Rebane's Ruminations
January 2026
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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)

  • [Union columnist Darrell Berkheimer posted a good piece here in today's (14dec24) edition of the newspaper on 'Our slide toward ignorance' – worth a read.  gjr]

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  • George Rebane

    Kinda reminds you of the classic ‘Moon over Miami’, except hold the romantic part.  The ongoing sightings, now numbering in the hundreds, remain unexplained by our government.  That this has been going on for weeks is unheard of in our nation’s history, yet it is very revealing as to the new attitude that our rulers have for us.  These aircraft are not to be dismissed as something insignificant that we’ll get around to puzzling out some day soon.  All of them are of a size that can carry cameras and munitions – some of the larger ones can carry payloads weighing over 100 lbs, enough for a sizeable nuclear device in addition to some very destructive high explosive warheads.

    What is the reason that we have not sent up armed gunships and/or other aircraft that can close with and follow these UAVs to determine their nature, source, and where they will eventually land.  The government mouthpieces dutifully lie to us, a much practiced skill, about not knowing anything about them as they promise to keep “investigating”.  Who among us believes that crap as these things continue to crisscross some of the most critical and densely used airspace in the country?

    Why has not a single one of them been shot down yet?  That fact alone makes the whole affair smell to high heaven.  But the larger takeaway from all this is clear – it is the nature of governments in the large to be incompetent, ignorant, and demonstrably evil in the way they treat their citizens.  To their power centers and legions of bureaucrats we are no more than potted plants to be handled and/or dismissed in any way they please.  As always, the solution to this perennial problem of governance is to keep governments small and minimize the amount of money they can collect and spend.  Hopefully the brothers DOGE can push the peanut in that direction.

  • George Rebane

    [Update – A slightly edited version of this post was published here in the 12dec24 online and 13dec24 print editions of The Union.]

    The other day I read a newspaper column by a good-hearted commentator who tried to convince readers that there already exists a natural and effective path both sides can travel to heal the historical schism which today separates us and grows wider by the year.  In keeping with the season when families gather to celebrate their holidays, our columnist pointed out that sharing “our love of family and friends and our desire for the best for them” is sufficient common ground to foster a dialogue for healing our nation’s breach.

    We have heard such shibboleths for decades now as the country’s ideological factions continue to draw us apart.  My own thoughts on this seeming paradox have led to the realization that it is precisely those shared sentiments we have for family and friends that have driven us apart, and which will continue to do so the more we all are intensely concerned for the future of our loved ones.

    Reflecting on the matter, we see it is really the diametrically opposite endpoints of the country’s governance, in which both sides fervently believe and work for, that give rise to the hate and discontent we have with each other.  As a free market capitalist who believes in individual liberties, and who has directly experienced living under their absence, I loathe the thought of all those ignorant yet well-meaning neighbors and fear their cynical political leaders who work day and night to achieve a collectivist autocracy under which all that we hold near and dear about the organization of society will become impossible.  I and people who share my beliefs consider the achievement of such ends, especially under the cloak of perfidy, to be the dominant and overwhelming evil of our times that will endure and prevail unless we address it openly and directly in the public forum.

    And the rank and file of such believers in collectivism share the exact opposite views, and of us as the purveyors of programs and policies that will lead to a tyranny reminiscent of Nazism and fascism (although predictably not socialism or communism).  Understandably they want none of that for their families and friends, and see us opposing their ideological desiderata as the nation’s evil ones.  And so the beat goes on, vehemently abetted by disastrously misunderstood shared values where each side is convinced the other side wants to herd them down the road to serfdom.

    That we continue to hope for change and rapprochement while beseeching the same laudable social values of hearth, home, family, and friends no doubt qualifies such behavior as another form of mass insanity that guarantees our growing separation.  

  • George Rebane

    Trump’s cabinet picks are overwhelmingly on the mark by my lights.  However, there are a couple of them who are arguably inappropriate for their assigned jobs.  Former congress critter Tulsi Gabbard is a nice lady, and no doubt has many talents which do not include the executive experience and required knowledge base to become Director of National Intelligence.  The DNI oversees 18 of nation’s top intelligence agencies and is responsible for summarizing much of what the president sees on a daily basis.  There are many others more suitable for the job.  And Lori Chavez-DeRemer is an abysmally poor choice for SecLabor.  She is on record as the most pro-union Republican and supports the Protecting the Right to Organize Act which is a devious piece of legislation that the unions use to enforce workers to unionize against their will.  Her confirmation in that job puts a fox to guard the hen house.

    Speaking of the cosmos and an ontology that has an excellent chance to make sense of it, I offer for your attention a video on some important ongoing research in that field of enquiry.  Dr Michael Levin of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University has recorded a long podcast summarizing the current status of this research – ‘Self-constructing bodies, collective minds: the intersection of CS, cognitive bio, and philosophy’.  To me it was an extremely illuminating cum mind-blowing presentation.  I have long thought that at its primal level the cosmos (i.e. ‘what is’) is really an amalgam of evolving patterns at many levels of intelligence that are variously structured into a universe which is then seen as distinct realities by its countless parts (patterns) observing/seeking their own foundations.  Levin’s work is the first I’ve encountered that puts my hazy mental meanderings on a more solid footing.  The next thing I need to do is take the time to view the whole thing again, and make notes.  More to be said about it later.  For those interested in these concepts and questions, I introduce you to the bleeding edge of such thoughts.

    [update]  Joe pardons son Hunter and logs one more gigantic lie to the legion already on his record.  Looking in the rear-view mirror we all should have seen this coming.  The pardon is a required ‘Stay out of Jail’ card for the entire Biden family.  I can hear Hunter telling his pop ‘if I’m going down, you all are going down.’  Hunter knows enough to send a lot of people up the river, and if he is now hauled into court again, you can bet the ranch that he’ll sing like a bird.

  • [Democrats and their media mouthpieces are having a hell of time figuring out why Kamala lost, having forgotten their own dismal assessments of the cacophonous cackler.  And to add to the comedy of Left, there is still a contingent of progressives who are contemplating various political futures for the woman.  None of them understand how inappropriate she is as a candidate for any elected office.  gjr]

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  • George Rebane

    Thanksgiving

    Given the outcome of the last election, at least half of the country has a lot to be thankful for.  The other half will feel the same a year from now.  Nevertheless, each of us within the bosom of our families should take the time to give thanks for the gifts we have received over the years.  For turkey day I share the grace said for decades in the Rebane family, ‘Thank you God for this day and this food.  Amen.’

  • George Rebane

    Granddaughter Elizabeth has finished her PhD in molecular biology, and after many years of cancer research is now Dr Elizabeth Fernandez and has her dissertation published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications‘Integrated molecular and functional characterization of the intrinsic apoptotic machinery identifies therapeutic vulnerabilities in glioma’ (whew!) – for which she was the lead of a formidable team of researchers.  She dedicated her doctoral research toward a cure for glioblastoma multiform, the deadliest brain cancer of which our granddaughter and her cousin Ellen died at the age of 14.  Congratulations Elizabeth!

    Cal Currier, the 16-year-old son of a dear friend, sailed solo across the Atlantic from Massachusetts to Portugal in a 30ft boat.  He was amply feted for this record setting accomplishment, especially since earlier this year he first learned to sail for this life-changing adventure that took both courage and a lot technical skills about seamanship and all the different mechanical and electronics equipments on board.  His father spent the weekend with us and casually brought this up when we were updating each other on family doings.  Cal is one of four brothers, all outstanding young men in their own right. (more here)

    Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy describe how their much publicized DOGE program will work in the 21nov24 WSJ‘The DOGE Plan to Reform Government’.  This well written commentary succinctly and clearly summarizes the new Dept of Government Efficiency and is well worth the read to cut through all the noise that has surrounded the announcement of this major Trump administration goal’s means and methods. (more here)

  • [Am considering starting a series of posts about the progressive’s promised ‘resistance’ movement against Trump’s administration.  These posts would be a place under which to gather thoughts and comments about this newest phase of anti-Trump doings by our Left.  Any thoughts?  gjr]

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  • George Rebane

    While our revamped president organizes a major government cleanup at the federal level, we in California will be immune to the resulting Trump-induced benefits.  Moreover, led by the peak pinhead himself, the Sacramento mental midgets will do their best to make our lives more costly and miserable than ever.  All of this continues to be brought about by California’s electorate – the most unread, indolent, and ignorant population of voters in the nation.  The ongoing legal and illegal increase in their numbers is driving out the productive Californians who seek more enlightened pastures in which they can raise their families and start/operate their businesses.

    TrumpGarbageCleanup

    Latest additions to the list of loonies –

    1. California’s fuel prices are already the nation’s highest. That makes no never mind to the leftwing global warmers who will increase our cost of fuels to new record setting and business killing levels. (more here).
    2. Newsom is marshalling his lackeys to quickly pass legislation that will fund legions of lawyers to enable California to oppose federal reforms and to “Trump proof” the state. He is planning to call a special legislative session to accomplish this fiasco.
    3. Passing SB 1383 is another law that will assuage the climate calamitists and do nothing to impact global warming. But it will increase the cost of waste disposal across the state and require citizens to perform additional work to prepare their trash for pick-up. “This law requires cities and counties to provide organic waste collection services to residents and businesses. It also requires residents, businesses, and multifamily complexes to separate organic waste from trash and recycle it in a separate cart. The law aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change.”  This latest pain-in-the-ass starts on 1 January 2025.
    4. No unity, more polarization. Yes, we will now be more polarized than ever as envisioned by Kamala in her ‘defeat speech’ wherein she vowed that her neo-Marxist dream will continue to be pursued at cross-purposes to the Trump policies that won the popular vote.  As another polarizing burr under the blanket, the Dems will still attempt to claw back presidential immunity. (more here and here) Fat chance with a Repub Congress, but the touted ongoing search for the already non-existent common ground is guaranteed a snowball’s chance in hell. 
    5. Dems have no clue about what happened on 5 November 2024; Kamala vows to keep promoting the policies that the nation rejected and that cost her the election. I doubt that she will have much to say about anything after Congress certifies the electoral vote in early January.
131 comments on Scattershots – 18dec24