Month: April 2024

From National Review:

Electric vehicles (and, critically, their batteries) have improved and will continue to improve, as manufacturers try to address consumer concerns. That’s how things are supposed to work. The problem continues to be that governments and regulators are not allowing the EV market to evolve organically. The result has been an increasing (and increasingly expensive) mismatch between EV supply and demand, a problem that climate policy-makers ultimately plan on “solving” with coercion, because that’s what central planners do.

As I have alluded to in past blogs, to me the EV future is still in doubt. In the U.S. it appears that the present financial status of EV producers is a mixed bag.

From CNN Business:

GM said it expects its North American EV business to turn a profit in the second half of the year. That and strong demand for traditional gasoline-powered vehicles allowed it to raise its earnings forecast for the year.

Reaching a profit on its EV business would be a major milestone, which have yet to make the kind of cash that hybrids and gasoline-powered cars make for traditional automakers, who are planning a shift to EVs in the years ahead. GM officials said Tuesday it believes its EV offerings will be even more profitable moving into 2025, despite the slowdown in growth of demand for EVs in its home market.

Meanwhile, Stellantis, which makes cars and trucks in North America under the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands, said its European EV business was already profitable last year.

Last week Tesla, the world’s largest EV maker, reported that its adjusted earnings plunged 48% in the first quarter as revenue fell 9%, after it reported the first year-over-year drop in sales since the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Ford just reported a massive loss on every electric vehicle it sold. Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to $1.3 billion, or $132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year, helping to drag down earnings for the company overall.

Ford, like most automakers, has announced plans to shift from traditional gas-powered vehicles to EVs in coming years. But it is the only traditional automaker to break out results of its retail EV sales. And the results it reported Wednesday show another sign of the profit pressures on the EV business at Ford and other automakers.

The EV unit, which Ford calls Model e, sold 10,000 vehicles in the quarter, down 20% from the number it sold a year earlier. And its revenue plunged 84% to about $100 million, which Ford attributed mostly to price cuts for EVs across the industry. That resulted in the $1.3 billion loss before interest and taxes (EBIT), and the massive per-vehicle loss in the Model e unit.

Is GM still drinking the Kool-aid that the central planners are selling. Is it about to turn the financial EV corner?

Or has Ford seen the supply/demand light of what is happening?

Which way will the EV wind blow?

4/30/

What you are hearing is the crumbling sound of Jack Smith’s case against Donald Trump. In the very early stages of an earthquake as the walls initially start shaking, those who have earthquake experience realize that the real upheaval and the accompanying damage could be coming quite soon. Similarly Jack Smith’s case just might be on the verge of sustaining significant damage, as it seems that the walls have just started shaking.

The Supreme Court agreed to consider the following question—“Whether and, if so, to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”

The Supreme Court Justices appeared skeptical about President Trump’s claims that he has the right to absolute immunity for his actions as president. However, the justices also appeared to be open to accepting that presidents have some level of immunity.

The court could decide to remand the case back to the Washington district court, with instructions for differentiating between official and private acts of a president so that additional fact-finding proceedings can be done.

Such a move would delay the former president’s trial in Washington and potentially proceedings related to three other cases as well. This gives President Trump a strategic win as he attempts to hold off cases until after the elections.

Furthermore the question has come up as to whether or not special counsel Jack Smith’s has the authority to bring charges against the president.

Last week one of Trump’s attorneys, John Sauer said, “That runs into the reality that we have here an extraordinary prosecutorial power being exercised by someone who was never nominated by the president or confirmed by the Senate at any time. … We hadn’t raised it yet in this case when this case went up on appeal.”

Mr. Sauer said he agrees with the “analysis provided by Attorney General [Edwin] Meese and Attorney General [Michael B.] Mukasey,” referring to the amicus brief the two former attorneys general submitted to the Supreme Court on March 19. In it, the two attorneys general noted that irrespective of what one thinks about the immunity issue, Mr. Smith “does not have authority to conduct the underlying prosecution.”

Wow! The shaking is getting stronger. Could this entire case be on the verge of total destruction? 

State tuned!

4/29/24

Believe it or not, I had some difficulty this week finding someone to highlight in my Sunday piece. As most of you are aware my Sunday blogs are specifically about someone who is deserving of our praise and/or admiration. However, I came across a married couple, Ben and Meg Hollar, that fit the bill for a Sunday.

From Epoch Bright:

It was a cool February morning in 2017, and Ben Hollar sat alone in the kitchen of his southern California home, thinking. As a machinist by trade, rising early and working 80-hour weeks were commonplace. He’d been at it for the better part of a decade, ever since he’d married his wife, Meg, in 2006. But the work had taken its toll.He had been an absent figure in the lives of his four young sons.

“I didn’t have much of a relationship with them,” Ben said. “I missed so much of their early years that I really felt like a stepfather to them rather than their own dad.”

Worse still, his marriage was on the rocks. As his workload increased steadily over the years, he and Meg had drifted apart. To deal with his stress and a growing feeling of loneliness, Ben began to drink.

Change needed to happen, and fast.

So when Meg joined him for coffee on that February morning, Ben, in a last ditch effort to save his marriage, proposed something radical. He said: “This is kind of crazy, but how would you feel about selling everything we have, hopping in a trailer, seeing the country like we’ve always talked about, figuring out where we want to go, buying land, and we don’t come back?”

They decided to buy a trailer and travel across the country, and then start fresh somewhere new.

After 10 months on the road and visiting 45 states, the Hollars finally found a home. They settled in western North Carolina, A small mobile home on a small parcel of land was all they needed, giving their marriage a second chance.

The move to North Carolina has come with its own blessings. Since 2019, the Hollars have renovated the old mobile home, added numerous livestock and gardens, and expanded their family. They welcomed their first daughter in 2020 and are expecting another baby in May.

Because of their commitment to each other after a long journey, there was a happy ending for Meg and Ben Hollar. 

Kudos to both of them!

4/28/24

One of the most argued about topic is concerning the best way to handle the campus protests concerning Hamas/Israel. The approach at the I y League schools seems to be one of mollycoddling the protestors. I do not understand what the endpoint to this approach is. Perhaps those in charge at these schools are hoping that the se protests will fizzle out once the academic school year ends.

In contrast the University of Florida is taking a non-mollycoddling sort of approach.

From the Gainesville Sun:

“A pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Florida has turned controversial as the university has threatened student and employee protestors with a ban from campus if they engage in prohibited activities.

The university had distributed a flyer of new items and activities not allowed during protest.

The university gave a statement about the situation to The Sun Friday which said UF will protect speech and uphold the law.

“Peaceful protests are constitutionally protected. Camping, putting up structures, disrupting academic activity, or threatening others on university property is strictly prohibited,” the university said. “The University has clearly communicated this to our students and explained that they can exercise their free speech rights but breaking the law will result in an immediate trespassing order from UFPD and an interim suspension from Student Life.”

Cynthia Roldán, UF director of public affairs, shared in an email the document that was given to students Thursday. The paper highlights the allowed and prohibited activities during protesting, which Roldán said are part of existing UF policies and regulations.

Additionally, Roldán said in an email that UF’s policies have been in place for years and none have been adjusted recently.

Allowable activities include speech, expressing viewpoints and holding signs in hands, the paper reads. Prohibited activities include sleeping, camping, amplified sound and demonstrations inside buildings, among others. Additionally, prohibited items include camping items, weapons, unmanned signs and chairs, among others.

Additionally, the document reads that individuals who don’t comply with these rules, and those found engaging in prohibited activities, will be trespassed from campus. Students will receive a three year trespass and suspension, while employees will be trespassed and removed from employment.”

So there you have it.

“ Mollycoddling” vs. “Non-Mollycoddling”

Which approach will prove to be effective?

Place your bets!

4/27/24

When I read something which I think is potentially medically important for my readers to know about, I feel that it is my duty to pass it on.

As an aside when I was working, I used to drink three, four, or five cups of coffee per day. Furthermore, I would drink coffee after dinner and go right to sleep soon thereafter. Back then ‘De-caf’ was not in my vocabulary. Now I still drink coffee, but am down to two or three cups per day … again leaded, and not the unleaded variety.

So far I do not think that I have dementia. Is this coincidental or perhaps cause-and-effect related to my long term chronic coffee intake? I can almost hear most of you scoffing … but read the following and then reconsider.

From Epoch Health:

“A 2016 study published in the Journals of Gerontology, tracked 6,467 women aged 65 and above for up to 10 years, investigating the relationship between caffeine intake and cognitive impairment or probable dementia.

The study findings suggested an inverse association between caffeine intake and age-related cognitive dysfunction. Older women with higher than the median caffeine intake were found to be less likely to suffer from dementia or age-related cognitive impairment. The median level of caffeine consumption was 261 mg, equivalent to three 8-ounce cups of coffee, or six cups of black tea.”

Okay. So women might benefit from coffee, but what about men?

“Another study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007 found that drinking coffee can reduce cognitive decline in older males. A total of 676 healthy older men from Finland, Italy, and the Netherlands, born between 1900 and 1920, participated in the 10-year prospective group study. The study suggests that elderly men who do not drink coffee have a higher cognitive decline than coffee drinkers, with the least cognitive decline for those who drink three cups of coffee daily.”

If three cups of coffee a day is good, could six cups be better?

“Compared with participants who only drink a small amount of coffee, research (research which analyzed the coffee-drinking habits of 398,646 British Biological Sample Bank participants between 37 and 73 years old and examined the associations with brain volume and with the incidence of dementia and stroke.) showed that people who drink over six cups of coffee per day, are 53 percent more likely to suffer from senile dementia than those who drink one to two cups daily, with less evidence of an association with stroke.”

Is the beneficial effect of caffeine limited to the risk of dementia?

“A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2022 showed that two to three cups of coffee a day could significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and death compared with non-coffee drinkers.

A review published in the British Medical Journal in 2017 found that consuming up to four cups of coffee daily can minimize specific health risks compared with no coffee intake, including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular diseases, and liver and kidney diseases”

Ergo, in my opinion, an impressive array of data suggests that coffee is indeed good for a lot of individuals. However, I must advise some caution, as in certain individuals coffee can have some adverse effects. (Furthermore … my opinions should not be construed as medical advice.)

4/26/24

The other day I read two different stories from two different states. These two stories were not related to each other except in “OMG! What is the USA coming to?”

From BlazeMedia:

“A North Carolina high school student was suspended last week because he dared utter the phrase “illegal alien” in class.

Last week, Central Davidson High School student Christian McGhee asked his English teacher an otherwise innocuous question about a vocabulary assignment that included the word “alien.”

“Like space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards?” McGhee asked.

The question allegedly prompted a fellow classmate to threaten McGhee because he felt offended by the question, according to the Carolina Journal, which caused the teacher to phone the assistant principal. School administration then decided to suspend McGhee for three days.

The violation? McGhee made a “racially insensitive comment” that allegedly violated school policies, according to a school document.

Christian’s parents later met with the assistant principal to appeal the suspension. They explained the phrase “illegal alien” appears in the dictionary, federal code, and numerous media outlets. But their efforts were unsuccessful as Christian llegedly violated school policies, according to a school document.”

OMG! These ying-yangs are in charge of teaching our children!

Meanwhile, also from BlazeMedia:

The Indiana Department of Child Services had a male minor suffering from both anorexia and gender dysphoria removed from the custody of his loving, traditional Catholic parents in 2021, even though Mary and Jeremy Cox were getting him help.

The Coxes’ refusal to compromise on their deeply held religious convictions and affirm the so-called transgender identity of their 16-year-old son appears to have been a driving factor behind both the DCS’ initial investigation into the family and the state’s subsequent efforts to keep the teen — referred to as A.C. in court documents — out of his familial home.

The parents fought the state every step of the way but had no luck in the trial court or the appellate court.

OMG! These courts are deciding what is legal for parents to do and not to do with their own children according to their religious beliefs! 

The good news is that in both of these instances the families have hired lawyers.

4/25/24

Last week on Fox News Sunday Sen. John Kennedy (R, LA) was interviewed, and once again in a short period of time he came up with some lines that could well be quoted ad infinitum. [In the following I have underlined some of these memorable quotes. Then from the underlined quotes each reader can pick his/her favorite!]

From Townhall:

“Sen. John Kennedy offered advice to President Biden on Sunday over his “wobbly” support of Israel. 

Noting that the president’s support for the Jewish state has waned in recent months, the Louisiana Republican used his interview on ‘Fox News Sunday’ to urge the president to stop ‘being influenced by the Hamas wing of the Democratic Party.’”

 So far nothing to get excited about.

But then,

“Israel’s not at war with Hamas or Hezbollah or Yemen,” the senator said. “Those are all surrogates for Iran, they’re prostitutes. The pimp is Iran. Israel is at war with Iran. Iran hates Americans. Iran hates Jews. Iran wants to kill Americans and Jews. And if we turn the other cheek to them, we’re going to get it in the neck.”

Good …however Senator Kennedy was just warming up!

“Referring to reports of the White House warning Israel that the United States will not participate in retaliatory strikes against Iran after their attack on the country, Kennedy said “more sheep is not going to solve the wolf problem.” 

Better. Nonetheless, for me, the best was yet to come!

Kennedy continued: “My advice to the president today, for what it’s worth, is don’t, stop it,” he added. “Support Israel. With respect, go to Amazon and buy a spine online. Peace through weakness never works.”

Bingo! My favorite … “Go to Amazon and buy a spine online.”

4/24/

Up until a few days ago I had never heard of “infrasound”, and now I am intrigued by it.

Headline from the Epoch Times:

“Infrasound From Wind Turbines Could Be A ‘Huge Threat to the Entire Biodiversity’: Doctor”

“Infrasound is defined as a sound wave with a frequency of less than 20 hertz (Hz). The lower the frequency of the sound, the greater its wavelength and the harder it is to shield from it. Infrasound can penetrate walls, people, and animals.

“Since around 2015, it has been noticed that people exposed to infrasound and vibration from technical emitters have shown symptoms that correspond to microcirculatory disorders,” Dr. Bellut-Staeck said. This effect was particularly noticeable after smaller wind turbines were replaced by larger ones.

Reported adverse effects of industrial wind turbines include weakness, dizziness, headaches, concentration and memory issues, ear pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, and sleep disorders, according to research cited in Canadian Family Physician.

Infrasound could also affect microcirculation, the blood circulation of the fine capillary network where oxygen and nutrients enter the surrounding tissues.

More precisely, it’s the endothelial cells located on the inner wall of the capillaries that react to infrasound, Dr. Ursula Bellut-Staeck said. She’s been studying microcirculation and endothelial cells since 2004. 

The German Federal Environment Agency, however, told The Epoch Times that it has not found any evidence that infrasound from wind turbines causes adverse health effects and that “how infrasound emitted by wind turbines affects endothelial cells has not yet been scientifically proven.”

However, initial studies on the effects of infrasound indicate possible serious health problems. One study published in Environmental Disease concluded there was a high probability that people living near industrial wind turbines would experience harmful health effects due to anxiety, stress, and loss of sleep resulting from exposure to infrasound and other emissions. A German study also identified the toxic effects of infrasound exposure at a cellular level. Another study, published in PLoS ONE, documented brain activity changes following exposure to infrasound stimulation.”

Where have we recently heard from “those that know best” that there is no scientific evidence that XXX causes any harm … only to have this amended or even reversed?

Just a thought …could the “Havana Syndrome” be caused by prior exposure to infrasound?

4/23/24

The other morning a middle aged woman asked a group of us to pray for her seventeen year granddaughter who was just diagnosed with a very unusual type of cancer. My immediate thought was … “it’s due to the Covid vaccine.”

Obviously, however, one unusual situation, or one unusual type of cancer in a teenager does not a pattern make. But more to the real issue: Are these unusual, aggressive or “turbo” cancers becoming more of an issue?

At this point some of those who perhaps coincidentally were “anti-vaxxers” seem to think that this is a real issue, while others in respected positions think not.

From C&C:

“Canadian anti-vaccine Doctor William Makis published an encouraging new Substack yesterday, along with a summary on Twitter. Dr. Makis, who has been de-credentialed in Canada for his online advocacy during and after the pandemic, is well known for his regular and diligent articles describing sudden deaths and reporting new vaccine studies.

He reported that just in the last two weeks, six new academic papers have been published linking covid mRNA vaccines to cancer, bringing the running total (by his count) to twenty-six.”

[Dr. Makis then listed the six new papers.]

“Of course, these cancer papers follow a long, significant trend of papers — thousands now — linking injuries apart from myocarditis to the jabs.”

On the other hand:

“David Gorski, a breast cancer surgeon at Wayne Stare University in Detroit, summarized the “turbo cancer” phenomenon as “the usual misinformation techniques used by antivaxxers: Citing anecdotes, wild speculation about biological mechanisms without a firm basis in biology, and conflating correlation with causation.”

The best I can say at present is that I am suspicious that Dr.Makis  may  turn out to be right.

Meanwhile, I will keep the seventeen year old girl in my prayers.

4/22/24

As my regular readers are aware Sunday’s pieces are about someone that we can all admire. This Sunday is no different although this week all I have is a first name … “Jim,” and he is from Australia.

From Epoch Bright:

In 2020, Manly Beach resident—and wife of Jim—Maureen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. She was given only four months to live. However, she has beaten the unimaginable odds, and four years on, she is spreading happiness with her joyful personality.

Whenever the couple spends time outdoors, Maureen can be seen waving at tourists and other people as they pass by. However, in the past, sometimes people didn’t reciprocate with as much enthusiasm, leaving Maureen disappointed. So Jim came up with the idea of printing a customized T-shirt with the words: “My wife has dementia, please say ‘HELLO’ to her.”

To set the wheels in motion, he contacted Jasmin Stockwell, of CRE8withJAZ.

“He didn’t want to just order a T-shirt online,” Ms. Stockwell told The Epoch Times. “He wanted to come in and talk to someone and discuss his idea and make it special.”

At Ms. Stockwell’s studio, Jim worked with her team to come up with the text for the T-shirt, right on the spot. The simple phrase touched Ms. Stockwell and her staff. Seeing Jim wanting to do this for his wife, she said she was moved to tears.

“It was just beautiful,” Ms. Stockwell said. “That’s probably one of the best shirts I’ve ever printed.”

A few weeks later, Jim came back with a request to modify the text—he wanted to add the word “beautiful” to the sentence.

The T-shirt now read: “My beautiful wife has dementia, please say ‘HELLO’ to her.”

This year, Jim and Maureen celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.

“He’s just making the most of every moment they have together,” Ms. Stockwell said.

One thing is for certain—now, when Jim’s beautiful wife says hello, strangers won’t shy away from greeting her in return.

Kudos to Jim from Australia for multiple reasons!

4/21/24