Body and Soul

America in decline: CVS to close 900 stores due to rampant increase in shoplifting

Posted on September 26, 2023 by DCG | Leave a comment

America is in decline, particularly in democrat-run cities. As a result, our nation is facing the folowing:

Increased inflation and interest rates
Increased debt (both for the nation and many individual households)
Disasterous “Defund the Police” policies
Increased crime with soft-on-punishment policies
Open borders with thousands of illegal aliens arriving daily as well as drugs (particularly fentanyl) pouring into our cities

The disasterous policies of this administration and democrats (I’d also include The Swamp in the blame game) have led to this:

CVS says it will close NINE HUNDRED stores by the end of 2024 – 10% of all its shops – as it moves to online strategy amid rampant increase in shoplifting

From the Daily Mail:

“CVS is set to close hundreds of stores across the country as it undergoes a complete retail overhaul – as more outlets move towards online sellers amid rampant increases in crime.

The major drugstore chain is coming to the end of a policy launched in 2021 which will see 300 stores closed each year – meaning 900 will have shuttered by 2024.

In the announcement, which has hit headlines again recently amid rampant shoplifting at the chain, bosses they said that they were undergoing a new ‘retail footprint strategy.’

CVS and other retailers across the US continue to adjust to post-pandemic footfall, with COVID helping turbocharge the popularity of online shopping. More shoppers are turning to buying online in the wake of the pandemic, as well as rocketing levels of shoplifting affecting sales in stores.

CVS claims that ‘local market dynamics, population shifts, and a community’s store density’ are some of the aspects it has looked into when deciding which stores to shutter.”

Read the whole story here.

Locked up goods: What many Americans now see when shopping at their local stores.

Things are so bad in democrat-run Oakland, California that over 200 businesses are staging a strike today to protest over crime that has “gotten out of hand” and are demanding better public safety.

San Francisco’s retail area is turning into a ghost town due to crime and homelessness. Stores are closing in Seattle due to crime. Philadelphia convenience stores are closing due to brazen thefts. This is pattern in many other democrat-run cities such as Baltimore, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, and Los Angeles.

Local and national elections matter. The health and prosperity of our American cities matter. Remember folks:

DCG

Sunday smiles!

Posted on September 24, 2023 by DCG | 1 comment

Enjoy this video of Gunnar and hs pet donkey, Snickers.

Happy Sunday!

DCG

1 Comment

Posted in God's creation

Rescue beaver makes Christmas dam in house

Posted on September 19, 2023 by DCG | 3 comments

Amazing instinct this beaver has to build a dam considering it had never witness her parents build one before.

Woodside Wildlife Rescue in Mississippi saved this beaver. From their YouTube video:

“This beaver is being raised by wildlife rehabbers after being orphaned as a newborn. Her parents were killed and their dam and lodge destroyed. Beavers are classified as nuisance animals in many US states and can be killed anytime. Beavers need to spend 2 years with their human rehabbers. They need to have lots of opportunities to practice instinctive behaviors. This beaver enjoys playing this game inside the house but lives with the other orphaned beavers outside most of the time. We hope you fall in love ! This misunderstood and unique species needs lots of it!”

Go here to learn more about this animal rescue organization.

DCG

3 Comments

Posted in God's creation

Tagged animal rescue, beaver rescue

Our nation needs some hope and healing…

Posted on September 18, 2023 by DCG | 2 comments

Democrat-run cities are dangerous for their citizens and law enforcement. Between their “Defund the Police” movement which has resulted in increased crime, cashless bail policies and soft-on-punishment district attorneys, no one is safe. Just take a look at some recent headlines from our nation:

Police search for 6 after brutal assault, robbery at Normandy Park (Seattle) gas station (All the perps took from the store was less than $100, some tobacco products, and candy.)
80-year-old man fatally shot in head by Bronx gunman on scooter (Horrifying surveillance video captured the man’s killer — dressed in black from head to toe with a ski mask covering his face — riding up next to him on the sidewalk and shooting him twice, once point-blank in the head.)
Shocking video appears to show teen driver intentionally hit and kill a retired police chief cycling in Las Vegas (The victim was white; the perps two black teens. So of course it is not a popular story with the State-Run Media).
8 Shot Dead in Under 48 Hours in Democrat-Run Philadelphia (In 2020 Philadelphia City Council defunded their police department by $33 million.)
Suspect arrested in murder of LA sheriff’s deputy who was ambushed at red light (Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was executed while sitting in his patrol car near the Palmdale sheriff’s station Saturday evening — just four days after he had gotten engaged.)

These stories break my heart. It’s so disheartening to see what is happening to some of our once-so-beautiful American cities.

Americans better wake up to the fact that elections have real life-and-death consequences. Politicians are failing their citizens while implementing their horrendous policies. We need strong leadership restored to our cities (and country) before they completely perish and rot before our very eyes.

DCG

2 Comments

Posted in Crime, Democrats, failed city, failed state, safety

Tagged Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle

Fall weather is visiting the south…

Posted on September 13, 2023 by DCG | 2 comments

This past Monday fall weather decided to visit the south. Here in Oklahoma we had rain and it got down to the 70s. I wore a pair of jeans which I haven’t worn since April!

Folks are excited for the return of weather that isn’t in the triple digits. Alas, it will be back to the 80s later this week so we can pretend that fall is upon us for a couple days! Reminds me of some of these funnies:

DCG

2 Comments

Posted in Funnies

Tagged fall weather in the south, Oklahoma

COVID truth bombs

Posted on September 13, 2023 by DrE | 4 comments

See also “CDC is at it again: Mask up!”

4 Comments

Posted in COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine, Evil, Health, Hoaxes, political memes, safety, The Left

CDC is at it again: Mask up!

Posted on September 12, 2023 by DrE | 5 comments

We are entering the 2024 presidential election season, with state primaries beginning on January 15 at the Iowa caucases, followed by the New Hampshire primary on January 23.

So, of course, the CDC and the legacy (old) media are back to their scare tactics about a new virulent COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86!!!

We must mask up again, despite a review published in late January at the Cochrane Library, which said there was no evidence to prove the spread of COVID-19 infection could be reduced by the use of face masks. Even former CDC director Anthony Fauci admitted that face masks may not be effective on populations when looking at the “pandemic as a whole” — whatever that means — but persists in his stance that people need to follow authorities’ recommendations and wear them. (Epoch News)

Worse than being ineffective, a German study published in March 2023 found that extended mask use increased exposure of children and pregnant women to high levels of Toxic Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs). According to the American Lung Association, TVOCs have been shown to cause irritation in the eyes, throat, and nose, and linked to breathing difficulty and damage to the central nervous system and organs like the liver.

Even more perversely is the fact that, according to study after study, COVID-19 vaccines provided only at best short-term or no protection against the virus. Moreover, people who had gotten COVID-19 vaccine boosters were more likely to contract COVID-19 than people who had received no COVID-19 vaccine doses. The latest study is one of prisons in California.

All those studies have not stopped some schools, colleges, and hospitals from reinstating the mask mandate.

Thankfully, some states are fighting back, their governors and legislatures vowing to ban mask mandate and lock down. They are all red states: Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. (Newsweek)

Will you mask up?

5 Comments

Posted in COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccine, Democrats, Health, Hoaxes, Joe Biden, The Left

Tagged 2023 COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86, COVID-19 boosters, COVID-19 vaccines

Delete the Temu shopping app!!!

Posted on September 11, 2023 by DrE | 8 comments

You have probably made purchases online from Temu, enticed by the really, really low prices.

If you’ve installed the Temu app on your smart phone, delete it NOW!!!!

This is from Kim Komando, the radio talk show host who specializes in computers and IT:

Seemingly overnight, everyone’s talking about Temu, an online shopping app full of deals that seem too good to be true. You’ll find $17 wireless earbuds, $1 “gold” necklaces and $23 wedding dresses.

No wonder Temu is the most popular shopping app in the U.S., behind only Amazon. But most of us know little about the app’s origins. Like these apps, it’s tied to China.

I did some digging into whether it’s safe to use. Here’s what I found.

Where did Temu come from?

This app isn’t some fly-by-night operation. Temu (pronounced “tee-moo”) is based in Boston, Massachusetts, by PDD Holdings Inc. PDD is headquartered in Shanghai, China. PDD also owns the e-commerce platform Pinduoduo headquartered in — you guessed it — China. (More on Pinduoduo and its shady app below.)

Over 50 million Americans have downloaded Temu since it launched state-side in September 2022. You might remember its expensive Super Bowl ads promising to let you “shop like a billionaire.”

Searches for terms like “Is Temu legit” surged once Americans saw just how low the prices are. Not surprisingly, you get what you pay for.

What you need to know before using Temu

First, you’re buying goods directly from manufacturers in China and other parts of the world. That’s why shipping times are often much longer than on sites like Amazon. You might get your stuff in a week, but it could be more like 12 days.

For the most part, the prices are low because the goods are cheap. The pictures of what you see advertised may not be what you actually get.

Online reviewers seem to agree: Cheap is nice, but not when the quality is too shoddy to use. Temu’s BBB rating is 2.21/5. Reviews at TrustPilot are interesting, with 38% 5-star reviews and 41% 1-star reviews.

But that’s not the worst of it. As you shop, Temu collects lots of information.

It gets worse

Temu isn’t unique in all the info it wants to capture from your phone. Most apps out there want as much as you’ll give up. But considering its ties to Communist China, the permissions seem even more frightening to me.

Temu collects, among other things:

The info you provide, like your name, address, and phone number.

Details you enter, like your birthday, photo, and social media profiles.

Your phone or computer’s operating system and version, IP address, GPS location (if you allowed it), and browsing data.

They also gather more about you from third party sources, including Temu sellers, public records, social media, data brokers, credit bureaus, and marketing partners.

Americans using Temu are selling the country out for bargains that really aren’t worth it. I say you delete it. Here’s how:

On iPhone, long-press an app, then tap Remove App > Delete App. Tap Delete to confirm.

On Android, touch and hold an app, then tap Remove App > Delete App > Delete.

Still have TikTok on your phone? Here’s why it’s more complicated than fun viral videos.

In bad company

While Temu collects a lot, it’s nothing compared to Pinduoduo. Remember, they are owned by the same company.

Cybersecurity researchers found it wasn’t just tracking device info and activity — malicious code allowed it to bypass cellphone security settings to spy on other apps, read notifications and messages, and even change settings.

Temu gains full access to all your contacts, calendars, and photo albums, plus all your social media accounts, chats, and texts. In other words, literally everything on your phone.

Why? Company insiders told CNN that it’s a way to spy on users and competitors to boost sales.

No shopping app needs this much control, especially one tied to Communist China. If you’re using Pinduoduo, delete the app from your phone ASAP. It’s also reportedly hard to remove everything, even after you delete it.

Pro tip: If you downloaded Pinduoduo, you really need to do a full factory reset on your smartphone to wipe out any remaining code or tracking.