Amazon eclipses Walmart as the largest retailer in the world, the Moneywise Guys purchase the old Woolworth's building, Jeremy Adams as a best seller on his hands and Thomas Drew is promoted to major general

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... AMAZON: Here's a revealing thought: Amazon has now eclipsed Walmart to become the largest retailer in the world. For most of us who order from Amazon regularly and watch as the boxes and packages pile up outside our doors, this will come as no surprise but it represents a seismic shift in

retailing, owing first to Amazon's endless selection and quick service and the pandemic which has kept so many of us at home. Amazon said that people spent more than $610 billion on Amazon over the last year of the pandemic while Walmart posted sales of $566 billion.

 * ... HEAT WAVE: Would it surprise you if I told you that July was the hottest month on record? That's according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who said that for the first time since we began keeping records 142 years ago, land and ocean temperatures were 1.67 degrees greater than the century average. And now comes word that Californians made be under mandatory water restrictions in late September, timed conveniently for Gov. Newsom after the recall election. Stay tuned.

 * ... VISIONARIES: Kudos to Dave Anderson and Sherod Waite of The Moneywise Guys for entering into an agreement to buy the old Woolworth's building on 19th and K streets downtown. Waite told me months ago the company was looking for a new building and hinted they wanted to move downtown if they could find the right building. Well they did, and it just happens to house the last working Woolworth's lunch counter in the country, and in true Moneywise fashion, they plan to honor history and keep it open. The deal should close this fall. (photo by The Bakersfield Californian)

* ... THOMAS DREW: There was some big news recently not only for local residents Joe and Jan Drew but for our country as well: their son, Brij. Gen. Thomas R. Drew, was promoted to major general during an Army ceremony at Fort Knox, Ky. Joe Drew is retired now but served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam while his brother, Fred Drew, was an infantry commander who fought in the battle of Hue. Thomas Drew followed the family footsteps.

 * ... HOLLOWED OUT SUCCESS: Bakersfield High School history teacher Jeremy Adams is enjoying a wave of success with his latest book, "Hollowed Out: A warning about America's Next Generation." A sober look at the expectations of our children, and how that will affect society, the book is now on the Amazon best seller list and it has brought Adams interviews with dozens of news hosts and podcasts on national forums across the country. It is a must read for anyone with school age children, or anyone concerned about the future of our country.

 * ... DUI LAWYER: Local DUI lawyer Richard Middlebrook has been elected to the board of directors of the California DUI Lawyers Association (CDLA.) The non profit organization has more than 400 members and represent thousands of people accused of driving under the influence and related offenses. Middlebrook has been a DUI specialist for some 30 years and is a founding member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association.

 * ... CORNISH BAKERY: Does anyone remember this old bakery on 19th Street?

 * ... BAKERSFIELD EATS: And do you remember this iconic Bakersfield landmark? Thanks to Art Moore and the folks at Kern County History Fans for this nugget.

Kern County's Dr. Brij Bhambi of Centric Health takes on the vaccine deniers, warns of doubling down on a losing idea in which you maintain your concept of freedom, but die making the point

 Today Bakersfield Observed features an essay by Dr Brij Bhambi, one of the owners of Centric Health and Bakersfield Heart Hospital and one of the most prominent cardiologists in town. Listen to Bhambi use some harsh words to characterize where our nation is in its fight against the coronavirus.

By BRIJ BHAMBI

 "Covid-19 is the most over promoted hoax in generations, if not millennia. Just when Alpha gets beat, it goes Beta. Then Gamma, then Delta, and Im not kidding, now Delta plus. 

A Greek alphabet soup!

 The hoax has become self perpetuating. Common cold, way more lethal, at least maintains common civility and not dress up in a new iteration at every twist of lethality. No doubt, the virus was nefariously designed by a formidable adversary to subdue the competition in to submission. 

 Virus is a hoax but the strategy, gone viral behind the business motives, resonates. The US government failed to fall for naiveté and put science to work through operation Warp Speed. Rumor has it, vaccines so created amalgamated science, precision, logistics, safety and efficacy against the virus in a record time. 

 What a crowning glory for the humanity!

 Then we are talking about a virus thats a weaker cousin of common cold. 

 Science and its shenanigans! 

 Muddled messaging from CDC to Fauci confirmed the obvious to the all knowing. The Covid dead were over counted to control the masses through fear. And dead seldom come back to correct death certificates. 

A weak virus, invincible individual immunity, exaggerated death burden, a commitment to contain erosion to personal liberties, a purported scientific miracle that barely provided waning safety to 95% and panic promoting governmental overreach, confirmed the worst fears among the faithful. 

 Its the hill to die upon. 

 Honor held high. 

 Screams to heaven reinforcing the inviolable truth among believers, unvaccinated die a brave death.

Government is a word that inspires lack of trust. Antigovernment sentiment is well promoted by those who want to be the government aka congressmen, representatives, senators and other selfless humans like governors and God forbid president. 

 The governmental overreach is an ultimate sin. How dare you propose to penetrate my body with an unwelcome needle that's going to inject a gene control serum to reduce me to your puppet. I know people who have developed a tail. Definitely gone sterile. Their thoughts are satellite controlled and pay for Bill and Melinda divorce. And that divorce my friends is doozie when it comes to dollars.

Some have developed a third eye.

God forbid they may actually use it to see.

 It's a relief that medicare, medical, pension, military, social security, disability and welfare like institutions fall outside the premise of government.

Imagine government ruining that for us too.

 It's a good thing we are self funded.

 Hard work of our lives enshrined in a timeless promise.

 The institutions in this country were given one body blow after another by our government trashing governments over decades.

 Derelict and damaged, they crumbled under their own weight. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. CIA, FBI, Police, Judiciary, Education, CDC, FDA etc etc have all been laid bare by preceding governments.

 Those are our guts.

 Vultures feed our guts, as we watch mesmerized.

 We will find a way to our preordained exceptionalism.

 Thats our unquestioned right. Our God given prerogative will not be denied. The way will find us.

The dual between virus and vaccine maybe wreaking wreckage but it sure is transfixing.

The much hyped vaccines do fail. All the time. They may come between sickness, hospitalization and death.

 But they fail.

 Who wants to bet on the side of a failure.

 Everyone knows a cousin or uncle who got virus from the vaccine. Bravo to cousins and uncles who lived to tell.

 Besides why one would allow invasion of his/her body when FDA hasn’t even authorized the vaccine. FDA should have configured pandemic preparedness in its population response. Tools necessary for drug or device development lack the urgent responsiveness of an inferno. In its lethargic bureaucracy FDA is gutting the common faith. This ass sitting does equal CYA.

As an argument it has merit, for now.

 It will fall to wayside after its approval because of “political motives”.

 The “wait and see” crowd is not nearly on pins and needles. They have a day job. Vaccine needs to be trashed.

 We are a nation of laws.

 We should have a drunk drive car pool lane.

 Mix fun with safety.

 Same as unvaccinated healthcare. Patients appreciate infections from the caretakers with exalted commitment to personal freedoms. Patients die happy.

Its nitty gritty that drags us.

Past injustices like Tuskegee experiment figure prominently.

And with merit.

 Some prejudices have outlived merit.

 Accepting virus over vaccine is a self created prejudice. Double down on losing the current war as a revenge to losing the previous war has a ring to it.

 The cost concerns pertaining to vaccine and access to vaccine are issues not raised infrequently. The fact that its free and easily accessible can’t be shared. It can poison the environment.

We all know natural infection provides strong and enduring immunity. Big pharma has studies countering that. What do you expect! With our robust immune system that made virus cry mama, we are untouchables. And big pharma is always corrupt.

 Pity the weak and infirm.

 Cycle of life.

 I know in India cow urine insulates humans from all maladies. Its a go to treatment for Covid-19 among a segment of believers. And don’t belittle cow urine as snake oil. All of us have seen cow urine, snake oil anyone? We don’t lack cows in our part of the world. Some solutions don’t have access problems. Snake oil may draw more discriminating audience but the truth serum flows in abundance.

When its all said and done, a believer would have had a celebrated journey without the tyrannical clutches of coerced vaccination.

An “occasional slip” with tube down the throat and protracted lonely death can be easily outsourced to allegedly “tireless” healthcare workers. They signed on to heal the sick. If in the process they sicken and kill their own, its a bonus, a higher calling. The brave healthcare souls can march to fearless martyrdom.

Heal the sick and die trying it!

Yet celebrate the unvaccinated.

Unvaccinated emphasize personal freedom.

Some freedoms tread the dead.

And worth it!