Today’s music is definitely NSFW (shout out to Chafed who I suspect will appreciate this).
CHINA SUSPENDS CURRENCY SWAP DEAL WITH ARGENTINA: China has halted a currency swap deal worth $6.5 billion with Argentina. This decision comes just 10 days into the term of Argentine President Javier Milei, who had campaigned vehemently against China and advocated for severing ties.
STANFORD RESEARCHERS CLAIM AI BEING TRAINED USING CHILD PORN: Stanford Internet Observatory found more than 3,200 images of suspected child sexual abuse in the giant AI database LAION, an index of online images and captions that’s been used to train leading AI image-makers such as Stable Diffusion.
WHINY, IGNORANT LEFTIST BULLSHIT OF THE DAY: Don’t say that I didn’t warn you. Over at McSweeny’s, one Melanie Winklosky pens a petulant little open letter (a pretentious and desperate form of writing) to “the eleven adults responsible for the majority of book bans in schools.” Her first paragraph trashes a heavily suburban Virginia county because one of the eleven lives there, “Spotsylvania, which I imagined as a dark and misty town where dogs became vampires.” I can forgive her ignorance of Virginia (and Civil War) history and geography, but her etymological ignorance is truly disappointing in a writer. It only goes downhill from there as the author invites those eleven people to a Zoom meeting to explain it all to her, as if, somehow, those challenging books in the libraries of some government schools hadn’t explained their positions and rationale in popular media. But intellectual laziness seems par for the course for Winklosky.
COMMIE POPE ALLOWS BLESSING OF GAY COUPLES: Pope Francis announced his “conditional approval” for Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples – under certain circumstances – although he was keen to add that these blessings should not be seen as validation of same-sex relationships. “It will be possible to bless same-sex couples but without any type of ritualisation or offering the impression of a marriage.” Needless to say this has pissed off both gays who are angered at the feeble gesture, and traditionalists who are also angered by the feeble gesture. I smell schism in the air.
NEWS THAT WILL SURPRISE ABSOLUTELY NOBODY: Eight high-profile Jeffrey Epstein associates redacted from the list of names expected to be released by a federal judge next year.
MALAYSIA TO OPEN ISLAMIC REHAB CENTRE FOR HOMOS NEXT YEAR: While there are worse third-world Islamic shitholes in which to be a homosexual, Malaysia is a pretty bad place for gays what with the canings and imprisonment and all. Conversion therapy is bullshit, and the folly of concentrating a bunch of homos together for the ostensible purpose of stopping them from sucking cock is obvious. Ultimately, I don’t know if this represents a step forward or a step backward for gay people there.
THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF FLORIDA MAN: In this week’s link, Florida Man attempts poisons nephew’s meatball sandwich with Visine. The nephew refused medical treatment and survived. Pro-tip: don’t put the poison on the sandwich in front of the store clerk.
Happy Winter Solstice!!
And a happy Yule to you!
Maybe they were training the AI to teach schoolchildren.
Woot! Spotsyltucky is recognized as a real place.
Would there be any room for students if schools carried a copy of every book ever written?
The point of these particular books is to usurp parental authority, and make taxpayers party to that. Propaganda is always about humiliation of opponents.
And has there been overreach on challenging books? Probably.
Where should the line be drawn? I don’t know.
Helps to be honest – books were not banned, they simply were not part of required reading and/or available to inappropriate age levels.
Some were actually removed from school libraries, which was appropriate in certain cases. But the important thing here is that no specific books were even banned from school grounds, let alone in society at large as has often been implied.
The line should be drawn at school boards and their hired staff have the power to remove any and all material in a school library. School libraries are not autonomous entities and are wholly subordinate to lawful control.
A librarian I once knew said, “When conservatives do it, it’s called banning. When liberals do it, it’s called selection.”
Progressives just want to protect students from outdated and harmful books like To Kill a Mockingbird*. What’s wrong with that?
* which will then end up on “banned book” lists, causing other progressives to claim conservatives banned To Kill a Mockinbird.
“Needless to say this has pissed off both gays who are angered at the feeble gesture, and traditionalists who are also angered by the feeble gesture.”
As far as I know, a priest can bless anything (houses, horses, low riders), but it’s not a sacrament.
I’m a lapsed catholic, so a complete expert here. Commie Pope feeling the need to announce something that didn’t need to be announced (anyone can receive a blessing) does seem performative and signally.
Being performative and signally is part of the Pope’s job. Although it’s most often in favor of things the Church supports.
True, that hat is ridiculous.
let’s bless everything
Provincetown blessing of the fleet…
https://www.capecodtimes.com/picture-gallery/news/2023/06/25/photo-gallery-76th-blessing-fleet-provincetown/12163370002/
Provincetown?
🌈 GAY 🦄
Just trying to tie some themes together.
They used to do pet blessings in our church parking lot. So yes, they can bless anything.
Good afternoon Tonio! I finished editing the you-know-what and I submitted it.
Thanks!
Editing the torso shots?
“It is unknown why the eight vanished from the list, but court records examined by RadarOnline.com showed the missing eight — known as Doe’s # 12, 28, 97, 107, 144, 147, 171, and 183 — filed court documents in a desperate attempt to remain anonymous in the scandalous case.”
How do you file anonymously?
“Jean-Luc Brunel, a French fashion model scout who was found hanged in his Paris jail cell”
No idea how he got that way?
Typically, you prop the victim up on something and remove it, but you could also hoist them.
Oh, the court knows the names of the filers in John Doe cases, but doesn’t release them. Just like courts and parties go to great lengths to not reveal the names of child victims of sexual assault. We constantly lectured the Bovinia McCudchews about proper redaction of electronic documents.
But it’s so much fun when redaction is done in layers or can be undone with Ctrl-Z.
Some people are more redactable than others.
[golf clap]
Florida Man probably got the idea from that Tucker Max movie.
Just finished putting my Ferrari together.
Fancy.
Neat.
36 cases of Belgian beer bottles should arrive some time next week.
Time to put a dent in the 10 carboys of sour ale that have been aging in the brewing room.
So, when is the Commie Antipope going to be drawn and quartered? He’s done a lot to disprove the idea of papal infallability.
Sometimes I miss Eddie just a little…
I miss him a lot, but then we were compatriots.
He hasn’t issued any of these statements (unless I’ve really missed something) while speaking ex cathedra so infallibility doesn’t come into play.
It’s the same human doing the speaking.
But he’s only infallible when speaking ex cathedra, not whenever he speaks.
He’s no less fallable speaking in an official capacity than when he spews this nonsense.
– A Protestant
Of course, the “rehab centre” is just a bungee-jumping platform sans big rubber bands…
I thought they preferred rappelling off buildings without a rope.
Pro journalisming tip: Today I learned that it is almost impossible to write a story including the mention of Jeffrey Toobin without resorting to dick jokes. I managed to keep my snark within editorial guidelines, but only just.
I return you now to your Thursday, already in progress.
This is one of many reasons I’m not a journamalist.
Well done. I’m a fan of your RedState articles.
I stopped reading them when they banned Ron Paul related comments in 2007-8.
What a jackoff.
Speaking of writing shiznat, belated thanks for your Nova Roma preview.
Looking forward to that being published.
When I read that I hear it being read by you.
Glad you liked it! I know I’m not commenting much lately, but I really do enjoy all the feedback from my scribblings in Mondays.
Speaking of journalisming, it looks like soon I’ll start another gig writing for Must Read Alaska. I may just be making a go of this whole thing.
“the folly of concentrating a bunch of homos together for the ostensible purpose of stopping them from sucking cock is obvious.” Are we still talking about the Catholic church?
lol
As for Malaysia, I suspect the oppression is much worse if you practice a certain religion. There is an enormous Chinese minority who I believe are not subject to the morals police. Granted, they’re not dancing down the street wearing chaps but they’re not under constant threat of persecution, either.
Sounds like you handled it pretty well.
I just glansed over it but I would say he did.
There’s a vas deferens between editorial standards at Glibertarians and the MSM.
Even so, he does crank out those articles.
This place has to maintain its family friendly certification.
Pen is sometimes on point.
Appears to be a stroke of genius.
“Dear Eleven Adults Responsible for the Majority of Book Bans in Schools,”
Already, the font is insufferable.
“Words on paper can be pretty powerful.”
Not if you’re writing them.
I’ve written some scenes that got me right in the feels once I finished… Oh, you meant the person who shat out the pro-groomer piece.
Once we’ve had some success, we would turn our attention to banning things that really impact students, like active shooter drills on the first day of school and assault weapons. I have a whole list of ideas.
She wants to ban active shooter drills?
On one hand ya I say do better schools in providing a safe space cause all you are doing is instilling fear behind every rock
The other, I have no problem with preparedness
This will interest some people here: Cruel World Fest 2024
Seems like a pretty standard lineup for a festival like this and wait what:
Does Al know about this?
Wow I thought they completely moved on from With Sympathy. That would be fun to see. And Tones on Tail.
Go!
Would love to, but don’t have the disposable income. Still working on seeing Peter Hook in September in Chicago.
How can all of those bands still be working? It’s a lineup of geriatrics.
Wow that is quite a lineup.
Budgie??
Whatayaknow.
Visine Florida man seems rather tame compared to this guy:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/12/watch-florida-man-lights-his-own-home-fire/
Ded-thred RC Dean sez: Second, I don’t think any movement can succeed just by being against something. People need something to be for.
Nope. Per Hoffer mass movements do not need a positive element to rally to, but they must have some one or thing to demonize. Warby on point, again.
Unlike RC – sorry about the eye pain – my hand is in no pain, of course I’m not doing anything stupid with it other than typing.
“Utopia is not under the slightest obligation to provide results : its sole function is to allow its devotees to condemn what exists in the name of what does not”
Jean-Francois Revel
It is unknown why the eight vanished from the list, but court records examined by RadarOnline.com showed the missing eight — known as Doe’s # 12, 28, 97, 107, 144, 147, 171, and 183 — filed court documents in a desperate attempt to remain anonymous in the scandalous case.
These folks made up with the Deep State.
I don’t know how you can officially redact just some of the names. Apparently the rest won’t be scandalized? Or not as much?
But as Dan Bongino says, it’s not hypocrisy, it’s a hierarchy. And they want you to know it.
Yep straight up telling the public you aren’t citizens, you are nothing and owed nothing. Free society my ass.
*taps out, knowing what’s coming*
An altar boy who didn’t get to boff a priest?
Apparently still doesn’t understand that the function of a church is to enforce a morality and not just allow any/all behavior with a
shruger warm embrace for your brave non-conformity.Have I got a nomination for movie night:
https://youtu.be/Kb_a51SEKaU?si=HB9rvCXkDpkKRcK7
Fred Williamson in Boss Nigger circa 1975, complete with a title song that repeats the title with a hard r and everything. Can’t say I’d ever heard of this one.
Tubi has The First Nudie Musical through the end of the month.
Obviously not quite safe for work.
*quick search*
If you’re a fan of unmanicured bodies that one looks like it’ll be a winner. Lotta wool…
I love that it’s rated PG.
“Prague killer who left 15 dead in university gun rampage is now also suspected of killing a father and his child in chilling ‘dry run’ in nearby village a week ago”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12891339/Prague-killer-university-gun-rampage-suspected-killing-father-child-week-ago.html
I wonder what their gun laws are.
Strict compared to us but fairly loose for Europe, at least used to be until the ten years or so ago when I looked.
Gun Policy in the Czech Republic
https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/czech-republic
Does Czechia border Indiana?
The mafia seems to have no trouble getting guns there. Generally most of the killing is between mafia groups, but they often used bombs instead, at least when I lived next door. One of my favorite stories is about one mafia group trying to eliminate a competitor. They tried a drive by at a gas station and missed. They later tried again at a hotel restaurant and shot the guy in the face, but he didn’t die. They got him a few days later at the hospital by scaling the outside wall of the hospital and shooting him through the window.
Now that’s a good story.
I wish I was a mobster *kicks pebble*.
Contra the myth of the progressives themselves about how they control the Democratic party.
RC – I was occupied all day and didn’t get to participate in the comments on your article, but wanted to complement you on hitting what I think is the main thing.
Hard to put it into words when there are different levels of “community”, but in a fairly coarse-sounding way I’d say that my way of putting it is that I’m only in favor of immigration into a community if the folks moving in are libertarians. Hope y’all get what I mean. Somebody who shows up with a primary value of “I want to leave you all alone” is infinitely more welcome than somebody who’s interested in showing up with a notion that they can force the existing community to change.
Meghan Markle.
Oldie, but I still laugh at it.
Cleveland Doesn’t Need Your Love—It Needs Your Fire
Commentary: A goodbye letter to the city
Narcissism – I can make you better, but STFU about me.
Does “I’ll pay my own way” count as leaving me alone? Because we literally cannot afford to bathe, clothe, and feed the world.
“I’ll pay my own way” is necessary but not sufficient.
Here comes the Bee, doing a better job at my joke from this morning.
Breaking: A Black Bar Visited Epstein Island Hundreds Of Times
https://babylonbee.com/news/breaking-a-black-bar-visited-epstein-island-hundreds-of-times
It’s 25 out and I’m… turning of the furnace and opening windows.
Okay, I only did it because I started up the Resin printer when I said I wouldn’t use it again until spring.
Related – why do I have so much trouble setting up a proper gradient highlight? It always comes out looking banded.
I was busy and didnt get to RC Dean’s article until just now.
He is both right and wrong.
You do make it difficult for a contrarian.
No, he’s both wrong and right!
No; he’s neither wrong nor right.
My family was more…distant. we got together when we could and such. Mrs. OBE family is about getting together all the time.
Something I will have to get used to I suppose but because Mrs. OBE is awesome, she knows it drains me.
Tonight though we shall feast, drink and be merry.
Damn. It’s gonna be a long night.
Don’t worry! Tomorrow is sure to be a little brighter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXTxh5V5Xkk
ISWYDT
I like watching that sunset time bump up tomorrow.
whaddup doh
I’m back in the (937)…for now
TALL CANS!
I am incapable of feeling sorry for Rudy Giuliani.
Tough shit, asshole.
Not following the action – it only seems to me that certain folks are bent on destroying him for political reasons. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Anyone who gets fucked unfairly gets at least a little sympathy from me even if he deserved fucking for another reason.
See also: Saddam Hussein, Alex Jones, Fatty Arbuckle, etc.
What at all did Fatty do?!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roscoe_Arbuckle#cite_note-34
I know, I know…I was just throwing out names.
” African Illegals at Border Carry Instructions to Get to Philly ”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/12/never-ending-line-illegals-march-across-border-lukeville/
Because they want to get shot?
Heh.
It is where they were told to MOVE.
or beheaded.
Goddamnit, they got Fat Leonard:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fat-leonard-who-filmed-orgies-involving-senior-navy-admirals-extradited-us-venezuela
He was the only good one.
If he lost weight they never would have found him.
Wait… Do I spy an Insane Clown Posse nativity scene?
Yes, the three wise juggalos brought gold, frankincense, and faygo.
Yo, Violent J ain’t no muthafuckin bizness all up in a manger son!
Project Veritas’ latest
While abortion is prohibited by state law in Missouri, this has not stopped Planned Parenthood from providing every necessity for minor girls to be transported across state lines for an abortion in neighboring Kansas.
In a conversation with an investigative journalist, a Managing Director for Planned Parenthood in Kansas City, Missouri, explains how frequently clinics arrange inter-state abortion transport for minors without parental consent. “Every day,” she laughs.
I know where that Planned Parenthood is, and it’s only about 1 mile to Kansas from there.
As if a minor is incapable of inter-state travel, which is perfectly legal, to a state which allows what another state prohibits.
Leftists + basic math = hilarity.
On another site a loyal Marxist is complaining about KKKorporashuns and their evil price gouging by using the cost of milk as an example. Their claim is that milk is produced at typical dairies at a total cost of about $0.40 per gallon, from udder to grocery store. But it sells for, like, $4 because milk tycoons are greedy and stuff.
She was nice enough to supply a few numbers along the way to ‘prove’ her claim (cows produce 53lbs.* of milk per day, and 11,000lbs. in their lifetime, and they only eat 4200lbs. of feed in their entire lives) and I helpfully used just those same numbers to show her that her dairy’s cows would have a lifespan of less than seven months, took in over 30lbs. per day less in food than what they produce in milk, and would need to weigh over three tons in order to have enough bodyweight to make up the difference before they wasted away to zero on day 207. And even if the dairy provided just enough water (4 gallons per day, per cow) for them to remove that weight deficit, the cows wouldn’t be allowed to produce any urine or manure, ever.
I can’t wait to see how she handwaves away this. She already handwaved away any costs regarding pasteurizing the milk her imaginary dairy produces. When she responds letting me know that her cows can graze and that will make up the difference, I’ll mention the costs property taxes for a few thousand acres of grassland, and the dangers predators can present to roaming herds of cattle and see if she handwaves those away as well.
Also, she says government is usually more efficient than private businesses, so a government run dairy would do even better, yup yup.
* Not sure why she used pounds here instead of gallons, but it works out because it’s easily comparable to her stat for feed.
She needs to open a dairy/milk store and see how far she gets selling milk for, say, $1 per gallon. She’ll be bankrupt quicker than Rudy was today.
I haven’t yet contested her assertion that milking a cow only takes 11 seconds. But, uh, wow.