July 25, 2021

Ted Cruz takes a swing at the Cleveland MLB team . . . and strikes out

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-cleveland-baseball-team-name-change_n_60fbb745e4b06e84e31d08a5

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined the right-wing freakout over the Cleveland baseball team’s decision to change its name from the Cleveland Indians to the Cleveland Guardians, and Twitter called foul.

The Cleveland OH MLB team has changed their name to "Guardians." Cruz immediately asked -- in a Tweet -- "Why does MLB hate Indians?"

He was buried in scorn . . . I don't know how to post tweets, so, go to the cited article to see.

Meanwhile, I'm wondering why Cruz wants to be called "Ted" and not by his given name of "Rafael"? Is it because he knows Texas Republicans will not vote for someone named "Rafael"?

July 22, 2021

"Declining effectiveness of vaccines" -- the latest rightwing lie

I live in the rural South, surrounded by Tea Partiers, wingnuts, Trumpsters, MAGAts and assorted other nutcases.

Here's their latest line of bull manure:

-- A year ago, COVID was raging -- deaths skyrocketing; mask and gathering restrictions locking us down; no vaccine in sight.

-- Now, with almost 70% of the nation vaccinated and with the effectiveness of last year's restrictions, we just about have COVID under control.

-- But now new infections and deaths are rising AMONG THE UNVACCINATED.

So, how do my idiot neighbors respond? It's all because the vaccines "lose effectiveness over time." That's right, it's not the Delta variant, it's not the fact that deaths are rising among the unvaccinated, it's that they were right all along -- the vaccines are losing effectiveness.

I have tried to point out that (1) 99.5% of deaths now are among the unvaccinated; (2) deaths are on the rise in the unvaccinated areas of the country (and our state); and, (3) even if a vaccinated person falls ill with COVID, it's a mild case.

But do they listen? Of course not . . .

If Stupid were a crime, my neighbors would be doing 25 to life.

July 16, 2021

It's about statues of Confederate generals

Last weekend, the city of Charlottesville VA removed the statues of Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

All the activity was recorded on video by news media, professionals, and amateurs alike -- dismantling the statues; loading them onto flatbed trailers; and, driving them away for storage.

One individual made video of the Lee statue passing his home. He then interposed on the video a few seconds of the fiddle tune "Ashokan Farewell" -- the theme music from the Ken Burns PBS special on the Civil War.

I've been watching this video over and over and can't seem to get away from it . . . . on a quiet residential street of a Southern city, an old, faded statue of Lee, strapped onto a flatbed truck, no cheering crowds, no demonstrations, just an old piece of bronze from days long gone, headed for its final resting place. Seems to me there's a longer story in here somewhere.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1414047821741842432

July 11, 2021

This likely is the nuttiest thing I have EVER read

Background: My rural VA county is blessed with more than our fair share of dingbats, nutcases, Trumpanzees, Proud Boys, Oaf Keepers, and other loons.

While checking out the Facebook page of one of these nutcases, I ran across this -- it seems someone saw an article that the military is training soldiers to fight in tunnels. The nutcases have decided this means the military is preparing to invade the tunnels where the Democrats are hiding children . . . or something like that.

Go to this Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/tom.kimmitt.75

And read the article that starts: "17th letter fans, this is from an anon friend
Report 11:11 Sunday July 11, 2021 folks. As always I’m just the messenger. "

Best to wear your tinfoil hat before reading the article.

July 10, 2021

Lee, Jackson statues coming down in Charlottesville VA

Source: BlueVirginia

Step-by-step photos of Lee, Jackson statues coming down in Charlottesville.

Read more: https://bluevirginia.us/2021/07/photos-video-charlottesville-removes-statues-of-confederate-generals-robert-e-lee-stonewall-jackson

---

The statues of Lee and Jackson that have soiled Charlottesville VA for decades are down!!!

Lowell over at BlueVirginia has been following today's events, complete with photos of the step-by-step removal.

https://bluevirginia.us/2021/07/photos-video-charlottesville-removes-statues-of-confederate-generals-robert-e-lee-stonewall-jackson

July 4, 2021

Man arrested for attempting to ram Washington Monument

A man is in custody after driving his car into the barrier wall encircling the Washington Monument Saturday night.

The collision happened around 8 p.m. Saturday.

D.C. Police said the man’s SUV mounted the curb, drove through the Washington Monument grounds and came within 500 feet of the marble obelisk before crashing into the surrounding stone wall.

. . .

The driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital in custody.

The FBI is investigating the crash as a possible act of terrorism.

https://wtop.com/dc/2021/07/man-in-custody-after-crashing-car-into-washington-monument-barrier/


DHS warned a couple of days ago of possible "militia" groups converging on DC for the Fourth, likely violence.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142764385