Saturday, October 31, 2020

Kamala Accused of Pushing Leninism in New Video

 

Just hours remaining before Americans head to the polls, vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris tweeted a video appearing to promote equality of result over equality of opportunity.  

The video depicts two people, one white and one black, beginning to climb a hill. While the white character starts his climb from the ground, the black character starts his climb from underneath the ground. According to critical race theory, society is controlled by white supremacists and black people face systemic challenges due to their skin color. 

"So there's a big difference between equality and equity," Harris lectures. "Equality suggests, 'Oh, everyone should get the same amount.' The problem with that, not everybody's starting out from the same place. So if we're all getting the same amount but you started out back there and I started out over here, we could get the same amount but you're still going to be that far back behind me. It's about giving people the resources and the support they need so that everyone can be on equal footing and then compete on equal footing."

Harris then argues that equitable treatment on the other hand would guarantee results and not just opportunity. 

"Equitable treatment means we all end up at the same place," Harris concludes, as the video shows the two characters standing on the hill together. 

It's not enough that everyone in America is guaranteed their God-given rights. What Harris is advocating for is the redistribution of wealth so that everyone gets the same tiny scrap of the pie. Capitalists like Trump bake and grow the pie. All people like Harris know how to do is cut the pie into thinner and thinner slices and complain when it's gone. 

No wonder Harris has the most far-left voting record in the U.S. Senate. She makes Bernie look like a moderate. And Kamala refers to the prospect of a Biden presidency as a "Harris administration."

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Top 10 Synthwave Albums Of All Time

 

“AKUMA II” (2019) by Tokyo Rose & ALEX


Tokyo Rose and ALEX are quite an impressive team. Having worked together on multiple projects (outside of their solo outings), including two full albums, the pair has more than once proven themselves to be two of the most accomplished artists in the Synthwave universe. That said, out of their entire body of work to date, it is their second team-up album “AKUMA II” (the follow-up to 2017’s “AKUMA”) that solidified them as all-time greats.

From its very first single “Affliction”, released with a stunning animated music video, “AKUMA II” immediately let people know that it was raising the bar to new heights, and fans were in total shock. The Darksynth album is strong, sinister and as bad-ass as you could expect a Tokyo Rose & ALEX album to be, and their impeccable production work made it one of the few Synthwave albums to ever chart on Billboard. “AKUMA II” is an absolute banger, and that undoubtedly deserves its place in the Synthwave hall of fame.

9 “Galactic Melt” (2011) by Com Truise


American producer Seth Haley (A.K.A Com Truise) is a true legend of Synthwave, and some would even argue that he is one of the essential pioneers of the genre’s current incarnation. He has been around for the better part of a decade now, but nothing has proven his ultimate OG status more than his groundbreaking 2011 debut album “Galactic Melt”.

The soft, dreamy and groovy style of this album is, in the eyes of many, a masterpiece that could entirely be credited for the rise of the popular sub-genre known as Chillwave. Com Truise delivered a unique album composed of incredibly clever and complex melodies, genius sound design, and an overall vibe that was unheard of at the time. His following albums have all been successes of their own, but nothing can beat the raw mastery of “Galactic Melt”.


8 “Night Drive” (2018) by Timecop1983


Any Synthwave enthusiast, old or new, has heard the name Timecop1983 before. And if they haven’t, they have at least heard his music before, without being aware that it was him. After all, the Dutch producer has given us some of the genre’s biggest go-to hits of ever made, most of which are tracks from his 2018 album “Night Drive”.

And it’s not like “Night Drive” was a breakout hit for Timecop1983 — he was already one of the biggest stars amongst the community, but it was definitely the album that made people understand that no one was going to take his throne anytime soon. His talent and his mind-blowing ability to capture the atmosphere and aesthetic of the 80’s through his incredible productions is unparalleled, and he definitely brings the “retro” in the term Retro Wave.

7 “Sleepwalking” (2018) by NINA


Nina Boldt, better known as NINA (or the Mother of Synthians), is definitely one of the top muses of the Synthwave world. A powerful presence with a vibrant creativity, she is not afraid to change things up, and she has done an amazing job at developing a sound with a very strong identity, which she showed off in quite an efficient way in “Sleepwalking”, her 2018 fan favorite debut.

The German singer-songwriter shocked everyone with a genuinely brilliant first album, full of now iconic hits like “Beyond Memory”, or the title track “Sleepwalking”, which was praised for its amazing vocal work and breathtaking music video. The neat production style found in “Sleepwalking” has definitely become a bit of a signature for NINA, and her music has largely proven to be some of the greatest and most beloved Synthwave out there.


6 “Neon West” (2019) by Wayfloe


As far as Synthwave goes, it is safe to affirm that Wayfloe, the mysterious duo from Canada, is slowly turning into royalty. Their unique artistic universe has a highly unpredictable nature, and a sound beyond anything the genre has ever known. In a few words, Wayfloe have developed their own style, and their debut album “Neon West” is an artistic triumph that nobody saw coming. From its very first notes, the album immediately confirmed the duo’s status in the community.

Wayfloe are one of the few entities that are versatile enough to incorporate a variety of music genres in their Synthwave based sounds. Whether it’s Hip-Hop, Rock, Electro or Pop, their ability to add their own spin on any genre is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. They are not afraid to experiment, and they make every single song something truly special. MixMag reported in 2020 that their second album (titled “Celestials”) is officially on the way, and needless to say, we are waiting for it with impatience.[1]

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5 “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” (2011) by M83


Anthony Gonzalez, more commonly known as M83, is a true prodigy that has been around for quite a while. He has a style that differs from any other artist in the Synthwave world, and it has proven so successful that he was able to branch out into massive projects. Between making the official soundtrack of the 2013 Tom Cruise film “Oblivion”, and composing an entire score for the Cirque Du Soleil’s 2017 show “Volta”, it seems like there is nothing M83 cannot do. And his 2011 album “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” is probably the biggest example of Anthony’s endless imagination.

This album is a work of wonder that took the entire world by storm, mainly thanks to his timeless classic “Midnight City”, which has since become the single most famous Synthpop song of all time. The highly cinematic aspect of his music is what makes it stand out, as M83 manages to seamlessly blend a colossal variety of genres to create something that feels out of this world. “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” is not only one of the best Synthwave albums ever made. It is easily one of its most unique.


4 “Love Is Dead” (2018) by CHVRCHES


The endeering sub-genre known as Synthpop has had quite the reinvention in the past decade. And no one in this current era has mastered the “retro yet modern” art of Synthpop better than UK-based band CHVRCHES. Lauren Mayberry and her band mates have had such a monumental impact on the genre in the last few years, they have become the face of Synthpop in the eyes of the world. And it is all thanks to their third album “Love Is Dead”.

This fun, energetic and quirky album has met a level of success that has yet to be equaled in the Synthwave world. With some of its songs having been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify alone, “Love Is Dead” is actually the genre’s biggest album ever made in terms of pure numbers. It is a true work of art that will go down in History as a pillar of modern Synthpop.

3 “Endless Summer” (2016) by The Midnight


The Midnight is probably the most well-known Synthwave entity when it comes to mainstream audiences. The American/Danish duo has become king of the genre over the years, and few Synthwave artists have as much recognition as them. Many of their songs are undeniable classics, and a majority of them are from their 2016 album “Endless Summer”.

A highly respected body of work, “Endless Summer” is an essential of Synthwave culture that redefined the genre’s standards in terms of style and quality. With songs like “Sunset” and “The Comeback Kid”, the album is a real love letter to the 80’s and its very particular aesthetic. The Midnight is one of the few Synthwave entities to have charted on Billboard, and “Endless Summer” definitely paved the way for more artists to do so.


2 “Tron: Legacy” (2010) by Daft Punk


Synthwave is a music genre that is very cinematic by nature, so it is no surprise that one of the greatest Synthwave albums ever made is an actual movie soundtrack. It is also no surprise that Daft Punk is behind yet another one of the greatest albums of all time. Go figure.

Disney’s “Tron: Legacy”, the sequel to the 1982 cult classic “Tron”, was released in theaters in December 2010, along with its unbelievable soundtrack from the robots of Paris. The instrumental album is a cinematic and groovy trip in the futuristic world of Tron, and it greatly contributed to the popularization of the Synthwave genre with general audiences, especially with the now legendary banger “Derezzed”.

Disney has recently announced that a new Tron, film starring Jared Leto, is in development at Disney, and while there has been no official announcement about Daft Punk’s possible return for a brand new soundtrack, our fingers remain crossed, and fans are hopeful. After all, the Tron franchise has become synonymous with Daft Punk, and it is all thanks to the timeless piece of art they have given us with the “Tron: Legacy” soundtrack.[2]

1 “OutRun” (2013) by Kavinsky


To be perfectly clear, no list addressing the best of the best in the Synthwave genre would ever be complete without Kavinsky making an appearance. He is the definitive god of Synthwave, and the vast majority of artists that are redefining the genre today were inspired by his work. And if you ever need an explanation as of why… the answer is “OutRun”.

A powerful and inventive body of work, “OutRun” is a masterpiece in every imaginable way. Every single song in the album is considered to be a classic of the genre, with the legendary “Nightcall” being widely regarded as the single greatest Synthwave track of all time. And if you have seen the 2011 movie “Drive” (starring Ryan Gosling), it is not difficult to see why.

To this day, “OutRun” is Kavinsky’s latest outing. But it seems like there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel, as the French producer officially confirmed via Instagram in 2020 that a new album is on the way, and that we should expect it this year. This return will mark the end of a 7 year long hiatus that has definitely left fans hungry for more music.[3]

Top 10 Really Good Things About 2020

Let’s face it: 2020 has been to years what “Cats” was to cinema: a costly, painful, interminably long disaster. And at least Cats featured the reassuring presence of Dame Judy Dench, albeit as a ridiculous, disturbing half-feline version of herself.

But before burying 2020 alongside Cats in history’s letterbox, there are some bright spots to acknowledge amidst a mostly dark year. Here are ten positives to salvage from a year that can’t end quickly enough.

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10 Pet Adoptions Have Increased Dramatically


COVID-19 hasn’t affected all species the same. For prospective pets, more housebound homo sapiens means more homes for in-need animals, particularly dogs and cats. The result is good news whose benefactors will long outlive the pandemic; in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the aptly-named Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary has seen a 30% increase[1] in adoptions since the inception of coronavirus-caused lockdowns.

Similar success stories have played out throughout Europe and the UK and, in Australia, many shelters have been completely emptied,[2] creating months-long adoption waiting lists. While certainly inconvenient for home-confined humans seeking a new four-legged family member, this is great news for cats and dogs finding good homes at unprecedented rates.

Dogs and cats are in such demand that even “imported” pets are being placed expediently. For example, The Sato Project,[3] which rescues strays from Puerto Rico’s notorious Dead Dog Beach, has upped the freight and frequency of its Freedom Flights to the US mainland, where dogs find their forever families. “Sato” is Spanish slang for “street dog” – and the shortage is great news for the hundreds of thousands of homeless dogs roaming the humid, tick-infested Caribbean island.

The pet industry also has surged, an economic bright spot during what for many sectors has been an incredibly tough year. Companies that supply pet products are seeing soaring sales for food, leashes, collars and – a nod to new puppy housebreaking – doggy diapers.[4]

9 Wild Animals are Faring as Well as Domesticated Ones


The next time 2020 gets you down, remember one thing: Wild humpback whales are gleefully singing off the coast of Alaska.

Each summer, coastal Alaska is visited by well over a million tourists, who whale watch and glacier gaze from countless cruise ships – which, for the record, were floating petri dishes[5] well before COVID-19. The annual inundation nearly triples the state’s population of about 750,000. Once the pandemic hit, that number effectively dropped to zero,[6] and scores of musically gifted humpbacks have written feel-good summer hits about their newfound peace.

“It’s the first time in human history that we’ve had the technological ability to listen to these whales in a meaningful way without us interfering,” said Dr Michelle Fournet, director of the Sound Science Research Collective.

Back on terra firma, many species are enjoying some long-limited elbow room. Just weeks into widespread lockdowns, sika deer began roaming outside their normal habitat in Nara, Japan, and wild turkeys started congregating in a park in Oakland, California. Jackals in Tel Aviv, goats in Istanbul, and even a land-lubbin’ sea lion[7] near Buenos Aires have all reveled in our retreat from the landscape.


8 Eloping is Making a Comeback


One of 2020’s crowning achievements has been the drastic, rapid decrease in conventional weddings. If there was one large gathering mainstay that seriously needed a disruptive force, it was weddings; it took the worst of circumstances to spare us all from the Best Man and Maid of Honor drunkenly bombing as you stare awkwardly from a table where you neither know anyone nor care to.

Many, if not most, people hate weddings,[8] viewing nuptial invitations as embroidered harbingers of obligatory check-writing and boredom. Hell, even the bride and groom hate what the wedding does to them leading up to the big day, as a sacred event that should be about love is soured into an expensive, obsessive, neurotic chore.[9]

2020 has given us the best excuse ever to (1) not plan large weddings and (2) not attend them. Just check the box on the RSVP marked “Sorry, I do not wish to die alone on a ventilator during your honeymoon.” Safety first has put long-overdone mass matrimonial gatherings last – a refreshing reprioritizing.

A recent Wall Street Journal[10] article discusses another COVID-related issue that trends toward eloping: what for many self-important engaged couples is some much-needed perspective. A couple featured in the piece canceled their 150-person ceremony to instead marry with no one other than their dog in attendance; before friends and family via FaceTime, they even served as their own officiants. “Amid a global pandemic,” said the bride, “a lavish wedding really just didn’t feel important anymore.” Best. Wedding speech. Ever.

7 . . . And Divorces Are Rising, Too


From March through June 2020, the number of people seeking divorces was 34 percent higher[11] compared to 2019. At first glance this is bad news, since ending a marriage is nobody’s idea of fun.

As with nearly everything in 2020, a driving force is COVID-19. With couples cooped up for extended periods of time, some are realizing that the person they married isn’t worth waiting for death to part ways with. Experts contend the combination of stress, unemployment, financial strain, illness and homeschooling children have placed significant strain on relationships

However, COVID isn’t really the cause of divorce but rather a catalyst. Putting two people who don’t really belong together in close quarters forces them to show each other their true colors. Without offices, friends and other buffers, mismatched marriages are revealed for what they are: pairings of two people better off alone.

Hardships bring two people truly meant to be together closer, not further apart. Most of the couples calling it COVID quits are only accelerating separation rather than having it foist upon them – and in that context, it’s better for people to recognize their failed marriage now than a decade from now, or perhaps never.

But what about the children? A prominent legal templates company[12] found that, since the pandemic’s inception, 45% of divorcing couples had children under the age of 18. But per Wendy Paris, author of “Splitopia,” staying together “for the kids”[13] can be worse than divorcing despite them.


6 Mother Nature is Getting a Much-needed Respite


Mother Nature had been dropping hints lately that something wasn’t quite right with our relationship. She tried increasing the frequency and severity of hurricanes[14] in the Western Hemisphere and, in the Far East, choking off Beijing’s residents for days at a time with putrid air conditions. Then she thought burning a significant portion of California to the ground might work. Yet, we persisted.

Finally, a winning strategy for Mother Nature: if mankind can’t be trusted to roam the Earth responsibly, maybe humans should just go to their rooms. Our air travel, traffic jams and industrial waste have been confiscated and placed in Mrs. Nature’s desk; if we’re good, maybe we can have them back at the end of the school year.

With humans tucked away, Mother Nature has shown an incredible ability to bounce back[15] from all the shit we pull under business-as-usual conditions. With social, economic, industrial and urbanization activity significantly diminished, the planet has maximized its long overdue time off with prodigious improvements to air quality, cleaner rivers and less noise pollution.

The uptick in air quality is arguably the biggest boon: the World Health Organization – trusted by every civilized nation save the United States – estimates that about three million people die each year[16] from air pollution-related ailments, with 80% of urban area residents regularly exposed to unsafe breathing conditions. Both Mother Nature and its inhabitants literally needed a breather, and 2020 has provided that.

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5 Real Estate Prices are Soaring


… and unlike the mid-2000s housing bubble[17] – which took the global economy with it when it burst – this time the spike in home prices is built on the sound economic science of supply and demand rather than suckers being hoodwinked with loans they can’t repay.

The recent, stabler uptick in home prices is a result of (what else?) COVID-19. Well-to-do residents in affluent yet at-risk cities are fleeing to the suburbs amidst a protracted pandemic where elbow room has become a lifesaver rather than a mere luxury. The result is a boom in satellite neighborhoods like New Jersey and California’s greater Bay Area. In East Orange, NJ – a town bordering Newark with a 20% poverty rate and violent crime 35% above the national average – a home listed at $285,000 had 24 offers[18] and sold for well north of $300,000.

Denver, Chicago, Houston – all seeing significant bumps in mortgage applications[19] for suburban homes, leaving many longstanding, struggling middle-class families literally sitting in equity they didn’t have prior to 2020. The trend is just as prevalent in major metro areas outside the US, including London, Paris[20] and Tokyo.

For once, a housing bubble has a Robin Hood-esque wrinkle to it: the less affluent are profiting from largely wealthy buyers happy to pay a premium to escape crowded, potentially contagious cities. And one of the good news items that’s making it possible is this list’s next entry.


4 We’ve Proven Working From Home Works


Any office worker with a hellish commute – which, leading into 2020, described an ever-increasing number of us[21] – has begrudgingly grumbled to themselves some version of “couldn’t I do this sh*t from home?” For many, a commute’s as-the-crow-flies length was absurdly irrelevant to the hassle and time needed to traverse it. In northern New Jersey, for example, despite clusters of towns within 15 miles of New York City, the commute to Manhattan’s business districts often takes well over an hour; each month, that means an extra workweek’s worth of time – some 40 hours – trekking to and from the office.

Why couldn’t we work from home? Mostly because managers didn’t trust employees not to slack off. But with the advent of COVID-19, working from home went from a seldom-permitted luxury to an all-permeating safety necessity. Seemingly overnight, the vast majority of those capable of making a living from our laptops were doing just that.

Despite fears that conventional commuters would go from working hard to hardly working, this grand workforce experiment has been largely successful. In fact, businesses have seen unexpected benefits[22] of work-from-home arrangements, including higher meeting participation and improved managerial attentiveness.

Even before COVID, research showed that remote workers are often more productive than their commuting counterparts. Among other reasons, the time work-from-home employees are spared from cars, buses and subways is parlayed into more labor: one study reported that the extra time at-home employees put in amounts to, on average, an extra 1.4 workdays per month.[23]

3 We’re Reading More Books


It took long-term, wide-scale lockdowns to get us there, but 2020 has seen a healthy surge in book reading. For those unfamiliar, books are like the Internet but printed out, placed on paper and bound together. Pages are typically numbered for your convenience – no scrolling or clicking required.

A survey of 1,000 Brits found that time spent reading books has nearly doubled,[24] with 41% reporting reading more and only 10% less. On average, their weekly reading expanded from 3½ hours per week to about six.

More than half of respondents reported reading more because they had more spare time, with 35% citing books as providing “an escape from the crisis.” Aligning with this sentiment is a shift in genre preference, with crime novels and thrillers outpacing dystopian fiction and pandemic-centric nonfiction.

Even early in lockdowns, it was clear book sales were surging. MarketWatch reported upticks in everything from outdoor survival skills tomes to literary classics like “The Great Gatsby”.[25] Kids are getting in on the act as well. In addition to an expected increase in academic workbooks and at-home teaching aids, juvenile fiction saw an incredible 65% spike from late February through mid-April, roughly the first six weeks of lockdown.


2 2020 Has Prioritized Facts Over Feelings


Many a snowflake has melted in 2020. And it was about time.

In a world run amok with safe spaces and participation trophies, 2020 has offered neither, with a generous serving of mankind’s marquee motivator – self-preservation – on the side. “These unprecedented times” have forced us to stop placating people’s feelings to spite our own well-being.

On an everyday basis (at least an everyday 2020 basis), that thought process goes something like this: “I’ve spent months holed up in my home, carefully protecting my own health and that of my loved ones. I’m not letting this moron ruin five months of prudence with five seconds of irresponsibility.”

In less than a year, COVID-19 has killed more than one million people.[26] It is absolutely mind-boggling that some people still won’t wear masks or maintain social distance. It’s as if these people have been living on Mars since… oh, about December 2019 or so, and reentered Earth’s atmosphere shortly before coughing in someone’s face.

What this has done is force an overly coddled Western Civilization to cut the polite PC horseshit. Before 2020, people had become waaaaaaay too comfortable foisting their uber-niche needs onto mainstream society. 2020 has replaced pusillanimous trigger warnings on everything from historical monuments[27] to literary classics[28] with real-life issues actually worthy of triggering us – walking, wheezing disease vectors who believe, against all evidence, that the next pair of lungs hooked up to a hospital ventilator couldn’t possibly be theirs.

1 Medical Science Is Meeting the Moment


The fastest a vaccine has been developed for a major disease is four years, when an inoculation against mumps[29] became available. Though 2020 seems… like… it’s taking… FOREVER, the world is witnessing what will rank among the greatest feats in medical history: a vaccine for a lethal, globally pervasive disease in under half that time.

Granted, a vaccine certainly isn’t weeks away, nor are we “rounding the corner”[30] (unless there’s a cemetery around the block); on October 23, the US recorded 85,000 new COVID cases – its highest single-day total yet. But epidemiology is a painstaking process that takes not only drug development but controlled patient studies, manufacturing expedience and logistical nimbleness.

Considering this, it’s amazing how close we are. Several pharmaceutical companies are in Phase Three – the final phase comprising large-scale, placebo-comparative testing – of their clinical studies, and are actually manufacturing the drugs should they gain approval. The prospective vaccine from Johnson & Johnson,[31] which is resuming Phase Three after an adverse side effect couldn’t be linked to the drug, shows particular promise, as it can be administered in a single dose and, logistically, doesn’t need to be ultra-cold throughout the supply chain.

Meanwhile, the industry is ready to hit the ground running once major government health organizations approve a vaccine. Pharma companies worldwide have reconfigured equipment and invested in infrastructure to produce, inspect and ship the billions of necessary doses to get planet Earth back to some semblance of normal. For as much harm as they’ve caused – we’re looking at you, opioid crisis instigator Purdue Pharma[32] – 2020 has seen big pharma act competently, responsibly and even altruistically.

 

Top 10 Mystery Novels That Deserve A Movie Adaptation

 

As far as fiction goes, books have always been a great way for people to experience a solid mystery plot. In fact, most of the best mystery movies and series were either adapted from a book or inspired by one. With the genre making a vivid comeback in the last few years, a good number of amazing books have become top contenders for future adaptations. From psychological thrillers and supernatural tropes, to the more traditional “who-done-it” murder mystery, let’s take a look at 10 dark and twisted mystery novels that would make fantastic movies:

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10 Greywalker (2006)


Harper Blaine is a private investigator as ordinary as can be in the foggy and rainy streets of Seattle. But, when one of her cases goes wrong and she is savagely attacked by a maniac she was tracking down for a client, Harper is pronounced dead. For two minutes. As she tries to go back to her life after waking up and leaving the hospital, she notices that things are not the same. She sees things and hears things she is not supposed to see and hear, and when mysterious people begin following her, she knows it can’t all be a coincidence. Harper is now a Greywalker, a rare being capable of jumping between our world…and the other one.

This 2006 underrated and bizarre Kat Richardson novel is the first of a long series, and it has garnered a bit of a cult following over the years. The clever use of the noir detective genre mixed with a paranormal element creates a neat style full of action, and lead by an insanely charismatic, leather-jacket-wearing protagonist who tries to navigate her new reality as things get more dangerous. The format of the novels and the series as a whole would be perfect for a TV adaptation, in which every book would work as a season. Netflix, get on it.

9 Dear Daughter (2014)


This brilliant award winning thriller tells the story of Jane Jenkins, a former Paris Hilton like high-society IT girl, who is being released from prison 10 years after being convicted for the murder of her own mother. Having escaped a life sentence on a technicality, Jane decides to take matters into her own hands and solve her mother’s murder to prove her innocence. Her only clue being a private conversation she overheard on the night of the murder, she makes her way to a small town in South Dakota where many secrets from her past seem to have been hidden. As things unravel, she begins to question wether she actually is the killer she is trying so hard to catch.

Pitched as “Gone Girl” meets “Mean Girls”, this 2014 novel by Elizabeth Little is one of the most effective thrillers in recent memory. The plot is rather unique, following Jane as she tries to investigate this case while the whole world believes she got away with the murder she is trying to solve. Following her as she attempts to keep her fragile undercover persona to avoid the public eye would make for quite the anxiety-inducing film.


8 The Mystery Of The Yellow Room (1907)


When Mathilde Stangerson is found almost dead, alone and battered in her room (which is yellow, get it?), reporter Joseph Rouletabille is sent to investigate the violent assault. As he makes his way to the Stangersons’ castle, along with his lawyer and friend Jean Sainclair, Joseph quickly understands that this strange case will not be an easy one to solve. Because one thing doesn’t quite make sense: how did the attacker come in and out of a room that was locked from the inside?

“The Mystery Of The Yellow Room” is a classic of French literature. Written by legendary author Gaston Leroux, the 1907 novel has been adapted before, mainly as a French comedy back in 2003. That said, an updated, darker and grittier reimagining has long been talked about. A modern adaptation of the novel could make for an entertaining flick, as the sinister intrigue works in any setting and time period. Fingers crossed!

7 Now You See Me (2011)


No, it’s not what you think. “Now You See Me” is the story of London detective Lacey Flint, who finds herself with a strange case when a Jack The Ripper copycat begins to kill and send letters to the media to taunt the police. While it all seems very superficial at first, the investigation takes a real turn when the killer calls out Lacey by name. And the further down the rabbit hole this case goes, the more Lacey realizes the killer may be linked to a certain part of her past she worked very hard to keep secret. With five days left until the next murder, and accompanied by a DI who grows increasingly suspicious of her, Lacey knows she needs to find the killer herself, and before anyone else.

This award winning masterpiece of suspense, courtesy of British author Sharon Bolton, marked the beginning of a critically acclaimed series of novels. Since its release in, fans have been begging for a movie adaptation of the novel, which could eventually be turned into a full franchise. With its fast paced storytelling, captivating intrigue, and its set of well written character, “Now You See Me” is a story that would only be made better by a movie adaptation.


6 The Good Son (2018)


Since he was a young child, Yu-Jin has always had problems with his memory, but it never stopped him from living a perfectly normal life with his mother and his loving brother. But when, one morning, he wakes up to a voicemail from his mother asking if everything is okay at home, and realizes he is covered in blood and unable to remember the previous night, Yu-Jin’s life takes a turn he cannot come back from. Especially because, minutes later, he finds his mother’s dead body at the bottom of the stairs.

As far as psychological thrillers go, Korean author You-Jeong Jeong is a true master of the craft, and “The Good Son” is yet another proof of that. The unusual storytelling in this book is on a whole other level, and a movie following that structure would be unique, to say the least. And believe us when we tell you that you will never, ever see that final twist coming.

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5 The Last Widow (2019)


A scientist from the CDC is suddenly kidnapped by a mysterious group of people in a parking lot in Atlanta. Thirty days later, two massive explosions destroy an entire neighborhood in the city. As they make their way to the scene, GBI investigators Will Trent and Sara Linton are caught off guard by a violent car accident, and Sara is kidnapped by the same people who took the scientist. Will is left for dead at the crash site. Coincidences? Hardly. Everything is connected, and before they can even make any sense of it all, Will and Sara find themselves at the center of a disturbing conspiracy that could bring death to thousands.

This bone-chilling 2019 Karin Slaughter novel is unbelievably dark and twisted, and has the guts to go to places you wouldn’t expect. Following Will as he goes undercover in a world of corruption, terrorism and cults is a ride like no other. The book is raw, action-packed and thrilling all the way through, which could make for a highly entertaining movie in the vain of True Detective or Seven. Rumors have circulated about a The Last Widow adaptation being in the works, but as of right now, nothing has been officially announced or confirmed.


4 The Passenger (1995)


Etienne, a 28 year old college professor from Montreal, just got an exciting new job teaching a class in a nearby town. During one of his daily drives to work, he decides to take a hitchhiker named Alex in his car, to have some company. Alex appears to be friendly and ordinary at first, but things take a turn when he suddenly begins to lay out details of Etienne’s life, talking as if they have known each other for years. And when a series of murders starts happening way too close to them, Etienne is forced to accept that this seemingly random encounter with Alex was anything but a coincidence.

Patrick Sénécal is often referred to as Canada’s Stephen King, and this novel is one of the best examples of how true that is. The twists and turns that occur as the story and the truth behind Etienne and Alex’s relationship unravel are both disturbing and incredibly clever. A few French outlets reported that a movie adaptation of The Passenger was in the works a few years ago, with shooting slated to start in 2018, but no news ever came from it since, meaning the movie probably got stuck in development hell. Let’s hope it escapes its faith and finally comes to us on the big screen.

3 My Lovely Wife (2019)


Millicent and her husband have it all. A good marriage, a beautiful house in the suburbs, and two magnificent children. On the surface, nothing could be more perfect. But upholding a marriage is difficult, and some couples often decide to take on activities together to spice up their relationship and keep things fresh. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Wrong. You see, Millicent just so happens to be a cold blooded sociopath, and her marriage-saving hobby just so happens to be the art of getting away with murder.

Few words can describe how twisted and macabre this book is. From the very start, the petrifying nature of the story grasps you, as you discover the most intriguing serial killer in fiction since Dexter and Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal. Lucky for us, a movie adaptation of “My Lovely Wife” is already a done deal — Deadline reported in February 2020 that Amazon Studios and Nicole Kidman’s company Blossom Films have partnered up to acquire the rights to Samantha Downing’s international bestseller. And while we don’t know if Kidman herself will portray the terrifying Millicent, we can still dream about it while we wait.


2 The Family Upstairs (2019)


On her long awaited 25th birthday, Libby discovers that she will inherit a giant mansion that belonged to her birth-parents before she was adopted. Confused, but excited, she brings a reporter along on her quest to uncover the enigmatic history of her family and the dark secrets of this mansion, which has been vacant for 24 years. But their investigation quickly takes a turn for the worst: it seems like Libby was not the only one excited about her 25th birthday, and it seems like a certain group of people has been waiting for her to arrive.

Lisa Jewells delivered a seriously complex and uncommon narrative with “The Family Upstairs”, one that could possibly go to great lengths on television. The book is grounded in a dark and disturbing sense of realism, which makes everything feel even creepier when the secrets of the story are revealed, but it also thrives in the format of dual timelines, which allows us to see both the past and the present while the plot unravels.

1 The Silent Patient (2019)


Alicia Berenson, a famous painter from London, has the ideal life. A kind and generous soul, she is madly in love with her husband, she lives in her dream house, she has everything she could have possibly asked for. Everything is perfect, everyone is happy. But then, one night, Alicia’s husband comes home after a long day at work…and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, before falling silent and never speaking another word to anybody ever again.

Theo Farber, a London criminal psychotherapist, becomes obsessed with Alicia’s case, and makes his way to the Grove, a psychiatric institute where Alicia has been for six years, during which she has not spoken a single word. As he takes her as his patient and tries to uncover her motives for murdering her husband, Theo begins a twisted search for the truth that will take him down a dark path. A path that may or may not be driven by his own agenda.

Alex Michaelides’ debut novel was widely praised by critics for its inventive narrative style (inspired by Agatha Christie), its dark tone and, most of all, its incredibly clever final twist that had people talking for months after the book’s release in 2019. Reminiscent of “Gone Girl”, the gritty atmosphere of this New York Times bestseller is perfectly suited for a movie adaptation, and we hope it happens sooner than later.

15 Greatest Halloween Party Songs

 

In just a few days it will be Halloween! The night of trick or treating, costumes, candy, and all things spooky. In celebration I have put together a list of the 10 songs that absolutely must feature at your halloween party – or, failing that, songs you must load onto your iPod to help you get in the mood. I have tried very hard to provide you with the most diverse and interesting set of songs possible – so while you may not see all of your favorites, you should see at least one or two new ones to add to your collection. Be sure to tell us your own favorites in the comments.
15
Bark at the Moon
Ozzy Osbourne

A list like this would not be complete without the awesomeness which is Ozzy Osbourne! This track is from the Bark at the Moon Album recorded in 1983. Ozzy is, of course, most famous for being the lead singer of Black Sabbath and it would be seriously wrong not to include him on this list.

Buy the Album at Amazon

14
Devil Went Down To Georgia
Charlie Daniels Band

We have two firsts on this list – things I never thought I would see! One is Marilyn Manson, and the other is country music! It isn’t my personal favorite, but this song definitely rates as a classic Halloween party song perfect to get people moving about and dancing. It contains brilliant violin playing by Charlie Daniels and even the most anti-country music people should enjoy it.

Buy the Album at Amazon

13
The Raven
The Alan Parsons Project

Granted it isn’t the most horrifying song, but it is a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe and provides a nice alternative to some of the heavier music on this list. This is probably the best song to play as your party is nearing an end – when people are either too drunk to care what you play, or sober enough to appreciate the lyrics which are taken directly from the Poe poem of the same title.

Buy the Album at Amazon

12
I’m Your Boogie Man
White Zombie

I have to be honest and admit that I had never heard this song before I started researching this list – but it is definitely going to rank high for those of our readers planning a more hardcore party than the others. Also, for those of you who are planning to spread humbug this Halloween, you can play this at a very loud volume and you will frighten all the kids and parents who are trick or treating – save on candy costs!

Buy the Album at Amazon

11
Bad Moon Rising
Creedence Clearwater Revival

This is a great hit from the ’60s which went to number one in the UK. While it is not a particularly scary track, it is, for many people listening, likely to bring back many memories of Halloween parties of the past. This is one of my favorite songs on the list.

Buy the Album at Amazon

10
Ghostbusters Theme

This song is a lighthearted song – most appropriate for the early stages of your Halloween party. This (and item 3 on the list) is perfect for playing as your guests are arriving and having their first drinks. It is also perfect for a kids Halloween party. And if you want some entertainment for the night, why not watch the film – you can buy it here.

Buy the Album at Amazon

9
The Addams Family Theme

The Addams Family was a 1964 hit series based on cartoons by Charles Addams. The theme will be familiar to most people either through the original series of the much more recently made movie. This is a great quirky hit for your party – a definite must-play.

Buy the Album at Amazon


8
Welcome to my Nightmare
Alice Cooper

This song is from the album of the same name by Alice Cooper. It is a concept album in which each track progressively details the passage of a nightmare. This is the opening track and what could be more perfect for a loud Halloween Party.

Buy the Album at Amazon

7
This Is Halloween
Marilyn Manson

Rather than use the original soundtrack version of the song, I have chosen to use the Marilyn Manson version because I like it much more and think it has a better Halloween “feel” about it. I also love the Panic at the Disco version, but there is no doubt that the Manson version is the spookiest. The song is, of course, the title track of the brilliant Tim Burton film “The Nightmare before Christmas” which you can buy here.

Buy the Album at Amazon


6
O Fortuna
Carl Orff

Everyone knows this song – it has been used in hundreds of horror movies. While the song sounds very eerie, the translation of the Latin original is not quite so spooky – it actually means “O Fortune, you wax and wane like the moon”. Hardly frightening stuff, but most people don’t know what it means and it will chill everyone that hears it to the bone! A definite must-have for Halloween. Oh – and it is from the cantata called Carmina Burana. I have picked an excellent version of it for you to buy:

Buy the Album at Amazon

5
Tubular Bells

Anyone who has seen the Exorcist will appreciate the eeriness of this soundtrack. It plays at the start of the film as the main actress walks home from a day filming. The scene is full of moody shots of Washington in fall with children trick or treating. It lulls you in to a false sense of security before all hell breaks loose (literally) in the form of possessed girl Regan. This song will always be my favorite Halloween theme. Oh – and if you don’t already have a copy of the movie, you can get it here


4
Werewolves of London
Warren Zevon

This excellent track by Warren Zevon features drumming by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. It will be familiar to most people through its constant (over-)use in movies. Everyone will expect to hear this song at a party – don’t disappoint them.

3
Monster Mash
Bobby Picket

If there is any one song on this list that people will be expecting to see – it is this. Monster Mash is a hilarious and fun song from 1962 sung by Bobby “Boris” Pickett. In a bizarre and rather lame attempt at a comeback, Picket released a spin-off of the song in 2005 called “Climate Mash”, a version with re-written lyrics about global warming and new vocals which was released on the Internet by the organization Clear the Air. Forget clearing the air for now – fill it with spooky mist and party


2
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
J S Bach

Of this most famous piece of classical music, Wikipedia says: The Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565, is a piece of organ music commonly attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, composed sometime between 1703 and 1707. It is one of the most famous works in the organ repertoire, and has been used in a variety of popular media ranging from film, to video games, to rock music, to cellphone ringtones and used for the autumn holiday Halloween. I doubt a single person here will not know it. Props to Bach for writing music so cool that even non-

1
Thriller

Michael Jackson had to be number one. This track was damned scary when it came out, and it is still damned scary (though perhaps for different reasons now). I am sure that no one will dispute this item’s placement as number one greatest halloween party song. Allow me to finish with a little inappropriate humor: do you know why Michael Jackson loves Halloween? Free delivery right to his door.

10 Ways to Make Money with a Truck

 

1. Construction Work

If you’re looking for ways to make money with your pickup truck, construction work may be the first idea that comes to mind—and for good reason. Trucks are made for hauling heavy loads, and you have just the vehicle to do the job with ease. Look for job listings online or advertise your own services to get started.

2. Moving Service

Many people don’t want to fork out the cash to hire a professional moving service, and you can use this to your advantage. An at-home moving service is one of the best jobs you can do with a pickup truck. Make it work around your existing job by only working only as much as you’re able, whether that’s one Saturday a month or several days a week.

3. Deliver Items

Delivery services are becoming more popular than ever, and a truck is the perfect vehicle for the job. You’ll be able to carry more than the average Joe, saving you time and making you more money per hour. Consider delivering food, furniture and appliances, or packages. You can also make a quick buck by delivering garage sale items.

4. Hauling

When other cars let you down, a truck will be there to haul the heaviest, widest loads. As with delivery services, many people are paying for other people to haul items they can’t handle with their own vehicle. Hauling stuff for money is one of the easiest ways to make money from your truck without much of a time investment.

Mattress Return Hauling

If you’re looking to get the best bang for your buck out of a hauling job, mattress return hauling may be right for you. Sign up with a mattress return service and find jobs in your area, on your own time. Simply pick up the mattress and take it to the designated destination to earn quick cash.

5. Snow Plowing

You probably bought your truck in part because of its versatility and durability. But did you know you can turn your truck into a snowplow? If you live in a region that gets a lot of snow, this can be an excellent way to make money during the winter months.

6. Towing Services

Sometimes people decide to rent a boat or trailer for the day, but don’t have a truck to tow it to their destination. This is where you come in. Join a towing service or start your own business towing boats, trailers, and cars for those who don’t have the right vehicle to do the job.

7. Advertise on Your Truck

There’s no easier way to make money than by using your truck as an advertisement. Find a product you’d like to promote, then inquire about putting an ad on your vehicle. Many companies will pay a decent weekly or monthly rate just for you to drive around with their logo.

8. Make Money Driving People

Still looking for more ideas on how to make extra money with a truck? Well, a valid driver’s license and good driving history are about all you need to start making money by driving people. Sign up with a service like Uber or Lyft and start rolling in the extra cash in your downtime.

9. Landscaping Services

With your trusty pickup to carry all of your gear, it’s easy to start offering landscaping services to make extra money. Invest in a good lawnmower, rake, and shovel, and you’re all set.

10. Rent out Your Truck

In the era of crowdsourcing, it’s no surprise that you can now rent out your vehicle for a day or two by registering with an easy-to-use app. Find an app that’s popular in your area and then follow the quick signup process to start making money when your truck would otherwise be sitting idle in the driveway. You can also rent out your truck for parades and other special events.

Monday, October 26, 2020

No, PS4 Pro graphics aren’t as revolutionary as SD-to-HD shift

 In introducing the PS4 Pro yesterday, Sony compared the addition of 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) to the jump from standard definition to high definition that took place in consoles a decade ago. After seeing the Pro demonstrated in person after Sony's announcement event last night, however, I can't say the jump in graphical fidelity is really comparable to that SD-to-HD leap.

At its base, the PS4 Pro is just a more graphically powerful version of the standard PS4. The new unit's AMD GPU is capable of 4.2 teraflops, Sony says, compared to 1.84 teraflops on the standard model. That would seem to put the Pro somewhere between AMD's recently launched Radeon RX 470 and 480 PC graphics cards in terms of raw graphical processing power (though differences in PC and console architecture make that something of an apples-to-oranges comparison). The PS4 Pro also sports unspecified improvements to the CPU clockspeed and memory bandwidth over the standard model.

To be clear, there's no single set of standard improvements that you'll always see in a PS4 game running in "Pro mode." Developers have a lot of freedom in how they take advantage of the improved hardware specs to alter the look of their games. As long as Pro Mode looks better than standard mode (while not running at a worse frame rate), it's fine by Sony.

Sometimes, the decision on graphical improvements can be passed on to the players themselves. In Crystal Dynamics' Rise of the Tomb Raider, for instance, PS4 Pro players will reportedly be able to choose between three different graphical modes: one with a higher display resolution, one with a higher frame rate, and one with more detailed visuals at standard 1080p and 30fps (enhanced lighting, shadow, reflections, etc).

Other developers are putting the graphical focus where they think it's most needed. Infamous First Light, for instance, gets a huge boost from the addition of HDR color. After decades spent in the basic RGB color space, HDR makes the game look somewhat hyper-real, with neon-colored particle lighting effects that seem to jump off the screen. The bright orange hair on the protagonist in Horizon: Zero Dawn looked similarly brilliant in HDR.

If you have a 4K monitor or TV, these gameplay snippets give you some idea of what PS Pro's 4K games look like.

Shadow of Mordor, on the other hand, isn't even bothering to use the PS4 Pro to increase the color depth of its scenes (which are full of muted browns and grays, anyway). Instead, the game prioritizes more detailed character models for its crowd scenes and sharper resolutions to enhance close-ups. Without a direct side-by-side comparison, though, it was hard to say that the difference was immediately noticeable. The same can be said for Rise of the Tomb Raider, which was only showing its high-resolution mode at the event.

For all you pixel-counters out there, note that the games Sony showed yesterday don't seem to be rendered in "native" 4K. While the Pro system is capable of outputting full-resolution 4K images and games, it's not really powerful enough to do so while rendering the kinds of realistic 3D worlds with the level of detail we've come to expect from big-budget games.

While some retro-styled 2D or low-polygon 3D games might be able to produce a full 3840 x 2160 frame buffer at least 30 times a second, most games will run internally at a lower resolution. Sony says that the Pro will make use of an internal rendering pipeline and techniques that help fill in those missing pixels on the display. Insomniac CTO Al Hastings said the difference between "native" 4K and the PS4 Pro's output should be "nearly indistinguishable."

The big brother of the PS4 family.
Enlarge / The big brother of the PS4 family.

Full 4K or not, the added resolution certainly helps at the margins. Naughty Dog was showing off Pro-patched versions of The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, both of which were panning between Pro and standard graphics for the demo event. When the scene wiped to Pro mode, you could see less jaggedness on the stray edges of Drake's hair and more detail on some incidental leaves hanging off a distant boulder. These changes were easy to pick out when standing just a few feet away from a 75 inch display, though at longer distances with smaller displays, I'm not sure the resolution improvement will be as useful.

The changes in color depth ended up being much more impactful. Sand on Uncharted's beaches looked extra shimmery and fine-grained in Pro mode, for instance, and the clouds in The Last of Us went from being washed-out white blobs to fluffy masses with depth and shadow. The standard version looked downright dull in comparison—duller than I remember when playing on a standard PS4 months ago, in fact.

Even without a 4K TV, developers insist that the Pro can enhance the graphical experience of PS4 games. In Insomniac's upcoming Spiderman game, Hastings said that standard HDTV owners will see more "temporal stability" (read: steadier frame rates) and less aliasing and noise on the edges of objects, thanks to the supersampling enabled by the extra hardware horsepower.

That supersampling ends up being important in virtual reality, too. Sony was showing off a new, Pro-powered version of Farpoint, a virtual reality shooter we last saw running on a standard PS4 at E3. The PS4 Pro obviously can't add pixels to the PSVR's 1080p displays. What it can do, though, is allow the game to be rendered internally at twice the resolution as on a standard PS4, according to developer Impulse Gear. Even when that extra resolution is sampled down to fit on a lower-res VR display, the result is a much cleaner and more convincing 3D scene, with smoother lines and less overall blurriness.

All told, it's hard to judge the full impact of the PS4 Pro's power in the carefully controlled environment of the PlayStation Theater's demo space. So far, though, the bump in graphical fidelity seems less like the era-defining console leap of the first HD consoles and more like the kind of marginal improvement you would expect from a console that has to share compatibility with the three-year-old standard PS4. It's too early to tell if that graphical bump is worth the extra money (especially when the HDR improvements will also be available to standard PS4 owners), but right now, we're a little skeptical.

Democrats Are Fighting for Their Lives. Republicans Need to Fight Back.

 With Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the verge of confirmation, Democrats are showing utter disdain for their constitutional duties and the American people.

While the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously recommended Barrett for a full Senate vote, anti-Trump Democrats boycotted in protest, taking their #Resistance to a whole new level. This is unprecedented: Despite finding no legitimate flaws in Barrett's nomination (because there are none), the Left decided to grandstand anyway, sending a clear message that bipartisanship is dead. Today's Democrats want Americans to know that they are not interested in sharing power, just consolidating it.

The Left’s strategy is two-fold, the first one being more obvious than the second. The lead strategy is for Democrats to press healthcare reform—read: health insurance—as the key message heading into Election Day. Republicans, the Democrats argue, don’t care about the sick and they’re actively working to strip Americans of the health insurance secured under Obamacare. During their recent boycott, Democrats placed large posters of insured Americans on Obamacare, framing them as victims under attack.

The Left’s ultimate goal is to frame all non-Democrats as heartless and hostile to Americans, who need health insurance to survive and thrive—particularly in the age of COVID-19. The mainstream media peddled Democratic talking points that Republicans are so heartless and hostile, in fact, as to secretly appoint and approve a judge whose sole purpose is to kill fellow Americans—particularly Black ones—by striking down the Affordable Care Act. In the words of Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI): “People are going to be without health care in the middle of a pandemic, no less.”

Of course, Barrett believes in health insurance just like any American. As the mother of seven children, she is obviously compassionate. She is obviously not waging a war against the sick or Black Americans.

The Left’s duplicitous strategy is to box Barrett in by either putting her in a position to prove them wrong when she is confirmed or guilting her into making liberal decisions when that day comes. If Barrett were to rule against Obamacare, Democrats would immediately come out and say “we told you so,” accusing Barrett of viciously attacking health insurance—and, by extension, putting American lives at risk. In the Left’s worldview, ideology is more important to Republicans than people.

This fallacy will then prompt Democrats to pack the court—or, at least, go down swinging. Joe Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), essentially suggested as much by urging Barrett to recuse herself from Obamacare-related cases. Guilt into submission.

When the Left fights dirty, Republicans must commit to fighting back with the same energy. There are millions of Obamacare victims, and Republicans should promote examples of these horror stories to circulate the pictures of their pain far and wide. Millions of Americans lost their health insurance because of President Obama’s partisan push for socialized medicine. Millions more detest the law. Their stories need to be heard, and Republicans must share them with the masses. This falls on President Trump, Senate Republicans, and all Obamacare critics.

As President Trump often says, the Republican Party must learn to “get tougher and fight.” Republicans cannot allow Democrats to paint them as heartless and hostile to American lives, when it’s so clearly not true. As parents and as children, we should find it disrespectful for the Left to turn politics into a showdown between good and evil.

The Supreme Court fight is just the latest example. By promoting their people—the many millions who oppose Obamacare—Republicans will be able to protect Barrett from the Left’s attacks, but they will also set themselves up for electoral success in 2020 and beyond.

If and when the Republicans retain control of the Senate, they must ignore all precedent and  mercilessly snuff out the Democrats’ hope. The Republican Party should never surrender.

The age of compromise is over—the war is here.

Saturday, October 24, 2020

Biden and the Lying Press

 

If we had an honest press, Joe Biden wouldn’t be running for president. Biden’s mental deterioration or apparent status as some Ukrainian/Russian/Chinese mafioso would have long ago torpedoed his career. 

But it is what it is. Today’s press is not the unbiased watchdog that our founders granted constitutional protection. Today’s press is nothing more than a biased, butt-kissing left-wing self-licking ice cream cone. 

Today’s media are Stalinist to the core. They are prejudicial liars who promote poisonous propaganda to manipulate public opinion. 

And during the 2020 Election, rather than covering a story about Biden family corruption, media scum-suckers are running cover for “the big guy.”

During an interview earlier this year with Breitbart News, Government Accountability Institute President Peter Schweizer said the Biden family made themselves wealthy from Ukraine and China using Joe Biden’s influential role as vice president. Mainstream media remained silent, almost indignant at the suggestion.

Thanks to recent bombshell reporting by the New York Post, Hunter Biden emails surfaced, corroborating  Schweizer’s story, which the FBI is now investigating (but don’t hold your breath). Predictably, media bottom-feeders continue to look the other way.

True to form, CNN's Jake Tapper claimed the allegations are “too disgusting to repeat” on his network. Likewise, during an interview with Trump, CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl torpedoed Trump’s claims about the scandal. NPR hasn’t covered it because “We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions.” On the Today show, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell suggested it was part of a Russian disinformation campaign to influence the election. As of this writing, ABC News ignored the story completely. 

Additionally, and to no surprise, Twitter and Facebook suppressed it too. Does anyone doubt if Donald Trump used Eric Trump to curry favor with Moscow and funnel cash to the Trump Organization, the media would lose their collective minds? 

During the final presidential debate, moderator Kristen Welker really had no choice but to ask Biden about the scandal. Welker asked Biden if his son’s foreign business ties were “inappropriate” or “unethical,” and pretty much left it at that. In sharp contrast, Welker repeatedly interrupted Trump, many times on Biden’s behalf—and cut off Trump when he started talking about the Joe Biden family foreign pay-for-play scandal. Welker failed to challenge Biden’s litany of lies and ignored important facts Trump brought up like the infamous immigrant kid cages--which everyone knows--except maybe the intentionally ignorant media--were a product of the Obama-Biden administration. 

In a nutshell, the leftist media refuses to cover what may be the most significant political story of the 2020 presidential election.

But who is surprised? No one, including Founding Father Thomas Jefferson.

In a letter to Thomas Carrington on January 16, 1787, Jefferson wrote, “…were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” 

It didn’t take long for Jefferson to change his opinion of the once venerated free press. Twenty years to be exact.

When writing to newspaper editor John Norvell years later, Jefferson said: “To your request of my opinion of the manner in which a newspaper should be conducted so as to be most useful, I should answer ‘by retraining it to true facts and sound principles only.’ Yet I fear such a paper would find few subscribers. It is a melancholy truth that a suppression of the press could not more completely deprive the nation of its benefits, than is done by its abandoned prostitution to falsehood…I will add that the man who never looks into a newspaper is better informed than he who reads them; inasmuch as he who knows nothing is nearer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and error.”

What a timely message in today’s political climate considering “falsehoods and error” is Biden’s apparent campaign strategy, coupled with the media’s “abandoned prostitution to falsehood.”


Biden Family’s Corruption Is Nothing New And Largely Legal

 When you get to make the rules, they always favor you. Parents can do things they forbid their kids from doing, bosses can take long lunches while insisting you not return late, and politicians can take pay-offs while…actually, there isn’t much of a private sector equivalent for that one.

The word “bribe” has an obvious, legal meaning that, through a few tricks built into the system by the politicians who wrote the laws, helps them avoid breaking them while taking what amounts to bribes.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a bribe as “1: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgement or conduct of a person in a position of trust; 2: something that serves to induce or influence.”

Hiring the otherwise unemployable, crack smoking son of the vice president of the United States in the hope of gaining favorable opinion or treatment from the government of the United States, for example, would seem to go a long way toward fitting that definition. Actually getting that favorable treatment would complete that definition.

That’s the short version of what Ukrainian oil and gas company Burisma did with Hunter Biden. The firing of the prosecutor pursuing a corruption investigation of the company’s business practices and owner at the insistence of Hunter’s dad, the then vice president, is the unambiguous second part of that hypothetical transaction.

But it’s not a bribe, not legally. Not even a pay-off. It’s a perfectly legal coincidence.

Hunter was making a fortune with no skills, knowledge, or abilities, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to the net worth of the company. From their perspective, it was a smart and cheap investment.

It was also legal. As was all the other sweetheart deals Hunter got out of Russia, China, and who knows where else.

How? Because, unless there is a paper trail of Joe Biden saying he’d do something in exchange for cash, any favorable treatment Hunter’s sugar daddies got can be chalked up to coincidence.

Any illegal activity on behalf of Joe would come from him getting a piece of the action and hiding the money. While there are strong indications and insinuations that Joe was wetting his beak, he knows the law and it would be unlikely to be found out. This is compounded by the fact that no one is looking. Journalists aren’t interested, neither, it seems, is the FBI. If he wins next week, the story will disappear faster than Tara Reade’s name from newspapers.

What the Bidens appear to have done is not new. Direct payments of bribes is a thing of the past. Today’s politicians now engage in corruption by proxy.

Pioneers in this new bribery were none other than the Clintons. Bill and Hillary raked in a fortune through their “charities,” and lived quite well off that money.

When you think of bribes you think of very specific asks - do this and I’ll give you that. In international politics, bribes are ways to curry favor to get better treatment in the future. Saudi Arabia didn’t give $20 million to the Clintons’ charities because they wanted to provide mosquito nets to Africa. To do that, Saudi Arabia could have simply purchased $20 million worth of mosquito nets and sent them there directly. They wanted to be in the good graces of who they, and the world, thought would be the next president of the United States. The same is true for most of Hunter’s business deals.

The only difference between the shady dealings of the Clintons and the Bidens is the Clintons had the good sense to give it the cover of charity. The Bidens, just as corrupt as Bill and Hillary but not nearly as sophisticated, went right for profit; for cash payments.

Proving a bribe when filtered through others is nearly impossible; someone would have to roll. People in power know the rules, they wrote them. The public would be shocked if they knew exactly what is legal.


A member of Congress facing virtually no challenge in a safe district can’t take campaign cash and put it in their pockets because that would be illegal. They can, however, hire their spouse and pay them almost $3 million for “consulting,” or 70 percent of their campaign spending, and it’s perfectly legal. Ilhan Omar did just that. She couldn’t take the money herself, but she could pay her husband’s consulting firm $2.7 million and he could put his chunk of that money in their joint bank account and *poof* it’s legal.

There likely isn’t a cashed check or findable bank account with Joe Biden’s name on it. Even Joe is too smart to have signed anything. But Switzerland and many Caribbean countries don’t have strict banking laws and pride themselves on secrecy.

Joe has made millions since leaving office in 2017, so it’s not like he needs the money, especially at his age. Still, you make hay while the sun is shining. He likely wants to take care of his family after he’s gone. The motive is clear, the details are foggy, and the truth is most of what we’re likely to ever learn about it is quite possibly "legal." 

Monday, October 19, 2020

Thank you for the 3 million hitcounter views today

 
I wish I had more subscribers to blogspot or Wordpress

 

Conservatism Now Means Defeating the Establishment

 Look around you at the smoldering ruins of American society, and it’s clear that you owe our garbage Establishment nothing.

Not loyalty.

Not respect.

Not obedience.

Nothing.

It has failed you. And now it is dead to you.

Tear it all down.

Rip out its rotten foundations.

Burn the poisonous debris.

Rebuild it on a foundation of the Constitution.

There was once a social contract out there that we all thought we all signed on to. You know the outlines of the implicit deal. We agreed to give up certain prerogatives and to provide prestige and prosperity to those people – who became the Establishment – who would run our institutions for us. For example, we outsourced our right to avenge ourselves to the justice system and (except for immediate self-defense) to keep order to the police. We would respect and trust the objective, neutral truthtellers, called “journalists,” who would gather and disseminate the news and information we needed to be active citizens. And, in a formal way under our Constitution, we agreed to give government officials enumerated powers and to be bound by the rules implemented via due process and limited by the Bill of Rights.

It was imperfect, as all human endeavors are, but on the whole it worked.

Until now.

Our institutions are old. Most date from just after World War II, or even further back. How about the example of academia? For the most part, in terms of practice, the only major difference between the typical college class today and one a century ago is that the person lecturing the hungover sophomores knows which bathroom to use. What is different is that it doesn’t work anymore – those mush-minded teens are not learning the info they need to be citizens, both because what they are being fed is rancid propaganda and because there are no standards anymore. Oh, and it costs more than the average American makes in a year to get young Kaden or Ashleigh that Collectivist Pottery bachelor’s degree.


And because the institutions are old, the geniuses and innovators who founded those institutions are long dead. Our institutions are run by people who didn’t build them. They inherited them, and like the vast majority of heirs, they are screw-ups. Take a look at the Kennedys if you’re unclear on how generations devolve over time. JFK captained PT 109, became president, and scored with Marilyn Monroe. This generation of Kennedys mostly scores dope. As Instapundit Glenn Reynolds says, we have the worst ruling class in American history.

Moreover, technology is disrupting the comfy university scam. I like to take long walks and listen to Audible. I like Roman history – which is super relevant right now and which has very much influenced my upcoming novel in the People's Republic series – and for about $14 I can listen to entire graduate-level courses on the subject by very best professors in the world. Who needs Harvard – except insecure people who can’t not let drop that they went to Harvard within 30 seconds of meeting you?

Other institutions have also been disrupted by technology. Newspapers still call themselves “newspapers,” but technology has eliminated the “papers” part, while their gross political partisanship has eliminated the “news” part. Hollywood used to be modeled on a few thousand big rooms showing moving, talking pictures, but technology has changed that to a few million small rooms showing moving, talking pictures. While the ability to make content has increased exponentially as the price of production has dropped, Hollywood still tries to maintain control by centralizing distribution via Netflix, Hulu and so on. This is true across the spectrum of institutions. They are trying to maintain the status quo despite their institutional obsolescence because the status quo means control. The institutions’ focus is no longer on doing the jobs those institutions were supposed to do. It is on preserving the institutions in their current, corrupt and inept form, and thereby the power of the corrupt, inept elite that runs those institutions.

What’s this mean? It means that we cannot count on the institutions to do their job – that is, to do those things we need them to do – because their real job is now perpetuating their operators’ grift.

Take the FBI, please – take it to wherever J. Edgar Hoover is buried, and even he’d be freaked out and spinning in his grave and getting all tangle in his burial gown. The FBI used to be the the gold standard, the crème de la crème of law enforcement. And, instead of being Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., rounding up mobsters, bank robbers, and commies, it’s a bunch of fugly geeks awkwardly boinking each other when they aren’t trying to frame the president. The FBI got the Hunter Biden computer about a year ago, a computer full of emails about the Democrat nominee’s crack-curious son’s adventures in influence peddling with Ukrainian robber barons and the Chi-Coms, and if some computer repair guy in New Jersey hadn’t thought to keep a copy of the contents the FBI would have deep-sixed the hard drive just like it did Weiner’s laptop in service of their Establishment masters. In fact, leakers are leaking that it’s the RUSSIANS at it again in order to actively and willfully cover up the biggest corruption story in American history. But hey, rest easy knowing the Eff Bee Eye is all over any garage door pull knots that freak out losing race car drivers.

Law enforcement is supposed to protect us by enforcing the law. Now it lets off rioters but will go gangbusters on you should you defend your family from leftist savages. We have seen that there are always cops who will choose their pension over their duty and bust your church or synagogue for illegal praying. The elite needs minions to do its dirty work and shamefully some doughnut-gobblers have proven themselves only too eager to obey. And even if you do manage to demonstrate that your prosecution is so corrupt that even our garbage DOJ wants to dismiss it, an Establishment judge won’t let you and an appeals court won’t make him even though the law says they must.

You cannot avail yourself of the law. The Establishment, which is supposed to uphold it, ignores it when it limits them and abuses it to restrict you. That seems problematic in the long term.

And then there's the media – well, we knew it was trash, but the last week has even boggled the minds of the most cynical critics. A few weeks ago, there was a collective spasm over the “losers and suckers” claims by four anonymous sources that were refuted by 25 on-the-record sources. This week, there was hard evidence of Biden business badness and the mainstream media swung into action to actively deny and excuse the evidence. The biggest corruption story of all time – a vice president running an influence peddling ring for foreigners – and the media’s response is to tell us there’s nothing to see. And then, when the tech fascists decided to suppress the news, the media actively supported this censorship.

The Establishment has failed. It failed to meet its most basic obligations. What’s this mean?

That means you’re free.

You owe it nothing, not respect, deference, or obedience.

So don’t give it any of these.

See, the Establishment succeeds in spite of its manifest incompetence and greed because of inertia. It perpetuates because we go along with it as if everything is normal. It counts on us thinking what we are witnessing are merely the occasional blips and problems inherent in any human endeavor instead of the systemic failure that it demonstrates. This rot is real and dramatic and, untreated, will be fatal to our country. Remember the Romans? You start changing the rules and sooner or later instead of a Republic you have an emperor who marries his horse.

Conservatism is no longer about conserving; it’s about ripping apart the whole corrupt system and overthrowing the garbage Establishment.