AMERICAN HISTORY: On July 2, 1982, “Lawnchair Larry” Walters, a truck driver from the Los Angeles area attached more than 40 helium-filled weather balloons to an ordinary aluminum lawn chair, donned a parachute, strapped himself and his supplies (e.g., a pellet gun, a CB radio, sandwiches, beer) to the chair, and cut the tethers.
But, rather than the gentle, low-altitude float he expected, the chair shot up rapidly to about 16,000 feet (around 3 miles). He drifted into controlled airspace near Long Beach and LAX, where airline pilots spotted and reported him.
After about 45 minutes aloft, he shot out some balloons to descend, got tangled in power lines during landing – briefly knocking out power in a Long Beach area – and was rescued, unharmed, and immediately arrested.
The event got massive media attention, inspired copycats (and even the sport of cluster ballooning), movies, songs, and more. His lawn chair is preserved in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection.
ANTI-SEMITISM in CALIFORNICATION: An Arab Muslim migrant and former community college professor picked a fight with a 69-year-old pro-Israel protester. Not satisfied with yelling at the guy, Loay Alnaji smacked Paul Kessler on the head with his megaphone. Kessler fell backward on the concrete, busted his head open, and died due to the resulting brain bleed.
Last May, Alnaji pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and felony battery causing serious bodily injury.
At Alnaji’s sentencing hearing this week, Kessler’s widow said, “There are no words to describe the pain of losing a husband in such a sudden and violent way. The grief is relentless. The silence in our house, the absence of his voice, his companionship, his love and the future we had planned together are losses I carry with me every day.”
Judge Derek Malan sentenced Alnaji to one year in county jail and two years of probation.
- https://notthebee.com/article/california-judge-only-gives-one-year-in-county-jail-to-arab-immigrant-who-killed-elderly-jewish-man-at-israel-protest
- https://ktla.com/news/california/man-sentenced-in-2023-death-of-jewish-demonstrator-thousand-oaks/
DEMOCRATS: CLICK https://x.com/nathanbrand/status/2070872061593919791 [:47] to hear Ben Flores, the Democrat nominee for Texas’ Land Commissioner, speak on behalf of James Talarico, the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate.
Not the Bee wrote, “The party that once claimed to stand for women, farmers, working people, and the labor unions has become the party of trans, tofu-eating vegans who are going to hell!”
KARMA: After strangling his girlfriend to death, an Alabama man suffered a fatal heart attack while dragging her body into the woods. His ex-wife said he had a pre-existing heart condition.
LIBERALISM: It’s also when you despise men, because of “male privilege” and “the patriarchy,” then demand that biological males be allowed to compete in women’s sporting events.
OBAMA: It’s interesting to note how carefully the news items are worded to direct blame away from Obama.
E.g., “Several subcontractors involved in the construction of the Obama Presidential Center have filed for bankruptcy, citing unpaid invoices and financial strain due to cost overruns and delays on the project. The disputes primarily involve the contractors managing the project rather than the Obama Foundation directly.”
E.g., “Contractors working on the Obama Presidential Center say they are still owed millions for work performed, and several have pursued legal claims or are seeking counsel; the Obama Foundation and the general contractor characterize remaining issues as contractual closeout disputes rather than outright refusal to pay. Reporting does not show former President Barack Obama personally withholding payments; the financial obligations and contests center on the foundation, the general contractor Lakeside Alliance and subcontractors, with some disputes already in court.”
These same news sources make a big hairy deal about how Trump was convicted of multiple felonies, ignoring the fact that the charges in question related to a bank loan he repaid on time and in full.
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/posts-claim-obama-stiffed-black-130000421.html
- https://factually.co/fact-checks/politics/does-obama-owe-contractors-money-for-his-library-2e76b4
SOUTH DAKOTA: Early Monday morning, 130 mph winds left a trail of devastation at the Highmore Wind Farm.
- https://endtimeheadlines.org/2026/07/130-mph-straight-line-winds-devastate-south-dakota-wind-farm/
- H/t Mindful Webworker
GRAMMY NOTES: When our then-teen made Chicken Parmesan for dinner, it tasted good, but different. She said, “I forgot the recipe when I went to the store and couldn’t remember what kind of cheese to get, so I got cheddar.” BTW, Chicken Cheddar is delicious.
SHORTS:
CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0zH7xNYfbis [2:16] to hear about Patriotic Kenny.
CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OkAa-MYrHmw [1:56] to watch delivery drivers who lurve their jobs.
polination.blog 