I Invoke the Planet of Tara Rule For Yesterday

Posted: August 5, 2024 by datechguy in Uncategorized

1st Romana: Look, we haven’t got time for you to practice anything. We’ve got to find the fourth segment.
4th Doctor: You find it. I’m taking the day off.
1st Romana: The day off?
4th Doctor: Yes. After a journey of four hundred years and twelve parsecs, I’m allowed a rest of fifty years.
1st Romana: Where does it say that?
4th Doctor: Section ninety three, paragraph two, laws governing Time Lords. You look it up.

Doctor Who The Androids of Tara 1978

One of the disadvantages of the slow revenues on the site these days is that If circumstances keep me from posting there isn’t always a post from a magnificent seven writer available as the seven are now down to four including me.

So I do apologize for not getting anything up yesterday but in fairness it has been a rare occurrence over the last 16 years. I hate to miss a story.

The NYT not so much as Insty notes:

Emhoff confirmed the story. “Vice President Kamala Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff acknowledged Saturday in a statement to CNN that he had an affair during his first marriage after the alleged details of the relationship were published by a British tabloid.”

To ask why a story like this was broken by “a British tabloid” and not the DNC-MSM is to answer the question.

UPDATE: When PR work replaces journalism: Doug Emhoff is pushing more men to advocate for abortion rights.

—Yamiche Alcindor, NBC News, May 8th. 

Funny how men who are knocking up the family babysitter are inclined toward Abortion isn’t it?

I know that Kamala is now “officially” the Democrat nominee but remember this the convention hasn’t taken place yet and just 40 days ago Joe Biden was the nominee and anyone who suggested it would be otherwise was some kinds of fake news nut.

By John Ruberry

Under the radar, a new Van Morrison album has arrived. On Morrison’s website, the release of Live at Orangefield, had been promised for a while, and last month, on vinyl and CD, on Van the Man’s Orangefield Records, it went on sale. 

I subscribe to iTunes, and with any artist whose work I’ve downloaded, I will usually find that performer’s latest effort on the “New Releases” tab of my Apple Music homepage. But not always with Morrison, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member who has released an astounding 45 studio albums since 1967. 

Morrison, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, also has cut six live albums. His first one, It’s Too Late to Stop Now–an expanded edition was issued in 2016–is one of the best live albums ever. His second live collection, Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast, obviously was recorded in his hometown. 

As was Live at Orangefield. The Belfast Cowboy’s first live performance took place with his skiffle group in 1959 at Orangefield High School when he was a student there. In 2014, the school closed, and to salute the school–and even more so Belfast–Morrison, with his always tight band, returned.

A Facebook Morrison group–Van, by the way, is no fan of Facebook–alerted me that Live at Orangefield was available to download. Apple didn’t notify me. Possibly, because both musically and in interviews, Morrison was probably the most strident opponent among entertainment industry figures of the COVID lockdowns, that online slight was intentional. Three Morrison singles, one recorded with Eric Clapton, attacked government COVID-related restrictions. The triple-vinyl album, Latest Record Project Volume One and its follow-up, What’s It Gonna Take?–continued the pushback. 

While there were some favorable reviews, most critics savaged, unfairly, that output. Rock critics are mostly an intellectually vapid lot–and like sportswriters, most of them prefer writing about politics when the opportunity arises. Morrison, despite his legendary status, offered those mental midgets a ripe target. But history has been kind to this septuagenarian rebel. At the very least, the COVID lockdowns were an overreach. Still, in the media and the music business, Van Morrison, is almost certainly purposely ignored. 

In a Google News search, as of this writing, I could only find two reviews of Live at Orangefield.

And that’s a pity, because Live at Orangefield is an essential Morrison work. While Morrison has a reputation as an aloof and ornery fellow–which is either not true or it is possibly an exaggeration pushed by those self-worshipping rock critics–he offers some charm here.

In a mostly spoken-word piece on this album, “On Hyndford Street,” Morrison calls out to the crowd, “If any of the guys from ‘the street’ are here, give me a shout if you remember this one.” 

Playing ’round Mrs. Kelly’s lamp
Going out to Holywood on the bus 
And walking from the end of the lines to the seaside
Stopping at Fusco’s for ice cream [loud cheers follow] 
In the days before rock ‘n’ roll.

I looked it up–I don’t know if the establishment I found online is the same Fusco’s that Morrison and his pals used to patronize, but there is a Fusco’s in Belfast.

Van the Man was born on August 31, 1945 at 145 Hyndford Street. And particularly with “On Hyndford Street,” which as originally released on the Hymns to the Silence double album, but also on other tracks here, listeners get the feeling that they are participating in a walking tour of Belfast–with Morrison as a tour guide.

I’ve only seen Morrison once in concert–he was fantastic. Morrison has a reputation for not playing many of his hits from the overexposed “classic rock” era. But Van is a performer, not a fossil, and if he had fossilized his career, then he’d be on the stale casino circuit along with Lynard Skynard, which carries on even though that band has no original members left on its roster. But they play the hits, as do the Van Morrison tribute bands. 

But there are some of those Van hits on Live at Orangefield. The album opens with the instrumental “Celtic Excavation,” and then segues to “Into the Mystic.” Belfast of course is a seaport. I don’t know if this stanza is about Belfast, but it could be.

And when that foghorn blows
I will be coming home
And when the foghorn blows 
I want to hear it 
I don’t have to fear it.

Another hit, albeit a minor one, “Cleaning Windows,” follows. Morrison’s job before becoming a full-time musician was toiling as a window washer in Belfast. Then comes “Orangefield” and “Moondance.”

Other Belfast-related songs include “Got to Go Back” and “Northern Muse (Solid Ground).”

Another highlight here is “That’s Life,” the Frank Sinatra song, which Morrison recorded with Georgie Fame in 1995. Lyrically it’s an important addition to the set list, and musically too. In the 2000s and the following decade, much of Van the Man’s output had a jazzy and swing feel. New age jazz is a genre Morrison worked with in the 1980s; several of the songs I mentioned earlier utilize that sound. 

Live at Orangefield is an essential collection for the Morrison fan, and it’s a good place to start, particularly if you enjoy jazz-flavored popular music, if you want to learn more about this fantastic musician. 

And if you live in Belfast–then, man, what are you waiting for?

One more thing: Smart people listen to Van Morrison.

Live at Orangefield is available in vinyl and CD forms at Van Morrison.com. And you can download it at iTunes and stream it on Spotify.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Vorshak: But should you remain stubborn, it’ll be a long and painful business, so start talking.
Turlough: I’ve told him, and now I’m trying to tell you. We are not enemy agents, saboteurs
Nilson: Then why were you attempting to destroy the reactor?
Turlough: If the Doctor had intended to destroy it, it would be lying in pieces at your feet.

Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep 1984

The slaying of Ismail Haniyeh one of the heads of Hamas in what should have been practically the safest place in the Islamic world for him to be is a sold reminder of an inconvenient pair of facts that all in the Arab World know is true but none will admit aloud due to the nature of their “face/shame” culture but that many of the useful idiots in the left seem to forget.

Fact One:  

The only reason why there is any Jew left alive in Israel is the Arabs inability to kill them. They will never forgive Israel for repeatedly beating them in 1947, 1954, 1967 and 1973 and in their minds that embarrassment can only be removed by the destruction of Israel and the end of the Jewish state. If the Arabs could they would slaughter every single Jew in Israel and celebrate the Genocide they dream of producing.

Fact Two:

The only reason why there is any Arab alive in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank is that Israel does not want to kill them. They have the military might and the logistical ability to completely annihilate every single Arab in general and Palestinian in particular and have had that ability over half a century. If Israel wanted to commit Genocide against those Arabs who wish them dead they would be dead.

I strongly suspect due to their culture of shame the only thing that angers and embarrasses the Arabs more than the first fact is the truth of the second.

Democrats absolutely love the Supreme Court when that august body issues opinions that conform to progressive orthodoxy.  When the Supreme Court issues opinions that actually reflect the original meaning of the Constitution and founding principles of the United States, Democrats behave like small children. This is exactly what took place this past Monday when the Biden Regime issued the following proposal: FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Bold Plan to Reform the Supreme Court and Ensure No President Is Above the Law | The White House

From his first day in office—and every day since then—President Biden has taken action to strengthen American democracy and protect the rule of law.

In recent years, the Supreme Court has overturned long-established legal precedents protecting fundamental rights. This Court has gutted civil rights protections, taken away a woman’s right to choose, and now granted Presidents broad immunity from prosecution for crimes they commit in office.

At the same time, recent ethics scandals involving some Justices have caused the public to question the fairness and independence that are essential for the Court to faithfully carry out its mission to deliver justice for all Americans.

The opening paragraphs of this fact sheet prove that the political left lives in an alternate universe, with a vastly different reality.

As you can see from this next paragraph, the Biden Regime is hoping to cram this farce through before the election.

President Biden and Vice President Harris look forward to working with Congress and empowering the American people to prevent the abuse of Presidential power, restore faith in the Supreme Court, and strengthen the guardrails of democracy. President Biden thanks the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States for its insightful analysis of Supreme Court reform proposals. The Administration will continue its work to ensure that no one is above the law – and in America, the people rule.

The only positive thing you can say about the first proposed reform is that it does not violate the Constitution because it calls for a Constitutional Amendment.

No Immunity for Crimes a Former President Committed in Office: President Biden shares the Founders’ belief that the President’s power is limited—not absolute—and must ultimately reside with the people. He is calling for a constitutional amendment that makes clear no President is above the law or immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office. 

This next proposal completely shreds Article 3 of the Constitution, which does not include an actual term limit.

Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices: Congress approved term limits for the Presidency over 75 years ago, and President Biden believes they should do the same for the Supreme Court. The United States is the only major constitutional democracy that gives lifetime seats to its high court Justices. Term limits would help ensure that the Court’s membership changes with some regularity; make timing for Court nominations more predictable and less arbitrary; and reduce the chance that any single Presidency imposes undue influence for generations to come. President Biden supports a system in which the President would appoint a Justice every two years to spend eighteen years in active service on the Supreme Court.

The third and final proposal also shreds Article 3 of the Constitution because neither the Executive Branch or the Legislative Branch are granted the authority to impose a code of conduct on the Supreme Court.

Binding Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court: President Biden believes that Congress should pass binding, enforceable conduct and ethics rules that require Justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity, and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. Supreme Court Justices should not be exempt from the enforceable code of conduct that applies to every other federal judge.

Here is the actual text of Article 3 Section 1 of the Constitution.

Section 1- Judicial powers. Tenure. Compensation.

The judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may, from time to time, ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behaviour, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.