"If not us, who? If not now, when?"

That is the question asked by Michelle Malkin in FrontPage Magazine. Michelle writes an article there about how Facebook enables violent thugs to intimidate our law enforcement officers. Read it here.

Schiff falls into a trap

In the American Thinker, Clarice Feldman writes,

Congressman Adam Schiff (to experience the deep void, look into his eyes) has fallen into a trap in which he aims at the president and wounds his party’s front-runner, Joe Biden, instead.

...There is also a very strong similarity between Schiff’s consistent lies about the Mueller investigation and the phony Russian Collusion story and the effort to remove the President for trying to repair relations with Ukraine, relations jeopardized by the former administration’s corruption. He hopes the moribund press will broadcast his claims loudly and readers will not go beyond those headlines. In the meantime, as is their wont, the hysterical press on the left is drooling over the possibility of another impeachment angle, all else having failed to work and the President’s popularity growing as their candidates manage to turn off tranche after tranche of voters .

Once again, Schiff pushed hard on the revolving door and it’s about to smack him and his party in the face. This coming week, President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky are set to meet. Watch for it.

Read more here.

Unreported

What would you say is the biggest unreported story of the decade, maybe even the century? Oregon Muse thinks it is the failure of the mainstream media to do its job. Read his thoughts here.

Now we know why Joe Biden lost his cool when questioned about his son's involvement in Ukraine

In Fox News, Peter Schweizer writes,

Trump is right to question Biden dealings with Ukraine, despite Dem criticism.

Read it here.

Joe Biden gets angry when Peter Doucy of Fox News asks him his son's Ukraine ties

Beth Baumann reports in Town Hall.

I realize you’ve been forgetting things lately, @JoeBiden, but it’s weird that you’d forget this

You bragged about getting a Ukrainian prosecutor - who was investigating your son - fired

Seems like an abuse of power, no?pic.twitter.com/Y95djVhwn1

— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) September 21, 2019

Berries and stones

Yellow sage?

I call this a yellow sage. They will soon be in full bloom in the higher country around Santa Fe

Mums in a trash can

Tree and bush match colors

Last-ditch efforts

Roger Kimball writes in American Greatness,

...Can anyone keep them all straight? They rise like noxious bubbles from the cauldron of deep-state anti-Trump sentiment, only to pass away almost immediately, carried off by their own insubstantiality and the contrasting bright-light series of real achievements on the part of the Trump Administration.

Just this last week, we saw the New York chapter of the left-over Left make a last-ditch effort to smear Justice Brett Kavanaugh by fabricating yet another spurious complaint that an 18-year-old Kavanaugh had been over-served and acted rudely to a fellow female student at Yale. Only the student in question had no memory of the incident.

Like every other complaint against the teenaged Kavanaugh, it was a matter of “my cousin Ernie’s brother’s girlfriend heard from her college roommate that three people whose names she cannot remember told her best friend that someone who might have been Brett Kavanaugh was rumored to have exposed himself at a drunken white-privilege party at Yale 35 or maybe 36 years ago.” That was enough for the wretched New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly to take to the bank.

...I’ll come to Hunter Biden’s excellent Ukraine adventure with his dad. But first, let’s back up and accompany him to China, where Biden fils had some very lucrative business dealings. The great Peter Schweitzer was on the case. “In December of 2013, Hunter Biden flies on Air Force 2 to Beijing, China, with his father,” Schweitzer noted.

His father [then vice president of the United States] meets with Chinese officials, he’s very soft on Beijing. The most important thing that happens [takes place] 10 days after they return. And that’s when Hunter Biden’s small, private equity firm called Rosemont Seneca Partners gets a $1 billion [that’s “billion” with a “B,” kemo sabe] private equity deal with the Chinese government, not with the Chinese corporation, with the government. And what people need to realize is Hunter Biden has no background in China. He has no background in private equity. The deal he got in the Shanghai free-trade zone, nobody else had—Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Blackstone, nobody had this deal.

...here (again, courtesy of Peter Schweitzer) are some thought-provoking, ah, coincidences:

On April 16, 2014, Devon Archer, Hunter Biden’s business partner, made a private visit to the White House for a meeting with Vice President Biden.

Five days later, on April 21, Joe Biden landed in Kiev for a series of high-level meetings with Ukrainian officials.

Soon thereafter, the United States and the International Monetary Fund pumped more than $1 billion into the Ukrainian economy.

The next day, there was a public announcement that Archer had been asked to join the board of Burisma.

Three weeks after that, on May 13, it was officially announced that Hunter Biden would join, too. Like Hunter Biden, Archer had no background or experience in the energy sector.

In March 2016, Ukrainian officials fired Viktor Shokin, the controversial prosecutor general whose office was overseeing the investigation into Burisma.

Six months later, the Burisma case was dropped entirely.

According to Joe Biden himself, the former vice president played a key role in the prosecutor’s dismissal.

...In March 2016, Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loans if Shokin was not fired. This wasn’t just “reported” by a “source.” It came right from Biden himself. In a 2018 speech, he bragged, “I looked at them and said: I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money. Well, son of a bitch. He got fired.”

Read more here.

"enhanced cognitive performance" in seven Alzheimers patients

David Nield reports in Science alert,

In the ongoing efforts to control and treat Alzheimer's, one of the more promising avenues of research is using electromagnetic waves to reverse memory loss – and a small study using this approach has reported some encouraging results.

The study only involved eight patients over a period of two months, so we can't get too excited just yet, but the researchers did see "enhanced cognitive performance" in seven of the participants.

In this case, the volunteers – who all have mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) – were fitted with what's called a MemorEM head cap, which uses specially developed emitters to create a custom flow of electromagnetic waves through the skull. Treatments are applied twice daily, for an hour, and they can be easily administered at home.

The study builds on previous research from the same team that concentrated on mice, which showed that this transcranial electromagnetic treatment (TEMT) was capable of protecting against memory loss, and even reversing it in older rodents.

Based on the evidence so far, TEMT looks like it can break up the toxic amyloid-beta and tau proteins that have been extensively linked with Alzheimer's – the waves are apparently able to destabilize the weak hydrogen bonds that hold them together.

These proteins essentially clog up the brain, scientists think, suffocating and destroying neurons we rely on to hold on to memories, turn thoughts into speech, and work out where we are in the world.

Read more here.

hat-tip Instapundit

Moral panics and mass hysteria

In the Daily Wire, Ashe Snow writes,

Moral panics, or instances of mass hysteria, have occurred throughout history. Two of the most notorious are the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and '90s. The panics almost exclusively involve women and children and fears for their safety, especially from sexual abuse.

We are in the midst of another such panic, but despite the similarities to past episodes, we are still unable to recognize it as such. The current panic has been playing out in the military and on college campuses for nearly a decade, but with the advent of the #MeToo movement, the mass hysteria is creeping into our regular legal system as well. The following are five of the biggest signs that we are experiencing another bout of mass hysteria, this time over sexual assault and harassment.

1. Due Process Goes Out The Window
Due process is the cornerstone of our legal system, but in times of mass hysteria, it becomes the enemy.

We see this same claim being made now on college campuses. The Obama administration strongly discouraged cross-examination of students claiming to be sexual assault victims because allowing their alleged abuser (or his counsel or anyone else) to question them would “re-traumatize” them. Legal counsel for college students is often denied, and if an attorney is allowed in the hearing, they are barred from offering guidance or speaking on behalf of their client. Many students aren’t even provided the specific allegations against them before they’re told to defend themselves. Often, only campus investigators’ biased notes exist of interviews, instead of audio or video. This was also the case in the Little Rascals trial — only therapists' notes survived.

We’re now told, quite firmly, that due process keeps sexual assault victims from coming forward. Having to tell their story multiple times, having to face their accuser, having to provide evidence of their claims, being questioned about inconsistencies or fallacies — all these things are now considered harmful, but only for those making sexual assault accusations. Accusers of other crimes are still seen as capable of surviving the legal system.

We see this same claim being made now on college campuses. The Obama administration strongly discouraged cross-examination of students claiming to be sexual assault victims because allowing their alleged abuser (or his counsel or anyone else) to question them would “re-traumatize” them. Legal counsel for college students is often denied, and if an attorney is allowed in the hearing, they are barred from offering guidance or speaking on behalf of their client. Many students aren’t even provided the specific allegations against them before they’re told to defend themselves. Often, only campus investigators’ biased notes exist of interviews, instead of audio or video. This was also the case in the Little Rascals trial — only therapists' notes survived.

2. “Believe The Victim”

...Today, we hear “believe all women” or “believe the victims.” Politicians such as former Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton repeat this phrase. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) uses some form of this phrase a lot, even when no evidence exists.

They are not actually saying we should believe victims, because if we knew someone was a victim, we would know they’re telling the truth. What politicians and celebrities who use this phrase are actually saying is to believe every accusation. It is dangerous, and in high-profile case after high-profile case, they have been proven wrong; Duke Lacrosse and the Rolling Stone rape hoax being the most obvious.

3. Misleading And Faulty Statistics

...The truth is that there are a range of categories for accusations, a small percentage are proven false, and a small percentage result in a guilty verdict. Everything in between is uncertain.

4. Evidence, Schmevidence

...When witnesses contradict the accuser’s claims, they’re dismissed in favor of other witnesses — often friends of the accuser who were not actually present during the encounter — who claim she was distraught afterward. When accusers admit they “may have stretched the truth” and only made the accusation because they were “pissed off” at the man they accused, they’re still considered victims and such statements are disregarded.

5. Pseudo-Scientific Theories About Memory Reign Supreme
We also now see trauma “experts” insisting that everything is evidence of trauma and making claims that contradict other claims. We’re told that trauma makes memories more vivid, or that it can block out certain memories. We’re told that the closer to an event, the better someone remembers, while also being told that memories become clearer long after an event occurred.

In reality, none of this can be used to guarantee whether an accuser is being truthful or making a 100% accurate claim.

A traumatic experience does not create a factually accurate memory, as many suggest. These memories can be distorted in multiple ways. New details can be introduced through intentional or unintentional remembering and can then be absorbed into the original memory without the person realizing these details never happened. Remembering trauma can also make it more intense than it actually was.

A large volume of studies — spanning decades — consistently show that our memories are not a reliable source of information, and can be corrupted and distorted incredibly easily. Witnesses to traumatic events — such as those who witness a shooting or other horrific crime — are often wrong about what they saw. Thousands are wrongfully convicted based on incorrect eyewitness identifications.

Yet still, we’re told that accusations must be believed and that no one would lie about this sort of thing. Many people may not be lying, but simply misremembering something and believing that incorrect memory.

Read more here.

"If an African-Canadian gangster from the projects can become a popular, white, liberal prime minister, then maybe there’s hope for the rest of us."

Trudeau Claims He Was Known As 'Corn Pop' Until A Cool White Dude Turned His Life Around
September 21st, 2019

THE GREAT WHITE NORTH—A new development may provide some context in the controversy over recently surfaced photos showing Canada’s prime minister in brown skin, according to sources close to Justin Trudeau. While the progressive prime minister “deeply regrets” many of the choices he made during the time those photos were taken, some new details may help critics come to an understanding.

According to childhood friend “Smokey,” Trudeau used to be known as “Corn Pop,” and was a “bad dude” who ran around with “a bunch of bad boys.”

One day, Corn Pop and Smokey were hanging at the community pool/hockey rink when a white lifeguard named Joey B scolded Corn Pop for not following the rules. The incident escalated to the point where Corn Pop and the gang waited outside by Joey’s moose with razors, ready to "cut that cracker down." Joey B came out with a sharpened icicle, ready for action, but instead of an altercation, something happened: Joey apologized for making a derogatory comment about Corn Pop’s ethnic hair.

Smokey recalls how this moment transformed Corn Pop’s life, teaching him the power of friendship and forgiveness. From that day forward, Corn Pop was determined to become prime minister of the most powerful country ever to be adjacent to the greatest country on earth.

Many of Trudeau’s supporters hope this new information will shed light on the transformation this progressive leader has gone through, and give hope to others that if an African-Canadian gangster from the projects can become a popular, white, liberal prime minister, then maybe there’s hope for the rest of us. (from the Babylon Bee)

Jordan Peterson family update

The real story!

This is the real and only story! pic.twitter.com/4z8eOcm6PA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2019

Financial pundits and media narrative engineers cancel the recession!

In the Conservative Treehouse, Sundance brings us more good news about the economy.

Last week U.S. economic data included the Labor Department’s report on initial filings for unemployment benefits, at historically low levels. Also last week, the Commerce Department reported the U.S. housing market (new homes and permits) was the strongest since 2007. Then came the Philadelphia Fed’s index of manufacturing business activity in September, more than doubling estimates as factories continue to expand. And if that wasn’t too much winning, the Commerce Department then announced August retail sales growth was double expectations. Main Street USA is very strong.

None of the economic data supports the almost month-long ‘recession narrative’ pushed by financial pundits and media narrative engineers, and next week the second estimate of Q2 GDP growth will be released. Attempting to retain the smallest remaining whiff of credibility, the Bloomberg economists now announce they’re canceling the recession.

Yes, in a piece titled “Hold That Recession – U.S. Indicators are Trouncing Forecasts“, Bloomberg admits the economy doesn’t match their gloomy narrative:

(Bloomberg) — The U.S. economy is outperforming expectations by the most this year, offering a fresh rebuttal to last month’s resurgent recession fears fueled by the trade war and a manufacturing slump.

The Bloomberg Economic Surprise Index has reached an 11-month high after four indicators released Thursday, including existing home sales and jobless claims, each surpassed expectations.

Read more here.

He gained viewers!

In Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds asks, "What did Alex Jones do that CNN and MSNBC don't do every day? In his comments section, Jquip answers: Gain viewers.
Read more here.

"The tech elite has financed a Democratic Party that now appears to favor socialism over capitalism."

In City Journal, Joel Kotkin writes,

...In the 1980s and 1990s, Silicon Valley, like many industries, placed its bets on both political parties. Moderate Republicans like Pete McCloskey, Ed Zschau, and Tom Campbell routinely won congressional elections, as did similarly minded members of the state legislature. But over the past few decades, the Valley has become politically monochromatic, with virtually no elected Republicans. Almost all contributions from Silicon Valley tech owners and employees in the 2016 and 2018 elections went to Democrats. Tech money helped Newsom outspend his GOP rival by three to one—with major contributions from former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, and Lauren Jobs (widow of the Apple founder) at the top of the donor list. Former Google chairman Eric Schmidt heads data efforts for several Democratic presidential candidates, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and arch-populist Elizabeth Warren. Tech employees are, if anything, more progressive-leaning in their political contributions than their corporate masters.

Just a few years ago, these investments seemed to be paying off. The Obama administration was deferential to tech firms, steering away from any hint of antitrust action. Google representatives met in the White House weekly, and more than 250 people shuttled between working for Obama and Google during his presidency. Now, this power is being challenged. Google is being sued for monopolistic practices by 48 states. Though progressive California has stayed out of the fray, AB5 demonstrates that the tech moguls are losing ground there, too, to better-organized and more politically savvy public-employee and service unions.

The new legislature’s makeup reveals how much power has shifted to the unions. Beyond protecting gig workers, organized labor has broken with tech on education reform, long a Silicon Valley hot-button issue. Under the current legislative super-majority, the Democrats have worked overtime to make sure that California’s schools—ranked 40th on Education Week’s composite score of national school performance—remain mediocre by undermining charter schools, eliminating exit exams, banning suspensions for unruly students, and, as a recent proposal suggests, introducing a new ethnic-studies curriculum for public school students.

The Californian ruling caste’s progressive sentiments have not translated into broad-based economic benefits. According to an analysis by Chapman University’s Marshall Toplansky, California has created surprisingly few high-wage jobs over the past decade, with 86 percent below the median pay and some 40 percent paying under $40,000—in one of the nation’s most expensive states. In a tech-dominated economy, virtually every other sector has grown slowly, well below results in such key competitors as Texas and Arizona. And even the bounty of Silicon Valley has not helped the state’s middle class, since some 40 percent of all tech jobs have gone to foreign workers.

How long will Silicon Valley’s leaders accept these conditions? Both Lyft and Uber have shifted some of their operations out of state, Lyft to Nashville and Uber to north Dallas. Apple has opened a huge new operation in the suburbs outside Austin. But there may be no escape if the ascendant Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders ends up in the White House, particularly with a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress. In these circumstances, Big Tech is likely to be treated in Washington with the kind of scorn that Amazon faced in New York City from local congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, now increasingly the national voice of the party grassroots. If Warren wins, tech companies and their high-wage upper-tier workers will have to deal with demands to put workers on their boards and pay huge taxes to fund expanded Social Security and Medicare programs. Privacy legislation could impede their highly profitable tracking and data-collection businesses, and antitrust enforcement could see the breakup of companies like Google and Facebook. At least one progressive, Oregon senator Ron Wyden, has even suggested that Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg face “the possibility of a prison term.”

The tech elite has financed a Democratic Party that now appears to favor socialism over capitalism. A socialist movement is even percolating among Silicon Valley tech employees, many of whom see little opportunity to amass enough wealth to buy a house in the exorbitant Bay Area. Like those French aristocrats who backed revolutionary ideas in the late-eighteenth century only to find themselves riding tumbrels through angry crowds, tech elites have spent a fortune promoting a “woke” politics that is turning against them. They may not lose their heads, but they could find their riches fleeced by former allies. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving, self-involved, and cognitively gifted group of . . . well, idiots.

Read more here.

Doomed?

Twitchy: Cory Booker praises his campaign for being transparent and courageous enough to claim it’s doomed unless people send $1.7 million FAST

Shooting itself in the foot

In a comment on the latest Kavanaugh smear, Glenn Reynolds reminds us in Instapundit,

the party that has relied heavily on rule by judiciary is still shooting itself in the foot if it delegitimizes the Supreme Court.

Read more here.