July 10, 2024
Mid-Morning Art Thread [Kris]
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
For the most part, the story of Oedipus is tragic. He was abandoned by his father, the King of Thebes, because of a prophecy that his son would kill him. The boy is raised by poor farmers but leaves them because of a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He soon meets his real father unknowingly but kills him after an argument. Oedipus then marries his real mother who later kills herself after finding out the truth. In some versions of the story, Oedipus then blinds himself and goes into a self-imposed exile to atone for his crimes. Tucked away in this sad tale is the story of the Riddle of the Sphinx. The city of Thebes was haunted by a sphinx that challenged passers-by to solve its riddle. If they couldn’t, it killed them. When Oedipus succeeded, the monster killed itself. He became an instant hero and was given the now-vacant throne of Thebes and married the recently widowed queen – his mother. The story of the Riddle presents Oedipus as fearless, intelligent, and clever, important aspects for any classical hero. In this painting, Ingres presents an ideal male specimen, classically perfect in every way. Oedipus dominates the painting, positioned front and center, framed by the dark cliffs. This provides contrast to his light skin tone and makes me focus on him more. He is fully nude. The bright sunlight adds more highlights to his idealized form. His muscles are tense as he bends over and concentrates on the riddle. He crouches over with a foot raised on a boulder and an elbow resting on his knee. He locks his gaze on the sphinx in the shadows and gestures as he explains the riddle’s solution. In my opinion, Oedipus’s entire body language communicates intelligence and youthful confidence. He looks the monster in the eye and meets its challenge head-on. The Sphinx is the complete opposite. It hides in a crag in the shadows. According to the story, this beast can kill and devour a grown man, but in Ingres’ interpretation, it is small, about half the size of Oedipus. Ingres shoves it into the corner of the painting. Only its talons and breasts are highlighted. Enlarge the painting and look at its eyes. It looks stunned to me. Its foot is raised in shock and maybe fear. To me, it seems like Ingres stripped this monster of its power. He robbed it of its terrifying legend and reduced it symbolically and literally. At the same time, he is emphasizing the beautiful male form. Oedipus embodies many of the classical ideals, from intelligence, to courage, to youthful drive, to physical perfection. These are the traits that destroy monsters.
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Far from me is the crime and shame of cowardice, and my valour knows not dastard fears…. The Sphinx, weaving her words in darkling measures, I fled not; I faced the bloody jaws of the fell prophetess and the ground white with scattered bones. And when from a lofty cliff, already hovering over her prey, she prepared her pinions and, lashing her tail like a savage lion, stirred up her threatening wrath, I asked her riddle.-- Seneca the Younger, Oedipus (c. AD 55)
For the most part, the story of Oedipus is tragic. He was abandoned by his father, the King of Thebes, because of a prophecy that his son would kill him. The boy is raised by poor farmers but leaves them because of a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He soon meets his real father unknowingly but kills him after an argument. Oedipus then marries his real mother who later kills herself after finding out the truth. In some versions of the story, Oedipus then blinds himself and goes into a self-imposed exile to atone for his crimes. Tucked away in this sad tale is the story of the Riddle of the Sphinx. The city of Thebes was haunted by a sphinx that challenged passers-by to solve its riddle. If they couldn’t, it killed them. When Oedipus succeeded, the monster killed itself. He became an instant hero and was given the now-vacant throne of Thebes and married the recently widowed queen – his mother. The story of the Riddle presents Oedipus as fearless, intelligent, and clever, important aspects for any classical hero. In this painting, Ingres presents an ideal male specimen, classically perfect in every way. Oedipus dominates the painting, positioned front and center, framed by the dark cliffs. This provides contrast to his light skin tone and makes me focus on him more. He is fully nude. The bright sunlight adds more highlights to his idealized form. His muscles are tense as he bends over and concentrates on the riddle. He crouches over with a foot raised on a boulder and an elbow resting on his knee. He locks his gaze on the sphinx in the shadows and gestures as he explains the riddle’s solution. In my opinion, Oedipus’s entire body language communicates intelligence and youthful confidence. He looks the monster in the eye and meets its challenge head-on. The Sphinx is the complete opposite. It hides in a crag in the shadows. According to the story, this beast can kill and devour a grown man, but in Ingres’ interpretation, it is small, about half the size of Oedipus. Ingres shoves it into the corner of the painting. Only its talons and breasts are highlighted. Enlarge the painting and look at its eyes. It looks stunned to me. Its foot is raised in shock and maybe fear. To me, it seems like Ingres stripped this monster of its power. He robbed it of its terrifying legend and reduced it symbolically and literally. At the same time, he is emphasizing the beautiful male form. Oedipus embodies many of the classical ideals, from intelligence, to courage, to youthful drive, to physical perfection. These are the traits that destroy monsters.
Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:30 AM | Comments (401) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Morning Report — 7/10/24
Good Morning Kids. So the Clinton war room, of Carville and now George Stephanopoulos, who the puppet masters of Joey Sponge-Brain Shits-Pants went to for a staged kabuki interview to make the latter look coherent and able to leave vapor on a mirror to placate the Democrats was caught on a hot mic saying Biden has got to go. On top of that we now have the Cook political report predicting a Trump romp in key swing states and districts that tilts the Electoral College in his favor.
Make of all of that what you will. But why are Democrats and those who run the party as well as their allies in the propagandist media really freaking out over Biden? Do they not think they can rig the election or eliminate Trump via kangaroo courts or otherwise take him down to drag Biden's rotting corpse across the finish line and make it look legit? Is there a real fear on their part that Biden's decrepitude mirrors and is representative of their disastrous policies that have left every part of our nation in ruins? They would not be tearing themselves apart in public like this were this not the case. And for me, that is a good thing. If only we had a political party and leadership to take full advantage of this and make the case, if not FOR the GOP but certainly against the Democrat Party and Leftism going back at least a century that has led us here. The past three years are not a blip, they are just the cherry on top of the parfait of destruction going back to Wilson and the progressives. On another front, people are freaking out about the GOP party platform giving short shrift to the pro-life movement. I would say that, in terms of immediate political expediency, take the win of the Dobbs decision and do what we always said we intended, and that is put the issue on the States which is where it belongs, and where it always belonged legislatively, until SCOTUS invented penumbras and emanations to invent a right to privacy that never existed, and for sure never existed nor was extended to those who demanded domain over their bodies when it came to refusing the COVID poison injections. On a moral basis, infanticide in the womb is abhorrent and always will be. Now we get into the debate over when human life begins and when it must be protected and defined as such. Ironically a debate the Democrat Left does not and will never want to have. As for the Democrat Left, this is all they have as a political weapon. On that score, our side has to figure out how to counter their arguments effectively and not just cede ground. Yes the AWFLs and others will never listen and that's just the way it is. But, I think this time around, Biden's dementia, record of destuction, the erased border, out of control crime and the disastrous economy are going to sink him and his party, election thievery notwithstanding. Interesting times.- ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
- Lloyd Billingsley: Ignoring victims of terrorist mass murder, legalizing crime . . . and voter fraud.
Kamala’s Legacies
- Victor Davis Hanson: A glimpse into leftist self-destruction.
Animal Farm Democrats
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at 06:30 AM | Comments (483) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Daily Tech News 10 July 2024
Top Story
- The FTC has banned messaging app NGL (not gonna lie) from hosting minors after catching them systematically lying. (Washington Post)
Surprise, surprise, surprise.The complaint alleged that NGL tricked users into paying for subscriptions by sending them computer-generated messages appearing to be from real people and offering a service for as much as $9.99 a week to find out their real identity. People who signed up received only "hints" of those identities, whether they were real or not, enforcers said.
And now NGL has to fork over five million dollars.
After users complained about the "bait-and switch tactic," executives at the company "laughed off" their concerns, referring to them as "suckers," the FTC said in an announcement.
Suckers indeed.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:20 AM | Comments (115) | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 09, 2024
Tuesday Overnight Open Thread (7/9/24) Lazy Day of Summer Edition*****
The Quotes of The Day
Quote I “I think with Biden in the race, it’s a clear choice and it makes the decision a lot easier for many people who might be on the fence with regards to which way they want to vote,” Saul Anuzis, a former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party
Quote II "I want his spirit back, and I want his ashes. I want to be close again," Gaye Campbell
Quote III “At that high altitude, life is very difficult and oxygen is very low. So climbers and their helpers are more focused on saving themselves,” Sushil Khadga
Posted by: Misanthropic Humanitarian at 10:00 PM | Comments (511) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Volcanos and Waterfalls Cafe
Nagano, Japan
by Makoo_films on Instagram
The street deer of Japan. Deer noshes on an apple tree. Turtle is a little tough-guy. Giant squid. Mice are so dumb. Bird has his own anti-theft system installed by God. Seven Sisters waterfall in India. The Seven Sisters in Norway. The 72 waterfalls of the Lautenbrunnen Valley, Switzerland -- the inspiration for Tolkein's Rivendell -- looks at these other waterfalls and laughs. Jumping off a cliff in the Lautenbrunnen Valley. Some fillies with nice legs and firm rumps enjoying the ocean. Ibex says that gravity is for losers. So close, Duncanthrax. Bird says that puppies have nothing on its head-tilt game. What is this? The answer may surprise you. Sandstorm in Egypt. Neat -- Monaco's glass-windowed sea wall.
Nagano, Japan
by Makoo_films on Instagram
The street deer of Japan. Deer noshes on an apple tree. Turtle is a little tough-guy. Giant squid. Mice are so dumb. Bird has his own anti-theft system installed by God. Seven Sisters waterfall in India. The Seven Sisters in Norway. The 72 waterfalls of the Lautenbrunnen Valley, Switzerland -- the inspiration for Tolkein's Rivendell -- looks at these other waterfalls and laughs. Jumping off a cliff in the Lautenbrunnen Valley. Some fillies with nice legs and firm rumps enjoying the ocean. Ibex says that gravity is for losers. So close, Duncanthrax. Bird says that puppies have nothing on its head-tilt game. What is this? The answer may surprise you. Sandstorm in Egypt. Neat -- Monaco's glass-windowed sea wall.
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 07:25 PM | Comments (408) | Trackbacks (Suck)
After Victory of the Communist/Islamist Coalition, Wealthy French Start Eyeing the Exits
They're looking to escape to Switzerland or Italy, which of course would be in my top two as well.
From the Daily Mail:The surprise victory of the New Popular Front (NFP) in France's elections has set alarm bells ringing for the nation's wealthy as the hard-left alliance plans to roll out an eye-watering 90% income tax on high earners. Even before the election took place, financial advisers reported a huge influx of enquiries off the back of Emmanuel Macron's decision to call a snap election, with well-off French citizens considering a move to more fiscally favourable territories such as Italy, the historic tax haven of Switzerland, and Spain. But the victory of the NFP over Macron's centrists and the hard-right National Rally (RN) this Sunday has forced France's elite to seriously consider how their fortunes would fare given the very real prospect of a dramatic tax-and-spend economic policy.Unherd conducted an interview with a French political analyst. He noted that Macron had come into the presidency promising to cut spending, but in fact spent even more than his predecessor, putting France in a financially precarious state. The Communist/Islamist alliance will, of course, want even more deficit spending, which Macron will be happy to provide -- he views the elections as affirming his decision to spend France into insolvency. The expert also notes that the markets may have breathed a sigh of relief that the hated "nationalists" and "populists" did not win the Assembly -- but their relief will be short-lived, as France will be facing a financial nightmare for the next year or two. And more good news for France: antifa, the international terrorist organization which corrupt FBI Director Christopher Wray insists is not an organization at all, but just a "political philosophy" whose chapters across the US and Europe aren't coordinated at all, won seats in the election, too.
For many years, I have testified and written about Antifa and its growing anti-free speech philosophy. Some Democratic leaders have embraced this violent movement, which continues to gain strength on campuses and its cities across the nation. It is also a global movement. That is reflected in the alarming election of Antifa candidates to the French National Assembly as well as the European Parliament. That is quite an accomplishment for a movement that President Joe Biden dismissed as "just an idea." ... Despite the denial of its existence by figures like Rep. Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.), I have long written and spoken about the threat of Antifa to free speech on our campuses and in our communities. This includes testimony before Congress on Antifa's central role in the anti-free speech movement nationally. As I have previously written, it has long been the "Keyser Söze" of the anti-free speech movement, a loosely aligned group that employs measures to avoid easy detection or association. Yet, FBI Director Chris Wray has repeatedly pushed back on the denials of Antifa's work or violence. In one hearing, Wray stated "And we have quite a number" -- and "Antifa is a real thing. It's not a fiction." We have continued to follow the attacks and arrests of Antifa followers across the country, including attacks on journalists. Some Democrats have played a dangerous game in supporting or excusing the work of Antifa. Former Democratic National Committee deputy chair Keith Ellison, now the Minnesota attorney general, once said Antifa would "strike fear in the heart" of Trump. This was after Antifa had been involved in numerous acts of violence and its website was banned in Germany. Ellison's son, Minneapolis City Council member Jeremiah Ellison, declared his allegiance to Antifa in the heat of the protests this summer. During a prior hearing, Democratic senators refused to clearly denounce Antifa and falsely suggested that the far right was the primary cause of recent violence. Likewise, Joe Biden has dismissed objections to Antifa as just "an idea." ...I've deleted parts about antifa's history as a terrorist organization and its stance as an explicitly anti-free-speech group: they intend to violently suppress speech they disapprove of, and are brazen enough to straight up say so. They denigrate free speech as a "bourgeois" idea used to stop the Real Revolution from coming bloodily into existence. But it's a good article by Jonathan Turley. Read the whole thing if you're interested in the topic.
The movement continues to take hold among parties on the left. An Antifa leader who is on France's national security watchlist was elected to the National Assembly as a member of the New Popular Front leftist bloc. Raphael Arnault will represent Vaucluse in Provence in the French parliament after winning with 54.98 per cent of the vote, according to Le Figaro. French President Emmanuel Macron and his moderate party worked with the New Popular Front in a power deal to defeat conservatives. Antifa was part of that front. In Italy, Ilaria Salis, a school teacher by trade from Milan, Italy, has been elected to the European Parliament despite being arrested in 2023 in Budapest for allegedly taking part in the organized attack by Antifa on attendees of an event commemorating the anniversary of the siege of the Buda castle by the Soviet forces in 1945. Salis' far-left green alliance Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra (AVS) succeeded in securing the seat with the backing of far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon's La France Insoumise (LFI) party -- a member of the New Popular Front alliance.
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 06:33 PM | Comments (242) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Wall Street Journal: WH Staffers Have "Aggressively Stage-Managed" Biden's Rare Public Appearances as Part of the Dementia Cover-Up
But don't worry: John Kirby and Latrine John Pissoir say that Biden will hold a real, genuine, bona fide "Big Boy" press conference. They actually both call this a "Big Boy" press conference -- further infantilizing the man who has entered his "second childhood."
It's remarkable.
Via Ed Morrissey, who is one of those Elite Bloggers who has a WSJ subscription.
Must be nice. Must. Be. Nice.Senior White House advisers for more than a year have aggressively stage-managed President Biden's schedule, movements and personal interactions, as they sought to minimize signs of how age has taken a toll on the oldest president in U.S. history. The White House has limited Biden's daily itinerary and shielded him from impromptu exchanges. Advisers have restricted news conferences and media appearances, twice declining Super Bowl halftime interviews--an easy way to reach millions of voters--and sought to make sure meetings with donors stuck to scripted pleasantries. Senior aides dismissed travel suggestions over worries the president didn't have the stamina for them, including an idea for Biden to make weekly cross-country trips in 2022 to tout the benefits of his infrastructure law.Morrissey cites the infamous Easter Bunny Incident as part of this "stage-managing." More from Sister Toldjah at RedState, another Elite Blogger with swanky subscriptions to elite newspapers like the WSJ. Must be nice. Must. Be. Nice.
At a fundraiser in New York around the time of the United Nations General Assembly last fall, Biden seemed at a loss trying to answer questions about the Middle East from people in a photo line, according to a person there. An aide whispered in Biden's ear, the person said, and the president then answered.Even at meetings with donors, people are required to submit questions in advance so that Biden's team can write him a scripted answer.
At some fundraising events, the campaign allows few impromptu moments with the president, even with top donors. The campaign has long directed donors to submit their questions for the president in advance, including at an event this year in South Florida with only eight people attending, according to a donor. Biden spoke slowly and stumbled over some of his words, but he ultimately gave detailed responses, the donor said. The president seemed to have "lost a step," the donor said, but he didn't seem impaired.Mm-hmm. A report finds that Biden's rate of slurs, mumbles, misstatements, and utter gibberish has doubled over the last year.
Over the last year, an analysis of the corrections made to President Joe Biden's speeches and remarks shows a concerning trend: his rate of speaking errors has not only increased but nearly doubled. In May 2024, White House staff had to correct Biden's speech errors a record 51 times. This rate was one of the worst noted during his presidency. Following these frequent slips, Biden notably reduced his public appearances, speaking half as much as usual until his widely discussed debate performance on June 27, which highlighted his struggles with coherence and accuracy on a global stage. Starting from June 2023, where 33 errors were noted, the situation worsened by May 2024, with a significant jump to 7.2 errors per 10,000 words spoken. This spike occurred in a month where Biden spoke 70,000 words. The errors cataloged are not minor slips but significant misstatements that distort factual information. For instance, Biden often confuses numbers by orders of magnitude--important numbers like the federal budget or tax cuts. His difficulty in distinguishing terms like the national debt from the deficit or confusing dates and names underscores a deeper issue of cognitive disarray.
But don't worry: John Kirby and Latrine John Pissoir say that Biden will hold a real, genuine, bona fide "Big Boy" press conference. They actually both call this a "Big Boy" press conference -- further infantilizing the man who has entered his "second childhood."
It's remarkable.
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 05:30 PM | Comments (289) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Chuck Schumer Schemes to Strip Away Trump's Presidential Immunity So That His Corrupt Democrat Prosecutors Can Continue Hounding the Once and Future President
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has a new plan to ensure Donald Trump spends the rest of his days in prison. Amid the battle over Joe Biden's senility among Democrats, Schumer moved to a different topic, pledging to legislatively declare Trump's actions surrounding January 6th as "unofficial." That comes after the Supreme Court delivered a mixed opinion on the matter in late June, stating that "official" acts are indeed subject to presidential immunity while "unofficial" acts are not. That set up a long legal battle whereby the special counsel prosecuting Trump must litigate each action to determine what category they fall under.Schumer claims Congress has the power to "regulate the courts," so he and his Democrat conspirators can overrule court decisions as they like.
Naturally, Democrats were not pleased because the development all but ensured the former president would not go to trial before Election Day. With the other cases against Trump facing similar delays, their desired knock-out blow had been thwarted. ... I have no idea what constitutional power Schumer believes he has that would allow such a gambit to even begin to pass muster.
Schumer emphasized Congress's constitutional authority to regulate the judiciary, stating that the new legislation would redefine certain presidential actions as "unofficial acts." This reclassification would make these actions ineligible for immunity from criminal prosecution, directly challenging the Supreme Court's recent 6-3 decision. ... The Senate Majority Leader declared his intent to collaborate with colleagues on the legislation, asserting, "We're doing this because we believe that in America, no president should be free to overturn an election against the will of the people, no matter what the conservative justices may believe."If that were true, then Congress could overturn any court decision. So they entire leftwing project to write the law from judges' benches can be undone with a law that says that Congressional law has primacy over judge-made law. We'll keep that in mind, Chuck! Remember, guys, Trump's prosecutions have absolutely nothing to do with Democrat politicians' urgent need to Defeat Trump By Other Means. That's just a conspiracy theory, You Racists. These upstanding prosecutors, who we should all Thank For Their Service, are making these decisions without any eye to political advantage at all, and with no coordination whatsoever with Biden, Biden's handlers and puppeteers, and DNC officials.
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 04:37 PM | Comments (269) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Polls Show an Absolute Catastrophe for Democrats Coming, But Biden Seemingly Threatens Democrats That If He Goes, They All Go
Via Ed Morrissey at Hot Air: Is Biden threatening other Democrats with Mutually Assured Destruction if they don't fall in line?
The article goes into a Muh Trump digression, noting that Trump has threatened to run as an independent if he wasn't given the nomination.
President Biden hasn't made much progress convincing Democrats he's still equipped to take on Donald Trump since their debate. But he's made headway on another front: Making clear he will take the entire party down with him if they don't stop trying to replace him. In a letter to Congress on Monday, just as members were arriving for the first time since the debate to potentially share their grievances, Biden warned: "The question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it's time for it to end." In a phone interview on Morning Joe around the same time, he denounced the "elites" who he accused of trying to push him out -- his most combative language yet. "If any of these guys think I shouldn't run, run against me -- go ahead, announce for president," he said. "Challenge me at the convention." The message coming from the White House is clear: Biden isn't going anywhere, and if you come after him you'll be the one who gets blamed for undermining the party's general election chances. A presidential candidate rallying supporters to stop party "elites" from trying to oust him is a familiar scene -- if you've followed Donald Trump's career.
... What Biden can do is be stubborn in a way that sets up a scenario of mutually assured destruction for Democrats. So long as opponents of his nomination believe it's impossible to force him to step aside, any escalation of their criticism risks damaging him even further in November. And the worse his standing gets, the more his party is likely to suffer up and down the ballot. Democrats don't sound entirely ready to believe him -- for now....Kevin McCarthy decided to be useful -- years too late.
It's not a very appetizing prospect. If Biden really is willing to fight a Democratic civil war, it would mean heading into convention season with key chunks of the party on the record with doubts about their nominee and pro-Biden factions accusing them of sabotage, all while Republicans quietly sit back and munch popcorn. Biden has been working hard to line up support from Black Democrats and labor -- Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford backed Biden Monday -- setting up a potentially uncomfortable race and class dynamic to the fight as well.
Steve FergusonSo Biden needs his mommywife nurse with him during meetings. No wonder she is determined that Biden remain in office -- she's the illegal acting president. Soothsayer speculated that Jill Biden might be angling to replace Biden on the ticket. With herself. Hooboy, can you even imagine? America would be run by a real real-life doctor!!! I'm so happy for us. The Semafor article quotes a Democrat House member, Ritchie Torres, who points out the obvious: If you keep calling Biden unfit for office and he doesn't step aside, you've guaranteed he will lose. But many Democrats already think he's guaranteed to lose, or almost guaranteed. And they have reason to believe that. Democrats leaked their own internal polling to show how badly Biden is doing. In the leaked poll, Biden is losing every single swing state and some non-swing states, too.
@lsferguson Kevin McCarthy just disclosed Jill Biden was in meetings with him while he was Speaker. This is chilling
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 03:41 PM | Comments (410) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Security Detail of Unwise Latina Sotomayor Shoots a Man Who Attempted to Carjack Her Car Outside Her Home
We don't know if she was at the home, or in the car.
I suspect she was at least home, or else the federal Marshals protecting her would have been out with her, right? We don't know much about the carjacker except that he was a "teen." Uh-oh -- he was just starting to turn his life around, I bet. Probably was going to enroll at CUNY and become a rapper.A teenage suspect was shot by US Marshals on Friday after allegedly attempting to carjack Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's federal bodyguards outside her home, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. Metropolitan Police Department confirmed it was investigating a shooting that took place in the Northwest Washington, DC. where two marshals were on-duty working 'a protective detail' in the early hours of July 5. A Deputy US Marshal was sitting in his car outside the top judge's condominium at 1:15am when 18-year-old Kentrell Flowers approached, pointed a handgun at him, and tried to steal his vehicle, according to a police report obtained by DailyMail.com. Local police issued a press release about the incident last week, but did not mention its connection to Sotomayor. 'The suspect exited a vehicle, approached one of the Marshals, and pointed a handgun at him in an apparent attempt to carjack him,' a DC Metropolitan Police Department press release said. 'The Marshal drew his service weapon and fired several shots at the suspect. A second Marshal from another vehicle also responded and fired his service weapon. 'The suspect was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. No law enforcement officers were injured.' Flowers, 18, was arrested and charged with armed carjacking, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device. A police report obtained by DailyMail.com revealed the location of the incident at a residential street in North West DC where Sotomayor owns a condo, and the US Marshals Service (USMS) confirmed to DailyMail.com that the officers involved were part of her protection team. The report said police recovered the black and silver Smith & Wesson 40VE handgun Flowers allegedly used for the attempted carjacking.How much you want to bet that Black Lives Matter and antifa stand down for this one? Sotomayor has of course insisted that no one has the right to arm himself:
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 02:25 PM | Comments (507) | Trackbacks (Suck)
House Democrats Meet to Discuss the Joe Biden Situation; Publicly They Claim They Support Him, But When Speaking Off-the-Record, They Say the Meeting "Felt Like a Funeral"
Two reporters from Punchbowl News:
Jake Sherman
@JakeSherman INSIDE THE ROOM -- The House Democratic Caucus meeting about President Joe Biden's political standing is starting to empty out. One House Democrat supportive of Biden told me it "felt like a funeral." There is definitely no consensus on Biden. Lots of talk about how difficult the situation is for Dems. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) said that putting Harris atop the ticket would be setting her up for failure. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) said he saw a poll recently that had Biden losing in his district. Biden won his district with 62% of the vote last time.
Heather Caygle"No consensus" on Biden, says Roll Call.
@heatherscope Here's the thing, Jake/Bres/I have talked to a lot of Democrats and do so quite frequently. I haven't talked to one who privately says they think Biden is capable of running and beating Trump at this point. The debate was just a public airing of the concerns many of them have experienced/expressed privately. And that was from those who felt they actually got time with the president over the last year. Others have complained about very limited/controlled interactions. BUT they also don't want to be ostracized publicly and/or feel it's already determined that Biden will be the nominee.
LOL. But for Biden, 80 is the new 108. He is indeed a "super-ager," but not in a good way: He ages faster than most people. He's not 80, either. He's 82.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, who had previously called for Biden to step aside, said as he left the Democratic huddle that "the debate cannot be unseen." "The president has been running behind. We needed a surge. We got a setback. He is a great man who has made a great contribution to the country," Doggett said, adding of a possible Trump second term: "But he shouldn't leave a legacy that endangers us, that we surrender to a tyrant." Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., told reporters that "voters chose Biden as their nominee, not us in a closed room." He also downplayed what is seen as Biden's biggest weakness, that he'd be the oldest president ever elected if he wins in November. "There's concerns about everything. There's concerns about Trump. When you talk about [Biden's] age, I mean, 80 is the new 60," Correa said.
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said Biden "deserves our support" and vowed to "go to several states" on the president's behalf. "Biden is going to win," she added.
...
But Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., left the session saying he still has concerns about Biden's ability to run again and serve out another four-year term. "He'll bring the ticket down this time," Quigley said. "He just has to step down because he can't win, and my colleagues need to recognize that. A dismissive letter is not going to change any minds." RealClearPolitics' average of multiple national polls, updated Tuesday, gave Trump a 47.5 percent to 44.1 percent lead. At the same point in the 2020 race, Biden led Trump by 9 percentage points in the RCP average, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led him by 4.7 percentage points in 2016. Some recent polling suggests Vice President Kamala Harris would do better in a head-to-head race against Trump. A poll of Wisconsin voters released Tuesday by AARP showed Trump led Biden 44 percent to 38 percent on a multi-candidate ballot and 50 percent to 45 percent in a head-to-head matchup. The same survey, however, showed Sen. Tammy Baldwin leading likely Republican opponent Eric Hovde 50 percent to 45 percent.
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 01:15 PM | Comments (432) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Press Turns on Latrine John Pissoir, Telling Her They Are (Checks Notes) "Miffed" That She's Been Lying to Them For Years
In the below clip, the press badgers (for once) Latrine for refusing to answer questions about the Parkinson's expert that has visited the White House eight times in the past year. Absurdly, she claims she cannot talk about specific people visiting the White House, or say what they did at the White House, for "security reasons." She insists she is just protecting the privacy of the Parkinson's doctor. She makes it sound like HIPPA is all about protecting a doctor's privacy, rather than the patient's. In addition, the press is "miffed" -- strong language! Wash your mouth out with soap, mister! -- because she claimed Biden had not consulted a doctor after the debate. But in his phone "interview" with Murdering Joe, Biden said he had in fact seen a doctor, who supposedly tested him for covid. (They're really trying to sell the "I had a cold" story.)
Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you're all being your best selves.
Biden's personal doctor released a Cheap Fake letter in which he claimed the Parkinson's expert had not come to the White House eight times to see Biden. Instead, he claims, this Parkinson's expert came to the White House to.... treat and "support" military personnel? At the White House? Why would "military personnel" see a doctor at the White House?!"Prior to the pandemic, and following its end, he has held regular Neurology Clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations," he wrote. "Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Cannard regularly visits the WHMU as part of this General Neurology practice," O'Connor said. The letter said when Biden had his annual physicals, Cannard was the neurologist who examined him. The White House physician quoted a Feb. 28 letter saying "'there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy.'"
"Seeing patients at the White House is something that Dr. Cannard has been doing for a dozen years," the letter said, saying he was picked "not because he is a movement disorder specialist, but because he is a highly trained and highly regarded neurologist ..." On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had a combative exchange with reporters on the issue. "Has the president been treated for Parkinson's? No. Is he being treated for Parkinson's? No, he's not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson's? No," she said, adding she would not discuss visits for "security reasons."
In the below clip, the press badgers (for once) Latrine for refusing to answer questions about the Parkinson's expert that has visited the White House eight times in the past year. Absurdly, she claims she cannot talk about specific people visiting the White House, or say what they did at the White House, for "security reasons." She insists she is just protecting the privacy of the Parkinson's doctor. She makes it sound like HIPPA is all about protecting a doctor's privacy, rather than the patient's. In addition, the press is "miffed" -- strong language! Wash your mouth out with soap, mister! -- because she claimed Biden had not consulted a doctor after the debate. But in his phone "interview" with Murdering Joe, Biden said he had in fact seen a doctor, who supposedly tested him for covid. (They're really trying to sell the "I had a cold" story.)
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 12:15 PM | Comments (493) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition
Is this a new record for stupidity? 1,500 millikohns...at least! The obvious discordance between the virulence and totality of Hamas Jew-hate and the laughable idea that Gaza has a Rabbi is apparently a trivial logical barrier for the estimable Cori Bush. She has entered the Pantheon of Congressional Stupidity, and that is no mean feat, considering that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Hank Johnson (Guam might tip over!), and other heavy hitters are in that fine group. The reality of course is that there is no thought at all...the only measure is the degree of anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic sentiment. All other considerations are unimportant, and in fact nonexistent. But what is it about public service that attracts the stupidest, most jingoistic fanatics among us? The minimum requirements of education are laughable. Degrees in Lesbian Studies and Sociology and other post-modern nonsense degrees that require almost no effort are perfectly acceptable...even valued! And there is the undeniable allure of an easy and pressureless career. Let's face it; nobody works very hard in the corridors of power. Failing up is the norm, and as long as one is politically reliable, the future is bright! And let us not forget the bounty of graft and grift. Add into that the opportunity for insider trading (legal for our representatives...very, very, illegal for the rest of us), and it is a financially rewarding career. Politics is now selecting the dumbest among us...the people who buy into the drumbeat of victimhood that has overwhelmed our college campuses and our inner cities. These are the people who reject 3,000 years of intellectual development; the stuff that has led to the incredible human advances of the last 500 years. So don't be surprised when we get more of this sort of idiocy. [Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter]
Democratic Socialist House Rep. Cori Bush has been fooled by a parody account claiming to be the “Chief Rabbi of Gaza” – as if such a position could possibly exist in a pseudo-state whose ruling terrorists openly call for Jewish genocide. The X account under the name Rabbi Linda Goldstein regularly uploads anti-Israel posts to dupe pro-Palestinian progressives. Claiming to “stand with Iran” next to its support for transgender rights, the account features thousands of satire posts including one claim that Hamas built its 300-mile tunnel network to aid social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, the account connected with the engagement director for Rep. Bush, who is renowned for her pro-Palestinian and anti-American viewpoints.
Is this a new record for stupidity? 1,500 millikohns...at least! The obvious discordance between the virulence and totality of Hamas Jew-hate and the laughable idea that Gaza has a Rabbi is apparently a trivial logical barrier for the estimable Cori Bush. She has entered the Pantheon of Congressional Stupidity, and that is no mean feat, considering that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Hank Johnson (Guam might tip over!), and other heavy hitters are in that fine group. The reality of course is that there is no thought at all...the only measure is the degree of anti-American, anti-Western, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic sentiment. All other considerations are unimportant, and in fact nonexistent. But what is it about public service that attracts the stupidest, most jingoistic fanatics among us? The minimum requirements of education are laughable. Degrees in Lesbian Studies and Sociology and other post-modern nonsense degrees that require almost no effort are perfectly acceptable...even valued! And there is the undeniable allure of an easy and pressureless career. Let's face it; nobody works very hard in the corridors of power. Failing up is the norm, and as long as one is politically reliable, the future is bright! And let us not forget the bounty of graft and grift. Add into that the opportunity for insider trading (legal for our representatives...very, very, illegal for the rest of us), and it is a financially rewarding career. Politics is now selecting the dumbest among us...the people who buy into the drumbeat of victimhood that has overwhelmed our college campuses and our inner cities. These are the people who reject 3,000 years of intellectual development; the stuff that has led to the incredible human advances of the last 500 years. So don't be surprised when we get more of this sort of idiocy. [Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter]
Posted by: CBD at 11:00 AM | Comments (336) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Mid-Morning Art Thread
Felipe Baeza
Felipe Baeza
Posted by: CBD at 09:30 AM | Comments (376) | Trackbacks (Suck)
The Morning Report — 7/9/24
Also, there's also the Dao-Min Yen election thievery that pulled Biden's failing corpse across the finish line four years ago. So the question of why the Democrat/Left freakout over the debate and Stephanopoulos twin disasters if theoretically it's in the bag anyway? Meh, in a bizarre way, it might be better to let Trump win and since he is, as the propagandists are now barking 24/7, going to turn us into a white Christian nationalist police state with concentration camps, what better pretext for a real insurrection and coup "to preserve our precious democracy," That is to establish a Democrat dictatorship and finish the counter-American revolution nearly two centuries in the making. If scum degenerates like NY Times hack John McWhorter can openly suggest assassinating Trump without any repercussions, while people who pray in front of Abortion mills are tossed into prison, then we are in for a world of hurt. And the beat goes on. Have a good day.
Also, there's also the Dao-Min Yen election thievery that pulled Biden's failing corpse across the finish line four years ago. So the question of why the Democrat/Left freakout over the debate and Stephanopoulos twin disasters if theoretically it's in the bag anyway? Meh, in a bizarre way, it might be better to let Trump win and since he is, as the propagandists are now barking 24/7, going to turn us into a white Christian nationalist police state with concentration camps, what better pretext for a real insurrection and coup "to preserve our precious democracy," That is to establish a Democrat dictatorship and finish the counter-American revolution nearly two centuries in the making. If scum degenerates like NY Times hack John McWhorter can openly suggest assassinating Trump without any repercussions, while people who pray in front of Abortion mills are tossed into prison, then we are in for a world of hurt. And the beat goes on. Have a good day.
- ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
- The talking points must have gone out within minutes of the end of President Joe Biden’s lame debate performance. Among the first to tell us just how fine a man Biden was Barack Obama, who called his former vice president “someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life.” It is, of course, a lie. Biden is not a good man, and the idea he’s “fought for ordinary folks” for even a single day of his “public service” is risible.
Joe Biden Is A Good Man? Please Don’t Insult Our Intelligence
- Government officials don’t like to admit error, and so they plow on with their stupidity, even when that stupidity has become exceedingly obvious.
Study: Mortality rates higher for those who got the COVID jab
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at 06:42 AM | Comments (358) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Daily Tech News 9 July 2024
Top Story
- Goldman Sachs released a report on generative AI - the hot new thing pushing stock valuations of key tech companies into the trillions. In short: It's trash. (Where's Your Ed)
The article linked above is not short but it is a good read. The full report is available for download and it doesn't pull any punches either:The promise of generative AI technology to transform companies, industries, and societies continues to be touted, leading tech giants, other companies, and utilities to spend an estimated ~$1tn on capex in coming years, including significant investments in data centers, chips, other AI infrastructure, and the power grid. But this spending has little to show for it so far beyond reports of efficiency gains among developers. And even the stock of the company reaping the most benefits to date - Nvidia - has sharply corrected.
From the article:In essence, on top of generative AI not having any killer apps, not meaningfully increasing productivity or GDP, not generating any revenue, not creating new jobs or massively changing existing industries, it also requires America to totally rebuild its power grid, which Janous regrettably adds the US has kind of forgotten how to do.
There is that, yes.Generative AI is not going to become AGI, nor will it become the kind of artificial intelligence you've seen in science fiction. Ultra-smart assistants like Jarvis from Iron Man would require a form of consciousness that no technology currently - or may ever - have - which is the ability to both process and understand information flawlessly and make decisions based on experience, which, if I haven't been clear enough, are all entirely distinct things.
Right. Although the understanding doesn't have to be flawless, merely good enough for the task at hand, and cheap enough that it's not simpler to just train a human and pay them to do it.
Generative AI doesn't understand anything - it is a language model, not a fact model; doesn't gain experience, at least not in its current form, which is trained once at enormous expense and then left to rot; and doesn't make decisions.
It's not AGI and has no path to become AGI. Terry Winograd's SHRDLU from 1968 is in important respects more sophisticated than ChatGPT, even though it was written by a single grad student on an 18-bit computer more than fifty years ago.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM | Comments (130) | Trackbacks (Suck)
July 08, 2024
Monday Overnight Open Thread (7/8/24)
*****
The Quotes of The Day
Quote I "We are setting a very clear expectation in San Jose that we're not going to tolerate sideshows. We've passed laws that are indicative of that. It is illegal to promote or spectate at sideshows, not just be the one driving the vehicle," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan
Quote II “Workers all over the country are passing out, suffering heat stroke and dying from heat exposure from just doing their jobs, and something must be done to protect them,” Doug Parker, assistant secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
Quote III "I think we've all been guilty of throwing those little fireworks at each other," he said. "We've all gotten minor burns from faulty fireworks and stuff like that. But I know the running joke is you have all 10 of your fingers on July 3, and you only come back with nine on July 4. It'd be nice to avoid that.” Eric Evenson
Quote IV "Something has broken inside me; from that hour on, I would have to wear a mask -- not only to the public but to the one I loved best in the world; for he must never know how ill he was, and I must carry on." Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, September, 1919, after President Wilson's stroke (H/T Isophorone Blog)
Quote V "The combustion engine is our core product, and that will remain so for the coming future," Riley Nelson, NASCAR's head of sustainability
Posted by: Misanthropic Humanitarian at 09:57 PM | Comments (578) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Bear Resistance Front (BRF) Cafe
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 07:30 PM | Comments (278) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Radio Host Confesses That She Was Given the Questions She Was Allowed to Ask Biden by the White House;
Radio Station Fires Her for Telling the Truth
Radio Station Fires Her for Telling the Truth
This is how Banana Republics operate when the banana harvest fails.
Biden is now calling in to black radio stations to shore up support among this group. But he's not offering actual interviews -- he's telling Strong Black Women what questions the White Man demands they ask.President Joe Biden's campaign provided lists of approved questions to two radio hosts who interviewed him after his faltering debate performance. Biden's Thursday appearances on Black radio shows in the critical states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were his first chances after the debate to show he could answer questions and discuss his record. The 81-year-old repeatedly struggled to complete sentences at the debate and press his case against Republican Donald Trump. Radio host Earl Ingram said Saturday that Biden aides reached out to him directly for his interview that aired Thursday and sent him a list of four questions in advance. Ingram says the list gave him pause but considered the chance to interview the president a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.And now: one of the radio hosts who reported she was given the questions she must ask Biden has been fired.
This is America now: Tell the truth, the leftwing corporations fire you. What's the penalty for treason again?
A Detroit radio station has parted ways with a host who disclosed that she received scripted questions for an interview with President Joe Biden. Key Details: Sherry Sylvester, former host at 97.1 FM, revealed she was given questions in advance for a Biden interview. The station announced her departure following the disclosure. Sylvester criticized the practice, calling it "unethical" and a "disservice to listeners." ... The revelation has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that pre-scripted questions compromise journalistic integrity and the transparency of interviews with public officials. Sylvester's supporters praised her for speaking out, highlighting concerns about media manipulation and the authenticity of political interviews.
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 06:33 PM | Comments (248) | Trackbacks (Suck)
Democrats Banding Together to Block a Law to Prevent Illegal Aliens from Voting in Elections -- For Some Reason
The SAVE Act would require voters to prove they're actually entitled to vote.
Democrats are whipping votes against it -- their (Voter) Replacement Theory doesn't work unless illegals are voting to let more illegals into the country.House Democrats launched a united effort to vote against a Republican-backed election bill that would require voters provide proof of citizenship to cast ballots in federal elections. Republicans are pushing the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, otherwise known as the SAVE Act, which would amend the National Voter Registration Act, and require states to obtain proof of citizenship from voters for federal elections, as well as purge noncitizens from voter rolls. Democratic leadership is urging its House members to vote against the bill in the lead-up to the vote, saying it would place "an extreme burden [on] countless Americans" in order to vote. "As we've seen a number of times this Congress, House Republicans continue to irresponsibly call into question the credibility of our elections. Despite numerous recounts, challenges in court, and deep-dives by conservative think-tanks, there has been zero evidence of the widespread fraud that this bill purports to target. It is already illegal under current law for noncitizens to register to vote or to vote in federal elections," the office of House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., wrote in a "whip question," Axios first reported. The whip vote rounds up this coming weeks' votes and outlines guidance regarding how Democratic House members should vote. "Democrats are urged to VOTE NO on H.R. 8281," the whip question states.If illegals voting in elections is either "extremely rare" or entirely "non-existent" as you claim, why are you trying to stop a law that bans what you claim just doesn't ever even happen?
Republican House leadership, meanwhile, is urging the bill's passage, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., posting on X that "the SAVE Act will safeguard our elections by ensuring only American citizens vote in federal elections." He detailed in the X thread that, if passed, the law would: require "state election officials to ask about citizenship before providing voter registration forms"; require "an individual to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections"; allow "state officials to accept a wide variety of documents that will make it easy for CITIZENS to register to vote in federal elections"; provide "states with access to federal agency databases so they can remove noncitizens from voter rolls and confirm citizenship for individuals lacking proof of citizenship," among other directives. Under the legislation, voters would be required to provide proof of citizenship via IDs and documentation such as a passport, a government-issued photo ID showing proof the individual was born in the U.S., military IDs, or a valid photo ID as well as documentation showing proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, the legislation states.Elon Musk, who is entitled to vote, called those opposing this safeguard "TRAITORS." All caps in original.
Elon Musk weighed in on a bill proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that aims to ensure only American citizens can vote in federal elections, saying those who oppose the measure are "TRAITORS," while rhetorically asking what the punishment for treason is in the U.S.
... "The SAVE Act will safeguard our elections by ensuring only American citizens vote in federal elections," the House speaker said before continuing with a series of posts that explained what the legislation does. ... Johnson also said the measure directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to determine whether to begin removal proceedings of noncitizens who have been identified as having registered to vote in federal elections and requires DHS to notify state chief election officials when an individual has been naturalized, allowing them to exercise their new right to vote. In response to the series of posts, Musk provided his two cents. "Those who oppose this are traitors. All Caps: TRAITORS," he said. "What is the penalty for traitors again?"
Posted by: Disinformation Expert Ace at 05:30 PM | Comments (196) | Trackbacks (Suck)
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