Charles Blow’s Self-Obsession Is Pathetic
But I Can’t Look Away
Posted By: earlybird, 9/30/2021 4:25:21 PM
There is no possible way to capture the comic self-obsession of New York Times writer Charles Blow without reading firsthand any one of his desperately overwrought, twice-weekly columns. Capturing his absurd level of narcissism isn’t something the average person can’t live without experiencing. But he does hold one of the most coveted positions in American journalism — a regular space in our premier newspaper — and I’m sorry to say that, as a journalist, tracking the infinite ways that Blow self-fellates is endlessly fun. A piece he wrote this week(snip) is a perfect introduction to Blow’s mind, a space where all things Blow are interesting, admirable, and worthy of your rapt attention.
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Empty Frames
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When I was still practicing as a doctor I believed, always mistakenly, that I had now heard every variety of human folly. However, even the dullest person can be highly original in the art of self-destruction, which is infinite in its variety of means: One can never plumb folly’s depths once and for all.
(snip)I often think that contemporary art cannot express the final exhaustion of the Western artistic tradition any better than the present work before me, reinforced by the fatuous commentary upon it by critics. For example, I thought that nullity could go no further than the work(snip)of the late con person
Pelosi's Little Big Horn
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Democrats have discovered something worse than having a septuagenarian as president: having an octogenarian as House speaker.
Nancy Pelosi just suffered a week from hell. (Unkind people would say a taste of her future.)
First, Joe Manchin stopped if only temporarily her party's Only Fans donors spendathon. In response, the AOC (Already Openly Communist) Crowd stopped the bipartisan Only Everyone's Donors spendathon.
Business Insider reported, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday pulled a vote on President Joe Biden's $550 billion infrastructure bill. It's a major setback for Democrats as moderate and progressive feuds deepened over Biden's domestic agenda.
The Largest Autocracy on Earth
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In 1947, Albert Einstein, writing in this magazine, proposed the creation of a single world government to protect humanity from the threat of the atomic bomb. His utopian idea did not take hold, quite obviously, but today, another visionary is building the simulacrum of a cosmocracy.
Mark Zuckerberg, unlike Einstein, did not dream up Facebook out of a sense of moral duty, or a zeal for world peace. This summer, the population of Zuckerberg’s supranational regime reached 2.9 billion monthly active users, more humans than live in the world’s two most populous nations—China and India—combined.
To Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO, they are citizens of Facebookland. Long ago he conspicuously started calling
The Atlantic, the magazine and multi-platform publisher run by a company owned by Steve Jobs' widow, is heaping brutal criticism on Facebook, including calling it an 'instrument of civilizational collapse.'
The essay is making a rough week for the social media giant even worse.
Executive Editor Adrienne LaFrance referred to Facebook as a 'hostile foreign power' and was heavily critical of CEO Mark Zuckerberg (snip)
'its single-minded focus on its own expansion; its immunity to any sense of civic obligation; its record of facilitating the undermining of elections; its antipathy toward the free press; its rulers’ callousness and hubris; and its indifference to the endurance of American democracy.'
Orwell and the Woke
3 replies
“Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” — George Orwell, “Animal Farm”
What were we to make of multimillionaire Barack Obama’s 60th birthday bash at his Martha’s Vineyard estate, and the throng of the woke wealthy and their masked helot attendants?
Was socialist Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) suffering for the people when she wore a designer dress to the more than $30,000-a-ticket Met gala?
LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Boxing bouts for medals at the 2016 Olympics were fixed by “complicit and compliant” referees and judges, an investigation reported on Thursday.
Investigator Richard McLaren was appointed by the International Boxing Association, known as AIBA, and found AIBA officials selected referees and judges to ensure that bouts could be manipulated in Olympic qualifying and at the Rio de Janeiro Games. He also found signs the 2012 Olympics in London were affected.
“Key personnel decided that the rules did not apply to them,” said McLaren, who added there was a “culture of fear, intimidation and obedience in the ranks of the referees and judges.”
Northwell Health, the largest health care provider in New York state, is denying some benefits to employees it’s firing because they refuse to comply with the state’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for health care workers.
Those terminated lose all employer contributions to their retirement plans for this year unless they’re older than 62. They are also denied payouts of any of their remaining paid time off (PTO), according to a FAQ sheet recently emailed to the workers and obtained by The Epoch Times.
Rural Americans now dying of COVID-19
at twice the rate of those in urban environments: research 28 replies
at twice the rate of those in urban environments: research 28 replies
A study released this month found that the rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths in rural areas have far surpassed those being observed in metropolitan communities, with rural mortality rates more than double that of urban ones.
The study from the Rural Policy Research Institute's (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy found that as the summer ended, the coronavirus infection and mortality rates of rural and urban communities began to diverge.
RUPRI noted in its study that the initial surges of COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic were largely concentrated in urban areas. Subsequent surges saw increases in both urban and rural parts of the U.S.
Lawmakers in Arkansas advanced legislation on Sept. 29 that would allow workers to opt out of their employer’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement if they can prove that they have natural antibodies against the CCP virus or if they’re tested for the virus weekly.
Arkansas’s House and Senate Public Health committees endorsed identical versions of the legislation, according to lawmakers. The measure also requires the state to pay unemployment benefits to workers who are terminated from their jobs over the vaccine mandate.
“This is what we felt we could get through to give employees some protection,” state Sen. Kim Hammer said,
There is no possible way to capture the comic self-obsession of New York Times writer Charles Blow without reading firsthand any one of his desperately overwrought, twice-weekly columns.
Capturing his absurd level of narcissism isn’t something the average person can’t live without experiencing. But he does hold one of the most coveted positions in American journalism — a regular space in our premier newspaper — and I’m sorry to say that, as a journalist, tracking the infinite ways that Blow self-fellates is endlessly fun.
A piece he wrote this week(snip) is a perfect introduction to Blow’s mind, a space where all things Blow are interesting, admirable, and worthy of your rapt attention.
Manchin Reveals Surprising Proof He Told
Schumer What Would Get Him To Vote Yes
On Reconciliation 2 replies
Schumer What Would Get Him To Vote Yes
On Reconciliation 2 replies
Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin reportedly dished out copies of a proposal that he presented to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about the congressional budget resolution to his Democrat colleagues in the Senate this week “to underscore that he has outlined his red lines on President Joe Biden’s jobs and families plan” and defend his decision to stifle the White House’s spending agenda.
(snip)Manchin outlined his conditions for joining the Democrats in passing the White House’s pricey spending plan. The first requirement states that the bill cannot exceed his topline spending ceiling of $1.5 trillion and requests that debate on the reconciliation package begin no later than Oct. 1. Manchin authored the
Post offices nationwide will begin to see some delays in mail service beginning on Friday as part of the postmaster general’s new plan to cut costs and save money.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced the 10-year plan in the spring, which outlined new investments in technology, training and fleets of delivery vehicles.
The USPS will implement the new service standards Friday, which could lead to longer transit times for some long-distance first-class mail and first-class packages.
Shorter post office hours will also affect delivery times(snip)
The changes are not expected to affect better than 90% of periodicals and 60% of first-class mail, USPS spokesperson Kim Frum told NPR.
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The Biden administration is poised to make its next unconstitutional power grab in the former of a ‘vaccine mandate’ for interstate travel within the United States, according to reports on Capitol Hill. Congressional Republican lawmakers are attempting to get ahead of the forthcoming expected decree by introducing legislation to block an executive order or directive.“In a Wednesday speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), joined by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), introduced legislation that would bar the Biden administration from implementing vaccine passports requirements for interstate travel,” the Epoch Times reported.
Many breathed a sigh of relief when President Biden was elected, not for policy but for a reunification of the country after four years of tumult and fiery division under President Trump. But eight months into the new presidency, America's deep disunity might not be letting up. A new poll has revealed that political divisions run so deep in the US that over half of Trump voters want red states to secede from the union, and 41% of Biden voters want blue states to split off. According to the analysis from the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, 52% of Trump voters at least somewhat agree with the statement:
Chicago to mount bleeding control kits
throughout city to help adapt to new ‘environment’ 39 replies
throughout city to help adapt to new ‘environment’ 39 replies
Democrat-controlled Chicago has come up with at least a partial solution, albeit sad and weak, to the epidemic of deadly gun crime that turns almost every weekend into a municipal bloodbath.Officials are installing 400-plus, wall-mounted bleeding control kits in nearly 300 public buildings in the Windy City as well as at medical clinics, senior facilities, and possibly subway stations and parks. The kits are evidently meant to be used as a stopgap measure before EMTs arrive to render treatment to victims.“Each of the kits contain enough supplies to treat eight victims, with tourniquets, gauze, shears, gloves and an instruction manual,” NBC Chicago reported about the initiative.
The archbishop of San Francisco is calling for a "massive and visible campaign of prayer and fasting" for the conversion of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's heart as she pursues what pro-lifers have called "radical" abortion legislation.
"Witness the House of Representatives’ passage of HR 3755, which would impose abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy," Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said of the California Democrat in a statement Wednesday.
"A conversion of heart of the majority of our congressional representatives is needed on this issue, beginning with the leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Post offices nationwide will begin to see some delays in mail service beginning on Friday as part of the postmaster general’s new plan to cut costs and save money.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced the 10-year plan in the spring, which outlined new investments in technology, training and fleets of delivery vehicles.
The USPS will implement the new service standards Friday, which could lead to longer transit times for some long-distance first-class mail and first-class packages.
Shorter post office hours will also affect delivery times(snip)
The changes are not expected to affect better than 90% of periodicals and 60% of first-class mail, USPS spokesperson Kim Frum told NPR.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reportedly asked his officials whether the department was ready to handle the possibility of up to 400,000 migrants, nearly double the 21-year high seen in July, crossing the border in October.(Snip)Mayorkas asked on the call if the border was ready for a worst-case scenario of 350,000 to 400,000 migrants crossing the border next month, two DHS officials told NBC. Even the lower estimate would be record breaking, but 400,000 border crossings is nearly double the 21-year high hit in July of 210,000. August saw more than 208,000 encounters at the southwestern border.
Dozens of congressmembers have demanded the immediate release of Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller after he was jailed for defying orders to stop publicly criticizing the nation's Afghanistan withdrawal. Scheller, 40, was arrested and jailed at the Camp Lejeune brig Monday for allegedly breaking four military laws by refusing orders to stop posting critical videos on social media.He was scheduled to make his first court appearance in North Carolina today, but the public – including elected officials and the media – are prohibited from attending. The court hearing has been postponed until next week,
An institution representing more than 90,000 school officials across the US begged Joe Biden Wednesday to send FBI and Secret Service agents to protect them from 'mobs' of angry parents irate over vaccine and mask mandates forced upon their children - asserting their protests should be treated as 'domestic terrorism' by 'extremist hate organizations.'In a letter penned to the president and published online, the National School Boards Association implored the US government to take a stand against these vexed parents, stating that teachers and other school staffers are under 'immediate threat' because of their burgeoning 'acts of malice, violence, and threats.'
Monica Lewinsky says that her thoughts of suicide during the Clinton investigation led her to ask independent counsel Ken Starr's legal team what would happen if she died — and now, years later, she is shocked that no one considered seemed concerned enough to do anything about it. The 48-year-old discussed the toll that the investigation and the subsequent public shaming took on her mental health in a new episode of David Axelrod's CNN podcast 'The Axe Files,' describing the aftermath of her affair with then-President Bill Clinton as a 'tumultuous' time that had her thinking about ending her life.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has returned prime beachfront land worth an estimated $72 million to the descendants of a black family it was seized from in 1924.
Newsom signed a law transferring the ownership of Bruce's Beach, a small park now worth an estimated $72 million, back to the Bruce family. Original owners Willa and Charles Bruce's great-great-grandson Anthony Bruce was there for the signing ceremony. He will now take ownership of the plot, alongside his dad Derrick and brother Michael. The plot currently serves as a grassy park and lifeguard training facility.
Rural Americans now dying of COVID-19
at twice the rate of those in urban environments: research 28 replies
at twice the rate of those in urban environments: research 28 replies
A study released this month found that the rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths in rural areas have far surpassed those being observed in metropolitan communities, with rural mortality rates more than double that of urban ones.
The study from the Rural Policy Research Institute's (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy found that as the summer ended, the coronavirus infection and mortality rates of rural and urban communities began to diverge.
RUPRI noted in its study that the initial surges of COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic were largely concentrated in urban areas. Subsequent surges saw increases in both urban and rural parts of the U.S.
Soon-to-be divorced hedge fund billionaire John Paulson has whisked away his new Instagram guru girlfriend to Italy for a friend's wedding. Paulson, 65, and Alina de Almeida, 33, were spotted attending the event on the shores of Lake Como days after the hedge funder announced his high-profile divorce from his wife Jenny, 50. The couple flew in for the nuptials of Blackstone executive Mark Moffat and Sarah Mintz in lakeside Villa d'Este on September 25 and were 'inseparable' and 'canoodled all day and night', Page Six reported.
Comments:
Who better than Eddie Scarry to skewer the NYT’s Blowhard?