Archive for June 2019

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Must Reads For The Week 6/15/19

June 17, 2019

“The coordination of men’s activities through central planning or through voluntary cooperation are roads going in very different directions, the first to serfdom and poverty, the second to freedom and plenty.” – F. A. Hayek

 

A Quiet Revolution Is Brewing, by Charles Hugh Smith, at oftwominds.com. Excerpt from the article: “As I noted In recent blog posts, politics as practiced in a bygone era of stability no longer offers any solutions to these profound disruptions. Middle ground has vanished because there is no middle ground, and ideologies have become quasi-religious because they no longer offer any practical guidance to the economy that is still being transformed by the 4th Industrial Revolution”

“A quiet revolution is brewing as old social, political and economic structures fail. The politics of compromise is giving way to the politics of borrowing whatever sums are needed to placate every elite and every constituency. This is the pathway to financial debauchery as the currency will be destroyed by the politics of expediency.”

Antifa Organizer Ordered To Pay Legal Fees Over ‘Unreasonable, Frivolous’ Lawsuit, at zerohedge.com. People are finally fighting back against the progressive left.

Texas Pipeline Protesters May Face Up To 10 Years In Prison, at zerohedge.com. Another example of people being fed up of the lefts insanity and fighting back.

Oberlin Pays For Smearing The Town Grocer, at wsj.com. Another example of people fighting back.

Workers Turn Down Bid To Unionize Tennessee Volkswagen Plant: at npr.org. Workers have figured that the only people who benefit from union membership are the union leaders, not the members. But this won’t stop union leaders from seeking another vote on unionization.

Trump Wants Major Cuts At Federal Advisory Committees, at huffpost.com. This is a small step. But when was the last time a President actually took a step to cut the size of government? It was George Washington. He cut the size of the British empire!

Ex-CIA Officer: Trump In “Historic Battle” With “Treasonous” Deep State, at zerohedge.com. Excerpt from the article:

“Some call this the ‘Deep State,’ and that includes the CIA, the FBI and the NSA. President Trump is the first President to stand up against this Shadow Government. They have been spying on Trump since he was a presidential candidate. So, this is huge, it’s historic and nothing like this has ever occurred in any western government…”

“Trump has called this “treason,” and when he says this, the mainstream media is silent and won’t report it….They know it, and they are trying their level best to support these Shadow Government/Deep State players because the media was complicit in this false Russia collusion. There is no way they are going to report on information that will expose their role in it…They shot and misses, and it was a bad miss because they tipped their hand.”

AG Barr Battles Intel Community And FBI, Illegal Surveillance Had Been Going On For Years, by Sara Carter, at saraacarter.com. Everyone, including people who hate Trump, should be upset about the years of illegal surveillance by the US Intel community. Excerpt from the article:

“Despite the president’s order giving Barr authority over the declassification of the documents related to the bureau’s investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia, it won’t be met without a fight. And there’s a reason why.”

“This isn’t just about Trump. It’s about nearly a decade of abuse inside the intelligence community and bureau regarding foreign-intelligence-collection authority. Why? Because it was carried out to monitor communications of Americans inside the United States and the procedures meant to protect Americans either swept up in those calls or targeted were not followed. The Fourth Amendment was under attack and abused for political purposes, say several retired intelligence sources.”

Just When You Thought Surveillance Tech Couldn’t Get Any More Orwellian….at zerohedge.com. Getting this kind of surveillance technology in the hands of tyrants with power is a scary thing. Excerpt from the article:

“China has already developed the infrastructure to envelop their citizens in this protective surveillance net and has begun that slippery slope of using AI to not only catch activities deemed undesired by the government – it’s starting to taken action against those observed.”

Watch: Scientists Create “Deepfake” Software Allowing Anyone to Edit Anything Anyone Says On Video, at zerohedge.com. At some point we may not be able to tell what is real and what has been doctored.

Macron’s Security Service Threatens French Journalists With Prison And Fines, at zerohedge.com. As much as I dislike the mains stream media. I never want politicians and bureaucrats using government power to crack down on “journalists”. That would be worse than the biased reporting by journalists.

John Cleese Refuses To Back Down: “Prefers Cultures That Don’t Tolerate Female Genital Mutilation”, at zerohedge.com. Cleese is not backing down. He is doubling down. Good for him.

School’s Purpose Is Indoctrination, by Sofia Carbonc, at humanevents.com. Excerpt from the article:

“Indoctrination is no longer dependent upon the political beliefs of teachers. We are now past that. Course material is blatant political propaganda. Not just the course material for gender studies and similar. The core curricula of grade school through college.”

“Juveniles typically don’t care about politics, and definitely not policy. But since 2016, more young people are being sucked into the political realm. The social issues in the United States, such as feminist and LGBTQ+ movements, have become so extreme and unbearable. Kids are tired of being told to apologize for the race or gender they were born as, and being told what they can and cannot say despite having a God-given right to speak freely.“

“Unless you are involved with politics to a degree, it can be easy to miss politically motivated material. The lack of political education in combination with the demand that students trust their textbooks as reliable sources allows the left to silently indoctrinate students.”

“Prime examples of progressive course material are in economics and psychology courses. Both are extremely important and beneficial courses, at least when taught objectively.“

“The left is genius when you think about it.”

“Progressives have run academia so far into the ground that students accumulate massive amounts of debt and cannot find work. They then tell the economically struggling students and graduates they are victims of the cruel system of capitalism. In reality, they are victims of the cruel system of academia the left created. They use this economic duress to pitch the debt-ridden students promises of economic equality in the form of socialism.”

“The left just leaves out the part where the ‘economic equality’ promised means equal poverty.“

 

SATIRICAL HEADLINES

Nation Spends Day Acknowledging Existence Of Completely Unnecessary Parent, at babylonbee.com.

Democrats Vow To Close Dangerous Gun-Buying Loophole Known As ‘The Second Amendment’, at babylonbee.com.

Chick-Fil-A Celebrates Pride Month By Serving Delicious Chicken Sandwiches To Everyone Just Like All The Other Months, at babylonbee.com.

New School Program Raises Awareness Of Things Kids Didn’t Know They Were Supposed To Be Offended About, at babylonbee.com.

Progressive Mom Proudly Declares Son To Be Transgender After He Walks Through Barbie Aisle, at babylonbee.com.

 

CARTOONS

More from theburningplatform.com.

Political Cartoons by Pat Cross

Political Cartoons by AF Branco

Political Cartoons by Gary Varvel

Political Cartoons by Chip Bok

 

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Must Reads For The Week 6/9/19

June 10, 2019

“The coordination of men’s activities through central planning or through voluntary cooperation are roads going in very different directions, the first to serfdom and poverty, the second to freedom and plenty.” – F. A. Hayek

 

Students, Here’s A Plan To Solve Your Debt Problem (You Won’t Like It), by Kurt Schlichter, at townhall.com. Excerpt from the article:

“…..a lot of Democrat politicians are promising “free college,” but what they really mean is “free for you.” Someone has to pay, and that someone is me, and I need to level with you.”

“I am not interested in paying for your college.“

“Now, some may call me “greedy” or “selfish” for not wishing to work and then have the money I earned taken from me to provide things to you that you want but did not pay for instead of being able to spend it – the “it” being the money I earned – on things that I want. I am okay with that. I would much prefer having people who fundamentally misunderstand the concepts of greed and selfishness call me “greedy” and “selfish” than subsidize their educations, educations that evidently did not include learning about basic concepts like greed and selfishness.”

“I understand that your priorities for my money may differ from mine, but it being my money, my priorities should take precedence.”

“……Creating a debtor class of over-educated, under-smart serfs with gender studies degrees is another Cloward-Piven-seque ploy to undermine our society in the pursuit of the socialist Utopia our garbage ruling class seeks to command. Of course, this would be a Utopia built of envy, incompetence and lies.”

NYU Cancels Course On ‘Far-Right’ Taught By Disgraced Media Matters “Fact Checker”, at zerohedge.com. There is hope! Only 2 students signed up for this class.

End School Compulsory-Attendance Laws, by Jacob G. Hornberger, at mises.org. Excerpt from the article:

“….there is no difference in principle between religious liberty and educational liberty. Just as people shouldn’t be forced to send their children to church, they shouldn’t be forced to send their children to a state-approved organization for secular education and training. Families have the natural, God-given right to make educational decisions for their children without state interference or meddling, just as they do with respect to religious decisions.”

“People obviously make vastly different decisions when it comes to raising their children, not only on religious matters but also on countless other issues. People often disagree with how other people are raising their children. But Americans have developed a high degree of tolerance with respect to how people raise their children. We simply have to have that same degree of tolerance when it comes to education.”

“No one should be forced to attend church. By the same token, no one should be force to submit to a state-approved education. For that matter, no one should be forced to fund a state-approved school any more than he should be forced to fund a state-approved church. The state has no more business in education than it does in religion.”

Hillary And Chelsea Clinton To Launch Feminist Production Company, at zerohedge.com. Can’t wait to watch some of the shows these two come up with. I bet their shows will win some awards.

Transgender Woman (Who Competed As A Man Last Year) Wins NCAA Track Championship, at zerohedge.com. This has to be a ‘Satirical Headline’, Doesn’t it?

Transgender Powerlifter, Stripped Of World-Record Titles, Says Competing In Special Transgender Category Would Be ‘Discrimination’, by Dave Urbanski, at theblaze.com. The power lifting federation took a stand against the insanity that other institutions have given in to.

Trans Activists Silence The Science So They Can Claim It’s On Their Side, by Nathanael Blake, at thefederalist.com. Excerpt from the article:

“What these researchers do share is caution and scientific skepticism regarding the foundational belief of today’s transgender movement, which is that gender identity is innate and unchangeable, and that gender change is always the best treatment for expressions of gender dysphoria.”

“The research of the scholars noted…..that there are diverse causes and forms of gender dysphoria, rather than every case arising from an innate, immutable sense of gender identity…….many childhood cases of gender dysphoria will resolve over time without transition, so he did not rush children into transition……..gender dysphoria may sometimes be socially contagious.”

“These researchers are being targeted because their moderation threatens an increasingly radical trans agenda. In the few years since transgender issues went mainstream, the public debate has shifted from how to respond when Bruce Jenner wants to become Caitlyn to how to respond to a five-year-old boy who wants to be a princess or a 14-year-old girl who, encouraged by social media, suddenly self-identifies as a man and wants to take testosterone and amputate her breasts.”

“Prepubescent children are being prescribed dangerous chemicals that suppress their natural physical development, followed by potentially harmful hormonal treatments that sterilize them. Gender clinics expedite the administration of cross-sex hormones, even prescribing them on the first visit, and minors are undergoing irreversible surgeries. California has decided to teach children about gender identity and transsexualism in kindergarten and parents will not be allowed to opt their children out. Efforts to help children (or even consenting adults) reconcile to their natural bodies are being mislabeled as “conversion therapy” and outlawed”

Facebook Bans CrossFit Group For Advocating Low-Carb, High-Fat Diets, at zerohedge.com. Social media platforms are owned by leftists. If you don’t tow the leftist narrative, you will get banned. But if they are deciding content, should they be considered a platform? Or are they just another web site like mine.

Drivers Are Turning To Sex Dolls And Mannequins To Use HOV Lanes, at zerohedge.com. America was founded by individuals who didn’t obey onerous laws. The spirit of the American Revolution still exists in some of us.

Department Of Transportation Launches Investigation Into Chick-Fil-A Bans, by Molly Prince, at dailycaller.com. There is no more middle ground to concede. The left has pushed too far and people are fighting back. This is what Brexit and the election of Trump was about.

Democrats Want The Post Office To Handle All Your Banking Needs, at zerohedge.com. Excerpt from the article:

“Imagine a bank with all the bureaucracy of the United States Post Office AND all the financial savviness of the U.S. government. If you like that idea, you’ll just love Democrats proposal to bank at your local post office.“

Sanctions Are A Bitch – US Refiners Importing Russian Oil Like Mad, by Tom Luongo, at tomluongo.me. Excerpt from the article:

“The market needs to be fed. And refiners will buy whoever has the best cargo at the best price. It is only politicians who don’t understand that you can’t dictate to the markets.“

“Now refiners in the U.S. have been under pressure with rising oil prices but Russian oil isn’t brought in to supply the tight gasoline market. Russian Urals grade is considered heavy-sour which is better for refining into diesel and other heavier grades. And it is being sent right to the refineries that normally process Venezuela’s very heavy crude (PADD 3 – Gulf Coast).”

“Don’t think for a second that this is some kind of Trumpian quid pro quo or anything. That he promised Putin a few ducats to look the other way in Venezuela. I know stupid libs of the Young Turk variety will think this. So will the Q-tards in the MAGA crowd.”

“But, no. This is simply normal market action that a bunch of clueless morons in D.C. can’t control. Refiners need feedstock to refine or they go out of business. Russian Urals regularly trades at a discount to Brent crude because there is no good benchmark for it. Remember, both West Texas Intermediate and Brent are light-sweet grades.”

Socialists vs. Civil Society, by Richard M. Ebeling, at mises.org. Excerpt from the article: “Once the antisocial agenda of socialism is in power and implemented, it can, at the end of the day, be nothing but despotic and totalitarian because it is either individuals making their own plans and coordinating their plans with those of others through the voluntary agreements of the market and those institutions of civil society, or it is the plans of some imposed on others through the use or threat of political compulsion. It comes down to freedom or tyranny, whether or not that tyranny has come to power through the use of bullets or votes dropped into a ballot box.”

This is just a different way of stating the quote by F.A. Hayek at the top of this post.

 

SATIRICAL HEADLINES

From The Babylon Bee

Left Vows To Topple Patriarchy By Allowing Biological Males To Dominate Women’s Sports, at babylonbee.com.

12 Obsolete Manly Activities And What You Can Replace Them With, at babylonbee.com. Check out these 12 manly things. They are funny and also sad but true at the same time.

Bernie Sanders Vows To Fight For $15 Maximum Wage, at babylonbee.com.

Daily Beast Reporter Tracks Down 11-Year-Old Who Told Joke About Pelosi At School, at babylonbee.com.

Sad: The Nation’s Women Were Going To Go Out To Dinner To Celebrate 100 Years Of Suffrage But They Couldn’t Decide What They Wanted To Eat, at babylonbee.com.

 

CARTOONS

From theburningplatform.com. (more here)

Political Cartoons by Michael Ramirez

Political Cartoons by Michael Ramirez

Political Cartoons by Steve Kelley

Political Cartoons by Chip Bok

Do you remember when President Obama gave the Queen an Ipod containing his speeches as a gift?

 

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D-Day 75th Anniversary

June 5, 2019

This was my D-Day post from 2014 which was the 70th anniversary of the invasion.

I saw a show on the History Channel this past weekend and it got me thinking about the men who were involved in the Normandy invasion code-named Operation Overlord, especially my uncle Bill. Staff Sergeant William Sackenheim, was a paratrooper in Company E  508th Parachute Infantry Regiment 82nd Airborne Division. He jumped into Normandy approximately 1:30 am on June 6 1944 with the mission to take the town of Ste.-Mere-Eglise.

Image result for map of d-day invasion of normandy

 

When I was growing up I knew my Uncle Bill as a man who seemed larger than life, was really funny, and lit up the room he was in. I was always laughing within seconds of seeing him. My mom told me he was a paratrooper in WWII and was awarded a purple heart, but I didn’t know much more than that until I was much older. About the time of  the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 94, my brother and I were talking to my uncle at a funeral, and a man named Earl came up and they started talking. My uncle said ” Earl remember where the hell we were 50 years ago.” And Earl smiled and said “yes”. So I asked if he was a paratrooper like my uncle, and he said “no”. My uncle said “Earl was in one of those ships he flew over crossing the channel to make his jump.” I said you landed on one of the beaches on D-Day and he said “yes, Omaha”. My uncle said Earl was captured by the Germans, and I asked “what happened”, thinking he had maybe been a prisoner the whole war, and Earl said “oh, I escaped, I had to get the hell out of there”. I’m thinking you just don’t leave, there has to be a great story here. But I didn’t get to ask any more questions because Earl had already started talking to other people.

So my brother and I talked to my uncle a little more about D-Day and then asked if we could come over to his house in a couple of days, and he could tell us about D-Day and the war. Two days later we talked with my Uncle Bill for four hours about the war. One theme that always came up was how soldiers next to him got killed. He would always say “why was it him and not me”. I finally understood why my uncle seemed larger than life, it’s because he actually was larger than life.

Not only did my Uncle Bill jump on D-Day, he jumped in Operation Market Garden in Holland, and was in the Battle of the Bulge in The Ardennes in Belgium. He also saw the atrocities at Buchenwald. My uncle Bill passed away a few years ago. Soon these living monuments who are the WWII generation will all be gone. We will only be able to read their stories. My brother and I were lucky that we got to listen and see our Uncle Bill tell us about  his experiences.

TIME LAPSE MAP OF WWII IN EUROPE

AIRBORNE ASSAULT D-DAY

When I see historical footage like this I always think, my uncle did this.

 

CBS REPORTS (1964): “D-DAY PLUS 20 YEARS – EISENHOWER RETURNS TO NORMANDY” (view here).

This is real history as told by Eisenhower.

 

PHOTOS: SCENES FROM D-DAY. (click here) From The Roanoke Times.

 

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Kodi Lee Sings, ‘A Song For You’, AGT Audition

June 3, 2019

Taste in music is subjective, not objective. Many things can influence what we like and don’t like. I love the song this young man is singing. So will I biased to like him automatically, or will I judge him more harshly because I have listened to so many covers of this song and my expectations are high?

First I want you to listen to him sing without the back story. Drag this timeline to 2:30 and stop at 4:15. Do you think he is good? Do you like the song? Did that move you? Then watch the video from the beginning. Did you have a different reaction?

‘A Song For You’ by Kodi Lee (view here)

 

When I get a chance I watch some of these shows because I like to be surprised by some of the talented people who audition. I also like to see who the judges and the voters think is good and who I think is good. I’m not a fan of the back stories because I think these should be judged on talent alone and not tainted by a sympathy vote.

Without the back story, Kodi Lee is really good. This is one of the best covers of this song I’ve heard. The best part is he didn’t over sing it. This song stands on its own. It is bigger than the singer. When the singer tries to be bigger than this song they usually fail.

 

Listen to some other artists sing this song. Some are live versions and some are studio versions. Which do you like if any? Do you even like the song?

Leon Russell wrote this song. (view here).

This is OK.

Donny Hathaway (view here)

A lot of people think this is the best version of this song.

Ray Charles (view here)

I think Ray Charles sings this song the best.

Karen Carpenter (view here)

This is a great version of this song. Karen Carpenter has a great voice and she doesn’t over sing it.

Christina Aguilera Feat. Herbie Hancock (view here)

I think Christina Aguilera has an incredible voice. And I’m a huge fan of Herbie Hancock. But I don’t like this version because she over sings it and he over plays it.

Always remember value and taste are subjective.

 

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