On the topic of dunkelflaut: in a comment at Jo Nova's, Rafe Champion posted his recent article published in the Aus. Spectator.

tomo,
The "religious beliefs" case feels to me like it makes two wrongs. Firing her for refusing the vaccine was one wrong. Winning this case on the basis that taking the vaccination would have violated her "Catholic faith" is a second. Is there any statement from Pope, bishop or priest suggesting it was sinful to take the COVID jabs?

Seems like the same sort of illogical outcome as Mann's win against Steyn. Justice is meant to be blind, but the US seems to have extended it to dumb.

Looks like the weather gods are still mocking Ed Miliband. Funny from afar, but only rueful laughter for the Brits.

Robbo,

The left is a death cult from worshipping murdering dead babies to brain washing children in to thinking they will die because of Mann Made Global Warming (tm).

tomo,
The "Albo" ban on social media for <16yo lays very convenient groundwork for requiring identification for all participants doesn't it! So many outrageous things justified on the pretext if it just saves one life.

Mailman,
Today Jo Nova links to a promising speech where Trump gives freedom of speech a central role in his commitments. That's great to hear, and four years in the wilderness looks like it may have improved his ability to explain his rationale.

Promising signs, and you have good cause for optimism. All the same, I feel a sceptical outlook is preferable; my surprises will all be on the upside. As you say, time will tell.

I'm not sure we *will* face so much indignation across the board from the media this time. Clean sweep, and the popular vote, leaves them pretty short on "no mandate" ammunition. No doubt some will continue to indulge their "orange oaf" habits, but the smarter ones already know that the media bluff has been called and they had nothing. Others haven't been so quick on the uptake.

Net Zero Watch have put out an enjoyable little film which puts the case for climate catastrophism being a religious cult with no scientific basis. Not news to us, but nicely done.

Robbo,

I am wildly optimistic about the coming four years but the truth is, time will tell.

People aren't doing as they are told, start the firings at the top and work down from there. Start holding people accountable for their actions and I think we will start seeing little birdies singing like their lives, thats a rhetorical lives, depends on it! :)

Although listening to the 7am news this morning talking about Trump appointing that strong woman to be his chief of staff the reporting just could not help herself by ending it with how undisciplined Trump is (saying she brings significant discipline to his team).

Other than the fact he worked Harris out of the election whether the reporter things he is undisciplined or not is neither here nor there. But I guess we got another 5 years of relentless negative reporting coming our way.

America, and the world, just dodged another f88king bullet by not electing cackles!

Mailman,
A nice enough prediction, but it relies on everything going the right way. Even if the hundreds of thousands in the permanent bureaucracy decide to obey orders this time, I have low confidence that Mr Trump will have carte blanche from his own party. It wouldn't be the first time that a government with a comfortable majority and control of both houses emasculated itself through in-fighting and personal agendas.

Everybody knows this will be Trump's last term. You mention DeSantis, but Vance seems another likely lad: how many others are already manoeuvring for the big job next term? May distract from swamp-draining activities.

Cynic or realist?

This Daily Sceptic article reminded me of that Lord Moulton talk on Law and Manners. Pretty much the same message: that the law is a terrible way to maintain civility.

It blames social media for the rise in rudeness, but my politeness took a big drop well before that. In the early 2000s, telemarketers, charities, and swindlers (maybe the last covers them all) were besieging the phone. Before, I wouldn't have dreamt of hanging-up on someone. Didn't take very long till I was doing it without a scruple.

The article also mentions how Private Eye was unable to satirise the COVID capers. They must have caught the woke bug pretty badly if they couldn't satirise that nonsense.

Robbo,

Dont even get me started on the could vs couldn't care less argument! ;)

Whats going to be wonderful about all of this is that things didnt have to end this way for Democrats because NOW they have created a monster. Trump comes back in to power with full knowledge of EVERYTHING Democrats did to him and payback is going to be glorious.

Another key difference between 2016 and now is that all those old GOP Senators like Turtle ad McCain and Romney are gone. All the independents like Merkowski and Sinoma are gone and all those RINO's in congress are just a footnote in history not to mention there isnt a GOP machine prepared to lose the House to stop Trump from accomplishing anything.

There are now Republicans who understand the need for a secure border and are aware of the absolute garbage the Democrats did by flooding swing states with future Democrat voters (because they will never vote to remove themselves from America like what happens in California). Basically the old GOP party is dead and its now Trumps party.

Oh, and the popular vote and a historic EC win and the Senate and Congress are all in Republicans hands. They have 2 years to ensure they get another 2 years of control and an ability to warm things up for future President DeathSantis ;)

And to think, all Democrats had to do was not be crazy and they couldn't even do that! These liberal tears are delicious.