I have complained recently about them on this blog. Pleased to see APD trying to do something about them. Not only because they're a nuisance but also out of concern for their own safety. Not to mention the threat to other traffic. My thanks to police recognizing the problem.
"If authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, the new storage temperature could “facilitate easier distribution to doctor’s offices and other smaller settings,” the company said... It also said it is working on new formulations of its vaccine that could extend the shots’ refrigerated shelf life even further."
I would love to see the day doctors were able to see patients one-on-one administering jabs with their regular wellness check office visits. This would be especially useful if booster shots were required in the future.
They could then also be handled by local pharmacies and public health clinics as well.
Good lord, who knew an ice cream machine could be this complicated. If true it seems to me everyone is out to make a buck anyway they can. Computers were suppose to make our lives less complicated. Makes one wonder if programmers are writing a lot of unnecessary code so as to insure their continued employment. Almost like built in ransomware.
Perhaps restaurant owners should avoid franchises. If they want to sell ice cream go back to scooping it themselves out of a freezer full of tubs. Seems we're becoming a slave to automation which is making things harder rather easier. Never thought I'd see the day a repairmen would need a degree in coding just to service many of today's overly engineered products.
I can't tell you how may videos I been watching which have nothing to do with Covid or politics. Something the mainstream media seems obsessed with. Those which I find very educational. Things from hidden mysterious behind art works...
..to Hubble research findings. All of which I find fascinating. Including the following on aboard the ISS. Man, talk about clutter!
Those are three of what may be more then 20 others I've watched this week. I hesitate to list them all but will say this. In this life there is a limited time for each of us to explore and discover. Pity to waste time on that which will not enable us to grow with wonder of things outside our daily routine experiences.
Frankly I'm not sure what I'd do without YouTube. It's my go to for my vast varied interests. Since it came along it's opened a whole new world for me. It's become like an enormous repository cataloging just about anything and everything one could ever seek. Certainly a lot more convenient and infinitely larger then any of the libraries I used to regularly haunt.
I think what is significant, out of the last 19 appointments only 4 were appointed by Democrats. That says to me if there's any "packing the courts" going on it's by Republicans. Yet another example of deflection.
As was stated here speaker Pelosi has no intention of allowing a vote on it in the House. What this proposal does is spotlight the unfairness of what has occurred as well as the previous politicizing of the judicial branch by the other party. Thus exposing the hypocrisy of the folks hoping Americans are too stupid to remember what they themselves did over the last several years.
Seems the Earth has a somewhat crude way of trying to sustain life. Question is how well is this self repairing mechanism able to perform it's task with human influence constantly altering the air, land and water?
We constantly remove dangerous materials safely stored underground away from us bringing them to the surface. Then modify them into many different forms in which the Earth may not have the ability to cope with.
My belief is Earth can sustain only a certain number of animals, plants and people. Less of each means less consumption. Over population of any one of those or all three is something the Earth's self repairing system may not be able to handle. In other words when too much occurs too fast the Earth isn't capable of keeping up with the burdens placed on it.
"Police officers in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, were the targets of criticism after a video showing them appearing to harass a small group of teens who were riding their bikes through town went viral."
Like Paul Harvey used to say, "Here's the rest of the story".
It seems no matter how cops approached these kids there was no reasoning with them. It certainly seems like it's becoming a problem in Allentown as well as nearly every other large city. At some point things are going to go sour. Damn, this is frustrating. Seems there are no answers to people determined to behave badly.
I appreciate these cops having a better temperament then I. They acted professionally under trying circumstances.. A credit to their department.
AGGRESSIVE DRIVING ENFORCEMENT DIRTBIKES / ATVS Investigators and Patrol Officers conducted operations in response to illegal and hazardous activity in various parts of Allentown, resulting in the seizure of multiple dirtbikes & ATVs #AllentownPolicepic.twitter.com/SN45zQ1evM
For the fourth time in two weeks a large group of aholes have been riding their loud illegal dirt bikes gunning their engines, doing wheelies followed by a bunch of screaming kids pedaling bicycles on our street out front. So far it's nothing more then that (for now). What's the freaking point?
Everyday it seems our society is going into further decline. Especially among our youth. What the hell is going on?
I pointed out the other day how Jimbo disrupts every committee hearing. Of course he did it again today when he didn't like what congress member Val Demings had said during her allotted time. What these people say in committee won't make a bit of difference to anyone except themselves.
Hence why I've refocused my blog on just about anything other then politicians. I only posted this as a matter of explanation for the reason why.
I checked on Amazon. Not yet.
Hey who knows. Many times what's old becomes new again.
If they ever do I wonder if my Amzon Prime will include free delivery?
"The Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, who seemingly came out of nowhere last month to make a serious offer for Tribune Publishing, a major newspaper chain, has decided to take himself out of the bidding, according to three people with knowledge of the matter...
a bid that seemed as if it had a chance of preventing Tribune from becoming fully owned by its largest shareholder, the New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital...
Alden is known for slashing costs at the roughly 60 daily newspapers it controls through its MediaNews Group subsidiary..."
Bad news if we ever hoped for more investigative reporting from our local paper or even if we have one some day.
I was wondering how they were making out. As a side note regarding cheap labor. I spoke to a few when we went on our cruises. Most of them said compared to the money they'd earn where they came from was double sometimes even more. It's a win win for everybody. We also found they were some of the most personable people you'd ever meet. I took the time and learned from them things I never would have.
Where else could you get a room with a view that changes every day, meals and shows for less then $70pp a day on up in 2021?
"ParkMobile is an Atlanta, GA-based company that offers a free app allowing users to find open parking spaces... The data included in the listing concern email addresses, phone numbers, license plate numbers for all registered vehicles of a user, and hashed passwords... data items that have not been accessed because they were not present in the ParkMobile database, to begin with, are parking history, location history, social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and plaintext passwords."
I have a pile of now nearly useless quarters in my car's cup holder. None the less think I'll stick to the old fashion way of parking. Going to stores with their own free parking lots. For one I don't have a smart phone. Secondly it gives me one more reason to avoid downtown and it's parking fines and other problems.
One of the things I find of annoyance is the City Of Allentown requiring me to park headfirst on their parking decks. If I ever need road service the engine compartment is not easily accessible. Neither would a tow truck have easy access. Most problematic is not having a clear view to back out into oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Also my extended van has a limited turning radius making it impossible to pull in forward on a single swipe. Which is what I can do when I back up by positioning the back end within the narrow spaces.
Some may say, well then don't go. Checkmark... no worries... I don't.
I honestly think Jimbo can't help himself. I've seen him do this in just about every committee hearing I've watched. He loves to put on a show minus the suit jacket so it makes him look like he's hard working.
Keep in mind not one of the vaccines ever claimed they'd be 100% effective. This is why we need to remain cautious. According to this article in THE NEW YORK POST, "Approximately 5,800 fully vaccinated Americans — out of 66 million who received the shots — still became infected with COVID-19, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data reported Thursday."
Instead Jimbo goes on another one of his wild rants. Somewhat like a spoiled brat would do to his parents. In the process spewing all kinds of misinformation.
People can and will do whatever they choose to do. Go with Fauci's recommendations or throw caution to the wind. However there's one thing I can tell you for certain local hospitals are seeing a continual rise in patients with Covid here in the Lehigh Valley.
Either people can follow a highly trained epidemiologist who spent decades specializing in communicable diseases or gamble on a self serving know nothing loudmouth politician. To any rational thinking person the choice is obvious.
Just had to be the best ad campaign ever. Sure do miss them. Better then some of the TV shows today. Lots of emotions evoked. Today they've been replaced with ambulance chasers, drug and gambling advertisements.
Those old coke ads weren't too shabby either...
Most people didn't tune the radio out or leave the TV screen when these things came on. Oh how I miss those days of this kind of advertising.
"Even though Trump planned to withdraw troops this May and had full Republican support, they are now attacking President Joe Biden for saying he will withdraw troops from Afghanistan by September 11th, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Via CNN:"
So many things to be said but I'll leave it there except to say. Another 20 years won't make one bit of difference.
These talented musicians never cease to amaze me. I suppose it's because after 6 long futile years of organ lessons I realize the kind of multitasking required. The only thing I managed to play was slow simple tunes like 'The Tennessee Waltz' using the printed chords on the music sheets for dummies like me. Obviously this guy has no need of sheet music. It's all stored in his head.
After all those organ lessons I consider anything music wise coming out of the storage device in my head to be leakage.
"Following decades of speculation, an experiment showing an inexplicable discrepancy from the Standard Model was raised to a confidence level of 4.2 sigma — which means it has a 1 in 40,000 chance of being a statistical quirk — lending more strength to the worry that some unexplained particle or force may be responsible for the excess wobbling of muons not predicted by theoretical particle physics."
A Little Bit Of Crazy Talk
Some have suggested since we were created from the one and only creator we, like he/she/it, are capable of creation ourselves. In other words look for something, whether it previously existed or not, it will then exist.
Others postulate we are little more then artificial intelligence ourselves created by highly more intelligent beings from outside. Further it's been theorized whenever we come to an absolute that defies explanation they create a new line of coding to try and justify what we discover.
Both suggest creation is ever evolving. Nothing is absolute. Quantum physics somewhat supports this craziness which seems to allude us.
One thing is for sure. The deeper we delve into these mysteries the further down the rabbit hole we go. It started with molecules. Then atoms. Then electrons protons and neutrons. Then an infinitesimal smaller number of energy particles which make up the delusion of matter beyond those.
Which brings us back to the fundamental question. Can reality be ever be defined? In other words can reality, which is unlimited, only be defined by what we know at the time? A temporary state which depends on a awareness far beyond our understanding. Perhaps even the first whom we refer to as God seeks such answers via his reflections through our beings?
Could it just be we are created metaphysically or otherwise as tools to assist so-called God's lack of understanding of even he/she's/ it's own self? If so neither he/she/it or we may never find the complete understanding of how any of us came into awareness. Maybe even after another dozens of billions of years (whatever that is) assuming time is even a thing.
Just perhaps it's possible if so-called God knew everything there is to know there wouldn't be any need for us. Then on the other hand it gets awfully lonely without someone to talk to. Even if it's to one's own self. This if it too had no idea where or how it came into existing in of itself.
Steve's Blog: Living In The Bonus Round. It was aptly named after having survived near death as a result of him contracting HIV. He wasn't expected to make it much past 1994. Yet here he is as a result of today's near miracle medicines.
I've followed Steve for a long time as he migrated from Los Angeles to New York several years ago. His talent is impressive. I suggest you check out his many videos including some off-Broadway productions in NYC.
Jim also wrote a couple of musicals. This from 2007
His lyrics are some of the best I ever listened to.
Steve's Other Half Jim Brochu
"Merman And Me"
Jim is a star in his own right. He made several TV appearances
He also was friends with Zero Mostel back in the day.
We've been watching dozens of free movies and a bunch of other stuff since network TV mostly sucks.
AND..
I came across these you might enjoy. We sure did.
Here's a Johnny Carson Classic...
A bit of a side story. When my wife worked at Wanamaker her boss was married to a guy who could be 100% mistaken for being Dom. We went out to a downtown Allentown bar and the bartender gave us all free drinks and swore he's keep it on the down low Dom was in his bar. We tried to explain but he wasn't buying. Then again neither were we that night :-)
These two jokers!
One hellva' large organ in Chicago.
The "Wanamaker Organ" in Phila.- Largest in the world with 28,750 pipes.
A National Historic Landmark it's valued in excess of $71 million dollars.
Another side story. When I was young I had the opportunity to take a peek around the St. Paul Church pipe organ on S. 8th St. Allentown. Course nothing as large as this, but still a magnificently large instrument. No speakers could ever move the amount of air St. Paul's twin blowers could produce through the church's pipes to resonate the air such as they.
Although I had six years of organ lessons I couldn't even dream the amount of multitasking required to play one of these colossal instruments One needs, 10 fingers, both legs and still peel your eyes on the three staffs printed on the sheet music. My brain was never wired that way. So I really appreciate what kind of brain it takes in someone's head to do all that while still being able to make all the stop changes required.
Imagine too all the money and skills required to maintain such a behemoth. Air pressures have to be properly regulated to all pipes to ensure equal volume from each. Pitches properly tuned in order not to sound like a cacophony of noise. Too much/too little air pressure, humidity or improper temperature is also factor. Wow.. just wow!
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"26 of them haven’t paid a penny in federal income tax in the three years since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reform bill was signed into law in 2017... In fact, 52 of those firms — including household names such as Nike, FedEx and Dish Network — ended up pocketing federal tax rebates worth a collective $3.5 billion"
Every time a Republican president gets into office (except Geo. H.W. Bush) the same thing happens. Ronald Reagan, tax cuts. Geo. W Bush, tax cuts. Trump, Tax cuts. Each promise these will more then make up for themselves. With GDP growth will come a influx of tax money. Yet as anyone can plainly see it never does.
Instead when the budget goes to pot it's up to Democrats try and bring the revenue back in. At this point Republicans then accuse Democrats of tax and spend. We've seen this time and again. Like riding on the same carousel round and round it never seems to get old. Republicans break the bank. Democrats fix it. Then Republicans break it again.. on and on it goes.
So here we are again. The federal budget is in a landslide. Republicans call for cuts mostly in social services and infrastructure. Now the post office too. When this happens federal state funding is reduced. This in turn trickles down to local governments. Who then in turn increase their taxes on all of us.
Some may argue well if corporations are forced to pay higher taxes they will just increase their prices. True, but they can only do it on their customers. The wealthier will buy more from them. The poorer less likely to do so (capitalism at work for raising revenue). States and cities on the other hand suffering lower federal funds will impose tax increases on all their citizens across the board rich or poor (socialistic taxation).
Rather then increasing taxes directly on the wealthy do so more indirectly by closing the loopholes corporations get away with. Obviously the wealthy are going to spend a lot more money thus paying more in taxes on the larger amount of goods they buy then the average worker.
This avoids the age old argument in congress against taxing the wealthy. Perhaps making it less toxic in order to reach some sort bipartisan agreement that won't upset either of their voters as otherwise would. Although I'm quite certain it would be a call-to-arms for corporate lobbyists who'd be the main obstacle to overcome.
This leaves the money changers to be later dealt with. That's a much heftier lift best left to discuss another time.
The Morning Call Guild hosted a Zoom webinar Wednesday, March 31, to discuss the impacts of hedge fund Alden Global Capital's intention to purchase Tribune Publishing, parent company of The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown. The Guild is searching for a way to return the paper to local control and ownership.
A city this size deserves strong reporting. Will it be possible given the present business climate for newspapers?
I have a lot of thoughts but will save them for comments if others express an interest. I will say this much. While the small local news media struggles, investigative reporting is impossible. It takes time and money. Nearly everything folks read on the local internet comes from others who have to work for a living. People who don't have the kind of time needed to invest in this kind of thing. Only a paid person who does it for a living would.
