Tuesday, July 7, 2015

When You Know Things are Going Wrong : 3 Brief Stories

                                            Good Day World!

The following three stories that I’ve selected to share with you today go under the category – When You Know Things Are Going Wrong…

1) Things haven’t been going well for the Iraqi Army – their ability to fight ISIS has been called into question numerous times. Think Ramadi. They had 10 times as many soldiers as their ISIS attackers but they fled the moment they came into sight.

How much worse could it be than that?

How about bombing themselves? An Iraqi military plane returning from a raid targeting ISIS positions mistakenly dropped a bomb on a Baghdad neighborhood on Monday, killing or wounded at least 16 residents, according to an NBC report.

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2) There were more than 2,000 shootings in Chicago last year, and the city is on pace for more this year.

When You Know Things Are Going Wrong

Newspapers run weekend shooting trackers, and the July Fourth holiday numbers are stark: at least 46 people were wounded and 9 others killed — including a 7-year-old boy.

The reality for residents: everyone knows what gunfire sounds like. Families learn to stay away from windows. Parents pray for safety everyday they send their children to school.

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3) Airplanes and terrorists. No more “Friendly Skies.”

Flying anywhere in the world today involves some measure of security – from light to heavy – depending upon the country, destination, etc.

People panic at the slightest thought of a terrorist on board (or waiting to board). If a person fits the description of what a terrorist should look like, sound, and say, they could be arrested.

A recent example, Meditating Portuguese actor mistaken for terrorist on Paris plane 

Sometimes it makes you wonder if the terrorists are winning.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Monday, July 6, 2015

Wow! Here’s two ways no one should have to die

Good Day World!

Warning!

The observations I make about the following two news stories may come across as heartless. It’s not intended to be, although some may disagree.

Photo – Would you set one of these mortar tubes off on your head?

The first news article is one of those cautionary tales. Read sign. Obey sign and stay safe. Ignore at your own risk.  

The owners of a private marina put up a sign warning folks not to go swimming in their stretch of the Sabine River located in Southeast Texas. If anyone wondered why, they explained they had sightings of an 11-foot alligator recently.

Local residents couldn’t miss the sign.

Despite that stern warning local resident Tommie Woodward, decided to go there for a late-night swim with a woman. The 11-foot alligator was also out for a swim. The result; the man was mauled to death. 

From the woman’s account she only jumped from a dock after he screamed for help.

Was the woman aware of the sign? Did Woodward feel lucky despite seeing the sign? Or, is it possible he wasn’t aware of the sign? Here’s the article.

The second news article defies the imagination.

Every year I hear about crazy things people do with fireworks during the 4th of July.

Accidental injuries are as common during the holiday as chicken wings and Apple pie. Sometimes the results are tragic. Very often it’s children mishandling fireworks. But the adults do their part too.

Believe it or not, a 22-year-old Maine man was killed after setting a fireworks mortar tube off on top of his head on the Fourth of July.

According to news reports Devon Staples of Calais was killed in what police described as a "bizarre" accident around 10 p.m. Saturday while drinking with friends and setting off fireworks at one of their homes on South Street.

A bizarre accident? Plain stupidity? A case for banning alcohol?

It’s hard to imagine any adult putting a firework mortar tube on their head and lighting it. But it’s true. Here’s the video/article. 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Sunday, July 5, 2015

A close look at the ways the ‘9 Supremes’ can be unduly influenced

                                 Good Day World!

I don’t begrudge the nine most powerful people in America for earning nearly a quarter of a million dollars a year. (source) Federal Judicial Center.

What concerns me about our Supreme Court Justices is all of the side gigs they have going on.

For example: free travel. The justices do not have to disclose the costs of their reimbursed travels. Anyone can pay their travel expenses to get on their good side, and not worry about the world knowing about it.

Why is that? Are the “Supreme 9” satisfied with this gap in their accountability?

They also make money on books, speaking engagements, and teaching on the side. Almost makes you wonder when they actually spend time adjudicating cases. Each of these activities are open to the possibility of influence peddling.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Read This story , it’s part of Justice Obscured. The book  lifts the veil of secrecy surrounding the financial holdings and activities of the nation’s most powerful judges.

There’s more to this story. Click here to read the rest at the Center for Public Integrity.

FACT: Majority of Supreme Court members millionaires

Related stories:

  1. 5 weeks after filing, justices' finances still not public Associated Press
  2. 3 Supreme Court justices maintain substantial stock holdings Associated Press
  3. Supreme Court justices held stakes in companies who appeared before court MarketWatch

Time for me to walk on down the road….

Saturday, July 4, 2015

4th of July: Glad To Be Free Today

On this day, also known as Independence Day, Americans across the land are celebrating in all the traditional ways: outdoor barbecues, firework displays, and leisure activities.

We are blessed to be free in this chaotic world. There’s too many repressive societies that don’t allow their citizens the freedoms we often take for granted. No country is perfect in the real world – and we have our challenges.

However, I’m still proud to say I’m an American. 

There’s all kinds of Fourth of July activities going on where I live today – check out The Medford (Oregon) Chamber of Commerce’s/Jackson County program – it’s supposed to be the biggest ever.

Interesting fact: The Fourth of July has only been a Federal holiday since 1941. Of course we were celebrating our independence as far back as the American Revolution (1775-83), but Congress never got around to making it official until 1941.

My dream is of a place and time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope on the planet.” Abraham Lincoln

I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and the struggle to stop it. I’ve learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service.” John F. Kerry

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Friday, July 3, 2015

There’s 3 things you seldom see in the news

Good Day World!

There’s three things you seldom see in our mass media/social media.

In a nutshell:

1) Unbiased reporting.

2) The whole story.

3) and, management’s agenda.

About #1) To accurately identify different types of bias, you should be aware of the issues of the day, and the liberal and conservative perspectives on each issue.

Be aware:

A recent study shows that headlines can have more of an effect on a reader’s interpretation of an article than the text in the article itself – even if the whole article is read.

About #2)

When it comes to our government we seldom – if ever – get to hear the whole story. For example, check out this video: OPM Hack, ‘do we have the whole story?’

The only thing we can absolutely count on is to take whatever our government says with a grain of salt. Then research, and verify.

About #3)

On management agendas; anyone with even a shred of common sense can watch just a handful of Fox News shows and see that the entire channel is nothing more than a propaganda mechanism for the Republican party.

Pundifact found Fox News to have only told the truth 18 percent (15 of 83) of the time for the statements they checked.  And even of that 18 percent, only 8 percent of what they said was completely “True.”  The other 10 percent was rated as “Mostly True.”

It isn’t just Fox News either folks. MSNBC and CNN distort (and select) news items to fit their management agendas which are obviously liberal.

Time for me to walk on down the road…


Thursday, July 2, 2015

What this country needs right now is a racist president

imageGood Day World!

What this country needs right now is a racist president.

Fortunately, we have one running. His name is Donald Trump.

Despite having pinatas made in his image (photo left) by Mexicans on both sides of the border, Trump claims to have a great relationship with Hispanics;

“Thousands of people over the years have worked for me from all the different the Latin countries,” he recently told reporters.

Apparently not all the Hispanics who worked with him, and for him, feel he would make a good president.

Last week, Univision, which also airs the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, announced it would end its relationship with Trump over his “insulting” remarks.

Yes, the Donald started off his bid for the presidency by calling Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists and suggested they were pouring over the border non-stop.

You can bet that will galvanize Hispanic voters to vote for him – wink! wink!

NBC announced it was cutting ties with Trump over his racists comments in which he vowed to build a wall between Mexico and the United States to keep Mexican criminals and “rapists” from crossing the border if he were elected president.

While the rest of the campaigning Republicans are looking for ways to connect with Hispanic voters, the Donald is busy accusing them of being scum. Pretty crazy strategy eh?

Here’s the scary part…according to the results of a CNN/ORC survey released Wednesday, Trump, at 12 percent, sits second behind former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (19 percent) in the race for the Republican nomination.

OMG!

The Donald managed to jump 9 points in the polls after making his racist announcement! What does that say? I’m no pollster, but it looks like some people would like to have a racist president.

Like I said earlier…fortunately – for some – the Donald looks like presidential material.

Time for me to walk on down the road… 

 

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

8 Interesting Things About Today

12 things to know about Einstein's theories of relativity

Good Day World!

Here’s eight important events that took place on this day (July 1st) in history:

1. 1905 - Albert Einstein introduces his theory of relativity.

What do you know about this famous theory? The graphics on the left will give you the real lowdown.

2. 1907 - World's 1st air force established (US Army).

The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) were the military aviation service of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, successor to the United States Army Air Corps and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force.

3. 1916 - Coca-Cola brings current coke formula to the market.

During the 1916 bottler's convention, Coke’s new contour bottle was chosen over other entries and was on the market the same year.

4. 1919 - US 1st class postage drops from 3 cents to 2 cents.

Wow! Congress actually lowered the price of a stamp. That never happened again!

5. 1923 - 1st permanent radio network-AT&T (WEAF NY & WMAF Mass).

The introduction of vacuum-tube amplification for telephone lines allowed AT&T to experiment with sending speeches to distant audiences that listened over loudspeakers.

6. 1961 – Diana, Princess of Wales, was born on this day.

Diana was born into a family of British nobility with royal ancestry as The Honorable Diana Spencer.

7. 1963 - Beatles record "She Loves You" & "I'll Get You."

"She Loves You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for release as a single in 1963.

"I'll Get You" was written by Lennon–McCartney, and released by the Beatles as the B-side of their 1963 single "She Loves You". The song was initially titled "Get You in the End."

8. 1966 - Medicare goes into effect…

After legislation was signed by President Lyndon B Johnson – Americans started receiving Medicare health coverage. Today, Medicare continues to provide health care for those in need.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Happy Birthday Superman!

Good Day World!

“He’s faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! ("Look! Up in the sky!" "It's a bird!" "It's a plane!" "It's Superman!")

Happy Birthday big guy!

Fan’s worldwide will be celebrating the introduction of the world’s first superhero today.

IN THE BEGINNING

Action Comics #1 (June, 1938) is the first issue of the original run of the comic book series Action Comics.

It featured the first appearance of several comic book heroes—most notably the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster creation, Superman.

For this reason it is widely considered both the beginning of the superhero genre and the most valuable comic book of all time.

On August 24, 2014, a copy graded 9.0 by CGC was sold on eBay for $3,207,852. It is the only comic to have sold for more than $3 million for a single original copy.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were paid $10 per page, for a total of $130 for their work on this issue.

The original panels were rewritten and redrawn to create the first page of Action Comics #1:

  1. Baby Superman is sent to Earth by his scientist father in a "hastily-devised space ship" from "a distant planet" which "was destroyed by old age".
  2. After the space ship lands on Earth, "a passing motorist, discovering the sleeping baby within, turned the child over to an orphanage".
  3. The baby Superman lifts a large chair overhead with one hand, astounding the orphanage attendants with "his feats of strength".
  4. When Superman (now named Clark Kent) reaches maturity, he discovers that he can leap 1/8 of a mile, hurdle 20-story buildings, "raise tremendous weights", outrun a train, and "that nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin".
  5. Clark decides that "he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind, and so was created 'Superman', champion of the oppressed...."

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Monday, June 29, 2015

GOP Fashion Show Should Be Inspirational

Good Day World!

I’d like to invite you to sit back, relax, and to enjoy the following fashion show highlights featuring GOP presidential wannabes strutting their stuff.

There’s already 14 contestants who have declared their intention to run for president.

Like any good fashion show there’s favorites – stars if you will – and newcomers to the catwalk. Here’s the top 7 by my measure.

Jeb Bush will be the first person walking down the runway (all polls indicate this) followed by Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and we must not forget Donald Trump!

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE STARS?

After huddling with political fashion experts, I’ve come to the conclusion this will be a very entertaining show. Here’s what to look for:

Jeb Bush, decked out in a red-white-and blue jumpsuit, will tap dance down the walkway to the tune of "A More Perfect Union" by Titus Andronicus.

Ben Carson, sporting a gold sequined tuxedo, is expected to moonwalk down the catwalk to the sounds of Jimi Hendrix’s version of the Star Spangled Banner.

Ted Cruz, in a silk red and white dinner jacket over white shorts adorned with maple leafs (a nod to where he was born in Canada), is expected to shuffle down the walkway to strains of "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie.

Mike Huckabee will be wearing a stunning J.Edgar Hoover-inspired design in satin and lace while waltzing down the walkway to Simon and Garfunkel’s America.

Rand Paul, who can’t dance, will stride down the catwalk wearing an American flag-themed two-piece bathing suit to the sounds “Living in the USA” by the Steve Miller Band.

Marco Rubio is expected to cause a sensation in his Miami Vice white jacket, orange body shirt, and flowing white trousers trimmed in 14-carat gold. When he comes down the catwalk to “One Nation Under a Groove” by Funkadelic , conservative hearts will flutter!

Donald Trump, wearing a designer version of Uncle Sam’s red-white and blue suit will be sure to turn heads with his fancy footwork down the catwalk to the Spanish version of America The Beautiful.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the show.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Sunday, June 28, 2015

America’s ‘craziest governor’ faces impeachement

FILE  - In this Jan. 7, 2015 file photo, Maine Gov. Paul LePage delivers his inauguration address after taking the oath of office for his second term ...

Good Day World!

Watching the Republican Party trying to cope with Maine’s rebellious Republican Gov. Paul LePage, has been entertaining.

Once dubbed “America’s craziest governor,” LePage has also made national headlines for joking about shooting a newspaper cartoonist, saying the NAACP can “kiss my butt,” and claiming that the worst thing the chemical additive BPA could do is “give women little beards.”

His high-profile antics, Republicans claim, have squandered his political capital.

Citics say his decision to retreat to his office and issue a flurry of vetoes (more than 100 so far this session) shows a lack of leadership and that his attacks on fellow Republicans are counterproductive.

In a demonstration of true pig-headedness, LePage has thwarted lawmakers by threatening to veto every bill until the Legislature passes one of his top priorities.

The real kicker is he admits wasting lawmakers' time because he knew they would be overturned.

Finally, they say his latest actions, including meddling in a charter school's personnel decisions has gone too far.

Lawmakers are accusing LaPage of blackmailing Good Will-Hinckley, a private organization that runs the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, into rescinding an offer of employment to Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves, the Bangor Daily News reports.

After that incident, Sen. Tom Saviello, a moderate Republican said LePage took partisan politics to a "new, dark level."

According to Lance Dutson, a Republican strategist;

"There are members of the Legislature that have stood beside Gov. LePage through thick and thin that are saying that they are done with him. That's something that I've never heard before.”

He’s publicly attacked Senate Republicans for not standing up for tax cuts.

GOP Sen. Roger Katz called his actions "personal, angry and vindictive."

A Maine newspaper splashed the headline "Gov. LeRage." 

Impeachement proceedings launched

If LaPage is impeached it would be a first for Maine. The man however seems to thrive on controversy.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Trump's Lowest Grift Ever Saved for Holy Week

This is a story about how the devil's puppet, aka Donald Trump, mocked Christianity by selling a book combining the Bible, the Constitu...