Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach March 2, 2025 – 9:05 am

Happy Sunday! Another wonderful day in Returned America! The Sun is shining, the birds are singing, and my new Overdrive pedal is freaking awesome! Maybe I’ll write about it at the end of this post or another one. This pinup, something a bit more modern, is by Joe Chiodo, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Moonbattery: More Inductees Into Trans Violence Hall of Horrors
  2. Outside The Beltway: Norway Cutting Off Fuel to US Navy
  3. Pacific Pundit: Media still silent after American journalist Gonzalo Lira was tortured to death in Ukraine after criticizing Zelenskyy
  4. Shot In The Dark: Open Letter To All Smooth-Brained DFL Social Media Smurfs
  5. Shot In The Dark: The New York Times and the control of language
  6. The Gateway Pundit: Elon Musk Explains the ‘Non-Profit’ Grift That George Soros Has Been Running on the U.S. Government and Taxpayers (VIDEO)
  7. The Last Refuge: U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson Rules the Bureaucracy Controls the Executive Branch, Not the President
  8. The Lid: More Un-American Craziness Discovered by DOGE
  9. The Other McCain: Zelenskyy Self-Destructed, So Why Are Media Acting Like Trump Is to Blame?
  10. The Right Scoop: BREAKING: SecDef Hegseth orders 3,000 more troops to the border with armored combat vehicles
  11. This ain’t Hell…: Dems oppose Fentanyl restrictions
  12. Vlad Tetes: Keir Starmer signs 100 year partnership with Ukraine, hints at conscription in the UK
  13. Independent Sentinel: Panicky AOC Asks AG Bondi If She Is Under Investigation
  14. Climate Change Dispatch: FBI Probes For Fraud In Biden EPA’s $20B Green Fund Giveaway
  15. And last, but, not least, Climate Depot has Net Zero is Dying Around the World But the Diehards Live on Helped by Vast Amounts of Chinese Coal

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page (nope, that’s gone, the newest Apache killed access, and the program hasn’t been upgraded since 2014, so, most are hosted internally). While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your Pinups for Vets calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me. I’ve also mostly alphabetized them, makes it easier scrolling the feedreader

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. And do you have a favorite blog you can recommend be added to the feedreader?

Two great sites for getting news links are Liberty Daily and Whatafinger.

Regarding the foot pedal, it can be tough to find ones, because there are only so many at the guitar stores, and, really, if you go to Guitar Center they are all expensive. Can’t go to Sam Ash stores anymore. So, Internet stores. I’m not that good at guitar anymore, but, I try. I love playing. I wanted a pedal to give me some distortion. The Fender amp, a G-Dec Junior (if you can get one they are one of the best values), has a lot of choices for this, but, I wanted more control. I tried a distortion pedal, but, it goes quickly from 80’s hair metal to just mush, where you can barely tell the notes on chords. Single notes, fine. Chords? Nope.

So, an overdrive. Something that can give you nice, easy OD like a Jeff Beck to more like Hendrix and Page up to Black Sabbath and Judas Priest (Tony Iommi actually never used a pedal. Like most he overdrove the amplifier). All you can do these days is listen to videos. And there are tons. Joyo has 19 OD pedals. Caline has like 9. Other brands have multiple. You have British style. American style. Blues. Standard OD. Too many. The Mellow sounded great, and, after 20 minutes of playing it is the one. It is not really mellow. It is smooth. I can get all the distortion I want for all the stuff I play. I can even get much harder metal, like Megadeath, Slayer, Opeth, and more. The voice nob gives great control. And you can really hear the notes when playing chords, even with heavy OD.

BTW, the others from Caline were very interesting, especially the Orange Burst, which is a little harsher. Pure Sky goes even harsher, but, can give a nice OD. The Green Mamba sounds more like the hardcore Yamaha green.

Have a great Sunday.

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

Posted in Music, Patriotic Pinup | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

Illegal Alien Supporters Protest Arrest Of Violent Gang Member

By William Teach March 2, 2025 – 7:00 am

Do they really want to die on the hill of being stupid? Because they might have wanted to hold off on their protest before knowing the full story

ICE arrest of migrant sparks anger protest before violent gang ties exposed

The arrest of an illegal migrant who was dropping students at school in Chicago earlier this week sparked local fury and a rally, but Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have since revealed the suspect is a violent gang member with a long rap sheet.

Francisco Andrade-Berrera, 37, a Mexican citizen, was picked by ICE on Wednesday near a Southside Chicago school, leading to activists and local leaders holding a rally condemning the move. Video obtained by Fox News shows two agents handcuffing Andrade-Berrera near the school.

In response to the arrest, two nearby schools activated “Community Wellness Protocols” and notified parents that additional social work support would be available to help students cope with the “stressful and upsetting” nature of the event.

During the rally, which took place outside the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez asked: “When parents are being grabbed from our schools, we must ask, what is Chicago Public Schools doing to protect our children?”

Hilario Dominguez of the Chicago Teachers Union also blasted the detention and launched a tirade against President Donald Trump.

“His children watched as their daddy was put in handcuffs by agents carrying out the orders of a tyrant president,” Dominguez said.

Yeah, well, daddy was a twice deported illegal alien, meaning each re-entry was a felony. He was arrested in 2023 for attempting to purchase cocaine, and plead guilty. Possession of 5 grams is a Class 4 Felony in the state of Illinois, with a penalty of up to one year in jail. He got none, just supervised release for 3 years. And we know that was because if they jailed him ICE would be all over his ass. Oh, and he’s a member of a violent gang.

And then there is this tool

(Daily Caller) Illinois Democratic Rep. Chuy Garcia issued a scathing statement Thursday evening in reaction to an ICE arrest that took place outside of a Chicago charter school the previous day. Garcia, who referred to the apprehension as an “ambush,” touted legislation he introduced in Congress that would prohibit deportation officers from making such arrests at “sensitive locations” such as schools or hospitals.

“In my district, ICE ambushed a parent while dropping off their child at school. No family should have to fear being torn apart in a safe place meant for learning,” Garcia stated in a social media post. 

“This is why [New York Democrat Rep. Adriano Espaillat] and I introduced the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act — schools, hospitals, and places of worship are off-limits! Congress must act now,” Garcia continued. 

Well, if Democrats would stop releasing violent criminals from jail there would be no need to arrest them in “sensitive” areas. Fortunately, the GOP controlled Congress will do nothing with the stupid bill.

Read: Illegal Alien Supporters Protest Arrest Of Violent Gang Member »

Posted in Barking Moonbats, Illegal Immigration | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Climate (scam) Groups Worried About Bankruptcy After Trump Admin Cuts Cash Flow

By William Teach March 1, 2025 – 6:58 pm

Do you have sympathy? I don’t. When these groups decided that they were going live at the taxpayer teet for their funding, and make lots and lots of cash for producing little, I have no sympathy

Groups frozen out of $20B in EPA cash fear bankruptcy

Eight nonprofits caught in a legal crossfire over $20 billion in Biden-era climate grants are racing toward a funding cliff.

The groups have been shut out of their accounts at Citibank since Feb. 18 because of a still-unexplained freeze imposed amid criticism from President Donald Trump’s administration.

On Tuesday, the standoff enters a new phase — groups will no longer have grant money to make investments or basic needs such as payroll and rent.

It’s the latest fallout from the Trump administration’s effort to claw back tens of billions of dollars from former President Joe Biden’s massive climate and clean energy agenda, including money that agencies had already legally contracted and even placed in bank accounts for recipients to spend. A senior federal prosecutor resigned last week after saying Justice Department officials had pressured her to launch a criminal investigation into the $20 billion in Environmental Protection Agency climate grants, despite a lack of evidence of wrongdoing.

The $20 billion comes from a program, called the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, that was intended to ramp up clean-energy technology finance in low-income communities.

OK, so, here’s the question: what have they succeeded at with the money so far? Anything?

One awardee told E&E News that it won’t be able to make payroll and would begin defaulting on contracts with project partners by March 7. It is trying to raise funds to cover the shortfall.

OK, so, try and get a loan. Reach out to like minded climate Believing companies, charities, and individuals.

The leader of one grant recipient, a coalition of nonprofits called Power Forward Communities, told POLITICO this week that it still intends to deploy its initial $539 million disbursement from the grant, saying he’s “confident” Citibank will honor its funding agreements. Citibank did not respond to requests for comment.

Uh huh. The money comes from the Climate Scam Act Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed by President Brandon in August of 2022. Power Forward Communities was created in October 2023. What expertise do they have? It’s made up of

Enterprise Community Partners: An affordable housing group
Rewiring America: A nonprofit that aims to electrify homes and reduce fossil fuel use
Habitat for Humanity International: A well-known nonprofit
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): A nonprofit that specializes in financing projects in areas that struggle to attract private-sector investment
United Way Worldwide: A well-known nonprofit

So, what is the purpose of the over-arching group? Where is the money going? BTW, this is the group that moonbat lefty Stacey Abrams and $2 billion was linked to. Seems more like a shell company, like so many others, where money comes in, they take a cut, it gets spread around to the other companies, who take their cut, then contract out, and they take their cut. And there are a shitton of partners to spread the money around too. So far, everything is about “will be making investments”, nothing about “have made” or “have done”.

The other groups are not named. And the Politico article makes zero reference to what any of these groups have actually done. That should be the primary focus: what have they done so far. How many were created simply to glom onto the slush fund from the IRA.

Read: Climate (scam) Groups Worried About Bankruptcy After Trump Admin Cuts Cash Flow »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 12 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 1, 2025 – 1:00 pm

…are horrible Bad Weather clouds, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Legal Insurrection, with a post on the State Dept ending funding to rebuild the Ukraine power grid.

Slight editorial: why would anyone try and rebuild the grid when an active war is going on? Seems rather wasteful.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 7 Comments | Trackback URL

Saturday Funny: Trump Trying To End Meaningful Government

By William Teach March 1, 2025 – 10:30 am

Realistically, the cuts to spending and personnel that the Trump administration has imposed so far are drops in the bucket. The budget is almost $7 trillion. The “work”force is around 2.4 million. Getting rid of some has driven Democrats mad

Trump administration sets out to create an America its people have never experienced ? one without a meaningful government

The U.S. government is attempting to dismantle itself.

President Donald Trump has directed the executive branch to “significantly reduce the size of government.” That includes deep cuts in federal funding of scientific and medical research and freezing federal grants and loans for businesses. He has ordered the reversal or removal of regulations on medical insurance companies and other businesses and sought to fire thousands of federal employees. Those are just a few of dozens of executive orders that seek to deconstruct the government. (snip)

Our recent book, “How Government Built America,” shows why the administration’s aim to eliminate government could result in an America that the country’s people have never experienced – one in which free-market economic forces operate without any accountability to the public.

Where’s the accountability for government? How often do we actually see it? If a company is doing Bad Things what happens when they get caught? They get in big trouble. Maybe they get fined. People get fired. Maybe someone goes to jail.

What happens when government employees do bad things? Quite often, nothing. If they’re taking allocated money and giving it to an NGO which takes a big cut to pass it on to another entity which takes their cut and then on to more entities which all take their cut so that a pittance of the allocation makes it doing what it’s supposed to do? Who gets fired? Who goes to jail for defrauding the government? How much ends up back in the pocket of the government workers? How much gets used for totally unrelated activities?

How about government workers who do not actually work? Who are faking it? Who are out protesting instead of doing their jobs? Agencies which have too many redundant employees? Who think that it is their job to implement their own personal beliefs on Americans, who act as little dictators?

Government funding and regulation have yielded countless economic benefits for the public, including the launch of many efforts later capitalized on by the private sector. Government funding delivered a COVID-19 vaccine in record time, many of the technologies – GPS, touchscreens and the internet – that are key to the functioning of the cellphone in your pocket, and the highway system that enables travel throughout the country.

Might not want to mention the Bat Soup Flu “vaccine”, which, also, if memory serves, Democrats said would not happen for years or decades. How about government telling citizens that they will only be able to drive an EV soon? Passing extra, unnecessary regulations that make housing overly expensive? Jumping in to tell people what they are allowed to do with the little pond in their backyard? Arresting people for paddleboarding on the ocean with no one within hundreds of yards during COVID? Treating agencies as their own little fiefdom and going after people they accuse of Wrongthink?

Admittedly, there is wasteful spending – as much as $150 billion a year in erroneous payments. That is a lot of money, but it’s a tiny sliver – just 2.2% – of the $6.75 trillion the federal government spent in the 2024 fiscal year. And government has not always been a positive force in society, either.

Do you want to die on the 2.2% figure? $150 billion is real money to Americans. And that’s just erroneous payments. Anyhow, it’s a long, long piece, which misses that government has grown too big and too powerful. It has forgotten who it works for. It is unaccountable. If bureaucrats do bad things against citizens, what can the citizen do? Virtually nothing. And, a thing I find funny is that there are often more unnecessary employees in unnecessary positions while others (say, the FDA) are underfunded and have too few employees. Investigating sub-prime mortgages.

Whenever I think of government, I think of this: “a light touch” (around 1:35)

Democrats would prefer control like China….well, at least as it pertains to Other People. They want government to take a light touch in their own lives.

Read: Saturday Funny: Trump Trying To End Meaningful Government »

Posted in Government | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

Your Fault: The Next Ice Age Will Be Delayed Because You Drive A Fossil Fueled Vehicle

By William Teach March 1, 2025 – 7:15 am

It’s always something with this cult

A looming ice age? Scientists find a striking pattern in Earth’s history.

A group of scientists think they can now predict when the next ice age could grip Earth, but don’t worry, it’s not for a very long time.

An ice age should begin in about 10,000 years, but its onset is most likely delayed due to man-made climate change, an international team of scientists found in their analysis published this week in Science.

Scientists have long known that small changes in how Earth orbits the sun influence glacial cycles over thousands of years. This analysis is the first time anyone has been able to determine which orbital characteristic has the most influence on the start and end of ice ages, according to a news release from the University of California at Santa Barbara. The team found that the changes in the Earth’s climate, from ice ages to warm periods like today called interglacial conditions, synced up to the orbital behavior. (snip)

“But such a transition to a glacial state in 10,000 years’ time is very unlikely to happen because human emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere have already diverted the climate from its natural course, with longer-term impacts into the future,” said study co-author Gregor Knorr, of the Alfred Wegener Institute’s Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany.

 

Read: Your Fault: The Next Ice Age Will Be Delayed Because You Drive A Fossil Fueled Vehicle »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | Comments Off on Your Fault: The Next Ice Age Will Be Delayed Because You Drive A Fossil Fueled Vehicle | Trackback URL

Say, What Does It Mean With Trump Designating English As The Official Language?

By William Teach March 1, 2025 – 7:00 am

I would think it is that English is the official language, and it can only last as long as another president cancels the EO

What Trump’s order making English the official language in the US could mean

As President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, activists and advocacy groups are alarmed by what that will mean for non-English speakers when it comes to immigration, voter access and other issues.

The order, which was announced Friday, will allow government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in languages other than English, according to a fact sheet. The move rescinds a mandate from former President Bill Clinton that required the government and organizations that received federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.

Designating English as the national language “promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement,” according to the White House. But some activists and organizations think the move is just another way for the president to stoke division and fear.

Is it stoking fear and division that most nations around the world have an official language (or 2)? Canada has English and French. Isn’t that where all those leftists said they were going to go if Trump won? Spain has Spanish. Poland has Polish, Portugal has Portuguese, The Netherlands has Dutch, most Muslim countries have Arabic, Italy is Italian, Greece has Greek, Germany has German, and France has French, among others.

“This isn’t just an offensive gesture that sticks a thumb in the eye of millions of U.S. citizens who speak other languages, but also will directly harm those who have previously relied on language assistance for vital information,” Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, an advocacy group for immigration reform, said in an email.

They could learn English, right? Anyone applying to become a citizen must learn and read English.

U.S. English, a group that advocates for making English the official language in the United States, believes having an official language provides a common means of communication, encourages immigrants to learn English to use government services and “defines a much-needed common sense language policy.”

Well, yeah. Don’t ask Democrats for common sense, even though all those white, urban, upper class liberal women white-knighting speak English.

Currently there are more than 350 languages spoken in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The most widely spoken languages other than English are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Arabic.

How many of those also speak English?

“This executive order, while framed as promoting unity, risks dismantling critical supports like ESL programs and multilingual resources that help immigrants adapt and contribute,” Carrillo said. “Imagine families navigating healthcare or legal systems without materials in a language they understand, it’s a barrier, not a bridge.”

If they want to be a part of America they need to learn to communicate. Deal with it.

More than 30 states, from California to New Hampshire, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands have already passed laws designating English as their official language, according to U.S. English. Hawaii is the only state to declare two official languages, English and Hawaiian.

So, what’s the problem? Oh, right, Orange Man Bad.

Read: Say, What Does It Mean With Trump Designating English As The Official Language? »

Posted in Barking Moonbats, Donald Trump | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Trump Admin Fires Hundreds Of NOAA Climate Cultists

By William Teach February 28, 2025 – 3:00 pm

Let me ask: does the NOAA really need 12,000 employees? Heck, do they need 6,000 for what they do?

Weather forecasting: NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings.
Climate monitoring: NOAA monitors climate change and helps with climate adaptation.
Marine resource management: NOAA manages and conserves coastal and marine resources.
Severe weather preparedness: NOAA helps communities prepare for severe weather, such as flooding and heavy rain.
International shipping: NOAA supports international shipping.
Aquatic invasive species: NOAA works to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.

They had around 11,000 in 1990. Is this justified? Is this necessary? From the link

The Trump administration has fired hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the US’s pre-eminent climate research agency housed within the Department of Commerce, the Guardian has learned.

On Thursday afternoon, the commerce department sent emails to employees saying their jobs would be cut off at the end of the day. Other government agencies have also seen huge staffing cuts in recent days.

The firings specifically affected probationary employees, a categorization that applies to new hires or those moved or promoted into new positions, and which makes up roughly 10% of the agency’s workforce.

“The majority of probationary employees in my office have been with the agency for 10+ years and just got new positions,” said one worker who still had their job, and who spoke to the Guardian under the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. “If we lose them, we’re losing not just the world-class work they do day to day but also decades of expertise and institutional knowledge.”

What are they providing? Perhaps a better approach rather than wholesale termination would be to do employee reviews and see who provides value, who’s working, who’s doing good things, who’s working for the taxpayer, and who is working for the climate cult and their own personal beliefs.

It is not only laid-off employees who will be harmed by the cuts, the second worker said. Ordinary Americans who rely on Noaa’s extreme weather forecasts, climate data and sustainably monitored fisheries will also suffer.

There are plenty making the forecasts. Also, they rely on computers, and AI can do a good chunk of their job. Further, most local TV stations have their own forecasting. I look at the local folks, not NOAA.

“There is no plan or thought into how to continue to deliver science or service on weather, severe storms and events, conservation and management of our coasts and ocean life and much more,” he said. “Let’s not pretend this is about efficiency, quality of work or cost savings because none of those false justifications are remotely true.”

So, if they have 11,000 instead of 12,000, will that make that much of a difference? 11,000 cannot make storm predictions and send out alerts? Get over yourselves.

Read: Trump Admin Fires Hundreds Of NOAA Climate Cultists »

Posted in Global Warming | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach February 28, 2025 – 1:00 pm

…is a wonderful low carbon bike, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Jo Nova, with a post on higher sea levels.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 10 Comments | Trackback URL

Illegal Alien Who Killed Wake County Deputy Returned To U.S.

By William Teach February 28, 2025 – 10:30 am

Those criminals returned to the U.S thanks to the Trump admin talking with Mexico?

Man charged in Wake County deputy’s death extradited from Mexico to US, deputies say

The man accused of killing a Wake County deputy was extradited to the United States after over a year in custody in Mexico, deputies said Thursday.

Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Deputy Ned Byrd, who was fatally shot in August 2022.

In late April 2023, Marin-Sotelo escaped custody from the Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia. He was captured a few days later in Mexico, where he remained until his extradition.

“Deputy Byrd was one of our own, and we have never stopped working to ensure justice is served,” Sheriff Willie Rowe said in a statement. “This extradition is a testament to the determination and collaboration of law enforcement agencies at the state, local, and federal levels. We are grateful for their efforts and remain committed to seeing this case through.”

Something is missing from the article

(WRAL) Alder Marin-Sotelo is now one of 29 defendants being extradited from Mexico to the U.S. on various drug, gun and murder charges. Prosecutors announced in September 2023 that they won’t seek the death penalty against the two brothers.

They forgot to mention something

(ABC11) Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said, “The return of Mr. Marin-Sotelo to the United States now allows us to move forward with this case and set a trial date. We are grateful for the cross-agency collaboration that brought him back to face these charges. We know this is a case of significant importance to our community, and our thoughts remain with Deputy Byrd’s family and friends.”

Important information also missing. Here’s a CBS17 article from August, 2024

After his indictment, Marin-Sotelo was held at the Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia on an unrelated federal charge of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Jail staff said Marin-Sotelo “manipulated the locking mechanism on the rear exit door” of the jail in order to escape on April 30, 2023. Federal prosecutors say Marin-Sotelo’s sister arranged for a getaway car to be dropped of near the jail.

The murder suspect was on the run for several days before being captured in Mexico. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Marin-Sotelo with escape from custody.

That’s right, another illegal. Anyhow, Virginia dropped the charges for escaping the jail, leaving NC with the primary charging authority.

All three of those news outlets are local Raleigh/Wake County. A fourth, the Raleigh News And Observer, has not even bothered to mention that Marin-Sotelo is being extradited back to stand trial for killing a Wake County Deputy.

Read: Illegal Alien Who Killed Wake County Deputy Returned To U.S. »

Posted in Illegal Immigration | 1 Comment | Trackback URL
Pirate's Cove