Semi truck drives onto Lake Minnetonka

Photo credit: Jeremy Elshaug

FOX 9 KMSP:  Semi-truck driver drives onto Lake Minnetonka.

According to the Hennepin County Water Patrol, the driver was reportedly making a delivery to a resident on the lake when he drove onto the snow-covered ice.
[.]
According to Jeremy Elshaug, who was on the lake checking on his fish house, he and some other ice-goers helped the truck driver dig out the rig. Elshaug then used his pickup truck to pull the truck to a less snowy area.

A brief update on radio news said the truck driver was following his GPS directions. Minnetonka is a big lake with many homes around it. In certain areas, in winter, with today's diminished visibility - going by GPS - yeah, I can see how driving onto the lake would happen. Lucky the ice is as thick as it is, holding the weight of a semi.

Below chart from Almanac.com

Here comes more global warming Climate Change!

The calm...

Before the storms.

Map: Weather.gov

WCCO CBS: More snow, winds 40-50 mph.

I picked the wrong week(end) to...

Trump Mocked on 6G but the joke is on the TechTards!

The TechTards are out in full force.

Caution: TechTards advised to have paper bag nearby in the event of hyperventilation. Or, a candy dish filled with Benzos.

President Donald Trump was mocked big-time today by the TechTards for his comments about 5G and 6G technology.

Let's jump to the finish line first.

6G was being discussed in January 25, 2018...(there goes the breathing in and out of the paper bag)...at...the University of California...(grabbing at the candy dish)...of...Santa Barbara! ("Jennifer... I need more Benzos!")

UofC - Santa Barbara "Beyond 5G":

...the focus of the newly established ComSenTer, a $27.5 million center for converged terahertz communications and sensing at UC Santa Barbara, led by UC Santa Barbara professor of electrical and computer engineering professor Mark Rodwell.

“Our center is simply the next next generation of communication and sensing, something that may become ‘6G’,” said Ali Niknejad, ComSenTer associate director and a UC Berkeley professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences.

How could all the TechTards, who are mocking Trump, be unaware aware of a technology conference, at their beloved Santa Barbara that included a UC Berkeley professor?

CISCO - not to be confused with CRISCO, TechTards - was talking about 6G in JANUARY 2019 at THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IN LAS VEGAS.

ZD Net: Cisco talks 6G at the LV CES Show:

Cisco is looking to a 6G future, CTO of Service Provider Networking Michael Beesley told ZDNet at CES 2019, and already has a rough idea of what 6G will bring when it comes.

According to Beesley, 6G will take around 15 to 20 years to reach peak scale deployment, as the world has only just passed that tipping point for 4G.

Yes, a fully deployed 6G is several years away. But, to repeat part of the above, 4G peak just passed the tipping point, there's still plenty of shelf life remaining. With Tech, the leap to the next level can be well ahead of plans and expectations.

Recall your tech devices and network reliability of ten years ago, their capabilities and limitations and compare them to networks and the devices you have today. Night and day. We could see 6G Beta by the end of 2020.

April 2018: Engerati told us 5G is upon us.

September 2018: Verizon announces "5G is here."

Brad Reed, writing at Raw Story, got the ball rolling in mocking Trump and 6G:

Headline: Trump hilariously mocked after he writes technologically illiterate tweet

Reed's article appears at The New Civil Rights Movement.com:

Headline: ‘We Also Want Time Machines’: Trump Hilariously Mocked After He Posts Technologically Illiterate Tweet

Tom Nicholson, writing at Esquire (via Yahoo):

Headline: Donald Trump Really Wants (Non-Existent) 6G Technology. He Wants It Here And He Wants It Right Now

Sorry TechTards, 6G exists, is alive and well.

Sputnik News: China 6G Hype Premature.

"China is expected to gear up for its conceptual development and trials of 6G as early as 2020 in a bid to lay out policy brush strokes and its own sets of definitions and standards," Asia Times said in a recent article.

Sure, China may be a little overly-optimistic in their plans, but when have TechTards not been overly-optimistic in anything Tech? Especially Green Tech? How's all those solar panels working out? Are we powering all the country from the sun yet? How are EV batteries holding up in winter temperatures? "Can I get me some ethanol here?" All those things happened overnight, right?

Cali's L.A. to San Fran Train to Nowhere. Image: AP

If the TechTards want to justly mock Trump for 6G, the best, and only, ammo they have is that they're right in saying 6G "won't be here tomorrow." The least they can do is get their own mocking right.

That California bullet train from L.A. to San Fran, the Train to Nowhere, WHEN is THAT going to be completed, TechTards? Tomorrow? This year? May 9, 2065? I'd put down money we'll see 6G before that bullet train is operational.

Thank you, TechTards, for bringing your Tech Illiteracy front and center. Don't do the slightest due diligence. Why bother? Print anything. Anything. People will believe it because....because you write it? Not unlike an actor staging a racist attack on himself and maintaining a belief it factually happened.

'Global Britain', UK putting on Big Boy Pants (again?)

The London School of Economics and Political Science: 'Global Britain': Have we lost our marbles?

In an extract from their new United Nations Association report, Jess Gifkins (University of Manchester), Samuel Jarvis (University of Southampton) and Jason Ralph (University of Leeds) warn that Brexit – alongside other factors – is likely to shrink Britain’s global influence.

Whilst the phrase Global Britain has a range of historical connotations, it has been taken on by the UK government as the defining phrase to encapsulate the UK’s foreign policy post-Brexit. Yet despite significant rhetorical references to the phrase, there is still no clarity on what Global Britain might mean, even from a UK perspective.
[.]
Perceptions from the British elite on the impact of Brexit on the UK’s reputation in the UN are bleak. An anonymous interviewee described perceptions of the UK currently as “we’ve lost our marbles” and Former UK Ambassador to the UN Sir Jeremy Greenstock reported that “most other people – almost without exception – think we’ve shot ourselves in the foot”.

Don't miss the (only 16 pages) pdf: Global Britain in the United Nations.

Tech News

Gizmodo: Big Tech is automating the climate crisis.

Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have all struck lucrative arrangements—collectively worth billions of dollars—to provide automation, cloud, and AI services to some of the world’s biggest oil companies, and they are actively pursuing more.

- - -
Geek: Hot Abe Lincoln statue goes viral.

Someone recently discovered a shirtless Abraham Lincoln statue in California, and the Twitter community can’t handle it.
[.]
Zack Stentz posted a picture of the steamy statue on his Twitter account. “Reminder that the Los Angeles Federal Courthouse has a statue of Abraham Lincoln where he’s a shirtless young stud"[.]

 "Hot" Abe Lincoln statue; Photo Credit: Zack Stentz/Twitter

- - -
Technocracy: Pepsi massive layoffs sparked by automation.

By PepsiCo’s own estimates, the company’s layoffs are expected to be a multimillion-dollar project in 2019.

- - -
Tech Dirt: Google fesses up to hidden microphone in Nest.

The problem: more privacy-conscious Nest owners weren't aware that the Nest home security base stations had a microphone in the first place, raising questions about whether Google was using the microphone for data collection and monetization in some capacity.

- - -
Extreme Tech: Audi cars tell you what speed to drive to hit all green lights.

Audi is revving up its slick Traffic Light Information (TLI) system. Now Audi TLI can tell you the best speed to drive in order to hit a string of green traffic lights, without having to suddenly speed up to make a light on yellow, or brake hard if you can’t speed up enough.

- - -
19 Years Ago...Win2000 updates appear. Beta News:

Microsoft has announced a slew of updates for Windows 2000, just one day after their next flagship operating system hit store shelves.

And...MS has been releasing endless series of patches ever since then.
- - -
Gizmodo: Once thought extinct, world's giant bee found ALIVE.

[Since 1981], no one had documented any encounters with the huge bee.

That all changed when a search team visiting the North Moluccas last month laid eyes on the bee for the first time in 38 years.

More - C|Net: HUGE BEE alert.

The report describes the bee as being about the size of an adult thumb, with a wingspan of about 2.5 inches (6.35 centimeters). That means it's four times larger than the European honey bee.

BFB; Photo: Clay Bolt

- - -

Gizmodo: Ong's Hat got too real.

Ong’s Hat was once home to secret experiments led by the Dobbs Twins, a pair of Princeton scientists who’d been forced to build a secret lab out in the Pine Barrens after their work in “Chaos Studies” got them booted from the academy.
[.]
...Ong’s Hat has become a site of pilgrimage for fans of the supernatural.

- - -
Tech News World: JP Morgan-Chase issues dollar backed digital token.

JPMorgan Chase on Thursday announced that it has created and successfully tested a digital coin. Each JPM Coin represents US$1 in funds held in designated accounts at JPMorgan Chase N.A.

Marijuana brick found in children's donation bin valued at $3,000.

AJC: Marijuana brick found in children's charity bin.

According to the Springfield News-Leader, volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks found a marijuana brick worth $3,000 last May while going through items left in clothing donation bins.

Springfield News Leader: "Most expensive thing ever put in the bin."

Placed on a Patio Heater...

Jussie Smollett faked attack to promote his career, get higher pay.

WWL TV: 'Empire' actor faked attack to promote career.

"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett "took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career" when he made a false police report about an attack in Chicago, the city's police superintendent said Thursday.

Smollett also sent a racist and homophobic threatening letter to the Fox studio lot where he works in Chicago before the attack, Supt. Eddie Johnson said. He said Smollett was dissatisfied with his salary.

San Diego Union Tribune: Chicago top PD PO'ed over Smollett staged attack.

When investigators figured out the real motive behind the attack, “quite frankly, it pissed everybody off,” [said Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Thursday morning].

Breitbart: Facing federal U.S. Postal charges.

For filing a false police report, Smollett could face three years in prison and a hefty fine that could include the cost of the investigation. The hate letter could mean federal mail fraud charges.

 

New suspect revealed in Jussie Smollett attack.

Chicago Police have a new "person creature of interest" in the horrendous attack on actor Jussie Smollett. The police have released an image of the new suspect from a traffic cam where the attack is believed to have occurred.

Developing...

Minnesota Blizzard? No, we've been lying for years.

This is what it was like earlier today in Minneapolis.

We've been lying for so long to the rest of the country, and world, about harsh Minnesota winters. We don't want others to know how easy we have it.

Zion Williamson, Duke U basketball forward, blows out shoe, injures knee. Nike explodes!

MarketWatch: Zion Williamson blows out shoe, Nike gasps in horror.

Duke University forward Zion Williamson, the top college basketball player in the nation and one of the best NBA prospects in the past decade, was lost to a potentially serious injury just seconds into a key game against North Carolina when his foot slid on the floor and his Nike-made shoe exploded, twisting his knee and sending him sprawling.

Jussie Smollett now considered a suspect in his hate crime hoax.

CNBC: Jussie Smollett considered a suspect.

Jussie Smollett has been classified as a suspect in the case that sprang from his reporting being a victim of a hate crime attack last month, police said Wednesday, NBC News reports.

"Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony)."

Chicago Tribune: Key timeline of events in Jussie Smollett case.
- - -
UPDATE - The Telegraph: Jussie Smollett charged with filing false police report.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said prosecutors charged Smollett with felony disorderly conduct, an offence that could bring one to three years in prison and force the actor to pay for the cost of the investigation into his report of a January 29 beating.

Police were trying to get in touch with Smollett's lawyers to "negotiate a reasonable surrender," Mr Guglielmi said. That could involve Smollett turning himself in to a Chicago police station.

Time to turn yourself in, Jussie. Total hoax. Fabricated assault.
- - -
UPDATE 2 - Sky News: Smollett staged own attack, Osundario brothers paid to stage attack. 

Empire actor Jussie Smollett has been charged with making a false police report after claiming he was targeted in a racist and homophobic attack.
[.]
Abimbola "Abel" and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, who are bodybuilders and aspiring actors, have claimed they were paid to stage an attack on Smollett.

CCTV footage shows the brothers buying a red hat and ski mask, which the actor's alleged attackers were said to have been wearing.
[.]
...initial reports of the assault drew outrage and support for him on social media, including from Senator Kamala Harris of California and TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Osundario brothers buying sundry items for staged attack; Sky News

When you need a staged attack or event, and you need it done so that it's not questioned and accepted as factual and wanna get it right, ya gotta talk to Sil.

Hoda Muthana, ISIS bride. Does she return to the United States?

We are told, not asked, but told to forgive and love our enemies.

What is the right thing to do with Hoda Muthana, the ISIS bride in Syria who now wants to return to America?

USA MacPaper - Montgomery Advertiser: Should Alabama ISIS bride Hoda Muthana be allowed to return home?

An American woman who traveled to the battlefields of Syria and married and had a child with an Islamic State fighter wants to come home and face the U.S. justice system, her family's Florida-based lawyer told USA TODAY.

Hoda Muthana left Hoover, Alabama to join the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, four years ago at age 19. In Syria, she called for Americans to be attacked, and she spread the group's propaganda online.

LifeZette: Hoda Muthana "okay" with beheadings.

[Muthana] "knew about" and was "OK with ISIS beheadings."
[.]
She married three different jihadi fighters while in the Middle East. Her first two husbands, one an Australian jihadist and the other a Tunisian fighter, were killed. The third marriage to a Syrian fighter was reportedly “brief.”

Hoda Muthana

The Feral Irishman: Alabama Woman Who Joined ISIS Wants To Come Home.

This story reminds me of an old Cherokee proverb where a young boy picks up a snake and later cries and moans when the snake bites him. The snake's simple reply to the boy was "well, you knew I was a snake when you picked me up".

There are those on The Left who believe Hoda Muthana is sincere and she should be allowed to return to the U.S. These same individuals on The Left believe, without a shred of proof, that President Donald Trump is a Russian agent. If you don't realize the hypocrisy here, I won't point it out because you will never realize it or admit it. You have pledged your political bias to overrule rational thought.

In my heart, I have forgiven those who have hurt me. In my heart, I do love those who have wronged me. The Bible teaches us to "love our enemies." The Bible does not say we have to have lunch with, or have coffee with, our enemies. I can love those who have wronged me from a distance. I don't need to interact with them and nowhere in the Bible are we told to do this.

Bible.ca: 2 John; 7-11.

However, John (as with Paul) warns that abiding with these deceivers will cause them to "lose those things we worked for." (2 John 8)

To "receive him into your house" shows a willingness to associate with a desire to be a companion with them and share in their false doctrine - this God forbids lest we approve of what they teach.
[.]
I cannot greet a person as a Christian who is not a Christian nor should I condone their false doctrine.

So what do we do about Hoda Muthana? My opinion: We collectively, in our hearts, forgive her. We have to, otherwise, those of us who are Christians cannot honor what our Lord tells us we must do.

Hoda Muthana can remain in Syria. Or, she can reside in any other country that will accept her. But the U.S. should reject any notion of permitting her back into our country.

Input, thought, comments - please. Thank you.
- - -
UPDATE - MSN: State Department declares Hoda Muthana won't be allowed back to U.S.

President Donald Trump is taking credit for the State Department's announcement Wednesday that an Alabama woman who joined the Islamic State group in Syria will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S.

Trump tweets: "I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!"

Pompeo announced on Wednesday that Muthana won't be allowed to enter the country with her toddler son because she is not an American citizen, a claim that was challenged by her lawyer.

Muthana is now in a refugee camp in Syria along with others who fled the Islamic State, and says she made a mistake in joining the group.

Pompeo said she has no "legal basis" to claim American citizenship. But her lawyer says the administration's position is based on a "complicated" interpretation of immigration law.

Good! Good for the State Department, President Trump and Pompeo. It's also good to hear Muthana realizes she "made a mistake" aligning herself with ISIS. She may even mean that, I think she does. But...decisions have consequences. The problem here, and also the problem within generalized Liberalism is there are too many people who believe that decisions shouldn't have consequences.

She knew what she was getting into. She played an active role in "hate and harm America." Her legal representation's claim of the "complicated" interpretation of immigration law? We can cut to the chase and call it exactly what it is, a legalese appeal to "Roll out the red carpet and welcome mat for terrorist sympathizers to live in America." No, it doesn't work that way.

We often don't appreciate what we have until we no longer have it. A conscious choice is made to abandon something that is either taken for granted or unappreciated. Until it's gone. Then, it's too late.

H.R. 8 - Dems give free pass to illegals on failing background check, saying ICE need not be notified.

World Tribune: Dems give illegals pass on background check.

Democrats are pushing hard for tougher gun control laws – except, apparently, when illegal immigrants are involved.

Last week, H.R. 8, named the The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, passed the House Judiciary Committee on a 23-15 party-line vote. The legislation requires background checks for essentially all sales and transfers of firearms.
[.]
Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Repubilcan, tweeted on Feb. 13: “Democrats in the Judiciary Committee just voted against notifying ICE when an illegal alien fails a background check to buy a gun. They hate ICE so much that they’d keep ICE in the dark when illegals try to get guns!”

If you care about our Second Amendment, contact your Representative and express your concerns about H.R. 8.

Why are the Dems hellbent on keeping law-abiding citizens from legally purchasing firearms? Why are Dems unconcerned about people in the country illegally who acquire firearms that fail a background check?

Roger Stone Crosshairs image of Judge Amy Berman Jackson. When is a crosshair not a crosshair?

Market Watch: Roger Stone's "threatening" instagram of Judge Amy Berman Jackson.

On Monday, Stone posted a photo of Jackson with what appeared to be crosshairs near her head. Later in the day, Stone and his attorneys filed a notice with the court that they recognized the “photograph and comment today was improper and should not have been posted.”

Stone said the photo was “misinterpreted” and that it was “a random photo taken from the Internet.” He dismissed any suggestion that he was trying to threaten the judge as “categorically false.”

Slightly different image of the above found on Reddit.

From the Dan Abrams Production site: 

LawandCrime.com is the only site for live court video, high-profile criminal trials, crazy crime, celebrity justice, and smart legal analysis. Created by TV’s top legal commentator and attorney, Dan Abrams, Law & Crime brings common sense written and video analysis to the often confusing and always intriguing world of the law.

Anyone hear of "Corruption Central"? The only search result I found was a Facebook account by that name, but its last update is October 5, 2014.

It seems with the limited info available, so far, Roger Stone didn't add the cross-hairs. It seems that the cross-hairs might be related to whatever or whoever Corruption Central is.

So when is a cross-hair not a cross-hair? Well, we have these and these as references. Or is it the sun cross? Oddly, one of the earth symbols is identical to the sun cross.

 Sun cross; Wikipedia

Using the particular image of the judge on his Instagram account is not the best decision made by Roger Stone. But I really don't think he did it deliberately or meant it as a veiled threat. He's not stupid. To the casual observer, yeah, the image likely registers as cross-hairs. Anyone...? Weigh in, leave a comment.

UPDATE: H/T to Pappy who, in the below comments section, noted the symbol preceding "Corruption Central" resembles a Register mark. I am in complete agreement. Thanks, man!

Register marks

U.S. Hit by BIG Winter Storm

Image weather.gov

AccuWeather: Back-to-back storm blasts.

USA MacPaper via Yahoo: Coast-to-Coast storm; Winter MISERY.

Daily Mail: 39 states facing winter storm; some areas 1 foot of snow.

USA MacPaper - The Spectrum: Snow in Utah. 

Remember winter driving tips, folks. Always drive as fast as you can, the faster your wheels spin the better traction, you'll stop on a dime on slippery roads so braking is rare, don't allow for extra travel time, honk the horn often and never clear away more than a dime-sized hole of snow from the windshield to see through - this will allow you, the driver, more than adequate visibility and the excess snow on your vehicle helps others to see you better.

The weather is entirely our fault. We didn't listen.

Disputed Island has one occupant.

CNN: South Korean widow sole occupant of island.

In 1991, Kim Sin-yeol and her husband made the unusual decision to move to a lonely outcrop of islands at the heart of a long-standing territorial dispute between Japan and South Korea.
[.]
But since the death of her husband, Kim Sung-do, last October, the 81-year-old has been the only permanent resident on the volcanic islands.
[.]
Japan says that South Korea is illegally occupying the rocky islands, which it claims have been its sovereign territory since the 17th century. South Korea says its claim to the islands, believed to be home to underwater gas reserves, dates back to the sixth century.
[.]
While other Koreans have expressed interest in moving to the islands to reinforce their nation's ownership of the territory, local government officials say there are no plans to encourage more people to move there.

"There is only a space for one household to stay (as) residents there," said a government official.

I can't think of a better way (at least for me) how to live. An entire island to yourself. I might even grant a temp Visa to Mrs. D. to visit. IF she insisted...

Kamela Harris No Comment on Jussie Smollett "Hoax" Until Investigation Complete

Kamela Harris, D - 2020 prez candidate, feigned inability in remembering her original Tweet - you know, the one where she rushed to judgment that the assault on Jussie Smollett was, without question, true and racially motivated by hate-filled, far-Right Winger Trump-Maga supporters.

The Blaze: Kamela Harris' cringe-inducing answer to her Smollett tweet:

"Which tweet? What tweet?" a sheepish Harris replied before looking around in a seemingly confused state [Well, her normal state is one of being confused so I think we can all grant her that, right? -DD] as the reporter filled in Harris regarding her own highly publicized Twitter post — and then finally offered the avowed liberal a lifeline: "Jussie Smollett."

Harris raised her eyebrows, paused, stammered a bit, and said, "I will say this about that case. I think the facts are still unfolding, and I'm very concerned obviously." According to the Associated Press, Harris also said, "I think that once the investigation is concluded, then we should all comment, but I'm not going to comment until I know the outcome of that investigation."

Kamela...so willing to avoid leaping to conclusions. Duh-oh:

Harris' immediate reaction Tweet to early reports of Smollett attack.

ABC News: Smollett feels victimized by reports he played a role in the attack:

Smollett's lawyers say the actor feels "victimized" by reports that he played a role in the assault.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh. That's so saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

Washington Examiner:  Nigerian brothers who "attacked" Smollett:

“We are not racist. We are not homophobic, and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens,” brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo said in a statement released by lawyer Gloria Schmidt.
[.]
They were released from the custody of Chicago police Friday after police said "new evidence" indicated they were not suspected of any wrongdoing.
[.]
Smollett had said at the time of the attack that two white men attacked him.

Most importantly, if you hadn't heard, Smollett's Subway sandwich survived, unharmed. The DC Patriot:

Now Fox 32 News’ Rafer Weigel is reporting from a Chicago Police source that Jussie Smollett was seen on surveillance camera still holding his Subway sandwich when he returned to the building after the alleged attack.

Harris, AOC, Pelosi, Cory Booger...any of the Liberals who made instant conclusions that Smollett was attacked by white, MAGA-shouting racists...have any of them ever tweeted they abhor AntiFa violence?

NY Daily News: Al Sharpton says Smollett should face maximum accountability if attack staged. Well, good for Reverend Al. Then again, he does like seeing and hearing his name mentioned in the media.

And, with no intentional reason linking the below clip to the above story - other than it made me laugh, found at You Tube.

Happy President's Day PRESIDENT TRUMP !

Or, as Nancy Pelosi may refer to today as... Arbor Day.

Because...I never get tired or bored watching this clip.

Note the audience reaction. Almost all of them are laughing. There's a few "stiffs". Well, no one ever said that Liberals have a sense of humor.

Stay strong, President Trump; Illegitimi non carborundum.

August 2015 Republican Primary Debate

Fisherman's Blues

Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys. First time I heard the song was (the first time) watching (what is easily in my top ten movies of all time) Waking Ned Devine. Via You Tube.

Jussie Smollett Attack Narrative Falling Apart

But will "SNL" crack any jokes tonight about Jussie Smollett and his attack?

USA MacPaper: Brothers say Smollett paid them to stage attack.

Two Nigerian brothers told Chicago police investigators that they were paid by "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett to stage an attack on him, a police source tells USA TODAY.

Deadline Hollywood: Jussie Smollett viewed as "active participant" in "attack".

“We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation,” a Chicago PD statement late Saturday declared. “We’ve reached out to the ‘Empire’ cast member’s attorney to request a follow-up interview.”

Daily Mail: Jessie Smollett hires criminal attorney to represent him.

Jussie Smollett has hired Michael Cohen's high-powered criminal defense attorney, as the police investigation into the attack he reported last month took a sudden shift amid allegations of a hoax.

Attorney Michael Monico, a former federal prosecutor in the Northern District of Illinois, revealed in a radio interview on Thursday in Chicago that he is representing Smollett.

Why would a victim of an attack hire a defense attorney? Well, we know why.

In the near future, we might hear some type of defense logic as this:

"Mr. Smollett was depressed, thinking his character is going to be written out of the television program he's on. He feared for his livelihood. He had bouts of anxiety and depression. He needs to seek treatment, not be punished by the law for falsifying a report. In Mr. Smollett's mind, what he did by staging this attack is a cry for help."

But he wasn't anxiety-ridden and depressed quite enough to head for a Subway shop around 2AM and act his part in a staged attack, appear at a concert a few days after the attack and spending countless hours on social media and traditional media telling people that his version of what occurred is absolutely true and that he is "pissed off" at those who doubt him.

Image of Jussie Smollett, after alleged staged attack.

Jussie Smollett Orchestrated Hoax "Attack" says CNN

CNN: Evidence suggests Jussie Smollett orchestrated attack.

Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Chicago Police believe Jussie Smollett paid two men to orchestrate the assault.

The brothers, who were arrested Wednesday, were released without charges Friday after Chicago police cited the discovery of "new evidence." The sources told CNN that the two men are now cooperating fully with law enforcement.
[.]
CNN's attempts to reach both Smollett's representative and attorney Saturday were unsuccessful.

Using the Liberal Standard of, "If you've done nothing wrong, and have nothing to hide, then why would you not fully cooperate," which is what, to me, was the beginning of the unraveling of Smollett's "I was attacked" story.

USA MacPaper: Jussie Smollett GMA interview.

During his "GMA" interview, Smollett addressed his initial refusal to give his phone to authorities, which he said was due to concern for his privacy.

“Because I have private pictures and videos and numbers," he explained, noting his phone contains "my partner’s number, my (family members numbers), my castmates' numbers, my friends' numbers, my private emails, my private songs, my private voice memos.”

Well...as long as those photos, videos, numbers, songs, voice memos are all within what is "legal", what is there to be concerned about? What is there to be paranoid about in handing over to the police the telephone numbers of family, friends, cast members? Why would this be a concern of "privacy" for him? What does Smollett think the PD will do with his "private" data?

From the same USA MacPaper link:

"And I see the attacker, masked and he said, 'This MAGA country, (N-word).' Punches me right in the face," Smollett continued. "So I punched his (expletive) back. And then we started tussling and it was very icy.

"We ended up tussling by the stairs, fighting, fighting, fighting," Smollett added. "There was a second person involved who was kicking me in my back, and then it just stopped. And they ran off.”

The image above is of Mr. Smollett after the attack. If this attack actually happened, it seems the attackers were pretty weak. That's not much of a "punch in the face". Maybe the damage - the bruises and swelling - were more visible in the days after, sometimes that happens.

The NY Post:  Suspicious bottle found near site of Smollett attack.

Last week, The Post traced Smollett’s likely route to the underpass from a 24-hour Subway sandwich shop where he bought a tuna sandwich and a salad.

Near the foot of a stairwell to the Loews, The Post found an empty hot sauce bottle that was partially filled with a clear liquid that smelled like bleach.

Over the past two weeks, Chicago received considerable snowfall. How did this bottle survive sidewalk shoveling or snow-sweepers? This bottle went undisturbed for almost two weeks?

 More details on the bottle at HaveuHeard.

Actor Bruno Ganz has died; age 77. Played role of Hitler that spurred viral memes.

Sky News: Hitler actor Bruno Ganz has died.

Bruno Ganz portrayed Hitler as a ranting and delusional madman in a bunker during the final days of his life.
[.]
One particular scene in the 2004 movie featured a furious fuhrer and spawned many parody memes online.
[.]
 "I tend to identify with my roles to such an extent that I appear to be totally convinced about certain statements that, in real life, I would never believe in," [said Ganz].

The video memes are everywhere. A very funny one here.

But the performance of Ganz? Sheesh - he out-Hitlered Hitler. What an actor. Rest in peace, Mr. Ganz.

 Image: Sky News

Ginsburg alive? Someone looking like her shows up for work.

ClickOrlando: Ruth goes to work.

Shows up on Friday. Nice work week. Better than Johnny Carson's Wednesday-Friday work schedule.

We need some "proof-of-life". How do we know it's really her?

Your odds of...are...

Discover the Odds: Odds of being hit by lightning; 1 in one million.

CBS News: Odds of winning lotteries is roughly 1 in 259 million for Mega Millions and 1 in 292 million for its cousin, Powerball.

Elite Daily: Odds of being in an airplane crash; 1 in 11 million.

Forbes: Odds of surviving an airplane crash. (They vary).

Discover the Odds: Odds of being murdered in any given year; 1 in 18,989.

Yahoo Answers: Odds of a huge cruise ship sinking or crashing. ("Titanic" scenarios very rare).

Best Health Degrees: Odds of dying while attending a dance party; 1 in 100,000.

The Wildlife Museum: Odds of being attacked and killed by a shark; 1 in 3,748,067.

Golf Link: Odds of a hole in one: PGA player 1 in 2,500; average player 1 in 12,500.

Injury Fact/National Safety Council: Odds of dying by falling; 1 in 114.

Straight Dope: Rare, but yes, people have been killed by falling pianos and falling safes. Same link notes the following on death by falling anvils:

It’s difficult to imagine why one would ever need to hoist an anvil high enough for it to drop on someone. However, we can’t rule falling anvils out entirely, due to a little-known pastime called anvil shooting, an exemplar of the hold-my-beer-and-watch-this school of redneck diversions.

The concept, which can be seen in practice in numerous online videos, is lethally simple: You put an anvil on the ground, fill a concave space on its upper surface with black powder, insert a fuse, set a second anvil on top, light the fuse, and run like hell. The detonation sends the top anvil flying in the air — preferably straight up and then straight down, but you can see where things could go tragically awry. We didn’t find any instances of this actually occurring, but thanks to the Road Runner we have an artist’s impression of what might happen when it does.

I don’t want to give the impression that getting killed by falling objects is uncommon. On the contrary, the advent of large-screen and more recently wall-mounted televisions has created an entirely new category of real-world danger: death by falling TV.

And a MUST READ - Philthy-Delphia: Odds good you will NOT be eaten by a bear because you smell like a potato. Odds not as good the bear won't kill you anyway.

How ya feeling about your odds? At the moment, or, in general?

FEMA, Trump declares national emergency and Doctor Alvin Kurtzweil of The X-Files.

CBS News: FEMA Admin Brock Long resigns yesterday, Feb. 13.

NBC News: President Trump set to declare national emergency.

The exit of Mr. Long leaves Pete Gaynor as Deputy Admin, the Number Two man at FEMA.

Not connecting any dots together, but recall the words from the character Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil in the 1998 movie The X-Files: Fight the Future, from the clip:

Here's a very Dystopian Op/Ed at Philly.com, fanning fear over Trump declaring a "national emergency."

The Number One man in FEMA is gone. Within a day or two, Trump declares a national emergency. FEMA is without its primary director. Maybe that Op/Ed at Philly.com is looking good. "Trump Declares Self Emperor." The not-far future: "Trump Suspends 2020 Election." If it makes the heads of Liberals explode, I'm all for it.

Is there more to this than coincidence that the FEMA Admin resigned (due to  questions of Long's vehicle and transportation usage) and Trump isthisclose at declaring a national emergency?

Thoughts/Opinions on what's going on here? Was The X-Files right (again) with predictive programming or is this simply coincidental and creative fiction?

H.R. 8 advances with five Republicans voting with Dems.

Washington Times: Five Repubs join Dems in useless gun law.

The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill, H.R. 8, that would mandate background checks for all firearms’ sales — and five Republicans signed on as cosponsors.

If the point of the bill is to stop criminal acts of gun violence, it’s largely useless. If the point, however, is to erode Second Amendment rights under a cloak of halting gun violence — well then, we have a winner.
[.]
Five — Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania; Peter King from New York; Brian Mast of Florida; Chris Smith of New Jersey; and Fred Upton of Michigan — voted with Democrats to advance the measure.

Why?

Why indeed.

The AMA Association: Physicians united join Dems in gun control legislation.

AMA Board of Trustees Chair Jack Resneck Jr., MD, cited polls that said most Americans—even gun owners and National Rifle Association members—support background checks.
[.]
Dr. Resneck also noted the AMA’s position that firearm violence is a public health issue. He summarized AMA policies adopted in recent years that call for background checks, a ban on assault weapons, and other commonsense measures that are not intended to infringe on citizens’ Second Amendment rights but meant to keep guns out of the hands of those who would cause harm.

"To keep guns out of the hands of those who would cause harm." Wouldn't that be describing "criminals" or those with a "criminal" intent? And H.R. 8 keeps guns out of their hands how?

From the "Proudly Serving the 10th District of New York", Congressman Jerry Nadler.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) delivered the following opening statement for the markup of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019:
[.]
"The bill would, therefore, extend the current federal background check requirement—which applies now only to licensed gun dealers—and require virtually all transactions to undergo a background check."

Nationwide firearms registration legislation looms.

KTRH Houston: Legislation targets nationwide firearms registration.

Last month, House Democrats introduced the legislation, dubbed H.R. 8, in honor of the eighth anniversary of the January 8, 2011, attack on Gabby Gifford.

Now, this week, if legislation passes, a private gun sale would first need government permission.

Houston attorney Edwin Walker explained the US Constitution states that Congress only has the power to regulate interstate commerce, not private transactions between private individuals.
[.]
Gun laws expert Alan Korwin said Democrats want to register gun owners instead of stopping violent criminals.

"HR 8 is aimed at innocent Americans, instead of at criminals. And, this is something Democrats have been doing for a while," said Korwin.

He said from last week's Congressional hearings, the left knows HR 8 won't work without a registration list of all gun owners.

"They want to register gun owners, instead of do something to stop violent criminals because they're afraid of people who own guns, like most Texans," said Korwin.

Breitbart:  House Dems will vote to criminalize private gun sales.

H.R. 8 would outlaw the private gun sales Americans have enjoyed since December 15, 1791, the date on which the Second Amendment was ratified.
[.]
...Democrats are rushing this legislation to the House floor for a vote

Contact your Representative, contact them and let them know you are against H.R. 8.

Please get the word out and share the info on H.R. 8. Copy and use the URLS here, copy/paste the text. Use it, you don't have to link here, I don't care about any of that. What's important is that this bill is defeated. Hopefully by a sizable margin.

Supporters of the Second Amendment can't allow The Left any degree of success in their continual attempts of chipping away at the Second Amendment.

This also calls for DEMOCRATS TO GET INVOLVED. Yes, all you lifelong Dems, who believe in the Second Amendment - who also happen to hunt and who always vote Democrat (why - - - I'll never grasp) - YOU need to contact the DEMOCRAT you voted for and let them know you are against H.R. 8.

If you're wondering if you're one of those Democrats, let this guide you: You live, for example, in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, the Dakotas, Iowa, Colorado, Nebraska, Michigan, New Mexico etc.; you claim to support the Second Amendment; you are avid hunters or sport shooters, and, for some reason, when elections roll around, you vote for the candidate with the " D " behind their name. If you think you fall into this description, you probably do - and you need to contact your Rep ASAP.

Cornell Law:

Amendment II

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

    In the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court held that the "Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home."

North Jersey.com/USA MacPaper: Background check bill is useless.

[A recent Bureau of Justice Statistics report from the Department of Justice] released in January of 2019, [finds] that the overwhelming majority of people convicted of gun-related crimes obtained those guns by stealing them, buying them on the black market, or through a straw purchase (where someone with a clean record buys a gun for a criminal). H.R. 8 does nothing to prevent any of those crimes.
[.]
What [H.R. 8] will do is outlaw a perfectly legal activity, make it more difficult for honest people to protect themselves and their loved ones, and have no impact on crime.

There is going to be enormous pressure on all the Reps to support H.R. 8. "Because of Gabby Giffords." Of which, her being shot, H.R. 8 would not have prevented.

FIND your Rep. CONTACT them. Thank you.

Jussie Smollett "Pissed off" at those who don't believe him.

WPVI ABC 6 Philadelphia: Jussie Smollett tells GMA's Robin Roberts he is, "pissed off" at people who question he was attacked.

An exclusive interview with "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett will air Thursday morning on ABC's "Good Morning America."
[.]
In the interview with GMA's Robin Roberts, Smollett said "I'm pissed off."
[.]
...Roberts asked him what was making him so angry.

He responds: "It's the attackers, but also the attacks."

Smollett also talked about those who don't believe his story.

USA MacPaper: Police reject Smollett's redacted phone records.

Sgt. Rocco Alioto told USA TODAY that although they appreciate Smollett's cooperation, the submitted records were rejected because they "do not meet the burden for a criminal investigation as they were limited and heavily redacted."

CBS Chicago: Timeline of events of Smollett's incident.

Two weeks have passed since Jussie Smollett told police he was attacked. The 36-year-old openly gay “Empire” actor has not changed his report of the event, but police still do not have anyone in custody.

Sandra Rose: An alternative incident possibility?

The consensus within the Chicago PD is that Smollett lied about the attack.

Sources say investigators believe Smollett was attacked by a man (or men) he met on a homosexual dating app within an hour after he landed in Chicago.

Smollett is reportedly desperate to keep the truth from coming to light.

The Blaze: Neighbor of Smollett doesn't believe attack happened.

"I don't believe it happened the way he said it did," Agin Muhammad, who lives in the apartment complex as the actor, the New York Post reported. "I've been in this neighborhood five years. I don't believe it, not around here. … Half the people are gay and the other half are black."

 

Jussie Smollet; ABC/GMA

Have some fun.

Take a step back from news and current events. From Mashable, 50 best sites to waste your time. There are a few dead links, so there's not exactly "fifty" time-wasting websites.

I did well on Find the Invisible Cow. After, I think it's 5 points, you can select to find the invisible goat. How many levels can you get through?

PointerPointer is...interesting.

HackerTyper is fun. It's the site to have on your screen when you call the office IT folks because you tell them you're PC is acting funny. Because...IT folks love practical jokes. Hit the site and start typing anything on your keyboard.

Then there's Weave Silk.

And I guess they are actual emails...emails from assholes at dontevenreply.com. There's nothing quite as enjoyable as reading emails that devolve into madness when the other party is an idiot. Don't miss the Stubborn Shovel Seller chain. Click on "View More Emails" link at the bottom of the site.

Gun Owner Registration Hearing on Wednesday; Washington Sheriffs won't enforce gun laws pending decision of constitutionality.

2nd Amendment Daily News reports: HR 8 hearing tomorrow.

Washington, DC — House Judiciary Committee Chairman, anti-gun Democrat Jerrold Nadler, has called for a “mark up” hearing on House Bill 8, National Gun Owner Registration tomorrow in Washington, DC.

A “mark up” hearing is where legislators from the committee in which the bill is assigned make changes [sic] and adjustments to a bill before voting on a final version and sending it on to the floor of the House.
[.]
H.R. 8 would turn gun owners into felons who transfer a firearm without first asking permission from the government.

Universal background checks will make FELONS out of gun owners who transfer a firearm without first obtaining government permission!

More on HR 8 at The War On Guns.

At Congress.gov: H.R. 8.

At Standing By: - Dems pushing for gun confiscation in Virginia and The Importance of the Second Amendment.

KING 5 News: Some Washington sheriffs won't enforce new gun laws.

Sheriffs in a dozen Washington counties say they won't enforce the state's sweeping new restrictions on semi-automatic rifles until the courts decide whether they are constitutional.
[.]
"I swore an oath to defend our citizens and their constitutionally protected rights," Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones said. "I do not believe the popular vote overrules that."
[.]
"The political grandstanding is disheartening," said Renee Hopkins, chief executive of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, which pushed the initiative.

No, the political grandstanding is in thinking a measure, or law, should be applied upon the immediate questioning of the Constitutionality and where its finality has not yet been decided. And, it doesn't hurt that the Grant County Sheriff is named Tom Jones.

Ammo Land: More coverage on Kentucky Sheriff John Kirk telling residents, "lock your doors. Load your guns."