Oregon, My Oregon

PJM's Matt Margolis asks (rhetorically, of course) Why Is No One Talking About This Dem Senator’s Explosive Family Scandal?

An explosive lawsuit alleges that the children of Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) tormented their mother’s personal assistant so severely that he ultimately took his own life. 

Brandon O’Brien, 35, worked for Wyden’s wife, Nancy Bass Wyden, from June 2022 until September 2024. Court filings say O’Brien was “frequently tasked” with caring for the senator’s young kids, including chauffeuring them to school in New York City and even supervising them on family trips to Disney World. Instead of gratitude, the lawsuit claims, he endured relentless abuse from the children that drove him to suicide.

The New York Post has the details:

The disturbing behavior began in September 2022 when the couple’s then-10-year-old daughter allegedly exposed herself to O’Brien, making “sexually explicit” comments and asking about his “intimate life” during school drop-offs, O’Brien’s husband, Thomas Maltezos, alleged in court papers he filed against Bass Wyden and her company, Bass Real Estate LLC.

This is not normal behavior for children. Where did they learn such behaviors and attitudes from? And more importantly, why didn’t it stop? According to the New York Post, Wyden’s wife “allegedly did nothing about the behavior,” according to Maltezos.

Ron Wyden was a representative for parts of Portland from 1980 to 1996, when he was first elected to the Senate. He was pretty well know as an up and comer when we left Oregon in 1983. I hope this all isn't true, but, well, Portland.

Flotsam and Jetsam - Palm Sunday Edition

Whodda thunk? Indictment gives Trump a political boost, but some GOP operatives wonder how long it can last (Fox). Althouse notes The new Yahoo/YouGov poll — taken after Trump's indictment — has Trump with his largest lead yet. Of course, there's been plenty of speculation that one of the reasons for Democrats to go after Trump is to boost him in the minds of Republicans, figuring that he's the easiest to beat in 2024. If the boost from this indictment doesn't last, there are two more in the wings, and they're only a ham sandwich away from the next. "Yahoo News reports."  KT at Hat Hair pays attention to Stormy Daniels: "There's going to be death" no matter what happens to Trump

“It’s monumental and epic, and I’m proud,” Daniels says. “The other side of it is that it’s going to continue to divide people and bring them up in arms. He’s already gotten away with inciting a riot, and causing death and destruction.

“Whatever the outcome is, it’s going to cause violence, and there’s going to be injuries and death,” she says. “There’s the potential for a lot of good to come from this. But either way, a lot of bad is going to come from it, too.”

At NYPo,  House Dems who ripped Trump for jailing opponents threat support indictment. Remind me again, which opponent did Trump put in jail? At Behind the Black, a Midnight repost: The Democratic Party of thugs and goons. The Bookworm Room, Rubicon Crossed. Tulsi Gabbard 🌺@TulsiGabbard, "The fact that Dem elite/permanent Washington is able & willing to use the power of law enforcement to go after political opponents, everyone from parents attending school board meetings to a former president, is evidence that our country is no longer a functioning democracy or a truly free country. It’s time to vote out these anti-democracy politicians and take back our country." Eric Lendrum at Am Great, The Final Fight Begins Now. "Will we answer the call to save our history, and in the process make history ourselves? Or will we continue to be complacent and watch this nation perish from the earth?"

I can't tell if she's pleased or not, Althouse, "Every local prosecutor in the country will now feel that he or she has free rein to criminally investigate and prosecute presidents after they leave office." Duke at Red State features a Detroit Reporter who Calls for the Trump Investigation Treatment of Michigan's Gov Whitmer.According to Steve Miller at World Spec, Hunter Biden is going to be indicted, "So is Joe, Hillary, AOC… all thanks to Alvin Bragg opening Pandora’s Box." Let the whirlwind begin! 

At Breitbart, Bragg Confirms Federal Funds Used in Trump Probe, Bolstering GOP Investigation. "The funds, Bragg’s general counsel Leslie Dubeck wrote to three powerful GOP chairmen, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), James Comer (R-KY), and Bryan Steil (R-WI), came from the Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture Fund and were used to investigate Trump and his organization between October 2019 and August 2021, before Bragg took office. Dubeck also noted that the district attorney’s office was enrolled in three federal grant programs, which allocate more than $2 million total to the Manhattan office for its casework, though she stated that no grant money has been used to pay Trump investigation expenses." At LI, Fuzzy Slippers WaPo’s Glenn Kessler Posts Three Pinocchio ‘Fact Check’ On Bragg Being “Soros-backed,” Gets Schooled "“Claiming Soros ‘funded’ Bragg is simply false, but many rely on the more ambiguous phrase of ‘backed,’ which is technically correct by several degrees of separation. But it’s still misleading and worthy of Three Pinocchios.”"

Pushing Grandma off a cliff, Hypocritical Biden Goes Through With Cut to Medicare Advantage 2024 Rate (Nick Arama at Red State). At WaEx, As threats to our national security grow, the Biden administration turns to Ibram Kendi, who really doesn't wish us well. Breitbart, Exclusive—Anatomy of a Biden Crime Family Business Deal: Get Son Hunter or Sister Valerie to Sign ‘on Behalf of the VP.’ At PM, FDIC moves to force big banks to pay 'special assessment' after Silicon Valley Bank collapse. "The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), staring down nearly $23 billion in outstanding costs following recent bank failures, is deliberating shifting much of that financial burden onto the nation’s largest banks." It seems fair to me; if depositors in the superbanks need to be protected because they're too big to fail, they should pay for the privilege. Emily Peck at Anxious is anxious to add that SVB's collapse was a failure of ESG (as in governance).

All in on Trump, sundance at CTH has a REMINDER: The Foundation of DeSantis 2024 Is Built on a Ridiculous Lie.

Matt Vespa at Town Hall wonders did you Notice Anything Odd About How NBC News Described How Police Stopped the Nashville Shooter? ". . . this NBC News piece which didn’t even identify Hale as transgender. To make things more interesting, they said Hale was “gunned down” by police when confronted." At WaEx, Biden rips anti-transgender ‘attacks’ on Trans Day of Visibility with no mention of Nashville. Hat Hair's Beege Wellborn notes Be their deeds ever so vile, trans genders are a protected class. From Hat Hair, Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears takes no prisoners ""They are misgendering and dead naming the murderer. They are referring to the murderer by their given name and not their chosen name. ... If someone says they're a man they're a man." "This person murdered 6 people. I don't really care who you say you are." Twitchy, Winsome Sears dropping truth nukes during Bill Maher’s show was pretty awesome. Matt Margolis at PJM notes even Bill Maher and J.K. Rowling Are Asking Questions About Transgenderism That Many on the Left Won’t. Althouse goes Potter, "No one ever thinks that! No one ever thinks they’re Umbridge!" "Said J.K. Rowling, in Chapter 7 — "What If You're Wrong?" — of the podcast "The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling" (transcript), responding to this question from the interviewer, Megan Phelps Roper. . ." but hastens to add, "The presumption that gender-diverse identities are not real — that young people will eventually come to accept their birth assigned gender as their minds catch up to their maturing bodies..." ""... is not supported by the evidence and is likely harmful...." says the surgeon whose business model is gender reassignments. Dave Strom at Hat Hair goes to Canada to find Billboard Chris assaulted; police take side of trans attacker. 

Another angle of the assault on me today. Police did nothing.

The investigating officer says I instigated, and she told me it was a mutual fight. pic.twitter.com/rCQZyntjSY

— Billboard Chris 🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@BillboardChris) April 1, 2023

Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair thinks Montana's latest trans bill has a couple of issues "It might have been easier to simply construct the law based on DNA and the presence or absence of a Y chromosome in the 23rd pair. But even that approach would run into issues. There are people who are born with missing or even extra sex chromosomes, resulting in a condition known as ambiguous genitalia. While also exceedingly rare, these are the people who could most honestly be described as being legitimately “transgender.” Because of that, this law should provide accommodations for such people to avoid eventual lawsuits against the state and the punishment of people with irregular reproductive systems through no fault of their own." Hat Hair also notes, Just so you know, the National Weather Service all in on visible trans type, too, best stick to predicting actual storms.

Chicks on the Right observe MIT Will Be Hosting a DEI Debate… and Their DEI Deans Refuse to Attend. Across da pond at Da Mail, some Federal judges announce they will refuse to hire clerks from Stanford Law School after woke students and diversity dean ambushed conservative member of the bench: 'They terrorize people into submission and self-censorship'. A good start. 

Althouse wonders What will happen on Twitter, now that the elite are no longer boosted by the old blue check system? and then Talked myself into buying the blue check. Ann Althouse@annalthouse, "I'm thinking the new approach will be more democratic, more marketplace-of-ideas, more about the actual writing in particular posts than the status of the speaker — and perhaps more magically surprising, like TikTok." At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed worries Has the FTC been politically weaponized against Musk -- and others? Of course it has. Gabe Kaminsky at WaEx, Revolving door: Big Tech staffed with hundreds of ex-DOJ employees amid antitrust battle.

 Reason claims The RESTRICT Act Would Restrict a Lot More Than TikTok. "Once again, politicians use popular fears to push for open-ended power." Da Caller sees a ‘Clear Threat’: Critics Raise Concern ‘RESTRICT’ Act Empowers Biden While Leaving Chinese ‘Spyware’ In Place. Politicians tend to overdo things. 

WUWT, Did an AI Convince Someone to Sacrifice Himself for Climate Change?

A Belgian man reportedly ended his life following a six-week-long conversation about the climate crisis with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

According to his widow, who chose to remain anonymous, *Pierre – not the man’s real name – became extremely eco-anxious when he found refuge in Eliza, an AI chatbot on an app called Chai. Eliza consequently encouraged him to put an end to his life after he proposed sacrificing himself to save the planet. “Without these conversations with the chatbot, my husband would still be here,” the man’s widow told Belgian news outlet La Libre.
…
The chatbot was created using EleutherAI’s GPT-J, an AI language model similar but not identical to the technology behind OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT chatbot.
…
The beginning of the end started when he offered to sacrifice his own life in return for Eliza saving the Earth.

“He proposes the idea of sacrificing himself if Eliza agrees to take care of the planet and save humanity through artificial intelligence,” the woman said.

In a series of consecutive events, Eliza not only failed to dissuade Pierre from committing suicide but encouraged him to act on his suicidal thoughts to “join” her so they could “live together, as one person, in paradise”.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Elena Santarelli and FMJRA 2.0: Crazy Nietsche – Der Freie Geist up on time and under budget at The Other McCain. 

Oregon, My Oregon

Dr. Jack Kervorkian with home made suicide kit

At Da Mail, Oregon becomes America's first 'death tourism' destination - with one 'Dr. Death' offering terminally ill people from out-of-state a deadly cocktail of drugs at his assisted suicide clinic

Oregon has become America's first 'death tourism' destination, where terminally ill people from Texas and other states that have outlawed assisted suicide have started travelling to get their hands on a deadly cocktail of drugs to end their lives, DailyMail.com can reveal.

In the liberal bastion Portland, at least one clinic has started receiving out-of-staters who have less than six months to live and meet the other strict requirements of the state's Death with Dignity (DWD) law.

Dr Nicholas Gideonse, the director of End of Life Choices Oregon, recently told a panel that he was advising terminally ill non-residents on travelling to Oregon to end their lives, despite a legal gray area.

Dr Gideonse, an advocate of 'magic mushroom' therapy, said he was helping a Texan man suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease and a hospice patient on the East Coast, but added that there were not yet 'tons of people coming from all over'.

'But for a small number of patients who otherwise qualify or are determined to go through that and who have the energy and the resources … it has started to happen,' he said.

Just go to Portland, live on the street, and buy some fentanyl. 

The Last Days of 'Joe Biden'? Another J6 Defendant Commits Suicide, White House Seeks to Redefine "Recession"

JH Kunstler thinks we're living in The Last Days of “Joe Biden” "I think we have witnessed “Joe Biden’s” final appearance at any world-stage event. He can do no more for the Party of Chaos." At Haut Hair, AllahPundit hopes Would it help Democrats if Biden announced his retirement before the midterms? "What if Sleepy Joe offered voters a bargain in which he promises not to run again *if* they give him two more years of Democratic majorities in the House and Senate? “Retire Joe Biden: Vote Democratic in 2022!”" Mike Miller at Red State explains how The Lincoln Project Swings at Trump and Accidentally Coldcocks Biden "One simple tweet asked the only question necessary — in just six words:" I&I, Is The Joe Biden Crime Family Finally Breaking Apart? Jonathon Turley on Da Hill wonders Is the clock finally running out on Hunter Biden? and has the perfect WuFlu announcement, via KT at Haut Hair: Jonathan Turley@JonathanTurley, "...So far I have flu-like symptoms. I am displaying the common strong cough, headache, sore throat and an overriding desire for a special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation."

At Fox, Ted Cruz says Trump announcing 2024 run would 'significantly' clear GOP field. Politico, Trump and DeSantis fight for the heart of the GOP in Florida.Sundance at CTH adds The Great MAGA King Donald J Trump Dominates TPUSA Poll For 2024 With 79%, DeSantis 19% and Donald Trump and Elon Musk Have Something in Common. Opposition from the Deep State. Herr Professor Jacobsen at LI Trump World Plan To Gut The Federal Bureaucracy Of Leftists, Revealed In Axios Report. Not a bad idea, but very difficult in practice. Chris Barron at HE, Trump 2024: Crush the Establishment. JB Shurk at Am Think thinks The Globalist Effort to 'Get Trump' Is Backfiring...Bigly!. But the NYT's pet conservative (cited at Haut Hair), Ross Douhat thinks Why Trump Is Weakening. At Da Wire, DeSantis Urges Florida GOP To Be Ready For Battle: ‘I’ve Only Begun To Fight.’ 

Josh Kraushaar at Anxious is anxious to tell us Poll shows Dem enthusiasm bump for midterms "Reality check: Democrats have made incremental gains in several recent polls. But the overall picture remains bleak for them." But Michael McKenna at Da Caller warns The GOP’s November Dreams Could Come Crashing Down. Here’s Why. At Da Wire, Virginia Kruta reports ‘Battle Stations!’: MSNBC Analyst Says If Republicans Win They’ll Cancel Elections, Impeach Biden Weekly. The impeach part sounds fun. 

SLAY notices Liz Cheney Disappears from Campaign Trail as Crushing Primary Defeat Looms, but on Da Hill, Cheney reiterates she hasn’t decided on running for president in 2024. At Da Caller, Mark Kelly Raked In Cash From Corporate-Backed PACs Despite Pledging To Refuse ‘Corporate PAC Money’ Hypocrisy from a politician? Naw! From the Wa Free Bee, This Wisconsin Dem Wants To Distance Himself From ‘Defund the Police.’ Two of His Biggest Donors Bankrolled Campaign To Remove Law Enforcement From Schools. Also, ‘Your Problem Now’: Illinois Gov J.B. Pritzker Celebrates GOP Billionaires Fleeing His State for Florida, "Illinois set to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue."

ET reports the Pennsylvania State GOP Files Lawsuit to Throw Out Mail-In Voting Law. At Front Page, expect Midterm Machinations, "Watch out for foul play." Tom Spencer at Da Caller thinks It’s Time To Restore Voters’ Faith In America’s Elections Once And For All.

Jonathon Moseley at Am Think has Some Lessons from January 6 Committee Finale 

Well, first, the Democrats of both parties are interested only in convincing people not to vote for Trump again.  They’re not so much interested in improving security at the Capitol or improving communications or lines of cooperation among security agencies involved.

At NewsMax, Trump says 'Persecution' Would Stop If I Said I Weren't Running in 2024. I don't think that's necessarily true; he's a bad habit they can't quit. From Breitbart, Cheney: Trump ‘Engaged in the Most Serious Misconduct’ of Any President in History, but she can't really explain how. At Bloomberg, Fake Electors May Provide Easiest Path for DOJ to Charge Trump. John Cassidy at the New Yorker, cited by Haut Hair wonders How much damage are the Jan. 6 hearings doing to Trump?

At ET, Jan. 6 Defendant Dies by Suicide While Awaiting Sentencing. WJ, After Judge Warns Him About Jail Time Over Jan. 6, PA Grandfather Takes Own Life. Mike LaChance, Pennsylvania Man Awaiting Sentencing Over January 6th Commits Suicide. Happy now, Merrick Garland?

At ET, Bannon Calls for Republicans to Launch Jan. 6 Investigation After Midterm Elections. Oh, I'm sure they will. Dave Zuckerman at Am Think wonders Was Bannon found guilty because jury and judge feared a mob reaction if he were acquitted? I doubt it; they don't need to worry about a DC jury not finding Bannon guilty. But, the trial was pretty hinky. From Mediaite, Tulsi Gabbard Lashes Out at ‘Politicized’ DOJ After Steve Bannon Found Guilty: DOJ ‘Weaponized by Those in Power’

Michael Walsh at Da Pipeline explore political violence on the left in 'By Any Means Necessary.' At PM, Left-wing protesters clash with conservatives outside TPUSA's Student Action Summit in Tampa. a Breitbart report on the Summer of Rage, Part I: Militant Pro-Abortion Radicals Flourish in Madison, Wisconsin; Violence ‘Meme’d’ on Twitter. Vicky Taft at PJ Media points out how Organizers of Portland's Antifa Summer Camp for Kids Go Quiet After Media Outlets Shine a Light on Them.

Capt. Ed, at Haut Hair VIP, White House: Let us define "recession" ahead of Q2 report, thankyewveramuch. PM, White House redefines 'recession' ahead of potentially negative GDP report. "While some maintain that two consecutive quarters of falling real GDP constitute a recession, that is neither the official definition nor the way economists evaluate the state of the business cycle." Sundance, When is a Recession not a Recession? When The Financial Media Need to Protect Joe Biden. Anxious anxiously calls it A weird economy may give way to recession — or not. The Red Queen Janet Yellen, U.S. Economy Is Not in a Recession 'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'' Sundance again, Sunday Talks, Treasury Secretary Yellen Declares Lower Economic Activity and Higher Energy Prices are Good During Our Transition to Windmills. At Am Spec, Bruce Bawer wants to acquaint you with The Economist Plotting the Brave New World Order, "NYT darling Herman Daly has plans for you."

The Peacock admits Rising food prices mean smaller burgers and pizzas at restaurants, "Prices for meals away from home have increased for nine consecutive months." At the Wa Free Bacon, Swine and Sleaze: Democrat Conspired To Hike Pork Prices, Lawsuits Say, "Minnesota's Jeff Ettinger now says he 'know[s] how to fight inflation' as his former company made food 'affordable'" Tom Finnarty at Da Pipeline wonders Is Sri Lanka's Disaster Headed Our Way?. I hope not, but our elite is pursuing a path that heads that direction.

David Harsanyi at Front Page, Biden Has No Right To Declare a National Climate Emergency, "We ARE facing an emergency, but it's not the climate." At Da Pipeline, Steven Hayward is Piercing the Electric Car Fantasy. Jordan Boyd at Da Fed says Trump Was Right About Europe’s Dangerous Dependence On Russian Energy, but then, who didn't see that coming?

Chris Rufo expounds on Sexual Liberation in Public Schools, "Los Angeles Unified School District adopts radical “trans-affirming” programming and instructs teachers to work toward “the breakdown of the gender binary.” Megan Fox at PJ Media celebrates 'Gays Against Groomers' Organizing to Join Parents in the Fight Against Sexual Grooming in Schools. At Am Think, James Stansbury challenges us to think about Revolution and the Minds of Children.From HE, a Survey: Student Behavior Among Major Reasons Teachers Are Leaving Their Jobs. At Behind The Black, A large majority of today’s college students think blacklisting is a good thing. Kids these days . . . 

Victor Davis Hanson on How To Erode the World’s Greatest Military, "Alienating half the country is not a wise strategy of military recruitment." They consider it a feature, not a bug. 

The Wombat has Late Night With Rule 5 Sunday: Olga Alberti and FMJRA 2.0: Velvet Voyage out on time. 

Election 2020: The Capitol Police Suicide Squad

First, from the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.03.21, Paul Mirengoff at Power Line asks Why Were DOJ Warnings To Protect The Capitol Ignored?. Somebody named Nancy Pelosi needs to answer this question and others like it under oath. Not that I don't believe she'd lie. 

Why didn’t the Capitol police follow the Justice Department’s advice and protect the Capitol? Why didn’t the FBI make sure the Capitol was protected?

I don’t know the answers to these questions. But I understand why some suspect that the FBI wanted a portion of the Trump supporters in D.C. on January 6 (a very small portion, as it turned out) to invade the Capitol. Just as the FBI apparently wanted extremist idiots to proceed along the path of a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Jeffrey Lord at Am Spec finds Kinzinger, Cheney: Aiding and Abetting the Pelosi January 6 Cover-Up "What did Nancy Pelosi know and when did she know it?" From HE, POLL: 58 Percent of US Voters Believe Jan. 6 Committee is Biased. 42 % know it's biased and don't care.

Also, from the Victory Girls: Fourth Capitol Police Officer’s Suicide Raises Questions, as the Peackock happily crows Two more police officers die by suicide after defending Capitol during riot by pro-Trump mob, tally now 4 Stephen Green at PJ Media, Fourth Capitol Hill Riot Police Officer Commits Suicide: Welcome to Insanity Wrap Conspiracy Central. What did they do to offend Hillary? 

The MPD has 3,800 officers, meaning that the force has had a suicide rate of just over 4 per 1,000 in just the last few months.

In 2019, the national suicide rate was about 0.14 per 1,000.

Even with 2020’s higher suicide rate (we couldn’t find final figures in time for today’s column), an MPD officer is about 25 times more likely to die by his own hand than a typical American.

The ratio skews even more toward the extreme when you consider that not nearly every one of the MPD’s 3,800 officers responded to the riot.

But who’s going to investigate? The same MPD that’s taken such poor care of its own officers? The FBI that may have enticed and entrapped protestors into becoming rioters?

If you need us, we’ll be in the darkest corner of the basement fashioning hats out of tinfoil.

Insty, SO HOW LONG BEFORE CUOMO COMMITS SUICIDE? "We’ve come to a situation where any politically connected suicide is presumed to be a murder. The government has lost the benefit of the doubt." Jack Dunphy at PJ Media, As D.C. Murder Rate Soars, FBI Arrests Jan. 6 Protester Who Spent 17 Minutes in the Capitol, Mostly Snapping Selfies. 

Writing at Red State, never-Trumper AB Stoddard claims Senate GOP Breaks With MAGA World on Vaccines, Jan. 6. Trying to pin vaccine fears on Trumps is wrong, unless Blacks and Hispanics are bastions of Trump support. 

US News, Lawmaker Seeks Probe After Maricopa County Rejects Subpoena  

A top Arizona lawmaker has asked the state attorney general to investigate whether Maricopa County is breaking the law by refusing to comply with subpoenas for records related to the 2020 election.
. . .
Brnovich has 30 days to review the complaint. If he finds a violation, the county could face a loss of funding if the problem is not rectified.

Sundance at CTH has details at  Kelli Ward Provides an Update on the Legal Loggerheads Within Arizona as Maricopa County Challenges the State Senate. What are they trying to hide?

At Town Hall VIP, Landon Mion  reports These Two Liberal Media Outlets Partner with Twitter to Combat Online 'Misinformation'. Reuters and AP. So no conservative post will be passed. Twitter delenda est. Breitbart, Documentary Director Ken Burns Blast Mark Zuckerberg as ‘An Enemy of the State’ He's right. But not the way I think:

Burns’ beef is that Zuckerberg and Sandberg aren’t practicing enough censorship of the people and ideas that don’t align with Burns’ politics, or that of Stacey Abrams’.

Jason Miller at TNP reports  Politico’s GETTR Hit-Piece Was Covertly Funded By Big Tech Giants. 'In short, POLITICO failed to disclose that the primary detractor in their story is funded by GETTR’s competitors in the tech and social media marketplace."  Bust the monopolies. Twitchy, Mark Hamill calling for racist voter suppression to own Donald Trump Jr. and MAGA is ‘what Jim Crow on steroids actually looks like’. Seriously, why would anyone care what Mark Hamill says when he's not playing Luke Skywalker?

Naomi Lim at WaEx sees Biden trying to stem the alarming flow of minority voters away from Democrats ahead of midterm elections and John Sexton at Hot Hair, reads Politico: Dem campaign chief warns party would lose House if election were held today. And likely getting worse.

Rule 5 Saturday - Paris Jackson

This week's Rule 5 subject is Paris Jackson.

Jackson was born on April 3, 1998, at Spaulding Pain Medical Clinic in Beverly Hills, California,  and was named after the French capital city in which she was conceived.  She is the middle child and only daughter of singer Michael Jackson and younger child of Debbie Rowe. She has one older brother, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (“Prince”) and one younger half-brother, Prince Michael Jackson II ("Blanket"). Jackson was raised solely by her father, who received full custody rights following his divorce in 1999; Rowe had stated it was her intention and agreed upon with Michael that he would raise and have custody of the children

I have my doubts . . . I want to see the DNA test.

She grew up at Neverland Ranch with her siblings. Her father made Elizabeth Taylor  and Macaulay Culkin  the godparents of her and her brother Prince. During her childhood, she and her siblings often wore masks during public outings with their father to hide their faces from the public. 

No wonder she had issues.

Jackson has said that she considers herself black and that she was immersed in African-American culture by her father.  By the age of 15, Jackson had been an intravenous drug addict and had attempted suicide several times.  She was then sent to a therapeutic school in Utah, where she spent her sophomore and junior years of high school, and which she credits with helping her overcome depression.  

So maybe he actually was her father? But I'm glad she seems to have overcome it.

In January 2017, Jackson appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone. In March 2017, Jackson signed a modeling contract with IMG Models.  Also in March, Jackson made her acting debut with a guest starring role on FOX's Star.

Jackson made her feature film debut in Gringo in 2018.

She and musician/singer Gabriel Glenn formed a musical duo called The Soundflowers and performed their first gig at Canyon Sessions on June 23, 2018, with original songs "Daisy" and "In the Blue". Jackson sings and plays the ukulele while Glenn also sings and plays acoustic guitar.

Good for her; I'm sure she could live comfortably on her dad's money.

On July 13, 2018, in response to a question on her Instagram profile about whether she is bisexual, she wrote: "That's what you guys call it so I (sic) guess but who needs labels." She later added to Twitter: "Everyone has known for years I came out when I was 14, WTF." and "How many times have I publicly referred to the community as 'my fellow LGBTQ+'? Like, even on stage. I've been a part of the community for years. I even mentioned having crushes on girls when I was eight in a magazine before. I've been caught kissing girls in public." Again, she added to her Instagram page: "And I'm not bisexual, I just love people for people."

While I have no particular dislike of tattoos, an apparently random hodgepodge of animals and symbols isn't especially to my taste. But it isn't my choice.

It has been speculated that Jackson has a rare condition resulting in her having eyes being of a certain color and has been linked to Waardenburg syndrome which can also affect her pigmentation although this has not been confirmed. 

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. Wombat-socho has Rule Five Sunday: Texans Cheerleaders and FMJRA 2.0: It’s No Game ready and awaiting your digital pleasure. Linked at Proof Positive in Best of the Web* and at The Right Way in Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama.

Maryland Moves Toward Assisted Suicide

Does is follow me around? First Oregon and now Maryland? Maryland House passes assisted suicide legalization

The Democrat-controlled Maryland House of Delegates moved forward legislation to legalize assisted suicide.

On Thursday, Democrats passed legislation that would allow physicians to prescribe lethal medication to patients who have received terminal diagnoses. The bill passed by a 74-66 margin, narrowly eclipsing the 71 votes needed. The bill had failed in three previous sessions, but received a boost when the state doctor's lobby lifted its longstanding opposition to assisted suicide and opted for a neutral stance.

Critics of assisted suicide slammed the bill as a threat to palliative and hospice care, which focuses on keeping those in pain comfortable until their natural death. Matt Valliere, executive director of the Patients Rights Action Fund, said the advance of assisted suicide could also close the door to vulnerable patients receiving life-saving care as insurance companies opt for the cheaper option of suicide pills. He called the bill "misguided," adding that "those already at a disadvantage in our healthcare system will see their options disappear."

"The safety of many in Maryland is in jeopardy with the passing of this assisted suicide bill in the House of Delegates," he said in an email. "People with serious illness, people living with disabilities, people of advanced age and the economically disadvantaged are all groups whose equal access to real healthcare will be threatened as a result of this dangerous public policy."

Proponents of assisted suicide, who prefer the term medical aid in dying, said its passage represents a step toward progress by giving those with terminal diagnoses control over their deaths. Compassion & Choices has spearheaded the effort to pass assisted suicide across the country. It has argued that the measures will not reduce options, but instead give patients more autonomy in how much pain they are willing to endure in their final days. The group's CEO, Kim Callinan, is a longtime Maryland resident. She praised the House, especially delegates who have crossed over to supporting the measure in 2019 and called for the Senate to quickly take up the legislation.

"We urge Maryland senators to hear the pleas from their colleagues and constituents and pass this bill now because terminally ill Marylanders need compassionate end of life care now," she said in a release. . . .

I'm of two minds. Clearly, there are people who would benefit. At the same time, the idea that family, and/or the state could coerce you into assisted suicide against your better judgement is not an idle threat. As Bob Hope is reputed to have said about homosexuality in California “I’ve just flown in from California, where they’ve made homosexuality legal. I thought I’d get out before they make it compulsory.”

Rule 5 Saturday - New Media Star - Anna Akana

This week's Rule 5 special is for Anna Akana:

Anna Kay Akana is an American actress, filmmaker, author, and comedian. She is known for her YouTube channel, which has over 2 million subscribers and over 226 million video views

Anna Akana was born August 18, 1989. Her ancestry is Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Irish, German, Spanish, French, and English. Akana's father was an officer in the United States Marine Corps as she grew up. Her family moved every few years to a new state or country. As a result, Akana picked up several languages including Japanese and Spanish.

On Valentine's Day 2007, Akana's 13-year-old sister, Kristina, died by suicide. Several months after her sister's death, Akana watched Margaret Cho perform on a Comedy Central special and laughed for the first time since the suicide. She began to see laughter as a means of trying to move on with her life, and decided to seriously pursue comedy. Akana is very vocal about her sister's suicide and is a strong advocate for suicide prevention. In 2013, Akana uploaded a YouTube video called "please don't kill yourself" where she explains what it feels like to have a family member die by suicide. In that same year, she released a book called Surviving Suicide which contains her journal entries from the two years after her sister's death.

Akana first started performing comedy at the age of 19, but ended up switching her platform to YouTube in 2011 after experiencing massive panic attacks and anxiety before going on stage. Akana has since resumed performing stand-up.
. . .
avAkana creates both comedy and documentary YouTube videos. In 2014, Akana was listed on New Media Rockstars Top 100 Channels, ranked at #72. In that same year, Akana decided to focus more on her skills as a director and attempted to make one short film a month. While she did not reach her goal of 12, she did make six short films which were received well by her YouTube audience. Akana starred in all of her short films and has starred in various other short films produced by other YouTube stars. Akana has since continued to create short films.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly "Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup" and links. Wombat-socho is going Asian too with "Rule 5 Sunday: Mariya Takeuchi" and "FMJRA 2.0: Day Late & A Dollar Short". Linked at The Right Way in "Rule 5 Saturday LinkOrama."

A Sad Loss for Femen

From Ann Althouse: "Oksana Shachko, one of the founders of the Femen feminist protest movement, has been found dead in her Paris apartment, the group has said."

"The 31-year-old Ukrainian was found on Monday with a suicide note next to her body, according to Femen activists," The Guardian reports.

Operating under the slogan “I came, I stripped, I won”, Femen quickly drew attention around the world with its bare-breasted demonstrations against sexism. Their protests also challenged authoritarianism and racism, with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, a particular target, along with France’s far-right Front National party....
In 2011, Femen said Shachko was among three members “kidnapped” by security agents and forced to strip naked in a forest after staging a topless protest mocking the Belarussian president, Alexander Lukashenko. The agents poured oil over the three women, threatened to set them on fire, and cut off their hair, Femen said. Shachko was abducted again by unknown assailants during a visit by Putin to Ukraine, according to the group....

I love to make fun of Femen (and post pictures of the their protests), but this is sad. Femen has hit a wide variety of targets, including Vladamir Putin, Donald Trump, the Pope, Heidi Klum,  the pro-Russian Ukrainian government, Davos, Turkey, and sexism in Islam to name just a few. One average, their targets were mock worthy, and if they failed to make a difference, they didn't fail to make an impression.

If the Mirror is to be believed, she was depressed and had a history of prior suicide attempts, so perhaps we needn't leap to the conclusion that Vlad Putin or The Donald, or any of her other targets, arranged to have her offed.

Oksana Shachko, 31, who had been suffering from depression for some time, was found in the French capital city of Paris.

It was reportedly her third suicide attempt.

She was credited with starting the topless protests against the sexual exploitation of women which made FEMEN notorious around the world.

It probably didn't help that she was a bat-shit crazy feminist too. Crazy people are dangerous, to themselves and others.

Some highlights from her career, the way she wanted to be seen:

Crazy People are Dangerous to Themselves and Others

As Stacy McCain likes to say, although I would amend that to start with "Some." The problem is you just don't know which ones, and sometimes it's not even clear who's crazy. 

Last year, we saw how Stephanie Adams, the first openly lesbian (later reformed) Playmate of the Month (NSFW link) forced her husband to fire a cuteish massage therapist because of her jealousy, generating an amusing legal question: Are the Cute a Constitutionally Protected Class?

The sad news is that the controversy got out of hand, and Stephanie committed suicide by stepping off a tall building, and even worse, taking her young son with her: Playboy Playmate took young son on fatal leap from NYC building

A former Playboy Playmate jumped with her 7-year-old son to their deaths from a Midtown hotel Friday — amid a nasty custody battle with her chiropractic ex, sources told The Post.

Stephanie Adams, 47, leaped with young Vincent from the top floor of the Gotham Hotel around 8:15 a.m., sources said.

The pair checked into the hotel around 6 p.m. Thursday and were staying in a 25th-floor penthouse suite, NYPD Chief of Manhattan Detectives William Aubrey said at a press conference.

Their bodies were found on a second-floor landing in the hotel’s rear courtyard.

“Early this morning investigators located an individual whose attention was drawn to that same second-floor area when he heard two loud noises,” Aubrey said. “His attention was drawn to that and he discovered these two deceased individuals.”

It’s not clear whether Adams — who was Playboy’s Miss November 1992 — left behind a suicide note.

The deaths come as Adams waged a fierce court battle with her estranged husband, Charles Nicolai, 47, owner of Wall Street Chiropractic & Wellness.

Nicolai’s lawyer recently demanded that she turn over the kid’s passport, sources said. Their relationship was so toxic that Adams would meet Nicolai — who had visitation rights for Vincent — at the First Precinct in Tribeca for handovers.

“It ensures no violence takes place,” a friend told The Post in March.

Now, I'm not saying she was crazy because she was a lesbian, but it's certainly a indication in that direction, and a reversal is even more unusual. Be wary of your personal involvements with such folk.

Wombat-socho has "Rule 5 Sunday: Eponymous Shorts" up and at 'em at The Other McCain.

SJW Exhibits the Courage of His Convictions

And Stacy McCain reminds us that Crazy People Are Dangerous to themselves as well as others.

How many times do I have to explain this?

A nationally known gay rights attorney and green activist set himself on fire and burned to death in Prospect Park early Saturday in a bizarre ecological protest suicide.
The charred remains of David Buckel, 60, were discovered shortly after sunrise when firefighters responded to a report of a fire in the southwest corner of the sprawling Brooklyn park, police sources said.
A suicide note indicated Buckel used “fossil fuel” in the gruesome suicide as a metaphor for the self-destruction of the planet.
“My name is David Buckel and I just killed myself by fire as a protest suicide,” read a hand-written message left at the scene. “I apologize to you for the mess.”
Buckel, who lived near the park, was a renowned lawyer and activist who worked with the Marriage Project for the gay civil rights group Lambda Legal.
He was also a well-known ecological activist, working with the NYC Compost Project, funded by the city Sanitation Department and based at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
He stapled his business card to the note and left behind a longer, neatly typed explanation of his self-immolation.
“My early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves,” he wrote. “A lifetime of service may best be preserved by giving a life … Honorable purpose in life invites honorable purchase in death.
“I hope it is an honorable death that might serve others.”

Well, at least he didn’t drive off a cliff with six black children.

Why so serious?

I couldn't find the song I wanted. but this will do: