On Distant Shores

Europe is headed back into the COVID tumbler despite a dearth of Texans, Floridians and MAGA hats. Lockdown fatigue, over-optimism and mask skepticism seem to have international appeal.

Comments

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Extreme Northwest Europe seems to be immune, to coin a term, to the Euro Covid tumbler.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Regarding the new Orwellian diktat that "sexual preference" is an offensive term because it implies "choice" maybe they should read their own definitions of prefer;

PREFER;
pre·​fer | \ pri-ˈfər \

transitive verb

2: to like better or best

[cathyf]

got willowed...

Twitter is not a nonpartisan “public square”. Why do we seem to be expecting otherwise?

If I understand the legal issues, if you are a "public square" then you are not responsible for anything anybody else says there. But if you are not, then you ARE responsible -- so if one of your billion users uploads a picture that's child pornography, then you go to prison for possession of child pornography.

[clarice]

I don't think English is their native language at times.

[Jack Lillywhite]

The Mrs. and Frederick stuck in Belgian. FIL funeral is Saturday and she wants to return after but will have to quarantine in Southampton while Frederick goes back to school in Wales where he will have quarantine.

I may kennel the Beagles and drive up to bring her back rather than the torture today’s air travel.

[clarice]

A must read from that genius, Daniel Greenfield:https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/10/coronavirus-experts-were-wrong-now-they-need-daniel-greenfield/

[lyle]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/barrett-admits-she-had-glass-of-wine-after-long-confirmation-hearing-day-i-needed-that

Sigh. 😉

[James D.]

Here’s a morning KJOM selection, dedicated to all the woker-than-thou. folks we know:

https://youtu.be/zlc-Pom0MIw

[Ralph L]

Someone at Althouse said this morning that the Rittenhouse charges were dropped, but no link, so I'm dubious.

[Tom R]

The Hunter Biden notebook computer was dropped off at the repair shop in APR 2019.

According to the NY Post article the notebook was seized by the FBI in DEC 2019. The date on the subpoena was 9 DEC 2019. What happened between APR and DEC 2019?

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/u-s-attorney-john-durham-looking-into-ukrainian-involvement-in-2016-election

The Democrats impeached Trump on 18 DEC 2019.

What are the odds someone in the FBI tipped off the Democrats about the contents of Hunter Biden's notebook?

[Another Bob]

Willowed...

Harris staffer tests poz. Harris cancelling travel.

How convenient.

Posted by: Another Bob | October 15, 2020 at 11:19 AM

Trump says he expects Twitter to lock/block his account.

Posted by: Another Bob | October 15, 2020 at 11:21 AM

Make that multiple Harris staffers.

Posted by: Another Bob | October 15, 2020 at 11:22 AM

[clarice]

Were the Harris staffers also at the Rose Garden ceremony?

[Tom R]

I won't be surprised if multiple Biden staffers miraculously test positive for COVID19 today and Biden is forced to cancel his townhall for safety reasons.

[Melinda]

Cuz we said we wiz “Positive”.

[boris]

"Rittenhouse charges were dropped"

Only the Illinois gun charges dropped because the AR-15 style rifle Kyle had did not cross state lines. It has always been in WI, Kyle just borrowed it that night.

All the WI shooting charges still in effect.

[Dave (in MA)]

Porchlight from prev. thread:
"BTW, next week is Free Speech Week. LMAO"

The other 51, not so much.

[jimmyk]

I would make Greenfield‘s point as follows: Just as the Socialists insist that Socialism really can work, it just hasn’t been done properly, the lockdown autocrats insist that lockdowns and masks will really work if everyone would just submit to their authority. And any evidence they don’t work just becomes proof that the subjects are insufficiently compliant.

[BeastsEngland]

Only about 100%, Tom R.

[BeastsEngland]

My response was to your 11:29 comment, Tom R, but it may work for your later comment, as well. :)

[clarice]

https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/15/hunter-biden-laptop-images-are-authentic/

[lyle]

From that Frontpage link:

The system that determines reopenings and closings is an echo chamber that measures its own functioning while having little to do with the real world. Testing has become a cargo cult exercise that confuses the map with the world, and the virus with the spreadsheet. It gamifies fighting the pandemic while dragging entire countries into an imaginary world based on its invented rules.

When the media reports a rise or decrease in positive tests, it’s treated as if it’s an assessment of the virus, rather than an incomplete data point that measures its own measurements.

The daily coronavirus reports have become the equivalent of Soviet harvest reports. They sound impressive, mean absolutely nothing, and are the pet obsession of a bureaucracy that not only has no understanding of the problem, but its grip on power has made it the problem.

Although jimmyk was pithier...😉

[Another Bob]

But at least Rittenhouse gets out from under the nonsensical Illinois bail?

[lyle]

The finale:

But what the system failed to accomplish in battling the virus, it made up for by providing the leadership that had enacted it with a wonderful opportunity to settle its political scores.

The lockdowns don’t exist anymore as a prophylactic policy, but as a political vendetta. The more people die, the more businesses are ruined, the more everyone suffers, the more vicious the vendetta grows as it hunts for scapegoats, political and religious, for the great error of terror.

Leftist regimes turn to political terror as their policies fail. When the idealism dies, and the theories fall apart, the organizers pursue misery for the sake of misery, using fear, deprivation, and hate to maintain their grip on power while crushing the political threats to their rule.

The rule of the experts isn’t fighting the virus. It has become the virus.

But, hey, the folks pushing this aren’t bad people, right? RIGHT?

[Captain Hate]

This twitter/fb approach seems almost designed to trigger the "Streisand Effect." This seems like something really smart people like "Team Kimberlin" would do.
Posted by: WarEagle82 at October 15, 2020 12:03 PM (+Kpte)

[lyle]

So I’m a bit late to the revelation that the Sundown Shakedown Vig was 50% of the crime family income, huh? Nice gig...🤨

[Manuel Transmission]

Benghazi! This just came over the transom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_VQ0CP2S5U

All the tangential affiliations are outside my normal purview so I can’t offer much, but this sounds pretty good.

[Melinda]

I’ve heard from MM.

She has no recollection of any of her ordeal (2 seizures) and under current meds, is very groggy. Seems in quite good spirits despite all that’s happened. No driving for 6-8 weeks as new meds are adjusted. Small speech impediment now, but on the mend.

More later.

[Narciso]

Well better news

[henry]

@jack ain’t too bright.

@tedcruz

Unbelievable. Yesterday, @twitter blocks links to @nypost story alleging Joe Biden corruption on China.

TODAY, blocking links to ANOTHER NYPost story alleging Hunter Biden sold access to communist China for millions. I just tried to share that story. Here’s Twitter’s response 👇

https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1316738930348363776?s=21

[Tom R]

MM is going to pissed when she learns what all she has missed over the past couple of days. Glad to know she has regained consciousness.

[henry]

Speaking of twits

@WSJ

More than 100 prominent actors, writers and producers for NBC are protesting the network's decision to broadcast President Trump's town hall meeting Thursday night at the same time as Joe Biden's town hall on rival ABC

[lyle]

More than 100 prominent actors, writers and producers

🥱

[henry]

NYT makes up “Russian disinformation “ claims.

@nicoleperlroth

NEW: Three weeks ago, intelligence analysts started contacting several people with knowledge of the GRU hack of Burisma, after picking up intelligence “chatter” that stolen Burisma emails would be leaked in a forthcoming “October surprise.” nytimes.com/2020/10/14/us/…

[Narciso]

Evergreen, henry.

[clarice]

henry:Probably the same "analysts" at the FBI who sat on the computer from December 2019.

[Narciso]

Or from september 2016.

[henry]

Convenient timing anyway. Hunter could prove it wrong by making his email public and searchable. (Which is the left’s claim on Trump taxes).

[henry]

The packed (by Obama) DC Circuit rides again:

@steve_vladek

As predicted, the full D.C. Circuit will rehear the controversial three-judge panel decision that the House lacks a cause of action to enforce its subpoenas—an issue that may in any event become moot on January 3 when Congress turns over:

[henry]

The order is at the link

https://twitter.com/steve_vladeck/status/1316781100321169408?s=21

[BeastsEngland]

Stolen Burisma emails are one thing. Photos, videos, and handwritten org charts by Hunter are quite another. Plus, they’re having to discuss it. Whoopsie!! 😎

[henry]

Greenville rally (1 eastern start) link

https://rsbnetwork.com/2020/10/watch-live-president-trump-holds-make-america-great-again-rally-in-greenville-sc-10-15-20/

[Narciso]

Looks like they used the same marker that sheldon used.

[peter]

I'm not sure I want Hunter's emails public and searchable. There's already a meme about his penis pump.

[Tom R]

What are all the prominent actors, writers and producers worried about? Biden supposedly has a +10 lead over Trump. ABC's ratings for Biden's town hall should destroy NBC's ratings for Trump's town hall. I might even tune in to the Biden town hall to see if anyone asks him about Hunter's email to his kids saying that he had to give his dad 50% of the kickbacks he got from the Ukrainian government/Chinese Communist Party.

[Narciso]

Itll be beyond tufnel in its selectivity. Tom r

[Narciso]

So like austin powers then.

[JM Hanes]

ABob:

"Twitter is not a nonpartisan 'public square'. Why do we seem to be expecting otherwise?"

I don't think anybody is expecting otherwise; what's surprising is the ham-handed brazenness of its machinations, especially in light of the potential legal consequences of abandoning any pretense of public square neutrality.

Just because we've known for a long time that Twitter is a political player doesn't make what it's doing any less outrageous, not does it mean we should not push back as hard as we can. That would be true, even if Twitter has done nothing that is technically illegal.

[BeastsEngland]

‘You don’t have to do this, Joe.’

Makes a lot of sense now...

[clarice]

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/10/15/the_gordian_knot_protecting_obamagate_secrets_144452.html

[matt - deplore me if you must]

Remember when Rudy Giuliani said he had a bombshell? I think his fingerprints are on this one and good for him!

I'm going to guess thare's "but wait! there's more" to come.

Hunter's dirty little computer must have even more unsavory shit on it.

But the video seals the deal. 12 minutes of Hunter smoking crack and humping a hooker is hard to argue with.

[JM Hanes]

With all the recent rumblings about tech busting, it occurs to me that Twitter has a seriously vested interest in seeing that Joe Biden wins. Perhaps that explains their rather desperate willingness to overplay their hand.

[Tom R]

From Clarice's link @ 1:10

Mueller’s biased, aggressive team seems to have had one overriding interest: take down the president. (Weissmann confirmed as much in his recent kiss-and-tell memoir harshly critical of Mueller for not doing precisely that.)

Weissman was critical of Mueller for Mueller not allowing Weissman to take down the POTUS? If there was a conflict between Mueller and Weissman that seems kinda important to me.

[henry]

AF1 on ground in Greenville

[henry]

Trump exiting plane for podium.

[henry]

A treat from Melinda:

https://www.city-journal.org/hunter-biden-china-engagement

[clarice]

https://wisconsinspotlight.com/former-art-teacher-leads-evers-covid-response/
Every lame brained Dem gov seems to have named a grossly underqualified woman (or transgender woman) to the slot

[Dave (in MA)]

Shem Horne@Shem_Infinite
·
Hunter Biden would never forget his laptop full of evidence of his crimes at a repair shop like he left a crack pipe, his drivers license, an Attorney Generals badge, and credit cards in that rental car he returned in the middle of the night.
Yes, it begs credulity. How could people fall for Rudy's October surprise so easily?

[Dave (in MA)]

Oops, those last 2 sentences were mine.

[Tom R]

Biden logic. The fact Twitter censored the Hunter Biden bombshell is proof the allegations in the NY Post article were not true.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-camp-twitter-censored-damaging-biden-story-so-it-must-be-false-praise-twitter-censorship?

[henry]

“Strip them of their section 230 protection “

[Another Bob]

“This twitter/fb approach seems almost designed to trigger the "Streisand Effect."

So see what they’re misdirecting away from? Or just stupid?

[Narciso]

Well twitters policy director went to biden

[Jane]

What’s the “Streisand effect”.? Sorry to be so dumb

[Melinda]

Ding, ding, ding!

“Schtupid!” Is the winner!

[BeastsEngland]

Only in the year 2020 could we discover that Orwell was an optimist. :)

[BeastsEngland]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

[peter]

I admit, I get the Streisand effect confused with the Pauline Kael trope- "how could Nixon have won because I don't know anyone who voted for Nixon?"
But the Streisand effect is the unintended consequence of censorship in that it increases curiosity. Barbara Streisand sued someone to keep them from photographing her waterfront estate in Malibu and it backfired on her.

[Jane]

Ahhhh Peter, thanks. Finally! Something to like Streisand about!

[Narciso]

Even ice cube is more sane than say max boot (one standard deviation)

[JM Hanes]

Clarice:

Charles Lipson's article on "The Gordian Knot Protecting Obamagate Secrets" was excellent!

Donald Trump and Republicans are furious that U.S. Attorney John Durham has not brought indictments against senior people who spied on the president’s campaign, lied repeatedly to judges in order to do it, and based their intrusions on specious evidence, which they knew to be false -- and had been commissioned by the opposition political party. We know the broad outlines of this coordinated operation, but we still don’t know its full extent, all those involved, and what precise roles they played. [Emphasis mine.]

Thence the Gordion knot, pulled on one end by the imperatives of criminal investigation (secrecy) and on the other by the imperatives of an informed electorate (transparency) -- both legitimate, and pulling in opposite directions. I'm still in the "I'll believe it when I see indictments camp," but I thought Lipson's observations were very helpful when thinking about the quandary faced by this administration. His article is worth reading in full.

[JM Hanes]

So glad to hear that Miss Marple is on the mend! Thank Heaven!

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

This feels like Bill Clinton and Drudge with the blue dress all over again. When will the dam break on this story and the MSM be forced to cover it? It took a while for Drudge to break the ceiling.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

It had to have been well known in the meth filled rooms of the DNC and Dem leadership that not only is Biden losing his marble, but he is as dirty as Boss Tweed.
And yet not only did they not try to dissuade him from running they actually rigged it so he'd be the nominee.
Hope Springs Whorehouse Bill Clinton, Chicago Machine Obama, Chicago AND Hope Springs Ma Barker Hillary and now Boss Hog Biden; there seems to be a theme developing with who the Dems run for resident.
Why doesn't the Democratic Party just change its name to La Soviet Cosa Nostra and be done with it?

[Captain Hate]

The Horde burns down Camelot

There is a part in the book, "The Founding Father", biography of Joe Kennedy Sr., where Lyndon Johnson and, I think, Sam Rayburn were visiting the Kennedy household and having lunch with Rose Kennedy. Joe Sr. comes in with his young tennis partner, and goes up stairs, and LOUDLY has sex with her.
They all sat there, mortified.
Betch you never heard about that, did you?
Posted by: Bozo Conservative....outlaw in America at October 15, 2020 01:58 PM (ZCiJZ)

Joe fucked Gloria Swanson on his yacht in full view of a crying JFK.

When he was introduced to Jackie, he entertained her by relating the size, taste and appearance of Swanson's vagina.

Real American Royal Family Patriarch there.
Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at October 15, 2020 02:02 PM (2JVJo)

[Jim Eagle]

Interesting etymology of The Streisand effect:

Mike Masnick of Techdirt coined[5] the term in 2005 in relation to a holiday resort issuing a takedown notice to urinal.net (a site dedicated to photographs of urinals) over use of the resort's name.

[JM Hanes]

sbw:

I've long thought you should publish a collection of your letters to the AP. The letters, themselves, paint a damning picture, and hardly even need an umbrella of commentary to do it, save an occasional thumbnail of the article in question, if it isn't obvious. Taken as whole, they make your commitment to good journalism and its importance clear as well, in a way that nobody opining about "journalism" in the abstract can.

[Narciso]

Yes indeed like buckleys collections of letters

[Captain Hate]

Yes, The AP Chronicles would make a good companion volume to Unfreedom of The Press.

[Jane]

Trump's been holding a rally in NC for a long time now. Are you guys watching?

[Marlene]

Iggy @ 2:14...I've been thinking the same thing all day. Biden came in 5th in the NH primary and by the time of the SC primary, he was the front runner. I wonder if the DNC has any regrets about Bernie?

[Another Bob]

Question to the womenfolk: Anyone insulted, degraded, oppressed by Kennedy’s laundry question to Barrett?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Sorry about my 2:14;
Hot Springs corruption, hope springs eternal.

[Tom R]

JMH @ 2:07

I thought Lipson's observations were very helpful when thinking about the quandary faced by this administration.

I agree it was a good oped. The thought that came into my mind when I read the part about the quandary the DOJ is facing is that this is exactly how things should be operating in a DOJ that adheres to the Constitutional rule of law.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

You gotta be some kinda asshoe to mortify LBJ.

[lyle]

I’m still marveling over Sundown’s fitty percent shakedown vig. Makes the mafia look reasonable...

[Tom R]

Iggy @ 2:14

It had to have been well known in the meth filled rooms of the DNC and Dem leadership that not only is Biden losing his marble, but he is as dirty as Boss Tweed.

I operate under the assumption that a significant amount of the $1+ billion dollars that the Obama administration sent to Ukraine got laundered and sent back to multiple Democrat politicians. If a nincompoop like Biden was getting kickbacks from Ukraine then it seems almost a certainty that the real power brokers in the Democrat party were getting even more kickbacks than Biden got.

IMO the announcement in SEP 2019 that Barr and Durham went to Ukraine to investigate their involvement in the 2016 election sent a shockwave thru the Democrat power structure that their quid pro quo corruption with Ukraine was in danger of becoming public. IMO the DNC rallied around Biden because they knew he was in danger of getting indicted as well and thus could be trusted to keep their secret if elected POTUS.

[Jack Lillywhite]

AB,

What was the question? Been busy with house chores.

[peter]

As long as we are explaining colloquialisms, can somebody tell me what "Muh- " means?

[lyle]

How about the owner of the computer repair shop where Hosenose dropped the laptop off? I hope he’s got some police protection. I’m surprised the FBI didn’t arrest him on some bullshit charge.

[lyle]

Slang permutation of “my,” peter.

[Another Bob]

Jack. https://dailycaller.com/2020/10/14/amy-coney-barrett-asks-easy-question-john-kennedy-complies-who-does-the-laundry/

[Captain Hate]

Yes, lyle, the potential Hodgkinsons have him targeted. The donks are very vicious about who tells the truth about their dogshit icons; like Linda Tripp or even Joe the Plumber.

[lyle]

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2020/10/15/giuliani-youve-only-seen-five-percent-of-whats-on-hunter-bidens-hard-drive-n2578151

Don’t worry, though. The remaining 95% will be squashed by our tech and media overlords.

[lyle]

From that link:

I have the entire hard drive and the New York Post has only published about five percent of it," Giuliani said. "The New York Post has at least two more situations even more serious than this. The real big time money corruption takes place with the Chinese Communist Party. In essence we have a man trying to be President of the United States whose family has been in business for a number of years with the Chinese communist government and high level Chinese communists. If we're stupid enough to do that. China was setting Joe up for years and they have his son by the you know what and they've given them plenty of money and coincidentally Joe has caved into China in ever negotiation he's ever had and he's the only man in the world who says China is not a threat to us or a competitor. I guess if your family got $30 or $40 million from China, if you were corrupt, I guess you'd say that."

But Trump!!

[Dave (in MA)]

Heading into an ad break after devoting his first segment to the Hunter Files, Howie Carr played the studio version of this tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b6edQ6k4iE
This one, however, has a RIOT break out about 1:45 in, so I figured that would add some contemporary relevance.

[Jane]

It seems to me, if Biden can hide this stuff and get elected - it’s immediate grounds for impeachment, which is probably exactly what the democrats want.

Bye bye democracy!

[sbwaters]

JMH: I've long thought you should publish a collection of your letters to the AP.

[Reaches into his Amazon website and pulls out a copy of Take back Your News

A volume 1, if you will.

[Dave (in MA)]

And that track leads into this one, which features the band performing in a cloud of tear gas that had wafted onto the stage,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkugad7ZpBA
This is something that wouldn't be allowed today.

[Tom R]

Rudy saying he has proof of the Chinese Communist Party paying the Biden family over $30 million triggers my confirmation bias about as hard as anything ever has.

[Dave (in MA)]

Howie suggests "Pop" or "The Big Guy" as alternates to "Sleepy Joe", given their usage in the Hunter Files.