70s Icons leaving the scene

 They were contemporaries on the pop charts and they left this mortal coil on successive days. Helen Reddy, best known for her feminist anthem "I Am Woman," died yesterday at the age of 78. "I Am Woman" was a smash hit, but it's actually fairly polite and with a moderately brassy arrangement typical of the time:

She had a few other hits over the years, but as a practical matter she disappeared by the end of the decade. Her later hits were somewhat weirder, like this one:

That was yesterday. Today, word came that another familiar face from the early 70s, Mac Davis, had passed away. Davis had one foot in the pop world and another in country, and first made his name as a songwriter. He wrote this one for Elvis Presley:

Not exactly a social justice move, but certainly of the period. About a year later, Davis had his largest hit with this song:

"Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me." It was a smash hit. And I hate this song with every fiber of my being. It's horrible and smarmy, a cautionary tale told by a cad. But it sold a lot of records and since Davis was a reasonably handsome dude, he managed to have a decent career, including a year or two with his own television variety show, in a time where the networks were so in love with the concept that they gave one to a pair of mimes. This might be the most 70s video of all time:

Then again, this is likely the most 70s video of all time.

Yeah, I digress more than a little. But all these years later, the common thread is that entertainers were interested in entertaining, even if they were a little mixed up on their concepts. I don't miss the 1970s, but I am glad we can visit.

The Sound and the Fury

 Yeah, the first debate was a straight-up shitshow. A few very brief thoughts:

• Biden didn't drool on himself, so that's positive. I kinda think Trump made his life easier, because if he'd just dropped the insults on Joe and let him respond, Biden might have said something he would later regret, but Trump can't help himself. Also, many people will object to the full frontal assault on Biden's son Hunter. But my guess is this: if Trump gets a sufficient amount of voters to do a little research on Hunter Biden's, ahem, career, it will work to Trump's benefit.
• Trump is a rat bastard, but he fights. And in a moment where the Left is bidding fair to destroy much of what I hold dear, a rat bastard is probably the right guy for the job of opposing the Left.
• Chris Wallace begged a lot of questions, none to Trump's benefit. And he lost control of things more than once. As annoying as Trump and Biden were, Wallace was a bigger disgrace than either of them. 
• Trump did make one important point concerning the peaceful transition of power; he never got one when he was elected and he's been at war with the Deep State from the jump. I think a lot of people understand that but haven't thought about it much. Maybe the message got lost in the brawling, but it's possible that may resonate with a few people.
• I'd like to say we deserve better candidates for president, but based on my social media feed I don't think that's right. We have the campaign and the candidates we have because we allow the worst government class ever to maintain their sinecures.

If you have thoughts, share 'em in the comments.

Benster and D Pick Your Games---Vikings Last Stand? Edition

 Old dude, it might be the last stand for the Vikings already. Can they get it done at home against a good Titans squad?

They kinda have to. If they go 0-3 and either the Packers or da Bearz win, they are buried already. And the schedule doesn't get any easier.

We shall see. In the meantime, the Packers are down on the Bayou to face the Saints in a game that I believe will be consequential down the line. 

No question. A win in New Orleans would be huge. 

I am feeling the HYYYYYYYPPPPEEE!, and it is time to watch me work.

Tennessee Tuxedos (-3) vs. Minnesota Vikings Last week was a terrible game for the Vikings, and they are up the creek without a paddle already. Lots of theories have been thrown around as to why this is, but I honestly think that the Vikings might need to adapt to a changing NFL world. Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman have had success during their run together, but quite honestly it seems like they have failed to adapt to the speed based NFL style that we see a lot of on Sundays as well as Fridays and Saturdays. The Purple can win this game, but they need to stop Derrick Henry. I think they can, and start to save their season. Vikings 21, Titans 10.

First, a word from our sponsor:

I think the Vikings win tomorrow as well. It's not going to be easy, but the desperate team at home rule is very much in effect. And I think Dalvin Cook can get it going against a good, but not great Titan defense. The key is not to fall behind early. Vikings 24, Titans 21.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (+3) vs. New Orleans Who Dat Saints. This game is going to be very difficult for the Packers to win. I know that there are going to be no fans in the Dome, but the Packers have been run out of the building the last two trips they made. The Saints didn't look good out in Vegas last week, and both teams are down their best receiver. The key for the Packers is going to be starting better than they did the last two weeks, and make Drew Brees have to run for his life. If the Packers win this game, they will have a 3-0 mark and have won 2 of their toughest road games this season. I think they can. If the Saints lose, will their fans keep blaming the refs? I hear that is the secret ingredient in the gumbo down there. Packers 63, Ref Voodoo 40.

Has Drew Brees lost his edge? It looked that way in Vegas. I suspect he'll be better tomorrow night, but he doesn't seem to move as well and I think the lack of Michael Thomas will hurt the Saints more than the lack of Davante Adams will hurt the Packers. The Saints are talented, but there's little talent gap between the two teams. And at this point, I would take Aaron Rodgers over Drew Brees. So my Kool-Aid is chilling in the fridge. Packers 34, Saints 27.

Enjoy your football this weekend, and good on the MAC, Pac 12, and Mountain West for playing. Ben out. 

Neighbors

 My next door neighbor died last weekend. He was a successful general contractor who had built over 50 homes and remodeled countless others, including the house across the street. His lawn is smoother than the 18th fairway at Augusta National. He had every power tool known to man and knew how to use them. He owned a boat that might be worth more than my house. He had friends and companionship. He was muscular and looked the picture of health. And yet, his heart gave out, apparently after a period of despair following some business and personal reversals that weren't immediately evident. And he was young. He died at the age of 44.

There’s no sense in any of it. I didn’t know my neighbor well; we would chat from time to time, but mostly he went his way and I went mine. One of his coworkers knocked on my door earlier this week and asked me what happened. And I really couldn’t tell him much more than what we saw out our window; the police cars, the ambulance that left empty, the hearse that left with his body. His co-worker was distraught. I knew what happened, but I could not tell him why, so I wasn't much help.

It’s been a weird time on my street. Beyond the imposed social distancing from the pandemic, our street has been under construction for months. Only in the past month have we been free to move about without dodging bulldozers and steamrollers. Lately, in this period of weirdness, some of my other neighbors have been putting on impromptu concerts in the cul-de-sac on the end of my street. The family at the end of the block has a number of talented musicians and one of their adult sons has a college roommate who has moved to Minnesota; the roommate is a talented guitarist and can play pretty much anything. Beyond that, we have several other guitarists in the neighborhood. It’s turned into a bit of a jam session with a socially distanced audience of neighbors, putting out their lawn chairs and sipping a few beers. I’ve taken the microphone a few times to sing along. It’s been a nice thing, a source of joy. We always intended to invite my next door neighbor, but it never happened. 

We seek a tidy summation, a suitable framework for what we experience. Generally, such things aren't available. I pray for many reasons, but most often for understanding. In a year riddled with conundrums, my neighbor's demise tops the list. I continue to pray for his soul, for his family, and for understanding.

As seen on social media

 Technique is important.

Benster and D Pick Your Games: Will Vikings Rebound Edition

 Old dude, some say that Davante Adams is still getting wide open against the Viking secondary at the People's Stadium to this day.

He was not challenged. That much is certain.

Oh, and I also have been grinding an axe about something. That means that someone is going to get reamed. 

An axe is probably a poor choice for reaming, but whatever.

I'm feeling the HYYYYYYYYPPPEEE!, and it is time to watch me work.

Minnesota Vikings (+3.5) vs. Indianapolis Colts. The Vikings fanbase is already blaming Kirk Cousins for the loss last week, but it wasn't his fault. The defense was horrible, and they ran into a GOAT who is disrespected. But don't worry, it is somehow all Kirk Cousins's fault. The Colts are an interesting team. Philip Rivers is now the quarterback, and they have JT at running back. I think that the Vikings are going to be in trouble if they don't win this game. Quite honestly, I think Vikings fans are already getting in on the phone lines to KFAN to complain about the team. If the Purple loses, pray for Corey Cove and Ron Johnson at about 3:30 on Sunday. Colts 50, Vikings 14.

I am curious about how this one will go. The Colts are not as intimidating without their fans (all dome teams are like that), but they have talent on offense. If I am the Vikings, and I am glad I am not, I get Irv Smith involved. Vikings 23, Colts 21.

Detroit LOLions (+6) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Packers looked really good last week, and it honestly makes me excited about this year. Aaron looks like he is going on a revenge tour, other wideouts stepped up, and Adams was Adams. Even with Kenny Clark being out this week, I think that the team still has a chance to win. The LOLions outdid themselves last week with blowing a lead against Da Bearz and literally dropping an easy W. The LOLions have talent, and they aren't scared of the Packers. But these are the LOLions, and they will always choke when it matters. Packers 35, LOLions 10.

I agree. The Lions always find a way to lose. Could be a shootout. Packers 35, Lions 27.

Enjoy your football weekend, and now it is time for a Very Special Comment. So, the Big Ten is coming back and have announced a schedule and a plan. I'm not giving Kevin Warren and the Big Ten presidents any credit, however. Part of what being a leader is to understand who your customers and workers are. Kevin Warren may have had success with the Vikings, but so far has stained the proud legacy of the Big Ten by postponing the start of the season after releasing a schedule. The players wanted to play, and the coaches were in support of them. It hasn't been perfect in the SEC, ACC, and Big XII, but they have played games and have been managing any outbreaks. I expect Warren to resign, and please go back to the NFL. He knows nothing about the culture of the Big Ten, and clearly doesn't understand how passionate the fanbases of the league are. Jim Delaney did a couple of things I disagreed with, but his worst crime in my eyes was moving the basketball tournament away from Chicago and Indy in 2018 and getting the tournament off Selection Sunday for a year. Warren in less than a year cancelled a football season without informing ESPN and Fox after revising the schedule and costing both outlets valuable content for weeks. To make matters worse, those networks might not forgive him in the next round of media rights deals that will happen in the next couple of years. Warren makes Manfred and Goodell look like competent heads of leagues. Do you know how hard that is to do? Just leave already and go back to the Vikings. Then, we can replace him with Congressmen Anthony Gonzalez. The Congressman played football in the Big Ten, is a smart man, and more importantly understands the culture as a native of Ohio. 

However, we can't let the presidents off the hook for this either. It had to take a lawsuit to figure out who voted to cancel, and they then allowed sports to be cut at Iowa and Minnesota. Those athletes may not be revenue producing, but they agreed to represent their schools and are generally speaking very good in the classroom. Will they get their teams back with the money that Fox and ESPN will be paying? When noted Big Ten critics such as Clay Travis and Paul Finebaum are right for calling these "leaders" out and I agree with those two, it's a sad day. When you release a schedule, at least try to honor it. And for the love of God, don't be upset when the college kids try and get around the rules. They are college kids. It's like sometimes they forget they were those college kids back in the day. Plus, the virus is not prevalent that much on college campuses, and you guys freaked out after testing numbers came in. How can you be so surprised that people are going to be sick when you test them? It's like buying your kid McDonalds for weeks and being surprised that they've gained weight. I will not congratulate the Big Ten for doing what they should have done in the first place. Thank the lord that the football parents sued the league. I have defended the league in this space for over a decade, but I won't defend you guys on this one. 

Sorry about that, but it ticks me off when the oldest and greatest conference in the land looks this bad. Ben out. 

Math is hard

 My hometown newspaper, the Post-Crescent of Appleton, Wisconsin, has an alarming headline:

Some. What's going on in Wisconsin? The article reports:

Eight Wisconsin metro areas have landed on the New York Times' list of places across the country where new cases of COVID-19 are rising the fastest. 

La Crosse is number one on the New York Times' list, which was updated Thursday afternoon. In third is Whitewater, and the Oshkosh-Neenah area is in eighth. Stevens Point, Appleton, Platteville, Madison and Green Bay take up the 15th through 19th spots of the list, respectively. 

With the exception of Appleton, all the Wisconsin cities on the list are home to a University of Wisconsin System campus. 

Appleton, in the crosshairs, even without a UW campus! And then we get the numbers:

According to the New York Times' analysis, comparing the number of cases from a week ago to now, adjusting for population, the following Wisconsin metro areas have seen an increase of:

La Crosse: 436 new cases per 100,000 people

Whitewater: 228 new cases per 100,000 people 

Oshkosh-Neenah: 157 new cases per 100,000 people 

Stevens Point: 106 new cases per 100,000 people

Appleton: 105 new cases per 100,000 people 

Platteville: 101 new cases per 100,000 people 

Madison: 98.4 new cases per 100,000 people 

Green Bay: 97.9 new cases per 100,000 people

105 cases per 100,000 people! But let's do the math -- that's 1/10th of 1%. That means 1 out of 1000. This is a crisis?

The Post Crescent used to be an interesting newspaper, but like most daily newspapers in Wisconsin it is now a Gannett property. Those are the same simps who run USA Today. And the dumbed-down version of journalism they've been pumping for 40 years is now what you get in my hometown. This is not progress.

RBG RIP

 

No matter what you may believe about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's jurisprudence, one thing must be said -- she was a hugely consequential figure in American law for much of the past half-century. May she rest in peace. 

Benster and D Pick Your Games: Covid Won't Cancel Us Edition

 Old dude, this year has been a freaking train wreck. Kinda like some of these predictions I have made in the past. 

It's true.

The good news is that the Big Ten presidents didn't cancel these picks. I am feeling the HYYYYYYYPPPEEEE! for this year, and am ready to dish out some knowledge. Watch me work.

Before we do that, a word from our sponsor:

Sponsor? A 40-year old used magazine with David Whitehurst on the cover?

Times are hard, Seabiscuit.

Not that hard, old dude. As I was saying, watch me work!

Glorious Green Bay Packers (+2.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings Well, the Vikings wanted the Packers to open the season, and it is too bad that the People's Stadium is closed off to fans. I'll stop right there as it's too early for me to grind my ax in preparation for some rage. The Vikings come into this year without Diggs, and having extended Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook. This is a home game for them, but there will be no fans. As for the Packers, it's been an entire year of people freaking out about the Packers drafting Jordan Love instead of addressing holes defensively and at wideout. This game is going to be close, as the Packers and Vikings do match up well with each other, and this could go either way. The key for me is can Kirk Cousins be protected against the pass rush, and if the Packers learned their lesson about closing out teams when they have the chance. Packers 24, Vikings 16.

I have no idea. We haven't seen either of these teams play since January. This is gonna be a crap shoot. I'm going to agree with you, but I don't feel strongly about it. Packers 21, Vikings 13.

Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck (+2.5) vs. Detroit LOLions This game is probably going to be a complete dumpster fire, and a hard pass unless you have a rooting interest or you got stuck with skill guys in fantasy football. Da Bearz fans told us all that they ran the division last year. That wasn't their first mistake. Their first mistake was trying to say that with Mitch Trubisky as your starting quarterback. Gino would like to forget that Da Bearz passed up both Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson for Trubisky. For some strange reason, Trubisky is starting over Nick Foles, who was the big trade acquisition for the team in the offseason. I guess Rick Mirer wasn't an interesting replacement. The LOLions are continuing their obsession with trying to clone the Patriots in every single way, but not having Darth Hoodie, Brady the Deflator, and Robert Kraft around. Da Bearz will win, but a fair warning. If this year has been any indication, the Super Bowl will be Browns-Lions. If that is the case, we're screwed. Da Bearz Still Suck 10, LOLions 0.

The apocalypse looks like this:

It's been 63 seasons since those magic moments. I would rule out nothing, but I don't think Tobin Rote is coming through that door. Bears 14, Lions 13.

Enjoy your football and we will be back assuming Kevin Warren doesn't shut us down. Ben out.

Something I don't get

 Why does any Republican sit down for an interview with Bob Woodward? Under any circumstances? I don't think Woodward's latest broadside against Trump is going to make much of a difference, but seriously, Woodward has been in the business of screwing Republicans for nearly 50 years, and yet Trump and the rest of the politicians take his calls and sit for interviews with the guy.

Don't understand it.

Airbrushing

 Don't know whether to laugh or cry about this one. For reasons that are difficult to fathom, someone at CNN decided it was imperative to airbrush the Redskins logo from a stocking cap worn by one of Joe Biden's sons, in a picture that I would guess goes back to the 1970s. Unless someone is afraid the cap will offend the Eagles fans back in Scranton, or something.

Talking Football with Brad Carlson

 It's that time of year again. I will be joining the inimitable Brad Carlson for his radio show tomorrow at 2 p.m. Central. We will be talking NFC North football, with segments devoted to each team in the division. I've been working on my Lions jokes all week in preparation; Bears jokes are always committed to memory. It's always a lot of fun, so join us! But if you really want to do things correctly, tune in at 1 p.m. for the first hour of Brad's show. It's pretty much appointment radio, truth be told.

The particulars:

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out Brad's podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" the Patriot Facebook page.

Almost cut my hair

 We've put up with a lot in the various lockdowns, but patience is growing thin. And behavior of this sort makes continued restrictions seem, well, arbitrary:

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited a hair salon in San Francisco on Monday, her spokesperson confirmed, despite the city's current guidelines intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

San Francisco's coronavirus guidelines allowed personal service providers including hair salons to reopen their businesses for outdoor services starting Tuesday, with clients seen one at a time. Haircuts are permitted, according to the guidance, but shampooing and hair coloring services are not.

Pelosi's spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a statement that Pelosi, D-Calif., was following guidelines as given to her by the salon itself. 

“The Speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements. This business offered for the Speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business. The Speaker complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment," Hammill said.

Fox News first published security camera footage of Pelosi walking through part of eSalon with a stylist in tow, in which she can be seen with wet hair and what appears to be a face mask around her neck, not covering her mouth or nose. The stylist wore a black face mask.

Hammill noted that Pelosi's mask was not on for only a short period of time while her hair was being washed.

Erica Kious, who owns the salon, told Fox News that a stylist who rents a chair in the salon took the appointment with Pelosi. Kious called it a "slap in the face" for Pelosi to get her hair done in the salon while others could not.

Fox News did not publish an explanation by Kious about why the stylist took the appointment or why she "can’t control" what the stylists do, as she told the outlet. USA TODAY has reached out to Kious.

Pelosi is royalty. That's the truth. And given the whiff of French Revolution in the air, she had best be careful.

The world would go on without the NBA playoffs. . .

 . . . which is why the players are going to call off their boycott and play.

After holding a meeting Thursday morning, NBA players have reportedly agreed to resuming the 2020 playoffs, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The three playoff games on Thursday are expected to be postponed, and discussions are underway on when games will be resumed. The meeting came after the postponement of three playoff games on Wednesday, including the Bucks-Magic game in which Milwaukee players staged a walk-out before the start of Game 5. The league's Board of Governors were also expected to have a call this morning to address Wednesday night's walkouts in addition to what needs to happen next. 

Several leaders on the Lakers roster, along with some players from other teams, reportedly stayed up into the early morning hours to hash out their issues inside the bubble. As a result of those talks, all players were able to agree to resume the season, per Wojnarowski.

During a meeting Wednesday evening that consisted of players and coaches, the Lakers and Clippers were among the minority of teams that pushed to end the season, according to Sham Charania of The Athletic. LeBron James said in the meeting he wants the team owners to be more involved and take action. 

LeBron James can call off his season; he's got his pile. His teammates? Maybe not so much. More importantly, the NBA is an multi-billion dollar business that could disappear tomorrow without a lasting impact on our social fabric.

I don't care about LeBron's thoughts on social justice any more than I care about Ted Cruz's basketball prowess. If they both disappeared tomorrow, it would be a tragedy for their families, but life without them wouldn't require much adjustment. 

It's tiring, frankly. I feel like this guy:

We Want Justice/We Want Barabbas

I am a Milwaukee Bucks fan. They assert they want justice, so tonight they scuppered their scheduled game with the Orlando Magic:

The Milwaukee Bucks appear to have boycotted Game 5 of their playoff series against the Orlando Magic due to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, according to social media reports.

TMJ4's Lance Allan reported that neither team was on the floor as the pregame countdown clock hit zero.

So what does justice mean to you? Does it mean cops should stand down in a domestic dispute, with a guy who has a felony warrant out for his arrest? 

Jacob Blake had a long history of entanglement with law enforcement when he lived in Lake County.  

Blake's shooting by police in Kenosha on Sunday sparked destructive riots in the Wisconsin city not far from the state border. 

Records reveal Blake was arrested in 2013 in Round Lake Beach and criminal trespass to a vehicle and arrested in 2012 in Zion, Ill. for domestic battery, endangering the life and health of a child and driving under the influence. 

Blake is currently facing a rape charge in Kenosha.

A warrant was issued for Blake’s arrest on July 7 on felony 3rd degree sexual assault, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, all related to domestic abuse.

Well, he was unarmed, we're told. Or was he? I've seen this image multiple times:

I don't know what he's holding there. It could be a weapon. But we don't know.

We have reason to be skeptical of cops, all of us. Every profession has its bad apples, but most people's jobs do not include the use of deadly force. But do we romanticize bad guys? In this moment, I think we do. There's a reason we learn of Barabbas in all four Gospels. 

Friends and neighbors

On the streets of Minneapolis last night:

In the end, at about 4:22, the Alpha News reporter gets a face full of temporary bollard and her phone is stolen. The phone was apparently found in a fountain the next day, destroyed, but the footage was retrievable. And this video is the footage in question.

You can argue that protest movements are about justice, but this isn't justice. These are not people seeking justice. Larceny and aggravated battery are not justice. There is a fundamental emptiness in their lives, which you can hear in the desperation of their F-bomb laden screeching. And all the SJW cant and street violence cannot fill the void. These are fundamentally broken people. And in their rage, they are intent on dragging others into their void. Don't let them.

Revelations

 At this point we learn more about Trump’s detractors than we do about Trump. The story making the rounds now details how Trump’s older sister, a retired federal judge, apparently shared some uncharitable views of her brother. We know this because Trump’s niece, who is currently marketing a critical book about Trump, had made this known. Trump’s niece apparently recorded 15 hours of conversations with her aunt without disclosing to her aunt that she was recording the conversations. Does that behavior strike you as crappy? It strikes me that way. 

And some of the stories seem, well, off. One states that Trump cheated on the SAT to get into Penn. Since Trump entered Penn as a transfer student from Fordham, it’s preposterous — transfer students don’t retake the SAT to transfer; the college has a transcript to evaluate. That’s a tell.

Trump hate porn is a lucrative industry; my social media feed is replete with lefty college friends who buy all the latest dirt; they have shelves full of books. But these books never move public opinion, because everyone already knows who the Bad Orange Man is. And we should not hesitate to call the industry what it is — an unimaginative circle jerk. 

The Headlines Write Themselves

 It's right there for you:

When you use Urban Dictionary as a style guide

There's a lot more to say about Harris -- her cynicism, her willingness to say damn near anything to get elected, her lazy campaigning -- and we will amplify that as the campaign rolls on. But truth be told, the choice of Harris is puzzling. She doesn't really give Biden what he needs electorally, because California is already in the bag. She's not popular with the various minorities she supposedly represents. She had myriad advantages when she began her campaign, but she pissed all of them away. All you have to do is roll the Tulsi Gabbard critiques to eviscerate Harris's record. 

I don't suppose Biden had any better choice -- if he'd nominated Susan Rice, it would have guaranteed an indictment. He couldn't pick Stacey Abrams, or Karen Bass, or Val Demings. He ruled out anyone with Y chromosomes months ago. 

We'll see what happens, but on balance I think having Harris on the ticket does not help the Democrats in any way.

Delusions

 Seen on social media, from a college friend who runs a successful public relations agency:

We are in a very bad place right now. It feels like much of what makes Chicago so great is slipping away, at least for awhile.

There are a lot of people I respect making statements on all sides of the issue. I am having a difficult time disagreeing with any of them. There is too much to comprehend right now.

I will just add this point-of-view. While the officer-involved shooting was the impetus for the vandalism and looting downtown, the people protesting the shooting are not the people conducting the vandalism and rioting. These are two different groups of people with different motivations. Social justice and criminal behavior live in different worlds. While it's easy to combine the two, it's a trap that emboldens criminals and hinders social justice.

Also, this is not an organized Antifa movement, because Antifa doesn't exist. Buying into the Antifa myth has really dire consequences for all of us.

Antifa doesn't exist? Seriously? And, more importantly, the idea that social justice and criminal behavior live in different worlds is even a larger delusion. We have seen it repeatedly; organizations that purport to fight for social justice are, in the main, rackets. 

Of all the disheartening things I've seen or read in this year of unrelenting awfulness, these statements are the most disheartening. We're never going to get better if we celebrate lies.

Love Lies Bleeding

Since the official start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been to one funeral. The person who died was Mrs. D's cousin, who died of advanced Alzheimer's at the remarkably young age of 55. She did not have COVID-19.

The funeral was small and surreal; maybe 20 people at most. Everyone had to wear a mask and outward displays of affection were not in evidence -- no hugs for the survivors, muffled conversations throughout. The minister who presided noted that this was the first funeral she had done in months.

At least there was a funeral. Many people who have died in the last six months have not had a funeral at all, or much support as they approached the end of their lives.

It wasn't that way for John Lewis, the civil rights leader turned congressman who died last month. Lewis was an important figure in our recent history and no one disputes that he deserved the honors he received, but still, it rankled. Writing for the Spectator USA, Amber Athey noticed:

Funerals are important: they acknowledge the sanctity of life and allow friends and family to come together to grieve their loss. This reality doesn’t change based on how famous or revered an individual was to the general public: it doesn’t hurt any less to say goodbye to someone who was just a dad or just someone’s child or just a dear friend. Their lives aren’t any less significant. Yet politicians have decided that celebrity affords them the right to override the onerous restrictions on funerals that so many average Americans have been forced to accept.

Yes, Georgia is unique in that it allows anyone to have a funeral. However, the governor’s executive order prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people if social distancing cannot be maintained. Photos of Lewis’s funeral in Atlanta showed that many more than 50 people attended and that social distancing was not maintained in parts of the church, nor during the burial outside.

Emphasis in original. Beyond that, other rules don't seem to apply:

At the same. time, a significant number of attendees traveled from out of state to attend the funeral. 50 members of Congress, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi, attended. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone who travels to Washington, DC from a coronavirus ‘hotspot’. Georgia was one of the states designated as a ‘hotspot’ on a list released by the DC government on Monday. Nevertheless, Pelosi (an essential worker) flitted around the Capitol all day Friday, almost gloating about her freedom from the rules. 

This is a dangerous game. People are noticing. Back to Athey:

How could any person who has lost a loved one during the pandemic see this blatant hypocrisy and not be incensed? You had to decide which family member could enter the hospital and be the last to see their father alive. You had to have last rites read over the phone. You could not touch the casket before it’s lowered into the ground. You could not embrace each other as the dirt was shoveled. All the while, the same politicians who lectured you about making sacrifices to stop the spread traveled with impunity, attended large funerals without proper social distancing and avoided quarantines upon their return.

We are told, incessantly, that this crisis will not end unless people mask up and get with the program. We are sitting on a powder keg. Many of us have reasons to grieve, but those reasons don't seem to matter unless you are a politician with the proper credentials, or some other A-lister or grandee. Meanwhile, the march of restrictions rolls on. You and I have to wear masks. It would seem masks are not necessary where the air is rarefied. Know your place and breathe deeply.