No. 151: How to Politicize a Tornado

Good morning, everyone.

As the rest of the world veers towards authoritarianism to "preserve public order" in the face of the Xi, I mean, Omicron variant, the American South is one of the few places in the world that has stood strong. From Tennessee in the North to Florida in the Southeast corner and Texas in the West, the South has taken a hardline against federal overreach, and despite all criticism, stuck to its instincts by warding off the fear and hysteria coming out of DC. Without the South, America would be just like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, or Austria all of whom obliviously stumble towards ruin.

In other news, we take a look at some upcoming 2022 elections in Tennessee, dispel the myth that climate change is causing more dangerous tornadoes, and reintroduce our COVID Gutter for a day to detail some of the more pathetic reactions to the latest and greatest COVID variant.

We sometimes give you a big, beefy wall of text to read. The best approach is to pick and choose what you're interested in and discard the rest. There will always be another day, but we try and include at least one thing that will pique your interest depending on what you have going on when you open this email. Be sure to check out the sections we curate at the bottom of the newsletter for interesting links and other oddities we curate from the broader internet.

You can follow us on Twitter (@realpamphleteer), LinkedIn (@realpamphleteer), or Instagram (@realpamphleteer) for additional content.

Thanks for reading.

🎫 END OF YEAR TICKET GIVEAWAYS

Enter to win four tickets and a parking pass to the Thursday Night Titans/49ers game on December 23rd, or four tickets to see St. Paul & the Broken Bones at the Brooklyn Bowl on New Year's Eve.

If you refer people to the contest, you will increase your chances of winning.

🏈 Enter the Titans vs. 49ers Ticket Giveaway Contest (Link)

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♼ ON THE BALLOT IN 2022

2022 elections are already a buzz-worthy topic amid the state’s pending redistricting decisions, January’s General Assembly, and the overall momentum of Tennessee politics. Over the last few years, the mid-state has experienced the strenuous pangs brought on by ideological tugs-of-war that righteously signal a vitality that can only be attributed to a vibrant and thriving democratic republic.

RUNDOWN

2022 will see a Gubernatorial race (4 year term), races for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives (2 year term), Tennessee Senate races in odd-numbered districts (4 year term), and Tennessee House of Representatives races (2 year term) along with general elections for state judicial offices (8 year term) and applicable county offices.

In Davidson County, notable races include the Mayor (4 year term), Vice Mayor, the District Attorney (8 year term), the Sheriff (4 year term), and Metro City Council members (4 year term).

While some candidates have already staked their claim, it is hard to tell who will be on the final ballot. Redistricting is at a stalemate while proposed county lines await the prying eyes of various committees.

MORE INFO

• List of Davidson County Elected positions up for vote.
• List of election deadlines released by the secretary of state.
• Map of Metro redistricting proposals.
• Information regarding state redistricting.

HEADLINES

• 🤡 Racial disparities persist in Metro Schools' advanced classes. Efforts are underway to change it. (Tennessean) This is the prelude to abolishing advanced classes altogether in the name of equity.
• How the Murder Rate in Tennessee Compares to the Rest of the Country (Center Square) The U.S. murder rate is at its highest level in nearly two and half decades. A total of 21,570 murders were committed nationwide in 2020, up nearly 30% from the previous year -- the largest annual increase on record. There were a total of 663 murders in Tennessee in 2020, or 9.6 for every 100,000 people -- the sixth highest murder rate among states. For comparison, the national homicide rate stands at 6.5 per 100,000.
• How much do Tennessee teachers make? New report sheds light on pay gaps between districts (WBIR) Statewide, classroom teachers reportedly make $52,500 a year on average. Licensed educators were typically paid a little more, averaging $55,000 a year. City-run districts paid significantly more compared to county, with school systems like Oak Ridge and Maryville both paying roughly $67,000 on average for K-12 classroom teachers.
• Tennessee has collected $1.2B more than estimated in revenue this fiscal year (Center Square) Tennessee collected $1.4 billion in revenue in November; nearly 22% higher than what was collected in November 2020.

DEVELOPMENT

• Alabama firm spends $6 million on Broadway building (Biz Journal)
• North Gulch site sells for $29.25M in record deal (Post)
• Chicago development company pays $42.31M for Beaman site (Post)
• Image shows 16-story building eyed for SoBro (Post)
• HRI Properties Inc. unveils updated plans for downtown high-rise hotel (Biz Journal)
• Developers, nonprofit partner to build 484 affordable housing units, rehab center (Biz Journal)
• Centrum’s Cumulus Site Gets Key Approval; Includes a 39-Story Tower & 70,000SF Park in Nashville. (Now Next)

▼ HOW TO POLITICIZE A TORNADO

Axios Nashville took the opportunity of devastating tornadoes in Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky to shill the goo-goo-ga-ga idea that the "climate crisis" may be making tornadoes worse. They shared the cute graphic above that is supposed to make the case, but actually says next to nothing about anything. I guess without God and Science, you have Climate Change and poorly rendered data art.

The above graphic shows the number of "favorable days per decade" since 1979 in which a tornado is likely to happen. In West Tennessee, the graphic shows that over the past decade, there have been an additional 2.5 days per decade since 1979 wherein a tornado could occur. The graphic says nothing about damage from tornadoes or the actual number of tornadoes. That's probably because the danger posed by tornadoes has never been less threatening, and to shed light on that point would undermine the climate change narrative the Axios corporate office wants its local apparatchiks to push.

Cross-referencing the above map with a map displaying fatalities since 1950 on a county level, you will see that "favorable days" (whatever that means) seem to have little, if any, correlation with injuries and deaths as a result of tornadoes. There's not even a correlation between the number of tornadoes in an area and casualties resulting from them. So, what does that map show us? Absolutely nothing. In the push to "politicize" the tornadoes, it's likely the map surfaced as the only intelligent seeming graphic that showed something getting worse. Dark color on map, bad. High number on map, bad. Ergo facto, climate crisis causes tornadoes. Print it! We have a deadline!

What you're really looking at is the Southern part of the well-documented Tornado Alley which has consistently threatened people within its boundaries since settlers made their homes there, and before that, when Indians roamed the plains. In one collection of worst tornadoes in Tennessee's history, the list is divided into those with 25 of more deaths prior to 1953 and those with 5 or more thereafter. Due in part to more advanced warning systems and advanced construction methods, the death tolls and damage from tornadoes have plummetted across the US since the end of WWI.

Nonetheless, Biden has urged the EPA to investigate the role of the climate crisis in causing deadly tornadoes. Someone draw the curtain already.

♟ COVID GUTTER

End the case count, etc.

🟩 THE GOOD

• Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) declares COVID-19 emergency ‘over’ despite Omicron
• Omicron is spreading like wildfire — but not killing
• Los Angeles schools, with 30K unvaccinated students, push off COVID vaccine mandate until fall 2022

🟥 THE BAD

• New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern says triple vaccinated people can engage in "Tinder liaisons" (hookups) of up to 25 people in a red area. That's an actual quote.
• California to reinstate indoor mask mandate
• Kroger to take away paid Covid benefits, add insurance surcharges for unvaccinated employees
• UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid proclaims "No more international travel for 12 to 15-year-olds without the NHS COVID Pass"
• Four States calling in National Guard to alleviate healthcare staffing crisis after firing unvaccinated workers
• Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon: Limit mixing to three households in the run-up to Christmas to fight omicron

❆ AN EXTRA DOSE OF IDIOCY

• Two years into this pandemic, the world is dangerously unprepared for the next one, report says (Washington Post) And thus, a new multi-billion dollar grift is born: "Real pandemic preparedness has never been tried."

𝖃 FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE

In 2020, riots roiled the nation and people took cover in their homes against COVID-19. As a result homicides and gun purchases across the nation shot up. Homicides rose by 30%, the largest single-year increase in recorded history. Curiously, the states with the biggest increase in new gun purchases did not witness a corresponding rise in homicides. Plainly put, there was no correlation between gun purchases and gun violence in 2020.

In Nashville this week, there is a large selection of people posing as artists making sounds that imitate music. I often seek refuge from these posers at Robert’s Western World, the best honky tonk in Nashville. Robert’s has resisted the degeneration of the U.S. Music industry. They’ve maintained their greatness while everyone around them is “upgrading.” Let’s hope the Schermerhorn can hold out, it’s been looking like a desert over there recently.

𝄞 WEEKLY PLAYLIST

In other news and notes, check out the 🎶 Spotify playlist we compile 🎶 at the bottom of this article (or slap that link) to give you a sample of what you can get from the calendar this week.

THINGS TO DO

View the full calendar here.

🎄 It’s a Wonderful Life is playing at the Belcourt from the 17th - 24th.

⭐ Cheekwood’s Christmas lights exhibit is running until January 9.

🖼 At the Frist, Medieval Bologna: Art for a University City is running until January 30 and American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1918–1939 until January 2.

TONIGHT

😳  Comedy Open Mic @ Fat Kat Slims, 7p, Free, Info

Around the Web

⚔︎ Socialism Destroyed His Homeland. Here’s a Venezuelan’s Warning for America. Venezuela used to be a thriving and prosperous Latin American nation. All of that changed abruptly when socialism took over the Venezuelan government.

❒ Variant Xi Recalling UFOs, the invisible virus, war on nuclear meets the war on space, and america’s vanishing act.

↩︎ The Australian Prison Experiment Cell-block frontier: COVID-19 in Australia.

Political Theater Highlight Reel

1. Andrew Bosworth, a top exec at Meta, blames users for spreading misinformation
2. Pfizer CEO warns patients not to opt-out of vaccine after the release of Covid-19 pill: ‘A very big mistake’ (for his checkbook)
3. Andrew Cuomo is ordered to forfeit earnings from $5.1 million book deal

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Words of Wisdom

The welfare of a people, like the happiness of a man, depends on a great many things that can be provided in an infinite variety of combinations. It cannot be adequately expressed as a single end, but only as a hierarchy of ends, a comprehensive scale of values in which every need of every person is given its place.

F.A. Hayek, 'The Road to Serfdom'