CHICAGO NEWS BENCH

What Everyone Missed About Kamala's Doritos Quest

2024-09-02T15:56:00.010-05:00

Many of us already know how fake Kamala Harris is. She has a habit of reminding Americans of her fakeness with insincere statements and outright falsehoods.

One of those falsehoods is her claim Tupac is the "best rapper alive" while running for VP in 2020 on the Biden ticket (watch her say it here). When she was reminded by the interviewer that Tupac died in 1996, Harris chuckled and said, "I keep doing that."

Which begs the question: Why does she keep doing that? She can't even remember that one of her favorite rappers died many years ago? And we're supposed to think she can remember important affairs of state?

And here's where we move on to the Doritos® problem.

🔥🚨BREAKING: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz got caught staging their Doritos purchase at Sheetz in Pennsylvania.

What makes it even worse, they filmed this event twice and Kamala Harris requested corn nuts in the video she released and Tim Walz gave her Doritos instead so they… pic.twitter.com/Tu1A8dGLmg
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) August 19, 2024

Harris and her husband "Dougie," along with Tampon Tim Walz and his wife what's-her-name, searched for Doritos® in a gas station in a staged setup. Once they found what Harris was craving, she said that the snack chips were her "go to, the original Nacho Cheese." Ooops, there's the falsehood.

That might be the most important part of video. Am I the only one who caught this? You see, Nacho Cheese® Doritos® is not "the original." Watch her say it in this video (at 0:39):

She can't remember that one of her favorite rappers is long dead, and she is unaware that her favorite snack food (her "go to") is not the original version of it. Remember, too, that she initially requested Corn Nuts®, as pointed out in Dom Lucre's tweet on X (above). Is Harris that forgetful? Is she that stupid? Or is she simply that fake?

The original version of Doritos® were "unflavored," according to their maker Frito-Lay:

WHAT IS THE ORIGINAL DORITOS® FLAVOR?
Believe it or not, Nacho Cheese is not the first Doritos® flavor! The initial recipe was unflavored, but later seasoning was added to revamp the taste which created the original flavor, Doritos® Taco.

"The initial flavor was simply toasted corn, followed by taco in 1967, and the now-ubiquitous nacho cheese in 1972," according to Wikipedia. Kamala Harris was born October 20, 1964, making her eight years old when her "go to" nacho cheese flavor was introduced. Did she never have Doritos® before then? Easy to believe she didn't, but c'mon man. And even if she didn't, by the time she was eight there were at least three varieties of the chips. What made her assume that nacho cheese was "the original?"

Harris has some major flip-flops in her resume, changes of opinion about major policy issues. Perhaps, we can add Doritos to the list, along with the border wall, health insurance, fracking, and more.

Tim Walz lies about his food preferences, too. In a highly staged conversation with Harris, he claimed that he's "just not much of a spice guy." Ugh. Turns out, however, that White Bread Timmy is a spice guy, and has even won an award in 2016 for his spicy Turkey Taco Tot Hotdish recipe...which he bragged about in a tweet on January 11, 2022.

Let's get back to the Doritos thing. What's up with them using big-name Democrats in their commercials? Now, I'm not saying the gas station acquisition of Doritos was an advert, but it sure looked like one. Did Frito-Lay donate a huge amount of money to Harris for gushing about Doritos as her "go to" favorite? Check out this Doritos ad from the Super Bowl (1995) that featured New York governor Mario Cuomo and Texas governor Ann Richards — both Democrats:

Yep forget debates and press conferences, making videos of you buying snacks will make the voters flock to you! 🤡😂 pic.twitter.com/3si2dAe7Bj
— @stevenvoiceover (@stevenvoiceover) August 19, 2024

BEST Biden Bloopers Ever (So Far)

2024-01-03T10:44:00.002-06:00

Joe Biden is a walking gaffe machine. Or perhaps I say a stumbling gaffe machine. Sure, everybody misspeaks now and then, but Biden's propensity for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time is legendary. But we'll give him this: He's consistent in his ability to impressively f*ck up a simple statement, to mangle a common phrase, and slaughter the English language.

And that leads us to this magnificent collection of Bidenisms, curated by Andrew of the "Don't Walk, Run!" channel on YouTube.

This video is one of his best ever. Posted on 12/02/2024, "The TOP 30 Biden Blooper Countdown! (New for 2024!)" is a knockout. Andrew's videos are usually run 10 to 15 minutes, but this one clocks in at 52:19 — and is worth every second. It's nearly an hour of Biden's best buffoonery. Precious.

Andrew

Andrew is our go-to for amusing videos about Biden's goofiness. He describes his mission this way: "I like using facts and data to point out hypocrisy coming from politicians and the media." Indeed, and he does it masterfully. His edits and clever commentary make subscribing to Don't Walk, Run! a must-do.

Facebook Fact Checkers Suck

2023-12-11T16:18:00.003-06:00

The humorless "fact checkers" at Facebook have struck again. I shared the video below to my timeline but the douchebag who "check facts" got their rectums in a tight knot over it. I don't know who created the video, but I found it posted by presidentialreviews on Instagram. Facebook not only put their "fact check" notice on my post, they even cut the sound from it.

But Instagram, also owned by Meta, did not cut the sound from the same video on presidentialreview's post — although they also put a "partially false information" notice on it.

Here is the video in question:

As any rational person would understand, the narration presents the opinion of a female speaker. As usual, it's not explained by the "fact checkers" which part of the video comprises the "partially false information." But the "fact checkers" aren't interested in facts, only in their own opinions as reported by Breitbart on Dec. 21, 2021:

Facebook admitted that its “fact check” operation — which can make or break online publishers — is not, actually, factual....
As such, Facebook “fact checks” often reflect the opinions of the third-party media outlets that Facebook uses as fact-checkers. Whether they are right or wrong, the entire exercise is inextricable from problems of bias and conflicts of interest.

So the "fact checkers" didn't like the opinion expressed in the video because it disagreed with their opinion. That's not fact checking, it's thought suppression.

CRINGY Video Goes Viral (Again): Service Is Selling

2023-11-21T20:05:00.008-06:00

"Service Is Selling" - So bad it's good
I stumbled across this on Facebook on November 16. It's one of those productions that's so bad that the badness level makes it accidentally great.

Like a cheezie 1950s sci-fi flick or a messy motorcycle accident, you can't take your eyes off it. It holds your attention despite being awful — or, perhaps, because it's so awful. That's why it's going viral again in late 2023.

I initially knew nothing about the story behind this viral cinematic gem. What I first saw was only a partial version (below) of it that runs 89 seconds of the original 3:07 (below). I wanted to see the whole thing and to know the history behind it, so I did some research.

According to a WGN News report in 2022, the video was made as an employee training video for a chain of gift shops in Alaska called "Once In A Blue Moose." The company's president, Vernon Cates, is credited with producing the musical video. He wrote the music and the script. The video was shot at several of the company's stores in Anchorage.

Fame and Fear in Alaska: According to Cates, some of the employees became overnight "stars" in Anchorage. Strangers would approach them on the streets. So, "for their safety," he blurred out some of their faces to protect their anonymity. In 2011, Cates posted his blurred version on YouTube. He wrote this in the description: "I have added some blurs at this time due to how big this video has gotten and people were legitimately becoming famous and recognized on the street. This may change when the hype dies down again." But the horse, so to speak, was already out of the barn before he blurred faces, and unblurred copies of the video can still be found on YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and elsewhere.

This video might prove the theory that white folks have no rhythm (or maybe not). Yes, it's "so bad, it's good." To be fair, Once In A Blue Moose has a great website with beautiful products. But that training video - yikes! But to their credit, they good-naturedly acknowledged the wonderful weirdness of the production in their own Facebook post 11 years ago:

Joe Biden, Pathological Liar

2023-08-21T15:09:00.003-05:00

Joe Biden is a serial liar. That's a well-established FACT. It is indisputable. Anybody who says Biden has not been a habitual fabulist for decades is either a fool or are themselves liars.

This opinion piece in the Washington Times (July 9, 2023) sums it up well:

For example, back in the 1980s, when then-Sen. Joe Biden ran for president for the first time, his campaign imploded over a swarm of lies he’d repeated across the country. First, Mr. Biden was caught plagiarizing a famous speech from British Labor Party Leader Neil Kinnock. Then he plagiarized another speech from Robert F. Kennedy, another from John F. Kennedy and another from former Sen. Hubert Humphrey.

Then Mr. Biden was caught lying about academic awards that he never earned, about scholarships that he never received, and about his ranking in law school, stating he graduated in the top half of his class when, in fact, he finished 76th of 85. (Read the full article)

Biden has, for decades, claimed that he's just an ordinary average guy. He loves the nicknames "Middle Class Joe" and "Lunch Box Joe," and presents himself as understanding of working class folks.

He's even claimed that he was "poor." That's right: Poor. But is he, or was he, poor? Andrew of Don't Walk, Run! Productions on YouTube looks at the claim in this video:

This video by Newsmax details Biden's long history of lying:

So, is Biden a liar or is he senile? There are too many examples of Biden telling huge lies for decades, so we know for a fact that he's a liar. The state of his mental health is debatable, I suppose, and I'm no psychiatrist. But most people look at the bizarre things he's been saying for years now and can't help wonder: Is this liar also nuts? And then there's the supposed 81 million voters who allegedly elected Biden. Are they just as nuts too?

Related:

Biden says wife Jill once complained he was ‘poorest’ man in Congress in latest fishy tale - NYPost
Is Biden Senile or a Pathological Liar? - National Review
President Biden and his family are liars (letter to editor) - Chatham Star-Tribune
Joe Biden Isn’t a Gaffe Machine – He’s a Total Liar - MSN

Hunter, The Magazine For Senators' Sons

2023-07-14T18:24:00.011-05:00

Chill, this is just satire

We've put together a new magazine called "Hunter," designed with children of the privileged and politicians in mind. It's inspired by Hunter Biden. He's the son of Joe Biden, one of the most corrupt and dishonest US senators, vice presidents and presidents in history.

But it's that very corruption and dishonesty that shaped Hunter into the man he is today. Papa Joe describes Hunter as "the most intelligent guy I know," and considering the people Joe hangs out with, we don't doubt it.

This seems like a good place to quote rock band Credence Clearwater Revival's song, Fortunate One:

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,

It ain't me, it ain't me,
I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me;
I ain't no fortunate one, no,
Yeah!

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes

Speaking Ill of the Dead (Sometimes, It's a Duty)

2023-06-12T12:12:00.011-05:00

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
Go ahead, speak ill of him.
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. Yes, I've spoken ill of him, and of Adolf Hitler, Al Capone. The fact that those scumbags are dead has not deterred me, nor many of you. They were horrible people, and the fact that they are dead does not change that fact. To not speak of their misdeeds is to put your head in the sand, to deny history, reality and to deny us an opportunity to learn...and express honest feelings.

Is any sane person saying nice things in memory of "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski? Reports say he committed suicide in his prison cell on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Kaczynski "carried out a 17-year bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others."

Good riddance, I say, and I'm not alone.

The old saying "don't speak ill of the dead" assumes that every dead person deserves respect. But plenty of people do say nasty things about dead people. Some deserve it, some don't. I suppose it could be a matter of personal perception, one that will find disagreement among us. But there are some who absolutely deserve to be spoken ill of after they've died.

Thousands of Chase Bank Customers Panic as Transactions Multiplied by 100

2023-02-01T19:38:00.007-06:00

Hundreds of thousands of people were shocked to see wildly incorrect spending alerts from Chase Bank today that were 100 times the amount they actually spent. The problem began between 12:30 PM and 2:30 PM (Central Time).

Like many Americans, I have my banking set up to send me alerts whenever I make a debit or credit card transaction over a certain amount I have mine set to anything over 10 cents.

I did some shopping today, and everything seemed normal – for a while. At 12:22 PM, I made a debit card purchase of $36.49. Seconds later, tah-ding! A text alert to my phone. Cool. Five minutes later, a $5.94 transaction. Another ding to my phone. All was right.

But at 2:36 PM, I made a $6.85 purchase at a grocery store. My phone dinged, but I was busy with a shopping cart and getting home. However, when I got home I checked my text messages and was astounded to see that I'd just made a $685.00 purchase at that store! I checked my email, and it also reported a $685.00 purchase. Hold on, I thought, let me log on to my Chase Bank account.

The incorrect email alert

On the Chase website, the $6.85 purchase was correctly noted. All looked right. But just to be sure, I phone Chase Customer Service. The efficient lady who helped me explained that yes, the system was misplacing decimal points on alerts, making purchases appear to be 100 times their actual amounts. "It just happened," she said, "and they're working to fix it right now."

"People must freaking out," I said.

"The call volume is very high right now," she chuckled.

I thanked her and was satisfied with the explanation.

At 5:43 PM, Chase sent me an email that duplicated the previous, incorrect grocery purchase albeit with the correct amount of $6.85.

I can only imagine the panic that many Chase customers must have felt when they received text alerts and/or email telling them they just spent 100 more than they actually did. I was lucky to be able to immediately check my account from my desktop computer. But think of all the Chase customers who were not able to do that, and stressing for hours.

The Chase website was correct

To Chase's credit, they did fix the issue quickly. But there might still be people out there who are fearing that this month's rent money just disappeared.

Woman at top: Image by rawpixel.com

My Primary Care Provider is a Science-Denying Mask Freak – So I Fired Them

2023-01-23T20:27:00.040-06:00

HOUSTON, 23 Jan 2023 – This morning I walked out of a doctor's appointment. Why? Because they insisted I put on a useless blue surgical face mask. The cheap kind that we've all seen (and probably worn) a million times by now.

A year or two ago, I probably would have complied while grumbling under my breath. But three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, and after it's been shown repeatedly that those popular blue masks are not effective against the virus, I questioned their request for me to don one of them.

There was only one other patient in the IORA Primary Care waiting room when I entered. I immediately noticed that he wore a mask, but it was lowered beneath his chin. He might has well have not had it on at all. He was sitting right in front of the masked receptionist, who told me to put on a mask. Why didn't she tell him to pull his mask up to cover his mouth and nose?

This hit me the wrong way. "If I do," I said, "can I wear it below my chin like that guy is?" She immediately told him to pull his mask up, which he did. I was now in a room with two people wearing loosely fitting, ineffective masks. I protested.

"The masks are ineffective," I said. "Even the CDC has said as much."

"It's just our policy," the masked receptionist at IORA Primary Care said, "and we follow CDC guidelines." They might think so, but they seem to be ignoring the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which has stated that "The surgical mask is a bad fit for risk reduction." The CDC itself has said that a blue surgical mask "Does NOT provide the wearer with a reliable level of protection from inhaling smaller airborne particles and is not considered respiratory protection," and "Leakage occurs around the edge of the mask when user inhales." In other words, useless – perhaps even dangerous.

Then something very telling happened. The man who had his mask below his chin when I entered piped up and said his wife died of COVID.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said, "but was she wearing a mask?" Mr. Below-The-Chin said his wife must have caught COVID when "it slipped down one day."

"How do you know that's when she caught it?" I asked.
"It had to be!" he exclaimed. Of course, there's no way to know for certain when or where she became infected.

Remember that this guy was, moments earlier, was wearing a mask below his chin. Not wishing to argue with a man who recently lost his wife, I didn't point out his idiotic contradiction. I can only attribute his belief that his wife caught COVID because her ineffective cheap mask slipped below her nose momentarily to an utter lack of critical thinking. I know that's harsh, but this guy swallowed the mask propaganda with big cup of ignorance.

The clinic's health care "coach" entered the room. She was masked, of course, and told me to mask up. I replied that I could no longer trust a doctor who is a science denier and tells me the cheap masks they were wearing – and wanted me to wear – are required even though shown to be useless, and while other doctors and medical facilities in Houston no longer require them.

It was clear by now that I was talking to people who were brainwashed or ignorant. More likely, they were following orders from people who are brainwashed, ignorant, or think they have to virtue signal to their staff and clientele. I'm now searching for another primary care provider.

Video: The scientific case against face masks

Some of you may think it odd that I, who refused to wear a mask, called those who do "science deniers." Many called those of us who said masks are ineffective "science deniers." The irony: We were right and the mask pushers were wrong.

Face masks are no longer required at any of the other doctors' offices I visit. That includes my cardiologist, my dermatologist, my skin surgeon and others. I recently had a four-night stay in a major hospital here in Houston (I'm okay now), and while all of the staff wore masks there was no requirement to wear one to enter the building. I didn't wear one for my entire stay, and none of the paramedics who transported me to the hospital wore masks in the ambulance or in the emergency room wore masks. Most of the other patients I saw did not wear masks.

How not to wear a face mask

I should point out that all of the hospital staff were wearing those cheap blue masks that nearly everybody was wearing at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have to wonder if nurses and doctors are really unaware of the fact that those masks are nothing more than face adornments, as they are ineffective against COVID-19. That's especially true for the COVID variants.

By now, many of us realize that those ubiquitous blue face masks are pretty much useless for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told us that way back in early February 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.

Here's an excerpt from an email Fauci wrote back then, nearly three years ago:

"The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you." - Source: Newsweek

A lot of us knew this early on in the pandemic, back in early 2020. "A cloth mask or face covering does very little to prevent the emission or inhalation of small particles," according to an article written by experts published on April 1, 2020 by the University of Minnesota.

Not long after that, on June 11, 2020, an article by Denis G. Rancourt, PhD noted this:

"The present paper about masks illustrates the degree to which governments, the mainstream media, and institutional propagandists can decide to operate in a science vacuum, or select only incomplete science that serves their interests. Such recklessness is also certainly the case with the current global lockdown of over 1 billion people, an unprecedented experiment in medical and political history."

Rancourt's article went on to say:

"In light of the medical research, therefore, it is difficult to understand why public-health authorities are not consistently adamant about this established scientific result, since the distributed psychological, economic, and environmental harm from a broad recommendation to wear masks is significant, not to mention the unknown potential harm from concentration and distribution of pathogens on and from used masks. In this case, public authorities would be turning the precautionary principle on its head."

Some of you will consider the authors quoted above to be "science deniers" or even "conspiracy theorists," or "right wing nuts." If you do, you should know that you are actually the science deniers, and you bought into the propaganda that promoted useless masks, economy-killing lockdowns, spikes in suicides worldwide, and psychological trauma that will stay with people for the next 70 years.

But the (discredited) U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has essentially admitted that cloth masks are ineffective...after promoting them even while knowing they were useless. (See graphic to the left.)

Some will say this post is just the ranting of a right-wing conspiracy nut. Well, okay, but "nuts" have been vindicated. The following excerpt is from the New York Times on February 21, 2023:

"But when it comes to the population-level benefits of masking, the verdict is in: Mask mandates were a bust. Those skeptics who were furiously mocked as cranks and occasionally censored as “misinformers” for opposing mandates were right. The mainstream experts and pundits who supported mandates were wrong....And the people who had the courage to say as much deserved to be listened to, not treated with contempt. They may not ever get the apology they deserve, but vindication ought to be enough." [Emphasis added]

My now-former primary care provider, IORA Primary Care, still insists on face masks that have been shown by experts – including their holy CDC – to be ineffective even as nearly every other medical facility and doctor's office in Houston doesn't. If they insist I wear a mask while another guy sits right in front of them with his mask below his chin, then to heck with them. If IORA is putting virtue signalling and political propaganda ahead of actual science, I can no longer trust them....and they owe everyone apology.

Related:

The scientific case against face masks - Jan 13, 2023 - UnHerd
The "Conspiracy Theorists" Were Right - Feb 28, 2023 - Mark Dice on YouTube
CDC no longer recommends universal masking in health facilities - Sep 26, 2022 - The Hill
Fauci Said Masks 'Not Really Effective in Keeping Out Virus,' Email Reveals - Jun 2, 2021 - Newsweek
Masks-for-all for COVID-19 not based on sound data - Lisa M Brosseau, ScD, and Margaret Sietsema, PhD Apr 1, 2020 - University of Minnesota
Widely Used Surgical Masks Are Putting Health Care Workers at Serious Risk - April 28, 2020 - Scientific American
The surgical mask is a bad fit for risk reduction - May 17, 2016 - Canadian Medical Association Journal
Masks Don’t Work: A Review of Science Relevant to COVID-19 Social Policy - Jun 11, 2020 - River Cities' Reader
Blue surgical face masks are only 10% effective in preventing COVID infection, new study finds - Aug 21, 2021 - Daily Mail UK
Cloth Masks Are Useless Against COVID-19 - Jan 12, 2022 - Infection Control Today
Masks Still Don’t Work: More than two years on, the best scientific evidence says that masks don’t stop Covid—and public health officials continue to ignore it. - Aug 8, 2022 - City Journal

The Sickening Problems With Fiesta Mart in Texas

2023-01-13T11:29:00.009-06:00

Graphic by Tom Eats Houston

We've all run across items in a supermarket that are past their expiration date. It doesn't happen very often, and when it does (in my experience) the product is only a day or two past the date recommended by the manufacturer. Many grocery stores will mark items down when they get near their "sell by" date to move them out quickly.

However, our friends at Tom Eats Houston found a supermarket that chronically keeps long-out-of-date food items on the shelves. Not just a day or two, but weeks out of date. That's beyond gross, it's potentially dangerous for the consumers who aren't careful about checking those dates. It could, possibly, lead to food poisoning or even death.

The supermarket in question here is a store belonging to the chain Fiesta Mart, based in Houston. They have over 60 stores in Texas.

The chain, reports Center Daily Times, "has been cited 13 times since 2015, according to an Aug. 15 news release from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration."

“Despite painful and permanent injuries suffered by a half dozen of its employees since 2015, Fiesta Mart repeatedly ignores required safety standards,” OSHA Regional Administrator Eric S. Harbin said in the release. “The company now faces penalties of more than $1 million for their disregard of the law. Fiesta Mart must change the way it operates before more workers suffer serious injury.”

Given that apparent disregard for the safety of their own employees, it should not be surprising that Fiesta Mart shows no concern about their customers' safety by continuing to sell long-expired food items.

In a blog post titled "Expired Food Too Common at Fiesta #39 in Houston," Tom Eats Houston (TEH) details a couple of times that food was left for sale on the shelves long past the time it should have been removed. Excerpts:

Today [Jan. 11, 2023] I was in Fiesta Mart in Houston's Sharpstown neighborhood and found six cartons of liquid egg whites that expired weeks ago.
This is their Store #39, at 8710 Bellaire, Houston, Texas. This store, in my opinion, is the worst supermarket in Houston and one of the worst I've seen anywhere in the United States.
Five of the liquid egg cartons I found at Fiesta were marked "Use by 26 Dec 22," and one was marked "Use by 28 Nov 22" (six weeks and 2 days past safe usage). As with the expired sausages I found in August 2022 (see below), I took the expired cartons up front and left them with a clerk and when I asked for a manager I was told they were all in a meeting. I asked her to tell the managers that they're doing a lousy job of keeping expired food items off the shelves.
Over the past four years, I've come across numerous products at this Fiesta that are long past their "sell by" and "use by" dates. Do they want to be sued for food poisoning?

In the same post, TEH detailed a previous bad experience at the same Fiesta Mart in August 2022:

I found seven packages of sausages on August 30. Each had a "sell by" date of July 31. A month out of date. How did the staff miss this?
I've often found perishable items that are way past "sell by" dates at this store. Dairy, packaged meats, and other items. Do they not care? Are they lazy? Stupid? Do they put profit ahead of customer safety? I don't know.
A couple of years ago, I found a packaged seafood item on a non-refrigerated display. The package clearly said, "Keep Refrigerated," and not just after opening. It was perishable. I pointed this out to a manager. His response shocked me. "Well, we don't refrigerate those in my country." Yes, well, ahem, we're not there.
You've been warned. Check those "sell by" dates, especially at Fiesta Mart #39 in Houston. It might keep you from getting sick – or maybe even from dying.

If you're in Houston, you might rethink shopping at Fiesta Mart. Or, at the very least, carefully check expiration dates on the items you choose. That's good advice no matter where you buy your food.

In Debate, Mandela Barnes Dismissed Union Members in 49 Other States (Analyzing the Lie)

2022-10-14T12:26:00.019-05:00

I couldn't let this go without comment. In last night's election debate (October 13, 2022) between U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R) and challenger Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D), Barnes began his opening statement with a lie.

"My story is a Wisconsin story, only possible here, being raised in a union household." (Emphasis mine; video below.)

Mandela Barnes: "Only in Wisconsin"

WAIT, WHAT? Let's get this straight. NOWHERE ELSE in America, but "ONLY IN WISCONSIN," can someone be raised in a union household? Really? Is it possible that there are no "union households" in other states? Well, no, it's not.

Barnes's lie might seem like an innocent exaggeration. But it's not, really. It shows a willingness on his part to distort the truth, to fabricate his own version of reality, and to knowingly mislead voters. Perhaps the most disturbing thing about it is that some Wisconsin voters heard that lie, raised their clenched their fists in the air over their couches, and screamed, "Yeah, man, only in Wisconsin!"

According to a January 2022 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

"In 2021, the number of men who were union members, at 7.5 million, changed little, while the number of women who were union members declined by 182,000 to 6.5 million. The unionization rate for men decreased by 0.4 percentage point over the year to 10.6 percent."
(Source: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf)

Biden's Biggest LIES From The Last 2020 Debate (Updated with 2022 Lies!!!)

2022-10-07T11:45:00.006-05:00

UPDATE, Oct. 7, 2022 - Here we are, two years after this post was originally posted and (surprise!) Joe Biden is still lying. He can't help himself, and never could. Biden is a serial habitual liar, always has been, still is, always will be. To demonstrate this (do you really need proof?), I'm adding a video posted to YouTube today by "Don't Walk, Run! Productions" that covers a bunch of recent Biden fibs.

The original post from Oct. 22, 2020:

Six of Joe Biden's biggest lies from the final presidential debate on Oct. 22, 2020:

1) Biden said Trump never condemned white supremacists. FALSE: Trump has condemned white supremacists, racism, and intolerance many times.

2) Biden insisted he never said he would ban fracking. FALSE: He did, numerous times.

3) Biden said he never called black people "super predators." MOSTLY FALSE: Although technically true, he DID call them "predators" repeatedly. He just didn't add the word "super," as Hillary Clinton infamously did.

4) Biden claimed he and his family never got money from China. FALSE.

(Update Nov 2021: Biden lied when he denied knowledge of Hunter’s businesses deals)

5) Biden said he never called Trump "xenophobic" for COVID-related travel bans. FALSE.

ALSO SEE:

11 of Joe Biden‘s Biggest Debate Lies - Breitbart News, 23 Oct 2020

Queen Elizabeth Dies at 96, Royal Family in Mourning

2022-09-08T13:18:00.016-05:00

The longest reigning monarch in British history – indeed, in the world – has passed away. Queen Elizabeth II sat on the throne for 70 years. Buckingham Palace said she "died peacefully" this afternoon at her Balmoral residence in Scotland. Just hours earlier, international media were reporting that the royal family was concerned about her failing health.

The Telegraph reports this:

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday lunchtime that Her Majesty had been under medical supervision at Balmoral after her doctors had become "concerned" about her health.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

All of the Queen's children, as well as the Duke of Cambridge, travelled immediately to Balmoral. The Queen was last pictured formally appointing the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral on Tuesday, her final public duty. She postponed a virtual Privy Council meeting the following day after being advised by doctors to rest.

Her eldest son, Prince Charles, will now become King, while his eldest son, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, assumes the position of heir to the throne.

According to the BBC:

Queen Elizabeth II's tenure as head of state spanned post-war austerity, the transition from empire to Commonwealth, the end of the Cold War and the UK's entry into - and withdrawal from - the European Union.

Her reign spanned 15 prime ministers starting with Winston Churchill, born in 1874, and including Liz Truss, born 101 years later in 1975, and appointed by the Queen earlier this week.

She held weekly audiences with her prime minister throughout her reign.

QEII's reign was truly monumental. According to britroyals.com, "Her reign of over 69 years has seen 14 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, and numerous Prime Ministers in the Commonwealth Realms of which she is (or was) also Head of State; between them she has had a total of over 170 Prime Ministers including 12 Canadian and 18 Australian Prime Ministers during her reign. There have been 14 US Presidents during her reign."

RELATED: What to expect when Queen Elizabeth II dies - britishheritage.com

70 Secrets About Queen Elizabeth II That Are Royally Fascinating - eonline.com

Timeline for Queen Elizabeth II - britroyals.com/kings

Twitter Censored Me For Advocating US Legal Code

2021-09-27T21:32:00.023-05:00

On September 14, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) tweeted that Gen. Mark Milley had worked "to subvert the military chain of command and collude with China," and that "He should be court martialed [sic] if true."

Sen. Paul was referring to Milley subverting the chain of command by effectively attempting to omit the Commander In Chief (Trump at the time) from the decision-making process, and by phoning a top Chinese general to promise advance warning should Trump decide that an attack on China or Chinese forces was necessary.

If Milley did "subvert the military chain of command and collude with China," he could be guilty of treason, mutiny, and/or sedition as defined by US Code. (More on that below.) Sen. Paul did not say what kind of punishment he would wish for Milley if he is ever court-martialed. So I replied to Sen. Paul's tweet by suggesting that Milley should be "executed if convicted." US Code allows for execution as a punishment for treason. But the fools at Twitter HQ don't care.

Note that I wrote, "if convicted." That's important because I was not advocating the unjustified killing of anybody.

By writing that Milley should be executed if convicted I obviously meant after a legal trial (court-martial). If convicted, US Legal Code also calls for execution as a possible punishment. In other words, I was advocating the application of federal law.

Nevertheless, Twitter accused me of violating their rules of "abuse and harassment." I did neither.

I don't want to make this post about whether or not Gen. Milley is guilty of anything (although he is, in my opinion). Rather, this is about Twitter limiting my account for, in their flawed opinion, advocating the killing of somebody. (Note: It's also possible that some idiot at Twitter misinterpreted my reply to Sen. Paul as a threat.)

Twitter limited me on September 14 for saying that Gen. Mark Milley should be "executed if found guilty." They demanded that I delete the offending tweet.

I appealed it. Three times. No response.

That was no real surprise, of course, but I decided to wait it out just to see if I was wrong. After 13 days of waiting, I decided to delete the tweet and get back fully into the Twitterverse.

It's well know that Twitter is inconsistent with enforcement of their own rules. Just for fun, go to Twitter and search for "milley should be executed" or "execute milley" to see a ton of tweets still posted.

As I said earlier, I merely advocated federal law as defined by U.S. Code. Many say that Milley went rogue, and may have even committed treason. U.S. Legal Code offers some distinct possibilities for severe punishment, specifically:

10 U.S. Code § 894 - Art. 94. Mutiny or sedition (my emphasis added):

(a) Any person subject to this chapter who—
(1) with intent to usurp or override lawful military authority, refuses, in concert with any other person, to obey orders or otherwise do his duty or creates any violence or disturbance is guilty of mutiny;
(2) with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority, creates, in concert with any other person, revolt, violence, or other disturbance against that authority is guilty of sedition;
(3) fails to do his utmost to prevent and suppress a mutiny or sedition being committed in his presence, or fails to take all reasonable means to inform his superior commissioned officer or commanding officer of a mutiny or sedition which he knows or has reason to believe is taking place, is guilty of a failure to suppress or report a mutiny or sedition.
(b) A person who is found guilty of attempted mutiny, mutiny, sedition, or failure to suppress or report a mutiny or sedition shall be punished by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.

Keep in mind that the Commander In Chief is a civilian and, therefore, embodies civil authority.

18 U.S. Code § 2381 - Treason (my emphasis added):

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

It is plain that the US Code (federal law) says that Milley should (or could) be executed if found guilty of treason, mutiny, or sedition. All I did was echo that.

How NOT To Do a Conspiracy Theory Video

2021-09-09T21:09:00.034-05:00

This TikTok video is so mind-numbingly stupid that it begs for deconstruction.

Conspiracy theories have been around for centuries, but the explosion of social media has amplified them exponentially. Some conspiracy theories, of course, have proven to be true. But many, if not most, are nothing more than paranoid people expounding on things they don't understand.

@lovemycountry32, TikTok
We don't know her real name.
As in this TikTok video, made by a woman who insinuates that the major renovation project of a Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C. is proof of sinister goings-on by mysterious nogoodniks. In short, she doesn't know what the hell she's talking about.

The building is the William McChesney Martin, Jr. Building (the "Martin Building"), dedicated in 1974. It's been undergoing a multi-year modernization, and the outside of the structure is full of construction equipment and fencing. There is nothing strange about it.

The woman who made the video and posted it to TikTok on Sept. 8, 2921 calls herself "lovemycountry326." While she technically qualifies as a "citizen reporter," she has no idea how to be a citizen journalist.

Let's watch the video and then break it down into all of its gloriously inept elements.

"So," she said, "this is [zooms in] you can see right there, this is the Federal Reserve." [zooms back out]

Note: She never tells us which city this Federal Reserve is in. There are 12 of them around the U.S.

"Okay, so I've showed [sic] you guys pictures of this before, uhm, but it's interesting because I got a nudge to come back and do a live to show you and I'm glad that I did because I just met one of the guys here and sat and had like a 15-minute conversation with him. And it was a very good conversation, uhm, and he is going to get me some information."

Trump stood on a balcony. So did Mussolini. But so what?

2020-10-05T21:52:00.010-05:00

I had to do this quick post in response to some Leftist insanity on Twitter right now. As you may be aware, Democrats and their "progressive" allies are bitterly disappointed that President Trump did not die from his brief bout of COVID-19. And it's making them crazier than usual.

The latest, today, comes from the Lefties in response to Pres. Trump having the nerve to stand on a White House balcony and (gasp!) salute the American people.

In the sick, bizarro minds of those people, that make him evil. After four years of calling him "Orange Cheeto," they've taken a quick sideroad to, today, liken him to Benito Mussolini, Italy's fascist dictator during WWII.

Why Mussolini, you may ask? Simple. Some feeble-minded liberals found photos of Mussolini speaking from various balconies.

So naturally, in their universe, this makes him just like Mussolini, a dictator, a strong man. Only a mentally ill person, or one with an IQ below 80, could believe that correlation. But I think I just described millions of Democrat voters. No?

In the past, I (and others) have responded to absurd comparisons of Trump to Hitler by mockingly pointing out that both Hitler and Biden ate food, therefore they're the same in mind and spirit.

That's ridiculous, of course, and it was meant to poke fun at the idiocy of the Left's thinking.

But here we are today, with the Left actually making a comparison just as absurd and believing it in their hollow hearts.

The difference between them comparing Trump to Mussolini because both have stood on balconies and my Hitler-food-Obama satire is simple: The Left actually believes this nonsense.

BOMBSHELL: New FBI Texts Detail Internal Furor Over Handling Of ‘Crossfire Hurricane’ Investigation

2020-09-24T19:42:00.004-05:00

Sean Davis and Mollie Hemingway, two fine investigative journalists, filed this amazing report that was published by The Federalist on September 24:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents tasked by fired former Director James Comey to take down Donald Trump during and after the 2016 election were so concerned about the agency’s potentially illegal behavior that they purchased liability insurance to protect themselves less than two weeks before Trump was inaugurated president, previously hidden FBI text messages show. The explosive new communications and internal FBI notes were disclosed in federal court filings today from Sidney Powell, the attorney who heads Michael Flynn’s legal defense team.

“[W]e all went and purchased professional liability insurance,” one agent texted on Jan. 10, 2017, the same day CNN leaked details that then-President-elect Trump had been briefed by Comey about the bogus Christopher Steele dossier. That briefing of Trump was used as a pretext to legitimize the debunked dossier, which was funded by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign and compiled by a foreign intelligence officer who was working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

“Holy crap,” an agent responded. “All the analysts too?”

“Yep,” the first agent said. “All the folks at the Agency as well.”

Full story at The Federalist.

The Legend of Poopalosi and the Poop-Strewn Streets of San Francisco

2020-09-20T07:30:00.004-05:00

Democrat Nancy Pelosi is the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. As such, she is third in the line of succession for the Presidency. She's a politically powerful woman, and she lives in what could be called a literally shitty city.

San Francisco is Pelosi's home, and it has become legendary for the vast quantity of human feces strewn along its streets.

The city has a huge number of homeless people, many of whom are mentally ill. Many of them frequently poop on sidewalks and other public spaces. In October 2018 San Francisco was named the "Poop Capital of the U.S.," and the problem has only continued to get worse.

Which brings us to the wonderfully-titled video, "Nancy Pelosi vs The 'Sh%tposting' Crapper Bandit." Done by "Felix Rex" (one of my favorite YouTubers), the video examines what I'll call a "protest poop" laid down on Nancy Pelosi's driveway.

Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like. On Saturday, Sept. 12, a live-streamer called "Armando" set up his camera across from Pelosi's house, then strategically squatted in her driveway.

San Francisco is the city of human feces, used needles, and aggressive panhandlers. "America, this is your future under Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi." ~ John Philips, Orange County Register

Stunning Documentary Highlights Disturbing Biden-China Relationship

2020-09-06T21:49:00.007-05:00

Posted by Blaze TV on Sept. 3, "Riding the Dragon" is a jaw-dropping video that explores high stakes financial deals between the Chinese Government and Joe Biden's son Hunter. Billions of dollars, powerful connections, and even dealings that could jeopardize U.S. national security are detailed here. Also, check out the "Riding the Dragon" page on Facebook for interesting related material.

A Lightspeed Pictures production in association with Blaze Media.

Directed by M.A. Taylor Featuring Peter Schweizer

Contact: For more information, contact: info@lightspeedpictures.com

What Trump REALLY said about White Supremacists (Biden is Lying)

2020-08-29T17:14:00.026-05:00

Joe Biden - and thousands upon thousands of others on the Left - keep repeating a heinous lie about President Donald Trump.

Never missing a chance to call someone a racist, even if they are not, Biden and his Democrat Party comrades have continued to spread the falsehood that Trump called the neo-Nazis and White supremacists in the Charlottesville clashes "very fine people."

In fact, Trump specifically and explicitly said that they "should be condemned totally."

Despite the easy availability of video showing Trump saying exactly that, ignorant Leftists swallow the lie that is deliberately spread by Democrat politicians - even by those who know that it's false.

WATCH and hear for yourself what Trump really said:

People wanted this video with no music. Here ya go.

Joe Biden lying, stirring division, because he has nothing else to offer. Please share. pic.twitter.com/1FrMXggQXV
— Michael Moore (@mbracemoore) August 26, 2020

"The veins bulging from his head?" What?

Update, Sept. 6: This video from Don't Walk, Run! Productions, posted Sept. 3, breaks down the Left's lies about Charlottesville nicely:

(Follow DontWalkRUN on Twitter)

Despite this, liberal politicians and ordinary everyday liberal idiots have embraced the falsehood and continue to spread it to other, equally stupid liberals. And of course, much of the media is complicit.

In fact, many media outlets let Joe Biden get away with launching his presidential campaign with the Charlottesville lie as a supporting pillar.

A year and a half after the Charlottesville clashes, and after Trump condemned the neo-Nazis and White supremacists, Biden continues with the lie.

Consider this opinion piece by James S. Robbins in USA Today on April 26, 2019 (emphasis added):

....former Vice President Joe Biden announced his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. He came out of the gate hard, citing the tragic August 2017 clash at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville between right- and left-wing demonstrators that left three dead and 38 injured. “That’s when we heard the words from the president of the United States that stunned the world and shocked the conscience of this nation,” Biden intoned, that there were “some very fine people on both sides.” Biden said that Trump “assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it,” and that in this moment Biden concluded “we are in a battle for the soul of the nation.”

The problem with Biden's statement, as that USA Today article points out, is this:

Taken out of context, the “fine people” quote does look troubling, but Trump’s critics never tell the whole truth. The statement came from an August 15, 2017 press availability, in which the president was engaged in a spirited discussion with journalists over the broader implications of the Charlottesville street clash. Check the transcript.

The relevant portion of the transcript is faithfully reproduced in the Robbins column, which ends with this:

For Joe Biden in particular, exploiting the Charlottesville myth is a way to head-off other racially-charged issues, like his Anita Hill problem, his 1994 crime bill problem, his school desegregation problem, and his simply being an old white guy problem.

But Democrats would do better to focus on countering the rising tide of antisemitism in their own ranks rather than repeating the false and defamatory Charlottesville narrative.

Otherwise they will be losing the votes of a lot of very fine people.

Is Joe Biden running his own campaign? Is he mentally fit? If so, it would be rational to conclude that he knows he's lying about Trump's Charlottesville statement. If Biden sincerely believes that Trump called them"very fine people," then it's also rational to conclude that Biden is utterly incompetent.

Biden is a serial liar, and the nation knew this decades ago. Want proof? Watch this:

Just watch it. All in his own words... pic.twitter.com/MH2qNZbmTk
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 10, 2020

Chicago City Council Members Demand State of Emergency Declaration and Request National Guard

2020-08-22T21:43:00.008-05:00

The city council cowards punted, voting to refer the resolution to the Committee on Public Safety.

Chicago City Council held a special meeting on Friday, days after four alderman called for such a meeting to ask the governor to declare a state of emergency over recent violence and looting - a proposal the mayor previously said was "grandstanding" before apparently reversing course.

Four Chicago aldermen on Wednesday called for a special meeting of the City Council to consider a resolution asking Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to declare a state of emergency and deploy the Illinois National Guard to the city over recent unrest.

Alds. Leslie Hairston, Anthony Beale, Raymond Lopez and Anthony Napolitano issued the call in a letter to Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia. (from NBC5 Chicago)

Does Mayor Lightfoot even care about Chicago?

Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused the aldermen of "grandstanding." But after months of violence and destruction, is it really that? Or, more likely, is it a genuine attempt to get badly needed help?

"I implore each and every one of you. This is not personal. This is not grandstanding. This is a Hail Mary to save our community from the things that are happening every single day,” Alderman Beale said before the vote.

Mayor Lightfoot attacked the notion of bringing in National Guard troops. She recalled to the council the Kent State University shootings in May of 1970, where National Guard troops killed four students during a protest. But Lightfoot's analogy to Kent State is flawed: The Kent State students were not looting, rioting, or committing aggravated assaults on people. Some windows were broken, but it was nothing like what Chicago has suffered for months now.

"A group of Chicago City Council members requested that Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker immediately declare a state of emergency in Chicago and deploy the national guard in light of ongoing rioting and looting in the city." (from Daily Caller)

Lightfoot continues to refuse such action. Is this out of pure political stubbornness or some deep-seated hatred of her own city?

Chicago's Mayor Continues Harmful Closure of Mag Mile

2020-08-15T18:11:00.008-05:00

Chicago is a city under siege — from within. It breaks my heart to say it, but the majority of Chicagoans have made this possible by decades of voting for Democrats. Most of the City Council members have been more interested in buying votes with corrupt TIF money giveaways and being "liberal" and soft on crime, and now the proverbial chickens have come home to roost.

Rioting, mass looting, and wanton violence are the specters hovering over the city. This weekend, the so-far-ineffectual mayor Lori Lightfoot has ordered a 9:00 PM curfew

On Monday, August 10 there was an "orchestrated" invasion of the city's Magnificent Mile, which is a mixed neighborhood of residential and commercial buildings. Much of it is within the zip code 60611, one of the nation's wealthiest.

Mayor Lightfoot

The "Mag Mile" is an upscale strip of North Michigan Avenue that runs north from the Chicago River up to Oak Street Beach. Between N. Michigan Aven and Lake Michigan, a few blocks east is a neighborhood called "Streeterville." The greater Magnificent Mile area has been a major attraction for locals and international tourists for many years.

After the events of a week ago, however, businesses are hurt and many may never fully recover. Some businesses were badly damaged. Some have "merely" lost business.

People who have enjoyed going into the Mag Mile district for years are now reluctant, afraid that violence could suddenly pop up out of nowhere like a summer storm in South Texas.

Much of the blame falls squarely in the laps of city and county officials, all well-entrenched Democrats. City Journal sums it up:

The sacking of Chicago’s North Side was more than a tactical failure. For months, key officials—the state’s attorney responsible for prosecution, the mayor, and the governor—have failed to condemn criminals sufficiently or act with necessary force against such violence. They have contributed to a culture of impunity that tolerates mobs and hoodlums.

Kim Foxx, the state’s attorney for Cook County, has already become nationally notorious for refusing to prosecute Jussie Smollett, the actor who lied to the police that he was a victim of racial violence. But her offenses against public order are far worse than her condoning of a provocateur who tried to fracture the city with a falsehood. Foxx has dismissed felony cases brought by the police at a rate 35 percent higher than her predecessor. She raised the threshold for felony shoplifting from $300 to $1,000—and as a result, thieves steal brazenly in broad daylight as well as under cover of darkness. Chicago police chief David Brown suggested that Foxx’s failure to prosecute looters from the previous sacking of the city in June was partly responsible for emboldening the current round of looting.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is also responsible. She has hardly been enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against lawless mobs. (Full article at City Journal)

The mayor, indeed the city, needs help from beyond its own ranks. It has been clearly demonstrated that they cannot protect the safety of residents and businesses without such help, yet Mayor Lightfoot has refused to ask for assistance from the federal or even from the Illinois National Guard. Such reinforcements could greatly help her police force to really get the situation under control.

Instead, Mayor Lightfoot makes speeches and decrees that will solve nothing.

Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge noted this today (my emphasis added):

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot desperately wants the world to believe that she has the situation in her city under control and that she doesn't need help from the federal government - nor would she ever need it from President Trump.

But while she puts that facade on during interviews and press conferences with national media, the reality of constant looting, rioting and crime in Chicago continues to unfold; as do its consequences.

For example, this weekend, the city will shut down its Central Business District overnight, effective at 9PM each night. The decision comes "in the wake of looting and unrest downtown, on the Magnificent Mile, and in Streeterville, River North, and the area near North and Sheffield avenues," according to CBS Chicago.

Durden detailed the specifics of what-and-where the shutdown would affect, such as river bridges being up to block traffic, blocking part of Lake Shore Drive, ramps on expressways, and interruptions of bus and train service to the area. This, however, is not exactly new: It is an extension of Lightfoot's virtual shutdown of the area.

On August 13, the Chicago Loop Alliance published this advisory:

Through Monday, August 17, at 6 a.m., access to the downtown area will be temporarily restricted from 9 p.m.–6 a.m. The restricted access to the downtown area is NOT a curfew. All residents, workers and employers whose businesses are located downtown will have access at all times. (Read full statement here)

The City of Chicago published this notice on August 12:

Restricted Access to Downtown will continue tonight and through the Weekend from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.–ending at 6 a.m. on Monday, August 17 (Read full statement here)

Rather than increasing police patrols or bringing in additional law enforcement personnel, Lightfoot has effectively surrendered to the chaos. The Mag Mile, along with the adjacent downtown "Loop," River North and River West are areas in which restaurants, bars and theaters are normally open until well after midnight. Stunting their business additionally will help nobody.

You can bet the police are not happy with Lightfoot. On August 12, the police union's president John Catanzara urged tougher measures. He suggested bringing in tow trucks to haul looters' cars away, thereby taking away their ability to escape arrest. Caravans of cars were seen bringing people into the Mag Mile to loot on August 10.

“Car caravans are the biggest problem. They can relocate all of their criminal behavior two miles away within five minutes. We can’t deploy 400 officers two miles away in that same amount of time. They can go where the police are not in a split second. By the time we show up there, we get the stragglers when the main force has already moved on to the next target,” Catanzara said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, agitators continue to urge chaos, and Black Lives Matter is openly endorsing looting.

BLM Chicago Leader on the looting of stores: "That is reparations.... anything they want to take, take it because these businesses have insurance..." pic.twitter.com/uB9GAGmkLu
— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) August 11, 2020

Related:

When Authority Vanishes: Chicago’s leaders have surrendered to vandals. - City Journal, 14 Aug 2020
Chicago restaurant owner on 'disturbing' looting and rioting: 'Business is terrible, the streets are empty' - Fox News, 11 Aug 2020
Chicago politician calls mayor ‘unprepared,’ wants to call in the feds - New York Post, 11 Aug 2020
Democrat Chicago alderman says city is in 'total unrest' and 'mayor has lost control' - Fox News, 12 Aug 2020
Chicago’s Magnificent Mile at risk for massive store closures, alderman says - CBS-2 Chicago, 7 Aug 2020
Democrats Can’t Stop the Monster They Created - BuckSexton.com, 11 Aug 2020
CPD patrols stepped up as businesses hunker down for stay-at-home order - Chicago Sun-Times, 21 March 2020

President Trump Evacuated From Press Conference But Quickly Returns

2020-08-10T17:08:00.000-05:00

Trump as Secret Service interrupted his news conference

Just minutes into his White House press conference this afternoon, President Trump was interrupted by Secret Service agents.

They said something to him off-mic and he immediately walked off with them. Minutes later, however, a composed and unshaken Trump returned to the press room.

He told the reporters that somebody was shot "near the premises" but outside of the White House grounds. It seems there was no real threat, but Secret Service did their job by being proactive.

Watch below.

Trump whisked away mid press briefing by protection detail https://t.co/46C00EN8rb via @YouTube
— Chicago News Bench (CNB)™ (@ChiNewsBench) August 10, 2020

WHEW!!!!
Live: Trump continues press briefing after being removed by protection d... https://t.co/iLn1hI37BN via @YouTube
— Chicago News Bench (CNB)™ (@ChiNewsBench) August 10, 2020

TRUMP: "There was a shooting outside of the White House and it seems to be very well under control. I would like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick & very effective work."https://t.co/Xcds0Mrprv pic.twitter.com/J3ECviOJhC
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 10, 2020

Over 100 Arrests in Violent Chicago Looting Spree

2020-08-10T14:15:00.011-05:00

The scope of last night's looting, violence and wanton destruction in Chicago is stunning.

AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

As I reported late last night, huge crowds of people overwhelmed the police and smashed their way into many of the city's finest retailers in the world-famous "Magnificent Mile" on N. Michigan Avenue. Chaos and confusion were the order of the moment.

Chicago's Mayor Lori Lightfoot held a press conference this morning.

“We are waking up in shock this morning,” she said, and referred to the looting as “brazen criminal looting and destruction.” Lightfoot has been harshly criticized as not doing enough to quell violence in Chicago. She added, "This was straight up, felony criminal conduct," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. "This was an assault on our city."

"Widespread damage was reported throughout Chicago after looting and rioting began around midnight Monday," reported WGN-TV9. "Witnesses reported hundreds of people smashing their way into stores throughout Michigan Avenue, areas in the South Loop and the Near North Side."

Today we get a clearer picture of what went down. From the Chicago Tribune:

More than 100 people were arrested as of 9 a.m., according to Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown. Thirteen officers were injured during the unrest, including a sergeant who was hit by a bottle. A civilian and private security guard were shot and wounded.

[...]

City officials said the seeds for the violent crime spree were sown on social media Sunday afternoon following an officer involved shooting in the Englewood neighborhood. Officers shot and wounded a 20-year-old man Sunday after he fired shots at them while being chased, authorities said.

The man was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center and is expected to survive, Brown said.

The Civilian Office Police Accountability, the city agency that investigates all officer-involved shootings, released a statement confirming Brown’s assertion that the wounded male is an adult. Some social media accounts that authorities say fueled the unrest referred to him as a 15-year-old boy.

The Tribune report noted that there are renewed calls for the Illinois Nationa Guard to be called in to keep order. Many of the looters and rioters were spurred on by social media. The Trib has a related article worth reading: Live updates: Here’s the latest on the aftermath of overnight looting and vandalism in Chicago.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the police presence will be beefed up in response.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said police will not stand by and watch downtown Chicago become “someplace people fear.” He promised a “heavy police presence” to restore order, and said access to downtown will be restricted from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., effective Monday night.

Brown said “the seeds for the shameful destruction we saw last night” started in Englewood Sunday afternoon. About 2:30 p.m., officers responded to a report of a man with a gun. He fled as they arrived, Brown said, and fired at officers. They returned fire, striking the man, who was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital and is expected to survive. The 20-year-old man had previously faced charges of domestic battery, reckless conduct and child endangerment, Brown said.

Shortly after that, police became aware of “several social media posts” about looting planned downtown, Brown said, and as a result, the department reacted by deploying 400 officers to the downtown area.

One of Chicago's most outspoken civil rights personalities, Michael Pfleger, actually said the looting seemed "orchestrated." The Associated Press has this (emphasis added):

Along the Magnificent Mile, people were seen going in and out of stores carrying shopping bags full of merchandise as well as at a bank, the Chicago Tribune reported, and as the crowd grew vehicles dropped off more people in the area. On streets throughout the downtown area, empty cash drawers from stores were strewn about and ATMs were ripped open.

Stores miles from downtown were also ransacked, with parking lots littered with glass and items from inside the stores. Clothes hangers and boxes that once contained television sets and other electronics were seen — evidence that thieves had taken racks of clothes and removed them from the hangers.

"This was obviously very orchestrated," the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a prominent Roman Catholic priest and activist on the city's South Side, told WBBM-TV as cameras panned the downtown area.

Pfleger's "orchestrated" statement is supported by many other accounts. Police Superintendent David Brown said that "caravans" of people were seen on their way to the Mag Mile and the Loop to loot.

Brown and Lightfoot both emphasized that the looting should not be mistaken for protesting. “This was not an organized protest,” Brown said. “This was an incident of pure criminality.”

Looter uses vehicle to break into a business at the Chicago BLM riot overnight. #BlackLivesMatter #ChicagoRiots pic.twitter.com/9CaddwItYO
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 10, 2020

ANARCHY IN CHICAGO, LOOTING, RIOTING

2020-08-10T03:25:00.002-05:00

Video source: https://video.twimg.com/

Please see our follow-up post, "Pure Criminality" - Over 100 Arrests in Violent "Coordinated" Chicago Looting Spree Last Night

2:20 AM, August 10 - It's after midnight in Chicago and the city's crown jewel, the "Magnificent Mile" of North Michigan Avenue, in "the Gold Coast," is under assault by hundreds (if not thousands) of looters and rioters.

Much of this area is also known as "Streeterville" and has many residential buildings in it, including the iconic John Hancock Center (857 N. Michigan Avenue).

Police are overwhelmed and desperately calling for backup and assistance ("10-1").

At this point in time, it is impossible to say how widespread the looting is, but it seems certain that it is in multiple places. The looters are brazen. The cops are powerless.

The main target seems to be Nordstroms, but Macy's and other stores have been looted too. Some other looting locations (on or very near the Mag Mile area):

Water Tower Place shopping mall
The Jewel-Osco store at 540 S. Michigan
Louis Vuitton, Walton & Michigan
Oak Street - ATM's reportedly targeted.
Potash Market on State and Chestnut Street
Vans shoes, clothing store at Cedar & Lake
Walgreens at Clark and Ontario
Walgreens at Adams and Michigan
Best Buy, 555 W. Roosevelt
Omega Store, Delaware & Michigan
Others, which we will learn about on Monday

Newsweek is reporting that the looting and rioting may have been sparked by a police shooting on Sunday afternoon:

It is believed the clashes originally broke out after a suspect was shot by Chicago police in the city's Englewood neighborhood.

Chicago Police confirmed that an officer-involved shooting took place at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 9 in the 5700 block of South Racine Avenue. Officers were dispatched to reports of a man with a gun, who then spotted a suspect matching the description.

Police say the suspect then fired at officers as they approached him in an alleyway. The suspect continued to fire as he attempted to flee on foot, hitting one officer.

Officers returned fire, striking the suspect. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in unknown condition. Three officers involved in the shooting were taken to the hospital for observation.

NOTE: This is a developing story and it is too early to know exact details. Twitter is way ahead of nearly all news media outlets on this. Lots of uploaded videos and tweets to be found under the hashtags #ChicagoScanner, #ChicagoLooting, #ChicagoPolice, #ChicagoRiots and others.

Bugged out. #CHICAGOScanner #ChicagoRiots pic.twitter.com/toiQZNxuyL
— Celebrity DJ-DJ Tek (@djtek) August 10, 2020

Police chase a couple guys out of the Macy’s and dozens more come in. #ChicagoScanner #Chicago pic.twitter.com/61wKHUMWmL
— Paige Fry (@paigexfry) August 10, 2020

Tonight’s violence, looting and future financial loss is on you, @chicagosmayor. Back the @Chicago_Police and stop this chaos, approve request for Federal assistance. Stop patrolling Montrose beach and end this destruction. https://t.co/Vk0WcvaDw1
— Lisa Sorenson (@lisaecook) August 10, 2020

Looters breaking into shopping center in downtown Chicago. #Looters #Chicago #BreakingNews #riot pic.twitter.com/gVFIU19NJD
— Chicago Critter (@0ddgasm) August 10, 2020

Massive Explosions In Beirut Kill At Least 80, Injure Thousands; Widespread Devastation

2020-08-04T11:59:00.009-05:00

💥 Updated, 7:45 PM ET (12:01 AM UTC/GMT, Wed 05 Aug 2020)

💥 Speculation and fear after massive explosion in Beirut - Jerusalem Post

💥 Beirut blasts damaged UN ship, badly injured crew - Al Arabiya, which also reports at least 75 dead and 3,700 injured.

💥 Some excellent live reporting by BBC News about the Beirut explosions

💥 A report from USA Today (emphasis added): "Though the cause of the explosion was yet to be officially determined, Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said it might have been caused by highly explosive material that was stored at the port after it was confiscated from a ship. Television channel LBC [Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation] said the material was sodium nitrate. Mohammed Fahmi, Lebanon's interior minister, told Al-Jazeera news the blast appeared to have been caused by ammonium nitrate that was stored in a warehouse. Ammonium nitrate, used in chemical fertilizer production, was a component of the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995."

💥 Bill Neely (@BillNeelyNBC) tweeted this at 5:29 PM ET: "Lebanese Prime Minister says #Beirut explosions caused by an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate left unsecured for 6 years in a warehouse. He vows to punish officials responsible. 50+ dead, 3,000 injured, hospitals overwhelmed." (For comparison, in 1995 Timothy McVeigh blew up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City with two tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer mixed with fuel oil.)

James Megellas, 103-Year-Old WWII Hero, Passes Away

2020-08-01T02:10:00.004-05:00

Then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley hosts
Lt. Col. James “Maggie” Megellas at Pentagon
in 2017. (Photo by Sgt. Jamill Ford/Army)

Updated August 1, 2020: This post was originally posted on March 2, 2008.

We are sad to learn that retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel James “Maggie” Megellas, "the most decorated officer in the history of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division," passed away on April 2, 2020 at the age of 103.

Lt. Col. Megellas, of Colleyville, Texas and a Life Member of AHEPA Chapter 369, Madison, Wisconsin, passed away April 2, 2020. He was 103 years old.

Read his amazing story at The National Herald. Here's an excerpt:
CONTINUE READING...

Three Videos Explain US and China Consulate Closings (Updated)

2020-07-24T21:57:00.003-05:00

Three good videos to help you understand the recent forced closing of China's consulate in Houston. In retaliation, China ordered the U.S. consulate closed in Chengdu.

Update, July 27: China takes over closed U.S. Consulate in Chengdu days after ordering it shut, as relations continue to plummet - CBS News. "China maintains consulates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York along with its embassy in Washington. The U.S. has four other consulates in China and an embassy in Beijing, keeping the sides in parity in terms of diplomatic missions."

CONTINUE READING...

A Look At The Closed Chinese Consulate In Houston (Plus Goofy Protesters)

2020-07-24T15:33:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, the Trump Administration ordered the General Consulate of China in Houston to be vacated. Smoke was seen that afternoon as consulate workers burned documents in their courtyard. I went to the consulate to see what was happening on July 23. (See video below.)

A small group of anti-American protesters showed up.
Photo: Chicago News Bench

As I was about to leave, a small group of communists arrived. They were demanding that the consulate be allowed to stay open. Which is, if you think about it, a futile and stupid demand to make.

Why? Trump isn't going to see them and say, "Hey, well, if they're demanding it then I better call President Xi and tell him to keep it open."

And Xi isn't going to see the protesters and suddenly decide to defy the U.S. by not closing the consulate, which would risk the defiant occupants-turned-squatters being arrested by federal agents. The arrogant ignorance of these protesters is truly fantastical.

(See video below.)
CONTINUE READING...

Operation LeGend: Trump Sending Fed Agents to Chicago, Albuquerque, Already In Kansas City

2020-07-22T21:06:00.002-05:00

President Trump says he will send federal law enforcement agents to Chicago, IL and Albuquerque, NM in a federal effort to fight the violent crime by expanding "Operation LeGend." This comes after weeks of Trump's threats do to this. Both cities are controlled by Democrats.

This from KMBC News 9 in Kansas City, MO (emphasis added):

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday an expansion of a federal law enforcement operation currently underway in Kansas City to the cities of Chicago, Illinois, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The operation – called Operation LeGend for 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was killed when shots were fired into his Kansas City home as he slept – involves agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

KMBC continued:

Authorities say that more than 225 federal law enforcement personnel have arrived in Kansas City to assist in curbing the violent crime that claimed [LeGend] Taliferro’s life.

[...]

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas welcomed federal help but also said it doesn’t diminish the role of the Kansas City Police Department.

"This operation is not tanks in the streets,” Lucas said. “This operation is not a substitute patrol force.”

Breitbart quotes a report from McClatchy (at kansascity.com), the title of which is "Trump expanding Justice Department’s Operation Legend to Chicago, Albuquerque."
CONTINUE READING...

WHY They Burned Documents: U.S. Shuts Down Chinese Consulate in Houston, Charges of Spying and Theft of Scientific Research

2020-07-22T11:07:00.000-05:00

Last night we posted that smoke was seen coming from the Consulate General of China in Houston. Local police and firefighters were standing by outside the building at 3417 Montrose Boulevard. Video showed people in the consulate's courtyard burning documents.

The reason: Yesterday, the U.S. ordered China to close the consulate before the end of Friday, July 24. Though not happy about it, China is indeed shutting it down — at least for now.

#China’s consulate in #Houston is not a diplomatic facility. It is the central node of the Communist Party’s vast network of spies & influence operations in the United States. Now that building must close & the spies have 72 hours to leave or face arrest.

This needed to happen.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 22, 2020

Today on Google Maps the consulate, also called the "Passport and Visa Office of China Consulate General in Houston," is listed as "temporarily closed."
CONTINUE READING...

Consulate General of China in Houston Is Burning Documents In Their Courtyard; Houston Police and Fire On Scene

2020-07-21T22:48:00.003-05:00

Video shows people who appear to be deliberately burning documents in the inner, open-air courtyard of the Consulate General of China in Houston. (See update here.)

"Houston police tell FOX 26 that they were burning classified documents because they are being evicted from the building on Friday at 4 p.m. When asked why the Chinese Consulate was being evicted, HPD told us to ask the U.S. State Department or President Donald Trump himself."

This video shared with us by a viewer who lives next to the Consulate General of China in #Houston shows fire and activity in the courtyard of the building.
DETAILS SO FAR: https://t.co/2cOeKoap96 pic.twitter.com/0myxe6HIlC
— KPRC2Tulsi (@KPRC2Tulsi) July 22, 2020

According to KPRC, "Houston police and fire officials are responding to reports that documents are being burned in the courtyard of the Consulate General of China in Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.
CONTINUE READING...

15 More Free Original Memes For You To Use

2020-07-18T22:44:00.002-05:00

A few days ago, I posted a bunch of memes that I made (see them here and here.)

Here are 15 more, free for your use, no catch. Just download them and use them as you please.

For best download results, click on a small image below and it will enlarge. Then right-click and select "Save" to your PC or device. (If you don't enlarge it first, you'll be saving a small version of an image.)

They Didn't Need Mail-In Ballots

Bill Clinton Admires His Portrait

Hillary portrait in the Kremlin

"You ain't black, Dad"

"You're A Cool Dad"

Brian Stelter - New Look, Same Great Face

Hillary transparent background GIF

Mao: "I will 60 million of you"

"Okay Power"

CNN Brian Stelter, Transp Backgrnd

Enjoy!