My Thoughts on Israel/Hamas

What the Hamas terror group did is horrific.  I use the present tense because they are still holding/torturing hostages, American citizens included.  No matter your political or religious beliefs cutting people’s heads off, killing babies, and torturing people is wrong. 

As a sidebar, I do not agree with Israel cutting off the water and power supply to Gaza.  As I will explain later, this helps create a narrative that Israel is committing war crimes as well.

The dirty little secret in that part of the world (Middle East), I trust nothing that comes out of there as far as news goes.  Pretty much every country over there double deals and values their own interests/religion over anyone else’s.  Israel is our only true ally in that space. I say that in a literal sense because Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and Bahrain typically have been found to be pretty weak allies of ours depending on the enemy.  Sure, we have a large air base in Qatar, I’m sure we likely pay a heavy price in dollars to have it there.  Yes, Egypt and Jordan seem to come down on our side when it comes to Israel and not letting Gaza refugees cross their borders. Oh, Egypt is allowing us to use the Suez Canal; at least for now, but again at what cost?  Don’t believe me?  Check out the foreign aid sent to these countries each year! 

In addition, many countries in that region are aligned with China, Russia, and North Korea, three countries who either legit hate us (Russia and North Korea) or have no real use for us in this conflict (China).  They love nothing more than to see our military spread even further.  Think about it, Russia knows we would prefer to supply Israel than Ukraine, so they win on that front.  China wants Taiwan, and us moving our carrier strike groups that way lessens our ability to help Taiwan.  North Korea?  Well, they get to taunt us even more.  Add Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, and Afghanistan to that list as well, who are actively supporting the Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi terror groups in that area.  Groups who hate Israel. The Mid-east is a web of competing interests that are being united in their opposition to Israel and the United States.

Add a wild card, Turkey.  Turkey is the 2nd biggest army in NATO (ally of ours) in the region.  They have been very vocal about us sending all those aircraft carriers, destroyers, and cruisers to the area. 

Turkey is correct about wondering aloud why we are sending all those ships.  It does from afar look like a provocation.  While I do not agree with Turkey’s president about us/Israel committing genocide, and completely disagree with him saying Hamas is a liberation group, I do think he misspoke.  One thing about Turkey they have the ears/eyes of both sides all over this region.  They have open dialogues with Russia, while supplying Ukraine with drones.  They are also in talks with Israel, while being able to speak to Hamas.  I know he cancelled his trip to Israel this week, but he wants to negotiate a peace deal.  I believe him.

Back to the war.

Israel needed to strike back at Hamas, they always do.  Most of the time they strike back 3-4x harder.  However, this time it’s different.  The killing of innocent people at a concert, beheading babies, old people, taking hostages, torture is a horse of a different color.  Israel is going to militarily attack the Gaza strip.  They want to wipe Hamas off the globe.  They have had enough. 

What is happening now is the cause of dividing the world in that region.  Jordan and Egypt say no refugees are welcome from Gaza.  This is because they don’t want the terrorists firing from their countries because this pisses off the USA and next thing you know Israel is lobbing rockets into their countries.  Turkey is warning us to back off the ships we sent into that area.  Iran backed terror groups are firing missiles/drones at our bases in Syria and Iraq, so far, we know 21 military folks have been injured.  Iran, Yemen, and North Korea are going to supply Israel’s adversaries with all they need for this war. 

The heart of the problem here is that Israel has no allies in the area.  Egypt and Jordan merely tolerate them.  All the Muslim countries basically hate them, they are in affect isolated. 

Enter Lindsey Graham, Joe Biden, and the globalists. 

So, we started sending our military might to this area.  The ships are already there.  Our bases in Syria (I do not understand this at all) and Iraq are getting more troops.  We supposedly activated 2,000 troops; I believe this is closer to 20,000, but I digress.  Our meager involvement thus far has evoked a response of laughter from the world.  Israel basically told us F-off.  Iran, North Korea, and Russia are daring us to do something stupid.  The terror groups love this.  Turkey is now likely questioning its role in NATO and all for what?  No one respects us anymore because we are not a superpower.  Our military cares more about pronouns and vaccines than training.  It’s sad.

My solution?

Hard to say.  Israel seems hell bent on going in with tanks and troops and “cleansing Hamas off the earth.”  If they want to do it, I say go for it, but with caution.  There is a reason I think Turkey has ratcheted up the rhetoric.  The area is unstable and is likely going to turn into a powder keg if the tanks move into the Gaza strip.  Put simply, if Israel moves in, I think Iran and their terror friends turn Israel into a microwave.  It will get really ugly, really quick.  Knowing the USA, we will somehow get ourselves right in the middle and WW3 will break out.  We will find out who our friends are, and I think more people dislike Israel than like us. 

Simply put, we shouldn’t be operating in that region.  Haven’t we lost enough young people already?  Also, at what stage do we have to worry about our own stockpiles?  We have given a ton to Ukraine and Israel.  Let Turkey decide on a solution in that area.  They do not want missiles flying over their country.  Dirty little secret is the other oil producing states don’t want that either. 

The Chief

Despite What You Hear, Gender Matters on Government Forms

Yep. Many government leaders make claims that you can pick your own gender, but have you ever tried filling out government forms for these guys? Fact is they still wanna know your gender and only give you two choices male and female.  (OK, your pets get to choose spayed or neutered when you sign them up for their license.)

Anyway, if you check the wrong box, guess what? Your application gets stopped until it is resolved. I got to experience this firsthand about a week ago.

I’m about to turn 62 and decided to apply for Social Security. I figured I should apply once I get within 90 days of my birthday. Well sure enough there was a problem. I found out after ignoring a phone call with a 301-area code. Of course, I ignored the call since I have no idea where 301 is and don’t have the number in my address book. A voice mail was left from someone claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. I called the number and extension that I was given and left messages on three separate occasions over the space of about 10 days. Of course, nobody has called me again. Oh, the number left on my voicemail did not match the one on my caller ID.

Finally, I got a letter from SSA which stated that there was a problem with my application. In typical government fashion, the letter never said what the issue was that was causing all the fuss. They asked me to complete a form SS-5 (it was an application for a duplicate Social Security Card). FYI you can only apply for a duplicate Card in person and the local Social Security office will not let you make an appointment to do this. (It took more than an hour of persistent dialing to my local SSA office to learn about the no appointments thing.)

In an attempt to learn more, I called the generic 800 number on the Social Security Administration website. Amazingly, I was able to speak with a real human. After extensive grilling to try to verify my identity, I was finally able to ask someone what the dire problem was with my application. Back in 1980, when I applied for a duplicate copy of my Social Security Card; allegedly, I accidently checked the box for female. Whether this is true or not I can’t say because I have never been offered a copy of this errant form. Ironically, this was the same time that I was registering for Selective Service—a  male only requirement—and two years before I went in the military to serve in a male only occupation. At the time, this error never bothered anyone. However, it is a big issue now.

I find the Federal government making an issue out of checking the wrong gender box on a form 43 years ago laughable. I thought under the enlightened leadership of Joe Biden that nobody cared about gender. I thought nowadays that gender could change on a whim; like maybe which restroom had the shortest line when you need to pee.

Anyway, I dug through my box of important documents and prepared to go to the nearest SSA office the next day.

The next morning, I got out of bed, got dressed, and then drove the hour and a half to the nearest SSA office. I arrived about 8 AM and was proudly the first in line. When they opened at 9 AM, I was admitted into the office and took a number. A few minutes later I was called to one of the four windows serving customers. I showed my letter from SSA and my documents. The lady was satisfied that I was in fact male without resorting to a package check. I was assured that the information would be forwarded to the SSA case worker that was holding up my application. Oh, and I will also get a new SSA card in the mail in a few weeks.

Please note that this was supposedly resolved over a week ago, but as of today, per the SSA website, my application is still on hold pending further review.

My wife is glad this happened because she was able to laugh at my predicament and then load me down with a list of chores to do when I went to the big city. As a result, we now have a barn door on the downstairs bathroom. What took three minutes in a YouTube video actually took two days to accomplish but that is a story for another day.

With my manhood secure and my pride recovering, I just wanted to share my story to let you know what I’m doing in my spare time.

Watching the Mid-East War Unfold

One axiom of American Politics is that when both parties agree on something; the rest of us should be very nervous. Such is the case now concerning the Mid-East war. Both parties—or at least majorities of each—desperately want us involved in this war. It has been reported that American soldiers are already on the ground in the Gaza area. From the sounds of things, we are going to support Israel in a prolonged urban warfare situation. The danger is that this may very well be genocide disguised as urban warfare; it’s not like Hamas combatants will be wearing uniforms and abiding by the Geneva Conventions of Warfare.

Folks in some parts of the Internet have been saying that the war in Ukraine was the beginning of World War III. We have forces in Ukraine helping as military advisors just like the early days of Vietnam. If we continue down the path that we are pursuing, it may be that we end up fighting wars on three or four fronts simultaneously. The war in the Mid-East is very close to becoming a regional war that has the potential to escalate to the point that it may involve deployment of nuclear weapons.

At the very least, because of this war, Europe will be experiencing severe energy shortages as much of their oil and natural gas supplies will quit flowing. It will be a cold and miserable winter for them. At most, Europe may find that being a member state in NATO means getting involved. Will we and our allies end-up fighting Russia, Iran, and Turkey (also a NATO member) as well?

Once we commit to fighting there, look for China to take Taiwan by force. Oh, we will not help Taiwan. Look for us not to commit any serious resources to their defense. This may embolden China to try taking further territory in the East.

This scenario is frightening but possible. Sadly, what the Swamp wants, it often gets, usually to our detriment.

Community- Another Reason to Live in North Idaho

Saturday, the wife and I were on our way to eat lunch at Good Grief. Per their t-shirt, Good Grief claims a population of three people, two dogs, and one grumpy guy. The restaurant at Good Grief is about 45 minutes from our house.

We got about a mile down the road when we ran upon an accident on Highway 95. On a steep downhill grade, a guy pulling a load of hay spilled bails over all four lanes of the road. (Truck in photo above is not subject of this story.) Traffic stopped and then folks got out of their cars and started moving the hay out of the way. In less than five minutes, the road was open in both directions. Below are several pictures that my wife took while I was helping with the others.

Only one guy tried to get thru the mess. He was on a motorcycle. Everyone one else waited and/or helped.

At one point a person said, “I’d like to see this happen in New York City.”

My response was, “They’d just call 9-1-1 and wait for help.” 

Yep, I can picture some guy trying to help in New York and finding that his vehicle was stolen while they were helping.

It was spontaneous and just what you’d expect in this part of the country.

Cord Cutting in North Idaho

Back when we lived in “the state that shall not be named”, one option for people cutting the cord was over the air television; however, here in North Idaho that option may not be available. I say “may” because I don’t really know and have yet to get an authoritative answer. Nobody that I have met here talks about television and virtually nobody has an antenna on their house (except the old abandoned one down the road from us).

I checked a few antenna apps on my phone, and they rendered very different results. One by RCA says that we might get one channel while another says we might get as many as 29. A few websites claiming to know give yet other results between these two numbers.

At least part of the confusion seems to be the issue of “line of sight.” Here, “line of sight” to any media market broadcast signal is zero. Mountains prevent line-of-sight and digital signals don’t get to bounce off the atmosphere the way their analog predecessors did. Instead, any signal here will be available as the result of a repeater.

My wife misses her Gordon Ramsey shows so I still have incentive to figure this out. I’d rather not subscribe to Hulu again now that it is owned by Disney. Disney took over 100 percent of Hulu’s ownership by buying out Comcast at the end of last month. I considered a Fox subscription but again, this is likely a Disney property by another name. Figuring out what is really Fox and what is Disney is a murky proposition.

I decided to try an experiment just to see if broadcast television was available here. I bought an antenna at Wally World and attached it to a long board and stuck it up in the air. I ran a coax cable to our TV. Surprise, I got stations, but my signal strength was about 60 percent. I tried routing the television signal through our over the air TiVo that we had previously used and got bubkes. TiVo needs a signal strength over 90 percent, or it will not function; thus, it was just an out-of-date brick. Siad brick was sent to the landfill.

So, is Broadcast TV Available in North Idaho? The short answer is yes.

Here is how to receive live broadcast TV and record it using your computer as a DVR (digital video recorder).

First download the Antenna Point app on your phone. It will show you where to point your directional antenna—most of them that you will purchase are this type. In my case it was south and slightly west. The app cost was free because they are hoping to sell you one of their antennas.

As mentioned above, I bought my antenna at Wally World in Sandpoint. It had a range of about 70 miles. The enclosed amplifier didn’t make any difference in my signal strength testing, so I didn’t use it in the final install. The antenna cost was about $70.

I made a 15-foot antenna mast and attached it to our utility shed. On Amazon search for 5′ Ft Galvanized Steel Antenna. I bought three of the 5-foot pipes. I didn’t want a traditional antenna because they wanted guy wires and a concrete base or attachment to your roof and guy wires.

To attach my antenna mast I also bought Skywalker 6” Heavy-Duty Wall Mount brackets.

The mast pipes were $18 each and brackets were $25.

I hooked-up a 100’ outdoor coax cable to the antenna, ran it under my house, and up to my Internet router. Search for 100′ Feet, White RG6 Coaxial Cable. The  cost was $25.

Then on Amazon I purchased a tv tuner gizmo that connects to your internet router. Search for SiliconDust HDHomeRun Flex 4K ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV: 2/4 Tuners HDFX-4K. This tuner can get up to four stations simultaneously. It is the best you can buy and works with Plex Server software. More on that in a minute. The tuner price was $200.

After researching, I decided to go with a Plex Server since it can be purchased for a flat fee and is playable on just about any device that you might own including PC, tablet, smart phone, smart tv, etc. Plex Server is software that can be run on Mac, Windows, or Linux systems. Generally, it works on Intel and AMD CPU’s but not ARM processors. Plex will auto-sense the TV gizmo that I recommended above. It is connected in the Plex app under Live TV setup. Enter your zip code and you’re mostly done. Once the TV guide is updated, just click show you want to record. Plex will also play any movies saved on your device whether ripped commercial movies or ones stored on your device that were made by a camera or smart phone. Lifetime Plex subscription is $120. This includes all tv listings and many other features. Search the internet for how-to instructions or help with any questions. Setting up any music, photo, or video libraries should be done prior to connecting them to the Plex Sever.

Total project cost was $500. Now my wife can DVR Gordon Ramsey shows and not subscribe to Fox’ streaming service.

Oh, we get the following 29 channels; 25 of which are unique:

StationHD Channel Number
CBS2.1
True Crime Network2.2
Court TV2.3
Twist2.4
Get2.6
Comet2.8
ABC4.1
Me TV4.2
H & I4.3
Start TV4.4
Dabl4.5
NBC6.1
KHQDT26.2
KHQDT36.3
PBS7.1
World7.2
Create7.3
PBS Kids7.4
CW22.1
Laff22.2
Quest22.3
This22.4
The Grio22.5
PBS26.1
PBS26.2
Create26.3
World26.4
Fox28.1
Antenna TV28.2

The PBS related stations appear to be in different cities but much of the programming is the same, except broadcast times vary. Also, KHQDT3 seems to be nonexistent.

So, Yes Virgina, there is broadcast television in North Idaho. Whether it is worth your time is a decision only you can make.

Oh, lastly, if you do go the Plex route, please tweak your recording options before you try recording something important. I had to dial back the quality just a tad to get the live TV to record and sync audio and video correctly. Snow is in the forecast for next week, so I have yet to learn how much ice and snow affect the TV signal.

Against the Orthodoxy of Israel

Yep, I hereby dissent. We should stay out of the war in the Middle East. (In general, we should stay out of anybody else’s wars including Ukraine. In fairness, I am trying to be consistent.)

For the purposes of this blog post, my complaint is not so much against Israel or its government but against fellow Christians here in the United States. The country calling itself Israel is not the Israel of either the Old or New Testament. In fact, the current nation of Israel is largely irrelevant to biblical prophecy.

Any claim that the current nation of Israel has anything to do with the return of Christ is just nonsense. The only possible claim to prophecy is a passage in Romans 11 that some day most of Israel will believe in Jesus as Lord. This does not require that a geographical place called Israel exist, only that Jews at some point in the future will finally believe. Meanwhile, us Gentiles are being grafted to the true vine—Christ Jesus.

Thanks to some very strange interpretations of passages taken out of context or otherwise twisted, many Christians believe that the existence of Israel is required for the fulfillment of much of the Revelation of Saint John and passages such as Matthew chapter 24. Sorry gang but you missed the Day of the Lord by the better part of 2,000 years. The Day of the Lord is not the same as the return of Christ at the end of the age. The Day of the Lord was His coming in judgement of the generation that put him to death.

“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened,” Matt 24:34

“His blood is on us and on our children,” Matt 27:25.

This was fulfilled in 70 A.D.

God often comes to earth in judgement and there are many days of the Lord mentioned in the Bible, not just one.

Furthermore, the promises that God made to Israel in the Old Testament have been transferred to the Church.

Americans frequently support Israel because they think they are supporting a nation established by God in ancient times. Thanks to the Scofield Reference Bible and its twin pillars of Dispensational theology and Premillennial eschatology and how it has been implemented by many religious groups, folks think that to be opposed to modern Israel is to oppose God and His plans and conversely to support modern Israel is to be on God’s side. Sorry, but this is an example of really bad biblical interpretation.

Furthermore, modern Israel’s laws and government don’t follow the Law as given to Moses. Nope, they might rip-off the Talmud or some other traditions of men in some places, but they are just another nation that is—at least in part—the offspring of British Colonialism. They are a secular/humanistic country just like so many others.

Folks God divorced Israel long ago because of her adultery and took on a new bride, the Christian Church. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was the end of the Old Covenant—forevermore.

Many Christians have taken the saying, “My country right or wrong” and placed Israel in the same bucket. This again is nonsense and bad theology.

The whole point of the Ascension of Jesus is that he is now at the right hand of God and now ruling the nations. Scripture says he will rule until all his enemies are under his footstool. Psalm 110:1.

Usually, the first thing people do when they see a war in Israel is start talking of Armageddon and the Antichrist and the secret rapture.

First there is technically no geographical place called Armageddon (look up David Chilton on this point. Hint: it’s an audio tape). Second, the Bible knows of no person called Antichrist that is coming at the end of time. The term is found in the letters of Saint John but not his Revelation. John calls anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ a liar and an antichrist.

I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

I John 2:21 – 23

At the very least, these verses seem an apt description of Jewish theology both now and then.

Also, in order for Jews to be saved they must have faith in Jesus in the same way as Gentiles. Sorry but Hal Lindsey and others that teach that Jews have a different path to God now or in the future are heretics on that point. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

Supporting modern Israel because they “live in The Land” is unbiblical.

Supporting modern Israel because they are God’s people is unbiblical.

Supporting modern Israel because they will be instrumental in the Battle of Armageddon or trigger the Return of Christ is unbiblical.

I’m not saying that there is no scenario in which you can support Israel, but it can’t be on the basis of romantic fantasies of books like “The Late, Great Planet Earth” or “Left Behind” or some other fictional work.

Jewish folks get to come to God just like the rest of us, through faith in Christ.

Their nation, just like ours will be judged for how well or poorly we obey God’s Law.

We should keep our tax dollars and military out of this conflict and many others.

My Thoughts on Kevin McCarthy’s Removal as Speaker

There is a saying in life, don’t let a group of whackos hijack the group you belong to.  Well maybe not, but there ought to be. Anyway, I said it.  Well, what happened this past week in the GOP House Caucus is exactly what that saying of mine is all about.  The House Democrats and 8, yes 8, Republicans voted to vacate the Chair of the House, removing Kevin McCarthy as Speaker.

First some background and commentary.

I do not like Kevin McCarthy one bit.  He is a snake and is an embodiment of all things wrong with the GOP.  He loves to talk tough in person or with small groups, you know the sayings, quoting Reagan or at least claiming his legacy, saying no one is more conservative than he is, cut budget, reduce debt, etc.  He votes the opposite.  EVERY DAMN TIME.  Then he goes on Hannity, Limbaugh (Rip), Levin, or any other GOP based show, and waxes poetic about how he made a great deal and how the GOP won the negotiations; when in fact, we lost. (can you say unilateral capitulation?) McCarthy has done this his entire political career; he is a former Assemblymen from CA.  McCarthy, despite his faults, has some things going for him. He is telegenic and can give a good speech, but that’s about it for the positive side.  He also has a documented history of chasing skirts, and to me a more disturbing one, his “hospitality suites” at state GOP conventions seemed geared toward very “young republicans” like as in high school age kids. 

However, what happened to McCarthy ever since the GOP took over the House last election is not right.  Kevin is a very big fundraiser and helps the party win and defend seats in every cycle.  He helped chair “Young Guns” which was a recruitment device to recruit and help younger GOP types run and win races nationwide.  He is/was very good at that.  With his aid, we took back the House last cycle.  Albeit only by about 8 seats. I do not blame that showing on him, I blame Donald J Trump.  Then we had a vote-a-rama as I call it to elect a Speaker; keep in mind there was no actual competition for the speakership.  I believe it lasted about 2 weeks, having an ungodly number of votes.  McCarthy finally won.  Matt Gaetz was leading this rebellion, more on him later.

So, we removed the Speaker, now what?  Well, I really do not know.  (Neither did they when they voted.) Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan have thrown their names in.  Scalise is battling blood cancer so he may not be the best choice.  Jordan is a good one, but I feel he is better used as an attack dog on committees.  Think Paul Ryan, much better as budget committee chair than Speaker.

As far as Matt Gaetz?  What the hell is wrong with you?  I guess what you have going is you are from a very red district (I think DeSantis’ old seat) so he is basically furniture, he is going nowhere.  I guess he and McCarthy had a rivalry, with McCarthy filing an ethics complaint against him.  I guess Gaetz won the battle, McCarthy was removed, again by 8 GOP, and the entire Democrat caucus.  Seems like a pyric victory, something the CAGOP loves.  Gaetz for his part, I hear, really loves the college interns in the Capitol.   So, he and McCarthy do share common ground, preying on young women.  Frankly, if I were Gaetz, I would just call Boebert; she seems game to drop her panties at moment’s notice as witnessed with her “date.”  While some will mention Gaetz is married, that has hardly stopped some in the past.

In closing I will say this.  I do not like McCarthy. I feel he is a CAGOP guy to the core, a go along to get along Republican.  He is more concerned with “owning an issue” than doing anything about it.  Think Repeal and Replace of Obamacare.  It’s better to fundraise off an issue than do anything about it.  McCarthy was the wrong choice for Speaker, it happens.  He is no leader, he is a go along to get along guy, the worst part about him is he will follow up a bad performance by going on Fox to try to brandish his credentials.  Now we have a mess on our hands.

In short congress under McCarthy as Speaker looked like the CAGOP I have known my adult life.

The Chief

Benevolent King Gavin Newsom Raises Wage for Fast Food*

Loyal readers, the blog still maintains a co-headquarters here in the People’s Republic of California.  We are unsure of where Troll lays his head at night, but we know for a fact it is not near; Hope Hicks, Lolo Jones, Alex Morgan, Hope Solo, or any other of his pop tarts or flavors of the month.  That being said, our benevolent King Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill giving fast food workers a raise to $20 an hour in April of next year.  You may be wondering about the asterisk (aka star) above in the title … well check out this dudelet buried in the bill he signed.

Workers at restaurants like Panera Bread won’t receive the wage increase because the new law doesn’t recognize places that operate “a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread,” as fast-food.

California law to increase minimum wage for fast-food workers won’t apply to everyone

“This exemption applies only where the establishment produces for sale bread as a stand-alone menu item and does not apply if the bread is available for sale solely as part of another menu item,” the law’s text said.

Hmm, kinda sounds like lobbyist picking winners and losers am I right?  Let’s hear what our benevolent king had to say about it.

Why the line was drawn at bread remains unclear.

“That’s part of the sausage-making,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a news conference when asked about the exemption, Insider reported

Gavin, to borrow a line from Troll, knows a lot about sausage as he represents an area famous for how they use them!

In all seriousness, this bill was opposed big time by lots of groups, mostly big business, but I think folks need to understand while fast food has seen a lot of consolidation, there are still a bunch owned by minorities who only own a couple shops.  If I have to pay $20 an hour, do I find a way to fire a couple of people?  You cannot really automate … yet.  How does this help people?  Landlords will just raise rent higher, prices of fast food will go up big time.  Anyone want to bet that next year in May a Big Mac, Fries, and Coke is about $22.50?  The dollar menu becomes the $5 menu?  Fast food is looked at by most as a convenience and cheap, not healthy.  Gavin is removing the cheap part.

Folks, fast food has its place. Employees working there also have their place.  To most it’s a starter job, make a little scratch during college breaks, get work experience, rise through the ranks and be a manger after 5 years.  Then you move on.  It’s a decent resume builder.  For others, it’s all they have, but that’s likely because of decisions they have made.  High school dropouts, criminal records, yeah you work their long term because you have too.  To all the people working at fast food, it is not a career.

Kinda weird they drew Panera Bread out of this law.  Really weird.  I would rather work at Panera than any fast food joint sans In-N-Out or Chick-fil-A.  I mean folks if you have children working, like a first job, they now will make more $$ at Burger King than Panera Bread.  Think about it.

Liberalism is a brain disease.  This moron Gavin thinks giving folks $20 an hour will magically fix poverty … it will not.  It just creates higher rent and other expenses for food.  It also expands a permanently unemployed class of folks.  Business will always find a way. No one is paying $25 for a burger, fries and a Coke. 

So, there you have it folks … get a career at Burger King and Have it Your Way.  Yikes.

The Chief

How Trump Will Beat Himself

One theme that all the editorial staff can agree on here at the blog is Donald Trump’s biggest enemy is himself.  The man has been indicted several times, been blamed for starting a riot on January 6th, but nothing seems to stick.  He literally might be made of Teflon!

Check out this wild statement by Trump on abortion.

In just the last week, Donald Trump called Florida’s six-week abortion ban “terrible,” refused to endorse national restrictions, blamed abortion opponents for Republicans’ 2022 election disappointments and pledged to compromise with Democrats on the issue if elected.

Trump steamrolls anti-abortion groups

This is a pretty wild about face.  Coming from a man who “stacked” (Democrat’s words not ours) the Supreme Court with religious conservatives.  As we have documented on this blog, Trump is very much to blame for 2022 election failures.  As far as compromise with Democrats on this issue … why?  There are very few Democrats left who have center-right views on abortion, most are happy with abortion moments prior to birth.

What has disappointed me most is Trump seems again to be trying to play both sides, similar to how he spoke about the stock market/economy during his term.

Trump’s attempt to have it both ways on the fraught issue — calling himself “the most pro-life president ever” and taking credit for the fall of Roe v. Wade while also shunning the priorities of the anti-abortion groups that helped elect him in 2016 — has exposed those groups’ struggle for relevance in a lopsided primary and highlighted ongoing divisions inside the movement.

This issue will hurt him in the general, not so much the primary as he is running away with it.  There are a few folks I know who are one issue voters, and will definitely stay home on election night if they feel unlisten too.  Make no mistake about it, you are either ok with abortion or against it, there really isn’t a middle ground.  As far as compromise goes … how so? A left leaning supreme court judge?

Here is another recent Trump quote that has me seething.

Former President Trump pledged to investigate Comcast, the parent company for NBC and MSNBC, if he is elected in 2024, saying it “will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events.”

“They are almost all dishonest and corrupt, but Comcast, with its one-side and vicious coverage by NBC NEWS, and in particular MSNBC, often and correctly referred to as MSDNC (Democrat National Committee!), should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday.

“I say up front, openly, and proudly, that when I WIN the Presidency of the United States, they and others of the LameStream Media will be thoroughly scrutinized for their knowingly dishonest and corrupt coverage of people, things, and events,” the former President wrote.

Trump also rehashed a phrase he has often used for news media in the past, calling it the “enemy of the people.”

“The Fake News Media should pay a big price for what they have done to our once great Country!” Trump added.

Trump pledges to investigate MSNBC parent company for ‘threatening treason’

I’m sorry folks and loyal readers if this is a turn off to you, but I hate the idea of weaponizing the levers of government against free speech.  I am no fan of Comcast Universal or their MSNBC news division, that doesn’t make it right to attack them.  This move is straight out of the Clinton/Obama/Biden playbook, I hate it.  What they are doing to Trump now with indictments is very wrong and is likely why he is running away with the nomination.  However, this is not Russia, China, or a Middle Eastern country where your political opponents get thrown into a gulag or never heard from again, this is America.  I’m sorry but this seems like Trump is morphing into a tyrant or dictator, and we do not need that.  Simply put, he is a lame duck if he wins and there is no telling what he could be capable of.

Bottom line, no Republican can beat Trump in the primary, he is out too far in front.  Secondly the Democrat’s indictments are coming back to bite them, as folks are seeing Donald as having to fight against the Democrats and the courts to win.  But if Donald has a worst enemy, its himself.  Yikes, that was a bad week folks.  Something tells me it will only get worse.  My best advice to the D team, leave Trump alone as he is likely to destroy himself.  Run those things above (abortion and news media comments) on TV ads round the clock, Donald will be cooked.

The Chief

Editor’s Note: This was submitted while I was on a road trip and thus was posted late. I agree that Trump’s comments on pro-life people are stupid, wrong, and not helpful.

Book Review: The Boniface Option

We don’t do many book reviews on the website but this one deserves some attention. This book is primarily written by a man for men, to help them be better men, fathers, and leaders of their families. The author pulls no punches, and everyone gets a poke in the nose at some point through this book. Frankly, I wish it had a few more footnotes in it because it assumes that you know it’s references to pop culture, history, theology, and other areas of life. While this can make a good book in this present moment, it will age terribly.

Author Andew Isker

I would also recommend “How the Irish Saved Civilization” as background to some comments made by the author. Ironically, I doubt he has ever read the book. St. Patrick often evangelized Ireland by going to a city and creating a Christian community on the outskirts of a city that showed the difference that being a Christian could make to the way we live our lives. It sounds like this idea was picked up a few years ago in a book the author does reference, The Benedict Option. The author of the Boniface Option rejects the idea of retreat into Christian Communities (ghettos in the eyes of some) and instead advocates that we actively fight against the Trashworld.

The Boniface Option uses a few terms repeatedly, one being “Trashworld. From page xi:

“The society we have is already an anti-human one. It is already one designed to remove from you all that made life meaningful and fulfilling. It has torn you from people and place. It is designed to make you isolated, lonely, and, above all else, totally docile.”

“I use the term Trashworld to describe this dystopian society.”

Another concept mentioned in various ways is references to homosexuality. The homosexual attitude is described on pages xii and xiii as living only for now, following the basest urges, and no thought for the future.

“The gayness of “fake and gay” is not merely some schoolyard slur. There is deep meaning to this, too. The homosexual is not just a sexual deviant. His very nature and the very center of his identity is a man whose urges take precedence over all else.”

“For the homosexual, insatiable desires must be pursued even knowing it will cost him his life. In economic terms, he is the ultimate high-time-preference man. He only lives in the present. There is no thought for the future.”

“In short, the homosexual is both the apex consumer and the easiest personality to manipulate and lord over… the gayness of Trashworld is our rulers’ social engineering of the population to create the exact same ethos of the homosexual in everyone, regardless of their sexual tastes. They want you to be spiritually homosexual whether or not they can make you actually homosexual. They want everyone uprooted and alone.”

The third term permeating this book is “bugman”. Bugman is described as one stripped away from family, people, and place and made “a willing vessel for the religion and culture of the globo-homo world order.”

Once stripped of their identity, children then go to college and “… are presented with a Pleasure Island where hedonism and sexual exploration are the carrot to the stick of ideological cajoling by leftist, anti-Christian faculty.”

After college, people are just bugs in the hive.

The book is in two halves, first the idols of Trashworld and then transforming Trashworld.

The author describes his realization of Trashworld on pages 30 and 31. Below are some parts of that story.

“I remember the day I realized I was living in Trashworld. I once took my wife on a date to a restaurant in a hip retail and entertainment development in an affluent suburb of a large American city. Full of trendy bars and restaurants and complete with tiny, absurdly overpriced studio apartments above them. The place was filled with twenty- and thirty-somethings … What I did remember about this place was that there was not a single child anywhere. Not only not at the particular restaurant, but anywhere in that entire development. The place was designed specifically for childless people… It was designed for a spiritually homosexual people, for whom life is a matter of consuming fleeting pleasures… I will never forget how overcome I was with melancholy upon the realization that this place, this lifestyle could only be achieved when built upon a mountain of tens of millions of dead babies… the murder of children, the abandonment of all sexual mores, and the destruction of the household is dedicated: so that you can live on Pleasure island without ever turning into a donkey.”

“… if Satan were to design a society where every lust and every sinful desire could be freely pursued, and men would then feel the maximum possible misery, how much different from our society would it look?” page 36.

And yes, this book does take some serious swipes at conservatives. Here’s some excerpts from pages 67 and 68.

“You will need the faint-hearted, conflict-averse conservatives who are ostensibly on your side …”

“… much force is needed to get conservatives to see that the idols that they rightly detest are downstream from the idols they are comfortable with.”

“Conservatism is progressivism driving the speed limit.”

“If you are not asking questions that will outrage conservatives from time to time, even if you think you are a radical, you are actually going the speed limit … and still going the wrong way.”

Andrew Isker dismantles those who think the Second Amendment is their refuge with one question, if the SWAT teams comes knocking on your door, who in your friend’s list can you call that will show up to defend you?

Again, this book is directed to men to start acting like men. Ladies, you are also welcome to read the book but just know that you will get your toes stepped on also. The topics are provocative and intended to be. I think part 2 of the book could be fleshed out more but it’s a great read at just over 160 pages.