Author: Californiacontrarian

This morning I found myself asking a question that perhaps many Americans are asking themselves … “who do these anti-Israeli protestors actually represent?” 

It appears that at least some of these college protestors are here on student visas, and because these foreigners are backing a terrorist group (Hamas) could well be subject to expulsion from the U.S. … another topic for another day (see blog of 10/21/23).

But what about the non-college anti-Israeli protestors?

From BlazeNews:

“Thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators took to the streets of Minneapolis on Sunday, waving Palestinian colors and at least one Hamas flag as part of a leftist coalition’s “Stand with Palestine” rally. The demonstrators blockaded the intersection of Hennepin and Lyndale avenues and Vineland Place, forcing drivers to wait through a so-called “die-in” protest of Israel’s war on Hamas terrorists.”

I will not describe the plight of an elderly man with white hair whose car was attacked by a mob as he tried to get past the pro-Palestinian blockade. (You can probably read about these details in your local MSM, … not! Do not hold your breath while trying to find this incident described in any liberal press clipping!) 

Be that as it may, what do we know about the group that organized this “rally?”

From BlazeNews:

“According to Newsweek, the rally was organized by the Minnesota Anti-War Committee, the state chapter of the American Muslims for Palestine, and the Students for Justice in Palestine at the University of Minnesota. On the day of the protest, the MAWC retweeted a post that states, “’Israel does not have the right to defend itself against those whom it occupies.’”

Read the following very closely to get a good idea of how far left these Minnesota protestors really are.

An agenda document on the group’s site indicates that in addition to opposing Israel, the organizers support unchecked abortion; voting rights for illegal aliens; prohibitions against pipeline construction; ending cash bail; community control of police; and more taxes.

10/23/23

Just like with many other Sundays, today I give praise to two gentlemen who by their bravery saved the life of an eight year-old boy. Daniel Rose and David Chapman are two police officers from Warren, Michigan.

On August 30th of last year Cpl. Daniel Rose and Officer David Chapman were in a residential area when they came across an 8-year-old boy lying on the ground holding an active power cable. A storm had occurred the previous night, and a number of power lines across the city had come down. The instant the officers saw the screaming boy, accompanied by his panicking 10-year-old brother, they raced over to help. Body camera footage shows the distressing scene playing out, with the officers making split-second decisions. Despite the live power lines dangling over the boy, the officers acted swiftly.

“I’ve got to get him,” Cpl. Rose can be heard saying, crawling under the still-active wire along with Officer Chapman to reach the boy, who was now unconscious, and drag him to safety. As they did so, they were hit with a strong electric charge coming through the child’s wounded body.

They then rushed the boy to the hospital.

The Warren Police Department said: “Hospital Staff advised that, if it were not for the quick thinking and heroic actions of Officers Rose and Chapman in particular, the 8-year-old child may not be alive today.”

Just another day on the job in Warren, Michigan?

Not for these two real life heroes!

10/22/23

The other day I was reminded that as American citizens that we are all allowed to have and to express our personal opinions, no matter how dumb, on just about anything. Members of ‘The Squad’ in Congress are free to express their personal opinions on the Israel-Palestinian situation.

As perhaps many of you are aware, Hamas has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. since 1997, but these Squad reps can express their support for Hamas, as they are citizens of the U.S. which is a free country. 

However, the question has come up as to whether or not this freedom of expression applies to those non-citizens who are presently living in the U.S., specifically students on student visas. They can be disqualified under the Immigration and Nationality Act from being eligible for a visa if they endorse or espouse terror activity. While that is normally checked at the time they apply for their visa, holders can also have their visa revoked if they breach the terms of their visa.

The lawmakers highlight a number of pro-Palestinian protests in universities and colleges across the country, including reports of throat-slitting gestures and statements that praise terrorists as “liberation fighters” and “martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for liberation.”

From Fox News:

Nineteen Republican lawmakers are calling for foreign students who are in the U.S. on temporary visas and have expressed support for Hamas to have their visas revoked and be deported from the country — in the wake of the deadly terror attacks on Israel.

Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., — both members of the Anti-Woke Caucus — have led the letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, expressing concern about reports of pro-Hamas demonstrations.

“We write to request information regarding the potentially unlawful presence on U.S. soil of non-immigrant foreign nationals who have endorsed terrorist activity,” they say.

All who agree with these lawmakers, raise your hands. In my imagination I am seeing hundreds of hands go up. Granted these foreign students are paying premium tuition to attend school here, but if they are on temporary visas, and they support terrorist entities, then que sera, que sera, what will be, will be! Out you go!

10/21/23

The latest Joe Biden speech from the Oval Office occurred on 10/20/23. It was only the second speech from the Oval Office during his what seems like an excessively long term in office. No, I did not watch it, as I had something more important to do. Acknowledging that “importance” is a relative term, at the time of J.B.’s speech I was watching a recorded episode of “Switch” which is on Game Show Network. No, I do not regret my choice! 

As with any Democrat, J.B’s answer to everything is that the U.S. needs to pony up more money … $100 billion!

I&I charitably described the speech as “word salad,” and also pointed out that any speech must have a coherent ending and a call to action.

From I&I:

“How would a real president with an iota of concern about his and America’s credibility and effectiveness have ended his address?

“First, I call Iran to account for their role in the recent atrocities and in particular, the murder and capture of Americans, each an act of war. If the immediate return of all hostages is not arranged, Iran will face the most severe consequences imaginable, up to and including military options. 

“Second, I am immediately suspending all direct and indirect aid to Palestinian entities, and diverting it to the Israeli defense effort. It is not possible to ensure these resources do not fall into Hamas’ hands.

“Third, to demonstrate my commitment to ensuring Americans’ rights to debate and disagree without being targeted, I hereby issue blanket pardons to former President Trump, other members of his administration, and the so-called ‘January 6’ protesters, and encourage state and local officials to do likewise. We can’t afford the internal divisions current prosecutions are producing during a time of war.”

If this Oval Office speech had ended that way, I would be the first in line to watch the rerun, perhaps even more than once, but rather I will be focused on more reruns of “Switch.”

10/20/23

This morning I  recalled that our yearly flu shots are based on the strain of influenza that is prevalent down under in the Southern Hemisphere, predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, during their past just completed winter. Recall that their winter is our summer and vice versa. Unfortunately this year’s flu vaccine is not supposed to be all that effective, percentage wise. However, I hope that the other things which happened recently down under will soon surface here in the U.S.

First, in New Zealand, the Labor government suffered a complete rout. The ultra liberal Jacinda Ardern had already resigned and fled the country, only to take refuge at Harvard University!

From the New York Times:

New Zealand Elects Its Most Conservative Government in Decades

The rightward shift came as voters punished the party once led by Jacinda Ardern for failing to deliver the transformational change that it had promised.

Meanwhile in Australia, from Jeffery Tucker:

A referendum that would have ended a key Western pillar of social and political law, the idea of equal application of the law. It proposed the addition of a new arm of Parliament supposedly to represent the interests of the Indigenous people, not the actual people of course but those claiming to represent them. The way to be admitted to the group is genetic, which is to say a biological test for political power.

The yes position was pushed very hard by all the main power centers in Australian politics. As Ramesh Thakur has written, “The $365 million referendum, backed almost unanimously by the governing, educational, financial, media, and sporting institutions and funded generously by them using shareholder and public monies rather than their own, confirmed an alarming gap between the elites and the vast majority. It should but is unlikely to lead to any serious introspection by members of the elite.”

The whole crazy scheme went down in a sweeping and devastating repudiation by 3 of 5 voters nationwide. This represents a total humiliation not only for the racialist cause—oddly favored by the left—but also all elite media and corporate voices that completely misread not only the intent of the referendum but also the attitude of the public.”

Will these similar outcomes soon come to the U.S.

Hopefully, the ultra liberal Democrats will be defeated in the next elections, just like in New Zealand. Likewise, hopefully many of the bizarre positions favored by the elite will go down to crushing defeats just like occurred down under.

10/19/24

For a long time now I have said that the legalization of marijuana was done without due regard for its downside. Here is another previously unrecognized downside. [CUD = Cannabis Use Disorder; CVD = Cardiovascular Disease]

From Cardiology Advisor:

Anees Bahji, M.D., from the University of Calgary, and colleagues examined the association between CUD and adverse CVD outcomes. The analysis included linked administrative health databases (2012 through 2019) from 29,764 matched pairs of individuals with and without CUD.

The researchers found that approximately 2.4 percent in the CUD group and 1.5 percent in the non-CUD group experienced an incident adverse CVD event (risk ratio, 1.57). There was a significant association observed between CUD and reduced time to an incident CVD event. There was greater risk seen for incident CVD among individuals without mental health comorbidity, those who had not used health care services in the previous six months, those who were not on prescription medications, and individuals who did not have comorbid conditions.

“This evidence suggests that cannabis use may place a healthier population at increased risk of major cardiovascular events,” the authors write. “As a result, our study points to the importance of educating our patients about the potential risks associated with cannabis use and CUD.”

For those unaware a 1.57 risk ratio is very significant. In addition the risk was even greater for those who not appear to be at increased risk for CVD (no prescription meds; no recent use of health care services; no comorbid conditions).

This is a big study with over 29,000 matched pairs, and so I would guess that we haven’t heard the lat of this issue, but predictably you will not read about it in the MSM.

10/18/23

Again and again in many different contexts we hear the expression, “follow the money!” Could it be that this same expression is not only pertinent but also predictable as far as the politics of climate change is concerned?

From the Epoch Times:

“Are we observing the early stages of worldwide resistance against the constraints of net zero policies? Investors are ditching renewable energy faster than any other funds on record.”

From Oct 9 (Reuters) – Investors ditched renewable energy funds at the fastest rate on record in the three months to end-September as cleaner energy shares took a beating from higher interest rates and soaring material costs, which are squeezing profit margins.

Renewable energy funds globally suffered a net outflow of $1.4 billion in the July-September quarter, the biggest ever quarterly outflow, according to LSEG Lipper data.

Again from The Epoch Times:

“The S&P Global Clean Energy Index (.SPGTCLEN), is also down by 30 percent this year with most of the decline occurring since July. This Index comprises major solar and wind power companies and other renewables-related businesses. Yet in contrast, the S&P 500 Energy Index (.SPNY), which is oil and gas-heavy, has increased slightly this year.”

So, if one is following the money, the outlook for solar and wind net zero is not optimistic. Could it be that common sense is beginning to come to the head of the class? Could it be that demonizing fossil fuels is losing its appeal?

My suggestion and hope is to “follow the money!”

10/17/23

I suppose that you are thinking that the title is merely rhetorical, but one cannot “fiddle while Rome burns,” unless one has a fiddle. Moreover, the bigger Rome is, presumably the bigger the fiddle needs to be.

As we all are aware the situation in Israel is a mess, and there is a myriad of U.S. citizens who are presently trapped in Israel. Common sense would say that the quicker these individuals are extricated from the danger, the better. I suppose that it is reasonable to ask if our President has a plan which will deal with this issue, as there are an estimated 20,000 U.S. citizens in Israel, according to the U.S. State Department. Supposedly the Biden administration is still working on arrangements to get Americans out of Israel.

A U.S. State Department email to Americans trapped in Israel states that the government will transport U.S. citizens out of the country, but not back home, and rescuees will need to pay for travel expenses: 

“We are writing to update you on U.S. government assistance to depart Israel. We plan to offer transit options beginning on Friday, October 13, but it will take some period of time to schedule everyone seeking to depart. If you choose to take this departure assistance, transportation will be by air to Athens or Frankfurt, or sea from Haifa to Cyprus. You will not be able to choose your destination – we will assign you to the next available flight or ship. You will be asked to sign an agreement to repay the U.S. government prior to departure. You should be prepared to arrange your own lodging and onward travel from Greece, Germany or Cyprus to your final destination.”

Can you hear the fiddling? To me it is getting louder!

Meanwhile from BlazeNews:

“Just days after signing an executive order to rescue Americans trapped in Israel following the Hamas surprise attack last weekend, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis welcomed 270 U.S. citizens back home to the United States.

On Thursday, 10/12/23, DeSantis signed an executive order to enable the state of Florida to “carry out logistical, rescue and evacuation operations to keep its residents safe” and provide resources to the Florida Division of Emergency Management to bring Americans back home.

Around 7:45 p.m. Sunday, 10/15/23, an airliner touched down at Tampa International Airport in Florida. The plane transported American passengers from Israel to the United States. The plane contained 270 Americans – including 91 children, plus four dogs. The rescued Americans were not only from Florida, but from all over the country, including New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.”

Hmmm!

I guess Ron DeSantis doesn’t know how to fiddle, and like an effective leader, the transportation from Israel to Tampa was free!

10/16/23

On Sunday I give kudos to individuals who have gone the extra mile to help others. Such is the case with Wayne Ingram and what he did to help Stefan Slavic.

From Epoch Bright:

Exactly 20 years ago, Stefan Slavic won the hearts of a British soldier and countless English TV viewers; today the impact of the little boy from Bosnia is still deeply felt. Stefan was born with an extremely rare, severe facial cleft that threatened his life and prevented him from having a childhood. He would undergo a transformational surgery thanks to his benefactor, now retired British soldier Wayne Ingram, 54.

In 2003, Mr. Ingram—then Staff Sgt. Ingram in the British army—visited Stefan’s town, Laktaši, 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the Croatian border. Their pivotal first meeting was in March 2003, after Mr. Ingram saw a photo of Stefan during a routine patrol and was devastated. “As a father, you never want to see any harm come to your children. To see this young boy who was severely disfigured fight—it just broke my heart.”

Mr. Ingram wanted to help Stefan. What Mr. Ingram didn’t know but later learned was that Stefan’s facial cleft would have eventually killed him. Yet an operation would cost tens of thousands of euros. Seeing such courage in young Stefan, Mr. Ingram said he would do all he could. “I could never promise them that I would be able to help them. I had to get permission from the British army.”

Wayne Ingram wrote dozens of letters and emails, until eventually surgeon David Dunaway, from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, heard their plea. Mr. Dunaway replied that he would try to help Stefan, free of charge. “It wouldn’t have happened without him,” Mr. Ingram said. “He’s an amazing person.”

Including his crucial first twelve hour surgery in 2003, and one pre-op to remove several front teeth, Stefan has had five procedures. The others were in his teen years, ending with the completion of his nose in 2016.

Now, 20 years have passed. How did Wayne Ingram’s compassion and his over the top zeal to help this unfortunate stranger turn out?

Today, Stefan is a talented 24-year-old young man who plays the piano and is engaged. 

Kudos to Wayne Ingram!

As is seemingly happening more often than not, today, things that I wrote years back are still pertinent and sometimes even more so. The following was written by myself on 12/13/21:

“Math Professors Outraged as California Seeks to Downgrade Math in the Name of Social Justice”

Anybody with half a brain should be able to realize the multiple downsides to this absurdity. In an attempt to make some kids feel better about themselves, the Democrats in California want to completely eliminate the more difficult and challenging high school math classes. This way California students, predominantly those sociologically disadvantaged will never succeed in STEM careers because they will not be prepared to handle the rigors of college math. Why do I single out “those sociologically disadvantaged?” Simple. The more affluent will move their kids from public schools to private schools, where those who want to be challenged, can be. Likewise, affluent kids who want to learn more advanced math can do so in extra after school to tutoring, e.g. Russian math.

Interestingly this ties in quite well with a N.Y. Post headline from 10/12/23:

“ACT college readiness scores sink to 30-year low for US high school students in troubling trend.”

The article continued:

“The Class of 2023 might be the least prepared for the rigors of college coursework of any graduating class since 1991, according to newly released results from this year’s ACT college readiness exam.

ACT scores fell again this year, continuing a six-year trend that sharply accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as schools were placed on lockdown.

Last year, US students’ average ACT composite score was 19.8 out of a possible 36. This year, the average score slid to 19.5.

“The hard truth is that we are not doing enough to ensure that graduates are truly ready for postsecondary success in college and career,” Janet Godwin, CEO of the ACT said in a statement.

Just 21% of students taking this year’s exam met all four of ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks, while the percentage of students meeting none of the benchmarks reached a record high of 43%.

The benchmarks correspond with the likelihood that students will succeed in credit-bearing first-year college classes.

According to ACT research, students who meet a particular benchmark have an approximately 50% shot at earning a B or better in the corresponding course and a 75% chance at earning at least a C.”

So think about the obvious. Many, many high school students are poorly prepared for college, and are therefore set-up to fail. At the same time “those who think they know best” are encouraging those who are poorly prepared for college to go to college. “Go ahead. Give it a shot. You deserve a chance at success!”

What “those that know best” do not say is that college loans are not dependent on graduating from college. If one does not succeed, and drops out of college after one or two years, that loan still has to be paid back.

In reality, if one wants to help minorities succeed in college, put the academic pressure on them in high school and before. Lowering the standards can only hurt those who are in most need of help.

10/14/23