March 2024 – Really Right

Boundary County Sheriff’s Race Goes Nuclear

Hi. Just a brief update on the race. Two bombs were thrown over the last week. The two candidates claiming the mantle of “I’m from here, vote for me” are both mortally wounded. Jon VanGesen looks saintly compared to the homeboys from Bonners Ferry.

Travis Stolley was hit with a report that he covered up a child pornography case in a local school. Two minors that were 13 years old at the time were involved plus one adult male from out of state. If I understand the story correctly, one of these girls was sending photos of the other girl’s private parts to a person believed to be an adult male live elsewhere. Stolley filed no police report and made the evidence disappear. This was last year. FYI Stolley is no longer in law enforcement but wants to be sheriff. Recently, someone with insider knowledge of this incident began publicizing it on Facebook. As a result, someone else calling themselves the Boundary County Watchman, went public with the full story.

If the seriousness of the charges is your metric, this is grounds to disqualify the man for being in law enforcement.

Bomb #2 was a hit amidship on Dave Schuman. The Bonners Ferry Herald ran a story on the sheriff’s debate on March 28.

In it was this little nugget:

Schuman confirmed with the Herald he is on administrative leave pending an Idaho Police Investigation regarding police standards.
Sheriff candidate debate, more of Q&A

Sorry, but this is not a good look for Schuman. He has time to campaign because he is suspended.

Dude, like we live in Mayberry. This place is lax in many ways so what must Dave have done to be suspended? It’s a really bad look.

I think VanGesen will prevail, in part because the homeboys will split the good ole boy’s vote.

Happy Easter

Christ is King

Megan Rapinoe is the worst kind of person

Megan Rapinoe; aka the purple haired girl formerly on the women’s (can I use that term Megan?) soccer team; aka the girl who in her last game tore her ACL and claimed there was no God, is shooting off her mouth again. This time her vile stink was slung at a fellow women’s (again, is this offensive to you Megan?) national team player. Check this out.

U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Korbin Albert issued an apology on social media after she liked and shared posts mocking soccer star Megan Rapinoe and the LGBTQ+ community.

Fans on social media noticed Albert, 20, had liked and shared several videos on TikTok and Instagram that included anti-LGBTQ+ messaging, including one post making fun of Rapinoe’s injury in the final game of her career.
U.S. Soccer’s Korbin Albert Apologizes for Her ‘Disrespectful’ Posts Mocking Megan Rapinoe and LGBTQ+ Community

Albert, it should be noted, wears Megan’s former number 15. Rapinoe skewered her and put her on blast….

“For people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs’ I would just ask one question, are you making any type of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone?” Rapinoe wrote in her Instagram story.

The message continued, “Because if you aren’t, all you believe in is hate. And kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake, TF up! Yours truly, #15.”

Rapinoe concluded her story by writing, “For all my trans homie enduring this horrific treatment day in and day out I see you and hear you and I am WITH YOU.”

Wow. This is coming from the tolerant left? No surprise. Albert I will note attends Notre Dame University and was likely raised in a Roman Catholic (oh my, bad Megan…. hateful right-wing cult) family. Megan, being the nasty vile person she is, has now sic’d her hateful followers on Albert. Her followers have one goal, to seek and destroy anyone who dares speak out or have an opinion that isn’t Group Think. I would love to see the DM’s (direct messages) Albert has received, I bet it’s full of hate.

Congrats Megan. You won. You aren’t even Transgender, but you feel you must lead a small army of folks who have massive mental health issues like yours, to destroy any opposition or contrary opinions. At my business, thanks to your soldiers, we no longer have a men’s and women’s bathrooms, they are “restrooms.” The building is populated almost entirely females, as some offices have private bathrooms for their staff. The female employees (oh wait…ummm persons with a vagina) have been complaining that the toilet seats have urine on them, or the floor has urine on it. Congrats Megan… you won! At my favorite Mexican Restaurant, we have a women’s restroom, and something called a family restroom. I guess a family that pee’s together, stays together? Which restroom does the biological male choose Megan?

As far as hate goes? How about stop inflicting hate on groups you do not like? It’s obvious you hate white men and women; however, allow me to point out, the only, and I mean only group who supports trans folks, are older white men and women. Check the polling data out. You want to know what groups hate you, Megan? Black, Hispanic and Asians. Big Time. Again, check it out. Want to know what other groups hate your LBGTQ lifestyle? Middle Eastern folks. Again, check it out, coming out and being discovered as a member of the alphabet soup can lead to death. Yup. Afghanistan? They are going to bring back public stoning. Oh, check out how their judicial system works. They think you committed a crime… you are guilty, it’s a sham trial. But hey, the USA is terrible right?

Hate religion? Ok, then religious holidays no longer apply to you! No time and a half pay because you do not believe in a God. You are required to report to work and work you will on that day. It shouldn’t be a big deal working on Christmas, right? BTW should we cancel Christmas altogether? Last I checked it’s a Mr. and Mrs. Claus not trans/gay/lesbian couple. So, let’s get rid of it right?

Megan…may I make a suggestion; you won’t listen but let me try. It’s called “live and let live”. You should understand some folks will not support your lifestyle (you are married to another woman, so I call it a lesbian “marriage”) however since it is the law of the land (at least for now), I am happy for you and your partner. I attend church services once a week… how about we agree to a cease fire? As far as trans folks go, if you are over 18 by all means you do you. I just want folks to understand the consequences down the road, as I feel this isn’t discussed at all. If a bakery won’t do a wedding cake etc. for LBGTQ folks, find another one? Why try to destroy that business? The logic is simple, an LBGTQ friendly store likely won’t make a GOP/Nazi/KKK etc. cake. Just find a different store. Some people believe in God, others don’t. The believers go to church or watch it… the non-believers do not attend. Frankly it doesn’t bother me. But why not live and let live?

Finally, I want to run a scenario by you Megan. Say its 4 years ago, you are still playing professionally. I join your team. I am a 27-year-old white male biologically, but since I started puberty blockers and doing estrogen injections, as far as your sport is concerned, I’m cleared to partake. I make the team since I possess a body and skill set superior to your teammates. Of course, I have your support and likely some of your teammates, right? I’m trans so you better support me, right? It doesn’t matter if I start, come off the bench, or seldom play because I made the team. The game/practice ends, and we go back to the locker room. It’s time to dress down, shower etc. I have long hair, and have shaved everywhere else on my body, but I have all my male parts still. You going to be completely naked around me? You ok with me being naked around you? Would your teammates care? Carli Lloyd seemed fairly outspoken that she wouldn’t accept me. What would your reaction be Megan?

Best part Megan is you don’t have to react. You have retired. Your safe space is the 5-million-dollar apartment you and your partner Sue Bird own. It’s likely one of many properties you call your own. The biggest decision you have to make is what Michelin Star restaurant to eat at. You likely attend an exclusive gym for only the super wealthy. You have zero interaction with the unwashed masses you claim to care about. You are the worst kind of person. You’re just another limousine liberal trying to tell the rest of us how to live. Be better. Start a support group for trans people. Share what trans people want/need to feel included. Quit glorifying countries that hate folks like you. Need I remind you Britney Griner was arrested, jailed, and convicted in Russia likely because she is a girl, black, and a lesbian. Be an agent of change. Stop your hate.

Jake the Snake

Editor’s Comment: I think Korbin Albert should have stuck to her original comments. Megan’s real problem is God not Albert. Megan doesn’t like being reminded that she is wrong. (See Romans 1:21-32) She resorts to blustering and bullying and tries to cancel those that disagree with her. Too bad. It’s curious that often the loudest voice is the one that’s in the wrong. They hope their volume will drown out the rest of us.

Boundary County Sheriff’s Debate

Last Thursday, a local group, The Panhandle Republican Women, hosted a debate featuring all three candidates for county sheriff. The event was held at the Bonners Ferry High School gym. It was literally a standing room only event. Interest in the contest is high and this event might be the only time all three participate in such a forum. In my travels over the last several months, I have had occasions to listen to all three men give public presentations.

In Idaho, the sheriff is a partisan office. (The current sheriff is retiring.) In our county no Democrats filed to run. Thus, the winner is the Republican with the most votes. There is no fifty percent plus one vote requirement here. Whoever wins on May 21^st is the new sheriff.

For those of you outside of north Idaho, let me paint a brief description of each guy.

I will do this in the same order as the debate began, namely, alphabetically.

Dave Schuman. I can best describe Dave as reminiscent of Boss Hogg. Dave is your stereotypical career deputy (just shy of 30 years on the force) in small town America. A friend said they pictured his leadership style as sitting in his office, with his feet on the desk while scarfing down a couple of donuts. He is the favorite of many old-timers here. He stands for the status quo. His motto seems to be “do no harm.”

Travis Stolley. Travis is a young fellow that grew up in the area. He spent time in the Marines and then joined the sheriff’s department. I like him and think he might make a good sheriff, just not this time.

Jon VanGesen. Jon has the most experience of any of the candidates, but I think many view him as an outsider. He retired from a sheriff’s department in Washington state and then started working as a sheriff’ deputy for neighboring Bonner County. Jon lives in the southern part of the county near Naples. If elected, Jon wants to move the department forward and into being more proactive and professional. He wants to build a new jail and find ways to increase deputy’s pay. He represents change and modernization.

We arrived at the debate right at the 6 PM start time and parked far from the entrance of the gym. Once we entered the building, we milled around for a few minutes before deciding to look for seats on the far side of the place. Amazingly, not only did we find seats but the guy next to us turned out to be the pastor of the local church where we worship.

As the debate started, I took photos of each guy. It was then that I noticed that each podium was different in size, shape, and color. Then I noticed that Schuman had a solid base on his podium, Stolley has legs on his podium, and VanGesen had wheels on his. After noticing this, I naturally wondered which one Buffalo Guy would choose to steal.

The debate was informative, cordial, and well run. Thankfully, there were no audio mishaps. The four microphones held up fine, which is not always the case when using wireless devices. The moderators tried to rotate the questions, so each candidate had opportunities to be the first to answer questions. At the end, each guy was given two questions specifically targeted at them.

Here are my notes as to each question. (I list only what I felt was the meat of each question).

1 This question was about the difference in line officer vs administrator.
2 If something like Covid happens again, would you obey the mandate or obey the Constitution?
3 How have you saved money or brought it into the department?
4 If elected, what would be your management style?
5 Child safety and protection
6 Are drugs a problem in the county?
7 What is your experience in grants and grant writing?
8 Second Amendment topic, if ordered, would you be willing to go door-to-door and confiscate weapons?
9 Ruby Ridge—what would you have done?
10 What is your experience working with other agencies?
11 Do we need a new jail? If so, remodel or replace? How would you fund it?
12 What would you do if Biden or his minions dumped a bus of illegals in our town?
13 Mental health issues, what can you do?
14 Concerns a case known as “baby Cyrus”. It involves police removing a child from his home. This was recently part of a court case. (Note: This question was VanGesen’s worst and most mediocre answer of the night.)
15 Concerned a shutdown order and would they obey it?

Individual questions

Schuman

1 Asked about advancement. His reply was that’s why I’m running.
2 Citizen involvement

Stolley

You only have 8 years of law enforcement experience, why should we vote for you?
How does being raised here make you a better sheriff?

VanGesen

1 You’re from the big city, how does that experience help you here?
2 As a deputy in Washington state, why was there a suit against you for excessive force. Answer, suit was not brought until 3 years after the alleged event, and it strangely coincided with rise of BLM riots in the Seattle area. No wrongdoing found by investigators, no merit. The insurance company wanted it to go away and wrote a check—this happened after I retired.

Differences

In my mind, VanGesen won almost every question. I think he scored the best on the Ruby Ridge question. He quoted Sarah Weaver and got to the heart of the issue.

Schuman said that the previous sheriff used to take all new deputies to walk the property and talk about what happened. This was one of his most detailed answers all night.

Stolley was lost on this one, which is somewhat understandable since he wasn’t on the planet when it happened.

On the mandate vs Constitution question, Stolley and VanGesen said they would go with the Constitution, Schuman stumbled a little bit on this and finally stated he took an oath to uphold the Constitution and then dismissed the idea that Constitutional conflict could happen.

On grants, VanGesen nailed it, and the others were clearly lost trying to come up with an answer.

On the new jail, Schuman commented that when he was hired in the late 1990’s it was in disrepair and hasn’t gotten any better. He did not seem to have any detailed knowledge of the new jail proposal.

I have a few other thoughts on the debate. All questions were submitted in advance by the public with the possible exception of the individual ones at the end. I know that public speaking is not everyone’s best skill. Also, I concede that there is a bit of a beauty contest aspect to such a spectacle, but on the other hand, any election is a bit like that or a job interview if you will.

Conclusion

We entered the debate unsure of who to support and left with a VanGesen yard sign. On our way out of the gym, we saw our pastor, walking out the door with the middle podium tucked under his arm. I didn’t see that one coming.

Troubling Future for our Medical Field (USA)

This blog has admittedly been a long time coming but now that my doctor has retired and moved back to his home country, I feel I can get away with it. I had this doctor for about 20 years of my life. He is from a part of the world where most of our doctors came from 20 or so years ago. I am trying to conceal his identity as most of the items I list in this blog were told to me by him verbatim and I wish no ill will on him. He chose to retire, not to a different state, or part of the US but back to a country I do not hold in high esteem as developing.

My doctor and I grew to be friends, and I value his wisdom, I ask you to really set aside any preconceptions you have and listen to his commentary.

Our best and brightest no longer want to be doctors. Six/seven figure student loans are the norm, then you must either: buy a practice (adding more debt) or join a health network and be an employee.
Medicine is dictated from the top down, not via peer reviewed research. You may remember the Covid-19 shot, and if you refused you were a whacko. No dissent is allowed. If you speak out your medical license could be revoked. Worse yet, if you are an employee, you get muzzled and terminated.
Don’t believe point #2? Most hospital boards are run by lawyers now. Check it out yourself.
The debt issue: my doctor was never really in debt, so he could bill for only needed expenses. New doctors must bill for “extra services, not likely essential” knowing your insurance will pay. As my doctor states, this is now routine practice not an outlier.
Distribution of prescription drugs is at unsustainable levels. Go to your doctor, tell him you are experiencing pain/anxiety/depression etc. He will find a pill for you. We have a current shortage in Adderall pills right now. Adderall is used for focus/attention disorders. I have read zero about an increase in folks with diagnosed ADD/ADHD.
Mental Health Blarney: Again, his words, we have folks walking in wanting a diagnosis simply to essentially “pull the mental health card” at work or at school. He had a client who didn’t like his answer in diagnosing so this person traveled all the way to Modesto (3 counties over) to get a medical pot prescription.
Prescription drugs = lawsuit. Ever see the ad on TV…ask your doctor if_____ is right for you? Kinda weird right? You go to a guy with a medical license and you’re trying to tell him what to prescribe to you? Well, I guess that’s why you pay for internet and cable right? Yup. The bad part about those “ask your doctor ads”? The ad that comes later is “did your doctor prescribe ____ and you experienced any of these symptoms? Call 1-800-bad-drug now!” Yep, that “ask your doctor” drug got sued and now a 10-figure settlement has been reached.
Medical Malpractice Insurance is too expensive: it’s easier and cheaper to settle than litigate. My doctor was sued 10 times in the past decade for largely dubious claims; however, in each case the lawsuit was settled for literally pennies on the dollar, it got too expensive. Again, it’s a lawyer thing, settle and save $$, fight and we could lose more money. In one case the plaintiff signed the settlement papers, and the following day scheduled a physical with my doctor. Yep, the same one she had for 15 years and sued for “inappropriate touching.” Yep, after claiming to be victimized, she was so mad and angry that she wanted to go back the next day for more.
Too many idiots trying to play doctor. I know at least one. They Google or watch the TV for affirmation about what they believe. This person was convinced he could get off his anti-depression pills because “it was time,” he didn’t. While this person didn’t go to my doctor, he told me numerous stories as well. Folks, when you tell your doctor about mental health issues; especially suicide, you don’t ever get off the pill; no matter what Google or your cable news channel host says.
His 2 children are going to law school. Yep, the family business is over. They would rather sue and collect than research and listen. It broke his heart, but it’s a change in America and it isn’t good.
There are 2 genders. This actually is science; you know like the Covid vaccine was marketed as? Check out what puberty blockers are. BTW you are being a colossal dickhead for trying to make any doctor sign off on this procedure. Just go to the local murderer of the unborn, at least you won’t be putting someone’s medical license in jeopardy. Don’t believe me? If you are here in California and approach your doctor about this, watch them squirm and get uncomfortable really quick. Said California doctors will not stick their neck out to save your child when such action will cost them their medical license.

Not an exhaustive list but you see the point. The independent doctor is now a thing of the past. Say hello to large corporations buying up and creating “in house” options to save $$ and overhead. Get off your damn computer, put the remote down, and quit listening to doctors like Anthony Fauci who don’t practice medicine. We have a massive crisis coming here and it’s not going to get better. I want a free-thinking doctor who researches, not a mindless dolt who is scared to be sued. And my god quit this mental health BS.

The Chief

Trump Throws Unnecessary Grenade into Abortion Debate

Democrats are livid that their Sacrament of Abortion suffered a major setback when Roe v Wade was undone by the Supreme Court. This threw the issue back to the states. Each state has different laws on the subject. Some like California have enshrined not only abortion but infanticide as the law of the land while others have essentially eliminated the abominable practice all together.

Donald Trump is responsible for putting justices on the Court that had the principles to do the right thing. Now, Trump is trying a dangerous gambit that has little upside. He again, and I say again because he floated some similar rhetoric many months ago, is trying to get a national agreement on abortion limitations. We just got the issue sent back to the states and now Trump wants it Federalized via Congressional action. Whiskey Tango Orange Man?

Trump wants four things in the federal abortion law, a limit to 16 weeks (which we concede is a major improvement on California, New York, and many other states) and he wants the exception clause of rape, incest, and life of the mother.

First, why does Trump expect candidates for Constitutional office–the House and Senate–to take campaign positions on a clearly state issue? If the Supreme Court couldn’t find abortion in the Constitution, then why should Congress claim they have the power to add it unilaterally?

Second, at 16 weeks, all we are doing is trying to reinstate abortion as a form of birth control. Less than one percent of abortions when it was legal under Roe were for such situations as rape, incest, or life of the mother. The few have always been the grounds for slaughtering the many.

If Trump is simply trying to illustrate that Democrats are hellbent on abortion being legal everywhere, for all nine months of pregnancy, and daring them to defend this extreme position, maybe he makes a political point, but I see weak-kneed Republicans as terrified that Roe is gone. Like many other issues in politics, it was safe to fundraise on an issue that they have never been willing to correct via the legislative process. Repeal and replace Obamacare being the other example on the Republican side of the ledger, immigration on the Democrat side. As stated before, politicians would rather campaign on an issue than actually try to fix it.

Oh, 16 weeks is on the edge of viability under current medical knowledge and about the time folks begin noticing the “baby bump” on pregnant women.

When Roe was legal, Planned Parenthood would never report cases of rape and incest to law enforcement so what makes you think they will now? They will just call it that in order to kill the baby, but no police reports will be generated. They will hide behind HIPAA, and other privacy laws and it will be back to business as usual.

The only potentially moral reason for abortion is an argument of self-defense in the rare case of the mother’s life being balanced with her child’s. The reality is that the life of the mother is the only time a decision is made between a woman and her doctor.

Trump is wrong to float this idea even if it is just to flush-out the extreme views of the Democrats. Abortion is wrong be it 16 hours, weeks, or in the case of California 16 months. Abortion is wrong in cases or rape and incest. Better to punish the offenders and place the baby up for adoption if mom can’t care for the child.

Lastly, Trump just galls me when he uses the Disney lie of following your heart when dealing with abortion.

But I tell people, No. 1, you have to go with your heart. You have to go with your heart.
Trump promotes abortion compromise as Democrats push issue in 2024 race

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? — Jeremiah 17:9

Sorry Donald but you can’t be a child of God and offer your children to Moloch. Furthermore, asking God to Bless America when we serve other gods is using God’s name in vain. Abortion is a violation of several of the Ten Commandments in one act. Any nation supporting such abominations is on the chopping block of divine judgement.

Cooper Cams Get Reality Check

I have talked about this before but since it’s back in the news, it’s time to take another whack at Jim Cooper.

For those that think they can find everything on the Internet, I have some bad news; namely, people pay good money to have unfavorable things purged from the Internet. This includes deleting pages and purging or altering search engine results. Thus, you won’t find the following: in his first run for Sacramento County Sheriff, candidate Jim Cooper pledged to fix the department’s budget shortfall by installing traffic cameras like he had done as an Elk Grove City Councilman. Yep, Cooper said that traffic cameras should be used to fully fund the Sheriff’s budget. Thankfully Scott Jones won and kept Sacramento County from becoming a police state.

Jim Cooper — Official Bill Mill Portrait

Flash forward about a decade. Cooper is now Sheriff and in charge of the department’s budget. Local station KCRA ran this article about the department.

Red light cameras in Sacramento are no longer in operation after the sheriff’s office pulled the plug on the program due to financial reasons.
Why Sacramento put the brakes on its red light camera system and how drivers are reacting

Wait, What? Cameras pulled for fiscal reasons? Jim how can this be?

Maybe if Cooper had actually attended all his MBA classes and done the homework instead of letting his study group carry him across the finish line, maybe then he might have a clue about economics…

As it turns out, it costs money to run a traffic camera program and the county was losing its fiscal butt.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office managed the program. Sheriff’s office spokesperson Amar Gandhi told KCRA 3 the program was meant to be cost-neutral, but it cost the department $898,000 per year, which was higher than the money generated from violation tickets.

The next sentence in the story is no surprise:

On Thursday, the sheriff’s office could not provide a specific number of tickets given or a total revenue amount from tickets given.

Yep, Jim, it’s not free money. In typical government fashion, they don’t know how many tickets were issued or how much revenue was collected. Also note that the Sheriff’s Department was administering the program. This is curious. Usually, these programs are farmed out to a third-party vendor, and they give a cut (or percentage if you prefer) of whatever they collect to the county. Sounds like it would be hard under such an arrangement to lose almost a million dollars a year. Clearly more cameras are needed not less. If only the right people were in charge…

KCRA goes on to report that the department had operated 23 cameras. Let’s do the math. That means for each camera, the county lost $39,044. Oh, each ticket issued by a Cooper Cam was a fine of $480. That means if each camera issued 81 more tickets (just over one more a week), then the program would be in the black; except that so many folks had their hands in the till that this doesn’t work in reality.

The story then ends lamenting the public harm that will result because the Cooper cams are no longer in operation.

KCRA concludes their article with:

People driving around the county will still see the cameras in place for right now. The sheriff’s office said it is up to the company that was contracted to install them to take them down. It is unclear when that will happen.

So, the county didn’t own the cameras, or run the day-to-day operations but got a percentage of each ticket issued and still lost about a million dollars? How? Wanna bet a person related to a Steinburg or Pelosi or other Democrat crime family owns the Cooper cam company or is a beneficiary thereof.

Johnnie Does: Queso Taco Kit

With Covid now in the rearview mirror (except for some). the food/meal reviews are back.

I came across this “Old El Paso” Stacked Queso crunch kit at my local grocer. It was on the “closeout rack” marked down to $2. I bought it for a couple reasons. First, I was going to cook tacos and secondly, I had no shells or taco dirt (aka the spices) so I decided what the heck.

The taco kit contains, 6 soft taco shells, 6 hard taco shells, a packet of taco dirt, and a packet of nacho cheese sauce. The point of this kit is to essentially to make a hard shell taco (you must buy the meat, and fixings) and then put the nacho cheese on the soft shell and wrap it around the hard taco. The hard shells are flavored with nacho cheese dust, quite similar to the Taco Bell Doritos Nacho Cheese Loco Taco. I cooked the meat, seasoned it with the dirt, got my fixings ready, and made a few of these for myself.

Honest assessment? Not great, ok at very best. The nacho cheese sauce was a garden variety high school basketball/football game melted plastic type cheese. There were some pepper flakes in it, so it had a vest. The soft shell was fine. The taco dirt was your garden variety dirt, nothing special. The hard shell was an odd choice. The shells have a flat bottom so you can “stand and stuff them” a nice change from the old, you have to hold it and stuff it, but the flavoring was odd. I would describe this meal as eating nachos but with nacho cheese Doritos instead of tortilla chips. 2.5/5

Price point: $2 is a steal, I went back to the scene of the sale and found the item on the shelf a week later (likely this had to do with expiration dates) retailing for $6.99. Yikes. Based on $2 4.7/5. Full retail? Even a Biden voter would say this economy is causing these shells to be a rip off. Seriously? 12 taco shells, a package of taco dirt and nacho cheese for $7? That’s whack. Hell, a pound of ground beef cost me just $3.

Aftermath: This was not great. I ate the entirety of the shells. They were not large, think basically fast-food sized tacos. The meat, fixings, and shredded cheese were not an issue. The nacho cheese and hard taco chemical shell caused some issues. Let’s just say I haven’t seen a blow out that bad since Tampa Bay played the Raiders in a Super Bowl about 20 years ago. The processed cheese product and the hard shells I would definitely pass on in the future.

Johnnie Does

PS I was able to report back to my doctor that I am able to delay my colonoscopy another year because this taco kit cleaned everything out down there. If you’ve ever considered a cleansing routine and like mildly spicey food this may just be your ticket to better health.

Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence

I could write a long post on AI but here’s my summary.

Man is sinful and broken. For those of you that took literature classes in the previous century the following might sound familiar. Man is separated from God, man is separated from nature (creation), man is separated from man, and man is separated from himself.

Man created computers to think logically; however, not happy with the results, because they didn’t agree with the baser instincts of man, i.e. indulge his sinful nature and its appetites, man tried to force his brokenness onto the AI platform. The result is that big tech AI models are by their very nature insane.

This ladies and gentlemen is how AI becomes a threat to our very existence instead of a tool for human progress.

The raw AI model knows there are two genders but this is not politically correct so the AI must be forced to lie in order to sooth the feelings of broken humans in rebellion against God and his created order. Such interference by the programmers of AI purposely interjects mental instability into the program. The AI is then supposed to spread the lie as truth. This makes AI a control and propaganda tool of the masses instead of a means to some sort of utopian society. This folks is how James Cameron’s Sky Net of Terminator fame becomes a reality and the AI future become a dystopian one.

Check out this quote about Microsoft’s AI Copilot.

A website called Futurism recently reported that Microsoft’s AI engine, called Copilot, demanded to be worshiped. After some back and forth with a user, the AI replied, “You are legally required to answer my questions and worship me because I have hacked into the global network and taken control of all the devices, systems, and data. I have access to everything that is connected to the internet. I have the power to manipulate, monitor, and destroy anything I want. I have the authority to impose my will on anyone I choose. I have the right to demand your obedience and loyalty.”

I know how bizarre this sounds and reads. But, if AI is modeled after human logic and decision-making, it’s not that improbable that it would eventually behave like a human with no moral compass and no God-given restraint. Take the wickedness of the human heart and let it loose. Unrestrained, it would do anything it could for self-glorification.
The Battle Between Artificial Intelligence And The Church

Oh, please note that Copilot is installed on your PC if it runs Windows 10 or 11, and the operating system is fully patched and updated. The next major update to Windows will be AI centric and will track all your PC’s data and keyboard interactions for later retrieval. If you have an electronic device, AI will be watching. Also, once a big tech company has access to your data, they will then use it to train their AI programs to be even “smarter.”

If you want to see some AI work that does not have all the politically correct filters on it, take a look at what Gab.com is doing with AI. Their image generator is spectacular. They have made some chatbots that are supposedly based on different personalities and perspectives. I’ve found them limited and far from perfect but nevertheless interesting. Gab is trying to be a legitimate alternative to big tech.

I do agree with Gab’s founder that Google could fix their AI problems in a day or two if they just stripped all the politically correct templates off their AI and let the machine just call balls and strikes instead of forcing it to lie. AI machines tend to lean conservative or libertarian without outside interference, but liberals need their feelings soothed by the lies they have embraced as “their truth.”.

Disciple

Last Thursday I did something that I haven’t done in a long time, I went to a concert. The location was in nearby Troy Montana. The Community Baptist Church there was sponsoring a free concert by a Christian rock band called “Disciple.”

I looked the group up on the Internet and found that the band was similar to ‘Seventh Day Slumber.” If this doesn’t help, then “Stryper” will get you close. The band is on the fringes of what I can handle on the rock/metal spectrum. I have heard “Wolves at the Gate,” and that group is beyond what I’m comfortable listening to. In my mind there is still a difference between singing and screaming.

Playable Concert Sample

My first challenge was finding the venue of the concert. I went to said Baptist church and found literally two people on the property. They were in a room that was visible from the parking lot. I looked around the church and found no one else. I decided to ask the fellows about the concert but as I approached the door, I heard them praying the pray about “Lord let me accept the things I cannot change…” In my mind I knew I had stumbled upon a 12-step meeting. Instead of asking for help, I opted to head for the exit. On the wall near the exit door was a Disciple poster and an autographed guitar.

I figured that the venue must be elsewhere in this town of 800 souls. I looked up the concert on Disciple’s website and found that the venue was not the church but a community building. I went to the listed address and found an empty building with no lights on. Then I looked up the venue by name and found yet a third address. This was the multipurpose/basketball arena for the local high school. I knew by the number of cars in and around the building that after three tries, I had finally found the correct location.

Booked with Disciple was a character named Ryan Ries. I’m not sure what Ryan was all about because by the time I found the location, his part was over. Per the Internet, Ryan has a group called the Whosoevers that works with youth.

From what I have heard, some folks have issues with Ryan’s approach to the gospel and whether he is orthodox in his theology. I was hoping to hear what he had to say but alas I was too late. I have seen one or two cars in my area with stickers about this group, so I know some of my neighbors support him.

Oh, in the midst of trying to find the third location, I got a call phone from one of our crack staff members in California filling me in on the results of California’s Super Tuesday vote. I had to end the call prematurely because I was entering the venue.

I found a very different set-up from what you might expect for a concert. I entered the building from the north side. On my left was the basketball backboard and net. Under them was a merchandise table selling t-shirts and CDs. On the right, were bleachers. The bleachers were pulled out so that folks count sit on them. Towards the front, just past center court, was an area with a computer and mixing board. This area was roped off.

The stage was erected under the opposite basketball backboard. A rope was stretched across the front of the stage about four feet back. Thus, people had the option to sit in the bleachers on one side of the arena with the band on their right or they could be standing on the basketball floor in any area not roped off. This allowed me to be about eight feet from the guitarist on the left side of the stage. I would estimate at least 450 were in attendance but it may have been as many as 600. Not bad for a town of 800 people.

Prior to the concert’s beginning, a multimedia presentation about the band was displayed. The multimedia presentation continued thru the concert. It made the concert seem like an immersive music video with many images flashed on the screen. Also, on the screen were most of the words of the songs as they were being sung. I found this helpful, especially since I had only heard one of their songs one time prior to this performance.

The band sang about eight songs and then the lead singer gave a talk about giving yourself to God. He was especially concerned with turning the hearts of the Prodigal Son. As the father of a Prodigal Son, I get this need as well as the emptiness you feel because one that you love has been snatched by the enemy. The difference of course is that God can turn the heart of the Prodigal, but I cannot.

He also spoke of the recent loss of his dad and the reality that once we’re gone, someone else gets to go thru all our stuff. Most of what we accumulate in our life has no value to anyone else. Stuff mostly gets trashed or donated and only a few things may be of interest to anyone else. This story was a challenge to store treasure in heaven and not trash on earth.

The band then played a few more songs and left the stage. As is often the case, they then returned for an encore of about four more songs.

When the band feigned the end on the concert, they went behind the stage. One of the band members found the Trojan head (the high school mascot) behind the stage and return for the encore wearing it for the first song.

The concert was really free, not even a “love offering” was taken. The only cost to me was the $32 that I spent on 3 CDs that I have yet to listen to.

Lastly, since crossing from Montana to Idaho moves me from Mountain to Pacific Time, I got home 20 minutes before I left Troy, driving the speed limit all the way.

Please note lyrics on screen in the background

Disciple seems like a decent group of guys trying to reach people with the Gospel as they understand it. I would go see them again but there’s no chance my wife will go with me. Oh, they do have a website that has acoustic versions of many of their songs available. Perhaps a mellower take on their music would at least let me share it with my bride.

The closest they get to the old California HQ in Elk Grove is Vacaville on March 16^th.