They say power corrupts and perhaps it does. What I know, in myself, is quite a different thing. That power corrupts the people it is exercised over.
— Raymond Williams
Reading Time: 4 minutes 40 seconds
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Today is Monday, April 22nd, the 113th day of 2024. There are 253 days left in the year. It is Oklahoma Day, April Showers Day, Girl Scout Leader Appreciation Day, and National Jelly Bean Day.
On This Day
In 1519, conquistador Hernán Cortés established a settlement at Veracruz, Mexico.
In 1864, the U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act, which mandated that the inscription “In God We Trust” be placed on all coins minted as American currency.
In 1876, baseball’s National League played its inaugural game. A crowd of about 3,000 watched Boston defeat Philadelphia, 6-5.
In 1889, thousands of settlers participated in the Oklahoma Land Rush. Within hours, the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie were formed.
In 1898, the USS Nashville captured a Spanish merchant ship.
In 1954, witnesses began testifying during live television coverage of the Army-McCarthy hearings.
In 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated.
In 2005, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologized for Japan’s conduct in World War II.
In 2008, the remaining F-117 Nighthawk plane in service was retired by the U.S Air Force.
In 2016, the Paris Agreement, an agreement on “climate change,” was signed.
Today’s Birthdays
Retired actor Jack Nicholson is 87. Director John Waters is 78. Musician-singer-songwriter-producer Peter Frampton is 74. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 58. Actress Sheryl Lee is 57. Actress Amber Heard is 38.
The Links
Diversity Goals Are Disappearing From Companies’ Annual Reports (The Wall Street Journal)
“Lawyers and other experts say the disclosure changes reflect uncertainty about the legal parameters of diversity programs along with wariness of political backlash following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision overturning affirmative action in college admissions.”
Some young people see Trump as an answer to their economic woes (Reuters)
“I make decent money and I can’t afford a home on the salary I make now. It’s time to get a man back into office that is going to lower our prices.”
Biden steps up Hispanic outreach as warning signs flash (POLITICO)
“As part of a $30 million spring media buy, the campaign has used a mix of Spanish-language accents as well as Spanglish, which is more resonant with young Latino voters. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, which is home to a sizable Puerto Rican community, they’ve run ads delivered in a Puerto Rican accent. They’ve released ads targeted to Cuban and Venezuelan populations in Florida, and Mexican voters in Nevada and Arizona.”
Trump campaign mum on Nevada voter outreach efforts (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
“His campaign office listed on Google is closed (it is now occupied by a solar company), and he hasn’t held a public event since his win in the Nevada GOP presidential caucus in February.”
Farmers tell FTC to block Iowa Fertilizer Co. sale to Koch amid consolidation concerns (The Des Moines Register)
“In 2012, OCI received about $112 million in state incentives, about $130 million in local property tax exemptions and an estimated $300 million in tax benefits through the sale of Midwest disaster bonds.”
Tesla Running Out of Juice? (Eric Peters)
“Most of the affluent people who wanted a battery powered device and could afford to buy one have already bought one. They are not in the market for another one. At the same time, the ‘market’ is being flooded with devices for which demand is waning, creating what Ross Perot once called a giant sucking sound — of money, being hoovered into oblivion.”
From the Humber to the Wolds, East Yorkshire Will be Cold (The Daily Sceptic)
“Essentially, the local arbiters of the nanny state could be given the controls to the heating in thousands of people’s homes. You’ll be able to turn the heat off if it is too warm but unable to turn it up — beyond a predetermined maximum temperature — if you’re too cold.”
Could We Power Flights With Human Waste? (Oilprice.com)
“The potential use of human waste is highly appealing to biofuel producers as it could provide abundant feedstock for low-carbon fuel production. There is a limited supply of food and agricultural waste, and acquiring these feedstocks can be costly. In contrast, converted sewage is expected to be cheaper and more abundant.”
NY environmentalists’ next target? Individually wrapped cheese slices face ban under far-reaching bill (New York Post)
“For grocers, this structural change in how we sell goods will mean more of the food we’ve purchased landing in the dumpster rather than consumers’ grocery bags, only adding to the 25% increase we’ve seen in grocery store bills since 2019 — a faster price increase than housing, medical care, and most other categories.”
Winter Weather Slams Into Large Parts Of Europe … Madrid Spain Sees Snow! (NoTricksZone)
“It has been obvious for some time that the powers that be want to get us out of our cars.”
Drought in Southern Africa — Officially NOT Climate Change (Watts Up With That?)
“In an astonishing turn of events, and much to the dismay and disappointment of the team assigned to evaluate the drought and impending famine in southern Africa, they were unable to blame climate change for this disaster. Even worse, they had to admit that climate change made the drought less likely.”
China is front and center of gold’s record-breaking rally (Bloomberg)
“China and India have typically vied over the title of world’s biggest buyer. But that shifted last year as Chinese consumption of jewelry, bars and coins swelled to record levels. China’s gold jewelry demand rose 10% while India’s fell 6%. Chinese bar and coin investments, meanwhile, surged 28%.”
“Israel had recently bent its regulations banning livestock from entering the country and allowed five red heifers to be transferred from a Christian Zionist ranch in Texas to an illegal West Bank settlement. For the past three decades, various Christian Zionist ranchers in the U.S. have been trying to breed a 100% pure red heifer which according to an obscure ancient priestly cleansing process recorded from the book of Numbers (chapter 19) with commentary the Jewish sage Maimonides could commence various rituals leading to animal sacrifices in a rebuilt Third Temple.”
Historical markers are everywhere in America. Some get history wrong (National Public Radio)
“What the marker doesn’t mention, however, is that Young was a cotton broker, one of the most powerful men in the slave trade. Nor does it mention that he owned nine slaves, according to the federal 1860 census.”
Mama Horse Stands Up To Wolf Trying To Kill Her Baby (Cowboy State Daily)
“She did a really good job. She’s still a young mare, this is only her second foal.”
Your Turn
1. Is the Trump campaign conceding Nevada?
2. Do you remember who killed Laura Palmer?
3. How do you celebrate Earth Day?
4. National League or American League?
5. Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?
1. Is the Trump campaign conceding Nevada?
NO WAY!! You have to remember the Democrats have him in Trials all over the country in their attempt to destroy his ability to campaign for the election. Laura Trump is supposed to be heading up the Trump Campaign and I'm sure they're getting tons of messages today about that website! I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Democraps sabotaged his website and put up a Solar Company. That sounds about right for the Marxist Socialist Communist way of running an election!!
2. Do you remember who killed Laura Palmer?
I remember Arnold Palmer, Betsy Palmer and Emerson. Lake & Palmer! Twin Peaks was not one of my shows that I had any real interest in.
3. How do you celebrate Earth Day?
I Breath the same air I have always breathed, I see the climate change the way it always has and the only change I can see for Mother Earth, is that we have more people living on it and it seems like they are less intelligent than they used to be! The biggest change in the climate is that the US now has the worst Government since Woodrow Wilson, so I recognize that for Earth Day!!
4. National League or American League?
Which ever league has the best teams and the best game on any particular day!
5. Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?
As Good As It Gets, was certainly one of Nicholson's best movies. However, weren't they ALL?! Whether he was in Easy Rider or Cuckoo's Nest or A Few Good Men, Nicholson was always the TOPS!!
1. I didn't know that he wasn't campaigning out there.
2. I didn't watch Twin Peaks.
3. I don't celebrate. However, we did plant our garden yesterday.
4. National League
5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest