabbed the 33-year-old male resident. The resident got a hold of a firearm and shot the suspect.

The victim of the home invasion was treated and released for a stab wound. The suspect was taken to one hospital, then transferred to a trauma center. Once released from the hospital, he was arrested, and was awaiting charges.

Electrified is an album by Boris Blank. He is a founder of the group Yello. (You've heard the Yello song "Oh, Yeah" in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and other places.) Electrified is a collection of previously unreleased instrumental works by Blank. (He does stuff aside from his work with Dieter Meier in Yello.) It spans the period from 1977 to 2014. 40 tracks, 2 CDs and a DVD.

This song is "Body Electric" by Boris Blank from the 2014 album Electrified

This music takes me back to my misspent youth and the club scene in and around Chicago. Though it is much newer, it is in the same ballpark as that dance music.