mim526

[mim526]

Louise and Polo

Not that Polo, the VW Polo. Remember the story about Sophie and Edward's daughter Louise Windsor getting a summer job at a garden center? Turns out she wanted some extra money to help buy her first car, a used Volkswagen Polo.

Well done, Louise.

[mim526]

For those who can and would like to give financially to help, please consider the Salvation Army. Lahaina was one of the most devastated areas and their Lahaina corps is receiving donations (disaster donations go 100% to disaster relief of affected residents) via website here:

Ways to Give - Lahaina Corps (salvationarmy.org)

#MauiDisasterRelief #SalvationArmy

🙏🙏🙏

[mim526]

Good Journalism

Good journalism = "content that is ethical, independent, critical and of public interest." This is what good editorial from a master writer looks like (click <view on Twitter> below the tweet to watch):

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies." ~ C. S. Lewis

Why? Because

"The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be "cured" against one's will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”

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'Muzak'

Some great music on my playlist past couple of days...like a live performance of songs from Michael McDonald's remembering Motown albums.

Somewhere I landed on a favorite jazz funk album from the early 80s by Al Jarreau. The album, "Jarreau", has so many things I like...rhythm, melody, Al's voice is like a human synthesizer sometimes, always unique to Al. It's bright, happy music (lots of trumpets) with a dash of soft introspection that's never negative.

I play this and remember putting the record on my stereo in the days before Spotify/digital. On came the gentle 'hello' of "Mornin'" followed by the very funky "Boogie Down." Does rhythm get any better than this? Go ahead, get your boogie down :-)

#AlJarreau #Jazz #Funk

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Fact check: True.

I remember a story about the wife of a former Ukranian MP trying to leave the country with millions of cash stashed in her luggage.

The US and Europe have sent billions (and counting) in aid to Ukraine, with Baltic States in particular giving a sizeable amount of their countries' total GDP.

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[mim526]

Roger Federer retired in 2022 "with 20 Grand Slam singles titles, third all-time among men behind rivals Rafael Nadal (22) and Novak Djokovic (21), who are still active. His eight Wimbledon titles are most in men’s history, though Djokovic can match it if he wins another." Which is why this happened in 2023 at Wimbledon...

The Princess of Wales alongside Roger Federer in the royal box on day two of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon. | July 4, 2023

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EDIT 2:

US mainstream press apparently will not cover this, but found a breakdown of some details here, including how the Israeli businessman mentioned in EDIT 1 was involved (he organized international business conferences for the Chinese think tank associated with their CEFC energy company). Things are adding up to support the Israeli businessman's account IMO.

In another Megyn Kelly video interview with New York Post reporter Miranda Devine around 3:28 is very good question and answer on why the Israeli businessman alleging knowledge of Biden corruption issues should not be dismissed as non-credible: the same pattern has occurred with multiple other sources who have alleged similar issues with the Biden family across multiple countries. It's disturbing that not only are the allegations not adequately investigated, but those coming forward with the allegations then become surveillance targets themselves.

Sky News Australia recently posted a breakdown of two IRS whistleblower testimonies regarding Biden family IRS issues and the difficulty they had investigating them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This all should have been reported when it was coming to light in 2019 and early 2020 before the 2020 election; it definitely should be investigated now. It makes Watergate look like a game of hopscotch in comparison and shames the United States and Americans.

I note that some Democrats sitting in these hearings refer to Donald Trump document case as being the real criminal activity: they discredit themselves and the seriousness of the allegations concerning the Bidens. These should not be considered partisan issues and are in no way comparable.

Hopefully, enough Americans regardless of political affiliation feel as disturbed as I about the possibility of third world country-level corruption and want genuine, non-partisan investigations and, most of all, accountability for any criminal activity. I'm not expecting much unless Americans speak up...government investigators are already claiming they can't solve how cocaine got into one of the most secure, highly patrolled areas in the world when one of the individuals with access to the area has a history of using cocaine.

'White' House

Cocaine in the West Wing of the White House. Complete and utter disgrace.

How/why did this get in the press?

7/4/23 3:42pm WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A white powder found inside the White House late on Sunday was identified by Washington's fire department and emergency services as cocaine, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The source said the powder was found in the West Wing, but gave no further details. The West Wing is attached to the executive mansion where President Joe Biden lives. It houses the Oval Office, the cabinet room and press area, and offices and workspace for the president's staff. Hundreds of people work in or come through the West Wing regularly. The Secret Service said on Tuesday that an "unknown item" had been found in work space within the West Wing on Sunday, leading to the temporary closing of the White House complex. "On Sunday evening, the White House complex went into a precautionary closure as officers from the Secret Service Uniformed Division investigated an unknown item found inside a work area," a Secret Service spokesperson said in an emailed statement. A second source familiar with the matter said the substance was found during a routine Secret Service sweep of the area. It was later identified as cocaine. "The DC Fire Department was called to evaluate and quickly determined the item to be non-hazardous," the Secret Service spokesperson said, adding there was "an investigation into the cause and manner" of how the substance entered the White House. Biden was not in the White House on Sunday. He and his family returned from a weekend at the presidential retreat Camp David on Tuesday morning. The Washington Post first reported the discovery.

Secret Service found substance during a routine sweep of West Wing on a weekend and called the Fire Department? Evacuate and close down White House for coca found while POTUS out of town? Someone took a risk to bring this to public attention.

If Americans needed further sign of the rot and corruption at the heart of our government, take a good look. Illegal drugs in the West. Wing. Of. The. White. House.

Makes my heart sick.

Wherever the stuff came from, I'm with Megyn Kelly on this one:

EDIT:

As if the snow weren't bad enough...whistleblower on the run from Biden administration:

[mim526]

“Try That in a Small Town”

Jonathan Turley is an esteemed US law professor, sometimes commentator. He is a centrist type: I wouldn't categorize him as either left or right in a political sense.

Since music sales at places like Wal-Mart began to be counted, country music is consistently high on music sales charts in the US so this would come to the attention of many Americans. What's all the fuss about?

Lyrics:

"Try That In A Small Town" Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk Car jack an old lady at a red light Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store Ya think it's cool, well, act a fool if ya like Cuss out a cop, spit in his face Stomp on the flag and light it up Yeah, ya think you're tough Well, try that in a small town See how far ya make it down the road 'Round here we take care of our own You cross that line, it won't take long For you to find out, I recommend you don't Try that in a small town Got a gun that my granddad gave me They say one day they're gonna round up Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck Well, try that in a small town See how far ya make it down the road 'Round here we take care of our own You cross that line, it won't take long For you to find out, I recommend you don't Try that in a small town Full of good ol' boys, raised up right If you're looking for a fight Try that in a small town Try that in a small town Try that in a small town (See how far ya make it down the road) 'Round here we take care of our own You cross that line, it won't take long For you to find out, I recommend you don't Try that in a small town Try that in a small town, mm-mm Try that in a small town

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prediction: with moves like this, CMT may end up going the way of the dodo bird. Go woke, go broke as the saying goes.

[mim526]

They had whoever repents of their sins and believes in Jesus Christ in mind...

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

"The Father and the Son had specific sinners in mind who would certainly benefit from the cross of Christ." Daniel R. Hyde

[mim526]

It's a machine...it can be hacked.

This is crazy!!! 😮

[mim526]

Hulu is wholly owned by Disney. With shows like this streaming, I understand why parents have boycotted Disney for the programming direction the company has taken in recent years. Also understandable why Gov DeSantis and the Florida legislature have/are correcting the preferential treatment Disney has been given by the state of Florida in years past.

There's a show called "Mr. Pickles" that originally aired on cartoon network and now it's streaming on Hulu which is about a satan worshipping dog that goes around doing satanic rituals involving human sacrifice….. You can't make this stuff up!

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'White' House

Cocaine in the West Wing of the White House. Complete and utter disgrace.

How/why did this get in the press?

7/4/23 3:42pm WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A white powder found inside the White House late on Sunday was identified by Washington's fire department and emergency services as cocaine, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The source said the powder was found in the West Wing, but gave no further details. The West Wing is attached to the executive mansion where President Joe Biden lives. It houses the Oval Office, the cabinet room and press area, and offices and workspace for the president's staff. Hundreds of people work in or come through the West Wing regularly. The Secret Service said on Tuesday that an "unknown item" had been found in work space within the West Wing on Sunday, leading to the temporary closing of the White House complex. "On Sunday evening, the White House complex went into a precautionary closure as officers from the Secret Service Uniformed Division investigated an unknown item found inside a work area," a Secret Service spokesperson said in an emailed statement. A second source familiar with the matter said the substance was found during a routine Secret Service sweep of the area. It was later identified as cocaine. "The DC Fire Department was called to evaluate and quickly determined the item to be non-hazardous," the Secret Service spokesperson said, adding there was "an investigation into the cause and manner" of how the substance entered the White House. Biden was not in the White House on Sunday. He and his family returned from a weekend at the presidential retreat Camp David on Tuesday morning. The Washington Post first reported the discovery.

Secret Service found substance during a routine sweep of West Wing on a weekend and called the Fire Department? Evacuate and close down White House for coca found while POTUS out of town? Someone took a risk to bring this to public attention.

If Americans needed further sign of the rot and corruption at the heart of our government, take a good look. Illegal drugs in the West. Wing. Of. The. White. House.

Makes my heart sick.

Wherever the stuff came from, I'm with Megyn Kelly on this one:

EDIT 1:

As if the snow weren't bad enough...whistleblower on the run from Biden administration:

[mim526]

Wonderful idea!

Will remember this next time we have luggage to donate.

*image from prolife.forlife2's Instagram story

[mim526]

Sweet Georgia Brown

Wow. The great Benny Goodman on the clarinet.

Can't play Sweet Georgia Brown without mentioning these guys...

#Swing #BennyGoodman #HarlemGlobetrotters

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From Justice Clarence Thomas' (concurring opinion beginning p50):

Even in the segregated South where I grew up, individuals were not the sum of their skin color. Then as now, not all disparities are based on race; not all people are racist; and not all differences between individuals are ascribable to race.

...

JUSTICE JACKSON uses her broad observations about statistical relationships between race and select measures of health, wealth, and well-being to label all blacks as victims.... [N]one of those statistics are capable of drawing a direct causal link between race—rather than socioeconomic status or any other factor—and individual outcomes. So JUSTICE JACKSON supplies the link herself: the legacy of slavery and the nature of inherited wealth. This, she claims, locks blacks into a seemingly perpetual inferior caste. Such a view is irrational; it is an insult to individual achievement and cancerous to young minds seeking to push through barriers, rather than consign themselves to permanent victimhood.

Individuals are the sum of their unique experiences, challenges, and accomplishments. What matters is not the barriers they face, but how they choose to confront them. And their race is not to blame for everything—good or bad—that happens in their lives. A contrary, myopic world view based on individuals’ skin color to the total exclusion of their personal choices is nothing short of racial determinism.

Eschewing the complexity that comes with individuality may make for an uncomplicated narrative, but lumping people together and judging them based on assumed inherited or ancestral traits is nothing but stereotyping. I continue to strongly believe (and have never doubted) that “blacks can achieve in every avenue of American life without the meddling of university administrators.” Id., at 350. Meritocratic systems, with objective grading scales, are critical to that belief. Such scales have always been a great equalizer—offering a metric for achievement that bigotry could not alter. Racial preferences take away this benefit, eliminating the very metric by which those who have the most to prove can clearly demonstrate their accomplishments—both to themselves and to others.

...

The great failure of this country was slavery and its progeny. And, the tragic failure of this Court was its misinterpretation of the Reconstruction Amendments.... We should not repeat this mistake merely because we think, as our predecessors thought, that the present arrangements are superior to the Constitution. The Court’s opinion rightly [...] sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes. Those policies fly in the face of our colorblind Constitution and our Nation’s equality ideal. In short, they are plainly—and boldly—unconstitutional.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IMO: There is nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you have achieved through your own merit, your own knowledge/skills/abilities.

Don't be like Erica Marsh.🤡

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Sarah, #WomanOfCourage

Piers Morgan to Sarah Ferguson: "Just seen the news. So sorry you’ve been through such a scary time - sending you love and support, and continued success with your treatment.”

Sarah Ferguson to Piers Morgan: "Time to heal and nurture me now! Hopefully caught in time x thank you" which Piers described as the "first time I’d ever heard her speak about the need to put herself before others."

Royal Reporter Lydia4 days ago (edited) We are sending our best wishes to The Duchess of York who recently got Diagnosed with Breast Cancer after a routine Mammogram at the hospital. Soon after she had surgery and is said to be recovering. Her spokesman said: "Sarah, Duchess of York was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening. She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully. The Duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good. She is now recuperating with her family. The Duchess wants to express her immense gratitude to all the medical staff who have supported her in recent days. She is also hugely thankful to the staff involved in the mammogram which identified her illness, which was otherwise symptom free and believes her experience underlines the importance of regular screening." We hope that The Duchess recovers well. We are thinking of her and her family during this time.

Sarah Ferguson details undergoing mastectomy to treat breast cancer: ‘It was only a shadow’ | The Independent

May Sarah Ferguson live to enjoy her grandchildren for many years to come.

#SarahFerguson