Antisemitism fell flat on Duke University graduation thanks to uplifting Seinlanguage
Echo broken clock essay! I seldom echo the New York Post but, in my opinion, this report by Kirsten Fleming is spot on.
Jerry Seinfeld actually had a great message for Duke University graduation protesters — too bad they missed it ❗
In the bizarro world of 2024, college commencements — at least the ones that haven’t been canceled — Jerry Seinfeld, a man who riffs on breakfast cereal and Superman, is too controversial for some thin-skinned graduates of Duke University, in Durham North Carolina.
Maine Writer - IMO flagrant antisemitism and Jerry Seinfeld handled the moment with professional style.
Why? We’re left with only one conclusion: because Seinfeld, 70, is Jewish and — gasp — visited Israel to meet with families of victims taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th.
Seinfeld is zealously apolitical in his stand-up.
He didn’t jog onto the stage wearing an Israeli flag draped around his shoulders or use “Hatikvah,“ the country’s national anthem, as his walk-up music.
He wasn’t there to act as a proxy for Netanyahu, or to deliver a blistering defense of Zionism or an argument against divestment.
Nonetheless, some 30 or students couldn’t stand to hear an American Jew deliver a commencement address. And thought they’d really make a statement by being disruptive (thereby collectively usurping hoops villain Christian Laettner as the most detested Duke graduate of all time).
But an encouraging thing happened: The sensible crowd booed the protestors and chanted “Jer-ry! Jer-ry!” as he received an honorary degree and delivered universal pearls of wisdom in his native tongue of Seinlanguage😃.
He poked fun at AI and he praised bees. More importantly, he urged the young graduates to laugh and joke, including at stuff that might be too hot for HR or your uptight identitarian friends.
“The slightly uncomfortable feeling of awkward humor is OK. It’s not something you need to fix,” Seinfeld told the crowd.
Hooray for irreverence❗
“Humor is the most powerful, most survival essential quality you will ever have or need to navigate through the human experience,” he said.
For a man who created a show about nothing, Seinfeld gave a speech about a lot of meaningful principles.
Too bad the most self-serious members of the audience walked out before they could hear his advice.
They and their comrades — LARPing as social justice warlords in North Face tents — are absurdity in action.
In a simpler era, this level of farce could have been fodder for his sitcom. It’s downright “Seinfeld”ian.
The comedian, who is reportedly a billionaire, also took on the thorny issue of privilege, a concept that intersectionalists have decided is an original sin. White privilege, rich privilege, cis privilege, yada yada yada.
“I would like to take a moment to defend it … I say, use your privilege,” Seinfeld added.
To applause, he dropped this blistering truth: “My point is, we are embarrassed about things we should be proud of and proud of things we should be embarrassed about.”
Broken clock award to journalist Kirsten Fleming for being right at least once a day!
Broken clock award here for author Kirsten Fleming: Indeed, imagine the privilege of having Seinfeld as your commencement speaker — but, because of his faith and not being a 100% match on your ideological bingo card, he must be rejected, jeered and interrupted.
Purity tests are not your friend in the real world.
Oh, the places you will not go. The walk-out approach will not bode well for future employment — an endeavor that, many times, requires people to work alongside and meet team goals with people who see the world differently.
This group of would-be agitators also lost a chance to witness a great American creative take the time to both uplift and gently humble them. He offered a vision of shared humanity forged through drollery- whimisically amusing.
To quote the man’s sitcom alter ego: “That’s a shame.”
Donald Trump supported by cult followers who are victims of believing his evil big lie
Judge Engoron should agree to state Attorney General Tish James' request to impose a $370 million fine and permanently bar Trump from doing business in New York.
"Sure Trump destroyed our democracy, but the other guy was three years older?" 💬💭😏
NEW YORK- Like the drowning scorpion slipping under the water next to the stung and dying frog, Donald Trump could not help himself to violate an explicit court order and make a political speech when Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron extended him the privilege to say a few words about his civil fraud trial after Trump's defense lawyer concluded his closing argument Thursday.
Engoron warned Trump to stick to the facts and bounds of the case, as he had insisted for days when Trump indicated that he wanted a chance to speak--an agreement Trump never consented to. And so, after 11 weeks of trial and 44 days in the courtroom, Trump was given five minutes, and then promptly disregarded what the judge told him not to do.
"But I don't want to be Donald Trump's vice presidential choice"😒😈💭
"The financial statements were perfect, there were no witnesses against us ... the banks were happy as can be ... I spoke to an executive at Zurich, and he said, 'You didn't defraud us' ... This does go outside of the bounds ... This is a political witch hunt ... we should receive damages for what we've gone through ... we had millions of pages of documents. They have nothing.
"They don't want me here. Let's get rid of Trump. I've done a lot of great things."
When Engoron held up a finger to show that Trump had one minute to finish, Trump said: "You have your own agenda. You can't listen for one minute. I understand that."
Engoron finally addressed Trump's lawyer: "Mr. Kise, please control your client."
Engoron should agree to state Attorney General Tish James' request to impose a $370 million fine and permanently bar Trump from doing business in New York.
Our one complaint about Engoron's conduct of the trial is that he should have allowed TV cameras in the courtroom for the trial's opening and closing arguments, which is permissible under state law. Then the world could have seen Trump's final outburst.
In addition to four criminal indictments and 91 total charges, Trump’s failures include: Trump Steaks, the GoTrump travel site, Trump Taj Mahal, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Trump Shuttle, Trump Vodka, Trump University and Trump Mortgage.
He was involved in over 3,500 lawsuits, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.
Is this the type of leadership America needs or wants? How many people would hire a man with this resumé to run their business?
From Gary Kleinman in Los Angeles, California.
After four indictments by the Democratic cabal of Donald Trump, who leads in all polls for the Republican nomination for president, it seems that Dems are trying everything to stop him from winning.
It appears that many who supported him in the past have fallen in with the Democrats to stop Trump from running.
Why do they want to stop him? Didn’t he give us four good years that made us, and the country, great? Don’t we need him again to put a stop to the crazy left-wing agenda and get rid of Biden? I think we do.
From Richard A. Ketay in Newark, New Jersey
Republicans try so hard to convince voters that they are the true defenders of law and order. (OMG!
They often speak at length about upholding justice for all, but they quickly turn to completely bizarre conspiracy theories and claims of political persecution when those same laws are applied to those among them who participate in a culture of corruption.
Even more troubling is their undeniable detachment from reality. Republicans must think that the majority of Americans are either gullible or just plain stupid.
These MAGA morons* are the worst kind of hypocrites.
From Bill Schandelmeier in Chicago, Illinois
*MAGA Morons are governing American social media page
January 6 Riot Was ‘Fueled by Lies’ From Trump, Special Counsel Says
Sarah’s Isgur's View: Trump lied to the American people repeatedly about the results of the 2020 election.
Donald J. Trump was charged with four counts in connection with his efforts to subvert the will of voters in 2020.
Trump pressured elected officials to do things that would have been good for him politically and bad for the country. He allowed a mob to overtake the Capitol while he lobbied senators for their votes, and he considered replacing his attorney general with an incompetent toady who would support his political whims. But none of that is criminal if Trump believed the election was riddled with fraud. A lot of it isn’t criminal even if he didn’t believe it. I wish this indictment had narrowed its focus, homing in only on the conduct that fell clearly on the criminal side of the line and not included the parts that simply inspire outrage (of which there is plenty).
I think the Florida case warranted charges and is a strong case.
And, I think the American people can understand the charges and accept the results—even in an election year. This thing, though, is a whole different kettle of fish. I don’t believe it was politically motivated or is the result of political corruption at the Department. Quite the opposite. I think it’s the result of career prosecutors not thinking about the politics at all.
David French ended his most recent column by saying “Smith has brought a difficult case. But it’s a necessary case ... This is the trial America needs.” At a time when so many Americans are questioning the legitimacy of our institutions and believe that our laws can be wielded by their enemies for political advantage, I can only agree with the first sentence. A trial relying on vague laws to prosecute a presidential candidate who may well have believed the lies that assured him that he wasn’t a loser is the last thing this country needs.
In the end, though, it’ll be up to 12 Americans who have sworn to be fair and impartial. And that’s the most American thing of all.
Afghanistan was abandoned by #TFG - Former guy had no intention to help Afghan people
Everyone who has worked with the U.S. government knows that "red tape" is frequently abandoned when it is evident or convenient for people to be moved for urgent reasons. This catastrophic attempt at helping to evacuate the Afghan allies was totally preventable. In my opinion, #TheFormerGuy fully intended to abandon Afghan. Trump never intended to create an evacuation plan. Unfortunately, President Joe Biden was unprepared for this humanitarian disaster. #intelligencefailure
Afghan refugees in Kabul- Afghanistan is in a humanitarian crises.
Former President George W. Bush on Monday urged President Joe Biden to “cut the red tape” and allow for the swift evacuation of Afghan refugees following the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Responding to the fall of Afghanistan’s US-backed government, Bush said the Afghans “at the greatest risk are the same ones who have been on the forefront of progress inside their nation.”
The costly US-led war in Afghanistan began just shy of 20 years ago after the 9/11 attack while Bush was president.
Bush, in his Monday statement, noted Biden has promised to evacuate the Afghans who assisted Americans and its NATO allies over the past two decades.
“The United States government has the legal authority to cut the red tape for refugees during urgent humanitarian crises. And, we have the responsibility and the resources to secure safe passage for them now, without bureaucratic delay,” he said in his statement.
“Laura and I are confident that the evacuation efforts will be effective because they are being carried out by the remarkable men and women of the United States Armed Forces, diplomatic corps, and intelligence community.”
The Taliban claimed complete control of Afghanistan on Sunday — and since then, scores of Afghans, Americans and other allies have been scrambling to flee the war-torn country.
WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned Sunday.
Bill Kristol @BillKristol posted on Twitter - "Two words you won't find in Kirstjen Nielsen's resignation letter: Donald Trump. Nielsen writes, 'It has been my great honor to lead the men and women of the Department as its sixth Secretary'. She does not say it was an honor to have served President Trump" WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was forced out of the position, according to multiple news reports.
Bloomberg reported that the president met with Nielsen early Sunday evening and asked her to resign.
One former White House official told The Post that she was “no doubt” pushed out of the job, which she’s held since December 2017.
The president has become increasingly angry over the number of migrants from central American countries coming over the US’s southern border, with many of them trying to apply for asylum in the United States.
Trump had already indicated that he was looking for “tougher” individuals to handle immigration. Last week, the president abruptly yanked the nomination of Ronald Vitiello, who was to lead Immigration and Custom Enforcement. “We want to go in a tougher direction,” Trump said.
#Scary
Nielsen hadn’t been told of the president’s decision, nor did she agree with it.
Knowing she was on thin ice Sunday, Nielsen went into the White House meeting thinking she might be fired, the Associated Press reported.
On Sunday night, after tweeting that Nielsen “will be leaving her position” Trump again went on (another evil!) Twitter rant over the migrant flows.
“Mexico must apprehend all illegals and not let them make the long march up to the United States, or we will have no other choice than to Close the Border and/or institute Tariffs,” Trump wrote. “Our Country is FULL!”
Mona Lisa retains the essence of the feminine mystique- it's her fashion and her modesty
In my opinion, although a woman's body image is fascinating when enhanced by nature or creative fashion, the female who depends on her nakedness to draw attention to herself is living in a translucent bubble. People are only fascinated with her nakedness until the bubble bursts. Age is one ephemerally transition, whereby a woman will eventually have the brutal experience of comparing an aging image with her narcissistic youthful delusion. When a woman is introduced - any woman- the initial response will be to her personae. She's attractive based on her first impression. Sexuality is second to her personae. Women who sell their sexuality first and personae second are only as interesting has their body allows. In other words, after you've seen their breasts, what's next? On the other had, women of mystery reveal themselves a little at a time, the Gypsy Rose Lee (an artistic exotic dancer) effect, and an aloofness remains her attraction to others. Here's what Samelson says in New York Post: Are celebrities (and likewise our own acquaintances and even some friends) who post naked (or even near naked) photos of themselves empowering themselves, asked Chelsea Samelson. That's the contention of Kim Kardashian and her many defenders, who've insisted it's "slut shaming" to criticize her habit of tweeting photos of her naked breasts and butt- a stunt many other celebrities are now competitively imitating. Please. Kardashihian is perhaps the most famous woman in the Western world, yet all she has done is to flaunt the fact that she has "a physically attractive body". Her appearance is everything, "and she lives for validation of her sexiness and desirability." That's not empowerment. Indeed, it's not even feminism. "It's the mindset of body and breasts over brains." Wen celebrities promote their careers this way, "women everywhere lose". If you want to see truly empowereed women, you won't find them taking naked (or near naked) selfies. Rather, you'll find them graduating from college at higher rates than men, "running companies, running for office, and running the hoems that are raising America's next generagtion". Today, a woman "can do anything in the world she wants to do." Why would she define herself by her breasts? Moreover, while breasts sag over time, a woman's sexuality improves with age when she maintains her beauty through modest attention to fashion and by keeping herself sexually aloof. Just check out Leonardo DaVinci's "Mona Lisa"...and follow the example the artist created. She's still here.
