hotair--2020-02-07--Surprise! Job creation rebounds in January as economy adds 225K

This caps off quite a week for the White House , which just saw its best polling numbers thus far largely driven by economic satisfaction .
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the US economy added 225,000 jobs in January , far above analysts ’ estimates of 158,000 , but the internals might tell an even better story .
The workforce added almost 200,000 re-entrants from the ranks of the disaffected , finally returning to seek work in a boom economy : Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 225,000 in January , and the unemployment rate was little changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Labor Statistics reported today .
Notable job gains occurred in construction , in health care , and in transportation and warehousing .
… Both the unemployment rate , at 3.6 percent , and the number of unemployed persons , at 5.9 million , changed little in January .
… Among the unemployed , the number of reentrants to the labor force increased by 183,000 in January to 1.8 million but was little changed over the year .
( Reentrants are persons who previously worked but were not in the labor force prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That flood of discouraged workers coming back into the workforce pushed the participation rates to years-long highs : The last time the labor force participation rate was 63.4 % was in June 2013 , four years after the technical recovery from the Great Recession began .
The most recent time that the employment-population ratio hit 61.2 % or higher was in November 2008 , during the financial-sector meltdown that created the Great Recession .
Both measures had been discounted ever since by claims that their lower numbers were the result of boomers going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discouraged workers , an explanation that has been effectively mooted now .
The only real discouraging note in this report comes from the manufacturing sector .
It lost 12,000 jobs in January and its overtime fell by a tenth of an hour at the same time , which means that the issue is demand rather than a push toward productivity .
Durable-good production fell and retail employment declined slightly as well , while construction remained static .
Otherwise , the signals all show green lights ahead .
Wages grew by an annualized rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflation , and even the revisions for November and December were mildly positive , adding 7,000 jobs to the previous reports .
CNBC offers a very rosy take on the start to the new year : An unseasonably mild January helped power the U.S. jobs market to more gains , with nonfarm payrolls rising 225,000 for the month , well above Wall Street estimates .
The unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.6 % , but for the right reason as the labor force participation rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 63.4 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to data released Friday by the Labor Department .
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were looking for payroll growth of 158,000 and the jobless rate to stay at 3.5 % , its lowest in more than 50 years .
… There was more good news for workers : Average hourly earnings rose 3.1 % over a year ago to $ 28.44 , ahead of estimates for 3 % growth .
That marked 18 consecutive months of wage gains above 3 % , as the initially reported 2.9 % for December was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have now grown above an annualized 3 % each month for the last 18 months after remaining stagnant during the recovery .
Consumers are feeling the glow of that already , and the Wall Street Journal projects a healthy year ahead as well : January ’ s robust payroll gain points to a continued healthy labor market in a U.S. economic expansion now in its 11th year .
Over the past three months , the U.S. economy added an average 211,000 jobs .
Job growth was revised higher in the last four months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of American Sale , an Illinois-based retailer of home-recreation goods such as trampolines and hot tubs , said his company will add more workers this year .
He expects a low unemployment rate and solid economy to help spur spending on big-ticket items .
“ When you have more demand , you have more to do , so you just need more people , ” Mr. Jones said .
A strong labor market should help propel the broader economy , which was expanding at a moderate pace as 2019 came to a close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come at a better time for Donald Trump .
His polling numbers are rising , with Gallup recording his best ever , as voter perception of the economy improves and gives Trump credit for it .
The sharp reduction in the overhand of discouraged workers has brought us back closer to the post-Reagan normal participation rate and well off the bottom of the post-Obama-recovery rates .
And if it ’ s great news for Trump , it ’ s bad news for … Moore ’ s correct about the slight bump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.5 % and 3.6 % is so minimal that most people wouldn ’ t notice it at this point .
The participation rate and wage growth measure the actual feel of employment levels , and that ’ s what voters are sensing now , too .

This caps off quite a week for the White House, which just saw its best polling numbers thus far largely driven by economic satisfaction. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the US economy added 225,000 jobs in January, far above analysts’ estimates of 158,000, but the internals might tell an even better story. The workforce added almost 200,000 re-entrants from the ranks of the disaffected, finally returning to seek work in a boom economy:
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 225,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in construction, in health care, and in transportation and warehousing. … Both the unemployment rate, at 3.6 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 5.9 million, changed little in January. … Among the unemployed, the number of reentrants to the labor force increased by 183,000 in January to 1.8 million but was little changed over the year. (Reentrants are persons who previously worked but were not in the labor force prior to beginning their job search.)
That flood of discouraged workers coming back into the workforce pushed the participation rates to years-long highs:
After accounting for the annual adjustments to the population controls, the civilian labor force rose by 574,000 in January, and the labor force participation rate edged up by 0.2 percentage point to 63.4 percent. The employment-population ratio, at 61.2 percent, changed little over the month but was up by 0.5 percentage point over the year.
The last time the labor force participation rate was 63.4% was in June 2013, four years after the technical recovery from the Great Recession began. The most recent time that the employment-population ratio hit 61.2% or higher was in November 2008, during the financial-sector meltdown that created the Great Recession. Both measures had been discounted ever since by claims that their lower numbers were the result of boomers going into retirement rather than an overhang of discouraged workers, an explanation that has been effectively mooted now.
The only real discouraging note in this report comes from the manufacturing sector. It lost 12,000 jobs in January and its overtime fell by a tenth of an hour at the same time, which means that the issue is demand rather than a push toward productivity. Durable-good production fell and retail employment declined slightly as well, while construction remained static.
Otherwise, the signals all show green lights ahead. Wages grew by an annualized rate of 3.1%, well ahead of inflation, and even the revisions for November and December were mildly positive, adding 7,000 jobs to the previous reports. CNBC offers a very rosy take on the start to the new year:
An unseasonably mild January helped power the U.S. jobs market to more gains, with nonfarm payrolls rising 225,000 for the month, well above Wall Street estimates. The unemployment rate ticked higher to 3.6%, but for the right reason as the labor force participation rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 63.4%, matching its highest level since June 2013, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were looking for payroll growth of 158,000 and the jobless rate to stay at 3.5%, its lowest in more than 50 years. … There was more good news for workers: Average hourly earnings rose 3.1% over a year ago to $28.44, ahead of estimates for 3% growth. That marked 18 consecutive months of wage gains above 3%, as the initially reported 2.9% for December was revised up to 3%.
Wages have now grown above an annualized 3% each month for the last 18 months after remaining stagnant during the recovery. Consumers are feeling the glow of that already, and the Wall Street Journal projects a healthy year ahead as well:
January’s robust payroll gain points to a continued healthy labor market in a U.S. economic expansion now in its 11th year. Over the past three months, the U.S. economy added an average 211,000 jobs. Job growth was revised higher in the last four months of 2019. Robert Jones, president of American Sale, an Illinois-based retailer of home-recreation goods such as trampolines and hot tubs, said his company will add more workers this year. He expects a low unemployment rate and solid economy to help spur spending on big-ticket items. “When you have more demand, you have more to do, so you just need more people,” Mr. Jones said. A strong labor market should help propel the broader economy, which was expanding at a moderate pace as 2019 came to a close.
Politically, this couldn’t come at a better time for Donald Trump. His polling numbers are rising, with Gallup recording his best ever, as voter perception of the economy improves and gives Trump credit for it. The sharp reduction in the overhand of discouraged workers has brought us back closer to the post-Reagan normal participation rate and well off the bottom of the post-Obama-recovery rates.
And if it’s great news for Trump, it’s bad news for …
Moore’s correct about the slight bump in the unemployment rate, but the difference between 3.5% and 3.6% is so minimal that most people wouldn’t notice it at this point. The participation rate and wage growth measure the actual feel of employment levels, and that’s what voters are sensing now, too.


hotair--2020-02-07--Warren: The racism and oppression on my campaign is kinda America's fault, you know

Good news : Elizabeth Warren has stopped hiding behind aides to cover up her choices .
Bad news : She ’ s now hiding behind everyone else .
When MSNBC ’ s Chris Hayes asks Warren about the report from Politico about the six “ women of color ” who walked off her Nevada campaign over racism and tokenism , Warren tells Hayes , “ I take responsibility for this.
” Just before that , though , Warren explains why it ’ s really the fault of America ’ s “ long legacy ” of “ racism and oppression.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters she ’ s trying to woo : HAYES : There ’ s a story in Politico that I saw you responded to , and I just want to get your response to it here on air about six women of color that quit your Nevada campaign with complaints of a toxic work environment and tokenism .
One of them went on the record .
I saw that you responded to that and apologized .
What do you want to say in response to learning about that ?
WARREN : You know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I apologize personally that they had a bad experience on the campaign .
I really work hard to try to build a campaign and a work environment where it ’ s diverse and open , and everyone is welcome and celebrated and gets to bring their whole self to work every day .
But I ’ m also very aware that racism and oppression in this country have left a long legacy .
And it creates the kind of toxicity where people — power structures , people take advantage of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which we have to be constantly vigilant and constantly determined to do better .
I take responsibility for this , and I ’ m working with my team to address these concerns .
This is just another version of the Forrest Gump excuse : It ’ s just Johnson and the g*****n war !
If this was a product of America ’ s “ long legacy [ of ] racism and oppression , ” shouldn ’ t this be happening on other campaigns ?
These walkouts should be a regular occurrence , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why has this only managed to happen on her campaign ?
And who hired the people who “ take advantage of other people ” in the first place ?
Besides , even if one takes Warren ’ s explanation at face value , we ’ re still left with someone who ’ s apparently incompetent at dealing with this toxic legacy .
Wouldn ’ t voters be better off going with candidates who don ’ t have this kind of drama taking place within their organizations ?
Warren ’ s claim to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false .
She ’ s trying to pass the buck literally to everyone else except her .
It ’ s your fault , America .
And vote for me !

Good news: Elizabeth Warren has stopped hiding behind aides to cover up her choices. Bad news: She’s now hiding behind everyone else. When MSNBC’s Chris Hayes asks Warren about the report from Politico about the six “women of color” who walked off her Nevada campaign over racism and tokenism, Warren tells Hayes, “I take responsibility for this.” Just before that, though, Warren explains why it’s really the fault of America’s “long legacy” of “racism and oppression.”
Remind me again which country’s voters she’s trying to woo:
Sen. @ewarren blames America’s “legacy” of “racism and oppression” for her campaign staff creating a “toxic work environment” for their minority staff pic.twitter.com/yf29uW10l7 — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 7, 2020
HAYES: There’s a story in Politico that I saw you responded to, and I just want to get your response to it here on air about six women of color that quit your Nevada campaign with complaints of a toxic work environment and tokenism. One of them went on the record. I saw that you responded to that and apologized. What do you want to say in response to learning about that? WARREN: You know, I believe these women without any equivocation, and I apologize personally that they had a bad experience on the campaign. I really work hard to try to build a campaign and a work environment where it’s diverse and open, and everyone is welcome and celebrated and gets to bring their whole self to work every day. But I’m also very aware that racism and oppression in this country have left a long legacy. And it creates the kind of toxicity where people — power structures, people take advantage of other people. It’s something for which we have to be constantly vigilant and constantly determined to do better. I take responsibility for this, and I’m working with my team to address these concerns.
This is just another version of the Forrest Gump excuse: It’s just Johnson and the g*****n war! If this was a product of America’s “long legacy [of] racism and oppression,” shouldn’t this be happening on other campaigns? These walkouts should be a regular occurrence, if Warren’s theory holds up. Why has this only managed to happen on her campaign? And who hired the people who “take advantage of other people” in the first place?
Besides, even if one takes Warren’s explanation at face value, we’re still left with someone who’s apparently incompetent at dealing with this toxic legacy. Wouldn’t voters be better off going with candidates who don’t have this kind of drama taking place within their organizations?
Warren’s claim to “take responsibility for this” are transparently false. She’s trying to pass the buck literally to everyone else except her. It’s your fault, America. And vote for me!


hotair--2020-02-07--California proposes mandatory voting

California proposes mandatory voting

The golden rule in the Golden State is that you will do what the government tells you .
And that increasingly applies to virtually every aspect of your life .
Soon you may be adding voting to that list if a new bill introduced in the state assembly is passed into law .
Yes , California is actually considering making voting mandatory for all residents who are registered .
They aren ’ t specifying what the penalty for noncompliance will be because that decision is being left up to the secretary of state .
( LA Times ) Following a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to voting in recent years , a California lawmaker is pushing to require voters to cast a ballot in future elections .
The proposal , introduced in the state Assembly on Tuesday , would be unprecedented and probably challenged in court should it ultimately become law .
It would place the burden for determining the civil penalty and the ultimate punishment on the secretary of state , California ’ s chief elections officer… Various academic studies through the years have sought to determine whether one political party would benefit more than others should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts have argued it could inspire elected officials to better represent the interests of a broader spectrum of citizens .
Opponents , on the other hand , have said that mandatory voting could be in conflict with the right to free speech guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution .
Remember that California has a motor voter program in place .
In other words , every adult who has a license to drive is registered to vote and under this law , every one of them would have to cast a ballot whether they liked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not .
That is , unless they include a provision allowing you to cast a blank ballot , which would only heighten the idiocy of this measure .
And since when can you pass a law without specifying what the penalty for violating it is ?
If I lived there I would probably cast my first vote against the guy who came up with this bill .
That would be Assemblyman Marc Levine ( D-San Rafael ) , the author of this scheme .
He ’ s quoted as saying “ Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires the active participation of all its citizens.
” Except that ’ s not really true , is it ?
There are countries that have mandatory voting , including Australia , but they don ’ t have constitutionally mandated free speech .
In America , you have the right to vote ( assuming you ’ re of age and don ’ t commit any felonies ) , but not an obligation to do so .
You have the right to speak , but also to remain silent if you wish .
And voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s another question .
What about the illegal aliens who inevitably wind up being mistakenly registered under the motor voter program ?
Will it be mandatory for them to illegally vote and will they be punished if they fail to do so ?
Of course not , since illegal aliens are a protected class in California .
Hopefully , there ’ s still someone left in California with enough common sense to challenge this law if it ’ s passed .
And really , anyone with a driver ’ s license would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the meantime , this bit of news represents yet another reason to flee California if you have the means to do so .

The golden rule in the Golden State is that you will do what the government tells you. And that increasingly applies to virtually every aspect of your life. Soon you may be adding voting to that list if a new bill introduced in the state assembly is passed into law. Yes, California is actually considering making voting mandatory for all residents who are registered. They aren’t specifying what the penalty for noncompliance will be because that decision is being left up to the secretary of state. (LA Times)
Following a series of sweeping expansions to expand access to voting in recent years, a California lawmaker is pushing to require voters to cast a ballot in future elections. The proposal, introduced in the state Assembly on Tuesday, would be unprecedented and probably challenged in court should it ultimately become law. It would place the burden for determining the civil penalty and the ultimate punishment on the secretary of state, California’s chief elections officer… Various academic studies through the years have sought to determine whether one political party would benefit more than others should voting be mandatory. Supporters of such efforts have argued it could inspire elected officials to better represent the interests of a broader spectrum of citizens. Opponents, on the other hand, have said that mandatory voting could be in conflict with the right to free speech guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
Remember that California has a motor voter program in place. In other words, every adult who has a license to drive is registered to vote and under this law, every one of them would have to cast a ballot whether they liked any of the candidates or referendum proposals or not. That is, unless they include a provision allowing you to cast a blank ballot, which would only heighten the idiocy of this measure. And since when can you pass a law without specifying what the penalty for violating it is?
If I lived there I would probably cast my first vote against the guy who came up with this bill. That would be Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), the author of this scheme. He’s quoted as saying “Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires the active participation of all its citizens.”
Except that’s not really true, is it? There are countries that have mandatory voting, including Australia, but they don’t have constitutionally mandated free speech. In America, you have the right to vote (assuming you’re of age and don’t commit any felonies), but not an obligation to do so. You have the right to speak, but also to remain silent if you wish. And voting is a form of speech.
Here’s another question. What about the illegal aliens who inevitably wind up being mistakenly registered under the motor voter program? Will it be mandatory for them to illegally vote and will they be punished if they fail to do so? Of course not, since illegal aliens are a protected class in California.
Hopefully, there’s still someone left in California with enough common sense to challenge this law if it’s passed. And really, anyone with a driver’s license would have standing to bring the case forward. In the meantime, this bit of news represents yet another reason to flee California if you have the means to do so.


hotair--2020-02-09--First American death from coronavirus, deaths outnumber SARS

The first American citizen ’ s death from coronavirus has been reported .
The American embassy in Beijing announced Saturday that a 53-year-old man died at Jinyintian Hospital in Wuhan , the city that is the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic .
The global death count is now over 810 , surpassing that of the SARS coronavirus , which killed 774 people over the course of nine months .
The 810 deaths recorded by this outbreak of coronavirus have all been in the past month .
There is no need to sensationalize this pandemic , as it looks like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to keep the virus under control , at least so far .
President Trump took immediate action when the first reports came out of China .
While I don ’ t have a lot of trust in the transparency of the Chinese government , especially in a matter like this that affects both the Chinese population and visitors , as well as the country ’ s economy , the Trump administration has handled the situation as well as can be expected .
There is no need to panic but we must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we can , just as with any other highly contagious virus .
The coronavirus is still largely contained within China .
What is alarming about this outbreak is how quickly this virus spreads .
Also , there is no vaccine for it right now , though scientists are working on one .
This virus apparently spreads from animals to humans , a trait that separates it from the flu and other highly contagious viruses .
It can take up to three weeks for a person to present symptoms after being exposed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus – now known as “ novel coronavirus pneumonia ” ( NCP ) .
Chinese authorities report that 37,000 people are infected , while about 6,100 cases were considered severe .
The coronavirus has spread globally .
Some comparisons to the SARS outbreak are being made , mostly in the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak because like in 2002 when the focus was on SARS , Americans were concerned about the government response to its spread .
If I remember correctly , America ’ s response to the spread of SARS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American response has been .
That is good news – perhaps we ’ ve learned from past responses and have a better playbook to work with now .
In contrast to those of us who are concerned about the spread of coronavirus in America , some are using comparisons to the flu as a way to calm the nerves of Americans .
The flu kills thousands of Americans every year – from young children to elderly adults .
True enough .
It is a false sense of security , though , to assume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat .
There is much we don ’ t know about coronavirus and there is no vaccine .
There are flu vaccines available and every year American professionals advise us to get them .
There is an article in Wired that addresses the conflation of the flu and coronavirus .
For goodness ’ sake , stop .
Yes , we know the flu is bad—no one likes the flu .
But the gambit of positioning the influenza virus as the scarier of two foes is as dangerous as it is hackneyed .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit West Africa in 2014 , Americans were reassured , again and again , that “ Ebola is bad .
The flu is worse.
” It ’ s true that Ebola didn ’ t become a true threat in the United States , where two people returning from Africa with the disease died , and only two cases of new infection were recorded .
It ’ s also true that 148 children in America—and thousands of adults—would die from influenza over the following winter .
But these whatabout statistics aren ’ t really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu , or even to encourage us toward higher rates of vaccination .
They ’ re just supposed to calm us down , and make us realize that we needn ’ t go to pieces over some other , more exotic-sounding disease .
Stemming panic can be a righteous goal , especially when that panic is unfounded .
Ebola certainly hasn ’ t vanished from the Earth—a recent outbreak in Congo has infected more than 3,000 people since August .
But we now have a vaccine against the illness , and we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the meantime , panic has unintended , harmful consequences .
For example , just in the last week , we learned that the hoarding of face masks by healthy consumers might cause a dangerous shortage for the health workers who need them most .
Thousands of cruise ship passengers are being quarantined .
The Pentagon is opening up U.S. military bases to accommodate those who have been exposed and need to be quarantined from the general public .
Some airports are screening travelers .
Medical professionals seem to be prepared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is all good news .
The numbers from the SARS epidemic were scary , but the coronavirus is a threat due to the numbers of those who have been exposed .
It is an airborne disease , spread through respiratory systems .
This is why some medical supplies are now in such limited numbers .
There are shortages of masks now in some places , for example .
Wearing masks is one suggestion health officials offer to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
A norovirus is reported to have spread through a southwestern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms .
It ’ s not coronavirus but it points to the fact that this is cold and flu season .
There are a lot of bad germs out among the general public and people need to be aware of that fact .
The outbreak at the L ’ Auberge Casino in Lake Charles last weekend is a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness , which sounds like the flu .
The Department of Health ’ s regional medical director Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh warns that people are contagious when they have symptoms , and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are gone .
The best recommendations remain the same as for other viruses during the cold and flu season .
You know the drill – wash your hands , don ’ t touch your eyes and nose , cover your mouth when you cough , keep a five or six-foot distance from others if possible , use bleach-based cleaning products around the house , and most of all , go see a doctor if you have symptoms of any of these viruses .
Don ’ t panic , just stay vigilant .

The first American citizen’s death from coronavirus has been reported. The American embassy in Beijing announced Saturday that a 53-year-old man died at Jinyintian Hospital in Wuhan, the city that is the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. The global death count is now over 810, surpassing that of the SARS coronavirus, which killed 774 people over the course of nine months. The 810 deaths recorded by this outbreak of coronavirus have all been in the past month.
There is no need to sensationalize this pandemic, as it looks like the United States government and medical professionals have been able to keep the virus under control, at least so far. President Trump took immediate action when the first reports came out of China. While I don’t have a lot of trust in the transparency of the Chinese government, especially in a matter like this that affects both the Chinese population and visitors, as well as the country’s economy, the Trump administration has handled the situation as well as can be expected. There is no need to panic but we must stay informed and protect ourselves as much as we can, just as with any other highly contagious virus.
The coronavirus is still largely contained within China. What is alarming about this outbreak is how quickly this virus spreads. Also, there is no vaccine for it right now, though scientists are working on one. This virus apparently spreads from animals to humans, a trait that separates it from the flu and other highly contagious viruses. It can take up to three weeks for a person to present symptoms after being exposed.
Saturday Chinese health authorities tweaked the name of the virus – now known as “novel coronavirus pneumonia” (NCP). Chinese authorities report that 37,000 people are infected, while about 6,100 cases were considered severe. The coronavirus has spread globally. Some comparisons to the SARS outbreak are being made, mostly in the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak because like in 2002 when the focus was on SARS, Americans were concerned about the government response to its spread. If I remember correctly, America’s response to the spread of SARS was not as swift as the current American response has been. That is good news – perhaps we’ve learned from past responses and have a better playbook to work with now.
In contrast to those of us who are concerned about the spread of coronavirus in America, some are using comparisons to the flu as a way to calm the nerves of Americans. The flu kills thousands of Americans every year – from young children to elderly adults. True enough. It is a false sense of security, though, to assume this coronavirus isn’t such a threat. There is much we don’t know about coronavirus and there is no vaccine. There are flu vaccines available and every year American professionals advise us to get them. There is an article in Wired that addresses the conflation of the flu and coronavirus.
For goodness’ sake, stop. Yes, we know the flu is bad—no one likes the flu. But the gambit of positioning the influenza virus as the scarier of two foes is as dangerous as it is hackneyed. During the outbreak of deadly hemorrhagic fever that hit West Africa in 2014, Americans were reassured, again and again, that “Ebola is bad. The flu is worse.” It’s true that Ebola didn’t become a true threat in the United States, where two people returning from Africa with the disease died, and only two cases of new infection were recorded. It’s also true that 148 children in America—and thousands of adults—would die from influenza over the following winter. But these whatabout statistics aren’t really meant to sharpen our vigilance around the flu, or even to encourage us toward higher rates of vaccination. They’re just supposed to calm us down, and make us realize that we needn’t go to pieces over some other, more exotic-sounding disease. Stemming panic can be a righteous goal, especially when that panic is unfounded. Ebola certainly hasn’t vanished from the Earth—a recent outbreak in Congo has infected more than 3,000 people since August. But we now have a vaccine against the illness, and we’re better equipped to quell its spread. In the meantime, panic has unintended, harmful consequences. For example, just in the last week, we learned that the hoarding of face masks by healthy consumers might cause a dangerous shortage for the health workers who need them most.
Thousands of cruise ship passengers are being quarantined. The Pentagon is opening up U.S. military bases to accommodate those who have been exposed and need to be quarantined from the general public. Some airports are screening travelers. Medical professionals seem to be prepared to handle whatever comes their way. That is all good news. The numbers from the SARS epidemic were scary, but the coronavirus is a threat due to the numbers of those who have been exposed. It is an airborne disease, spread through respiratory systems. This is why some medical supplies are now in such limited numbers. There are shortages of masks now in some places, for example. Wearing masks is one suggestion health officials offer to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
A norovirus is reported to have spread through a southwestern Louisiana casino leaving over 200 people reporting symptoms. It’s not coronavirus but it points to the fact that this is cold and flu season. There are a lot of bad germs out among the general public and people need to be aware of that fact. The outbreak at the L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles last weekend is a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness, which sounds like the flu. The Department of Health’s regional medical director Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh warns that people are contagious when they have symptoms, and even up to three weeks after the symptoms are gone.
The best recommendations remain the same as for other viruses during the cold and flu season. You know the drill – wash your hands, don’t touch your eyes and nose, cover your mouth when you cough, keep a five or six-foot distance from others if possible, use bleach-based cleaning products around the house, and most of all, go see a doctor if you have symptoms of any of these viruses. Don’t panic, just stay vigilant.


hotair--2020-02-09--AOC: Let me shoot you some knowledge from famed economist "Milton Keenes"

A leftover from yesterday .
We all have our brain-freeze moments , and she ’ s not terribly bright to begin with , but how does an economics major cough up “ Milton Keenes ” when referring to Keynes ( pronounced “ canes ” ) ?
It ’ s like a diehard baseball fan praising legendary Yankees slugger “ Baby Roth.
” Or “ Babe Gehrig , ” maybe , since she ’ s obviously thinking of Milton Friedman too .
Whose economic theories are … not normally confused for Keynes ’ s .
Now I want a reporter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” stands for .
If she ’ s going to transform the U.S. into a command economy , she should at least have to demonstrate a third-grade grasp of left-wing macroeconomics first .
Ten questions , multiple choice to make it easy on her .
Question one : “ When economic growth is strong , deficits should _________ ” ( a ) shrink , ( b ) grow , ( c ) stay the same .
I guess the GOP wouldn ’ t answer that one correctly either .
Meanwhile in New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to handing its presidential nomination to AOC ’ s candidate of choice : A second poll of New Hampshire also has Bernie back in front of Pete Buttigieg , 24/22 , after trailing him by a point yesterday .
Both surveys find Amy Klobuchar rising on the strength of her debate performance on Friday night and Mayor Pete slipping as some moderate voters migrate from him to her .
Sanders and his socialist fans couldn ’ t have asked for a better outcome from that event , as a little Klomentum in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centrist vote in Nevada and South Carolina .
Bernie ’ s consolidating the progressives , no one ’ s consolidating the liberals — exactly the conditions he needs to sweep the early states and build up irreversible momentum .
Watching a bunch of traditional pols like Biden , Buttigieg , and Klobuchar attack each other while the nontraditional populist in the race sneaks through to victory after victory to their collective ruin feels familiar somehow .
I can ’ t quite put my finger on it .
Anyway , AOC went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic spiel here and of course had meant Keynes , attributing the mistake to a “ typo.
” How do you make a “ typo ” in a spoken statement ?

A leftover from yesterday. We all have our brain-freeze moments, and she’s not terribly bright to begin with, but how does an economics major cough up “Milton Keenes” when referring to Keynes (pronounced “canes”)?
It’s like a diehard baseball fan praising legendary Yankees slugger “Baby Roth.” Or “Babe Gehrig,” maybe, since she’s obviously thinking of Milton Friedman too. Whose economic theories are … not normally confused for Keynes’s.
Now I want a reporter to ask her what she thinks “MMT” stands for. If she’s going to transform the U.S. into a command economy, she should at least have to demonstrate a third-grade grasp of left-wing macroeconomics first. Ten questions, multiple choice to make it easy on her. Question one: “When economic growth is strong, deficits should _________” (a) shrink, (b) grow, (c) stay the same.
I guess the GOP wouldn’t answer that one correctly either.
Meanwhile in New Hampshire, the Democratic Party continues to creep closer to handing its presidential nomination to AOC’s candidate of choice:
A second poll of New Hampshire also has Bernie back in front of Pete Buttigieg, 24/22, after trailing him by a point yesterday. Both surveys find Amy Klobuchar rising on the strength of her debate performance on Friday night and Mayor Pete slipping as some moderate voters migrate from him to her. Sanders and his socialist fans couldn’t have asked for a better outcome from that event, as a little Klomentum in New Hampshire on Tuesday could splinter the centrist vote in Nevada and South Carolina. Bernie’s consolidating the progressives, no one’s consolidating the liberals — exactly the conditions he needs to sweep the early states and build up irreversible momentum.
Watching a bunch of traditional pols like Biden, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar attack each other while the nontraditional populist in the race sneaks through to victory after victory to their collective ruin feels familiar somehow. I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Anyway, AOC went on to acknowledge later that she goofed in her economic spiel here and of course had meant Keynes, attributing the mistake to a “typo.” How do you make a “typo” in a spoken statement?


hotair--2020-02-09--Virginia Democrats are very good for Virginia gun sales

On Friday , the Democrats in the Virginia legislature took the first step toward a sweeping gun ban and confiscation scheme that they plan to put into effect on July 1st .
( Just in time for the 4th of July .
How patriotic . )
The House Public Safety Committee approved a ban on AK-47s and AR-15 style rifles , as well as all suppressors and magazines holding 12 rounds or more .
There was a last-minute concession made to allow rifle owners to grandfather their weapons legally purchased before the ban goes into effect .
There is no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Everyone saw this coming once the last election ended and these moves have produced a predictable effect .
Gun sales are skyrocketing in Virginia and are anticipated to continue at a brisk pace until the ban hits .
( Free Beacon ) The number of gun sales in Virginia nearly doubled last month as the Democrat-controlled state government advanced several new gun-control bills .
There were 67,699 gun purchase-related background checks in the state during January , an 84.6 percent increase over January 2019 , according to an analysis of FBI data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a three-month upward trend , according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation ( NSSF ) .
The surge in sales has coincided with a push from a newly empowered Democratic majority to pass new gun-control laws supported by Governor Ralph Northam ( D ) .
“ It ’ s clear that Virginians are purchasing the firearms they want while they can , ” NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva told the Washington Free Beacon .
This is largely the same thing you see happening on a national level every time a Democrat wins the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or both chambers of Congress .
It ’ s often been wryly noted that Barack Obama was probably the greatest gun salesman of the 21st century .
Now Ralph Northam is vying to capture that title in his home state .
It ’ s also obvious that Northam and the Democratic legislative leaders are growing nervous about the huge rallies taking place around the state where gun rights advocates have been chanting We Will Not Comply .
If they weren ’ t , I doubt we ’ d have seen the grandfather clause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As in other states passing such laws , the nightmare scenario involves the need to send officers to the home of a gun owner who refuses to turn in their weapons and adopts more of a “ come and get ’ em ” attitude .
But if they ’ re willing to take that cautionary measure , why not grandfather the magazines and suppressors as well ?
It seems likely that the same scenario will wind up playing out in at least some locations .
Do the Democrats really think that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collect magazines and suppressors without owning something to attach them to ?
If they refuse to turn them in and law enforcement is sent to their residence , it would seem obvious that they ’ ll be met at the door by someone who also owns a functioning firearm .
It would appear that this legislative standoff is heading for an end involving at least one of a couple of scenarios .
First , supporters of the Second Amendment will stock up on rifles while they can and keep them in the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners will probably turn in their magazines and suppressors unless they find a way to store them out of state , perhaps with friends or relatives .
Why ?
Because that ’ s what law-abiding gun owners do .
They obey the law .
And they are also the least likely people to commit any gun crimes for the same reason , making bans like this one worse than useless .
The actual criminals they should be worrying about aren ’ t going to be turning anything in , nor will they be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons on the black or gray markets .
Further , as FBI data has consistently shown , criminals – gang members in particular – almost never use long rifles when committing crimes .
They ’ re too difficult to hide when making your getaway .
So the net effect of Virginia ’ s proposed gun ban on crime in that state will likely be essentially zilch .
There may be a couple of standoffs with owners of larger magazines and suppressors , but hopefully , nothing disastrous will result .
And then they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back control of the legislature and the governorship .
At that point , the bans will likely be repealed almost immediately and the situation will return to normal .
And what happens if they fail to carry the day at the ballot box ?
Well… West Virginia ’ s offer to adopt the southern and eastern counties is still on the table .
Failing that , people can just begin moving out of the state and abandon Virginia to the liberals .

On Friday, the Democrats in the Virginia legislature took the first step toward a sweeping gun ban and confiscation scheme that they plan to put into effect on July 1st. (Just in time for the 4th of July. How patriotic.) The House Public Safety Committee approved a ban on AK-47s and AR-15 style rifles, as well as all suppressors and magazines holding 12 rounds or more. There was a last-minute concession made to allow rifle owners to grandfather their weapons legally purchased before the ban goes into effect. There is no such grandfather clause for magazines or suppressors.
Everyone saw this coming once the last election ended and these moves have produced a predictable effect. Gun sales are skyrocketing in Virginia and are anticipated to continue at a brisk pace until the ban hits. (Free Beacon)
The number of gun sales in Virginia nearly doubled last month as the Democrat-controlled state government advanced several new gun-control bills. There were 67,699 gun purchase-related background checks in the state during January, an 84.6 percent increase over January 2019, according to an analysis of FBI data. The number of background checks continued a three-month upward trend, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). The surge in sales has coincided with a push from a newly empowered Democratic majority to pass new gun-control laws supported by Governor Ralph Northam (D). “It’s clear that Virginians are purchasing the firearms they want while they can,” NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva told the Washington Free Beacon.
This is largely the same thing you see happening on a national level every time a Democrat wins the White House and liberals take control of one or both chambers of Congress. It’s often been wryly noted that Barack Obama was probably the greatest gun salesman of the 21st century. Now Ralph Northam is vying to capture that title in his home state.
It’s also obvious that Northam and the Democratic legislative leaders are growing nervous about the huge rallies taking place around the state where gun rights advocates have been chanting We Will Not Comply. If they weren’t, I doubt we’d have seen the grandfather clause for rifles sneaking into the legislative package. As in other states passing such laws, the nightmare scenario involves the need to send officers to the home of a gun owner who refuses to turn in their weapons and adopts more of a “come and get ’em” attitude.
But if they’re willing to take that cautionary measure, why not grandfather the magazines and suppressors as well? It seems likely that the same scenario will wind up playing out in at least some locations. Do the Democrats really think that there are many people out there who simply collect magazines and suppressors without owning something to attach them to? If they refuse to turn them in and law enforcement is sent to their residence, it would seem obvious that they’ll be met at the door by someone who also owns a functioning firearm.
It would appear that this legislative standoff is heading for an end involving at least one of a couple of scenarios. First, supporters of the Second Amendment will stock up on rifles while they can and keep them in the family. The vast majority of lawful gun owners will probably turn in their magazines and suppressors unless they find a way to store them out of state, perhaps with friends or relatives.
Why? Because that’s what law-abiding gun owners do. They obey the law. And they are also the least likely people to commit any gun crimes for the same reason, making bans like this one worse than useless. The actual criminals they should be worrying about aren’t going to be turning anything in, nor will they be going through background checks before purchasing their weapons on the black or gray markets. Further, as FBI data has consistently shown, criminals – gang members in particular – almost never use long rifles when committing crimes. They’re too difficult to hide when making your getaway. So the net effect of Virginia’s proposed gun ban on crime in that state will likely be essentially zilch.
There may be a couple of standoffs with owners of larger magazines and suppressors, but hopefully, nothing disastrous will result. And then they will all mobilize and try to take back control of the legislature and the governorship. At that point, the bans will likely be repealed almost immediately and the situation will return to normal.
And what happens if they fail to carry the day at the ballot box? Well… West Virginia’s offer to adopt the southern and eastern counties is still on the table. Failing that, people can just begin moving out of the state and abandon Virginia to the liberals.


hotair--2020-02-09--Fonda and sidekick Joaquin Phoenix bring Fire Drill Fridays to L.A.

Making good on her promise to take her environmental activism back to Los Angeles when she closed up shop in Washington , D.C. , Jane Fonda and friends held a Fire Drill Fridays rally and march Friday .
Her friends included actor Joaquin Phoenix who is creating headlines of his own recently for his outspoken climate alarmism .
She is still wearing the red coat .
Fonda is back home in Los Angeles to film Netflix ’ s Grace and Frankie .
She was arrested a few times in Washington , though not enough arrests to garner a longer than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her filming commitments .
She had no such worry in L.A. No one was arrested when the climate change rally ended and protesters marched in downtown Los Angeles as an act of civil disobedience .
“ In the beginning when I knew that I had to stop in D.C. because of starting [ to film season 7 of ] Grace and Frankie I was depressed , but then I started to meet with the activists here in California and realized this is the place to be , ” Fonda told THR .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world and it ’ s a major oil-producing state , so what happens here can affect not just the rest of the country , but the rest of the world.
” Joaquin Phoenix served as Fonda ’ s sidekick during the rally .
He ’ s having a moment in the entertainment industry with his success in Joker so who better to help bring out the crowd and stir up some additional publicity , right ?
He ’ s a vegan and his thing is to scold everyone into changing over to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pick up a salad or maybe one of those faux burgers .
Fonda praised him for “ walking the talk ” with his award season activism .
You may remember that Joaquin was arrested just three weeks ago in D.C. during Jane Fonda ’ s rally .
Fonda hasn ’ t endorsed any of the Democrats running for president , yet , but she likes Elizabeth Warren , Tom Steyer , and Bernie Sanders for their climate change alarmism .
She ’ s coming for Governor Newsom , too , with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would bring California ’ s economy to a screeching halt , not to mention a less than comfortable quality of life for the state ’ s residents .
Among Fonda ’ s calls to action are to reduce by half fossil fuel emissions in the next 10 years and get California Governor Gavin Newsom to halt future fossil fuel projects and the creation of new wells .
Bringing the starry ground of attendees onto the stage , she added , ” this is so important when celebrities are willing to use their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis so let ’ s give them a big round of applause .
Take your pictures quick because I ’ m going to wave a wand and they ’ re going to disappear .
I ’ m so grateful to all of you , my friends , for being here , thank you so much.
” Ok , the “ starry ground ” and “ wave a wand ” talk was just weird .
Consider the source , though , because she often says nonsensical things .
Phoenix introduced a young climate activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ India , claims she has been an environmental activist longer than world-famous Greta Thunberg .
Fonda often credits Thunberg for inspiring her to become active in climate change activism .
There is some real rivalry emerging by the lesser-known girls , which now includes Nalleli Cobo , a nineteen-year-old young woman in Los Angeles .
Her appearance at Fonda ’ s rally brought about a profile piece written by the Los Angeles Times .
She ’ s been an activist since she was nine years old , apparently .
I ’ ll mention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the age of eight and the Indian girl claims she began at age 5 .
There is something really creepy about such child exploitation , but here we are .
Cobo began protesting an AllenCo Energy oil site in her neighborhood .
She blamed the oil company ’ s drilling site for the chemical smells in the air which made her sick .
Her father ’ s non-profit advocated against the company .
He allowed her to be a speaker for rallies against the oil company ’ s activities .
The company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t stop .
She even appealed to Pope Francis to make sure the company didn ’ t open the site back up .
But Cobo didn ’ t stop fighting .
At the age of 13 , she appeared on a video calling on Pope Francis to help ensure that the AllenCo site , which is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles , is permanently shuttered .
She has testified at government hearings , met Al Gore and Bernie Sanders , and co-founded a group that sued Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it of “ rubber stamping ” plans for petroleum extraction near homes and schools .
She was a poster child — literally — for the global youth climate strike last year , her face emblazoned on one of its posters .
Joaquin calls her “ our future president ” and she told the crowd she ’ ll be on the ballot in 2036 .
She fits right in with the socialists running for president now .
She , too , would like to see oil drilling as a thing of the past , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ponder how such a thing could have happened .
She also shocked the crowd when she told them that she is facing a battle with cancer now .
She didn ’ t get into specifics but she ’ ll be seeking treatment .
It was a shock to environmental activists when Cobo recently revealed that she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer .
Cobo told the crowd that it affected her reproductive system and that she wouldn ’ t be able to have children .
The teen has taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving up the dance classes she loves , unable to keep up because of exhaustion .
“ My doctors say they have no idea why I have this , ” Cobo said in an interview .
“ We may never know.
” We can wish her well as she battles a different kind of enemy .
No one deserves cancer .

Making good on her promise to take her environmental activism back to Los Angeles when she closed up shop in Washington, D.C., Jane Fonda and friends held a Fire Drill Fridays rally and march Friday. Her friends included actor Joaquin Phoenix who is creating headlines of his own recently for his outspoken climate alarmism. She is still wearing the red coat.
Fonda is back home in Los Angeles to film Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. She was arrested a few times in Washington, though not enough arrests to garner a longer than an overnight stay in jail because of her filming commitments. She had no such worry in L.A. No one was arrested when the climate change rally ended and protesters marched in downtown Los Angeles as an act of civil disobedience.
“In the beginning when I knew that I had to stop in D.C. because of starting [to film season 7 of] Grace and Frankie I was depressed, but then I started to meet with the activists here in California and realized this is the place to be,” Fonda told THR. “California is the fifth-largest economy in the world and it’s a major oil-producing state, so what happens here can affect not just the rest of the country, but the rest of the world.”
Joaquin Phoenix served as Fonda’s sidekick during the rally. He’s having a moment in the entertainment industry with his success in Joker so who better to help bring out the crowd and stir up some additional publicity, right? He’s a vegan and his thing is to scold everyone into changing over to a plant-based diet. Put down that burger and pick up a salad or maybe one of those faux burgers. Fonda praised him for “walking the talk” with his award season activism. You may remember that Joaquin was arrested just three weeks ago in D.C. during Jane Fonda’s rally.
Fonda hasn’t endorsed any of the Democrats running for president, yet, but she likes Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, and Bernie Sanders for their climate change alarmism. She’s coming for Governor Newsom, too, with a few demands. She pushes extremist ideas that would bring California’s economy to a screeching halt, not to mention a less than comfortable quality of life for the state’s residents.
Among Fonda’s calls to action are to reduce by half fossil fuel emissions in the next 10 years and get California Governor Gavin Newsom to halt future fossil fuel projects and the creation of new wells. Bringing the starry ground of attendees onto the stage, she added,”this is so important when celebrities are willing to use their platform to bring attention to the climate crisis so let’s give them a big round of applause. Take your pictures quick because I’m going to wave a wand and they’re going to disappear. I’m so grateful to all of you, my friends, for being here, thank you so much.”
Ok, the “starry ground” and “wave a wand” talk was just weird. Consider the source, though, because she often says nonsensical things.
Does it weigh on you at all? We are occupying Maverick to demand @GavinNewsom choose people over profits with no new fossil fuels!#FireDrillFriday 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QMrrt71Ps5 — Fire Drill Fridays (@FireDrillFriday) February 7, 2020
Phoenix introduced a young climate activist who, like the young girl in India, claims she has been an environmental activist longer than world-famous Greta Thunberg. Fonda often credits Thunberg for inspiring her to become active in climate change activism. There is some real rivalry emerging by the lesser-known girls, which now includes Nalleli Cobo, a nineteen-year-old young woman in Los Angeles. Her appearance at Fonda’s rally brought about a profile piece written by the Los Angeles Times. She’s been an activist since she was nine years old, apparently. I’ll mention that Greta Thunberg began her climate alarmism at the age of eight and the Indian girl claims she began at age 5. There is something really creepy about such child exploitation, but here we are.
Cobo began protesting an AllenCo Energy oil site in her neighborhood. She blamed the oil company’s drilling site for the chemical smells in the air which made her sick. Her father’s non-profit advocated against the company. He allowed her to be a speaker for rallies against the oil company’s activities. The company shut down its operation but Cobo didn’t stop. She even appealed to Pope Francis to make sure the company didn’t open the site back up.
But Cobo didn’t stop fighting. At the age of 13, she appeared on a video calling on Pope Francis to help ensure that the AllenCo site, which is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is permanently shuttered. She has testified at government hearings, met Al Gore and Bernie Sanders, and co-founded a group that sued Los Angeles over drilling in urban neighborhoods, accusing it of “rubber stamping” plans for petroleum extraction near homes and schools. She was a poster child — literally — for the global youth climate strike last year, her face emblazoned on one of its posters.
Joaquin calls her “our future president” and she told the crowd she’ll be on the ballot in 2036. She fits right in with the socialists running for president now. She, too, would like to see oil drilling as a thing of the past, something that students read about in textbooks and ponder how such a thing could have happened. She also shocked the crowd when she told them that she is facing a battle with cancer now. She didn’t get into specifics but she’ll be seeking treatment.
It was a shock to environmental activists when Cobo recently revealed that she had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. Cobo told the crowd that it affected her reproductive system and that she wouldn’t be able to have children. The teen has taken a medical leave from school and is giving up the dance classes she loves, unable to keep up because of exhaustion. “My doctors say they have no idea why I have this,” Cobo said in an interview. “We may never know.”
We can wish her well as she battles a different kind of enemy. No one deserves cancer.


hotair--2020-02-09--The Giver, not the gift: Sunday reflection

Jesus said to his disciples : “ You are the salt of the earth .
But if salt loses its taste , with what can it be seasoned ?
It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot .
You are the light of the world .
A city set on a mountain can not be hidden .
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket ; it is set on a lampstand , where it gives light to all in the house .
Just so , your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
” How do we glorify God in our lives ?
Or better yet , how should we glorify God ?
We see people using all sorts of methods to do so , from athletes on the playing field to neighbors and friends around us .
It ’ s easy to consider the former , since they ’ re much more visible about their approach .
Some football players have created a tradition of praying at the end of the game together on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with members of both teams participating .
Other athletes will start off every post-game interview by praising the Lord , sometimes for the victory or their own performance , or sometime just on their own .
The rest of us try in our own quiet way to find the right way to praise Him , depending on the circumstances .
A former pastor of ours who has moved on to bigger things has a well-earned reputation as a homilist , as well as someone with keen insight .
When people would praise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an answer that always impressed me .
Paraphrased , he would say ( and almost certainly still does ) , “ Whatever you found effective came from the Holy Spirit ; the rest came from me.
” I asked him about that once and teased him about being a bit too humble .
He was , I think , a bit surprised at that and insisted it wasn ’ t humility at all .
The gifts he had came from the Holy Spirit , and their effectiveness came from his cooperation with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Giving God the glory wasn ’ t a case of humility ; it was justice .
This was long before I began writing these Sunday reflections , but it didn ’ t take long before I understood exactly what my former pastor meant .
Often , I write these and then the substance of them goes quickly out of mind .
When I read them , I occasionally can ’ t quite recall how I made the connections within them .
When I began writing these several years ago , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use , and the process has given me answers I didn ’ t expect to get .
In our second reading today , Paul sums up this succinctly to the Corinthians .
Paul would become the greatest theologian of the early Church and was well on his way to gaining that reputation in his lifetime .
In his first letter to this community , though , Paul rejects this explicitly .
All he knows , Paul writes , is Christ , and it ’ s Christ who does the work through him : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gifts and the Spirit later in the same letter , having established here that the source of these is not “ human wisdom ” but the Lord .
“ Now there are varieties of gifts , ” Paul writes , “ but the same Spirit ; and there are varieties of service but the same Lord.
” The service comes from us but the gifts come from Him , which is why we give all glory to the Lord .
It is in this cooperation , however , that the Lord ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading today , Jesus makes this clear in his exhortation to puts His gifts to use for the salvation of others .
What good are gifts that are never opened ?
They are as useful as lamps under a bushel basket .
It is only by putting these gifts to use in the world , Jesus instructs , that anyone will be saved at all and become children of God .
That is their very purpose .
In that cooperation , however , as we align our wills to His , that works @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light must shine before others , ” Jesus says , “ that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father.
” It is that cooperation in salvation which will open the eyes of the spiritually blind , and which will reflect its glory where it justly belongs — to God , and not to us .
But as we cooperate more and more , we become closer and closer to the Trinitarian life and eventually have our share in that glory and redemption .
Therefore , let us go and glorify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gifts He has given us .
That is where our true happiness lies , at the point of greatest cooperation with the Holy Spirit .
Note : If you liked any part of this reflection , you know Whom to praise .
And if you like this note , thank my former pastor .
The front-page image is a detail from a 1684 Arabic manuscript of the Gospels , copied in Egypt by Ilyas Basim Khuri Bazzi Rahib ( likely a Coptic monk ) .
In the collection of The Walters Art Museum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commons .
“ Sunday Reflection ” is a regular feature , looking at the specific readings used in today ’ s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world .
The reflection represents only my own point of view , intended to help prepare myself for the Lord ’ s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion .
Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here .
For previous Green Room entries , click here .

This morning’s Gospel reading is Matthew 5:13–16:
Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.”
How do we glorify God in our lives? Or better yet, how should we glorify God? We see people using all sorts of methods to do so, from athletes on the playing field to neighbors and friends around us. It’s easy to consider the former, since they’re much more visible about their approach. Some football players have created a tradition of praying at the end of the game together on the field, quietly but in view, with members of both teams participating. Other athletes will start off every post-game interview by praising the Lord, sometimes for the victory or their own performance, or sometime just on their own.
The rest of us try in our own quiet way to find the right way to praise Him, depending on the circumstances. A former pastor of ours who has moved on to bigger things has a well-earned reputation as a homilist, as well as someone with keen insight. When people would praise him for either, he routinely gave an answer that always impressed me. Paraphrased, he would say (and almost certainly still does), “Whatever you found effective came from the Holy Spirit; the rest came from me.”
I asked him about that once and teased him about being a bit too humble. He was, I think, a bit surprised at that and insisted it wasn’t humility at all. The gifts he had came from the Holy Spirit, and their effectiveness came from his cooperation with the Holy Spirit in putting them to use. Giving God the glory wasn’t a case of humility; it was justice.
This was long before I began writing these Sunday reflections, but it didn’t take long before I understood exactly what my former pastor meant. Often, I write these and then the substance of them goes quickly out of mind. When I read them, I occasionally can’t quite recall how I made the connections within them. When I began writing these several years ago, it was specifically to discern on gifts and their use, and the process has given me answers I didn’t expect to get.
In our second reading today, Paul sums up this succinctly to the Corinthians. Paul would become the greatest theologian of the early Church and was well on his way to gaining that reputation in his lifetime. In his first letter to this community, though, Paul rejects this explicitly. All he knows, Paul writes, is Christ, and it’s Christ who does the work through him:
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
Paul goes on to discuss the issue of gifts and the Spirit later in the same letter, having established here that the source of these is not “human wisdom” but the Lord. “Now there are varieties of gifts,” Paul writes, “but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service but the same Lord.” The service comes from us but the gifts come from Him, which is why we give all glory to the Lord.
It is in this cooperation, however, that the Lord’s plan unfolds. In our Gospel reading today, Jesus makes this clear in his exhortation to puts His gifts to use for the salvation of others. What good are gifts that are never opened? They are as useful as lamps under a bushel basket. It is only by putting these gifts to use in the world, Jesus instructs, that anyone will be saved at all and become children of God. That is their very purpose.
In that cooperation, however, as we align our wills to His, that works becomes ours as well. “Your light must shine before others,” Jesus says, “that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father.” It is that cooperation in salvation which will open the eyes of the spiritually blind, and which will reflect its glory where it justly belongs — to God, and not to us. But as we cooperate more and more, we become closer and closer to the Trinitarian life and eventually have our share in that glory and redemption.
Therefore, let us go and glorify the Lord at all times with the gifts He has given us. That is where our true happiness lies, at the point of greatest cooperation with the Holy Spirit.
Note: If you liked any part of this reflection, you know Whom to praise. And if you like this note, thank my former pastor.
The front-page image is a detail from a 1684 Arabic manuscript of the Gospels, copied in Egypt by Ilyas Basim Khuri Bazzi Rahib (likely a Coptic monk). In the collection of The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Md. Via Wikimedia Commons.
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here. For previous Green Room entries, click here.


hotair--2020-02-09--Now we're creating cyborg jellyfish. Should we be?

Here ’ s a brief diversion from politics that offers us a chance to explore just how fast science is advancing and whether there are moral questions underlying efforts to tinker with the fundamentals of life .
This particular story is either a phenomenal advancement in biomechanical technology or evidence that Mary Shelley ’ s Frankenstein was actually a documentary .
Out at Stanford University , engineers have created a cyborg jellyfish that ’ s alive but contains mechanical sensors and other technology .
They plan to use it as a “ low power robot ” to explore the deep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ San Francisco ) Researchers at Stanford University have found new ways to explore the world ’ s oceans with a cyborg creation that seems straight out of science fiction .
After nearly six years of research , Stanford scientists say they have been able to turn the common jellyfish into a bionic creature that is part animal and part machine .
Bio-engineering scientist Nicole Xu is one of two scientists working on this project .
“ I create bionic jellyfish by integrating microelectronics into these animals , which are moon jellyfish , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that moon jellyfish are incredibly energy efficient creatures .
So if we incorporate them with a robotic system , then we can take advantage of these natural animals to create a low-power robot.
” Xu explains that the implanted devices deliver a shock to the jellyfish , causing it to swim three times faster than normal .
But she assures us that jellyfish don ’ t have nervous systems or pain receptors , so the creature isn ’ t in pain .
First question… how do we know that ?
Some scientists have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But a jellyfish – an animal – can ’ t ?
Let ’ s hope not because it sounds like it ’ s already been through a lot of surgery .
So what ’ s the end game here ?
I mean , why are you turning sea creatures into robots ?
Xu says that they hope to be able to “ steer ” the jellyfish better in the future and attach sensors to them so they can explore the deep oceans .
But if you can do it to a jellyfish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to other creatures ?
Or… people ?
This seems every bit as ethically dodgy as testing makeup by putting it into rabbits ’ eyes and blinding them .
( And we ’ ve banned that in most places . )
I mean , it ’ s bad enough that we ’ re already building robot dogs with artificial intelligence that are probably going to rise up and overthrow humanity at some point .
But at least those are just machines .
This is… something else .
Turning animals into cyborgs is undoubtedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers , but doesn ’ t it just sound creepy ?
The problem is , the more I sit and consider it , I ’ m not sure what the ethical implications are unless they start messing around with primates or human beings in a similar fashion .
We do arguably worse things to animals all the time in the course of animal husbandry .
But this cyborg business just summons up images of Robocop .
And you know how that played out .

Here’s a brief diversion from politics that offers us a chance to explore just how fast science is advancing and whether there are moral questions underlying efforts to tinker with the fundamentals of life. This particular story is either a phenomenal advancement in biomechanical technology or evidence that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was actually a documentary. Out at Stanford University, engineers have created a cyborg jellyfish that’s alive but contains mechanical sensors and other technology. They plan to use it as a “low power robot” to explore the deep parts of the ocean. (CBS San Francisco)
Researchers at Stanford University have found new ways to explore the world’s oceans with a cyborg creation that seems straight out of science fiction. After nearly six years of research, Stanford scientists say they have been able to turn the common jellyfish into a bionic creature that is part animal and part machine. Bio-engineering scientist Nicole Xu is one of two scientists working on this project. “I create bionic jellyfish by integrating microelectronics into these animals, which are moon jellyfish,” explained Xu. “The idea is that moon jellyfish are incredibly energy efficient creatures. So if we incorporate them with a robotic system, then we can take advantage of these natural animals to create a low-power robot.”
Xu explains that the implanted devices deliver a shock to the jellyfish, causing it to swim three times faster than normal. But she assures us that jellyfish don’t have nervous systems or pain receptors, so the creature isn’t in pain. First question… how do we know that? Some scientists have previously concluded that plants can feel pain. But a jellyfish – an animal – can’t? Let’s hope not because it sounds like it’s already been through a lot of surgery.
So what’s the end game here? I mean, why are you turning sea creatures into robots? Xu says that they hope to be able to “steer” the jellyfish better in the future and attach sensors to them so they can explore the deep oceans. But if you can do it to a jellyfish, does that mean you can do it to other creatures? Or… people?
This seems every bit as ethically dodgy as testing makeup by putting it into rabbits’ eyes and blinding them. (And we’ve banned that in most places.) I mean, it’s bad enough that we’re already building robot dogs with artificial intelligence that are probably going to rise up and overthrow humanity at some point. But at least those are just machines.
This is… something else. Turning animals into cyborgs is undoubtedly an exciting new scientific frontier for these researchers, but doesn’t it just sound creepy? The problem is, the more I sit and consider it, I’m not sure what the ethical implications are unless they start messing around with primates or human beings in a similar fashion. We do arguably worse things to animals all the time in the course of animal husbandry. But this cyborg business just summons up images of Robocop. And you know how that played out.


hotair--2020-02-09--Maryland governor knocked for pointing out that "squeegee kids" are a problem

It appears that one of the most popular governors in America has gotten himself in trouble with Baltimore Democrats for… stating the obvious .
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan recently weighed in on the seemingly intractable problem that Baltimore has with the so-called “ squeegee kids ” who hang around near stoplights and harass drivers to give them money if they wipe down their windshields .
Hogan noted that this organized extortion effort is probably having a negative impact on tourism in the city .
This resulted in claims of everything from insensitivity to racism by the Democratic leadership in Charm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders are responding after comments by Maryland Gov .
Larry Hogan suggested that squeegee kids are hurting the city ’ s tourism .
Nearly 300 complaints about squeegee kids have been phoned into Baltimore police already this year , but Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said very few reported incidents of squeegeeing are violent .
“ The complaints that come in , that ’ s actually a very small number , ” Harrison said .
As to the Police Commissioner ’ s comments , I would hardly call three hundred complaints in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Remember… that ’ s only the people who bothered to call in .
Imagine how many considered it but didn ’ t bother because they knew the city was unlikely to do anything about it .
As far as the Governor ’ s comments go , that ’ s some pretty mild criticism , all things considered .
It should be obvious that an inability to drive through various parts of the city without being harassed , threatened or assaulted is going to lessen the attractiveness of Baltimore as a vacation destination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates that make it a more dangerous place to walk around than Kabul . )
But what we ’ re really talking about here isn ’ t a question of tourist dollars .
It ’ s a crime problem .
Granted , it ’ s one of the lower-level crimes , but these types of criminal activity set the stage for more serious crimes later .
These “ squeegee kids ” ( many of whom are not kids at all ) aren ’ t providing any sort of service to the public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll probably either do it before you leave the house or take care of it at a gas station .
You don ’ t need to pay some stranger to do it in the middle of an intersection .
2020 has already seen too many incidents of violence from these hooligans .
There have already been reports of one man being punched in the face when he refused these “ services ” and another woman had an unknown chemical sprayed in her face .
Others have reported damage to their vehicles .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the extortion taking place right out in the open on Baltimore ’ s streets .
The police have already been tasked with handing out flyers about other job opportunities and keeping an eye out for the most violent offenders .
But there are only so many cops available and they have plenty of other crimes to keep them occupied .
The reason the squeegee kid problem isn ’ t going away is that they know that they ’ re not going to face any serious consequences .
Baltimore ’ s elected officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the safety of their constituents .
And they aren ’ t going to get serious about something like this while they still have a raging murder and gang violence epidemic on their hands .

It appears that one of the most popular governors in America has gotten himself in trouble with Baltimore Democrats for… stating the obvious. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan recently weighed in on the seemingly intractable problem that Baltimore has with the so-called “squeegee kids” who hang around near stoplights and harass drivers to give them money if they wipe down their windshields. Hogan noted that this organized extortion effort is probably having a negative impact on tourism in the city. This resulted in claims of everything from insensitivity to racism by the Democratic leadership in Charm City. (CBS Baltimore)
Baltimore leaders are responding after comments by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan suggested that squeegee kids are hurting the city’s tourism. Nearly 300 complaints about squeegee kids have been phoned into Baltimore police already this year, but Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said very few reported incidents of squeegeeing are violent. “The complaints that come in, that’s actually a very small number,” Harrison said.
As to the Police Commissioner’s comments, I would hardly call three hundred complaints in a single month a “very small number.” Remember… that’s only the people who bothered to call in. Imagine how many considered it but didn’t bother because they knew the city was unlikely to do anything about it.
As far as the Governor’s comments go, that’s some pretty mild criticism, all things considered. It should be obvious that an inability to drive through various parts of the city without being harassed, threatened or assaulted is going to lessen the attractiveness of Baltimore as a vacation destination. (Not to mention the murder rates that make it a more dangerous place to walk around than Kabul.)
But what we’re really talking about here isn’t a question of tourist dollars. It’s a crime problem. Granted, it’s one of the lower-level crimes, but these types of criminal activity set the stage for more serious crimes later. These “squeegee kids” (many of whom are not kids at all) aren’t providing any sort of service to the public. If your windshield needs cleaning, you’ll probably either do it before you leave the house or take care of it at a gas station. You don’t need to pay some stranger to do it in the middle of an intersection.
2020 has already seen too many incidents of violence from these hooligans. There have already been reports of one man being punched in the face when he refused these “services” and another woman had an unknown chemical sprayed in her face. Others have reported damage to their vehicles. All because they wouldn’t submit to the extortion taking place right out in the open on Baltimore’s streets.
The police have already been tasked with handing out flyers about other job opportunities and keeping an eye out for the most violent offenders. But there are only so many cops available and they have plenty of other crimes to keep them occupied. The reason the squeegee kid problem isn’t going away is that they know that they’re not going to face any serious consequences. Baltimore’s elected officials have long prioritized “social justice” over the safety of their constituents. And they aren’t going to get serious about something like this while they still have a raging murder and gang violence epidemic on their hands.


hotair--2020-02-09--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

It ’ s my honor and privilege to welcome you to the first morning of Sunday shows in the post-impeachment era .
No Adam Schiff today !
Say those words again : No Adam Schiff today .
They ’ re almost musical .
The bad news is that it ’ s wall-to-wall 2020 Democrats instead , led by the new frontrunner in New Hampshire , “ Creepy Pete ” Buttigieg .
He ’ ll be on four of the five Sunday shows , all but “ This Week , ” hoping to parlay the momentum he ’ s built in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win this Tuesday night .
From the beginning Buttigieg ’ s strategy has been media-intensive , knowing that was the only way he could build name recognition on par with the likes of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren was to be all over television at every possible moment .
It paid off last week .
He ’ s all-in on it this morning .
But he ’ s not the candidate to watch .
That distinction goes to Joe Biden , a man who ’ s been conspicuously absent during the campaign not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ television interviews generally .
Right , true , he doesn ’ t need to do them ; he ’ s one of the most well-known politicians in America thanks to his time as VP .
But given his often shaky performance at the debates , the suspicion that he ’ s been holding back because he doesn ’ t feel up to the challenge is inescapable .
If he had won Iowa or finished a strong second I doubt we ’ d be seeing him this morning .
As it is , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finish in New Hampshire , he no longer has the luxury of ducking TV .
He ’ ll be on “ This Week ” to explain what went wrong with his campaign and how a guy who may not have enough money to even visit all of the Super Tuesday states next month can possibly compete long-term with Bernie Sanders , Mike Bloomberg , and a surprisingly strong Mayor Pete .
Bernie and Elizabeth Warren will also put in some face time today , with Sanders set to chat with “ Meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” and “ State of the Union ” and Warren scheduled to follow Biden on “ This Week.
” But if none of that grabs you , two guests presiding over major disasters are booked this morning as a change of pace : The Chinese ambassador to the United States will speak to “ Face the Nation ” about the growing coronavirus epidemic in his country while DNC chair Tom Perez discusses the rolling clusterfark in Iowa with “ State of the Union.
” Can Perez contain the virus of humiliating incompetence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too ?
Stay tuned .
The full line-up is at the AP .
In case you were hoping to catch Warren ’ s interview this morning and can ’ t for whatever reason , no worries .
We already know what she ’ ll say , as the clip below demonstrates .
People like to say that Buttigieg is robotic , but errrr…

It’s my honor and privilege to welcome you to the first morning of Sunday shows in the post-impeachment era. No Adam Schiff today!
Say those words again: No Adam Schiff today. They’re almost musical.
The bad news is that it’s wall-to-wall 2020 Democrats instead, led by the new frontrunner in New Hampshire, “Creepy Pete” Buttigieg. He’ll be on four of the five Sunday shows, all but “This Week,” hoping to parlay the momentum he’s built in NH polling since Iowa into an upset win this Tuesday night. From the beginning Buttigieg’s strategy has been media-intensive, knowing that was the only way he could build name recognition on par with the likes of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren was to be all over television at every possible moment. It paid off last week. He’s all-in on it this morning.
But he’s not the candidate to watch. That distinction goes to Joe Biden, a man who’s been conspicuously absent during the campaign not just from the Sunday shows but from television interviews generally. Right, true, he doesn’t need to do them; he’s one of the most well-known politicians in America thanks to his time as VP. But given his often shaky performance at the debates, the suspicion that he’s been holding back because he doesn’t feel up to the challenge is inescapable. If he had won Iowa or finished a strong second I doubt we’d be seeing him this morning. As it is, having finished fourth and staring at another fourth-place finish in New Hampshire, he no longer has the luxury of ducking TV. He’ll be on “This Week” to explain what went wrong with his campaign and how a guy who may not have enough money to even visit all of the Super Tuesday states next month can possibly compete long-term with Bernie Sanders, Mike Bloomberg, and a surprisingly strong Mayor Pete.
Bernie and Elizabeth Warren will also put in some face time today, with Sanders set to chat with “Meet the Press,” “Face the Nation,” and “State of the Union” and Warren scheduled to follow Biden on “This Week.” But if none of that grabs you, two guests presiding over major disasters are booked this morning as a change of pace: The Chinese ambassador to the United States will speak to “Face the Nation” about the growing coronavirus epidemic in his country while DNC chair Tom Perez discusses the rolling clusterfark in Iowa with “State of the Union.” Can Perez contain the virus of humiliating incompetence before it infects Nevada’s caucus too? Stay tuned.
The full line-up is at the AP. In case you were hoping to catch Warren’s interview this morning and can’t for whatever reason, no worries. We already know what she’ll say, as the clip below demonstrates. People like to say that Buttigieg is robotic, but errrr…


hotair--2020-02-08--An academic's proposal for ending climate change: Human extinction

I came across this on Twitter today and at first suspected it was satire but so far as I can tell it ’ s not .
An Australian academic named Patricia MacCormack has a new book out titled , “ The Ahuman Manifesto : Activism for the End of the Anthropocene.
” The idea is that the earth would be better off without us and , therefore , it ’ s time to start an activism whose goal is our own extinction .
“ The basic premise of the book is that we ’ re in the age of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one of them is creating this hierarchal world where white , male , heterosexual and able-bodied people are succeeding , and people of different races , genders , sexualities and those with disabilities are struggling to get that.
” “ This is where the idea of dismantling identity politics comes in – they deserve rights not because of what they are , but because they are .
“ The book also argues that we need to dismantle religion , and other overriding powers like the church of capitalism or the cult of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon enforced rules rather than respond thoughtfully to the situations in front of them.
” The central argument in The Ahuman Manifesto can be boiled down to this : mankind is already enslaved to the point of “ zombiedom ” by capitalism , and because of the damage this has caused , phasing out reproduction is the only way to repair the damage done to the world .
Here ’ s a further description of the book : We are in the midst of a growing ecological crisis .
Developing technologies and cultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human ” into question .
It is against this context that Patricia McCormack delivers her expert justification for the “ ahuman ” .
An alternative to “ posthuman ” thought , the term paves the way for thinking that doesn ’ t dissolve into nihilism and despair , but actively embraces issues like human extinction , vegan abolition , atheist occultism , death studies , a refusal of identity politics , deep ecology , and the apocalypse as an optimistic beginning .
Some of this seems familiar .
AOC has discussed whether it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children in light of climate change and her view of capitalism probably isn ’ t all that different from MacCormack ’ s .
But I do find it interesting that MacCormack seems interested in doing away with identity politics .
From what I can tell , she sees this kind of hierarchy as inherently destructive because hierarchies of humans also extend to other living things .
Her goal seems to be to flatten those hierarchies among humans and then between humans and animals .
That ’ s pretty extreme , obviously , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do wonder what kind of mischief adherents to this new view of humanity might get up to at some point .
The combination of human extinction as an end goal and a push toward real-world activism seems like a potentially combustible mix when it trickles down from academia to the streets .
We saw some pretty extreme behavior ( blocking traffic and climbing on top of commuter trains ) from the “ Extinction Rebellion ” crowd last fall .
But MacCormack apparently sees the group as too tame because their activism is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people while she wants to save the planet from people .
MacCormack told Cambridge News , “ Everyone ’ s okay with the ideas in the book until they ’ re told they ’ d have to act on it .
There is a lot of agreement that these changes might work for the world , but when it imposes on people , it becomes proactive.
” I ’ d call that a hint , but what do I know .
MacCormack seems like a bit of a character .
Her previous work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and occultism and she dresses like someone who ’ d fit in at a Cure concert more than an academic .
To each his own .
As I said , I find it interesting in small doses , but fringe academic ideas have a long history of spreading and having an impact on culture at large .
Part of me does worry about what becomes of ideas like this if they start to catch on .

I came across this on Twitter today and at first suspected it was satire but so far as I can tell it’s not. An Australian academic named Patricia MacCormack has a new book out titled, “The Ahuman Manifesto: Activism for the End of the Anthropocene.” The idea is that the earth would be better off without us and, therefore, it’s time to start an activism whose goal is our own extinction.
“The basic premise of the book is that we’re in the age of the Anthropocene, humanity has caused mass problems and one of them is creating this hierarchal world where white, male, heterosexual and able-bodied people are succeeding, and people of different races, genders, sexualities and those with disabilities are struggling to get that.” “This is where the idea of dismantling identity politics comes in – they deserve rights not because of what they are, but because they are. “The book also argues that we need to dismantle religion, and other overriding powers like the church of capitalism or the cult of self, as it makes people act upon enforced rules rather than respond thoughtfully to the situations in front of them.” The central argument in The Ahuman Manifesto can be boiled down to this: mankind is already enslaved to the point of “zombiedom” by capitalism, and because of the damage this has caused, phasing out reproduction is the only way to repair the damage done to the world.
Here’s a further description of the book:
We are in the midst of a growing ecological crisis. Developing technologies and cultural interventions are throwing the status of “human” into question. It is against this context that Patricia McCormack delivers her expert justification for the “ahuman”. An alternative to “posthuman” thought, the term paves the way for thinking that doesn’t dissolve into nihilism and despair, but actively embraces issues like human extinction, vegan abolition, atheist occultism, death studies, a refusal of identity politics, deep ecology, and the apocalypse as an optimistic beginning.
Some of this seems familiar. AOC has discussed whether it’s best that people stop having children in light of climate change and her view of capitalism probably isn’t all that different from MacCormack’s. But I do find it interesting that MacCormack seems interested in doing away with identity politics. From what I can tell, she sees this kind of hierarchy as inherently destructive because hierarchies of humans also extend to other living things. Her goal seems to be to flatten those hierarchies among humans and then between humans and animals.
That’s pretty extreme, obviously, but extreme is interesting in small doses. I do wonder what kind of mischief adherents to this new view of humanity might get up to at some point. The combination of human extinction as an end goal and a push toward real-world activism seems like a potentially combustible mix when it trickles down from academia to the streets.
We saw some pretty extreme behavior (blocking traffic and climbing on top of commuter trains) from the “Extinction Rebellion” crowd last fall. But MacCormack apparently sees the group as too tame because their activism is basically focused on saving the plant for people while she wants to save the planet from people. MacCormack told Cambridge News, “Everyone’s okay with the ideas in the book until they’re told they’d have to act on it. There is a lot of agreement that these changes might work for the world, but when it imposes on people, it becomes proactive.” I’d call that a hint, but what do I know.
MacCormack seems like a bit of a character. Her previous work has to do with sex, cinema, and occultism and she dresses like someone who’d fit in at a Cure concert more than an academic. To each his own. As I said, I find it interesting in small doses, but fringe academic ideas have a long history of spreading and having an impact on culture at large. Part of me does worry about what becomes of ideas like this if they start to catch on.