Friday, December 20, 2024

Hakeem Jeffries Addresses The Republican Funding Bill On House Floor As Shutdown Looms

Dec 19, 2024

Thoughts?


UPDATE 12/20/24
The House passed the budget bill just hours before a government ashutdown.

My So Called 2025 Social Security Increase Of $40


MY MONTHLY INCREASED EXPENSES
Medicare Part B & D Increase: $10.30
Medicare Supplemental Increase: $36.20
Cable: $7.10
Allentown Garbage Increase: $15.83
Water: $3.00
Car Ins: $5.34
Homeowner Ins : $2.67

TOTAL EXPENSES: $80.44
In other words I'm down $40.44 a month before I even start out! Lord know how much more groceries, school tax, heating and electric will increase on top of these by the end of the year.


I realize SS isn't meant to cover all of a person's expenses, but for crying out loud it shouldn't be making things worse then they already are. The least it CAN DO is cover inflation like it was promised to do. I've already lost three of my senior neighbors forced to sell their homes because they couldn't keep up.

In February 2024, about 67 million people received Social Security benefits, which is about 1 in every 5 U.S. residents: If you think many of them tanking year by year won't affect the American economy you're very much mistaken. Nearly ever dime that goes out is put right back into the economy for necessities.

That's one hellva' lot of citizens being let down since many of them vote. Washington needs to wake up before many of the U.S. citizens will be in a world of hurt. These were working people. They deserve better. So do today's workers hoping someday to enjoy their last few years as well.

There's talk from the Elon Musk gang looking into SS cutbacks. If he can make a couple billion a year, sports players, entertainment performers and TV personalities millions as well something is way out of whack. Something in this system of ours needs to change drastically. What kind of country are we becoming?

If all this doesn't piss you off, it should.

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Washington D.C.- One Of America's Largest Retirement Communities

Aug 7, 2023

Soon to be headquarters for some of our nation's largest billonaires
What could go wrong?

HUMOR: Annual Dementia Test

Repost


It's that time of year to take our annual test.

Exercise of the brain is as important as exercise of the muscles. As we grow older, it's important to keep mentally alert.

If you don't use it, you lose it!

Below is a very private way to gauge your loss or non-loss of intelligence.

Take the test presented here to determine if you're losing it or not. The spaces below are so you don't see the answers until you've made your answer.

OK, relax, clear your mind and begin.




1. What do you put in a toaster?

Answer: "bread." If you said "toast," give up now and do something else.

Try not to hurt yourself.


2. Say "silk " five times. Now spell "silk." What do cows drink?

Answer: Cows drink water. If you said "milk," don't attempt the next question.

Your brain is over-stressed and may even overheat. Content yourself with reading a more appropriate literature such as UFO World.

However, if you said "water", proceed to question 3.


3. If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks and a pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from?

Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said
"green bricks," why the hell are you still reading these???



4. It's twenty years ago, and a plane is flying at 20,000 feet over Germany (If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East Germany.)

Anyway, during the flight, two engines fail. The pilot, realizing that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure.

Unfortunately the engine fails before he can do so and the plane fatally crashes smack in the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and West Germany.

Where would you bury the survivors? East Germany, West Germany, or no man's land"?


Answer: You don't bury survivors.


If you said ANYTHING else, you're a dunce and you must stop.


If you said, "You don't bury survivors", proceed to the next question.


5. Without using a calculator - You are driving a bus from London to Milford Haven in Wales. In London, 17 people get on the bus. In Reading, six people get off the bus and nine people get on. In Swenson, two people get off and four get on. In Cardiff, 11 people get off and 16 people get on. In Swansea, three people get off and five people get on . In Carmarthen, six people get off and three get on. You then arrive at Milford Haven.

What was the name of the bus driver?


Answer: Oh, for crying out loud!

Don't you remember your own name?

It was YOU!!

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Let Me Bore You With The Federal Budget

Repost From June 2014: Although this is over 10 years ago the chart percentage figures are not too much diffrent from today. Federal spending is classified in two basic categories: mandatory and discretionary. About 61 percent of the federal budget is mandatory spending, 26 percent is discretionary spending, and the rest is interest payments on debt in 2024.


First the charts. Then I'll discuss what they show us...





The source of these charts can be found here..
at 'National Priorities" and also at another page on 'National Priorities' website



What we can quickly surmise is (1) the vast majority of discretionary spending is on the military (55%). (2) Even though the federal government receives 32% of it's revenue from Social Security and Medicare taxes it spends less then 5% in discretionary money on them. (3) If we eliminated all the tax breaks the federal government wouldn't only have enough to cover the entire amount of discretionary spending, but even have a surplus left over!

I found it also interesting that individuals pay into Social Security/Medicare taxes that amount to almost 3x's as much as corporations pay in taxes (32% versus 13%). Plus an additional 46% in payroll income taxes. In other words workers are paying 78% of the load. The vast majority of discretionary goes, in many cases, back into the private investors for education, housing, transportation and military contract providers.

My Overall View Of The Entire Budget
The main beef I have is the way we spend taxpaying worker's money for our military. Over the entire federal budget we are projected to spend around $3.9 trillion in 2015. Of the entire budget 16% will be spent on our military. Much of it to protect foreign nations. Shouldn't we compensated? Each of us have to pay taxes towards our local and state police. Shouldn't foreign nations as well?

While Americans receive back directly about 60% in the form of Medicare, Social Security and in unemployment benefits, this still leaves over $1.16 trillion being spent elsewhere. Take into account the $1.24 trillion in tax breaks and that's a sizable chunk of change ($2.4 trillion) we have to work with.

Does it make for sound reasoning to allow almost 1/3rd of our annual budget be in the form of tax breaks?

Provide military protections costing us over a half a trillion $'s w/o being compensated by much of it going to protect foreign nations?

Should 32% of the annual revenue derived from Social Security & Medicare go towards funding the government or instead be set aside and not factored in the budget?

Since President Obama's 2015 budget has a deficit of $561 billion (3.1% of the U.S. Economy) why not take part of it from the $1.24 trillion in tax breaks?

Lord knows how many emergency spending bills are proposed & passed beyond the budget and how many of these contain hidden provisions?

We also have those off-the-books accounting methods used by the U.S Treasury. Also check out what the 'The Pew Research Center had to say back in October 2013 about that national debt-- "The debt is about equal to gross domestic product."

THE BOTTOMLINE IN ALL OF THIS
None of this means anything. It's just a giant game of bullshit. The only reason any of this continues to work is because of either peoples ambivalence towards it or indifference. So long as that's the case everything will be just fine.

Forget I even brought it up :-)

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Drones A Psyop?


Of all the things I couild say I will say this. Isn't the timing of all of this (after the elections) somewhat suspicious?

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Bad Language

Repost


An annoyance of mine are these TV assignment reporters. When someone gets knocked down outside they end up on the ground, the grass, pavement, asphalt or anything other than "the floor". Floors are inside. Those others I mentioned are not.

Another classic is watching the TV camera focus on the "street" sign while the reporter is saying the incident happen on the road. The street sign clearly states it's a street. Have ADD?

An avenue is not a "AVE."  There's no such word. Call the roadway what it is. 

While I'm at it there is no such word as "SATRad" either. This is another abbreviation. This one for 'satellite radar'. Please spend the milliseconds of energy it would expend to speak correctly.

Things get worse on social media. Smart phones cannot make people look smarter then they are.
        Examples:
            I rote to him about it.
            I liked it to.
            It stuck to my tung.
            Some sno we had.
            I red that somewhere.
            That was sum show.
            It was after darc.
            Man your dum!




Friday, December 13, 2024

Cursive Handwriting: Extinct As The Dodo Bird

Repost From 2013

As unbelievable as it sounds, many schools are no longer teaching kids to write in cursive. OK, so maybe it's not that unbelievable for a lot of younger folks, but it sure was shocking for me to learn of this.

Handwriting becoming a lost art as fewer schools teach cursive
By Diane D'Amico, Staff Writer | Press Of Atlantic City
"New Jersey Department of Education language arts standards used to require that students be able to write legibly in manuscript or cursive by the end of third grade. But the state has since adopted the national Common Core Standards, which do not include cursive at all and put more direct emphasis on technology... Now third grade students are expected to use keyboarding skills to produce and publish writing."
Cursive handwriting being erased from public schools
By T. Rees Shapiro | The Washington Post
"For many students, cursive is becoming as foreign as ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. In college lecture halls, more students take notes on laptops and tablet computers than with pens and notepads."
The New Script for Teaching Handwriting Is No Script at All
By Valerie Buerlein | The Wall Street Journal
"... children will no longer be able to read the Declaration of Independence...

It is becoming increasingly rare to even have to sign your name. By 2016, nearly half of all home loans could be closed electronically, meaning that thousands of people will buy homes without having to physically sign their names, according to a recent survey by Xerox Mortgage Services."

"ABC5 KSTP (Minnesota)"



~ ~ ~
Let me start off my commentary with a little bit of my family history. My dad who was born in 1900 grew up on a farm about 4 miles to the West of Lehighton, Pennsylvania. He attended a one room school house with about 15 other kids that were of all ages. They either rode horses or walked to school. Conditions at the school required they help gather firewood to heat the school. Sweep out the school or even help with repairs. The older kids were required to tutor the younger kids in the grades below them while the teacher worked with older kids then they. 9th grade was considered the equivalent to today's H.S. graduation. So by the time he was about 14 or 15 he was done with his education and ready to go to work on the farm.

Keep in mind my dad finished his education way back in 1915. Yet when I went to school in the 50's and 60's he was able to help me with fractions, square root and some very basic algebra. And yes he knew how to write in longhand (cursive writing). Isn't it amazing with only 9 years education, despite the numerous chores that kids don't have to do at today's schools, he was still able to learn what kids are not being taught in many of today's schools.

How was it possible that my dad's one teacher back in the early 1900's could teach all 9 grade levels of reading, writing, arithmetic, science and history. This while seeing to it that the wood necessary to heat the room was supplied and the stove was stoked. The room and outhouse was cleaned and maintained. That the horses waiting outside were watered and fed during the day. You mean to tell me with the millions of dollar$ that we spend every year for a whole host of administrative experts, teacher assistants, day care, custodians, cafeteria workers, transportation and who knows what the hell else, we can't find the time to teach something so basic as handwriting?

You've got to be kidding!

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

What's In Your Food?

Repost


YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!

In this post I will point out there are 1,000's of additives. The number of which are nearly endless.


Keep in mind the list below is only for the ADDITIVES TO FOOD, NOT what's in the manufactured food item's raw recipe itself!

Manufacturers' must list the additives they insert in their products. They are not required to list each additional additive used in the raw ingredients that make up the recipe itself.

Raw ingredients can of themselves contain additional additives (example: preservatives) which you may not find listed on the label.


GRAS
Under federal law some ingredients may be added to food under a GRAS determination made independently from the FDA.

The list contains many, but not all, of the substances subject to independent GRAS determinations. "Obviously safe" substances that are not cited above are classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).

Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) is a United States of America Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation that a chemical or substance added to food is considered safe by experts, and so is exempted from the usual Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)

Here can be found the GRAS list of ingredients.

Below are examples of just some of the GRAS items.

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose - expanded substitution pattern (HPMC-ESP) Use in food in general, including meat products

Phosphatidylserine Ingredient in yogurt (excluding fat-free yogurts), powdered milk, ready to drink soymilk, meal replacements, cereal bars, powdered beverage mixes, chewing gum, and breakfast cereals at 20 milligrams per serving

Carbon monoxide In modified atmosphere packing (MAP) for red meat products at levels of 5.5 milligrams/pound (12 milligrams/kilogram) of packaged meat

alpha-Cyclodextrin Use in selected foods, except meat and poultry, for fiber supplementation, as a carrier or stabilizer for flavors (flavor adjuvant), as a carrier or stabilizer for colors, vitamins and fatty acids and to improve mouthfeel in beverages

Conjugated linoleic acid Ingredient in yogurt, meal replacement beverages, meal replacement bars, fruit juices, milk-based fruit drinks, and milk-based beverages at a level of 1680 milligram per serving; in liquid cream substitute, powdered cream substitute, and milk chocolate at a level of 400 milligram per serving

Bovine milk-derived lactoferrin Use as an antimicrobial spray on beef carcasses that will subsequently be washed to reduce the levels of exogenously applied lactoferrin

Laccase enzyme preparation produced by Aspergillus oryzae expressing the gene encoding a laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila Use in breath freshening products (such as breath mints and chewing gum) as an enzyme

Glucose oxidase enzyme preparation from Aspergillus oryzae carrying a gene encoding a glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger Use as an enzyme in baking applications and (in combination with a catalyze enzyme preparation) in the manufacture of foods such as cheese, beer, carbonated beverages, and fruit juice

1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) Use in the production of food flavors and flavorings as an extraction solvent

ARASCO (arachidonic acid-rich single-cell oil) Provide ARASCO (as a source of arachidonic acid) in term infant formula, at a maximum level of 1.88 percent of total dietary fat when used in combination with DHASCO (docosahexaenoic acid-rich single-cell oil; as a source of docosahexaenoic acid) at a maximum level of 1.25 per cent of the total dietary fat and at a ratio ranging from 1:1 to 1:2 (DHASCO:ARASCO)

Pullulanase derived from Bacillus licheniformis carrying a gene encoding pullulanase from B. deramificans Use in the manufacture of starch hydrolysates and high fructose corn syrup as a processing aid at a minimum level necessary in accordance with good manufacturing practice

Lipase from Penicillium camembertii Used on fats and oils to produce fatty acids or glycerides at a level up to one percent of the weight of the fat or oil


And... I won't even begin to tell you how they keep your apples looking red or about those genetically altered fruits and vegetables.




Saturday, December 7, 2024

Peter Santenello: California’s Last Wild Coastline

While this video is rather long I find two of his interviews compelling. The first (about half way through) a couple who's knowledge of forestry goes far beyond what government bureaucrats think they know better. The other interview of a guy who spent 10 years in prison for the very thing he's legally allowed to do today. Another very intelligent character.

Peter most definitely brings to light everyday people who somehow allow this country to keep going despite what government throws in their way. It's my hope you'll take the time to listen and learn from everyday folks who share of themselves. Peter regularly brings to light the kind of stuff you wouldn't normally see otherwise.



ABOUT PETER...
"I make videos showing you a world that the media fails to capture. No BS polarization or political angle—just pure authentic interactions with the locals. I present the story. You present your own opinion. We'll learn about the people of Appalachia, the Chicanos, and the Native Americans. I dive into the full range of America, from the Amish to the Bloods and Crips. The goal is to get into someone else’s world to understand them and ourselves better. The ingredients are: a GoPro, simple editing, curiosity, a search for truth, and most importantly, authentic human interactions. I’ve lived abroad in four countries and traveled to 85. I've taken this perspective back to the USA to show Americans and the world what this great nation is like away from the mainstream media."

Behind The Scenes of Morey's Piers Wildwood NJ

The Bible Forbids...

Repost"Tattoos- Leviticus 19:28 states: Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

Getting Remarried- Mark 10:11-12 states: Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Working On Sunday- Exodus 31:14-15 states: "Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death

Women Speaking In Church- Corinthians 14:34-35 states: Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Eating Shrimp, Lobster..- Leviticus 10-11 states: And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

Losing Your Virginity- Deuteronomy 22:20-21 states: ... Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die:"


Personally speaking I've questioned whether "The Christian Bible" should include both the old testament with the new. Christianity began with Christ, who claimed to make all things anew.

The old testaments speak of a God that is demanding, vengeful, requires sacrifice, speaks of punishment by death and wars. The new testaments speak of an all forgiving God. One that is in total opposition to the other. How can you have one that is so diametrically opposed to the other and speak of the same God?

Therefore how does it make sense for Christianity to include both when one predates the other and is in total opposition?

The God of the new testament is all forgiving and loving of his children

Let's hope all that old testament nonsense is just that. As for me, I'd rather choose to believe in the latter.

What say you?

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Privacy: WHAT STINKING PRIVACY? (Ain't None)

Virtually Nothing You Can Do To Protect Your Online Privacy



Automaker spying on drivers, reporting data to insurance companies



Federal Law REQUIRES Car Makers to MONITOR You

Throw in home/goverment surveillance cameras, smart appliances, thermostats and who knows what else. Even as a fetus you had no privacy. What a time to be alive!

The Amish Man And The Lift (HUMOR)

Repost

I guess I'm on safe ground here? I figure the Amish shouldn't be on the net anyway, right?


A fifteen year old Amish boy and his father were in a mall.

They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy asked, 'What is this Father?'

The father-never having seen an elevator- responded, 'Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is.'

While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, a fat old lady in a wheel chair moved up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened, and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed, and the boy and his father watched the small numbers above the walls light up sequentially.

They continued to watch until it reached the last number, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order. Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous 24-year-old blond stepped out.

The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son...."Go get your mother"

Monday, December 2, 2024

Andrew Gives Us A Sneak Peek of the White House Christmas Decorations for 2024


Andrew is a freelance photographer for the Washington D.C. media.

Jelly Roll Visits The Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility

Jelly Roll alongside Ernest visited Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility, ahead of his show at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He shared his powerful story of resilience, offering words of encouragement and hope. His message continues to inspire, showing that no matter the past, the future is full of possibilities. 🌟🎶 A big thank you to Jelly Roll for taking the time to connect with our communities, and to the staff who made this visit possible.

Posted By The Indiana Department of Correction





Both Concert Videos @ The Gainbridge Fieldhouse | Indianapolis IN | November 7, 2024

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Bethlehem Steel: A Look Back

Repost



Anyone ever experience the blast furnace at the Bethlehem Steel?



The tapping of blast furnace 'C' at Bethlehem Steel taken in the 1990s

Notice in the video, what little protection men wore?

While I never worked the blast furnace, my brother used to for a short while. He took part in the tapping of it. He hated it. However during the best month he ever had, he received a $1,000 bonus one month. Even though he wore an asbestos-like suit he still had burn marks from time to time. HOT AS HELL ITSELF!

Later my brother considered it to be both a blessing and relief when he was able to transfer down to the coke fields in Hellertown. It paid less, but the job conditions better suited him.


A PBNE switcher takes slag cars to the slag dump where they are dumped by a crane


Interesting story is if the guys took a cup of water and dumped it into a ingot before steel was pouring into it.. that water would explode! So they had to make sure ingot cars were completely dry after a rain.

Taken in 1992, it shows the filling of hot metal cars with iron at the blast furnace at Bethlehem Steel


As for my days at shop #413 (alloy roller mills & soaking pit) at the steel.. I only lasted 30 days and I quit. I'm such a PUSSY !!

All videos courtesy "Steel Man Jules"

* Bethlehem Steel, with its fleet of 26 ships, was the Panama Canal's second-best customer in 1940, having paid more than $1 million in tolls.

* The company was employing more than 100,000 and earning profits of more than $100 million annually

* The company had a police force larger than the city of Bethlehem's.

* Up until the 1940s wages and working conditions in the plant had been oppressive. When workers walked out, the company would call in billy-club-swinging mounted state police troopers to quash picketers. There were brutal working hours, bribery and favoritism in the 1930s. Work was six days a week, double shifts and they had no vacations

* During WWII as much as 70% of all airplane cylinder forgings, one-quarter of the armor plate for warships, and one-third of the big cannon forgings for the U.S armed forces were turned out by Bethlehem Steel. The company built nearly one-fifth of the U.S. Navy's two-ocean fleet.
Source For The Information Above: Bethlehem Pa Online

Friday, November 22, 2024

Raven Rock Pennsylvania's 'Underground Pentagon'

Repost





Wonder if these folks got my reservations for this place since I never received my evacuation pass. Maybe it got lost in the mail. Never mind I'll call them. Say, what's the phone number for this place, anybody know?

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

LOOK AT MY FOUR PREVIOUS POSTS

If nobody gives a hoot I don't know what to tell you. They're about the world's people who are very much like everyone else. People are people, not what various governments would have us believe. If you cannot agree then I have nothing more to say. I've known this for some time.Trying to convince people otherwise would be a further waste of my time. There's nothing more of value I can offer via this blog.. other then adding silly entertainment and rather meaningless crap going forward. Maybe some science, humor and other stuff. That's about it. So far it seems most people don't give a shit. Prove me wrong!

'Mike Okay', The Side of China The Media Won't Show You

'Backpacker Ben' Visits Myanmar

Myanmar, one of the most dangerous countries in the world. There is currently a civil war happening in Myanmar and the country is under a military coup so right now is a tough time to visit the country. However there are certain regions you can visit so I decided to go there and see how life is in 2024 during hard times.

This was my second time travelling Myanmar after a few years so it was good to be back! I had an amazing experience last time so hopefully the same happens again. Welcome to Myanmar!



I've been following a number of these vBloggers for some time as they visit various countries. I find there is a hellva lot more going on then just bing banging back and forth over politics. What I've learned is people are far more alike then different no matter which country or government they are stuck iving in. Face it, we're not the only tin can on the dump. The way most people in this country act you'd never know it.

vBlogger 'Sabbatical' Visits Ekaterinburg, Siberia

Uploaded 11/20/2024

Knowing how this trip will eventually end, these are the saddest, most bittersweet videos I’ve ever edited. Even with all that happened, I still hold nothing against the Russian people. You meet people there who hold all kinds of different opinions: many hate the leadership, many love the leadership, and then there’s everything in between. But even the Russians who had fully swallowed the propaganda were incredibly kind to me, even though I was an American and their supposed enemy. They treated me in a way I didn’t see anywhere else in Europe. They’re human, like anywhere else.

My experiences were a good example of what happens when dictators and governments aren’t tearing people apart.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Johnny FD: Life In Ukraine

Uploaded 11/18/2024


BTW- 30 years ago, Ukraine, under pressure from Russia and the United States, renounced the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal.
• 3,000 units of tactical nuclear weapons;
• 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles;
• 30 to 43 strategic bombers;
• 240 warheads for ballistic missiles.
All of this was exchanged for the BUDAPEST MEMORANDUM, by which the United States and Russia promised to protect Ukraine from external aggression

Outdated Expressions Kids Don't Understand

Repost

"Playing backseat bingo at the drive-in."
"They hung him out to dry."
"Living The Life of Riley"
"Got more excuses then 'Carter' has pills.
"There's too much snow on our TV."
"Stay tuned. Don't touch the dial,"
"In like Flynn."
"You sound like a broken record"
"He's a carbon copy of...
"Here's a nickel. Call somebody who cares"
"Better dead then red'"
"He snuck in over the trasom"
"You should dial her up."
"Get cranking."
"Your brother looks like the milkman."
"That's the $64,000 dollar question."
"I saw it on the tube."
"It was a Kodak moment.'
"I got a bunch of 45's."
"I'll ring you back on the extension tonight around eight bells."

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Peter Santenello: The California Nobody Knows

VIDEOS Dorney Park's History

Reposted From: January 30, 2010


For you local history buffs I present a brief part of Dorney Park's history.

While the following videos are entirely edited and narrated by me, I want everyone to know the following videos in their entirety come from the paperback "Images Of America: Dorney Park" published by Arcadia Publishing written by Wally Ely & the late Bob Ott.

It is not my intention in anyway what-so-ever to leave my viewers with the impression that I in anyway profit nor have in any way had a part of the penmanship of the book.

Nor it is my intention to violate the publishers nor authors of this work. I simply enjoyed the book so much that I was inspired to create a video documentary verbatim from the pages of this book.

Think of the following videos as a teaser. I'm only partially presenting three of the chapters of an eight chapter book.


I strongly encourage anyone interested in the history of Dorney Park to go out and buy this totally unique historical book.

You can either click on the picture or HERE



The late Bob Ott himself left lots more information at..
"Laff In The Dark"

PBS 39 also did a fantastic job on a one hour program about ALL the area's old amusement parks called:
Carousel of Memories

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Cable TV, The Hidden Tax

It isn't one that the government imposed.

Reposted From: January 11, 2012

According to NPR: "ESPN now collects an average of $4.69 for every cable home –– four times more than any other network. Throw in the various other ESPN channels, plus other sports networks, like that new NBC Sports, that your cable provider makes you pay for, and there's $8 for sports on your monthly bill. Or, as the CEO of Liberty Media describes it, "a tax on every American household."If there's one thing worse then being forced to pay the government, it is being forced to pay corporations.

You wonder why TV is lousy?

It's because networks get paid even when sponsors aren't buying what their selling. Each network owns several cable channels. It's a package deal. Cable company's are forced to take them all or none. In our area that would mean losing channels 3, 6, 29, 17 and 10 out of Philly.

Take for example NBC/Universal (GE). They own the Weather Channel, CNBC, MSNBC, SyFy, USA, A&E, Lifetime, History, Bravo, Telmundo, ShopNBC, NBC10 Philadelphia to list a few.

ABC-- Disney Channel, ABC 6 Philadelphia, ESPN, Soap, Lifetime, Family channel to name but a few.Here's a list of the top 5 ownersIn years past if no one watched a lousy program on one of their channels, they didn't attract sponsors. Today they don't have to. They're being paid either way. Don't blame the cable companies for not selling à la carte. If there is a blame to be placed, put it on the U.S. government that allows network owners to do this to consumers.

If federal regulations would require networks to sell à la carte, I'm certain TV quality would improve. Even if we only had half the channels that now exist.

TV makes money because..
(a) They have great programs?
OR
(b) Great lobbyists?

Yeah, like that's even a question!

Friday, November 15, 2024

China The Mystery Of The Longyou Caves

Repost

Who were these people? Where'd they go? Has the apocalypse already come and gone leaving us behind? Do we inexplicably move from one dimension to another? Maybe living in a hologram? Sometimes these explanations make more sense then those who try explaining these abnormalities?

In summary..





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Wednesday, November 13, 2024

The Multitalented Seth MacFarlane

Most pople know Seth as the many voices on the TV series "Famly Guy" Others for the starring role on "The Orville". But how many of you know of his outsanding singing voice along with other various talents?











What a truly talented guy he is!

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Who Made God?

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Simple question it is not. Scientist and theologians pretty much agree on this explanation which falls short. They both point out creation was formed containing both time, matter and energy. The problem is we get bogged down with this word existence. Existence is where we live. Existence itself is a product of this intelligent force. Not the other way around. Hence why labeled the creator of all "things".

Imagine if you will someone creates the most intelligent computer in the world. One that never existed before. It then sets out to discover it's creator by whatever limited means were given to it. Would it one day be able to become coequal. Perhaps it's possible over time it might be able to somewhat comprehend it's maker. Even become a close companion, but it's impossible for me to imagine it becoming human. Look, I enjoy the Story of Pinocchio as much as anybody, but really?

I think realistically this is the fix us humans find ourselves in. Just perhaps even the "creator" itself. Could it be possible this creator found itself wondering the very same thing. "Where did I come from"? Since the "eye cannot see itself" just suppose he/she/it set all this in motion hoping we'll come up with an answer. Could this be the motivation behind all of this?

It's been said "God" is complete and has all the answers. Does he/she/it? Hellva assumption from how little we understand. Lonely alone not knowing would be a hellva motivating factor for going to all this fuss. Perhaps we have a lot more in common then anyone's willing to believe. Not just curiosity but possible vulnerability as well in the not knowing.

We can safely assume is there's not a old grey bearded guy sitting on a throne fretting over every little detail of some 7 billion peoples' lives currently living on Earth. The proof lies in the fact millions upon millions have killed each other since leaving the womb... NOTHING. Governments and their leaders find no favor (despite what you heard). Storms, fire, earthquakes meteor impacts... NADA either.

We need to take a logical approach. One which assumes God isn't coming in a flaming chariot with a booming voice. If indeed this intelligence lies beyond "our existence" we need to focus on it's goals. If our purpose is for the creatior to greater understand itself it's seems to me we best align ourselves with that if we wish to remain useful.

Friday, November 8, 2024

Humans Creating Robots Leading To Our Own Extinction?

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Will there be any place for humans in the next evolution of ever evolving intelligence in this universe?

Intelligent machines have replaced workers on the production lines and in warehouses. Driverless cars are coming into existence. Many of the fighter pilots have been replaced by drones. Drones that researchers are already starting to develop into making them capable of recognizing a threat and coordinating an attack on their own.

What we consider artificial intelligence is not as different from ourselves as much as we'd like to think we are. The human brain processes and carries out instructions to our human body. The only thing that would make humans different is the ever elusive and unverified soul we claim to possess. Until someone can fully substantiate a soul actually exist humans should be very concerned.

Let's speak more about machine driven intelligence. When they first came out, decades ago I use to go into chat rooms. It was all the rage for some of us to create scripts for them. The challenge was to fool other people into thinking they were talking with another user when actually it was a scripted "bot". Since that time this idea has now evolved into 'Apple's SIRI' app. SIRI can now recognize speech and reply as if she were real. Hell now even 'bots' can be fooled by other 'bots'. And this shouldn't worry us why?

Which brings us to the topic of jobs. How are people going to work if machines begin doing most of them. Some will argue machines will always depend on humans for design and repair. So not true. Right now as we speak computers are designing other computers and building certain machinery on their own. The only thing mankind holds in his possession is the 'off/stop button'.

I have a little story for you there. The company I worked for used ladder logic scripts (programmable logic controllers) to run it's production lines. One of the most important features was having several big red stop buttons so any employee at any of the work stations could shut the whole shebang down in an emergency.

The first time we tried to use it nothing happened. All the equipment kept running. The reason this happened-- The buttons were programmed in several dozens of places within the thousands of lines of script except for one. Hence the computer refuse to recognize the command.

In today's software many of us use on our own computer it's not unusual to find millions of lines of code. Tomorrow's highly sophisticated artificial intelligence will require many millions more then is imagined possible. Much which will be developed by computers themselves in our pursuit of making machines capable of learning. Therefore it's not unimaginable a machine one day will not be too fond of being turned off any more then any human would and bury deep within it's code to prevent such from happening.

Let's Talk More About Jobs..
What happens when 90% of the human population is no longer required to service customers or make things. Will the remaining 10% be forced to support the other 90% who we no longer have need of. We already see it starting to happen.

CNET News - Hardware store robot helps shoppers find products


A day could come when machines decide for themselves we humans are outdated and inferior. After all machines don't need air to breath. They don't need heated/cooled buildings. Nor do they need rest or get sick from disease. Time means nothing to them (think space travel). They don't have need of food nor toilets and showers. The only thing they need is energy. One day they will be able to get that too for themselves. Woe be the day machines evolve beyond our control and come to realize this of their own accord.


We humans tend to think of ourselves as all that and more. That somehow we're irreplaceable in the giant scheme of evolving intelligence throughout the universe. Indeed even if we have souls there's no guarantee machines will have need for one to perpetuate themselves on this planet.

It is said we are undergoing an second industrial revolution.
Could this instead be leading to a second evolution instead?

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Squirrel Problems (Humor)

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The Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrel infestation. After much prayer and consideration, they concluded the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will.

At the Baptist church the squirrels had taken an interest in the baptistery. The deacons met and decided to put a water-slide on the baptistery and let the squirrels drown themselves. The squirrels liked the slide and, unfortunately, knew instinctively how to swim so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week.

The Lutheran church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creatures. So, they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist Church. Two weeks later the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the water-slide.

But the Catholic church came up with a very creative strategy! They baptized all the squirrels and made them members of the church. Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter.

Not much was heard from the Jewish synagogue; they took the first squirrel and circumcised him. They haven't seen a squirrel since.

Monday, November 4, 2024

What Is Time? Does It Even Exist?

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Here I go again with one of my brain farts. Before watching the video I'll give you my thoughts on the subject.

First off I contend time does not exist in the natural state of the universe. Rather it's a way of measurement for humans to express differences between bundles of energy that have coalesced. This with the understanding so-called objects are nothing more then energy which became bundled 

Even when energy forms separate objects doesn't prove time actually exist. Several objects could be perfectly content with no need to rely on time for their substance even if they moved about.

Time only comes into play if our consciousness wishes to measure such actions. In other words time is nothing more then a measurement we created so we may make some sort of sense in our limited intellectual capacity. 

Reasoning time has no existence, there's only the instantaneous now in all it's many forms. We're just not capable of comprehending it.



What are your thoughts?


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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Can't Underestimate Intelligence

Repost

On 09/17/2016 some joker posted this video

Secret Hack To Get Headphone Jack on the iPhone 7


This video now has over 17 million views. I don't know which is funnier. The video itself or some of the comments.omfg now it isn't turning on. wtf should I do?
     Worked perfectly fine for me
     Soak it overnight in soapy water to remove the drill shavings
     Use a wireless drill bit bought from Apple Store? Else it won't work.
     You probably didn't drill deep enough, make sure to go at least 20mm


I did that... still not working :( please help
     Easy you go into settings>general and turn on the idiot switch, once that's done it will ask you if you would like to permanently have a moron jack, click yes and there you go

     If you want me to tell you how to fix it, just reply to this comment with your credit card number, expiration date, and three digit code on the back... and I'll tell you how to fix it.

     I did the same thing. but by putting it the microwave I was able to fuse the power wires back together. now it powers on and I can plug in ifrog headphones in and listen to my music






I don't know how many comments were serious, but it sure does make this rather entertaining.