Month: July 2023

Finally someone is calling a spade, a spade. Here I am referring to Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, and more precisely to illicit fentanyl,

which Dr. Donna Nelson (an organic chemist and professor at the University of Oklahoma) says should be declared a weapon of mass destruction.

As background, Ms. Nelson was the science adviser for the show, “Breaking Bad,” and the 2016 president of the American Chemical Society. 

But why “ a weapon of mass destruction?”

In June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized approximately 2,100 pounds of illicit fentanyl at the U.S. southern border, according to the agency’s latest report. The amount is enough to kill every American and then some. [One kilogram (2.2 pounds) of fentanyl can potentially kill 500,000 people, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).]

In fiscal year 2020, CBP seized an average of 445 pounds of fentanyl per month at the southern border. In fiscal 2021, that amount increased to approximately 882 pounds per month. In fiscal 2022, the average amount of fentanyl seized per month was 1,175 pounds. The total amount for fiscal year 2023 won’t be available until October, but CBP has already seized more fentanyl in the first nine months than it did for all of 2022, for an average of 2,427 pounds per month. In less than three years, the amount of fentanyl seized at the southern border per month has increased more than fivefold. 

“Every month, that’s enough to kill every person in the United States,” Ms. Nelson said.. “You have to assume that the border agents are not catching everything that’s coming into our country,” she added.

Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution to the U.S. House in January, which would classify illicit fentanyl-related substances as a weapon of mass destruction. He said the classification will make it easier to curb drug trafficking and free up resources for U.S. law enforcement.

“The House must recognize this dangerous drug for what it really is—a weapon of mass destruction,” Mr. Dunn said. “Fentanyl-related substances are tearing families and communities apart, and we must do whatever we can to help law enforcement get them off the streets.”

Those of you who are familiar with my past opinions will recognize that I have called for dramatic consequences for those drug cartels that are responsible for the Fentanyl that is coming across our southern border.By dramatic consequences I mean drones with bombs.

As a warning … those who have not yet known of someone who has been killed by illicit Fentanyl … just wait, as it is only a matter of time!

7/31/23

How is it that some individuals seem to have an innate and overwhelming sense of doing good for others? Obviously I do not know the answer to that question, but whatever it is, Troy and Shannon Pinkerton have it.

As is my usual modus operandi on Sunday I write about someone who deserves our respect, praise, and admiration for what they do or have accomplished. If there was a grading scale for these Sunday individuals, on a 1-10 scale, where do you think Troy and Shannon Pinkerton might grade out? Read the following and then decide.

From Epoch Bright:

Originally from San Diego both she and her husband now call their 40-acre (16-hectare) ranch in Wyoming home, where together they have fostered 30 kids, before finally adopting Joey in 2000.

Presently their sizable brood consists of four biological kids, plus six that were adopted—all of the latter being special-needs children, five of whom have Down syndrome.

Ms. Pinkerton said she was raised by parents who ran a group home and was always surrounded by special needs individuals. Chaos, turmoil, and noise don’t get to her at all; that’s all she’s ever known.

Caring for kids, ages ranging from 18 to 27, one could say the parents, Troy and Shannon Pinkerton, have their hands full.

“During school time, it kind of gets rowdy because the boys wrestle and they wrestle in the house,” Ms. Pinkerton, 51, told The Epoch Times.

Or else Cameron, 23, who is clinically blind, might “get ticked off because he thinks he owns the TV.”

Kids with disabilities, like Devlin, 18, who have been through staff-run facilities, received little in the way of consistency. With often contradictory rules, depending who was on shift, there was bound to be rebellion.

“So when I first get my kids, they are naughty,” Ms. Pinkerton said. “A few of them came from great homes, but a couple of them, they come from a facility.”

Many kids with Down syndrome in the foster system get bounced around, she adds. Often, the foster parents have never dealt with a child with special needs—as was the case with Cameron.

Cameron had behavioral issues when he first arrived at the Pinkertons’ home. Repeated outbursts led to several hundred dollars in household damages, and at one point he yelled, “You’re gonna make me leave, aren’t you?”

To which Ms. Pinkerton replied, “Oh, no, buddy, you’re grounded. You’re gonna finish out your grounding, and then you can let me know what you want to do when you’re ready.”

But Cameron doesn’t do that anymore, she told us. He has since “mellowed out.”

So what grade do you think? … 10/10 for me!

7/30/23

I think that I am at least fairly up to date on the ever changing Hunter Biden situation. To me, there is only one outcome of this political mish-mosh, and it will occur sequentially.

First, there will a Hunter Biden trial, and despite the best efforts of the DOJ, he will be found guilty of something that will warrant jail time. Of course, his conviction will be appealed etc. almost ad infinitum or until the following happens.

Joe Biden numbers will continue to tank, and at some point, his fellow Democrats will persuade him not to seek re-election. He will graciously bow out early in the primaries, saying that he is doing it for the good of all Americans. In essence, everyone is aware that he has been forced to pull out not only because he is so unpopular, but also because the ongoing Hunter Biden saga.

Finally, somewhere between the November 2024 election, and mid January 2025 end of his term, he will pardon his son, Hunter Biden. 

The only wildcard in the above scenario is whether or not President Biden will be impeached. If this happens, it will be “a damned if you do, damned,  if you don’t” scenario for Joe Biden. If his impeachment were to be upheld  he would consequently be out of office, and thus, he would no longer be able to pardon Hunter Biden. However, if he pardons his son before the end of his impeachment trial, then his guilt will be a forgone conclusion.

Whichever way this ultimately comes down, history will confirm that Joe Biden was the most disgraceful President ever!

7/29/23

First a headline from HealthDay News:

“Overall, 16.2% of the pediatric population experience one or more persistent symptoms at least three months after COVID-19.”

Initially when I read that headline I thought “wow!”

But … was this just a pro-vax position camouflaged with a somewhat sensational headline?

After the headline the summary continues:

Li Jiang, M.D., M.P.H., from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and colleagues conducted a systematic review to examine the prevalence and characteristics of the long-term clinical features of COVID-19 (long COVID) in the global pediatric population (aged 0 to 19 years). Published articles and preprints from December 2019 to December 2022 were included; 27 cohorts and four cross-sectional studies involving more than 15,000 pediatric participants met the inclusion criteria.

The researchers found reports of more than 20 persistent symptoms and clinical features among children and adolescents. Overall, 16.2 percent of the pediatric participants experienced one or more persistent symptoms at least three months after COVID-19. Developing certain long COVID symptoms was possibly associated with female gender.

“Long COVID in children and adolescents has been reported with a very wide symptom spectrum and with great heterogeneity among studies included in this review,” the authors write. “The presentation of long COVID may change with time. There is the need for high quality, prospective, and well controlled studies to address these issues. In the interim, preventing COVID-19 infection and vaccinations for children and adolescents must remain a priority.”

Hmmm! Does that last line expose what this article is really about?

Obviously, there is no mention of the possible both long term and short term side effects from the Covid vaccine. 

From the Epoch Times:

“Damage to the heart is more common than thought after receipt of Moderna’s COVID-19 booster, a new study in the European Journal of Heart Failure..

One in 35 health care workers at a Swiss hospital had signs of heart injury associated with the vaccine, mRNA-1273, researchers found.

The group experiencing the adverse effects was followed for only 30 days, and half still had unusually high levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, an indicator of subclinical heart damage, at follow-up.

The long-term implications of the study remain unclear as little research has tracked people over time with heart injury after messenger RNA vaccination, which is known to cause myocarditis and other forms of heart damage.”

Would Bronny James and Damar Hamlin still be alive if they were not defibrillated quickly? If either of them had their cardiac arrest in a location where a defibrillator was not immediately available, would both of these stellar young athletes now be dead ? Kids play sandlot football and full-court basketball outside all the time. In these situations there are no defibrillators immediately available to stop one of them from dying if their heart stops beating. How often does this occur? No one knows, and no one appears interested in finding out.

If you are a parent with an athletic teenage boy do you get the Covid shot or the booster, and potentially risk the known side effect of myocarditis, or do you roll the dice and take the chance of long-Covid if he gets Covid?

Parents, you decide.

7/28/23

Last month I wrote about Damon Atkins and the Scranton Police. To refresh everyone’s memory … from the Epoch Times:

On 6/3/23 a street preacher was arrested by police shortly after arriving at a June 3 LGBT pride event sponsored by the city of Reading, Pennsylvania.

The group Reading Pride Celebration partnered with the city for a ceremonial raising of the rainbow flag at Reading City Hall for the start of LGBT pride month, followed by a short parade to a park where there was a rainbow pride celebration with speakers and free food.

Across the street, a handful of people gathered to protest the event, none with loudspeakers. Police stood in the street between the groups.

Damon Atkins 41, arrived at the event carrying a sign with a slogan that showed his opposition to the event, police said in the criminal complaint describing the arrest.

The offending two-sided sign had Bible verses. On one side it said, “Jesus said go and sin no more,” and the other side said, “Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life.”

The officer approached Mr. Atkins and told him to be respectful and to “let them have their day,” referring to the LGBT pride gathering.

“Oh, I’m respecting,” Mr. Atkins said in the video. “You know who is cheering for us? The people that are in hell. So, you do you, and I’ll do me. This is public property.”

The officer turned his back and walked a few steps into the street. Mr. Atkins raised his voice and got out part of a sentence.

“Yo. God is not—,” Mr. Atkins began saying, but the officer turned back to Mr. Atkins, put him in handcuffs, and had him transported to a police processing center where he spent a few hours in police custody.

The Berks County District Attorney’s office withdrew the charges four days after the arrest citing insufficient evidence and prosecutorial discretion.

Well, to no intelligent person’s surprise, Damon Atkins is suing the police, the city, and Reading Mayor Eddie Moran, whose comment was some namby-pamby comment basically saying that Damon Atkins does not have any First Amendment rights as he was trying to disrupt an organized event.

Joel Ready, Damon Atkins attorney said the following,

“That should disturb any American, that the police can come and say, because your message is unpopular, we’re going to—in front of a crowd—declare on behalf of the government of the city in which you live, that your words are not welcome here, that your particular viewpoint is wrong. And that is what I think is particularly chilling.”

Was Damon Atkins being courteous? … No.

Was Damon Atkins within his First Amendment Constitutional right to free speech? … In my mind, yes.

My prediction here … Scranton, etc. will settle, as this is the only way for them to get away relatively cheap.

I hope to follow-up on this as it moves forward.

7/27/23

californiacontrarian

The sports world was shocked on 7/25/23 when Bronny James, son of LeBron James, apparently suffered a cardiac arrest during a USC basketball practice. He was resuscitated on site, and then hospitalized.

Initially, to me, this was somewhat reminiscent of what happened to Hank Gathers back in 1990. He was 23 when he collapsed during an LMU college basketball game, and died before reaching the hospital. Hank Gathers had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (IHSS), and had stopped taking his medication because it made him feel sluggish. Back there was no paucity of information as to what had exactly happened to Hank Gathers.

Compare that to Damar Hamlin who suffered a cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game. This episode was witnessed by millions of viewers across the nation. There are major differences between the Hank Gathers situation and the Damar Hamlin situation.

-Hank Gathers died, while Damar Hamlin is still alive. 

-Whereas we knew basically everything about Hank Gathers cardiac condition, we know basically nothing about the heart structure or function of Damar Hamlin.

-Hank Gathers’ cardiac arrest was due to his IHSS. At present the party line is that Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was due to commotio cordis.(From Science Direct: Commotio cordis, a rare syndrome in which young healthy individuals suddenly suffer cardiac arrest after blunt chest trauma traditionally related to a sports activity such as baseball, hockey, or lacrosse, is characterized by a sudden disruption of cardiac rhythm in the absence of demonstrable signs of significant heart injury that is induced by a direct blow to the chest.)

Let’s be clear … is it possible that Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was due to commotio cordis? Yes, it is possible. However, is it likely? No … unless there is an increased susceptibility to commotio cordis in those athletes who have received Covid vaccinations. 

-Hank Gathers obviously did not receive a Covid vaccine, while the vaccine status of Damar Hamlin is kinda hush-hush and is not commented on.

To me, it is interesting that what happened to Bronny James was not in our local “newspaper” the following day. Certainly it can be categorized as news, but nothing, zero, zip, nada. 

I wish Bronny James a full recovery, and I hope that the cause of his cardiac arrest is treated openly, more like that of Hank Gathers, and not secretively like that of Damar Hamlin.

7/26/23

californiacontrarian

As I have said many times and have alluded to over and over again, I think that California voters are either dumb or uninformed. Being uninformed, or perhaps better stated, mal-informed, is in large part due to the extremely liberal newspapers in this state. For example, if you are a conservative and write a well thought out letter-to-the-editor, the chances of it being are about as close to zero as it gets. Whereas, if your first name is “Bunny,” you can anticipate a published letter monthly … guess what  political side “Bunny” is on!

Again this morning I read something that merely reenforced my “stupid California voter” position. From whatsupwiththat:

“Nearly half of Californians — and more than half of Inland Empire residents — said they’ve been affected by such a weather event in the past two years. That’s compared with one in three adults nationwide who in March told Gallup pollsters that they’d been impacted by extreme weather. The PPIC poll also shows that nearly three-quarters of all Californians link such events to climate change.

As a result, more than six in 10 residents told the PPIC that they believe the state’s stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost, even if the rules put jobs or economic growth at risk.”

While I know that logic is not something that is used in California very much, let’s try it for a change. Consider first the statement: ‘strict regulations are worth the cost, even if the rules put jobs or economic growth at risk.’ To me there is only one logical reason to put people out of work, and that would be if there was a true imminent emergency and taking away someone’s livelihood would make a dramatic difference. Unfortunately, the world is composed of many nations, and what California does is like the proverbial “pissing in the ocean.”

The Energy Institute recently released its statistical assessment of global energy use and emissions in June 2023 updating global energy and emissions statistical data through year 2022.

In other words while the world’s energy consumption is basically not changing in both OECD & Non OECD nations (led by China and India), the World CO2 Emissions Increase is dramatically occurring in Non OECD Nations.

A second table from the Energy Institute shows:

While the U.S, EU and other OECD nations reduced CO2 emissions by over 2 billion metric tons between 2005 and 2022 the non-OECD nations hugely increased CO2 emissions by over 8.2 billion metric tons during this period resulting in the world’s emissions climbing by over 6.1 billion metric tons between 2005 and 2022. 

In other words what the U.S and other OECD Nations do does not amount to a hill of beans when the overall global picture is considered.

Furthermore,

California’s CO2 emissions are trivially insignificant compared to the global non-OECD nations emissions levels.

So, of course, putting California jobs at risk by doing things that make but a trivial difference on the world stage makes sense only to those who do not seem to be able to think logically … and these dumb or uninformed dum-dums seem to be concentrated here on the west coast!

californiacontrarian

7/25/23

Last week a friend of mine was describing what an uplifting experience he and his wife had distributing food to the needy. He pointed out that the recipients of these charitable food handouts were not what we typically would refer to as “the homeless.” Yes, a fair number of those in line for food were without a home, but they were not individuals who we might see living in squalor on the sidewalks of our downtown area. According to my friend, a lot of these were families who were just not able to make it on our present economy. Some living in their cars. Some living in apartments, but no longer able to afford enough food to feed themselves and/or their families. Indeed this is very understandable, as with inflation of 10-15+%, driving up the cost of everything including food, those living on the margin just cannot make it. 

As we all realize, the inflation that appears to be the scourge of just about everyone is recent. It is a new phenomenon over the past two plus years. It wasn’t an issue back in 2020 … hmmm, what happened to change what wasn’t a problem in 2020 into a huge problem today? 

Actually two main things have changed here in the U.S.:

First, increased government spending. Government spending has not just merely increased recently, but it has skyrocketed. 

From I&I.

In its recent updated report the Congressional Budget Office

(CBO) finds that overall spending this year is running 10% higher than last year. In June alone, spending was up $97 billion compared with June 2022, 

Looking a little deeper and the numbers are even more disturbing. The CBO notes that the huge increase in spending this year came despite the fact that COVID-related outlays – tax credits, grants to states, and public health spending – plunged $265 billion.

What’s more, the CBO shows that a huge portion of the spending increases are directly the fault of the Biden administration.

Second, the purposeful cutting back, limiting, and in some cases, prohibiting the production of energy.

Anyone with any common sense should realize that when the price of energy is purposefully increased, the price of just about everything will subsequently increase. Back in 2020, the U.S. was energy independent, but now the supply of gas/oil is significantly limited. In what is basic economics … when the supply of something is restricted, the price of that ing will inevitably go up. (A similar thing is happening in Europe where the Europeans basically put their energy supply inexplicably at the behest of the Russians. When a large portion of that Russian supply was cutoff, then the price went way up. Again basic economics.)

Ergo, because of the two above American issues, many individuals who were self-sustaining back in 2020 are now struggling, Consequently, we are now handing out food to individuals who are unable to cope. Because of Biden induced, out of control inflation, many just cannot make it now.

7/24/23

californiacontrarian

Written over two years ago, but the question still remains?

As background, Californians pay 79.6 cents per gallon in gas taxes in addition to fees. These fees, a lot of which are related to climate change,

come to an additional 38.9 cents per gallon for a combined total of $1.19 per gallon of gas. Not only does California have the highest gas tax in the country, but as of last week it also had the highest gas price in the country. As the last gas tax hikes were in 2017 and 2019, one might ask …”with all due respect, who is proposing and encouraging gas tax hike after gas tax hike?” The short answer is: the politicians in Sacramento, most of whom, … and I am going out on a limb here … most of whom do not drive. ( I just cannot imagine a state politician driving on I-5 between Stockton and Bakersfield with the tule pronounced “too-lee”) fog in the winter or the 100+ temperatures in the summer.) For sure our last few governors here in California do not drive, but yet are happy to sign on to increasing gas taxes. Does anyone besides me think that in order to impose higher gas taxes on everyone else, the voting politician must drive? When can we expect some reporter to the Governor, “With all due respect, sir, do you drive a car?”

Similarly at a national level should a president who reflexively immediately canceled the Keystone Pipeline with a resultant increase in gasoline prices across the country for everybody, should he himself be a driver? Realistically, probably not, but should he at least have a driver’s license?

Likewise should a President and a Vice President make proclamations about our southern border without having actually viewed the problem in person? Most rational people would say, “no,” and this leads me to the real purpose of this essay . . . Should politicians be pro-abortion without actually having seen an abortion? Can Democratic politicians be staunchly pro-abortion if they have never witnessed an abortion? It has always been interesting to me that pro-abortion politicians are never asked that question. I postulate that the reason for this is because the answer would undoubtedly be “No, I have never witnessed an abortion.”

Someone should ask the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Beccera, if he has ever witnessed a partial birth abortion. For all intents and purposes his answer would most likely be … “err, not actually.”

Why are pro-abortion politicians never asked, “With all due respect, sir (or ma’am) have you ever personally witnessed an abortion?” 

Actually the answer as to why this question is never asked to national politicians is the same as to why no Sacramento reporter would ever ask a Governor of California if he ever drives a car and is forced to pay gas taxes. 

When will some news reporter with fortitude have the chutzpah to publicly ask that question? Will anyone ever be allowed to ask the most pro-abortion President in history that question? (“With all due respect, Mr. President, in light of your overwhelming support of abortion policies, have you ever witnessed a live abortion?”) 

I can imagine that his answer would be akin to … “Come-on, man!”

6/22/21

www.californiacontrarian.com

Last month I read a piece about Doug Brignole. At this point you might be asking, “Who is Doug Brignole?” Prior to reading about what he said, I had absolutely no idea who he was. I say “was,” because Doug Brignole is no longer with us.

FYI from Wikipedia:

“Doug Brignole was an American bodybuilder, fitness coach, biomechanics expert, and author. He attained fame as a multiple-time winner of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Mr. Universe and Mr. America titles. Known for his long competitive career, Brignole was the oldest man to win the title of Mr. Universe. Beyond his bodybuilding achievements, Brignole was well known for his research and application of biomechanics principles to resistance training and for his use of cables, dumbbells, and isolation exercises rather than the barbells and compound exercises most commonly used by other titled bodybuilders.”

No! I have no interest in bodybuilding, but I bring up Doug Brignole because of something he said in 2021, and the manipulation that occurred after he died in October, 2022.

Back in April, 2021 Doug  Brignole said the following,  “I have enough confidence in the vaccine, based on my research, to get it done.” 

Brignole replied to a Facebook user who questioned his decision. “Those of you who think the vaccine kills people can use me as a test. If I die, you were right. If I don’t die, and have no ill effects, you were wrong, and should admit it – at least to yourselves.”

In October, 2022 Brignole died one week after taking a pre-travel booster shot.

From “Coffee and Covid:”

“The coroner ruled Brignole’s death was caused by covid-19 — because his body tested positive for covid.

Brignole was found face down AT HOME by his housekeeper, and as far as anyone knows, covid has never killed anyone like that. It makes you unable to breathe and you die from pneumonia, kidney failure (remdesivir), or the ventilator. You definitely don’t catch covid then keel over suddenly and unexpectedly, like Brignole did.”

I found this story about what actually happened to Doug Brignole  interesting for two reasons.

First: I got Covid fifteen days after getting a Covid booster prior to traveling. No one talks much about getting Covid in close temporal approximation to getting a Covid booster. In my mind there is no doubt that it was my booster that somehow made me more susceptible to Covid, and it seems likely that the same temporal relation was the case with Doug Brignole.

Second: I find it intriguing that Brignole’s “cause of death” was supposed to be Covid! This sounds like the poppycock that was occurring years back when if the deceased tested positive for Covid, then Covid was listed as the cause of death even though the individual died as a result of something else, e.g. an auto accident.

As far as I am aware, Covid is not a cause of sudden death. Mr. Brignole most likely died from a cardiac arrhythmia. Could this presumed arrhythmia have been due to his recent Covid booster? Possibly. Perhaps to paraphrase Brignole’s own words, “If I die, you were right … do not get the booster!”

7/22/23

californiacontrarian