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I feel most deeply that the whole subject is too profound for the human intellect. A dog might as well speculate on the mind of Newton. Let each man hope and believe what he can.
— Charles Darwin
Reading Time: 5 minutes 10 seconds
Today is Tuesday, December 27th, 2022. It is Visit the Zoo Day, Make Cut Out Snowflakes Day, and National Fruitcake Day.
On This Day
In 1657, 30 residents of the small settlement of Vlissingen (later Flushing, Queens) requested an exemption to the ban on Quaker worship implemented by Peter Stuyvesant, the Director-General of New Netherland. The Flushing Remonstrance articulated, for the first time in North American history, the view that freedom of religion is a fundamental right. It is considered a precursor to the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.
In 1831, Charles Darwin embarked on his journey aboard HMS Beagle, during which he began to understand evolution.
In 1845, John L. O’Sullivan, writing in his newspaper the New York Morning News, argued that America should claim the entire Oregon Country “by the right of our manifest destiny.”
In 1922, Japan’s Hōshō became the first purpose-built aircraft carrier to be commissioned in the world.
In 1929, Stalin ordered the “liquidation of the kulaks as a class.”
In 1945, the International Monetary Fund was created through the signing of an agreement by 29 nations.
In 1983, Pope John Paul II visited Mehmet Ali Ağca in prison, and personally forgave him for attempting to assassinate the pontiff in 1981.
In 2002, two truck bombs killed 72 and wound 200 at the pro-Moscow headquarters of the Chechen government in Grozny.
In 2004, radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reached Earth. It was the brightest extrasolar event known to have been witnessed on our planet.
In 2007, former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
Today's Birthdays
Actor John Amos is 83. Actress Tovah Feldshuh is 74. Actress Maryam d’Abo is 62. “Journalist” Savannah Guthrie is 51. Actor Masi Oka is 48. Actress Emilie de Ravin is 41. Actress Olivia Cooke is 29. Actor Timothée Chalamet is 27.
The Links
Liar Rep.-elect George Santos admits fabricating key details of his bio (New York Post)
“Santos, the first openly gay non-incumbent Republican elected to the House, also faced accusations that he lied about his sexual orientation, with the Daily Beast reporting last week that he was previously married to a woman until shortly before he launched his unsuccessful 2020 campaign against Democrat Tom Suozzi.”
Remembering the Worst Media Misses of 2022 (National Review)
“In June, much of the media attempted to sweep a foiled assassination attempt against a sitting Supreme Court justice under the rug after a California man traveled to the Maryland home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh with the intent to murder the conservative justice.”
Biden admin was “very angry” Twitter wouldn’t censor more aggressively – Twitter Files (Reclaim The Net)
“One internal Twitter document showcases how the Biden admin started pressuring Twitter to censor so-called ‘COVID misinformation’ almost immediately after taking the reigns [sic] at the White House. The document describes how the Biden White House’s first meeting request was about ‘COVID misinformation’ and claims that during this meeting, ‘Biden’s staff focused on vaccines and high-profile anti-vaxxer accounts, including Alex Berenson.’”
Does the Fed Control Interest Rates? (American Institute for Economic Research)
“The Fed is a failed institution in need of major reforms. But we won’t make the right changes if we don’t understand the basic relationship between central banks and capital markets.”
Report: California is one of the least charitable states despite being one of wealthiest (The Center Square)
“Utah was ranked first, followed by Maryland and Minnesota.”
New Year’s Resolution: Ignore The Anti-Fun Woke Babies (The Federalist)
“It’s not that I care about Korean beauty standards. Foreigners say all kinds of weird things and collectively tend to be far more racist than David Duke. But if the social justice cretins are going to continue their cancel crusades of anything that promotes free expression or what is formerly known as ‘fun’ — and of course they will — everyone else needs to wise up. Ignore the children.”
Top 10 Secular Pro-Life Articles of 2022 (Secular Pro-Life)
“In the wake of Dobbs, pro-abortion disinformation was rampant. In addition to the usual lies about the reasons for late abortions (no, they aren’t all medically necessary!) and when life begins (not a mystery!), all sorts of new rumors took hold. Secular Pro-Life was there to set the record straight.”
Celebrity-backed bail fund shutters after lawsuit by victim of shooter it helped free (JusttheNews.com)
“The nonprofit’s advisory board includes Virgin founder Richard Branson, actor Danny Glover and musician John Legend. It told 8NewsNow that Gaston-Anderson’s case went through the ‘exact same thorough review’ the Bail Project does for every potential client.”
Physical attacks on power grid surge to new peak (POLITICO)
“Is there something more sinister going on? Are there people planning this? ... I don’t think anyone knows that right now. But there’s no doubt that the numbers are up in terms of reported incidents.”
Claim: Aussie Renewables Could Have Prevented Higher Bills and Blackouts (Watts Up With That?)
“If renewables are so cheap, why is government policy even needed to encourage investment in renewables? Why don’t people flock to building renewables of their own free will, to replace Australia’s ailing coal plants, and address the shortfall of electricity which I agree is likely during this Southern Hemisphere Summer?”
Gazprom Reports Record High Production At Kirinskoye Natural Gas Field (Oilprice.com)
“That’s a big jump considering that the field only managed to produce 0.782 mcm in 2020 and 1.2 mcm in 2021. Kirinskoye is the first field in Russia where production is carried out from an underwater production complex. The planned production plateau is 5.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.”
Ukraine Strikes Back At Bomber Base Deep Inside Russia (The War Zone)
“That Ukrainian drones could again fly so deep into Russian territory raises anew questions about its air defense capabilities. Low and slow-flying drones, especially those made of composite materials, are hard to detect, track and engage. But these larger Soviet-era jet-powered reconnaissance drones should be more vulnerable, depending on the circumstances.”
Macron ruffles feathers with talk of autonomy, Russian security (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft)
“The U.S. should want to have many more capable European allies that pull their own weight and far fewer dependents. That is desirable not only because the U.S. has other more important concerns elsewhere in the world that require its attention, but also because the U.S. should not have to subsidize the defense of some of the wealthiest countries in the world in perpetuity.”
Biden’s China-bashing is a threat to world peace (Phil Mullan)
“To avoid a potentially catastrophic conflict, Washington needs to stop clinging on to the illusion that it rules in a unipolar world. And it needs to give up trying to quash China’s development. Instead, the US should recognise the changing order, and then use what remaining authority it possesses to help bring about a stable multipolar world. Continuing along this China-bashing path will not help anyone. It will merely lead to a more fragmented, confrontational and dangerous world.”
Medal of Honor Monday: Army Maj. Thomas McGuire Jr. (U.S. Department of Defense)
“After 325 missions, McGuire was reported as missing in action. His remains were eventually found in June 1949 in the jungles of Los Negros near a pineapple plantation. He was repatriated to the U.S. and buried in Arlington National Cemetery.”
Your Turn
1. What’s going on with the attacks on the power grid?
2. Have you ever eaten a piece of fruitcake?
3. Is the International Monetary Fund useful for anything?
4. Ever lied in a bio or résumé?
5. Did you watch Good Times?
1, Planned continued controls on U.S. citizens? If a crisis happens, more surveillance measures.
2. Not only have I eaten fruitcake, but I've also made it. It's best soaked in apricot brandy!
3. IMF, just like unions, has outlasted its usefulness.
4. I have never lied in a resume. In fact, I have probably undersold my abilities because I lacked confidence when I was younger.
5. I watched Good Times occasionally. It was not must watch TV for me.
1. Not sure. Maybe people wanting to create instability? Probably anarchists with some agenda.
2. Yes. The store bought kind, it was gross. However, my grandmother made some from scratch and they were awesome. She actually made them a few days before she passed away. It was the popular dessert during her funeral wake.
3. It is useful for destroying economies and transferring wealth.
4. Never have done that.
5. Yes! I use to watch the reruns when I was a kid. It was a great show. I love sitcoms from 70s and 80s.