I saw this on another social media platform.
If you ever wonder why someone is still grieving
Construction sites, DDT, and abortion
I read a news story some time ago which made me chuckle. I can’t remember the details, but it was something like this: A Christian activist firebombed an abortion facility (I think it was in Wyoming or Utah or somewhere). She was accused of an act of political terrorism. Her conservative attorneys argued that the abortion clinic hadn’t opened yet, so she had only vandalized a construction site. The leftist attorneys prosecuting her argued that it was destined to be an abortion facility, so that meant that it was an abortion facility from the day they broke ground, thus she was a terrorist. I remember reading this, wondering if either side had considered that their argument was directly at odds with their views on the topic at hand: abortion. This reminded me, naturally, of DDT. And as it turned out, sorting that connection out in my head ended up helping me in just a few weeks.
A few weeks later, I overheard a discussion in the bleachers of a volleyball game about abortion. One person said that abortion was wrong, because it was killing a baby. The other person said that it was not murder, because it was not yet a baby. They were getting miffed at one another, so I tried to change the subject: “Hey! Did you folks know that they banned DDT back in the 70s?” They looked at me blankly for a second, then the pro-abortion lady rolled her eyes and said of course, so I continued: “Do you know why they banned DDT?”
The pro-abortion lady was all over it, and she pointed out that DDT made the shells of birds’ eggs thinner and fragile, which led to decreased birth rates for birds. Thus, the name of Carson’s famous book, Silent Spring. I nodded thoughtfully then asked, “Well, yeah, but I don’t understand. If they were worried about not having enough birds, why did they care about eggs? Eggs are not birds, obviously. I don’t get it.” She knew she had a problem, and she looked very peeved, but she didn’t say anything for a second. So I continued: “Wait a second – I wonder if we protected birds’ eggs, and increased their birth rates, I wonder if we’d have more birds? I wonder if that’s what they were thinking? Hmmm…”
A Fun, Fluffy Historical Sci-Fi Show
When I started it on Prime, I thought Timeless was going to be another dud. The public rated it something like 4 out of 5 stars–a bad sign. Turns out it’s perfect for treadmill time.
In Timeless, a female historian, a military guy, and a techie pilot all keep getting snatched back to work for top-secret adventures in a time machine, chasing down a dark character who is trying to meddle in historical events. The protagonists land their craft in key places like Nazi Germany and the Atomic City. Meanwhile, another sinister plot line keeps intruding on our arc.
Which Women’s Sports Do You Genuinely Enjoy?
Sonja, this may come as quite a surprise to you, but the American public is quite comfortable with the idea of a strike as well. In the last few years, more people have become aware of the WNBA, but mostly for negative reasons.
There was Britney Griner, imprisoned in Russia for breaking Russian drug laws. She wasn’t a political prisoner. There are a number of other Americans in Russian prisons. But because she was black and a woman and “famous,” Joe Biden released Viktor Bout, a dangerous arms dealer. (It probably is worth noting that in the six months he’s been in office, President Trump has achieved the release of quite a number of Americans from foreign prisons. Much better deals.)
Against the Odds
Give a bunch of science fiction and fantasy authors a cover image. Ask them to write a military story about it. See what happens.
Dancing with Destruction, an SF&F anthology edited by Jason Cordova, is the result of one such creative experiment. It contains nine tales ranging from short stories to novellas with a combat theme.
The anthology assumes an omniscient alien species, the Elderwatch, is observing humanity. They watch across parallel universes and various timelines. The Elderwatch have no presence beyond a mention in the preface.
My Rambling Reply to Mr. S
In response to Greg’s interesting observations on my . . . situation.
In my original pushback about the fallen nature of the city, I may have been reacting not so much to your specific argument but the social-media theme I see all the time: “everything regarding Minneapolis is doomed and it is an urban nightmare from which any sensible person would flee, at once.” As you wrote in this piece, you believe that Minneapolis was “a fallen city essentially owned by the BLM mob.” This isn’t true. I have an allergic reaction to the “X is fallen” line. It’s overly dramatic and hyperbolic. I’d reserve that for situations like “Berlin, 1945.”
Just one short question
This is the shortest clip that asks the most compelling question. In fact, this is the most interesting question I have heard all summer.
To summarize, a Republican guy asks why all of the leading men in the Democratic party are so effeminate. He asks in essence, “Name one manly dude in the Democratic party right now. Just one.”
Dear Ms. Maddow
An episode that’s steaming hot and will get you going. Dare we say it? It’s good to the last drop (and that’s good, too!)
Four Questions about the Civil War IV: Gettysburg
What the heck?
Previously I’ve understood the topic to the point where I’ve asked well-formulated questions. Okay, maybe I’m overstating both my understanding and how well-formulated they were, but at least I was able to bring it to one query worthy of discussion. With Gettysburg I’ve got nothing but questions:
This week the 3WHH lives up to its name, as two of us were half in the bag—maybe more than half in the bag in Steve’s case—when we recorded late in the evening because difficult travel schedules, but after Steve and Lucretia had completed consumption of twice the USDA’s recommended daily allowance of adult beverages. The always sober-minded John Yoo is the host for this week, and we’ll leave it to listeners to tell us whether this episode is bouncier than usual.
How could not be since we open with discussion of what is clearly the most important news story of the week: Sidney Sweeney’s American Eagle “good jeans” ad campaign that has the left losing its mind. No—seriously, this is more than a mere tempest in a D cup: it’s the clearest sign yet that our culture has fully turned the corner away from wokery, while leaving enough space for the left to beclown itself further.
The Ups and Downs of GDP, Imports and Inventories
Today, second-quarter GDP numbers were released. Surprising everyone (why it was a surprise, I don’t know), Q2 GDP climbed at an annual rate of 3% instead of the expected 2%. This reverses a negative GDP print in Q1 that ignited brief fears of a Trump tariff-fueled recession. (I heard “Smoot-Hawley” more in April and May than in the past 20 years.) But let’s look more closely. Both quarters were heavily impacted by the tariffs and threats of tariffs. Q1 saw a surge in imports as businesses tried to front-run expected tariffs. Q2 saw a reversal, with imports dropping dramatically. So it seems that trade policy and fears of worst-case scenarios whipsawed imports across both quarters. We can eliminate that by looking at the first half as a whole.
Ninja Spider
What was that darted past my eye?
Ninja spider! Ninja spider!
Up from my chair I must needs fly!
What was that darted past my eye?
Pushed back my chair with startled cry
Nearly spilled my apple cider.
What was that darted past my eye?
Ninja spider! Ninja spider!
A simple, silly poem for your edification. One really must look up now and again to ensure one is not about to be pounced on.
Jewish Soul Searching
Midsummer Larry King Homage on the Range
It’s “Oklahoma hot” in Korea. Haven’t experienced that taste of home before. But I’m getting out of this place for a few days, and now seems like a good time to drop some more nonsense, in tribute to the nonsensical Larry King USA Today column.
My weather app tells me it feels warmer than the actual temperature. That tells me the actual temperature is WRONG…
While the Left is going nuts over denim wear ads, Donald Trump is reshaping the world economy.
This week we talk to former Wall Street Journal reporter – and now Founder and Chairman of Paradigm Pharmaceuticals – Amal Naj, about how reshoring our pharma industry is a matter of national security.
‘Come On Baby, Light My Fire…’
The Smerjack Test
You’d think if any two things have become common enough to warrant not being commented on at all, it would be celebrity product endorsements and lame puns. Yet, this weekend, several of the more excitable parts of the left-wing internet were up in arms about an ad for American Eagle jeans wherein Sydney Sweeney makes a pun on having good genes. According to the New York Post, some TikTokers decried the ad’s “racist undertones” and even compared it to Nazi propaganda.
If you really are concerned about a Nazi resurgence, this is exactly the wrong way to stop it. As the living memory of World War II fades, turning the Nazis into cartoon characters or punching bags for TikTokers with too much time on their hands will only obscure their evil nature. Nazi Germany isn’t deservedly considered one of the most evil regimes in history because they liked cute actresses posing in denim.
Tracy Beth Høeg, MD, PhD
According to the CDC, almost 10% of American women of child bearing age are on SSRIs – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors – a class of antidepressants that include such medications as Lexapro, Prozac and Zoloft. But are they safe to take during pregnancy?
Deport Theetge to the UK
Cincinnati Police Chief Terri Theetge embarrassed herself by castigating social media and professional journalists for
showing the video of a mob of utter scum kicking and beating a couple leaving a restaurant. Her stated complaint was that the videos lack “context.” When asked what was the missing context or justification for mob behavior of a multitude stomping and kicking victims on the ground, she had no answer. The truth is, she simply didn’t want anyone to see what happened and form adverse judgments. Only one person out of the 100 observers and violent criminals on the scene called the police. Many could be heard cheering on the attackers. No one intervened until the very end. The videos were recorded and shared by others in the malevolent crowd. That is a sick community. Harsh punishment and the stigma of a criminal record should be broadly applied.
Unfortunately, mob violence by African-Americans is not as rare as it should be. There is a pathology that needs to be eradicated, not explained away, ignored or defended. It is indefensible and unacceptable.
They Read the Headlines, We Read the Stories
Over the years, I’ve developed a curiosity about the differences between the Left and the Right. Sometimes I think my theories hold water. At other times, they come way out of left field (no pun intended). In particular, I was thinking about one of my dearest friends, a Lefty with whom I’ve refused to discuss politics. Although we don’t differ on everything (she’s reminded me that she grew up with guns), we are miles apart. She gets most of her information from the L.A. Times and the leftist television channels; I rely on Ricochet, American Thinker, PJ Media and The Federalist and other blogs on the Right. I’ve learned to navigate the biases in the Wall Street Journal and on Fox News.
But when I’ve looked into the subject of the split between Left and Right, I think I’ve discovered another barrier: they read the headlines; we read the stories.
In this week’s episode of The Learning Curve, co-hosts Alisha Searcy and U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng interview University of Maryland Emeritus Professor of English Vincent Carretta. Prof. Carretta explores the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of the first African-American to publish a book of poetry in English, Phillis Wheatley Peters. He offers insight into Phillis’ early life in West Africa, her transatlantic voyage aboard the slave ship Phillis, and her arrival in Boston in 1761. He discusses her enslavement by the Wheatley family, her exposure to Christianity during the Great Awakening, and her exceptional education in classical literature. Additionally, Prof. Carretta highlights how her poetry drew upon timeless poets like Homer, Virgil, Milton, and Pope, and how her first published works reflected themes of piety, imagination, and liberty. He concludes the interview with a reading of a passage from his book, Phillis Wheatley Peters: Biography of a Genius in Bondage.
Cringe Alert
What?! What?!
The ability to hear is an amazing gift that most of us are born with. We typically take that gift for granted. . . until we start to lose it. But sometimes a loss is a gain, as my husband and I have discovered this year.
My husband had major hearing loss—I can guarantee the truth of that diagnosis! His was mostly a result of his time in the Navy. Over time, he gave in to my nagging and found out that he was entitled to hearing aids through the Veterans Administration. The V.A. provides the top-of-the-line product, and my husband was delighted with the results.