The Cheddar

Unashamed to be an American and semi pro smart ass. I’m on Twitter to read, but if someone says something really stupid, I’ll probably have to respond.

[The Real Mike Rowe @mikeroweworks]

A couple years ago, Mikala Sposito applied for a work ethic scholarship from my foundation. She asked for $2,700.00 to help realize her dream of becoming a welder. (Actually, her first dream was to become an Olympian. As a kid, she excelled at horseback riding, dance, soccer, and track, but not quite at the Olympic level. So, Mikala adjusted her dream and focused on something within her reach. Precisely the kind of commonsense approach to making a living we try to encourage.) Toward that end, Mikala filled out the application, jumped through all the necessary hoops, and signed the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge, as all applicants must.

According to our internal ranking system, which is inherently subjective and relative to each batch of new applicants, Mikala scored a 94, and was awarded $2,100.00, or roughly 80% of what she asked for. This is typical of the average percentage awarded to an excellent applicant. As a rule, we almost never award the entire amount requested. We want our recipients to have some skin in the game, and we encourage all applicants to apply for additional scholarship funds elsewhere, which Mikala did. But in this case, if I had it to do over again, I think I’d have awarded Mikala the full $2,700.00. Why? Because this woman is precisely why I award work ethic scholarships in the first place, as recent headlines prove. Headlines all over the country that identify Mikala Sposito as the sole welder to represent Team USA in the upcoming @WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai.

This is a very big deal. The World Skills competition is often referred to as the Olympics of the skilled trades, so it looks like Mikala’s dream is coming true after all. And it seems to me her journey is worth a brief encapsulation. Before she applied for a scholarship from mikeroweWORKS, Mikala demonstrated an affinity for welding in SkillsUSA. As a senior at Dexter High School, she won 1st Place at the SkillsUSA Michigan high school competition and went on to place 14th nationally. Then, as a freshman at Washtenaw Community College, she repeated her success by taking 1st Place in the Michigan college division. She then advanced to nationals, where she finished 8th in the country. That earned her an invitation to the Team USA pre-trials, which whittled the nation's top 16 young welders down to three. At the final USA Weld Trials at the Robotics Technology Park in Huntsville, Alabama, each competitor was evaluated on precision, safety, technical execution, craftsmanship, and multi-process capabilities under extreme time constraints. Mikala Sposito took the Gold, officially becoming the first woman to represent the United States in welding at WorldSkills. Next week, she’ll face off against the absolute best of the best from all over the world.

I should point out that Mikala would prefer it if the press didn’t make a big deal of her gender, and I completely understand. (She’s a welder – not a “weld-her.”) But today, the industry is in desperate need of proof that women can and do excel in the trades. Nationally, just 4.3% of tradespeople are female. At mikeroweWORKS, our female applicants are closer to 20%, but I assure you that percentage could be much higher. Companies are anxious to recruit talented welders of any gender, and women need to understand and believe the opportunities are real. Mikala prove that in spades, and I want to offer her my sincere congratulations, and invite all of you to do the same. Because Mikala Sposito is exactly what our country needs a lot more of. People who understand that talent is never enough to compensate for laziness.

In her application, she wrote, “Hard work beats talent any day of the week, and nobody is going to outwork me. Period.”

She also connected with every point of the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge but said the final tenet resonated with her the most. “Some people choose to be lazy. Some people choose to sleep in. I choose to work my butt off.”
My favorite quote, however, is Mikala’s response to seasoned professionals who see her wield a torch and call her a “natural.”

“I’m not a natural,” she says. Far from it. And none of this came easy. I worked and trained 60-80 hours a week for two years to get here.”

Regardless of what happens in Shanghai, the job offers are already piling up, including the most recent from SpaceX. She hasn’t graduated yet, but the future looks bright, and I for one would not bet against her.

PS. I never do this, but since my name is in the title of the foundation, I suppose I can. Mikala – please accept the additional $600 you requested from mikeroweWORKS two years ago. Shanghai is expensive, and since you’re representing all of us, we’d like to provide you with a little walking around money. The check is in the mail.

Now…go get the gold!

[Jim Walsh @JimWalshLD19]

The WA State Supreme Court has overturned the will of the people in I-2066, the initiative to protect natural gas use in WA.
Once again, the Court used the "single-subject rule" as its justification for denying the people's voice. And the right they retain in the State Constitution. This rule has become the default excuse the Court uses when it has no good reason to reject a people's initiative.
This use of the "single-subject rule" is intellectually lazy and dishonest. But it's something sponsors of initiatives have to anticipate. We did that effectively with I-2081 (the original WA Parents' Bill of Rights), I-2111 (no state income tax) and I-2113 (restore police pursuits)--which all passed court scrutiny.
In WA, writing an initiative is similar to writing legislation. But not exactly the same. The State Supreme Court applies different standards of review. That's not right, but it's reality.
This fall, vote for Edwards, Stevens, O'Donnell, Larson and Bloom to the WA State Supreme Court. They will respect the State Constitution and the initiative process.
(Four screenshots of excerpts from the decision against I-2066. Plus a link below to the complete decision.)
https://t.co/aY3bTjFVGi

[The Cheddar @TheCheddar2]

RFK Jr. on leaving Democratic Party https://t.co/TSL8RWOmVB via @YouTube

[Collin Rugg @CollinRugg]

Room full of women on the Oprah show starts cheering after a doctor says that black female child murderers need to be supported too, not just the white child murderers like Lindsay Clancy.

"I want us to have the same passion for [female child murderers] who don't look like Lindsay."

"There are women of color sitting around this country in prisons for [murdering their children]. I just wanna remind us to have the pink shirts and the energy for them as well."

Totally insane.

[Kim "Katie" USA @KimKatieUSA]

Uber Karen in Seattle completely loses it when ICE detains her neighbor.

An agent, cool as ice: “Because they are here illegally.”

She hits the usual line. “No one is illegal on stolen land.”

Karen, breathe. Quick history lesson. This land was conquered, not stolen. Spoils go to the conquerors, and you obey their laws.

Don’t like it? Canada’s north. Mexico’s south.

FAIR estimates put Washington at about 375,000 illegal aliens and a taxpayer hit near $2.62 billion a year. Meltdown on the sidewalk does not change the statute.

[Adam Carolla @adamcarolla]

All the actors and journalists and artists were busy trying to get you fired and destroyed during Covid. But now they are standing up to tyranny. Give me a fucking break cowards

[The Cheddar @TheCheddar2]

The Dells are incredibly generous! $250 per kid. Thank you.

[Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh]

🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: Michael Dell and Susan Dell's investments are currently LANDING in THOUSANDS of Americans' child Trump Accounts of approximately $250 each

Dell is giving the kids $250 EACH! What a PATRIOT @MichaelDell 🇺🇸

Dell was at the White House last month where Trump said: "They are truly incredible people. Go buy a Dell computer!" 🤣

[Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh]

🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: Michael Dell and Susan Dell's investments are currently LANDING in THOUSANDS of Americans' child Trump Accounts of approximately $250 each

Dell is giving the kids $250 EACH! What a PATRIOT @MichaelDell 🇺🇸

Dell was at the White House last month where Trump said: "They are truly incredible people. Go buy a Dell computer!" 🤣

[Planet Of Memes @PlanetOfMemes]

@elonmusk @BasedMikeLee 🤔

[Mike Lee @BasedMikeLee]

Land confiscation in NYC

This is socialism

[The Cheddar @TheCheddar2]

Why Seattle’s mass transit sucks https://t.co/ByXU9jCIvq via @YouTube

[Sheriff Keith Swank @SaveOurSheriff]

Thank you @AllenWest for the opportunity to tell people what we are facing here in Washington state.

[The Cheddar @TheCheddar2]

Agreed!

[The Cheddar @TheCheddar2]

It’s 97% of the scientist of the 32% of studies that came to the conclusion global warming is caused by man out of roughly 11,000 studies. What about the other 68% of the studies that came to the conclusion that global warming is not caused by man? That is the question leftists refuse to ask.

[Roger Stone @RogerJStoneJr]

Our problem is not the screwy, left-wing, progressive Marxist Democrats.

Our problem is the gutless, feckless, weak-kneed, lily-livered, white wine swilling, country club belonging moderate establishment "REPUBLICANS" WHO HAVE NEITHER GUTS NOR BALLS TO FIGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY.