Traffic Anacondas

Here’s one guaranteed to make all my Murkin Readers chortle:

Pop-up cycle lanes set up as part a £225million plan to get Britain moving again are lying empty while traffic is squeezing onto narrowed streets, bringing the capital to a halt, it can be revealed.
MailOnline visited some of the key cycle lanes across the country at the height of the rush hour to gauge how busy they are, only to find them chronically under-used with cyclists criticising them as well as motorists.
Our research in London, where Transport for London is leading its own £33million scheme, shows that on the Euston Road, just 7 cyclists used the designated lane over a 15-minute period.  Meanwhile 420 cars fought their way through traffic.  In Park Lane, Mayfair, just 21 cyclists used the lane as 400 cars battled past.

Nonsense like this basically stems from the dreaded Car Hatred Disease, which engenders the opposite feeling from motorists.  The Englishman, as I recall, thinks that shooting cyclists from one’s car should not only not be prosecuted, but rewarded.  Mr. Free Market’s opinion should not be made public, but suffice it to say that there is plenty of gore involved.

We have nice wide roads Over Here in north Texas, so the “two-wheeled Taliban”, as the Brits call them, are not much more than a mild nuisance — other than committing the visual offense of wearing those faggy Lycra outfits and pisspot helmets.  It is, however, one more reason to enjoy winter here, because our usually icy roads make cycling deadly.  (“Make it compulsory, then,” grumbles Mr. FM.)

Of course, because BritPM Scruffy Johnson is a rider, all these crappy devices (“pop-up” cycle lanes?) are given a lot more government attention and support than they deserve.

I know that secretly — or perhaps not so secretly — the Greens would banish all cars if they could, and force us all to ride around on two wheels.  This is one of the reasons why, when the Beer & Treason Crowd gathers at its secret meetings, mass execution of Greens is generally ranked after the same treatment for anarchists and Communists, but just ahead of record company executives.  Or maybe it was vegans, I don’t remember.

I do know that in Britain, cyclists are generally hated more than badgers, and they squirt poisonous gas into the ground to deal with them.  Come to think of it, that sounds remarkably similar to one of Mr. FM’s suggestions…

Alternative

Over at Insty’s place, there’s a post linking to a thing about the Marxists and the military, also containing the story of Gurgle censoring a blogger by hiding his site when you search for an article he wrote (specifically:  “Under Obama, there came to be a cancer in the Pentagon” with the addition of his website: “site:bookwormroom.com” in the search string.

Under Gurgle, nada.  Using DuckDuckGo, however:

Yup, it’s #1.

I don’t think I’ve used Gurgle for over two years, for just this reason.

Wah Wah Wah

I love reading articles like this one:

The Trump administration is seeking to fast track environmental reviews of dozens of major energy and infrastructure projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, including oil and gas drilling, hazardous fuel pipelines, wind farms and highway projects in multiple states, according to documents provided to The Associated Press.

More than 60 projects targeted for expedited environmental reviews were detailed in an attachment to a July 15 letter from Assistant Interior Secretary Katherine MacGregor to White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow.

That’s actually quite restrained (for the AP), but they soon start squealing butthurt:

Environmentalist Brett Hartl said the move to expedite major projects represents a “giveaway” to industries that curried favor with Trump.
“Building an LNG (liquefied natural gas) plant is not going to solve the problem that’s happening in the country,” said Hartl, government affairs director with the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is where we’re potentially going to see environmental harm down the road, because they are skipping steps in the process.”

…as opposed to all the long-term problems caused by Green policies (e.g. banning controlled burns, eventually causing wildfires), but nemmind.  To continue:

Interior Department officials did not answer questions from the AP on how the environmental reviews are being expedited and whether any rules were being waived. The bid to speed up reviews is in line with the Trump administration’s greater emphasis on reduced regulatory burdens for corporations.

“For far too long, critically important infrastructure, energy and other economic development projects have been needlessly paralyzed by federal red tape,” spokesman Conner Swanson said.

But my favorite part comes towards the end:

The president’s June order directed federal officials to pursue emergency workarounds of bedrock environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, to hasten completion of infrastructure projects to speed economic recovery.

Yeah… those “bedrock environmental laws” have been used for far too long to prevent or otherwise delay much-needed development — but the Trump administration is walking around or else blowing straight through the bullshit to get things done, and the Greens (as well as their lickspittles in, say, the Associated Press) are horrified.

I love the fact that for the Left, laws they don’t agree with (e.g. parts of the U.S. Constitution) can be ignored or overturned, but all their laws (most of which are, of course, un-Constitutional) are “bedrock law” and immune from change or even scrutiny.

Fuck ’em.

No Riots For This One?

I don’t think that anyone would deny that this scumbag needed killing ( to use the old Texas expression) and doesn’t deserve a riot in his honor.  From Alabama:

Thorsby police conducted a traffic stop on Montgomery Avenue for a violation around 12:30 p.m. As officers came up to the vehicle, investigators say the driver pulled out a handgun and fired on the officers without any conversation or warning.
Deputies said Jackson ran through a construction site on Montgomery Avenue and continued to fire at officers.
Two Thorsby officers returned fire. They requested help from the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, Tactical Response and K-9.
A K-9 located Jackson in a wooded area, hiding behind a fallen tree. Jackson then shot the K-9 in the torso and fired at deputies, according to investigators.

Wait:  he shot a police dog?  That’s a hanging, right there, in at least forty-eight states.  But wait! there’s more:

Two deputies returned fire, hitting Jackson. A paramedic tried to treat him, but Jackson died at the scene. The K-9 was taken to a local veterinary clinic where he was treated and is expected to recover. No other law enforcement officers were hurt.

So… who was this choirboy?

Investigators say Jackson has an extensive criminal history involving multiple violent crimes. He had multiple felony convictions for attempted murder, robbery and possession of methamphetamine. Jackson was out on bond for various charges out of Chilton County including possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia.

And for the kicker:

Authorities said the firearm Jackson used in the shooting was stolen in June of 2020.

So, to recap:  career criminal dead, cop dog doing okay, no cops hurt, stolen gun recovered.

Other than the inclusion of “George Soros killed in the cross-fire”, that’s pretty much a perfect outcome.

Not A Murderer

Seems as though the Jackals Of The Press (JOTP©) may have jumped the gun, so to speak, once the charges against Kyle Rittenhouse are examined in detail:

The story of Kyle Rittenhouse is more than a gripping piece of news, it is a telling philosophical Rorschach test.  A lone individual stood up to a mob of violent felons, abusers, and pedophiles, asserting his right to live over their lust for his blood, and won.  While the American public, generous in their deference for human life, and may have paused in horror at the shootings, the tide of public opinion is turning for Kyle as the deluge of exculpatory facts break through the dam of misinformation.  Americans should take note at which institutions were quick to back Kyle, which condemned him, and the cowards in between.
Considering the facts of the case and the state laws governing Wisconsin, it becomes clear that Kyle’s actions were not reckless — the prosecutor’s decisions were.

In fact, given the the circumstances and the nature of Rittenhouse’s attackers, we might even, and justifiably term this a Righteous Shooting.  Follow the link to the story and the links within, and you’ll see why.

Let’s hope this turns out well for the boy, although when it comes to asshole, thuggish prosecutors I have little faith in the legal system.

Oh, Really?

At first, I thought this was good news:

Given the uncertainties of COVID-19, major airlines stopped charging penalties to change your ticket through the end of 2020. Now, United Airlines says it’s locking in the policy — it’ll be free to change in 2021 as well…

That sounds great, until you finish the sentence:

…as long as you didn’t book the low-price basic economy seats fare.

Which accounts for the vast majority of airline tickets sold.  But wait!  There’s more:

Apparently this wallet-gouging feature will not apply to international travel — which is the type of ticket most likely to be affected by borders closed off by the Chinkvirus for the foreseeable future.

Here’s the best part:

Since 2010, Chicago-based United has scooped up nearly $6.5 billion in change fees. Last year, it took in $625 million, third behind Delta and American, according to Transportation Department figures.

I already have a built-in animus against United Airlines, for reasons too many and varied to tell;  so it will be a cold day in Hell when they drag me kicking and screaming onto one of their foul airliners.


Update:  And right on cue, from American Airlines in my inbox today: