Greetings one and all, and welcome back to Laura's Links.
This is the last batch of links for the Jewish year – Rosh Hashanah. So if my intro feels shorter than usual, it probably is because we are knee deep in preparations now and there's lots going on around me. As we get closer to sundown, the table will be set with white linen, candles will be lit, special prayers will be said in synagogue and a variety of unique blessings will be part of the festive meal. The Ten Days of Awe are upon us. By the time you read this, the holiday will have started so I won't see you in the comment section until Wednesday night. Lots more here on Rosh Hashanah for those who are interested.
There has been a lot of chatter this week about a whackadoodle Rolling Stone story. In case you missed it, the article claimed, via a physician, that the American hospital where he worked was overwhelmed and unable to properly treat gunshot patients because you dumb, primitive, anti-science, unwashed Rethuglican bible-thumbers have been overdosing on cow meds. If it sounds far-fetched, it was. It stunk from the beginning. Various pearl-clutchers from Conservative Inc. pounced on it, and, as it was being thoroughly debunked, were yelling about HOW DARE THEY NOT TAKE IT DOWN.
They were tweeting their little hearts out: hey Rolling Stone and other media outlets, it's fake, it's lies, it's not a correction, it's a retraction, WHY DO YOU STILL HAVE THIS UP? Honestly, I'm getting tired of repeating myself, but it's hard to believe that all these geniuses, and some not-so-geniuses, with all of their various huge platforms are actually this stupid. Loud, faux outrage is part of their predictable, profitable schtick. (As Mark said earlier this week in his live Clubland Q&A, the main thing 'conservatives' seem to do is just yell "do ya wanna fix things, well, hey we have the solution, just send money to sendmoney.com").
Memo from me to you about Mainstream Media Scumbags: The reason this fake story is still up is because they are shoving in your face that they can lie without consequence. These people are serious about serving their narrative. They stick to it. They never apologize. This is not a whoops thing. This is how real power is served – straight into your face 24/7, with no letting up and no looking back. Honestly, "conservatives" could, once again, learn a few things from these repulsive liars. Not to lie, but to never back down and never grovel or apologize. It should worry everyone that governments and their media cheerleaders are getting between physicians and patients, about medications or anything else. It's reprehensible, unethical and immoral, and we are just watching things get out of control.
On the flip side, there are media greats. I've got to hand it to Tucker Carlson. Not only does he have the great sense to have the Prophet Mark Steyn on his show on a regular basis, but he is basically the Carnac the Magnificent of the political right. Whatever I want to hear more about, he's on it. The monologues! The delivery! So good. His comic timing! Perfect. And an abundance of common sense. Be sure to read this – all of it.
Last week, I was taking a walk with my son and we passed by a house with a beautiful, colourful, robust garden. It actually gets fuller and more beautiful each year. Once it's spring, we see the elderly homeowner crouched on a little step-stool, pulling out weeds one at a time, trimming here and there and planting bulbs, annuals and perennials. I am always in awe of people who garden so passionately. I understand it's relaxing and therapeutic for them (I personally have a black thumb and kill all plants, but I keep my kids and family fed, healthy and watered so that's my upper limit on responsibility for living things), but it also creates something beautiful for others to enjoy. As we walked past, she said hello. I said hello back and said "Wow, so beautiful". She thanked me. I waited a few seconds and then added "and the garden is alright, too". It took her a few seconds for the coin to drop, but then she smiled from ear to ear and said "you have no idea how much I needed to hear that today, thank you so much, you made my day". Someone I have only cursory contact with on social media reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and had the same effect on me, sending me positive words and thoughts. She made my day. It was quite a lovely gift –soothing and encouraging words. Priceless.
For Jews, the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is when G-d decides what kind of a year we will all have. All is decided by G-d, written in the Book of Life and then sealed for the year. G-d shapes and makes our days but we here on Earth are blessed in abundance because we have today, blessed with every day we have, and every moment. We are blessed when we choose to make the days of others around us and choose to use our words, our actions and our G-d given talents to fill our world with goodness and meaning.
My best wishes to the Jewish readers of SteynOnline for a healthy and happy new year, and abundant blessings to all. May this year bring you all good health, happiness and joy and let us all pray for a swift and definitive end to the real plague of our time-the tyranny and evil of communist China and its leftist cheerleaders, and all of the other profoundly dark forces, political and religious, that we must fight against now and forever.
Shana Tova V'Metukah!
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North America:
"I couldn't look at him any more after that."
American tyranny. Are we sure this is about a virus?
Dancing forbidden at Windsor, Ontario weddings unless you are the bride and groom. Are we sure this is about a virus, or, as this astute woman suggests: "If this were a real emergency measure, it wouldn't be announced 17 days in advance. Real emergency responses are immediate.This is puritan political theatre - sumptuary laws where killing joy is the point, since joy detracts from the consuming solemnity of COVID biopolitics."
Well said: five ways to deal with the Covid "Karens" in your life.
As the great Daniel Greenfield says: "While we're teaching our kids to be woke, they're teaching their children to win at any cost."
China: teaches kids to launch missiles. White House: HOLD MY BEER.
At what point can we talk about obesity and Covid? America, you know I love you but you are too fat. Way too much blubber down there. England, you're too fat also.
"It may be ironic..." ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME???
"How the National Review Sold Its Soul to Google."
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Israel and Jews:
The Nazis didn't kill him, but Covid did. RIP.
One shot, two shots, three shots, four, five INFINITY!!!!!
Sweden bans Israeli travellers.
Moses lived to be 120. Lessons from Moses: "Moses' life should inspire us to live our own lives to the fullest, the consciousness of our Divine mission permeating every minute and every item in our lives. When we do so, we dissolve the artificial division of the spiritual and the physical, revealing the innate Divinity underlying all reality."
Europe is a big Jewish cemetery.
Israel is still a strong horse for now, but PM Naftali Bennet seems pretty determined to mess that up.
Rosh Hashanah is "the Anti-Socialism Jewish holiday".
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Formerly Great Britain:
You may be having a bad day, but at least it's not your own personal gonorrhoea doomsday. That would probably be worse.
"We all must be free to blaspheme the Duchess of Woke." Endorsed.
"Has the western world gone mad?"
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Taliban Land:
Demographic wonders from Afghanistan. Read the whole report here. Seems at least equal if not worse than Pakistan and Bradford, England. Celebrate cultural exports! Yah, let's bring more of these folks onto our shores.
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Evil, Wicked, Murderous, Communist China:
The barbarians get something right.
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Misc Cool Stuff:
Do you suck at Google searches (if you use it)? Tips from a pro.
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Humourless, Kook, Predatory Left, Wokestapo and Trans:
Behold: the misogyny of the left.
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Human Grace:
"I realized how precious she was." Full interview here
It's open thread time! Log into SteynOnline and let Laura know what you think of these stories or other happenings from week that was. Commenting privileges are among the many perks of membership in The Mark Steyn Club. While going off topic is permitted on Laura's Links, do stick to the other rules as you engage: no URLs, no profanity, and no ad hominem attacks.