In what passes for journalism and reporting in the 24/7 news cycle, it doesn’t matter if you are right, it matters if you report it first. Don’t believe me? Just watch the local or even major news networks as they stumble over each other to be “first.” They do not care about the truth as long as they can strike first blood in the ratings war. If they are wrong, they will ignore it, brush it under the table, blame an anonymous “source,” or issue a retraction several days later on the page where the obituaries are listed. Ironic as those listed in that section are brand new Democrat voters!
Now to the story which prompted my ire. On June 19th in Wilton Manor (Ft Lauderdale) the Stonewall Democrats (a far left LBGTQIAHSUHNCKMAHNXLANAETS 1 issue club) had their annual Pride Parade. Present were Congressperson Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Ft Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis. The parade was a typical one, floats, bands, walking, etc. The procession was about to begin when a white pickup truck rammed into the waiting participants killing 1 and injuring 2.
Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
All would agree this is a tragedy, now to my point….. Trantalis, like most Democrats, are far superior to the unwashed so he decided to run to the press with this statement.
“This is a terrorist attack against the LGBT community,” Trantalis told Local 10 News. “This is exactly what it is. Hardly an accident. It was deliberate, it was premeditated, and it was targeted against a specific person. Luckily they missed that person, but unfortunately, they hit two other people.”
Of course, the folks at MSNBC ran with it. I happened to see their report while paying a visit to a local gym. The narrative quickly turned into a white male driver (this part was true) Trump supporter who hates gay rights rammed the parade. Only things left out were “MAGA hat wearing, AR-15 holding, male making out with wife, mows down pride parade participants.” Wasserman-Schultz was devastated, the parade was cancelled. It wasn’t until the following day when things got a little more clear. The man driving the car was a white male, 77-year-old Fred Johnson Jr. His truck emblazoned with a rainbow-colored pride flag flying from it. MSNBC doctored the photo to not show the flag; remember it’s about optics and a narrative, truth before facts folks. Johnson Jr. was later shown wearing a pride shirt and was identified as “one of us” by members of the gay man’s chorus. Johnson Jr. has a handicap, so he was chosen to drive for the parade. Maybe not such a great idea looking back on it?
Once the facts started leaking out, the Democrat media machine took over. This was much ado about nothing, and an unfortunate accident. The police began to investigate, I find this odd since police types are generally not allowed near Democrat events…oh wait it as a white man who did the deed…proceed! The men’s chorus even put out this statement, because well … it was just an unfortunate thing.
“This was a horrible accident,” he said. “I offer my sincere regret to those who were impacted. I love my chorus family and the community. I would never do anything to intentionally harm anyone.”
Trantalis issued a kind of apology, mostly just walking it back slightly, and now it’s all a non-story. Mostly because it doesn’t fit the narrative any longer. Why beat on one of their own, it’s more fun to do it to the other side. End of story. Anyone wonder why the ratings for left leaning news, and readership of daily newspapers are falling fast? There is your answer.
Let me now offer my “first take” on this story, and if I’m wrong, we may or may not issue a retraction, but if the libs can do it, I will too.
Far left deranged, whacko, white, male, Fred Johnson Jr. fled his old person home, revved up his truck, overdosed on opioids, and rammed a far-left demonstration. Johnson was unhappy about his role in the gay man’s chorus and decided he had enough. He rammed 5 innocent folks, killing 1, seriously injuring four. He was aiming for the mayor and congresswomen but like most Democrats, his aim was horrific. Johnson, for his part, admitted being gay afterwards, but everyone knows that’s just a lie. His actions led to a far-right militia of folks to show up with lights flashing and the words “police” inscribed on their cars. Thankfully no black or brown folks were around as massacre would have taken place.
Johnson must be held accountable for his actions. As a white man, this was a hate crime, and it took place on June 19, the new federal holiday to celebrate Juneteenth, as a result he must hate black people. Sentence him to death ASAP, no trial, no counsel to be provided. This deranged human must be wiped from earth. Also, Johnson Jr. needs to pay reparations for what he did, on Juneteenth mind you!
I grant there has been a lot in the news lately about Democrat men exploiting women and getting a pass on it; not that this is really anything new but …
When I think about news stories of Democrat men behaving badly, obviously there is Joe Biden sniffing women’s hair and making inappropriate comments to them, and New York Governor Mario Cuomo groping the women around him. Nine accusers and counting. (Funny how one false accusation is almost enough to keep you from the US Supreme Court if you are a Conservative but nine is not enough to make a Democrat Governor resign.)
Also, I thought of Kamala Harris getting together this week with Bill Clinton to talk about empowering women. Clearly the funniest story of the week. Clinton has preyed on women his whole adult life and gotten off with hardly any consequences (OK there is one guy in Arkansas who claims to be Bill’s Love Child) while Harris is Vice President today because she slept her way to the top—thanks to Willie Brown and Lord knows who else.
Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an invitation from former President Bill Clinton to join him Friday to discuss “empowering women and girls in the U.S. and around the world.”
Kamala Harris dons mask to protect her from Bill Clinton prior to their joint appearance
When he was mayor of San Francisco, Gavin was messing around with his appointment secretary. As a result, his wife dumped him and went to work for Fox News. How bad of a notorious cheater do you have to be for your wife to dump you and change political affiliation?
Kimberly Guilfoyle and Gavin Newsom were married 2001 – 2006
Then this morning I read that Governor Newsom has been playing hide the salami with his Capitol staffers. Some people never learn.
Hews Media Group- Cerritos News has learned from high-level sources that Gov. Gavin Newsom is having a romantic relationship with one of his close staffers.
With his recall heating up, this could be the last straw between voters and Newsom.
The sources are telling HMG-CN that many of Newsom’s other high-ranking staffers are aware of the relationship, and are ready to jump ship. Another said, “I have heard rumors!”
Newsom is currently married to Jennifer Siebel Newsom and they have four children.
Will the “worst-kept secret in Sacramento” blow into public view?
It’s hard to say.
The secret? That Gov. Gavin Newsom was engaged in multiple alleged extra-marital affairs over the course of 2020, a time where many of his orders shuttered nearly all personal and economic activity across the nation’s largest state.
Sources on K Street and within the Capitol complex peppered The Sun with corroborating rumors of infidelity by Newsom during the pandemic year.
One such instance allegedly occurred with a high-ranking official within his own office, K Street sources told The Sun.
“This is spiraling into the worst-kept secret in town,” a K Streeter, speaking anonymously to The Sun on Wednesday afternoon, said.
Underlying the growing chatter? Word of an impending exposé from The Los Angeles Times, adding professional woes of the 40th Governor currently under threat of recall.
Wednesday night, hours after announcing Rob Bonta as his appointee for Attorney General to replace U.S. Health and Human Secretary Xavier Becerra, the top auto-fill search result for “Newsom” on Twitter was “Newsom affair.”
Late in the evening, Capitol sources noted that POLITICO had also joined the chase for the story.
While Newsom deserves to be recalled, the position of this blog is that whoever replaces Newsom will be worse than he is so why subject taxpayers to this Quixotic exercise? Will this be the straw that causes Dems to abandon Newsom and rally around another? The morality of this lot is so twisted that I won’t be surprised by whatever happens.
Folks, the likely recall outcome is that we will get a more efficient tyrant than Garvin that will harm us even more.
Folks, if you want to see what’s likely on tap for your digital future, then one country to watch is Australia. Australia is doing many things differently than we are, but many of the tech companies in the United States are wanting to see their policies adopted here.
First, in Australia, Microsoft and Google are in a fight about a proposed policy that directly affects online news articles.
February 11, 2021
Australia is currently in the process of passing regulation which would force Google and Facebook to pay publishers for linking to their news articles, a controversial proposal which appears to go against the whole ethos of the web, which is in the end all about linking to pages for free. Importantly Australia would not allow Google to avoid paying the newspapers by simple delisting them from their index.
In the blog post, Smith explains the 4th Estate is a very important element in democracy, and that the weakness of news organizations and the strength of social media is what resulted in Donald Trump being able to convince tens of millions of Americans that he won the election he actually lost.
“It was far from unusual for a losing candidate to request a recount or take a dispute to court – both parts of the democratic process,” Smith noted, “But, this year, even after losing more than 50 lawsuits in a row, President Trump waged a sustained campaign that successfully persuaded tens of millions of his supporters that the election was rigged. Without this sustained disinformation barrage, it’s hard to imagine that January 6 would have become such a tragic day.”
Smith notes that while Google and Facebook has generated billions in revenue from aggregating news, since 2000, newsroom revenue in the United States has fallen by 70% and employment has been cut in half. More than 2,000 newspapers have closed entirely. In many places, local news has been decimated. The majority now got their news (and disinformation) from social media, often only reading the headlines and not even clicking through to the news website.
Microsoft notes that news publications have been powerless to fight back, due to the monopoly position of Google and Facebook, but that Microsoft has always supported paying publishers for news and that they are well prepared to do this on a large scale if they gain market share.
February 15, 2021
Microsoft has turned into one of the most ardent advocates for the proposed Australian media code, which would see Google and Facebook pay news publications a share of their profits.
The proposal has been called a link tax which would break the internet, but Microsoft insists funding newspapers is important for the health of democracy and fighting fake news.
Conceptually it is easier to think of the proposal as a tax on Google and Facebook, similar to the TV License in UK, where TV owners have to pay a £157.50 tax per year to support public access TV and news. In this case, the tax is being directed to trillion-dollar companies rather than the citizens of the country, and the benefit would be spread wider than simply the state publisher.
The FAQ does not address concerns that the proposal would fund newspapers which are equally involved in spreading fake news as Moldovian content farms and that it would place the power to decide which news outlet succeeds or fails in the hand of the government rather than the market.
February 17, 2021
In response to Australia’s proposed new Media Bargaining law, Facebook today announced that it will block publishers and users in Australia from sharing or viewing news content. This is applicable for both Australian and international news content. The proposed law will force platform providers like Google and Facebook to pay news publishers for using their content. To continue operating Google search in Australia, Google today signed an agreement with News Corporation for sharing the revenue obtained through news content. However, Facebook refused to sign any such deal citing the below reasons.
Second, Australia is putting together a coalition of corporations to fight fake news.
February 22, 2021
Microsoft today announced that it is partnering with Adobe, Arm, BBC, Intel and Truepic to form the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). C2PA is a Joint Development Foundation project formed to address the prevalence of disinformation, misinformation and online content fraud through developing technical standards for certifying the source and history or provenance of media content.
“There’s a critical need to address widespread deception in online content — now supercharged by advances in AI and graphics and diffused rapidly via the internet. Our imperative as researchers and technologists is to create and refine technical and sociotechnical approaches to this grand challenge of our time. We’re excited about methods for certifying the origin and provenance of online content. It’s an honor to work alongside Adobe, BBC and other C2PA members to take this critical work to the next step,” said Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer and Project Origin executive sponsor, Microsoft.
The major technology companies and social networks in Austalia have signed up for the Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation, a voluntary code of practice by the Digital Industry Group Inc (DiGi), a non-profit industry association advocating for the digital industry in Australia.
Policies and processes concerning advertising placements:
Empowering users:
Integrity and security of services and products:
Supporting independent researchers:
Without prejudice commitments:
The policy was developed at the request of the Australian government and will be reviewed in 12 months. Companies involved are required to have a working complaints procedure in place within 6 months. The code excludes private messaging services, email services, and enterprise services. Notably, it also excludes content authorised by an Australian state or federal government; political advertising or content authorised by a political party registered under Australian law.
Folks, please read the links of these stories if you want more information.
What you are beginning to see is that Big Tech is setting themselves up as the arbitrators of all truth. While some of the things mentioned above, sound good and perhaps even noble, the bottom line is that tech companies are deciding what information that you can or cannot access. Microsoft has kept a lower profile than other companies, but they are right there with the FAANG companies and Twitter.
Fake News
Before I go further, it will be helpful to note that the concept of fake news is not monolithic. There are several different types of fake news. Here are a few examples:
Microsoft often talks about the potential for fake news using digital manipulation. Think the movie Looker (1981) or Carrie Fisher being digitally added to Star Wars after her death. What if a video of a politician was faked for the purposes of fomenting rebellion or aiding the point of view of a media outlet hating said politician? Wouldn’t that be bad? In theory yes, unless its Donald Trump.
DEBUNKED: Remember the "very fine people" lie the Biden campaign and mainstream media fed everyone? Here's the whole story: pic.twitter.com/DkvLekG4Ei
But Microsoft is envisioning a video technology or capability that is even more manipulated than that of Trump or Carrie Fisher. What if we entered an era when no one would trust what they see? We are a very visual society, if people don’t see something, it is not real to them but what if someone took advantage of that?
Another type of fake news is the good ‘ole Dan Rather using Microsoft Word kind. For those too young to remember, Dan Rather faked a memo about then President George W. Bush in an effort to influence the 2004 Presidential election.
Dan Rather CBS news
“Rathergate” is the derisive term applied to a set of four documents allegedly written by the former commanding officer of President George W. Bush in the early 1970s, and broadcast on the CBS program 60 Minutes Wednesday, September 8, 2004. The resultant exposure of these documents as forgeries, coupled with a lack of proper news investigating techniques, led to the ouster of four senior producers at CBS several months later, as well as the departure of long-time anchorman Dan Rather, for whom the scandal was named. Because of this, the event was also infamous for coining the phrase “fake but accurate”, referring to Fake news.
Sometimes fake news is just a refusal/denial to acknowledge something is true because it might be perceived as either hurting the side you support or benefitting someone that you disagree with. Instead of “We report, you decide” becomes “We decide, then report”. Or as Steve Taylor sang in Meat the Press (1983):
When the godless chair the judgment seat
We can thank the godless media elite
They can silence those who fall from their grace
With a note that says “we haven’t the space”
So fake news is sometimes the sin of commission or conversely the sin of omission; both are equally fatal for the person trying to make an informed decision. As I’ve stated before, without agreeing to the same set of information (or facts) we can’t have a dialogue, debate, or discussion about anything.
I’m not against polarization when it comes to certain issues. Some things just have no middle ground. As Gary North is fond of pointing out, a posture of neutrality is an illusion where one side tries to gain the upper hand on the other. The important things in life ultimately come down to the broad way or the narrow way. Lesser things can be negotiated or reduced to personal preference.
What bothers me about the fake news debate is that the purveyors of fake news have appointed themselves as the arbitrators of what is fake news; thus, when the fox places itself in charge of the henhouse, there can be only one outcome.
Let’s look at the previous election
To the is day, not a single liberal will admit to any voter fraud in any state during the 2020 presidential election. This is an unreasonable and unrealistic claim. There is always voter fraud. The question is whether it is widespread, systemic, organized, and enough to sway the outcome.
If Michigan and other states would voluntarily clean their voter rolls on a regular basis then we conservatives would have more faith in the system; however, the reality is that it takes years of lawsuits to force Secretary’s of State in Democrat controlled states to do their job. Oh, and even prevailing in court is no guarantee that the voter rolls are ever cleaned up.
Folks, I know that California does not care about election integrity or keeping clean voter rolls. As long as Democrats continue to win elections, there will be no meaningful election reform in the once golden state.
Prior to the election, was this report from Judicial Watch:
Media Matters and other groups on the left, throw hammers at Judicial Watch but where it counts, Judicial Watch wins.
The lawsuit confirmed that Los Angeles County has on its rolls more than 1.5 million potentially ineligible voters. This means that more than one out of every five LA County registrations likely belongs to a voter who has moved or is deceased. Judicial Watch notes that “Los Angeles County has the highest number of inactive registrations of any single county in the country.”
The Judicial Watch lawsuit also uncovered that neither the State of California nor Los Angeles County had been removing inactive voters from the voter registration rolls for the past 20 years.
Please note the last line in the quote above, California voter rolls have not been cleaned up in over 20 years which I’m willing to bet was the last time a Republican was Secretary of State.
Meanwhile, after a brief internet search…
Yep, it was Bill Jones, the last Republican to win the office of California Secretary of State. Jones served from 1995 – 2003.
Bill Jones 1995
This allows me to circle back to a claim made by Brad Smith, “… even after losing more than 50 lawsuits in a row, President Trump waged a sustained campaign that successfully persuaded tens of millions of his supporters that the election was rigged.”
Folks, Trump lost zero trials on the voter fraud issue because none was ever heard in court. Even the Supreme Court has taken a pass on this issue. The courts refused because they view this as a political issue and since the election is over, it’s a moot point. Thus, no determination is or will be made on election fraud or if it was significant enough to change the election outcome. I think the federal courts are taking a pass on this not due to the substance of the issue, but because they know that if the case is heard, it will be used politically as a way to even further politicize the court system and make it even less independent than it is now. Packing the court is a likely outcome of any judicial relief granted to Trump. Also, I don’t think the courts are comfortable being the arbiters of last resort in Presidential elections.
If during the first two years of the Trump administration, a national system or standard was set for vote I.D. in federal elections, I think the outcome would have been different last November. But when the leadership on both sides of the political aisle are all in very safe seats then little incentive exists to fix a very broken system. Oh, and yes, I would prefer a state solution over a federal one but see my comments above on California. No chance it ever happens here.
Conclusion
Much of the time, fake news is in the eye of the beholder. We see what we want and ignore much of the rest. This trend will continue into the future. Soon we will go from memes with fake quotes and funny captions to fake videos with words never uttered. Discerning truth will become more difficult. Look for some to just give up on trying and resort to feelings to guide them—half our population is predisposed to do this already. “Trust your feelings Luke.” Those of us that believe there is only one Truth will become fewer.
I know that digital information will be even more scattered and fragmented in the future. As our culture becomes more splintered and fragmented, we become even more isolated, even living amongst other people. Sin divides us from God, His creation, our fellow man, and ourselves.
More and more you will hear some variation of the mantra, “you have your truth and I have mine.” Or the sugarcoated Disney version of “follow your heart.” This is a lie. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9
There is only One Truth. Denial of its reality does not change Reality. Believing faerie tales like there are more than two genders, or evolution explains creation, or abortion is not murder, or “gay marriage” only proves your denial, self-delusion, and spiritual blindness.
The controversy over fake news is a microcosm or a much larger battle; a spiritual one.
Here’s what our future looks like unless we change our ways. Take a look at Deuteronomy 28 starting at verse 15.
Below are a few selections from this passage:
The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth.
The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him.
The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind.
You will become a thing of horror, a byword and an object of ridicule among all the peoples where the LORD will drive you.
The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.
Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess. Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot.
There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.
The good news is the God has promised believers that His Spirit will lead you into all Truth. Only God can cut through all the “white noise” in our culture and give you the wisdom to discern which spirits of our age should be shunned or followed.
Trusting in Big Tech to decide what’s best for us is just another name for tyranny. That Big Tech wants to work hand-in-hand with big government instead of hold government accountable, is no surprise. In a way, this marriage of convenience; looks to be the ideal power couple… for now.
After I posted my brief response to the Wired Op-Ed, I started going thru some old mail when I came across an article on the subject of racism. It posed an interesting question, why does cancel culture never consider cancelling Charles Darwin? While Darwin didn’t create racism, he is singlehandedly responsible for advancing the scientific basis that some races are more fit than others. His beliefs have been the basis of eugenics and genocide for tyrants all over the world. Millions have perished and millions more have been subjugated because of the impact of Darwin’s racist ideas. Yet, Darwin is given a free pass.
The following is printed in Answers, a publication of Answers in Genesis. The article that is quoted below is Should We Cancel Darwin by Mark Looy.
Modern views about human origins are built on a toxic error. Unless these opinions change, racism will keep raising its ugly head. Any serious desire to solve racism must inspire the question, “What about the influence of Charles Darwin’s racist views? Should they be banned (or ‘canceled,’ in popular jargon) from the culture?”
In a sequel to the better-known On the Origin of Species, Darwin’s The Descent of Man argued that humans, having descended from apelike creatures, were continuing to evolve and produce various races. Darwin posited that some races were more developed than others. Throughout Descent, Darwin labeled different people groups other than his European race as “low” and “degraded,” including Africans. Darwin argued that the “highest races and the lowest savages” clearly differed in their “moral disposition” (Darwin, 445).1 These “savages,” he further claimed, possessed “insufficient” powers of reasoning (Darwin, 489). At the end of Descent, Darwin declared he would prefer to be descended from a “little monkey” or an “old baboon” as opposed to an Indian “savage” from South America (Darwin, 919).
Darwin’s racism and belief in white supremacy were an outgrowth of his ideas regarding natural selection (a view popularized later by others as “survival of the fittest”). Accordingly, he excused aggressive colonial imperialism with the comment, “The civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world” (Darwin, 521). Although he may not have explicitly endorsed such imperialism, Darwin saw the elimination of nonwhite races as the natural result of white Europeans, who “stand at the summit of civilisation” (Darwin, 507), being the superior race.
Such reasoning, even before Darwin laid it out, was essentially the same rationale used by European, Muslim, and American slave traders, who viewed the Africans as less than human and deserving of enslavement.
If they were consistent, cancel-culture advocates would ban Darwin from society. But most won’t touch him, for he is like a prophet for their worldview. Even if they condemn racism, they blindly still want to commemorate Darwin. From him, they have a supposed scientific justification for rejecting the Creator and living as they please with regards to abortion, sex, and so on.
Answers in Genesis proclaims that there is only one race of men. Toward the end of his article, Looy writes:
The Bible’s history is crucial to a true understanding of “race.” God’s Word reveals that all humans are descended from Adam and Eve. At the tower of Babel, God separated the rebellious people by both geography and language. The population broke up into sub-groups, and as people married within their own group, certain genetic features (like skin shade and eye shape) became more prominent. Some people groups ended up with light skin and others with dark skin. All people today are actually shades of brown, depending on the amount of melanin, the main pigment, in our skin (and some other minor factors). There are no truly black or white people.
Funny how, no matter how you look at the Scriptural position, it really is about the content of your character and not the color of your skin.
This week an actress employed by Disney’s Star Wars subsidiary was fired for saying that we should respect people’s political opinions even when we disagree with them. Yep, this revolutionary concept used to be a bedrock value when this country was known as America, but no longer.
Here’s the story. Please understand that due to the transitory nature of content on the Internet that the original and allegedly offensive comments were purged. Furthermore, most news stories on this incident don’t have the courtesy and objectivity to tell you what was actually said. I recall that journalism once prided itself on telling you all sides of a story and trusting readers to make up their own minds. This has not bee true in many decades.
According to Variety, Carano, 38, shared a message on the social media platform in which she compared today’s political divide to the events in Nazi Germany.
“Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors…even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views,”
Two things to point out on the above; first, she did not write this comment, it appears that she reposted the comment; and secondly, is the end where it states, “How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?”
Note to Liberals: Those of us that are devout Christians see many parallels with the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany and the current treatment of Christians in this country. Our faith has been under attack; especially over the last 15 years. Our love for Trump is based in large part to his removing the heavy hand of the federal government from restricting religious liberty. Joe Biden has been signaling that persecution of people of faith will resume under his leadership. California government has never stopped persecuting us, but they have had their agenda derailed while focusing on Covid. Thus, the comparison above which appeared on social media is in fact a valid comparison.
Thus, Gina Carano is saying that we should not hate people that have different views from ours. Translation don’t hate me or other conservatives that disagree with you.
Oh, she also once posted a meme disagreeing with the stupid mask requirements.
A second post contained a photo of a person wearing cloth masks to cover their face and head with the caption: “Meanwhile in California.”
Gina also posted the following:
“Expecting everyone you encounter to agree with every belief or view you hold is fucking wild”
This is not the first time Carano, who played former Rebel Alliance soldier Cara Dune on The Mandalorian, has been the focus of social media ire for her political comments. Last November, she issued contentious tweets, one in which she mocked mask-wearing amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and another in which she falsely suggested voter fraud occurred during the 2020 presidential election.
“They have been looking for a reason to fire her for two months, and today was the final straw,” a source with knowledge of Lucasfilm’s thinking tells THR.
If you want to find the pot calling the kettle black, search for James Gunn liking the posts about Carano being fired. Gunn was fired by Disney and was subsequently rehired for actually posting derogatory stuff on social media. Also, note that at the time, I posted a blog in support of Gunn. I don’t have a problem with free speech only with people demanding that I have to agree with them.
So, it is my fellow readers and followers of this blog. All the pundits cheered today as Former Central Bank Chair Janet Yellen demanded Congress act quickly and pass a 1.9 trillion-dollar spending package. Yep, act quickly, because god only knows what would happen if the media found out what was in it right? Fat chance. This package will extend a fake economy started under Obama/Biden, and mostly continued under Trump.
Joe Biden, America’s most popular President at a campaign stop on his way to victory.
Here are examples of how the economy has been fake and how it will continue to be fake under Biden.
0% interest rates continue, this was a fixture since almost W. Bush’s presidency. As a result, banks can borrow from the Fed Reserve for about 0% and lend to you for around 3% if you’re buying a house, or many multiples more if you are buying a car. This does not stimulate an economy; it just let’s free money flow from one lender to the next. This works only if the buyer is able to “perform” (make payments) on the loan. Which leads to…..
0% interest also means banks will continue not paying you squat to have an account with them, in essence making your savings worthless. When you add in inflation adjustments annually, if your savings/money doesn’t earn at least that much your buying power has been decreased. Unless you are a business…..
0% Means corporations are able to borrow “cheap money” and buy out competitors. See what AT&T has done over the past few years, first buying DirecTV and recently buying Time-Warner. While consolidation is not always a bad thing, it stifles competition and leads to mass layoffs, again see DirecTV and Time-Warner among others. In addition, most corporations have started venture capital arms, whose sole goal is to “invest in startups” with the hope of buying them later. Kind of like that show Shark Tank on TV. Again, this is all well and good until the interest rates or the debt load eventually eat away your income. Many corporations will find the “next chapter” is Chapter 7 or 11, not to be confused with the iconic Slurpee chain.
$15 minimum wage, contrary to what economists on TV say, will create complete destruction among retail and food service work. (Like after ten months of Covid-19 they need any more help.) Government mandating of wages is the worst possible thing to do. Show me a worker who requires $15 an hour to work the grill, I will show you a robotic arm who can do the job far cheaper. Automation will be the word of the next decade, eliminating good paying jobs to replace with robot. Its coming quick folks. No minimum wage job was ever meant to be a career, for some (felons, rap sheets, drop-outs) it’s a hard way to earn a living, but didn’t their choices land them there? How come we don’t talk-up trade schools? More on that next….
We have ignored and made fun of the trade schools for far too long. They carry a negative stigma. Why work in construction, work on cars, or be a plumber? Especially when you can get a degree in arts or humanities. As a result, some of these have transformed into dangerous for profit schools who now charge prohibitive sums of money, but it’s okay because……
Student loan relief is a part of this bill. Biden has put off interest and payments until September of this year. Like savings, why be responsible? Don’t pay! More disturbingly, he wants to do 10K student loan relief with the stroke of his pen. AOC, Bernie, Schumer, and co aren’t happy and want 50k. That’s an ungodly sum and should fly in the face of anyone who has paid their loans in full. This also creates a dangerous precedent moving forward. But…..
$1,400 payments to all folks making under a certain income threshold is part of this mana from heaven as well. Who cares about erasing money or debt when we can just print more of it! Fear not, the system we will use to verify who hits the government mandated lottery is last year’s (2019) tax returns. Yep, even if Covid didn’t affect you at all you get a check! Made more than that and lost your job? Sorry Charlie, the Magic 8 Ball says, “No.” You may ask why we have no system that keeps track of those who lost their jobs due to Covid? Answer is we do, it’s at the state level and in CA we call it Employment Development Department (EDD). Why don’t we use their system….well Google EDD scandal CA. Never mind I’ll save you the time. Our EDD sent roughly 2 billion in fraudulent checks to folks incarcerated, or to the dead, unborn or infirm. Still don’t believe me? Checks went to Scott Peterson (on death row) and Senator Diane Feinstein. Yup go look it up. Sorry, but the person who ran EDD has been promoted and is a part of Biden’s team, so look for more undeserving folks to land checks. I’ll take Hunter Biden in the office pool.
Rest assured I doubt this will be the only check sent out. Sadly, my conservative friends see this as stimulus, not Universal Basic Income. (Republicans think the rules are for checkers not chess.) Like usual, the Democrats lure the GOP in and while we think we’re doing the Lord’s work, they immediately run the end around, fooling us and taking all the credit. Think Charlie Brown kicking the football. Try to stop these payments once they start.
Eviction and foreclosure moratoriums are currently through March. This is just kicking the can slightly. We will end up kicking it further, I predict September. Look for a utility payment moratorium as well. These folks are all hopelessly behind, but Biden knows if he cranks up the eviction/foreclosure machine the economy wrecks big time, all on his watch. Housing is in a major bubble and the only ones who can’t see it are the ones who benefit from it. I look to scoop up a McMansion in future for about half of what folks are paying now. In my hometown a McMansion about a decade ago was 500k, now modest homes are selling for around 700, with upward movement likely.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t all doom and gloom. The 90-Dday types will continue to talk about record high stock prices, and in some ways they are correct. They pointed to job reports of “growing payrolls” however a cursory look around town shows me nothing but government and retail jobs. The latter will be decimated by Covid, mark my words. They will turn on a cable channel and be greeted with folks saying all-time highs, this is because as I mentioned earlier your savings account pays you nothing, so you must invest it. The smart folks got in a long time ago and are more than happy to watch you scoop up more expensive shares. They smile about stimulus knowing you won’t be paying debts, just buying more stuff you don’t need. Only China benefits but that’s ok because Democrats get a cut off all the 5G iPhones you’ll be buying. This economy is fake, you don’t have to believe me, but you cannot print money, send out free money, and have a prosperous society. Someday the lender will want the money to be paid back, and there won’t be another check.
The Chief
Those who won’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
I have grown tired of my friends being attacked by Facebook, Google, Twitter, and the rest. I’m tired of fearing for my employment because I disagree with the Liberal agenda. No, I don’t have a solution— although I am looking for alternatives to “Big Tech” and I hope to blog on that soon.
Folks, the boys in Silicon Valley only understand one thing and that’s money. Less users or subscribers is less money they can charge advertisers. To that end, I encourage you to do what you can to deprive them of revenue. Dump products and services that you don’t really need. To the extent that you can, demonetize FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google). So far Netflix is sitting this latest purge out, as is Microsoft, but given a chance to get involved, they probably would.
FAANG is Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google
Is there a viable operating system for a computer that isn’t made by Apple or Microsoft? Nope, not one that does what I need for work or pleasure. Cell phones are dominated by Apple and Google (Android). There are Linux alternatives for PCs and even Smartphones but I don’t know if there are enough apps to keep casual users happy in this alternative ecosystem.
I have taken some actions and am considering more.
I have cancelled my Twitter account. I only got Twitter at the insistence of Sebastian Gorka. I got free tickets to hear him speak in Roseville a few years ago. He had worked for President Trump and had high praise for Trump. He encouraged folks to actually see what Trump was saying and not wait for the media’s take on what was said—because it was often out of context with what actually happened. I took Gorka’s advice, and you know what, Gorka was right. Rarely did Trump ever fire the first shot at anyone but he often responded to attacks from other platforms by posting his reaction on Twitter. (If Republicans had the spine to defend the President then the whole Twitter thing would never had been necessary.) As a platform, I was disappointed with Twitter because there was often a 12-to-24-hour delay between a Trump post and Twitter sending me a notification–which often never happened at all. Banning Trump for life left me with literally zero reason to keep my account open so I cancelled it a few days ago.
While Microsoft has thus far not interjected itself into the jihad on Conservatives, I decided to dump my Linked-In account. I never used it anyway. I only had it because when Sue Blake was rising to power as chair of the Sacramento Republican Central Committee, she encouraged us to open Facebook and Linked-In accounts.
On my to-do list is dumping my Facebook account. If Zuckerberg lifts the Trump ban in the next few days, I might keep it, otherwise I’m gone from their platform too.
If you leave social media platforms, please be aware that there are usually ways to download your content before killing your account.
I plan to explore this option before dumping Facebook so I can keep some photos and other things. I will let you know what the file looks like after I’ve done that. Here is where to find it in Facebook’s settings.
Where to find download option in Facebook Settings>Your Facebook Information>Download Your Information
Oh, I plan to write a blog dedicated to a scathing post on Facebook by an Admin for one of the groups that I have belonged to for many years. Folks, the post is long but its really eye opening in a bad way.
Meanwhile, if you have any comments or suggestions related to this topic, please pass them on to me.
The editorial board was meeting at an undisclosed location when an urgent communication came across the live feed. The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church AKA the world’s richest man, aka social justice warrior, aka #notmypope decided same sex folks in a union (I guess we are still fighting the civil war) would be allowed in the church. Wait for it…. Wait for it……ok we wound him up, that’s Jake the Snake’s music …..time to turn him loose.
Pope Bergoglio
Seriously what Bible does this clown read from….I would say the Gospel of Marx AKA the heretic’s Bible! Literally, this social justice warrior wannabe feels the need to channel his inner Aaron Park spewing his stink all over everyone. Seriously I listened to this “pope” Francis AKA Bergoglio talk about needing to grow the church and that we are all God’s children……..ummm ok. I haven’t seen a constant flow of sewage like this since I drank the water in Mexico.
Maybe “Pope” Bergoglio should visit one of his churches, literally in the vestibule (for all you heathens, that’s the common area when you walk in the front door of the church) there are a couple brochures saying and I quote “Homosexuality is a mortal sin” which means you will not be granted eternal life in heaven. Yet this jackhole says all are welcome? HUH? It’s a mortal sin, but that’s ok?
Perhaps we should discuss the Pope’s handling of a local priest in this area, Fr Jeremy Leatherby. For many decades, the Leatherby family has donated both time and treasure to support the Catholic Church, as well as Prop 8, banning gay “marriage” in this state. Their “family business” something you will know nothing about running by the way, was vandalized in the midst of standing with the Church and its teaching, not a word from you or any of your ilk. Where were you when I heard several sermons about needing to vote for Prop 8 for the sanctity of marriage? And you pay back Fr Leatherby by having Bishop Jaime Soto defrock him? Well thank God we now know what it takes to get a member of clergy defrocked, have sex with a young child is ok, dare step out and not recognize the Pope’s authority for making socialist proclamations in the Name of Christ…..and he’s gone!
In closing, if you get a chance to get up close to this very reclusive Pope maybe ask him; why do you go against God’s teachings about homosexuality? Why do you discuss climate change when it is conveniently not found in any Bible I have read? Are you actually really Catholic? When did you become so out of touch with the Catholic Faith? Does your okaying of homosexuality release the priests who committed this alleged “moral sin” or is that why you have stopped the investigation child sexual abuse every step of the way? Sorry “Pope” but this won’t absolve the sins of those you have covered up for.
Pope Bergoglio you are a jerk! You tell us common folk to do your bidding, in regard to charity, giving, tithing and more, yet you won’t even police your own flock. You are the worst kind of person. Keep focusing on homosexuality you bozo, whilst ignoring the fastest growing segments of Catholicism are; Blacks, Hispanics, and Filipinos. And not to educate you, but those groups are among the most hostile to homosexual “marriage.” So, what is next, abortion is ok, only if you didn’t mean to get pregnant?
Pope Benedict
Maybe do us all a favor, speak to Pope Benedict and ask him, maybe if these are ok? Actually, never mind. Screw it, keep peddling your half truths about poverty, climate change, and homosexual marriage. Too bad you don’t have any time to proclaim the Gospel, I think the world needs that a lot more than another idiot with a collar extolling the virtues of Karl Marx. Even the Pope can’t sever two masters.
Jake the Snake
Editor’s Note: For those doubting Jake’s position on this topic, I wanted to bring up the following passage which states that some in Corinth were homosexual until they believed. Paul makes it clear that you can’t be a believer and an cling to your sin.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11a
While browsing television options in an Idaho hotel last week, I ran across this juxtaposition of programming.
Yep, the Crave channel is offering More Sex, Less Stress followed by Boy Scouts: The Sex Abuse Coverup.
Gee, what’s next Bill Clinton: the Monica Years followed by Jeffrey Epstein’s Weekend Getaway? No wonder people in our society are so confused about morality.
Disney Corporation sports subsidiary ESPN made headlines again for all the wrong reasons earlier this week. ESPN has a blog on its website called “The Undefeated.” It’s for blacks, by blacks, about race topics etc. Honestly, I do not have a huge issue with it, even though some of the writers like Malcolm Metcalf have an obvious racial bias against white people. It is usually off to the side of the website, and never really made a focal point. However, controversy has been stirred up and it’s a doozy.
The Undefeated was going to air a race focused special called “Time for a change, we won’t be defeated.” The special would feature ESPN personalities, Jay Harris, Michael Eves, Maria Taylor, and Elle Duncan. Suspiciously missing from the list is Sage Steele. I say suspicious because she hosts the flagship show “SportsCenter” during prime time and is one of their more visible hosts. Steele was upset, and understandably so. Here are some snippets from the Wall Street Journal article about her expressing her disappointment.
ESPN anchor Sage Steele has told management she believes she was excluded from a special the network aired on race last month because she wasn’t considered by certain Black colleagues to be an authentic voice for the Black community, a person familiar with the matter said.
Ms. Steele, one of the network’s most prominent on-air personalities, voiced her concerns to ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro in early June, saying the incident showed the network has a divisive work environment, the person said.
Ms. Steele said colleagues told her she was considered for the special by the executive in charge, Michael Fountain, until two of the other on-air personalities involved, Elle Duncan and Michael Eaves, complained, saying Ms. Steele wouldn’t be accepted by what they considered the Black community, according to the person familiar with her account to management.
So, let me, as a middle age white man ask, how is someone not an authentic voice for the black community? In addition, how is a black person, Steele as shown in the photo is black, not accepted by her own community? Well Steele answered that question for me, she burns “The Mouse” pretty badly with her response….
Sage Steel–deemed not black enough by ESPN
“I found it sad for all of us that any human being should be allowed to define someone’s ‘Blackness.’ Growing up biracial in America with a Black father and a white mother, I have felt the inequities that many, if not all Black and biracial people have felt—being called a monkey, the ‘n’ word, having ape sounds made as I walked by—words and actions that all of us know sting forever. Most importantly, trying to define who is and isn’t Black enough goes against everything we are fighting for in this country, and only creates more of a divide.”
Well as an outsider looking in, no shock there, you cannot be black in this country unless both parents are black, live in the hood, don’t have a good job, and are on some form of assistance. Actually, I would have enjoyed hearing her perspective, she also has interviewed scores of athletes over the years and I’m sure her rolodex of contacts are huge. Seems like a no brainer to me.
Well the truth is ESPN brass doesn’t like Steele for her political opinions, she has said she doesn’t feel comfortable speaking about BLM, she spoke out against folks not standing for the national anthem, and made waves for tweeting her disappointment about protestors blocking airports due to Trump’s anti-immigration order. While she doesn’t come off as political, if you don’t tow the party line, you are part of the problem.
In that regard, Eves and Duncan are perfect, just like Joe Biden, neither have any beliefs; instead, they just parrot what is put in front of them on the teleprompter. In speaking to a couple of cable watching friends of mine, all of them said Eaves is an empty suit who really has no role at ESPN, and Duncan is pretty much useless. The ratings they draw likely are composed of mostly of drunks who pass out with their TV left on.
My main question is how come Disney gets a pass time and time again? No one is writing about this, only small anecdotes here and there. Which is funny because with today’s cancel culture, how come their founder gets a pass? He was a devoted racist even putting his views in black and white and technicolor! Disney is in deep trouble financially. I am sure their theme parks will finally re-open someday. Meanwhile, they get to host the NBA games later this month.
Sage Steele, if I was you, Fox has a growing sports network called FS1 they could use someone like yourself. Leave the mouse.
