Friday, December 9, 2022
Biden Leaves Marine Paul Whelan Behind in Russia in Brittney Griner Swap; Family: ‘Catastrophe’
On Thursday, it was revealed that President Joe Biden’s administration had returned Griner to U.S. custody after she had been sentenced for a drug charge. In exchange, it gave Russia convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
But Whelan was left behind in Russia, though the Biden administration had been telling reporters for months that the U.S. was trying to secure his release as well. He has been imprisoned on spying charges that he denies.
NBC News reported Thursday that Whelan’s relatives said they had been warned in advance of the impending Griner swap — and that it would not include Whelan — so they could prepare themselves for disappointment:
Whelan’s brother, David Whelan, said in a statement that while he can “literally only imagine the joy [Griner] will have, being reunited with her loved ones, and in time for the holidays,” the inability to also bring Whelan home remains difficult for the family to process.Biden’s prisoner swap continues a pattern in which Democratic administrations swap high-level prisoners, and even pallets of cash, for Americans held abroad. President Donald Trump used threats and pressure instead.
“That early warning meant that our family has been able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us. And a catastrophe for Paul,” David Whelan said. “I do not know if he is aware yet, although he will surely learn from Russian media.”
The choice of Griner over Whelan may reflect the preferences of Biden’s political base. The WNBA star and celebrity is also a black lesbian, who protested the U.S. national anthem. Whelan is a middle-aged white man.
Biden ran in 2020 on the claim that President Trump did not care about the men and women of the...
The 90 Miles Mystery Video: Nyctophilia Edition #1227
Before You Click On The "Read More" Link,
Please Only Do So If You Are Over 21 Years Old.
If You are Easily Upset, Triggered Or Offended, This Is Not The Place For You.
Please Leave Silently Into The Night......
The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #1927
You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?
It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,
from the beautiful to the repugnant,
from the mysterious to the familiar.
If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,
you could be inspired, you could be appalled.
This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.
You have been warned.
Thursday, December 8, 2022
Not a Joke: Ford Says Don't Use Heater in Electric Truck in Winter to Save Battery - But That's Not All
Winter is coming.
OK, technically meteorological winter arrived last week, beginning as it does every year on Dec. 1. Astronomical winter, which is the one that shows up on your calendar as “First Day of Winter,” doesn’t kick off until Dec. 21.
But if you drive a Ford F-150 Lighting electric pickup truck, it may have felt like winter to you for quite a while already, especially if you live in a colder climate and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for extending the vehicle’s range during the snowy season.
Because I don’t want to be accused of taking anything out of context, I’m going to just list those recommendations in their entirety, commenting as I go. (I’ll put Ford’s wording in italics for clarity, and I won’t cut anything they wrote — you can double-check me here if you’re the less trusting sort.)
1. Park your F-150 Lightning in a garage whenever possible.
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I’d say that’s generally good advice for all vehicles. Keeping your car in a garage preserves its paint and wax jobs, as well as keeping it safer from vandalism and theft.
2. Keep your F-150 Lightning plugged in when parked.
Do the kids still say “duh” anymore? Because I feel like that’s the proper response here. “Want better battery life from your EV?” Ford seems to be asking. “Try plugging it in when you can.” Gee, thanks for the tip, Ford.
3. If planning a longer commute, precondition your vehicle using departure times to warm the battery while plugged-in by using the FordPass app or your trucks center screen.
This one raises several questions. Why is “plugged-in” hyphenated? Why does Ford allow people who don’t know how possessives work in English to publish on its website? Why would pre-warming your battery be more useful before “long commutes” than it would before short drives? A little explanation would be nice.
4. If equipped, use the heated seats and steering wheel as primary heat to reduce energy consumed by HVAC.
This is probably acceptable advice — if the temperature were, say, above 40 degrees. In the 40s and 50s, the heated seats would likely be sufficient to keep me comfortable. But there are parts of the country that don’t see 40 degrees for days, weeks, even months at a time. You’re going to tell people in Boston, Fargo or Nome to rely on heated seats? Do you even watch “Life Below Zero,” bro?
5. When charging, turn off the heater if possible, or lower the temperature enough to remain comfortable. (Especially when using DCFC)
DCFC, by the way, stands for “Direct Current Fast Charging,” which I hope electric vehicle owners know, because Ford made no effort to explain it on the page. Anyone trying to charge their vehicle using the Detroit City Football Club or a Death Cab for Cutie CD is going to be disappointed.
Again, this advice probably works adequately in...
Kirk Cameron Can’t Read His Children’s Book To Kids Unless He Dresses Like A Prostitute And Gyrates For Their Singles
How does it go again? …Something, something ‘blessings of liberty’?
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and self-control. But the fruit of public libraries is faux diversity, drag queens, and rejection of the sexes — which is why the taxpayer-funded cesspools are “not interested” in giving Kirk Cameron a storytime slot to read his new children’s book on the fruit of the Spirit to kids.
The actor, writer, and producer “has not gotten a single ‘yes’ from the 50-plus public libraries his publisher has contacted so far,” Fox News reported in a Wednesday exclusive. According to Cameron’s publisher and Fox’s scouring of the libraries’ websites, “Many of the same libraries that won’t give Cameron a slot … are actively offering ‘drag queen’ story hours or similar programs for kids and young people.”
It’s not only drag queen story hours, where adult men derive pleasure from strapping on prosthetic breasts, painting theatrical contour all over their masculine faces, and sporting fishnet tights for an audience of children. These libraries reportedly host queer book clubs, a series called “Every Month Is Pride Month,” and so-called “get free help” events where attorneys and other volunteers help patrons fill out legal paperwork to change their names, record themselves as the opposite sex (or sexless entirely), and alter birth certificates, Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, IDs, and passports. But if you want to read to kids about gentleness, goodness, and kindness, it’s a hard no.
How does it go again? … Something, something “blessings of liberty”?
The self-important and self-appointed “principled conservatives” have expended much energy lecturing right-wing culture warriors who resist this debauchery. When conservatives took offense at libraries using their tax dollars to sponsor sexualized events that spit in the face of their deeply held religious beliefs, The Principled Conservatives™ were there with a finger wag and a condescending, First Amendment! Tsk! Viewpoint neutrality!
Drag queens reading to innocents is just one of those great “blessings of liberty,” went the spiel, and the right couldn’t possibly ban provocative cross-dressers from reading to kiddos in public spaces or else Christians would soon be banished from those same spaces.
Here’s a snippet from The New Yorker summarizing such an exchange from the debate between Sohrab Amari and David French (Mr. “Blessings of Liberty” himself):
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