Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

The mauling of malls

Posted: March 7, 2023 by chrisharper in Uncategorized

By Christopher Harper

Just up the road from our home in Muncy, Pennsylvania, sits the skeleton of the former Lycoming Mall, which recently locked its doors after nearly 45 years in business.

The mall, which opened in 1978, had more than 80 outlets. Many now defunct stores were once located there: Hess’s, Woolworth, Deb, KB Toys, Bon-Ton, Baker’s Shoes, Christopher & Banks, and others.

The issues that led to the closure of the Lycoming Mall plague many malls throughout the country: the impact of Covid and online buying.

While the country’s most popular malls continue to perform relatively well, with steady foot traffic and occupancy, hundreds of others are grappling with significant vacancies, fewer visitors, and uncertain futures.

American malls are a story of haves and have-nots. The real estate analytics firm Green Street estimates that at the 1,000 U.S. malls it tracks, there are about 750 vacant anchor boxes — vast spaces that once housed chains like Sears, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. Those are difficult to fill in regular times, but the past few years have made it extraordinarily tough.

A slew of bankruptcies, including J.C. Penney and Brooks Brothers, fueled closures. Some retailers decided to shutter their least-profitable stores, causing another exodus. More than 12,000 stores announced closures in 2020, according to CoStar Group, a data provider for the real estate industry.

Many people have a deep nostalgia for their local mall. It was often a place for teens to hang out after school, a source for back-to-school clothing, or the locale of a first job.

One of the local news sites collected stories from people about the Lycoming Mall.

“I got my Cabbage Patch doll there. I took classes in the community room to teach me how to walk in heels and put on makeup. I performed in the hole that was in the center of the mall at one time (baton twirling). I got belly button rings from Spencer’s. I got books for my daughter from the bookstore and took her to Boardwalk for fun. I have chased my grandkids around in that mall. So many memories,” said Bobbimarie Allen.

Fortunately, a group of local developers plans to create a mixed residential and shopping area in the Lycoming Mall, so the vast area won’t be an eyesore in a few years!

One of the first things I saw when I woke up today was this poll concerning Donald Trump’s CPAC speech:

It’s a tough call, Trump’s instinct is to always on the attack but the smart move is not to do so, particularly in this setting where there is a real chance of being booed for it.

There is however a rather obvious trick he can play here.

The MSM has ever since the end of the 2016 election studiously avoided covering Trump speeches live. Doing so negates their ability to spin him as people can hear him in his own words directly.

If I was the Trump camp I’d leak out that he’s planning to hit DeSantis hard and see if it coaxes the MSM to carry the speech live.

If they do so then I’d give a strong stump speech contrasting the Trump Years with the Biden years and hitting old Joe hard and strong, I’d also note the difference between mandates and no mandates because if he’s the nominee that’s what they’ll hit him on.

If at the very end he wants to throw them a bone he can close with something spin-able like “I have a proven record of fighting these guys at the Federal Level and still getting things done. If you re-elect me that’s what I’ll do again.”

Anyways that’s how I’d play it.

How he should manage DeSantis, already answered that here.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn’t matter how smart you are. If it doesn’t agree with experiment, it’s wrong.

Richard Feynman

If you want to see a contrast of what Science vs what “The Science” is you can’t do better than contrasting these words from scientist Richard Dawkins declaring :

The true reason science is more than an origin myth is that it stands on evidence: massively documented evidence, double blind trials, peer review, quantitative predictions precisely verified in labs around the world. Science reads the billion-word DNA book of life itself. Science eradicates smallpox and polio. Science navigates to Pluto or a tiny comet. Science almost certainly saved your life. Science works.

He notes that in speaking up for science (and those who suffer for professing it) he is fulfilling an obligation

We who don’t have a career to lose should speak out in defence of those who do. The magnificent seven are branded heretics by a nastily zealous new religion, a witch-hunt that recalls the false accusations against J.K. Rowling and Kathleen Stock. Professor Kendall Clements was removed from teaching evolution at the University of Auckland, after the School of Biological Sciences Putaiao Committee submitted the following recommendation: ‘We do not feel that either Kendall or Garth should be put in front of students as teachers. This is not safe for students…’ Not safe? Who are these cringing little wimps whose ‘safety’ requires protection against free speech? What on earth do they think a university is for?

Dawkins who is famous for his atheism closes his statement noting a double standard

Postscript on the flight out: Air New Zealand think it a cute idea to invoke Māori gods in their safety briefing. Imagine if British Airways announced that their planes are kept aloft by the Holy Ghost in equal partnership with Bernoulli’s Principle and Newton’s First Law.

Shades of Calvin Robinson’s incredible speech at Oxford where he notes that nobody is calling on Islam to change their scripture to accommodate gay marriage.

Now contrast this to this story from 10 years ago supposedly before the war on science began publicly in earnest:

Scientists working on the most authoritative study on climate change were urged to cover up the fact that the world’s temperature hasn’t risen for the last 15 years, it is claimed.

A leaked copy of a United Nations report, compiled by hundreds of scientists, shows politicians in Belgium, Germany, Hungary and the United States raised concerns about the final draft.

Take a look at the article and note how they are all afraid of the data leading people to a different conclusion than they wish and realize that our opponents have been fighting this culture war a long time before we have.

So the next time someone tells you not to fight the culture war note that the only difference between the culture wars now and the culture war 20 years ago is that we’re finally fighting back.

In last week’s article, I documented the Biden regime’s scheme to cram the World Health Organization’s Pandemic treaty down the throats of the American people, without submitting the treaty to the Senate for ratification.  In this article I will examine the contents of the treaty in detail.

Like the World Health Organization itself, the Pandemic Treaty is infected with a serious case of Marxism. Clause after clause of the treaty reeks of Progressivism, Socialism, and totalitarianism.  It is a Leftist wet dream.

For this article I have selected the most ludicrous passages.  After each one I will decode the Progressive doublespeak and offer commentary.

3. Recognizing that all lives have equal value, and that therefore equity should be a principle, an indicator and an outcome of pandemic prevention, preparedness and response,

The word equity is a one of the most crucial concepts in contemporary Marxist thought.  It is bandied about with great regularity.  In this treaty it appears quite often.  Although it appears to be similar to equality, equity is the opposite.  Equity is equality of outcomes rather than opportunities.   Equity requires government force and coercion.  It is the forced transfer of some type of good.

5. Each Party will take steps to address the social, environmental and economic determinants of health, and vulnerability conditions that contribute to the emergence and spread of pandemics, and prevent or mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of pandemics, including but not limited to, those affecting economic growth, the environment, employment, trade, transport, gender equality, education, social assistance, housing, food insecurity, nutrition and culture, and especially for persons in vulnerable situations.

This treaty will grant the World Health Organization the power and authority to take over just about every aspect of life here in the United States.  It will transform the United States unto a Socialist hell hole.

15. Reaffirming the importance of diverse, gender-balanced and equitable representation and expertise in pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and health system recovery decision-making, as well as in the design and implementation of activities.

This treaty is so completely woke it is nauseating.

17. Recognizing the synergies between multisectoral collaboration – through whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches at the country and community level – and international, regional and cross-regional collaboration, coordination and global solidarity, and their importance to achieving sustainable improvements in pandemic prevention, preparedness and effective response,

After the treaty is implemented, the WHO will be able to gain control of all aspects of life right down to the most local level.

18. Acknowledging that the repercussions of pandemics, beyond health and mortality, on socioeconomic impacts in a broad array of sectors, including economic growth, employment, trade, transport, gender inequality, food insecurity, education, environment and culture, require a multisectoral whole-of-society approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems,

This is another clause granting the WHO power over all aspects of life here in the US.

29. Recognizing that health is a precondition for, and an outcome and indicator of, the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This treaty will enact the Green New Deal here, and in every nation that implements it.

34. Reiterating the determination to achieve health equity through resolute action on social, environmental, cultural, political and economic determinants of health, such as eradicating hunger and poverty, ensuring access to health and proper food, safe drinking water and sanitation, employment and decent work and social protection in a comprehensive intersectoral approach,

Every nation that implements this treaty will be transformed into a socialist wasteland.

(b) conduct regular social listening and analysis to identify the prevalence and profiles of misinformation, which contribute to design communications and messaging strategies for the public to counteract misinformation, disinformation and false news, thereby strengthening public trust

After implementation, all dissenting speech and opinions will be monitored and censored.

The WHO CA+ may be applied provisionally, in whole or in part, by a signatory and/or Party that consents to its provisional application by so notifying the Depositary in writing at the time of signature of the instrument, or signature or deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, formal confirmation or accession. Such provisional application shall become effective from the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

That last clause is the justification the Biden Regime is using to implement this treaty without submitting it to the Senate for ratification, in direct violation of the US Constitution.

The American people must be informed about the heinous nature of this odious treaty.  We must stand strong and demand the Biden Regime refrain from implementing this sovereignty destroying farce.