Rebane's Ruminations
December 2024
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George Rebane

The lopsided lamestream fesses up – not quite.  Those of us not restricted to lamestream media news have always had a more complete picture of what’s going on in the country and the world.  Not so for our leftwing friends.  But now that the election is over and there is nothing to be gained by more lies and omissions that favor the Democrats, the major left-leaning outlets – broadcast, print, online – are starting to fill in their audiences on what has really been going on since 2016.  Led by no less than the NYT, its readers are, for example, finally informed that the millions of illegal aliens who have entered and been loosened in our land has really been due to the border and immigration policies of the Biden/Harris administration.  National columnist Jason Riley fills you in (here) on some more revelations currently being introduced to the dedicated Democrat cadres across the land.  Managed ignorance has always been the forte of socialists worldwide, and in many ways we in America have perfected it.  But don’t hold your breath that this is an enduring epiphany with the lamestream; it’ll be back to business as usual before you know it.

Leftwing universities identified by the Left.  Here’s another awakening going on with our left-leaning thought leaders.  Prominent columnists of the Left like William Galston are writing revelatory essays such as ‘Higher Education Is in Trouble’ in the 18dec24 WSJ, coming right out and saying “schools should curtail DEI and stop taking political sides.”  He admits that “higher education in the U.S. faces a crisis: Its credibility is under attack. The public is increasingly skeptical of university-trained experts and the test-score-based meritocracy that dominates America’s upper middle class.”  But note that he doesn’t specify that only the leftwing upper middle class has been skeptical about testing – the rightwingers of all classes have long been and continue to be supporters of meritocratic metrics.  Galston also has a jaundiced view of the relevant history he claims that led to politicized leftwing universities – the listed faults are all attributable to Republican policy failures.  To his credit, Galston does conclude with three useful prescriptions starting with, “First, they should get their houses in order. They should end mandatory DEI statements for faculty and staff candidates. They should adopt the principle of institutional neutrality … (and) while defending free speech, they should act firmly against activities that impede core academic functions such as teaching, learning and hosting speakers with a range of views.” 

California’s continuing war against privately owned cars advances another notch.  The legislature is pushing through AB413 which will make it illegal to park within 20 feet of a crosswalk.  You’re supposed to believe it’s for “public safety”.  It’s real purpose is to remove thousands of parking spaces from our cities and towns, making an already bad situation worse.  For example, San Francisco will lose 14,000 parking spaces, and about 100,000 statewide.  Californians keep voting for “busybodies (who) want people walking, biking, scooting, or bussing — anything but driving their own cars to their own destinations on their own schedules.”  (more here)

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131 responses to “Scattershots – 18dec24”

  1. fish Avatar
    fish

    To his credit, Galston does conclude with three useful prescriptions starting with, “First, they should get their houses in order. They should end mandatory DEI statements for faculty and staff candidates. They should adopt the principle of institutional neutrality … (and) while defending free speech, they should act firmly against activities that impede core academic functions such as teaching, learning and hosting speakers with a range of views.”
    Screw Galston….if he had any real courage or insight he would have written this article fifteen years ago! I imagine he was trying to have it both ways…..a ridiculously expensive progressive and infantile academia but hoping quietly that progressives could retain power so things would continue as they’ve been proceeding! Once that fell apart he gets to be the voice of reason and urge changes!
    A craven coward and opportunist!

    Like

  2. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “California’s continuing war against privately owned cars advances another notch.”
    I don’t think it’s cars particularly, you’re just seeing the fruits of a bunch of bureaucrats with PowerPoint, meeting rooms, and donuts, just thinking of ‘good ideas’ and codifying them. They are scarcely personally affected and can cook up this stuff all day long.
    Does it make sense to force owners of the few 1976 cars to get a bi-yearly check to make sure all that stuff is under the hood? To make new houses have fire suppression? Not allow people to put a picnic table in their backyard near the beach? Obscure gun laws that nobody understands?
    War on cars is really war on humanity being implemented by the state employee/commission/legislator version of university DEI Karens.

    Like

  3. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    Blue State America in a nutshell.
    “Only in San Francisco do I get a parking ticket for 100 bucks, while these guys are next to my car shooting up and smoking crack.”
    https://x.com/YayAreaNews/status/1869790768992543086

    Like

  4. Scott O Avatar

    scenes 2:11 – More SF fun:
    “‘No One Has To Be Healthy’: San Fran Taps Fat Activist As ‘Weight Stigma’ Czar”
    Of course the ‘czar’ will need it’s own full-time chef.
    Glad to see that city has its finances in order.
    https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-one-has-to-be-healthy-san-fran-taps-fat-activist-as-weight-stigma-czar

    Like

  5. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    re: Scotto@5:08AM
    I wonder what that’s a payoff for. I can’t believe they just hand out well-paying useless jobs like that without getting something in return.
    Admittedly, it’s hard to beat Maggie De Block as the health minister of Belgium

    Like

  6. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    The cosmetic appearance of a fatty isn’t anyone’s business but their own.
    Butt out.

    Like

  7. George Rebane Avatar

    Gregory 233pm – You mean if public officials who exhibit characteristics and other visible traits that speak contra to the purpose and function of their office should not be criticized for those shortcomings? (I would add the doddering of Biden to the list.)

    Like

  8. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    Has some information I didn’t know about:
    “White House Biden health cover-up blown wide open in bombshell report: Joe was senile from day one of presidency | Katelyn Caralle & Charlie Spiering, Daily Mail
    The White House tried to hide from the public Joe Biden’s rapidly diminishing mental condition for his entire presidency, according to a bombshell report.
    Biden’s team hired a vocal coach, put other officials into roles usually occupied by the president, scrapped meetings on his ‘bad days’, and kept him at arm’s length from his own Cabinet members.
    …etc.

    https://x.com/OwenGregorian/status/1870077763484287014

    Like

  9. Scott O Avatar

    “The cosmetic appearance of a fatty isn’t anyone’s business but their own.”
    Their “appearance” ain’t got a jot to do with it.
    What in the bloomin’ ‘ell business is it for a tax payer supported govt to have a “weight stigma czar”?
    These folk are invariably socialistic and want free health care in order to have society fix their deliberately created health care problems.

    Like

  10. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Fat acceptance folk are a separate case… that it isn’t anyone’s business is different than you must accept them. No, sorry (well, not sorry at all).
    George, not at all. Dottering isn’t covered by fat.

    Like

  11. Scott O Avatar

    Gregory 4:42 – I think you’ve charged up an undefended hill.
    We don’t give a shit about this woman beyond:
    The fact that she is sucking up tax payer funds for no clear reason
    and
    She has put herself out in public arguing an insanity.

    Like

  12. Scott O Avatar

    Stop the presses!!
    ‘A curious reporter at the local Dallas Express newspaper did some digging on Granger’s whereabouts and has finally been able to give her constituents some answers.”
    A reporter “did some digging…”
    Wow – maybe send that dude to DC and check out the memory care home at 1600 Pennsylvania!
    https://wcbm.com/national-headline/missing-gop-congresswoman-not-seen-for-six-months-finally-found-living-at-dementia-care-home/

    Like

  13. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    Would you add the foul mouth of Trump talking about the dick size of
    Arnold Palmer to an audience that has women antt children to your list of those that “speak contrary to the purpose and function of their office,”
    Scattershots 20 December 202403:25 PM

    Like

  14. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “The thing about Elon’s alleged political power is that it mainly flows from just saying things out loud that are obviously true.”
    – Marc Andreessen on X
    I think this era, if we’re lucky, will be the one where the Emperors New Clothes were finally laughed at.
    It should be interesting to see if Pride Town still runs Drag Queen Story Hour and the Cloaca Show (I love that name ‘Cloaca’, look it up psul) or if the beat still goes on here.

    Like

  15. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Punchy… stifle.

    Like

  16. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “WE’RE GOING TO STOP WOKE. WOKE IS BULLSHIT.”
    – President Donald J. Trump
    https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1870904082564555012

    Like

  17. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Paul R. Emery, Nevada City, California | 22 December 2024 at 11:27 AM
    George
    Would you add the foul mouth of Trump talking about the dick size of
    Arnold Palmer to an audience that has women antt children to your list of those that “speak contrary to the purpose and function of their office,”
    Scattershots 20 December 202403:25 PM

    I find it interesting that Trump mentioned it once, in passing at a campaign event but you’ve repeated it what, ten…maybe fifteen times since? I still maintain that for some inexplicable reason you get a charge when you say (type) “dick size”. Maybe it happens when you finally clock the big 80?
    In any case if you are so concerned about the propriety of those in the public eye and their behavior in the vicinity of the “Fairer Sex” you’ll probably want to purge Leonard Cohn from your musical repertoire given his #MeToo problems and in general vile treatment of women!
    Just trying to help a brother out!

    Like

  18. Scott O Avatar

    fish 12:59 – ” you’ll probably want to purge Leonard Cohn from your musical repertoire given his #MeToo problems…”
    Whoa up there, pardner! That’s one of Paul’s big money makers.
    You didn’t expect a person who considers Biden to be a “man of integrity” to give a rat’s ass about some loser dames that can’t handle a little emotional abuse from an obvious lefty stud?

    Like

  19. fish Avatar
    fish

    Yes…..after a bruising loss where Joseph Robinette Biden seized the mantle of “Biggest Political Loser in Modern History” from the guy who just ran the table politically the only solution is…..

    These Spiritual Democrats Urge Their Party to Take a Leap of Faith

    ….lie about being people of deep religious conviction!
    Americans always fall for that shit!

    Like

  20. fish Avatar
    fish

    Yeah I heard about something very similar. Some old fart from Delaware found himself at a dementia care facility in DC.

    US Congresswoman Missing For Six Months Found At Dementia Care Home

    He was there longer though…..just under four years before they found him.

    Like

  21. The Estonian Fox Avatar
    The Estonian Fox

    From USA Today (jet shoot-down):
    The fighter was an F/A-18 Hornet flying off the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman. One of the carrier’s escort ships, the missile cruiser Gettysburg, “mistakenly fired on and hit” the plane, the statement said.
    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/12/22/us-fighter-friendly-fire-red-sea/77149318007/
    I guess all of their regular target-drones were flying over, or to, Ukraine. Training on Navy ships is tough. Finally, a live fire event – probably a slow day otherwise. Wonder which gender the person who pushed the button was. Or maybe they had an app on their iPhone to do it remotely? Yeah, that always works.

    Like

  22. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    Gotta love Biden:
    “There truly aren’t enough words to describe just how big of a scandal the White House cover-up of Joe Biden’s mental decline really is.
    As I’ve said before, the liberal media doesn’t feel that it has to protect Joe Biden anymore, and there have been a torrent of stories exposing how Biden’s mental decline was handled for four years. The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and even the New York Times have all hit the story.
    The fallout from this could be extensive for the Democratic Party.
    Democratic donor and operative Lindy Li hasn’t held back in her critiques of the party. For weeks, she’s been relentless, taking aim at Kamala Harris for squandering a billion dollars, criticizing her selection of Tim Walz, and calling out her embrace of radical positions. Li has even provided intriguing insider details about how Joe Biden was ultimately ousted, and what Pelosi and Obama really think of Kamala. Now, she’s dishing on Joe Biden’s mental decline.
    “Let’s just be very honest what’s happening here,” Li said during a recent interview on Fox News. “The president has not been cognitively fit to assume the duties of the Oval Office for a number of years now. And it breaks my heart because I know President Biden and I love the man, but he is in no shape or form able to carry out the duties that the Commander in Chief requires, and it’s just devastating.”
    ….”

    https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2024/12/22/the-dominoes-are-falling-over-the-biden-mental-health-cover-up-n4935354

    The funny thing is that there’s a greater than zero chance that he would have run from the basement again, squeaked out a victory, and we’d have a vegetable running the country.
    Good Lord, the bullet that was dodged here.

    Like

  23. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    re: moi@3:30PM
    Of course, Trump did make some mild joke about Arnold Palmer’s manliness.
    Those pearls ain’t gonna clutch themselves.

    Like

  24. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    The last Victorian XMas of the year was a zoo! congrats to all and to all a good night!

    Like

  25. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Fish
    Can you provide some documentation of Leonard Cohens “vile treatment of women” as you put it? Also are you saying it’s OK for a Presidential candidate to talk about Arnold Palmers dick size at in a campaign speech.

    Like

  26. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Eat it, Punch.

    Like

  27. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    ““Let’s just be very honest what’s happening here,” Li said during a recent interview on Fox News. “The president has not been cognitively fit to assume the duties of the Oval Office for a number of years now. And it breaks my heart because I know President Biden and I love the man, but he is in no shape or form able to carry out the duties that the Commander in Chief requires, and it’s just devastating.””
    Nothing Trump did comes close to the mendacities of the Democrats.

    Like

  28. Scott O Avatar

    Once again, Paul proves himself to be so proud of his ignorance.
    The shitty way Cohen treated women has been written about quite a bit but Paul doesn’t care because Paul makes money off the guy’s songs.
    Then Paul proudly brags about voting for a pervert that fiddles with a girl’s nipple right on camera.

    Like

  29. Scott O Avatar

    One of Biden’s “newcomers” just set a woman on fire on the subway in NY. Then he sat and watched her burn to death.
    Doing the work American’s won’t do.

    Like

  30. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Paul R. Emery of Nevada City, California| 22 December 2024 at 08:21 PM
    Can you provide some documentation of Leonard Cohens “vile treatment of women” as you put it?

    I certainly can Paul but I won’t! You have the same access to the internet that I do and since you have made it abundantly clear that you don’t read posted links it would be pointless for me to do so in this instance.
    Also are you saying it’s OK for a Presidential candidate to talk about Arnold Palmers dick size at in a campaign speech.
    I have no opinion on the anecdote that Trump mentioned at a campaign rally. I certainly didn’t seem to hurt him in the election! He reduced democrats in general and Joseph Robinette Biden in particular to the ”Biggest Political Losers in Modern History”!

    Like

  31. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    I will follow your links fish about Cohen if you provide them .

    Like

  32. Scott O Avatar

    Why can’t you find them, Paul?
    Ever heard of a search engine?

    Like

  33. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Paul R. Emery | 22 December 2024 at 09:38 PM
    I will follow your links fish about Cohen if you provide them.

    Well there’s the rub Paul….there’s really no way to know if you are telling the truth! Were you lying four or so years ago when you said you were simply “too busy” to read links or are you lying now when you promise that you will?

    Like

  34. Scott O Avatar

    I find it more than odd that Paul puts on shows on a regular basis featuring the songs of Cohen yet claims complete ignorance of what I thought was common knowledge of the man.
    Paul might want to expand his reading horizons beyond Guitar Plunker’s Monthly and the Busking For Loose Change Gazette.

    Like

  35. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    I’ll provide a link:
    “Cohen, once he achieved success as a performer, discovered he was the Elvis of bookish depressives and indulged himself with the women who stampeded to his shows. He was living with Marianne while writing songs about hooking up with Janis Joplin at the Chelsea Hotel. A friend of Cohen from those years, Julie Felix, recalls, “Leonard was a great, uh, feminist. He said to me once, ‘I can’t wait till women take over.’” Ladies, when a man says this, listen carefully. What is he really saying? Cohen was giving himself a license to treat women badly.
    https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/07/documentary-marianne-and-leonard-words-of-love/
    Punch, Cohen was a sick fuck.

    Like

  36. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Just remember, Mike Gaetz was Trumps choice for Attorney General The 37-page report, which is due to be released today,says “there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
    And Trump wanted this man to be the top law enforcement officer in the country next to him. Trump was either ignorant of his reputation or knew and didn’t care. Which do you think it was Scott?

    Like

  37. George Rebane Avatar

    Re 1127am & 1137am – Here’s an example of talking past each other. I was watching a Democrat senator being interviewed on FN – he never answered a single question, but sidestepped them all, thereby staying true to his colors. Paul’s response is unavoidable; it’s his nature as a leftwinger.

    Like

  38. fish Avatar
    fish

    ”Cohen, once he achieved success as a performer, discovered he was the Elvis of bookish depressives and indulged himself with the women who stampeded to his shows. He was living with Marianne while writing songs about hooking up with Janis Joplin at the Chelsea Hotel. A friend of Cohen from those years, Julie Felix, recalls, “Leonard was a great, uh, feminist. He said to me once, ‘I can’t wait till women take over.’” Ladies, when a man says this, listen carefully. What is he really saying? Cohen was giving himself a license to treat women badly.”
    See Paul…..learn from Gregory! No hours in the stacks! No pouring over Microfiche! Just type in “abuser” and “Leonard Cohen” and as if by magic information appears before you….!

    Like

  39. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    re: Leonard Cohen. Don’t know who he is. Looks like some New Yorker with a stupid hat and a good PR department.
    re: Mike Gaetz. I just assume that 90% of any of this kind of thing is lawfare anymore, what with Democrats trying to reinvent the country and all, but it looks to me like it’s drugs and prostitution (or ‘coke and whores’ in the more common parlance). I don’t much care, assuming he would have done a good job, but you never know on that. It’s like sending Grant a case of his favorite whiskey. There’s also some kind of BS charge against him that was some social media thing, since thrown away.
    I always thought that Green Libertarians were sort of pro coke and whores. Dunno what the fuss is all about.
    Should all drugs and sex work be illegal psul?

    Like

  40. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Punch, Cohen was a sick fuck.

    Like

  41. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    Sure a lot of things happening lately. There must have been a lot of pent up demand for sanity in the world.
    From ESPN:
    “Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans.”
    My general guess is that the whole men-in-dresses problem, and the child mutilation industry, will mostly be knocked down by lawsuits, not so much Trump’s pen. The interesting one will be watching people go hammer and tongs against the COVID-industrial complex, especially big pharma.
    Sad times for psul, but it’s all great fun to watch. You have to wonder who’ll be the first Governor of Greenland.
    There is nothing the Orange Man cannot do.

    Like

  42. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Leftwingers can argue effectively, when they have an argument to make.

    Like

  43. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    re: Gregory@12:25PM
    It’s a difficult thing when your base is made up of middle-aged harridans and the mentally ill.
    They can wave signs like nobody’s business though.

    Like

  44. Scott O Avatar

    So Paul now realizes he has been promoting the music of, and making money off of the legacy of a first-class asshole.
    And to try to wriggle out of it he brings up Gaetz?
    Pathetic.
    Gaetz is guilty of breaking one of the main rules in politics.
    “Don’t make enemies”
    As near as I can discern, the man has been not been convicted of or even charged with any crime even after being investigated by the FBI and the local police in Florida.
    Releasing the “secret” report on only him and no other member of congress is nothing more than a smear campaign in which he has no ability to defend himself or challenge the findings with proper rules of court conduct such as being able to present evidence or call his own sworn witnesses.
    I’m tired of this crap in DC. Maybe Gaetz is guilty of some or all of it but also maybe this is just BS from people that have done worse and have been able to cover it up by throwing false shade on Gaetz.

    Like

  45. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    The left is in sad shape now.

    Like

  46. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    I’d suggest giving up Cohen and accepting Jerry Garcia.

    Like

  47. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Now, my dad always loved the Dorsey Bros. and Glenn Miller. Give them a spin, Punch.

    Like

  48. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Show me documentation Gregory to your Cohen description.

    Like

  49. scenes Avatar
    scenes

    “The left is in sad shape now.”
    I definitely wouldn’t count them out. You can hit over your weight when you’re crazy, plus there’s a lot of iron rice bowls at stake here.
    One thing that should be cool, don’t know just how it’ll turn out, will be Musk vs. Federal WFH policy. He’s already been through this at least once with Twitter and I just bet that one of the earliest Trump Executive Orders will be getting people off their butts and back down to the office. The uproar from the layoffs that are bound to occur a bit later will just be amazing too (THESE FEDERAL FIRINGS WILL OVERLY AFFECT DISABLED BLACK WOMEN OF COLOR!!). The fact that Team Blue MSM is swirling the bowl should make it even more interesting. Another will be the inevitable retirement of men-in-womens-uniforms.
    You do have to feel a little sorry for Paul. It turns out that the majority of the country can’t stand his belief system. That’s gotta hurt.

    Like

  50. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: scenes | 23 December 2024 at 12:49 PM
    You do have to feel a little sorry for Paul.

    No you don’t.

    Like

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