The Ladies Let It Allllll Hang Out For January 21 March

The Atlantic carries a nice gallery of photos from the day, complete with breathless captions.

Social media is flooded with millions of selfies of smug self-satisfied faces of smiling ladies in little pink hats. It was such a feel-good moment. Never waste an opportunity for a selfie!!

It was the opening stump speech for Elizabeth Warren, catching up with Michelle--who has been crafting hers for some years now. It was Madonna at her potty-mouth lowest, it was the literati and the famous and those who seek to be famous and those looking to climb back into the public eye. It was quite an event, it was....

The Atlantic did share an impressive array of photos--including the images of Muslim women in headscarves marching for their own 'human rights'. A number of questions come to mind, some too indelicate to state in public.

However, one obvious question comes to mind as OS scans the gallery:

Where are the pictures of brave women in pink hats, wearing crosses and carrying Bibles, or wearing the Star of David, in the huge women's rights march in Riyadh?

What would happen to a group of women who would undertake to do this in a place like that?

Would it occur to all those comfortable middle-class-with-liberal-arts-degrees-from-good-schools ladies in pink hats to brave the journey to Medinah or Cairo to stand with their Christian and Jewish sisters? Or does Sisterhood only extend so far?

Does it extend to the daughters of those women marching with them who are trapped in arranged marriages, or who were or will be mutilated? Or are those things merely 'cultural differences', ergo off limits? Nothing to see here, move along.

Did one of those ladies display a poster with the sexual battery victims of Bill Clinton who were further victimized by Hillary? Or does Sisterhood not extend to them? Don't the Sisterhood demand that victims be believed, unless of course, the victims are Clinton victims?

What of the women who didn't vote their way? What Sisterhood for them?

What of the women who work and work and work, and haven't seen incomes rise in almost twenty years? Those ladies were working today, no time for pink hats and selfies for them.

The questions just keep on coming.

And finally--is it just OS who sees a disconnect between The Donald's inaugural address and the hysteria of the marchers? Does anyone see a disconnect between the dignity of 20 January and the shrill tone of 21 January? Does anyone see a disconnect between the laconic treatment of 20 January and the breathless coverage of 21 January?

Tomorrow is 22 January, Monday is 23 January, etc.

And Donald Trump, thank Heaven, is President.

Trump's Presser, and QOTD from HL Mencken

It was damned refreshing to see The Trumpster in his press conference this morning. It was an antidote to the smarmy, treacly, self-serving and utterly dishonest 'farewell' speech Duh Prez last night. (Is this the final one, or must we endure yet more?)

Trump just would not take the usual stuff from the press corps. He called them out for their basic dishonesty, and let that one clown twist in the wind. It was bracing, refreshing.

He displayed a table stacked with signed documents documenting his work in eliminating conflicts of interest. His tax lawyer explained that The Donald is actually exceeding the requirements of the law. Never enough, of course, for the baying mutts who would demand he take a vow of poverty, just to keep them happy.This from the mob that never considered that Hilary's pay-for-play might have been an ethical nightmare.

He even announced that profits from any foreign governments making use of his properties, like renting rooms at his hotels, would be turned over the the Treasury--so that the taxpayer would profit if the Sultan of Wherever decided to camp out in Trump's DC hotel.

Since it was assumed he would not win the election, his business kept plugging along. In the wake of victory, he cancelled millions of dollars worth of deals, just to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest. He and his kids took a huge financial hit.

Not enough for the baying mutts. Never enough for them. Screw' em, and the pigs they rode in on.

So, the quote of the day is--from Mencken--

“The average newspaper, especially of the better sort, has the intelligence of a hillbilly evangelist, the courage of a rat, the fairness of a prohibitionist boob-jumper, the information of a high school janitor, the taste of a designer of celluloid valentines, and the honor of a police-station lawyer.”

One By One, The Hound Of Heaven Hunts Us Down: 'My Fellow Liberals, I Am Tired Of You'

A pithy letter from a courageous soul in California has surfaced, just before Christmas.

It merits quoting, in full.

I’m a secular/agnostic Californian and longtime reader of your blog. I’ve enjoyed your books beginning with Crunchy Cons, and have valued your insights over the years.
Though you don’t know me, I feel like I know you and your family. And I want to share with you, from the liberal bastion of Northern California, that I am officially tired of the type of people who have surrounded me my entire life. In the wake of Trump’s election, I am experiencing “tribe fatigue.” I’m not tired of The Other, Detestable Tribe. I’m tired of my own.

A bit about me: I am a [deleted] with two young children. My parents were non-religious Democrats, and my ex-Catholic mom loathes organized religion to this day.
So I was raised a secular liberal. My college professors were secular liberals. During my journalism phase, my newspaper colleagues were secular liberals. My law school professors and peers were – in the vast majority – secular liberals. Almost everyone at my corporate law firm was a secular liberal. My California neighbors and friends are secular liberals, as are my colleagues. My mother, siblings, and their spouses are all secular liberals.

By all rights, I should be a member in good standing of their tribe, “liking” their Facebook posts and joining their candlelight vigils against the evil Trump Administration. But November 8 and its aftermath revealed to me that I am just so tired of these people. I can’t be like them, and I don’t want my kids turning into them.
I am tired of their undisguised contempt for tens of millions of Americans, with no effort to temper their response to the election with humility or empathy.
I am tired of their unexamined snobbery and condescension.
I am tired of their name-calling and virtue-signaling as signs of supposedly high intelligence.

And this, dear reader, is where the truly pithy parts begin....

I am tired of their trendiness, jumping on every left-liberal bandwagon that comes along (transgender activism, anyone?) and then acting like anyone not on board is an idiot/hater.

I am tired of their shallowness. It’s hard to have a deep conversation with people who are obsessed with moving their kids’ pawns across the board (grades, sports, college, grad school, career) and, in their spare time, entertaining themselves and taking great vacations.

I am tired of their acceptance of vulgarity and sarcastic irreverence as the cultural ocean in which their kids swim. I like pop culture as much as the next person, but people who would never raise their kids on junk food seem to think nothing of letting then wallow in cultural junk, exposed to nothing ennobling, aspirational, or even earnest.
I am tired of watching them raise clueless kids (see above) who go off to college and within months are convinced they live in a rapey, racist patriarchy; “Make America Great Again” is hate speech; and Black Lives Matter agitators are their brothers-in-arms against White Privilege. If my kids are like that at nineteen, I’ll feel I’ve seriously failed them as a parent. Yet the general sentiment seems to be these are good, liberal kids who may have gotten a bit carried away.

I am tired of their lack of interest in any form of serious morality or self-betterment. These are decent, responsible people, many compassionate by temperament. Yet they seem two-dimensional, as if they believe that being a nice, well-socialized person who holds the correct political views is all there is, and there is nothing else to talk about. Isn’t there, though?

I am tired of being bored and exasperated by everybody. I feel like I have read this book a thousand times, and there are no surprises in it. Down with Trump! Trans Lives Matter! Climate deniers are destroying the planet! No cake, we’re gluten-free!
These are good people in a lot of ways. But there has got to be a better tribe.

That leads me to . . . drum roll . . . the Christian Right. It is no small feat, switching tribes. It feels stressful and weird to abandon your tribe for the Detested Other Side.
Since November 8, my husband and I have been taking the kids to church. (He is politically conservative with a religious bent, so no argument there.) I have come this close to buying a giant poster of the American flag for the living room. I may do it still.
Right now, I am struggling to accept the basic Christian doctrines (virgin birth, resurrection, second coming) because I feel the Christian tribe may be the right tribe for my family. We just finished watching a BBC miniseries about the birth of Jesus, which was so beautiful and moving compared to secular TV. My nine-year-old really enjoyed it. I want to prepare my kids to live according to some unchanging truth, not subject to every passing trend, and this felt like a start. But I worry that an inability to believe in the supernatural aspects of the faith will limit my ability to be a “real” Christian.

Last Sunday’s sermon mentioned 1 Peter:18-19, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors.” This may be obvious to you, but secular liberalism does seem empty in some way, despite all the things my educated, middle-class tribe has to be grateful for. If that’s what’s been handed down to me, I want more, especially for my precious kids. I’m trying.

The famous, now-neglected poem by Francis Thompson, here read by Richard Burton, comes to mind.  The opening lines ring loud and true in so many lives:

I FLED Him, down the nights and down the days ; 
I fled Him, down the arches of the years; 
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways 

Of my own mind ; and in the mist of tears 
I hid from Him, and under running laughter. 
Up vistaed hopes, I sped; 
And shot, precipitated, 
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears. 

From those strong Feet that followed, followed after. 
But with unhurrying chase. 
And unperturbed pace, 
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy, 

They beat — and a Voice beat 
More instant than the Feet — 
''All 'things betray thee, who betrayest Me." 

Somewhere along the way, at sometime, she heard some other voice, a phrase of music, a turn of phrase--something, somehow, somewhere. And this year, the Year of Our Lord 2016 (not C.E. 2016!)
the bell rung for her that could not be un-rung.

For her, the adventure now begins, and it will not be an easy trip. One such 'traitor to tribe' is Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, who left a most cozy life inside the academic-left 'bubble' to follow the call of conscience and Christ. Her book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert found here on Amazon, is not an easy read, because hers has not been an easy journey. OS knows people who are members of the local branch of the tribe she left behind, and he has not yet summoned the courage to bring up her name to them.

So, OS sends greetings to the dear lady in California, who will undoubtedly experience some real losses as she embraces her new 'tribe', and will be horrified to find how many members of that 'new tribe' are just as awful as the people she left behind. Christ himself, however is calling, who never fails.

As one old preacher once put it to his congregation: I've only got three things to share with you.

God's in charge.
He always finishes what he begins.
He never leaves Himself without a witness.

Merry Christmas, dear lady. Keep writing, and sending news of the journey.

In Memoriam Karel Husa, Composer of 'Music for Prague 1968'

Sometimes, words won't do. Sometimes events demand a composer to memorialize events, to set down an eternal marker that says--'This thing happened, and this music will always remember it for us'.

Beethoven did that in the Third Symphony, originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, the dedication withdrawn as the man's true colors emerged.

Britten did it again in War Requiem--devastatingly so.

Karel Husa, the Czech composer, memorialized the Soviet suppression of the 1968 Prague Spring with 'Music For Prague'. Words won't do, only music will. It is hard listening, because it is a depiction of an incredibly ugly episode. It ends in inspiration, quoting the Hussite hymn 'Ye Who Are God's Warriors'--translation below.

Twenty-one years later, the Soviet goons departed with their tails between their legs. The Czechs and Slovaks sorted themselves out peacefully. One major factor in both event was the Christian faith that held the society together.

And, they had artists like Husa.

May he rest in peace and rise in glory.


Ye who are God's warriors and of his law,
Pray to God for help and have faith in Him;
That always with Him you will be victorious.

Christ is worth all your sacrifices, He will pay you back an hundredfold.
If you give up your life for Him you will receive eternal life.
Happy is he who dies fighting for the truth.

The Lord commandeth you not to fear those who harm the body,
And commandeth you to even put your life down for the love of your brothers.

Therefore, archers, crossbowmen, halberdiers of knightly rank,
Scythemen and macebearers from all walks of life,
Remember always the Lord benevolent.

Do not fear your enemies, nor gaze upon their number,
Keep the Lord in your hearts; for Him fight on,
And before enemies you need not flee.

Since ages past Czechs have said and had proverbs which state,
That if the leader is good, so too is the journey.[a]

Remember all of you the password which was given out.
Obey your captains and guard one another.
Stay sharp and everyone keep formation.

You beggars and wrongdoers, remember your soul!
For greed and theft don't lose your life.
And pay no heed to the spoils of war.

And with this happily cry out – saying, "At thee! Have at thee!"
Grasp the weapon in your hands and shout, "God is our Lord!"

Children, Go Where I Send Thee--And Yes, Virginia, That Is Kenny Rogers

OS usually does not share this sort of item--but this deserves attention.

The singing and arranging are simply exceptional--a joy to the ear from beginning to end.

The old spiritual 'Go Where I Send Thee' has fallen into disuse. In these times, it needs to be revived. The lyrics are actually in the tradition of other 'catechism' carols and spirituals--teaching Bible stories and theology couched in poetry, and employing repetition to ensure memorization, all set to attractive music.

It is a message of hope in dark times,and if we are honest with ourselves, there have been many many dark times, not just this one. The spirituals and carols survive them all, humble and indestructible witnesses to truth and light.

Stockman's Chart Of The Day--The Bottom 90% vs The Top .01%

The Donald has some big challenges ahead.

This is one of the biggest--the top .01% control as much wealth as the bottom 90%.


Little wonder that for most people daily life feels like swimming upstream in a river of glue.

To quote Dave Ramsey: 'Folk's this ain't capitalism! It's the law of the jungle!'

The MSM (and Obama) Laughed At The Idea Of Trump Actually Being Elected President

No comment needed--just sit back and enjoy, ya'll.

Sulzberger's Non-Apology--Time for the Yew Nork Timez To Head For The Bankruptcy Court

...because the financial admission of bankruptcy, which would force a complete remake of this decrepit, corrupt and useless relic of the East Coast Establishment, would be a true admission of their moral and professional bankruptcy.

It appears that Publisher Sulzberger is looking at a flood of cancellations and lost ad revenue, and is reaching out the the 300 subscribers he still has--to wit:

To our readers,
When the biggest political story of the year reached a dramatic and unexpected climax late Tuesday night, our newsroom turned on a dime and did what it has done for nearly two years — cover the 2016 election with agility and creativity.
After such an erratic and unpredictable election there are inevitable questions: Did Donald Trump’s sheer unconventionality lead us and other news outlets to underestimate his support among American voters? What forces and strains in America drove this divisive election and outcome? Most important, how will a president who remains a largely enigmatic figure actually govern when he takes office?
As we reflect on this week’s momentous result, and the months of reporting and polling that preceded it, we aim to rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism. That is to report America and the world honestly, without fear or favor, striving always to understand and reflect all political perspectives and life experiences in the stories that we bring to you. It is also to hold power to account, impartially and unflinchingly. We believe we reported on both candidates fairly during the presidential campaign. You can rely on The New York Times to bring the same fairness, the same level of scrutiny, the same independence to our coverage of the new president and his team.
We cannot deliver the independent, original journalism for which we are known without the loyalty of our subscribers. We want to take this opportunity, on behalf of all Times journalists, to thank you for that loyalty.
Sincerely,
Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.
Publisher
Dean Baquet
Executive Editor

Nary an admission of  the blatant bias, the years of pandering to The Left, and the smug demonization of AnyOneWhoIsNotThem as a yob, a redneck, a Deplorable.

Let's finish them off, whaddya say? Not a visit to their pages, let those paper copies stack up on the newstands, especially at Starbucks.

By the way, the UK Guardian is now plaintively asking for donations from readers! 

When.Hades.Becomes.Glacial.

Just Imagine Podesta As White House Chief Of Staff--The Destruction Of Bernie Sanders--Where Would You Stick The Knife In?

The Podesta Quote Of The Day: Where would you stick the knife in?

HT to John Ruberry at Marathon Pundit.

• Underling writes to Podesta--Bernie needs to be ground to a pulp.
• Podesta replies--I agree with that in principle. Where would you stick the knife in?

That's an....interesting...choice of words, no?

Where would you stick the knife in?

Where would you stick the knife in?


For comparison, let us consider a remark by John Erlichman, President Nixon's right-hand man:

• Well, I think we ought to let him hang there. Let him twist slowly, slowly in the wind.

Hmmm...

OS lived through Watergate as he came of age. He still remembers that sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, day after day.

On the present trajectory, we are headed down a much longer and darker tunnel. 

For anyone still considering a vote for Miss Hillary, consider that John 'Stick The Knife In' Podesta is her Most Trusted Advisor. As you stand in line to vote, and enter that booth, let his words echo in your ears: Where would you stick the knife in?

Second Thoughts, Buyer Regret--Call It What You Will--Google Trends Displays Number of 'Change Vote' Inquiries

This is not looking good for Miss Hillary.

There appears to be a lot of buyer's remorse out there...and in some states, voters can actually return and change their votes.  Like Pennsylvania.

And, back in Florida, Miss Hillary is appearing with Miss Machado--the Miss Universe who put on sixty pounds after winning, in violation of her contract. She then went on to hang with drug dealers and appear on the Spanish equivalent of 'Big Brother', shagging one of the other residents of the house on camera...

It seems fitting.