LGB: Shoppers Change Habits In Face Of Inflation

I’ll say it again: it’s not all Joe Biden’s fault. The primary cause is China’s coronavirus. This is hitting other nations. The U.K. just hit a 9% rise in the consumer price index, the most since 1992. They’re even saying that thousands of fish and chips shops could close. But, Biden’s policies are making it worse, not helping. It would really be better if Joe and his people said nothing and did nothing

Facing Higher Grocery Prices, Shoppers Change Habits

Biden Brain SuckerSusan Pollack, a property manager who was shopping one afternoon last week at a Costco in Marina del Rey, Calif., said she was startled that the price of a bulk pack of toilet paper had surged from $17 to $25.

At her local kosher butcher shop, the prices were rising even higher: more than $200 for a 5-pack of short ribs.

“I told my husband, ‘We’re never having short ribs again,’” she said.

Global forces such as supply chain disruptions, severe weather, energy costs and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have contributed to rising inflation rates that have spooked stock market investors and put President Biden’s administration on the defensive.

Weird, not one mention of China and their Wuhan flu. It’s almost like the NY Times doesn’t want to offend China.

But the pressure is felt most directly by shoppers doing their weekly runs to grocery stores, where some items that used to be plentiful have been missing for months and where prices for produce, meat and eggs remain stubbornly high. (snip)

Such price hikes have led to sticker shock, resignation and a determination to sniff out bargains.

“You look for more deals,” said Ray Duffy, a 66-year-old retired banker in an “Unapologetically American” T-shirt who was coming out of a Lidl grocery store in Garwood, N.J., recently.

Except, there aren’t that many deals out there, because stores cannot afford to do the crazy sales anymore. Many times I need to buy a different type of lettuce, romaine or pre-shredded, because there are no regular ones.

Alyssa Sutton, a 53-year-old home-theater business owner, left King’s Food Market in Short Hills, N.J., a grocery chain where a 13-ounce jar of Bonne Maman preserves was selling for $6.49.

“This inflation thing is a real problem,” she said. “When you’re paying twice as much to fill your gas tank and twice as much for everything, you’ve got to say to yourself, ‘Well, do I really need to buy everything at King’s?’”

Many people are store hopping.

It is normal for grocery stores to have 7 percent to 10 percent of items out of stock, but the events of the last two and half years — pandemic outbreaks, extreme weather, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — have caused that number to trend 3 to 5 points higher, said Katie Denis, a spokeswoman for the Consumer Brands Association.

What you may not notice is that the products may not be out of stock, but, they are limited stock. In many cases what you see on the shelf is what there is. There’s nothing in the storeroom. Manufacturers prioritize what they make. Try and find shoes. They are not making as many styles per brand as they used to.

Ms. Pollack, the property manager in California, said that while inflation is not straining her budget, the prices have made her reconsider purchases that were once impulsive. For example, she almost bought an electric shaver for her son, but then she saw it cost $90.

“I go through so much money all the time,” Ms. Pollack, 61, said, “and it’s like, ‘Wow. I didn’t buy anything fun today.’”

I want a new soundbar. I’ve been waiting for the one I’m most interested to go on sale. It did. Once. For a whole day. What you might see is flash sales, not week long sales. People are avoiding buying fun stuff. Welcome to the Let’s Go Brandon economy.

Read: LGB: Shoppers Change Habits In Face Of Inflation »

Your Fault: Ocean Currents Speeding Up From Hotcoldwetdry

Wait, didn’t they tell us that the ocean currents were all slowing down? I mean, like, just tell us this, and that it would lead to an ice age like in the movie The Day After Tomorrow?

The slowing down of ocean currents could have a devastating effect on our climate

Atlantic Ocean circulation is the weakest in at least 1,600 years, study finds – here’s what that means for the climate

The Gulf Stream is slowing to a ‘tipping point’ and could disappear

A Major Ocean Current Is at Its Weakest Point in 1,000 Years

There are plenty more links, but, I used ones from last year. Except for that last one, which is from April of 2022

Ocean currents are accelerating due to climate change, UCSD study says

new study out of UCSD determined climate change is responsible for altering global ocean currents, making them faster and thinner. The study was led by researchers out of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

The research involved running computer model data amid a rising surface temperature alongside other variables. Shang-Ping Xie, a Professor of Climate Science at UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, says his team is now focused on the global and local implications and effects of this conclusion. “We were very surprised to see there is a consistent global-wide surface ocean current acceleration as we heat the ocean from the surface,” Xie told CBS 8. “As a scientist, the surprising part of our research is the global nature of this current acceleration. That indicates the results are quite robust and consistent with our physical laws.”

You could pretty much stop at computer model data.

The new data could suggest a harsh future for our oceans, with currents affecting the amount of photosynthesis taking place, nutrients available to marine life, and potentially even more difficult migratory patterns for wildlife. “The ocean currents speed up and therefore the horizontal and vertical distribution of nutrients is going to change accordingly,” said Xie. “So that’s going to affect the distribution and activity of photosynthesis and therefore the biological activity overall.”

Did they gather lots and lots of data to put this study together, check many points around the globe, or, just a sliver and run it through the computer?

Last month the study was published and is now helping to resolve an ongoing debate on the cause of an increase in ocean currents. Scientists have often attributed the acceleration to wind, but this new study found global warming as a primary culprit.

Oh, the same month another study said the ocean currents were slowing down?

The team says the next step will be determining the extent of damage that can occur due to the change in speed. The full study can be found in the journal Nature and Science Advances.

I’d think the first thing they would need to do is to verify their study, not come out with doom and gloom.

Read: Your Fault: Ocean Currents Speeding Up From Hotcoldwetdry »

NY Gungrabbers Look To Grab More Guns Post-Buffalo

New York is already a gun grabber’s wet dream of restrictions. What more can they really do?

Lawmakers in Albany consider how to make tight gun laws even tighter.

New York lawmakers are reviewing options to strengthen the state’s already muscular gun laws, with Gov. Kathy Hochul expected to unveil a package as soon as Wednesday aimed at shoring up remaining weaknesses in the aftermath of the Buffalo massacre.

At an appearance with President Biden in Buffalo on Tuesday, Ms. Hochul suggested that leaders should not merely blame “hateful philosophies” that she said had leached from dark corners of the web to mainstream cable news shows.

“You could have that hate in your heart, and you can sit in your house and foment these evil thoughts, but you can’t act on it — unless you have a weapon,” she said, adding: “That’s the intersection of these two crises in our nation right now.”

You can use a car, a bomb, you can get a gun illegally. Criminals do not care. But, the gun grabbers will use any excuse. Interestingly, the same lawmakers, and Gov Hochul, won’t be giving up their own armed security.

New York already has some of America’s strictest gun control laws, including requirements for background checks, restrictions on assault rifles, and red flag laws. New York has one of the lowest rates of gun death and injury in the country, according to the nonprofit New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.

Red flag laws? Background checks? Those failed, despite the loony being investigated for serious threats

“You just want to close every potential loophole,” said Assemblywoman Amy Paulin of Westchester.

Ms. Paulin is the sponsor of a number of bills she believes would help make New York safer. One would require local law enforcement agencies to promptly contribute information on recovered weapons to a federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives database, which would allow better tracing. Another would allow New York to do its own background checks, instead of outsourcing the process to the F.B.I.

What would the first do? The gun is recovered. Doing their own backgrounds requires the information to be reported in the first place, and, you can see lawsuits if NY slow walks the checks.

Other measures would institute new requirements for gun dealers, including better record keeping and increased staff training.

Which would do what? The NY Times doesn’t say because there’s no rational reason.

But advocates have questioned whether New York’s existing laws could be better implemented.

Under New York’s so-called red flag law, for example, relatives, school officials and law enforcement can ask a court to remove guns from the home of a person at high risk of harming themselves or others and prevent them from buying new ones — a prohibition that can last as long as a year. But the law was not invoked against the suspect in the Buffalo attack, even after his threat to murder and commit suicide alarmed a school official enough to alert police.

There are plenty of laws. If you do not implement the laws correctly, more laws won’t help. Really, the idea is not to solve anything, because then they can’t bloviate. Politicians rarely want to fix a problem.

Now, perhaps they can talk about all the people that shoot each other in NYC.

Read: NY Gungrabbers Look To Grab More Guns Post-Buffalo »

“Confessions Of A Social Justice Meme Maker”

This is an incredible piece

It has so much packed into it that I really do not want to do excerpts, but, I’ll give you a couple quick lines that stand out

Text-based slideshow graphics on pastel backdrops were a particular hit. They often read like instruction manuals, feeding believers the exact phrases needed to dismiss counterarguments and “educate” their “ignorant” family members.

I quickly learned that the key to reaching legions of viewers is to post content that evokes strong emotional responses. In a saturated market, extreme views drive out more nuanced takes.

Without Trump to kick around, progressives were increasingly turning on one another. Left-wing activists dedicated more and more of their time to scouring the online social-justice community, looking for opportunities to take offense.

Activists need a struggle to overcome, a dragon to slay, even if it must be invented.

That third one is interesting. I know I, and so many bloggers, will look for articles to “take offense.” I will also, at times, tell people I agree with something from the NY Times, Washington Post, a hardcore leftist politician. Give the whole thing a read, and a deep thought.

Read: “Confessions Of A Social Justice Meme Maker” »

Bummer: Climate Crisis (scam) Missing From Australian Elections

The last time ‘climate change’ factored heavily into Australian elections was 2012, when the ruling party in Queensland was annihilated by the voters for actually putting ‘climate change’ policies into action. The Labor party was beaten so badly they didn’t have enough seats to be a recognized party. Doing Something is popular in theory, not practice, and most politicians stay away now

Australian election: Where is climate change on the agenda?

climate change joke

As southern Australia continues to recover from the destruction of the 2019-2020 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, towns in Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) have just experienced devastating floods.

Some towns have even seen ‘once in 100 year’ floods occur twice in several weeks. In Lismore, an NSW town of nearly 30,000 people, the river rose more than 14 metres in late February, breaching the town’s levees and inundating people’s homes and businesses. Thousands of residents were forced to take refuge on their roofs.

Weather happens, and it’s ironic that this piece is from Al Jazeera, a news outlet backed by a country who’s primary product is oil

“Despite decades of warnings from scientists about climate change, Australia is unprepared for the supercharged weather that it is now driving,” said Hilary Bambrick, co-author of Australia’s annual assessment of progress on climate adaptation.

“Australia is at the forefront of severe climate change … Climate change means that Australia’s extreme weather – heat, drought, bushfires and floods – will continue to get much, much worse if we don’t act now.”

Despite this and voters’ desire for action, climate change has barely been a talking point in campaigning for the country’s federal election, which will take place in less than a week on May 21.

“Australians are hyper concerned about climate change,” University of Tasmania political scientist Kate Crowley told Al Jazeera. ”But the major parties, especially the [ruling] Coalition, don’t want to talk about climate change. For them, it’s done and dusted.

Yes, because they know it is a losing topic, especially post-COVID, with high inflation and low goods.

Climate writer Ketan Joshi has been tracking politicians’ social media mentions of climate change.

He found that just four percent of tweets from senators and three percent of tweets from members of parliament mentioned climate in the first week of the campaign. Most did not tweet about climate change at all.

“Tweets are a proxy for discourse,” Joshi explained. “It’s a really simple read on [the issue’s] prominence, and it turns out that even when climate is mentioned in bad faith, it’s still only a tiny, tiny proportion of the discussion.”

These climate cultists do know that they can actually practice what they preach, instead of trying to get Government to force Other People, right?

Poll after poll has found that the majority of Australians want to see the government take serious action on combating climate change.

National broadcaster ABC runs Vote Compass, the country’s largest survey of voter attitudes. In this year’s poll, 29 percent of those surveyed ranked climate change as the issue most important to them. This was higher than any other single issue, even in the face of the increasing cost of living, which 13 percent rated as the biggest issue.

But, when that action happens these same people will be like “wait, I didn’t think the bad parts would apply to me!”

Read: Bummer: Climate Crisis (scam) Missing From Australian Elections »

If All You See…

…is a horrible pool built with evil carbon polluting concrete, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Gen Z Conservative, with a post on Team Brandon admitting it lied about vaccines.

Read: If All You See… »

NY Times Editorial Board Decides To Blame Most Republicans For Buffalo Shooting

Weirdly, the NY Times itself barely mentions the shooting in Laguna Woods, California, where a Chinese man intentionally attempted to kill lots of Taiwanese. It’s all back page news to the Times. They do know that the Buffalo shooting is all your fault

The Buffalo Shooting Was Not a Random Act of Violence

Republican politicians, including some of the party’s top leaders, openly espouse versions of a white supremacist conspiracy theory holding that an orchestrated effort is underway to displace white Americans. A recently published poll found that almost half of Republicans believe that immigrants are being brought to the United States as part of such an effort.

On Saturday, a gunman who said he was motivated by a version of this “replacement theory” killed 10 people at a Buffalo grocery store, officials said. The suspect, identified as Payton S. Gendron, wrote in an online diatribe that he sought to kill Black people because he wanted to prevent white people from losing their rightful control of the country.

He also wrote extensively about hating Jews. And that he hated the Republican party, Democrat Party, liberals, and conservatives. That he grew up loving Communism, and you can call him a National Socialist.

Mr. Gendron described himself as part of a movement. He said that he was inspired by similar attacks on other minority communities and that he hoped others would follow his example. The suspects in several mass killings in recent years, including the 2015 murder of nine Black worshipers at a church in Charleston, S.C.; the 2018 murder of 11 Jewish worshipers at a synagogue in Pittsburgh; the 2019 murder of 51 Muslim worshipers at a pair of mosques in New Zealand; and the 2019 murder of 23 people, many Latino, in El Paso also propounded versions of this racist worldview.

Well, yeah, he was a nutjob hater. Replacement theory is more about Latinos than blacks. The black population isn’t really growing, because so many black children are aborted, which is what Democrats want.

Replacement theory is an attack on democracy. It privileges the purported interests of some Americans over those of others, asserting, in effect, that the will of the people means the will of white people. It rekindles fears and resentments among white Americans that cynical practitioners of American politics have stoked throughout the nation’s history. It also provides a disturbing rationalization for people inclined to resort to violence when the political process does not deliver what they want or protect what they see as their place in society.

We don’t have a democracy. Also, how many times have we seen Democrats resort to violence when they do not get what they want? We all witnessed the BLM/Antifa riots. How often have we seen whites demonized and denigrated by the media and BLM?

Right-wing rhetoricians in the United States portray undocumented immigrants as the primary threat. This sanitizes replacement theory for mainstream consumption without diluting its logic. The same argument is easily applied to other minority groups.

See? All your fault. And the NY Times editorial board makes the illogical jump to blacks. And, again, forgets to mention Gendron’s hatred for Jews. Anyhow, more blah blah blah, blaming Republicans. This is why it’s almost impossible to have a discussion or debate with Democrats anymore. Heck, even having a full blown argument, because Democrats take things so beyond the norm, they’re at Category 6 hurricane, that it’s impossible these days. They’re specifically saying that Republicans aren’t opponents, they’re enemies.

Read: NY Times Editorial Board Decides To Blame Most Republicans For Buffalo Shooting »

Secretary Pete Has A Plan To Force You Out Of Your Fossil Fueled Vehicle

So, we’ve jumped past moving you into an electric vehicle and to you having no personal vehicle

For over 17 years here on this blog, and further back when I was on chatboards, I’ve been saying that ‘climate change’ is all about control. That even if mankind was mostly responsible, the policies to “solve” it are all about the government controlling your life

(AP) With upcoming data showing traffic deaths soaring, the Biden administration is steering $5 billion in federal aid to cities and localities to address the growing crisis by slowing down cars, carving out bike paths and wider sidewalks and nudging commuters to public transit.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday announced the availability of money over five years under his department’s new Safe Streets & Roads for All program.

The aim will be to provide a direct infusion of federal cash to communities that pledge to promote safety for the multiple users of a roadway, particularly pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as motorists.

Too be honest, if he wants to help, he’d push the police to crack down on certain behaviors that lead to those accidents, such as blowing off stop signs and stop lights, driving irresponsibly, and so forth. Not forcing people to take the bus or bikes.

Deaths also are disproportionately higher among nonwhite, lower-income people, who are more likely to take public transit and travel by foot or bike, as well as those in tribal and rural areas, where speeding can be common and seat belt use less frequent.

Of course we must have a raaaaacial component.

Cliff said a big chunk of fatalities have been occurring for motorists who do not buckle up and often during short car trips “down the street.”

Well, just because some are dumb enough to not wear a seatbelt doesn’t mean the rest of us should have to ride bikes.

Really, the policy proposal is not all that bad. New sidewalks, bike lanes, etc. But, you know that is just the surface level. It’s the parts you do not see that are insidious, as usual.

Read: Secretary Pete Has A Plan To Force You Out Of Your Fossil Fueled Vehicle »

Good News: Biden Redeploys US Military To Somalia

There may be a real reason for this, but, if the Islamists are getting frisky in Somalia, that’s because Brandon is weak, and the disastrous Afghanistan pullout gave them ideas, along with the response to Ukraine

Biden reverses Trump’s order, redeploying Special Forces to Somalia

Joe Biden Ice Cream AfghanistanPresident Biden has approved a Pentagon request to deploy hundreds of Special Operations forces to Somalia, reversing former President Donald Trump’s 2020 decision to withdraw all 700 ground troops stationed there, The New York Times reported Monday.

Before Trump left office in January 2021, he’d ordered most American troops to exit the East African nation, with the Pentagon explaining at the time that the troops would be “repositioned … into neighboring countries in order to allow cross-border operations by both U.S. and partner forces to maintain pressure against violent extremist organizations operating in Somalia.” Since then, American commanders have voiced their concerns, saying that the short-term training missions are no longer working as effectively.

In addition to Biden’s plan to redeploy troops, the president also accepted the Pentagon’s request to target leaders of the Somali terrorist group Al Shabab, hoping to suppress the group’s overall threat. “Al Shabab remains Al Qaeda’s largest, wealthiest, and most deadly affiliate, responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents, including Americans,” U.S Army General Stephen Townsend said during a visit to Somalia in February.

Interestingly, quite a few articles all make mention of Biden reversing Trump’s pullout. Is this a tactical decision, or simply because Brandon wants to do the opposite of Trump?

Welcome to Joe Biden’s Somalia war

President JOE BIDEN’s war in Somalia has begun, and he didn’t even launch it.

On Tuesday, U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. STEPHEN TOWNSEND authorized a single drone strike against al-Shabaab militants attacking an American-trained elite Somali force known as the Danab. While no U.S. troops accompanied the Somalis during the operation near Galkayo, Pentagon spokesperson CINDI KING told NatSec Daily that Townsend has the authority under Article 51 of the U.N. Charter “to conduct collective self-defense of partner forces.”

“There was an imminent threat,” King said, so Townsend ordered the hit with the Somali government’s approval — but without consulting with the White House.

Sen. TIM KAINE (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, expressed his reservations about the justification to NatSec Daily.

“I remain concerned with the justification of ‘collective self-defense’ to respond with U.S. military force to protect foreign groups when there is no direct threat to the U.S., its armed forces, or citizens,” the senator said. “I look forward to getting more information from the administration about this specific drone strike, especially as we continue to work together to rebalance the Article I and Article II powers on use of force issues and update the 2001 AUMF to reflect current threats against the United States.”

Hmm

‘A very dangerous precedent’: Democrats take aim at Biden’s Somalia airstrikes

Top Democratic lawmakers took aim this week at the Biden administration’s recent airstrikes in Somalia, disputing the legal rationale for the operations and arguing that it undercuts the president’s stated desire to replace outdated war authorizations.

The Pentagon justified the strikes, which targeted al Qaeda affiliates in the war-torn country, by invoking the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force against the terrorist groups that attacked the U.S. on 9/11. (snip)

“If you’re taking strikes in Somalia, come to Congress and get an authorization for it. If you want to be involved in hostilities in Somalia for the next five years, come and explain why that’s necessary and come and get an explicit authorization,” added Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), another top Foreign Relations Committee member. “This idea that that’s too much trouble, that that’s too much to ask, is a very dangerous precedent for Congress to set.”

Both pieces were from July 21st, 2001. Will Democrats back Biden’s move to put troops back into Somalia? And will Biden’s plan work as well as Obama’s did? I’m all for wacking jihadis, if it has implications to U.S. national security.

Read: Good News: Biden Redeploys US Military To Somalia »

Eco Festivals Look To Be A Hoot

Everyone’s excited to go, right?

First Zero-Waste Eco Festival to raise awareness about climate change

Save the Children organized Pakistan’s first ever “Zero Waste Eco Festival” to raise awareness amongst children and the youth about climate change and environment related issues. The festival created an immersive experience for attendees to come together in nature and partake in sustainable activities and practices to learn how to reduce their ecological footprints.

The festival created a marketplace of sustainable products, designs, and ideas. It brought together stalls from green companies and start-ups working on sustainable technology; organic and local farmers working with sustainable practices; and non-profit organizations that are working on environment related issues. This included notable organizations such as TrashIt,

The festival was organized around the principles of “Reuse, reduce, recycle.” Event Management Company Active Media, ensured that the event was designed using innovative ideas and sustainable materials such as bamboo, UV printing and wooden carvings, with an emphasis on reducing plastic and other waste with regards to the event set up, as well as branding and marketing material.

The event also featured a panel discussion on “Youth Engagement for a Sustainable and Climate Resilient Future.” Panelists included Ms. Marion Pfennings, Head of Development Corporation at the German Embassy Islamabad; MrAtif Sheikh, Executive Director of the Special Talent Exchange Program; SheryarArif Khan, Assistant District Commissioner Islamabad; Brig Muhammad Aslam Khan (Retd), Chairman GomalDamaan Area Water Partnership; and Syed EhteshamUlHaque, Principal Environmental Design Engineer.

Notably, the event also featured a “Conversation with Young Climate Activists”, moderated by AmeeraAdil, climate communicator, activist, student, and entrepreneur. Amongst others, the youth panelists included Zia urRehman, President of NUST Environment Club, and Eisha Ayub, Save the Children’s Red Alert Climate Activist.

Shouldn’t a festival be, I don’t know, fun? Without a side of preaching?

The workshops included engaging children in activities about composting food waste into fertilizer, planting seeds and growing their own gardens, olive oil extraction, as well as creating their own body scrubs and self-care products from natural materials. Study Circles included climate charged discussions on renewable alternative energy solutions, green tourism, as well as the water crisis and water management. Harness Energy set up solar panels around the festival to power lights, fans, and mobile charging stations to showcase low cost and effective alternative solutions for energy generation and consumption. The festival effectively engaged children and the youth in a wide array of activities and conversations to encourage new forms of action and activism that can prepare the future generation to respond effectively to ecological and climate related challenges.

Sounds like the kiddies had blast. “Learn to make your own body scrubs! Because the government will restrict what you are allowed to purchase.”

Meanwhile

FROM SOLAR GRID TO CATTLE SHED: How Greenpeace’s Dream Of A Solar-Powered Village Fell Apart In Just A Few Years

Eco-activist group Greenpeace brought solar power to Dharnai, India, in 2014, constructing a green micro-grid it said would make the tiny village “energy independent” and a model for the rest of the country to follow.

Eight years later, reports indicate the solar micro-grid is not only defunct, but being used as a cattle shed. The Dharnai venture is only one of many failed attempts by environmental groups, like Greenpeace, to “green” the developing world, according to one of its co-founders.

“It’s the same thing that’s happened a lot across Africa: goody two-shoes comes in and builds them a small solar facility,” CO2 Coalition Director Patrick Moore, who co-founded Greenpeace in the 1970s, told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Surprise! A bunch of 1st World climate cultists trying to white knight, screwing with other people so they can feel good about themselves. I’ll leave it to you to read the rest

Read: Eco Festivals Look To Be A Hoot »

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