A History Primer On Cuba

Repost

All the chatter about how Fidel & his brother are evil dictators doesn't take in account the overall history of Cuba. They had it far worse then they do now under these two. Let's put a little perspective on this by taking a brief look over the history of Cuba and how the Cuban people always seem to get the short end of the stick no matter who rules the joint.

Going back to 1492 when Christopher Columbus's three ships landed things really started to go downhill for the Cuban people. Columbus claimed the island for Spain. Cubans finally had enough and began fighting against Spain in 1895. Spain sent around 200,000 troops who overwhelmed the population rounded them up and put them into "reconcentrados" which were similar to concentration camps. The Red Cross estimated between 200,000-400,000 Cubans died while in these camps from disease and starvation.

By 1898 the United States Spainish-American war ended. Spain then sold the Philippines, Guam and Cuba to the United States for a sum of $20 million. Then in 1902 Cuba became a independent country. There were too many clashes and uprisings to mention here in this brief highlight. Suffice it to say Fulgencio Batista ended up being elected President in 1940. After being defeated for second term (1944) he came to the United States only to return to Cuba to become it's dictator for seven years (1952-1959) until Fidel's Cuban Revolution..

Yeah Sure He's A Dictator, But He's Our DictatorLife Under Batista's Cuba became a police state when he returned in 1952. Nearly all the Cuban liberties were taken away under his corrupt regime. He aligned himself with the American Mafia bosses (Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano). Prostitution, gambling and drugs like marijuana or cocaine were as easy to come by as candy.

The Mafia in Cuba


He took bribes which allowed American companies to own & control nearly 80% of all the oil & cattle ranches. 90% of the minerals and 40% of the sugar farmlands. When the Cuban people began to rebel he started doing executions in public. It was estimated up to 20,000 people were killed or tortured during his seven years in power. Witnesses said hundreds of those executed were hung on street lights or thrown into the streets. All this while still receiving military, logistical and financial support from the United States. No wonder the time was ripe for Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959.

Next Up, Fidel CastroOver the next six years when the dust finally settled, up to 33,000 Cuban lives ended up dead. Still this was not the end of it. The Cuban people rose up again in 2003 in what is called "Black Spring". Fortunately instead of being killed 75 dissents were sent to prison. In 2010 all of them started being released by the Castro regime after the 'European Union' lifted it's sanctions. Cuba claimed they weren't arrested for disagreeing with the government but rather because of their links to the U.S. in trying to undermine Fidel's government.

The Way I See ItThere's a hellva' lot of older investors in the United States who are still pissed they got their asses kicked out of Cuba. They along with individuals who had a vested interest with them. Also those who lost family in the fight against Fidel. It should be no wonder why then so many are opposed to normalizing anything with present day Cuba. You can say what you will but when you look over the entire history of Cuba, today's Cuban people deserve a chance at hope for all they've endured.

The Castros for all their blemishes are far less evil then what transpired over the Cuban people these past centuries. 'Normalizing relations' is more about helping the Cuban people then an endorsement for it's present government. Continued isolation of them only serves to punish those who had least to do with any of this and their extended families living here in the United States.

One more thing I want to add. Nearly 60% of Cubans are Catholics hence why the pope became involved. I find it hypocritical that many who claim they want more Christianity in schools and government involvement are now critical of the pope for doing just that. Does anyone seriously believe the pope is fond of Castro or is he just trying to look out for the people who follow him?

50 ABSURD Facts about Pennsylvania

Lady Gaga's 2017 Super Bowl Halftime Show | NFL

Taliban Inspect U.S. Aircraft Left Behind At Kabul Airport

There's been a lot of unnecessary fussing about Biden leaving military equipment behind in Afghanistan, Here's a Repost from 2021 showing why this is politically motivated false information.


Yeah sure we trained some of them how to repair aircraft.
Course they'll need the proper parts that fit each to do that :-)

Fevers Are Good For Your Health

Repost

Flu and cold season is here along with accompanying fever. This is when most people start popping temperature reducing over the counter drugs. Unless one's temperature exceeds 104 degrees for a length of time it is exactly the wrong thing to do. While it makes someone more comfortable it slows down recovery. This is also true when someone is taking antibiotics which of themselves cause temperature rise. It's part of how they fight infection.

'The Daily Beast'
The Case for Letting Fevers Run Their Course

"Fever isn’t an illness. It’s the body’s attempt to fight illness. So when we treat fever with antipyretics, like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen, we only handcuff an important part of our immune response. Although it might seem counterintuitive, several studies have now shown that antipyretics increase the severity of infections."
Sweat It Out
I figured this out for myself. Several times I went to bed fully clothed under the electric blanket turned up high. Daytime I put on a heavy coat indoors. Most times after a day or two I felt much better, Before I tried massive doses of vitamin C and cold medications to little avail. For me what always worked best is just sweating it out.

A Word Of Caution
Like I mentioned it's not a good idea for an adult to let their temperature rise over 104 degrees for more then a few hours. If it should rise to that level for too long taking medication will help bring it down to safer levels. Somewhere between 100-102 degrees is normal for a fever.






I call this blog "Lehigh Valley Clancularius Introspectives" for a reason. It's because you'll never know what I come up with next. Please follow me via email (right sidebar) or through an RSS feed. Even if it's only one or two items you find of interest to you.
Thanks, LVCI

Sportsman's Double (Humor)

Repost

This gentleman writes"I met an older woman at a bar last night. She looked pretty good for a 60-year-old. In fact, she wasn't too bad at all, and I found myself thinking she probably had a really hot daughter.

We drank a couple of beers, and she asked if I'd ever had a Sportsman's Double?

'What's that? I asked.


'It's a mother and daughter threesome,' she said. As my mind began to embrace the idea, and I wondered what her daughter might look like, I said, 'No, I haven't.' We drank a bit more, then she said with a wink, 'tonight's your lucky night'.

We went back to her place. We walked in. She put on the hall light and shouted upstairs: 'Mom...you still awake?'"

Allentown Park Creeks Which Would You Rather?

Repost From 2014

Bethlehem's Monocacy Park with it's dams & gabions

OR

Allentown's Parkway with it's riparian buffers?

Nobody's saying neither the Monocacy, Cedar Creek nor Little Lehigh should be gabion lined completely. But it would certainly be more attractive then if there were none at all. Same goes with removing every last dam (including teeny tiny partial rock dams no matter how small).

The 'Little Lehigh Creek is 24 miles long. It flows through the Lehigh Parkway in Allentown which is 6.5 miles long. I'd be quite certain a few gabion areas here and there for a mile or two wouldn't be catastrophic. The same goes for Cedar Creek which is 15 miles long. Only about 1.5 miles of it runs through the Cedar Beach area in Allentown.

What sets the Cedar Beach area apart (with it's riparian buffers) is the fact street drains flow directly into the creek behind them. Street runoff comes from South of Hamilton street to beyond North of Tilghman street for almost this entire length. Hence creating no mow zones and riparian buffers in this area is practically useless. They serve only to take away visitor's access and views.

The following chart is from a 1976 study done by Lehigh University entitled, Storm water management for little lehigh and cedar creek drainage basins.

The Point I'm Trying To Make Is...
There's no reason why certain parks in designated areas can't be both visually appealing and readily accessible along their embankments. By utilizing gabions in areas where embankments are prone to reoccurring erosion (despite riparian implantation) they require no maintenance and last for decades. Because of riparian buffers' tendency towards invasive plant species neither would this be a concern.

Is this about environmental science or political science?
You decide.

No one has spoken more about this subject then "Molovinsky On Allentown". Check out some of his posts concerning riparian buffers. In particular check out his picture post showing just one of the street drains going into Cedar Creek.

Hey Washington Who Cares?

Repost

I Don't Care....
Who's investigating who.
Who's getting reelected or not.
Who's political party can out spin the other.
Who goes to jail or not.
Which bozo gets the most airtime on TV.
That Donald still can't get enough praise.
Who can out BS the other during press briefings.
Who's leaking what.

Here's What I Give Crap About-- What Washington Isn't Doing For Us
These BS artists haven't taken up immigration nor gun reform. Nor addressed future Pension/Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security budget shortfalls. Addressed 47% of the workers making less then the wages needed to live modestly. Done nothing tangible whatsoever to lower the cost of medicine or medical healthcare. To make sincere efforts helping to lower criminal recidivism rates. The list goes on. I could name many more.

What Washington does best is hold hearings, They hold hearings on themselves. They hold hearings on anything and everything along with creating public committees to screw with John Q Public's head that their doing something. In the end these amount to nothing more then a prepared speech accompanied by the all too familiar photo op BS nonsense. Truth be told they do this specifically so they can avoid producing actual legislation.

Ever watch most of those videos where Senators and Representatives are putting on a show speaking in congress? Notice none of their colleagues are in their seats around them. If they're not listening to each and other-- why the hell would you think they'd be listening to what anyone else has to say.

Face it 90% of their time is spent self serving in putting on a show trying to get reelected. I mean really, are people so gullible as to believe congress couldn't fix drug prices, control healthcare costs and all the other crap in a heartbeat if it so desired?

There's plenty of fake to go around. Fake news. Fake politicians with faked outrage. The only thing real nothing is getting done. Promises are made if this or this or that person gets elected next time we'll resolve these problems. Yeah "next time". Well, if not, then maybe the "next time" with the one after that.

Meanwhile we suckers rush to the polls hoping someday somehow someone elected will make drug prices come down, healthcare become affordable and we will have a enough to retire. Scared that if we don't vote it will never happen.

Well here's a flash. Politicians will make sure it never does so they can continue to scare people into voting. Thus creating job security for themselves.

Dealing With Parking During A Snow Emergency

Repost

On a bitterly cold winters morning a husband and wife were listening to the radio during breakfast. They heard the announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the snow plows can get through."

So the good wife went out and moved her car.

A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the odd numbered side of the street, so the snow plows can get through."

The good wife went out and moved her car again.

The next week they are again having breakfast, when the radio announcer says, "We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of snow today.

You must park...." Then the electricity went out.


The good wife was very upset, and with a worried look on her face she said, "I don't know what to do. Which side of the street do I need to park on so the snow plows can get through?"


Then with the love, patience and understanding in his voice that all men should exhibit, the husband replied, "This time why don't you just leave the car in the garage."

What's In Your Food- High Fructose Corn Syrup

Repost



While it is a sweetener, it's primary purpose is to get you to consume more product. Manufacturers for years have known that "High Fructose Corn Syrup" increases your appetite cravings.

By adding this ingredient, no matter how much you eat you will feel less full then had it not been added as an ingredient.

Naturalists for years have spouted this and had very little scientific evidence to back them up. It is why I along with them think the reason for this out of control obesity problem in United States cannot be resolved till we lessen it's use.

It is used in most (but not all) of the following products...
     Frozen Concentrated Juices
     Soft Drinks
     Yogurts
     Salad Dressings
     Ice Cream
     Cereal     
     Certain Breads
     Mustard
     Syrups (Pancake, Fudge, etc)
     Steak Sauce
     Bakery Products
     Puddings
     Snacks (Nutrition Bars, Candy Bars, etc.)
     Honey
     Jelly
     Ketchup
     Crackers
     Feed for Honey Bees
     ...and many others (List By Brand)
     Fast Food chain restaurants are notorious for it's use. See: List Of Fast Foods Serving HFC


Now these nay saying naturalists may have their proof!

Quoted excerpts from:
"The brain may not be fooled by sugar substitutes"The latest evidence for this comes from a brain scanning (MRI) study performed in the Netherlands...

Both sugar and the noncaloric sweeteners activated a brain region called the amygdala, which signals sensory pleasure. But only the sugared drink turned on a cherry-sized nugget of brain tissue in a region called the caudate.

Athletes couldn't consciously distinguish the sugared and nonsugared drinks, but their brains picked up the difference.

..sugared mouth rinses strongly activated two reward centers in the brain, the anterior cingulate cortex and caudate, whereas the artificial sweeteners activated these brain areas only weakly.

* NOTE: The tests were done only with four artificial sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame K, cyclamate and saccharin. These are "non-glucose" (non natural sugars) the HFC should be (in my opinion) considered as an implied outcome as well. Considering most HFC only contains 10% naturally occurring glucose and 90% non-naturally occurring fructose in the HFC 90. Also available is the HFC 55 formula.(They usually blend the two strengths to get the flavoring they desire)

Considering that every cell in the body can metabolize glucose and all fructose must be metabolized in the liver, one should be bear in mind of the possible consequences of continued ingestion of HFC.

Why The Continue Use?
(1) It makes you feel less full
(2) Sugar tariffs have created this as a cheaper alternative
(3) Manufactures are still allowed to call their products '100% Natural" and/or 'Organic' even when HFC is used


FURTHER READING
Wiki- High Fructose Corn Syrup

The Tush Push: By Jason Kelce & Peyton Manning

4 Toppers in concert 2014 The power of love medley

Trump Tariffs Doubled

I just watched his press conference after the supreme court ruling striking his tariffs down. According to Trump he can now impose "Global Tariffs" at 10% instead. Last year his tariffs produced less then $200 billion. Given our trade dollars this will now double tariffs to almost $400 billion. Go Google this stuff for yourself. I'm not wrong. UPDATE The next day 12/21/2026 he now changed his mind and is raising to 15% !

Password Dilemma (Repost)

Can you relate to this?

Is Google's Chat Bot A New Form Of Life?

Repost



Star Trek NG already dealt with this issue


So the question becomes are we humans the only species capable of expressing intellgience and feelings? Are animals not also capable of being sentient as well?

It seems to me no matter the receptacle (organic or otherwise) each could be equally defined as capable of expressing feelings and intellgience. It further seems to me whether organic or machine is of little matter. Only the fact both can.

Of course there is the human ego driven instinct for survival which might wish to deny it is possible. It then follows quite possibly machine intellgience may be so driven towards self survival as well. This could lead to devastating consequences in the future. One could say we'll simply switch these machines off. What if we can't?

Apes A Lot Like Man

Repost

NBC World News reports apes prefer watching food programs over porn on TV.

I did say 'a lot like man', but no entirely.
Humans wooing a potential mate usually start with a night out for dinner followed by a night of passion. In this way we're a lot like the apes. Food first.. bananas 2nd.

But I don't care what you say, when it comes to TV, humans are far more likely to be watching 'The Playboy' channel over 'The Food Network'.

And that's what separates us from the apes!

Solution For All The Plastic Waste

Repost

A no brainer. Seems simple to me.
Why aren't we doing this?

Another case of United States being a day late on just about every new technology. Seems we have to be up against the wall before we even begin talking about any problem facing us.

Here's the message regarding the future for United States predominance: Snooze, you lose'.

If Trump Hated Bad Bunny, he...

...should have really hated Super Bowl LIV (2020)

We didn't hear a peep out of him back then when he was in office, did we?
Him and his MAGA's FCC buddies investigation of Bad Bunny's performance is political BS

My Covid 19 Test Results Came In

Repost

Jason Kelce Went 84 MPH in a Bobsled with Team USA

Shut up and Dance

A Valentine's Song From 1968

The Universe Drives Me Crazy

Repost

Whenever I indulge myself on scientific reasoning when it comes to the universe three thoughts comes to mind. (1) Whatever the craziest thing is you can imagine, it is possible. (2) No human is capable of visualizing just how large or how old the universe is scientifically or otherwise. (3) When it comes to the universe, science can be a faux game of math.



My Mental Masturbations On this SubjectLet's start with number (3). Mathematical formulas can be fudged to make them work out. Take for example 'dark matter'. No one has ever physically been able to find it. Quantum physicists have made this math expression up and used it in their mathematical formulas to make their final results work.

It's sort of like incorrectly stating 2x3 equals 5. So someone (in error) rewrites the formula to (2x3)+1= 6 to make things come out right based on their limited math skills.

Moving on to number (2), the age of the universe. I believe that science has incorrectly dated the age of the universe. Today's present scientists have pretty much agreed that the universe is 14 billion years old. Here's my problem with that. That number has constantly evolved over the years as optical instruments have improved. To date our instruments are capable of seeing nearly all there is to see going back 14 billion light years. Emphasis on 'light years'.

This number may be correct in-so-much as dating "our" universe because of our own solar system's current location. To my way of reasoning this is not an absolute regarding the actual age of the universe. Here's why. This age was derived by the farthest observable light reaching us. In this case, 14 billion light years. Just suppose for a moment that we lived elsewhere in another planetary system. One that was older then 14 billion years.

Logic dictates that if that planetary system was around longer then 14 billion years, they'd observe things differently. Suppose they existed 40 billion years before us. That would mean light would have 40 billion more light years to reach their location. Hence they'd be convinced the universe was 54 billion years old. Why not 100 billion or even 1 trillion depending on their point of reference ? Who's to say there is even a limit on how old the universe is!

Now, speaking to number (1). When it comes to the universe and our understanding of it. I relate to it to Carlos Castaneda words in his series of books, 'Sorcerer's Apprentice'. In one of his books he described the 'tonal' world as one in which everything is known. On the other side of the coin there is the 'Nagal'. Defined as all things unknown. The 'Tonal' being a infinitesimally small fraction of all that is possible. In short the manifested and what has yet to be manifested (the unlimited infinite possibilities).

Talking Dog 4 Sale

Repost

A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: 'Talking Dog For Sale 'He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.

'You talk?' he asks.

'Yep,' the Lab replies.

After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says 'So, what's your story?'

The Lab looks up and says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so... I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.' 'I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running...

But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.' 'I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.'

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

'Ten dollars,' the guy says.

'Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?'

'Because he's a Bullshitter. He's never been out of the yard'.

Remember When- Lehigh Valley 1960's (PBS39 Special)

Repost

Life's One Great Big Illusion

Repost From 2015

This Man Made $2.3 Billion on Monday
by Tom Metcalf | Bloomberg Business

"Amancio Ortega added $2.3 billion to his fortune on Monday... The Spanish billionaire's gain was $500 million more than the combined increase recorded by everyone else among the world's 10 richest people"

My Comments About The Article AboveLife is one big imaginary board game.

How else could anyone explain this?

There is no way in hell anyone could work so hard as to deserve this kind of wealth.

Stocks-- Most Americans Don't Benefit From Record Highs

Repost From 2018


When it comes to stocks they're not a great way to measure American incomes I'll explain why.

Only about 54% of Americans are invested in them through their retirements plans (like the 401's), mutual funds, pensions and so forth. Meaning some 46% are foreign owned. So when the stock market does well nearly half of it's wealth benefits investors in other countries.

92% of stocks are owned by 20% of the wealthiest investors. This means 80% are left to divvy 8% of the remaining wealth between themselves throughout the world. Since only 54% are American investors it appears not as many as we're lead to believe are benefiting.

Therefore I conclude the stock market does very little to benefit the average smuck unless they're in upper management receiving a profit sharing plan.

A Word About 401K Plans
In 2018 employees were allowed to contribute up to $18,500 a year. To my way of thinking workers are giving a good chunk back to the corporations. These companies can use this tax free money right now, On the other hand employees have only a piece of paper with numbers on it until they can start withdrawing their money at retirement. A lot can go wrong between now and then.

In my case I chose to keep my money, pay taxes on it now instead of later. Then using it to pay down ahead on my 30 year mortgage while setting some aside in FDIC insured savings accounts. The average return on of the S&P between 1973 and 2016 was 11.69%. That's all fine and dandy but when you're 70 1/2 and are forced to start taking money out (paying taxes on it) better hope it isn't a year stocks take a tumble or if tax rates should go up over what they are now.

Here's how I benefited on the mortgage alone.
My original 30 year mortgage was around 10%. Compounded over 30 years it would have totaled 315.92%. Divided evenly over 30 years it would have averaged 10.53%. Even if the average S&P' returns were 11.69% it wouldn't have included the fees I'd end up paying. Plus I wouldn't be able to get at my money to do what I did.

After a few years I refinanced the remaining balance on my mortgage at 6%. Instead of keeping the extra $700 I saved monthly I put in on the new mortgage. Hence being able to pay it off 10 years before retirement rather then still be paying on it for 8 years into my I retirement. Since it was paid off 10 years before I retired I was able to then use a chunk of that former mortgage payment for savings. Besides, who wants to pay a mortgage or ever escalating rents when they're on a fixed income if they can buy a house early enough?

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Maybe someone is comfortable with a finance company holding their deed over them for 30 years while they gamble on the stock market. I wasn't. After I wised up I rolled over what ever little I had of my 401K into a no fee, no risk FDIC insured IRA savings account years ago. Good I did or it would have taken a shellacking in 2008. This along with some regular savings. This doesn't mean I'm well off by any means but it sure beats allowing others to manipulate what little assets I've accumulated.

Remembering When Monday Night Football Was A Big Deal

1990

Talking Heads Drive Me Crazy When...

Repost

.. conservatives constantly repeat over and over again what "those on the left" are thinking. Same goes for those on the left regarding those to the right and what they are thinking. I'm positive both sides have more then a adequate supply of hot air to speak for themselves.

Here a few clichés that should immediately cause people to disregard anything said after spouting the following....* "Those on the far left/far right..
* "Here's what all Liberals/Conservatives.."
* "Wingnuts/loons on the right/left.."
* "This is what Hitler/Natzis..."
* "Idiot Republicans/Democrats.."
* "What this President really believes.."
* etc, etc.It should be no wonder why most of those appearing on TV and the politicians themselves have law degrees. There's lots of tricks one can use in a debate. What each has in common is they are meant to belittle one's opponent. One of the most important lessons taught in schools of law is how to diminish an opponent's creditability.

There's no finer example then the scene in this film...


I am also acutely aware when I see these kind of debates in the media because of my experiences on this blog. 99% of the comments I get aren't about debating what I posted but rather personal attacks regarding my creditability. I block almost all of them. Hence why anyone coming to this blog will see so few of them.

The media makes a ton of money off this kind of discourse. It rarely serves to inform anyone. Rather it only serves to incite anger and further divisiveness. If they get a ratings boost when they do these type of debating antics they'll make more programs like them Which equates to more income for them.

I fail to see how this makes this country a better place when they air this kind of trash.

CLICK HERE or on the picture for more information from PBS-- "Wrath of the talking heads: How the ‘Outrage Industry’ affects politics"

Subcontracting GOTTEN WAY OUT HAND

Repost From 2016

In today's world."outsourcing" has become the name of the game.* Most newspapers don't deliver their own news print.
* Large companies no longer staff their own call centers.
* Some phone providers don't own a single wire or tower.
* Some cable companies' employ no installers or linemen
* Colleges use of adjunct professors (paid 1/4) are on a sharp rise.
* Most computer software designers are forced to become "freelancers".
* Some big name delivery drivers don't work for the name on their purchased truck.
* Vital Government services.
* The list goes on and on and on

Whether the words used are freelancing or outsourcing both mean the same thing. Companies no longer see themselves responsible for providing workers with a means for a steady income Nor necessarily for the quality work performed by the jobber they sent either. Chances are whatever goods or services a unsatisfied customer complains about will be told to take it up with the jobber the seller outsourced with.


This post was inspired when I came across this bit of information I wasn't aware of. According to THIS NEWS STORY (WFMZ) a car hit a pole knocking down wires. The piece goes on to say, "First responders and residents soon learned from a PPL representative on scene that PPL Electric Utilities just enacted new guidelines in which the company no longer responds to nor repairs downed lines... Instead, the company uses subcontractors to do repairs." << YOU SAY WHAT!

Broken Down Into Pieces
Today consumers can purchase generated electric separately from a handful of companies that don't know even what a generator looks like. Remember when PPL did it all. They owned mines, generators, buildings and employed all the workers needed (linemen included). If it weren't for PPL there wouldn't be a Lake Wallenpaupack. Over the years they (like other utilities) have split up the business into several divisions. Some which were sold off, including the lake. It was taken over by 'Talen Energy' on June 1, 2015. Then in order to comply with regulations Talen announced in the fall it would sell it to yet another energy company listed in Bermuda. They just took over ownership on April 1, 2016.

It's All A Facade
Even I could open a phone company by scraping some of the money off the top I wouldn't need to know a damn thing. I could hire an accountant, sales person, contract with a wholesale communications provider, hang a shingle outside and I'm good to go. The same way I could start doing online sales. Take an order, sign with a credit provider, some firm in China (who'll send the orders out) and again I'm good to go. Neither which would be much different then what these investor formed companies are doing these days.

What we have here is overhead receiving the rewards for the work borne on those who are skilled and doing the actual work. Sorry but I liked it better when we did things the other way. In the days workers took pride in representing the company, it's reputation and were actually employed fulltime by them. In return respected and compensated accordingly.

When companies only did one or two things very well.Because they didn't have their eggs scattered in two dozen places, they had to!

The problem today is too few give a crap. Why should they when companies can simply rent people, buildings and offices enabling them to easily pack up and leave. When workers aren't under threat of losing a permanent fulltime job or benefits they never were hired for or had in the first place. Now that's some recipe.


Speaking Of Jobs:
"The Truth About Temp Labor" (March 2014)


Some may call this progress.
Me, not so much.

U.S. Senate Doesn't "Represent" Democracy Very Well

Repost From 2021

Certainly not the larger half of "The Will Of The People" as Mitch McConell would try having us believe.

Call me radical, but I do not believe a minority of Senators should be able to block voting rights for millions of people.

But I guess I’m just from that far-left school of thought that legislation should pass when a majority of legislators vote for it https://t.co/NTtk28BwRs

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 23, 2021

minipost.com
U.S. Senate representation is deeply undemocratic—
and cannot be changed "But, according to the calculation of Ian Millhiser, writing for Vox, if you add up the population of states and assign half to each of their two senators, “the Democratic half of the Senate represents 41,549,808 more people than the Republican half.”

If a state has two senators from the same party, he assigns that state’s population number to that party. If a state has one senator from each party, he assigns half the population to each party."

Think of this another way. Delaware has a population of around 974,000 people. California has around 39,510,000 people. Yet both receive representation by two members each in the senate. Call this a constitutional flaw if you will.

As you can see AOC is justified complaining. Mitch and the republicans know full well they represent about 41 1/2 million fewer of the population then democrats in the senate. This is one of the reasons conservatives of all stripes continually bash AOC. Her continued outspokenness makes them uncomfortable as hell. She shakes things up they'd rather not have exposed.

I understand we are not a "direct democracy" but rather suppose to be a "representative democracy". But we aren't truly a  "representative democracy" in it's purest form either. Something to keep in mind next time Mitch claims he's only "representing the will of the American people". Well some of them maybe... not the majority he'd have us believe.

Now learn about the filibuster
This is how they killed the bill AOC was talking about

55 Corporations Avoided $8.5 Billion In Federal Taxes

Repost From 2021

nypost.com
Dozens of America’s biggest companies paid no federal income taxes last year "26 of them haven’t paid a penny in federal income tax in the three years since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reform bill was signed into law in 2017... In fact, 52 of those firms — including household names such as Nike, FedEx and Dish Network — ended up pocketing federal tax rebates worth a collective $3.5 billion"

Every time a Republican president gets into office (except Geo. H.W. Bush) the same thing happens. Ronald Reagan, tax cuts. Geo. W Bush, tax cuts. Trump, Tax cuts. Each promise these will more then make up for themselves. With GDP growth will come a influx of tax money. Yet as anyone can plainly see it never does.

Instead when the budget goes to pot it's up to Democrats try and bring the revenue back in. At this point Republicans then accuse Democrats of tax and spend. We've seen this time and again. Like riding on the same carousel round and round it never seems to get old. Republicans break the bank. Democrats fix it. Then Republicans break it again.. on and on it goes.

So here we are again. The federal budget is in a landslide. Republicans call for cuts mostly in social services and infrastructure.  Now the post office too. When this happens federal state funding is reduced. This in turn trickles down to local governments. Who then in turn increase their taxes on all of us.

Some may argue well if corporations are forced to pay higher taxes they will just increase their prices. True, but they can only do it on their customers. The wealthier will buy more from them. The poorer  less likely to do so (capitalism at work for raising revenue). States and cities on the other hand suffering lower federal funds will impose tax increases on all their citizens across the board rich or poor (socialistic taxation). 

Rather then increasing taxes directly on the wealthy do so more indirectly by closing the loopholes corporations get away with. Obviously the wealthy are going to spend a lot more money thus paying more in taxes on the larger amount of goods they buy then the average worker.

This avoids the age old argument in congress against taxing the wealthy. Perhaps making it less toxic in order to reach some sort bipartisan agreement that won't upset either of their voters as otherwise would. Although I'm quite certain it would be a call-to-arms for corporate lobbyists who'd be the main obstacle to overcome.

This leaves the money changers to be later dealt with. That's a much heftier lift best left to discuss another time.  

Artificial Intelligence A Threat Or Blessing?

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First off before viewing the video I have a few thoughts. Don't I always :-) 

I've stated before there is no such thing artificial intelligence. Intelligence.is simply what it is. There can be nothing artificial about it. Either things already in existence await our discovery or they do not. These cannot be created naturally or by any other means. New information can be increased and stored in whatever vessel it may so happen to occupy whether it involves humans or not  Either way there's obviously nothing artificial going on here when it comes to the evolutional advancement of knowledge.

Of concern is.. will we have a place in the future if machines advance so far as to  having no further dependency upon their makers. Will we become aware of such a point as to when machines, unbeknownst to us, taken over? After reaching a higher state will they be endowed with empathy for lower beings such as ourselves or having no need of it?

These are things of concern for development engineers going forward. With that, take a look at the video. See what you think.

Check back often. Better yet subscribe. You never know what you'll find next on this blog. Entertainment, science, technology, humor, everything in between and more.

Death By Auto-Tune

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Hard to know what is real anymore even when they're in concerts. Believe it or not I usually can tell the difference. Mostly because I have this same software which can do this on my computer.

Brooks & Dunn - Play Something Country (Live from CMA Fest 2025) ft. Lainey Wilson

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

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Aug 7, 2023

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

Health Care: America vs. The World

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PBS NewsHour (04/21/2021)

Hat's off to PBS for another well researched report. They reported both the good and bad.

What's Your Dream?

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On April 4th, 1968 at 7:05 p.m. central time,
Dr. King's life was cut short by an assassin's bullet

#DreamStillLives

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!

I Think I Am, Therefore I Am.. Not Necessarily

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Philosopher John Searle addresses consciousness as a biological phenomenon

Chasing Our Own TailsThe statement "I think, therefore I am" could be said to be awareness of oneself. Awareness is nothing more then a product of consciousness. Since without consciousness (in a unconscious state) there can be no such self awareness it can be said we don't exist unto ourselves under these conditions. However a person outside of our self is still consciously aware of our being while we are lay in a state of unconscious. So this doesn't mean that we don't exist, right? But where do we exist? In their consciousness not in our own under these conditions. So now we've become dependant on someone other then ourselves or what we call 'collective consciousness" for our continued existence.

Let's Take This All The Way To The TopIn the beginning there could exist no self awareness nor consciousness within the creator since both are products of biological conditions (humans). In order to bring about conscious awareness the creator (God) would have to first create humans. However in order to do that the creator would have to first develop a plan. A plan which of course would require self awareness that it/she/he existed in the first place. All which at first seems could only come about after the creation of humans, not before. Seems we're in a paradoxical catch-22 situation, no?

What Came 1st Can't Be Lesser Then What Came AfterScripture tells us the eye cannot see it's own self. Therefore it follows conscious awareness only exist as a reflection. That makes this "I think, therefore I am" nothing more then a reflection of something far larger going that cannot not possibly be understood by the human mind. If the only tool we have is our mind and it is operating within itself, it cannot possibly hope to understand what's truly going on through intellectual musings within it's own limited perimeters.. Back to that old catch 22 again, eh?

It is said everything that exist lay within all things that don't. The latter being far greater. Some lean on faith for what they cannot understand. Some simply block out anything they don't understand or care to think about. Still others make up things and declare them truths for what they can't comprehend. Each are much like the unconscious person I mentioned above.

There is yet another way to approach this (since no one can understand through one's human faculties). For the sake of definition I will call it 'taking a stance'. If one simply takes a stance (position) that the universe (and all the people in it both good and evil) is what it is and accepts that, one becomes more attune (one with it). Some religious philosophers called it surrendering to 'God's Will'. I'd rather think of it as leaving one's ego behind. Another way of saying it is 'going with the flow'.

All Our Troubles Begin With the 'Ego'
You Can't Beat The System

The human 'ego' tries to beguile us into thinking we are lazy, surrendering or uncaring when we resist our inclinations to 'change the world'. Whenever human reasoning gives into the temptation to change the world, what results is conflict with others. Things like wars and social bickering with those who's minds will never adapt to our own views no matter how much we argue. Simply put our world and the universe is what it is. Accept the world for what it is or die trying to make it what we think it should be. Either way the world will be much the same way it was when we came into it as it will be when we leave it.

The short and long of it is, enjoy the ride while it last. Whoever or whatever the creator is/was or what ever evolves is larger then we who are only temporary reflections of that. To do otherwise would be like a shadow (reflection in a mirror) trying to outwit that which is standing before it.

Hey Svengoolie - Official Music Video from MeTV

The Same Merry-Go-Round (Politics)

What The Radicals On The Left Still Believe

Repost

The right to a decent home.
The right to adequate medical care.
The right to a good education.
This is FDR’s ‘Second Bill of Rights’ we’re still fighting for today. pic.twitter.com/gXs42SjhfQ

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) March 27, 2019

Pretty crazy ideas, eh?

"Tigre Stone" Road Printer

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I imagine tourist who visit the Netherlands are impressed with the ornate brick roads, but how do they construct them?

The answer is by using the electrically powered Vanku "Tigre Stone" road printing machine.


This certainly is a lot more ergonomically advantageous then working on one's knees.

LVCI Thoughts On Past And Future Technology

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Do We Exist ? (Part 2)

Repost

I'm following up on a post I made back on August 27, 2014 entitled "Do We Exist? Although a long time coming this a follow up to it. Mostly because I'm tired of political postings for the time being. The premise I'm building on is the possibly we and the universe could be nothing more then a simulation much like some of our computer driven software we humans have already devised.

"Descartes claimed that he could definitively prove he existed, by concluding. “I think therefore I am". I read a lot of his work but don't think this proves a thing.

Just what if we humans devised a sophisticated software program in which the computer too believed itself to be capable of independent thought? Given whatever was encoded it could well have concluded itself to be conscious of itself having no other references other then whatever limitations programmers had given it to work with.


But wait you say. How about I punch you in he mouth, will you not feel pain? Well yeah if that was part of the software program. Today's programmers could easily make a computer respond to pressure, heat or just about any stimuli we wanted it to. Which then the question arises, What is reality? Yeah good question!

Ray Kurzweil - Are We Living in a Simulation?

A whole lot more on this subject can be found here, "The Holographic Universe"

If a computer were programmed sophisticated enough it too might begin to question who was it's creator. Of course that would be impossible if it (or we) were programmed with limitations. Today's fear is one day artificial intelligence might supersede us. Our own creator might have had those same concerns. Therefore if we live in a simulation it would be impossible to discover what true reality is.

Trip To A Tibetan Monastery

Reposted From: January 12, 2010

First you take the tram up to the start of the trail.
Now follow the path.

A few more steps to go.

Finally in sight.

They say going down is always harder then going up.
I'd rather stay in town and hang out at this local Biker Bar instead!

Social Security is under threat. Here's why you should care.

Ya No' U'r A Redneck When..

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You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree.

Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.

The Salvation Army declines your furniture.

You come back from the dump with more than you took.

Your grandmother has 'ammo' on her Christmas list.

You keep flea and tick soap in the shower.

You have a rag for a gas cap.

Your house doesn't have curtains, but your truck does.

You wonder how service stations keep their rest-rooms so clean.

U have a complete set of salad bowls that all say 'Cool Whip'.

The biggest city you've ever been to is Wal-Mart.

Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV.


You've used your ironing board as a buffet table.

You've used a toilet brush to scratch your back.



You missed your 5th grade graduation because you were on jury duty.

You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65

Here's Where Rap Got It Roots From

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Here's one of the early rappers- Jimmy Dean

Joe Casey died June 22, 2012.He was a square dance caller for 62 years throughout New England and New York.

Bet many of ya didn't know anything about the roots of rap did cha?

 :-)

Another Pyramids Theory

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This video has over 15 million views. Looks like I'm not the only one who found it interesting. I came across it when I was researching the contents of granite stone. The type of stone widely used by ancient builders. I discovered usually 50% of it is composed of quartz. Was it because of it's piezoelectric properties? And that's what led me to this...



Makes you wonder doesn't it?

My Opinion Of Computer Self Driving Cars

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WHAT ARE YOU NUTZ !

Yeah sure there are a lot of people who shouldn't be driving who can't even walk straight, but... * There are 1,000's of weather related conditions computers simply won't be able to handle. There's a vast difference between two inches of snow and one foot. Fog conditions that can vary between several feet to a few inches. Braking and acceleration is best left up to drivers. Even those who might have poor judgment.

* Computer driven vehicles will never differentiate when to brake if leafs or some small none threatening animal should cross paths up close against their sensors over that of some object several feet away resulting in a hard unexpected braking condition.

* They can't anticipate another driver's actions as a vigilant driver may become aware of and react accordingly.

* What will a self driven car do coming across a double parker. Sit there all day?

* What will a self driving car decide to do if traffic lights are out?

* What will a self driving car do if there's a construction flagman, emergency responder or school crossing guard directing traffic?.

* Will self driving cars recognize flooded road conditions which might imperil passengers lives?

* Will they recognize pot holes or continue full speed?I could go on and on. If people are too stupid to drive or pay attention anymore and wish to rely on computers in the future to do all our thinking for us we've reached a very sorry point in our evolution.

I may be an old fart, but these contraptions seem, dangerous to me. I'm predicting they'll never replace human drivers.

If they do, heaven help us if we become so stupid as to not being able to make our own judgments on the road or with anything else for that matter.

Trump Says We Absolutly Need Greenland

Greenland is 2,500 to 3,100 miles away from Russia depending on the specific points in each territory. If only we had something closer, like let's say 90 miles?

Maybe use satellite observations?

Wonder Why People Want Medicare For All?

Repost



I agree. I've never been happier since I'm on Medicare. My past experience with private insurance sucked!

How Big Is The Ocean?

Repost

Before I watched the following video it brought back a memory of mine. When we went on our first cruise we had to fly to Puerto Rico over the Atlantic Ocean.

As we flew at 30,000+ feet I stared out the cabin window for at least an hour trying to catch a glimpse of something below.

At some 6 miles above the Earth one can see 100's of square miles of surface below. One would think I'd have spotted at least one vessel. Perhaps a small plot of land. SOMETHING? ANYTHING? NADA!

My perception of just how huge and remote this Earth can be changed that morning. My imagination wandered into thoughts of the near impossibility for rescue in this remote area if one were to be run into trouble even if the plane were to survive the impact. This wasn't fear, but more like 'wow we sure are in the middle of nowhere'. Throughout my life there's been a tree, a street or building. There's no way one could orient themselves when there's nothing to orient to. There's something new and weird about being humbled by the sheer vastness of it all.

I did this same kind of observation aboard the ship some 11 decks above sea level. Except for occasionally spotting a passing ship I saw nothing. For me personally when it comes to the size of the sea I have a much greater appreciation of it then I did before that trip.

I was left with an sensation of how small we are in all of this vastness of this the Earth we call home. It also showed me how dependant we all are on familiar surroundings. So as you can see this wasn't just some trip, but also an opportunity to reflect, absorb and add to my experience in this life and the weirdness that ensues when we're removed from our everyday environment.

So when it comes to the question how big is the ocean, these thoughts best describe my personal sense of it.

Scott Gass

Video Courtesy "TED Ed"

News Flash: It's Cold Out

Repost

No matter whether it's CNN, WFMZ, WPIX, FOX, MSNBC, WPHL, WPVI, WCAU, WTXF, KYW, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC or any other radio, TV station or newspaper they all report over and over again it's cold.

I kinda figured that out on my own.
Not only that but it was dark out too.
     Why aren't they reporting that!!


Every night and day it's the same thing no matter where I turn, for 20 minutes out of the hour we get the weather. Here's something I come to learn over the years, In the Winter it gets cold. Sometimes it even snows. Imagine that!

The reason I turn on the news is to get news... not the weather. Yeah I'm kind of funny that way.

Take your typical newscast. About 10 minutes of each half hour is filled with ads. Another 5 minutes of sports. 5 minutes of puff pieces and at least 5 minutes of weather. That leaves only 5 minutes for actual news. Sometimes even most of those five minutes are eaten up by reporters news celebrities freezing their tooshies off next to a salt pile or along side the snowiest street they come across..

It takes 4 years in college, lots of luck and another 10 years to land a job in a major news market. This cost TV stations a lot of money. May I suggest instead TV producers give a couple of homeless people a camera and a microphone and let them report on the weather. They have far more experience and expertise when it comes to reporting on homeless shelters and street reporting in the Winter anyway. After all they're the real experts when it comes to this, no?

Better yet, maybe the newscasts should be cancelled like the schools and businesses since they obviously don't have intentions of reporting the news in bad weather anyway.

Never mind.
Last night after channel surfing I already cancelled them by turning off the TV and going to bed. It was a better use of my time :-)