U.S. BORDER CRISES AND THE HAMAS ATTACK ON ISREAL

What is a border? For the sake of this argument, let’s call it a division between countries. That division can be arbitrary and imaginary (hey, you take everything between that tree over there west to that rock on the north side and I’ll take everything south) – some “line” drawn on a map or piece of paper. Or, it can be real like a river. Or, a wall.

Why are borders important? They establish sovereignty. I’ll do what I want over here and you can’t have a say in it. And, you can do what you want over there and I can’t have a say either. Borders recognize a “power”. That is, my leader is a king and we love our king. But, your country has a selfish, cruel dictator and maybe you love your guy too. Over the course of human history borders have fostered peace between countries, economic prosperity, and lawful order.

Why is it important to protect our / your border? Every country its own specific national character. Protecting your border keeps your country from being over run and overwhelmed by outsiders – whether you like those outsiders or not, whether you need those outsiders or not. Each country has its own cultural and ethnic differences. That composition is protected by ensuring migration over your border does not occur.

Perhaps the most critically important need to protect the border is property rights. A mindset that goes back to the Magna Carter and fully examined in 1775 / 1776 by The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. On a national level, your tax dollars and perhaps your actual sweat went into building the infrastructure, buildings, roads, etc. What gives any outsider the right to benefit from your input? Not to mention the fact that your house, your house, the one you fix, maintain, pay for, insure, live in is yours and no one should be able to come inside without your invitation and permission (including the INSANE squatting rights granted in California – if someone moves into your house while your on vacation, you’re out of a house, period).

There is a huge political argument that a border, our border anyway, reflects democracy, a condition made by social trust and likemindedness or solidarity. That democracy will certainly be undermined by mass migration by peoples of no understanding of these norms nor MORAL COMMITTMENT TO MAINTAIN THEM.

Perhaps the idea or philosophy behind a border is as simple as this: as Charlie Kirk says, “A border is a place where bad ideas end and good ideas start.” Think, North Korea and South Korea; Russia and Norway; India and China.

On September 11th, 2001, terrorists coming into the United States on work and educational visas committed the worst attack on American civilians and property in United States history. They were here legally and, as such, there was no illegal or warlike border crossing.

On or about October 8th Hamas, a political terrorist group based primarily in Gaza, crossed the border into Israell from several directions at different locations. And, those borders are actual walls. They flew over in para-gliders, they crashed through with bulldozers, and they fired rockets and artillery over those actual hardened borders. And, they slaughtered unarmed civilians in the name of fighting oppression. They crossed the border with malicious intent.

Then, there is the southern border of the United States with Mexico. A place where, coming north, bad ideas end and good ideas start as evidenced by the fact that millions are fleeing their countries to come into the United States. Indeed many are fleeing economic and political hardship. They just want a better life. But others, and it is indisputable, are coming here for the next terrorist attack.

In 2002 2.7 million illegal aliens crossed the border. As of 09/30/23, 2.8 million crossed the border. Most are without any “papers”. That is, their countries don’t mandate birth certificates, driver licenses, social security cards – nothing. They were ghosts before they arrived here and they’re certainly ghosts once they were let loose to wander about the country. They aren’t vaccinated, for anything; they are poorly educated; they are mostly unskilled.

The United States leads the world in immigration. 15.1% of the American population are illegal immigrants. America takes in 48.2% of all illegal immigration. The next closest country takes in 11.6% !!!!!! And, it is all because of the Biden Administration’s refusal to protect and close our southern border.

The largest numbers of immigrants are coming from Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, Cuba (both by sea into Florida and land from Mexico), Haiti, SYRIA, Ukraine. In August 2023 82% of the arrivals came from Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and India. Additional illegal immigrants came from Senegal, Ecuador, Mexico and Mauritania in northwestern Africa. 6,386 nationals from Afghanistan, 3,153 from Egypt, 659 from Iran and 538 from Syria all being men of enlistment age, 12,624 from Uzbekistan, 30,830 from Turkey, 1,613 from Pakistan, 164 from Lebanon, 185 from Jordan, 123 from Iraq and 15,594 from Mauritania. Large numbers of Chinese are also being encountered.

151 of those above were on the FBI’s terrorist watch list. It has been concluded the Chinese are not really seeking political asylum, they are free range spies reporting back on conditions in the United States. And, what’s up with all the “political asylum seekers” from the Middle East without families accompanying them?

You might now be wondering how much does it cost to disburse these illegal immigrants throughout the country, shelter them, feed them, educate them, cloth them, give them free cellphones – $150.6 billion. That’s 150.6 billion taken away from OUR homeless and OUR veterans. In fact, our homeless and veterans are literally being kicked out of their shelters so the illegal immigrants can have a place !!!!!!

Sanctuary Cities, especially those like New York City and Chicago, are complaining over being overrun and overwhelmed by the hundreds of thousands now occupying their streets. Governors and mayors are pleading to the regular Joe to “adopt” a family and let them live with them. WHAT????? Americans are living day to day trying to provide for their own and now these politicians want them to take on more?? I wonder how many families these politicians and their rather irrelevant but ultra-wealthy celebrities have adopted?

Let’s get to the final points. Why are open borders bad? And, what does this have to do with Israel?

Open borders, the ones supported by the Biden Administration, Liberals, Democrats, and the American Civil Liberties Union place our country at huge risk. Open borders let in criminals, terrorists and create other national security risks. Open borders makes it easy to smuggle drugs and exploit kidnapped children. Open borders flood the job market with unskilled workers who will never really find gainful employment. Overpopulation has its own set of issues. Cultural values will change for the worse. Some illegal immigrants will not be willing to integrate themselves into American society. We lose our right to define who we are a nation and as a people. The local citizen population will have high levels of frustration resulting in prejudiced attitudes against immigrants, legal or otherwise. Finally, open borders allowing people to enter the country with no prospects for food and shelter will create situations where those people with have to steal and commit other crimes just to survive.

Getting back to the title of this rambling, if Israel can be attacked having a strong border defense including actual barriers, walls and personnel monitoring and still suffer extreme terrorist attack atrocities, then what terrorist attack is in American’s future with open borders?

EDUCATIONAL EQUITY – The Dumbing Down of The American Student

A few weeks ago Rob Schneider released a stand up comedy video. During the show he examines various woke policies and the obvious danger they are to our society. One of the bits involves one of our major airline’s diversity policy which might suggest they are not interested in hiring the best, safest, nor most qualified pilots but they prefer a pool of mixed or diverse candidates. Does that make sense to you? Pick this candidate because he/she/it is not a white male regardless of their lack of training, safety rating, and experience? Really???

Fast forward to a few days ago when it was discovered the Portland (Oregon) is implementing new grading guidelines that bar teachers from assigning “0” – zeros to students for cheating or for failing to turn in assignments. It also eliminates penalties for late work and eliminates grades for homework, class participation, attendance, effort, attitude and behavior.

Apparently, the district argues, there is great race disparity and inequity. There is a drive to create grade EQUITY. (Wouldn’t it make more sense to hold teachers accountable for failing to educate students? Wouldn’t it also make sense to recognize there are some students who simply have no use for learning? No, it seems it is simply easier to make sure everyone gets the same grade – period.) The district seeks to follow California’s lead in narrowing the gap between non-gifted and gifted students. However, in that case, California simply obliterated gifted student programs and accelerated classes thus forcing the gifted kids, whether black, white, Hispanic, Asian, or otherwise, from advancing themselves into areas of higher learning.

This bizarre mandate, to take effect by 2025, indicates the minimum grade a student can get is 50%. Here there is a huge struggle to determine exactly what the point is. Shouldn’t it be 65% or what ever the minimum passing grade is? If there is really a desire to make all of the grades flat line across the board, the minimum and maximum grade any student should receive is 65%.

Let’s take a step back and examine this allegation of disparity and inequity. In 2023. When every day we hear it droning on and on and on about the racial disparity. Do they mean to suggest this great disparity and inequity still goes on today? In 2023?

Let’s consider this. I will never be an artist. I will never be a musician, a doctor, an engineer, a scientist, an architect, a spy, nor a professional athlete. I will never be a fashion model nor a thousand other occupations. Why, because not only am I NOT QUALIFIED, I also HAVE NO INTEREST IN DOING SO. But, if I did, I can simply go up to Portland where my grades will be evened out against students who really are qualified and I can enter any field I want. I look forward to operating on you, or designing your next airplane, or calculating the stresses on your next neighborhood bridge. I’ll probably have to make a lot of stuff up because I chose not to attend many of the required courses and failed most of my tests. Well, I would have failed but Portland says I need to have an equitable grade. So, I’m good.

So, am I exaggerating above? What’s the big deal? Well, frankly first let’s acknowledge the extreme insult to all of the students who actually do care. Who actually do try. Who actually do the homework and participate in class and take an active interest in their own education. Because they are being told they really don’t need to put in all that effort and they’re going to lose a lot of educational opportunities because they aren’t allowed to accelerate and “be better”. Let’s face it. We’re not all equal. Some of us are good looking, some not. Some are great athletes, some not. Some are “good with their hands” and can fix anything, some not. Some are artistically creative, some not. SOME OF US ARE SMART, SOME NOT. There is no avenue to make us all equal in these regards. Period.

Let’s see this for what it is – the dumbing down of the American student. Considering all of the foreign students coming here and securing all of the high end technological and health care related jobs, how does the Teachers Union and all of its woke supporters sleep at night knowing they make us weaker and weaker every school year? How can they look themselves in the mirror knowing that the American student continues to lose higher educational opportunities and well paying jobs to better educated and prepared foreign students?

Apparently, they sleep very well as they continue to try to make us all EQUAL.

How Communist / Socialist of them.

Alexander Hamilton and 1790

Wow – talk about foresight!! He wrote that a man unprincipled in private life, desperate in his fortune, and bold in his temper is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity, he may ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.

We all know to whom I currently refer. The GOP, Republicans, and REAL conservatives need a solid candidate with a minimum of drama, conflicts of interest, and skeletons in the closet.

The INSANITY of The Ignorant

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey (of all places) takes the position that all Americans should give up their 2nd Amendment rights as a way to achieve peace over violence. I guess I can stop right there considering the absolute idiocy of the statement. But, I’ll go on.

The Cardinal believes the right to bear arms is “eclipsed” by the responsibility to protect innocent people, secure public safety, and establish good order. What he plainly does not recognize is the fact that your 2nd Amendment right does EXACTLY that for not only you but those around you. Although rather cliche, it remains outright truth, the bad guys will always have access to guns.

Now before you start believing this is simply Catholic bashing, let me state I am a practicing Catholic, member of the Knights of Columbus and member of the 4th Degree of the Knights, and head usher at my Sunday morning Mass. I go to church every day except Saturdays.

The Cardinal goes on to say that only peace and never violence is the only truth. Hmmm, tell that to any of the remaining Holocaust survivors. Also reflect upon Great Britian’s appeasement policy in negotiating peacefully with Nazi Germany in the late 1930s / early 1940s only to have long range bombs dropped on them. So much for peace. The “real” truth is that sometimes you do indeed need to either respond with violence or act preemptively with violence to defeat evil. And, your 2nd Amendment right provides you with that ability.

He further goes on to say that only peace can build a free society. Hmm, again, apparently not a history buff. Our free society was built upon the need for guns and violence to defeat evil. Think the Revolutionary War; the Civil War; the First World War; the Second World War; the Invasion of Iraq. Free societies all over the world were built upon the need to use violence, not peace, to defeat evil.

He believes more gun laws and access control regulates our behavior in order to protect the vulnerable and ensure the common good. That statement in and of itself is ridiculous. No one, in the history of mankind, have ever protected vulnerable people without the need for violence. And, what “common good” does he refer to? Do you think any one living under an oppressive Communist, Socialist, or Dictatorship regime believes not having guns is good? Come on.

Every law abiding and legal concealed or open carry citizen gets sickened every time some nut shoots up our fellow Americans. And, perhaps that’s a point. You never hear that the shooter obtained his guns legally, or if he / she did, he or she didn’t have some kind of long term mental problems. Good people will not be saved from more “gun control”.

Here is example of what more gun laws and more “gun controls” looks like: There is a sign in your favorite coffee shop: “NO GUNS ALLOWED”. You’re a law abiding citizen. So, you take your holster off and lock your gun in your car. You go inside to enjoy your favorite brew. 10 minutes later three mutts come in and hold up the store and everyone in it. That sign, that gun control, just made you a sitting duck. But, not to worry, just act peacefully and you’ll be passed over like, well, Pass Over. No you won’t. You’ll be vulnerable and you’ll be a victim of violence.

There are hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people in our country who don’t believe guns are the answer. They don’t believe violence defeats violence. Fortunately, for them, they are protected by those of us who do.

Cardinal Tobin, stay in your lane. You have enough to fix without making ridiculous statements that endanger your flock.

Volume 5, Episode 1 – Maybe It’s Life or Death

Hey, this is Kevin Driscoll for The Rusting Barbell Blog Podcast.  A podcast about strength training; weight training; power lifting; Olympic lifting; book review and article review, all with a focus on functional training with barbells.  Please note, you should consult a professional regarding the exact mechanics and form of any exercise discussed.  Remember to always consult with your doctor, health care professional, personal trainer, or coach before starting any exercise routine or trying any exercise discussed in this podcast. 

I can’t believe it has been since August 2022 since my last podcast.  It is simply laziness. 

Of course, I have my New Year’s Resolutions all lined up and ready for implementation.  Of course, one of which is to get into better physical condition.  As of yesterday, I weighed in at 339.4.  I do have a clear conscience in that I really don’t overeat, nor drink beer, or snack throughout the day.  But I probably do have a touch of Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, and maybe even a failing thyroid.  My metabolism has probably slowed, and I spend way too much time sitting at my desk throughout the course of the day.  My goal is to get down to 275 by my 60th Birthday in November 2023.  I’ve already lost one month and I quickly approaching losing another month.    

All of that is about to change.

I purchased a Proform Stationary Bike just prior to the Holidays kicking in.  I started off with 20 minutes per session mainly because my buttocks needed to break in the seat.  I’m up to 40 minutes per session but my rear-end is still not comfortable on the seat.  In any event, 40 minutes on the bike is how I am starting my day.  I usually get a little perspired by the time I am done, and I have to change my t-shirt prior to weight training as I train in the garage, and it is only in the 50s in there during these Arizona winter months.  I don’t like that wet-cold feeling on the back of my shoulders. 

I am returning to the Starting Strength Method of training, but I am adding Floor Cleans into the mix.  So, it might be three days one, one day off.

Today I already finished 40 minutes on the bike and now I getting ready for a Bergner Warmup followed by an additional Floor Clean warmup modified off of Juggernaut.  The workout will be set of 5 warm up; set of 4 – ½ way to max; and then 5 sets of three at “max” weight.  Today I’m going to use 155 as my max 5 sets of 3 and I am going to open with 115.  So, my set of 4 will be 135.    

Hoping to get my New Year off to a good start.  It’s all about consistency and discipline.  And, it has to be taking little steps.  Otherwise, knowing myself, I’ll get frustrated and lose interest.   

Remember: consult your doctor and exercise professional prior to starting any workout or trying any exercises discussed in this podcast.  And certainly, don’t use any of my videos posted on Instagram as any example of how these movements should be performed properly and safely because, frankly, I don’t know what I’m doing myself. 

This is Kevin Driscoll for The Rusting Barbell Blog Podcast. You can hear audio versions of this podcast at:

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How to Get Extorted in Arizona

Simply, go to a gas station. You can experience getting robbed without the threat of violence.

Now, I believe truly in the free market and the law of supply and demand. I don’t believe government should be involved in economics / pricing but for situations were there is a monopoly. For example, most of our utilities are price controlled because we’re all aware what will happen if our natural gas, water, and electric costs were priced by the one provider in our area. But, what happens when it is an entire industry that needs price control???

Earlier this week I watched gas jump 70 cents in one day when reports of Hurricane Ian’s approach to the Florida coast dominated news broadcasts.

There were blurbs from the retailers in our area that there were shortages from the Russian invasion of Ukraine; demand is up; refineries can’t keep up with production needs; and the approach of Hurricane Ian. All of those excuses are outright lies.

Note: President Biden specifically warned gas retailers not to use Ian as an excuse to price gouge.

Let’s review the simple economics of retail gas pricing. All of the following numbers are fake, they are simply demonstrative. If I’m a retailer and I buy my supply today for $3.00, I set a selling price at $x.xx Now, if I buy my supply next week at $4.00, I would need to increase my selling price to $y.yy but if I’m still using the supply I purchased at $3.00, I’m making profit on top of profit because I just raised prices on gas I bought at a cheaper rate. Now, let’s say it goes to $5.00, I would need to increase my selling price to $z.zz

Now, why is it when the purchase price of supply begins to drop, let’s say down to $4.25, the retailer is still charging the price at the $5.00 purchase level? Why is it the retailer bumps prices the instant some calamity is expected when the gas they are selling was purchased at a lower cost? Why is it that gas can shoot up 70 cents per day but only drops 2 cents to 5 cents at a time?

We’re a captured audience. We need gas to survive in terms of our ability to commute to work or to acquire our own “supplies”, mainly food and clothing. As such, we are essentially at the mercy, of which there is none, of the gas retailers. There is no sense trying to get Arizona government involved because they are all big business supporters. So, we’re going to have to take it into our own hands to punch these retailers in the face.

When you have to get gas, try to limit your purchase to gas. Don’t go inside and buy coffee, sodas, snacks, etc. Force the retail profits to plummet and make sure you communicate with the retailer that you are fighting back. I’m not sure if they are going to care. I’m note sure if it is going to make much of a difference. But, at least we won’t be sitting there taking it.

IT’S GOTTA BE A SCAM – RIGHT

I passed by a cell phone company’s franchise vendor and saw a sign matching a television ad that has been running. Essentially, trade in your old iPhone for a new iPhone 13.

Too good to be true, right.

So, I go in and I say to the representative, “So, what’s this sign all about”. The rep says, “Just like the sign says, trade in your phone and we’ll give you $800 credit”.

So, out of the box, we’re already at it’s not really free.

I ask what is the out of pocket and the rep said it is roughly $100 but for 128g version and $200 for the 256g version. I went with the 256g version.

Now, the real reason I went in was to drop a second line that I haven’t used in years. That saves me $20 per month. So, my monthly should now be $110 or so. The rep said I still had $84 to pay off the old phone so I paid that cash.

I added a privacy screen, a soft bumper shell, and a jack for the need speed charger. Out the door for about $350.

Now, I will admit the rep told me at least FOUR times and then asked me to sign an acknowledgment that my first two bills would have a $22 charge on it. But, on the third month, it would show a $44 credit and my bill would be the $110 that it should be. Fine. But, I asked why. The rep said, “Well, XXXXXXXX needs to verify the trade in was indeed traded in and that takes about two months to go through their system”.

Isn’t it odd that the cell phone company, or any vendor for that matter, can instantly CHARGE you for a service or product, but a refund, or credit takes time. That, in and of itself has to be a violation of some banking law.

Further, since the vendor is a franchisee of XXXXXXXXX and, essentially, an agent of the company, why isn’t my trade in accepted in the “system” instantly?

Out the door, new iPhone, charger, privacy screen, and bumper protector for $350 or so on my Amex.

When I got home, there were five emails waiting for me from the cell phone company. One of which was a ‘FINANCE AGREEMENT’. Whoa, wait a minute, back up the truck. What, Finance Agreement? Now, it clearly had my signature on it, digitally. Like when I signed my Amex purchase. I did NOT sign any finance agreement.

However, I did sign the “acknowledgment” about the two $22 charges that would be credited back on the third month.

There HAS to be a scam here. My final invoice clearly shows an $800 credit. What did I have to finance?

Either the cell phone company is scamming it’s stock holders by showing $44 per customer in extra revenue – $44 x at least 100,000 customers is $4,400,000 alone.

Or, the vendor is getting credit / a bonus / an incentive to have customers “finance” but the “trade in” is the payoff of the $800 financed (rather than cash).

In any event, something is wrong here. Someone is getting scammed.

And, we’re giving the cell phone company a $44 interest free loan so they can use our money for their own interest game. Maybe that’s the scam.

HOME GROWN? NOT ANY MORE!

I have been ranting about our inability to build and our inability to manufacture anything anymore. The pandemic has shown us how weak we have become. We relay on China, mostly, and other Asian countries for almost everything.

Disgusting in and of itself. We should be ashamed of ourselves. What happened to the proud Made in America label?

Now we see yet another category of everyday essentials soaring in price. Between February and March of 2022 food prices in the United States have risen 12.6%. This is the highest of recorded levels. Talking heads are blaming Russia. The ultimate scapegoat. The Russian war with Ukraine is disrupting shipments of essential food supplies. Specially, wheat and oils made from vegetables. But it’s not really Russia is it? I’m posing that question to the Biden Administration (more below).

What? We are importing wheat and vegetable oil?

Similar to big business outsourcing everything in the name of bigger dividend checks and stock prices, we, the American people now can’t even grow our own food. Did you know the Department of Agriculture and some local state versions of that government entity pay farmers NOT to grow crops? Some cite “environmental issues”, some cite drought conditions.

For example, California is having farmers keep thousands of acres vacate during the growing season. Considering their drought conditions we should all guess what is going to happen next. California will start up the next Dust Bowl (see historical descriptions of 1930s dust bowl conditions that devastated food growing areas).

The Biden Administration is now paying farmers not to grow essential food crops so to add 4 million acres farmland to the Conservation Reserve Program, which takes land out of production. Making us more and more socialist in our dependency on foreign countries for our food. FOR OUR FOOD!!!!!!!

Disgusting. Again, we only have ourselves to blame for allowing our government to get away with this.

Summary: we now depend on other countries to build our things and feed us. The greatest country in the world? No, we’re the newest Third World Country.

INDEPENDENCE

Independence.

It is a word we claim to be the backbone of our existence.

We even have a declaration of it.

We were for centuries very independent. As a country, as a society, as a culture, and as individuals.

But something happened. We let politicians make us dependent upon them (the government) for most basic needs: affordable housing; food stamps; emergency fuel; unemployment; etc.

We let big business, under the disguise of bigger dividends and stock values destroy our manufacturing capabilities and making us very much dependent upon an enemy who is FLUSH with American cash, building up its military, hacking our computers, and getting ready to take over other parts of the world to further enrich itself.

We let bleeding heart liberals cut into our constitutional rights – specifically our right to bare arms. So, now the only ones with easy access to guns are the bad guys. We become less and less able to defend ourselves from an invasion and occupation.

We let these very same liberals convince us that energy independence is bad. So, now as we watch another enemy invade its neighbor we do nothing but to continue to buy oil from it and our dependency on this enemy is well established and our gas prices sky rocket.

We aren’t the “greatest country in the world” when we become more and more less independent of others.