Chris MacRitchie

On Sundays I write about heroes or individuals that we can all look up to. Chris MacRitchie is such an individual.
From FoxWeather:
“Vermont man jumps into icy river to save struggling dog from certain death.”
For the most part, there was no hesitation, said MacRitchie.

The dramatic rescue began unexpectedly on Jan. 10 in Berlin, Vermont, along Stevens Branch. While enjoying a drive-thru snack at Dunkin’ Donuts, MacRitchie said his young son first noticed the dog in the nearby river. MacRitchie courageously jumped into the frigid Winooski River in a T-shirt to save a struggling canine from certain death.
Despite the freezing temperatures and the uncertain depth of the river, MacRitchie knew he had to help her as he bravely waded in and pulled the shivering dog to safety.
“I wasn’t overly stressing about the cold,” he told FOX Weather. “But I did not know if the water was knee-high, waist-high or over my head.”

MacRitchie urgently pulled the dog, Arizona, up the embankment. His wife, who was waiting nearby with blankets, immediately helped him get the dog into their vehicle. They soon discovered her ID tag and contacted her owner, Morgan Cerasoli, who had been frantically searching for her 7-year-old canine companion.
Cerasoli said Arizona went outside for a potty break about 1:30 p.m. the day before and just disappeared.
“Something caught her attention,” Cerasoli told FOX Weather. “I don’t really know what happened, but she went on an adventure.”
It was a 3-mile, daylong adventure, to be exact. Wind chills were near zero as temperatures plummeted to the lower teens while snow blanketed the ground.
Cerasoli said she had just finished searching for Arizona in the area near the river before she had to leave to pick up her daughter. Within five minutes, she received a call from MacRitchie.
“This man will forever be my hero,” said Cerasoli, admitting she had never expressed such profound gratitude to a stranger before. “To some, this may just be a man rescuing a dog, but to me, it’s a man rescuing an extension of my soul!”

Chris MacRitchie is indeed a true hero, as he did something that a lot of us couldn’t do!
2/9/25

Unconscionable

A breaking story!
From RedState:
Newly-confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi announced as one of her first acts that the Department of Justice is enacting a ban on federal funding to sanctuary jurisdictions. This includes San Diego County, where its Board of Supervisorsvoted to become a “Super Sanctuary” county, despite pleas from its citizens to control the illegal invasion and the subsequent crime and destruction that comes along with it.”
Meanwhile, also from RedState:
“Terra Lawson-Remer, acting chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, said that the county’s policy would not change in response to Bondi’s directive.
‘We are not going to be participating in any type of effort around mass deportations,’ Lawson-Remer told CBS 8. ‘I’m very clear that it is a terrible waste of public resources in addition to it being frankly unconscionable.’”

UC San Diego Political Science Professor Thad Kousser highlighted the potential impact of Bondi’s directive, saying, “What this means if sanctuary cities are denied funds if we don’t have judges step in and have a temporary restraining order, that could block more than a billion dollars across the country in funds that have nothing to do with immigration.”

Those of you who are familiar with my views on hyphenated female last names certainly know whose side I am on.
I guess we’ll see what Ms Hyphenated last name thinks is
unconscionable when federal funds start to be withheld from San Diego County.
2/8/25

Quite A Bind!

As we are all aware Joe Biden issued pardons to many who had not been convicted of anything. In fact a lot of these last minute pardons were issued to individuals who had not even been charged with anything!
If any preemptive Presidential pardons have occurred in the past, I am not aware of them. Whether preemptive pardons are legal is a whole other issue that may be tested in the near future. I say this because of something that is going on in the California legislature, namely California Senate Bill 222, under which victims of certain disasters—including wildfires—in California would be able to sue oil and gas companies for compensation.
Here the Dems in Sacramento are playing to the crowd. Everyone in California feels bad for those that lost their homes in the recent L.A wildfires, but to blame oil and gas companies for their supposed contribution to climate change, is absurd, and it’s unclear how the very strong Santa Anna winds were related to either climate change or to the oil and gas companies. Yet CS Bill 222 , also known as the “Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act,” the bill was introduced on Jan. 27 by Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener. It would allow insurers to file civil lawsuits against oil and gas companies seeking damages, if specified criteria are met, including damages of $10,000 or more.

FYI: The cost of the damage caused by the recent Los Angeles fires is estimated to be between $250 billion and $275 billion, according to a Jan. 13 report from AccuWeather.
The deadly wildfires are also expected to aggravate California’s existing insurance crisis. Insurance costs could reach $20 billion or higher, according to estimates by Wells Fargo analysts.j

What would happen if after this bill is signed into law, President Trump preemptively pardoned the oil and gas companies. The Dems would go ballistic, but they would be in quite a bind, as they would be forced to argue that preemptive Presidential pardons are not legal, despite the probable protestations of Joe Biden’s family, the J6 Committee, and Dr. Fauci.
Personally, I do not think that preemptive pardons should be legal, but I would pay to have a front row seat watching the Dems argue against policies of Joe Biden.

2/7/25

FAFO !

My original title for this piece was going to be something about a “woke”Delaware judge and the consequences for Joe Biden’s state of Delaware … however, the present title seemed more appropriate.

Most of what follows is from HotAir of 2/3/25:
Remember last year when an activist Delaware judge invalidated Elon Musk’s compensation package at Tesla–twice–despite it having been overwhelmingly approved by stockholders–twice?
From X:
Instead, she ordered Tesla shareholders to pay $345 million in legal fees to attorneys representing the plaintiff, who owned just nine shares of the company.
Judge McCormick previously ruled against
@elonmusk. during his acquisition of Twitter.
Before becoming the head of the Delaware Chancery Court, McCormick worked at the Delaware law firm Young Conaway. For decades, this firm and its employees have been large donors to President Joe Biden.

No wonder everybody in corporate America freaked out. If you are targeted by politicians, your entire business could be destroyed.
Yeah, well, FAFO.
Major corporations are fleeing Delaware so fast that the governor himself is squealing and looking for a way to repair the reputation of the state as the most corporate-friendly in the nation.
The Delaware Governor has responded to companies leaving Delaware:
“It’s really important we get it right for Elon Musk or whoever the litigants are in Delaware courts,”—”We’re cognizant that there may be some things that need to change. We’re going to work on them.”
– Matt Meyer, Delaware Governor
As a consequence of Judge McCormick’s outlandish ruling, here is a list of companies that have moved their corporations out of Delaware based on recent reports and posts on X:

Tesla
SpaceX
The Boring Company
Neuralink
X Corp.
Tripadvisor
Meta
Fidelity National Financial
NewsMax
Sonoma Pharmaceuticals
Bill
Dropbox
TransPerfect

Somewhere around 15%-20% of Delaware’s budget comes from corporate franchise taxes.
Delaware has long been considered a business-friendly state due to its corporate tax advantages, and is home to multiple large companies. However, backlash against the First State has intensified after Delaware Judge Kathaleen McCormick ruled that Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s record-breaking $56 billion compensation package was excessive.
Now, the opposite is the case, all due to the attack on Elon Musk as part of the vendetta a single judge had against him. 

Musk, who has become increasingly influential in both the political and corporate world, urged companies to pull out of the Democratic-led state. In February 2024, he announced that SpaceX was relocating its incorporation from Delaware to Texas, following Tesla’s corporate move from California to Texas in 2021.

This appears to be the perfect real day example of “FAFO!
(F*** Around, Find Out” … or the PG version “Fool Around, Find Out”)😉😉

2/6/25

Why ?

Some might argue that pardoning individuals who haven ‘t been convicted of anything is an admission of the guilt of these individuals. Put me in that column!
Although we may never get to bottom of what actually happened on the infamous Jan 6, there was enough funny stuff to convince me that the entire thing was a set-up … a set-up to teach those Trump-backers a lesson.
As noted in a recent January article on Imprimis by John Daniel Davidson there are a number of issues that makes one ask …”Why?”

Why did the then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reject then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s two Republican appointments to the committee—Representatives Jim Jordan and Jim Banks—and instead appoint two virulently anti-Trump Republicans, Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger?

Why did the House Select Committee’s report, issued in December 2022, omit important information about January 6 and fail to address many lingering questions about the government’s role and response?

Why in some instances, did the Select Committee show a blatant disregard for facts. It claimed, for example, that Trump was aware of violence at the Capitol for more than three hours—187 minutes, to be exact—before he took action to intervene. Cheney referred to this as a “supreme dereliction of duty.” But in fact, according to a timeline of events compiled by The New York Times (and corroborated by The Washington Post), no more than 25 minutes passed between the reported breach of the Capitol at 2:13 p.m. and Trump’s first tweet addressing the situation at 2:38 p.m., when he wrote, “Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”

More important than the report’s factual errors are the serious questions never investigated by the Select Committee.
Why did Democrat congressional leaders turn down repeated offers of National Guard troops to protect the Capitol that day? Why was security so lax outside the Capitol despite expectations of a large demonstration?
How many FBI informants and other undercover federal law enforcement officials were in the crowd? What communication did the FBI or FBI informants have with protest organizers ahead of the event?
Why wasn’t then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told there were federal informants in the crowd?
Why did the U.S. Capitol Police open the doors and allow demonstrators into the building?
Why did federal law enforcement authorities demand cell phone location data for the thousands of people who were outside the Capitol but broke no laws?
Why does the FBI still have no idea who planted the pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee on the evening of January 5?

The list of “Why” questions goes on and on . However, my ow More important than the report’s factual errors are the serious questions never investigated by the Select Committee. Why did Democrat congressional leaders turn down repeated offers of National Guard troops to protect the Capitol that day? Why was security so lax outside the Capitol despite expectations of a large demonstration? How many FBI informants and other undercover federal law enforcement officials were in the crowd? What communication did the FBI or FBI informants have with protest organizers ahead of the event? Why wasn’t then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told there were federal informants in the crowd? Why did the U.S. Capitol Police open the doors and allow demonstrators into the building? Why did federal law enforcement authorities demand cell phone location data for the thousands of people who were outside the Capitol but broke no laws? Why does the FBI still have no idea who planted the pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee on the evening of January 5?

However, my most prominent question remains, “Why pardon individuals who haven’t even been accused of anything? … unless they are guilty as sin!
2/5/25

Fireworks ?

The latest I read is that the Palisades fire was possibly caused by fireworks! Note that the top four causes of wildfires do not include fireworks, but I suppose that anything is possible even though July 4th is about six months hence from the start of the Palisades fire.
[FYI: the top four causes of wildfires include electrical, arson, lightning, and campfires.] At this point even though an electrical cause is suspected in the Altadena fire, I have not read that an electrical cause is suspected in the Palisades fire. There was no lightning at that time, and thus we ate left with arson, campfires, and … fireworks.
Meanwhile news broke that three recent brush fires in the San Diego, California area started in homeless encampments. The San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST) confirmed this news to NBC 7 on Thursday,1/30/25. That news is believable since on last Halloween another San Diego fire near San Diego State University was caused by a campfire in a homeless encampment.
Let me get this straight. Four out of four recent San Diego fires started in homeless encampments, but ninety miles to the north the Palisades fire was apparently started by … fireworks!
Hmmm!

2/4/25

Yes or No ?

A survey recently taken on immigration enforcement revealed some interesting nuances with regard to deportation of certain groups of illegals.
The online survey was conducted Jan. 29–30, with a total of 54,144 respondents.
Here are a few sample questions for you to answer yourselves.
Answer …Yes/ Conditional yes/ No

1. Should babies born to illegal immigrants be granted U.S. citizenship as a birthright?

2. Should illegal immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years and are well-integrated be deported?

3. Should illegal immigrants fleeing war or persecution be deported?

4. Should illegal immigrants who are otherwise law-abiding be deported?

5. Should illegal immigrants reliant on public assistance programs be deported?

6. Should illegal immigrants with U.S. citizen children be deported?

Answers from the survey:
1. 86.85% yes.
2. 42%/18%/40%
3. 37%/-/48%
4. 63%/29%/6%
5. 88%/9%/1%
6. 57%/34/3%

The survey basically reveals strong support for deporting illegal immigrants, particularly those flagged as security threats or reliant on public assistance.
However, the results also highlight divisions over how immigration policy should address those with long-term ties to the United States, visa overstayers, and employment.
While a majority backs mass deportation, a sizable contingent favors a more nuanced approach, reflecting the ongoing debate over how best to balance enforcement with economic and humanitarian considerations.

Me?
I have a soft heart for illegals with extenuating circumstances, but am adamant that any who end up staying are not granted immediate citizenship and can never vote.
2/3/25

Murder Is Not Okay !

A lot of what initially follows is taken from my blog of over two years ago, 1/13/23:
“Most reasonable and rational individuals will agree that murder is wrong. Other than in self-defense, murder cannot be justified. It doesn’t matter what the age of the victim is. It doesn’t matter if the victim is an adult or a child, murder is wrong and cannot be tolerated by a society. If you do not agree with that you might as well stop reading and go back into your cave.

Note that here I am not talking about abortion, but rather, the killing of an out of the womb human being.
From Fox News and Life News from earlier in the week, “House Republicans have introduced new legislation that would stop infanticide and protect babies who survive abortion. This is a similar measure to one that pro-abortion former Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked 80 times when she ran the House. It would also penalize doctors who allow such infants to die or who intentionally kill a newborn following a failed abortion. The Born-Alive Act ensures that infants born alive after an attempted abortion receive the same protection of law and degree of care as any newborn (Life News). Family Research Council: After four years of trying to force a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, Republicans are finally in a position to hold one themselves. The House is scheduled to vote on Wednesday, 1/11/23.”
Back on 1/11/23 the House passed this bill with the support of 219 Republicans and one Democrat. It subsequently didn’t pass in the Senate.

From Townhall:
“On 1/22/25 all 47 Democratic senators voted against moving forward with Sens. James Lankford’s (R-OK) and Jim Banks’ (R-IN) bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The vote was 52-47, with the bill falling short of the necessary 60 votes. Such commonsense legislation would merely protect babies born alive from failed abortions by ensuring they received medical care. Republicans have repeatedly tried to get such a bill passed, only to face opposition from vehemently pro-abortion Democrats, who often lie and mislead about the bill.
The bill quite clearly lays out how babies born alive are persons deserving of equal legal protections, and that they must receive medical care. “If an abortion results in the live birth of an infant, the infant is a legal person for all purposes under the laws of the United States, and entitled to all the protections of such laws,” the bill states in its findings. “Any infant born alive after an abortion or within a hospital, clinic, or other facility has the same claim to the protection of the law that would arise for any newborn.”

To me the more basic question is, “When does a fetus have “life”… when does a fetus become a human being?”
How long should it take to identify “life”?
The Democrats in the Senate seem to think that being born does not identify “life”!
These Senators are despicable! Murder is not okay!

Personally, I would go further and say that human life begins when the fetus has a heartbeat.
2/1/25

Strong Work !!

Over the last week or so I watched two Republicans put down, err, … the demolish two liberal questioners harping on the J6 pardons.
First it was President Trump, and then it was Marjorie Taylor Greene.
From Townhall:
President Donald Trump, during a press conference, expertly clapped back at an NBC News reporter during a testy exchange over his decision to pardon nearly 1,500 of the individuals who were convicted of crimes related to the riot at the United States Capitol building in 2021.
NBC’s Peter Alexander brought up the pardons, noting that Trump “has long said that you back the blue” and asking if he is “sending the message that assaulting officers is okay, with these pardons.”
Trump replied, “No, the opposite,” and explained that he is releasing two Washington, D.C. police officers who were imprisoned for five years after arresting an illegal immigrant. “I am the friend of police. More than any president that’s ever been in this office,” the president said.
The reporter attempted to interject again, but Trump stopped him, saying, “Listen to me for a second. Stop interrupting. They’ve served years in jail. If you look at the American public, the American public is tired of it.”
The president continued, arguing that murderers tend to get away with their crimes and reiterated that “we pardoned people that were treated unbelievably poorly” and said the authorities “are still looking for them, but they’re not looking for the murderers, the people that are killing everybody.”

Strong work, DJT!

From RedState:
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) gave a masterclass in handling members of the biased media when a reporter tried to question her about President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon the J6ers.
Inside the Capitol building, a reporter asked Greene if she planned to give tours of the building to J6ers who were pardoned.
The lawmaker shot back, “Is this all you’re really talking about is the J6ers that have been pardoned?”
Greene continued, asking, “Are you going to talk about the Biden family that got pardoned?
The reporter responded, “I haven’t.”
The lawmaker pressed the reporter, “What about the rapers and killers and murderers that Joe Biden pardoned? There’s tons of them. Is that a focus at all?”
The lawmaker further stated that she hopes the J6ers “go live their lives and can reassemble something back together because they have suffered enough.”

Strong work, MTG!

1/31/25

“A penny saved … “

This past week has been somewhat like a game of ping-pong with a lot of back and forth … tit-for-tat.
On 1/20/25 President Trump signed an executive order reversing Biden’s executive order that reversed Trump’s executive order, a dizzying back and forth, with the ultimate result being that the U.S.A. shredded its W.H.O. membership card.
Note that the United States is the largest contributor to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2022–2023, the U.S. contributed $1.28 billion to the WHO’s budget.
“A penny saved …”

Also Trump stopped the security for Mike Pompeo and Trump’s former Iran envoy Brian Hook.
From C &C:
“It is widely believed that, while he was CIA Director, Pompeo sabotaged Trump’s attempt to declassify the Crossfire Hurricane binder, which would have completely exonerated the President.”
Tit-for-tat?
According to CBS, in August 2023, the Biden Administration canceled security protection for Trump’s former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, who at that time was facing credible and continuing death threats from Iran for his role in the strike on Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Various Congressmen begged Biden to reconsider, but O’Brien never got his security back.
?Tit-for-tat?
CBS reported that security for just Pompeo and Hook costs two million dollars a month ..$24 M per year.
How much additionally saved by stopping security for Fauci?
“Another penny saved …”
1/28/25