Big Boxes Are Fading Away, Too

It was reported by NBC, CNN, the New York Post and other news outlets that Walgreens Boots Alliance D/B/A Walgreens Drug Stores is closing 1,200 stores over the next several years. 500 of the stores will be closed within the next twelve months. The closing stores have not yet been identified.

 

This announcement comes on the heels of the CVS bombshell when it announced it was cutting about 2,900 jobs as part of a $2 billion in cost savings initiative. The layoffs, which affect mostly corporate jobs, add to the 5,000 or so job reductions disclosed last year.

Both chains, along with Rite Aid, cited acquisitions, competition from Amazon and even declining front end sales which comes from discount stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree, which impacted impulse buying at the front end of the stores.

Walgreens’ CEO Tim Wentworth said in a statement that the “turnaround will take time, but we are confident it will yield significant financial and consumer benefits over the long term.”

Retail analyst Neil Saunders agreed, saying that Walgreens’ eliminating the “dead wood will help the company strengthen its financials over time, but it is a huge admission of failure.”

This is just the latest evidence of a declining economy, where even “big box” pharmacies are feeling the hurt that the rest of us have felt for the last three and one half years. Imagine what the impact is on “mom and pop” neighborhood drug stores. They are becoming a dying enterprise.

Just like so many other small retail outlets, which are vanishing from the landscape.

What Was Clinton's Real Message?

Bill Clinton was campaigning in Columbus, GA these last couple of days. He actually looks ill. He has splotches on his face and his hand trembled as he held his microphone.

 

The still-popular former President's visit on behalf of the Kamster was reported by many media sources, including the New York Post.

And as much as he was there to speak on behalf of Kacklin’ Kammy, he spoke of the failures by the Harris-Biden Regime and its immigration policies.

“You got a case in Georgia not very long ago, didn’t you, they made an ad about it, a young woman who had been killed by an immigrant,” Clinton said Sunday during a fish fry in Fort Valley, referring to the February murder of Riley, 22. 

While it was a true statement, it didn’t sit well with the Kamster and her minions.

“Yeah, well, if they’d all been properly vetted that probably wouldn’t have happened,” the former president added.

At the same time, Clinton tried to make the case for mass immigration, saying: “America is not having enough babies to keep the population up. So we need immigrants that have been vetted to do work.”

It was a veiled slap at the Harris-Biden failures dealing with the economy and the rampant inflation middle Americans have been struggling with. Very Slick, Willie.

When you read the entire article, you will see his appearance, while he said he was there to campaign FOR Harris, he spoke as if he was NOT. He is not suffering from dementia; instead, he knows EXACTLY what he is saying.

And any person paying attention, clearly is getting his message. It is THAT obvious.

Think Pink - The Best Offense AND The Best Defense

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You see publications, advertisements, parades, walks and even campaigns in schools and colleges reminding us all of this terrible disease.

 

Pink is this month's color, which helps us be even more aware of this dreaded illness.

And everyone should be concerned, because every single person who is alive now or who ever lived, has or had a mother.

Women are reminded to get their mammograms at least annually for early detection. They are told how to check for early signs should evidence be detected at home.

And, thankfully, because they do these things, it CAN be treated.

I know several women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Some, fortunately, were able to treat it with a lumpectomy and/or radiation, and continue to live normal lives. Some have had Chemo or immunotherapy and continue to go on as before.

Some have had a partial or total mastectomy, possibly with reconstruction. But some, sadly, have been unable to overcome this horrid disease.

And men can get it, too. Breast Cancer doesn’t really limit itself to one gender. It is rare in men, but still possible.

Cancer is not prejudiced; it attacks everyone. Women can get Uterine Cancer, like my Mom did, and men get Prostate Cancer, like my Dad. These are considered gender-specific, but it is all the same, since both organs are involved with procreation.

I have had cancer several times; colon cancer in 2011, and bladder cancer several times since 2021. I remind my children that since both my parents, and my wife’s parents, have had cancer, the potential for them to be stricken is greater, too.

That goes for everyone. If there is cancer in your family, there is a greater likelihood that you could get cancer, too.

But since this is October, please have yourself and your loved ones go to get checked out. Early detection is, without a doubt, your best defense, your best offense and best comfort for your peace of mind.

You will be glad you did.

The Blur of Fantasy and Reality

In 1984, we saw the following message for the first time: ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE. USE THEM TOGETHER. USE THEM IN PEACE. It was the final message that “Dave Bowman” sent via HAL back to Earth in the movie 2010: The Year We Make Contact. This was the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey from 1968.

 

On Monday, NASA and SpaceX launched the Europa Clipper. It is designed to determine whether Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon is habitable.

The spacecraft is equipped with a suite of cameras and scientific instruments to investigate the structure and composition of Europa, including its subsurface ocean where life may exist today.

Apparently, forty years may be the time constraint that scientists and rocket men believe warnings from unknown beings are required and must be obeyed. Then, we can do what we want.

All joking aside, this is expected to be a five-plus year journey, as reported by the Associated Press and other outlets, including Smithsonian Magazine.

“Europa is of such interest because it is this ocean world, and water of course ignites the thought of possible life,” says Tracy Becker, a planetary scientist with the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.

For those of us who saw both movies, it is like Art imitating Life imitating Art imitating Life, again. Where does Fantasy end and Reality begin? In 2030, no doubt.

It WILL BE an exciting adventure, especially when the Europa Clipper finally makes its arrival to the Jovian system. What will we learn, for sure, when it starts to send back useful data?

Will we find out, finally, if we are alone? Or will there actually be Europan sea beings living under the ice?

A fantasy or a reality, maybe; but an Odyssey for sure.

TIME Calls Out the Kamster

With just twenty-two days to go before Election Day, the Kamster still has not held a major news conference. Yes, she has “granted” interviews to those entities which will treat her and fete her like a newsworthy individual, either with something important or stunning to say. Like The View, Howard Stern, Stephen Colbert and Dana Bash. But not any "real journalists".

 

Earlier this summer, I wrote a commentary called, Kammy's Bad Move Dissing the Press, where she turned down a puff piece chance from TIME Magazine's Charlotte Alter, who presented the interview request and ended up writing a report without her input. Since then, she has turned down many more requests from other “real journalists”, but will speak on favorable podcasts and other sympathetic outlets.

Today, it was reported that TIME Magazine’s CEO and owner, Marc Benioff, called out Kacklin’ Kammy for turning down multiple interview requests with the prominent publication as the campaign for the White House enters the homestretch. Not a good move by her to be embarrassed like that.

He further criticized the Democratic nominee on Sunday while pointing out that ex-President Donald Trump and President Biden, before he dropped out, both sat down for interviews during their campaigns.

“Despite multiple requests, TIME has not been granted an interview with Kamala Harris, unlike every other Presidential candidate,” tweeted Benioff, who is best known as the founder of Salesforce.com.

He posted on X, formerly Twitter, “We believe in transparency and publish each interview in full. Why isn’t the Vice President engaging with the public on the same level? #TrustMatters #TransparencyMatters #Leadership.”

When you dis the CEO of a storied publication like TIME, you are either showing no respect for him, or are just stupid and afraid of being found out. Either way, you are showing your true colors.

And to add to her failures to speak with "real journalists", other than a questionably-edited 60 Minutes interview, new polling suggests Harris is losing steam against Trump with Election Day about three weeks away.

She is definitely trying to run out the clock and is hoping she doesn’t fall further behind. But perhaps, it is beginning to hurt her.

Opening her mouth, now, would certainly guarantee that she would be shown to be the idiot we believe she is.

Better to Act Swiftly Than To Fail

An arrest was made Saturday outside the Coachella Valley grounds where Donald Trump addressed a huge rally that afternoon. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said he “truly” believes his deputies stopped a third assassination attempt against the Republican presidential nominee.

 

The New York Post reported that deputies arrested Vern Miller at a checkpoint outside the area and found weapons, a shotgun and loaded handgun, which Miller claimed were bought in 2022 for personal protection. When he was arrested, he was wearing a Trump tee-shirt and cap.

"I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody," Miller claimed . But then, remember that Lee Harvey Oswald claimed he was “a patsy” when he was arrested after JFK was assassinated.

Considering that two other potential assassinations were foiled since July, it isn’t surprising that law enforcement is on a heightened alert when Trump makes an appearance. No police agency, whether local, state or or federal, wants the stigma and stain of failing to protect a President. Ever.

So, good job, Riverside, for acting swiftly, whether he was intending to kill him or not. Better that you did what you did than finding out later that you failed.

America thanks you.

All Aboard the Trump Train!

The Honeymoon is over, I think. In July and through August, after the coup of Joe Biden was completed, and right through the Democrat Convention, it seemed that Kacklin’ Kammy was a sure bet to be elected President. That was the message the fawning Lame Stream Media was pushing.

 

But just before the debate between the Kamster and the Donald, the New York Times/Siena College poll showed that she was already beginning to crash back to reality. And while the LSM pundits declared her the winner of the debate, she did not get the “expected bump” they all thought she would enjoy.

Today, the New York Post reported that in many polls, including the Times/Siena poll, Donald Trump holds a slim lead across the board.  Or, at least, too close to call. Ah, the spinning of the poll numbers.

If you recall, on September 8, I wrote a commentary called, Why Voting, Not Polling, Matters. In it, I said, “Instead, Donald Trump edged out Kammy Harris 48% to 47% among likely voters nationally. And, not surpringly, other polls have similarly begun to show the 45th president regaining ground against his rival, now that the Democratic National Convention has wrapped up.”

Further I said, “What does it all mean? Well, with fifty-seven days until Election Day, not really a whole helluva lot. After all, in 2016, at this point, Hillary Clinton was leading by double digits and the media was already fitting HER with a crown, preparing for HER coronation.

“And how did THAT turn out?”

That was with flfty-seven days to go back on September 8. Now with just over three weeks to go, the momentum MAY BE shifting more toward Trump. Why? Because the American voter isn’t stupid or blind.

We have seen her and heard her, and we are beginning to realize she offers no new solutions to the problems both she and Biden created in the first place. And have both taken credit for causing.

So, hang on to your butts, folks. The Trump Train is coming and will be here in twenty-three days.

ALL ABOARD!!