Scattershots – 6sep17 (updated 10sep17)

George Rebane

The local League of Women Voters presented a get together on ‘Fake News’ at Sierra College last night.  It featured Brooke Binkowski, Managing Editor of snopes.com and Randall ‘Fink’ Finkelstein, NC Scooper editor, both supposed experts on the topic.  It was a real jaw dropper.  Jo Ann and I had never attended a more lame, information free, and sophomoric presentation as we witnessed last night.  The LWV used to be a real heads up organization and source of non-partisan voter information before its joining the progressives.  No more.  The clear political implication was to obliquely point to the Republican Party and, of course, Trump (never leave him out) as the fount of fake news, which, by the way, no one was able to define – sort of like pornography.

About half an hour into the thing, people of the Right and Left started walking out, as people realized that no one on stage knew what they were talking about.  We greeted Reinette Senum, who sat behind us, and saw her with some friends quietly get up and leave during an unbelievable sequence with Ms Binkowski, a certified feather-head.  (Ms Senum’s ascerbic post on the evening is on her Facebook page.)  And we still don’t have any idea why Mr Finkelstein was invited to participate.  Full disclosure - it pains me to admit that we were not the first to leave.  

 

Economic migrants vs refugees, as discussed before in these pages, there is a real difference between those two cohorts who today are literally invading developed countries, including the US.  A new book, Refuge by Alexander Betts and Paul Collier, presents recent research on the social devastation the legal and illegal entry of such people cause when a country’s immigration policy falters, and national interests are superseded by advocates of globalism.  The case made by the authors is that “activists often fail to draw a line between refugees and economic migrants.  The result can be catastrophic for host countries.”  National columnist Jason Riley expands on this as he treats ‘Congress’s Chance to Do Its Job and solve the Dreamers’ Dilemma’.  And here is some editorializing on the whole topic when we don’t do the right thing from the gitgo.

[7sep17 update]  The Trump Derangement Syndrome is both ubiquitous and pervasive, overwhelming members of both parties.  Note the president now gets dunned when he does and does not work with Democrats.  Reaching across the aisle to get the Harvey aid package and government funding continuing resolution going got him Bronx cheers from all sides.  The Dems are celebrating that they finally got a chance to beat the political crap out of The Donald (note also the local lefties in these comment streams), and some Repubs are grumbling that the CR wasn’t long-lived enough.

‘States Lower Bar for Teachers’  The bar for teaching already hit the ground some years back, and the profession (as has been pointed out here by RR and readers) already fills its ranks from the lowest quartile from academe.  To make things worse, teacher salaries reflect their skills, and are in a vicious cycle with drawing the dimmest bulbs into the field.  One reason for such budget tightening has been the government itself (remember where to look first if there’s a problem) by requiring schools to pad their administrative offices with expensive staff to support all kinds of mandated programs that have nothing to do with the national interest of producing a capable workforce and cadre of intelligent voters– goals that go contrary to all progressive political agendas.  It would be easy for school districts to pay more and attract a better class of teachers if they could just fire at least half of their non-classroom administration staffs and redistribute the saved monies for teacher salaries.  And the kicker to all this bar lowering (more here) is that the poorest kids in the poorest neighborhoods get hurt the most (more here).

Crabb torpedos Navy.  Our cartoonist extraordinaire and consummate RR critic Bob Crabb skewered the US Navy's tin can fleet with a great piece of serendipity incorporating the fleet's recent foibles on the high seas with his ongoing saga of Altarctica.  Filched from the pages of the 7sep17 Union, it is copied here for your pleasure.

 

Progressive Pap, that's the best name I can think of for a new category under which we can collect the flood of new laws, regulations, codes, school curricula, etc that continues to inundate us, no matter how hard the administration works to roll some of that crap back.  Here's one from north of the border.  In many provinces of Canada there are now new laws that make it illegal to leave totally capable kids at home alone.  Ontario sets the record with 16 as the cutoff age of 'alone at home'.  All this in spite of the crime stats showing that kids home alone today are safer than they were when we stayed home alone.  (I was regularly left home alone when I was four.  And so were other kids whose parents had to work, run errands, etc.)  Today kid coddling has become the latest progressive enterprise that ratchets back our freedoms.  (more here)

[8sep17 update]  The Party of the Peehpul is how the Dems play themselves for the feather-lights.  Now comes truly unbelievable news about how a Democratic administration in the party’s flagship city New York conducts what should be an easy part of its business.  Mayor DeBlasio has instated a byzantine and draconian system to assure that only the well-to-do progressives can play, and the rest of the city’s residents can go pound sand.  It costs more than a pretty penny to play in addition to the hassle and the poorly run courts when you finally arrive.  And get this, the same progressives are attempting to shut down the tennis that private clubs leasing city facilities and offer free play for the local folks.  Allysia Finley gives another brief but telling summary of government run amok in her ‘Tennis Anyone? Not Without a Permit’.

[10sep17 update]  ISIS terrorism advances to a new level, so claim Catalan authorities in Barcelona following the recent deadly attack.  According to NPR, what concerns Spanish authorities, and now police all over Europe, is that the terrorists were well integrated into their small town of Ripoll north of Barcelona.  They all were well-known and liked in their community, and gave no hint of radicalization before they struck.  The only thing they had in common was that they were all Muslims and attended the mosque of an imam who is now suspected of being their mentor for terror.  The concern is that ISIS is perfecting a new approach to world terrorism that recruits literally impossible to detect young Muslims with no previous history or hint of any jihadist sentiments - a new face of taqiyya.

Comments

[Todd Juvinall]

It appears Trump was right about "fake news" doesn't it. When we read the way even a local like Paul Emery twists others words and then tells us they mean X when they were really Y it is not a great leap to see the problem. I have had that done to me a lot over the years. Starting with my first run for Supervisor in 1984. But they were pikers when compared to the Emerys of today. Reading what Trump said in the "news" after I actually watched and listened to him is quite the eye opener. And worst of all, the left has no sense of humor. Going back to his statement if the Russians find Hillary's emails and sensend them to the media. See how they mashed that!

We all know fake news when we see it. Whenever I see a post on FB and I recognoze it as fake, I post a comment saying so. It sometimes stops it in its tracks.

[Bill Tozer the Deplorable Me.]

Dreamers, Congress, and the Rule of Law.

"No, Mr. Obama, it is not Trump who lacks “basic decency” on this issue, it is you. It is you who lack a basic respect for the Rule of Law and the borders that define this great nation, which were designed to protect American citizens first and foremost. It was you, Obama, who thumbed your nose at American citizens and our laws in order to promote your own globalist social agenda. And now you’re upset that Trump wants to restore constitutional order to how laws are made. How pathetically cynical."

https://patriotpost.us/articles/51131

[Walt]

So the Snopes and Scooper debate turned into a steaming pile. Why am I not surprised.
Not a word of it on either website. They must want to forget it ever happened also.

As I recall, the Scooper sure made Snopes look like idiots more than once. They took a Scooper story as fact and ran with it.
Was it the North San Juan terrorist cell and ranch Dressing story? (yup, that was a good one)

[rl crabb]

Look at the bright side, George. Pelline thinks you have a valid point for a change.

[Gregory]

Sooo.... enquiring minds want to know... who was the Voice of Finkelstein? I understand the disguise was dropped and The Scooper's Voice was heard undistorted. So who was it?

[George Rebane]

rlcrabb 445pm - No kidding? then we rejoice.

gregory 517pm - no can help; I don't run in those circles.

[Don Bessee]

Well crabman having the dark lord of liberal lament land agree on a point should be the basis of a reevaluation of said position. ;-)

[Jeff Pelline]

Don,
I saw you photographed in the front row of the MJ citizen's panel in another canary yellow shirt. You go, Don! lol.

[fish]

Posted by: Don Bessee | 06 September 2017 at 05:31 PM

Don…..jeffy likes your shirt.

[George Rebane]

Gentlemen - Instead of launching on Mr Pelline's wardrobe propensities, perhaps we can invite him to offer his views on the scattershot topics presented above. Would that not result in a more profitable conversation with the gentleman?

[fish]

Posted by: George Rebane | 07 September 2017 at 08:32 AM

Would that not result in a more profitable conversation with the gentleman?

I assume that your question is offered for the purposes of humor only?

[Bonnie McGuire]

Hahaha....Many years ago I remember the League always endorsed Democrats and their agendas during elections. Later I learned such nonprofit organizations aren't supposed to endorse, and also noticed the LWV stopped endorsing in their political ads. No mon no fun....

"The League of Women Voters of California General Fund, a membership organization, is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) corporation, which does not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties, but we are political."

[Todd Juvinall]

BonnieM so true. I remember when there was ONE Republican member of that group. Joan Lancaster. And she did her best to be non-partisan while the rest were beating the drums for the democrats. That went on for many years.

[InyourFace]

Rule of Law? One word. Arpaio....

[George Boardman]

I have a mission for all RR regulars that shouldn't be impossible.

You guys are always complaining about various fake news stories you find in the media, so I'd like to see an example of any article any of you deem to be real and accurate.

I would like to see the actual article--not a summary of something you read, or some general endorsement of a news source. Take your time; I'm going to be out of town for four days.

You might actually make it into my column.

[Todd Juvinall]

All mainstream media articles on Standing Rock would be start. And Milo 's try at free speech in Berekely would be good. That would include all commentary with video of the event. Most all of the "cllimate change" reporting. I suggest that both sides are never represented. There, start with that.

[Gregory]

Georgeman, how about a few examples from you to kick off this effort? Articles of more than 100 words touching on politics in which you personally vouch for the accuracy of the facts and the points of view presented while expecting readers to nitpick it apart.

[Todd Juvinall]

Check out the "take down the statues" column for comments. In today's Union.

[Sam L]

Totally Todd, why don't they present Hitler's side on why killing Jews is good for Germany. Or why the Vatikan's opinion that the world is flat is just as valid as Galileo's that the world is round. Why don't we show that we are a part of United Kingdom and always should be and California should be given back to Mexico. You're totally right. It's so important to show both sides. Because they are always equal. And if a leader of a free world is proven to say something that is untrue, we should ignore it, because it's now his truth. And truth doesn't matter as long as it agrees with our personal world view. Because how we think and our opinions are much more important than experts who know more than us and dedicate their lives to a craft. That's not important, because what we think is more important than what they present to us. Total feather heads.

[Bill Tozer]

@ 10:26 am
There is a yuge difference what is outside the Executive's constitutional authority/restrictions and what is basically a judgement call clearly left up to the perview of the Executive Branch within the President's Constitutional authority.

Obama pardoned some 1,750 folks, unprecedented in history, yet within his mandates and restrictions. Some of those 'drug offenders' went on to commit murder, another gunned down upon release from prison. All were within Obama's Presidential powers.
Same with Gerry Ford with Nixon and Bubba with pardoning the biggest tax cheat in US history. Didn't hurt that Marc Rich was represented by Hillary's brother or that Mrs. Rich made a substantial donation to Bubba's Presidential Library fund immediately prior to the Rich pardon. . All Constitutional, all unpopular, and under the rule of law.

The difference between Sherriff Joe's pardon of his misdemeanor contempt of court conviction (small fine and up to 6 months in jail, akin to littering) and Obama's unconstitutional Executive Order concerning DACA policy is comparing apples to oranges. Also, since DACA never was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, there is no law to be broken or declared unconstitutional. The Arizona case proved a State cannot mandate the President to enforce or not enforce immigration law.

Another take, as if 200 articles on the subject is not enough.
https://patriotpost.us/articles/51143

Yes, we are a nation of laws. I disagree with many SCOTUS decisions, may and do bitch to high heaven about how they got it wrong, but at the end of the day I unhappily accept it as the law of the land. A pardon, whether you bitch about to high heaven or not, is legal, Constitutional, and left up to any President's discretion. That's the 'law of the land.' If nothing else, the courts have ruled that immigration enforcement is not up to the State of Arizona, but solely up to POTUS. That should put a crimp on the authority of Santuary Cities to have the final say on immigration law enforcement. In addition, this DACA noise should put the crimp on any authority POTUS thinks he/she has in writing immigration law. Congress passes laws, President enforces those laws. That is the way it works, unless you live under dictatorships or in banana republics.

Even when things don't go the way I want them to, I am always grateful that we are a nation of laws, not a nation of men and their passing passions.

For those still emotionally upset and longing for emotional security outside of themselves in a insecure and unpredictable world, SCOTUS does not have the final say. The American people do, which is why our founders left a way to redo the whole ball of wax.

[George Rebane]

Administrivia - 'fake news' now has its own commentary posted here -
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2017/09/fake-news-defined.html

Please contribute your relevant thoughts thereunder.

[Don Bessee]

Fish @ 749. Sounds like the dark lord of liberal lament land needs glasses among other things. It was a gold silk blazer over a white shirt. It is considered to be very good luck by my Chinese friends. ;-)

[George Rebane]

GeorgeB 1042am - Be still my beating heart.

[Gregory]

Inyourface with three more words... trial by jury. Arpaio was/is a loose cannon when it comes to civil liberties of the arrestees in his county, but it was a politically motivated witch hunt against him. He deserved a jury to hear his case that was denied by the judge asserting his powe to convict all by his lonesome and was refused a hearing by the 9th Circus (to no one's surprise). Arpaio is also about at his natural lifetime pull date.

The pardon also reminded the body politic that the President has wide powers to pardon and the constitution does not require the President to run the decision through the White House Laundry set up to insure any blame for abuse gets spread around.

[Sam L]

Arpaio is "littering" by creating a racist police force makes sense if you are a racist.

If we apply the logic of this writer the according to science and statistics presented by conservative Brett Stephens, most people in this thread and the writer should be deported. Most crimes in this country are created by people who lived in this country for generations and all the innovation and economic growth is here created by immigrants. Also, most of the terrorism is caused by white Christians in America.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/opinion/only-mass-deportation-can-save-america.html

[fish]

Posted by: Sam L | 07 September 2017 at 01:45 PM

This level of delusion must be just swell!

[George Rebane]

SamL 145pm - Mr L, you may be new to RR, because I'm having a problem relating anything you're talking about in this comment stream to the Scattershot topics. Help us out please. Else use the most recent sandbox which is an open forum on everything that concerns you. Thank you.

And that comment about Christian terrorists shall remain egregious and gratuitous unless you can cite some source for it that is on this side of the usual leftwing outlets. Given our concern with imported terror, I'm sure were that the case, that those stats would have been collected by several creditable outlets.

[fish]

Posted by: George Rebane | 07 September 2017 at 03:01 PM

Also, most of the terrorism is caused by white Christians in America.

This is a new trope that I've been seeing around recently. When called out those who wield it play the "history" card.

[Bonnie McGuire]

Speaking of fake news ...the Scooper is more darned fun. I sent this news report to all my friends and most believed it. Well written, but I had to tell them it was fake. Entertaining though...
https://www.ncscooper.com/cascade-shores-family-cited-for-viking-funeral-at-scotts-flat-lake/#.WT9AiiAiUBc.email

[Walt]

Yes Ms. Bonnie,, that was a good one. My favorite was the terrorists in North San Juan.
That got the whole nation's attention. ( and made Snopes look like fools)
Everyone knows, Ranch Dressing and venison don't mix.

[Bonnie McGuire]

Regarding Sam L saying most crime in America is caused by white Christiams? What's he smokin'? I've lived a long time and seen a lot. There are liars and hypocrites wherever you look, but one thing I've noticed in particular. Christianity teaches goodness and self restraint. You can make a hypocrite behave by citing what Jesus Christ said about such behavior. Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom...for all those who think they're God and can do whatever. Okay Sam, thank you for opening the door to America's great opiod problem created by our own government for many years. Wouldn't you agree there's a crime related problem? The border wall will slow down the drug pushers, but ...Do our schools still force Ritalin, or Aderall on mostly active boys? I've watched it, seen the results of these terrible opioids on generations. When you check on criminal behavior, most random shooters have that background. It's both heartbreaking and scary when you think about cause and effect. The good citizens of America have enough problems, and we don't need to take on the entire world's problems. Our border, government and military are supposed to protect us....period! Common sense.

[George Rebane]

fish 305pm - Mr fish it seems to the casual reader that you are quoting me making a statement which I did not make and instead argue against. How does that appear to you?

[Todd Juvinall]

A Majority of inmates are young black men so Mr. Cross is not even close.

[Bill Tozer]

States lower the bar for teachers.

Don't blame the teachers. It's the material they are forced to teach.

https://www.facebook.com/AwesomesauceIAm/photos/a.592542240796093.1073741828.592298887487095/1623776187672688/?type=3&theater

[BunBun]

Tennis anyone? OMG it it all the democrats fault----Fake News!

Don't worry, gray hairs only pay $20 and young whippersnappers pay $10.

Hoe much does Trump charge to use his tennis courts?

https://www.nycgovparks.org/permits/tennis-permits

https://www.nycgovparks.org/things-to-do/tennis

[George Rebane]

Bun 734am - A more careful read is suggested for our progressive readers. You didn't comprehend which few courts in a city of 8M are available where you can play for the amounts you claim, and what other payments and prelims are required before you can play anywhere in NYC's public courts. Please cite your reference.

[fish]

Posted by: BunBun | 10 September 2017 at 07:34 AM

Oooh......boxed wine and Ambien .....bad combo KeachKeach.

Talk to C-List.....he/she bills themself as some sort of therapist....maybe you can get some help with your meds.

[Bill Tozer]

Yep, someone is hitting the sauce early this lovely morn. Either that or someone woke up with vultures on the headboard, so dry he is a fire hazard. Now where did he stash his stash? Wifie-pooh would not approve. A dilemma.
Bunbun always comes gunning for bear if anyone dare dis our bottom of the barrel scrappings we know affectionally as teachers. Educators and hard working nose to the grindstone high school administrators from somewhere over the rainbow....like Frisco. Yes, this is on topic, check Dr. Rebane's full post above, specifically lowering the bar for teachers.

So Keachie's bun bun thinks the reason test scores fall is because teachers get dissed? Nothing to do with piss poor job performance results year after year BEFORE criticism has become more frequent, widespread, and mainstream,eh? Now we know why schools are failing. It's cuz us low educated right wingers are dissing on teachers. We should make them feel good about themselves and be more welcoming. Let's not mention standards. Why don't we just let them grade themselves. Bet 98% say they are simply marvelous and doing a splendid job.

[BunBun]

Such consternation over public tennis court fees in NYC has me wondering if our local posse here are going proggie socialist on us. Will we be seeing a picket line of ruminators carrying signs saying '''Free the NYC Tennis Courts!"
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/08/tennis-nyc-public-courts.html

[George Rebane]

BunBun 907am - Not at all; you again misunderstand. That little addition was just one more example of the approaching 'workers' paradise' that you and yours are fashioning for us in Democrat run cities across the country. It was nothing more than a reminder of how assiduously you all are working to fundamentally transform America. We leave such picket line issues to the professional progressive protesters bussed in and paid for wherever they are needed.

[fish]

Posted by: George Rebane | 07 September 2017 at 11:47 PM

Apologies George…..I was trying to draw attention to the statement not assign authorship.

[BunBun]

The WSJ Tennisgate opinion author is just another whiner (closet proggie?).

8.5 million people in NYC and how many public tennis courts?

Supply and demand in a city with sky high property values and pressure to develop open space. Ask Donald Trump.

Maintenance costs

Security

Why not throw in a Free Lunch?

Jacksonville, Florida membership fees are more expensive.
http://www.jacksonvillebeach.org/residents/parks-recreation/tennis-center

[George Rebane]

bunbun 1034am - ad hominems don't count, and neither do fees charged by private businesses. But what does count are the additional fees and limited facilities provided by a city government that already charges its citizens the highest city taxes, levies, and fees in the land. As a socialist governed municipality, the city already does its best to control the personal lives and habits of its residents - apparently tennis is not high on that list of condoned activities for the home of the US Open from which the city annually reaps a mighty pound of flesh.

[Gregory]

20 Quatloos on BuBu being Pelline

Security in a public park (aka adequate policing) being put on a par with free lunches. Amazing.

[George Boardman]

I'm still waiting for somebody to come with an article they think is legitimate, as opposed to fake news. Apparently, I have no takers.

[Gregory]

You missed my submission, George B?

It figures. Must have been your nap time.

[fish]

Posted by: George Boardman | 12 September 2017 at 10:03 AM

Off the top of my head go back to anything by Duranty about the Soviets!

[fish]

Posted by: Gregory | 11 September 2017 at 02:05 PM

20 Quatloos on BuBu being Pelline

Security in a public park (aka adequate policing) being put on a par with free lunches. Amazing.

I thought you already bet twenty five that BunBun was KeachKeach? The writing style isn't as cringeworthily self satisfied as that of the FUE!

[George Rebane]

GeorgeB 1003am - I didn't respond because I didn't know whether you were really serious about asking for examples of non-fake news articles. Don't you think that they abound in the media, even in the lamestream? Granted, that most news stories are ideologically slanted in their wordsmithing, but as I pointed out in 'Fake News Defined', that doesn't qualify them as 'fake news'. What I'm waiting for is your critical review and comments on my offered definition of fake news, now that would be valuable for our readers.
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2017/09/fake-news-defined.html

[Gregory]

Bored Georgeman, the link to my submission is here
http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2017/09/fake-news-defined.html?cid=6a00e54f86f2ad883301b8d2a86203970c#comment-6a00e54f86f2ad883301b8d2a86203970c

fish 10:20am
No one took me up on that bet and BuBu's prose resonated my spidey-sense Pelline detectors in the meantime.

;

[fish]

Posted by: Gregory | 12 September 2017 at 10:29 AM

Since Bun made his/her appearance he/she has managed to avoid using the word "redolent" completely and hasn't referred to himself as purple. Plus there is an edge to Buns offerings that the amorphous one seems unable to pull off in his other scribblings!

I'm still on board with your earlier guess!

[Walt]

Boardman... This "fake news"? You tell me.
http://dailycaller.com/2017/09/12/guess-how-much-bernie-sanders-campaign-is-in-debt/

What? campaign bills are not covered under some "single payer" program?
Yet it'(s chump change compared to the DEMS outstanding debt.) Any business these days must have some screws loose not to demand payment up front from ANY politician these days.

[Bill Tozer]

I offer no fakenews to Mr. Boardman. The only thing a lowly worm such as I can offer is an reasonable explation to why some call our adorable local fake newsman "po o' fakesnews man..". I certainly have uttered the phrase, sometimes calling him fakenews man and other times fakenews person. But, why belabor the point?

"We have nothing against the press aggressively pursuing and exposing corruption and other scandals involving Republicans. That's the role a free press should play. But the media's one-sided accountability is a total disgrace."

[Reporters love to say they "speak truth to power." But they only ever seem to speak up when the "power" has an "R" after its name. Otherwise, they're happy to be as silent as the grave.]

http://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/when-is-a-scandal-not-a-scandal-when-theres-a-democrat-involved/

[Bill Tozer]

More sins of omission by the MSM. Becomes wearisome to fight false narratives at times. It's just who they are.

http://www.gingrichproductions.com/2017/08/why-doesnt-the-media-condemn-leftwing-violence/

False narrative.
https://www.facebook.com/DrBenscarson/photos/a.407324206110501.1073741828.279165742259682/874641072712143/?type=3&theater