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Question About Communism
I am reading (for the first time) Whittaker Chambers’ Witness. It is a fascinating and extremely engaging book.
That said, the Communists in his world are very concerned about advancing humanity. Communism seems to be awfully focused on people. And I genuinely do not understand why this is so.
The Acolyte
“Star Wars: The Acolyte” has been canceled. Turns out the audience for a show with an openly sociopathic plot energetically defended by a deranged production staff is close to zero.
The plot of the Acolyte is simple. Female twins are separated at birth. One (May) is raised by a dark lord of the Sith, the other (Osha) by the Jedi. The Sith kills Osha’s Jedi friends from childhood and her female love interest. But she takes one look at his naked body and all is forgiven. She joins him, but not before killing the Jedi who raised her. The two mind-wipe May and leave her to be found by the Jedi before running off into the sunset. Along the way, about 30 lesbian space witches are accidentally killed by a female Jedi Master, played by Carrie-Anne Moss.
Even The Hill Is Calling ABC on Their “Fact Checks”
Jonathan Turley writing in The Hill sharply corrects ABC’s fact checks. The Hill is a DC institution, covering Congress and federal politics. They have never really distinguished themselves from the herd narrative on a consistent basis, but now they have done this:
“You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”
A Second Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump
Shots were fired between Secret Service agents and an apparent would-be assassin at Trump International Golf Course, where the former president and nominee was golfing Sunday afternoon.
The suspect is now in custody and has been identified; he left behind a rifle at the scene after exchanging fire with agents before fleeing. According to a Secret Service official, the gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of the former president before being spotted.
How Vietnamese Refugees Gardened to Become Vietnamese-Americans
Meet an immigrant from Vietnam in the US—especially one who arrived as a refugee after the Vietnam War—and the odds are good they have a home garden. It may be a simple planter box in an apartment balcony or an elaborate several-acre microfarm. Not all of them, but enough that if you bet even money on it, you would come out ahead long-term.
Farm to Freedom: Vietnamese-Americans and Their Food Gardens, by Roy Vu explains why. Vu is well-placed to explain. The son of Vietnamese refugees, he arrived in the US as an infant.
Vietnam was (and remains) a largely green-thumbed culture. Even in its cities, inhabitants garden and raise chickens and rabbits. They are also hardworking. Visit Vietnam today and it seems every other person has a side hustle on top of the day job.
They’re Eating the Cats and the Dogs and the Pets!
No, the Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are not eating the cats and the dogs and the pets, according to the local police chief. As a matter of fact, they have committed no crimes at all.
No, the rumor started from a psycho-lady in nearby Canton, who was arrested for eating a cat. The story actually has nothing to do with Haitians.
The whole gang is back together this week with a rousing review of the week’s highlights, including a post-modern take on the Trump-Harris debate, and the dogs-and-cats-living-togther-before-being-eaten memestorm out of Ohio that is driving the left out of its mind (or what little mind they have left). Trump may not have won the debate on any of the usual scoring metrics, but maybe it isn’t simple as that.
But the heart of the episode is the serious business of Merrickl Garland’s tone-deaf speech (even John thinks so) claiming politics never enters into Justice Department decisions, which wouldn’t even convince his own mother.
Christianity and Guns
This post is prompted by a post suggested to me by a friend.
The post is titled “The Kingdom of God Has No Guns,” which for Catholics and at least LCMS Lutherans, seems to be starting with an error. We believe that the Kingdom of God is here, present today and has been since Christ’s coming to die for our sins. Not completely here, but through the coming of Christ, it is present, and as Colossians 1:16-18 states:
Saturday Night Classics
Quote of the Day: Rich Men and Poor Men
I never got a job from a poor man.
-Phil Gramm
You know what else you never got from a poor man (except as the intermediary of a salesman)? The ability to place long-distance phone calls, the personal automobile, commercial air travel, commercial jet air travel, mobile phones, electricity at home, television, and maybe — in the future — the ability to travel in space. All of those, except the last, started out as things unavailable, except to the unimaginably wealthy. Today we consider most of these everyday necessities — except for air travel, which is not everyday.
I Am An Idiot
Phhhptppht. Pause. mmsmmpmp. Longer pause. <sputtering noise>. Pause.
It is 2005. We are standing in shul (synagogue). It is the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The entire day is a buildup to hearing the blowing of the shofar. There are a great many explanations for why the shofar is so important to Rosh Hashanah and for Jews in general. But on top of all of them, we find that the shofar blasts cut to our core, bypassing reason and the senses, reaching directly to our souls. When we actually hear the shofar, of course.
The Snoop Dogg Bowl
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born in 1971, to Beverly Tate and Vernell Varnado. They were not married, and Mr. Varnado left three months after Calvin was born. His mother then married Calvin Broadus Sr., and they remained married until Calvin Jr. was three years old. Calvin’s mother nicknamed him “Snoopy” due to his fascination with the cartoon character, which led to Calvin Jr.’s various names over the years, such as Snoop Doggy Dogg, Snoop Dogg, Snoop Lion, Bigg Snoop Dogg, Dogg Father, Snoop Rock, DJ Snoopadelic, Snoopzilla, FaZe Snoop, and Niggarachi. I suppose we should be thankful that young Calvin Jr. was not fascinated by Tweety Bird or Minnie Mouse. On the other hand, if he had been a fan of Calvin and Hobbes, that would have saved some time.
In elementary school, Snoop was known as a dedicated student and enthusiastic churchgoer, singing in a choir at his Baptist Church. In sixth grade, he began rapping. By high school, he was active in the drug trade, gangs (he was a member of the Crips), and other criminal activities. He was arrested multiple times for drug-related offenses, and spent time in jail on and off. He was later accused of the murder of a rival gang member but was acquitted. He has often said that his religion has remained important to him. His Baptist upbringing led him to release a gospel album. He has also claimed to be a member of the Rastafari religion, as well as The Nation of Islam.
He has often spoken of the importance of living the lifestyle that he raps about. He worked as a pimp in the early 2000s, saying, “That s*** was my natural calling and once I got involved with it, it became fun. It was like shootin’ layups for me. I was makin’ ‘em every time.” He founded a record label called “Death Row Records,” and his artistic projects include “Murder was the Case,” “Gangsta Walk,” “F*** the Police,” and so on. To get a feel for Snoop’s music, consider the lyrics to his most famous hit, “Gin and Juice”:
The contemporary social planner seems to favor all sorts of peoples’ movements—except for the kind that involves automobiles, driven by citizens away from dense urban cores into the suburbs that they can afford. Today, Joel Kotkin (author of The Human City and The Coming of Neo-Feudalism) joins the podcast to discuss the new class of urbanists who brim with ideas for a city that won’t work for the people meant to occupy them.
Plus, Steve, James and Charlie quibble over Tuesday’s debate, and they reflect on yet another 9/11 anniversary.
Justice in America
You may have seen the video of a Pro-Palestinian man who was arguing with some Pro-Israeli protesters in Massachusetts. He charges across the street and jumps one of the men from behind. In the ensuing scuffle, the attacked man pulls his pistol and shoots him in the stomach.
But wait, there’s more. The local DA has decided to charge the man who defended himself with crimes.
Ongoing Media Suicide
We are used to bias in debate moderators, even some grossly inappropriate interventions (here’s looking at you, Candy Crowley). But ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis did not even try to fake professionalism. When the late Tim Russert hosted Meet the Press, he invariably asked Democratic guests the tough questions on issues of the day. The difference was that he rarely pressed or followed up as he did with Republicans. He was the former campaign manager for George McGovern, and even he was vastly more professional and even-handed than the pair of miscreants provided by the Disney Corp.
Their boss, the Disney exec who oversees the news division of its ABC subsidiary, is not only a longtime friend of Ms. Harris, she introduced her to her husband. Hugh Hewitt and others have pointed out that there was not one question about China (a big Disney movie market), so no danger that the loyal ABC hitpersons might raise an issue that would upset The Mouse. No questions about the American recently murdered by Hamas that might upset the Democratic balancing act of catering to the anti-Israel vote while appearing not to. Not a single hard question or correction aimed at Willie Brown’s old girlfriend.
Why Do You Come to Ricochet?
Over the years I’ve gotten to know a number of our members fairly well. Although I don’t know them intimately, I have a sense of their personalities, their character, their positions, and I can honestly say I like and appreciate them, too. But the question came up for me about the reasons people come to this site. People periodically ask that question, but I think in these stressful times, it’s worth asking again.
Why are you here? Let me tell you, first, why I am here. I love to write. I love to get people’s input on my posts, even though a post may not obviously seem to solicit input. I love even more to have an occasional dialogue exchange, not only with people who agree with me, but also with people who don’t agree with me. I’m rewarded by those who can disagree and still maintain a sense of friendliness and rapport (@she and @henryracette, I’m looking at you), and there are many, many more of you. I also appreciate when people ask me to clarify or elaborate on an idea. I occasionally decide that my view is incorrect or incomplete, and I let people know that I’ve changed my mind and often explain why. I can think of no other place I can go to have my ideas challenged by intelligent, thoughtful and (mostly) well-meaning people. We have formed a community.
Democrats Have to Choose Between Unions and Students
“I am not a charter school fan” Joe Biden declared in his 2020 presidential campaign. That’s disappointing, but not surprising, coming from the self proclaimed “most pro-union president” in history.
His would-be successor, Kamala Harris seems to still be equivocating, as is her wont, over her position on charter schools. But she has the enthusiastic support of the teachers’ unions, so that’s a bad sign too.
In the era of the perpetual campaign, debates don’t move the polls like they used to. But Henry breaks down how, in a presidential race as tight as this, Kamala Harris’ victory on Tuesday night may move the needle one or two points in a race where one or two points makes all the difference.
Then, Kyle Kondik of Sabato’s Crystal Ball joins to give an update on the key House and Senate races. He and Henry play out hypothetical scenarios on how a narrow Trump or Harris win in toss-up districts might sway the chambers.
This week Dennis reviews the Tuesday night debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and the “moderators” from ABC News. Plus the Cats in the Ladle in Springfield, Ohio. Yes, there are hilarious memes floating around the internet and many are dismissing the stories, but for the citizens of this town 26 miles northeast of Dayton, the changes in their town are very real.
“Why Trump Won the Debate” – A Counternarrative
Kaylee McGhee White argues that Trump won the debate in a Washington Examiner article. She says that Kacklin’ Kamala’s main task was to explain what she would do if she won the election. Half of Americans think she’s too liberal, 55% think she’s no different than Joe Biden, and 30% say they need to know more about her. White argues that Kamala did none of those things last night. She failed to define what she intended to do, and she intentionally remained vague about her policies. On the other hand, Trump’s behavior, while perhaps less than ideal, was nothing new; so it changed nothing about the perception of him. Since debates rarely make a difference in the polls, she argues that this debate will not make much difference and that, of the minor change that could be affected, it was Kamala who needed to make it.
I’m not sure I completely agree with White, but she does make an important point. Kamala missed an opportunity to define herself at the debate. Trump missed that chance too. But Trump still has an opening to define Kamala over the next two months — if he’ll just take it. The window is closing, so he has to move quickly.
This week on Homeschooling Journeys, Curious Mike talks with Daniella Moreci-Pack, an Arizona mom utilizing her state’s Education Savings Account (ESA) to homeschool her son with ADHD. Daniella shares how she spends ESA funds on special needs therapies, curriculum products, and in-person enrichment activities like karate and dance classes. She explores key themes, including the flexibility of homeschooling, the initial anxiety of leaving traditional schooling, and the common shift from structured schedules to more child-led learning. Daniella also discusses navigating ESA red tape, as new rules add bureaucratic hurdles. Tune in to hear highlights of Daniella’s approach and resilience in overcoming these challenges to give her child a personalized education.