Month: April 2023

On Sunday I write about someone that deserves our praise and admiration.

The story from Epoch Bright:

Max Woosey was ten years old when 74-year-old Rick Abbott, a friend who enjoyed outdoor activities like kayaking and surfing with his father, passed away from cancer on Valentine’s Day 2020 after being cared for by North Devon Hospice. Abbot gave Max a gift before he passed away.

Rick Abbot gave Max a tent and said, “I want you to have an adventure.”Max said, “I promise you, I will. So I started raising money for North Devon Hospice. … We were in lockdown at the time, self-isolating, so I thought I would try and sleep outside in the tent he gave me, and try to raise money for the hospice that took such good care of him.”

When Max came up with this idea, it was still cold and icy in Devon, so Max’s first challenge was convincing his parents, Rachel and Mark, that camping was a good idea. Finally, after days of nagging, Max got a reluctant “Yes” on March 29, 2020. He headed into the garden with his tent, a Beano album, some soft toys for comfort, and the family labradoodle, Digby.

As days turned into weeks, the weather continued to be Max’s biggest challenge even though he sometimes pitched his tent in different places. He endured snow, wind, rain, slippery mud, and lightning storms.

Owing mainly to the weather, Max has been through 25 tents. He told Daily Mail they “don’t last very well,” with one even having to be erected in the middle of the night.

After exactly three years or 1,099 nights under the stars, Max thought he could call his mission complete on March 29, 2023. His final tally for the hospice was just under 800,000 pounds including Gift Aid, a U.K. initiative whereby the government donates a percentage of funds raised for charity.

Owing to Max’s massive donation, North Devon Hospice was one of the few hospices in the UK that did not have to make big cuts or redundancies during the pandemic. The money allowed them to provide 15 community nurses for an entire year, supporting around 500 terminally-ill patients in their own homes.

The teen still remembers his neighbor, Abbott, the man who set the ball rolling.

“He was absolutely lovely,” Max said. “He was the only 70-year-old I knew that had a climbing wall in his garage, and he was just an amazing person. I think the bond we had was we both liked the outdoors.”

Max Woosey is truly a boy for whom we can only have admiration for his determination and charitable instincts.

4/30/23

As many of you are aware, I have been against just about all of the Covid mandates, issued by “those that know best.” Unfortunately these all knowing individuals were obviously not familiar with “primum non nocere,” as it is turning out that most of their diktats, in fact, have done a lot of harm. Perhaps those that professed to know best were just not familiar with Latin, or more likely, they never thought that they could ever be wrong. 

However in the field of medicine this would certainly never happen. Those involved with medicine would not be hypocrites as surely all health care professionals would be familiar with the Hippocratic Oath.  

Historically, the commitment by health care professionals to ‘first do no harm’ has produced a focus on the absence of interventions that may cause adverse outcomes. This clinical approach links to the Hippocratic Oath which includes the promise “to abstain from doing harm”.

However, my response, going back to some of my Latin roots, “ne qua quam,” as it appears that in September 2021 the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) by no means acted in the best interests of patients.

Back then Michelle Gershman, a nurse at a California hospital, noted that in her experience, and the experience of doctors working with pregnant women, something very unusual was going on with pregnant patients . What she was observing, however, was contrary to official ‘safe and effective’ observation and advice, but no one was free to speak out because of a gagging order imposed in September 2021 by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG).

In fact, Michelle Gershman, who works in the neonatal ward had her bonus withheld because she spoke out about the rise in fetal deaths. “We used to have one fetal demise per month. That rose to one or two per week,” Gershman said.

At the beginning of the Covid vaccine rollout, in December 2020, pregnant women who were health care workers or deemed to be at risk from COVID began receiving the shots. By May 2021, the vaccine was being recommended to all pregnant American women.

“This is despite the fact that none of the vaccine manufacturers had completed reproductive toxicology reports in animals, and none had started clinical trials in pregnant women. Two months later, hospitals noticed a huge increase in miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm births, pregnancy complications, and menstrual abnormalities.”

Specifically, the data revealed a 27-fold higher risk of miscarriage and a more than twofold increased risk of adverse fetal outcomes across six different categories, according to board-certified internist and cardiologist Dr. Peter McCullough.

“Primum non nocere?” Instead of adhering to their Hippocratic Oath, the ACOG were acting likehypocrites!

However, this hypocritical behavior was not limited to the U.S.

Birth rates in multiple European countries fell significantly at the end of 2021, months after COVID-19 shots became widely utilized. The data, compiled by a team of European researchers, found declines in birth rates in all the countries they studied. 

To me, the thing that is especially concerning here is not only that women of childbearing age were at very, very low risk from Covid, but also that the ACOG ignored warnings from reputable healthcare workers … Hypocritic Oath?

4/29/23

Today I was out to lunch with a group that has individuals with both liberal and conservative positions. Not just borderline liberal or borderline conservative opinions, but both far left and far right opinions. The subject of property taxes came up, and I commented that older people in Illinois were being put in the unenviable position of being driven out of their homes because of increasing property taxes. As most of you are aware, a similar situation was occurring here in California about fifty years ago, and that led to the passage of Proposition 13, which was an attempt to limit one’s property taxes even though the value of one’s home was significantly increasing.

One individual commented that his grandchildren had been pulled out of their local public school and were now in a charter school, because of both educational and safety concerns.

Meanwhile, in California there is a bill that will allocate $300 million to schools that have free lunch for their students. This essentially means $300 million for poor students. This largesse is driven by the fact that the state is failing when it comes to educating students. 84% of Black California students could not pass the math standards test whereas about 50% of White students could not pass the same standard’s test. 

At this point in the luncheon’s conversation, the most liberal individuals became noticeably quieter. … Hmmm!

Is this too little or is it too late?

Where else in this world can you do a poor job and continue to reap the same or increasing monetary rewards? If one hires a plumber or a landscaper and he does a poor job, that same plumber or landscaper would not be hired again, as individuals should expect to get their money’s worth when they hire someone to do a job. Why should it not be the same with public schools? This should especially be true for older individuals who do not have any kids in these schools, and yet are forced to pay for a substandard educational result?

I would like propose a compromise to potentially solve the dilemma of older people being forced out of their homes because of higher taxes that go to pay for a substandard education result. My proposal would initially lower property taxes on older individuals, and the decrease would be dependent on the results of standardized testing. For instance, if X percent of the state’s students do not meet the testing standards, then those over 65 would have the following year’s property taxes cut by a similar X percent.

Is this too little, too late?

Almost everybody would benefit. Whereas older individuals would not forced out of their homes, there is the potential for students to actually get a much better education. The only group that would be disappointed with this compromise would be the politicians, who up till this point, can continue to pour seemingly unlimited dollars into a failing educational system!

4/28/23

From the 1975 Paul Simon song,  “Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover,” there are actually only five ways mentioned. The song was written after Paul Simon’s divorce from his first wife Peggy.

In February of 1976, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and also topped Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

On March 11, 1976, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” was certified Gold by the RIAA.

I was reminded of this song and it’s lyrics when I read about a group of 19 Republican lawmakers calling on the Biden administration to stop spending billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.

In an April 20 letter (pdf) to President Joe Biden, the GOP Representatives and Senators shared their concerns that the trajectory of U.S. aid to Ukraine risks further escalating the war and lacks “much-needed strategic clarity.”

From the Simon song:

“The answer is easy if you take it logically

I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free”

From the Epoch Times:

Congress has approved over $113 billion in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the war began over a year ago, becoming its largest benefactor.

The GOP lawmakers continued, “The contributions of our NATO allies pale in comparison. Beyond dollar value, there is also a stark difference in substance and motivation. As the U.S. is further indebting itself to provide tanks, air defense systems, missiles, and long-range rockets to a battlefield an ocean away, those with conflict at their borders have been content to send uniforms and personal protective equipment” the Republicans wrote. “Our allies condition their contributions of major military equipment on a corresponding U.S. commitment – all while calling for the U.S. to do more.”

The letter also took aim at Biden’s decision to send billions of dollars in foreign military aid while America’s own military “atrophies.” They accused the executive branch of using debt as a tool to finance foreign wars to the “detriment of the American taxpayer, noting that $27 billion of Washington’s aid to Kyiv is set aside for funding the Ukrainian government, repairing infrastructure, and granting food security.”

“To prop up a foreign government that is historically mired in corruption while the American people suffer from record inflation and a crippling national debt is wildly irresponsible on its own – but to do so while our military contends with aging weapons systems and depleted stockpiles is disgraceful,” the lawmakers wrote.

While Biden and his cronies continue to give uber amounts of money to Ukraine in the form of weapon systems, including  31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks, Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to name but a few, somebody needs to ask, “Is there a plan to somehow end our “unlimited” generosity and/or end this war?

Instead of fifty way to leave Ukraine, like in the song, I will settle for five actual ways to leave this war behind. 

Again from the Simon song:

“It’s really not my habit to intrude

Furthermore, I hope my meaning won’t be lost or misconstrued,”

… but enough is enough !

In this regard, I agree with these 19 GOP lawmakers.

4/27/23

One controversy, which should not have been a controversy concerning Covid involved natural immunity. Why controversial? … Well, natural immunity is still a controversial issue because those who were supposed to be the experts on Covid, including the esteemed Dr.Fauci and the CDC, as far as I can tell, have never taken a position on the effectiveness of natural immunity on protection against Covid. Those to whom everyone should have looked for guidance have been silent. At the beginning of the Covid pandemic there was uncertainty concerning whether or not having Covid protected against getting Covid again. However, as time went on it became apparent that one could test for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, and those who had prior documented Covid had these antibodies in varying amounts. As time went on it also became apparent that having gotten the Covid vaccine did not prevent one from getting Covid as the protection afforded by vaccination had a limited life span. Moreover, those who had a SARS-1 infection back almost twenty years ago still have antibodies to SARS-1 … the duration of these SARS-1 antibodies is still unknown.

The hesitancy of those who should know best is still effecting the lives of individuals even today, despite the fact that on April 11, President Joe Biden declared the national emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic officially over. Many individuals have refused to get a Covid vaccine for a multitude of reasons, including religious objections, prior Covid infection, and vaccine-associated potential side effects. As many of these cases work their way through the legal system, most courts are siding with those who refused the vaccine.

For those who have had a documented prior Covid infection, I see no reason to get a Covid vaccine. While it is true that some individuals who think that they had a a prior Covid infection, but did not get tested, could be mistaken. The answer here is simple … get a Covid antibody test. Think of the millions of dollars that could have been saved by recognizing the existence of natural immunity, and documenting such immunity by testing for Covid antibodies. Think of the thousands of people whose lives could have been put back together by a simple statement by Dr. Fauci/CDC on natural immunity and antibody testing.

In fact this issue is still having a major effect on the lives of some individuals. 

From Liberty Counsel:

“Take for instance, the case of a 41 y/o mother who homeschools her seven young children. She suddenly developed end stage kidney disease and has been on dialysis three days a week. She was referred to the Emory transplant center in Atlanta, Georgia by her nephrologist. 

Emory Healthcare has refused to put her on the active waiting list to receive a kidney because her sincerely held religious beliefs prevent her from taking the COVID shots, all of which are associated with aborted fetal cells. 

In addition, due to her prior bout with COVID, her recent antibody test shows her immunity is higher than most people who have received a two-dose series of Pfizer and much higher than most vaccinated individuals who are more than 90 days post vaccination.”

Why is Emory being so obstinate? Why is the CDC, headquartered in Atlanta, being so invisible on this topic. Could it be that both are both being unyielding, because they are reluctant to admit that they have been wrong on this issue?

Perhaps both Emory Healthcare and the CDC should take the advice of many learned individuals who have echoed, “When you are wrong admit it.”

4/26/23

This is the last excerpt from chapters in a new book by retired physician, Steven Schaefer.

Part 6

The Carnage

The “War on Fossil Fuels” is causing major problems for developing nations’ efforts to use cheap, efficient, reliable and abundant fossil fuels to escape poverty and build their economies. Hundreds of millions of humans are still without electricity and clean water. Millions die from respiratory diseases related to indoor cooking with dung.

The brainwashing of our children is having a profound effect on their mental health. Greta Thunberg is a disturbed teenager, a cash cow for her activist parents. She accused the UN Climate Summit attendees of “destroying my childhood. How dare you!”

Credulous young couples are choosing not to have children, convinced of an inevitable planetary apocalypse.

The government’s efforts towards a rapid transition to green energy includes hundreds of billions of dollars in grants and subsidies to special interests and grifters. ESG (Environmental Social and Governmental) investing is an effort to destroy the fossil fuel industry through the banking system. ESG funds’ returns continue to trail broader stock market funds by up to 21⁄2 percent. “Biden’s First Veto To Sacrifice America’s Retirement Savings at the Altar of ESG”, wrote Steve Milloy, Energy and Environmental Legal Institute, Daily Caller, Mar 14, 2023.

Sri Lanka’s government’s banning of fertilizers produced with natural gas led to crop failures, starvation and the recent overthrow of the government.

The Netherlands’ attempt to cripple agriculture because of increased nitrogen levels led to police shooting at young people driving tractors to a local protest. These events led to formation of a new, successful political party in The Netherlands, The Farmers Party.

Parallels between the massive, ill-fated government overreach during the COVID pandemic and the present “Climate Crisis” are obvious. Suppression of our personal freedoms, the shuttering of millions of businesses and the suppression of any speech that questioned the government’s official narrative were and are part of our government’s agenda.

“We are engaged in a long history of human sacrifice to control the weather. Be it an Aztec Priest tearing the heart out of a captive or a Climate Czar tearing the heart out of the economy.” Fernard Pic, wattsupwiththat.com, 2023.

Part 7

The Future

Man’s attempt to control the climate is a fool’s errand. Talk of an “existential crisis” or “climate emergency” is absurd.

The IPCC 1.5Co and 2.0Co tipping points were snatched from thin air.

We are presently in an eight-year temperature pause and entering a solar minimum, which is likely to cause cooling for the next several decades. The natural Ice Age/Interglacial cycles point toward another Ice Age in our not-so-distant future. If one is susceptible to climate fears, this is The Big One!

We must adapt to our changing natural environment, just as mankind has done successfully over the past hundreds of thousands of years.

Afterward In 2016, I was an assistant producer of a documentary on global warming titled, Climate Hustle. It opened in 400 theaters nationwide, and has been viewed by millions, now available through several sources including YouTube and Amazon.

 wattsupwiththat.com climatedepot.com

Recommended Websites

Recommended Books

Moore, Patrick. Fake Invisible Catastrophes and Threats of Doom. EcoSense Environmental, 2021.

Morano, Marc. The Political Incorrect Guide to Climate Change. Regnery Publishing, 2018.

Morano, Marc. Green Fraud. Regnery Publishing, 2021.

Plimer, Ian. Green Murder, A Life Sentence of Net Zero with No Parole. Connorcourt

Publishing, 2021.

Books by Steven Koonin, Roy Spencer, Bjorn Lomborg, and Alex Epstein.

4/25/

One of the continuing ongoing dilemmas  in California has to do with the overall education of its school children. Let’s be honest here. The problem of suboptimal el-hi education is a nationwide problem. It is worse in cities, and especially bad in big cities run by Democrats. Be that as it may, this is not the time or the place to argue politics as the focus should be on the children, who realistically do not have much of a chance in today’s society without an education. Some states are attempting to combat this issue by offering some variant of school choice in order to tackle the problem. However, one can be close to 100% sure that the concept of school choice will not see the light of day in California, mainly because of the close association of the Democrats in Sacramento and the teacher’s unions. Oops, again, as this is about educating the children and not politics … mea culpa.

As most of you are probably already aware, I have nothing but contempt for the policies of California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, mainly because most of them do nothing to advance the well-being of the state. Oops, there I go again … mea culpa again

However, I must admit that his latest budget proposal to add $300 million for low income schools is a step in the right direction. Perhaps, there is some hope! This $300 million is somewhat of a take-off on a bill proposed last year by Assemblywomen Akita Weber (D,San Diego), which, in essence, was aimed at funneling more money to Black students. Apparently, Newsom convinced Ms. Weber that proposal would be unconstitutional, and so now the $300 million would be distributed to schools which have a very high percent of its students receiving meals at school. This assures that this $300 million will go to the schools which are attempting unsuccessfully, I might add, to educate poorer children.

Why was Ms. Weber trying to focus on the education of Black children? 

In recent state data in tests of standards for English Language Arts 70% of Black students failed to meet standards, while 84% of Black students did not meet the math standards. … Horrible, Disgusting, Embarrassing!It’s no wonder that Ms. Weber saw the need to do something ! However, somewhat hidden in the recent state data was the fact that less than 40% of White children failed to meet the English Language Arts standards, and about 50% did not meet the math standards … also horrible, disgusting, embarrassing! 

While it is obvious that these poorly educated Black children have little or no chance of future success, the outlook for a lot of White school children in California is only marginally better. While $300 million is a step in the right direction, surely Gavin and his cadre of Democrats in Sacramento can do better. Do better not only in terms of money, but also in terms of setting some standards that will do more to ensure success for both Black and White California school children.

4/24/23

Sunday is the day I devote to heroes. Today is a bit different in that the hero is unnamed.

From Epoch Bright:

In Manhattan an unnamed civilian was a hero. He did something that few of us would do .He did not identify himself, and got no personal credit for his brave act.

Jason Fleming drew his weapon “in broad daylight after a dispute in a bodega in Chelsea,” the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a statement. After a “verbal dispute with a man,” Fleming stood in the doorway and drew his handgun as a child tried to leave the bodega. The child luckily was able to run away unharmed.

When a witness called 911, the suspect fled the scene with his weapon, sending locals scattering.

With his handgun visible in broad daylight, Fleming ran while police officers followed in hot pursuit until he encountered the “unnamed civilian” pedestrian who blocked his way.

In CCTV footage, the gunman is seen colliding with the “unnamed civilian pedestrian” and then a nearby guard rail. As he staggers to his feet and tries to continue his flight, the “unnamed civilian bystander” grabs his coat just as a pursuing police officer arrives. The gunman, later identified as 39-year-old Jason Fleming, is then seen being handcuffed and taken into custody.

Fleming was charged with possession of firearms, a felony conviction carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. The good Samaritan remains unnamed.

Homeland Security Special Agent Ivan J. Arvelo expressed pride for his agents’ “rapid apprehension” of the gunman. In conjunction with New York City Police Department, Homeland Security is continuing to investigate the incident, while the “unnamed civilian” is the hometown hero of the hour.

4/23/23

The Trump shenanigans going on in New York City reminded me of something I wrote two years ago.

Which Century ? 

It was pretty much chaos. The mob marched around the courthouse screaming and yelling all day long. Many of those in the mob were self-identified by signs and placards with three capital letters . . . XXX.

As they walked into the courthouse, the witnesses were intimidated and subtly threatened. If they dared to speak on behalf of the defendant, there could well be consequences and everyone knew it. The jurors were not sequestered, and a lot of their friends and neighbors basically knew that they were the “jurors.” If they arrived at a verdict different than what the outside mob wanted, there was little doubt of what would happen to them. Those on the jury were well aware of the consequences. In fact the whole town was on edge as everyone was attuned to the potential devastation that an unhappy mob could bring.

The judge could have easily declared a mistrial, but he too had to live in the same town as those who were marching outside the courthouse. In all likelihood he did not live in a gated community, and when they wished, the mob could easily find out where he lived. Furthermore they could find out where his kids and grandkids lived and went to school. He was certainly aware of what the consequences were if he were to fold.

The politicians proclaimed that they hoped that the jury would “do the right thing.”

That was back in Alabama in 1921 and some of the mob outside the courthouse were self-identified by three large capital letters – XXX . . . K.K.K.

Certainly nothing similar to that could ever happen in the 21st century  . . . could it?

4/24/21

4/22/23

Rumor has it that many more companies are considering caving to woke ideology. Is this smart business strategy? Is it good for a company to dis its basic customers by caving? Is this business practice good or not good for the business over the long haul?

Just recently Bud Light acquiesced to the transgender crowd, and

subsequently the value of Anheuser-Busch has dropped significantly. 

Will the drop in the value of Anheuser-Busch continue? … Only time will tell. 

Do we have any relatively recent experience of how a brand name company fared after bowing to woke pressure?

Let’s take a look at Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup. 

First a little history from Townhall:

The Aunt Jemima brand was one of the longest-running corporate logos in existence. Sure, some of the original branding would be seen as racist by today’s, and possibly even yesterday’s, standards. When Pearl Milling Company started in the late 1880s, it produced a ready-mix pancake flour, and they used a “Mammy”-style POC woman as the logo, taken from posters for a vaudeville revue seen in their Missouri area. 

Pearl Milling Co. struggled and soon sold out to a larger miller in the area, which modified the flour formula and became more successful, renaming the company after the Aunt Jemima brand. The operation was purchased by the Quaker Oats Company in 1926, and over the generations, the famed face of the brand was altered to soften racist subtexts. 

Quaker Oats was acquired by PepsiCo in 2001, and it was the soda giant that then buckled under social pressure in the summer of 2020. The 

rebranding was stretched out. First, the Aunt Jemima image was removed in December 2020, but the name remained in place. Then a very gradual transition  through the summer of 2022. To get a read on the sales results means looking through the financials from then through 2022 – when the full change had taken place and sales were reflected in the reports.

Throughout 2021, the Quaker Foods division saw the pancake mix and syrup sales plunge. The period following the introduction of the name switch that summer reported “a double-digit decline in pancake syrup and mix.” This was matched in the final quarter of that year – when the name change had gone into full effect – with “double-digit declines in pancake syrups and mixes.” 

This downward trend continued through last year. 

The former Aunt Jemima brand declined by at least -50% since the name change. 

This should serve as yet another object lesson for companies looking to enter the woke, DEI-ESG social awareness waters. As seen with Disney last year, and as Bud Light is experiencing now, appeasing and appealing to the woke mobs does not deliver market results. These are not reliable customer bases you are trying to curry favor with, and you are more likely to injure your brand than benefit from your virtue-signaling moves. 

BTW, if you used to buy and like Aunt Jemima pancakes, try Cousin T’s pancake mix. It’s excellent (so is his sense of humor. Cousin T is Terrence K. Williams, a black conservative who is proud to have HIS picture on the box.) 

Just recently, I wrote about Yuengling beer, brewed in Pennsylvania, as an alternative to Bud Light, and the taste test results are in … Yuengling beers are quite good. Better than Bud Light! … and this is not just a rumor!

4/22/23