DILBERT CHANNELS the Democrat Progressive party.

THEY'RE 'MOSTLY PEACEFUL'? Washington state Democrats want decreased penalties for drive-by shooters because ....

WHY IS THIS NOT A SURPRISE? Going to college can make you stupid.

FAUCI: Removing masks on airplanes 'not something we should even be considering'.

I've got a better idea -- send Dr. Fauci on a 13-hour flight to Australia with a N95 mask duct-taped to his face.

One way, of course.

STEVEN HAYWARD IS BEING KIND: Liberals are miserable people. And determined to make us share their misery.

Thanks, but no....

YES. What we have done to our children is a crime.

And what is worse, the responsible bureaucrats will never be prosecuted.

THE LAST DAYS OF CNN: Would you pay 6 bucks a month to watch CNN?

I wouldn't watch CNN if they paid me $6/month.

THE DAILY GOUGE: When will the pandemic end?

“…until there is a regime change at the presidential level, they will never tell us the pandemic is really over. Instead, they will say the situation is slightly better (for now), but we must always maintain our guard with extreme vigilance. Otherwise, it can come back at a moment’s notice. That means continued masking (where authorities deem necessary) and booster shots every few months like teeth cleanings, probably intermittent lockdowns as well. (Schools could practice those like fire drills.) We should still maintain social distancing when we can. You never know what your neighbor might be carrying. It’s a good habit. Like flossing. We must do all this into perpetuity.

Am I exaggerating? Not if you ask the prime minister of New Zealand, who has already asserted there will never be an endpoint to the vaccination program in her country.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has just informed us that he believes the “acute phase” of the pandemic will end in 2022, but evinces “surprise” that so many resist vaccination and masks.

The rules and regulations of the pandemic always have been first and foremost about control, not health. To declare them over is to lose control.

Specifically, it’s to lose a grip on the acquiescent masses, to lose the possibility of advancing an American socialism-communism, however you want to describe it, as long as the state is more important than the individual (except, of course, those individuals who are in charge).

This won’t be relinquished easily. COVID-19 has provided excuses for state control beyond anything in most of our lifetimes. The last two years have brought the dreams of the left closer to reality—to transforming the United States—than they have been for decades.

Stopping them will be more difficult than stopping COVID-19 itself, even if it goes away. The residue will still be there. Cleaning that up and, yes, disinfecting it, will be all of our responsibilities.“

Not until the Democrats are shown the door.

"COMPETENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ARE FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE." Seen in the comments of this PowerLine post.

THE SHOW WILL NOT GO ON: Omicron surge leads to cancelation of New Year's festivities.

The beatings will continue until morale improves citizens say "No!"

JUST IN TIME FOR THE OUTBREAK TO END: Biden announces plans to roll out 500 million free at-home coronavirus tests beginning in January.

Unanounced: of what year?

REALITY STRIKES: Governor of New York just put 'critical workforce' on notice as omicron cases surge: 'We need you again'.

I rather suspect that there will be more than a few of those 'critical workforce' who decide that they don't need Gov. Hochul.

WISHING YOU A Merry Christmas! and hopefully a normal New Year.

Regular blogging will resume tomorrow.

FIFTY-THREE YEARS AGO TONIGHT, the crew of the first manned spaceflight to orbit the moon -- Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders -- read the Genesis creation story aloud for us as Earth became visible from their Apollo capsule.

I heard it live -- and I suggest you go back to that Wikipedia page and revisit that little piece of history.

Good night, and Merry Christmas tomorrow.

AND FINALLY, 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (legal edition).

MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Biden administration:

(one down, up to three remaining)

LET'S GO BRANDON: A presidency built for Festivus.

CHRISTMAS AT THE SCHIFF HOUSE:

Unfortunately thanks to the Biden administration, coal is now too valuable to waste on the likes of him.

Linked from the Fox News cartoon page.

NO KIDDING: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's grasp on American governance is a farce.

She's the walking, talking definition of 'stupid'.

STILL UNANSWERED: Why do California's education equity executives live in Texas?

Because equity is for you, not for me....

GOV. RON DESANTIS [R-FL]: Re-establish the Florida State Guard.

An appropriate action taken to serve and protect the people from federal tyranny. More states should take similar action.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Please stop the coup porn.

Click through and read the whole thing. And heed Instapundit's warning.

AMMO GRRRLL reflects on a lifetime of unforced diversity.

NEVER LET A CRISIS GO TO WASTE: Taking advantage of the covid pandemic to change the way we vote.

BUT VIRTUE SIGNALING IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT. Those dirty, racist electric vehicles.

Progressives in politics and in the press want to force the country into electric cars because it gives them an opportunity to show how virtuous they are, and provides an outlet for their urge to dictate others’ lives. The downsides mean nothing to them. They claim they want to save the planet, but in the beginning, and in the end, it’s all about them.

Important to them, not to us....

EVEN THE MISEDUCATED PANDEMIC PURVEYORS ARE GETTING THE MESSAGE: World Health Organization says Covid vaccine boosters will likely prolong the pandemic.

Is common sense (finally) making a comeback?

MATH FOR DUMMIES, ER, DEMMIES, ER DEMOCRATS: The Biden administration “Believes in Science.” But math –- not so much. So here is a little arithmetic using nice round numbers that even the administration and congressional progressives can follow.

THEIR DEMOCRACY, NOT OURS: Why is the Left suddenly worried about the end of democracy?

THREE RETIRED GENERALS demand a military coup in 2024.

Day by Day responds.

DAVE BERRY'S annual year in review. As usual, it's a hoot.

TONY FAUCI: jackbooted thug.

Let’s not live in fear because Dr. Fauci is promulgating things that are unscientific just to scare you. If you’ve been vaccinated or if you’ve had the disease, live your life and ignore this man.

Sound advice. And most everyone in my neck of the woods is taking it.

ELON MUSK does the Babylon Bee. The embedded podcast/video is a bit long (1-1/2 hours) but worthy of more than a passing glance. A shorter trailer is here.

AN UNILLUSIONED ASSESSMENT of President Biden and Vice President Harris.

HAPPY FESTIVUS EVERYONE. I am glad to see Rand Paul's continued support of this holiest of days.

Lede taken from the comments.

BIDEN TO AMERICA: No Christmas for you.

Unless you're overvaccinated -- and rich.

PANIC! AT THE DCCC: The Democrats' House campaign arm is descending into mayhem. The conclusion makes sense and is a warning to Republicans:

Watch the COVID gamesmanship here. They're going to try and use the fall-winter spike of 2022 because we all know this is going to be the new norm to call for special voting methods like they did in 2020. It's all they have, especially with a Democratic president who might have approval ratings settle and solidify in the low 30s.

Cheating is all they have left. Be warned.

ANOTHER DEMOCRAT INVESTS IN "IT'S NOT ME": Kamala Harris gripes her media coverage would be better if she was White man.

The Biden administration in toto....

IT WILL BE A MERRY CHRISTMAS: America's Christmas present is all the Democrats' dreams dying.

How apt was it that the West Virginian senator's gift to Joe Biden and the rest of the Dems was a lump of coal?

Happy, happy holidays....

NOTHING: What’s the matter with West Virginia?

WELL, IT IS CALIFORNIA. University dean publicly mocks 'stench' of conservative agenda as racist and unintelligent.

And the school came to her defense.

When my daughter graduated from high school (in California), I couldn't find a single college or university in that state that I would be willing to send her to. So she went to Nebraska instead.

And that was over 20 years ago....

IT'S BETTER TO BE GAY THAN STUPID: Kenosha prosecutor from Rittenhouse case wants the public to know he's not gay.

VACCINATION and the contemptible Dr. Fauci.

BIDEN BACKS DOWN AGAIN: Department of Homeland Security to close Trump border wall gaps and dispose of unused materials.

I'm sure Texas -- and perhaps Arizona -- could make good use of those 'unused materials'....

WHY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST BE ABOLISHED: School district suggests joining BLM protests, warns calling U.S. 'land of opportunity' is 'microaggression'.

DID CHEVROLET have to make America cry with its new Christmas ad?

I don't know if they had to, but they were wildly successful. Click on the link to see the entire commercial which is usually shortened for television.

THE RISE OF THE INCOMPETENTS: a pretty good description of 'wokism' in it's own language.

GOOD NEWS: Stephanie Murphy [D-FL] is the latest House Democrat to announce retirement.

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME: Michael Ramirez explains Biden administration incompetence.

Although to be perfectly honest, I doubt that Kamala Harris is that smart.

IF YOU'RE A 'WOKE' POLITICIAN, you may be hijacked but at least you'll get your car back.

No word yet on whether Delaware is a 'no cash bail' state....

Update: Guess what?

TUCKER CARLSON: Biden’s COVID policies are the muscle spasms of a dying political party.

I hope he's right. And it does before I do....

POWERLINE'S loose ends (and my comments):

1) Maybe Tater could help by cutting down.

2) The dinosaurs are finally winning.

3) The Right needs to be much more aggressive in 'identifying'.

The real world obviously isn't living up to woke expectations.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT: Student debt is policy violence.

I posted earlier on the Squad's demand to cancel student loan debt here.

Update: Biden backs down a little. No cancellation, but he did extend the pause.

MAYBE THEY COULD TEACH BIDEN HOW TO BE PRESIDENT: Human brain cells in a Petri dish learn to play Pong faster than an AI.

NEVER LET A PANDEMIC go to waste. Wally adapts to Biden administration policies.

LOOK BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Despite a high vaccination rate, Amtrak suspends it's vaccine mandate to keep the trains running on schedule.

In industry (my industry at least) it's called the 80/20 rule: 80% of the work is performed by 20% of the employees. In today's politically correct ('woke') environment those 20% are called essential employees, and without them the industry dies.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA is 'carpet-bombing' veteran cemeteries with 'Christian gang signs.

They're called wreaths. And Wreaths Across America has been doing it for nearly 30 years, so why is this outfit just now complaining?

To answer that skip to the links and compare their 990 tax forms. One of them is a scam; I'll leave it to the reader to decide which is which.

CIVILIZATIONAL SUICIDE, not omicron, is killing us.

THE HEALTHY SKEPTIC comments on the bureaucracy's moronic response to the omicron covid-19 variant: "It would be great and completely appropriate to shut government down indefinitely."

BUILD BACK BETTER -- How to destroy a national economy.

'WHITE PRIVILEGE' ISN'T GETTING PEOPLE KILLED, Democrats are.

MALLARD FILLMORE DUNKS ON THE WOKE: Start here and scroll back until Dec 10th.

SHOT: Congresswoman moves to restrict guns in homes after deadly school shooting.

CHASER: Five million more Americans acquired guns during COVID-19 pandemic.

NOBEL-PRIZE WINNING ECONOMIST PAUL KRUGMAN dismisses the idea that inflation hurts the poor worse than the rich.

Take all his money away and let him figure it out for himself.

WELCOME TO A KINDER, GENTLER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: Massive brawl breaks out at Miami airport.

COULDN'T HAPPEN TO A BETTER NETWORK: CNN boss Jeff Zucker is captain of sinking ship.

Memo for Zucker: The captain(s) must also go down with the ship....

A POLITICIZED TORNADO: As bad as this disaster [was], it is not even close to the worst tornado episode in American history, which was the 24-hour period in April 1974, when 30 F4/F5 tornadoes were observed, and 148 tornadoes overall.

Read the whole thing.

ARE VACCINE MANDATES KILLING PEOPLE? VAERS data indicates the covid vaccines have killed at least 140,000 people.

My guess is probably not, but (1) this certainly doesn't reflect well on the public health community, and (2) it could explain why the number of covid-related deaths have gone up, not down, since the Biden administration took over in 2021.

HMM: COVID patients reporting residual voice problems after infection.

But, but ... vaccinations are perfect. Saint Fauci said so.

AMERICAN GREATNESS: The Bay of Prigs. A perfect description of 'progressivism' in Great Britian.

[T]hey’re governed by the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.

That’s the problem with do-gooding. There’s always more good to do.

And they're coming -- have come, unfortunately -- to America....

WEST COAST, MESSED COAST: Protection for me, but not for thee. First example:

King County [Seattle] prosecutor Dan Satterberg has asked that his fiefdom downtown be outfitted with bulletproof glass, because the pesky, drug-addled residents of Fentanyl Flats have been using his windows for target practice.

Now go read the rest. And weep for America.

THIS IS WHAT batshit crazy looks like.

The comments agree....

COVID CHRISTMAS: Officials advise masks at home, canceling gatherings, shunning unvaxxed.

The Dumbocrats Democrats are determined to cancel themselves....

I DIDN'T WATCH, so did Presidentish Joe Biden take any questions at his press conference today?

My guess is no. Dictators, tyrants, and bullies don't do press conferences.

They have flacks for that...

THE ANSWER IS 'YES!': Do West Virginians back Joe Manchin's opposition to Build Back Better?

Thank you, West Virginia. And moderate Democrats (if any are left) take note....

IF YOU DON'T BEND YOUR KNEE TO US, we're going to kill you.

The White House message is a bit more subtle but the gist is the same.

DALLAS MAYOR sees crime fall as it spikes in other Democrat-run cities: "We are supporting our police."

All it takes is support -- and appreciation.

MOCK THEM. Mercilessly.

STUDY: Double masking, snug fit key to limiting COVID-19 spread.

For Dr. Fauci and the other 'woke' bullies, I recommend duct tape -- in the long run, it's 100% effective.

FACEBOOK’S “FACT CHECKING” IS A LIE. It’s basically narrative-checking.

Progressive narrative checking.

WE ALREADY KNOW HE'S A LIAR: Adam Schiff gets caught doctoring January 6th text messages.

PELOSI SHOCKED BY BRAZEN 'LAWLESSNESS': 'I don't know where it comes from.' She obviously hasn't looked in a mirror.

Reading further, I note the usual Democrat strategy: punish the innocent for the sins of the guilty. There's nothing like penalizing all online sellers instead of catching, prosecuting, and jailing the thieves.

GET WOKE, GO BROKE: I'm not donating this year either.

Read the comments. They're not kind.

SERVE ME FIRST because I'm clearly virtuous.

SHEER IDIOCY: California to reimpose universal indoor mask mandate.

Well, it is California after all. I just hope some enterprising journalists (are there any left?) dog Gov. Newsom everywhere he goes to ensure he scrupulously follows his own diktat.

EAT, DRINK, AND MAKE MERRY, for tomorrow we shall be on Bidenfare.

DILBERT EXPLAINS why lockdowns don't work.

POWERLINE'S WEEK IN PICTURES RETURNS and Smollett smolders. My favorite this week:

But there are many, many excellent ones this week. Go enjoy them all.

HEH: Peggy Noonan is pathetic.

Noonan’s popularity as a Journal columnist may justify the editors’ persistence in turning over the paper’s valuable editorial page real estate to her on a weekly basis, but I trust they are embarrassed by it.

I think it's safe to say "I doubt it."

THE OMICRON VARIANT HAS ARRIVED -- and nothing much has happened.

Dud....

WHO COULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING? Hospitals that laid off unvaccinated staff now overwhelmed.

Who could have seen this coming? Anyone with half a brain, that's who. I'm reminded of a business card my Dad used to hand out to encourage his customers:

His customers were smart; they listened to him.

IF YOU'VE EVER used (or been forced to use) Medicare , this is obvious: More than half of U.S. hospitals don’t follow pricing disclosure rules.

IT’S TIME TO ADMIT IT. Less than a year in, Joe Biden’s is a failed presidency.

Fire them. Fire them all. And convict them when and where we can.

AMMO GRRRLL: Never, ever vote for a category.

Especially if that category is 'Democrat'....

DEMOCRATS AGAIN URGE BIDEN to cancel student loan debt as payment restart looms.

I wonder why. Rashida Tlaib ($70K), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ($20K), and many other members of Congress still have student loan debt (on $175K salaries).

THOUGHTLESS ENVIRONMENTALISM: The push for electric cars is actually killing rainforests.

ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURES are being built. For the most part conservative America is walking/has walked away (from Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Read it, and the comments below.

GO LONG on Democrat panic. What's interesting is the approval rating chart; it pretty well mirrors the Rasmussen Presidential Approval Index that I track daily.

Note that approve/strongly approve are pretty evenly split on the approval side while the disapprove/strongly disapprove are biased 4:1 in favor of strongly disapprove. I think the 20% strong approval number represents the Democrat base -- and even it has dropped 50% since the election. Strong disapprovals have increased since the start of the year, by around 20%.

My guess is that by the midterms, the strong approvals will remain in the 20% diehard Democrat base, the 'meh' votes will remain in the mid-20%, and the strong disapprovals will increase to 55% or higher, giving a Rasmussen Approval index somewhere below -35.

The Biden administration is in trouble....

IT COULDN'T HAPPEN TO A NICER BUNCH OF ZEALOTS:

The 'woke' got what they wanted.

If only the consequences could be confined to the zealots....

ANN COULTER: The Fauci who cried wolf.

RANDOM THOUGHT: It took the Biden administration a bit under 11 months to turn 'progressive' into a 4-letter word.

MEET RACHEL ROLLINS, the new United States Attorney for Massachusetts.

Brief as it is, the video tells you just about everything you need to know about her. She is a racist. She is a race hustler. She is vulgar. She is vile. She is a nut.

And she is a Democrat.

IS YOUR CAT A PSYCHOPATH? Here's how you can tell.

'LITTLE PEOPLE' DON'T COUNT: Biden's infrastructure coordinator lists climate, equity ahead of 'blue-collar jobs'.

THANKS, BLOOMBERG: Making the case for 'shall issue' carry permits.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Learn to code.

RIGHT TO LEFT: We have.

CLUELESS JOE BIDEN can’t grasp any of the crises he’s created. "The question is what are we supposed to do about Biden’s increasingly worrisome incompetence?"

'Bend over and kiss...' is not in my vocabulary.

NOT ON MY WATCH: Stacey Abrams could win this time.

YES, UNTIL THE C-SUITES ARE EMPTIED AND REPLACED: Is the rift between the public and the C-suites permanent?

FAUCI: Definition of "fully vaccinated" will change.

Of course it will; it'll be whatever is needed for the Left to maintain control.

CAN THEY BOTH LOSE? CNN and Chris Cuomo are on the brink of all-out war.

THE GEEK IN PICTURES, delta-omicron edition. Most are interesting, a couple are just plain funny.

SELF-PROCLAIMED DEMOCRAT 'THOUGHT LEADER' says 'white male Christians' should show 'integrity' by removing themselves from diverse Democratic primary fields.

Real diversity would be stepping aside for non-idiots to run (assuming there are any remaining in the modern Democrat party).

DECEMBER 6TH: Angry Leftists threaten to shut down Washington DC tomorrow.

So if they shut down DC how will we know?

DECEMBER 8TH: Dang! No one noticed it shut down.

STEVEN HAYWARD STRIKES AGAIN: short takes on age, diversity, and gender-bending failure.

BECAUSE THEY'RE DYING OFF TOO SLOWLY? Illinois Democrat files measure to punish unvaccinated for 'clogging up health care system'.

IT'S THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY OF INFAMY

as the first anniversary of the Congress of Infamy apporoaches.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Misremembering Pearl Harbor.

It's not wise to underestimate your opponents. Japan found that out in WWII; I just hope Joe Biden is underestimating the power of real America.

BRING 'EM ON: CNN faces potential onslaught of lawsuits with top moneymaker Chris Cuomo fired.

Quit? Or was fired? Chris Cuomo forced out of SiriusXM.

HOW CITIES DIE: "When criminals rule the streets, normal people stay away."

Read it all.

'SCIENCE' CZAR TONY FAUCI says officials feel 'very badly' about African travel ban, will reevaluate policy.

News for Tony: When you get that far over your skis, a crash is usually imminent.

DAN BONGINO: Real patriots don't exchange freedom for safety.

Watch.

RANDOM THOUGHT: Whenever you see a news story with the lede "Experts say" you should assume it's false.

[RELATED & moved to the top] Sarah Hoyt seems to agree. It's a bit longish but well worth the time.

RANDOM OBSERVATION ON THE STATE OF REAL AMERICA: I was chatting with a Dollar General employee this morning about the bare shelf in the cat food section, mentioning that I was tempted to put up a Biden 'I did that' sticker on the shelf.

I left her with a number of stickers and a 'Let's Go, Brandon' decal for her car....

SOMETHING FOR THE ENTERPRISING ENTREPRENEUR: Let's Go Brandon store opens in royal blue Massachusetts.

IT WOULD CERTAINLY MAKE MY DAY: Will a disgurntled Chris Cuomo take CNN down with him?

Heh. I mistakenly typed 'DNN' (twice) above. Since 'DNN' could stand for 'Democrat News Network' I wonder if my fingers were trying to tell me something....

DON'T YOU KNOW we're doing this for you peons?

POMPOUS POLITICIAN PANDERS PANDEMIC-PANICKED PROGRESSIVES: [Very-soon-to-be-ex] Mayor deBlasio announces a vaccine mandate for private sector workers in New York City.

SEEN ON TWITTER: "The trouble with natural immunity is that it’s free."

And responding in the comments: "The trouble with private health care is it's not free."

To which one must ask "And government healthcare is?"

TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME IS THE REAL PANDEMIC: Bette Midler (whoever that is) thinks Trump is the Devil and should be arrested for attempted murder of Joe Biden.

More proof (assuming any is needed) that TDS eats away the brain until all that's left is a gibbering idiot.

JOURNALISM, JUST THE NEWS, WITHOUT FAVOR OR BIAS: New York Times 'journalist' curses gun rights association in alleged voicemail.

Without bias? Umm .... no.

FREEDOM ISN’T ONE OF STANFORD’S VALUES: ‘Pro-freedom’ Pence speech denied funding by Stanford student government.

But covidiocy is.

BREAKING: Flatworms are smarter than Los Angelenos.

YOU HAVE TO LAUGH at these 'educated' bubble-idiots.

THE NEW NORMAL: Manhattan workers warned not to use public transit.

You were warned, but you voted Democrat anyway....

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPERS: Coming to a mall near you.

Linked from the Fox News cartoon page.

"NOT ME"^* RETURNS: DA who released Waukesha suspect ahead of tragedy says it was the result of human error by an overworked staffer.

^*Remember Bil Keane's Family Circus comic strip?

I'M STILL LAUGHING: the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's gas price propaganda.

Does the DCCC really think voters are this stupid? Yes, they do. [Well, they're Democrats, after all. -- Ed.] Are they that stupid? I guess we’ll find out next November, assuming that voters have enough $5/gallon gas in their tank to get to the voting precincts.

But, but ... mail-in voting!

AND I'LL BET THE SNAKES ARE STILL THERE -- JUST ANNOYED: Homeowner accidentally burns house down in effort to fight snake infestation.

ROGER SIMON: Welcome to Stasi America.

MORE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MALCOMPETENCE: Supply chain issues now impacting pharmacies.

Wearing out and replacing (see southern border) squeaky cogs seems to be an administration specialty.

POWERLINE'S new new deviant edition of its Week in Pictures has posted. I have two favorites this week, mine:

And my wife's:

As usual there are many more excellent ones. Go see them all.

IF YOU SINK ENOUGH OF THEM maybe they'll go away.

Just another insight into Biden administration malcompetence....

I NOTICED, TOO: Biden sounds different.

HORSESHIT IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF COVID: And it’s why we need to be able to trust institutions.

The full post is here. You should read it all.

I JUST HOPE IT DOESN'T TAKE ANOTHER 40 YEARS TO RETURN TO SANITY: Forty years ago, Monty Python predicted (and mocked) wokeness.

MAYBE THE TIDE IS TURNING: Atlanta underdog Andre Dickens wins mayor's office.

JOE MANCHIN ISN'T POPULAR IN DEMOCRAT CIRCLES, votes to end vaccine mandates.

SISTER TOLDJA: Stacey Abrams starts off her 'reelection' campaign with a major whopper.

I'm reminded of the old trope that begins with "those who can, do ...." In Stacey Abrams case the meme should be "If you can, do; if you can't, lie about it."

AMMO GRRRLL reviews her 'woke' Thanksgiving.

Along with other priceless gems. Go read it all.

WORDS OF WISDOM: Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be covidiots.

LET'S GO, BRANDON! Biden bunk brigade at it again today.

The selfie cartoon is good, but the Reich tweet pair is a marvelous example of Leftist 'self awareness'.

I guess raising prices (and taxes) is only a good thing when the Left does it....

SHOE: Where are my sour cream & onion chips?

From the comments: "I’ve been told the government can monitor you through your cell phone, so occasionally I pick up my phone and ask if they’re bored yet."

A PREVIEW of life without private transportation. That should empty the cities pretty quickly....

On the other hand, I really don't want them [city dwellers] in my neck of the woods either.

INSTAPUNDIT: The Biden economic numbers are in ... and they're really, really good.

LOOT THEM INSTEAD: Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation demanding members and allies of the Black community to not shop at White-owned businesses.

YEAH, that's it.

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Student organizations demand administration to 'withdraw' Kyle Rittenhouse.

If the ASU administration had any spine it would kick those organizations [Students for Socialism, Students for Justice in Palestine, Multicultural Solidarity Coalition, and MECHA de ASU] off campus and 'withdraw' their membership from the University.

But they didn't; apparently Rittenhouse is no longer (an online) student there. Whether it was voluntary on Rittenhouse's part or ASU isn't clear.

UPDATE: ASU rejects student demands, refuses to ban Rittenhouse from future enrollment. Obviously I was wrong is posting that ASU backed down. but the 'who, when, and how' of his leaving the online program still isn't clear. Nevertheless, kudos to ASU for not backing down. I wish they had been much stronger in punishing the student organizations for their 'demands' but a small victory is still a victory.

HE WAS ALREADY DEHUMANIZED. Waukesha terrorist says he feels dehumanized in jail-house interview.

And he should be put down like any rabid animal.

GEE, I WONDER WHY most people are shrugging off the Omicron virus.

I don't.

THE MADNESS OF ANTHONY FAUCI:

Joe Biden’s chief coronavirus advisor and miniature global menace spent more than an hour denying responsibility for his documented mistakes, bragging about his self-appointed role as the world’s doctor, hogging credit for the vaccines, and attacking anyone who has challenged his unrivaled ego and track record of failure.

And that's the good part. Now read it all.

NEWSLETTER PEDDLERS offended by real journalism quit Fox News.

Don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out....

BIDEN'S APPROVAL isn't doing too well. Scroll down to the strongly approve/disapprove numbers.

JUST YOU WAIT: I fear this might be prescient.

SO I'M GOING TO DIE EARLY because I don't like to cook?

AMMO GRRRLL KNOWS the supply chain disruption has not made even the slightest dent in the surplus of deliberate, willful ignorance.

WHAT ELEPHANT? The media again buries a Hunter Biden scandal on foreign deals during the Biden vice presidency.

To answer the 'What were they doing?' question, that's easy: Because he [Trump] was successful.

PROOF THAT SMART CARS AREN'T: Tesla fails driver license test.

IT'S TRUMP'S FAULT: Politico found a way to blame the Omicron COVID variant on Donald Trump.

It's always Trump's fault.

STACEY ABRAMS: Unlike Trump, I never challenged my election result.

So refusing to concede is not 'challenging my election loss'?

FAUCI: We found Omicron in a fully vaccinated person in San Francisco.

It’s the first confirmed U.S. case. We should ban travel to and from California immediately.

Not because of Omicron. Because California.

Enforce the 'to' part of the ban after Fauci gets there....

RANDOM THOUGHT: God does have a sense of humor; 'omicron' is an anagram for 'moronic'.

APPARENTLY STACEY ABRAMS is running for her second term as Governor of Georgia.

God help us all.

MORE MORONIC from the Biden administration: Kamala Harris says new space policy will focus on climate change.

At least they kept didn't trample some of the Trump policies.

YES! YES, YES, YES. Growing numbers on the Right calling for a government shutdown to block vaccine mandates.

And keep it shut down until all the swamp creatures agree to leave us alone.

I CANCELED THEM, TOO: The Salvation Army realizes going woke wasn't such a good idea after all.

NO, NO. NOT SCIENCE. More cops equals fewer black murder victims.

How dare science mirror reality....

SCIENCE WILL PROBABLY BE FINE once it gets a representative who is more scientific not Dr. Anthony Fauci.

And that time must come sooner, not later, for that narcissistic jackass.

MY NEXT CAR WILL BE USED: Biden’s ‘infrastructure’ bill contains backdoor ‘kill switch’ for cars.

THE QUESTION IS NOT WHY, BUT HOW: Why would Ron De Santis do this?

He's smart and pays attention to the real world.

RANDOM THOUGHT: To call the D.C. kakistocracy (and their mandarins feeding at the public trough) 'lizard people' is to insult real lizards.

IF STUPID WERE A CRIMINAL ACT the entire Biden administration would be in jail. Here's an example.

RANDOM THOUGHT: Biden's popularity on Rasumssen's Presidential Approval Index increased by 3 points over Thanksgiving.

So absence does make the heart grow fonder....

FALLING LEAVES 2021, Week 12:

A Week 1 versus Week 12 comparison of three of my standard pictures. Here's the usual pond view:

Week 1:

Week 12:

Next is the fire pit view:

Week 1:

Week 12:

And this the most interesting one -- a view taken of the pond area taken from near the fire pit. Here's what it looks like during the summer -- no view of the pond at all.

And here is roughly the same view today.

Until the springtime series begins....

MORE PROOF(IF ANY IS NEEDED) that accountability is for peons.

THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICANS SIDEBAR: Notes on Thanksgiving.

Longer, but interesting.

WHAT AN IDIOT! Here's how you 'decolonize' your family Thanksgiving dinner.

And he's in charge of DC public schools?

POWERLINE has a Thanksgiving holiday edition. Here's a sample:

Now go see the rest.

AMERICA'S EVERYDAY REBELLION gathers momentum.

DONALD TRUMP HAS A 13-POINT LEAD OVER JOE BIDEN when polling live Americans.

THE THANKSGIVING the Left desperately wants to cancel.

[T]he rest of us should not pay attention to whatever cancel culture crusade the banal wokesters are onto this week. They’re brainwashed, deranged, and unhappy. We Americans prefer gratitude in the face of adversity.

Sound advice.

GEORGIA GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP releases more evidence that 2020 ballots were miscounted. "While nothing will change the fact that Joe Biden is president, election integrity matters...."

It's time to go back to paper ballots, hand counting, and auditors peering over every shoulder.

QUESTION: When will America reach peak insanity?

It could be that what we’re calling insanity is actually a campaign of ill intent. But a degree of derangement has to be present. Otherwise, the movement would have been overwhelmingly rejected rather than embraced by a large enough portion of the public to give it traction. Unless we reach peak insanity soon, and begin a return to normalcy, the future will be a far harder ride than the ugly moment we live in.

Malice or mere stupidity? I vote for malice, although stupidity is clearly a factor.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The new blue confederacy.

ONLY IF DEMOCRATS REMAIN IN CHARGE: Is the United States in decline?

Among the more worrisome trends include a massive increase in the size and intrusiveness of the federal government including huge deficit spending and indebtedness; serious weaknesses in America’s military capacity and capability; a weak educational system; a decline in America’s culture (including a deterioration in art, literature, manners, morals and religious observance); the superficiality of the media; the decline of traditional institutions such as the family and marriage; a rise in crime and illegal immigration; and an erosion of the rule of law.

Recent events...confirm these trends. Every one of these weaknesses has gotten worse.... [I]t appears clear that the United States is approaching full decline. It is still possible to reverse the trend, but the situation is grave.

It's long, but read it all.

A BIT OF GOOD NEWS: Loyal goose watches injured mate undergo surgery.

It was successful and they have been reunited.

‘EDUCATION LIFTED ME OUT OF POVERTY’: Winsome Sears wants to reform schools and empower parents.

Listen to the lady; she's right.

HERE THEY GO AGAIN: Eight ways the liberals are trying to ruin Thanksgiving.

Ignore them. Again.

MICHAEL RAMIREZ recognizes 'free stuff' for what it really is.

NOW YOU KNOW why education must be reformed.

Our tax money must follow the student wherever he or she goes; never given willy-nilly to public schools.

NBC'S THANKSGIVING INFLATION PRO-TIP: Skip the turkey and don't feed so many people.

Saves gasoline, too, since so many friends and family won't be coming over to eat the turkey that isn't there....

I don't think too many people are heeding NBC's advice since my son and his family had to delay their departure because the roads outbound from Atlanta are too congested....

WHY I WILL INSIST on a physical metal key on my next car (assuming I ever get a next car).

FROM POWERLINE'S Week in Pictures, a clear favorite:

There are many good ones this week following the Rittenhouse acquittal. Go see them.

PROGRESSIVES (AND IDIOTS, BUT I REPEAT MYSELF) HATE IT WHEN THEY'RE PROVEN WRONG: Jerry Nadler wants to sic the DOJ on Rittenhouse following acquittal.

DANA LOESCH responds to David French's fear of open carry.

Where I live there are a number of people who openly carry. They don't frighten me, they assure me that there is someone to help if I need additional protection.

AMMO GRRRLL HAS THOUGHTS: That Was The Year That Was.

POWERLINE'S Geek in Pictures. Some good ones from all over geekdom.

I especially liked the 'We're number one!' charts although to be honest, too many are a bit depressing.

IT WORKED FOR ME: The effects of Vitamin D and COVID-related outcomes.

That plus zinc.

UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, the gentry class is thriving.

The rest of us, not so much....

INSTAPUNDIT: The war on parents. The Left doesn't like disobedient children parents.

And parents don't like disobedient 'educrats'. I fear it's going to get worse before it improves....

NBC NEWS HAMMERED for declaring parents aren’t qualified to make decisions about school curricula.

Not hard enough. Not nearly hard enough.

DISOBEDIENT VOTERS AREN'T OBEYING OUR DIKTATS: The White House sees you as the problem, and themselves as victims.

RITTENHOUSE WAS RIGHTLY AND CORRECTLY AQUITTED, but free states must defend the right to self-defense.

I REMEMBER HAVING THE MISFORTUNE to see some of the Rittenhouse prosecutor's closing argument: Rittenhouse should have laid down his rifle and confronted his aggressor with fists. He may have been beaten up, but no one would have died, right?

Right?

"I'm gonna beat you senseless but it probably won't kill you" is okay. That prosecutor is an idiot.

HAVEN'T WE TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT MANDATES ARE JUST FOR LITTLE PEOPLE? Snapchat shows UW-Madison chancellor indoors without wearing mask in violation of COVID mandate.

And Fauci. Of course Fauci....

GET 'EM STARTED EARLY: NYC may let 800K non-citizens vote in elections.

You know where this is going, right?

DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE BUTT AS YOU WALK OUT: Never Trumpers Jonah Goldberg, Stephen Hayes quit Fox News in protest of Tucker Carlson’s January 6 documentary.

THE CEMETARY VOTE IS PRETTY LARGE: Biden "reassured" Democrats that he's running in 2024.

Updated.

HEY, I WANT TO BUY YOUR HOUSE: Homeowners besieged by unsolicited offers.

Pony up a million five, cash, small bills, unmarked, random serial numbers and I might consider it.

FALLING LEAVES 2021, Week 11:

Well, it's almost over this year. Next week I'll quit this series. Here's the usual pond view, and now even the tulip magnolia has given up for the year, and there's been enough wind to take the remaining leaves down.

Here's our house, the picture taken from halfway down the path to the pond. The path was so clogged with leaves that it was difficult to see it, and the few stair steps we have along the path were completely obscured. In the summer the house would be completely obscured by the foliage (which is today inches deep on the ground.

Now down at the pond for a view of the fountain. The ridge line you can see is the road through our subdivision. In summer it isn't visible from the pond.

Now back up along the road looking at our home. The yard, such as it is, is an inch or more deep in fallen leaves. All the green is from the pine trees; all the others are bare.

Finally, a look south down the road from our driveway. It's not that cold (yet) but winter has clearly begun.

Until next week, then.

WHY VACCINE MANDATES? To sell booster shots.

Last month, I couldn’t help but notice that the pharmaceutical companies pushing these vaccines and now booster shots stood to make a lot of money from all of this. This vaccine gold rush created nine new billionaires, all with connections to big pharma companies. With the booster shot craze just around the corner, companies were scrambling to get FDA approval.

We have to ask who else is getting money for all of these pushes for a vaccine that stops nothing, and against a virus that has an ultra-low fatality rate. Moreover, it’s interesting that the CDC is changing up definitions and now Dr? Fauci is openly admitting that the vaccines just aren’t enough.

Some people are hearing medical advice, but all I’m hearing is the sound of cash registers.

They don't give a damn about us -- we're just cogs in their money machine.

FROM THE ATLANTIC: Welcome to the age of lawless masculinity.

Um, remind me again when Bill Clinton, Andrew Cuomo, Chris Cuomo, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer, Harvey Weinstein, et al. all became Republicans....

SEEN IN ANOTHER POST on the Rittenhouse trial verdict.

Colin Kaepernick responded to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in a tweet on Friday, stating that "this only further validates the need to abolish our current system."

The former NFL player also said that the not guilty verdict validates "the terroristic acts of a white supremacist."

"We just witnessed a system built on white supremacy validate the terroristic acts of a white supremacist," Kaepernick tweeted.

Kaepernick is an idiot who failed his moron exam.

IF IT'S ON THE SHELF, it's the right toy.

The link is actually just a WalMart ad, but with the COVID pandemic and supply chain bollixed, the lede just felt right....

NOW WE KNOW WHY THERE'VE BEEN NO RIOTS: Antifa forced to postpone riot as brick supply still stuck on cargo ship.

OR EVER: You might not be ‘fully vaccinated’ soon.

Is it 'ever' yet?

NAH. LIQUIDATE IT AND SHARE THE PROFITS: Rittenhouse, Sandmann agree to share joint custody of CNN.

Assuming, of course, that there will be any profits....

GOOD QUESTION: Are CNN, MSNBC, et al. about to make Kyle Rittenhouse rich?

I certainly hope so -- we need more billionaires and fewer CNNs and MSNBCs.

HOWEVER CONCERNED YOU MAY BE about the Left coming after your children, you can’t be paranoid enough.

THE UPSIDE OF CLIMATE CHANGE:

Linked from Mallard Fillmore here.

FREAKING BREAKING: The Democrats (in the House; it still has to go to the Senate) just passed their Build Back Better legislation.

Fine. Now pass legislation requiring Democrats(only) to pay for it.

Added thought: God help us; the Democrats won't....

LET'S GO BRANDON. Gov. Ron DeSantis signs anti-vaccine mandate package in Brandon, Florida.

GOOD RIDDANCE: Death row inmate who shot wife and sexually assaulted stepdaughter while she lay dying executed.

MAYBE THERE WOULDN'T BE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES if Mr. Potato Head stayed out of grocery stores....

INTERESTING: How much good do the COVID vaccines do?

From the data tables it's evident that the vaccines are modestly effective in curbing both hospitalizations and deaths, at least in the short term, and particularly for those with underlying comorbidities as evidenced by the data for the elderly (60 & up) population where underlying comorbidities are much more likely.

The long term is still to be determined, however recent news stories about 'breakthrough' infections in the vaccinated population suggest that COVID vaccination effectiveness may not be long term (therefore booster shots). I've even seen recent suggestions that vaccination may actually increase the risk of future infection, although that seems to be just speculation.

I've seen no data that vaccination of the preschool and school age population has any effect whatsoever. The chart data tends to support that conclusion.

The comments (and I haven't read them all) seem to be mostly supportive of my view that vaccination at best is modestly effective in damping the severity of the disease in populations where immunity is compromised. Here are two of many:

(disqusdfp): Left unsaid in all of this is what death and hospitalizations would look like were the CDC and other assorted clowns not actively discouraging and even banning treatments known to be effective. Vaccines simply are not needed if good treatments are available; this is why (IMHO) after close to 2 years, there are still no fully approved treatments - the CDC wishes not to weaken the vaccination narrative. Here in Silicon Valley, even the monoclonal antibody treatment would be denied me by my medical provider, despite that as a geezer I fall into the high risk category allowed access to it. And don't let me get started on Ivermectin; we're still waiting for the "urgent studies" on that, too. My deepest disappointment is that the medical establishment is knuckling under to all this, patient wellbeing be damned. My respect for doctors is at an all-time low.

(Brandoch_Daha): I think there's no real way to tell.
Statistics, especially from the government, are so skewed (not to mention screwed) by political influence that a clear picture is impossible.
My Dad (a corporate controller) used to say that "Figures don't lie, but liars can figure."
Or put another way: "Torture numbers long enough, and they'll confess to anything."

Read it all, including some comments, and make up your own mind.

AT LEAST SHE DOESN'T CACKLE: Apparently the rumor is the Junta wants to replace her [Kamala] with Michelle Obama.

WELL, YOU'VE GOT TO GET RID OF KAMALA BEFORE YOU IMPEACH JOE BIDEN: Imminent vacancy rumors swirling on Capitol Hill.

I HOPE NOT: Will public school enrollment rebound?

MICHAEL RAMIREZ on a just Rittenhouse verdict.

BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT SCIENCE: DC mayor follows the science by lifting mask requirement for indoors but the White House won't follow.

It's about control. It's always about control.

THEN LET'S HAVE MORE SETBACKS, PLEASE: Surgeon General says court blocking OSHA's vaccine mandate 'would be a setback for public health'. Murthy argues:

In any community, sometimes our decisions do affect other people. It’s why, Chris, we have speed limits on highways because we know our decision about how fast we drive affects the safety of others. When it comes to getting vaccinated, we know the people who are unvaccinated are at high risk of getting sick and spreading it to others.

That argument is specious. It sounds good and is easy on the tongue, but is actually a non sequitur. Speed limits are imposed to protect me from you. Vaccine mandates are being proposed for the purpose of protecting me from me.

It's about control.

I'M WORKING ON IT. COVID panic will only end through civil disobedience and mockery.

THE WHITE HOUSE is now blaming unvaccinated children for high inflation.

In his latest exhibition of post-graduate cognitive dissonance, Brian Deese, the White House National Economic Council director, the primary architect of the JoeBama economic program, appears on NBC to proclaim that massive U.S. inflation is somehow connected to the fact that 5 to 11-year-old children are not yet vaccinated. [Video at 01:30] Once the children are vaccinated, some unknown and difficult to explain metamorphosis will take place amid the American workforce allowing the U.S. economy to stop inflation.

You're welcome to attempt to navigate the word salad that constitutes the video. I made it perhaps two minutes before I gave up in disgust.

SARAH HOYT NOTICES: "When you don't punish the guilty, you punish everyone."

KAMALA HARRIS'S BIGGEST HANDICAPS are that she’s not very talented, not very likeable, and not especially bright.

But other than that....

HIT 'EM AGAIN, HARDER: California gasoline price averages soar to all-time record high.

THE TRUTH OUTS: Texas Monthly tells Beto O'Rourke "your statements during your presidential run put you to the left of most Texas voters".

But, but ... it's not about him.

WE DON'T THINK YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN, EITHER. Wyoming GOP votes to stop recognizing Liz Cheney as a Republican.

Heh.

ANNOUNCING THE 'PARASITE CLASS': When the wheels come off.

RANDOM THOUGHT: I've finally forced myself to look into my Medicare options since it's the annual open enrollment and the only chance I have annually to change my selections of healthcare providers. Watching the Medicare Advantage enrollment commericals I'm bombarded with every time I turn on the television one would think that

EVERYTHING -- MEDICAL, DENTAL, OPTICAL, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, TRANSPORTATION, MEALS -- IS FREEEEE!

That's utter baloney -- scam central is alive and well in Medicare land....

ROAD REPORT: A trucker talks about the industry and life on the road.

EARLY COVID TREATMENT SUMMIT draws 1000 doctors to Florida. The article itself is behind the PJ Media paywall (which, by the way, is worth the price). Here's the gist:

Healthy children should NOT receive the mRNA vaccine, as they are at virtually zero risk from the virus and the long term effects of the virus on children have not been studied;

American health agencies must immediately recognize the superiority of natural immunity among those who have recovered from COVID-19 — No vaccine for those with natural immunity;

Stop blocking doctors from prescribing early treatments and life-saving drugs.

It's the third point that chaps my ass. There are medical treatments (invermectin, mononclonal antibodies, remdesivir, and now pills) for COVID but our 'parasite class' of government/media elites hide and deny them in order to maintain their lockdown/mask/vaccine mandates.

Keep this firmly in mind: it's all about control.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS: Supply chain crisis hits U.S. agriculture export market.

HE SHOULD HAVE LOOKED MONTHS AGO: Fauci won’t step down until COVID is in ‘rearview mirror’.

Since he's demanding to be fired, accomodate him.

PROGRESSIVE POLICY is to punish the innocent to protect the guilty: Texas high school removes bathroom stall doors due to 'safety' concerns.

RESIST!: It's time to declare victory over COVID.

RELATED: The world is going full commietard and it's time to stand up.

GAVIN NEWSOM quietly extends California's state of emergency. For the third time.

The 'emergency' is the only thing keeping Democrats in power.

HEH: "The world is a safer place with a gun in Kyle Rittenhouse’s hands than in Thomas Binger’s."

RITTENHOUSE PROSECUTOR THOMAS BINGER is obviously not an NRA member.

Instapundit is on it.

THANKS, JOE: 2020's increase in Medicare's premiums will wipe out any gains in Social Security for seniors.

And you can't opt out of Medicare (or Social Security, for that matter).

Or inflation. Don't forget inflation.

We're screwed.

IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM: Three things the Left wants you to ignore.

The Left: Move along now. Just .... move ... along.

BIDEN'S BANKING CHIEF NOMINEE SAULE OMAROVA wants to eliminate your private bank account.

I don't understand why; the Biden administration is already doing a damned good job of eliminating my money with inflation....

INSTAPUNDIT EXPLAINS INSTITUTIONAL BLOAT IN TWO SENTENCES: "There’s always a shortage of people who do useful things. But never a shortage of people who spew useless bullshit."

BIDEN'S 85 VEHICLE MOTORCADE: a textbook example of 'limousine liberal' hypocrisy.

I wonder haw many C-17's it took to move those vehicles....

SHE'S AS EVIL AS SHE LOOKS: Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoes GOP bill to forgive businesses for first-time COVID-rule violations.

ISN'T THAT THE POINT? New infrastructure bill found to be ripe for fraud.

For those of us old enough to remember when Obama's 'shovel ready' infrastructure plan wasn't, the Biden plan won't be shovel ready until most of it has been spent on 'preparation and planning' (read that as 'graft and corruption' and you'll be dead on).

AUTOMATING PROGRESSIVE LUNACY: Coming soon, PC bots.

On the bright side, bots are much cheaper and the progressive loons may have to get real jobs in the real world.

DOUBLING DOWN ON LOSING: Beto O'Rourke running for Texas governor against GOP incumbent Greg Abbott.

THEY NEED TO BE TERRORIZED: Winsome Sears proves again why she terrifies the Democrat party.

I can't easily summarize the post; so read it all.

WHO KNEW? China's Chairman Xi Jinping's a Democrat.

THE GEEK IN PICTURES: another data roundup, focusing on the usual suspects — energy, economics, and wokism.

The Biden administration's Build Back Better slogan should be 'Build Back Broken'. It is certainly more accurate.

Welcome back, Kotter Carter...