They're Beginning to Look A Lot Like Fascists

With the Holiday season soon upon us, I thought that we should begin reviewing our Holiday Carols for the coming festivities:

An excellent report and commentary on the Pogrom in Dahgestan this weekend (watch the whole thing)

For those who don't know him, this is a report by Konstantin, a Russian ex-pat who spent many years living in the US as an exchange student and afterwards, with a Jewish family. He is very familiar with modern Russia and the rest of the world. He is an escapee from the mobilization madness and reports now from outside of the borders of Russia. But, he has close contacts and sources throughout Russia. This is an excellent summary and report. It bears watching through to the end.

ANTI-JEWISH POGROMS ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN SOUTHERN RUSSIA 29.10.2023

This is an ongoing report from Konstantin, who has been covering Russia and its antics during the Ukraine invasion. He is stunned by what is happening, real-time in Dagestan.

https://www.youtube.com/live/skQ12tuNarE?si=5creKJVmcywyGy1g

Large Hospital Groups Cancelling Contracts with Medicare "Advantage" Carriers

I do seriously understand that this fear is over the edge, but...

Given the deep doodoo that Dumpy finds himself in, I have been pondering the current calls to have him become Speaker of the House. That puts him third in line for the Presidency. Given his deranged thought process, I am wondering if the script, in his and his followers minds, is to have him become Speaker, and then, in a Putinesque move, the folks between him and power have serious illnesses or accidents which cause him to be elevated to the role of dictator/President for life.
This places the future of the US one vote away in a Republican controlled House.

The Medicare Advantage deluge has started - Here's my plan

We're still 3 weeks away from the beginning of the open enrollment period in which the conniving insurance companies will try to get us to switch to valueless "Medicare Advantage"plans. And the deluge of mailings has begun arriving.

This year, I have resolved, as a strictly self indulgent activity of curiosity, to retain each and every item received, and then to report back here as to number of pieces of mail, and total weight of the paper they used to try to convince me to abandon my health care coverage.

Anyone else wish to keep track of their own traffic to see how uniform it is?

Carmakers Suck Badly at Keeping Your Data Private

A truly remarkable commentary by Australian Car Blogger and Curmudgeon John Cadogan on the current ways car makers are collecting and selling data about you

High School band director tased, arrested after police order him to end performance

Thank the heavens we live in a country where the police are issued lethal and near lethal instruments to enforce their will, and qualified immunity to protect them from the logical outcome of their own thuggery.

The question which this highly talented reported failed to ask was what authority do the police have to order school personnel to do anything in the conduct of their duties on school property at a school event?

The band director of a Jefferson County high school was tased and arrested by Birmingham police when authorities say he would not order his band to stop playing.

The incident happened Thursday night following the Jackson-Olin High School vs. Minor High School football game, which was played at Jackson-Olin.

The director who was arrested is Johnny Mims, Jefferson County school officials confirmed.

.....

Birmingham police spokesman Officer Truman Fitzgerald released this account of what happened:

After the football game ended, Birmingham officers were in the process of clearing out the stadium and observed both bands still performing.

Officers spoke with both schools’ band directors to end the performance so students and attendees would leave the stadium. Officers were able to get Jackson-Olin’s band to stop performing.

Officers approached Mims and began asking him to get his band to stop performing.

Mims did not comply with multiple officers’ requests to stop his band from performing; he instructed his band to continue performing.

A BPD sergeant was among the officers who attempted to get the band director to stop his band from performing.

During the officers’ interaction with Mims, the decision was made to place him in custody.

Officers attempted to take Mims into custody for disorderly conduct when a physical altercation ensued between the band director, Birmingham City Schools System security personnel, and Birmingham officers.

During the physical altercation, Birmingham officers attempted to get Mims to place his hands behind his back, but he refused.

The arresting officer alleges Mims pushed him during the arrest. The arresting officer then subdued Mims with a Taser which ended the physical confrontation.

.....

After being discharged from the hospital, officers transported Mims to the Birmingham City Jail where he was booked in and subsequently bonded out.

Officers presented the case to the City of Birmingham Magistrate’s Office; and obtained warrants for disorderly conduct, harassment and resisting arrest.

Man files complaint against police - so they raid his home and seize his wife

You just can't make this stuff up. Until they eliminate qualified immunity, or, at the very require that you must have an IQ which exceeds your shoe size to work as a police officer, this kind of crap will continue.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shocking-footage-georgia-man-filed-220616152.html

Five years - That's all we've got (David Bowie)

I was just reading a very depressing thread about the current climate collapse and how we have now passed the point of no return. And then, I thought of this song that was one of my favorites and anthems, fifty years ago.

Please take the time to listen to the lyrics and see how well they fit our current situation.