The Biden pardon

 

As my readers are doubtless aware, yesterday President Biden pardoned his son Hunter for any and all offenses against US law from 2014 until 2024.  In case you were wondering about the ten-year period, that's when Ukraine became the focus of US money-laundering and jiggey-pokery by our politicians.  Effectively, Hunter Biden was the bagman for certain corrupt US interests (some would call it the Biden crime family) during the whole of that period.

The pardon comes after President Biden repeatedly promised he would not pardon his son for his crimes.  There again, promises seldom (if ever) mean anything to crooked politicians, so we need not be surprised that the President broke them yet again.

I'm curious about the timing of the pardon.  I'd expected it, but figured it would more likely come as President Biden's term of office ended in January 2025, a last-minute "up yours!" to his political opponents and the American people.  I suppose it was brought forward to forestall a guilty verdict in the charges Hunter Biden was facing over tax evasion and other crimes.  The message conveyed by the pardon to the American electorate is, of course, the same.

I doubt we'll ever see President Biden and/or his family called to account for their crimes and misdemeanors while in office.  However, there are many politicians who "made hay while the sun shone", taking advantage of his protection to enrich themselves and get away with all sorts of shenanigans.  One hopes the incoming Trump administration will shine a light into the dark corners of American politics, uncovering those machinations and holding the guilty accountable.  That may be a pipe-dream - politicians tend to cover for each other, even their opponents, because so many of them are guilty of the same crimes - but we may hope.

Peter

Memes that made me laugh 238

 

Gathered from around the Internet over the past week.  Click any image for a larger view.

The original Thanksgiving proclamation

 

[New York, 3 October 1789]

By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Go: Washington

And so we do today.

Peter

Heh

 

From the Babylon Bee (who else?):

Peter

I think the Mormons would object to romping with brine shrimp in their back yard...

 

When someone tries to tell you that "the science is settled", ask them to define "science".  If they believe that something like this is "scientific" in any way, shape or form, I think you can safely ignore them from that point onward.

Behold:

The article's abstract is even more confusing:

The article aims to transform narratives surrounding Utah’s Great Salt Lake, often referred to as “America’s Dead Sea,” by reimagining how brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) are perceived in science, culture, and art. It introduces the concept of hydrosexuality to bridge these realms, thereby enriching feminist blue posthumanities and feminist biology through art-based practices and queer advocacy. By navigating the environmental narrative of the GSL, the hydrosexual perspective challenges settler science by exploring the connections between the reproductive system of brine shrimp and the economy, ecology and culture. The article provides a framework for integrative cultural analysis that bolsters arguments about the multilayered exploitation of the lake and amplifies voices that recognize the brine shrimp as vital to the survival of multiple species and to the GSL as a unique ecosystem. Furthermore, this cultural analysis draws inspiration from low trophic theory and Queer Death Studies. This multifaceted approach is exemplified by two case studies in the arts, which gradually alter white humans’ perceptions and understandings of the brine shrimp, helping to reimagine the GSL in the context of rapid climate change.

After reading that, I couldn't help but wonder whether this was another "prank the science journal" effort, where a fake article was so cleverly written as to confound the editorial staff and persuade them to publish it.  Alas, not, it isn't.  To confirm the authors' perspective, they even created a video showing themselves in a "Cyber wedding to the brine shrimp".

I absolutely, emphatically do NOT wish to know how the honeymoon played out!  I suspect crabs have nothing on brine shrimp when it comes to consummation . . . !

I rather suspect that any allegedly "reputable" and "scientific" journal publishing such utter crap has lost all claim to being either "reputable" or "scientific", and can henceforth be classified (in its print editions, at least) as birdcage liner and/or emergency TP.

Peter

Trump's Cabinet nominations: politics is the art of the possible, not the perfect

 

I'm both amused and annoyed by the screams of outrage from both Left and Right over President Trump's nominations of members of his future Cabinet.  On the Left, candidates such as Matt Gaetz or Pete Hegseth are denounced as sexual predators, gung-ho political fundamentalists and the like.  On the Right, candidates such as Pam Bondi or Scott Bessent are excoriated as RINO's, or deep-state sympathizers, or insufficiently conservative.

I wish both sides would take a deep breath, sit back, and let the political process work itself out.  President Trump is playing a balancing act.  He wants loyalists who will support his policies and not backstab him, as a number of his appointees did during his first term in office.  However, he also has to satisfy the demands of his base and take into account the attitude of his political opponents (who are within a handful of votes of overturning any of his legislative proposals and/or political appointments in both the House and the Senate, let it be remembered).  He can't just appoint a gaggle of fundamentalist right-wingers and dare the rest of the political establishment to do something about it.  He has to govern all of America, not just his own power base - and that means making at least some appointments that his opponents will (albeit grudgingly) accept as, at least, "not too bad".

All those complaining about his selections would do well to bear that in mind.  As the first German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck famously pointed out, "Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable - the art of the next best".  President Trump is trying to do precisely that - achieve the possible, the attainable.  I wish him well in doing so.

(And let's not forget another famous quote from Otto von Bismarck:  "There is a Providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children and the United States of America".  I hope he's right!)

Peter

As Shakespeare would have put it: "Their salad days, when they were green in judgment"

 

The quote is, of course, from Shakespeare's play "Antony and Cleopatra".  It seems particularly appropriate for this report.

Come-hither cultivators vying for the title of North Carolina’s “sexiest collard farmer” are wilting with disappointment because they got down and dirty entering steamy pictures — only to be told they should have put some dressing on that salad.

“I’m a little disappointed that this year they did not post my picture,” said farmer and defending champion Lee Berry, referring to the contest organizer’s Facebook page.

Berry, 54, submitted a photo of himself wearing what he thought any true sex symbol of collard greenery should wear – nothing but collard greens themselves – and was sure he would clinch the crown again..

But the competition’s organizer – who holds voting for the contest on his Facebook page, “The State You’re In” – said he feared Berry’s photo might get flagged by Facebook’s censors and bring the entire contest crashing down.

There's more at the link, including several more examples of salad-acious pictures.

I have to smile at the thought of collard greens being considered "sexy" in any way, shape or form.  Boiled up with pepper vinegar, they're very tasty, but in digestive rather than coital terms.  As Sherlock Holmes might have put it:  "Alimentary, my dear Watson!"

Nevertheless, I can get behind the objective of the competition.  There are thousands of people in North Carolina who are struggling to get their lives back together after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene.  I wish the collard farmers well in their fund-raising efforts.  (I also have to giggle at the name of the Web site set up for the contest:  it's http://www.collardsonly.com/.  I don't think Onlyfans needs to worry about their competition!)

Peter

The intersection of "fatness" and "blackness"???

 

I'm a bit mind-boggled after reading about a new course offered by the University of Maryland.

"Intro to Fat Studies: Fatness, Blackness and Their Intersections," is being offered as a General Education course to students for the spring semester. The three-credit course can be taken to fulfill the university's Distributive Studies or Diversity course requirements to graduate, according to the university website.

The course description says it "examines fatness as an area of human difference subject to privilege and discrimination that intersects with other systems of oppression based on gender, race, class, sexual orientation, and ability."

"Though we will look at fatness as intersectional, this course will particularly highlight the relationship between fatness and Blackness," the description continues. "We approach this area of study through an interdisciplinary humanities and social-science lens which emphasizes fatness as a social justice issue. The course closes with an examination of fat liberation as liberation for all bodies with a particular emphasis on performing arts and activism as a vehicle for liberation and challenging fatmisia."

There's more at the link.

"Fat liberation"?  "Fatmisia"?  Ye Gods and little fishes . . .

This is so stupid it's almost beyond parody.  If fatness is "a vehicle for liberation", why not call it "eating your way to freedom"?  And, of course, we'll have to forbid courses on healthy eating and dieting, because by definition they would reduce the amount of fatness out there, thus discriminating against the "fatly enabled" (or should that be disabled?).  As for "blackness" and its association with "fatness" . . . isn't it automatically discriminatory to even think about linking them?  Next thing you know, Lizzo will be iconic for all the wrong reasons!

Of course, the students will have to be highly motivated - indefatigable, in fact . . .

As it happens, I'm fat, but I'm not black.  Am I merely melanin-challenged, or am I politically incorrect for being the wrong skin color for my avoirdupois?

Peter

To mask the murder, deny that it's murder

 

France's media regulation authority has just come up with a masterpiece of doublespeak.

In February 2024, presenter Aymeric Pourbaix, during the Catholic programme “En quête d’esprit,” broadcast every Sunday on the conservative channel CNews, showed an infographic on the causes of death, ranking abortion as the leading cause, with 73 million deaths each year worldwide. That translates to 52% of annual deaths, far ahead of cancer (10 million) and smoking (6.2 million).

The journalist’s comments sparked a wave of indignation in the mainstream press, on the grounds that abortion cannot be considered a “cause of death” because the foetus should not be considered a living being.

. . .

After several months of proceedings, the French media regulatory authority Arcom has fined CNews €100,000 for this episode. According to Arcom, the broadcaster failed in its “obligation of honesty and rigour in the presentation and processing of information.”

In the weekly magazine Valeurs Actuelles, Jean-Marie Le Méné, head of the Fondation Jérôme Lejeune, denounced the totalitarian nature of this decision, which proves the denial of reality that surrounds the practice of abortion in France:

Arcom writes: “Abortion cannot be presented as a cause of death.” Equating an aborted child with a dead person would make abortion a homicidal act. So that abortion can be carried out with a clear conscience, it is forbidden to say that abortion takes away life. Otherwise the keystone of the system collapses. But who believes this fiction?

He adds: “Abortion, the leading cause of death in the world, is unfortunately a fact, not an opinion.”

There's more at the link.

When I read that, I couldn't believe my eyes for a moment.  If abortion is not the killing of a human life, what is it?  No logical, rational person can deny that if the foetus/embryo/call-it-what-you-will is left alone to develop normally, a human being will arrive on the scene approximately nine months after conception.  It's mentally, logically and rationally impossible to pinpoint a single moment when the contents of the womb cease being "not-a-human-life" and become "a-human-life".  That being the case, one has to accept that the contents of the womb are human, regardless of the state of gestation, and that killing them is therefore to kill a human being.  Anything else is simply dishonest.

For a bureaucrat to split hairs like that is mind-bogglingly stupid, as well as plain downright evil.  Think about it.  If the contents of the womb are not human because they're not viable on their own (yet), then a person with severe mental or physical disability is also not human because he or she is also not viable on his/her own.  Does that mean we can casually kill them out of hand?  Sadly, there are those who would argue for that . . .  I wonder if they'll argue for it quite so vehemently when they grow old, and are no longer able to fully care for themselves, and the society they have warped and twisted through their arguments turns on them?

May Almighty God have mercy on us.  We're going to need it.

Peter

I wouldn't eat this if you paid me!

 

I was nauseated to read about a very weird Sardinian delicacy.

Costanzo Carta takes a big knife, cuts into a chunky wheel of tawny cheese and there they are, white and wriggling in a lively fashion: maggots.

“Try it, it won’t do you any harm,” he says, proffering a dollop of the stuff on the end of the blade.

This is casu marzu, a highly unusual delicacy from Sardinia that has earned a listing by Guinness World Records as “the world’s most dangerous cheese”.

To some, it is a proud symbol of Italy’s gastronomic heritage; to others, a stomach-churning abomination.

Either way, it is a tradition that is now in decline, to the regret of many Sardinians.

Shepherds deliberately allow a specific type of fly called piophila casei to enter the cracked rinds of the cheese wheels and lay their eggs.

The eggs hatch into maggots which slowly but avidly squirm and munch their way through the cheese.

Their secretions turn it into a creamy, pungent goo that is highly prized by aficionados. In the Sardinian language, casu marzu means “rotten” or “putrid” cheese.

There’s just one problem – it is illegal.

Casu marzu has been banned not only by Italian authorities but the European Union.

That has not stopped a thriving black market from developing. If you know where to go and who to ask in the mountain villages of Sardinia, you can get your hands on it.

There's more at the link.

I wonder who first looked at a maggot-riddled cheese and thought, "That might taste good.  I must try it!"  I suspect I'd be better off putting a clothes peg over my nose and reaching for the Limburger . . .

Peter

Memes that made me laugh 237

 

Gathered from around the Internet over the past week.  Click any image for a larger view.