Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Trump supporters are like ISIS fighters

Posted: December 22, 2020 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

If anyone represents the disdain of the media for Trump supporters, CNN media maven Brian Stelter would be an excellent example.

Recently, Stelter compared Trump supporters to ISIS members who’d been brainwashed.

“The same pipeline that helps my children learn, helps you connect with your loved ones, also poisons some adults, and distorts their reality. The body of research about radicalization is very clear,” Stelter said. “The Internet creates more space for extremism, and the echo chamber effect accelerates the process. QAnon is one really clear recent example. But so is ‘Stop the Steal,’ and so are some corners of the anti-vaccination movement.

“The best word for what is happening in America right now is radicalization. That’s what it is. That’s what this hyped-up, right-wing media machine is doing. That’s why it feels harder to talk about politics with other people, harder to speak a common language about right and wrong.”

Stelter’s screed is reminiscent of various media attacks on Trump and his supporters—a subject of a recent analysis in Quillette by writer Kevin Mims. See https://quillette.com/2020/12/15/journalisms-ivory-towers/

Simply put, media types don’t understand Trump supporters because the two groups are almost distinctly different from one another. Virtually no one in the elite media comes from the same background as Trump supporters. For example, two-thirds of Americans—many of whom support Trump—don’t have college degrees. Alternatively, a college degree is a minimum requirement for a job in journalism. 

“As recently as the 1970s, when I first became a consumer of American journalism, daily newspapers were filled with the work of syndicated journalists such as Art Buchwald, Mike Royko, Jimmy Breslin, Pete Hamill, and Jack Anderson, none of whom possessed a university degree that wasn’t honorary. Perhaps the most storied newspaper columnist in Northern California during the second half of the 20th century was Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle, another journalist who never went to college. Visit the Wikipedia page for American Print Journalists, and you’ll find plenty of famous 20th-century reporters who lacked a college degree: Ernie Pyle, H.L. Mencken, Harold Ross, Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, Ring Lardner, Damon Runyon, I.F. Stone, Hedda Hopper, Walter Winchell, and even Hunter S. Thompson,” Mims notes. 

Mims continues: “So much that has been written about black Americans lately has also been written by black Americans. The same is true of gay Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and American immigrants. But very little of what has been written about non-college-educated Americans of any race or ethnicity in the last five years has actually been written by non-college-educated Americans.”

In many cases, the elite media no longer seek non-college-educated people as readers and viewers. That may be another reason why few people in the press understand those who voted for Trump.

Whatever the case, the media might want to look for people who understand that Trump supporters aren’t brainwashed idiots akin to ISIS members.

Report from Louisiana: NOLA Mayor attacks Christian Singer Lauren Daigle

Posted: December 21, 2020 by Pat Austin in Uncategorized
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By:  Pat Austin

SHREVEPORT – As Louisiana politicians go, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is on her way to being as infamous as any of them.

Cantrell has come under criticism for her harsh economic restrictions in response to Covid-19 in New Orleans compared to the rest of the state.  She has placed stringent restrictions on high school athletic events which likely contributed to the Louisiana High School Football Playoffs relocating their games from the Superdome in New Orleans to Natchitoches, Louisiana at Northwestern State University.  Her tough occupancy restrictions for the Superdome would not enable many fans in the stadium; conditions are more favorable in Natchitoches; this move will cost New Orleans a chunk of tourism dollars from the multiday event.

In her latest move, Cantrell has verbally attached Christian singer and Louisiana native Lauren Daigle for spontaneously singing at a French Quarter protest last month.

The rally was a pop-up Let Us Worship rally staged by Californian Sean Feucht who has been doing this all across the country to protest Covid restrictions on churches and worship services. Daigle, who lives near the French Quarter, was reportedly riding her bike in the area, stopped, and when she was recognized and asked to sing, she complied. Naturally, it hit social media as a clip was posted by Feucht, and the firestorm began.

The protest “flouted coronavirus restrictions.”  Participants were “not wearing masks.” There “were thousands of people there.” There were “hundreds of people there.” Daigle “endangered first responders.” Criticism rained down.

Mayor Cantrell lashed out at Daigle in a December 9 letter which she wrote to Dick Clark Productions – the organization organizing the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve event which was to spotlight New Orleans in an eight-minute segment of the broadcast.

Cantrell asked that Daigle not be involved with the broadcast because of her participating in the protest at the French Quarter. Cantrell wrote,

“Miss Daigle cannot and should not be rewarded with national media exposure and a public spotlight. She harmed our people, she risked the lives of our residents, and she strained our first responders in a way that was unconscionable – in the midst of a public health crisis. That is not who we are, and she cannot be allowed to represent New Orleans or the people she willfully endangered.”

Daigle responded to the kerfuffle last week with a statement which said, in part:

“I’m disappointed that my spontaneous participation has become part of the political discourse and I’m saddened by the divisive agendas of these times. I would have been, and still would be, honored to represent our city on New Year’s Eve and although I was aware of discussions regarding my involvement, an offer was never made. I have wept, pleading for this chaos to dissipate and for harmony to return. We need unity when people are desperate, suffering, starving or out of work.”

Mayor Cantrell’s attack on Daigle has been criticized by Louisiana Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser who oversees tourism for the state. His office has pulled their financial subsidy for the city’s participation in the NYE event. In response, the city of New Orleans will pony up the $500,000 from their own “cultural fund.” This move has drawn criticism from some city council members who would rather spend the money locally in support of local artists, but the mayor contends that the national exposure is more important.

It’s all a huge mess, and really quite unnecessary.

Cantrell’s rush to criticize Daigle seems misplaced. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry sent a letter of support to Daigle should she and Dick Clark Productions choose to “relocate the event” to “more hospitable areas of the state.” He reminded her that Cantrell has previously allowed protests in the city, including a Black Lives Matter protest this summer. And the Naught Nawlins swinger convention was allowed to go ahead, which incidentally resulted in a Covid outbreak.

In light of that, Cantrell’s criticism seems rather harsh, and it does seem that she could be costing her city some tourism dollars in times when they are most needed.

I’ve never listened to Lauren Daigle’s music very much, but I think I’m going to give her a listen. And I will not be watching New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Pat Austin blogs at And So it Goes in Shreveport and is the author of Cane River Bohemia: Cammie Henry and her Circle at Melrose Plantation. Follow her on Instagram @patbecker25 and Twitter @paustin110.

Three Losses Margaret Mary, Ed and Mike

Posted: December 20, 2020 by datechguy in Uncategorized

There has been a sudden spate of deaths of people I know (in fact in the hour before I started this post two friends both told me of deaths in their families one yesterday and one earlier one that I hadn’t heard of) in the month of December. Most people would not have heard of these folks but I think they deserve a mention.

The 1st was Mary Margaret Rogers. Of the three she was likely the most prominent. While a British citizen she had lived in the US for decades and was active in political circles in NH. I first met her covering a Herman Cain event. I interviewed Ted Cruz at her home, spoke to Ben Carson there. Her husband writes for Granite Grok and it was through that association that I became an honorary Grokster.

But it was her kindness to people in general and my family in particular that stuck me. She had a high opinion of my wife and sons and treated us with the type of love and affection that people are used to associating with family. This however is not odd as all who knew her would have said the same. As her mass card quotes her:

“People will forget what you say, people will forget what you do but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

She made me and mine feel special. She was the best of the British Isles.

The 2nd was Ed Thomas. He was a professor of history at Fitchburg State College when I was there and later Fitchburg State University. He had an active mind and a love of history and facts. His notes were copious (I once asked about buying them but he declined) and he delighted in original sources. He was not shy about his opinions (that often differed from mine) but he always made clear the difference between opinion and fact. In later years after he retired I would occasionally see him coming early to the 4:15 mass when confessions were running late and he would chat.

He was the best teacher I had during my college years bar none and only Theresa Mahoney from grade school had a bigger influence on me.

Generations of students benefited from his instruction and will mourn his leaving us.

The third if a fellow by the name of Mike Karamanos. Most people never knew his last name. To them he was Mike of Mike’s Pizza. He was a hard working man who for decades ran his small pizzeria making pizza, subs and salads for the people in town. He was honest with his customers, generous of his charity and grateful for the chance to make his business in America but his heart was always in Greece where he will be burried.

He was an American success story and it is my great regret that I never interviewed him for my series of that name but it was my great privilege to know him.

None of these people will rate an obit in the Times or Post but all three were fine people who touched those who know them. That is what life is all about.

Five One Liners Under Other Peoples Fedoras Hogewash, Instapundit, Jim Treacher, Don Surber, Right Wing Granny.

Posted: December 19, 2020 by datechguy in Uncategorized

2021 is going to interesting. And very, very ugly.

Hogewash: Losing Their Grip

I’m wondering what the spark is going to be, a friend think it’s coming but is generations away.

Just imagine how this triumph would be reported if it had been achieved by a Democratic president. But they didn’t achieve it, partly because they didn’t actually want to. 

Glenn Reynolds on the ‘Hanukkah miracle.’ of Arab delegations in Israel for the lighting ceremony.

It would not surprise me if the someone nominates Biden & Harris for the Nobel as a result of Trump’s actions.

Bad cops suck, but not as much as a complete breakdown of civil society. The only people who don’t realize that yet are the ones whose living room windows haven’t been smashed in.

Jim Treacher Seattle Councilwoman Calls Cops She Wants to Defund

If I was the police I’d set up a special group of social workers to answer these calls.

The man lived in Washington for 44 years — including 8 as vice president — and he still hasn’t picked a parish?

Don Surber on Joe Biden now making mass attendence a regular part of his schedule

I’m not surprised, if he had been regularly attending mass for 44 years the thought of stealing an election from 80 million people might have put the fear of God in him.

This is not an accident. Someone knew when they introduced these machines into the voting process what would happen.

Right Wing Granny Computers Do What They Are Programmed To Do

For America’s enemies both foreign and domestic this is a feature not a bug and no amount of knowing this matters unless we are willing to stop it.

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