Happy New Year (Abba)

1980

A Somewhat Crazy Theory About The Pyramids

Is this a lot of crazy hogwash or is there something to it?
What do you think?

New 'Marshall Plan' Could Solve Our Immigration Woes

Repost


It worked once. It could again. May be cheaper then $upporting multitudes constantly arriving here. When it comes to future trade it might eventually financially benefit us as well.

These days we tend to over complicate things. Sometimes history can provide us with some of the solutions. In this case I feel it's worth trying. Up this point nothing else seems to have worked..

Us Old Kids Remember...

Reposted From: July 22, 2009

*Rotary dial 12 channel televisions with no remote control. Parents made the kids 'the remote control'. They adjusted the horizontal roll knob every 5 minutes too!

*Only shopping during the day, Monday to Saturday

*Texting our friends via mail, the handwritten kind


*Mechanical typewriters (w/ white correction ribbons). Don't punch the 'o' so hard, it makes holes in the paper.

*One phone per house with real bells in them with short cords (parents put them in living room so they could listen to you)

*Actually having to remember someone’s phone number

*65 cent 45 rpm singles (you had to actually had to plug in a player to listen to them- broken needles)

*PF Flyers (Posture Foundation- They were first produced by BF Goodrich in 1937- you can still buy them)

*Returnable bottles (what I refer to as actually recycling)

*Non power assisted drum brakes on all 4 wheels (try braking after going through a puddle)

*Vacuum Wipers (worked really good at the stop light when you weren't accelerating)

*Calculator (pencil & paper)

*Slide Rule? What's that? (an improvement over the pencil & paper calculator)

*A full 1/2 gallon of ice cream

*Fast Food (Chef Boyardee in a can)

* Feel free to add your own to the list..

South Philadelphia String Band - Fly Eagles Fly:When You're Smiling​

PLUS

The Avalon String Band- “Gonna Fly Now & Eagles Fight Song” - 2017 Rehearsal

Just kinda setting the mood for the upcoming Philly mummers day parade new year's day.

A Christmas Video I Made Years Ago

Santa's vBlog

Merry Christmas Everyone

Christmas Gift Tip For Husbands

Amish Christmas Lights

A Child's Christmas Prayer For The Poor

"Dear God, this year please send clothes for
all those poor ladies on Grandpa's computer,

Amen."

62 Christmas Music Videos

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.

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!!

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 :-)

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?

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!

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!

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.

Irony In Photos

REPOST

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?

Whatcha' Gonna Do?

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"

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