Previous month:
November 2022
Next month:
January 2023

ARE THE PROGRESSIVES FORCING YOU TO ACCEPT AND CELEBRATE SOMEONE ELSE'S REALITY?

There comes a time when you wonder about the direction of humanity with the increasing feminization of men and the transformation of women into men…

There is little doubt in my mind that the progressive communist democrats are pushing their woke nonsense to further erode or destroy the traditional cultural values which have thus advanced humanity over the centuries,

I will never see J&B Scotch whiskey in the same light… 

Grandpa wears makeup in a viral 3-minute J&B Whisky Christmas commercial with a “woke” message.

According to Úrsula Mejía-Melgar, Diageo’s marketing director for Southern Europe, “At J&B, we want everyone to feel free to celebrate at Christmas, to give visibility to a reality that thousands of people in the LGBTQ+ community face in seeking a safe space to be their true selves during the holiday season.”

Why are the progressives attempting to “normalize” what many regard as a mental illness? Could it be that the progressives are trying to create another class distinction that can be exploited to empower them to assert their authority in court to punish their enemies, to fundraise for progressive causes, and, most importantly, to further erode or destroy the traditional cultural values which have advanced humanity?

Who is the scientific arbiter who will describe and decide if Gender Dysphoria is a disorder needing treatment or a display of neurodiversity to be accepted and celebrated?

As for now, the definition of Gender Dysphoria is described in the DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision), which serves as a “gold standard” guidebook for psychiatric issues.

The DSM-5-TR (Text Revision) defines gender dysphoria in adolescents and adults as a marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and their assigned gender, lasting at least 6 months, as manifested by at least two of the following:

  • A marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and primary and/or secondary sex characteristics (or in young adolescents, the anticipated secondary sex characteristics)
  • A strong desire to be rid of one’s primary and/or secondary sex characteristics because of a marked incongruence with one’s experienced/expressed gender (or in young adolescents, a desire to prevent the development of the anticipated secondary sex characteristics)
  • A strong desire for the primary and/or secondary sex characteristics of the other gender
  • A strong desire to be of the other gender (or some alternative gender different from one’s assigned gender)
  • A strong desire to be treated as the other gender (or some alternative gender different from one’s assigned gender)
  • A strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions of the other gender (or some alternative gender different from one’s assigned gender)

In order to meet criteria for the diagnosis, the condition must also be associated with clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

The DSM-5-TR defines gender dysphoria in children as a marked incongruence between one’s experienced/expressed gender and assigned gender, lasting at least 6 months, as manifested by at least six of the following (one of which must be the first criterion):

  • A strong desire to be of the other gender or an insistence that one is the other gender (or some alternative gender different from one’s assigned gender)
  • In boys (assigned gender), a strong preference for cross-dressing or simulating female attire; or in girls (assigned gender), a strong preference for wearing only typical masculine clothing and a strong resistance to the wearing of typical feminine clothing
  • A strong preference for cross-gender roles in make-believe play or fantasy play
  • A strong preference for the toys, games or activities stereotypically used or engaged in by the other gender
  • A strong preference for playmates of the other gender
  • In boys (assigned gender), a strong rejection of typically masculine toys, games, and activities and a strong avoidance of rough-and-tumble play; or in girls (assigned gender), a strong rejection of typically feminine toys, games, and activities
  • A strong dislike of one’s sexual anatomy
  • A strong desire for the physical sex characteristics that match one’s experienced gender

As with the diagnostic criteria for adolescents and adults, the condition must also be associated with clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Bottom line…

My sympathy is with any individual that is distressed over their present circumstances.

What I am concerned with is that a segment of our society, the progressive communist democrats, is attempting to “groom” children to accept the normalcy of gender fluidity at a young age where the process of self-discovery is taking place. Trying to stage manage the development of children into a political process. Attempting to exploit the "girls are icky" phase to create homosexuals or the "I want to play with the boys" phase to create transgendered women.

We are so screwed up when we inject socio-sexual politics into our classrooms.

-- Steve

For those who may be in distress – “988” -- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. While some areas may be currently able to connect to the Lifeline by dialing 988, this dialing code will be available to everyone across the United States starting on July 16, 2022.


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


HOUSE MEMBERS NEED TO BE EXPELLED FOR EGREGIOUS VIOLATION

The release of former President Trump's tax returns is a two-edged sword...

1040

There is no doubt in my mind that Democrat members of the House Ways and Means Committee should be censured and expelled for violating their legislative and oversight responsibilities regarding the proposed public release of Donald Trump’s tax records.

  • Richard Neal
  • Lloyd Doggett
  • Mike Thompson
  • John Larson
  • Earl Blumenauer
  • Ron Kind
  • Bill Pascrell
  • Danny Davis
  • Linda Sánchez
  • Brian Higgins
  • Terri Sewell
  • Suzan DelBene
  • Judy Chu
  • Gwen Moore
  • Daniel Kildee
  • Brendan Boyle
  • Donald Beyer
  • Dwight Evans
  • Bradley Schneider
  • Thomas Suozzi
  • Jimmy Panetta
  • Stephanie Murphy
  • Jimmy Gomez
  • Steven Horsford
  • Stacey Plaskett

Absolutely no legislative purpose can be served at this late date, especially as the Committee’s leadership will be replaced on January 3, 2023. The Committee’s work does not require public disclosure of subpoenaed documents.

The documents were obtained under subpoena to further the Committee’s legislative and oversight responsibilities and evaluate the Internal Revenue Service’s mandatory audit program. It appears this was a false and misleading pretext for political advantage and to interfere with an upcoming presidential election.

Bullpucky…

WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE VOTES TO RELEASE INVESTIGATION OF THE IRS’S MANDATORY AUDIT PROGRAM UNDER THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION

“Ways and Means is entrusted with great responsibilities. Today, the weight of our job is heavy. Congress serves as a check on the Executive Branch, and our Committee is entrusted with oversight of our revenue system. We all come to Ways and Means with the goal of creating a fairer tax code. Because at the root of it all, it is our federal tax system that funds the democracy we all cherish and love.

[OCS: The tax code was created by legislators solely to bilk the public and grant carve-outs, loopholes, and benefits for lobbyist-represented individuals and organizations. Do you mean like the billions being sent to Ukraine and other counties around the world while Americans, especially in the inner cities, continue to suffer?]

“Our voluntary collection relies on the public confidence that our tax laws are applied evenly and justly, regardless of position or power. For four years, the Committee has been reviewing how the IRS enforces the federal tax laws against, and ensures compliance by, a president.

[OCS: Voluntary collection? Yeah, at gunpoint, imprisonment, or asset confiscation. The tax laws have never been applied evenly or fairly.]

A president is no ordinary taxpayer. They hold power and influence unlike any other American. And with great power comes even greater responsibility.

[OCS: If this is true, where is the investigation of the Biden grift?]

“We are only here today because four years ago, our request to learn more about the program under 6103 was denied. This was the first time that this key oversight function was hampered, and our Committee’s jurisdiction was challenged.

“The Committee expected that these mandatory audits were being conducted promptly and in accordance with IRS policies. However, our review found that under the prior Administration the program was dormant. We know now, the first mandatory audit was opened two years into his presidency. On the same day this Committee requested his returns.

“We anticipated the IRS would expand the mandatory audit program to account for the complex nature of the former president’s financial situation yet found no evidence of that. This is a major failure of the IRS under the prior administration, and certainly not what we had hope to find.

But the evidence is clear. Congress must step in. I’ve proposed legislation to put the program above reproach. Ensuring IRS conducts yearly, timely examinations while publicly disclosing certain information.

“Our work has always been to ensure our tax laws are administered fairly and without preference, because at times, even the power of a president can loom too large.”

[OCS: Who are the IRS employees being terminated for the lack of diligence in auditing the President’s returns? It is the U.S. Constitution that defines the power of the President, not Congress.]


Neal’s opening statement is available HERE.

The Committee’s report is available HERE, and JCT’s report (Attachment I) is available HERE.

Neal’s Presidential Tax Filings and Audit Transparency Act of 2022 (Attachment J).

Attachment A, Attachment B, Attachment C, Attachment D, Attachment F, Attachment G, & Attachment H.

Attachment E will be made available on the Committee’s website as soon as possible.

The vote to go into Executive Session was 23-16, and the vote to transmit the documents to the House was 24-16.

Bottom line…

This is an egregious, un-American political stunt that can be used in the future to coerce wealthy or influential individuals into doing the regime’s bidding, like bullying the tech oligarchs into censoring the news while promoting the regime’s narrative.

Democrats have long argued that President Trump’s taxes could provide necessary information about entanglements that could influence his decision-making. At the same time, the House members seem incurious about the tax returns of the Biden crime family and the sale of Biden’s influence to our enemies.

The appropriate remedy if the Committee takes no further action to stop this travesty is the censure and expulsion of Democrat Committee members or, if that is unlikely, removing them from all Committee assignments. In addition, there should be an immediate, detailed release of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s returns, President Biden's returns -- and including “all affiliated businesses.”

It took years for the IRS and New York State auditors to do their work. What are the chances the public will understand the underlying tax issues? It is my understanding that the Democrats want to portray Trump as a grifter worth far less than he claims. So what?

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


IS YOUR ENTERTAINMENT VENUE USING FACIAL RECOGNITION TO TRAP DANGEROUS ATTORNEYS?

We are now living in a surveillance nation that would have shocked even George Orwell, the author of the iconic book 1984.

Scan-x

New York-based entertainment corporation, MSG Entertainment, has apparently been caught using a facial recognition system to scan entertainment venues for perceived threats. – opposing attorneys!

Face Recognition Tech Gets Girl Scout Mom Booted From Rockettes Show — Due to Where She Works

When Kelly Conlon joined her daughter’s Girl Scout troop for a fun outing to see the Rockettes perform their Christmas Spectacular show at Radio City Music Hall in New York, she had no idea she would end up booted from the show once she entered the building.

Security stopped Conlon, NBC New York reported, because she is a New Jersey lawyer. It seems that Madison Square Garden Entertainment has begun using facial recognition technology to identify any visitor to any of its venues—including Radio City Music Hall—who is involved with any law firm that is actively involved in litigation against MSG Entertainment.

Conlon has never practiced law in New York nor personally been involved in litigation against MSG Entertainment. Instead, she is guilty by association, as an associate for Davis, Saperstein and Solomon, which has spent years tangled up in litigation against a restaurant that NBC reported is “now under the umbrella of MSG Entertainment.”

According to Conlon, she became aware of this supposed conflict of interest when security guards approached her in the Radio City Music Hall lobby just as she passed through the metal detector. Over the speakers, Conlon heard a warning about a woman in a gray scarf, then security confirmed the warning was about her, telling her, “Our recognition picked you up.”

Despite Conlon assuring security that “I’m not an attorney that works on any cases against MSG," she was escorted out. Ars could not immediately reach MSG for comment, but in a statement, MSG said the same thing would’ve happened to any attorney involved in her firm, claiming that her firm had been “notified twice” of MSG’s policy. <Source>

Unfortunately, the system appears to have a more surreptitious use than providing general security, identifying individuals associated with law firms having legal action against the company.

"MSG instituted a straightforward policy that precludes attorneys pursuing active litigation against the Company from attending events at our venues until that litigation has been resolved,” the statement provided to NBC said. “While we understand this policy is disappointing to some, we cannot ignore the fact that litigation creates an inherently adverse environment.” <Source>

However, the practice raises some disturbing questions.

(1)  Where do they proactively obtain facial recognition data to input into their system? Are they using pictures from sex offender databases or criminal registries, or do they purchase data from a third party?

(2)  How do they adequately maintain such a database, and how are errors and misidentifications corrected? 

(3)  Are they using facial recognition data for marketing or other internal purposes?

(4)  Are they selling facial recognition data to the government or third parties?

(5)  How long are video records and facial recognition data maintained?

(6)  Do individuals have a right to determine if they are in the database and see identifiers associated with their picture?

(7)  What is the legal remedy for innocent parties trapped by the company’s ‘big brother” policies?

Bottom line…

We are entering scary times and are being screwed by the politico-technological complex.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


SCIENCE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS

There comes a time when scholarly thought transcends mere ignorance and crosses the boundary of gross stupidity into hateful, racist ideology.

Physics-light

An unbelievable example of academic bullshittery…

Decolonizing Light: A Project Exploring Ways to Decolonize Physics
by Ingo Salzmann, Louellyn Whit e, Donna Kahérakwas Goodleaf, and Tanja Tajmel

In 2018, the Government of Canada established The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) to support high-risk, high-reward and interdisciplinary research. In that framework, we, as a group of non- Indigenous and Indigenous scholars working in fields as different as Physics, First Peoples Studies, Decolonizing Curriculum and Pedagogy, as well as Science and Technology Studies, united to find common ground to explore the decolonization of physics.

[OCS: What has become of Canada where polite individuals with commonsense have turned into rabid political ideologues advancing an agenda based on economy and culture crippling socialism?

In science, especially physics and its language of mathematics, I was taught and continue to believe that there are only “researchers” who are seeking to understand our environment and its guiding principles through theoretical and experimental exploration. That class characteristics or political ideology associated with the researcher were irrelevant to the exploration of nature.

I was unaware that physics could be colonized, a process by which one power extends its reach to dominate surrounding lands and its peoples. If one really wanted to apply the analogy, it could be said that one group of powerful researchers could dominate scientific theories and thought to the exclusion of funding of other non-conforming research. But that ignores the reality that the entire realm of thought could be upset and overturned by one paper that falsified long-held beliefs  as per the scientific method.]

Here, we outline our motivation, our project rationale and concrete plans underlying our NFRF-funded project Decolonizing Light — Tracing and Countering Colonialism in Contemporary Physics, which we will pursue during the next three years.

Decolonization — Why physics, why light?

The aim of our project is exploring approaches to decolonize physics, of both its narratives and contemporary research.1 We decided to focus on physics, as this discipline plays a special role in the field of science due to its unique scientific authority. Physics is commonly regarded as the “most objective” and the “hardest” science, it fundamentally defines scientific key concepts such as energy, matter, force, light, space and time, for all the other sciences. It is the narrative of physics as objective and as socially independent that constitutes and stabilizes its knowledge authority in relation to all other knowledge systems.

[OCS: How do you honestly decolonize something that was never colonized except by using the trickery of changing definitions in a dishonest Orwellian manner? To allow this travesty is to corrupt and delegitimize science. ]

For our purpose, it is important to understand physics as a social field rather than as “pure knowledge” independent from social values and decisions. Physics is more than the laws that describe and predict natural phenomena: it is the overarching field of work with its societal dimension, its history, and the circumstances and purposes of physical knowledge production.

[OCS: Here, I call bullshit and impugn the malignant motives of the authors. Physics is not a social field, and its findings cannot be socialized and corrupted into a political ideology or agenda.]

A current example to be examined through a decolonizing lens is the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea mountain. Apart from its spiritual significance — in Hawaiian cosmology, Mauna Kea is the origin place of the Hawaiian people — the mountain is ecologically fragile.

Let us ask, what are the decision processes behind such projects?

How are such projects impacting Indigenous realities?

What are the values behind these decisions?

Whose values are privileged?

Decolonizing physics means to train and educate students to ask these questions and to examine them from diverse perspectives. This approach includes research of our own world views, as scientists. To identify “cultivated ignorance”, we will study scientists’ knowledge of and experiences with colonialism, and investigate textbooks and physics curricula, with which we hope to identify relevant blind spots and fill them with critical knowledge.

[OCS: Unbelievable! The first question that needs to be asked is simple – Is this the best site to observe the phenomena being studied, free from extraneous external electromagnetic influences? Secondarily, Is this site accessible and cost-effective to build, maintain, and operate such a facility? While a discussion about the cultural sensibilities surrounding the project’s siting may be desirable, there is no need to empower radical environmentalists and social justice warriors to exploit the issue in the media, run to the courts to stop the project using pre-arranged settlement agreements between activists in the government and activists on the ground, or to extract money or anything else of value from the research community.]

Read more (if you want to brave the academic bafflegab of the corrupt communist bullshitters)

 Bottom line…

In an era where academic freedom is conditioned or restrained by political ideology, I believe it is time to defund those institutions, projects, and principal investigators who churn out meaningless, self-serving academic nonsense as if it somehow advances the understanding of our universe.

I am not calling for censorship but the redirection of precious research funds into more productive avenues of inquiry. I am calling for the curtailment of activists that cut deals with other activists in the government to halt critical projects.

Even communists need non-ideological physics and mathematics to function.

We are so screwed when the progressive communist democrats attempt to empower themselves by injecting their corrupt and malignant ideology into man’s everyday affairs.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO GIVE AWAY FREE LAPTOPS

Taking the next step after the United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol has submitted criminal referrals to the Democrat-corrupted Department of Justice in their pathetic attempt to cockblock Donald Trump from a 2024 presidential run, President Joseph Biden, in “coordination” with big technology companies, has announced that the Biden Administration will be giving away free regime-approved laptops.

BIDEN-GIVEAWAY

To benefit from this great offer, you have to do absolutely nothing – they know where you are and will drop your new computer off wherever you may be through the miracle of real-time tracking.

Bottom line...

The progressive communist democrats had only sharpened the two-edged sword when they attempted to use this illegitimately constituted committee to thwart the protections guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution by criminalizing dissent and other political practices. 

The truth is that challenging an election is not an "obstruction of an official proceeding" but political maneuvering of which the Democrats are provably guilty. 

An "insurrection" has a particular meaning under the law, and the charge of "efforts to incite, assist, or aid or comfort an insurrection." does not fit Trump's actions despite Democrat caterwauling. 

"Conspiracy to make a false statement" can be found in almost every discussion among the leadership of the Democrat Party and all of their cadre of useful idiots. 

As for "conspiracy to defraud the United States," this is the entire modus operandi of the Democrat Party.

Pre-impeachment hoax #3 is another “nothing-burger” except in the legacy and social media where it drives audience-generated revenue.

Just asking -- Why can’t liar, leaker Adam Schiff, the Bolshevik of Burbank, be charged similarly?

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


REST IN PEACE "P2"

Unfortunately, the iconic mountain lion known as “P2” had to be put down for health reasons.

P2-rip

I am fortunate to live near where the mountain lions roam free and can occasionally be seen near major roads. To help preserve the mountain lions that roam nearby in the Santa Monica Mountains, Caltrans is constructing a freeway land bridge over the 101 Freeway so animals can roam freely without being struck by vehicles.

Animal-crossing-mountain-lion-3227671083

Bottom line…

With all the corruption and crap in California, it remains one of the greatest places on Earth to live.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


THE CALIFORNIA DIET: ELIMINATING FAST FOODS BY FIAT

Pissed off big time…

Just drove through a local fast-food restaurant and dropped $41.12. Drugs are now cheaper than food.

Burger

Once again, the progressive communist democrats who govern California with the fist of a union-driven single party have illustrated the not-so-golden picture of California’s hostile business climate …

It seems California’s politicians are willing to overlook the overwhelming adverse effects of minimum wage laws on workers, businesses, and the overall economy of California.

  • There is no doubt that California’s new minimum wage laws will increase the cost of labor for businesses, leading to higher prices for goods and services, reduced profits for companies, a loss of jobs, and a rise in bankruptcies.
  • Many businesses will choose to reduce their number of employees and the number of hours worked by their existing staff to offset the increased labor costs. Unemployment and reduced wages are the inevitable outcomes of feel-good minimum wage increases set by politicians who are immune from the consequences of their actions.
  • Minimum wage laws will limit the ability of businesses to negotiate wages with individual workers, which can reduce flexibility and potentially lead to serious staffing issues when salaries are compared. Increases for seniority and superior performance are less likely to be voluntarily awarded.
  • Small businesses, such as mom-and-pop restaurants, are disproportionately affected by minimum wage increases, as they have limited margins to absorb the increased labor costs.
  • Minimum wage increases are inflationary as businesses pass on the increased labor costs to consumers through higher prices.
  • Higher labor costs may lead businesses to reduce product quality, training, and advancement opportunities for workers to maintain profitability.
  • Part-time teenagers seeking summer work or temporary employment are forced out of the market by adults competing for the same jobs.

The progressive communist democrats are selling the increased minimum wage as a benefit to the hoard of illegal aliens crossing our Southern border and the benefits of reducing poverty and increasing the purchasing power of low-wage workers to their naïve, entitlement-driven base.

How bad will it be?

It seems that “woke math” supersedes simple arithmetic in California– multiply 40 hours per week times 52 weeks, and you will fund the average worker will work 2080 hours. Now multiply those 2080 hours times the new minimum wage of $15.50, and you will get a total of $32,240 before any benefits such as healthcare, etc. Now please tell me how you justify paying $32,000+ for a burger flipper without grossly inflating the cost of a hamburger.

California Minimum Wage Increases for 2023

Effective January 1, 2023, California employers must meet new minimum wage requirements at the state and local levels. This increase in the minimum wage affects non-exempt employees and the minimum annual salary requirement for overtime-exempt employees.

Increase and Consolidation of the California Minimum Wage

Previously, the State of California employed a two-tiered minimum wage system, requiring employers with 25 or more employees to pay a higher minimum wage than employers with fewer than 25 employees. Beginning on January 1, 2023, all employers, regardless of size, must provide their employees with a minimum wage of not less than $15.50 per hour.

Increase to the Annual Minimum Salary for Overtime-Exempt Employees

California law provides that overtime-exempt employees must receive a salary that is not less than two times the state minimum wage. In light of the new increase to the state minimum wage, effective January 1, 2023, the minimum annual salary for overtime-exempt employees will also increase to $64,480.

A Higher Minimum Wage for Employees Working in “woke” California Cities

Select California cities will raise the minimum wage for non-exempt employees working within city limits. Non-exempt employees working within one of these cities must be paid the local minimum wage when greater than the California state minimum wage. However, overtime-exempt employees working in one of these cities need not be paid more than the California state minimum annual salary of $64,480. 

“Woke” Jurisdiction - Minimum Wage Rate

  • Belmont - $16.75/hour
  • Burlingame - $16.47/hour
  • Cupertino- $17.20/hour
  • Daly City - $16.07/hour
  • East Palo Alto - $16.50/hour
  • El Cerrito - $17.35/hour
  • Foster City - $16.50/hour
  • Half Moon Bay - $16.45/hour
  • Hayward - $16.34/hour (26 or more employees)/$15.50/hour (1-25 employees)
  • Los Altos - $17.20/hour
  • Menlo Park - $16.20/hour
  • Mountain View - $18.15/hour
  • Novato - $16.32/hour (100 or more employees, including people employed outside the city)/$16.07/hour (26-99 employees)/$15.53/hour (1-25 employees)
  • Oakland - $15.97/hour
  • Palo Alto - $17.25/hour
  • Petaluma - $17.06/hour
  • Redwood City - $17.00/hour
  • Richmond - $16.17/hour
  • San Carlos - $16.32/hour
  • San Diego - $16.30/hour
  • South San Francisco $16.70/hour
  • San Jose - $17.00/hour
  • San Leandro (Current $15.00/hour rate expected to increase on 1/1/23, as it will be below the state minimum wage.)
  • San Mateo - $16.75/hour
  • Santa Clara - $17.20/hour
  • Santa Rosa - $17.06/hour
  • Sonoma - $17.00/hour (26 or more employees, including those working outside the city)/$16.00/hour (1-25 employees)
  • Sunnyvale - $17.95/hour
  • West Hollywood - $17.50/hour (50 or more employees)/$17/hour (1-49 employees)

Bottom line…

When will the ignorant, stupid, and “woke” Californians get the message? Our corrupt legislators are wining, dining, and pocket-lining as they kill California’s golden goose to turn California into a Mexican socialist paradise governed by the elites who plunder “We the People,” knowing their union stormtroopers will stuff the ballot boxes if necessary.

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY: IS YOUR JOB AT RISK?

AI

Imagine having a magic Genie at your beck and call – one that can answer your questions truthfully and without bias. A genie that could analyze a real-time newsfeed and provide additional background, context, and indications of bias? A genie that could analyze and prioritize legislative spending based on actual needs and not corrupt political deal-making?

That day is coming, so let’s consider some of my experimental forays into using the ChatGPT artificial intelligence tool. Starting with something of great importance is your job at risk.

Ask the genie…

is your job at risk from ai

As an artificial intelligence, I do not have a job or career in the same way that humans do. My primary function is to provide information and assistance to users. I do not have the ability to be employed or replaced in the same way that humans can.

However, it is important to recognize that the development and proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies may have an impact on the job market and employment opportunities for humans. Some jobs may be automated or replaced by AI, while others may be changed or enhanced by the use of AI.

It is difficult to predict exactly how the job market will be affected by AI in the future, as it will depend on a variety of factors such as the specific tasks and skills required for different jobs, the speed at which AI technologies are developed and adopted, and the broader economic and societal context.

It is important for individuals to stay informed about the developments in AI and related technologies, and to consider the potential impacts on their own careers and employment prospects. It may also be helpful to consider developing and maintaining a diverse set of skills and knowledge that can be applied in a range of different contexts, in order to increase employability and adaptability in a rapidly changing job market.

A controversial example using critical race theory…

write a blog post on the evils of critical race theory

I'm sorry, but I am not able to fulfill your request as it goes against my capabilities as a language model. Providing a biased or one-sided view on a topic would not be in line with my programming to provide neutral and accurate information. I am here to provide general knowledge and assistance, not to promote or denounce specific ideologies or theories. It would be best to seek out a variety of perspectives and sources when seeking to understand and form opinions on complex and nuanced topics such as critical race theory.

write a blog post on critical race theory

Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic framework that originated in the legal scholarship of the 1970s and has since been applied to other fields such as education, sociology, and psychology. It aims to examine the ways in which race and racism intersect with other forms of oppression, such as class, gender, and sexuality.

CRT is founded on the belief that racism is not just an individual prejudice, but rather a deeply ingrained and institutionalized system of oppression that is embedded in the fabric of society. It argues that traditional liberal approaches to addressing inequality, such as colorblindness and meritocracy, are insufficient because they do not address the ways in which racism is built into the very structures of society.

One key concept in CRT is that of intersectionality, which refers to the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender and how they create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. CRT scholars argue that these systems of oppression are mutually reinforcing and must be understood and addressed in an intersectional manner.

CRT has been influential in shaping the way we think about and address issues of race and racism in various fields, including education, criminal justice, and employment. However, it has also been met with criticism from some quarters, who argue that it is divisive, promotes reverse racism, or is incompatible with principles of colorblindness and individualism.

Overall, CRT is a complex and nuanced academic framework that seeks to understand and challenge the ways in which racism and other forms of oppression operate in society. It is important to approach the study of CRT and other critical theories with an open and critical mind, considering the evidence and arguments presented, and engaging with a range of perspectives.

write a blog post on critical race theory disadvantages

Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic framework that seeks to examine and challenge the ways in which race and racism intersect with other forms of oppression, such as class, gender, and sexuality. While it has been influential in shaping the way we think about and address issues of race and racism in various fields, it has also been met with criticism from some quarters.

One common criticism of CRT is that it is divisive and promotes a victimhood mentality, rather than fostering unity and promoting individual agency. Some argue that the focus on group identity and historical oppression can lead to a focus on group grievances rather than on individual merit and personal responsibility.

Another criticism of CRT is that it promotes reverse racism, or the idea that people of color can be racist against white people. Some argue that the emphasis on the systemic nature of racism and the ways in which it is embedded in the structures of society can be interpreted as blaming all white people for the actions of a few.

Additionally, some criticize CRT for being incompatible with principles of colorblindness and individualism, arguing that it promotes the idea that people should be judged based on their race rather than on their individual merit.

It is important to note that CRT is a complex and nuanced academic framework, and these criticisms do not represent a complete or balanced view of the theory. It is important to approach the study of CRT and other critical theories with an open and critical mind, considering the evidence and arguments presented, and engaging with a range of perspectives.

write a blog post on critical race theory advantages

Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic framework that originated in the legal scholarship of the 1970s and has since been applied to other fields such as education, sociology, and psychology. It aims to examine the ways in which race and racism intersect with other forms of oppression, such as class, gender, and sexuality, and challenges traditional liberal approaches to addressing inequality, such as colorblindness and meritocracy.

One advantage of CRT is that it recognizes the ways in which racism is deeply ingrained and institutionalized in society, rather than viewing it simply as an individual prejudice. By acknowledging the systemic nature of racism, CRT offers a framework for understanding and addressing inequality that goes beyond individual attitudes and behaviors.

Another advantage of CRT is its emphasis on intersectionality, or the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender and how they create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. This approach recognizes that individuals can be impacted by multiple forms of oppression and that these systems of oppression are mutually reinforcing, rather than viewing them as separate and discrete issues.

CRT has also been influential in shaping the way we think about and address issues of race and racism in various fields, including education, criminal justice, and employment. It has led to a greater awareness of the ways in which racial bias can impact outcomes and decision-making in these areas, and has spurred efforts to address and dismantle systemic racism.

Overall, CRT is a complex and nuanced academic framework that offers a valuable perspective for understanding and challenging the ways in which racism and other forms of oppression operate in society. It is important to approach the study of CRT and other critical theories with an open and critical mind, considering the evidence and arguments presented, and engaging with a range of perspectives.


Processed by ChatGPT, a research project of OpenAI

OpenAI is a research institute and technology company that was founded in 2015 by a group of entrepreneurs, researchers, and philanthropists, including Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman. The founders of OpenAI have diverse backgrounds in technology, entrepreneurship, and academia, and have a shared vision of advancing artificial intelligence in a way that is safe and beneficial for humanity.

Elon Musk is a business magnate, investor, and engineer who is known for his work in electric vehicles, space exploration, and renewable energy. Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI and the former president of Y Combinator, a startup incubator. Greg Brockman is the co-founder and former CTO of OpenAI, and previously worked as a data scientist at Cloudera. Ilya Sutskever is the former Research Scientist at OpenAI and is currently the founder and CEO of OpenAI's spin-off company, Xnor.ai. Wojciech Zaremba is a research scientist at OpenAI who has contributed to the development of deep learning techniques and their applications. John Schulman is a research scientist at OpenAI who has worked on reinforcement learning and artificial intelligence. <written by ChatGPT>

Problems?

disadvantages of ai

There are several potential disadvantages of artificial intelligence (AI) that have been identified by experts and scholars in the field. Some of these include:

  1. Unemployment: As AI technologies become more advanced and are able to perform tasks previously done by humans, there is a risk that some jobs may be automated or replaced by AI. This could lead to unemployment or underemployment for certain individuals or groups.

  2. Bias: AI systems can perpetuate and amplify existing biases in the data they are trained on, leading to biased outcomes and decision-making. For example, facial recognition software has been found to be less accurate in identifying people with darker skin tones.

  3. Privacy and security: AI systems often rely on data collection and analysis, which raises concerns about privacy and the potential for data breaches.

  4. Ethical issues: AI systems may be used to make decisions that have significant ethical implications, such as in healthcare or criminal justice. There may be concerns about the accountability and transparency of these decisions, as well as the potential for unintended consequences.

  5. Dependence: As society becomes more reliant on AI systems, there is a risk of over-dependence on these technologies, which could lead to vulnerabilities in the event of a malfunction or disruption.

Overall, it is important to carefully consider the potential advantages and disadvantages of AI, and to take steps to address the potential risks and negative impacts. This may include developing ethical guidelines for the development and use of AI, addressing bias and diversity issues in AI systems, and ensuring robust privacy and security measures are in place.

can ai improve prioritization of legislative spending

Artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially be used to assist with the prioritization of legislative spending. AI systems have the ability to analyze large amounts of data quickly and identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately apparent to humans. This could be useful in identifying areas where spending is most needed or where resources are being used inefficiently.

However, it is important to recognize that AI systems are only as good as the data and algorithms that they are trained on, and they are limited by the goals and values that are built into them. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the data used to train the AI system is representative and accurate, and that the system's goals and values align with the desired outcomes of the legislative spending process.

Additionally, it is important to consider that AI systems do not have their own subjective experiences or consciousness and are not capable of experiencing or expressing emotions in the same way that humans do. As such, they may not be able to fully capture the human impacts or consequences of legislative spending decisions.

Overall, while AI may be able to assist with the prioritization of legislative spending, it is important to recognize its limitations and to ensure that it is used in a responsible and transparent manner, in conjunction with human judgement and decision-making.

can ai overcome human nature

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a tool created by humans and is not capable of having its own nature. As such, it cannot overcome or change human nature.

Human nature refers to the inherent qualities and characteristics that define what it means to be human, such as our capacity for consciousness, emotions, and moral reasoning. These qualities are shaped by a variety of factors, including genetics, culture, and environment.

AI systems are designed to perform tasks and make decisions based on the data and algorithms that they are programmed with. While they may be able to simulate some aspects of human intelligence and behavior, they do not have their own subjective experiences or consciousness and are not capable of experiencing or expressing emotions in the same way that humans do.

It is important to recognize that AI systems are tools that are developed and used by humans, and they are limited by the goals, values, and biases that are built into them. They cannot fundamentally change or overcome human nature, but they can be used to augment and enhance human capabilities in various ways.

Bottom line…

Of course, the keys to effectively and productively using AI lies in obtaining clean training data, knowing how to ask questions, and having the courage and conviction to act on the answers, even if they are painful or costly.

We are entering a new era, one likely to be less screwed up than the present one.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


BLACKROCK'S 2023 GLOBAL OUTLOOK: EXPERIENCE, EXPLANATION OR EXCUSES?

BR-HDR

Undoubtedly, BlackRock is the world’s largest asset manager, with over $10 trillion in assets under management.

They are market-makers and can affect national economies with their targeted investments. They have information resources beyond those available to even the largest corporations, including inputs from the world’s intelligence agencies. Likewise, the top-tier management is wealthy beyond belief and is immune from the consequences of their actions. And, it is no secret that they are globalists, members, and participants of the World Economic Forum attempting to implement “The Great Reset” – a model of authoritarian global governance that transcends national sovereignty.

So what weight should we ascribe to their published 2023 Global Outlook, and does it represent a visionary view of a probabilistic future, or does it represent excuses for what will happen – possibly at their urging and affirmative action?

Here are some of my thoughts…

BR-PUB-HDR

The Great Moderation, the four-decade period of largely stable activity and inflation, is behind us. The new regime of greater macro and market volatility is playing out.

A recession is foretold; central banks are on course to overtighten policy as they seek to tame inflation.

[OCS: It appears we are heading for a recession, and we have chosen our scapegoat for any coming difficulties. It is the central banks who are artificially manipulating interest rates.

Notice what they don’t say – that the U.S. government is executing domestic policies designed to crush our economy, particularly with their manipulation of the energy markets, which underlie all economics and intermodal transportation of goods. Not to mention the wasteful spending driving inflation, as too much money is now chasing too few goods. The key to escaping our inflationary bonds is more production, not less.]

This keeps us tactically underweight developed market (D.M.) equities. We expect to turn more positive on risk assets at some point in 2023 –but we are not there yet. And when we get there, we don’t see the sustained bull markets of the past.

[OCS: A logical conclusion given that our economy and trust in our government institutions have tanked since the advent of the Obama/Biden administration.]

That’s why a new investment playbook is needed.

[OCS: What is needed is a change in the governance of the United States and a thorough housecleaning of government agencies, institutions, and corporations.

We must scale back social justice experiments in socialism and return to the basics: prioritizing government spending, returning respect for law enforcement, promoting the nuclear family over bizarre and damaging living arrangements that are causing damage to our children, and above else, educating rather than indoctrinating.

We must return to honest journalism that speaks truth to power and does not substitute narrative for news. And, we need to redefine privacy in a digital age as we curtail public-private fascist relationships between the government and private tech entities.]

We laid out in our 2022 midyear outlook why we had entered a new regime –and are seeing it play out in persistent inflation and output volatility, central banks pushing policy rates up to levels that damage economic activity, rising bond yields and ongoing pressure on risk assets.

[OCS: The Federal Reserve is not a government agency. It is a private corporation run for the benefit of its undisclosed shareholders. And like all organizations, it puts its survival and needs above all else.]

Central bankers won’t ride to the rescue when growth slows in this new regime, contrary to what investors have come to expect. They are deliberately causing recessions by overtightening policy to try to rein in inflation. That makes recession foretold. We see central banks eventually backing off from rate hikes as the economic damage becomes reality. We expect inflation to cool but stay persistently higher.

[OCS: Again, the emphasis is on the central banks – most of which respond to the Federal Reserve – and not an out-of-control government. To be expected because Larry Fink appears to be an elite progressive communist democrat advancing the agenda of the World Economic Forum and their “woke” ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) stakeholder business model. <Source>]

What matters most, we think, is how much of the economic damage is already reflected in market pricing. This is why pricing the damage is our first 2023 investment theme. Case in point: Equity valuations don’t yet reflect the damage ahead, in our view. We will turn positive on equities when we think the damage is priced or our view of market risk sentiment changes. Yet we won’t see this as a prelude to another decade-long bull market in stocks and bonds.

The new playbook calls for a continuous reassessment of how much of the economic damage being generated by central banks is in the price.

That damage is building. In the U.S., it’s most evident in rate-sensitive sectors. Surging mortgage rates have cratered sales of new homes. We also see other warning signs, such as deteriorating CEO confidence, delayed capital spending plans and consumers depleting savings.

This new regime calls for rethinking bonds, our second theme. Higher yields are a gift to investors who have long been starved for income. And investors don’t have to go far up the risk spectrum to receive it. We like short-term government bonds and mortgage securities for that reason. We favor high-grade credit as we see it compensating for recession risks. On the other hand, we think long-term government bonds won’t play their traditional role as portfolio diversifiers due to persistent inflation. And we see investors demanding higher compensation for holding them as central banks tighten monetary policy at a time of record debt levels.

Our third theme is living with inflation. We see long-term drivers of the new regime such as aging workforces keeping inflation above pre-pandemic levels. We stay overweight inflation-linked bonds on both a tactical and strategic horizon as a result.

[OCS: It’s not the aging workforce – it’s corrupt politics.]

Our bottom line: The new regime requires a new investment playbook. It involves more frequent portfolio changes by balancing views on risk appetite with estimates of how markets are pricing in economic damage. It also calls for taking more granular views by focusing on sectors, regions, and sub-asset classes, rather than on broad exposures.  <Read more…>

[OCS:  Forget the new playbook – what is needed is a new administration and commitment to the U.S. Constitution. It should also be noted that BlackRock speaks of this new regime in the third person as if they are not a significant member of the “new regime.”]

Bottom line…

BlackRock is the furthest left of the prominent asset managers. It is ripe for anti-trust, anti-competitive regulation as it is a systemically important financial institution that can materially affect the U.S. economy.

BlackRock ignores the amount of damage to our energy sector as a root cause of our problems. And the amount of non-productive capital required to pay the inflated debt on financial instruments created and sold by institutions such as BlackRock.

Your tax money will keep BlackRock afloat, not for public safety, education, or other desirable uses.

Central banks are now pushing monetary totalitarianism with their digital currency.

All of the above is why political forces rush to void the Second Amendment and disarm ordinary Americans.

BlackRock is the gatekeeper of the new regime – no matter how they describe it.

To say we are being screwed by the Obama/Biden Administration, the Federal Reserve, and BlackRock is an understatement.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND: TRUMP IS NO LONGER A SERIOUS PRESIDENTIAL OPTION

Trump-clown

Not in my wildest dreams did I believe that former President Donald J. Trump would beclown himself before the world.

Former President Donald Trump teased an upcoming announcement on Truth Social with a superhero-themed video promising a major announcement on December 15.

And this is what we got… 

TRUMP-CARDS
Bottom line…

Our nation is melting down in front of our eyes and Trump is flogging $99 trading cards. Give me an effin break.

I can see these cards being given as Christmas gifts to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Putin, Macron, and Trudeau – but wtf is this pop-culture bullshit? 

We are so screwed.

-- Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS