Tues - You Can't Cover Up the Stench of Racism with Perfume

US Vaccine Data - We Have Now Administered 553 Million Shots  (Population 333 Million)




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California Precipitation (Updated Tuesday March 1)

There is some rain in the Nor Cal forecast for the next two weeks, but no major storms.



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75% of the Adult US Population is Fully Vaccinated

Message for the other 25%:  You're welcome.
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Today's Worst Person in the World Nominees

You Can't Cover Up the Stench of Racism with Perfume

Estée Lauder has fired John Demsey, a senior executive at the makeup company, for an offensive Instagram post on his personal account that used a racial slur.

The company said Monday that Demsey's termination was the "result of his recent Instagram posts, which do not reflect the values of the Estée Lauder Companies," adding that the post caused "widespread offense."

Estée Lauder (EL) said Demsey, who has been with the brand for about 30 years, will be leaving his role "this week." A replacement wasn't named.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Demsey posted on his Instagram account last week a spoof book cover based on the TV show "Sesame Street" that used the N-word with some letters replaced with asterisks. The post was apparently mocking Covid-19. Demsey deleted the offensive post and apologized, writing that he was "terribly sorry and deeply ashamed," adding that he didn't read the "racist meme" before posting it.

Reports of His Death Were Highly Exaggerated.  Sorry About That Chief.

An Ex-North Carolina police chief accused of faking his suicide was found and arrested in Horry County, South Carolina, the agency said on Facebook.

Former Chadbourn Police Chief William Anthony Spivey was located near Loris, South Carolina, near the North Carolina border, on February 24, according to the Facebook post.

Spivey was relieved of duty due to misconduct allegations last spring. At the time, he faced over 70 felony charges, including evidence mishandling, drug trafficking and embezzling, the Horry County Police Department said in the post.

The 28% Destroying Our World

Two-thirds of Americans think the United States should use a mix of fossil fuels and renewables in the future, rather than phase out fossil fuels completely, the Pew research says. About 28 percent — including more than half of Republicans — oppose the U.S. taking steps toward becoming carbon neutral.

The polling suggests that support for renewable energy is dipping among Republicans.

If You Lie Down With QOP Dogs, You Will Catch Fleas and Racists

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) didn’t buy House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) criticism of Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz) for speaking at a white nationalist America First Political Action Conference over the weekend.

McCarthy’s claim there was “no place in our party for any of this” rang hollow for Ocasio-Cortez, who slammed the House GOP leader for “protecting his little KKK Caucus for years” with “toothless” statements.

“It’s how he covers for them,” the progressive lawmaker tweeted. “He’s now helped them for so long they’ve escalated their open antisemitism & collaboration w/ white nationalist groups. He’s just as culpable.”






They Love Hate Crimes

Three Republicans in the U.S. House were the only votes against a bill that would make lynching a federal hate crime.

The Emmett Till Antilynching Act, named after a 14-year-old Black boy beaten and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, passed the House with an overwhelming vote of support, 422-3, on Monday. The bill would make lynching a federal hate crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

The only three representatives to vote against the bill were Republicans Andrew Clyde (Ga.), Thomas Massie (Ky.) and Chip Roy (Texas). In a series of tweets, Massie explained he voted against the bill in part because “passing this legislation falsely implies that lynching someone does not already constitute criminal activity.”

The bill doesn’t imply that. Instead, it gives federal authorities the power to prosecute lynchings as hate crimes.

Even a Slimeball Recognizes the Insanity of Previous Guy












A Vile Racist Pig and a Liar







The Fox News host whined to his millions of viewers on Monday that people are accusing him of rooting for Russia, days after he defended its president, Vladimir Putin, and leaned into Kremlin talking points ahead of its brutal invasion of Ukraine.

He had argued Ukraine was “not a democracy” and delivered a lengthy rant last Tuesday questioning why he should be expected to hate the authoritarian leader.

A clip of that monologue later aired on Russian state-sponsored TV with subtitles.

A Verbal Hamburder with a Side of Covfefe












More Evil Ways to Kill

Russian forces have been accused of using the widely banned and dangerous weapons known as vacuum bombs that "obliterate" their victims.

The thermobaric weapon, also known as a fuel-air explosive, uses both a container of fuel and two separate explosive charges, according to a study done by the Human Rights Watch.

The Humans Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization, located in New York City, that focuses on research pertaining to human right issues.

First, the weapon is fired or dropped in an area and the first explosive charge spreads the fuel in a cloud that sucks up oxygen and then flows "around objects and into structures." As the fuel cloud spreads, the second charge detonates it. Once detonated, it creates a "massive blast wave" that is most destructive in enclosed spaces, buildings and foxholes.

The pressure wave of the vacuum bomb is said to kill its victims by "rupturing lungs" and if the bomb doesn't detonate, the victims will be burned by inhaling the burning fuel, according to a US Central Intelligence study.

“Since the most common FAE (fuel-air explosive) fuels, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, are highly toxic, undetonated FAE should prove as lethal to personnel caught within the cloud as with most chemical agents," the study said.

In addition, when multiple thermobaric weapons are detonated, they reinforce each other and create a stronger, more dangerous blast, the Human Rights Watch reported.

Those nearby the blast can experience various injuries “including burst eardrums and crushed inner ear organs, severe concussions, ruptured lungs and internal organs, and possibly blindness," according to the study.

We Don't Want to Hear Your Stinking Lies.  Take them to Fox "News".

Dozens of diplomats on Tuesday staged a walkout as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Lavrov was giving a virtual speech at the forum in Geneva when diplomats from the European Union, United States, and Britain walked out, Reuters reported.

The US State Department on Monday accused Russia of "widespread" human rights abuses in Ukraine as its troops fired missiles at civilian areas.

Lavrov canceled his in-person appearance at the human rights council because EU states had blocked the path of his flight to Geneva, according to Reuters.






I Guess Belarus Wants More Sanctions, Too.

Belarusian troops are said to have crossed the border to Ukraine to join a Russian invasion that reached brutal new levels of intensity overnight.

Ukraine’s parliament claimed early Tuesday that troops from Belarus had been spotted in the Chernihiv region, which stretches from the Belarusian border down to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. It would make Belarus the third direct participant in the war days after its Putin-backed president, Alexander Lukashenko, issued a dire warning of World War III.

The reported arrival of Belarusian troops coincided with a marked worsening of Russian aggression throughout Ukraine on Tuesday morning.
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Welcome to Kyiv.  Now Go Home!

A billboard in Kyiv is flashing messages to Russian soldiers in Ukraine's capital city, urging them to leave "without blood on your hands."

Associated Press correspondent Francesca Ebel posted a video on Twitter Monday showing a digital billboard cycling through four messages for Russian soldiers:

"Russian soldiers are not welcome here. Instead of flowers, expect bullets. Go away to your family!"

"Russian soldier, stop. Putin lost. The whole world stands with Ukraine. Go away without blood on your hands."

"Russian soldier, stop. Don't kill your soul for Putin's oligarchs. Go away without blood on your hands."

"Russian soldier, stop. How will you be able to look your kids in the eyes? Go away! Stay human."






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There's No Way to Tell How Popular Vlad the Invader Is in Russia, But ...

Americans say 86 – 6 percent that Russia is not justified in making the claim that Ukraine should be reclaimed by Russia and no longer be a sovereign territory.

“By a large majority, Vladimir Putin is deeply disliked, his justification for attacking Ukraine is rejected and nearly half of Americans consider him mentally unstable,”
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Investigations Have Consequences (At Least This One Does)

There is Resistance to These Conductors.  They Were Told to Go Ohm.

A renowned Russian conductor has been forced to resign his position as honorary president of the Edinburgh International Festival.

Valery Gergiev, a close friend and supporter of President Putin, has been under pressure to speak out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine but has so far not condemned the move.

In a statement, the festival said his resignation was effective immediately.
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Valery Gergiev has been fired as chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic because of his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and for not rejecting the invasion of Ukraine, the German city's mayor said Tuesday.

No Exit?  

Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to stem the flow of Western businesses fleeing the country over his decision to wage war on Ukraine.

Capital controls designed to stop the exodus were announced by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, state news agencies TASS and RIA reported on Tuesday. Western companies were taking decisions because of "political pressure," he said, and they would be prevented from selling Russian assets until that pressure subsides.

"To enable businesses to make informed decisions, a draft presidential decree has been prepared to introduce temporary restrictions on exiting Russian assets," Mishustin was quoted as saying. "We expect that those who have invested in our country will be able to continue working here."

Oil giant BP (BP) is one of the most prominent companies to abandon Russia since its troops invaded Ukraine last week. It said Sunday it was planning to exit its 19.75% stake in Russia's biggest oil company, Rosneft, and their joint ventures — amounting to one of the biggest foreign investments in Russia.

Others have since followed suit, including Shell (RDSA) and Norway's Equinor.

Why Is It Only Blocked in Europe?

RT, the Russia-backed media outlet infamous for promoting Vladimir Putin's talking points, has seen its influence significantly diminish in recent days as cable carriers and social media companies have taken swift measures to block its reach.

The actions taken by television providers and technology companies against RT have dealt one of the largest blows to the outlet in its history, reducing the Kremlin's ability to peddle its narrative at a pivotal time when its international standing has fallen as a result of its unprovoked war on Ukraine.

YouTube, TikTok, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook (FB) and Instagram, each separately announced on Monday and Tuesday some of the harshest measures taken thus far against RT. The social media companies said they had moved to block RT in Europe. The outlet's accounts will no longer be accessible to users on that continent through those companies' services, depriving RT of crucial venues to advance its messaging.

Meta and Google (GOOG), the parent company of YouTube, had previously announced that RT would no longer be eligible to monetize its content on the company's platforms.

Oh, Golly!  It's the Oligarchs!

The country began suffering cash shortages, the ruble went into free fall, and at least two oligarchs—who have been targeted by sanctions, along with their families—called for an end to the conflict, even if they didn’t explicitly call out Putin. “Peace is very important!” Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska said in a social media post Sunday. “Negotiations need to start as soon as possible!”

Deripaska speaking out is particularly significant, since he and Putin have long supported each other.

Krugman Says:

Putin isn’t the first brutal dictator to make himself an international pariah. As far as I can tell, however, he’s the first to do so while presiding over an economy deeply dependent on international commerce — and with a political elite accustomed, more or less literally, to treating Western democracies as their playground.

Finally, as I noted last week, Russia’s oligarchs have stashed most of their assets overseas, making them subject to freezing or seizure if democratic governments can muster the will. You might say that Russia doesn’t need those assets, which is true. But everything Putin has done in office suggests that he considers it necessary to buy oligarchs’ support, so their vulnerability is his vulnerability.

No Batman for You!  Next!

Warner Bros. is halting the release of “The Batman” in Russia, just days before it was to open in theaters there, as Hollywood moved to cease distribution plans in the country following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Warner Bros., the Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures said Monday that they would “pause” the release of their films in Russia. Each studio has significant upcoming releases that had been set to debut internationally in the coming weeks. “The Batman,” one of the year’s more anticipated films, launches Friday in North America and many overseas territories, including Russia.

What is One Bitcoin in Rubles?

The harsh sanctions imposed on Russia and the resulting crash of the ruble have the Kremlin scrambling to keep the country’s economy running. For Vladimir Putin, that means finding workarounds to the Western economic blockade even as his forces continue to invade Ukraine.

Former Treasury Department officials and sanctions experts expect Russia to try to mitigate the impact of the financial penalties by relying on energy sales and leaning on the country’s reserves in gold and Chinese currency. Putin also is expected to move funds through smaller banks and accounts of elite families not covered by the sanctions, deal in cryptocurrency and rely on Russia's relationship with China.

Right now, “the biggest two avenues that Russia has are China and energy,” said John Smith, former director of Treasury’s financial intelligence and enforcement arm.

Does This Mean Russians Don't Have to Pay Their Credit Card Bills?

The crippling sanctions are designed to block Russia from tapping the global financial system, ranging from freezing assets at major Russian banks — including the state-owned VTB, and prohibiting U.S. citizens from participating in any transactions with Russia's Central Bank, its National Wealth Fund or the Russia Ministry of Finance.

In a statement issued Monday, Mastercard said it has "blocked multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network." It added that it will continue to work with regulators to comply with requirements "as they evolve."

Visa, meanwhile, on Monday said it is complying with sanctions. "Visa is taking prompt action to ensure compliance with applicable sanctions, and is prepared to comply with additional sanctions that may be implemented," it said in the statement.

The sanctions are already wreaking havoc on the lives of ordinary Russians, who can only expect the economic situation to worsen in the days and weeks ahead, experts say. The ruble fell about 30% against the U.S. dollar on Monday to less than 1 cent. It regained some ground after Russia's central bank more than doubled its key interest rate to 20% to shore up the currency, but economists are forecasting that the sanctions will pare Russia's economic growth.
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Taiwan Gets the Message

As Russian forces push ahead with their assault on Ukraine, leaders in both China and Taiwan are closely watching the situation and how Western governments respond.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has generated enormous sympathy in Taiwan, a self-ruling island that Beijing claims as its territory. Chinese President Xi Jinping has not ruled out the use of force in a “reunification” with Taiwan that his Communist Party government insists is inevitable.

On Friday, the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and will join international economic sanctions. But Taiwan also has an eye on its own security, with President Tsai Ing-wen saying last week that the military must heighten surveillance.

Taiwan has not reported any unusual maneuvers by the Chinese military in recent days. But in the last two years Beijing has ramped up what Taiwan has condemned as military aggression, regularly sending warplanes close to the island to deter what China perceives as a growing campaign for Taiwan independence. Last Thursday, as Russia began invading Ukraine, Taiwan was approached by nine Chinese aircraft, the defense ministry said.

“Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow?” some headlines in Taiwanese media asked on Friday.
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Your Son Just Came Out as Gay.  Here's the Good News.

“I love gay people,” activist and playwright Larry Kramer proclaimed at the outset of a 2004 speech in New York City. “I think we’re better than other people. I really do. I think we’re smarter and more talented and more aware.”

A new study making waves among LGBTQ-focused academics lends empirical credence to the iconic Act Up co-founder’s prideful claims — not to the supposed sweeping superiority of gay men, rather to the more narrow assertion that this group is remarkably inclined to excel academically.

But the paper, which was published in the American Sociological Review on Feb. 20, comes to starkly opposing conclusions about how growing up gay appears to affect the academic performance of males versus females.

Joel Mittleman, a University of Notre Dame sociologist and the paper’s sole author, found that on an array of academic measures, gay males outperform all other groups on average, across all major racial groups. Conversely, he concluded that lesbians perform more poorly in school overall and that Black gay women have a much lower college graduation rate than their white counterparts.
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What's the Dog Going to Do If It Catches the Car?

Even more determined sanctions will degrade Putin's ability to sustain a long and debilitating occupation of a thoroughly hostile land he will never co-opt and where most individuals are sworn enemies. How many forces will Putin need to pursue a war without end, in a nation he will never subdue? Enormous, probably for the moment incalculable — a drain on finite and dwindling resources needed to put Russian military in every village and town. More to the point, if Russia had to target a Kharkiv oil pipeline (as reported by Reuters citing Ukraine authorities), Kyiv's fuel reserves and airports, even before hand-to-hand fighting begins within Ukraine's leading cities, what will be left to occupy? How will Russia feed the populace or its occupying army?
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Sadly, There Will Be a Lot More Tears Inside Ukraine






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How Long Will This Lady Have a Job on Fox "News"






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I Beat USA Today to The Churchill Comparison By 3 Days

Here's their Headline:

'Modern day Winston Churchill': What to know about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Here's mine:

Somehow Dana Carvey has Turned Into Winston Churchill
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