Monthly Archives: July 2021

A majority of American fourth- and eighth-graders cant read or do math at grade level, according to the Education Department. And that assessment is from 2019, before the learning losses from pandemic school closures.

Whenever someone asks me about critical race theory, that statistic comes to mind. Whats the priority, teaching math and reading, or turning elementary schools into social-justice boot camps?

Given that black and Hispanic students are more likely to be lagging academically, its a question that anyone professing to care deeply about social inequality might consider. Learning gaps manifest themselves in all kinds of ways later in life, from unemployment rates and income levels to the likelihood of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and involvement with the criminal-justice system. Our jails and prisons already have too many woke illiterates.

Wealthier parents will make sure their kids receive a decent education, even if it means using private schools or hiring tutors. But the majority of children are relegated to the traditional public-school system, where progressives now want to prioritize the teaching of critical race theory. In addition to being a horrible idea, the timing couldnt be worse. As the country rapidly diversifiesfor more than a decade, U.S. population growth has been driven primarily by Asians and Hispanicsliberals want to teach children to obsess over racial and ethnic differences. What could go wrong?

Recently, the nations two largest teachers unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, announced that they had jumped on the bandwagon. At its annual meeting earlier this month, the NEA adopted a proposal stating that it is reasonable and appropriate for curriculum to be informed by academic frameworks for understanding and interpreting the impact of the past on current society, including critical race theory. More, the organization pledged to fight back against anti-CRT rhetoric and issue a study that critiques empire, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, anti-Indigeneity, racism, patriarchy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, ableism, anthropocentrism, and other forms of power and oppression at the intersections of our society. There was no proposal vowing to improve math and reading test scores, alas.

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Critical Race Theory Is a Hustle - The Wall Street Journal

Ananya Pandey, Chunky Panday and Bhavana Pandey attended a prayer meet for his mother, Snehlata Panday, on Tuesday. Snehlata died on Saturday.

Chunky Panday was seen in a white shirt and jeans while Ananya Panday was dressed in a white kurta for the meet. Bhavana Pandey wore a light-coloured kurta-pyjama set.

A day after Snehlata's death, Neelam Kothari, Samir Soni, politicians Bhai Jagtap and Baba Siddiqui paid their respects to her. Nirvan Khan, the son of Sohail and Seema Khan, was also seen at Chunky Panday's house.

Upon the death of her grandmother, Ananya Panday posted childhood pictures with her and wrote in a long note, "Rest in power, my angel when she was born the doctors said she wouldnt live beyond a few years because of a defected heart valve, but my Dadi lived and how. She worked every day up until the age of 85, going to work at 7 am in her block heels and red streaked hair. She inspired me every single day to do what I love and Im so grateful to have grown up basking in her energy and light. She had the softest hands to hold, gave the best leg massages, she was a self proclaimed (and very politically incorrect) palm reader and never ever failed to make me laugh. The life of our family. Youre too loved to ever be forgotten Dadi - I love you so much."

Bhavana had also posted pictures with her late mother-in-law and wrote, "The Best !!!! Mom, Mom in Law , Grandmother to my kids , Inspiration in every possible way !!!!! Love you ! Miss you ! Rest in Peace #blessedwiththebest #thefunnestpersonever."

Also read: EXCLUSIVE: Has KL Rahul finally made it official with Athiya Shetty?

Earlier this year, Ananya had posted a picture with her grandmother on Women's Day. She also wrote about her influence on her life. "The epitome of grace, beauty, perseverance, humour, badass energy and boss woman vibes. my Dadi and Nani - happy Womens day to my best. and happy Womens day to all the lovely ladies out there - you are so very special and everything you need is right inside of you I love you guys u rock," she wrote.

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Ananya Panday, Chunky Panday, Bhavana pay their last respects at prayer meet for his mother. See pics - Hindustan Times

Ron Johnson| Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Editor's note: USA TODAY NETWORK Wisconsin is publishing Sen. Ron Johnsons op-ed in the interestof promoting a healthy dialogue and providing a forum for readers representing a range of perspectives.Our network of 11 newspapers across Wisconsin has a long history of independence, holding politicians of all political parties accountable to the citizens, whose views cover all points in the political spectrum. This includesDemocratic political appointees running theMilwaukee Fire and Police Commission,sexual harassment allegationsagainst a former Democratic Assembly member from Green Bay and Johnsons continued public criticism of certified election results, of the advice of medical doctors and public health experts, and of other evidence that runs counter to his goals or those ofhis backers. We stand by the accuracy, fairness and integrity of our reporting.To date, Johnson has not asked for any corrections of fact in any of the news stories or the editorial he cites in his commentary.

It is sad, and a troubling reflection on the current state of mainstream media, that I find myself having to respond to yet another unwarranted hit piece by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its Wisconsin affiliates. I write this response with no guarantee they will run it but with full assurance that, if they do, they will publish an accompanying smear in response.

The measure of their misrepresentations and distortions is so extensive that it is impossible to adequately respond in the space they allowed me in the last go-round.So I will make general observations here and present more complete rebuttals on my website.

Freedom of speech and a free press are indispensable to liberty and a vibrant democracy.Both are currently imperiled.Freedom of speech is under assault by the growing power, bias, and censorship of social media oligarchies.A free press is threatened by its self-inflicted bias and groupthink, and by its alliance with, and promotion of, one political party over the other.

RELATED: 'Fundamentally dangerous': Ron Johnson has long history of promoting views at odds with scientific research

EDITORIAL: Ron Johnson's anti-science crusade sets back the drive to vaccinate more people in Wisconsin

Mainstream media have abused the trust vested in them by the public.This breach of trust has exacerbated the political divide.Those on the liberal end of the political spectrum can be confident that media will reinforce and promote their beliefs while denigrating and working to marginalize the viewpoint of conservatives.Knowing their views will not be presented fairly, conservatives become increasingly frustrated and support candidates who fight back.

Instead of using their enormous power in a fair and balanced fashion to allow the public to draw its own conclusions, media advocates and indoctrinates. They may be oblivious to how they are violating the basic tenets of journalism (although I doubt it), but I can assure you, conservatives are fully aware. The result of modern yellow journalism is that it exacerbates our national divide.It is far more likely to incite than to heal.

It amazes me that the liberal mainstream media have declared me a polarizing figure.I certainly was never polarizing when I volunteered my time and efforts to community organizations in Oshkosh prior to entering the political realm.I dont see how anyone could look at what weve accomplished with the Joseph Project and then label me a racist and say Im polarizing.

Im not bombastic, and I dont engage in personal political attacks.Instead, I tell the truth.Often times, it is truth the liberal mainstream media do not want to hear.It counters their narrative, and they dont want to allow it.Because they are allies of the Democratic Party, they are also on board with the Democrats goal of controlling both of Wisconsins U.S. Senate seats.So they seize any opportunity where they believe they can damage me politically.

RELATED:Senator Ron Johnson calls editorial about him 'unhinged and uninformed.' The Editorial Board responds.

EDITORIAL:Ron Johnson, Scott Fitzgerald and Tom Tiffany should resign or be expelled for siding with Trump against our republic

EDITORIAL:Ron Johnson's dangerous shilling for Donald Trump makes him unfit to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate

The yellow journalism hit pieces following the June 28 press event, where I simply allowed five women and a 13-year-old child to tell their stories about possible vaccine injury, is a prime example. Instead of genuinely listening and showing even an ounce of human sympathy for their tragic stories, most of the media used the occasion to attack me.

One of the women, Bree, and the 13-year-old child, Maddie, are national heroes who assumed the risk of participating in COVID vaccine trials to benefit us all.They have suffered grievous injury as a result, and all they were asking was to be seen, heard and believed so they can find effective treatments.The mainstream media would not allow it.

RELATED: Facing backlash, Ron Johnson defends news conference with five people who said they got side effects from COVID-19 vaccine

Instead, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel used the occasion to publish a defamatory hit piece they had been working on for months.I encourage readers to go to my webpage and read the written questions John Fauber submitted to me and my written responses.Then compare those questions and answers to his June 29 hit piece.You will get a good sense with how insidious the process of yellow journalism is.

Media outlets feed off each other.One piece of yellow journalism is used to create another. Before you know it, media have redefined perfectly reasonable and true statements as politically incorrect taboo. And, of course, anyone who has uttered such a newly declared politically incorrect taboo is labeled the new Joe McCarthy.

I truly havent decided whether to run for re-election.Campaigns are too long and expensive.Delaying its start is probably a good thing.Too bad the media doesnt agree: They cant wait to stir up more division.The viciousness of todays politics is not only depressing, its exhausting for all of us. It deters many good people from seeking public office.

But the good people who do run decide that this marvel we call America is something rare and precious and must be preserved.They ignore the vitriol and they steel themselves against the lies and distortions.They hope that truth can and will prevail.

Ron Johnson, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from Wisconsin. To contact Senator Johnson, go to:www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/contact

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Opinion: Sen. Ron Johnson says 'Mainstream media have abused the trust vested in them by the public' - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The national flags of China and the United States [Photo/Xinhua]

To debunk some US politicians' preference to blame China for miscellaneous problems in the United States, a senior Chinese diplomat has said that "to destabilize China is by no means a solution to the US' problems".

"For a superpower like the US, the biggest challenge is always itself," Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng said in an interview with Chinese news portal guancha.com published on Saturday, covering a wide range of topics related to the world's two largest economies.

"We have no strategy for seeking hegemony but for our own development, and our goal is to realize the people's aspiration for a better life," Le said.

The interview came at a time when the bilateral ties have seen no major signs of relief from strains in recent months, as Washington has continued to publicly discredit or denounce China on issues ranging from cutting-edge technology and infrastructure to the COVID-19 pandemic and human rights.

Le said Beijing hopes that Washington can return to reason and the track of dialogue and cooperation, and the US should neither take confrontation against China as its policy nor consider suppression of China to be "politically correct".

"To mess up China-US relations and bring the two major powers of the world into confrontation and conflict is most politically incorrect," Le said.

Friday marked the 50th anniversary of former US national security adviser Henry Kissinger's icebreaking secret trip to China in 1971 in the lead-up to the two countries' establishment of diplomatic ties.

In the past 50 years, China-US engagement and cooperation accomplished many major things for the world, solved many difficult problems, and addressed major global challenges such as terrorism and the international financial crisis, Le noted.

The benefits that people and enterprises in the US obtained from China "were unimaginable 50 years ago. How can they say the US engagement with China has failed and is outdated?" Le said.

On the human rights issues, Le said some Western countries led by the US "are not in a position to talk about democracy and human rights with China because of their own deplorable human rights record", as they have committed genocide against the aboriginal people and discriminated against and persecuted minority groups.

The diplomat used the sarcastic Chinese proverb "a weasel pays a Lunar New Year courtesy visit to a chicken" regarding such countries' attacks and "concerns" about human rights in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

"Most US bombs have fallen on the land of Muslim countries in the past years. The US is the first in the world to release the anti-Muslim ban. Strangely, it cares about 'human rights' of Chinese Muslims who lead a happy life in Xinjiang. Isn't it groundless and absurd?" Le said.

As the Communist Party of China has led 1.4 billion Chinese people to eliminate extreme poverty and live a happier life, it can be said that the Party is blameless on human rights issues, and it deserves a medal, he added.

Earlier this year, Washington proposed the Build Back Better World, or B3W, infrastructure plan, in a bid to counter the China-led Belt and Road Initiative.

Le said the B3W plan cannot compete with the BRI, but further proves the BRI is "right and promising".

The success of the BRI lies in translating it into reality with down-to-earth efforts, such as building roads, bridges and tunnels, and the BRI is open and inclusive, Le said.

"We hope that Western countries led by the US can earnestly carry out infrastructure plans, build more roads and bridges for developing countries, and bring them more jobs and benefits instead of eagerly interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and arbitrarily exporting Western values," Le said.

When asked about origin tracing of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, Le said the US should not "hold a flashlight to check out on others but not on itself".

"If the US does care about the truth and transparency, it should accept international investigation, and make clear the source of the pandemic in the US, the causes of the US failure to fight the pandemic and the problems existing in the US bio-labs," he said.

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US urged to get back on right track in dialogue - Chinadaily USA

Just before Samuel Luiz was brutally beaten to death on July 3, he and his friend Lina made a video call to Vanessa Gonzlez. The time was 2.45am and they were on the seaside promenade of A Corua, a city in Spains northwestern region of Galicia. The friends told Gonzlez that they were having a good time and that she had to join them the next time they went out. She was still on the line when Luiz was attacked, and listened as Lina described in disjointed snatches what was happening from the first punch to when he was brutally kicked to death by up to seven people.

I cant explain it, no one can explain it, Gonzlez told EL PAS on Thursday, the day after giving her statement to police. He was very thin, he didnt trouble anyone. He had never been assaulted by anyone. I only heard [him saying] please, please, but they kept going and going and going.

Police are still investigating the killing of the 24-year-old nurse three people have so far been sent to prison and another two are in a juvenile center. Officers believe the attack was triggered by a misunderstanding: one of Luizs assailants believed that he was recording him when he was on the video call. Gonzlez, however, is convinced that the murder was motivated by homophobia given Luiz was gay and LGBTQ+ groups across Spain agree.

Indeed, Luiz has become a symbol of the LGBTQ+ movements fight for basic rights such as the right to walk home safely without being assaulted, harassed or insulted. According to several leaders of these associations, his murder marks a before and after moment for the LGBTQ+ movement. It is a trigger in the same way the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in the United States sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, or the murder of Ana Orantes who was burned alive by her ex-husband just days after denouncing his abuse on a television program provoked a national reckoning about gender violence in Spain.

This has shaken something up, it has been a kind of collective wakeup call in which very young people are saying that they are not going to accept any more, that they are not going to tolerate another assault, says Jos Mara Nez, the president of the NGO Tringulo Foundation, which defends the rights of LGBTQ+ people. It has been a kind of catharsis for our world. There is no going back. This, as I see it, is the straw that broke the camels back.

Eugeni Rodrguez, the president of the Observatory against Homophobia in Catalonia, agrees: There are youngsters who go out in packs like in the case of Samuel. Thats why the case of this boy has meant a change in paradigm, a before and after.

LGBTQ+ groups in Galicia have been the first to feel the effect of this shockwave. Xandre Garrido, 29, the coordinator of AVANTE LGBTI+ in Galicia, says he knew at once that the brutal killing had changed something. Suddenly his Twitter feed was filled with messages from LGBTQ+ people denouncing the violence they had experienced.

One tweet read: I want to say sorry for not raising my voice at the time. I was a coward and I stayed quiet out of fear. Unfortunately, I was a victim of a homophobic assault. I was surrounded by five people, three guys and two girls. They came up behind me, they pushed me, surrounded me and the guys were encouraged by the girls to punch me twice in the face. They said: Mess up the face of that fag.

Another victim shared: When I was beaten up for holding the hand of my ex, the police told me that holding hands was being provocative. And in the ambulance (I was in shock, I couldnt even speak with my face covered in blood), the man told me that I should sign up for a personal-defense course because it was my fault.

Some of the messages were about assaults that happened in the past, others about more recent cases. But what is significant according to Garrido is that so many people have gone public. The murder of Samuel has been very traumatic for the whole collective. It has broken our sense of security. It doesnt necessarily mean a step backwards, but it could be. That depends on us, and when I say us, I mean all of society, he says.

The latest statistics from the Interior Ministry show that hate crimes and incidents recorded by the police and the Civil Guard increased 6.8% in 2019, with respect to the year before. A total of 1,707 cases were reported, and of these, 596 were for ideological reasons, 515 for xenophobia and 278 for homophobia, which was a similar percentage to that of 2018.

Tringulo Foundation has more recent data but it is no less clear. In 2018, 15 cases of homophobic assaults were processed. This number rose to 22 in 2019, 29 in 2020 and as of June 30 of this year, there have been 28. The problem is not only that assaults are rising, says Ral Gonzlez, the vice president of the association. Its that they are more serious. This minority sector which is against us, around 5% to 10% of society, has been emboldened by [far-right political group] Vox.

He explains: Before it was politically incorrect to insult us. It was embarrassing for them. Not any more. You are debating something, the problem in Catalonia [where an independence movement has deeply divided the region] for instance, on social media, and suddenly someone says shut up fag.

Silvia Tostada, 39, the president of the Tringulo Foundation in Extremadura, agrees that Vox is fueling homophobia in the country. Thanks to this far-right party, in every primary school, in every high school there is always a guy or a girl who has the Spanish flag on a bracelet, a certain attitude and who always questions you with a repeated discourse, learned from memory. That didnt happen before, she says.

Vox, for example, has sought to make it more difficult for students to receive extracurricular courses aimed at fighting discrimination against LGBTQ+ people education that activists say is key.

Its vital that education on diversity be part of the program of core subjects, and not at the discretion of teachers will, says Carmen Adn, a professor of philosophy in Vigo. It is very important that students become skilled in mathematics and languages. But it is more important that they acquire moral skills.

The Spanish Cabinet approved on June 29 a bill that seeks to extend and cement the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. The bill would make it mandatory to discuss sexual diversity in class and fine people up to 2,000 for making homophobic insults. This would increase to 10,000 for insults that are not withdrawn from social media, Pilar lvarez reports. But there is still a long way to go before it becomes a law.

Arantxa Miranda is a municipal police officer in Madrid and a member of a unit specialized in tackling homophobic and racist attacks. She explains that while hate is considered an aggravating factor and can lead to longer prison sentences in the case of murder, when it comes to less-serious incidents, such as verbal harassment, the punishment varies from region to region. While in Madrid and Catalonia, culprits are fined, this is not the case in Galicia. It is important for these infractions to carry fines to eradicate the problem from the state, so that nothing is tolerated, says Miranda, who is also a spokesperson for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Federation (FELGBTB). The bill, if approved, would introduce a uniform system of fines for all of Spain.

With respect to Luizs killing, Miranda has no doubt that it was a hate crime. It is an evident case, she says. The cruelty shown to the victim is symptomatic of this criminal point of view. The argument is set off by something minor, a video recording, something that should not have gone any further. But Samuels killers, in my opinion, dont see Samuel as a person. They see someone gay. They objectify him and thats why they attack him.

In the meantime, Tringulo Foundation has been inundated with messages from people wanting to get involved with the fight to defend LGBTQ+ rights. One reads: Hello, after what happened to Samuel I want to do something to help the association. Another: I am moving to Salamanca and want to be an activist. Now more than ever. What can I do?

English version by Melissa Kitson.

Original post:
Murder of Samuel Luiz galvanizes Spains LGBTQ+ community: There is no going back - EL PAS in English

Ananya Panday paid tribute to her grandmother, Chunky Panday's mother Snehlata Panday, on Sunday. Ananya took to Instagram and shared numerous photos of her late grandmother, including a few from the actor's childhood, along with a note to her 'angel'.

Ananya Panday wrote, "rest in power, my angel (heart emoji) when she was born the doctors said she wouldnt live beyond a few years because of a defected heart valve, but my Dadi lived and how. She worked every day up until the age of 85, going to work at 7 am in her block heels and red streaked hair."

"She inspired me every single day to do what I love and Im so grateful to have grown up basking in her energy and light. She had the softest hands to hold, gave the best leg massages, she was a self proclaimed (and very politically incorrect) palm reader and never ever failed to make me laugh. The life of our family. Youre too loved to ever be forgotten Dadi - I love you so much," Ananya added.

The post received love from Ananya's friends and colleagues in the industry. Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya's best friend, commented, "(Heart emoji) Love you (heart emoji)." Shanaya's mother Maheep Kapoor, Ananya's mother Bhavana Pandey, Neelam Kothari Soni, Navya Naveli Nanda, Karisma Kapoor and Siddhant Chaturvedi were among those who dropped heart emojis in the comments section. Ananya's rumoured boyfriend Ishaan Khatter, too, commented with a heart emoji.

Snehlata died on Saturday. Numerous stars, including Bhavana and Chunky's friends, Seema Khan, Neelam and her husband Samir Soni attended the funeral and consoled the family members. Shabina Khan and politician Bhai Jagtap, Baba Siddique and others were also seen arriving for the last rites.

Also read: Anupam Kher recalls meeting Dilip Kumar at a party he gatecrashed, walking behind him like a clown

Earlier this year, Ananya had shared a picture with her grandmother and spoke about her influence on her life on the occasion of Women's Day. "The epitome of grace, beauty, perseverance, humour, badass energy and boss woman vibes. my Dadi and Nani - happy Womens day to my best. and happy Womens day to all the lovely ladies out there - you are so very special and everything you need is right inside of you I love you guys u rock," she wrote.

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Ananya Panday remembers her late grandmother with childhood pics: 'Youre too loved to ever be forgotten' - Hindustan Times

AP - Oregon-Northwest

BOISE, Idaho (AP) Republican state senators plan to meet this week to discuss the possibility of a special session after three large health care providers announced policies requiring employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Senate Pro Tempore Chuck Winder said Monday that Republican senators will meet online Friday amid growing calls for a special session. Also on Monday, six lawmakers in southwestern Idaho where the health care organizations have facilities announced theyd support legislation opposing employer-required COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Primary Health Group, Saint Alphonsus Health System and St. Lukes Health System last week announced the vaccine requirement ahead of the busy cold and flu season and as coronavirus variants spread in parts of the U.S.

BUHL, Idaho (AP) A far-right extremist group whose members took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol participated with a float in a July 3 parade in the south-central Idaho town of Buhl. The Times-News reports that Proud Boys members were among about 100 floats in the Sagebrush Days parade that went through the center of town. The Buhl Chamber of Commerce runs the parade but wouldnt comment specifically about the Proud Boys taking part. The chamber said it will not feed into any negative propaganda. Proud Boys members describe themselves as a politically incorrect mens club for Western chauvinists.

LOS ANGELES (AP) Dozens of wildfires are burning across the torrid U.S. West, but fire agencies report progress Monday in corralling the flames and forecasters predict a gradual decrease in extreme temperatures. The fires have forced evacuations in numerous areas. Some homes have burned, but total losses are still being tallied. The fires erupted amid a second bout of dangerously high temperatures in just a few weeks. And scientists say a climate change-fueled megadrought is making conditions that lead to fire even more dangerous. Forecasters say the heat wave appears to have peaked in many areas, and excessive-heat warnings are largely expected to expire Monday night or Tuesday.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) A wildfire near the resort town of Sisters, Oregon, doubled in size to 6.2 square miles (16 square kilometers) Monday, forcing evacuations in the area, while the states biggest fire continued to burn out of control, with containment not expected until November. That wildfire, dubbed the Bootleg Fire, has scorched over 240 square miles (622 square kilometers) in southern Oregon. Fire managers estimated the fire wont be contained until around Nov. 30. It started on July 6 from unknown causes.

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Here is the latest Idaho news from The Associated Press at 9:40 pm MDT - KTVZ

One way to regain physical fitness lost due to the pandemic is with an immediate visit to the hottest new comedy club on Alameda Island. OK, so the new core-strengthening Alameda Comedy Club, founded and operated by owners Patrick Ford and Lori Theis, is honestly the islands only comedy club, but a seat at a table and permission to laugh courtesy of the lineups sizzling local and national headliner talent is still red hot. And lets get real; the 15-month lockdown caused, for many of us, a serious lack of deep belly laughter and an overabundance of fast-food mealsdeliveredthat didnt even require hunter-gatherer energy expenditure. Positive mindsets and transversus abdominis are therefore mushy, possibly even shadow-casting or ominously mountainous.

Ford and Theis bring multi-cylindered expertise to the venue, that after extensive renovations offers roughly 150 seats, quality sound delivered by four 1,000-watt speakers spaced around the middle-of-the-room stage and acoustics finessed with a 16-channel mixer from a newly added control room. The low-ceilinged, intimate space follows traditional, red-black color themes. Ford in an interview says, Just Google comedy club images and youll see a sea of red stages; its an energetic color. An outdoor patio easily holds 40 and, with limited food service and portable heating and lights, the patio kept the joint open and limping along during Covid. Ford says the club came close to not existing at all when he and Theis, after investing $200,000 in renovations and with more renovations to complete, considered not just hitting pause, but punching full-stop. In the end, they forged ahead, transforming the former sports bar into their long-imagined club.

On the tablesspaced six-feet apart when the indoor guidelines began to ease in mid-June and now slightly closer togetherthe usual mouth-waste comedy club farebad, generic beer and pizza/burgers not worthy of ingesting, according to Fordis replaced with dishes demonstrating the culinary keen-ness of Club Manager and Booker Theis. Well-known in the food industry, her resum includes managing top restaurants such as Boulevard and Farallon, among others. The menu developed by Theis, in collaboration with chef Arran Burns, offers shareable plates: charcuterie and cheese boards; Loaded Sweet Tots gastrique; Mac n Cheese Balls with truffle oil; Garlic Shrimp; Roasted Brisket Sliders; Hobbs Pepperoni Flatbread and more. Desserts include Banana Foster Fritters and fresh-baked cookies. Craft cocktails, sippable spirits, Bay Area beers, California wines and non-alcoholic options provide a well-rounded beverage list.

Ford is a software executive, and has performed on L.A. comedy club stages and produced stand-up comedy shows for approximately 14 years. Long a comedy aficionado, in the 1980s he lived within blocks of the original Cobbs Comedy Club on Chestnut Street. He recalls seeing Ellen DeGeneres, Bobcat Goldthwait, Paula Poundstone and others. But the pinnacle moment during his lifetime love affair with the art form happened during a rehearsal, not a performance. In 2008 I got to watch George Carlin rehearse for his final HBO show, he says. He did his memorized stuff, then went through rough, raw stuff written on paper. He said he was trying to get it down to 90 minutes. I realized he was doing what I had just done the day before. You know, the job of every comedian is the same, first day to last. Its one voice in front of one mic. It was great to see him onstage, getting the sausage made. You watch him and think it was all freeform, but it wasnt. He worked and worked and worked on the material.

Other top-name comedians he admires include Dave Chappelle and Sarah Silverman. Ford says they disprove the idea that some jokes are off limits due to being politically incorrect. I wouldnt recommend a beginner go into jokes about race or rape or violence against vulnerable people or other things that are a delicate dance, Ford says. But theres almost no limit to what you can say if its funny and you do it extremely well. Hes quick to add that any stand-up comedians without the chops who are currently being called out for punching down should be confronted, because if the only thing youre doing is being offensive, youre not being funny.

People trying to be funny on Zoomeven the best comics, he saysjust wasnt a happening thing for him during the pandemic. Zoom comedy shows just suck; theres no interaction with the audience. I made donations and supported my friends, but I dont think I laughed once. You need the interaction with the crowd, the immediate feedback. Bouncing raw material off a live audience, a comic finds subtleties of timing, reads facial reactions, identifies how changing even a single word or adding a microsecond pause can flip a joke from flat to fulsome.

While exercising comedy muscles, Ford remembers the punchline of a joke he wrote about a person suffering depression placing an order at a coffee shop. Testing it out, the joke originally fell flat when he ended it with, Ill have the prozak frappuccino and lorazepam scone. He realized audiences got stuck on lorazepam because they werent familiar with the lorazepam sedative. I changed it to valium scone. It was the same jokeand with one word changed, they heard the humor and it hit home.

Three upcoming shows hes excited to present include comedian/actress/singer/dancer and DGA Emmy-nominated director Alycia Cooper. I saw her in L.A., and shes always delivered great quality and owns the stage, he says. She commands your attention without being loud: youre just enraptured by her sharp wit and clever observations.

Jason Stuart, whose bio announces hes an openly gay stand-up comedian, has worked in film and television. His website offers this perspective: Im not just gay or queer, its just a part of who I am: Im also a Jew, a man of a certain age, a lover, a friend and a son. But its always a part of who I am. Ford says he had 500 comedians respond to a call he put out for headliners. He looked good, and he called me to talk personally. Over the phone, I loved his commitment to the craft. I liked his tone. I decided to take a chance with him, even though I didnt know him prior.

Ford booked Kabir Kabeezy Singh the day before the high energy comic earned a standing ovation and four Yeses on NBCs Americas Got Talent in June. We had met in Oakland prior to Covid, and he was high energy. We saw him rising, and liked him because hes a Bay Area talent and like other popular comics who get a lot of views, I wanted him as a headliner even before he got the nod on AGT.

The clubs Drag Yourself To Brunch, held each week on Sundays, often sells out, a positive note Ford attributes not only to the amazing drag performers, but to the $48 prix fixe menu that features a deluxe waffle platter with bacon, sausage, salmon and fresh fruit along with choice of a mimosa, Bloody Mary or non-alcoholic drink. A just-added Wednesday Night Variety Show alternates themes each week between drag, trivia, slam poetry, storytelling and music nights. Tuesdays in the future might open up classes and workshops that combined with open mic nights, will stock the pipeline for up-and-coming comedians he hopes to support. Due to new, top-grade video recording and editing equipment, all comedians selected for open mic nights have the option to have a 5-minute professional grade demo/audition/promo tape drawn from their act, for a $10 fee.

Asked the clich question about comedians he dreams of booking, Ford says, Dave Chappelle can have the stage at any time. And Bill Burr, I just love him. And Paula Poundstone would be good. And if he could raise a ghost of comedy? George Carlin, hands down, Ford says, providing the predictable, no-joke answer.

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One Voice, One Mic: West Alamedas only comedy club comes roaring back with laughter - East Bay Express