Month: September 2023

Does a politician need to have any understanding of the issues being discussed? Rhetorical, you say! I think not. 

While I was at the gym on 9/28, I was positioned with Fox News in front of me. Okay, even though I no longer watch Fox News on a regular basis, I can watch it for thirty minutes while on an exercycle. Fox was showing the House Oversight Committee’s hearings on the Biden Impeachment inquiry. What caught my attention was an angry female, Rep Summer Lee, spewing hate and discontent. Even though there was no sound, I could read the words that she was saying, and it was truly hate and discontent. The problem for me was that during her entire spiel she did not once mention Biden, impeachment, or the rule of law, even though she has a J.D from Howard Univ. With that J.D., I would think that she would understand the concept of impeachment, and the seriousness of the charges. However, during her allotted time she disjointedly talked about mothers and babies and how in the districts of certain Republican members of that same Oversight Committee bad things were going to happen.

Why would Rep Lee waste her allotted time talking about things which did not pertain to the issue at hand? Either she did not understand the topic being discussed, or she could not think of anything positive to say about Joe Biden. Maybe she is hoping that Kamala will take over when JB is found guilty. 

A little background on Ms. Lee from Wikipedia. She is obviously a Democrat now, but had been a member of the Democratic Socialists of American, and in the last election she campaigned for Bernie Saunders … ‘nough said!

For me I really do not care what Summer Lee has to say … no me importa! 

For the last year or so I was embarrassed by the conduct, and the appearance of John Fetterman, who also is an elected representative from Pennsylvania. “How embarrassing for Pennsylvania,” I thought many times. 

However, Summer Lee is giving Fetterman a run for his money.

9/30/23

I have been asked if I have a Bucket List. Yes, I do. It’s not an extensive list. Actually it has only two items on it. 

One: I want to visit the Holy Land.

Two: I want to hear Donald Trump speak, live and in person.

In case anyone is interested, no, I did not watch any of either “Republican debate.” Not one minute! Why would I? If Trump is on the ballot, I will be voting for him. If not, yes I will be voting for the Republican nominee, no matter who it is. Realistically, since I live in California, my vote doesn’t really make much difference, and be will cancelled out by a vote from an illegal. Se la vie!

While I did not watch Fox News’ debate, I did watch Trump’s simultaneous speech to UAW workers and retirees. In fact, I watched the entire speech – from stem to stern for well over an hour. It appeared to be a comparatively small venue at Drake Enterprise’s just outside of Detroit.  It was full inside with thousands outside. In all honesty, I would have to say that the crowd in attendance was only lukewarm, comparatively speaking to the fanatical crowds at Trump events in the past.

To me there were two primary points of focus in this speech. The first was that JB’s EV mandates will kill the US auto industry as we know it. Trump predicted that no matter what the outcome of the present UAW strike is, that if Biden is re-elected, 40% of US auto jobs will be lost within two years. To me if only 20% are lost, it will be a disaster, especially in Michigan.  He bemoaned the fact that the Big 3 are caving to Biden’s EV mandates. … Why?? He said that with Ford presently losing $60,000 on each EV truck it produces, common sense would dictate that this kind of loss is not sustainable … duh!

The other main parts of Trump’s speech were indeed on a potpourri of different topics. He stressed what a disaster Biden’s foreign policy has been, compared to what he had accomplished during his term. eg Afghanistan! True and true!

He also stressed that Biden’s inflation is a result of his war on fossil fuels. Again common sense!

He emphasized that if someone were to chose to buy an electric car, so be it, as that is an individual’s choice. The government should not mandate what type of car one has to purchase. At this point, he segued in “school choice” to a round of applause.

What Donald Trump did not say was that Joe Biden is the devil. He did not say it, but I will! … Joe Biden is the devil!

9/29/23

A few months ago Sports Illustrated reported the following:

“A little over three months since suffering cardiac arrest near the end of the 2022 season, Buffalo Billssafety Damar Hamlin has been ‘fully cleared’ by his medical care team and has started to participate in offseason workouts. … and Hamlin has even bigger plans.

Now, Hamlin seems well on his way to making a triumphant return this fall.”

In August Damar Hamlin did play in a Buffalo Bills exhibition game. In fact he made some tackles in that game. But here’s the quandary. Demar Hamlin has not played in a regular season game this year. He made the squad, but he has mostly been on the inactive list. To me the question is “why?” He is either fit to play or he isn’t. If his cardiac arrest was due to Commotio Cordis, I am befuddled as to why he has been inactive for the Bills initial three regular season games. Commotio Cordis is a very rare phenomenon to begin with, and is typically associated with a high velocity impact, like a baseball line drive. There was no high velocity impact of any sort to the chest of Damar Hamlin. I would suppose that Commotio  Cordis could rarely recur, but the risk for a recurrence would not change from week 1 to week 16.

Again, why is he not playing yet? The only thing that makes sense to me is that the risk for a recurrent cardiac arrest is time-related in some way. In other words, the longer Hamlin waits before he plays, the less likely he is to have a recurrence, and this implies that some sort of healing is taking place, The only heart ailment that I am aware of that “heals,” would be one that is associated with some sort of infection or inflammation.

Perhaps related is this recent disheartening turn of events, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has chosen to withhold updated information concerning cases of heart inflammation following COVID-19 vaccination. This move by the CDC, a federal agency that should epitomize transparency and public trust, is a betrayal to the American people who look towards such institutions for guidance and assurance in these trying times.

Is a Damar Hamlin’s diagnosis of Commotio Cordis, the NFL’s version of the CDC’s reluctance to release updated data on myocarditis and pericarditis, conditions associated with heart inflammation post-vaccination. Hmmm!

9/28/23

Most of us are aware of what happened in the most recent Virginia Governor’s election. One candidate sided with the dictatorial school boards while the other went with the parents. I said back then that it was never a smart thing to go against parents who have children. Even the more politically liberal parents will almost always choose their children over just about everything else.

FYI: In Virginia the parents and the candidate who sided with the parents won. (In case you do not remember now Gov. Youngkin has been a vocal opponent against the Left’s transgender propaganda. He has vowed to crack down on Virginia public schools that refuse to enforce requirements that parents be informed if their child expresses any gender confusion at school.)

Here in California we have a similar upcoming scenario. The difference is that in California we are talking about ballad initiatives.

From The Epoch Times op-Ed by John Seiler on 9/8:

A parents’ group called Protect Kids California on Aug. 28 introduced three initiatives to be on the November 2024 ballot to “protect California children, and ensure that parents are a fundamental part of their child’s growth. Protect Kids California is a  statewide grassroots effort initiated by California parents on a mission to protect children, and advocate for policies that promote children’s rights and well-being.

As the group describes them, the three initiatives are:

• School Transparency and Partnership Act—An initiative to require schools notify parents when their child wants to socially transition in school settings.
• Protect Girls’ Sports and Spaces Act—An initiative to make certain girls have fair competition by ensuring girls’ athletic programs are for female athletes only.
• Protect Children from Reproductive Harm Act—An initiative to prevent child sterilization from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or transgender surgeries.

The initiatives almost certainly will face legal objections, including from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Who will win? Like John Seiler, I’m betting on the parents!

9/27/23

To be crystal clear from the start, I do not regularly listen to MSNBC. In fact I do not listen to MSNBC at all. However on C&C there was a clip from a recent interview of Presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy by Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. If you want to see an example of a sheep being thrown to a wolf, this interview is the perfect example. … FYI, Ramaswamy was not the sheep.

The topic was that of climate change as a hurricane was approaching the Big Bend area of Florida., and Ramaswamy made it interesting. If there was a way Andrea Mitchell would have crawled into a hole, she would have, and indeed, she should have. 

As Mitchell quoted the unknown mayor of St. Petersburg, Ramaswamy schooled her with the following: 

“Here’s the TRUTH: the climate disaster death rate has *declined* by 98% over the last century, even as carbon emissions have risen. The average person is 50X less likely to die of a climate-related cause than in 1920. Why? Fossil fuels.

“And 8x as many people die from cold temperatures as warm ones. The right answer to all temperature-related deaths is, again, more abundance of fossil fuels. These are inconvenient truths for the climate cult. The real emergency isn’t climate change, it’s the man-made disaster of climate change policies that threaten U.S. prosperity.”

My guess is that after being schooled by Vivek Ramaswamy, Andrea Mitchell won’t be having him back as a guest on her show anytime soon!

9/26/

The other day I read about three novel ideas, each of which I liked.

The first idea was in a column by Wayne Allyn Root. He suggested to Donald Trump that one of his campaign promises should be to end taxing Social Security. Some might say that this would be pandering to seniors, however, the money that was forcibly placed into this fund belongs to the seniors to begin with. Why should they be taxed when they get their own money back?

The second novel idea was put forth by Shad White, Mississippi’s State Auditor, who suggested in a recent report that the state needs to change the way it approaches funding for its public universities. One of the suggestions he made was linking public investment to workforce needs, instead of treating every degree program as the same, according to the Associated Press.

Instead of the state of Mississippi loaning money to every Tom, Dick, and Harry for majors which increasingly are translating into increasing college debt, why not loan money preferentially to those majors which the the most needed in Mississippi … those majors which are resulting in the biggest financial gain for Mississippi’s graduating college seniors. 

He said, “Students need to keep an eye on which industries are growing when they pick a college major. Taxpayers need to do the same when they think about funding universities. 

These majors are Construction Management, Agricultural Economics, International Business/Trade, Hospitality Administration/Management, and Architectural Engineering Technology.  

But he didn’t stop there!

From BlazeNews:

“White claimed that there are many degrees currently offered that are “useless degrees” in “garbage fields.” Some of the degrees he said needed to go were Anthropology, African American Studies, Gender Studies, Women’s Studies, German Literature, Sociology, and Urban Studies. He suggested that some of these degrees are fertile ground for political radicalization, according to the report.”

A truly novel, although not PC, idea.

The third novel idea is from Christine Anderson of the European Parliament. (Long, but well worth it!)

Here’s what she said, word for word:

“We just need to find a way to wake the people up. Because the point is simply this: it comes down to a choice. It’s either freedom, democracy, and the rule of law — or enslavement.

“There is no such thing in between. There is no such thing as a little freedom, a little democracy, a little rule of law, just as there is no such thing as a little enslavement. So that’s the choice. It comes down to – it’s either the globalitarian misanthropists or the people. It comes down to – it’s either us or them. And that’s, I think, what this really is all about.

“Now, when my colleagues and I were elected to this parliament, there was no question about it. We were on the side of the people because the people actually pay us to act in their best interests. That’s our job. And once again, I will say to every single elected representative around the world, to every single member in every elected government around the world, if you do not unequivocally stand with the people and serve in their best interests, act in their best interests, you have no place in any parliament or in any government. You belong behind bars. You may even rot in hell for all I care at this point because that’s exactly what you deserve if you sell out the people.”

Imagine that!! Politicians should do what those who elected them want! … a truly novel idea. Think about what politicians are pushing that Americans do not want … Think EVs for everybody! Think getting rid of coal while subsidizing wind and solar. Think badmouthing police while crime is soaring! 

 9/25/23

On Sundays I write about individuals who are worthy of our praise.

I would guess that many of you remember Tim Tebow, an all American quarterback who subsequently went on to play in the NFL. As his football fame is now in the rear view mirror, one might ask why am I singling out Tim Tebow now?

From Epoch Bright:

“For Tim Tebow, ‘MVP’ has a whole different meaning. Far from the limelight of the sports field, the 36-year-old Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback has long set his sights on helping the world’s “Most Vulnerable People.” The Tim Tebow Foundation, founded in 2010, works in 86 countries to transform the lives of orphans, people with special needs or significant medical needs, and those caught in the snare of human traffickers.”

In addition his Foundation has a special night every year, Night to Shine, which celebrates people with special needs, offering them a prom night experience, and takes place simultaneously around the world—in over 1,000 cities and 56 countries. (Next year, it will be held on February 9, 2024.) The timing, the Friday before Valentine’s Day, is no accident.

“We wanted this to be a night where every person with special needs ‘Shines,’ and we wanted our love and God’s love for them to shine through,” Tebow said.

When asked to tell about an inspiring moment or person at Night to Shine that will stay with you forever, Tim Tebow responded, “I could tell you thousands and thousands of stories just from our first Night to Shine! One that really stands out to me is a mom coming up to me and telling me that her daughter will never get married. She will never have kids. But tonight, at Night to Shine, she felt like she was a princess. Another is the first time we ever hosted a Night to Shine, one sweet girl came down the red carpet in a wheelchair with everyone cheering her on. She had so much fun and loved the experience so much that she came back down again, this time walking with assistance! It was such an inspiring moment.”

Kudos to Tim Tebow for demonstrating that there is more to life than sports!

9/24/23

I would guess that many of you are familiar with the Babylon Bee. For those who are not familiar, it is a satirical website that has humorous, tongue-in-cheek articles.

For example here are two of the recent Babylon Bee postings:

• “In a controversial new episode of Paw Patrol that aired this week on Nick Jr., Chase gets neutered so he can become the world’s first transgender pup.”

–  “In a gracious move of bipartisanship, the Senate voted to relax rules 

      to allow their freshman Senator Jabba The Fetterman to take a bath 

       in the reflecting pool.”

You get the idea. Now here is the test. Try to figure out if the following two stories are from the Babylon Bee.

“Biden repeats same story twice almost ‘word for word’ within minutes, sparking concern online: ‘Elder abuse’.”

Politico’s Jonathan Lemire, who was traveling with the president on Wednesday, wrote in a quick update about Biden’s comments: “After briefly touting his economic record, POTUS reflected on his decision to seek the presidency. He told the story about the events of Charlottesville in 2017 as the reason for his campaign. A few minutes later, he told the story again, nearly word for word.”

If you said that his was from the Babylon Bee, you would have been wrong, as what this piece describes is all true. Okay I will give you another chance.

In its “US News” section, top Spanish paper Marca ran a story yesterday headlined, “Joe Biden’s latest public blunder at the UN with Brazil’s president Lula.” The sub-headline added, “The president had another unfortunate moment as the world was watching on.”

After President Lula took the podium to begin speaking, Biden, standing stiff as a board, started fiddling with his UN translator earpiece and receiver. Lula was speaking in English. First, Lula waited respectfully for Biden to finish, but as the long, silent seconds uncomfortably elongated, finally Lula, sounding a mite teched, asked “Can you hear me, President Biden? This is a historic moment for Brazil and for the US.”

Biden was standing three feet away. Lula was speaking into an amplified microphone. In English.

If you said that these were from the Babylon Bee, … sorry, but no cigar, as this was actually the leader of the free world!

Here in both of these stories, reality beats the Bee!

Embarrassing!

9/23/23

Many years ago I learned that for the most part, do not volunteer for certain things. For instance, in the military if one volunteered to take a course in tropical medicine, then it would be an interesting vacation of sorts for a week or so in Panama. However, from then on if trouble broke out in some godforsaken tropical country, guess who would be tapped to be deployed to that godforsaken tropical country.

I thought about this piece of common sense when I just read about the latest from the University of Michigan. 

From the Epoch Times:

“The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor confirmed in several recent statements that it will require students who test positive for COVID-19 to leave campus dorms and isolate in other locations, including hotels.

University health officer Robert D. Ernst said in a message on Sept. 1 that the school’s COVID-19 guidance ‘could include relocating to [one’s] permanent residence, staying with a nearby relative or friend, or finding a hotel space’ after one tests positive for the virus, according to reports.

‘Students in Michigan Housing must leave their residence halls during isolation, even if they are in a single room.’”

After reading this I asked myself, “What planet is Robert Ernst living on?”

Is he an example of Peter’s Principle?

Picture yourself as a University of Michigan college student … mostare not from Ann Arbor and so cannot just easily pop home; most have little spare money with which to pay for a hotel room; since the dorm  oftentimes will provide access to meals that have already been paid for, how do they eat when not living in the dorm? … and the list goes on!

So let’s assume that one is a student at U Michigan and gets a cold. What would be last thing you would do? Hmmm! The last thing I would do is volunteer get a Covid test! Take that mister all-knowing Robert Ernst!

9/22/23

Sometimes when rational people read something, most will comment, “WTF, these individuals are crazy, looney tunes, out to lunch, etc.” 

This from a 9/19/23 NY Post article:

An estimated 1,000 people who prefer to be recognized as not humans, but canines, organized a gathering at the Berlin Potsamer Platz railroad station in Germany, communicating only by howling or barking at one another.

The unorthodox canine convention follows the viral sensation of Toco the human collie — a man located in Japan who is fulfilling his life-long dream of becoming a pooch after purchasing a $14,000 hyperrealistic suit.

Other internet-famous hound-human hybrids include Tom Peters, a Brit who previously revealed he identified as a Dalmatian, and Toru Ueda, a Tokyo engineer who spent $23,000 on a custom wolf suit.

“When I wear my costume I feel I’m no longer human,” Ueda, 32, previously told the UK Times. “I’m free of human relationships. All kinds of troubles, related to work and other things — I can forget about them.”

Clinical lycanthropy is a rare psychiatric syndrome that involves a delusion that the affected person can transform into, has transformed into, or is, an animal.

This is also known as Species Identity Disorder or Species Dysphoria (also see Dissociative Identity Disorder). Clinical Lycanthropy has been associated with the altered states of mind that accompany psychosis (the mental state that typically involves delusions and hallucinations) with the transformationonly seeming to happen in the mind and behavior of the affected person.

 I would like to point out a few things with the above comments on ‘clinical lycanthropy’ Initially it is referred to as a psychiatric syndrome … with emphasis on ‘psychiatric.’ Then it is referred to as a ‘delusion’ with ‘the transformation only seeming to happen in the mind and behavior of the affected person.’

To those of us who are rational, a human is a human and cannot be a dog instead, just as a zebra can’t change its stripes.

Can someone who does not still live in Portland or San Francisco explain the difference between lycanthropy and a girl who thinks that she is really a boy or similarly a boy who thinks that he should be a girl? Hmmm!

9/21/23