Sec. Haaland's Celebration of Drilling Ban Blows Up In Her Face

Above, ruins at Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things didn't quite go as planned for Interior Secretary Deb Haaland when she tried to enter Chaco Culture National Historical Park for a "celebration" of the Biden Administration's 20-year ban on gas and oil drilling.

Protesters blocked her from entering the park.

The Associated Press reported:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It was supposed to be a homecoming of sorts for U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, after her agency spent many months hosting public meetings and talking with Native American leaders about curbing the pace of oil and gas development in the San Juan Basin and protecting culturally significant sites.

But her return to Chaco Culture National Historical Park on Sunday was derailed when a group of Navajo landowners blocked the road, upset with the Biden administration’s recent decision to enshrine for the next 20 years what previously had been an informal 10-mile (16-kilometer) buffer around the World Heritage site.

Social media posts showed protesters yelling “Go Home!” as some held signs that read no trespassing on allottee land.

The landowners and Navajo leaders have said Haaland and the Biden administration ignored efforts to reach a compromise that would have established a smaller buffer to protect cultural sites while keeping intact the viability of tribal land and private Navajo-owned parcels for future development.

The "celebration" had to be moved to Albuquerque.

To read more, go here.

"QAnon Shaman" Released Early

Good news, folks!

Sebastian Gorka posted the following: 

Jacob Chansley, has been released 14 months early after Speaker Kevin McCarthy released January 6th footage that proved he committed no crime.

 

Sign Seen In Brentwood

Talk show host and former gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder posted an interesting video on Twitter.

It is of a sign seen in Brentwood, California.

Here's a screenshot of the video:

 

And another screenshot of the reverse side of the sign:

Democrats Calling John Block An "Insurrectionist"

The so-called U.S. Capitol "riot" that took place on January 6, 2021 that the Democrats are trying to make hay over is being called an "insurrection". 

In case you don't know what "insurrection" means:

a violent uprising against an authority or government.

It was a protest over the fraud-riddled 2020 election that got out of hand. Nothing more, nothing less. Remember also, the Capitol Police ushered in the protesters. There's plenty of eye-witnesses to this and video to back that up.

They are trying to paint any Republican candidate who was marching, that day are being painted as an "insurrectionist" by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. This includes GOP state representative candidate John Block of New Mexico. He was there in Washington that day, but did not even step foot inside the Capitol building.

He found out that he is being tarred by the DLCC's broad brush as an "insurrectionist". He and others in the same situation should sue them.

Block sent me an email that begins with:

Armand,

One of the first things people will tell you if you plan to run for office is that it’s a good idea to google yourself from time to time. Well, I did that recently and this is what I found on the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) website:

Calling me an “insurrectionist,” the Democrats’ top legislative campaign committee in Washington D.C., sent out this press release days after we won the June 7 primary:

“Just this week, insurrectionist John Block won the Republican primary for New Mexico HD-51, joining insurrectionists eyeing elected office in 2022 in states like Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Texas.”

This desperate rhetoric is the same stuff the Fake News CNN and MSNBC talking heads have been pushing with the sham January 6th Witch Hunt against President Donald Trump. They lie through their teeth and bash law-abiding citizens as “insurrectionists.” They even claimed I’m “normalizing anti-democratic extremism.”

These leftists are parroting the same talking points being thrown out by Democrat Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, who tried to remove my county’s duly elected commissioners after they stood up against election fraud.

I won’t stand for the lies. This is the real reason they are attacking me: They know I will always stand up for election integrity, and I will expose their corruption while in the Legislature. The D.C. and Santa Fe Swamp Democrats are horrified.

If you're incensed over this kind of dirty politics, be sure to donate to Block's campaign.

To do so click on this image:

 

Protest Held At Disney H.Q. In Burbank

Protesters gathered at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank last evening to protest the company's woke stance on the Parental Rights in Education law in Florida.

Fox News 11 Los Angeles reported:

BURBANK, Calif. - Conservative groups are boycotting all things Disney over what they claim is the entertainment titan leaning too far left.

Hundreds protested outside of front gates of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank Wednesday evening.

The demonstration was organized by a group, Hold The Line.

The protest was tied to Disney’s response to Florida’s Parental Right’s Education Bill which is also known as the "Don’t Say Gay" bill by its critics.

The bill which became a law in March prohibits teachers from addressing gender identity and sexual orientation in certain classrooms.

To read more, go here. 

People's Convoy Route and Timetable

Above, the Tee Pee Trading Post in Lupton, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The People's Convoy, protesting COVID-19 mandates in the U.S., is heading east along Interstate 40 today. What's even more interesting (to me) is that it will pass through my neck of the woods.

According to Newsweek:

A convoy of American truckers will leave from Adelanto, California, on Wednesday to complete an 11-day journey to the nation's capital, where the group plans to hold a protest demanding that all COVID 19-related mandates are lifted across the country.

The group, dubbed the People's Convoy, is inspired by the protesters of the so-called Freedom Convoy in Canada, who occupied Ottawa for 24 days and blocked various border crossings into the U.S. to protest the country's pandemic restrictions, particularly the federal vaccine mandate for cross-border commercial truck drivers. This past Sunday, Ottawa police cleared out the remaining demonstrators, arresting 191 people and towing 57 vehicles after more than three weeks of protests.

"To our brave and courageous neighbors to the North — our Canadian brothers and sisters who led the charge — we join your call to Freedom with THE PEOPLE'S CONVOY," the Canadian protesters' American counterparts wrote on a website.

Something else caught my eye. The convoy will rest up in Lupton, Arizona tomorrow night. Lupton is where the Tee Pee Trading Post (that I frequent) and Speedy's Truck Stop are located. I am sure both businesses will get some good business from the convoy participants.

Day 2: Thursday, February 24
Morning: Depart Kingman, Arizona, and head east on I-40 toward Lupton, Arizona
Evening: Arrive in Lupton for an overnight stay

Day 3: Friday, February 25
Morning: Depart Lupton on I-40 eastbound through New Mexico
Evening: Arrive in Glenrio, Texas, for an overnight stay

To read more, go here. 

Searchlight New Mexico Not So "Nonpartisan"

Above, Searchlight New Mexico's masthead logo.

Yesterday, I received an email from John Block of the Piñon Post on the battle against Critical Race Theory (CRT) in New Mexico.

One part of the email caught my attention.

Here's the passage:

Whether it be battling the racist Critical Race Theory lies or exposing Democrat corruption, the Piñon Post is your trusted source for conservative news and opinion.   Recently, a far-left blog called “Searchlight New Mexico” posted an article that the leftist USA Today network papers in the state picked up called, “Conservatives are fighting educational reforms with a war cry: ‘It’s CRT!’” The post tried to cancel us for our relentless fight against CRT racism, writing, “The right-wing Piñon Post, whose pro-Trump founder was at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, published multiple anti-CRT screeds.”

Like I always say, when the Radical Democrats know they’ve lost an argument, their knee-jerk reaction is to paint us as “insurrectionists,” “racists,” and other types of desperate names.

I have never heard of Searchlight New Mexico until now, so I Googled it and went over to take a look.

In their "About" page, they have the following posted:

Who We Are 

Searchlight New Mexico is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to investigative and public service journalism in the interest of the people of New Mexico. 

Our Mission 

Searchlight New Mexico delivers high-impact investigative reporting to inspire New Mexicans to demand action on systemic problems that plague New Mexico. 

Our Vision 

We believe that great reporting can motivate all New Mexicans to confront racial and economic inequities, government corruption and negligence, and abuses of power.

If Searchlight New Mexico is so "nonpartisan", why are they stating that the "pro-Trump founder was at the Jan. 6 insurrection"? Do they think this negates his stand against the racist Critical Race Theory? It looks like the old "if you have no valid rebuttal argument, attack the source" thing. John Block was in Washington that day and marched, but he didn't go inside the Capitol or was ever arrested. 

"Screeds"? Note how they slipped that one in. Another attack.

Contrary to what the left-wing Democrats are trying to portray the January 6, 2021 matter, it was a protest that got out of hand, not an insurrection. This meme is hilariously so since the Capitol Police ushered protesters into the Capitol.

While preparing their article on the CRT battle, did Searchlight New Mexico even bother to talk to John Block? If not, that's hardly "investigative reporting".

So much for their "non-partisan" bullshit. Perhaps if we do some background checking of their staff, we just might get some interesting revelations.

New Mexico Civil Guard Suing and Being Sued

Above, New Mexico Civil Guard logo.

It has been a while since I last saw any news about the New Mexico Civil Guard militia group.

Well, it turns out that some members are suing the city of Albuquerque for being arrested and detained by the police at an Old Town protest even though they committed no crime.

And, the Bernalillo County District Attorney is suing the New Mexico Civil Guard.

KRQE reported:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A militia group that showed up to the Juan de Oñate protest in Albuquerque last year with guns in hand is suing the city. They claim they were targeted that night by law enforcement. The New Mexico Civil Guard claims that they didn’t do anything wrong that night and believes the city zeroed in on them anyway.

About eight members of the heavily armed militia, the New Mexico Civil Guard showed up to last summer’s protest of the Juan de Oñate statue near Old Town. Now, several of them are suing the city. According to a federal lawsuit, the guard says city officials targeted them for no reason. They allege that the city was aware the Civil Guard was going to be there that night and positioned officers near the protest waiting until a Civil Guard member “committed a crime and planned to then arrest them.” 

To read more, go here. 

On the District Attorney's lawsuit, KRQE reported:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The lawsuit is moving forward against a local militia group for its role in a violent protest last summer. The Bernalillo County district attorney brought the suit against the New Mexico Civil Guard. Its members showed up armed to a protest against the Juan de Onate statue in Old Town saying they were there to protect the statue from the crowd.

The district attorney’s office calls the Civil Guard a right-wing extremist group and accuses its members of acting as vigilantes. “It’s just not right for any group to think they have the power to take the role of the police, take the role of the militia, or go out and threaten other citizens,” said Bernalillo County District Attorney Raul Torrez.

To read more, go here. 

Sweden and Karma Defeat U.S. Women's Soccer Team

 

From the Daily Wire:

The U.S. women’s soccer team took a devastating 3-0 loss to Sweden early Wednesday morning in their Tokyo Olympic opener, breaking their 44-game winning streak.

All 22 players on Team USA took a knee in solidarity with the radical leftist group Black Lives Matter before the game, a major point of contention with U.S. fans.

Serves them right! Since all 22 players took a knee, then karma nailed their asses real good!

I would congratulate Sweden for their win, but they also took a knee before the game as did other teams.

To read more, go here.

Travel + Leisure: "Four Ways To Help The Cuban People Right Now"

Above, yours truly at Havana Port in April 2919.

In April 2019, I took a cruise (one of the last ones before they were halted) to Havana, Cuba. I found the Cuban people to be quite friendly to us. Right now, they are suffering at the hands of their government and are deserving of help.

For those wanting to help the people of Cuba during this time of uncertainty, four suggestions have been posted from an unlikely source.

Travel + Leisure posted "Four Ways To Help The Cuban People Right Now". 

They start it with:

In an unprecedented move, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in over 40 different cities last Sunday to protest their government. Cuba is a socialist dictatorship that has been ruling the island nation for over 62 years. Ever since Fidel Castro took over in 1959, Cuba has been subjected to a one party rule (the Communist Party of Cuba), which controls all forms of mediums and does not protect the right to free speech or assembly for its citizens.

The protests come as the country is facing severe economic scarcities in food, water, and other basic necessities. The Cuban government's domestic inefficiencies, combined with the U.S. embargo, has crippled the economy for decades. Adding fuel to the fire has been the pandemic, as Cuba heavily relies on tourism. 

However, while citizens shared their grievances for the economic situation, they also protested their government. Chants like "libertad" ("freedom") and "Patria y Vida" (homeland and life), as well as explicit cries about the current president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, were heard everywhere. 

After news broke about the protests, the Cuban exile community all over the globe rallied together with the protesters asking for the end of a dictatorship.

If you're looking for ways to show your support for Cuba, read on for how to help right now.

Above, a Havana bazaar in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Normally, I would direct readers to the website at this point to see what are the four ways to help. As this is important, I will now list the four ways. I'll still provide a link to the full article as it provides details on each along with donation links.

Here's what they suggest:

1. Write to your representatives.

2. Listen to Cuban voices.

3. Donate recharges to cell phones.

4. Drink some Cuba libres in Miami.

To read the full article, go here.

Rare Anti-government Protests Erupt In Cuba

Above, El Capitolio, the Cuban capitol building two years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like the mainstream media in the U.S. are covering the mass protests in Cuba. It is too big to ignore, especially since videos of the protests are making their way in social media.

To find the videos on Facebook, for example, enter either #Cuba or #SOSCuba in the site's search feature. 

From Gulf News:

HAVANA: Thousands of Cubans took part in rare protests on Sunday against the communist government, chanting, “Down with the dictatorship,” as President Miguel Diaz-Canel called on his supporters to confront the demonstrators.

The anti-government rallies started spontaneously in several cities as the country endures its worst economic crisis in 30 years, with chronic shortages of electricity and food.

Several hundred protesters marched through the capital Havana chanting, “We want liberty,” with a heavy military and police presence deployed after demonstrators massed outside the Capitol building.

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds, and at least ten people were arrested, while officers used plastic pipes to beat protesters, AFP journalists witnessed.

Diaz-Canel delivered a combative television address, saying: “The order to fight has been given - into the street, revolutionaries!”

“We call on all revolutionaries of the country, all communists, to go out in the streets where these provocations occur... and to face them in a decisive, firm and courageous way.”

The Cuban government shut off the Internet in order to hide the protests (not that there was much Internet service there anyway). But plenty of photos and videos have made their way onto social media.

To read more, go here. 

Mass Protests In Cuba

Above, an image of Che Guevara looms at the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The biggest protests in decades are now happening in Cuba and the U.S. news media are largely ignoring it.

According to Fox News:

Thousands of Cuban protesters have taken to the streets demanding an end to the country's communist dictatorship. 

U.S. officials on both sides of the political aisle issued statements on social media expressing their support of the demonstrations and expressed solidarity with the people of Cuba. They also shared footage, where protestors can be heard chanting "we are not afraid."

According to Florida Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, Cuba's regime is shutting off internet on the island.

"The Castro dictatorship doesn’t want the world to see what’s happening," Salazar wrote. "Please SHARE & stand with these freedom fighters!"

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called out the mainstream media for refusing to provide extensive coverage on the unrest in Cuba. 

"Attention US media … in #Cuba they are rising up because socialism is (always a) disaster," Rubio tweeted. "Are you going to report on this so the world can hear their voices?" 

To read more, go here. 

Today

Above, today at the U.S.Capitol.

Today has been one weird and sad day. Sad, but at the same time, quite understandable.

It started out for me with a trip to Gallup to a boot repair shop. Little did I know what I was going to see once I got home, even though I was given a heads-up the other day from a friend in law enforcement.

I find it difficult to believe that rank-in-file Trump supporters would storm the U.S. Capitol. There were fringe groups present. Some are positive that Antifa was involved. Others say white supremacists. And so on. Some videos showed people knocking down Capitol barricade fences. Other videos showed Capitol Police opening them up allowing protesters to enter. I couldn't believe it when I saw that.

Historically, at all Trump rallies and demonstrations, those attending usually leave the grounds clean. Whereas, Leftist leave tons of litter. That's one big reason I have my doubts.

The failure of leaders in the states to ensure fair elections caused many to not trust elections. The pent-up anger was leading to an explosion and it came today. 

Frankly, all this was caused by Democrats, their news media minions and the courts.

All this could have been avoided if the courts did their jobs, from the local federal courts on up to the U.S. Supreme Court, and heard the cases of voting irregularities, unlawful actions by non-legislature election officials and bureaucrats, Dominion voting machines and vote dumps. 

I'm not bothering to watch the proceedings in the House and Senate tonight as the final result is a foregone conclusion. 

Still, it is a sad state of affairs that massive protests became the only recourse. People were pushed against a wall with no other recourse and the inevitable happened. They are fed up.

The next four years are going to be bumpy.

Identity of Woman Killed In Capitol Confirmed

Above, Ashli Babbit, who was shot and killed in the Capitol today.

Reports about a girl, age 16, who was shot and killed allegedly by Capitol Police seems to be in error.

KUSI News from San Diego gives her actual identity:

WASHINGTON (KUSI) — The woman who was shot and killed inside the US Capitol during the protests was from the San Diego area.

KUSI News has spoken with her husband.

The woman is Ashli Babbit, a 14-year veteran, who served four tours with the US Air Force, and was a high level security official throughout her time in service.

Her husband says she was a strong supporter of President Trump, and was a great patriot to all who knew her.

An investigation is underway.

To read more, go here.