Tom Faranda's Folly

"AOC Tells OBGYN That She Doesn’t Know What She’s Talking About" re: pregnancy

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Boston University, cum laude, and former bartender.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bashed a prominent OB-GYN on Thursday during a U.S. Congressional hearing, asserting that she, a former bar tender, knows more about pregnancy and abortion than a doctor with three decades of medical experience.

The Democrat congresswoman criticized Dr. Ingrid Skop, a Texas OB-GYN and witness at the hearing, for defending a Texas law that protects unborn babies from abortion once their heartbeats are detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy, according to a video of the hearing posted on Yahoo News.

Ocasio-Cortez called Skop’s testimony “unbelievable,” “irresponsible” and “hurtful,” and demanded an apology from the Republican lawmakers who invited her to testify. She did this even while claiming that pregnancy and abortion should be matters between doctors like Skop and their patients, not legislators like herself.

During her testimony, Skop said the Texas heartbeat law is reminding society of an “inconvenient fact” about abortion: It kills a “living, genetically distinct human being.”

“Nearly 50 years ago, the Supreme Court pretended it did not know this was a life. Today, we cannot plead ignorance,” Skop told lawmakers. “We have all seen ultrasounds, pictures of the unborn, demonstrating he is just like us, only smaller and more dependent on our care.”

"New York Atheists Claim Religious Exemption From Vaccine After Governor Claims That It’s From God"

And I saw video of our new Governor make this claim.

ALBANY, NY—New York atheists have come out in force against the COVID-19 vaccine after learning that their state’s Governor Kathy Hochul claimed that God made the scientists, doctors, and researchers invent the vaccine. The state’s atheists were further incensed when Hochul displayed a religious emblem hanging from her neck that symbolized her acceptance of the holy vaccine.

Crowds of atheists pressed into the State Health Department’s headquarters to submit forms seeking religious exemptions from the vaccine requirement.

"We're sick of these religious nutjobs in government forcing their religious convictions on the rest of us!" said Brett Winstone, president of the local Free Thinkers Society chapter. "This is not a theocracy! You will not force your god vaccine into our atheist veins!"

“A religious exemption for atheists like me makes perfect sense,” said fervent atheist Craig Nostic. “I mean, we’re always thinking about religion and talking about religion. My Christian friends are actually kind of sick of how I won’t stop talking about religion."

When word spread that their religious exemptions would be accepted, the crowd of atheists fell to their knees in humility and offered praise and gratitude to the cold, unforgiving, empty, endless void.

 

Norm Macdonald's story about a life-saving pig

Originally aired in March 1996. I'd posted elsewhere, that "I don't think I'd ever heard of Norm Macdonald" until after he died. Now a huge amount of his stuff is being looked at on youtube.

 

Parents of jailed Lt. Col. Stu Scheller speak out

The Colonel broke some rules. Basically he denounced the fact that there's been no accountability over the Afghanistan/Kabul fiasco. The video explains things partially.

 

Feast Day - the three archangels

In full winghood! And down below is St. Michael ("defend us in battle...") looking pretty scary ferocious powerful.

The Archangels St. Gabriel, St. Michael, and St. Raphael share a feast day on September 29th. These are the only three angels mentioned by name in Sacred Scripture.

St. Gabriel means “Power of God." He is the messenger or herald angel most famous for appearing to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Annunciation (Luke 1:11-38).

St. Michael means “Who is like God?" He is the warrior angel, the famous foe of Satan, who is the champion of God’s people and guardian and protector of the Church (Rev. 12:7-9).

St. Raphael means “God has healed." He is a companion and healing angel, most famous for curing a man's blindness and for traveling with Tobiah in the book of Tobit (Tob. 12).

Yanks win again; Stanton golfs a long homer!

Wow Stanton can do no wrong. Look at his 7th inning homer - way out of the strike zone and it ends up in the seats. And Judge is also hot.

 

"Former President Obama says U.S. 'desperately needs' Biden agenda"

Uh huh.

Research: Does mask wearing reduce the spread of Covid?

This was an interesting study. Excerpts below; the whole article is 12 paragraphs. Note that wearing masks was voluntary. The study is "currently undergoing peer review" so perhaps they should have waited for that to be completed before publishing this?

Masks, especially surgical ones, substantially reduce the risk of getting Covid-19. Getting more people to wear them — through mandates or strategies like handing out masks at churches and other public events — could save thousands of lives each day globally and hundreds each day in the United States.

Our research, which is currently undergoing peer review, was conducted with 340,000 adults in 600 villages in Bangladesh and tested many different strategies to get people to wear masks.

Our research team settled on distributing masks directly to people’s homes and in crowded public places like mosques and markets. We provided information on why mask wearing was important, and involved religious and community leaders in that messaging. Finally, we had residents in each village politely ask anyone not wearing a mask to put one on, and give masks to whoever needed one.

While not everyone agreed to mask up, mask wearing increased by about 30 percentage points among the adults who were encouraged to do so. This change led to a 9 percent reduction in Covid-19 overall. In communities where we promoted surgical mask use, Covid-19 cases dropped by 11 percent.

Our study did not measure the effect of universal mask wearing but the effect of a voluntary mask program. It resulted in an increase to four in 10 people using a mask from one in 10 people masking — a large rise in use, but still far from perfect. If everyone wore masks, the reductions in Covid-19 cases would most likely have been substantially larger.

People over age 50 benefited most, especially in communities where we distributed surgical masks. In these communities, Covid-19 cases fell by 23 percent for people aged 50 to 60 and by 35 percent for people over age 60. Our study does not suggest that only older people need to wear masks, but rather that widespread community mask wearing reduces Covid-19 risk, especially for older people.

Let us put this in concrete terms. Our best estimate is that every 600 people who wear surgical masks in public areas prevent an average of one death per year given recent death rates in the United States. Think of a church with 600 members. If a congregation learned that it could save the life of a member, would everyone agree to wear surgical masks in indoor, public areas for the next year?

Sad; Record increase in murders last year.

From the NY Times - first few paragraphs below.

The United States experienced its biggest one-year increase on record in homicides in 2020, according to new figures released on Monday by the F.B.I., with some cities hitting record highs.

Although major crimes were down overall, there were an additional 4,901 homicides in 2020 compared with the year before, the largest leap since national records started in 1960. The significant rise has roughly coincided with the 18 months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The higher murder rate has continued into 2021, although the pace has slowed as the year has progressed.

Overall, the toll of some 21,500 people killed last year is still well below the record set during the violence of the early 1990s. Still, several cities, like Albuquerque, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Memphis, Milwaukee and Syracuse, recorded their highest homicide numbers ever, according to the report.

There is no simple explanation for the steep rise. A number of key factors are driving the violence, including the economic and social toll taken by the pandemic and a sharp increase in gun purchases.

“It is a perfect storm,” said Chief Harold Medina of the Albuquerque Police Department. He cited Covid-19, the fallout from social justice protests and other contributors. “There is not just one factor that we can point at to say why we are where we are,” he said.

Yanks sweep the Red Sox; pass them for the top playoff wild card spot

Here's what I posted yesterday after the second game Dramatic grand slam by Stanton and Yanks are back in with shot at the playoffs and below is last night's game starting in the 6th inning before all the further fireworks.

Crazy plays, dropped pop ups and fly; and more of Stanton.

 

Yesterday's game winning NFL record 66 yard field goal

Wow. BUT Baltimore should have been called for a delay of game on the previous play and the officials missed it! Too late now - Why didn't Detroit appeal?

You have to hit the link -

66 yard field goal

 

 

NBC News: "A Daily Pill to Treat Covid could be just months away"

Antiviral medications not a vaccination.  Worth hitting the link.

At least three promising antivirals that could prevent symptoms and limit transmission of Covid-19 are in clinical trials.

“Oral antivirals have the potential to not only curtail the duration of one’s Covid-19 syndrome, but also have the potential to limit transmission to people in your household if you are sick,” said Timothy Sheahan, a virologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who has helped pioneer the therapies.

Antivirals are already essential treatments for other viral infections, including hepatitis C and HIV. One of the best known is Tamiflu, the widely prescribed pill that can shorten the duration of influenza and reduce the risk of hospitalization if it is given quickly.

The medications, developed to treat and prevent viral infections in people and animals, work differently depending on the type. But they can be engineered to boost the immune system to fight infection, block receptors so viruses can’t enter healthy cells or lower the amount of active virus in the body.

At least three promising antivirals for Covid are being tested in clinical trials, with results expected as soon as late fall or winter, said Carl Dieffenbach, director of the Division of AIDS at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is overseeing antiviral development.

“I think that we will have answers as to what these pills are capable of within the next several months,” Dieffenbach said.

Dramatic grand slam by Stanton and Yanks are back in with shot at the playoffs

By beating Boston two games in a row they have tied them for the first wild card spot. Third game of their series today in Boston.

Quick highlights of yesterday's game with Stanton's moon shot grand slam homer.

 

Yesterday's Croton Climate Strike

At the Blue Pig ice cream place which is across the street and two doors down from my office. When I went past a few minutes earlier there were more people - probably about 60-65. The pictures are from the end of the rally.

Norm Macdonald 100 seconds on "what it's like to be a chicken"

As mentioned here Norm McDonald's moth joke  I had never heard of this guy until his recent death. This is at least ten years old and funny -

 

President Biden: "Every Part of My Economic Plan Is Overwhelmingly Popular". Not satire or parody

The video is from Bloomberg.

"Tom Brady in his 40s ... could outscore Tom Brady in his 20s. How?"

This is from the Guardian (UK). I was never a fan of Brady, but he is amazing. Hit the link.

This is not how quarterbacks are supposed to age. Frankly, this isn’t how human beings are supposed to age. Tom Brady, at 44-years old, in his 22nd year in the NFL, is better now than he was five years ago. In fact, he’s better now than he was fifteen years ago.

There is more zip on Brady’s fastball, and he’s more accurate down the field. In Tampa Bay, he’s playing with precision that had faded during his final years with the New England Patriots.

Those last couple of Patriots teams won with Brady, but these Tampa Bay Buccaneers are winning because of Brady. Through two weeks, he has thrown for 655 yards and nine touchdowns. With the NFL moving to a 17-game schedule, all the traditional records are now in play. Touchdown passes in a season, passing yards in a season, whatever, they’re all up for grabs.

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

Through two weeks of the new season, nobody – not Patrick Mahomes or Russell Wilson or Kyler Murray or Aaron Rodgers – has come close to Brady. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he ranks 10th in the league in intended air yards, a measure of how far he’s trying to throw the ball on each dropback. That’s a good number; it’s wild for a 44-year-old at an age when throwing long becomes difficult. It becomes mind-blowing when you consider that he is third in the league in average time to throw – averaging 2.4 seconds per dropback.

This isn’t Brady getting the ball out because he needs to, he’s getting the ball out in a hurry because he wants to. Because he knows where he’s going with the ball. Because he knows each play the opposing defense makes – because he’s seen every defensive play in the book. Best to get on with it now than wait around.

In comparison, Mahomes, the most talented quarterback in the league, is throwing shorter on average than Brady and taking almost half a second longer to make those throws.

What Haiti looked like when we were there in 1979

In December, 1979 1980 (got an email from my friend John in Australia who was with us - I got the year wrong!) - Brigid and myself with three other couples drove from Port au Prince to Cap Haitien. 128 miles (just looked it up) and I recall it took well over five hours. Along the road it looked exactly like this. Yesterday's NY Post.

Feast today: Saint Padre Pio

I know several people with a strong devotion to Padre Pio. Evidently including Pope Francis - picture below.

St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968) was born to peasant farmers in southern Italy. By the time he was 5 years old he practiced a life of penance and made the decision to give himself completely to God. He grew up working in the fields, and at the age of 19 joined the Capuchin Franciscan friars. His Franciscan spirituality was characterized by a life of poverty, love of nature, and charity to those in need, especially to those who were his "spiritual children." St. Padre Pio had many spiritual gifts and was a great miracle-worker. These were well-documented from multiple reliable sources and included bilocation, levitation, reading souls, and physical healing by touch. Word of his holiness spread and people both pious and curious flocked to see him, especially to have him hear their confession. He is the first priest known to have received the stigmata, for which he suffered suspicion and investigation. Because of the unusual supernatural phenomena surrounding his life, he is considered one of the great visionaries and mystics of the Church. Padre Pio died in 1968 at the age of 81. He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002. Because of the many miracles he performed during his life, he is commonly invoked as a healing saint for various ailments.

Iraq releases postage stamps commemorating Pope Francis visit to Iraq this past March

I think this is cool. Some might say I have an odd idea of what cool is ...

 

Pitcher Max Scherzer throws an "Immaculate" inning - great 3 minute analysis if you like baseball

He threw nine pitches, all strikes, as he recorded all three outs. A pitch by pitch look

 

AOC "Tax the Rich" dress designer would do well to pay her own taxes

Aurora James. According to this here net worth is $2 million.

From the NY Post. And below it a link to The Independent (UK) on the same subject.

Designer Aurora James called her “Tax the Rich” dress for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a “powerful message” — but it’s not one she has taken to heart. The 37-year-old fashionista who made waves at the Met Gala with Democratic-Socialist AOC last week is a notorious tax deadbeat with unpaid debts dogging her in multiple states, records show.

Most of luxe-living James’ arrears center on Cultural Brokerage Agency, an LLC she formed in 2011 to serve as the parent company of her fashion brand, which today is known as Brother Vellies. It’s a favorite of people like Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Meghan Markle.

The company racked up three open tax warrants in New York state for failing to withhold income taxes from employees’ paychecks totaling $14,798, the state Department of Taxation and Finance told The Post. The debts — which were incurred before the pandemic — stem from 2018 and 2019. The company has been hit with 15 warrants in total since 2015.

The company got into a deeper hole with the feds. Between April 2018 and April 2019, the Internal Revenue Service placed six federal liens on Cultural Brokerage Agency totaling $103,220. The liens specifically cite the company’s failure to remit employee payroll taxes.

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

“Just because they take it out of your paycheck doesn’t mean they’re sending it to the government,” David Cenedella, a Baruch College taxation lecturer explained after reviewing the liens. “It’s certainly not something you want. I would not say your average business out there has this. Something went wrong.”

While James apparently has no problem stiffing the Taxman, she isn’t shy about taking money from taxpayers — her company received in $41,666 in pandemic relief aid.

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

Ex-staffers blasted the operation as a sweatshop that relied on legions of unpaid interns working full-time jobs.

“I experienced a lot of harassment when I worked for her,” one former contract employee told The Post. “Aurora would ask me to do things that were not in anyone’s job description, like scheduling her gynecological appointments. The work environment was so hostile that I was afraid to ask for my check.” The employee was ultimately terminated.

An ex-intern called James “quite cold,” adding that “she never gives recognition or acknowledgement to her team.”

James is also an alleged rent deadbeat, records show.

Here's the Independent article -

AOC’s ‘Tax the Rich’ dress designer accused of owing thousands in unpaid taxes and refusing to pay interns

 

Norm McDonald's moth joke

I'm clearly not in the mainstream of things, since I don't think I'd ever heard of Norm McDonald (we don't watch SNL) but he certainly seems to have been a highly regarded person and comedian since his recent death at only 61.

I'm told this is a famous joke of his -  and it is pretty funny... timing is everything.

 

Imagine Trump doing this - the Administration is deporting recently arrived Haitians

The press would go berserker mode. Thanks to my buddy P N pointing this NY Times article out to me. FULL DISCLOSURE: Brigid and I were in Haiti in 1979. It was a mess then and seems to be just as big a mess now.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The first Haitians deported from a makeshift camp in Texas landed in their home country Sunday amid sweltering heat, anger and confusion, as Haitian officials beseeched the United States to stop the flights because the country is in crisis and cannot handle thousands of homeless deportees.

President Biden, who pledged a more humanitarian approach to immigration than his predecessor, has been taking tough measures to stop the influx, and the administration said this weekend that the Haitian deportations are consistent with that enforcement policy.

Evidently there aren't that many Haitian-American voters.

Here's Tom Brady's plan for playing quarterback until he's 50

Yes, crafty superstar. And Tampa Bay is 2-0, putting 48 points up on the Falcons yesterday.

Annual dementia test - only four questions

From my friend Graham. I got 3 out of 4 right.

Yep, it's that time of year again for us to take our annual senior citizen test.

 

As we grow older, it’s important to keep mentally alert.

 

If you don’t use it, you will lose it !!!

 

Take this test to determine if you’re losing it or not.

 

 

The spaces below are so you don’t see the answers until you’ve answered.

 

OK, RELAX, clear your mind and begin.

 

 

#1. 

What do you put in a toaster ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: 'bread.' If you said 'toast', just give up now and go do something else.

 

 

And, try not to hurt yourself.

 

If you said, bread, go to Question #2

 

                 

 

 

 

# 2. 

Say 'silk' ten times. Now spell 'silk.' What do cows drink ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: Cows drink water. If you said 'milk,' don't attempt the next question.

 

 

Your brain is already over-stressed and may even overheat.

 

 

Content yourself with reading more appropriate literature such as Women's Weekly or Auto World.

 

 

However, if you did say 'water', proceed to Question 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

# 3. 

If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass.

 

 

If you said 'green bricks', why are you still reading this ???PLEASE, go lie down !

 

 

 

But, if you said 'glass,' go on to Question #4.

 

 

# 4. 

Please do not use a calculator for this for it would be cheating:

 

 

You are driving a bus from New York City to Philadelphia.

 

 

In Staten Island, 17 people got on the bus.

 

 

In New Brunswick, 6 people get off the bus and 9 people get on.

 

 

In Windsor, 2 people get off and 4 get on.

 

 

In Trenton, 11 people get off and 16 people get on.

 

 

In Bristol, 3 people get off and 5 people get on.

 

 

 

And, in Camden, 6 people get off and 3 get on.

 

 

You then arrive at Philadelphia Station.

 

 

 

Without going back to review, how old is the bus driver ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer: 

Oh, for crying out loud !

🤪🙃😳

 

 

Don't you remember your own age?!?! 

It was YOU driving the bus!

😅😂🤣😅😂🤣😅

 

By the way ...

If you pass this along to your friends, pray they do better than you.

 

 

 PS: 95% of people fail most of the questions!

 

 

Sorry for all the spaces. You'd be tempted to cheat otherwise.

The limits of Biden's "over-the horizon" policy

I had posted about this - NY Times report: our military Kabul drone strike killed an aid worker & his family; not terrorists

From the WSJ -

The Pentagon acknowledged Friday that a U.S. drone strike killed innocent civilians on Aug. 29 amid the frantic American exit from Afghanistan. The admission is welcome, but Congress should still investigate how the decision to target a nonterrorist was made and if the White House played any role.

“After deeper, post-strike analysis, our conclusion is that innocent civilians were killed,” Gen. Milley said Friday. “This is a horrible tragedy of war and it’s heart wrenching and we are committed to being fully transparent about this incident.”

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

President Biden was criticized for the American deaths and had promised justice for the killers. He took credit in a speech for having punished terrorists, claiming it as a vindication of the “over-the-horizon” strategy he says the U.S. can use to counter al Qaeda and ISIS-K terrorist camps in Afghanistan. It’s fair to ask if the military, in its eagerness to show it was acting on Mr. Biden’s orders to take revenge, took too big a risk in blowing up Ahmadi in a crowded civilian area.

The mistaken bombing shows the limits of Mr. Biden’s over-the-horizon strategy. The Pentagon didn’t identify the right target despite having troops, and presumably some intelligence assets, still in theater. It will be much harder to locate terror camps, and kill the most threatening jihadists, using drones with limited flight time over the country and without local allies to provide intelligence.

Remember when Bill Clinton sent cruise missiles against Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in the 1990s? Mr. Biden’s unwise withdrawal is leaving himself with the same limited options. The U.S. owes the Ahmadi family an apology and compensation, and Congress needs to dig further into the deadly Kabul mistake.

 

Pentagon admits their drone strike actually killed 10 civilians, including 7 children

Our "over the horizon defensive abilities". Tragic. I posted about the NY Times report on Sept. 11th - NY Times report: our military Kabul drone strike killed an aid worker & his family; not terrorists

Here's the admission and story -

Apple iPhone 13 Will Require Vaccination To Unlock Screen

It was inevitable.

 

"Biden Fires Father of Teen With Down Syndrome From White House Disabilities Council"

Part of the mania to fire people from these non-partisan councils - the were appointed by Trump (death penalty too good for them).

And additionally, in the case of Down Syndrome advocate Kurt Kondrich, Kondrich opposes targeting Down's Syndrome babies prenatally for abortion. Hit the link for the whole sadly revealing article.

Presidential advisory council terminations by the Biden administration are unprecedented. Previous presidents have always allowed appointees from previous administrations to carry out their terms to conclusion. The councils are non-partisan and do not have any executive power, only an advisory role.

Funny article about hip hop superstar Nicki Minaj's claim about Covid vaccine...

UPDATE: More here - her verbal instagram posting - ‘Fear Of The Mob’: Nicki Minaj Rants About Censorship, Covid-19

Amusing, even if you just skim the article in NRO.

But there is something spectacularly hilarious about this absurd turn in the national debate about COVID-19 vaccinations, where no less a figure than Dr. Anthony Fauci felt the need to go on national television and say, no, there is no evidence that the vaccine will make your testes blow up like a pair of balloons...

The White House apparently felt the need to reach out to Minaj and offered to connect her with a doctor with expertise. MSNBC’s Joy Reid did a whole segment denouncing Minaj, and there have been critical pieces about Minaj at CNN, Vox, CNBC, the BBC, and elsewhere. Minaj claims she is in “Twitter jail,” while Twitter insists it has not shut down her account. The late-night comics made her the butt of their jokes. Overnight, she’s become something akin to Public Enemy Number One.

An extremely timely quote from Thomas Sowell

Sowell just turned 91 years old. His specialty is welfare economics

"It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong."
— Thomas Sowell

Google bans prolife ads from two prominent organizations

Thanks to LifeNet for letting me steal this entire post.

To quote the late free speech advocate Nat Hentoff, "Free speech for me, but not for thee".

On Tuesday, Live Action and Heartbeat International said Google removed ads about the life-saving abortion pill reversal protocol and a video about fetal development called “Baby Olivia.”

“At the request of abortion activists, @Google has just BANNED all of @LiveAction’s pro-life ads, including those promoting the Abortion Pill Reversal treatment, a resource that has saved 2,500 children to date,” Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, wrote on Twitter.

Censorship by Google means a near blackout of that information online. Google, which owns YouTube and other companies, is one of the most powerful entities in the world, and political leaders in the United States and Europe have been investigating whether it is violating anti-trust laws.

Pro-life and conservative groups, including LifeNews.com, have been feeling the brunt of its censorship powers for years.

“Why they fight so hard to silence us, I struggle to understand. But they do. And they fight dirty,” Cindi Boston-Bilotta, vice president of Heartbeat International, which runs the abortion pill reversal hotline, wrote Tuesday in an email to supporters.

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

Studies and medical experts confirm the abortion pill reversal protocol is safe and effective. It works very similarly to a hormonal treatment that has been used for years to help prevent miscarriages.

The censorship comes at a critical time when abortion activists are pushing to expand abortion pills. The Biden administration recently stopped enforcing safety regulations on abortion drugs, meaning abortion groups now can sell them through the mail without ever seeing the woman in person.

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

The latest censorship by Google is connected to a new article in the leftist news outlet The Daily Beast. According to the article:

A Google spokesperson said the company does not allow ads that promote harmful health claims, including those for abortion pill reversal. After reviewing a copy of the report provided by The Daily Beast, Google said it had removed all of the ads mentioned. Facebook said it was also reviewing the report and investigating the ads mentioned.

Boston-Bilotta said the abortion pill reversal protocol is safe, and they are appealing Google’s decision.

“We have appealed and are working hard to reach these women,” she said.

Lou Grant has to give Ted Knight some bad news...

From the Mary Tyler Moore show decades ago. Ed Asner and Ted Baxter. Double genius.

Bush spokesman clarifies his 9/11 remarks.

I posted President Bush's talk at the Pennsylvania memorial George W. Bush & Kamala Harris both spoke at the Flight 93 memorial ceremonies yesterday   and saw it as condemning any extremist/fanatic using violence to pursue some domestic policy (I thought Bush was very clear). But many took what he said as only referring to the nitwits invading the capitol building on January 6th.

But here's what his spokesman said -

This column asked Bush spokesman Freddy Ford to whom President Bush was referring when he talked about “violent extremists at home” on Saturday. Mr. Ford responds via email:

He refers to anyone who would take up violence against fellow Americans to advance a belief — inclusive of, but not exclusive to, those who would attack synagogues, nightclubs, churches, people of color, national symbols, institutions, the government, etc.

That should settle it - should but it won't.

Parrot says "Even we have standards;" refuses to poop on NY Times

Parrots are very intelligent. 

Full Disclosure - I recently took the NY Times up on their $1 a week for 52 weeks "special" online subscription deal. Or maybe it was $4 a month - same difference

More domesticated birds, known for being emotionally fragile and fussy, are raising their standards and refusing to crap on low-quality newspapers such as The New York Times.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a classier paper than that to do my business on," said Penny, a blue and gold macaw from California. "I'm not saying I expect this place to be the Ritz-Carlton, but geez. Can we at least get a copy of the National Enquirer or PC Gamer or something to class the place up a bit?"

"If things don't change, I'm going to be forced to contact my lawyer. This is ridiculous." ...

Sales of the paper have plummeted as fewer and fewer birds were using them to go to the bathroom on, as that was apparently a large chunk of sales for the Times each and every month. Similar fates have met other newspapers and magazines as birds' bathroom standards have raised, such as The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and Relevant Magazine.

 

Tom's Jamaican schoolgirl softball team - 1979

I came across this picture. Plus the softball they all signed for me at the end of the 1979 school year.  The Island high school champions.  Hard to believe these young high school women are all well into their 50's. Which makes me ... how old?

 

George W. Bush & Kamala Harris both spoke at the Flight 93 memorial ceremonies yesterday

From C-Span, the full speeches and both worth listening to.

Former President Bush -

 

Here's the vice president -

A now retired fireman I know interviewed about his experiences on 9/11

Tom Marsich. Thanks to our friend Laurie for sending me this.

Catholics affected by terrorist attacks of 2001 reflect on the tragedy — and its spiritual impact.

New York Fire Department firefighter Tom Marsich was home on his day off when he heard the first reports.

“I felt right away this was a terrorist attack,” he said. “I was there in ‘93 during the first World Trade Center bombing. On TV I saw the planes hit and the size of the tremendous fire. Obviously a lot killed. I called the (Franciscan) Friars (of the Renewal) and asked for their prayers. Speaking on the phone I saw the next plane crash into the building.”

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

Marsich rushed to work on his bicycle because he “was concerned that the bridges entering Manhattan might be closed and the subways may have been stopped,” he said. He got to Engine Company 80 Ladder 23 eight miles away in Harlem, and joined the firemen who commandeered a city bus, piled it with equipment and rushed down the West Side Highway to the World Trade Center.

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

“At the time, I was practicing my faith and knew the Friars (of the Renewal) — a tremendous blessing to me. I believe 9/11 increased my faith for sure. Anytime we go through a big challenge in our lives, it makes us pray more to God, speak more inside to God, asking for his help and praying for other people going through hard times. Tragedy does that to you.

“Also, I felt that outpouring from people really, really touched my faith back then. I can’t describe how all the people, mothers, daughters knocked on the firehouse door with food and bringing things like that at the firehouse. And all those touching cards from kids from all over the world sent to firehouses. Bags of mail! On rotation from the World Trade Center we sat down and read them. We all knew so many who died and were traumatized, but to receive a note from a little boy in another state saying he was praying for us — God worked through all those people to help us put one foot in front of the other to continue rescuing people and recovering remains of those they loved.”

Marsich concluded, “We might have seen a lot of darkness on 9/11, but in the aftermath I saw a lot of love and a lot of light.”

9/11 twenty years

Like for most people today is a sorrowful day. Below is a posting I first put up in 2006. Tommy should be 50. The comments on his Legacy Tribute page have now gone to 100+ pages. 

I knew seven people killed on 9/11. But I only knew one of them real well.

I knew Tom Knox ("Tommy") because I coached him for five years at the North Jersey Rugby Club. He was a great kid. Funny, quick witted, really sparkling personality. The sort of fellow you enjoy hanging around with; you're glad he's your friend.

He was an intense rugby player and wonderfully coachable guy.

  Tom was married to Nancy for less than a year. He was thirty years old. The youngest of six children. He worked at Cantor Fitzgerald. No trace of him has been found. 1,000 people attended his funeral Mass. It is still painful to even write about this.

If you have time, go here  Guest Book - Thomas Patrick Knox and read some of the 21 pages of tributes Tommy's friends wrote.

Former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill describes killing Bin Laden

Pretty business-like - and a bit disturbing. Which is why he was a SEAL...

NY Times report: our military Kabul drone strike killed an aid worker & his family; not terrorists

If confirmed it's beyond horrifying. Ten dead including seven children. The target worked for a US NGO and his employer had applied to get him immigrant status to the USA. If you hit the link there is an embedded video telling the whole story, including video of him and others loading water bottles into the car, evidently to be dropped off to people. The aftermath of the drone strike is shown but there are no gruesome pictures.

"The New York Times obtained exclusive security camera footage and witness accounts to show how the military launched a drone strike that killed 10 people in Kabul on Aug. 29 without knowing whom it was hitting."

KABUL, Afghanistan — It was the last known missile fired by the United States in its 20-year war in Afghanistan, and the military called it a “righteous strike” — a drone attack after hours of surveillance on Aug. 29 against a vehicle that American officials thought contained an ISIS bomb and posed an imminent threat to troops at Kabul’s airport.

But a New York Times investigation of video evidence, along with interviews with more than a dozen of the driver’s co-workers and family members in Kabul, raises doubts about the U.S. version of events, including whether explosives were present in the vehicle, whether the driver had a connection to ISIS, and whether there was a second explosion after the missile struck the car.

Military officials said they did not know the identity of the car’s driver when the drone fired, but deemed him suspicious because of how they interpreted his activities that day, saying that he possibly visited an ISIS safe house and, at one point, loaded what they thought could be explosives into the car.

Times reporting has identified the driver as Zemari Ahmadi, a longtime worker for a U.S. aid group. The evidence suggests that his travels that day actually involved transporting colleagues to and from work. And an analysis of video feeds showed that what the military may have seen was Mr. Ahmadi and a colleague loading canisters of water into his trunk to bring home to his family.

Attack on Larry Elder and his staff merits no coverage from most media.

"Most media" I couldn't find any youtube videos from the regular media - ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, etc. Not only was he confronted by "angry" people; an egg was thrown at him (missed) and at least two of his staff were punched.  And with the recall Elder is the person most likely to be the Governor of California if Newsom really is recalled.

Here's commentary from the Wall Street Journal and video from the Australian Sky News below the commentary.

‘If Elder Were a Democrat’ Without double standards, would the U.S. media have any standards at all?

We live in an age of career cancellations over politically incorrect language and perceived “microagressions.” And then there’s Larry Elder, about whom one is allowed to say almost anything—and even attempt to physically assault—without much fear of media condemnation.

The Journal article then goes on to quote Kyle Smith of the National Review:

According to our nation’s media leaders, it’s not a story that a white person wearing a gorilla mask attacked Larry Elder, a black man seeking to become the first non-white governor of California, by hurling an egg that touched his head.

If Elder were a Democrat, the attack would have been instantly and with good reason dubbed racist. It would not only be front-page news, it would be just about the only news you were hearing about today on CNN and MSNBC. Charles Blow, Perry Bacon, and Jamelle Bouie would each be writing the first in a series of angry columns about it. So would Gail Collins, Jonathan Capehart, Jennifer Rubin, Michelle Goldberg, Paul Krugman, Maureen Dowd, Dana Milbank, and Ezra Klein. We would be treated to multiple news analyses about the history of the usage of gorilla tropes against blacks. Joy-Ann Reid, Rachel Maddow, and Don Lemon would be doing hour-long broadcasts on the attack, convening panels discussing just how the attack pulls the scab off racism in America, and proves we have so much work left to do in dealing with the problem. Vox would commission a series about California’s grim history of racism dating back to the Chinese Exclusion Act, and Asian-American and Latino writers would hasten to explain that California’s historic hostility to all sorts of persons of color is as traditional as its Tournament of Roses parade. Three-thousand-word essays about the brutal, unknown history of lynchings in the Golden State would be published in The Atlantic and/or The New Yorker. Al Sharpton, exhibiting a combination of exhaustion and despondency, would be a guest on half a dozen cable TV shows.

The woman who threw the egg at Elder would find her picture, her name, and everything she’d ever said on social media scrutinized at great length and on the home pages of the leading news sites. Her appearance would be mocked by late-night comedians. Dozens of reporters would be sent out to learn this woman’s story, to check out where she lived, where she worked, and where she went to school.

Here's the video of the confrontation -

 

Anglican Bishop in England stepping down to become a Catholic

This is interesting - from the Jesuit magazine America. Bishop Jonathan Goodall. Even though he is married he could become a Catholic priest. There is an exception to celibacy for this kind of conversion. Of course he would have to be ordained since the Catholic Church does not recognize Anglican holy orders as valid - they are not in the Apostolic succession. This conversion of high ranking Anglican clergy is not uncommon. See the last paragraph below.

MANCHESTER, England (CNS) -- The Anglican bishop of Ebbsfleet stepped down from office after announcing that he will become a Roman Catholic.

The resignation of Bishop Jonathan Goodall was announced by Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury in a Sept. 3 statement released by Lambeth Palace. Bishop Goodall is a former ecumenical secretary to a previous archbishop of Canterbury and was ordained in 2013 to serve as a “flying bishop” of a diocese erected to cover traditionalist parishes that would not accept women priests.

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

No details of who will receive Bishop Goodall into the Catholic faith or where his reception will happen have been revealed. His Anglican ministry will end Sept. 8, according to the statement from Lambeth Palace.

Bishop Goodall, who is based in Reading, England, declined to be interviewed but said in a Sept. 3 statement that he would step down after eight years in office “in order to be received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.”

He said that the decision was reached “only after a long period of prayer, which has been among the most testing periods of my life.”

“Life in the communion of the Church of England has shaped and nourished my discipleship as a Catholic Christian for many decades,” he said in a statement posted on the website of the Diocese of Ebbsfleet.

“This is where I first received -- and for half my life have ministered, as priest and bishop -- the sacramental grace of Christian life and faith,” he added.

“I shall always treasure this and be thankful for it. I trust you all to believe that I have made my decision as a way of saying yes to God’s present call and invitation, and not of saying no to what I have known and experienced in the Church of England, to which I owe such a deep debt.”

The bishop's decision to join the Catholic Church represents the highest-level transfer since Gavin Ashenden, a former royal chaplain to Queen Elizabeth II, became a Catholic at Christmas in 2019.

Today, Sept. 8th, celebrating the Nativity of Mary

From Magnificat -

The Virgin (1834), Pierre-Claude-François Delorme (1783-1859), Château de Compiègne, Chapel, France.

At the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the new Eve enters the world. We give glory to God this day in celebrating the perfect humility and love of Mary, his masterpiece of grace and the Ark of the New Covenant. 

"Biden’s Approval Rating Among CNN Employees Sinks To All-Time Low..."

It's down to 98%.

ATLANTA, GA—After a tumultuous 3 weeks and a botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, internal polls now indicate that Biden's approval rating among those who work at CNN has fallen to an all-time low of 98%.

"This is extremely concerning," said CNN president Jeffrey Zucker. "In spite of our best efforts to support our dear president, his approval among our employees has fallen to just 98%, down from a previous low of 99.2%. Rest assured—we will find who these employees are who disapprove and ensure they undergo disciplinary measures."

Some anonymous sources have suggested that Biden's approval rating at CNN is actually much lower, but that most employees have lied on the survey in order to keep their jobs. To find out who's lying, Zucker will be mandating lie detector tests for all employees.

The survey did confirm, however, that CNN employee approval of Communist China, Big Tech, and Jeffrey Toobin still remains at a healthy 100%, at least among those named Jeffrey Toobin.

Taliban's new cabinet includes individuals on FBI most wanted list

What a  colossal mess. 

 

NY Times - Democrats planning cradle to grave benefits

Actually "conception to old age"; that's the term the Times uses. Funny way to put it since you're not a person (in their view) until you exit the birth canal. Read the article to find out how it will be paid for.

Free if you use this link or look below - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/06/us/politics/democrats-biden-social-safety-net.html?unlocked_article_code=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEIPuonUktbfqohkQVUbBSbIRp8_qRmHmfnE2_swi3r5JzKcVS0HxeUZDo7F4EDGZKNnIsA60TmHVZpHPaNpROB3yqUXGX1RfDSSg8nOnoUZcWJyoJivX2gy0tWSA-xmrGK7Niy1dbsvgeCztB_DOmO8Xbje1HQnJV4xoZJvJQy6yDdfkPe-Z-1y3dh91P0hF8o6EW9GPH_WyqGuXxZuO9yGbgXe4h00XYxaWzLRnt2d7NEQYVkYSAKGHD4kvzFKuJ4LM8gXPa38MxcrZMH95L0QAWVoJ42sbIYjNoXyBQzcfA-f0of1VF7Ybg&smid=url-share

From Cradle to Grave, Democrats Move to Expand Social Safety Net. The $3.5 trillion social policy bill that lawmakers begin drafting this week would touch virtually every American, at every point in life, from conception to old age.

Passage of the bill, which could spend as much as $3.5 trillion over the next decade, is anything but certain. President Biden, who has staked much of his domestic legacy on the measure’s enactment, will need the vote of every single Democrat in the Senate, and virtually every one in the House, to secure it. And with two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, saying they would not accept such a costly plan, it will challenge Democratic unity like nothing has since the Affordable Care Act.

That is largely because the proposed legislation would be so transformative — a cradle-to-grave reweaving of a social safety net frayed by decades of expanding income inequality, stagnating wealth and depleted governmental resources, capped by the worst public health crisis in a century.

The pandemic loosened the reins on federal spending, prompting members of both parties to support showering the economy with aid. It also uncorked decades-old policy desires — like expanding Medicare coverage or paid family and medical leave — that Democrats contend have proved to be necessities as the country has lived through the coronavirus crisis.

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

“We’re talking about free or affordable child care where no one pays more than 7 percent of their income; we’re talking about universal pre-K programs with two years of formal instruction; we’re talking about two years of postsecondary education,” said Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York, a former teacher and principal who is vice chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “This is how you build a strong nation.”

To Republicans, who are readying a counteroffensive, the Democratic plans are nothing short of socialism. They say they are concerned that the plan is financially unsustainable and would undermine economic growth, by rendering Americans too dependent on the government for their basic needs.

Australia: "Moment missing three year old found after three days lost in the woods"

Wow. A three year old.

 

Here's a longer look at the story. What a happy ending....

 

Croton Dam - last Thursday AM - rainbow heaven!

I already posted some video last Thursday about the Croton Dam after the storm At the Croton Dam- we were there at 8:45 AM Thursday after the remnants of Ida struck.  With the mist and the early morning sunshine there were rainbows everywhere.

Brigid took these -

Here are some of mine (Brigid's are mostly better...!)

Now I go a little crazy

YIKES!