Author: Californiacontrarian

This piece is from two years ago. Has anything changed?

Is This Still America ? 

On 2/9/21 I sent out a link to a Townhall piece by Dennis Prager which was  harshly critical of the medical profession because of their position on the use of hydroxychloroquine for Covid. Mr. Prager did not pull any punches in his article. One of those on my master mailing list apparently did not appreciate me sending that link to him, as he has a long-standing view that anything which is complementary to the use of the drug, hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of Covid is verboten. Shortly after I had sent out the link, he fired back with a long commentary about how the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat early Covid was basically heresy, and implied that anyone who thought otherwise should be burnt at the stake. [Let’s be clear here. I have never prescribed hydroxychloroquine although this drug was used by physicians in my book (The Keneally Chronicles) – with good results, I might add.]

When I asked him about his familiarity with Dennis Prager, I received another bazooka-like response with no comment as to his familiarity with Dennis Prager . . . nada, so I can only assume that he is not familiar with Dennis Prager. Who Dennis Prager is, and what he stands for.

There are multiple important issues here:

First off, I have a single email master list. I do not have a list titled 

“for pro-hydroxychloroquine readers only.” In the past I have had to delete someone from my master mailing list because they did not want to get any more political stuff. “Sorry Charlie, I have one master list. If you do not want to read political emails, do not open them.” I then deleted him from my master email list, and I have to assume that we both are now happy. Another guy objected to an email that was critical of Democrats. He was offended as he proclaimed “I am a Democrat.” He is no longer on my master list, but has been repositioned to my Ken/Karen email list. To my anti-hydroxychloroquine reader, “Sorry to have offended you. I will do my best to remove you from my master list.”

However, there are much more important issues with that Dennis Prager piece than whether or not hydroxychloroquine works for Covid. For me the entire hydroxychloroquine issue is basically a political issue. The left apparently felt that it had to attack the use of hydroxychloroquine, because Donald Trump spoke favorably of its use. Any of Dr. Fauci’s “do a prospective study” of the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine were cancelled. (Note: all prospective studies on the use of hydroxychloroquine in early Covid were cancelled because “physicians should not use a drug for an off-label indication and all drugs have potential side-effects.”) This is just an example of “true, true, but unrelated.” Drugs are used for off-label indications all the time … at least they used to be in the USA that I knew. True, all drugs have potential side-effects, however in many many parts of the world hydroxychloroquine is sold over the counter without a prescription. When I was prescribed this same drug for malaria prophylaxis, I was told how to take it, but was not warned of any “potentially serious side-effects.” Hmmm! Why was that? Could it have been because the risk of a serious side-effect was minuscule?

There is a group of physicians right here in what I thought was the USA that advocate for the use of hydroxychloroquine in early Covid. Their YouTube videos have been taken down. (I guess that now licensed physicians cannot speak freely about their own personal medical experiences if it “offends” YouTube/Google.) What’s worse is that here in what I thought used to be the USA, the governors of some states have “commanded” that the pharmacists in their states not fill any prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine if it is to be used for the treatment of Covid. (I thought that I lived in a country where the relationship between the patient and their physician was somewhat sacred and protected . . . I guess I missed the memo that I had moved to Venezuela!)

Now back to Dennis Prager, who I can only assume was unknown to my anti-hydroxychloroquine reader. For those who are unaware, Mr. Prager runs an educational website called Prager University. Multiple Prager U videos have been blocked and taken down (censored) by YouTube because they have been deemed to contain material that YouTube said was “inappropriate” for younger audiences. Were they inappropriate because of porn? No, rather they were deemed offensive because they promoted conservative values. More than 50 PragerU videos which have either been “restricted” or “demonetized” by Google/YouTube. The PragerU videos range on various subjects presenting a conservative point of view, and include a video by noted Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz on the founding of Israel. PragerU has compiled a complete list of their restricted videos which  includes: “Why America Must Lead,” “The Ten Commandments: Do Not Murder,” “Why Did America Fight the Korean War,” and “The World’s Most Persecuted Minority: Christians.” 

If these are the type of Prager videos that have been deemed offensive by the likes of Facebook, YouTube, and Google, just imagine what will happen to Prager’s anti-hydroxychloroquine piece if anyone tries to post it on Facebook.

In summation the hydroxychloroquine issue is really not about whether or not it works for early Covid, but rather it is about who is allowed to speak freely today in America. And more importantly what an individual in America is allowed to say if it somehow offends those who are in control.

Is this still America ?

2/9/21

2/25/23

Before reading the rest of this piece, take a guess at what the title, “Unjected” means or refers to.

Let’s go back to 2021. If, for whatever reason, someone chose to be unvaccinated, he/she was often essentially blackballed. Faced with discrimination and censorship, many unvaccinated people lost jobs and relationships because they chose to remain unvaccinated. 

Now, finally, many of those who were unjustly terminated will get their day in court, getting reinstated and in some circumstances getting back pay.

A lot of the following taken from Epoch Premium:

During this time what was happening on dating sites? Well, to avoid any further suspense … the same thing was happening. On most all dating sites, vaccination was a prerequisite. The un-jabbed “didn’t have the option to say they were unvaccinated” to potential online dating partners.

They were only allowed to be vaccinated. And you had to have this badge in your [online] profile. Too often, the unvaccinated would hear on dating sites, “Swipe left”—move on.

In May 2021, the two business partners, businesswoman Shelby Thomson and Heather Pyle of Maui, Hawaii, moms, and best friends launched “Unjected,” a dating app for the unvaccinated, on the Google and Apple stores.

Apple eventually banned “Unjected,” and when Google threatened the same, and Unjected.com went live using the web domain host GoDaddy in August 2021.

“Unjected was founded to help us easier connect in a world of medical discrimination and censorship,” according to Unjected’s online introduction.

Thomson said 2021 was the fastest-growing year for the new dating site because so many unvaccinated people had lost their jobs in the pandemic.

Thomson said “Unjected” is more than a dating service for the unvaccinated. It’s also a blood bank database and a fertility bank for the unvaccinated.

The dating service alone boasts 110,000 subscriptions in 85 countries and 3,000 to 5,000 new clientele every month, Thomson said.

As the world’s “first unvaccinated dating platform,” Thomson said “Unjected” is part of an unvaccinated blood matching coalition that includes the Pureblood Registry, Blessed by His Blood, and Safeblood.

If I were unvaccinated and interested in a dating site, “Unjected” would be my first choice because I would be potentially matched with someone with a similar philosophy.

2/24/23

Is it the brain of leftists that doesn’t work right? It certainly sometimes  seems like that north of the border.

From BlazeNews:

“A man from Milton, Ontario, in Canada has been charged with second-degree murder after shooting a man who was trying to rob his home, as part of a five-man home invasion, according to the Toronto Star. One intruder was pronounced dead after being shot, and one more was arrested, while the remaining three are still at large.

At approximately 5 a.m., the suspects went to the house with the intent to commit robbery, according to police. The group was confronted by the man charged with the murder offense, Ali Mian, 22. Multiple gunshots were fired inside the home.

According to Mian’s lawyer, Jag Virk, Mian lives with his mother, who was being attacked by one of the intruders, who was in possession of a firearm during the invasion.

“The intruder had a gun and was attacking his mother,” Virk said.

The lawyer also told the outlet that Mian’s gun is legally registered and that he only fired it once without the intention to kill. After shooting the armed man, Mian allegedly called the police.”

Leftist Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau famously said in 2022 that citizens can’t use guns for “self-protection” in the country.

Let me get this straight!

Multiple shots were fired inside the house, but Ali Mian only fired one shot. Where did the rest of the shots come from? It doesn’t take a brain to deduce that the other shots must have come from one or more of the intruders’ guns.

Likewise Mr Trudeau, is there a tipping point as far as using a gun for self-protection? If there were ten armed men breaking into your house, , would it then be okay to use a gun for self-protection? What about twenty armed men?

Did Ali Mian have to wait until his mother was shot to use his gun? Should he have waited until he had already been shot to fire back?

If one of the armed intrudes had a gun, would it have been okay for Ali Mian to defend himself with a knife? The enlightened Mr. Trudeau did not mention using a knife for self-protection. What about a chair, or a slingshot? … Hmmm!

Granted, I have taken Trudeau’s statement to the point of ridiculousness, but to prove a point. My conclusion is that Justin Trudeau’s leftist brain doesn’t really understand the concept of self defense. In addition, the local police where Ali Mian lives are idiots!

2/23/23

From the title, I’ll bet you assumed that this was going to be about the train wreck in East Palestine, Ohio. Much has already been said about this train wreck, and will continue to be said in the next few weeks. Interestingly, once Donald Trump chimed in, the Biden administration changed its tune! But this piece is not about the East Palatine train wreck, but about the other train wreck, the head of the DOT, Pete Buttigieg. “Pothole Pete” is the ex-mayor of the fourth largest city in Indiana, who for some reason thought that he should run for President. Other than being a mayor of a relatively small city, he has no experience in anything related to government, and yet, Joe Biden appointed him to run the Department of Transportation. One might ask … “why?” It seems for Joe Biden appearances are much more important than qualifications. I could go on about this, but let’s focus on who the Washington Free Beacon refers to as a “train wreck.”

From the Washington Free Beacon:

Buttigieg’s actual record as transportation secretary is not great. Here are some of the scandals he allowed to happen on his watch:

• Toxic train derailment scandal

Buttigieg hasn’t met with residents, but he did go on television this week to urge everyone to calm down. “While this horrible situation has gotten a particularly high amount of attention, there are roughly 1,000 cases a year of a train derailing,” he said reassuringly, several hours after another train derailedoutside Detroit.

• Airline cancellation chaos scandal—2022 was one of the worst years for (public) air travel in recent memory. The U.S. airline industry descended into chaos on Buttigieg’s watch. Delays and cancellations surged along with ticket prices.

• Vacationgate—Buttigieg went on paid leave for almost two months in the fall of 2021 before the mainstream media took notice. In August 2022, the secretary took a “personal trip” to Portugal at the height of tense negotiations with rail worker unions to avoid a potentially catastrophic strike.

• Private jet privilege scandal—While normal Americans were suffering through the chaos at commercial airports, Buttigieg was flying all over the country in taxpayer-funded private jets while lecturing common folk about the dangers of climate change.

• Electric car abomination scandal—Buttigieg has repeatedly scolded the American people for complaining about rising gas prices when they could simply buy an electric car for $70,000 and not have to worry about the price of gas. After returning from his secret paid leave in 2021, the secretary touted the department’s purchase of Ford electric SUVs that were made in Mexico. Ford recalled the vehicle model months later due to a safety defect that “could result in a loss of power” and “cause a crash.”

• Racist roads and other woke nonsense scandal—Buttigieg refuses to let his job—running a federal transportation department—distract him from his real priorities. For example, in an effort to combat America’s “racist” highway system, the department allocated $1 billion to “build racial equity in roads.”

Back to the recent train wreck in Ohio … in East Palestine a resident at town meeting this week speaking about the personalization of “train wreck.” Where’s Pete Buttigieg? Where’s he at?” 

East Palestine mayor: “I don’t know. Your guess is as good as [mine]. Yesterday was the first time I heard anything from the White House.”—via Fox News 

2/22/23

In the midst of the recent Covid pandemic, how often did we hear, “just follow the science; look at the data” … a lot of times! So why now are we hearing, “do not believe the science; do not pay any attention to the data?” Here I am speaking about the latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which shows that there is a pattern that demonstrates that there has not been global warming for the past eight years. And NASA satellite data reportedly confirms that evidence, showing no global warming for eight years and five months. That not withstanding, leftists are quick to warn people against drawing the obvious conclusion that we are not experiencing global warming.

In other words, they are basically now saying, “If you do not like the data … close your eyes and ignore it!”

From PJ Media (this is the actual data):

Also from PJ Media:

Recently published evidence also showed that there was actually a near-record low of major hurricanes in 2022, indicating that weather isn’t getting progressively and exponentially worse globally, despite the climate frenzy of the media and governments. And the Northeast is currently experiencing record coldin a harsh winter, with Mt. Washington, N.H., yesterday dropping to -45.5 degrees Fahrenheit and -107 degree wind chill.

Liberal Reuters actually issued a Feb. 3 “fact check. The outlet can’t explain away the data, of course, but it hastened to assure readers that the eight years of global cooling are not a trend. Whole decades of such data must occur before we can stop expecting the imminent end of the world. 

In other words only believe the data when it seems to confirm what the leftists think. Otherwise, do not put any credence in real data. Do not believe the pattern that you are seeing means anything. Rather just ignore it. This, my friends, is the definition of “gaslighting.”

2/21/23

Today I have had enough of the doom and gloom in the humdrum daily news. So when I heard this story, I thought, “why not!”

Thirteen years ago in Ontario, Canada outside of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds hockey team ice rink a branch of the Canadian Red Cross had set up a table to help raise money for Haiti, and Juliette Lamour, then five years old,  and her sister Sophie were determined to help.

That was 2010 and the island nation of Haiti had just been ravaged by an earthquake. Aid organizations from across the world rushed to help the people of the obliterated country stabilize and recover.

The sisters upturned their big pink sharing piggy bank that day, out of which came $61.38. The sisters gave it all to the Canadian Red Cross for Haitian people.

I can almost hear the murmuring of “that’s nice, two compassionate sisters giving all of their piggy bank to charity”, but que sera, sera. However, now fast forward to last week, thirteen years later, for what Paul Harvey used to call “the rest of the story.”

Juliette told the local paper, Soo Today, that she was on her way to bring her grandfather some ice cream.

“I called him on the phone asking what kind of ice cream he wanted,” she recalled. “And he said to me: ‘You just turned 18, go buy a lotto ticket, test your luck.’ So I did.” Lamour had just recently turned 18, the legal age to buy lottery tickets in Ontario.

Lamour stopped at the Circle K at Pine and McNabb. “I got to the corner store and I’m in my car — and I didn’t know how to buy it,” she laughed. “So I had to call my dad. I said: ‘Dad, Grandpa wants me to buy a ticket. How do I do it?’ He’s like: ‘Oh, just go inside and get a QuickPick.’ ”

Now for the rest of the story:

Juliette Lamour won the lottery … $48 million … on her first and only ticket purchase!!

The suggestion that her generosity, thirteen years prior, has been rewarded is impossible to resist making.

2/20/23

As is my usual habit on Sunday, I tell a story of a true hero, someone we can all admire.

From Good News Network:

On Jan 31, when a Massachusetts woman lost consciousness at the wheel of her car on the highway, she can thank her lucky stars she did it in view of Adolfo Molina.

The tall and powerful Dominican sprinted across a 4-lane highway in the snow to try and stop her car as it brushed against the guardrails while continuing to accelerate on the shoulder of the road.

A nearby driver recorded the rescue attempt and put it up on TikTok where the images of Molina trying to slow the car by grabbing the door handles went viral.

“I was surprised [at first] but at the end of the day I wasn’t, because he’s a helpful person,” his wife Maytee Pena remarked to CBS Boston. “Something in his mind just said ‘go help’ so he got out of the car and did what he needed to do, it was like a sign of God. God sent him to do that mission.”

At one point another person came to give Molina a hand, and together they tried to use sticks to stop the still-moving car which was beginning to move back towards the highway. They tried to push it into the guardrails to at least slow it down.

The video doesn’t include the eventual end of the pursuit when her car hit a divider and stopped. State police later revealed the driver was a 57-year-old woman from New Hampshire who had indeed lost consciousness for unknown reasons. She was transferred to a nearby hospital.

Molina, who was honored for his heroism at the Dominican consulate in Boston, hopes to be able to meet her someday.

ALDOFO MOLINA IS A TRUE HERO FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

2/19/23

This was written two years and still holds true today.

Why ?  

Here in California we are use to practices that hurt the poorest among us. For the most part these are initiated and subsequently pushed by the liberal Sacramento politicians here in our state. But why?

First, Increasing the minimum wage.

From Forbes, 2017:

The restaurant industry is the most intensive user of of minimum wage labour. A useful, although not wholly accurate, rule of thumb is that 50% of those making minimum wage are in restaurants, and that 50% of those working in restaurants are on minimum wage. So, whatever the employment effects of a minimum wage rise are they’re going to show up in the restaurant industry. Meaning that if w want to study the minimum wage effects on employment then restaurants are a great place to go looking.

The evidence suggests that higher minimum wages increase overall exit

rates for restaurants. However, lower quality restaurants, which are already closer to the margin of exit, because of very slim profit margins, are disproportionately impacted by increases to the minimum wage. Estimates suggest that a one dollar increase in the minimum wage leads to a 14 percent increase in the likelihood of exit for a 3.5-star restaurant (which is the median rating), but has no discernible impact for a 5-star restaurant (on a 1 to 5 star scale).

In other words not only are those that work medium rated restaurants more likely to lose their jobs, but restaurants in the less affluent neighborhoods that are frequented by less affluent patrons are also more likely to disappear. Furthermore the effect of Covid on restaurant closings is only going to aggravate this situation. 

Second, raising the gas tax.

Without question here in California the poorest among us cannot work from home, and so they are the most likely ones that have to commute to their workplace. On a national level the scuttlebutt is that there is proposal in the works to institute a “gas tax” based on miles driven, ergo the main effect of this would be on those who must commute longer distances because they cannot live in the more affluent city areas where their jobs are.

Third, raising the price of gas even before a tax kicks in.

Doing things like closing pipelines will inevitably cause the price of gasoline to go up. Surprise, surprise it is already happening! Likewise the fracking moratorium on federal lands will only increase the cost of heating homes in the next year or so. Who will suffer the most from this? Predictably, the poorest among us for a variety of different reasons.

Why do Democrats promote policies that are seemingly intended to hurt those who can least likely afford them?

Next the Dems will be going after the Costco $5.00 chicken.

2/21/21

2/18/23

What does the title of this piece mean, and what does it imply?

The phrase ‘Houston we have a problem’ literally means that the speaker has a problem with something or a situation. 

A few days ago I wrote a piece entitled, “It just keeps getting more bizarre.” The gist of this essay had to do with Damar Hamlin’s sudden death on Monday Night Football, and why all of the secrecy surrounding what the final diagnosis is. Initially, because of all the hush-hush, I suspected that this episode was related to vaccine induced myocarditis and a potential NFL cover-up, as years ago the NFL had taken a hard-ass, somewhat vindictive approach to the so-called “anti-vaccers.” Now the NFL is essentially saying, “Houston, we’ve got a problem?”

To heighten my suspicions, on the same day as my piece, a 25 y/o Belgian soccer player died suddenly on the soccer field during a game. In addition, I had my recent piece, ‘it just keeps getting more bizarre,’ reviewed by three different cardiologists, who all agreed that my “cardiac logic” was spot on, and thus, I continue to feel very comfortable with my speculative theory concerning Damar Hamlin. 

Let’s assume that my thinking is indeed correct. After thinking more about it, then certainly “Houston has a problem,” … but a different problem, and potentially a humongous problem. We know that the Covid vaccine can cause myocarditis, especially in young males. If the NFL actually came out and admitted that Damar Hamlin’s sudden death episode was related to vaccine induced myocarditis, a general national panic could ensue. Consider how many young males fit into this category, as the vaccine was mandated across the board in high schools and colleges in addition to professional sport’s teams. 

Concerning the Damar Hamlin situation, giving the benefit of the doubt to the treating physicians, presumably in conjunction with input from the NFL, could it be that their silence is designed to avoid panic? 

In addition, rumor has that the NFL Players Association is considering having the players screened for myocarditis. If that is so, then a total mess would follow. If players refused the screening test, what would happen to them? Would they be designated as “anti-screeners,” and treated similarly to the  previous “anti-vaxers?” If a screening test were to be positive on an individual player, would that player’s career be over? 

Hmmm! … Yes, indeed, “Houston, we have a problem!”

2/18/23

There is at least one question that needs to be answered about Terry Newsome, a Chicago area dad who found himself placed on a flight watchlist by federal law enforcement.

From the Epoch Times:

On Dec. 16, 2022, he and his family attempted to board a plane en route to Turning Point USA’s “America Fest” convention in Phoenix, Arizona.

Newsome, who travels a great deal for work, was shocked to learn that he had been placed on a watchlist and had to get substantially more screening before being allowed to board, causing him to miss his original flight.

Initially, Newsome was told that he had been placed on the list by the FBI. On his return journey from Phoenix, he was informed that the classification originated from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Despite having been a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pre-check-approved flier for over a decade, upon his family’s arrival at O’Hare International Airport, Newsome learned about the new designation.

It was only later that Newsome learned he had been given the dreaded “quad-S” designation on his ticket, an acronym standing for Secondary Security Screening Selection (SSSS).

Compared to the normal security guidelines for boarding, those with boarding passes marked SSSS must get far more screening.

Following this experience, Newsome sent a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request to the FBI, seeking more information about his newly discovered status as an alleged terror risk.

The FBI refused to discuss details with Newsome.

In the letter he received replying to his request, the FBI wrote in part: “The U.S. Government can neither confirm nor deny whether a particular person is on any terrorist watch list.”

Why would either the FBI or the DOJ put a typical family man from Downer’s Grove, Illinois on such a terror watch list? It appears that there are two possibilities, and my question is “which is worse?”

In July 2021, Newsome attended his first school board meeting at Downers Grove’s Community High School (District 99). Newsome immediately began a crusade on several hot-button topics, ranging from mask mandates to critical race theory, becoming the unofficial spokesman for several concerned mothers who were more hesitant to speak out.

Newsome’s most controversial activism came with his opposition to the book “Gender Queer” by Mia Kobabe, a book containing sexually explicit images that teaches children about oral sex and controversial notions of gender identity.

After Newsome began speaking out against the book and the left-wing ideology that had inundated his children’s schools, he began facing attacks from all corners, ranging from threats by Antifa to opposition by Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.).

So perhaps he was put on this no-fly list because he spoke out at school board meetings. If this is the reason for his being placed in a Quad S category, it is truly amazing and despicable as our U.S. Attorney General, Merrick Garland guaranteed that there would be no retaliation against anyone who spoke up at school board meetings.

But there is another possibility. 

Newsome was present at the Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally.

Newsome said his only reason for attending the rally was to hear President Donald Trump speak and to ensure people were safe.

“I went to January 6, with my friend, a retired police officer,” Newsome said. According to Newsome, the FBI previously investigated his friend who attended the event, a retired Cook County police officer, and had cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Newsome said he had left by the time order broke down at the rally, which he vindicated by providing time-stamped photos. Newsome’s photos and time stamps from that day show that he did not trespass on Capitol grounds and was gone before the Capitol breach began.

So here we have it. Two possibilities as to why he was placed on a flight watch list … either he was viewed as a school board meeting rabble-rouser, or he was viewed as a Trump supporter by the FBI/DOJ.

In a supposed free country with a First Amendment, which is worse?

2/17/23