Chet Collins

As Coronavirus Rebounds, Europe Rejects New Lockdowns - WSJ

Mr. Goosens said he is now advising policy makers to shift their messaging and ask people not to rely on government measures but to take personal responsibility to curb the disease by adhering to social distancing, wearing masks, avoiding crowded spaces and staying away from people at greater risk.

Solid.

Just-Laid-Off Minneapolis Police Officer Looks On Helplessly As Rioters Burn Down City Council Members' Homes - The Babylon Bee

Lieutenant Chris Gastelum was laid off yesterday by the Minneapolis Police Department after the city council voted to defund the police. As he was walking home, he saw, by chance, some rioters throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of several city council members. But, sadly, he was powerless to do anything, as he’d just turned in his gun and badge.

Barr Condemns Justice Department Prosecutors - WSJ

“Advocating for clear and defined prohibitions will sometimes mean that we cannot bring charges against someone who we believe is engaged in bad conduct. But that is what it means to be a government of laws and not men. We cannot let our desire to get bad people turn into the functional equivalent of the Mad Emperor Caligula.”

Excellent philosophy!

Top New Jersey Democrats Agree to Raise Taxes on Millionaires - WSJ

“Gov. Murphy’s plan to raise taxes is a gift for the Florida economy and a nightmare for New Jersey,” Mr. Bramnick said in a written statement.

Ain’t that the truth!

The stock iOS Calendar.app’s widget is keeping it 💯

Made my favorite, but most technical, dinner tonight: a savory meat pie.

Excited about the release of Safari 14.

It Takes a Superspreader to Know a Superspreader - WSJ

‘Voting by mail is now common enough and problematic enough that election experts say there have been multiple elections in which no one can say with confidence which candidate was the deserved winner.”

NYT, 2012.

“While fraud in voting by mail is far less common than innocent errors, it is vastly more prevalent than . . . in-person voting fraud”

CNN Criticizes Israel, Arab Leaders For Shaking Hands In The Middle Of A Pandemic - The Babylon Bee

CNN and other media outlets attacked President Trump and foreign leaders this week after footage emerged of Israeli and Arab leaders standing closer than six feet apart and embracing in a peace accord, clearly violating COVID social distancing protocol. Pictures and footage show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministers of UAE and Bahrain completely ignoring social distancing as they smile warmly and shake hands while signing historic peace accords between the three nations.

This would be much funnier if it weren’t so close to the reality of the coverage.

Talk about a big day!

The original Pink Panther show from 1969 is on Amazon Prime Video and my kids love it.

I always enjoy the first time driving on a new set of tires.

This Apple Event is snooze.com.

Vatican Looks to Extend Church Leadership Agreement With China Despite Criticism - WSJ

Under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the country’s ruling Communist Party has steadily tightened its grip on religion, in particular Islam and Christianity. Authorities have converted mosques into gift shops, ripped crosses from church roofs and blanketed religious communities in digital surveillance—part of an effort to eliminate what party documents describe as ideological threats to its rule.

So, yeah, let’s keep it going.

Christmas shopping in September is a wonderful thing. 🎄

Facebook Buys REI’s Elaborate New Headquarters as Covid-19 Pandemic Prompts a Sale - WSJ

Facebook Inc. is buying Recreational Equipment Inc.’s custom-made new headquarters near Seattle, the latest sign that big technology companies are driving commercial real estate markets during the coronavirus pandemic.

Glad that REI found a buyer for their white elephant.

Audience Boos As Football Game Breaks Out At Political Rally - The Babylon Bee

“I come to these to be lectured and talked down to,” said Jeremy Hopkins, one of the attendees. “I don’t want to be entertained. Who thought this was a good idea?”

Done with my walk, dressed for the day. Enjoying a few quiet moments in the dawn’s early light looking out into our backyard before the littles start to stir.

The Opioid Crisis, Already Serious, Has Intensified During Coronavirus Pandemic - WSJ

The pandemic has destabilized people trying to maintain sobriety or who are struggling with addiction during a time of increased social isolation and stress, according to treatment providers and public-health authorities.

So much for the false notion that lockdowns must be extended if it would save “even just one life.”