GRAFT is what government-run passenger trains are all about.

Instapundit--THE DESIRE NAMED STREETCAR: 

A Global Leader in Obsolete Technology.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg wants to make the United States the “global leader” in high-speed rail. That’s like wanting to be the world leader in electric typewriters, rotary telephones, or steam locomotives, all technologies that were once revolutionary but are functionally obsolete today. High-speed trains, in particular, were rendered obsolete in 1958, when Boeing introduced the 707 jetliner, which was twice as fast as the fastest trains today.

Aside from speed, what makes high-speed rail obsolete is its high cost. Unlike airlines, which don’t require much infrastructure other than landing fields, high-speed trains require huge amounts of infrastructure that must be built and maintained to extremely precise standards. That’s why airfares averaged just 14 cents per passenger-mile in 2019, whereas fares on Amtrak’s high-speed Acela averaged more than 90 cents per passenger-mile.

Highways require infrastructure but not this level of precision. While a four-lane freeway costs about $10 million to $20 million a mile, California ended up spending $100 million a mile building its abortive high-speed rail line on flat ground, and it predicted building in hilly territory would cost at least $170 million per mile.

Graft is what government-run passenger trains are all about.

Flashback: Mass Transit, The Pandemic Petri Dish The Left Loves.--Posted by Ed Driscoll"

The dark side of ‘green energy’ and its threat to the nation’s environment

The dark side of ‘green energy’ and its threat to the nation’s environment

• What happens to old solar panels, windmills and high tech batteries?

"...But how green is green?

...A briefing paper released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency predicts these startling global numbers for countries by 2050 just for solar waste:

• United States, 10 million tons.
• Germany, 3 million tons.
• China, 20 million tons.
• Japan, 7.5 million tons.
• India, 7.5 million tons.

...The paper points out that the growth of solar waste is already straining recycling and disposal capabilities, with some panels improperly ending up in municipal landfills or stacking up in warehouses while the wait continues for more inexpensive routes to recycling...Read all.

Come on man. These people are really awful!

 

Exposed: The Media Has Been Lying About The Capitol Protests

Exposed: The Media Has Been Lying About The Capitol Protests--I & I Editorial Board

"Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced plans for a 9/11-style commission to “investigate and report on the facts and causes relating to the Jan. 6, 2021, domestic terrorist attack upon the United States Capitol Complex.” 

Will that investigation include the media’s role in peddling flagrant falsehoods about what actually happened that day?

• Look up any story about the storming of the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters, and you will find it described as a “deadly riot” that killed five people.
  
• Worse still, one of the deaths was that a police officer who – the story goes – was killed by rioters after getting hit in the head by a fire extinguisher.
• Then there is the story of the protestor who “carried Zip Ties into the Capitol,” which led to accusations that the protestors intended to take hostages.
• There have also been endless media descriptions of the event as an “armed insurrection.”
• And there were stories claiming that, as Reuters put it, “Capitol rioters meant to ‘capture and assassinate’ officials.”

What is common about all of these media-fed narratives?

Not one of them is true. 

Not. 

One...Read all!

Woman Gets Police Home Visit Over Anti-Mask Facebook Post

Woman Gets Police Home Visit Over Anti-Mask Facebook Post

• Knock knock, it’s the thought police.

"A mother of three got a late night home visit from Palm Beach County police after she joked on Facebook about dumping face masks on a County Administrator’s lawn.

She made the remark after local bureacrats proposed a plan to stop people who are medically exempt from wearing face masks attending meetings and instead locating them in a room below a parking garage."

AM Fruitcake

 

Report: Facebook Let China Buy Ads to Spread Disinfo on Uyghur Concentration Camps

Report: Facebook Let China Buy Ads to Spread Disinfo on Uyghur Concentration Camps: 

Facebook allegedly allowed the communist government of China to purchase paid ads casting doubt on reports of abuses committed against the country’s Uyghur minority, according to a report from the British media trade publication Press Gazette. 

History for February 19

History for February 19 - On-This-Day.com

Lee Marvin 1924 - Actor ("The Caine Mutiny", "The Dirty Dozen", "Delta Force")

• 1878 - Thomas Alva Edison patented a music player (the phonograph).
• 1942 - U.S. President Roosevelt signed an executive order giving the military the authority to relocate and intern Japanese-Americans.
• 1942 - Approximately 150 Japanese warplanes attacked the Australian city of Darwin.
• 1945 - During World War II, about 30,000 U.S. Marines landed on Iwo Jima.
• 1963 - The Soviet Union informed U.S. President Kennedy it would withdraw "several thousand" of its troops in Cuba.
• 1987 - A controversial, anti-smoking publice service announcement aired for the first time on television. Yul Brynner filmed the ad shortly before dying of lung cancer. Brynner made it clear in the ad that he would have died from cigarette smoking before ad aired.

White House: Biden considering using executive action to push gun control agenda - TheBlaze

White House: Biden considering using executive action to push gun control agenda - TheBlaze: 

The news followed a meeting between gun control group leaders and top White House officials last week which left the leaders feeling confident that the Biden administration would enact gun reform via executive order, if necessary. When asked by a reporter during Tuesday's press briefing whether or not the administration was still considering bypassing Congress to force action on guns, Psaki said that Biden "has a range of actions at his disposal" and added that he "hasn't ruled out" using executive power to address the issue.

Tucker: Corrupt mainstream media takes lying to Olympic levels

What’s Up with Fox News?

What’s Up with Fox News?

"In recent months, the hatred of Fox News from the left has been almost matched by trending memes – from the right! Examples include (to paraphrase) “Fox News has turned left.” “Fox News is being run by Disney.” “The woke wives of the Murdoch sons are running Fox.” “RINO Paul Ryan is running Fox News from his seat on the company’s board of directors.” And so on.

All of that is false. 

Total BS. How do I know? 

Unlike most of the new anti-Fox critics, I actually watch the Fox News Channel (FNC). 

I take notes. 

I have monitored the channel closely since its inception 24½ years ago. 

And I have the tapes and digital recordings of Fox News going back to year one – thousands of hours’ worth – to prove it.

This fake “Fox News has moved left” meme started about three years ago. 

I addressed it in several articles at American Thinker in 2019, including here and here. 

The fact is that Fox News has never been more conservative than it is right now. ..Read all and get back to FNC!

Think about that!

Linda Traitz

• "The former Governor of Michigan was indicted for the Flint Water Scandal. 
• Chris Christie’s staff went to jail for closing a bridge. 
• Andrew Cuomo killed 15,000 people.

@EricMMatheny

'He's lost his mind': Levin TORCHES CNN's Jake Tapper in fiery defense of Trump supporters - TheBlaze

'He's lost his mind': Levin TORCHES CNN's Jake Tapper in fiery defense of Trump supporters - TheBlaze: 

First, the mainstream media told you the violent riots last summer were "mostly peaceful" protests. Then they silenced anyone who dared to questioned the pre-election changes to federal and state election laws in four key states (Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin).  And now that the media's chosen candidate has won the presidential election, their new goal is to "destroy, not-only [former President] Trump, but all of his supporters, anyone who voted for him, and overall to destroy conservatives," Mark Levin said on his most recent episode of "LevinTV."

What could possibly go wrong?-----First sun-dimming experiment will test a way to cool Earth

First sun-dimming experiment will test a way to cool Earth

"Researchers plan to spray sunlight-reflecting particles into the stratosphere, an approach that could ultimately be used to quickly lower the planet’s temperature.

... Researchers have largely restricted their work on such tactics to computer models. 

Among the concerns is that dimming the Sun could backfire, or at least strongly disadvantage some areas of the world by, for example, robbing crops of sunlight and shifting rain patterns...Read all.

This isn't a Biden story. It's a dishonest, failed-media story.-----Biden’s Endless Winter

Biden’s Endless Winter 

• After running as a moderate, he now promotes unlimited government spending.

"If any media folk are still interested in “fact-checking” presidents after the Trump era, they’ll have plenty of fodder from Tuesday night’s appearance by President Joe Biden on CNN. 

A favorite Biden habit is to appeal to the authority of economists, many of whom remain unnamed, to suggest that his policies are wildly popular among experts. 

And what would we do without anonymous experts?
Newsweek has a transcript of the event in which CNN’s Anderson Cooper hosted our 46th president at Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater. 

Here’s an excerpt:
COOPER: You’ve made passing a COVID relief bill the focus of your first 100 days. Those on the right say the proposal is too big. Some on the left say it’s not big enough. Are you committed to passing $1.9 trillion bill or is that final number still up for negotiation?
BIDEN: I’m committed to pass -- look, here’s -- some of you are probably economists or college professors or you’re teachers in school. This is the first time in my career -- and as you can tell, I’m over 30 -- the first time in my career that there is a consensus among economists left, right, and center that is over -- and including the IMF and in Europe, that overwhelming consensus is, in order to grow the economy a year, two, three, and four down the line, we can’t spend too much.
Thank goodness this statement is not accurate. 

There is not an “overwhelming consensus” among economists that no amount of federal spending is excessive. 

This column is often skeptical of conventional expert opinion. 

But even for those who aren’t, the Biden economic plan is notable for the way it has drawn criticism not just from economists in the center and on the right but from Mr. Biden’s own former colleagues on the left. 

Many of the critiques specifically warn that he is indeed spending too much taxpayer money on a recovering economy which does not need another massive intervention...Read all.

Lunch video-----Our Aussie friends are fighting the climate-Marxists too!-----Globalists using Great Reset to ‘make you’ finance their ‘climate fantas...

"Sky News host Rowan Dean says globalists promoting the Great Reset - a pro-climate, pro-Marxist economic agenda - predict the US will be in decline by 2030 and other superpowers such as China and big tech will “control every aspect of our lives”. 

“In expensive and lavish advertisements these globalist organisations boast that after the Great Reset, which they liken to the pushing of a button, you will own nothing, but you will be happy," Mr Dean said. 

“They call it 'servitisation', which sounds a little too close to 'servitude' for my liking, but as I said, they're not shy about what they are proposing. In fact, they boast about it,” Mr Dean said...Read all!

Noon-toon

WHO: China Likely Misrepresented Time Of Initial Coronavirus Outbreak | The Daily Caller

WHO: China Likely Misrepresented Time Of Initial Coronavirus Outbreak | The Daily Caller: 

The World Health Organization found signs that the coronavirus appeared in the Chinese population earlier than the Chinese government claimed.

Peter Ben Embarek, WHO’s lead investigator for COVID-19, told CNN that his group has been able to sequence 13 different strains of the coronavirus that were circulating in Wuhan in December 2019. 

The large number of strains present in Wuhan at the time means that “it is likely that the virus was circulating for a while longer than that month alone,” virologist Edward Holmes of the University of Sydney, Australia, told CNN.

Our "betters" deciding what us deplorable MAY do.

 

You still trusting the government to save you?-- What Austin, Texas, Demonstrates About Prepping

The Captain's Journal -- What Austin, Texas, Demonstrates About Prepping

"I have a family member who lives in Austin, Texas.  This is a video he sent me (he didn’t take it, but is near where this video was taken).  This video is a couple of days old.  

• This line was about a mile long as guessed by the videographer.  
• There are no more lines like that because the grocery stores are out of food. The trucks haven’t been able to run, so the shelves are bare.  
  
• Worse, the water system is torn apart by freezing temperatures, and water is off to most of the city.  There is no potable water, there is no more food.  
• There is now a run on gasoline, and the stations are quickly running out their tanks.
• Power is off throughout vast portions of Austin and in fact throughout much of Texas.  

...Most of America is 24-48 hours from starvation and dehydration...Read all!!

A question the media refuses to ask.

 

Ocasio-Cortez Slams Texas: That’s What Happens ‘When You Don’t Pursue A Green New Deal.’

Instapundit--Ocasio-Cortez Slams Texas: That’s What Happens ‘When You Don’t Pursue A Green New Deal.’

GOYA’S DECEMBER EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH CONTINUES TO PAY DIVIDENDS. Ocasio-Cortez Slams Texas: That’s What Happens ‘When You Don’t Pursue A Green New Deal.’

But that’s just it — they did pursue that “Green New Deal:” 

“Just last week, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott proudly accepted something called the Wind Leadership Award, given with gratitude by Tri Global Energy, a company getting rich from green energy. 

So it was all working great until the day it got cold outside. 

The windmills failed like the silly fashion accessories they are, and people in Texas died.”--Posted by Ed Driscoll"

#1 This day 1966-----Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes

It's all about cow farts?-----Bill Gates: 'Rich Countries' Should Be Eating 100% Synthetic Beef

Bill Gates: 'Rich Countries' Should Be Eating 100% Synthetic Beef

...Explaining the suggestion, Gates told the MIT Tech Review:

For Africa and other poor countries, we’ll have to use animal genetics to dramatically raise the amount of beef per emissions for them. Weirdly, the US livestock, because they’re so productive, the emissions per pound of beef are dramatically less than emissions per pound in Africa. And as part of the [Bill and Melinda Gates] ...

So no, I don’t think the poorest 80 countries will be eating synthetic meat. I do think all rich countries should move to 100% synthetic beef. You can get used to the taste difference, and the claim is they’re going to make it taste even better over time. Eventually, that green premium is modest enough that you can sort of change the [behavior of] people or use regulation to totally shift the demand...Read all.

"Privilege". They have it. The rest of us don't.

 

Dan Crenshaw Exposes Bernie Sanders About Minimum Wage Hikes - Louder With Crowder

Dan Crenshaw Exposes Bernie Sanders About Minimum Wage Hikes - Louder With Crowder: 

If Joe Biden successfully hikes the minimum wage, count on that being another "Biden buyers' remorse" moment. I could go on about how it would destroy jobs. But for the people who support it, math and economic literacy have never been their strong suit. Leftists randomly decided that the minimum wage should be exactly $15 an hour. People who voted for them agree. If Biden gets his hike, it won't be me losing my job or getting my hours cut. I'll be sure to think of you as I'm using the self-checkout kiosk at Taco Bell.

"...It is this kind of response that proves there will never be unity..."--Michael Smith

Michael Smith

• "The left gave the creator of ISIS the "Austere Religious Scholar" headline but the 
• Huffington Post goes with "Bigoted King of Talk Radio" and Yamiche Alcindor of taxpayer supported 
• PBS calls Rush "both a racist and misogynist" - 

...these vultures couldn't wait to open up their vats of vitriol.
Don't ever talk to me again about unity because you are all liars.

It is this kind of response that proves there will never be unity. 

They are spoiling for a fight they really do not want, nor for which are they prepared."

AM Fruitcake

 

History for February 18

History for February 18 - On-This-Day.com

Gahan Wilson 1930

• 1564 - The artist Michelanglelo died in Rome.
• 1841 - The first continuous filibuster in the U.S. Senate began. It lasted until March 11th.
• 1861 - In Montgomery, AL, Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the President of the Confederate States.
• 1885 - Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was published in the U.S. for the first time.
• 1930 - Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to fly in an airplane.
• 2001 - NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Sr., was killed in a crash during the Daytona 500 race.

BREAKING: Rush Limbaugh has passed away - TheBlaze

BREAKING: Rush Limbaugh has passed away - TheBlaze: 

Talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh has passed away, his wife, Kathryn, announced on his show Wednesday morning.  Limbaugh, the leading voice of the conservative movement, succumbed to his battle with lung cancer at the age of 70 after getting his Stage 4 diagnosis in January 2020. El Rushbo was a pioneer in the radio industry, leading the way to get conservative and Republican issues and voices heard around the nation. He worked around the liberal monolith of the broadcast networks and the stranglehold Democrats had on the public airways. Limbaugh began his nationally syndicated "Rush Limbaugh Show" in 1988 and at that moment began to reshape the Republican Party and the conservative movement.