Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Last Night's Debate Déjà vu All Over Again

2016

Stress Organizing

The Holderness Family strikes again...

Yes beern there.
Done that.

One Of Our Favorite Broadway Musical Numbers

We saw this show's revival at the Marriott Marquis theater in NYC sometime in the 80's. It remains one of our all time favorite Broadway musical numbers. It certainly got the whole audience excited and involved. Few shows are able to generate this kind of enthusiasm.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Things Didn't Go As Planned For 'Great Big Story' Reporter



I followed their wonderful posts for years. Unfortunately it's owner CNN (itself a unit of the WarnerMedia News & Sports division of AT&T) decided to shut it down.

Originally 'GREAT BIG STORY' was created to directly compete with other online content providers on YouTube and Facebook.

Currently IT'S YOUTUBE ACCOUNT alone has over 5.3 million subscribers.

I found their short documentaries and micro informational videos unbiased and very informing. Obviously something CNN was no longer interesting in providing. So now it looks like another 80 people are out of work. Guess it didn't have enough screaming and divisiveness to suit the bigwigs. Damn shame.

Great Big Story Says Goodbye.

This is likely their last post ever.

826aska Rocks Out (Music Video)

Although I featured her several times this is the first rock video she has ever done. Usually it orchestral pieces.



I tried to find a translation. One online translator said,
"It's a funny song with a rock tone of that "Cat Funjata"!"
(A Japanese children's song about stepping on a cat)

Terry Fator The Singing Ventriloquist

This guy can not only sing but has amazing vocal abilities to imitate many of the greatest singers.



Check out a whole bunch of videos on HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL

According to TERRY's WEBSITE he has appeared for 11 years at "The Mirage" in Los Vegas. Unfortunately like nearly every other performer his tours and shows both have been put off due to Covid.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

RBG Help Stop Hundreds Of Abortions

military.com
How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Helped End the Military's Policy of Forced Abortion
"Before 1970, women serving in the military were discharged for becoming mothers. This meant that pregnant women in uniform were forced to make a choice: Leave the military to become mothers or risk an illegal (and then-dangerous) abortion.

Air Force Capt. Susan Struck, a nurse serving in Vietnam, decided to fight the rule. Her attorney in the case was Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Although the Supreme Court ultimately declined to hear Struck v. Secretary of Defense, Ginsburg's legal wrangling led to the Air Force's decision to reverse its policy."


RBG felt the women's right to choose was essential. Up until then who knows how many women's military careers and baby fetuses were destroyed. She argued male officers were not discharged upon becoming parents. Thus her client wasn't afforded her constitutional rights of equal protection,

As with anything else in the world nothing is ever simply black or white. The way some tell it they would have you believe most women use it as birth control. In actuality most are for far different reasons. In some cases it may be a pregnant mother who has multiple children at home dependent on her survival if she could become at risk to death if she continued her pregnancy. Perhaps in another, a victim of rape, be subjugated to pay for and raise the scum's child entirely on her own. What about a young underage adolescent who was taken advantage of? What about the woman who had IVF and one or more of the fetuses aren't viable?

Indeed we could write stricter laws that take into account these circumstances. I have no problem with that. But to write laws that totally prohibit under any circumstance can be a death sentence to some as well lead to a life of misery for all concerned. To not take in consideration all the aspects is just plain wrong.

Rep. Katie Porter Discusses The Upcoming Election

Rep. Katie Porter is the Representative from Orange County, California.

Saturday, September 26, 2020

2020 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: Alien Life

I just eat this kind of stuff up. Yes the video is a hour and a half but I enjoyed every aspect of it because I love open minded intelligent people. There's probably a hundred things I could say about what they discussed. However I will very briefly say, I totally believe intelligence will occupy any container it comes across no matter the form. Unfortunately for us we're very limited in so much as being unable to comprehend the vastness of the greater that exists. This despite our ever expanding technology enabling us to broaden our observations far beyond our somewhat constrained physical senses and brain processing power.

Past Felons Can Vote in Pennsylvania

votespa.com
Information for people who have been convicted of a felony
Even if you have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or are in pretrial detention you may be able to vote.

"On December 26, 2000, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that the law in Pennsylvania that governs whether people convicted of a felony could vote was not constitutional.

This law used to say that people convicted of a felony could not register to vote for 5 years after their release from prison. This is no longer true. "

Another Reporter Leaving The Morning Call

Friday, September 25, 2020

Trying Everything They Can To Suppress Election Votes

Huffpost.com
FEAR: Witness Mandate On Mail-In Ballots Could Upend Vote In Battleground States
Voters in key states, including North Carolina and Wisconsin, are required to have a witness sign their ballot envelope.

"At least 1,700 couldn’t be counted because of lack of a witness name, signature, or address. That number accounted for nearly half of all ballots that couldn’t be accepted through Tuesday, according to State Board of Elections data."



One GOP Pennsylvania legislator even suggested they could decide if vote counting took too long. Alarmingly this election may not be decided in the courts but rather people's outrage in the streets. Sadly I may be witnessing the end of our Republic. Turns out the greatest threat to the United States may be ourselves.

Peek At The Giza Plateau

I've been following Brien Foerster's videos for some time. A few of the things I find fascinating.. * Undoubtedly many of these structures were made much earlier then what has been reported. Most were crafted long before the Egyptians came along. The reason for this conclusion is Egyptians always engraved or painted their structures with a prolific amount of hieroglyphics. Most of these have none.

* It was impossible to shape these boulders without some major machinery. Brass tools couldn't have possibly accomplished the task nor could create the perfectly flat polished surfaces as well as some of perfectly rounded bore holes. Not to mention lifting multiple tons each bock weighed. Which leads to the question, if they had these "machines" why haven't we found them?

* The mainstream thought has always been pyramids were created to place the sarcophaguses of their great dead leaders in. Yet not a single pyramid throughout the world ever contained a dead body. So obviously they served some other purpose.

* Most people don't realize beneath the pyramids and elsewhere on the Giza Plateau is en extensive set of interconnecting tunnels. No one knows for what purpose with certainty.

* Besides the mysteries here's another fun fact. Most tourists don't realize people can now explore some of these tunnels that were once closed off to the public. HOWEVER they'll charge you sometimes up to $1,200 admission to go in.
So with that said here are a few videos which might peak your interest. Brien post these hoping people will buy one of his books or sign up for one of his many worldwide tours of ancient sites. These tours aren't cheap.





Here's one of the most fascinating tours.
The Stone Boxes In The Serapeum In Egypt

This is located NW of the Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara,
a necropolis near Memphis South of the Giza Plateau.


Older Video from 2015 with more details


His hundreds of other videos can be found here.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Weekly Update Regarding LC Mail In Drop Boxes



Locations for each Drop Box are:

• District#1
o North Whitehall Township Building
o 3256 Levans Road, Coplay, PA 18037
o 610-799-3411
o M-F 7:30AM- 4PM


• District #2
o Upper Macungie Township Building
o 8330 Schantz Road, Breinigsville, PA 18031
o 610-395-4892
o M-F 7:30AM- 4PM


• District #3
o Catasauqua Municipal Building
o 90 Bridge Street, Catasauqua, PA 18032
o 610-264-0571
o M-F 8AM- 4PM


• District #4
o County Government Center
o 17 South 7th Street, Allentown, PA 18101
o 610 782-3194
o 24/7 at the Lehigh County Voter Registration Office


• District #5
o Emmaus Borough Office
o 28 South 4th Street, Emmaus, PA 18049
o 610-965-9292
o M-F 8AM-3PM

Warning YOU MUST USE BOTH BALLOT ENVELOPES

Here's why...


I don't think I can repeat this often enough.

The Trump campaign will use any excuse to invalidate as many mail-in votes as they can here in the battle state of Pennsylvania. They will be paying extremely close attention. Don't think for a minute anyone's ballot mistake will be overlooked no matter how minuscule even those filled out in person at the polls.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

What You Need To Know Voting By Mail In Pennsylvania



The most important thing you need to know is enclose your secrecy envelope within the second mailing envelope. If you don't the supreme court ruled your vote won't be counted.

State Senator Daylin Leach Has A Point


I also wish to point out Donald Trump received almost 3,000,000 less of the popular votes then his opponent in 2016. For almost four years now Donald and his compadres would have America believe he and the Republican members in congress have overwhelming support. The facts are not in their favor.

It simply amazes me how continually almost every action they take ignores the other 169 million Americans who either didn't vote at all or voted for Hillary. In other words Trump's 62.984 million voters represent only about 20% of the total population. Yet feels he is entitled to make all the decisions mostly ignoring the other 80% of the population. By doing so it shouldn't be any small wonder why Trump and his supporters are receiving all this criticism.

As of January 2020, there are 24 states with Democratic governors and 26 states with Republican governors. Last I checked the President was elected to represent all 50 including two of the three territories run with democrat governors.

Monday, September 21, 2020

War For Control Of The Supreme Court (A Look Back)

An excellent primer on how we got where things are today.

Frontline PBS August 19, 2020


Seems this has been a contentiously partisan process for quite a while. We should not expect any thing less so now.

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Partial Roll Call Of Senate Hypocrites




Saturday, September 19, 2020

February 23, 2016-- Sen. Mitch McConnell



Mitch sure liked Biden's words back then. Why not now?


Let me put it this way. I don't think the people will stand for Mitch trying to have it both ways. Perhaps Mitch should not push his luck trying to buffalo the American people a second time. Americans peacefully put up with Mitch's shenanigans when he screwed Obama out of his SCOTUS nominee in February 2016 (one year before Obama's term ended). I'm not sure they'll put up with this a second time. Especially during which time voting has already commenced.

What's The Vegas Odds On Lindsey Graham Following Through?

OCTOBER 03, 2018

March 10, 2016

Lindsey Graham is Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary since 2019


NO SURPRISE..
Lindsey IS A LYING TWO FACE
PIECE OF SHIT!


He already flipped in less then 24 hours
About 5 hours after I created this post





Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Shannon Is Back Singing

I thought she'd never return after abruptly leaving YouTube, Facebook and Twitter almost 8 years ago. All in a sudden 4 weeks ago she returned. What a pleasure to see both Shannon and her friend Natalie Hawkins also return after she too hadn't posted for a few years.

Shannon- Someone Like You - Jekyll & Hyde (Cover)



Natalie Hawkins- Blue by Leann Rimes (Cover)

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Mel Brooks Comic Genius



What?
You expected another substantive post?


For at least a little while I'm taking a break from the news. Too many jerks on all sides not worth the taking up of my time. 90% of what the wife and I watch has little to do with all the negativity surrounding us these days. Look, they live in their bubble. We have ours. I think this blog should reflect more on our viewing habits and the world we choose to live in. This rather this then stressing over things there's little I or the wife can do anything about.

I need do a bit more refocusing on this blog about science, entertainment and all the other stuff I care more about rather then dreading where this country is headed. I intend to do less politicizing and fact checking sharing more of the things which I actually spend my time on when not blogging.

The way I see it...
When it comes to politics not one single soul is ever going to be able change another persons mind. There will always be deceivers, liars, crooks and all kinds of bad actors. I'm never going to be able to change this in any way. What I can do is avoid dwelling on this kind of stuff. I intend to no longer pay attention to them on this blog. Instead I'll refocus on just about anything other then some of those posts which I have in the past which only serve to amplify the conflicts we face daily in the world. There's enough of them already out there. I needn't add my voice to them.

The challenge for me will be to remain above the noise. Not add to it. I truly believe conflict of any kind poisons the soul. Thus I intend going forward to no longer become a participant in it. I left myself get too involved in the fracas.



Monday, September 14, 2020

Senator John McCain's Last Speech To The Senate


You could say he was the last remaining true Republican left in the Senate. One with the courage to sound the alarm of what would become a hopelessly divided congress. One which is so engaged in their partisan bickering they're no longer able to do nearly anything for anyone unless it further empowers the political party to which they ascribe.

Time will tell what shall become of our democracy if John's words continue to go unheeded. I've posted this video because I feel it was his greatest speech. To my way of thinking his words are the greatest legacy any one can leave behind.

John left us on August 25, 2018 but his honesty, integrity and his final words to Congress will remain entrenched forever in my memory.



Sometimes people forget how things use to be.

Compare that to the divisiveness in this the 2020 election


If by some divine act of providence we could get rid of both parties and hire some good men, like any other good business does, that would be sitting pretty.
Will Rogers

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Help Make The World A Better Place


9/11 Day at Home
11 Good Deeds





Although the 'National Day Of Service' has passed there are still many things we can continue to do far beyond just that day.



About The Musical "Come From Away" (2017)

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Trump's Conspiracy Theories



What remains to be seen are there enough gullible Americans with sick minds to enable Trump to carry on like this another four years?

Friday, September 11, 2020

Plastic Recycling Is ANOTHER SCAM

Despite efforts spreading across America to reduce the use of plastic and the crisis of ocean pollution growing, the plastics industry is rapidly scaling up new production and promoting a familiar solution: recycling. But it’s estimated that no more than 10% of plastic produced has ever been recycled. The documentary “Plastic Wars,” from FRONTLINE and NPR, reveals how plastic makers for decades have publicly promoted recycling, despite privately expressing doubts that widespread plastic recycling would ever be economically viable.

Plastic Wars (full film) | FRONTLINE


I've lost just about all my faith in anything people say. Seems 90% of what I once believed to be true turns out to be FOS upon closer inspection. Looks like George Carlin was right, "people suck". And there you have it, my thought for the day. Seems honesty is just a facade for the things we'd like to believe that makes us feel better rather then seeing the world as it is.

Biden's Reaction To Trump On 09/10/2020

No Teleprompter Required

No prearranged questions in advance to him either


Biden's critics would like voters to think his mind isn't up to speed. Seems to me his mind is quite sharp.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Hellscape That Is New York

Controversy Surrounding Bob Woodward Book

Unless anyone just woke up from a long nap under a rock it's common knowledge Woodward's new book claims Trump tried to downplay Covid19 knowing fully well how deadly it could become. Now comes the backlash. Why didn't Woodward say something?

The answer is simple. All the recorded interviews could be fought in court claiming Donald has invoked executive privilege over them. Surely as the day is long the White House would follow up with court actions claiming much of the information Donald disclosed is now considered to be classified information. Thus holding up not only the book but the public's knowledge of what Trump said. Quite possibility for an untold number of months beyond the election. Hell they still might try since the book isn't officially due to come out until September 15, 2020.

statesman.com
Fact-check: Did Joe Biden issue warning about the coronavirus in January?
"Biden expressed concern about the coronavirus weeks before Trump did, and he recommended the Obama approach on Ebola, including international cooperation and the use of sound science, in January. He warned of the possibility of a pandemic several weeks before the WHO declared one, and predicted that there would be more cases in the United States. But while he spoke broadly in January about how the U.S. should approach the crisis, he did not offer a detailed plan until March 12, a day after the WHO declaration."

Let's keep in mind Biden said all those things without the benefit of the intelligence briefings Trump was continuously receiving. Trump in the meantime pulled his "wadda bout" deflection routine several times since. What about Obama/Biden response to H1N1? What about Obama Biden response to swine flu? What about Obama/Biden response to Ebola? Hey big guy in case you haven't noticed this is no longer the Obama/Biden administration. For the last 3 1/2 years you've been the head honcho. You own whatever happens on your watch. Start acting like it

How Trump Dealt With Pandemic Through Deflection

Saturday, September 5, 2020

USPS Trying To Neuter Congressional Oversight

nbcmiami.com
South Florida Congresswoman Denied Access to USPS Facilities
"NBC 6 cameras were at both facilities in Opa-locka and Northwest Miami-Dade where Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz attempted to do a spot check after speaking with union members about conditions at processing centers across the area."

Sept. 4, 2020





I think it's becoming increasingly apparent the USPS is actively participating in a cover up. Of course they want Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz to reschedule because it would give them time to hide the stuff she received complaints about. You also seen, with AOC's tweet, the USPS is unwilling to comply with Rep. Cortez's previous request for documents. We've seen similar situations where congress members weren't allow into ICE facilities either for an extended period of time.

What we're seeing with this administration is their willingness on numerous occasions to engage in runarounds in order to bypass congress. Without allowing congress to provide oversight calls into question the stability of our entire system. Without oversight this is how fascists rise to power. I'm not sure how far we've gone in this direction at this point. Hopefully it's not too late already.

Friday, September 4, 2020

Big Pay Day For Pelosi Shamer

nypost.com
GoFundMe campaign for owner of Nancy Pelosi’s salon raises almost $128K
"A fundraiser set up for the embattled owner of the salon where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had her hair done has raised almost $128,000 of its $300,000 goal as of Friday morning."

Looks like her public shaming paid off. At roughly one hundred bucks a pop, that's about 1,280 mop tops she didn't have to coiffure. 1,720 more if the fund reaches it's goal. In other words she could stand to profit roughly $299,900 off of Pelosi's single hairdo.

It wasn't Nancy who brought all this to light. It was she herself, the owner. At the least I think she owes Nancy a thank you card instead of rebuking the speaker. Maybe send another one to FOX News while she's at it.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Making Some Sense Of Theoretical Physics

Sometimes I get myself prepared to delve in things beyond most of our understanding. In this case, black holes. The current theory is though particulate matter gets crushed and scrambled, all the prior information is stored on a black hole's event horizon. Meaning all the information it once contained is still available to decode the particulate matter stored within the black hole. This doesn't mean it's reconstituted but rather all the seemingly random materials within can only be understood by using the key information stored in a black hole's event horizon.

This leads us to speculate whether our entire known universe from end to end is contained within a black hole. Thus explaining why our universe continues to expand as more physical energy (organized material) is absorbed into it from the outside. Quantum physics implies it could be our conscious awareness alone being able to extract key information within the event horizon that is responsible for making sense of any of this. At least the outside information absorbed so far into the black hole we may reside pending additional absorption.

Think of it this way. Inside a black hole (which we may be) contains what could be said to be an untold number of particles of energy. All within making no rhyme or reason in random form. However given the key information stored in the event horizon this could be re-coded in such a way these particulates would start to make sense as to their original forms. Hence a holographic representation within as to the form they once held.

Leonard Susskind of the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics discusses the indestructibility of information and the nature of black holes in a lecture entitled "The World As Hologram."

Will Hiden Trump Grump?

Jeff Dunham

Trump Urging Supporters To Become Felons



Face it Trump is trying to do everything possible to screw up the elections so he can invalidate them. In addition Homeland Security was trying to withhold intelligence which found Russia's disinformation campaign was focused on spreading the tale Biden has dementia. So what does Trump do... use Putin's strategy sowing doubt into Biden's mental capacity.

Republicans have accused House democrats of leaking elections intelligence information. All this begs the question, why would conservatives want this kind of information classified? Shouldn't Americans have that kind of information? It's the same crap they tried pulling with Hillary trying to raise doubts about her health, Hey nobody said they're original thinkers, but it's a new kind of scary when they let Russian operatives do their election planning for them.

As if all this weren't enough the GOP is sending ballot requests from two other states to registered Democrats in Pennsylvania. Obviously hoping they'll fill them out and send them in. Setting up the GOP to challenge the outcome of the elections in court. Apparently there's no low they won't go to trying to undermine the will of the people.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

The Latest Covid19 BS The Right Is Peddling



talkingpointsmemo.com
Fauci Squashes Trump’s Distortion Of CDC’s COVID-19 Death Toll Data
" During an interview on “Good Morning America,” Fauci clarified the CDC’s recent report that states 6 percent (approximately 9,000) of the 183,500 COVID-19 deaths were attributed to the coronavirus alone.... The infectious disease expert pointed out that the figure simply means COVID-19 caused those 9,000 deaths without causing the pneumonia, cardiac arrest, or other complications that killed the other 94 percent of people who contracted the virus."


I can honestly say the larger majority of Americans have some kind of condition. Asthma, overweight, diabetes, COPD, hay fever, allergies, heart condition, kidney problems... whatever, you name it. In essence what the right wing nut jobs are trying to sell us is anyone with an affliction is expendable. Let them die. After all nature intended only the strong should be allowed to survive. It seems to me they would prefer it so there'd be no need for healthcare plans for people with preexisting conditions.

Oh and about rushing those vaccines....
cnn.com
Past vaccine disasters show why rushing a coronavirus vaccine now would be 'colossally stupid'
"On April 12, 1955 the government announced the first vaccine to protect kids against polio. Within days, labs had made thousands of lots of the vaccine. Batches made by one company, Cutter Labs, accidentally contained live polio virus and it caused an outbreak.

More than 200,000 children got the polio vaccine... "Forty thousand kids got polio. Some had low levels, a couple hundred were left with paralysis, and about 10 died," said Dr. Howard Markel, a pediatrician, distinguished professor, and director of the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan....

The epidemic that never was.
.. The government launched the program in about seven months and 40 million people got vaccinated against swine flu, according to the CDC. That vaccination campaign was later linked to cases of a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome,"


It seems to me it would be far better not to catch these in the first place by using properly recognized prevention methods. As with any vaccine it might be a better idea to wait a year or so and see the statistical results rather then becoming human guinea pigs when they're first introduced..