Althouse: Lake Mendota at 1:56 p.m.

January 6, 2024

Lake Mendota at 1:56 p.m.

37 comments:

rhhardin said...: A surprisingly good discussion of SCOTUS granting cert and what is likely to happen, from a normally hoax-bound anti-Trump channel, Talking Feds with Harry Litman; 1/6/24, 6:36 PM
Josephbleau said...: No insurrections visible on the lake today, we should be pleased with our fearless leader.; 1/6/24, 6:45 PM
MadTownGuy said...: Several Illinois sheriffs decline to enforce Protect Illinois Communities Act

"MT VERNON, Ill. — More than 300 new laws are now in effect in Illinois, but several sheriffs are refusing to uphold what's become known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act.

“I’ve deemed it from my understanding of case law as unlawful or valid on its face,” Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Bullard said. “My office will not be taking any action on this.”

“One of my main concerns is how exactly is this going to make this community safer,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said.

The law effectively banned more than 170 models of guns and high-capacity magazines.

“I believe this law violates our constitutional right to keep and bear arms more than any other law I’ve seen in 30 years in law enforcement,” Campbell said.

To comply with the law, Illinois' 2.4 million FOID card holders need to register a banned weapon with the Illinois State Police.

According to Illinois State Police, fewer than 30,000 gun owners registered their guns.

“We’re going to take law-abiding citizens and make them criminals because of a decision they have to make,” Campbell said.

Failing to register a banned weapon will lead to a misdemeanor charge on the first offense and a felony charge on the second offense.

“I notified the chiefs in my county that if the only charge they have against somebody is that they failed to register their weapon we will not be accepting them into our jail,” Campbell said.

However, the way Illinois law is currently written a felony charge for an unregistered weapon isn’t a jailable offense under the SAFE-T Act.

“The only time we will house someone that is charged with that is if they happened to be charged with a violent crime and it’s an add-on charge,” Bullard said.

The Protect Illinois Communities Act already faces numerous legal challenges.

“My hope is that this would hurry up and get to the U.S. Supreme Court and let them weigh in on this,” Campbell said. “That would be the law of the land.”

“Even if the Supreme Court did uphold it and overturn those cases, we all know like 90% of it, that’s not going to change our position,” said Sheriff Bullard. “We know what the constitution says. We know what people’s rights are. We’re going to stand very firm on our position on it.”

Illinois State Police will be enforcing the Protect Illinois Communities Act.

The decision to charge anyone found in violation of the Protect Illinois Communities Act is left up to individual State Attorneys."; 1/6/24, 7:07 PM
Kai Akker said...: ZeroHedge debate on whether Jan. 6 protest was an insurrection had Glenn Greenwald and Alex Jones but did not get a lot of viewership, if the number on the side of the screen was accurate. After half an hour of Alex Jones shouting over everyone else, there were 7,195 viewers. When he took a bathroom break, the debate improved. Greenwald was excellent and the debate did showcase the pros and cons of each side of this dispute. Is it really a dispute? That the case for calling the Jan6 protest an insurrection is such a politicized tissue of definitions, allegations, and skinny logic seemed clear to me. The liberals cling to factoids like 79 weapons were confiscated as proof that a protest in which only protestors were killed was actually an insurrection and part of a larger coup attempt. Video of protestors peacefully filing through the halls reminded me of what you could see in those first days after the event. Greenwald took the "insurrectionist" side to task for lacking historical knowledge and trying to make a tempest in their teapots. Their neener-neener trains of thought were depressing to have to entertain, even for the duration. Alex Jones was a big mistake but as he mentioned a few times, he was there on that day.; 1/6/24, 7:29 PM
MadTownGuy said...: When truckers protested the mandates in Canada, police trampled on them.

When a Palestine mob blocked a road in Canada, police delivered food.; 1/6/24, 8:00 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: I love this picture.; 1/6/24, 9:06 PM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: Those of you experienced in the Clinton scandals can probably remember all the fuss Clinton defenders made out of the huge amount of tax dollars spent investigating the president.

The amounts spent investigating Trump must be in the billions. Not a peep about that.

BTW. I highly recommend you all watch Tucker talk to Darkhorse podcaster Bret Weinstein. Find out what’s so peculiar about the number 17 million.; 1/6/24, 9:16 PM
gadfly said...: "God Made A Farmer" by Paul Harvey; 1/6/24, 11:29 PM
Big Mike said...: Regarding whether January 6th was a genuine insurrection, I am minded of a story told about the President who did face a true insurrection: Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln asked some politicians how many legs a dog would have if you call its tail a leg.

I don’t know how many answered “five,” but according to Lincoln the correct answer is “four, because calling a tail s leg does not make it a leg.”

And calling January 6th an insurrection does not make it one. The people who think otherwise should get down on their knees and pray to whatever God they worship (money, mostly, if they’re Democrat politicians) that they never see a real one.; 1/6/24, 11:51 PM
Ampersand said...: There are landscape painters who create paintings with that sort of minimalist deviation from the aquatic horizon. I don't get it.

In WSJ, Barton Swain visited Iowa and had some thoughts on the upcoming electoral disaster facing the US. He said:

"I wished they [Trump’s fans] could see what I see, or that I could see what they see. What they see, I guess, is a wiser, savvier President Trump foiling his enemies and setting America on a better course. What I see is a catastrophe in which cultural VIPs in government and the media give themselves license to ruin a duly elected president, and his fans, refusing to take it a second time, responding with incomprehending rage.

I’m not sure what Mr. Trump sees. He knows that his enemies’ insane need to defeat him by nonelectoral means tends to fortify his support, and he encourages them to indulge their dumbest instincts. He may ride their foolishness all the way to the White House.

As a matter of cosmic justice, the Democrats, particularly Mr. Biden, deserve a Trump victory in 2024."

Apart from Swain's eccentric decision to use the word "incomprehending" rather than the perfectly serviceable "uncomprehending", I agree with him.; 1/6/24, 11:55 PM
gadfly said...: MadTownGuy said...
When truckers protested the mandates in Canada, police trampled on them.

When a Palestine mob blocked a road in Canada, police delivered food.

The rest of the story is that truckers shut down commercial and personal travel on the streets of Ottawa and key border crossings for more than a month rather than comply with a vaccination requirement to get a COVID-19 stick.
And then there is the My Pillow nutcase who claimed he dropped food in Canada to truckers using helicopters.

The pro-Palestinian protestors blocked an overpass overlooking Highway 401 near the largest Jewish neighborhood in Toronto for a week.

“How did you get coffee from the police?” a protester is asked . . . . The keffiyeh-clad protester responds: “Somebody bought it for us, but the police won’t let them in. So the police are now becoming our little messengers.”

So police delivered other people's coffee to prevent the antisemite protester count from increasing, perhaps?; 1/7/24, 12:16 AM
rehajm said...: Ew…Boston Herald headline…

State Police find missing elderly woman in Burlington using helicopter; 1/7/24, 2:35 AM
rehajm said...: Coral Gables is a lovely community of middle class homes…priced from $2 million and up…; 1/7/24, 2:36 AM
Kate said...: Watched "Nyad" on Netflix. I wanted to see two powerhouse performances, which I got in spades. Wow. But it was also a well-made movie. What a pleasant surprise.; 1/7/24, 2:42 AM
wendybar said...: Whilst Progressives are actively taking over state Capitol whilst in session, and NOTHING is done to them....THIS is just plain HARASSMENT now. These people are pitiful and I hope once Trump gets in, Karma smacks them all in the keister and throws THEM in the DC gulag for what they are doing to America.

"Matthew Graves, US Attorney for the District of Columbia on Thursday held a press conference on the 3rd anniversary of the January 6 Capitol protest.
“An important note about those who remained outside the [Capitol] building,” Graves said. “We have used our prosecutorial discretion and to primarily to focus on those who entered the building, are those who engaged in violent or rough conduct on Capitol grounds.”
Graves then said the DOJ is now going to target THOUSANDS of Americans who were around the Capitol on January 6 – but did not enter the building."

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/01/dc-us-attorney-matthew-graves-says-doj-is/; 1/7/24, 3:29 AM
wendybar said...: “On the inside, you had FBI assets dressed as Trump supporters who knew their way around the Capitol before the doors open. Or else how are you going to get around the Capitol?” Higgins said. “You’ve been there many times, you need a guide,” Higgins said explaining it’s a maze inside the Capitol. So there’s no way Americans, most of which have never been to the Capitol, there’s no way they could come in some random door that gets opened and then get their way directly to the statuary or the House Chamber or the Senate Chamber. It’s just not possible.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1743724117113602512; 1/7/24, 3:33 AM
wendybar said...: "Our epidemic of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) does not appear to be abating, and Big Pharma hasn’t developed an mRNA vaccine for it yet. Those employed in government, academia, media, and medicine seem to be at highest risk.
TDS is quite real. The Donald has caused otherwise intelligent people to go bat-crap crazy. The syndrome is a weird mash-up of obsessive-compulsive disorder and delusional paranoia. The afflicted have a warped perception of reality in which Donald Trump is a supernatural being — visiting calamity on the Earth with mean tweets and a stern gaze."

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/01/a_case_study_in_stage_4_trump_derangement_syndrome.html; 1/7/24, 3:42 AM
wendybar said...: WHO didn't see THIS coming??

"There’s something wrong with previous U.S. jobs reports.

The government quietly erased 439,000 jobs through November 2023, a closer look at the numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

That means its initial jobs results were inflated by 439,000 positions, and the job market is not as healthy as the government suggests."

https://nypost.com/2024/01/06/business/initial-us-employment-reports-overstated-by-439000-jobs-in-2023/; 1/7/24, 4:35 AM
MadTownGuy said...: gadfly said...

[MadTownGuy said...
When truckers protested the mandates in Canada, police trampled on them.

When a Palestine mob blocked a road in Canada, police delivered food.]

The rest of the story is that truckers shut down commercial and personal travel on the streets of Ottawa and key border crossings for more than a month rather than comply with a vaccination requirement to get a COVID-19 stick.
And then there is the My Pillow nutcase who claimed he dropped food in Canada to truckers using helicopters."

Aside from your nonsense comment about Mike Lindell, the facts emerging about mRNA vaccines indicate that the coercion brought to bear on Canada's essential workers was needless. Their hard-eaned assets were confiscated, along with donations intended to help feed them and their families. But sure, go on about your false equivalency....

"The pro-Palestinian protestors blocked an overpass overlooking Highway 401 near the largest Jewish neighborhood in Toronto for a week."

A week, a month, what's the diff? Maybe the fact that the truckers were advocating for themselves, while the pro-genocide protesters engaged in an act of intimidation.

“How did you get coffee from the police?” a protester is asked . . . . The keffiyeh-clad protester responds: “Somebody bought it for us, but the police won’t let them in. So the police are now becoming our little messengers.”

So police delivered other people's coffee to prevent the antisemite protester count from increasing, perhaps?"

Big logical jump. What's a few more coffee-carrying participants going to matter when you already have a crowd? Perhaps, indeed.; 1/7/24, 4:35 AM
Breezy said...: After lambasting Trump for having dictatorial tendencies and wanting to be president for his own ego, Biden wrapped up his speech, hugged Jill, then turned to the crowd and said “I understand power!”.

So, who exactly is the egotistical dictator character here?; 1/7/24, 5:44 AM
Humperdink said...: Free Amos Miller.

The PA state police and PA dept of health raided an Amish organic store in Lancaster, Pa. Amos Miller has been selling raw milk and other organic products to the community for years. He was in crosshairs of the feds for years but settled that case. Now our wonderful state government has stepped up. Two state police cars and 3 other unmarked cars raided the store and hauled out food in coolers. My body, my choice apparently does not apply to the customer base.

It should be noted Lancaster, PA is not the sleepy little town nestled among Amish farms as pictured in the brochures. The city has a major drug problem/ drug gangs but the state police have little time for that.

Videos at the link.

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/big-govt-raids-small-amish-farmer-who-refuses-participate-industrial-meatmilk-complex; 1/7/24, 6:17 AM
lonejustice said...: Michigan Republicans removed election denier and Trump supporter who promises not to accept the results of the vote to oust her. Karamo, a former community college instructor, rose through Michigan's Republican ranks by spreading election conspiracies after the 2020 presidential election. She eventually was backed by former President Donald Trump in her run for secretary of state in 2022, losing by 14 percentage points in a result that she still refuses to concede.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/michigan-republicans-vote-to-remove-election-denier-chair-karamo-who-promises-not-to-accept-result/ar-AA1mxnM1?OCID=ansmsnnews11; 1/7/24, 6:43 AM
lonejustice said...: Trump refuses to sign Illinois pledge against overthrowing the government.

Good for Trump. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-refuses-to-sign-pledge-against-overthrowing-government/ar-AA1myTn8?OCID=ansmsnnews11; 1/7/24, 6:55 AM
Kai Akker said...: --- And calling January 6th an insurrection does not make it one. The people who think otherwise should get down on their knees and pray to whatever God they worship (money, mostly, if they’re Democrat politicians) that they never see a real one. [Big Mike]

That has been Pelosi's genius in this whole orchestrated game. She got that label slapped on it right away and kept on pushing.

The ZeroHedge debate was a reminder of how easy it is for intelligent people to find a way to rationalize removing the civil rights of someone they dislike or fear politically. For someone with Nancy d'Alessandro Pelosi's Machiavellian genius, our superabundance of laws offers a playground of potential evildoing.; 1/7/24, 7:15 AM
Kai Akker said...: --- Graves then said the DOJ is now going to target THOUSANDS of Americans who were around the Capitol on January 6 – but did not enter the building."

And a pre-dawn raid on a Florida ranch..... There is always some good citizen who will carry out the Fuhrer's wishes.; 1/7/24, 7:18 AM
Humperdink said...: Update on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin: "It says Austin was/is in Intensive Care. His deputy that assumed power was on vacation in Puerto Rico and didn’t return. Members of Congress had not been notified until the announcement on Friday." (Hotair)

It was also reported President Biden was unaware his defense secretary was hospitalized. To be fair Biden may not remember who he is (the defense secretary, not the president himself).; 1/7/24, 7:31 AM
Kai Akker said...: The video of Vivek Ramaswamey's reply to the black pastor asking about racism will cheer any reasonable citizen's spirits. It's 9 minutes and, if you start it, I'll bet you watch every bit of it. God bless America.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD_i4LUkO6s; 1/7/24, 8:17 AM
tim in vermont said...: "How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg? ... Four" - Abraham Lincoln; 1/7/24, 8:21 AM
West TX Intermediate Crude said...: Ampersand at 1156 discusses the incomprehending/uncomprehending rage that many of us feel.
My rage is not incomprehending or uncomprehending.
It is comprehending.
I completely understand what is being done to my country.
I believe that is becoming clear to more and more Americans, and that can be our salvation.; 1/7/24, 8:23 AM
donald said...: I wanted Trump to become kingmaker of the Republican Party. Having seen what I now understand were previous insurrections through the country by the Democrat party, January Six was nothing, don’t even register with me. Maybe, had the Democrat party not stolen the election and installed a person even worse and stupider than Hillary Clinton, we’d have had some semblance of sanity. But that didn’t happen, they did steal the election and the worst instincts of the Obama/Biden junta were unleashed not only on Trump, but, just like he said, the American people. If Barton Swain is too stupid or indifferent, then fuck him. I hope he gets his dick gets bitten off next time he ducks into his favorite Grand Central Station glory hole.; 1/7/24, 8:39 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "There are landscape painters who create paintings with that sort of minimalist deviation from the aquatic horizon."

This looks more like a painting than other lake-and-sky photos I've taken. I think it would be compelling to paint because of the extreme subtlety. There's lots going on there, and if you took the time to paint it, you would open doors of perception. It would be psychedelic. The time and the attention it would take would make it totally different from taking a photograph.

For the viewer of the painting, there would be a similar effect, but much milder. The viewer would look closely and think about the effort it took and how it looks just like a photograph but also just like a painting.; 1/7/24, 9:23 AM
Rusty said...: "Graves then said the DOJ is now going to target THOUSANDS of Americans who were around the Capitol on January 6 – but did not enter the building."
Who's a threat to democracy?; 1/7/24, 10:43 AM
Lem the artificially intelligent said...: What Althouse just said.; 1/7/24, 11:09 AM
boatbuilder said...: There are landscape painters who create paintings with that sort of minimalist deviation from the aquatic horizon. I don't get it."

I was thinking that it would make a marvellous piece blown up to 10' X 7' or so. Glorious.; 1/7/24, 11:30 AM
Iman said...: Sounds like Graves needs some “rough conduct”, i.e., a size 16 Wolverine boot up his ass.; 1/7/24, 1:25 PM
wendybar said...: "Nancy Pelosi however on Sunday said the states can overrule the US Constitution and ban Trump from the ballot.

Even George Stephanopoulos, a lifelong Democrat hack and Deep State asset was stunned by Pelosi’s suggestion."

“You believe [Trump] is ineligible to be president?” Stephanopoulos asked Pelosi referring to the 14th Amendment.

“They have different laws from state-to-state,” Pelosi said.

A stunned Stephanopoulos interrupted Pelosi and said, “It’s the Constitution…”

“That’s not the point,” Pelosi said as she explained that every state has different laws.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1744026963126235392; 1/7/24, 3:06 PM
wendybar said...: 8 Times Left-Wing Protesters Broke Into Government Buildings And Assaulted Democracy

https://1ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fthefederalist.com%2F2022%2F01%2F07%2F8-times-left-wing-protesters-broke-into-government-buildings-and-assaulted-democracy%2F; 1/7/24, 4:59 PM