You're Born Male Or Female Only.. WRONG!

Repost Regarding Gender Reassignment

Trump seems to think like a simpleton. Thus he signed a bill designating there can only be babies born either male or female and doctors are operating on babies changing their sex. WRONG!

This is what happens when uneducated people ascend to power. 

Why I No Longer Argue Politics

Repost

There is an actual physical reason based in the brain why rational reasoning with other humans is nearly impossible.

It's called "emotional addiction".

I really hope you've taken the time to watch the video. You'll see why the political turmoil is mostly based on emotional addictions caused by chemicals in the brain. Which means whether you're a conservative or a liberal you're up against another's addiction. It would be much like trying to take someone's heroin from them. An almost impossible task.

Think about that next time you see two sides going at it.

What If Saving Could Be Like A Lottery?

Repost

Tina Rosenberg | New York Times (Opinion)-- "More than a quarter of Americans have saved less than $1,000 for retirement... Prize-linked savings exist in some form in at least 18 countries today..

Perhaps the experience most relevant for the United States is Britain’s Premium Bonds, established in 1956. The interest on the bonds isn’t repaid to the holders. Instead, it goes into a prize fund .. Every pound savers put in (to a maximum of £30,000) gives them a chance to win monthly."

WHAT IF?
"For each deposit of $25, savers got normal interest, plus one entry to the annual grand prize and monthly smaller prizes of between $25 and $100. More deposits meant more chances to win, up to $250 – 10 chances — a month... At the federal level, bills are in the House and Senate that would remove federal prohibitions on banks’ participation in prize-linked savings."

Sounds Like A Plan To Me!

Taking Responsibly Not Always Best Policy

Repost From 2014

Truck driver in fatal Route 222 crash told police, 'It's all my fault. I did this,' records say
"... was sent without bail to Lehigh County Prison.".

COMMENTARY
Believe me when I say there's no stronger advocate for someone taking personal responsibility then I. However when someone's involved in an accident it is not time to make such a statement. It's best to remain with lips sealed until such a time as they have legal representation. Save the honesty and offers of restitution for the court room under advice from an attorney.

No one's saying someone shouldn't clear their conscience and be honest, but that's best left to a time when any such statement won't be able to be used against them to the max.

Let me explain. I was friends with a fella who started out on his destiny to become a lawyer at Temple University Law school. The question was presented, suppose you were sitting at a red light waiting to make a left turn. Someone driving a ratty old pickup without a license comes up behind you and rams into you. Your car is then propelled across the intersection into a double parked private limousine. Who do you sue?

The answer is the limousine.
Why?
Because he's the one most likely to have money.

A lawyer can argue that if the limo wasn't parked illegally in the first place you injuries may never have occurred. The defendant's attorney on the other hand could counter sue arguing if your vehicle's wheels weren't cocked in the limos direction none of this would have happened in the first place. In the end you (the victim) could be found guilty as well as the person who hit you from behind irregardless of what charges were filed by the police when it comes to civil liability claims.

I bring this up because according to the article "Police said the impact pushed the minivan into southbound traffic." Which direction were the wheels pointed on the minivan that might have caused it to veer into southbound traffic?

So no matter how well intended, by stating "It's all my fault", this guy made it nearly impossible for a lawyer to defend him. I am in no way trying to look for a way to get this guy off the hook, but he's made things so much worse for himself then need be. As you see he's been locked up without bail. He could end up owing multimillions dollars in lawsuits, paying for highway cleanup, traffic fines and/or even spend decades behind bars. Quite possibly he won't be able to get commercial motor vehicle insurance ever again either.

I'm sure when this 56 year tractor trailer driver woke up that morning he had no intention of killing someone. He seems to be a honest guy. His honesty will not be rewarded. It would have been so much better for him to 'zip-it' until such a time where it would be more legally appropriate to do so.

I urge anyone who ever gets involved in an accident provide only the minimal details required for police to file their accident report. Save the explanations, apologizes and confessions no matter how compelled or well intended. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Besides all the admissions in the world will not change what happened.

There's nothing barring someone from rendering aide and comfort, but don't necessarily expect that to be a consideration by a jury in a court of law after admitting total responsibility. The sad fact is, no matter how well someone may feel inside about coming clean, it matters little to others when meting out punishment.

Sal Monella tells the story of Twas The Night Before Christmas

Up For A Little Reading?

Repost

I know a lot of folks like to keep up with all the things the federal government is doing. There's no finer way then by reading the "Federal Register". Here's your opportunity to see all the latest goings-ons with our federal agencies on a daily basis. This way you'll never miss anything.

Wikipedia-- The Federal Register, abbreviated FR or sometimes Fed. Reg., is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices. It is published daily, except on federal holidays."

Have fun kids :-)

Website For: The Federal Register

Christmas Music Videos (Plus Lots More Stuff)

My Christmas Music Playlist (61+ Videos)

A Christmas Gift Suggestion

A Christmas Video I Made Years Ago







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."

Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus?

Have a VERY Merry Christmas everyone!

Ancient Manuscript Just Discovered

Repost

Written across the wall of the cave were the following symbols

It was considered a unique find and the writings were said to be at least three thousand years old The piece of stone was removed, brought to the museum, and archaeologists from around the world came to study the ancient symbols. They held a huge meeting after months of conferences to discuss the meaning of the markings.

The President of the society pointed to first drawing and said This is a woman. We can see these people held women in high esteem. You can also tell they were intelligent, as the next symbol is a donkey, so they were smart enough to have animals to help them till the soil. The next drawing is a shovel, which means they had tools to help them Even further proof of their high intelligence is the fish which means that if a famine hit the earth and food didn't grow, they would seek food from the sea. The last symbol appears to be the Star of David which means they were evidently Hebrews. The audience applauded enthusiastically.

Then a little old Jewish man stood up In the back of the room and said, "Idiots!" Hebrew is read from right to left. It says "Holy Mackerel, Dig The Ass On That Chick".

Winter Solstice 2025

.. at 10:03 AM (Dec 21, 2025)

Winter solstice occurs on the shortest day, and longest night. From this point forward daylight will become longer and the nights shorter.

A time-lapse video shot on the University of Alaska
Fairbanks campus around the winter solstice in 2009.

(video courtesy University of Alaska Fairbanks)

The Spirit of Christmas - Kurt Russell, Darlene Love

Soundtrack from Christmas Chronicles 2

The Way Fox News Covered Obama

Send this video to Trump and claim that Fox is talking trash about him.

The Money Hole

Repost

Anyone who has been following this blog knows how much the 'National Debt' and this nation's 'Deficit' concerns me. I apologize for overlooking the other grave matter concerning "The Money Hole".

My thanks go out to the producers of "In The Know" for tackling this serious issue. What follows are the panelists heatedly focusing in on this important question.

Should we stop dumping money
in the "Money Hole" or not?
You Decide

Video Courtesy "The Onion"

Think Before You Donate

Repost

Victims in the tropics didn't need winter coats.
Clothes in flood areas are left to rot.
How many teddy bears does a kid want when hungry or in need of medicine?

Who Helped Fund Iran's Nuclear Technology?

Repost

Hint:
WE DID!
(Under The Bush Administration)


This Aired In December 2008

Unbelievable

Lehigh Valley Growth. Bah Humbug

Repost

I say bah humbug to the explosive development going on throughout the Lehigh Valley. Who needs it. I sure don't.

More people means they need more jobs. More jobs more people. More, more, more of everything means.. Less fertile fields available for planting.
More schools means more taxes.
Less surplus water available.
With more people comes more crime.
With more crime comes more police funding needed.
Increased driver aggravation with bottlnecks and accidents

Indexing Social Security: What You Need to Know!

Repost From 2013

On April 18, 2013 the 'Congressional Budget Office' (CBO) came out with a report entitled,
Using the Chained CPI to Index
Social Security, Other Federal Programs,
and the Tax Code for Inflation

The whole concept of 'chained CPI indexing' assumes that by reducing Social Security payments seniors will buy alternative cheaper items and still be able to afford basic needs. However seniors' needs are different then most other age groups. The chart below represents a comparison over the last 30 years between two methods of calculating the effects of 'Chained CPI indexing. The one doesn't factor in seniors requiring different expense then the rest of the younger population. The other does. About 30% of those over 62 years of age rely on Social Security for 90% of their income while presently 13% of us as a nation are 65 years or older. So this is a big deal.

Overlooked is the elephant in the room. Seniors spend almost three times more on out-of-pocket health costs. Health costs which have risen disproportionately faster then the rest of ordinary inflation.

Chart Courtesy "The Ecnomic Policy Institute"

Everyone should readily see that those relying on Social Security for most of their income will not be able to find cheaper alternatives for their current healthcare coverage . Compounding this problem for them are the increasing monthly costs for Medicare and the supplemental plans coupled with ever decreasing Medicare payments to doctors, hospitals, nursing facilities as well as for medications.

Below is a chart for all 3 CPI methods of calculating future Social Security payments courtesy of The AARP

The GREEN is what Obama & Congress have in mind
The BLUE is the CPI adjusted specifically for seniors The CBO report mentions
(The latter being something I haven't heard either one of them discuss)

Here's Another Thought. Most seniors spend every dime of their retirement income which puts it right back into the economy. It isn't like they are taking their Social Security check and investing it for sometime in the future. So giving them a couple of bucks more to live on isn't as though the money won't be spent to help keep the economy growing. On the other hand if you take out $339.8 billion in total from changes in the program over the next 10 years, that's $339,800,000,000 less seniors have to pump back into the economy.
* * *

Some Highlights From THE CBO REPORT"The chained CPI grows more slowly than the traditional CPI does: an average of about 0.25 percentage points more slowly per year over the past decade. For example, if such a proposal took effect next year, Social Security benefits would be roughly $30 a month lower, on average, by 2023 than they would be under current law, representing a reduction of about 2 percent of average benefits

...The consumer price index reflects prices paid for the goods and services purchased by an average household, not by any specific individual or by the average person in certain age groups, income groups, or other categories. Therefore, most people experience price changes that are either higher or lower than reported in the CPI.... The possibility that the cost of living may grow at a different rate for the elderly than for the rest of the population is of particular concern in choosing a price index for Social Security COLAs because Social Security benefits are the main source of income for many older people....

... BLS computes an unofficial index that reflects the purchasing patterns of older people, called the experimental CPI for Americans 62 years of age and older (CPI-E). Since 1982 (the earliest date for which that index has been computed), annual inflation as measured by the CPI-E has been 0.2 percentage points higher, on average, than inflation as measured by the traditional CPI-U or the CPI-W.

... The longer-term difference between the growth rates of the CPI-E and CPI-U mainly reflects the fact that a larger percentage of spending by the elderly is for items whose prices rise especially quickly. In particular, compared with the overall population, the elderly devote a much larger percentage of their spending to medical care. That difference in spending patterns alone accounts for about half of the long-run difference between the CPI-E and the CPI-U.

... The CPI-E differs from the CPI-U only by using different percentage weights for the 211 categories of goods and services in the CPI market basket. For the CPI-E, BLS calculates those weights on the basis of the spending patterns of people ages 62 and older as observed in the Consumer Expenditure Survey, whereas for the CPI-U, BLS calculates expenditure weights on the basis of the spending patterns of all urban consumers in the survey.

Published on April 24, 2013

Drake Milligan - Cowgirl For Christmas

Transferring Money Slow As Molasses On Winter Day

Repost

I notice when I charge something online my credit card records it in a matter of seconds. An alert is sent via email within a few minutes. Yet when I transfer money from one of my banks to another it takes up to seven days!

Why Is That?
Well according to Ben Steverman @ Bloomberg banks only transfer once a day at a certain time and only on regular business days. Whereas credit cards operate instantaneously 24/7/365. I'm sure banks are not too hot on changing this since according to the article banks make $30b annually in fees.

I imagine many people do not realize the differences between 'current balance' and that of the 'current balance available'. My bank no longer uses the word pending. Instead those two terms which can be a real gotcha'.

Budget.. Budget.. By All Means Budget !
This is why I'm very attentive to budgeting for bills well ahead of time. Failing to digest the fact the same bills come in the same time every month seems to be a way too common ailment among bill payers. Failing to take these transfer account times between banks into consideration is especially bad for someone like me who depends on the direct deposit from Social Security every month. My bank for several months creates the illusion I have a certain balance ('current balance') when it's actually still pending.

By not budgeting one's money it can put someone between a rock and a hard place. They have two choices. Pay the bill and hope the 'available balance' becomes available before the biller attempts to cash it. OR Let the bill slide until there's enough money actually available. Both are bad choices. If the money bounces a payer can get hit with both the $30 overdraft fees plus those of the biller. Letting it slide is a poor option as well. Payees will get hit with late fees and if it's a credit card could see their credit interests rates go up 10% or more.

The thing that ticks me off is having to wait up to 7 days (if it's a weekend) for banks to transfer my money, but if it's 1 minute after midnight (on the moneychangers end) you get hammered. Bankers' on the other hand doing their money trades on the market are measured in milliseconds. It's their game and they get to make the rules. The only option we are left with is to carefully plan ahead and budget wisely. There's simply no other tool available for consumers.

Why some people continue being surprised every month (year after year) by the same utility and credit card bills is beyond my comprehension.

No Cost Too Much To Keep Us Safe?

Repost

The Navy called USS Zumwalt a warship Batman would drive. But at $800,000 per round, its ammo is too pricey to fire.
Ben Guarino | Washington Post

"The warship is the most expensive destroyer in the history of the Navy, costing about $4.4 billion.... the ship’s guns, reported to fire ammunition costing $800,000 a round."

A Matter Of PrioritiesThere's no way I wanna hear we can't afford Social Security or Medicare while we piss away this kind of money enabling defense contractors to get rich.

Why More People Watch TV Weather In Mexico Then The Middleast

Questions?
I Didn't Think So!

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

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.

News Used To Come Across The 'Wires' (Repost)

...literally
Components of the 'teletype' machine used to be manufactured right here in Lehigh Valley, Pa. by good old 'Western Electric' in partnership with "Western Union" with whom they once shared a close business relationship.

Not only did 'Western Electric' manufacture telephones and switching equipment for the Bell Telephone System, they also manufactured some of the audio equipment used in movies theaters in the 20's and 30's. The 'Rialto Theatre' in Allentown, Pa. used one of these 40 watt systems until the day the theatre was demolished.

Lesser known to listeners of radio and readers of newspapers is that up until the late 80's most of these media outlets received their news through the 'teletype' equipment 'Western Electric'/'Western Union' once manufactured... That is when we used to still actually make things here in this country.

The 'Teletype' used telephone landlines to send electronic signals to automated typewriters that news outlets throughout the United States relied on. These machines were either dialed up to the 'Associated Press' (AP) or 'United Press International' (UPI). Some linked to both of the news services. The machines typed around 60 WPM. Members would both feed stories to and receive stories from them. The costs involved were a permanent separate landline. The leasing of the equipment. The constant replacement costs for carbon ribbons. At least 40 lbs of paper a day and of course the cost(s) of membership to AP and/or UPI.

In 1984 the Bell System was divested. It was shortly thereafter both 'Western Electric' and 'Western Union' had a falling out. This resulted in the 'teletype' name and logo being replaced by the AT&T name and logo. Eventually the brand disappeared all together. Still there was once a day the teletype was the chief means of communication between all of the news media outlets.

The Model 28 KSR Teletype (TTY)

This Is Insane | Mentalist Oz Pearlman On Howard Stern Show

Language Warning

HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE !!

LIVE From Daryl's House | Tommy Shaw

March 2024

What Made A Monk Go Ape

Repost

Not The Monk In The Story
This One Belongs To A Different Order
He's  A "Chimp Monk"
 

A young monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to helping the other monks in copying the old canons and laws of the church, by hand.

He notices, however, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript. So, the new monk goes to the Old Abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up. In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk, says, "We have been copying from the copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son."

He goes down into the dark caves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives, in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years.

Hours go by and nobody sees the Old Abbot.

So, the young monk gets worried and goes down to look for him. He sees him banging his head against the wall and wailing. "We missed the R!... We missed the R... We missed the freaking bloody R!"

His forehead is all bloody and bruised and he is crying uncontrollably. The young monk asks the old Abbot, "What's wrong, father?"

With a choking voice, the old Abbot replies, "The word was .... CELEBRATE!"

Song Of The South A Film Masterpiece

Repost

A historical background about the film.


I grew up loving the film and still do. I never thought black or white as a kid but rather the story itself. Even more so the film shows how these kids enjoyed the company of a black man more then being with their white parents. It seems to me today people are dirtying up the message that was never sent in the story. How I then and now interpret it to mean is no matter the differences between animals and people's skin color each can innocently enjoy one another's company. To my way of thinking people today have narrow little minds that are unable to grasp the underlining story.

Here was a white family moving to a southern plantation where the kids were miserable until they met a man known as Uncle Remus. Their parents were cold unlike the jovial black man they met who was filled with positivity despite his circumstance. What people seem to have a problem with is how life in the South was portrayed. They also claim it was because of how Uncle Remus spoke. Even the label "uncle" itself.

Never was a film made in it's day that portrayed black people in a more positive light the way this one did. For those who may accuse me of ignorance let me say this. I've had a number of uncles that I only wished were as great as this one. I also think it's a disservice to these award winning actors who may never be seen again in their most memorable performances. By removing all references to this film I consider it an attempt to "whitewash" over America's darker past. This film needs to stand as is. There's nothing racist about it. Only small minds would see it that way.



Here's the ending of the film..

Nothing could be happier then seeing three kids being totally color blind

Now Disney going to completely rework "Splash Mountain" so it won't reflect this film classic.


Explain to me what's wrong with keeping it exactly as it is?


Some of these stories are still being shared today
Uploaded May 13, 2020



In Other News...

Facebook Users Here's A Tip

Reposted From February 21, 2009

I realize this story is a couple of years old, but if you haven't heard about it, it's news to you.

It seems in the U.K. a girl on her 18th birthday invited her 'Facebook' pals to her birthday party.

.

Besides the 500 uninvited gate crashers that showed up were about 50 cops and an ambulance or two. Hey at least it wasn't at her home unlike the month before when a bunch did show up at a 16 year old's party and trashed that house worth over an estimated $1.4 million!

So before you post... THINK!

~

Internet Privacy- Some Computer Tips

Repost

(video courtesy Voice Of America)

Well here's a flash. If you go to tools/internet options and delete your temporary files and think they are gone.. YOU'RE WRONG!

Even though your files have been deleted every one of them have been previously compressed and recorded to a file called "INDEX.DAT". That file is invisible, even if you change settings to make system files visible. That file is system protected, backed up in three locations and cannot be deleted manually.

You can verify this for yourself. If you navigate to your temporary internet file folder and copy it, then paste it into another folder of your choosing you will see all the files you thought were erased.

You can verify this by:
(1) Deleting all your temporary files in your browser via Tools/Internet Options

(2) Now open Tools/Internet Options/Settings/View Files.

(3) Move one folder up to the Windows folder. Copy the "Temporary Internet Files" folder to an empty folder of your choosing.

(4) Navigate to that new folder you just created.You will be surprised to learn even though you used the browser to delete those files.. NONE OF THEM WERE DELETED!

In addition there is another folder called "Flash Player//#shared objects". In this folder are cookies that your flash player created. You would have to navigate to it's location and have to delete those files by hand to erase those.
C:\Users\YOUR LOGIN NAME\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjectsAs if that weren't enough there is an additional folder called flashplayer/sys. In this folder are *.sol files. These files contain settings and the name of every site you visited that utilized them.
C:\Users\YOUR LOGIN NAME\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\macromedia.com\support\flashplayer\sysWhat I did was create folder shortcuts to the latter two so I can manually delete them.

NOTE: This sends them to your "Recycling Bin". Where you have to delete them there as well.

As far are the INDEX.DAT file, you need special software to erase that one. I use a program called CCleaner. Which is a freeware program.

Even that doesn't do it completely on only one run. After doing my own research I've found after you run the CCleaner you need to restart your computer. Then before doing anything else, rerun the CCleaner again.

You may ask who cares?
As the video demonstrates above all these files combined with cleverly designed cookies or a maleware program will harvest a whole host of information about you.

Or if you take your computer in for repairs, sell it, give it away or have it stolen, your information can be harvested quite easily.

This is not just about your internet activities.
In addition, for every site you visit as well as other off-line activities, windows creates "log" files. For example, what videos you've watched, last few programs and files you used, etc.

There is also a TEMP folder stored under your user name. Another one in the Windows folder. Which also stores an additional copy of the INDEX.DAT file! Which at this location you can manually delete.

In short while you can drill down and attempt to hand delete, there is no way to completely ferret out your "cookies" and "history" w/o using some sort of system cleaner like I mentioned above. Neither Windows XP, VISTA nor Windows7 provides the tools to do this.

Some of you folks may think I'm over the top, but there's another advantage.

By doing all this you can eliminate about 10,000+ files. This cuts down on disk storage. It also reduces the number of files the disk must search through on it's master file table (MFT) when you start a program or open a file. It also helps with disk fragmentation.

All of which when combined slows down your computer's performance.

Good Ol' Days

Repost

Humans Creating Robots Leading To Our Own Extinction?

Repost

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?

Trace Adkins - Naughty List (Official Christmas Video)

The Shady World of Surveillance Pricing (Ft. Lina Khan)

Something U Don't See Everyday: The Sultans Elephant

Repost

'The Sultan's Elephant'... Based on a tale by Jules Verne.

The gist of the story is that there once lived a Sultan who was tormented in his dreams by visions of a girl who he believed was traveling through time.

He couldn't sleep so he built a time-traveling elephant and set off in search of the girl, who, in the course of his nightmares, had been transformed into a marionette 5 meters high.

The Sultans Elephant Video

The Sultan's Elephant, "a show created by the Royal de Luxe theatre company" France in 2004-2005.

It had, "hundreds of moving parts and scores of pumping pistons
(22 in the trunk alone)"

"The elephant no longer exists: Helen Marriage of Artichoke, the company that produced the London performance, said "Royal de Luxe were so fed up with being invited all over the world to perform The Sultan's Elephant, they just destroyed it."

Source: Wikipedia

The Untold Truth Of Thanksgiving

The Gobble Song

No Such Thing As Artificial Intelligence

Reposted And Redited


The full 28 minute segment can be found HERE Which brings me to defining intelligence itself. I am of the belief intelligence exists as a law of nature unto itself. Whether or not it comes into some form of expression doesn't negate it's existence. It will occupy any container it can whether it be plants in some limited way or more in some complex way via biological units such we or the lesser capable animals. It's very egotistical to think we humans somehow created it's existence out of nothing. It was always there. Based on these assumptions we hold no exclusivity over it.

If all this be true one has to reflect we humans may being playing a part in intelligence's next evolution beyond flesh. Face it we have a few things not going for us. We have limited life spans. Limited environments in which we can exist, speed, strength, nourishment and are subject to painful injury. We only have one brain, these machines by linking many of their intelligence units together simultaneously are far more capable of reasoning. As stated in the program IBM's 'Watson' is reading and digesting 8,000 medical studies a day and going on the internet seeking even more then the millions it already has with no loss of memory. It then compiles and evaluates them all for creditability before recommending a course of treatment. It was also pointed out dozens of the finest minds in the world sitting in a conference room weren't capable of such achievement.

I know none of us would be willing to step aside fighting this all the way. The great challenge is to prevent this from happening by limiting these machines. But just what if we may not have a choice? I hope they'll treat us more kindly then we have the other species we consider beneath us.

Many of us like to think in terms of man being God's (intelligence's) greatest creation. Maybe... just maybe he's not done yet. Perhaps it already began on distant planets. We may not be so special after all.

Meet IBM's WATSON

You know what they say. Anyone can be replaced at their job from Presidents to workers. So it just may be with humans taking the backseat as never ending intelligence evolves.

Garrett Graff - Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself

Repost

March 14, 2018
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
Ann Arbor, Michigan

HUMOR: Talking Stupid

Repost


"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,"
--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington , DC .


"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas."
--Keppel Enderbery (former Australian cabinet minister)


"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,"
--A congressional candidate in Texas .


"Half this game is ninety percent mental."
--Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark


"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix ."
-- Dan Quayle


"I have opinions of my own -- strong opinions --but I don't always agree with them."
- George Bush, US President


"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."
--Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.


"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."
--Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina

On The Way to Cape May - Tommy Zito

"Tommy Zito long time Jersey Shore Entertainer performs Al Alberts On The Way To Cape May at the 2008 Bethlehem Musikfest,

Senator Elizabeth Warren | The Cost of Filing Your Taxes Could Go Up. Why?

MTG Resignation Announcement

Money Is Exactly Like Religion

Repost From 2015

For true adherents both are dependent on little more then the belief in them. Faith is all that is required. It's most certainly the case when it comes to money. How else can it be explained why investors continue to pour tons of money into companies bringing in oodles of money but still claim they aren't making any?

Huffington Post: Worth $1 Billion? Yet hasn’t produced an operating profit
YouTube: $4 Billion revenue in 2014, Doesn't Make a Profit for Google
Shazam: Worth $1 Billion, despite never making a profit
Spotify: 2014 revenue $1.3b--hasn’t made a profit in 3 years
Etsy: is valued at $3.6 billion,. Still no profits to show for it

If these companies shares weren't publicly traded on the market these loses could never exist on their own. It's only the faith in the buying public that allows them to continue. It's one hell of a game. A game that would cease to exist and will for any company whom the traders no longer believe in good faith they could receive a return on their investment through the trading of shares on them. Or perhaps these companies are just exploiting every damn loophole in national & international laws to evade taxes.

Either way this a very unsound way for investing, reaping taxes or building a strong international economy. At some point there will come a time a whole bunch of people will lose money when the music stops. Several or all of these could financially collapse at anytime once investors lose faith in their ability to make money from any one or more of them.

Remember Dr. Demento'?

REAL PEOPLE (1982)

Modern Weapons Of Destruction (REPOST)

Don't have enough to worry about?

The EMP Bomb








It Ain't An iPad
Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)








Ray Gun (Currently We Have A Few In Afghanistan)




Never Content Until We Totally Screw Up Our Planet
Here's The Granddaddy Of All Worrisome Scientific Projects..
HAARP - Nature Modification Weapon

10 Unforgettable Moments | The West Wing

Perhaps one of the best shows ever to air on TV

Will there ever be one like it again?

Always Wear Pajamas To Bed

Repost

Everyone's Ephemeral

Repost

Why everything's no big dealWhat if I told you the actual percentage of people who will die at some point is 100%?

I suppose that comes as no surprise, but according to this table there about 80 ways to check out. This table seems to imply no one dies from getting old. Great news for those who don't want to die from old age, eh?

With that said, why do some people act like they are special and death will never happen to them? That they are immune in some way. Do they not realize that nearly 8 in 10 people will not make it to 65 and beyond?

Would it not be better to live their lives as if this day could be their last?

If society would adapt this attitude it would go a long way in ending greed, indifference to others and all the other things that short sightedness implies.

There was never a building built. A fortune made. A business established. A government formed. A people conquered in battle nor a human that has not perished.

I think a lot of people need to recognize that today is tomorrows yesterdays.And we all know how much we care about them!

How To Look Beautiful (Humor)

Repost

A husband and wife are shopping in their local supermarket. The husband picks up a case of Budweiser and puts it in their cart. "What do you think you're doing?" asks the wife. "They're on sale, only $10 for 24 cans" he replies.

"Put them back, we can't afford them" demands the wife, they carry on shopping.

A few aisles farther on, the woman picks up a $20 jar of face cream and puts it in the basket. "What do you think you're doing?" asks the husband.

"It's my face cream. It makes me look beautiful," replies the wife...Her husband retorts: "So does 24 cans of Budweiser and it's half the price."

The Farmers & The Dead Mule (HUMOR)

Repost


Curtis &Leroy saw an ad in the Starkville Daily News Newspaper in Starkville, MS. and bought a mule for $100.

The farmer agreed to deliver the mule the next day.

The next morning the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry, fellows, I have some bad news, the mule died last night."

Curtis &Leroy replied, "Well, then just give us our money back."

The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."

They said, "OK then, just bring us the dead mule."

The farmer asked, "What in the world ya'll gonna do with a dead mule?"

Curtis said, "We gonna raffle him off."

The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead mule!"

Leroy said, "We shore can! Heck, we don't hafta tell nobody he's dead!"

A couple of weeks later, the farmer ran into Curtis &Leroy at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and asked.

"What'd you fellers ever do with that dead mule?"

They said,"We raffled him off like we said we wuz gonna do."

Leroy said,"Shucks, we sold 500 tickets fer two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898."

The farmer said,"My Lord, didn't anyone complain?"

Curtis said, "Well, the feller who won got upset. So we gave him his two dollars back."

Who's Accountable For Loss Of USA Jobs?

Repost

The short answer isn't bad trade deals but rather American consumers themselves.

In spring of 2016 a poll was conducted which showed Americans prefer low prices to items 'Made in the USA' . Oh wow, who would have guessed !

Who Needs A Poll?
I can tell you from the many years my wife once worked in retail this is absolute fact. Among the many departments she once worked in at the former Wanamaker's department store was costume & fine jewelry. Clothing was another. In each and every case she'd ring up many more sales on the cheaper imported items then those higher priced American goods. So which one do you think the store was more likely to reorder stock from?

We can complain as the day is long, but fact is supply and demand will always reign king. Back in the days when Toyota and Honda were selling their cars for $2,500 Chevy, Chrysler and Ford were selling theirs for upwards of $4,000. Because Americans took the cheapest route shouldn't be any wonder why the Detroit motor industry has eventually become what it is today.

We Vote With Our Wallets
We can scream, holler and demand of our politicians to mess with these trade deals all we want, but the fact is none of us would be in this mess if it weren't for we ourselves and our buying habits. Americans rather fill their walk in closets with cheap clothes they only wear three or four times rather then American made clothes they could wear numerous times over many years. Even though smartphones can last for years most buy a new one every year. Our dumps are filled with items we've thrown out although they could have been used much longer.

If we really are sincere about bringing jobs back to the United States it first has to start with us being willing to pay for higher priced American goods. No politician can change this reality if Americans aren't willing themselves. As far as I'm concerned unless/until consumers are willing American jobs are not coming back like they once were. Dream on.

Kristin Chenoweth - What Would Dolly Do (AOL Sessions)

September 27, 2011

Some Of Our Favorite TV Shows Went Poof

Repost From September 2016

Each week I compile a list of shows we want to watch. In a few weeks new and returning shows will begin airing. Looking over my list the following won't be coming back. Downton Abbey
Mr. Selfridge
The Good Wife
The Mentalist
Rizzoli & Isles
Forever
King & Maxwell
Castle
Perception
Person Of Interest
Forever
Mysteries of Laura
Back In The Game
Franklin & Bash
Extant
Bones
Haven
White Collar
Unforgettable
Fairly Legal
Common Law
In Plain Sight
By nature I hate change. I know we liked these but not sure which of the new ones are going to be worth watching. You almost dread becoming attached to any of these new ones realizing another whole batch of these will be cancelled no matter how fond you grow of them after only a few episodes.

Syfy has become the slasher channel for tweens. History channel has become home to pickers, pawn stars and a couple of goofy alien programs that ask more questions then it answers. About all USA airs is reruns and WWE. It seems the majority of cable channels owned by the major networks don't know what to do with them. Instead they park their old reruns and other shows which wouldn't even meet the standards for free channel access by local cable companies.

I'm still brooding over the loss of 'The West Wing', 'Boston Legal', 'Stargate' and several other extremely well written shows. Networks today don't want to invest the money for educated writers who not only entertain but are well versed in the background of scripts they create. Looking back over my list there was something which could be learned from them because there was some sort of background substance in them.

In other words any show which might cause people to think a little bit has been replaced by inexpensive so-called reality and competition shows.

The kind of programming that requires neither writing skills nor cause anyone to get a headache from having to think too much. << Putting it kindly

America, We in Some Deep S-H-I-T Warns Three Star General Honoré

Some Quick Thoughts I Have

Repost from 2017 (Redited)

*** FOX News and it's business channel constantly whine about the mainstream media. Here's a flash--they are part of mainstream media. They along with such well-known websites as Breitbart, National Review, HotAir, Red State, The Daily Caller Drudge Report among dozens of others. Same goes for the bloviators on conservative talk radio programs. The cast includes Limbaugh, Hannity, Ingraham, O'Reilly and Savage--to name a few. I don't know how much more mainstream any of them could get.

*** All we ever hear is how broke government is getting. It doesn't matter whether it's at the federal, state, county, school districts or local level--they all claim the same. Could the reason be the largest segment of taxpayers--the middle class--has experienced a steady decline in earnings year after year. Even more so when adjusted for inflation. In about every part of the country we are seeing a explosion in the number of warehouse and service jobs paying $11-$15 an hour. Gone are the vast numbers of well paying industrial jobs. We could debate all day why this is so--but it won't change the fact less pay means less revenue for government.

*** Unfunded mandates--When the government receives less revenue it comes up with all kinds of creative schemes. One of the ugliest are these unfunded mandates. To put it simply--when the government wants to do things it can't afford it forces someone else to come up with a way to pay for it. And if they don't--imposes fines. Agencies seeing their budgets cut come up with a all kinds of new unfunded mandates. Ones which require permits along with the accompanying payment of fees for them to offset their declining incomes..

*** Tax cuts--ain't no such beast. Currently the United States is trillions in the hole. I often said I can't afford any more tax breaks. No truer will it be with whatever scheme they come up with in Washington. Whatever they come up with you best believe it will amount to little more the rearranging the deck chairs on the 'Titanic'. 

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!!