The nation is all a-twitter about the Supreme Court's decision to destroy the right of women to manage their own bodies.  Comments on the overturning of Roe are now worried about the likelihood of the Court overturning other rights:  the right to use contraception (Griswold v. Connecticut); same-gender marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges); the right to marry a person of another race (Loving v. Virginia); and every other right not in the Constitution as it was originally approved in 1788. 

This move by the Court to destroy Roe -- buttressed by three "justices" who lied in their confirmation hearings -- makes it clear that many of the rights we take for granted are in danger.

I'm reminded of the words of Reverend Martin Niemöller.

Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany. He emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. He is perhaps best remembered for his postwar words,

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

One more time. Just ONE MORE TIME!!

I swear if that ad shows up on my TV ONE MORE TIME I will contact Sirius/XM and cancel all three of my subscriptions.

It's that, or put a bullet through the TV set.

I mute the damn thing the instant it comes on but today I was on the other side of the Great Room from the TV remote and had to listen to half of the damn ad (my wife is in a wheelchair and I'm her sole caregiver).

Who is Kevin and why should I give a damn? Who are those idiot children living with him?? Who is "Alexa"? Are there more ads like that one? Did some advertising executive really approve that ad? Don't all these ad people snort coke?? Maybe that's where it came from.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

UPDATE!!!

15 MINUTES after I posting this comment, that's right, 15 short minutes later ANOTHER "KEVIN!!! WHAT!!" ad appeared, different cast of dimwits, same shouting, just as obnoxious as the lasagna ad.

I swear the lunatics are running this asylum.

In November, former businessman (fired from the Carlyle Group) Glenn Youngkin ran for and was elected Governor of Virginia. A major part of his campaign was his red-meat-to-the-base attacks on "critical race theory," which he vowed to removed from Virginia's public schools, even though "CRT" is graduate school or upper level law school material that is not taught in public schools. What he was really attacking was high school classes on diversity, Jim Crow, and some of the dark corners of American history - - - topics that the rural Virginians who supported him do not want their kids to know about.

Well, now it turns out that:

1. Youngkin's kids attend exclusive, private schools in DC.
2. Both teach equity, opportunity, diversity.
3. A book titled "Critical Race Theory: An Introduction" is on the schools' reading list along with a lot of very uncomfortable works by black authors.
4. Youngkin was on the Board of Governors of the schools when the curriculum was approved.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/26/glenn-youngkin-report-teachers-divisive-hypocrisy/

Youngkin’s move on critical race theory also comes with an added dollop of hypocrisy. Public schools, including Virginia’s, don’t teach critical race theory, which was a little-known academic school of thought before the Fox News crowd misrepresented it as a threat to American children.

But do you know which schools do teach “divisive” concepts, including something resembling critical race theory? The private D.C. schools Youngkin had his children attend. And you know who was on the board of governors of one of those schools while it was beefing up its anti-racism policies? Glenn Youngkin.

. . .

DEI — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — has been a priority at National Cathedral for many years. The school has an extensive staff devoted to the initiative, as well as programming that includes affinity groups such as diversity forums, an equity board, an intersectionality council and a student diversity leadership conference. A National Cathedral strategic plan approved by the board in 2018 — during Youngkin’s tenure — “includes the mandate to ‘Advance an Inclusive Educational Environment,' " which involved “integrating related action steps into the fabric of everything we are and do as a school community.”


Among the other things National Cathedral has done: made time in the school schedule for “critical conversations around topics of race, anti-racism, social justice, and inclusion”; added courses such as “Black Lives in Literature” and “Courageous Dialogues”; developed new hiring protocols “as a result of our anti-bias work” and required diversity training for all staff members; and included in the school’s summer reading list books such as Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism.”

Well, what's left of it is white.

Here's some advice for you young gentlemen: DO NOT, and I say again -- DO NOT -- do not ever find yourself in the midst of a "discussion" between your wife and one or more of your adult daughters, no matter the topic, no matter your opinion. Leave the room. Better yet, go to your local watering hole, but stay out of it.

You see, fathers and adult sons can talk about hunting, fishing, football (or whatever sport is in season), home repairs, cars, trucks . . . a variety of topics. And you can do this for days and days. Fathers and adult daughters have an understanding: She's always going to be your little girl, she knows it, you know it, and -- most important of all -- you recognize that she's a smart, competent, independent woman who will ask your opinion if she wants it.

Mothers and adult daughters can maintain a truce for 48 hours at best . . . after which . . .

TAke coveer.

Wife and daughter been baking all morning!!

-- Pound cake
-- Two pecan pies
-- Two sweet potato pies

All sitting on the island in the kitchen, waiting for tomorrow and family to arrive (except for my idiot son and famly who are not vaxxed)!!!

Do you know what a house smells like after baking a pound cake and four pies??

I CAN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER -- I'm raiding the kitchen!!!!!!!!

We have two children twins, in their late 40's (very late). Daughter is a liberal Democrat, partner in a white shoe DC law firm. Son and daughter-in-law are raving Trumpistas; they have two sons, aged 15 and 13.

Plan is for everyone to be here on Christmas Day. Daughter is working from home, so, she will get here Sunday, Dec 19. Son, DIL and grandsons will come and leave Christmas day, staying a few hours.

Son, DIL, and grandsons are NOT vaccinated and have told daughter that "media is overhyping this, Dr. Fauci is getting rich off vaccines, rave, rant, bullshit upon bullshit."

We have a few choices:
-- Go ahead with Christmas Day as though nothing has happened, avoid the topic.
-- Tell son, DIL, and grandsons to stay away.
-- Require masks and rapid tests (which will cause son and DIL to go ballistic and storm out).
-- Cancel Christmas Day, call Child Protective Services, report son and DIL for child abuse and get custody of grandsons.
-- Only other options involve cops, firearms, etc., etc., etc.

What to do??

[link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/09/christmas-boat-parade-lets-go-brandon/|https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/12/09/christmas-boat-parade-lets-go-brandon/
]


A boat decorated with "Let's Go Brandon" and "FJB" in lights won the Yorktown VA Christmas boat parade.

The 50-foot vessel named Southern Rock, owned by Bill Berger, went on to win the 25th annual Yorktown Lighted Boat Parade’s “Best in Show” award.

After complaints from people who watched the parade, the award was revoked.

The owner of the boat was the usual Republican unapologetic asshole.

“If you choose to interpret ‘bad words’ that’s on you,” Berger wrote in the post. “No curse words ever from my boat.”

Berger told WAVY that “FJB” stood for “falling Joe Biden,” accompanied with a display in which the president was falling down a ladder. He admitted he was shooting for an anti-Biden theme.

“I think our message got across,” Berger said.

There were few that could tap into the cosmic side of country music better, and nobody that could sail as deep into the ozone as Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. And now, the band’s illustrious pilot, the Captain, keyboard player and singer Commander Cody himself, Mr. George Frayne, has flown his final mission.

https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/pioneering-country-rocker-commander-cody-george-frayne-has-died/

Every motorist should carry a vinyl pouch on their vehicle dashboard containing license, registration and proof of insurance. That way, when a cop stops you, he won't shoot you when you reach into your wallet or purse for your ID because it will all be in one handy place -- where anyone walking past your car will see it and steal it.

No, I am not joking. From DailyKos:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/17/2052883/-Minnesota-Police-Admit-They-Can-t-Be-Trusted-to-Not-Murder-You

On both Twitter and Facebook, MnDPS announced its solution to cops shooting and murdering motorists in traffic stops was… to offer these bags, in which they expect motorists to put their documents, so that when complying with a police officer’s order to produce them, that the police will not see the motorist reaching into their pocket and murder them on the chance the motorist will pull a weapon out.

Go to the link and read the comments!!! Blistering!!

About 10:45 Eastern time today, I was listening to CNN on the Sirius radio while loading junk into my truck.

I don't recall the names, however, the guest was a Republican Senator.

The discussion was about elections, voting legislation, and the like.

The host asked the Republican Senator if he would state unequivocally that Biden was elected in a fair, accurate election. The Republican replied by ignoring the question and launching into GOP talking points about "hundreds, perhaps thousands" of Americans are trapped in Afghanistan. I turned it off.

Seems to me any host or moderator should check to see when a Republican guest was elected. If that person were elected in 2020, and if they refuse to state that the Nov 202 election was fair and accurate, then, the host needs to ask why we should accept that person's election as legitimate. "Well, Representative Asshole, if you believe the Nov 2020 election was rigged, and you were elected in Nov 2020, how do we know your election was not rigged?"

I know -- never happened. But we can hope.

My Republican Congresscritter was elected in Nov. 2020. He's holding a town hall in a couple of weeks. He voted against certifying the Nov 2020 results. I think I'll ask him if his election was rigged. I'll likely be escorted out.