America, the birthplace of competency

 

Man forced to ditch Ford EV truck during family road trip to Chicago: ‘biggest scam of modern times’ | Fox Business   

"Dalbir Bala, who lives in the Winnipeg area, bought a Ford F-150 Lightning EV in January for $115,000 Canadian dollars (around $85,000 U.S. dollars), plus tax. Ford said the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) on the vehicle is $77,495 U.S. dollars.

"He told FOX Business he needed the vehicle for his work, but also wanted something suitable for recreational activities such as driving to his cabin or going fishing. He also wanted an environmentally friendly vehicle as owning one is "responsible citizenship these days." 

Dalbir Bala shares his frustrating experience after purchasing an electric truck. (Dalbir Bala / Fox News)

"In all, Bala spent more than $130,000 – plus tax. 

"Not long after the purchase, Bala got into a minor accident which, he said, required "light assembly" on the front bumper. Bala took the vehicle to the body shop and did not get it back for six months. He said no one from Ford answered his email or phone calls for help"

Hat tip to Scott Sheldon, Tillamook County, Oregon

Stephen Colbert roasted for saying he’d pay $15 for gas because he drives a Tesla | New York Post - YouTube

"See fellas, it’s easy to be an environmentalist you just gotta be worth millions of dollars like me"

The Rainbow Flag Conquered America Right Under the Noses of the Sleeping Churches –

  News With Views   "On June 17th, Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin was packed with people.  It was the usual crowd shopping at the Farmer’s Market, but those shoppers were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people who came to watch — or participate in — the annual “Naked Bike Ride.”

"You heard me right, and this was the 13th Annual Naked Bike Ride around the Capitol Square.  Most of the bike riders were completely nude, though many were decorated with body paint, and of course, the “Rainbow Flag” was prominent as well.  I’ve always just shaken my head at this annual event, assuming it was just another perversion that could only happen in the reprobate city of Madison, home of the “Freedom From Religion Foundation.”

"But this year, I learned that this event is world-wide and has been going on since 2001…but only came to Wisconsin 13 years ago.  The first Naked Bike Ride took place in Spain that year.  By 2004, there were Naked Bike Rides in 28 cities in ten countries.  Just six years later, the event boasted 74 cities in 17 countries.  Today, there are Naked Bike Rides in every US state.  It turns out that Madison, Wisconsin is “small potatoes” compared to some of the others.  Madison only had 150 or so riding their bikes naked around the state capitol building.  In Portland, there were more than 10,000.  Their stated purpose for these rides is to “support a positive body image;” (In other words, “pride”) as well as to “lessen our dependence on fossil fuels.”  (Gimme a break!)

"How can this be allowed?  What about laws against “indecent exposure,” public nudity or “lewd and lascivious behavior?”  Every state has different laws regarding these things.  In California, for instance, public nudity hasn’t been considered a crime since 2000.  But even where “indecent exposure” laws are on the books, enforcement of those laws is very lax.

"I remember in the 1970s, when “streaking” was popular in some places.  People laughed it off.  Ray Stevens even did a comedic song about it in 1974.  But what may have started as a “joke” is no laughing matter anymore. Today, those that take part in these very public events have an agenda, and it has little to do with supporting a positive body image, and only the most ignorant, “woke” college-educated Ph.D.s or public school teachers  believe it has anything at all to do with “climate change” due to fossil fuels.

"Now, I would imagine, if I were to go to my local county courthouse, remove all of clothes and ride around the building on my bike, I’d likely be stopped by law enforcement and very likely taken to a mental health facility for observation and evaluation, which is what should happen.  I may even be given a citation for indecent exposure.  BUT, if I were to do so carrying a rainbow flag, none of that would happen." . . .   Full article here...

Networks Heap 342 Mins on Third Trump Indictment, 71x More Than Biden Family Malfeasance

  Newsbusters   "UPDATE, 08/11, 11:25 a.m. Eastern: Few things were going to eat into the precious airtime on the flagship morning and evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC and time to spend on the third Trump indictment. But something as apocalyptic-
looking as the Hawaiian wildfires did just the trick. Between Thursday night and Friday morning, the networks only added 32 seconds to the coverage tally, putting the new total of time on the AM, PM, and Sunday shows at nearly 342 minutes (341:51).

"Given the small increase, the third Trump indictment to Biden family corruption allegations remained at a 71-to-1 ratio with four minutes and 50 seconds on the Bidens.  All 32 seconds came from ABC, raising their new sum to 126 minutes and 33 seconds.

" 'The post continues below with updates from Wednesday and Thursday on Trump vs. Biden coverage. 

"UPDATE, 08/10, 11:09 a.m. Eastern: Unsurprisingly, the tally for coverage of the third Trump indictment on ABC, CBS, and NBC further ballooned on Wednesday night and Thursday morning with an additional six minutes and 39 seconds, which puts the overall total at 341 minutes and 19 seconds.

"In what also shouldn't be a surprise, there wasn't any mention of Biden family scandals, leaving the total over the same time period (now the evening of August 1 through the morning of August 10) at four minutes and 50 seconds.

"That said, the ratio of Trump indictment coverage to mentions of Biden scandals in this time period remained at an astounding 71-to-1 split.". . .

3 Biggest Reasons Why Joe Biden Refuses Reporters’ Questions

 3 Biggest Reasons Why Joe Biden Refuses Reporters’ Questions (msn.com)   "Within the span of one week, multiple videos have surfaced of President Joe Biden refusing to answer basic questions from reporters. In fact, Biden has held fewer press conferences than any other president in the past 100 years.

"It’s not only conservatives who have criticized Biden over this issue. Left-wing outlets have also demanded that it’s important for the president to be accountable to the American people. This isn’t possible if he’s not willing to answer questions.

"During Biden’s first two years in office, he held only 10 press conferences. This is less than half of the press conference held by President Donald Trump in the same time period, which was 23. (Poll: Do You Stand With Trump? VOTE). . .|

                        

"Leftists may not like what Trump had to say, but at least he spoke frequently, directly, and truthfully. Biden, on the hand, appears to need scripted questions and answers. Even with advanced warnings about questions and large-font index cards, Biden’s handling of the press has been painfully embarrassing.

"Last week, when asked by reporters about the rising death toll in Hawaii as the island burns from severe wildfires, the leader of the free world said “no comment” before heading home.

"This weekend, a hot mic caught Biden demanding his handlers “politely ask the press to leave” as he grins and ignores questions. (Trending: Look How Many Times Democrats Denied Election Results Without Indictments)" . . .

NEW: Hunter Biden Team Used Threat of Joe Biden to Pressure and Coerce the DOJ –

  RedState

"In a stunning bit of Saturday evening news, a new report is shedding light on the negotiations that took place between Hunter Biden's legal team and the DOJ. In late July, the two sides were mere moments away from securing a sweetheart plea deal until Judge Aileen Noreika started questioning the arrangement. 

"Things quickly deteriorated after the judge questioned whether there was any precedent for offering broad immunity in the diversion agreement related to Hunter Biden's gun charge. At the time, one of the questions surrounding the agreement was why the president's son was being offered pre-trial diversion in the first place. 

"As some pointed out at the time, any person distributing drugs while being in illegal possession of a firearm is supposed to be charged with a felony. Further, the DOJ is supposed to seek a mandatory minimum of five years in prison as part of "Project Safe Neighborhoods." Instead, a gun charge that could have brought ten years behind bars was brushed under the rug, with the diversion agreement serving as a vehicle to offer an arguably improper amount of immunity. 

"Now, we get to the jaw-dropping part of this. According to Politico, which examined previously unknown communications between Hunter Biden's legal team and the DOJ, there was an actual threat issued to call Joe Biden as a witness if Weiss dared to charge the gun crime in question.

Then he issued a warning: If the Justice Department charged the president’s son, his lawyers would put the president on the witness stand.

“President Biden now unquestionably would be a fact witness for the defense in any criminal trial,” Clark wrote in a 32-page letter reviewed by POLITICO. . . .

Hillary Clinton beclowns 'herself' on MSNBC

 President Trump's crime was to prevent the hillary beast from getting in the White House and the leftist will not stop until he is completely destroyed regardless of the collateral damage done to our Nation.

Eric Utter  "Hillary Clinton recently told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that attempts to question electoral results (that she deems legitimate) are "hallmarks of authoritarian, dictatorial leaders."  She also asserted that the efforts of Democrat prosecutors to jail President Joe Biden's main political opponent are a sign that the "system is working."

"This is surpassingly odd, given that Clinton "herself" has repeatedly labeled Donald Trump an "illegitimate president" who somehow stole the 2016 election with the help of the Russians.  In 2020, the First Pantsuit, while on The Atlantic's "The Ticket" podcast, stated:

There was a widespread understanding that this election [in 2016] was not on the level. …

We still don't know what really happened.

"Actually, that could more accurately be said of the 2020 election, HRC.

"What's more, prior to the 2020 election, Hillary said, "Joe Biden should not concede under any circumstances."  That seems like a rather authoritarian and dictatorial notion.

"Though Clinton lauded the recent Georgia indictments of Trump (on obviously trumped up charges), she previously and solemnly averred that Stacey Abrams would have beaten Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018 "if she'd had a fair election."  In 2002, she publicly stated that former president George W. Bush had been "selected" president, not elected, due to nefariousness and chicanery." . . .

How China Is Winning the Narrative War, and Who's Helping

 - American Thinker  

Code Pink has since worked to present China in a good light. In 2020, it lobbied members of the Congress through a 'China is Not Our Enemy' campaign, advocating a conciliatory approach to the Red Dragon. 

   "In their 1999 book Unrestricted Warfare, Chinese colonels Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui posited that the battlefields of the future would be "virtually infinite." Much of the fighting, they said, would be done without fighting: using ideological infiltration and propaganda to craft a narrative, the Chinese brand of communism could be made to find acceptance in the world of the free market and individual rights, ultimately causing the latter's collapse. Expectedly, the chief target of this "smokeless war" is the U.S. 

"How alarmingly successful the Chinese have been has been brought home by a recent New York Times exposé of the activities of Marxist millionaire Neville Roy Singham. China's tentacles reach wide and deep to control newspapers, TV, the internet, non-profits and sundry groups espousing far-left causes – all in the service of China's quest for global hegemony. Under President Xi Jinping, not only have state media operations been expanded, sympathetic foreign influencers and news outlets have been cultivated. It is in these operations that Singham plays a major role.

"The 69-year-old Singham is the son of the late Archibald Singham, a Sri Lankan Marxist scholar who consorted with Fidel Castro and was committed to the "liberation of Third World peoples." As a young man, the junior Singham joined the Maoist group League of Revolutionary Black Workers. After graduating from Howard University, he founded ThoughtWorks, a tech consulting firm, in 1993. It grew to employ 4,500 people across 15 countries, and made him a millionaire. From 2001 to 2008, he was a consultant to Huawei, which tested face recognition software used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to target Uyghurs for repression and is deemed a national security threat by the U.S.

"Ironically, during this successful entrepreneurial journey, Singham seems to have concluded that the Chinese economic system was preferable to that of the West. In 2017 – also the year he married Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans – he sold ThoughtWorks for $785 million and devoted himself to leftist propaganda. He now works from offices in Shanghai and New York's Times Square, playing benefactor to far-left groups, which he funds through a network of shell companies and NGOs. He denies the NYT allegation that he works closely with the Chinese government." . . . 

Kristi Noem Lights up Hillary Clinton Over Trump Indictment Cackling, Tells It Like It Is

https://twitter.com/i/status/1691802383003648318

 RedState   "One of the more troubling yet telling reactions to the Fulton County District Attorney's indictment against former President Donald Trump this week came from twice-failed Democratic candidate for president Hillary Clinton, who was a guest on MSNBC Tuesday night, allegedly to talk about something completely unrelated before the indictment was handed down.

"As we previously reported, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and Clinton both were gleeful over Trump's predicament, with Clinton literally laughing out loud at the turning of America into a banana republic where the judicial system can be politicized and weaponized against your political opponents: 

“Oh, I can’t believe this,” a giddy Clinton said while laughing and leaning back in her chair.

“This is not the circumstances in which I expected to be talking to you,” the liberal MSNBC host said to the former Democratic presidential candidate who lost to Trump in 2016.

“Nor me, Rachel,” Clinton replied. “It’s always good to talk to you but honestly I didn’t think it’d be under these circumstances — yet another set of indictments.”

For those who missed it, watch:

What does it tell you that both Rachel Maddow and Hillary Clinton laugh about the political targeting of a former president. pic.twitter.com/Ylg53Picyf

— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) August 16, 2023

 

Rachel Maddow says to Hillary Clinton "if bad actors tell us falsely that every election is stolen and that the only way an election is trustworthy is that if they come out on top of it, it tells you something not just about that person but it wounds us as a democracy in a way… pic.twitter.com/QEt1yl9FhG

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 15, 2023

 Hillary Clinton suggests election 'stolen' from her, other Dems could suffer same fate | Fox News      "Abrams justified her refusal to accept the result of the election by calling Kemp “an architect of voter suppression that spent the last eight years knitting together a system of voter suppression that is unparalleled in America.”

"At the Clinton event, the crowd broke out in applause after Hillary Clinton delivered the "stolen" election line, before she continued with a jab at President Trump." . . .

Doug Schoen: Hillary Clinton is not a gracious loser

 

‘Book of Lies’: Angry Rudy Giuliani Blasts Indictment Charging Him With Racketeering, Labels Fanni Willis & Team ‘Real Criminals’ (msn.com) 

Fani’s Fifteen Minutes of Fame - American Thinker  ..."In the end, however, Fani may be happy to let the feds conduct the trial because some of the 161 “Acts of Racketeering” (ACTs) in the indictment involve dangerous criminals doing dangerous things. For example, here is ACT 6 (in its entirety):

On or about the 21st day of November 2020, MARK RANDALL MEADOWS sent a text message to United States Representative Scott Perry from Pennsylvania and stated, “Can you send me the number for the speaker and the leader of PA legislature. POTUS wants to chat with them.” This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy." . . .

 This May Be the Darkest and Most Ridiculous Part of the Biden DOJ's Latest Trump Indictment - Revolver News   "Last week, Biden’s corrupt and weaponized DOJ just issued Trump’s third and most serious criminal indictment. The formal charges of “conspiracy to defraud the United States” do an underwhelmingly half-hearted job of disguising the obvious purpose of the indictment, which is to codify the “disinformation” scam into criminal law generally, and specifically, to criminalize what we might call “election denial”.

"Indeed, there’s a reason the indictment begins with the false, absurd and legally irrelevant claim that Trump made “knowingly false claims” about the 2020 election that “created an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger” and eroded “public faith in the administration of the election.”

Despite having lost, the defendant was determined to remain in power. So for more than two months following election day on November 3, 2020, the Defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he had actually won. These claims were false, and the defendant knew that they were false. But the defendant repeated and widely disseminated them anyway—to make his knowingly false claims appear legitimate, create an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger, and erode public faith in the administration of the election”

Nevermind for a moment that questioning the legitimacy of an election is First Amendment-protected speech. Let’s focus for now on the ridiculous insistence that Trump “knowingly lied” in his statements concerning the election. To say that Trump “knowingly lied” is to not only dispute his objective (and in our view entirely justified) questions concerning the election, it is to state that subjectively, privately in his own mind, Trump actually thought the election was legitimate — that he legitimately lost, but he lied anyway.. . . 

 

Viral singing sensation Oliver Anthony just took to Facebook to reveal who he really is...

 - Revolver News 

"Oliver Anthony is the name we know him by. He’s the viral music sensation from Virginia who wrote the overnight hit “Rich Men North of Richmond,” a song that’s struck a chord with the American working man and become an anthem against Washington, D.C. political elites.\

"By all accounts, Mr. Anthony seems to be a patriotic, Christian young man leading a simple life filled with hard work and faith. He’s transitioned from factory work to outside sales and clearly has a passion and talent for music. Yet, beyond these facts, we don’t know much about Mr. Anthony. That is, until now.

"The artist goes by “Oliver,” but that’s not his actual name. He recently took to Facebook to open up about his real identity. He’s shared how this unexpected fame has affected his life, both in thrilling and daunting ways. Oliver has also offered some candid insights into his faith, music, the opportunities coming his way, and his intentions for this sudden success. It’s a captivating tale with some truly unexpected twists and turns." . . .

Comment by a reader of this post:   

That's absolutely it. So much of today's music would better be described as assembled by technicians rather than performed by musicians. Quantization and pitch correction, etc. have advanced to the point that any competent editor can cobble together a passable song with recordings from even the most talentless hacks. All you need for a hit song these days is a catchy hook and a pretty face. The lyrics are tailored by committee to appeal to their target audience. They're either completely bland and inoffensive, or else they go to the other extreme and fill them with profanity and filth just for the shock value. It's mediocre by design. Studio execs want you to hear it, buy it, listen to it a few times, and then get completely bored with it so you'll be ready to buy the next bit of insipid drool. That all comes crumbling down as soon as you compare it to a real song like this one, though. The fact it's just (in his own words) "some idiot and his guitar" and not some mind-blowing virtuosic performance just makes it even more threatening. That's the main reason all these studios are slithering up to him now. Sure, they'd love to get the profits from his debut album and maybe a follow up or two, but mainly they want to suppress him. They'd happily let him be the flavor of the month every once in a while, but they don't want him constantly reminding everyone how inferior their products are. Best of luck to you, Mr. Anthony. Stay free.

New Images Show Destruction Inside Cargo Ship Set Alight By Burning EVs

 MSN  "Late last month, the Fremantle Highway, a cargo ship carrying new vehicles destined for Singapore, was destroyed in a horrific fire that claimed the life of a crew member and injured many more.

"New images have surfaced on the internet, giving us an inside look at the destruction the blaze left in its wake. Below, we can see several vehicles reduced to ash and burnt metal. Based on the roofline and remnants of the rear-mounted engine, the cars in the foreground appear to be Porsche 911s.

"Further back, a Porsche Taycan was also lost in the fire. While we can't be sure, the hood and body shape suggests it was once an example of Zuffenhausen's electric sedan. Another image shows the incinerated shells of Mini Cooper Hardtop 5-Door models." . . .

"RTL Nieuws, a Dutch news agency, also shared additional pictures of a charred Mini Cooper Clubman." . . .

Fire on Cargo Ship Packed With Porsches and VWs Is Reportedly Fueled by EV Batteries (roadandtrack.com)   

. . ."Once ignited, a lithium-ion battery is incredibly difficult to extinguish. At first, fire damages the structures that separate the chemicals that power a battery. This often leads to spontaneous re-ignition even after the initial blaze is out. Hundreds of gallons of water are often required, and once the initial fire is out, standard procedure is to quarantine the affected vehicle away from anything flammable, applying more water or fire suppressant as needed. Fire crews sometimes place a burning battery inside a giant water tank until the re-ignition risk subsides.

"Neither option is viable on a crowded transport ship. Even if you had a dunk tank or were willing to deal with the environmental consequences of throwing the vehicle overboard, there's usually no way to maneuver or eject the cargo on a ship en-route. Burning cars weighing thousands of pounds and spewing toxic fumes would prove even more difficult to handle." . . .

Biden is on the job

 Biden finally says he will visit Maui. But first, a six-day Lake Tahoe vacation - American Thinker   "After public pressure and an ill-considered "no comment" when asked about the rising death toll in Maui, Joe Biden now says he will visit Maui in the wake of its catastrophic wildfires.

"According to Joe Concha, writing at The Messenger:

Finally, on Tuesday — after six days of silence on the topic — Biden addressed the Maui disaster during a visit to Wisconsin to tout his economic record: “My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can. That's what I've been talking to the governor about,” he said. “I don't want to get in the way, I've been to too many disaster areas, but I want to go and make sure they get everything they need. I want to be sure we don't disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts.”

"But first, another restful vacation in Lake Tahoe, California, reportedly for six days.

"This follows his extended vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. where he was photographed catching rays and lounging on the shore as Lahaina burned to the ground. Seems one good vacation deserves another, and Joe has his priorities.

"Not surprisingly, the New York Post just ran a piece about Maui's residents not wanting him there." . . .

Maui burned and Biden vacationed.
East Palestine crumbled and Biden vacationed.
Kabul fell and Biden vacationed.
The border collapsed and Biden vacationed.
AMERICA LAST: Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/RYdBHnSqph

— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) August 15, 2023