Saturday, Cuatro de Mayo. A Day of Nothing Special

Cross-posted at Really? Seriously?

Good morning from my office perched between two stadiums in Seattle. It is a Saturday morning at 0600. I’m about ready to head downstairs to the restaurant to make sure that everything is ready to go before we open at 0700. Apparently, there is nothing really special going on around here today, so hopefully, it will be a quiet and non-eventful day.

That’s good, because I have my day already planned out. I’m rolling out a beta-testing of my SQL project this morning. I even have a 65″ monitor mounted in the Engineering Department that will display all the open work orders and projects in the building. I hope to have it all up and running by Noon.

But first, lets get this business out of the way…

Headlines That Caught My Eye This Morning

Item 1: NATO Ally Gives Ukraine Green Light to Cross Putin’s Red Line

Putin’s ‘red line’ is where Ukraine attacks anything inside of Russia’s border.

This always seemed like a pretty silly restriction placed on Ukraine. Ukraine’s allies have also placed restrictions on the use of their weaponry inside of Russia. Again, I’ve always felt this was stupid.

If Russia is bombarding Ukraine, then it seems to me that Russian targets would also be ‘fair game’. Tit for tat.

Item 2: ‘He should have changed MORE details’ complain Baby Reindeer fans as ‘real life Martha’ is exposed and speaks out

She was “exposed” because she made herself known. From the sounds of it, she is as messed up in real life as she is portrayed on the series.

Item 3: Donald Trump’s last soldier: We speak to only supporter left ranting outside court with huge pink flag

As much as I dislike Trump, I’m not going to go out of my way to actively support or protest the guy. I can’t think of any person, place, or thing that would cause me to stand out with a sign to protest. I can like or dislike some person, place or thing right here in the comfort of my chair.

Item 4: First photo of Texas farm worker who caught bird flu shows bleeding in his eyeballs

Well, that doesn’t look good. Captain Tripps and all that.

Item 5: Wave of Legislation Seeks to Penalize Criticism of Israel as Antisemitism

The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to advance a bill that would empower the federal government to crack down on student protests by defining antisemitism in a way that includes certain criticism of Israel. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from New York, the bill’s passage reflects a broader national trend.

The bill is using the definition of “antisemitism” from The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA):

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

• Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.

• Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.

• Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.

• Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).

• Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.

• Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

Some Jewish citizens ARE more loyal to Israel than they are to the US. Apparently, they want to make it illegal to point that out…

• Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.

• Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

• Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.

• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

If it quacks like a duck…

Look, I’m not comparing Israel policy to that of the Nazis, but if and when they do, it would be illegal to point that out under this law.

• Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

How many of you hold all Muslims collectively responsible for 9/11? Most Muslims, being Arab, are also considered to be “Semitic”. We can hold Muslims collectively responsible for 9/11, but we can’t hold Jews collectively responsible for something should such a thing ever happen. Unless of course you are MTG complaining about “Jewish Lasers”.

Item 6: Democrats bracing for massive protests at party’s August convention

Shades of 1968

Item 7: Jerry Seinfeld’s ‘Unfrosted’ Divides Critics: “One of Decade’s Worst Movies”

I 100 percent agree. I watched this bullshit last night and it was terrible. Aside from the various cameos from famous comedians, I was bored silly. I couldn’t even finish it.

Item 8: Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar and wife indicted on bribery and foreign influence charges

Will he do the right thing and resign?

Need help with substance use disorder or mental health issues? In the U.S., call 800-662-HELP (4357) for the SAMHSA National Helpline.

What In The Hell Did I Just Watch?

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA – Netflix LIVE

“We’re only doing six episodes, so this show will never hit its groove,” Mulaney warned during the opening monologue, delivered from his temporary home base at Sunset Gower Studios.

John Mulaney is one of my favorite contemporary comics. He has the ability to schlep into town on a tour, spend two or three hours before the show walking around picking up interesting facts about the city he is in, and then uses that information in his comedy show that day.