"I'm Too Old For This Shit" (opens in separate window)
a new american nightmare
friday, december 27th, 2024
This (last) week noisy Leftists on the internet cheered on the cold-blooded murder of a working-class boy done good. Worse, they lusted like hormonal teens after the suspect in this cruel slaying: a young man born into eye-watering privilege who has enjoyed the kind of charmed life most of us can only dream of.
I have known for years that the online Left was losing the moral plot. But if you had told me that one day they would celebrate the slaughter of a man from a humble background in which the suspect is a swaggering rich kid, even I would have struggled to believe it. Luigi Mangione has been hailed by some as a one-man revolt against corporate greed.
This, at root, is what the creepy idolisation of Luigi Mangione represents.
Strip away all the TikTok guff about him being a modern-day Robin Hood. Ignore the apologetics of Leftish talking-heads who fantasise that Mangione has stuck it to The Man. For what we’re talking about here is the assassination of a man from a working-class family who yanked himself up by his bootstraps to become a CEO at one of America’s largest health-insurance companies.
That man was Brian Thompson. He was the CEO of UnitedHealth. He was 50 years old and a dad of two. And last Wednesday he was gunned down in Manhattan, allegedly by Mangione.
Everyone with an internet connection will know what happened next. There arose a creepy Mangione fanclub. A cult -- part political, part sexual -- spread like a pox through the crankier parts of the web.
Some hailed Mangione as a one-man revolt against corporate greed. Others seemed more interested in his actual body than his body of ideas. His six-pack has conquered social media.
The end result of all this Mangionemania has been horrible. When UnitedHealth took to Facebook to confirm the death of its CEO, thousands of lowlifes clogged up the comments section with the cry-laughing emoji.
What has been lost in this Helter Skelter-like hate for Thompson and love for Mangione is the class dynamics of this terrible tragedy. This may indeed have been an act of class war, just not in the way the Leftists simping for Luigi would have us believe.
It’s Thompson who was the American Everyman, not Mangione. He grew up in a working-class family in Jewell, Iowa. His mother was a beautician, his father worked in a grain-storage facility.
Thompson spent the summers of his youth pulling weeds or doing hard graft on turkey farms and hog farms. He was “just a farm kid”, said a childhood pal. He was “a great, silly, funny, smart guy”.
He studied business administration at the University of Iowa. His folks must have beamed with pride when he soared in the corporate world.
Mangione’s origin story could not be more different. He’s the grandson of a super-wealthy real-estate developer. He attended an elite prep school in Baltimore. He went on to study in the leafy surrounds of that citadel of Ivy League learning: the University of Pennsylvania.
Thompson embodied the American Dream – the man from meek beginnings who seized every opportunity to rise up and better his life. Mangione speaks to a new American Nightmare: well-off kids losing their marbles as they get sucked in by weird ideologies online. And now he’s the suspect in a murder.
If Mangione’s and Thompson’s paths did indeed cross last week, to my mind it was a tragic collision of an entitled raging youth and a quiet, dignified hardworking man.
It was a crashing together of that self-pitying cult of grievance that has so many young Americans in its snare and the older ideal of self-betterment that has inspired so many working-class Americans over the decades.
That the time-rich Leftists of TikTok and bourgeois Marxists of X have taken the side of Mangione is so telling.
What we have here is not some radical blow against the boss class, but the rage of the entitled. The fury of a new Left that is as wary of the plebs – all those Trumpist “white trash” and English “gammon” – as it is of corporate bigwigs.
And so they side with the angry Ivy League kid who allegedly lashed out, rather than with the weed-pulling farm boy who worked his way to the top.
It’s time for a vibe change. It is Brian Thompson’s name we should remember. It’s his photo we should share -- no six-pack, just the friendly smile of a man who made the most of having been born in the freest country on earth.
As for Mangione -- he’s in the hands of justice now.
© 12.13.2024 by Brenden O'Neill, "The Telegraph" -- "MSN". [H/T Pastor Tom]
A Day In The Life.
Up at 8:30a on Friday, I went thru my finger stick to check my BSL (Blood Sugar Level) and recorded it on my Diabetes 2 chart, made coffee and breakfast, skipped the two 50mg Tramadol but took a 300mg Gabapentin for various pains, fired-up the Win-7 Pentium HP Desktop to let 32 million lines of code load, had a couple smokes in the garage and checked the leftover errands list.
At 32°F, the light snow started around 9:30, I fed the squirrels and bluejays, had a c couple smokes in the cold, open door garage, tuned into the "CP Show LIVE", and began waking-up with the fresh, Kona Coffee. No errands today, just Ryley, the MBIT Tech, coming by at 2p, to drop-off the Back-Up Win-7 Pro x32 Machine, and help me with the recalcitrant HP Printer. I finished uninstalling Norton 360 Premium, and re-installed it; likewise with MalwareBytes Premium: uninstall and re-install the program. Both are now back to working 100%.
The morning snow was wondrous and beautiful. IMO. OK, I get a little "giddy" at the Winter's ***first snow***, although this one won't amount to much, it fell plentifully for a couple hours. By 2p, we had 1"+ and the snow continued.
I made a 2nd carafe of legendary Kona "HAPA" Coffee, heated-up the leftover Sweet Chilli Chicken with Noodles and Crisps for lunch, and Ryley, from MBIT Co showed-up. He worked on the HP Printer problem for almost 3hrs, we scrapped the original 2009 HP Desk Jet D1660 unit -- it croaked -- and I brought up a "new" 2009 unit, in an unopened factory box. It didn't want to work either. I finally ordered another "new" unit from a guy on eBay, and it'll arrive on Dec 28th. I give up until then.
I called Sherry and we talked/ commiserated for a while, made plans for late next week, after Christmas, had a Chicken Salad Sandwich on Croissant, and watched the evening news, Discovery's "Gold Rush" until 11:30p, and bagged it for the night.
Nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one to do it with.
Up at 9:30a on Saturday, a bitter cold 20°, very windy, snow-laden landscape. Beautiful picture. I upped the heat to 75°, made the new Kona "HAPA" Coffee (from MOnarch Coffee Farm, Hawaii), had a smoke in the cold garage, tuned into yesterday's "CP Show Podcast", which I'd missed, and just relaxed. It finally looks like Winter, outside. Nowhere to go, nothing to do, and no one to do it with. I scanned the weather maps at AccuWeather.com and the news articles at FNC. I wasn't surprised that the dumb shits in the US Congress finally passed the "CR" crap, to fund the corrupt gov't until March 2025. Do you recycle?
Today's the Winter Solstice, the shortest/ darkest day of the calendar year. Beginning at 12:01a, the days get progressively longer, as we heard toward Spring. Good, as I'm tired of the dark and short days. And today if "Officially Winter". BFD.
I had condo chores and a few errands to do, no nap, and made Angel Hair (#12 pasta) Pasta w/ a Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce for dinner. After the news, I split the time with Motor Trend's "Mecum Auto Auctions" and "Fast & Loud", and Discovery's "Expedition Unknown", until 12 midnight. Lights out.
Up at 9:30a on Sunday, a bright, sunny, bitter cold 15°, winy morning. I fired-up the furnace, made coffee, scanned the news and weather online, and had an English Muffin for breakfast. I had a lot of things to get done, started 2 loads of laundry, had breakfast, did some chores in the garage, and started on a small but growing pile of paperwork in my office-sunroom. After lunch, the daylight came and went, too quickly, at 4:45, and it was dark, with temps dropping quickly. After closing the condo down, I had some Shrimp, Butter, Garlic, Angel Hair Pasta for dinner, I watched the news, switched to Discovery's "Homestead Rescue" and called it an early night at 10p.
♪ ♫ ♬ Squirrels have houses up in the trees, and God put stingers on honeybees...♪ ♫ ♬
Up at 7:15a on Monday, I upped the heat, made coffee, checked the weather and headline news. I skipped the usual "CP Show Live", due to there being a lousy sub in for CP, and left at 10:30 for my Monday errand trek: fuel-up the Jeep, DeVono's Cleaners in Dallastown, and Rite Aid Pharmacy on the return trip to East York. I'd forgotten about the HORRENDOUS HOLIDAY TRAFFIC! 6-7 miles of single lane northbound traffic coming to East York, to shop at The Galleria! YIKES! I had to take back roads and shortcuts and detours to get around all that mess, and finally got back home around 1:30p. 3½ hours. DAMN. After some 4 Cheese Ravioli in Bertolli® Sauce w/ Butter & Sweet Basil Leaves, for lunch, I tried to grab a snooze on the LR couch, but no deal. Tired, but too much coffee.
I finished-up some of the desk's pile of paperwork, as dusk arrived, closed down as temps dropped into the upper-teens, watched the evening news, weather forecast and History's "Ancient Aliens" until 10:30, and quit for the night. JoAnne, my friend and cleaning lady is in at 8:30a, tomorrow.
Up at 5:30a on Tuesday -- Christmas Eve Day -- at ZERO DARK THIRTY, made coffee, upped the heat, and scanned the weather and news. 28°, a snow/ice storm is passing thru, and the roads are going to get nasty. By 7:30, we'd already gotten ¾"+, enough to make the morning travel dicey. A ***WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY*** was posted on all local stations and websites. I have nowhere to go and nothing to do this morning; everything was done yesterday.
JoAnne arrived early, despite the weather and traffic, I gave her a nice Christmas bonus, got to work, and I made Scrambled Eggs, French Toast & Sausage for breakfast, and hit the LR Couch while the place was being cleaned. I woke about 11:30, JoAnne was gone and I had a Chicken Salad Sandwich on a Roll for lunch.
★★★ WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY! ★★★
• WHAT: Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations around a light glaze.
• WHEN: From 5 AM to 12 noon EST Tuesday.
• WHERE: Adams, Lancaster, and York Counties.
• IMPACTS: Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning commute.
• ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Precipitation will arrive around daybreak on Tuesday morning with snow likely at onset and then a transition to freezing rain thereafter. Freezing rain is most likely along and south of the US-30 corridor. Precipitation should end by noon.
• PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
I purposely stayed-off the traffic-clogged roads -- no errands remaining -- worked on the rest of the now-dwindling paperwork pile, and finished in good time. By 6p, temps had dropped into the 20s, I watched the news and History's "Ancient Aliens" until midnight. Lights out.
Up at 9:30a on Wednesday -- Christmas Morning -- a cloudy, 'balmy' 36° and all traces of snow gone, I upped the heat, made coffee, had a couple smokes in the open garage, fed the squirrels (4) and bluejays (23), and tuned into the "CP Show ("Best Of"). I'm going over to Sis' condo for Christmas Dinner at 1p, so I only had a piece of Rye Toast, so I could eat a big lunch, but more importantly, take my morning ration of various 17 pills (I take 19 pills at night).
I left for Sis' place at 12:30p, not knowing what the traffic would be like. Heh, almost zero traffic. I ran into my older cousin's daughter and husband, and wished them a Merry Christmas. Sis and I had a nice visit, and for lunch, the always amazing Honey Baked Ham, Sweet Potato Casserole w/ Brown Sugar Crust and Sweet Peas. Delicious, wonderful and perfect. I was home by 3:30, to relax and check the day's news.
I finished off the morning's coffee, to keep awake until laterr tonite, called Sherry to wish her a Merry Christmas, watched no TV all day, but spent way too much time researching GlycoFix.com's product and website, and gave-up around 12 midnight. Lights out.
Up at 9:15a on Thursday, I fired-up the furnace to 75° , made coffee had a smoke in the cold garage and tuned into the "CP Show LIVE", with the sub-par-sub. Although in bed by midnight, I didn't get to sleep until after 4a, so I was seriously tired, and would need copious amounts of coffee for the day. After breakfast, I got ready for the day, and Sherry, who'd be coming over around 1p. After some lunch, Sherry arrived, and we had 3 great hours together, despite me being preoccupied with an ancient HP DeskJet D1660 Printer -- 3 of them, actually -- and she suggested going to not-nearby Staples, or to nearby Best Buy, to see what printer/ electronics they have. I'll do that (maybe) next week, or do it (definitely) the week after. I still can't print anyone's Christmas Cards out, which I created in MS-Publisher. She left at 4:15, before dark.
With temps dropping quickly, I closed down. I watched the news, left the TV on FOX for the evening background noise, as I had computer work to do.
Tomorrow starts a new week here in the "Journal", and I have a clear next week, despite it being a New Year in the middle of the week. I hope you all have a Happy & Healthy New Year!
Finding Joy In Abstinence: Merry Christmas, Crazy Miserable Commies.
And we mean thank you not only on a personal level on behalf of all those good people spared such unpleasant conjugations, but also on a societal level. By that one act alone, you are doing your part to make America great again. ’Tis the season to be jolly. And yes, that means even you crazy, miserable leftists who are dyeing your hair purple and declaring a “sex strike” over the outcome of the last election. In all fairness, however, your “sex strike” just may be the greatest Christmas present you ever gave. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
So, thank you.
And truly, even on a larger level. On behalf of humanity everywhere, thank you. Every now and then, it is not bad to run a little filter through the human gene pool — so long as it is entirely voluntary. “Voluntary” is one of those things crazy, miserable leftists reserve only for themselves.
Anyway, your self-discipline does not go unnoticed, and it is greatly appreciated.
Thank you for taking one for the team. Team human. Team America. And team your unfortunate boyfriend. Or whatever.
Since this is that time of year when receiving gifts is even better than giving them, please consider this our gift to you as well. At long last, you finally deserve to feel a little smug about yourselves.
Indeed, one of the most baffling things about crazy miserable leftists is their general tendency toward smugness in politics, especially when they are not on a “sex strike.” Always with the lectures and high-handed moralizing about everything.
We are the “fascists,” according to them, even though they are the most intolerant people to have ever lived. And their unbridled arrogance is outweighed only by their unlimited ignorance.
Yet somehow, we are the stupid fascists. They often call us “fascists” even as they cheer the back-of-the-head slaying of a health care executive and swoon over the swarthy good looks of the man charged with murder in the killing.
He is the best-looking murder suspect since the Boston Marathon bombers and Che Guevara, their favorite communist mass murderer, who was also a seething racist. Apparently, the smelly inbred unibrow look is back!
If anything, this last election should have been clarifying and instructive, even for the dumbest leftists among us.
The incumbent party intentionally unleashed one of the greatest human tragedies in modern times. Out of pure political pique, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris opened America’s borders. They handed control over to the most evil, destructive and rapacious drug gangs and warlords in the Western Hemisphere.
They turned America’s highways into corridors of slavery, human trafficking and child sex-peddling. Tens of thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of migrant children disappeared into the clutches of unspeakable misery and abuse.
All of this is under the intentional policies and careful watch of Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris.
Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris openly and proudly handed control of the borders to criminal drug gangs who made billions of dollars by importing drugs that killed hundreds of thousands of American citizens. They turned America into an open-air prison where rapists and killers roamed free, often fed, transported and housed entirely at taxpayers’ expense.
That is who these crazy purple-haired, sex-striking leftists voted for. These are the policies they voted to continue. And they walk around wagging their fingers at the rest of us as if we are the dumb ones, the fascists, the “threats to democracy.”
So in this season of joy and gratitude, we celebrate your failure and subsequent celibacy. May all your failures be manifold and may your celibacy reign forever.
Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.
© 00.00.2024 by Charlie Hurt, "Washington Times".
