Jeopardy!

minisJeopardy

On November 8, 2020, Jeopardy!‘s legions of fans received the devastating news that beloved quizmaster Alex Trebek had passed away after announcing a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer two years earlier. The 80-year-old hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons.

The show had recently begun airing new episodes again, after halting production from March to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeopardy‘s current stock of pre-taped episodes—enough of them to last until Christmas—will constitute Trebek’s final appearances. These episodes include some social distancing (contestants’ podiums are farther apart) but are otherwise comfortingly the same as always.

Indeed, Jeopardy! has changed very little since Trebek took over for Art Fleming in 1984. The show enjoyed decades of cultural relevance, in large part due to its host. A consummate professional, Trebek made sure that Jeopardy! was a serious but accessible intellectual contest—one that rewards players for familiarity with pop culture but also demands knowledge of literature, classical music, and geography.

Under his stewardship, the show mercifully avoided the relentless politicization that has wormed its way into so many facets of modern entertainment. Jeopardy! is something that Trump-loving grandparents and liberal Gen Zers can enjoy together with nary a feud. Whoever takes over for Trebek should endeavor to keep it that way.

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Trial 4

minisTrial-4Netflix

Trial 4 is the story of Sean Ellis, accused of the brutal killing of Boston Detective John Mulligan in a Walgreens parking lot and imprisoned for more than 20 years as a result. The eight-episode Netflix series follows the well-established conventions of the genre set by hit shows such as Making a Murderer. There’s the colorful crusading lawyer, the clues that don’t add up, the enterprising local journalist, the teary significant other, the turgid atmospheric soundtrack, and finally the broader socio-political relevance.

The reason the genre is so popular and compelling, though, is because at the center of each story is a heartbreaking injustice. As presented in Trial 4, the evidence against then-19-year-old Ellis is astonishingly weak, while the racial animus and self-serving corruption in the Boston police department is appallingly pervasive. The series gets its name from the fact that Ellis is awaiting his fourth trial—after two mistrials and a wrongful conviction—for a murder committed in 1993. His story, and so many others like it, are vivid illustrations of the principle that justice delayed is justice denied.

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Brickbats: January 2021

brickbats1-jan-2021

French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to ban homeschooling as part of a draft law to combat radical Islam and religious separatism. Under his proposal, starting with the 2021 school year, all children over age 3 will have to attend a school registered with the government unless the child has a medical exemption.

Six officers of the Los Angeles Police Department have been charged with falsifying information they placed into a state database. Prosecutors accuse the defendants of claiming that people admitted to being gang members “even though body-worn camera video showed the defendants either never asked the individuals about their gang membership or the individuals denied gang membership if they were asked.”

When Harris County, Texas, sheriff’s deputies arrived at his home seeking a man named Curtis Rogers, Louis Rodriguez told them they had the wrong house. Rodriguez, a retired police officer, then asked for their warrant. Instead of producing one, they knocked in his door and forced him and his family outside. The cops soon realized they were, as Rodriguez had told them, at the wrong house.

The Berkeley, California, City Council has unanimously voted to bar junk food from the checkout lanes of local supermarkets. The new law applies to anything with over 5 grams of added sugar or 250 milligrams of sodium as well as drinks with high levels of sugar or artificial -sweeteners.

Pineville, Louisiana, police officer John Goulart Jr. claimed he’d been shot in the leg in an ambush. But officials say he accidentally shot himself and made up the story to cover it up. Goulart has been charged with criminal mischief and malfeasance in office.

 

Australian Border Force Officials seized a woman’s AU$26,000 (about $19,000) legally purchased alligator-skin purse and destroyed it because she had not purchased a AU$70 ($50) import license. Officials say she also could have been fined for trying to bring it into the country without a permit.

A sharia court in Nigeria has sentenced Omar Farouq, 13, to a decade in prison for blasphemy. He was accused of using foul language about Allah in conversation with a friend. The same court recently sentenced singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu to death for blaspheming Mohammed.

San Francisco officials have kept private gyms closed for months to reduce the spread of coronavirus. But some city-owned gyms have remained open, allowing police officers and other municipal employees to work out.

Former Bridgeport, Connecticut, police chief Armando “A.J.” Perez and David Dunn, the city’s acting personnel director, are facing federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and making false statements to investigators. Prosecutors say the two men rigged the police chief’s exam two years ago to make sure Perez got the post.

One Mason, Michigan, resident decided to express skepticism of absentee voting by placing a toilet on the front lawn with a sign reading, “Place Mail In Ballots Here.” Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum then filed a complaint with the police over the installation, saying it’s illegal. “It’s solicitation of absentee ballots into a container,” Byrum said. “Our election integrity is not a game. I expect everyone to act appropriately, and this is unacceptable.”

 

The British government has banned plastic straws, cutlery, and stirrers, as well as cotton swabs, in what officials say is an effort to reduce pollution. People with certain medical conditions will still be able to ask for plastic straws in restaurants and buy them at pharmacies.

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Jeopardy!

minisJeopardy

On November 8, 2020, Jeopardy!‘s legions of fans received the devastating news that beloved quizmaster Alex Trebek had passed away after announcing a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer two years earlier. The 80-year-old hosted Jeopardy! for 37 seasons.

The show had recently begun airing new episodes again, after halting production from March to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeopardy‘s current stock of pre-taped episodes—enough of them to last until Christmas—will constitute Trebek’s final appearances. These episodes include some social distancing (contestants’ podiums are farther apart) but are otherwise comfortingly the same as always.

Indeed, Jeopardy! has changed very little since Trebek took over for Art Fleming in 1984. The show enjoyed decades of cultural relevance, in large part due to its host. A consummate professional, Trebek made sure that Jeopardy! was a serious but accessible intellectual contest—one that rewards players for familiarity with pop culture but also demands knowledge of literature, classical music, and geography.

Under his stewardship, the show mercifully avoided the relentless politicization that has wormed its way into so many facets of modern entertainment. Jeopardy! is something that Trump-loving grandparents and liberal Gen Zers can enjoy together with nary a feud. Whoever takes over for Trebek should endeavor to keep it that way.

from Latest – Reason.com https://ift.tt/352Fw1V
via IFTTT

Trial 4

minisTrial-4Netflix

Trial 4 is the story of Sean Ellis, accused of the brutal killing of Boston Detective John Mulligan in a Walgreens parking lot and imprisoned for more than 20 years as a result. The eight-episode Netflix series follows the well-established conventions of the genre set by hit shows such as Making a Murderer. There’s the colorful crusading lawyer, the clues that don’t add up, the enterprising local journalist, the teary significant other, the turgid atmospheric soundtrack, and finally the broader socio-political relevance.

The reason the genre is so popular and compelling, though, is because at the center of each story is a heartbreaking injustice. As presented in Trial 4, the evidence against then-19-year-old Ellis is astonishingly weak, while the racial animus and self-serving corruption in the Boston police department is appallingly pervasive. The series gets its name from the fact that Ellis is awaiting his fourth trial—after two mistrials and a wrongful conviction—for a murder committed in 1993. His story, and so many others like it, are vivid illustrations of the principle that justice delayed is justice denied.

from Latest – Reason.com https://ift.tt/3n9dyHT
via IFTTT

Brickbats: January 2021

brickbats1-jan-2021

French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to ban homeschooling as part of a draft law to combat radical Islam and religious separatism. Under his proposal, starting with the 2021 school year, all children over age 3 will have to attend a school registered with the government unless the child has a medical exemption.

Six officers of the Los Angeles Police Department have been charged with falsifying information they placed into a state database. Prosecutors accuse the defendants of claiming that people admitted to being gang members “even though body-worn camera video showed the defendants either never asked the individuals about their gang membership or the individuals denied gang membership if they were asked.”

When Harris County, Texas, sheriff’s deputies arrived at his home seeking a man named Curtis Rogers, Louis Rodriguez told them they had the wrong house. Rodriguez, a retired police officer, then asked for their warrant. Instead of producing one, they knocked in his door and forced him and his family outside. The cops soon realized they were, as Rodriguez had told them, at the wrong house.

The Berkeley, California, City Council has unanimously voted to bar junk food from the checkout lanes of local supermarkets. The new law applies to anything with over 5 grams of added sugar or 250 milligrams of sodium as well as drinks with high levels of sugar or artificial -sweeteners.

Pineville, Louisiana, police officer John Goulart Jr. claimed he’d been shot in the leg in an ambush. But officials say he accidentally shot himself and made up the story to cover it up. Goulart has been charged with criminal mischief and malfeasance in office.

 

Australian Border Force Officials seized a woman’s AU$26,000 (about $19,000) legally purchased alligator-skin purse and destroyed it because she had not purchased a AU$70 ($50) import license. Officials say she also could have been fined for trying to bring it into the country without a permit.

A sharia court in Nigeria has sentenced Omar Farouq, 13, to a decade in prison for blasphemy. He was accused of using foul language about Allah in conversation with a friend. The same court recently sentenced singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu to death for blaspheming Mohammed.

San Francisco officials have kept private gyms closed for months to reduce the spread of coronavirus. But some city-owned gyms have remained open, allowing police officers and other municipal employees to work out.

Former Bridgeport, Connecticut, police chief Armando “A.J.” Perez and David Dunn, the city’s acting personnel director, are facing federal charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and making false statements to investigators. Prosecutors say the two men rigged the police chief’s exam two years ago to make sure Perez got the post.

One Mason, Michigan, resident decided to express skepticism of absentee voting by placing a toilet on the front lawn with a sign reading, “Place Mail In Ballots Here.” Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum then filed a complaint with the police over the installation, saying it’s illegal. “It’s solicitation of absentee ballots into a container,” Byrum said. “Our election integrity is not a game. I expect everyone to act appropriately, and this is unacceptable.”

 

The British government has banned plastic straws, cutlery, and stirrers, as well as cotton swabs, in what officials say is an effort to reduce pollution. People with certain medical conditions will still be able to ask for plastic straws in restaurants and buy them at pharmacies.

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Brickbat: Frozen Out

hongkongprotests_1161x653

Chinese officials raided the Good Neighbor North District Church in Hong Kong, arresting two people. The pastor, Roy Chan, was out of the country with his wife, but he found that his bank account as well as those of his wife and the church had been frozen. He and his wife have been charged with money laundering and fraud, with the Chinese government accusing him of under-reporting church donations. He denies those charges and says the government is retaliating against him for his efforts to protect pro-democracy protesters earlier this year, when he and other elderly church members would place themselves between protesters and police in an effort to keep the police from beating the protesters.

from Latest – Reason.com https://ift.tt/38SznGQ
via IFTTT

Brickbat: Frozen Out

hongkongprotests_1161x653

Chinese officials raided the Good Neighbor North District Church in Hong Kong, arresting two people. The pastor, Roy Chan, was out of the country with his wife, but he found that his bank account as well as those of his wife and the church had been frozen. He and his wife have been charged with money laundering and fraud, with the Chinese government accusing him of under-reporting church donations. He denies those charges and says the government is retaliating against him for his efforts to protect pro-democracy protesters earlier this year, when he and other elderly church members would place themselves between protesters and police in an effort to keep the police from beating the protesters.

from Latest – Reason.com https://ift.tt/38SznGQ
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2020’s Bio-Economic World War: Communist China Lied; Millions Of Humans Died

2020’s Bio-Economic World War: Communist China Lied; Millions Of Humans Died

Authored by Austin Bay via The Epoch Times,

The Chinese Communist Party’s COVID-19/Wuhan virus disinformation campaign (cover-up) rates as 2020’s biggest Big Lie. By any measure, especially body count, the CCP committed 2020’s most consequential and deadliest falsehood.

The following analysis summarizes decisions and actions by China’s communist rulers from December 2019’s final days through the end of January 2020, when U.S. President Donald Trump shut down air travel between mainland China and America.

(1) China’s rulers – or their frightened commissar and police apparatchiks – brutalized and jailed the doctors and researchers who identified the disease as a threat to life and sought to warn other Chinese and medical authorities worldwide.

(2) As these brave MDs went to jail for doing a doctor’s duty, the dictatorship initiated narrative warfare. Lower-level government mouths and controlled media denied the epidemic’s outbreak.

(3) While spinning up The Big Lie, totalitarian China, which employs The Great Firewall of China to block internet access, allowed Chinese travelers (especially Chinese New Year vacationers) to spread the disease to exotic and non-exotic – but always human biotic – international locales.

Were these decisions and actions genocidal calculation or the usual dictatorial ineptitude? That isn’t the critical killer question. Note to readers: I originally wrote “strategic issue” instead of “killer question” and then realized that “strategic issue” was a beltway euphemism.

The killer: Bio-economic attacks target everyone’s life first and wallet second. So you survive the disease. Your country suffers a costly hit to food and health.

In early January, the CCP dictatorship confronted this strategic issue: a domestic epidemic that would damage the Chinese economy.

Fact: China’s brutal dictatorship relies on economic success to pacify disgruntled citizens who know how to evade the Great Firewall and thus know the CCP ordered the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, which killed over 2,000 Chinese citizens. Economic success? Translation: material bribes like small electric cars and cellphones.

What did the dictatorship do? It decided to export the contagion.

The dictatorship’s cruel analysis: The Wuhan virus pandemic imperiled the CCP’s strategic plan to dominate the globe. Ipso facto, the CCP could not let China’s economy alone suffer the Wuhan virus. Exporting the epidemic would slow the economies of China’s free market and ideological competitors. Bonus: It might sow social discontent, particularly in the United States, where freedom of movement is regarded as a right.

China’s dictatorship concealed its callous decision to infect planet Earth. It quickly deployed a propaganda and narrative warfare campaign utilizing its worldwide political, economic, academic, and intelligence agency assets.

China’s communist dictatorship decided to wage a new form of bio-economic war on human beings worldwide.

Pay careful attention (for bribed critics and ChiCom trolls will not). I’m not arguing the virus was a bio-weapon in the military and medical definition of a biological attack on animals or plants. I am arguing the CCP leadership allowed the virus to spread beyond China so every other nation would suffer the disease’s medical, economic, and social consequences.

That decision amounts to waging bio-economic warfare on non-People’s Republic of China human beings and their economies, from wealthy nations to wretchedly poor nations.

At the moment, the Wuhan virus savages sub-Saharan African nations. Over the last four weeks, U.N. agencies have issued warnings of starvation conditions in South Sudan. The epidemic inhibits food distribution in South Sudan. Thus, Chinese communist bio-economic warfare kills the poorest of the poor. Superficial media miss this story and miss the Wuhan virus-starvation connection.

Perhaps the miss isn’t unintentional. Chinese-influenced organizations, particularly in academia and media, contributed to 2020’s Big Lie. U.S Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) is clearly a CCP-corrupted politician.

As 2021 begins, the CCP cover-up will continue. A CCP court just sentenced citizen-journalist Zhang Zhan to prison for questioning the CCP’s early 2020 falsehoods.

Zhan will spend four years in jail for telling the truth about communist China’s Big Lie.

*  *  *

Austin Bay is a colonel (ret.) in the U.S. Army Reserve, author, syndicated columnist, and teacher of strategy and strategic theory at the University of Texas–Austin. His latest book is “Cocktails from Hell: Five Wars Shaping the 21st Century.”

Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/31/2020 – 23:30

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/3aXxIlS Tyler Durden

America’s Top New Year’s Resolutions For 2021

America’s Top New Year’s Resolutions For 2021

For many, 2020 has been ‘a year’, which makes getting a fresh start in 2021 feel very appealing.

The turn of the calendar brings both the opportunity to reflect on the last 12 months and, as Statista’s Claire Jenik notes below, the chance to begin planning for the next dozen.

For 2021, many Americans are making the resolution to adopt healthy habits – concerning their bodies, minds and finances.

Infographic: America's Top New Year's Resolutions for 2021 | Statista

You will find more infographics at Statista

As the Holiday Season Report from our Statista Global Consumer Survey shows, out of all US participants who said they were making one or several new year’s resolutions, 44 percent wanted to exercise more, while 42% planned to eat healthier in 2021. More popular resolutions for the upcoming year also circled around improving one’s health, with weight loss and quit smoking being among the favorite answers.

After almost a year of social distancing, often also from close family members and loved ones, 34 percent said that they wanted to spend more time with family and friends.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/31/2020 – 23:05

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2JxCviy Tyler Durden