Hey! What About Logic and Reason? Didn’t You Cover That?

 

I used to think I was born at the wrong time. Now I think I was born at the right time. Missing the Great Depression and WWII, catching the entirety of the 60s and 70s, and now beholding what appears to be the beginning of the end of society as we know it? I’m thinking the timing was perfect.

I was born during a ravaging blizzard in an upper East Coast naval base that apparently no longer contains a hospital, nor any history thereof. To this day there’s still no clear documentation regarding the hospital’s two addresses. Ten years ago I traveled back east to search the records myself, only to find the long-standing conflict of facts (does no one care?). Yet, there was hope; the local records office told me the case of the missing hospital, along with its address, was still open. The townspeople usually put it on the docket every few years if things get too slow.

So, my birth records are ambiguous, leaving me to wonder which of two New England states I can legitimately call my hometown.

The Belle Was A Spy

 

Elizabeth Van Lew, a southern belle, was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. Wealthy, well-connected, attractive, charming, she was utterly opposed to slavery. When Virginia seceded, she supported the Union. Burying outward signs of that support, she provided secret support: helping Union POWs escape to the North, and eventually spying.

Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster: The Untold Story of the Abolitionist Southern Belle Who Helped Win the Civil War, by Gerri Willis, tells her story, and the story of the escape and espionage ring she ran from Richmond.

The book is a biography of Van Lew, with a focus on her service to the Union during the Civil War. Willis tells of Van Lew’s family and upbringing, putting her support for abolition in context. It shows how her family acquired its wealth and explains her status in the antebellum South.

Celebrate America250: The Old Line

 

June 14, 1775 is not only the birthday of the US Army but of the 1st Maryland Regiment, later the 115th Infantry.  These are the guys for whom the state’s nickname, “The Old Line State,” came about.  It was George Washington who bestowed that name on these exceptionally reliable troops. Unlike a lot of Revolutionary War units, they were professionally trained at the outset and performed admirably in every engagement without exception.

At the Battle of Long Island (August 27, 1776), the “Maryland 400” (probably only 270 guys) charged a very surprised force of 2,000 Redcoats, which turned out to be the key to protecting Washington’s retreat and the preservation of his army.

Broadening One’s Horizons

 

Hi there. Just me, popping up like Punsxutawney Phil on Groundhog Day, only I tend to pop in at Ricochet more quarterly than annually. But I did see my shadow this morning, which means 6 more weeks of district judges in their magical black robes working tirelessly to “save our democracy” by gumming up the will of the people. It’s a thankless lot in life to be a legal lilliputian (say that five times fast), but they’re down for the struggle and the bonus of getting an occasional worthy mention in the legacy media.

Plus, you can make fairly decent money staying in the good graces of progressive media types, as several progressives are learning as they cash in on books containing the approved narrative describing their utter shock upon learning that the former president of the United States had the cognitive acuity and mental capacity of a potato.

Can the GOP Blow it in 2026?

 

In 1993, President Clinton tossed away his hard-won centrist image by making gays in the military, abortion, and a big increase in spending (a thumb in the eye to Perot voters) his opening priorities.  The following year, in a highly unusual and never-repeated development, Republicans under Newt Gingrich ran on an actual affirmative agenda (The Contract With America) such that voters could not only register a protest vote over the Clintonian bait-and-switch but actually have a positive reason to vote for the opposing party. The 54-seat swing gave the GOP a majority in the House for the first time in over four decades.

Democrats are now openly supporting rioting, urban decay, illegal alien gang members, partisan judicial tyranny, mass illegal immigration, violence against law enforcement, Hamas and Jew-hatred, street crime in general, males taking over women’s sports & bathrooms, and waste, abuse, inefficiency, and open theft in federal spending.

The stories you may have missed this week:

  • Justice Breyer’s retarded little brother has insane decision stayed
  • America hits “Compassion Fatigue”
  • Democrats on the run
  • Trump goes wobbly on immigration in ag and hospitality
  • Scamming old people

Hoo boy—Steve wasn’t able to work out the schedule (and internet acess in the Norwegian Sea) to join John and Lucretia for this week’s episode, so he left them completely unsupervised, resulting in what John and Lucretia described as an “unplugged” edition, blessedly free (supposedly) from any historical analogies.

Steve thinks “unhinged” might be a better description of this heterodox episode, which somehow included quite a lot of history, just not in the usual edifying form that so many listeners have come to depend upon.

Where’s The Skyrocketing Tariff-Driven Inflation?

 

We were assured by the chattering classes that, by now, inflation – ignited by Trump’s tariffs – world be devastating the American economy.  But today’s CPI numbers were, again, benign.  The month-over-month number was less than 0.1%  (0.08%).


Toward the end of the Biden (or whoever was driving) administration prices were accelerating.

What do Charles Barkley, the National Guard, and the Posse Comitatus Act have in common? In this episode, of Law Talk with Epstein & Yoo, Professors Richard Epstein and John Yoo, joined by Charles C.W. Cooke, dive into the legal chaos surrounding the use of federal troops during civil unrest, whether Gavin Newsom could be overruled by the president, and what exactly the Constitution says about militias, insurrections, and executive power. They also weigh in on birthright citizenship, Supreme Court politics, and a game of HORSE on the Supreme Court basketball court (yes, it has one).

It’s been an incendiary week since Charlie and Steve last spoke, but they return to chat matters over as they wait for the smoke to clear. They share approval of Israel’s strike at Iran, discuss the legal and political questions surrounding the unrest in LA with Andy McCarthy, and wish the great Brian Wilson peace in the afterlife.

 

NJ – June 1777

 

My part of NJ is drenched in Revolutionary War history. I live at the foot of the Watchung Mountains, known to Washington as the Blue Hills. They were a natural barrier behind which the Continental Army was safe from incursions by the British out of New York. The Blue Hills run more or less east to west and parallel the main agricultural region of the state. From the heights, Washington’s troops could keep tabs on any British activity on the plains below. The Continentals were a menace to British security and frequently raided British foraging parties before returning to the safety of the ridge tops. Washington, with his main army, kept to the shelter of these hills. Down on the plain were some local militia and General Sullivan’s division to support them.

During the summer of 1777, General Howe tried to entice Washington down from the safety of his Middlebrook encampments and to bring about a general engagement. Howe was confident that he’d be able to crush the Continentals if he could meet them in open combat.

Is Trump’s Parade a Good Idea?

 

Anytime we have the chance to celebrate our military, I’m right at the front of the line. So I understand President Trump’s desire to have a mega celebration on Saturday to honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. (Celebrating his birthday, too, is icing on the cake.) But, this display reminds me of his decorating his penthouse with gold everywhere in sight—except these are taxpayer dollars.

So, here’s what’s planned for the parade:

The Gender Gap – Men’s vs Women’s Swimming

 

There is big news today in women’s swimming.  Canadian Summer McIntosh broke the world record in the 400 Individual Medley (IM) twice in one week!  Today she swam 4:23:65, eclipsing the world record she just set on Wednesday.  Amazing job!!!  But the point here is to compare and contrast the difference between the men’s and women’s events.

Last year at the Canadian Olympic trials in the 400 IM, the slowest man swam 4:20:67.  He didn’t make the team.   That’s almost exactly 3 full seconds faster than today’s women’s world record.  The fastest Canadian man who didn’t make the Olympic team swam 4:16:90.

Effective Fiscal Communication

 

As I continue to obsess over the lack of fiscal sanity in Washington, I am convinced that one of our problems is that we really can’t effectively communicate on the subject for two reasons. First, inflation and growth have deprived us of the ability to compare the past to the present. Comparing a million-dollar deficit from 1944 to a million-dollar deficit from 2024 is like comparing apples and oranges. Second, our minds cannot readily grasp excessively large numbers like billion or trillion. Anything amounting to more than 10 million dollars is just “a helluva lot of money.”

To address this problem, I propose a new word — GORMAN. Senator Arthur P. Gorman was an early advocate for a national income tax, and this new word comes from income taxes. The largest number on anyone’s tax return is gross income: total income from all sources without any deductions, adjustments, or credits. Now, imagine the IRS imposed a 1% tax on gross income, again, without any deductions, adjustments, or credits. The amount of money collected is one Gorman.

Around 3 AM in Israel, a nationwide siren awoke Israelis to the news that the Israeli Air Force was conducting extensive strikes on the Islamic Republic of Iran. As far as we know so far, the strikes have targeted nuclear enrichment sites, military sites, the IRGC leadership, including Hussein Salammi, the head of the IRGC, the Army Chief of Staff, and leading nuclear scientists.

Shortly after the blitz began, the IDF Home Front Command announced immediate changes to its guidelines, prohibiting all gatherings for educational, social, and workplace purposes. Israelis have been instructed to remain near bomb shelters as they await the Iranian response.

It’s the Henry & Harry Happy Hour this week, as CNN’s Harry Enten drops in with his irrepressible pizzazz to talk political data. First, the two discuss Harry’s findings on the dramatic swing of immigrant citizens’ growing hawkishness on illegal immigration. There’s some chatter on Trump’s abiding approval ratings and speculation on how events (from unrest in LA to elections in NY and NJ) will determine the best course for the parties. Then the gents consider the qualities that make a pro in their line of work. And, naturally, there’s some speculation on the upcoming Bills season from a fella who bleeds red, white, and royal blue.

Celebrate America250: Day 53

 

June 10, 1775. John Adams proposed to the Continental Congress that the colonial troops besieging the British regulars in Boston should be considered a Continental Army.

After the Massachusetts militia had driven the British regulars back into Boston on April 19, 1775, and inflicted heavy casualties, they proceeded to take over the British works around the city and extend them. Under the command of General Artemas Ward, the colonials seized the only land exits from Boston, the Boston Neck and the Charlestown Neck. More militia troops from surrounding towns and provinces joined them, leading Gen. Thomas Gage to write, “The rebels are not the despicable rabble too many have supposed them to be.” The British suffered from a lack of supplies since they were dependent on their control of the harbor and on importing supplies from Nova Scotia.

It’s June, Trump is back in office, so it must be Riot Season. On one side is the President, ICE, active-duty and reserve service members, and a majority of the American people. On the other side are elected Democrats in California, illegal aliens, and Antifa. It’s getting ugly out there.

Then we follow up on our coverage of Wall Street shenanigans of naked short selling and the dereliction of duty of government regulators.

Sly, Then Brian, and Now Gary England

 

For a long stretch, Seiling, Oklahoma’s Gary England was the most famous meteorologist in the world. If you saw the movie “Twister,” you saw him at work. You might have seen one of his four books or a program he was involved in. For weather issues, he was THE dude. Three Emmys to boot! And a marriage of 63 years.

If you lived in Oklahoma from 1971 until his retirement in 2013, Gary England was an understood part of your life, your meteorological north star. He was the country boy (and Navy man) with the Doppler and all the coolest new weather toys. He was the guy who talked like you and knew his stuff. He taught us all how to cope with tornadoes. (Lowest level, center of the house, and get down.) My favorite bit of advice I heard one night: “You kids, if you’re home alone,  put on your football helmet.” He was calm and reassuring.

Calendars are a Riot

 

Many years ago, when my sister-in-law had just joined our family, I got her a calendar for Christmas. As she opened it, under the tree, she exclaimed, “Oh, good, ours was just running out.” My brother, her husband, responded, “That always seems to happen this time of year.”

Paper calendars are not passé, of course, appearing on those social media surveys that say, “Give yourself a point if you ever used…” along with rotary phones and floppy discs. We still have a paper calendar on the fridge, but we’re pretty old school.

Many of us used to choose between pocket calendars: Month at a Glance or Week at a Glance. And there were, of course, the calendars that had just one day at a time. But they also had a Far Side cartoon or a Bible verse or something else to keep us tearing off the sheets to get to the next day.

MN man leads team to girls H.S. softball championship

 

Champlin Park High School won the Minnesota Class 4A high school girls softball state title last week, with a six-foot-tall, 17-year-old man who identifies as a girl pitching three dominant complete games in the state tourney.  What bravery!

Just another toothpick of insanity on Tim Walz’s bonfire of a state.  The Minnesota Star Tribune and the other state legacy media have completely hidden the trans-component of the story, but everyone in the softball community was well aware of the cheating.  Glad Outkick has been providing some coverage.  And in Minnesota, all you have to do to change your gender is amend your birth certificate–no surgery or drugs required.  You can keep your genitalia and hang out in the opposite sex’s locker room, all while dominating on the field.  Title IX no longer applies here.  You’ve come a long way, baby!

Celebrate America250: Day 54 Battle of Machias

 

June 11, 1775. The Battle of Machias was the first naval engagement of the Revolution and resulted in the local militia capturing the British sloop HMS Margaretta.

Gen. Gage needed lumber to build barracks for the increasing British regulars arriving in Boston, which was under siege by colonial militia. He commissioned a Loyalist merchant named Ichabod Jones to sail with two ships to the port of Machias, now in Maine but at that time part of the Massachusetts Bay Province. Gage also sent the Margaretta along under the command of Midshipman James Moore to protect the merchant ships and to recover the eighteen guns aboard the HMS Halifax, which a Machias pilot had intentionally run aground in the port the previous February.