At Amazon, Volker Ullrich, Hitler: Downfall, 1939-1945.
Friday, July 23, 2021
Florida's Covid Hospitalization Rate at Highest Point Since the Pandemic Started
It's Patricia Mazzei, at the New York Times, "Some Florida Hospitals Have More Covid Patients Than Ever Before":
MIAMI — A month ago, the number of Covid-19 patients admitted at two University of Florida hospitals in Jacksonville was down to 14. Now more than 140 people are hospitalized with the coronavirus, a tenfold increase over five weeks — and the highest number of Covid-19 patients this system has seen during the pandemic. Debra Wells, 65, was among those admitted to one of the hospitals this month when what she thought was a cold grew worse and worse until she could not breathe. “I said, ‘Lord, I feel like I’m dying,’” she recalled. Like most of the patients who hospital officials say they are admitting in Jacksonville and other fast-filling medical facilities in pockets around the country, Ms. Wells was unvaccinated. She had worried, she said, that the shots were not safe. “I was misinformed,” Ms. Wells said this week, after a five-day hospital stay. “I wasn’t ready, and I was scared.” A national uptick in coronavirus cases has led, in sudden and concerning fashion, to a steep rise in hospitalizations in some spots around the country where people have been slower to get vaccinated, a predicament experts hoped might be avoided because the people contracting the infection tend to be younger and healthier. Nationally, hospitalizations remain relatively low, nowhere near earlier peaks of the pandemic. But in some regions with lagging vaccination rates and rising virus cases — such as northeastern Florida, southwestern Missouri and southern Nevada — the highly contagious Delta variant has flooded intensive care units and Covid-19 wards that, not long ago, had seen their patient counts shrink. Covid-19 hospitalizations are trending upward in 45 states. While levels remain well below previous peaks, health care centers in parts of the Midwest, West and South are strained. At the two hospitals in Jacksonville, the number of Covid-19 patients is higher than last summer, when the coronavirus slammed Florida, and higher than over the winter, when the virus surged to devastating levels across the nation. “It’s very frustrating,” said Dr. Leon L. Haley Jr., the chief executive of UF Health Jacksonville. “Each day we continue to go up. There’s no sense of when things are going to curtail themselves. People are stretched thin.” The situation is worrying across northeastern Florida...
Still more.
Felicia Sonmez Sues Washington Post for Gender Discrimination
Ironically, she herself covers sexual harassment and other gender-based forms of discrimination.
The Contradictions of Ibram X. Kendi
Actually it's Ibram Henry Rogers, so I guess that's more authentic, considering his shtick.
Shoot, I'm surprised he doesn't wear a dashiki. *Shrug.*
At New York magazine, "How Anti-Racist Is Anti-Racism?":
Ibram X. Kendi’s work takes dead aim at those convenient fictions [of the mainstream interpretations of U.S. history]. The historian and pop-theoretician of “antiracism” seeks to disrupt white America’s complacency about racial progress by spotlighting Black-white disparities in incarceration, wealth, and other social ills. And he seeks to stigmatize victim-blaming accounts of Black social disadvantage by insisting that all racial disparities derive from a history of white supremacy (not a “culture of poverty”). Kendi is especially concerned with the way superficially non-racist ideas and policies can serve the function of fortifying racial hierarchy. His solution is to adopt a consequentialist definition of racism: A policy or idea is racist to the extent that it “produces or sustains racial inequity,” and antiracist to the extent that it reduces the same. Kendi’s ideas have both influenced and internalized broader intellectual currents on the social-justice left. And, collectively, antiracist thinkers and activists have had great success in reshaping mainstream discourse. Today, statistical testaments to racial inequity are a staple of Democratic oratory, while pathologizing calls for Black men to “pull up their pants” and raise their children are largely absent. Mainstream news outlets, meanwhile, rarely report on social problems without conveying pertinent racial disparities. And much of corporate America has invested resources into monitoring and mitigating racial gaps in pay, hiring, and promotions. All of which is to the good. Today’s discourse about race is surely more conducive to egalitarian reform than yesterday’s (better for the liberal media to fixate on racial disparities than “welfare queens”). Given that anti-Black discrimination in hiring remains prevalent in the U.S., corporations that feel compelled to diversify their workforces for brand reputation’s sake are preferable to ones that don’t. Further, one could reasonably argue that Kendi-esque antiracist advocacy has already facilitated meliorative changes in public policy. Had such advocates not heightened the salience of racial inequity among white liberals, debt relief for disadvantaged Black farmers might not have made it into The American Recovery Act. And it’s also plausible that antiracists’ stigmatization of “welfare queen” narratives enabled the Democratic Party’s recent embrace of unconditional cash assistance to low-income families; until this year’s CTC expansion, Democrats had designed their anti-poverty programs to leave out America’s poorest children so as to punish their parents for being unemployed, a convention that disproportionately harmed Black families. This said, the scale of reform necessary for eradicating Black disadvantage remains far beyond the bounds of political possibility. Enact Joe Biden’s entire agenda, and millions of African Americans will still lack affordable housing, remunerative employment, and health insurance. Meanwhile, an increasingly authoritarian far-right party controls a majority of U.S. states, and is well-positioned to retake Congress, if not full control of the federal government, within the next four years. Building the America that the Civil Rights Movement demanded — one that would guarantee economic security to all of its citizens — will require transforming our nation’s politics. Within blue America, there is much debate about whether the discourse of antiracism is conducive to such a transformation...
Governor Kay Ivey Says Stop Blaming Unvaccinated for Coronavirus Resurgence (VIDEO)
Looks like she's taking a personal liberties and responsibilities position, which I think is good.
But no doubt she'll be savaged in the national press for her pragmatic stance --- these media ghouls destroy people.
Cleveland Indians Changing Name to Cleveland Guardians
I wonder if this will have an effect on the Atlanta Braves, not to mention all the professional football teams and college and universities with Indian mascots.
Time will tell. I have a sense it's sooner or later.
An interesting story with lots of background on the origins of the change to the Cleveland Guardians.
At the Akron Beacon Journal, "How the Cleveland Indians became the Cleveland Guardians."
A fresh look from the 216. pic.twitter.com/0W8VTtZ7b0
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021
Eye want candy?
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021
Introducing the "Diamond C," "Guardians Fastball," and "Script Guardians." pic.twitter.com/VfF5pWwPf9
Joe Biden's Small Town Hall (VIDEO)
Following-up from yesterday, "Stumbling, Bumbling Joe Biden 'Town Hall' on CNN."
It's Laura Ingraham, at Fox News:
Great Review of Critical Race Theory
At the BBC, surprisingly, "Critical race theory: the concept dividing the US."
Evelyn Taft's Weekend Forecast
Ms. Evelyn's such a beauty --- and she's got a degree in political science (and journalism) from USC!
At KCBS 2 News Los Angeles:
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Slams Megyn Kelly Over Naomi Osaka Tweet
Everything's so stupid, especially these summer games (which I'm boycotting, because, well, they're so lame).
At NBC News, "Sports Illustrated's swimsuit editor calls Megyn Kelly's Naomi Osaka tweet 'unnecessary'":
Let’s not forget the cover of (& interview in) Vogue Japan and Time Mag! https://t.co/PAAUEwAVi0
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) July 19, 2021
Poor @naomiosaka blocked me while taking a shot at me (guess she’s only tough on the courts). She is apparently arguing that she shot her many covers b/4 publicly claiming she was too socially anxious to deal w/press. Truth is she just doesn’t like Qs she can’t control. Admit it. pic.twitter.com/izyRzOrUVm
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) July 19, 2021
Los Angeles Officials Urge Caution Amid New Corona Virus Surge
Following-up, "Angelenos Cave to L.A.'s Renewed Mask Mandate."
At LAT, "Even the vaccinated must take precautions as L.A. coronavirus surge worsens, officials say":
With coronavirus cases reaching levels in Los Angeles County not seen since the waning days of the winter surge, public health officials said Thursday that even those who have been vaccinated should take precautions, given how widely the virus is now circulating. This surge is predominantly hitting people who have not been vaccinated. But with the highly infectious Delta variant racing through the region, additional measures — like wearing masks inside crowded public places — can further armor everyone against transmission. “Vaccines are like our umbrella: excellent protection on most rainy days. But when the rain gets really intense, for example during a bad thunderstorm, we might also throw on a raincoat,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. But, “When you have a more infectious variant that’s circulating and you see what we see now, lots of community transmission, you can expect exactly what we’re seeing: lots more people getting infected, including more people who are fully vaccinated,” she added. That mathematical reality is now playing out. Out of all coronavirus cases confirmed countywide in June, 20% occurred in residents who were fully vaccinated, according to Ferrer. The figure is not as alarming as it first appears. At the beginning of June, about 44% of residents were fully vaccinated, with the proportion rising above 50% by the end of the month, according to data compiled by The Times. Currently, 53% of L.A. County residents are fully vaccinated. In other words, even though half of the county was not fully vaccinated in June, this portion of the county’s residents comprised 4 out of 5 newly diagnosed coronavirus cases. “While our numbers have been going up, they would be much higher if we didn’t have as many people fully vaccinated,” Ferrer said. She also noted that, among fully vaccinated infectees, “the vast majority of those folks only experienced either no illness or very mild illness.” County health officials reported 2,767 additional cases Thursday, the second straight day with more than 2,000 newly confirmed infections. COVID-19 hospitalizations are also rising. On Wednesday, 655 coronavirus-positive patients were hospitalized countywide — nearly triple the number seen a month ago...
More at that top link.
Jodie Foster Steps Out in Los Angeles
Local CBS Station Chiefs Ousted
There are 28 CBS-owned local stations across the U.S.
Heads rolled in Chicago and Los Angeles (and New York too).
At LAT, "CBS ousts L.A., Chicago station managers after misconduct probe":
CBS’ stations in Los Angeles have been beset by turnover for years. Current and former employees have long complained about the harsh workplace culture, which they allege has been rife with sexual harassment, favoritism, pay discrimination and ageism. In the last five years, KCBS has been led by two general managers and three news directors. Last year, Howell navigated the L.A. stations through at least two rounds of corporately mandated staff cuts, resulting in the departures of high-profile anchors Jeff Michael and Sandra Mitchell and meteorologist Garth Kemp. Workplace complaints have festered for years. In 2018, CBS paid a settlement to former KCAL anchor Leyna Nguyen after she complained to KCBS management about inappropriate comments and unwanted touching by a male colleague, according to several people familiar with the matter. In separate high-profile incident, described in a 2019 story in The Times, popular sports anchor Jill Arrington was denied a salary increase after she learned she was making $60,000 a year less than her male predecessor. Then-station manager Steve Mauldin allegedly told Arrington in 2018 to “put on a tennis dress.... We’ll put you on tape, and you can make some extra money.” Mauldin denied making the remark. Mauldin retired in 2019, and Howell was brought in as L.A.'s general manager after leading CBS’ station in Pittsburgh. He was tasked with modernizing the L.A. stations. Howell could not be immediately reached for comment. CBS manages KCBS and KCAL jointly, and the stations’ audience lags in size behind market leaders KABC-TV Channel 7, KNBC-TV Channel 4 and Spanish-language stations KMEX-TV Channel 34 and KVEA-TV Channel 52...
RTWT.
2021 C8 Corvette Z51 (REVIEW)
This 'Vette at the video is actually a 2020.
I saw one on the freeway the other day and I thought it was an Italian car, a Ferrari or a Lambo.
Very slick:
Kenny Xu Interviewed
Don't miss his new book, An Inconvenient Minority: The Attack on Asian American Excellence and the Fight for Meritocracy.
At Fox News:
Angelenos Cave to L.A.'s Renewed Mask Mandate
Frankly, I think people should rise up against these renewed mandates --- L.A.'s the only county in the state that's brought back masks, and such mandates are virtually nonexistent around the rest of the country.
I mean, well over half the population in the United States is fully vaccinated, and that's not counting those who've survived the affliction and now have natural immunity. And polls show that Americans' fear of the loss of freedoms is the reason hesitant citizens are getting the jab.
So lame.
At the New York Times, "Wary and Weary, Los Angeles Largely Accepts Restored Mask Mandate":
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — As the sun began to burn through the morning marine layer, patrons of the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif., were still adjusting to the new normal, which was pretty much the old normal — an order from Los Angeles County to wear masks indoors in businesses and public places. Most customers dutifully took their masks on and off at the entrance of shops, where signs were posted to remind them of the policy and where, in some cases, complimentary masks were offered. Out-of-state tourists found themselves wearing masks for the first time in months, sometimes annoyed but largely compliant, and one restaurant employee who forgot about the mandate was able to secure a mask by running across the street and asking employees at the Starbucks if they had extras. “Some people think it’s a punishment,” said Lisa Liu, 38, who said she was fully vaccinated. She was shopping on Sunday and was interviewed outside a clothing store called Tazga. “But for me it’s a mask — it’s not a big deal.” . It was not what people expected when the previous mandate was lifted a month ago, but for the most part people in Los Angeles seemed to react with resigned acceptance, sometimes even weary approval, figuring that rising Covid-19 rates made the policy tolerable, if not welcome. The decision was greeted cautiously by some store and restaurant employees, wary of going back to having to enforce the policies with mask-resistant customers. Still, some seemed prepared to do it Anna Ituh, 50, said that her bosses at a local retail store had instructed her to ask customers to put on a mask when they entered, but that she wasn’t allowed to insist that they do so. Still, she described one confrontation in which she asked a customer to leave the store. “I don’t play games with that,” she said. “I’m that person that will tell them.” The indoor mask mandate for all people regardless of vaccination status took effect at midnight on Saturday, making Los Angeles County the first major county in the United States to reinstate such a requirement. The policy expands beyond the current state standard and the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; both require masks for unvaccinated people but not for those who are fully vaccinated...
L.A's political leadership is quite special, IYKWIMAITYD. *Wink.*
Lots of People Get Vaccinated as Loss of Freedoms Mount and Mandates Accelerate
If you’re going to lose your freedoms and civil liberties, you might be persuaded” to get the jab.
At the New York Times, "Vaccine Persuasion":
There is now a roiling debate over vaccine mandates, with some hospitals, colleges, cruise-ship companies and others implementing them — and some state legislators trying to ban mandates. The Kaiser poll suggests that these requirements can influence a meaningful number of skeptics to get shots, sometimes just for logistical reasons.“Hearing that the travel quarantine restrictions would be lifted for those people that are vaccinated was a major reason for my change of thought.” — a 43-year-old Black Democratic man in Virginia. “To see events or visit some restaurants, it was easier to be vaccinated.” — a 39-year-old white independent man in New Jersey. “Bahamas trip required a COVID shot.” — a 43-year-old Hispanic independent man in Pennsylvania.
More at that top link.
Who's Really Not Getting the Jab?
At Issues & Insights, "Who Are The Real COVID Vaccine Refuseniks? Hint: It’s Not What You’ve Been Told":
The Biden administration, stung by missing its vaccine targets and the rising COVID-19 cases, has decided to blame Republicans. That’s not surprising. But it’s traditionally Democratic groups – minorities and the young – who aren’t getting vaccinated, and it’s leftists who are the most influential anti-vaxxers on the planet...RTWT.
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Jeff Bezos Gives Van Jones $100 Million (VIDEO)
He gifted celebrity chef José Andrés as well, so the two could support the charities of their choice.
I guess Jones was shocked:
Whoa!
This is unreal.
Via KCBS 2 Los Angeles:
A pursuit suspect in a BMW hit speeds of over 160 miles per hour in the Inland Empire. The suspect is wanted for a burglary out of Fairfax. https://t.co/4MwB1JtR1a pic.twitter.com/uWgHI0CkBT
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) July 21, 2021
Civil Liberties After January 6th
Green Greewald's written much on this, for example, "Violence in the Capitol, Dangers in the Aftermath" and "Questions About the FBI's Role in 1/6 Are Mocked Because the FBI Shapes Liberal Corporate Media."
More here and here.And now, Reason jumps on Greenwald's bandwagon.
Watch:
What's Normal Post-Corona?
Following-up, "Bare Season."
At the New York Times, focusing on post-corona freedom rather than fashion, "How Nations Are Learning to ‘Let It Go’ and Live With Covid: More officials are encouraging people to return to their daily rhythms and transition to a new normal. But scientists warn that it may be too soon to design exit strategies for the pandemic.
Bare Season
Interesting, to say the least.
At the New York Times, "Suddenly It’s Bare Season":
“People, in other words, are running around half naked.” Can confirm. https://t.co/2niLTT2sSh
— Matt Welch (@MattWelch) July 22, 2021
Bras in the parks, skivvies on Fifth Avenue: Is this the logical endpoint of increasingly blurred distinctions between public and private?
*****
Who hasn’t had the nightmare? It’s the one about being caught in public dressed in your undies. Therapists and dream bibles tend to cast these dreams as symbolic expressions of shame or repression.
Yet what if the so-called experts are wrong and these dreams are instead a subconscious bid for liberation? Shed the embarrassment along with those constricting outer garments. Go forth proudly in your turtle-print boxers or your Cosabella bra.
That is assuredly what a lot of people are doing lately, as many venture forth after 16 months of hibernation with a startling degree of license about what passes for street wear.
As recently as a decade ago, it was a rarity to spot people on Fifth Avenue, in Washington Square Park, riding the subway or milling about at airports in various states of advanced dishabille. Anyone who’s taken a stroll in New York lately can tell you that’s not true anymore.
People, in other words, are running around half-naked.
Last week Claudia Summers, a writer, was out doing errands in Midtown Manhattan when she passed a young woman nonchalantly ambling along 33rd Street near Moynihan Train Hall dressed in low-slung jeans and a bra. “Was it a sports bra?” a follower inquired after Ms. Summers posted a snapshot of the woman to her Instagram account.
“Most definitely not!” replied Ms. Summers, who quickly added that she admired the woman’s moxie and, anyway, the day was hot.
Of course it wasn’t a bra top. Bralettes, itty-bitty bandeaus and crocheted bikinis are everywhere. So, too, are Daisy Dukes cut high enough to expose buttocks curvature. And these items are by no means relegated to people who identify with the pronouns “she” and “her.”
“I’m an exhibitionist, and I get pleasure from showing off my body,” said Kae Cook, 32, a messenger, of his wardrobe choice one recent evening as he made his way across Eighth Street in the East Village.
Stumbling, Bumbling Joe Biden 'Town Hall' on CNN
The small studio auditorium was less than have full.
Lots of folks were hammering the president last night, but S.E. Cupp pushed back with some considerably compassionate comments:
“Whether or not we should be in a position where you are why can’t the experts say we know that this virus is in fact it’s going to be or excuse we know why all the drugs approved or not temporarily but permanently approved, that’s underway too” —Joe Bidenpic.twitter.com/ebkp9TJaZT
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) July 22, 2021
Speaking from experience: Don’t shame or question someone’s mental health struggles.
— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) July 22, 2021
Not JUST because you don’t know what they’re going through; not JUST because many others may be going through similar things and need to see supportive responses; but bc it’s needlessly cruel.
In America's Big Cities, District Attorneys Create More Crime (VIDEO)
It's Rafael Mangual, of the Manhattan Institute, for Prager University:
Defining Critical Race Theory and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
USA Today's got a freakin' glossary on CRT and DEI.
Here, "Schools keep talking about critical race theory and DEI. What do those terms really mean?"
Bob Dole's 98-Years-Old!
Shoot, the guy was wounded in WWII and he's still up and about at the age of 98!
Cool dude. It's amazing because that generation is really dying off. Of all the soldier's portrayed in HBO's "Band of Brothers," not a single one's still living today.
At USA Today, "At 98 and facing cancer, Bob Dole reckons with legacy of Trump and ponders future of GOP."
Megan Parry's Thursday Forecast
It's still very mild at the coastal beach areas (but very hot inland).
At 10 News San Diego:
Larry Elder Placed on California Gubernatorial Recall Ballot After Winning Lawsuit
I had no idea, but Elder's a serious threat.
See, "Larry Elder leads race to replace Newsom in recall election, new poll reveals."
At RCP, "Elder Wins Recall Legal Victory, Shakes Up CA Race."
Elder explains his issues getting his name on the recall ballot | https://t.co/bXbFAWOHvghttps://t.co/7Id61F7XE3#RecallGavinNewsom
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) July 22, 2021
Howard Kurts Slams NPR's Attack on Ben Shapiro's Success
NPR says @BenShapiro rules Facebook--but "experts worry" he's fueling polarization (because he's conservative). He's cast as practicing "outrage politics" with little grasp that liberal sites do the same thing https://t.co/AksLfamKhr
— HowardKurtz (@HowardKurtz) July 22, 2021
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Gold Box and Lightning Deals
At Amazon, Today's Deals. New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.
Also, Mountain House Classic Bucket.
More, MusclePharm Combat Protein Powder, Essential Whey Protein Powder, Isolate Whey Protein, Casein and Egg Protein with BCAAs and Glutamine for Recovery, Chocolate Milk, 4-Pound, 52 Servings.
And, Buck Knives 0110BRS 110 Famous Folding Hunter Knife with Genuine Leather Sheath.
Still more, Ray-Ban RB3025 Aviator Polarized Sunglasses.
Here, Samsung QN65Q70RAFXZA Flat 65-Inch QLED 4K Q70 Series Ultra HD Smart TV with HDR and Alexa Compatibility (2019 Model).
BONUS: Ben Shapiro, The Authoritarian Moment: How the Left Weaponized America's Institutions Against Dissent.
Also, Mountain House Classic Bucket.
More, MusclePharm Combat Protein Powder, Essential Whey Protein Powder, Isolate Whey Protein, Casein and Egg Protein with BCAAs and Glutamine for Recovery, Chocolate Milk, 4-Pound, 52 Servings.
And, Buck Knives 0110BRS 110 Famous Folding Hunter Knife with Genuine Leather Sheath.
Still more, Ray-Ban RB3025 Aviator Polarized Sunglasses.
Here, Samsung QN65Q70RAFXZA Flat 65-Inch QLED 4K Q70 Series Ultra HD Smart TV with HDR and Alexa Compatibility (2019 Model).
BONUS: Ben Shapiro, The Authoritarian Moment: How the Left Weaponized America's Institutions Against Dissent.
Biden Administration Walks Back Ties to Extremists Pushing Critical Race Theory in Schools
An "error." Right. *Eye-roll.*
These ghouls totally back C.R.T., but for their rank political cowardice.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Blocks Jim Jordan's Membership on Congressional January 6th Investigation Panel (VIDEO)
Also Representatives Jim Banks of Indiana. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pulled three more for a total five, and apparently he was furious.
At the New York Times, "Pelosi bars two Trump allies from the committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot."
And Congressman Jordan, on Fox News:
The New Era of Space Travel
Following-up, "Jeff Bezos Blasts Into Space Aboard Blue Origin (VIDEO)."
At the Los Angeles Times, "Jeff Bezos launches new era of space travel with Blue Origin ride":
VAN HORN, Texas — The New Shepard rocket rumbled to life early Tuesday, catapulting Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos and three others to the edge of space and allowing the world’s richest person to achieve a childhood dream. Back on Earth, spaceflight enthusiasts saw the brief voyage as the realization of decades of promise — the beginning of a new era for space tourism. “Space tourism is finally here,” said Alan Ladwig, author of the book “See You in Orbit? Our Dream of Spaceflight.” “It’s still going to be expensive, it’s still not going to be something everybody can do right away, but it’s a first step.” Bezos’ suborbital flight — his company Blue Origin’s first crewed launch — came a little over a week after British billionaire Richard Branson along with five others boarded a space plane built by his Virgin Galactic firm and flew to the edge of space and back, making it there ahead of Bezos, who had announced his plans earlier. Virgin Galactic plans to complete two more test flights before it begins flying paying customers to space next year. Although Blue Origin flew its first paying customer on Tuesday’s flight — 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, the son of a Dutch private equity executive and now the youngest person to go to space — it has yet to announce seat prices or additional details about its commercial operations. During a livestream of Tuesday’s launch, Ariane Cornell, Blue Origin’s director of astronaut sales, repeatedly encouraged interested customers to email the company. Already the company is approaching $100 million in private sales, Bezos told an assembled audience of guests, employees and reporters after the launch. An auction for a seat on Tuesday’s flight ended with a winning bid of $28 million, but the ticket holder, whose identity has not been disclosed, postponed the trip, citing scheduling conflicts, according to Blue Origin. They will fly on a future mission. (Proceeds from the auction for a spot on Tuesday’s launch went to the Club for the Future foundation, which was founded by Blue Origin and is aimed at promoting science, technology, engineering and math careers. From those proceeds, 19 nonprofit organizations were selected to receive $1-million grants.) But suborbital flights aren’t the company’s only goal; Blue Origin plans to build a family of larger rockets that could hoist cargo, satellites and people to orbit and beyond, eventually creating an ecosystem to allow millions of people to live and work in space. Bezos has previously suggested building cylindrical habitats with artificial gravity known as O’Neill colonies, after the physicist Gerard K. O’Neill, who pioneered the idea. “Big things start small,” Bezos said Tuesday. “We’re going to build a road to space so that our kids and their kids can build the future.” The seeming arrival of the era of suborbital space tourism after years of hype has fueled public debate around the increasing commercialization of space and the role that billionaires play in the industry. After his flight, Bezos thanked Amazon employees and customers, saying, “You guys paid for all this.” He has previously said he has sold about $1 billion of Amazon stock a year to fund Blue Origin...
Well, you can't say the man ain't got the money. *Shrug.*
Still more.
Kate Upton Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2013
Don't see much of this woman anymore, but hot damn she's got some of the finest honkers around.
Satellite Images of Western Wildfires (VIDEO)
The "Bootleg fire" in Oregon's at the video, but hundreds of fires are blazing across the American west.
At the New York Times, "How Bad Is the Bootleg Fire? It’s Generating Its Own Weather":
A towering cloud of hot air, smoke and moisture that reached airliner heights and spawned lightning. Wind-driven fronts of flame that have stampeded across the landscape, often leapfrogging firebreaks. Even, possibly, a rare fire tornado. The Bootleg Fire in Southern Oregon, spurred by months of drought and last month’s blistering heat wave, is the largest wildfire so far this year in the United States, having already burned more than 340,000 acres, or 530 square miles, of forest and grasslands. And at a time when climate change is causing wildfires to be larger and more intense, it’s also one of the most extreme, so big and hot that it’s affecting winds and otherwise disrupting the atmosphere. The Bootleg Fire has been burning for two weeks, and for most of that time it’s exhibited one or more forms of extreme fire behavior, leading to rapid changes in winds and other conditions that have caused flames to spread rapidly in the forest canopy, ignited whole stands of trees at once, and blown embers long distances, rapidly igniting spot fires elsewhere. “It’s kind of an extreme, dangerous situation,” said Chuck Redman, a forecaster with the National Weather Service who has been at the fire command headquarters providing forecasts. Fires so extreme that they generate their own weather confound firefighting efforts. The intensity and extreme heat can force wind to go around them, create clouds and sometimes even generate so-called fire tornadoes — swirling vortexes of heat, smoke and high wind. The catastrophic Carr Fire near Redding, Calif., in July 2018 was one of those fires, burning through 230,000 acres, destroying more than 1,600 structures and leading to the deaths of at least eight people, some of which were attributed to a fire tornado with winds as high as 140 miles per hour that was captured on video...
Also, cool map here: "Tracking Western Wildfires."
Armed Citizen Defends Himself in Los Angeles Robbery Attempt
Regular folks are packing heat --- and this is in far-left Los Angeles, dang.
At Fox News, "Would-be robbers shot by armed shoppers in Los Angeles: Victim in Los Angeles was standing in a parking lot when the would-be robbers rolled in."
New Covid Cases Surging in California
And cases in Los Angeles shot up 240% month over month.
I was up in Burbank shopping on Sunday, and I forgot L.A. County reimposed the mask mandate. I stepped into the Barnes and Noble up there and the woman at the counter wouldn't help me without a mask. I'm darn lucky I had a couple in the car, but damn I had to huff it back out the the parking garage to retrieve one. The O.C., so far, ain't going with a new mandate, and thank the Lord for that, sheesh.
At the Los Angeles Times, "California coronavirus hospitalizations hit highest point in months as Delta spreads":
A spate of new coronavirus infections is striking California’s healthcare system, pushing COVID-19 hospitalizations to levels not seen since early spring — lending new urgency to efforts to tamp down transmission as a growing number of counties urge residents to wear masks indoors. Statewide, the number of coronavirus patients in the hospital more than doubled in the last month, and the numbers have accelerated further in the last two weeks. Even with the recent increase, though, the state’s healthcare system is nowhere near as swamped as it was during the fall-and-winter surge. And many health experts are confident that California will never see numbers on that scale again, given how many residents are vaccinated. But with the continued spread of the highly infectious Delta variant, which officials fear could mushroom in communities with lower inoculation rates, the next few weeks are key in determining how potent the pandemic’s latest punch may be. The recent increases confirm that nearly everyone falling seriously ill from COVID-19 at this point is unvaccinated. “This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. And so, if you care about getting back to normalcy once and for all, please get vaccinated,” Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Tuesday. Still, L.A. County Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said Tuesday that “the individual consequences of a choice not to get vaccinated can be dire for that person and his or her family and friends.” Ghaly said seeing a continued stream of COVID-19 patients, the vast majority of whom are unvaccinated, triggers a range of emotions in healthcare workers who have long been on the front lines of the pandemic: frustration, sadness and “some level of disbelief that, after all of the pain and suffering that we’ve all seen … there’s still people who either don’t believe it or don’t believe that it can affect them.” The highest-risk Californians — notably the elderly — have been vaccinated at high rates. But the numbers drop off for younger segments of the population, and children under the age of 12 still aren’t eligible to be vaccinated. “I think sometimes the mentality is that people think, ‘Well, I’m not going to get that sick. I’m going to be OK. I’m not going to die from COVID; I’m young; I’m healthy,’ ” Ghaly said. “And I can tell you, hopefully that’s the case, but that’s not necessarily the case.” From June 22 to July 6, the daily number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in California increased from 978 to 1,228, a nearly 26% bump, state data show...
Still more.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Haiti's New Day?
A new prime minister was sworn in today.
At the New York Times, "A New Day in Haiti? Many Haitians Have Their Doubts":
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Gerard Lovius falls asleep at night on the floor of an empty classroom to the sound of gunfire. He and his shellshocked neighbors started living there a month ago, after gang members invaded his home, sending his terrified wife and three children running to the streets and leaving him with nothing: no money, no possessions, not even a cellphone. On Tuesday morning, Mr. Lovius was back at his job as a street cleaner, tidying up before the day’s stately memorial for Haiti’s assassinated leader in the Champs de Mars, the capital’s main square. President Jovenel Moïse would soon be laid to rest, and the sparring members of his government had just reached a truce, vowing to lead the country anew. But there was little peace in Mr. Lovius’s life. “We have hope only in God,” he said, hauling a wheelbarrow of trash up the street. Haiti’s leaders have called the political truce a new chapter, a historic turning of the page that, in the words of the interim prime minister, shows “that we can actually work together, even if we are different, even if we have different world outlooks.” But for many in country, it does not seem like a change. The list of cabinet ministers published in the government’s official gazette featured several familiar names from Mr. Moïse’s governing party, including the new prime minister and the new foreign minister, both of whom had been angling to take over since the president was killed. “This is a provocation,” Pierre Espérance, the executive director of the Haitian National Human Rights Defense Network, said of the party’s control of the new government. “It means the crisis will continue, insecurity will continue, and the gangs will continue.” He argued that Mr. Moïse was a victim of his own rule, a leader who “died because of the insecurity his party created.” Two years ago, violence and furious demonstrators condemning corruption and demanding the president’s ouster locked the country in place — keeping the sick from hospitals, children from school, workers from rare jobs and people in the dark in areas where electricity stopped flowing. Gangs have become more brazen since then, controlling large parts of the capital, attacking at will, kidnapping children on their way to school and pastors in the middle of delivering their services. “The country is going to remain in the same condition, unless they get their heads together,” Rosemane Jean Louis, said shortly before the memorial began and the new government took office. “We have no security. We are hungry. We are in misery.” Ms. Jean Louis recounted how she had casually said goodbye to her son, 24, one day last year, not knowing it would be the last time. With a smile, he had grabbed a piece of candy from the pile of treats she sold outside their home, then continued on his way to meet a friend. He made it a block, she said, before being shot dead by gang members in front of a church. “I didn’t even find his body,” said Ms. Jean Louis, 61, tears falling. “They took it with them.” Crime, kidnappings, gangs, security: the words streamed from Haitians across the capital as dignitaries paid their respects to the assassinated president on Tuesday and his successors took the helm. Even as rival politicians made claims and counterclaims to replace Mr. Moïse, residents were still in the streets protesting — often because they felt certain that their new leaders, whoever might prevail, would not care about them.
The place is in bad shape.
Keep reading.
Tomi Lahren on Outnumbered
She makes a good point on Cuba, and how folks are "finally waking up" to Marxism.
She's up first.
Watch (she speaks from the beginning):
Kaia Gerber on the Cover of Vogue
This isn't the first time, apparently.
And dang! I'm gobsmacked, sheesh.
She's only 19! They say she's the most successful model in the world. Pfft. Of course, she's Cindy Crawford's daughter. How's that for white privilege!
See, "Girl Interrupted: The Education of Kaia Gerber":
“For a long time, I thought my face and my body had more to say than I did, because that’s what people thought of me,” Kaia Gerber says. At only 19, Gerber is one of the most successful models in the world and so, to many, a highly controlled, highly burnished product sold to millions on Instagram and beyond. On the gorgeous early-spring day when she and I meet at the reservoir at the foot of the Hollywood Hills, which we are set to loop around, accompanied by Gerber’s enthusiastic rescue mix Milo, her manner is preternaturally poised, that of a remarkably tall and beautiful child who has learned early in life how to talk to adults. Who is Kaia Gerber, really? With a smile or a glance, a well-placed word or a keen observation, she will signal that she is thinking hard about that very question—and beginning to come up with some answers. “I always wanted to be good and easy, not to make trouble,” she says, “but when you do that, you sometimes end up losing your voice.”
Gerber is aware that she has been lucky during a merciless year. She’s had her parents’ house in Malibu, for one thing. “We have a sort of compound with a garden, and a big lawn, and the beach that we could go to every day,” she says. “I’m not blind to the fact that we’ve been incredibly blessed.” Gerber and her brother, Presley, who is two years her senior, have grown up in the seemingly picture-perfect circumstances of Southern California royalty. Their parents are the entrepreneur Rande Gerber, who counts among his endeavors the Casamigos tequila brand, founded with good family friend George Clooney, and Cindy Crawford, one of the most iconic American supermodels of the past half century, whose likeness to her daughter has been a popular subject for clickbait listicles ever since Gerber began modeling. Still, emotionally speaking, Gerber’s last months have been ones of change and transition. “I was always so concentrated on work, and suddenly that was gone. And so for the first time, I could no longer focus on everything outside,” she says. “I was forced to go internal. Work was always a really easy excuse not to do that.” She was only 13 when she began modeling—shooting for Italian Vogue with Steven Meisel and posing alongside Presley for a CR Fashion Book portfolio by Bruce Weber. As her career kicked into high gear a couple of years later, Gerber transitioned to an online course load at Malibu High, the local public school she and her brother both attended, walking distance from Zuma Beach, where kids would tote surfboards to class, as if in a real-life version wof a Beach Boys song. She became an instant runway sensation. “When Kaia started to model, she jumped right into it, loved it, and immediately wanted to do everything,” Crawford tells me by phone from Malibu. “I was very protective at first, and I traveled with her to fashion month. But Kaia has her head on straight.”...
No doubt it's pretty easy to "keep your head on straight when your parents are SoCal "royalty." Damn. *Eye-roll.*
Today's Shopping
At Amazon, Today's Deals. New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.
And especially, Practical Power: Luminoodle LED Light Rope - USB Powered Outdoor LED String + Camping Lantern - Waterproof Lights for Tents, Hiking, Safety, Emergencies.
Also, LEGACY HEATING Rectangular Fire Pit Table, Mocha powder coated finish.
And, Millennium Assorted Energy Bars (6 Count) - Long Shelf Life Fruit flavored Bar Bundle - Survival Pack for Calamity, Disaster, Hiking and Meal replacement - with Emergency Guide.
More, Mountain House Just In Case...Breakfast Bucket.
Plus, Koffee Kult - Medium Roast Coffee Beans (2 lb Whole Bean) Highest Quality Delicious Coffee - Fresh Gourmet Aromatic Artisan Blend - Packaging May Vary.
BONUS: Tim Bouverie, Appeasement: Chamberlain, Hitler, Churchill, and the Road to War.
'Critical Race Weary'
From Buck Sexton:
Much of the recent attention on Critical Race Theory (“CRT”) has been a result of the increase in Zoom teaching during the COVID-19 school shutdowns. Parents became aware of the kind of identity-politics indoctrination forced on their kids. Students who hadn’t even reached high-school age were being told that they were part of systematic oppression based on their skin color. It has been known for a long time that academia is riddled with CRT nonsense, and college campuses have been demanding that students worship at the altar of “Diversity and Inclusion.” But corporate America has also been infiltrated with similar politically correct brainwashing. The Marxist rot of CRT has spread into the executive suites of the biggest and most powerful companies in the world. Case in point: Raytheon Technologies. It’s the second-largest defense contractor in the world, with around 181,000 employees and revenue over $56 billion in 2020. It’s not the kind of place one might expect to be nagging employees about “checking their privilege” or “confronting historical oppression.” This is a place that makes missiles that blow people up, among other things. Yet thanks to an industrious think-tank scholar at the Manhattan Institute named Christopher Rufo, we know that when Raytheon isn’t coming up with new ways to drop bombs on the Third World, its employees sit through some of the most absurd and offensive racial sensitivity training imaginable. Rufo got his hands on the actual training materials from Raytheon’s version of CRT training. He writes in City Journal about some of the most insane PC training modules, such as when:“Raytheon asks white employees to deconstruct their identities and identify [their] privilege. The company argues that white, straight, Christian, able-bodied, English-speaking men are at the top of the intersectional hierarchy – and must work on recognizing [their] privilege” and step aside in favor of other identity groups. According to outside diversity consultant Michelle Saahene, whites “have the privilege of individuality,” while minorities “don’t have that privilege.”Divisive Diversity Deconstruct their identities? Intersectional hierarchy? These are Leftist absurdities, but they have to be taken seriously in so far as they’re part of a vast and growing “diversity and inclusion” complex. There are frauds who travel around from company to company to preach this nonsense, and they’re shockingly well-compensated and culturally influential. In fact, there’s real power now behind CRT. As anyone who has been called into human resources at a Fortune 500 company for a “sensitivity” issue will be able to tell you, the HR policies of major companies now reflect the philosophy of CRT. Employees are expected to abide by the ever-changing dictates of these Diversity Czars or face the consequences. These expectations even extend to the way colleagues are allowed to speak to each other...
Still more.
Yet again, contra Sexton, C.R.T. is not Marxist. See Kimberley Crenshaw, Critical Race Theory.
'Far-Right' Koreatown Protests
Previously, "Koreatown Protests: Cops Fire Rubber Bullets at Violent Demonstrators (VIDEO)."
Now at the Los Angles Times, "How far-right rage over transgender rights at an L.A. spa led to chaos in the streets":
The activists arrived outside the Wi Spa in Westlake Saturday morning, some prepared for the worst. Several wore bike helmets and vests with extra padding. N.W.A.’s “F— Tha Police” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” filled the air. They were met by far-right extremists who over the last few weeks had turned a debate over transgender access at a Korean spa into a rallying cry. It didn’t take long for the dueling protests to dissolve into disarray. By the end, the LAPD had used projectiles and batons and arrested 40 people — mostly for failure to disperse. Several said they sustained injuries at the hands of police. “I knew it was going to be violent. I didn’t know it was going to end up like that,” said Jessica Rogers, a 31-year-old who had come to document the event and support transgender rights and was among those arrested. In the aftermath, the police are facing questions about whether officers used excessive force. But the incident has also exposed the power of a viral video given widespread attention in the right-wing press and social media. The spa has become the latest hot spot for clashes between far-right groups and the left in L.A., kicked off by the video taken by an irate customer in late June. The video showed a woman arguing with Wi Spa employees after she said she had seen a customer with male genitalia in an area that is reserved for women. The Wilshire Boulevard facility has some gender-separated areas with changing rooms and Jacuzzis. The footage was quickly amplified by an international network of right-wing activists, pundits and media outlets, including Breitbart, the Gateway Pundit, RealClearPolitics and TheBlaze, a publication founded by Glenn Beck. Message boards where anti-trans activists gather, including Mumsnet, saw thousands of comments. The spa told The Times Monday that they are required to follow California law that prohibits businesses from discriminating against customers based on race, gender, sexual identity or expression. “Like many other metropolitan areas, Los Angeles contains a transgender population, some of whom enjoy visiting a spa,” it said in a statement, adding that the spa “strives to meet the needs and safety of all of its customers.” Brian Levin, director of the nonpartisan Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, said the protests are indicative of a “democratization of hate” that has allowed far-right groups with a variety of ideologies to come together around flash-point events after they are amplified online and in conservative media...
Still more.
And notice how leftist media outlets like L.A.T. always label mainstream conservatives as "far-Right." *Eye-roll.*
Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tests Positive for Covid
Man, and she's been vaccinated too.
BREAKING NEWS: Vaccinated Pelosi aide tests positive for COVID after contact with Texas Demshttps://t.co/YGocobVEf1
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 20, 2021
Jeff Bezos Blasts Into Space Aboard Blue Origin (VIDEO)
Absolutely spectacular:
PREVIOUSLY: "Richard Branson and Crew Go Weightless on Historic Virgin Galactic Space Flight (VIDEO)."
What Arizona's 2010 Ban on Ethnic Studies Could Mean for the Fight Over Critical Race Theory
As states across the country impose new rules on the teaching of history and race in schools, a messy, drawn-out battle over a Mexican American studies program in Tucson could offer a preview of what’s to come.https://t.co/5QBI9CjGit
— Coalition for Academic Justice at UArizona (@CAJUArizona) July 17, 2021
Carol Roth, The War on Small Business
Carol Roth, The War on Small Business: How the Government Used the Pandemic to Crush the Backbone of America.
Follow "Big Hair" Carol on Twitter.
'Isn't She Lovely?"
Carol Roth asked yesterday what was the best Stevie Wonder song of all time?
I'm not the biggest fan, but I'd say his best song is "Isn't She Lovely?," or at least that's the one I most enjoy hearing.
Man, the dude can jam on the harmonica!
Watch and listen:
Monday, July 19, 2021
Alice Goffman's TED Talk (VIDEO)
Last night I was rummaging through my stacks and stacks of books --- the overflow of books I own, of which I have no shelf space --- looking for Herbert Gutman's, The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 1750-1925. I actually did find the book, which somehow had found a spot on my bookcases downstairs (the stacks of books upstairs in my bedroom are piled high in the corners next to the bookshelves I have up there).
While this was happening, I confused Herbert Gutman for Irving Goffman, the father of Alice Goffman, who is the author of the bombshell book, On the Run:On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City. The book's controversial, actually. The New York Times had a huge write-up on her in the Sunday magazine: "The Trials of Alice Goffman: Her first book, ‘On the Run' — about the lives of young black men in West Philadelphia — has fueled a fight within sociology over who gets to speak for whom."
Anyway, that's how I ran across Ms. Alice's TED Talk, which is mentioned at her Wikipedia page. The video of her talk posted at the TED website has been viewed over 2 million times, and the YouTube video below almost 280,000 times.
She's gets very emotional, with her voice cracking and her nearly coming to tears as she gets further and further along in her talk --- it's quite compelling.
In any case, now you know the story of how I came across this video.
Watch:
She was denied tenure at the University of Wisconsin (obviously mostly as a result of the book controversy), and she's now a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pomona College, where "unnamed activists calling for her offer to be rescinded due to unsupported and unsubstantiated claims of racism in her work and research methods."
Naturally. *Sigh.*
In any case, enjoy the show!
'Jumpin' Jack Flash'
The Rolling Stones, featuring Ronnie Wood, in 2015:
And the Stones, with the original lineup, featuring the late Brian Jones on rhythm guitar, in 1968:
When asked if he felt guilty about Jones's death, Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995: "No, I don't really. I do feel that I behaved in a very childish way, but we were very young, and in some ways we picked on him. But, unfortunately, he made himself a target for it; he was very, very jealous, very difficult, very manipulative, and if you do that in this kind of a group of people you get back as good as you give, to be honest. I wasn't understanding enough about his drug addiction. No one seemed to know much about drug addiction. Things like LSD were all new. No one knew the harm. People thought cocaine was good for you." Long-time Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman said of Jones, "He formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. ... he was very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away."
Koreatown Protests: Cops Fire Rubber Bullets at Violent Demonstrators (VIDEO)
At the Los Angeles Times, "LAPD makes arrests after protesters clash over transgender rights at Koreatown spa":
Dueling protests outside a Koreatown spa over transgender rights Saturday prompted a large police response and resulted in more than a dozen arrests. LGBTQ activists gathered outside the Wi Spa on Saturday morning to counter a protest against transgender access to the spa’s facilities. The Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly in front of the spa near Wilshire and Rampart boulevards around noon when the two groups of protesters began to clash, according to police and videos posted on Twitter. LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar said authorities declared the unlawful assembly after protesters began throwing projectiles, including at officers. Videos posted to social media show police in riot gear shooting bean bag rounds and 40-millimeter hard-foam projectiles at protesters. It was not immediately clear how many protesters were in the area. Protesters demonstrating against the spa’s policy waved signs saying “Save our children” and “Stop defending pedos.” “Most people did leave the area, but currently there are a number of arrests made for failure to disperse,” Aguilar said. No injuries have been reported. A reporter from the Guardian US who was covering the protest wrote on Twitter that she was chased and “thrown to the ground by right-wing anti-pedophile protesters.” The demonstrations, similar to those that occurred at the spa earlier this month, were apparently spurred by a viral video taken by an irate customer at the spa in late June. The woman in the video, which was posted to Instagram, complains to staff at Wi Spa that a man had allegedly walked into the women’s section and showed his genitals to young girls. The customer the woman complained about reportedly identified as a woman. “He is a man,” the woman can be heard saying. “He is not a female. There are girls down there, other women who are highly offended by what they just saw and you did nothing. You sided with him.” Wi Spa defended its policy in a statement to Los Angeles Magazine. “Like many other metropolitan areas, Los Angeles contains a transgender population, some of whom enjoy visiting a spa,” the statement said. “Wi Spa strives to meet the needs of all its customers.”...
Keep reading.
And watch, at ABC News 7 Los Angeles, "Video shows LAPD officer shoot protester with rubber bullet at close range," and "Dozens arrested after LAPD sends alert warning of unlawful assembly during Koreatown spa protests."
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