Tom Faranda's Folly

Bill Cosby beats the rap; PA court overturns sex assault conviction

He'd spent two years of his 3 - 10 year sentence in jail.  All explained here -

 

Deanna Price - women's hammer thrower dominated event at the Olympic trials

With this meet, she became the #2 best thrower in the history of the event. She is 28 years old. GO Deanna GO! Win the gold in Tokyo.

 

Youtube goes after noted scientist and blogger - he doesn't fit the narrative

Bret Weinstein is widely followed - he is an evolutionary biologist. Dispute revolves around the drug Ivermectin. Here's what the NIH says about Ivermectin. COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines

He shouldn't be censored/shut down.

 

NY Times on policeman retiring, quitting in droves

Like it's a surprise? The article is mainly about the police force in Asheville N.C., where a third of the force has left. Worth reading the whole article.

A survey of almost 200 police departments indicated that retirements were up 45 percent and resignations rose by 18 percent in the year from April 2020 to April 2021 when compared with the previous 12 months, according to the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington policy institute. New York City saw 2,600 officers retire in 2020 compared with 1,509 the year before. Resignations in Seattle increased to 123 from 34 and retirements to 96 from 43. Minneapolis, which had 912 uniformed officers in May 2019, is now down to 699. At the same time, many cities are contending with a rise in shootings and homicides.

Asheville was among the hardest hit proportionally, losing upward of 80 officers, more than one third of its 238-strong force.

The reason has partly to do with Asheville itself — a big blue dot amid a sea of red voters in western North Carolina. Residents often refer to the city, a tourist mecca of 90,000 people tucked into the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, as the South’s version of Austin, Texas, or Portland, Ore.

************

A sense that the city itself did not back its police was a key reason for the departures, according to officers as well as police and city officials. Officers felt that they should have been praised rather than pilloried after struggling to contain chaotic protests.

Low pay deepened the frustration. With a starting salary around $37,000, few officers can afford houses in Asheville, where housing prices have sharply increased in recent years.

**********

In September, somebody dropped a coffin laden with dirt and manure at the front door of Police Headquarters. “The message was taking a different turn,” Chief Zack said. “The message was not about police reform, but, ‘We endorse violence against police.’”

Of the more than 80 officers who left, about half found different professions and the other half different departments, Chief Zack said. New careers included construction, real estate and pharmaceutical sales.

***********

Calls for defunding the police have continued, with many Asheville residents saying the department’s problems started long before last year’s protests.

Rob Thomas of the Racial Justice Coalition said the Black community has long felt targeted, and he learned early that there was an unwritten rule among police officers that they would beat anyone who ran from them.

To him, the officers’ leaving is not a big concern.

“The ones who left are collateral damage of people advocating for change,” he said. “It is not these individual officers who are so bad or so wrong; the system itself is kind of messed up.”

World Record yesterday - women's 400 hurdles

Wow. What a race in the Olympic trials. And below it I've posted the same two women two years earlier in the World Championships - the prior greatest ever women's 400 hurdle race. If you want to see the other world record set at this year's Olympic trials - this is it - World shot put record obliterated by Ryan Crouser at US Olympic Trials

The race yesterday -

And the World Championships two years ago-

Born 131 days early, world's most premature baby celebrates first birthday.

A baby born weighing less than a pound has beaten the odds and celebrated his first birthday, becoming the most premature baby to survive, according to Guinness World Records. When Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born five months prematurely -- recognized by Guinness as the world's most premature baby -- his doctors prepared his parents for the worst. Richard was born at Children's Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after his mother, Beth Hutchinson, suffered medical complications that caused her to go into labor. Born 131 days prior to the expected due date and weighing just 11.9 ounces, Richard was so tiny his parents could hold him in a single palm of their hands, Guinness said.

In December 2020, after spending more than six months in the hospital, Richard was able to go home with his family.

"The day Richard was discharged from the NICU was such a special day. I remember picking him up out of his crib and just holding him with tears in my eyes," Kern said.

"I couldn't believe this was the same little boy that once was so sick, that I feared he may not survive. The same little boy that once fit in the palm of my hand, with skin so translucent that I could see every rib and vessel in his tiny body. I couldn't help but squeeze him and tell him how proud I was of him."

 

On June 5, the lucky baby got to celebrate his first birthday surrounded by family and their three dogs.

 

"It doesn't feel real," Beth said about Richard breaking the record. "We're still surprised about it. But we're happy. It's a way we can share his story to raise awareness about premature births."

From Salon - 10 latin phrases people pretend to understand

A quick, cute read. Here's one they left out - amo, amas amat. My father used to say, "amo amas, amot, in latin I'm not so hot."

Whether you're deciphering a cryptic state seal or trying to impress your Catholic in-laws, knowing some Latin has its advantages. But the operative word here is "some." We'll start you off with 10 phrases that have survived the hatchet men of time (in all their pretentious glory).

And here's the last one - hit the link for the rest.

10. Sui generis // "Unique and unable to classify"

Frank Zappa, the VW Beetle, cheese in a can: Sui generis refers to something that's so new, so bizarre, or so rare that it defies categorization. Granted, labeling something sui generis is really just classifying the unclassifiable. But let's not over-think it. Use it at a dinner party to describe Andy Kaufman, and you impress your friends. Use it too often, and you just sound pretentious.

2018 engineer's report on the now collapsed Miami condo

There were warnings.

“Though some of this damage is minor, most of the concrete deterioration needs to be repaired in a timely fashion,” the consultant, Frank Morabito, wrote about damage near the base of the structure as part of his October 2018 report on the 40-year-old building in Surfside, Fla. He gave no indication that the structure was at risk of collapse, though he noted that the needed repairs would be aimed at “maintaining the structural integrity” of the building and its 136 units.

In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Morabito’s firm, Morabito Consulting, said it provided the condo association with both an assessment of the “extensive and necessary repairs” needed and an estimate of how much they would cost.

“Among other things, our report detailed significant cracks and breaks in the concrete, which required repairs to ensure the safety of the residents and the public,” the statement said.

Emails show that the secretary of the condo association forwarded the report to an official in the town’s building department on Nov. 13, 2018. The town did not disclose any further correspondence related to the report.

New now extinct human species identified

For reasons not explained, they are calling him "Dragon Man". In the picture below he does resemble some rugby players I knew...

In the Guardian (UK) which has no pay wall to access the full article. And below it, a link to the Wall Street Journal article and some excerpts.

Humanity is so much older than we usually conceive of it in our minds. 250,000 years? 400,000 years? Or even older? We share the DNA of some of our extinct relatives. Wonderful. God is Great.

The Guardian (UK) -

“On our analyses, the Harbin group is more closely linked to H. sapiens than the Neanderthals are — that is, Harbin shared a more recent common ancestor with us than the Neanderthals did,” co-author Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum, London told AFP. This, he said, would make Dragon Man our “sister species” and a closer ancestor of modern man than the Neanderthals.

“These suggest that Harbin and some other fossils from China form a third lineage of later humans alongside the Neanderthals and H. sapiens,” explained Stringer.

The other findings include a fossilized skull from the Chinese province of Dali that is thought to be 200,000 years old and was found in 1978, and a jaw found in Tibet dating to 160,000 years ago.

Stringer explained that his Chinese colleagues had decided upon the name H. longi, which he called a “great name,” but said he would have been equally happy to refer to the species as H. Daliensis, which was previously used for the Dali cranium.

More than 100,000 years ago, several human species coexisted across Eurasia and Africa, including our own, Neanderthals and Denisovans, a recently discovered sister species to Neanderthals. “Dragon man” might now be added to that list.

And the WSJ -

The skull likely belonged to a male in his 50s, with thick brow ridges, deep-set eyes, a bulbous nose and a brain as big as any modern human’s, the scientists said.

... the examination of 600 subtle anatomical features of the skull helped the China team conclude that the skull represents a species more closely related to Homo sapiens than either Neanderthals or Denisovans, another early human that lived at the same time, Dr. Ni said. If so, Homo longi might have shared more than a landscape with early humans, several experts in human origins said. Both Neanderthals and Denisovans mated with early humans.

“The DNA evidence suggests that if a hominin sees another hominin they’re happy to interbreed, even if their brow ridge is a little bigger or their skull is a little higher,” said Dr. Baab.

Indeed, research shows that Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA survives within almost everyone living today. Neanderthal genes account for about 2% of the DNA of modern Europeans and Asians, including gene variants associated with cholesterol metabolism, depression, schizophrenia and the risk of contracting Covid-19. Traces persist among Africans as well. Asians also carry varying amounts of Denisovan DNA.

“It underscores the diversity of the human lineage,” said Matt Tocheri, an anthropologist with expertise in human origins at Lakehead University in Ontario. “We’re a small subset of the variation within the human lineage even as recently as the last few hundred thousand years.”

Amazing athlete - high jumper Vashti Cunningham (xQB Randall Cunninham daughter) heading to Olympics

Vashti Cunningham is 6'1" tall, weighs 123 Lb., and evidently can squat 400 pounds... WOW. She is 23 years old. Her father became an ordained minister after his 16 year football career ended. Good video.

 

"The reason John the Baptist has wings in Orthodox icons"

Who knew? As opposed to showing him without his head ... Off the Catholic website Aleteia.

In most Christian traditions, St. John the Baptist is also known as the “last prophet of the Old Testament,” the “forerunner of Christ,” or the “glorious prophet.” Typologically related to the prophet Elijah, the Baptist is represented as having wings, presenting him as a divine messenger.In Greek, evangelos (from which we get the words “angel” and “evangelist”) literally means “good messenger,” “the bearer of good news.”

But, if this is the case, why aren’t other divine messengers represented with angelic wings? Shouldn’t this apply also to the Apostles and other prophets of the Old Testament? The answer, according to A Reader’s Guide to Orthodox Icons, lies in the Gospels themselves.

In the Gospels of both Luke (7:28) and Matthew (11:11), Christ explicitly says  that “among those born of women there is no one greater than John.” A liturgical hymn sung on the feast of the Baptist’s nativity proclaims John is “the culmination and the crown of the prophets.” He is understood as holding a special place among the saints: he is a heavenly man, described as the “Angel of the Desert” (that is, the “messenger” in the wilderness).

The Baptist’s life in the desert, according to tradition, was “angelic” for two main reasons. One of them is quite self-evident: as he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, he became a messenger of God, a “herald,” just like the angels. But also, the Baptist is the prototype of monastic life: he lived a life of prayer, abstinence and chastity, disregarding material needs. This has been often referred to as an “angelic” life, and that’s the reason the Baptist is the patron saint of hermits.

"Motorcyclist Who Identifies As Bicyclist Sets Cycling World Record"

An inspirational story. He found his truth.

 

Very funny - Nate Bargatze on trying to get in shape and his inside the park home run

Never heard of this guy and then this popped up in my youtube feed.

China government shuts down Hong Kong's pro-freedom newspaper

From the Guardian, UK.

Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, symbol of pro-democracy movement, to close Tabloid founded by Jimmy Lai and targeted by police raid last week will print final edition

The paper and its activist founder, Jimmy Lai, had become symbols of the pro-democracy movement and a thorn in the side of Hong Kong’s government and police, making it a prime target in the government’s efforts to stifle Hong Kong’s media.

National security police raided its offices last week as part of a crackdown that also included the freezing of its assets and accounts, crippling the company and guaranteeing its demise.

******************

Last week, police arrested five executives, including the editor-in-chief, Ryan Law, and the chief executive, Cheung Kim-hung, who were later charged, accused of colluding with foreign or external forces to endanger national security. Hundreds of officers raided the newsroom, seizing journalistic materials.

China Now Says the Wuhan Lab Deserves a Nobel Prize (not parody or satire)

Truth stranger then fiction. From NRO.

Chinese state-run media explained that, “The award is mainly given to individuals or research groups who have made or demonstrated significant achievements in the past five years . . . China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed at Thursday’s press conference that scientists working at the WIV should be awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine, rather than being blamed for being the first to discover the gene sequence of the novel coronavirus.”

We must admit, the Institute’s work really has touched all of our lives, hasn’t it? And just think how many medical breakthroughs we’ve seen in the past 18 months from Pfizer and Moderna and Oxford and Johnson & Johnson that never would have occurred if hadn’t been for the earlier work of the Wuhan Institute of Virology? The WIV’s work literally brought the world to a screeching halt. It even made late-night television funny again.

 

Snark aside, the fact that the Chinese government insists the Wuhan Institute of Virology deserves celebration is another indicator that it intends to change nothing in the aftermath of the pandemic. In her recent brief interview with the New York Times, Shi Zhengli said that “bat viruses in China could be studied in BSL-2 labs because there was no evidence that they directly infected humans.” (Biosafety-level-2 laboratories are designed to work with moderately dangerous viruses such as staph infections, hepatitis, or HIV. Biosafety-level-4 facilities work with the most dangerous viruses, particularly contagious pathogens such as Ebola and Marburg.)

 

Anniversary tomorrow; Here's my anniversary theme song

YIKES! # 42! The original plan was a 50 year deal with an option for continuing... The group is The Gap Band and we don't look anything like the three brothers or Dawn Silva, who bops in at the end. Brigid in 1979, at Lover's Leap on the south coast of Jamaica - trying to decide which leap to make.  We'd met in Mandeville, Jamaica while we were both teaching there 

Very funny ... and sad... "9 Careers More Appealing Than Being A Police Officer In 2021"

The BB comes through. They could have added "Olympic javelin catcher"

Being a police officer in 2021 kiiiiiiinda sucks, since, you know, everyone will hate you and you'll constantly be in fear of someone throwing a brick at your head or burning out your cop car just because. Well, we at The Babylon Bee have gathered up nine career choices that are MUCH more appealing than being a police officer in the current year.

1. Honeybadger catcher - Instead of trying to wrangle up Antifa members, just try to catch some wild honeybadgers. Much easier!

2. Land mine tester - Much less deadly than policing in a Democrat-controlled city!

3. MAGA hat salesman in Portland - Compared to being a cop in Portland, you'll be loved and adored!

4. Lori Lightfoot's assistant - A bad career but not police officer bad.

5. The guy at Facebook who has to examine photos flagged for having penises in them - This job sucks, but you're not hated by all.

6. Chrissy Teigen's publicist - OK this one is getting pretty close to being as bad as a 2021 police officer.

7. The guy at the recycling center who has to drink the last milk out of your plastic jugs - At least you know you'll be doing it for Mother Earth!

8. Your mom's mirror - OOOOOH DAAAAAAANG!

9. Christian movie reviewer - Alright, even we admit being a cop might be more appealing than watching every Christian movie that comes out.

Well, little would-be police officers in elementary school: pick one of these careers and get going!

Saying au revoir to my hiking buddy Jeanne Marie

Jeanne Marie and husband Damian are moving to Charlotte, NC. Bummer for us, good for them. Of course we will be in touch - unless Jeanne Marie blocks me ...

Here are a few pictures (actually 52, one for each week of the year?) - mostly of our hikes, which Brigid was on about 80% of the time.

One of our first hikes - August 2007! On the aptly named  Breakneck Ridge, part way up, then near the top and on the way back down.  Hard to believe almost 14 years ago.

Easter 2008 at Chez Gagnon. Easter at their house, Halloween at ours.

The only overnight hike we ever did was August, 2010 on the Appalachian Trail, with Jeanne Marie's son Philip to celebrate her birthday. When I asked her why Philip would want to go hiking "with two old people" she said  "That's what he said." So, from the top of Bear Mountain south on the Appalachian Trail for a total of about 13 miles. The overnight shelter off the trail was pretty awful with no water supply or outhouse. Worse I've ever seen on the A.T.

The view looking back - you can see the Bear Mountain tower.

Sunset from the shelter.

The rock lean-to style shelter. No water source and no outhouse. Pretty piss poor. And almost a mile off the trail. Bad planning by me - should have started earlier and gone further to the next shelter which was excellent, but we didn't use.

But the morning view south down the Hudson was pretty good!

Near the end. Damian picked us up.

Easter 2011 - as always a big crowd - here's only part of it

But wait, there's more

With older daughter Monica

Jeanne Marie displays her wiffle ball cut fastball. Learned from Mariano...

June, 2013 climbing Bull Hill (Taurus), a five mile plus circular hike just north of Cold Spring. The part of the climb from the now closed granite quarry to the top is tough; but about halfway up, two much older than us Asian ladies carrying much bigger backpacks went by us like we were standing still. Here's Jeanne Marie on the left about to be passed by  one of them. Good for our humility....

On the descending section there is a kind of overhang with a growing cairn which we each contributed a rock to.

And then on the way back we called Brigid, picked her up and went to The Tavern in Croton. Questioning stares from people, wondering why two hot women would be hanging out with me ... Good question.

Canada Hill, July, 2013 a few miles north of Bear Mountain Bridge and off the AT. A rare hike with Damian along.

Damian and Jeanne Marie, moving so fast uphill it's a blur!

South.

 August 2014. The two Mt. Beacon peaks, the highest points in the Hudson Highlands. Tops out at 1,611 ft. And the abandoned fire tower on the southern one.

The top of Popolopen Torne in Rockland County, overlooking the Bear Mountain Bridge. May 2015. This is a great hike. That's me looking bloody awful while Judy Anderson waves her stick and Jeanne Marie gives thumbs up. They sure look better than I do. Brigid would have taken this picture. The next picture is the view and then the three ladies start working down from the top. A seven mile round trip.

YIKES!

Fahnestock, August, 2015. A threesome hike and Jeanne Marie decides to call her daughter Monica - in India! I just put this video up on youtube.

 

Then days later in New Paltz with a few other people including Damian and their daughter Kathleen.

Kathleen and Jeanne Marie.

And here's the rattle snake we came across.

Rattle - maybe 11 or 12  years old?

At dinner - talking about - yes - the snake.

Fahnestock Park, February 2016. I organized going one end to the other (cars at both ends), about five miles. But didn't account for the flooding ... No need to show pictures of folks wading through knee deep cold water... Two pictures before the flood zone - there were seven of us and here about the midway point near the old farmhouse on Mountainside Rd (?).

Here is Jeanne Marie and Myself with Rich Snow. 

June 2016, on Storm King.

March 2017, Croton Gorge. Gus looks happy.

 

Up Anthony's Nose, September 2018. Look very carefully and you will see the top of Popolopen across the river and above the road.

Hook Mountain State Park, in Rockland Cty. along the Hudson. June, 2018. Parenthetically I got lyme on this hike. Caught it early, no harm. Wonderful hike.

Croton Point, over Jeanne Marie's shoulder.

Palisades - pretty small ladies at the bottom

Halloween 2018 at Farandaville

Gagnon Easter, 2019 - Damian takes charge!

Gagnon Easter 2021. Last one. Future ones will be on zoom.

Last hike - 4-13-2021, six days after Easter.   Up old reliable Sugarloaf, I'm sure we went up it at least another four times over the years. just about my favorite relatively easy hike. Love it.

This may be about one third of the hikes we took (left out the one where we got lost - Brigid had right direction but got outvoted 2-1 - and had to be bailed out by Mike's wife Karen) but gives a flavor for the rest - Wow - 14 years. I had great fun putting this together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thousands sign petition to stop Jeff Bezos from returning to earth (Not satire or parody)

Hehe. Sent to me by my friend Dennis. It's off the Business Insider website. Founder of Amazon I think Bezos is still the world's richest man. Although maybe his divorce settlement will cut into his net worth.

More than 41,000 people have signed petitions calling to stop Jeff Bezos from returning to Earth after he blasts into space next month.

• Petitions to stop Jeff Bezos' Earth re-entry collected more than 41,000 signatures between them.
• The one with the most signatures is entitled: "Do not allow Jeff Bezos to return to Earth."
• Bezos will fly into space on July 20 for Blue Origin's first human flight of New Shepard rocket.

Bezos, founder of space-exploration firm Blue Origin, said on June 7 that he and his brother Mark Bezos will fly into space aboard the New Shepard rocket on July 20 — the company's first human flight.

Three days after Bezos' announcement, two petitions were launched to try and prevent the billionaire's re-entry to Earth. They have both garnered thousands of followers in just 10 days.

More than 23,000 people have signed one Change.org petition titled: "Do not allow Jeff Bezos to return to Earth." 

Amazing! Yanks turn another triple play! 3rd of season and ends the game!

The 2nd. one was just last week. Chapman owes his infielders a few beers!

 

Fr. Mark Goring - 3 minute Father's Day video

This young Canadian priest is very popular. He has 160,000 subscribers to his youtube channel. For a basis of comparison, "America - the Jesuit Review" has under 48,000 subscribers, even though they have vastly more resources and have been on youtube since 2008, five years longer than this guy. FULL DISCLOSURE - I subscribe to both.

Farandaville Father's Day

Father's Day Cards - First Brigid

Then T & J -

Lunch as Tim goes Mimosa route with his champagne and everyone else goes conventional -

 

Nice interview with Ben Carson on his pro-life position

Yes, what if abolitionists said "I would never own slaves but it's none of my business if someone else wants to."

 

World shot put record obliterated by Ryan Crouser at US Olympic Trials

He broke the record by 10 inches (commentator got it wrong; said 8 inches). The shot put weighs 16 lbs. He put it over 76' 8". Think about that. In the interview after the throw he's standing next to "little" Joe Kovacs, who's only 6 feet and 295 Lb. So you can see what a huge guy Crouser is. He is not a shoo-in to win the Gold in Tokyo. there are plenty of throwers who can go well over 70 feet. Kovacs beat him in the 2019 world championships. And Tom Walsh of New Zealand is  great thrower.

Why the Juneteenth holiday makes sense

I agree with this - the perfect response to the odious Critical Race Theory. This is from the Heritage Foundation which is a conservative think tank.

Thanks to my friend Jessica for sending me this.

"For me and I hope for most Americans, it's a holiday that we can all celebrate because it says that we as a nation recognize that the institution of slavery was in absolute conflict with our very core principles and values from our founding, and that Americans fought an entire war to get rid of the institution of slavery," said James.

While some use Juneteenth to push their "Hate America" agenda, the conservative leader pointed out, Juneteenth is a day for recognizing the greatness of America: That, though flawed, America was built on humanity’s highest ideals and endowed with a constitutional framework that allowed it to right its wrongs throughout history.

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James, a Black woman who has served as president of America’s leading conservative organization for three years, believes conservatives need to "step into this moment."

"This is not a moment that I shy away from in our American history and in our American culture," said James. "As conservatives, we believe in human flourishing. We believe in lifting people out of poverty, finding solutions to the education gap in this country. We know how to provide better access to health care."

"It's a privilege for me to speak out on a day like Juneteenth to say, ‘Would you give our ideas a look?’

"One of the biggest battles" facing conservatives in the debate over race in America "is separating out those individuals who say, ‘If you're against critical race theory, you therefore by default are a racist,’" said James. "We have to diffuse that.

"For anyone interested in having a genuine, sincere conversation about where we are as a nation - if you genuinely care about solving racial problems in America – ask a conservative to really explain to you why critical race theory is not appropriate."

Information on forthcoming Catholic Bishops communion document

Looks like a compromise document. Why would 55 bishops vote against this?

After two days of debate, the USCCB announced the results of the vote today, with 168 bishops voting yes to create a new document on communion and public life, 55 voting no, and 6 abstaining. With a majority voting in the affirmative, the bishops will now draft the document and then discuss and debate it at another annual meeting scheduled for November.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, made it clear on Wednesday that the bishops would not draft a document that specifically denies communion to pro-abortion politicians and it may not even hand down a policy on how to deal with pro-abortion politicos who want to remain in good standing with the Catholic Church. Instead, the document will likely consist of guidelines that are more of a a “teaching document on how communion can be more consistent, while leaving the actual decision about receiving or denying communion to individual bishops. it would encourage pro-abortion politicians to get in line with the Church’s pro-life teachings.

“The statement will be addressed to all Catholics,” the outline approved today reads, though it notes it would also “include the theological foundation for the Church’s discipline concerning the reception of Holy Communion and a special call for those Catholics who are cultural, political, or parochial leaders to witness the faith.”

The text of the proposal itself has not been written, and would ultimately require approval by a two-thirds majority vote during the November meeting — something potentially achievable given the 3-1 majority vote to begin the drafting process. But how far it will go to rebuke Biden and pro-abortion politicians is another question.

When asked at a press conference on Thursday following the vote if Biden should be able to receive communion because of his pro-abortion views, Bishop Rhoades said, “I can’t answer that question.”

“We will be looking at that whole issue of Eucharistic consistency. … When you look at cannon law, that is a decision of his bishop,” he added.

Westchester Mag: 12 macho meals for Father's Day

Typical Westchester mag stuff - article is here -

Father’s Day is just around the corner, but, instead of honoring dad with another tie or grill spatula, why not celebrate him with food? These over-the-top macho meals are a perfect way to say “Thanks Dad” on Father’s Day or any other day of the year.

Yes they're all awesome - but of course I am excerpting the desserts ... the first one is in Peekskill the second in Armonk. 1,500 calories?  2,000 calories?

At the Hudson Creamery - What makes a manly dessert? Chocolate, stout, and whiskey! At The Hudson Creamery this decadent sundae features chocolate ice cream, Guinness-chocolate reduction, Jameson caramel sauce, almonds, and a Cadbury Flake Bar. If bigger is better, the Hudson Sundae—five scoops of ice cream, five toppings, and either a cookie or a brownie—is massively delicious.

Sugar Hi in Armonk - Who needs rims of salt or sugar when rims of frosting and M&M’S exist? At Sugar Hi, the Boozle freakshake is the perfect dessert for all the chocolate loving fathers. It features a chocolate shake with a chipwich, Hershey bar, chocolate pretzel, chocolate drizzle, marshmallow drizzle, loads of whipped cream and, you guessed it, a rim of frosting and M&M’S.

 

Five NY doctors getting jail time for taking kickbacks to promote Fentanyl

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — One of five NYC-based doctors who took bribes and kickbacks from a pharmaceutical company in exchange for prescribing millions of dollars' worth of a potent fentanyl-based spray was sentenced Wednesday to 57 months in prison. The nearly $200,000 in kickbacks included an all-expenses-paid visit to a Manhattan strip club.

They got their money's worth: Goldstein was the sixth-highest prescriber of Subsys in the last quarter of 2014, accounting for $809,275 in overall net sales of Subsys in that quarter.

Yanks pull off 2nd triple play of the season and great catch by Judge!

As they sweep Toronto last evening - while playing in Buffalo?? Good highlights - triple play is in the first inning. It was reviewed and he was out!! Watch the rest for Judge's play - amazing hang time - he could play professional basketball.

 

President signs Bill making Juneteenth (June 19th) a federal holiday

The date commemorates the end of slavery. Because the 19th this year is a Saturday federal employees will get tomorrow (the 18th) off.

Juneteenth—also known as Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day and Jubilee Day—marks the 1865 date when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived with federal troops in Galveston, Texas, and issued an order freeing the nation’s last slaves. This came more than two months after the end of the Civil War and about 2½ years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in the Southern states.

The ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865 abolished slavery throughout the country.

“This is an important step for America,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said Thursday at a ceremony where she praised the Congressional Black Caucus for their work to pass the legislation. “One of the most momentous events in our history finally takes its official place of honor in our nation.”

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D., S.C.) thanked colleagues for “a tremendous effort” that he said had taken more than a century and a half. Attendees at the event later sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn often referred to as the Black national anthem. 

The last time Congress created a federal holiday was in 1983, when lawmakers designated the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in honor of the slain civil-rights leader. Juneteenth will have the same status as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and other federal holidays.

 

 

Already this year; 37 policeman murdered nationally

Trump's fault? Red state governors? Blue state governors? Antifa? Q Anon? Or just the increase in general mayhem?

FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighted the issue in an appearance Tuesday before the House Oversight Committee. Wray said a total of 37 officers had been murdered in the first five months of 2021, compared with 46 during all of 2020.

“And that's not counting all those officers who've died in the line of duty facing the countless other inherent dangers of the job, like from a car accident in pursuit after a subject or drowning during an attempted rescue. Or even the scores of officers who've died from Covid-19. Because, of course, law enforcement kept coming to work every day despite the pandemic.”

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Police deaths mirror the increase in violent crime across the country. There were 56 shootings of four or more people in May, the highest number of mass shootings of any month since the Gun Violence Archive, a research nonprofit, started tracking the data in 2013. Homicides are up by 20 percent or more in cities large and small.

"The Pros And Cons Of Going Into Crippling Debt To Acquire A Useless Degree"

Insightful. From the BB and one of their sponsors.

College is more expensive than ever! Many young people are going into debt that will crush them for the rest of their lives to attend college-- all for a degree that ends up being totally useless! But is it worth it? You betcha!

We want you to be as informed as possible before you decide to go to college. Here are some pros and cons: 

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Pro: You'll learn to master genderqueer feminist intersectionality! Yay! 

Con: Genderqueer feminist intersectionality isn't as useful as burger flipping.

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Pro: Grandma cares about your degree.

Con: No one else does.

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Pro: You won't have to work with your hands when you graduate.

Con: You most likely won't find any work when you graduate.

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Pro: Bernie promised debt forgiveness.

Con: He lost the election.

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Pro: Your diploma will look great in a frame.

Con: It will hang on the wall of your room in your parent’s basement.

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Pro: Getting out from under your parents’ roof

Con: Dave, your 500-pound roommate who wants the top bunk

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Pro: College Football games

Con: Sitting in the nosebleed section, behind all the people with money and jobs 

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Pro: Meet exciting new people!

Con: They all have chlamydia.

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Pro: The satisfaction of knowing you helped fund the education of the next generation

Con: Realizing all your money went to a new trampoline park for next year’s incoming class

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Pro: You get to learn PowerPoint!

Con: You now have to use PowerPoint.

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Pro: You’re learning from the world’s best

Con: Pretty much everything you learn is readily available online and free

John Stewart scorches Colbert over origins of Corona Virus

I have friends who hang onto very word Colbert says - view him as a true left wing political commentator genius. As Tucker Carlson (whose every word I don't hang onto) says, Colbert used to be extremely talented and funny.

And, hit the link here Jon Stewart SOUNDS OFF on Wuhan Lab Leak Theory and He's NOT WRONG! Shapiro Reacts for a little more, and more intelligence on this. VERY entertaining.

Yay! NY Times eats crow for smearing the Babylon Bee

The Babylon Bee, whose videos I sometimes post.

Robin DiAngelo (White Fragility author), deconstructed by former progressive Dave Rubin

I read her book. She's made a fortune in the last several years getting paid by universities and corporations giving anti-racism conferences and this kind of talk. The gist is this: if you say you are racist, you're a racist. If you say you are not a racist, that proves you are a racist. If you are white and marry a non-white, it's to cover up your racism. Ditto if you are white and adopt non-white children. Think I'm exaggerating? Watch the video and then read her book.

 

Worth watching: contrarian view on the economy; inflation is temporary and economic recovery will be slow

This investment program - Wealth Track -  has been running for years. The host, Consuelo Mack, usually interviews one person. In this case it's the economist Dave Rosenberg. He could be right - and this goes against the consensus (and agrees with the Fed which holds that inflation will be transitory...). His "one investment idea" at the end took real cahones to call. I am much happier on his three earlier suggestions in the show - tech - utilities - energy services.

 

NY Times moves Offices To Beijing So Reporters Won't Have To See those 'Disturbing' American Flags

Yes - not making this up - their Editorial Board member Ms. Mara Gay was upset by the sight on Long Island of so many pick trucks with American flags. Some even had old Trump stickers, which must have really driven her bonkers.

So -

BEIJING—After New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay said she was disturbed by the horrific sight of the American flag, the Times has announced its offices will be relocated to Beijing so the paper's journalists and editors won't have to see the triggering sight of the U.S. flag any longer.

The new offices have the Chinese flag flying out front, so Times reporters will no longer have to see the flag of a problematic, oppressive nation.

"The Times cares deeply about the mental health and wellbeing of our employees," said an HR rep. "We were getting constant complaints from our journalists that having our offices located in the U.S. was causing distress for many of our reporters. Being situated in New York City, we were constantly having to see American flags on buildings, bumper stickers, flagpoles, Chevy truck ads -- you name it. We won't have as much of an issue here in Beijing."

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Journalists say they are adjusting well to the new location and have much more peace of mind knowing they aren't in a country that oppresses its citizens like the U.S.A. As an added benefit, they're right down the street from President Xi Jinping, making it a lot easier to run stories by him.

Cape Cod lobster diver swallowed by a humpback whale - here's his interview

YIKES! And see more info in the article below the video.

He estimates he was in the whale’s mouth for about 30 seconds, but continued to breathe because he still had his breathing apparatus in. Then the whale surfaced, shook its head, and spat him out. He was rescued by his crewmate in the surface boat.

Mental health - good article - minimum 20 minutes 3x a week

From Men's Health. No doubt also applies to women. But there's more to it then in the heading ... I excerpted the "5" below

The '20-5-3' Rule Prescribes How Much Time to Spend Outside. Americans today spend 92 percent of their time indoors, and their physical and mental health are suffering. Use this three-number formula to make yourself stronger and happier.

5 Hours

The minimum length of time each month you should spend in semi-wild nature, like a forested state park. “Spending more time in wilder spaces does seem to give you more benefits,” said Hopman.

A 2005 survey conducted in Finland found that city dwellers felt better with at least five hours of nature a month, with benefits increasing at higher exposures. They were also more likely to be happier and less stressed in their everyday lives.

The Finnish government then funded another study in 2014 in which the scientists dumped people in a city center, a city park, and a forested state park. The two parks felt more Zen than the city center. No shocker. Except that those walking in a state park had an edge over the city-park people. They felt even more relaxed and restored. The takeaway: The wilder the nature, the better.

Nature has these effects on the mind and body because it stimulates and soothes us in unusual and unique ways. For instance, in nature you are engulfed in fractals, suggested Hopman. Fractals are complex patterns that repeat over and over in different sizes and scales and make up the design of the universe. Think: trees (big branch to smaller branch to smaller branch and so on), river systems (big river to smaller river to stream and so on), mountain ranges, clouds, seashells. “Cities don’t have fractals,” said Hopman. “Imagine a typical building. It’s usually flat, with right angles. It’s painted some dull color.” Fractals are organized chaos, which our brains apparently dig. In fact, scientists at the University of Oregon discovered that Jackson Pollock’s booze-and-jazz-fueled paintings are made up of fractals. This may explain why they speak to humans at such a core level.

Experts Baffled: Where could Joe Biden's Son Have Learned All That Racist Language?

Good analysis from BB.

Experts across the nation are scratching their heads after a series of unearthed text messages showed Joe Biden's son Hunter using racist and sexually charged language.

"We just don't get it," said one researcher with a puzzled look on his face. "How could Hunter have ended up like this-- using racist slurs and grossly inappropriate language? By all accounts, we can't make sense of it. There are simply no major influences in his life who could have raised him to behave and talk in such bizarre and inappropriate ways!"

Hunter Biden's publicist released a statement saying the texts were likely part of a "Russian disinformation campaign" designed to ruin Hunter's spotless reputation.

"Hunter Biden, the son of the President, has enjoyed a spotless reputation throughout his life, and we will not allow this disinformation to tear down his good name," said the statement.

When asked by a reporter to comment on the story, President Biden replied, "Man, you sure are a fine-lookin' black female reporter! Wow! Legs for days! And very articulate. You look 19 with those barrettes in your hair. Where you from, sweetheart? Come on and spend some time with ol' Uncle Joe or you ain't black!"

"This is CNN" - interview with newly re-hired Jeffrey Toobin - remember why he was suspended?

And fired by The New Yorker. What a weird interview. "I didn't think other people could see me." Here's CNN's report on the reinstatement. Toobin is a sleaze ball anyway - here's an even bigger (in my mind) skeleton in his closet. In any event he'll be pulling hard for the team - CNN.

 

WSJ: inflation surge continues; 5%

As reported this morning.

U.S. Inflation Is Highest in 13 Years as Prices Surge 5% The rapid rise in consumer prices in May reflected a surge in demand and shortages of labor and materials

The U.S. economy’s rebound from the pandemic is driving the biggest surge in inflation in nearly 13 years, with consumer prices rising in May by 5% from a year ago.

The Labor Department said last month’s increase in the consumer-price index was the largest since August 2008, when the reading rose 5.4%. The core-price index, which excludes the often-volatile categories of food and energy, jumped 3.8% in May from the year before—the largest increase for that reading since June 1992.

Consumers are seeing higher prices for many of their purchases, particularly big-ticket items such as vehicles. Prices for used cars and trucks leapt 7.3% from the previous month, driving one-third of the rise in the overall index. The indexes for furniture, airline fares and apparel also rose sharply in May.

Supercareful: dude goes swimming with his mask (not snorkel mask) on

Go here.THIS.  Hey whatever floats your boat. you never know, Covid might be floating in the water. Got this from a "person of interest" who wishes to remain anonymous.

go to

THIS.

WSJ: Democrat Senator Manchin is actually helping his party

The Journal is right. Funny that less than two years ago 31 Dem senators circulated a letter demanding the filibuster be maintained - and now they want to end it.

Joe Manchin Plays Political Chess. As progressives rage against him, he’s helping the Democratic Party.

Joe Manchin has brought the wrath of the political left down upon him after writing in a hometown newspaper on the weekend that he doesn’t support a federal takeover of state voting law and won’t break the Senate filibuster. But the West Virginia Senator is playing political chess—and doing Democrats a favor too.

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“This is so on brand for this country. Record number of black voters show up to save this democracy, only for white supremacy to be upheld by a cowardly, power-hungry white dude. @Sen_JoeManchin is a clown,” tweeted Jemele Hill, one of the left’s more nuanced Twitter enforcers.

Especially obtuse are the progressives tweeting that Senate Democrats should strip Mr. Manchin of his committee assignments. By all means, please do. As the majority maker in a 50-50 Senate, Mr. Manchin could change parties and have his pick of committee seats as a member of the GOP majority. Readers who reached maturity before the Age of Woke recall that James Jeffords, a Vermont Republican, switched parties and made Democrats the majority in a 50-50 Senate in spring 2001.

He’s also no fool. He knows that embracing the Senate’s version (S.1) of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s election bill would play poorly in West Virginia. And he knows that breaking the 60-vote filibuster rule to do it would compound the harm by unleashing other left-wing legislation.

**************

But Democrats shouldn’t fear, nor Republicans gloat, that this means the end of the Biden agenda. Mr. Manchin’s filibuster position—shared by Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema—may kill some radical legislation. But Democrats still have a budget reconciliation card to play that requires only 50 votes plus Vice President Kamala Harris as a tie-breaker.

That’s how Democrats passed their Covid bill, and our guess is that Mr. Manchin has already signaled privately that he’ll support a large tax-and-spend bill traveling under the false flag of “infrastructure.” Opposing S.1 gives him more running room to do that. Unless the left is dumb enough to drive Mr. Manchin to the GOP—and it may be—the Senator is still a loyal Democrat. He’s simply not suicidal.

Electric vehicles and self-driving cars; Tesla v. Xpeng - good video

This is an interesting 7 minute video off the WSJ (Wall Street Journal) channel.

 

NYC psychiatrist gives raving lecture at Yale School of Medicine

Here is a video and below it is an article in the NYP where she tries to explain herself. This was in a credit course for medical students. The six minute video is well worth watching.

Here's the NYP article, also worth reading.

During the lecture, titled “The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind,” Khilanani, who is not affiliated with Yale, said she cut off most of her former white friends five years ago, adding there were “no good apples out there.”

 

Can't control myself - another walk another sunset photo(s)

On the way south to Half Moon Bay. just two to go with the Saturday evening before - Sunset yesterday - walking the river north from Half Moon Bay to Senasqua Park

and

Two short quotes: The wisdom of Sherlock Holmes, AKA Arthur Conan Doyle

Arthur Conan Doyle of course was the author behind Sherlock Holmes. He was also a physician.

Here you go - both very wise -

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

 

And

 

"Never theorize before you have data. Invariably you end up twisting facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."

 

Sunset yesterday - walking the river north from Half Moon Bay to Senasqua Park

As I've point ed out in the past, getting good sunset pix on the Hudson River in this area on the walkway is a no brainer. Just point your phone and hit the button.

The first is about 8:08, the last 8:28.

Last one; and even though it was way into the 80's, nice walk with pleasant breeze.

hiking season! Gear Junkie: "13 Backpacking Meals People Love"

I've only ever had one of these - Backpacker’s Pantry Louisiana Red Beans & Rice (V, GF) but I have had the ice cream sandwich - last one on the list - done by another company (Mountain House)

and it's pretty good. Yup a dehydrated ice cream sandwich and tastes good.

Here's the full list -

The ol’ faithfuls like Mountain House and Backpacker’s Pantry still reign in some areas. But companies like Good To-Go, Heather’s Choice, and Peak Refuel are catching up. And that hardly begins to cover some of the more niche companies specializing in paleo, keto, and vegan offerings.