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OCTOBER 23,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

BRAVES WIN; DOES ATLANTA? – OVERNIGHT, FROM CNN:   For the first time since 1999, the Atlanta Braves are in the Fall Classic.  The Braves knocked out the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series by a score of 4-2 on Saturday. The series had been a rematch from last season, when the Dodgers came back from a 3-1 game deficit to beat the Braves and go on to win the 2020 World Series.  The Braves will face the American League champion Houston Astros, who defeated the Boston Red Sox in six games Friday.  Atlanta jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the 1st inning after Austin Riley's ground-rule double brought home Ozzie Albies from second.  Now, here is the profound question:  Will the Braves be permitted to play their home games in Atlanta?  Remember the All-Star game?  It was scheduled to be played in Atlanta, but was moved to Colorado by a suddenly woke Major League Baseball office to protest Georgia voting laws.  Everyone knows that voting laws are closely related to ball games.  Will the ban on Atlanta be reimposed for the World Series?  Frankly, I don't think so, but no doubt some "activists" will try for a repeat performance, or, failing that, for some special representation of their views at Series games.

October 23, 2021        Permalink   

DEFUND THE POLICE?  WHY, OF COURSE – OVERNIGHT:  After all, what could possibly go wrong?  From Fox: 

A business owner in Austin, Texas says police told him to gather his own evidence at the scene of his burglarized store, saying it was due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kirk Andrews, owner of Petticoat Fair Lingerie in north Austin, told KVUE News that he called authorities after his shop had been robbed and was told that he should put on gloves and search for bullet casings because police would not be able to assist due to the coronavirus.

"They got back on the phone with me and said that nobody would be coming out and said it was due to COVID restrictions, which didn't make any sense to me," Andrews said.

Andrews said 911 told him to call 311 where he was told to put on gloves and search for bullet casings and other evidence to give to police.

"That to me is extremely frustrating," said Andrews.

Andrews says that on Saturday morning his surveillance video showed a white car driving up to his store before a passenger shot out the window and grabbed clothing. The incident happened around 6 AM when no one was in the store.

And...

The city is currently plagued by a police shortage that Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon has referred to as a "crisis."

The staffing shortage was caused, in part, by the city’s move to strip funding from the police department and has coincided with a surge in crime that includes the murder rate rising over 90%.

In November, Austin residents will vote on Prop A which aims to restore police staffing and some units that were lost in the 2020 defunding.

"We are in the midst of the most profound police staffing crisis in Austin history," Save Austin Now co-founders Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek said in a statement to Fox News. "This is occurring during a historic violent crime wave here, as homicides are up 80% since last year's modern-day record. Austin police morale is at an all-time low. We are roughly 300 police officers down in one year due to the $150 million police budget cut last year. ADP recently made the stunning announcement that due to the staffing crisis they can no longer respond to 911 calls unless it's a life-threatening situation or the assailant is on the premises. Rank and file officers are being asked to put their lives on the line without the support they need to do the job. On Nov. 2nd, Austin must pass Prop A to fix this mess."

The advocacy group founded by liberal billionaire financier George Soros has dumped $500,000 into a campaign to defeat the proposal.

COMMENT:  Once again we read that the ultra-leftist billionaire George Soros gets involved to wreck our law enforcement system.  No major news organization seems to care.

Vote for Prop A if you live in Austin.

October 23, 2021       Permalink

OCTOBER 22,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

THE WAY THE REAL WORLD WORKS – FROM BREITBART:   CNN noted on Wednesday that China made an effort to scale back coal production this year to placate climate change activists, but those desultory efforts simply evaporated in the face of rolling blackouts that interfered with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) industrial goals.  China’s power grid remains heavily dependent on coal and its international Belt and Road infrastructure program has littered the Third World with more coal-burning plants. China added over three times as much coal-fired generator capacity in 2020 as the rest of the world combined.
The Communist Party tried increasing the price of electricity and encouraging its subjects to reduce their power consumption, but in September the pretense of restraining coal production was quietly abandoned and coal inventories began growing again. Now the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is telling mine operators to increase production by all means necessary, and outlawing shutting down any Chinese coal mine.   I wait breathlessly for criticism of China from the left wing of the Democratic Party.  I'll tell you if I hear anything.  Check me next July.

October 22, 2021       Permalink

WAIT!  WAIT!  Do we see a flash of common sense?  Could it be?  Believe!  Believe!  From National Review: 

The National School Boards Association has apologized for a letter that called on the Biden administration to investigate whether alleged threats against school-board members constituted domestic terrorism.

The NSBA Board of Directors apologized in a memorandum to members on Friday. The initial letter, sent on September 29, asked the administration to investigate whether alleged threats to school-board members, over masking policies and “propaganda purporting the false inclusion of critical race theory” in lessons, necessitated federal investigation.

“As you all know, there has been extensive media and other attention recently around our letter to President Biden regarding threats and acts of violence against school board members,” the memorandum states. “On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for this letter. . . . There was no justification for some of the language included in this letter.”

The apology comes after emails obtained by the nonprofit Parents Defending Education, first reported by the Free Beacon, showed that the NSBA consulted with White House officials on language to be used in the September 29 letter.

Those emails showed that the group did not consult its board of directors before sending the letter. Additionally, various state school-board groups said they too were not consulted before the letter was published by the NSBA.

The letter asked the Biden administration to investigate whether alleged threats against school board members “could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”

In response to the letter, U.S. attorney general Merrick Garland ordered the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Offices to investigate those alleged threats. Most of the incidents cited by the NSBA did not involve threats of physical violence.

COMMENT:  So far, so good.  Maybe the NSBA actually realizes the harm the letter did, and the disgrace the group brought upon itself. 

Now, on the other hand, we can look at this from the cynical side.  (Of course, I'd never do that.  I'm merely speculating.)  A follower of politics might say that the NSBA issued the apology to help the governorship campaign of Terry McCauliffe in Virginia.  It has been faltering, with the election only ten days away.  McCauliffe is closely linked to the education establishment, and the letter episode damaged him.  Am I being too mean?

October 22,  2021     Permalink