Major Terrorist Threat in America: 33,000 Active Gangs

Good Day World!

International terrorism is the trending topic these days.

Some Americans worry about Syrian refugees coming to our country and bringing violence.

What they should really be concerned about is the immediate threat the entire nation faces right now; domestic terrorists, aka gangs.

Gang Violence Is on the Rise, Even as Overall Violence Declines

Gangs, from the West Coast to the East Coast, have murdered more innocent people than all of the combined attacks from international terrorists in this country – and that includes 911.

Startling fact: There are 33,000 active gangs in the United States.

Gang members targeted 9-year-old boy shot in alley

So, why isn’t this senseless ongoing slaughter a topic for presidential candidates? Could it be they’re afraid of alienating possible voters? There must be some reason why we continue to allow gangs to flourish.

Until our politicians prioritize going after these gangs on a national level (which should involve Homeland Security), there are steps that can be taken to combat these gangsters.

Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems

• Mobilizing Communities to Address Gang Problems (Adobe PDF)
• Multidisciplinary Gang Intervention Teams (Adobe PDF)
• Street Outreach and the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model (Adobe PDF)
• Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs
  This 2010 OJJDP bulletin presents research on why youth join gangs and how a community can build gang prevention and intervention services. The author summarizes recent literature on gang formation and identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Assault on Salt: NYC Passes Label Law on Sodium Intake

Good Day World!

I’m feeling salty today.

Don’t be surprised if I sprinkle some cuss words into my rant about salt being monitored by Big Brother.

Here’s the deal; New York City passed a law putting a warning label on salt (see graphic). 

The first-of-its-kind rule requires a salt-shaker emblem on some sandwiches, salads and other menu items that top the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams — about a teaspoon — of sodium.

Over-reaching government bureaucracy?

Hell yes! (I warned you) There’s already a ton of other warnings about different foods  customers consume. Each new one gets more outlandish than the next:

“Don’t eat the spiced buffalo wings because Uncle Sam doesn’t want you to get indigestion and burn the roof of your mouth, and have to miss time from work; essentially making you a bum.”

Who reads all that nutritional stuff anyway? Have you ever seen a customer go into a fast food restaurant and be concerned about calories? Get real.

In all fairness some food warnings are sensible. Like the presence/amounts of mercury in fish.

My concern is that the Food Police are not going to stop with the attack on salt. I fully expect pepper to be the next on the list!

Then it’s really going to get ugly!

Time for me to walk on down the road..

After 3 decades of deception here’s what we know about climate warming

                                         Good Day World!

A nonprofit’s new report documents what oil and coal firms knew about the reality of global warming, when they knew it—and how they have misled the public.

More than half of the carbon dioxide ever created by humans has been released into the atmosphere since 1988.

That was the year NASA climate scientist James Hansen told Congress that global warming was already under way and burning fossil fuels was the primary cause. Hansen’s testimony catapulted climate change from a low-key scientific specialty and the subject of obscure Capitol Hill committee hearings onto the front pages of the nation’s newspapers.

The oil, gas, and coal industries knew Hansen and his peers had the facts straight, but they responded with years of efforts to undercut carbon-cutting regulations—mostly by creating doubts about climate science, especially the link between burning fossil fuels and rising global temperatures.

1. At least one major oil company knew the risks of climate change three decades ago but denied them in public.

2. Years after acknowledging privately that the links between human activities and climate change were proven, major oil firms including Exxon and Mobil (premerger), Chevron, Shell, and BP continued to argue that there was “unsettled science” about this connection.

3. Despite the increasing severity of climate change impacts in the U.S. and around the world, industry campaigns to distort the realities around global warming and fossil fuels have not stopped.

How we know: A 2014 presentation by the Western States Petroleum Association, a powerful oil industry trade group, describes more than a dozen astroturf groups “activated” to challenge climate action policies in Western states.

With names such as Californians for Energy Independence, Fed Up at the Pump, and Kern Citizens for Energy, these groups sounded like grassroots efforts. “At least two of the front groups set up by WSPA…launched aggressive public relations campaigns in 2014, including radio ads and billboards,” reported the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Related:

Funding From Exxon or Koch Brothers Gave Deniers a Megaphone in Climate Change Debate

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

It’s not easy to say goodbye: I’ll always love your game Kobe

The time has finally arrived for Kobe Bean Bryant to retire.

I remember watching him as a brash kid taking questionable shots late in games. How he became the most dominant player in the NBA.

This season has been painful to watch. The Black Mamba’s moves have faded with his outside shot.

But he’s a confirmed Hall-Of-Famer, and his game will live on in basketball lore.There will never be another player like him.

Here’s Kobe full poem about retiring:

Dear Basketball,

From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.
A love so deep I gave you my all —
From my mind & body
To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy
Deeply in love with you
I never saw the end of the tunnel.
I only saw myself
Running out of one.

And so I ran.
I ran up and down every court
After every loose ball for you.
You asked for my hustle
I gave you my heart
Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt
Not because challenge called me
But because YOU called me.
I did everything for YOU
Because that’s what you do
When someone makes you feel as
Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I’ll always love you for it.
But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK.
I’m ready to let you go.
I want you to know now
So we both can savor every moment we have left together.
The good and the bad.
We have given each other
All that we have.

And we both know, no matter what I do next
I’ll always be that kid
With the rolled up socks
Garbage can in the corner
:05 seconds on the clock
Ball in my hands.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always,
Kobe

I’ll always love your game Kobe. Don’t go quietly into the night.

On This Day Ann Hodges Was Hit By a Meteorite and Lived!

Good Day World!

I’ve got a bit of trivia for you to share around the water cooler today.

On this day, November 30th, 1954, the first modern instance of a meteorite striking a human being happened at Sylacauga, Alabama.

A sulfide meteorite, weighing 8.5 pounds and measuring seven inches in length, crashed through the roof of a house and into a living room. It then reportedly bounced off a radio and struck a woman on her hip.

The victim, Ann Hodges, was sleeping on a couch at the time of impact. Fortunately, Hodges was not permanently injured, but she did suffer a nasty bruise along her hip and leg. (Source)

Ann's story is particularly rare because most meteorites usually fall into the ocean or strike one of Earth's vast, remote places, according to Michael Reynolds, a Florida State College astronomer and author of the book Falling Stars: A Guide to Meteors & Meteorites.

"Think of how many people have lived throughout human history," Reynolds said.

"You have a better chance of getting hit by a tornado and a bolt of lightning and a hurricane all at the same time."

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

A Homage to Sports Fans Everywhere

 Good Day World!

I’m paying homage to sports fans today.

A true sports fan is the salt of the earth. Loyal, passionate, and proud of their team.

(Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast)

Don’t mistake fan loyalty, particularly with respect to team sports, to brand loyalty. There is a difference.

What causes a person to be a loyal fan, sticking with a team through adversity, rather than a fair weather fan, that switches support to whatever teams happen to be successful at the time?

Psychologists attribute it to the following factors:

Entertainment value

The entertainment value that a fan derives from spectating motivates him/her to remain a loyal fan. Entertainment value of team sports is also valuable to communities in general.

Authenticity

This is described by Passikoff as "the acceptance of the game as real and meaningful".

Fan bonding

Fan bonding is where a fan bonds with the players, identifying with them as individuals, and bonds with the team.

Team history and tradition

Shank gives the Cincinnati Reds, all-professional baseball's oldest team, as an example of a team where a long team history and tradition is a motivator for fans in the Cincinnati area.

Group affiliation

Fans receive personal validation of their support for a team from being surrounded by a group of fans who also support the same team.

Finally, as a loyal Los Angeles Laker fan for 52 years, I wouldn’t even think about changing loyalties to another team – despite the fact the Lakers are currently playing the worst ball in their franchise history.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Here’s some news that’s not fit to be primetime, but it’ll make you laugh!

Good Day World!

Welcome to my zany world of news tidbits. These tidbits seldom make the mainstream news, or even in social media for that matter. 

But you can always stop by here to see what your missing:

NEWS FLASH!

The NFL recently conducted tests on player’s helmets to see if they could be improved, and reduce traumatic head injuries.

Unfortunately, the test volunteer developed a lisp and was talking in tongues when they finally suspended the research.

WHAT A BLAST!

 In a moment of downtime, Republican candidates for president recently tried out the new Hummingbird Shotgun in order to gain the NRA’s approval.

 According to reports Donald Trump shot himself in the foot with it! Ted Cruz got in on the fun with the big gun and pointed it at the Mexican border and dared immigrants from entering the country. Ben Carson was such a bad shot that he missed a gaggle of hummingbirds three feet away and reportedly took out the archangel Michael who was converting Ft. Knox into a grain storage center!

DRONE on DUDE!

Doug the Wonder Dog prepares to make history by being the first Drone Dog to patrol the skies over animal shelters. His stealthy goggles allow him to see great distances.

His master says if Doug sees an animal in trouble he’ll swoop down and rescue it (as long as it doesn’t weigh more than him!)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Rock and Roll Heaven Alert: Happy Birthday Jimi Hendrix!

Good Day World!

Somewhere in Rock and Roll Heaven today musicians are celebrating Jimi Hendrix’s birthday.

Jimi, born Johnny Allen Hendrix, is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century.

He will always be my favorite electric guitarist. I remember the first time I heard his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner I went crazy! Never heard anything like it, and it spoke to me in ways I still don’t understand.

In 1968, the year I graduated from high school, I heard Foxey Lady for the first time. It was like a revelation. I loved his unique sound and lyrics and became a die-hard fan.

As I went through my full-fledged hippie days, sparking up joints and dropping LSD, Jimi came up with Purple Haze and it spoke to me personally! 

I must add All Along The Watch Tower and Hey Joe to round out my all time Jimi picks.

Thanks for the memories, Jimi! Rock on!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

No Post Tomorrow – I’m Taking Thanksgiving Day Off to Give Thanks!

                                  Good Day World!

No Thanksgiving Day door-busters for me tomorrow. Black Friday isn’t even a consideration. I’m going “old school” this year.

For those of you not familiar with more traditional Thanksgivings, that means I’m spending the day with family and friends celebrating life.

No standing in long lines to get dubious sale items for me. I’ll be watching the Turkey Bowl on TV. The day will be spent grazing on great food and drink amid bursts of laughter.

It’s a no politics day. Conversations will be much lighter and less controversial. In other words, I look forward to the gathering tomorrow and really plan on having a great holiday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Note to BLM Activists: Please don’t marginalize me or my race

Good Day World!

I believe all lives matter.

Unfortunately, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is predominately aimed at police officers whom they feel are unjustly killing blacks.

In fact, 99.9% of people aren't police officers. So, as a non-black, non-police officer person, when I say 'All lives matter' what I'm saying is "Hey Bro, I'm agreeing with you, your life matters just as much as mine."

Yet somehow, I'm considered a racist for saying 'All lives matter?'  That's wrong. I don't give a damn about your race, every life matters.

Sure, I GET that they want the police to know that black lives matter too, but don't marginalize me or my race because they want to be angry at cops. That's not my problem.

If black lives really mattered, the protestors would be in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland etc., marching against the numerous black lives being lost every single week in those cities controlled by black gangsters. But, they aren’t. Why?

The only time black lives seem to matter to BLM, is when a white cop is involved, justifiably or not. Facts no longer seem to matter to BLM. Spreading false stories about events sure seems to matter though.

Lying for your cause because you're frustrated doesn't help your credibility at all. It makes you look like an idiot. If the only time a black life matters to them is when they can blame a white person, their telling me that they don't give a damn about black lives, they just want to vent their anger towards whites.

Why don’t the BLM activists look at their own lives closer? Why don’t they address the REAL PROBLEM – blacks are killing themselves in crime-ridden neighborhoods in record numbers?

That doesn’t make me a racist for pointing this out – despite what many activists claim when that inconvenient fact is brought up. If BLM wants to start saving lives now, they should be protesting the violence in black communities across the nation.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Celebrating the 1st episode of ‘Dr. Who’ Today!

Good Day World!

Time to celebrate faithful Dr. Who fans. The doctor is in the house!

The doctor is an alien – the last of the powerful Time Lords. An intrepid traveler, a wander through time and space. He is, He agrees, “a madman with a box.”

On November 23,1963, the first episode of Doctor Who, the world's longest-running science fiction television show, was broadcast on BBC television, starring William Hartnell as the first incarnation of the title role.

Keeping up with the doctor:

Doctor Who: This Was All The Doctor’s Fault

Here’s a video of the very first episode of Dr. Who

Explore the Dr. Who Universe here. 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Why it’s easier to hate than to love

Good Day World!

Do you know why it’s easier to hate than to love?

I’ve read a lot of books and magazine articles on the subject. The most recent article being James W. Cone’s brilliant piece;

Why is hate easier than love?

About Mr. Cone: he’s a combat veteran of the Vietnam War and has worked with veterans’ groups in the United States. As a combat Vietnam vet myself(1970), I’m always encouraged to see my fellow survivors emerge from the other side of hell, and go on to lead meaningful lives.

Here’s a quick summary of his insightful article:

Hate

“Hate is natural and love is supernatural. Hate does not require any effort on our part because it is a part of the human existence. Hate is fueled by fear or by it’s milder forms concern and worry.

Bias, including racial, gender, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic, are fueled by self-doubt and the feeling we cannot obtain the things we need to survive because of certain people. To make ourselves feel more secure we degrade those who we fear.

Sometimes hate is taught to young people and they believe this hate-talk because it comes from those who they trust. Hate is sometimes passed down from generation to generation even though the hate-talk is illogical and lacks evidence.

Hate requires nothing from us so it is easy to indulge in. All we have to do is dismiss reality and any facts that might differ with our hate-filled beliefs.

LOVE

Love, on the other hand is supernatural. It requires that we overcome the human need to be defensive and have high expectations of others in order to feel secure.

Love also requires that we have the confidence to be able take on life’s challenges and trust we’ll succeed. It demands that we be willing to walk in another person’s shoes so we can see things through the eyes of others and feel their pain.”

Time for me to walk on down the road…

A Revealing Conversation Among Two Terrorists

Good Day World!

While the world recoils in horror and anger over the Paris terrorist attacks, a conversation takes place in a candle lit mosque in Raqqa, Syria:

Two men.

One of them is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS.

“The attacks on the French crusaders went well enough. What do you think Mohammed?”

The second man replies:

“Better than expected Caliph! Have you heard the reports coming from the United States?”

“No, tell me warrior of Islam.”

“The country is divided even more now, and their government is undermining it’s own foundations regarding immigrants!”

“How so?”

“Members of Congress have banned Syrian and Iraqi citizens from coming to America. I see this as just the beginning in the unraveling of their own constitution and long-held belief that they are the melting pot of the world.”

I see. Soon other refugees from around the world will be banned too. Just as I planned. The anti-refugee rhetoric will show Muslims worldwide that the infidels hate and distrust them.

“True my caliph. It will also lead to total anarchy as ethic groups already living in the USA will be forced to protect themselves from the ruling white class. Militias everywhere. Truly dark days for the great Satan!”

“It is Allah’s will. Now, go out my son and sow more discord among the crusaders to assure yourself a place in Paradise.”

Meanwhile, fear stalks America like a ravening beast as politicians fall over themselves in spewing hateful rhetoric and presidential campaign propaganda.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

More Mexicans leaving USA than coming in: GOP claims collapse after study

Good Day World!

Donald Trump can forget building a wall between the US and Mexico.

The air has been let of the bombastic candidate’s campaign when this study came out yesterday. Research shows more Mexicans are leaving the country than are coming in!

Let me repeat that for any Republican readers – More Mexicans are LEAVING America than those who are coming in. You know what that means don’t you?

Those hoards of Mexican immigrants entering the country have been vastly exaggerated by Republicans for political gain.

The Republican candidates for president are going to have to change their narratives on immigration – an issue that’s been gleefully (and forcibly, I might add) pursued with hateful zeal.

However, knowing that Mexican immigration is down will only be a bump in the road for them. That’s because the immigration issue has expanded lately. I’m talking about Syrian and Iraqi refugees coming to the US.

GOP presidential wannabes are eagerly wetting themselves with patriotic excitement at this turn of events. Without missing a beat, the hate expands from Mexicans to Syrians and Iraqis.

Ted Cruz pushed for legislation barring Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and the House turned on the president passing it – despite the threat of a veto. Christians will be given priority when it comes to immigration according to the bill.

New Jersey Governor and presidential candidate Chris Christie said even orphans under the age of five should not be admitted.

The bottom line is Republicans use fear to push their agendas and scored another victory for bigotry and hate. This kind of action is just what terrorists want to see. Looks like they scored another victory!

Time for me to walk on down the road… 

Thank goodness, I don’t have to quit drinking coffee!

Good Day World!

As I happily sip my third cup of coffee this morning, I want you to know it’s okay to join me because coffee is NOT a bad thing.

That’s right my fellow Java drinkers, we don’t have to worry about doctors taking away our daily doses of hot steaming Joe. I’ll bet Starbucks executives rejoiced when this recent study came out.

Researchers have found even more evidence that coffee can be good for you.

"The main message is that regular consumption, meaning three to five cups of coffee a day, is associated with lower risk in total mortality and mortality from several causes like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and suicide," Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology who helped lead the study, told NBC News.

Did you know that coffee is the No. 1 source in the American diet of antioxidants? Other research has found evidence that coffee can help people recover from colon cancer.

Needless to say, all of this information is good news for those of us who are dependent on our daily infusions of caffeine. I’m ready for my fourth cup. Won’t you join me?

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Imagine Supporting a Party That Punks You: Many Republicans Do Anyway

Republicans have a case of cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face syndrome.

For example;

There is a question that has puzzled some sociologists for years: If America’s poverty is concentrated in the South, as data clearly show, why is it that those states are the most reliably Republican voters – essentially voting against the government assistance they would seem to need?

Data also shows that the primary red axis of the country, running from Appalachia to the Southern coastal plains, is the epicenter of some of the nation’s greatest stresses.

It’s here that the lack of well-paying jobs and large-scale abandonment of the job market are most pronounced, where obesity and health problems are most dire, where Walmart is winning a race to the bottom of what the American consumer can afford amid stagnating wages, and where the rising dependence on disability and Medicare is most pronounced.

“We know that problems of poverty and health are more endemic … in the red parts of the country,” says Jacob Hacker, a political scientist at Yale University. “That suggests that there’s probably lots of Republicans who live in areas where more effective government action could help them.”

Yet the South is where Obamacare sign-ups lag far behind other parts of the country. (condensed version - originally ran in the Christian Science Monitor) 

How do you account for this situation?

The Christian Science Monitor has their take on what’s happening with Republicans today.

 

College Protests Disturbing Message – ‘Only Black Lives Matter’

                                       Good Day World!

As a former college student, I don’t see anything wrong with legitimate social protests on campus. For better, or worse, this country has a long history of student activism.

However, I think the current student protests have some very disturbing elements:

First, here’s some backround material for you to consider: 

Today student activists are calling their latest movement #StudentBlackOut — a collective day of action where student leaders are encouraged to organize events that, according to Yamiesha Bell, one of the organizers, uplift Blackness.

Racial Discrimination Protests Ignite at Colleges Across the U.S.

After days of protests, students occupy building at Occidental College

3 University of Kansas student leaders called on to resign

Second, here’s the response to the protests:

Backlash brews against student race protests at Claremont McKenna College

Debating the Campus Protests at Mizzou, Yale, and Elsewhere

Columbia protesters cheer: 'I love black criminals'

Third, it’s scary to think students want to run our colleges and are actually moving in that direction with a series of threats and accusations of racism.

If you took the opportunity to read the links above, one of the central points that surfaces is the protests are an extension of Black Lives Matter (a political group). They talk about Black Spaces (University of Missouri) where no other ethnic groups are allowed.

Just like today, it’s all about uplifting blackness.

The students at Mizzou got their way by enlisting the football team to threaten not to play (thus the school would lose millions of dollars), thus setting up the possibility of repeat performances at other colleges.

Student activists are pestering peers to attend campus protests and walk-outs in solidarity with college students at Missouri and Yale or risk social isolation, students say.

Finally, this whole movement traces back to an incident at Mizzou that’s never been verified. I’m talking about a supposed swastika made from feces smeared on a black dorm door.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

  

 

Anonymous announces plans to ‘hunt down” ISIS

Good Day World!

Over the years I’ve followed the antics of Anonymous (a hacker collective) with concern that eventually evolved into a grudging respect.

As the world reacted to the Paris bombings, Anonymous stepped up and warned ISIS they were coming after them. “We will hunt you down!” the group declared.

Anonymous could start here:

ISIS Has Help Desk for Terrorists Staffed Around the Clock

Past targets of Anonymous hacktivism included government agencies of the US, Israel, Tunisia, Uganda, and others; ISIS; child pornography sites; copyright protection agencies; the Westboro Baptist Church; and corporations such as PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, and Sony.

While somewhat unpredictable, I’ve grown to believe there are good people involved with Anonymous – even if I personally dislike the idea of hiding one’s identity while claiming to do good.

Here’s something to consider:

ISIS, or Daesh (as they hate to be called), have enjoyed success using the internet as a recruiting tool. But, the internet is Anonymous’ backyard, so when they say they’re coming to kick some ass Daesh better believe it!

The western world is uniting to wage an air and ground war on Daesh. There’s no reason to believe they can’t drive them from their strongholds in Iraq and Syria. But to actually win the war, Daesh’s recruiting efforts on the internet have to be stopped.

Once the murdering bastards have lost their ability to recruit worldwide on a daily basis the core of their power will be nullified. Once they are driven out of their strongholds they’ll join the rest of the cockroaches scurrying around the world trying to avoid the light of retribution.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Real Heavy Metal Band Seeks Robot Lead Singer

                                    Good Day World!

Developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, heavy metal bands sprang from blues rock and psychedelic rock. The bands evolved over the decades until reaching their current transformation:

Meet Compressorhead.

Compressorhead is a three-android, full-robot band that has performed live covers of Metallica, Motorhead and Black Sabbath — with real instruments — in cities from New York to Sydney, Australia, since 2013.

The group is now trying to raise more than $300,000 to help fund the development of a fourth robot — a "heavyweight" lead vocalist they hope will take their careers to the next level.

The band’s three human creators plan to produce their first original album of 14 tracks written by Canadian progressive punk rock musician John Wright.

The album, which will be available free for download, is scheduled to be released next summer and is due to be presented live for the first time at Europe's largest open air hard rock festival in Wacken, Germany, in August.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Time for a Worldwide Response Against Daesh – it could, and should happen

Good Day World!

The 21st century has been about technological advances, and the formation of an evil force that threatens innocent people across the planet.

After the Paris attacks it became clear that if this evil isn’t confronted head-on with a world-wide response, it will continue to spread terror like a cancer among countries.

Millions of people will die in the name of an ideology that can’t really be called mainstream Muslim – more like a bastard off-shoot based upon hate.

The fact that these terrorists spring from the Middle East causes many to suspect all Muslims are evil. That’s not fair. Bad people come from all over the world regardless of origin.

One thing is for sure, something decisive needs to be done quickly. Not next month, or a year from now. The fact is, retaliation could come quickly – as little as a couple of days from now.

A force of elite warriors is waiting for the word. NATO’s Naval Striking and Support Forces are fully capable of going after this group of murders who call themselves Islamic State, but are mostly referred to by the world as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh (which they particularly hate!)

Of course, the only thing holding this possibility of instant karma back is politics among the countries themselves. Perhaps that’s what Daesh is counting on. Time will tell.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

‘Influencers’ in society: Or, where can I get that guy’s puffy jacket?’

Good Day World!

In elementary school, I was considered an influencer.

Not a good influencer, but someone who led other children astray! I was a bad boy. My friends parents pigeonholed me, and that was all there was to it.

Photo-Drake/Youtube

We know there are good influencers in society who take us down the high road to humanity. Sadly, there seems to be less of those than ever before.

Then we have influence marketing.

I compare it to a herd of sheep mindlessly following a viral ram. The idea is to get someone with media influence to appear with your product. The list of candidates is endless.

It reminds me of high school when popular kids wore certain shirts, pants, etc., that became an instant trend among social climbers.

Popular influencers run the gamut from athletes, musicians, singers, and actors. Cagey companies nowadays believe in picking out a person who already has a big following.

For example:

Drake's 'Hotline Bling' Moncler jacket is selling like crazy

The idea that people matter is always going to be the name of the game. Just like the cool kids in high school mattered. Instead of trying to market for the masses, it takes a completely opposite approach – tapping into an established specialty market (person).

Here’s an interesting documentary (you can watch the trailer or the whole film) Influencers – How Trends and Creativity Become Contagious. This video tells you a lot more about influencers than I ever could.

I would like to say, in passing, that as a parent I became an influencer by default. I just hope I was a good influence!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Facts can be so inconvenient at times!

Illustration source

                                      Good Day World!

For some people facts are messy things that tend to explode their crazy universes.

They see facts as unnecessary information that conflicts with their world views. They hide from facts like vampires from sunlight, content to dwell in dark parallel worlds where their twisted ideologies rule.

In our society politicians use fear to motivate would-be voters. When it comes to politicians, truth is the first thing that is hidden behind closed doors…waiting to come out, but never getting the chance.

Lies, like cockroaches, scurry around every promise made by most politicians. When it comes to their personal lives they hide their skeletons deep in an imaginary biography designed to appeal to the masses.

It isn’t just politicians that lie in our society. So-called activists often lie to further their aims. Today, I’ll leave you with three examples to consider:

* Republican presidential contender Ben Carson has maintained a business relationship with a close friend convicted of defrauding insurance companies and testified on his behalf, even as the candidate has called for such crimes to be punished harshly.

-------------------

* The Benghazi Committee staffer who says he was fired for resisting participation in what he called a politically motivated probe of Hillary Clinton is not protected under federal whistleblower laws - an exemption that some labor lawyers call "inexcusable."

Advocates say the lack of protection for Congressional staffers effectively silences any House or Senate worker who could otherwise reveal potential corruption in Congress. A perfect example of hiding the truth.

------------------

* Something stinks at the University of Missouri. A reported incident of vandalism at Mizzou sparked university-wide protests, a boycott by the school’s 4-5 football team, and eventually the resignation of the university’s president and chancellor.

There’s only one problem: no evidence of the alleged incident, in which a poop swastika on the wall of a dormitory restroom was reported, has ever been made publicly available. Did this incident occur as reported, or was it an immaculate defecation that formed the foundation of an unimaginable deception?

Related:

1. Is Ben Carson an impostor?

2. Democrats on Benghazi Committee Release Devastating Fact Sheet on Gowdy

3. BLACK UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI STUDENTS HAD SOME GOOD REASONS TO BE UPSET AND ALSO SOME BOGUS ONES

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Yakety yakking about social media for people who want to hide

“You just put on your coat and hat
And walk yourself to the laundromat
And when you finish doin' that
Bring in the dog and put out the cat
Yakety yak (Don't talk back)”

-The Coasters

 

Good Day World!

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram. Yik Yak.

Yik Yak?

I thought I’d heard about all the social media sites there were, but I was wrong.

Until yesterday, when I read about a man who was arrested for making death threats against black students who attended the University of Missouri, I never heard of Yik Yak.

The man used Yik Yak to post threats.

In another case of a Yik Yak threat, a student at Texas A&M was arrested three weeks earlier for making "terroristic threats."

Apparently Yik Yak is a social media app for iOS and Android that has become very popular on college campuses in recent years. Since I haven’t been on a college campus in a couple of decades, I should be excused for this lack of knowledge.

Yik Yak was launched in 2013 and has been involved in some controversies before. The app was initially criticized for being a tool for cyberbullying on high school and middle school campuses.

Yik Yak isn’t my cup of tea, but the social network does provide a place for students to gripe about finals, publicize house parties, and even share inspiring news anonymously.

A lot of Yik Yak messages are simply jokes, like one of the most "upvoted" posts on the network from a University of Southern California student, who wrote, "Shout out to my grandma cause that's the only way she can hear me."

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Promises! Promises! Not One Presidential Wannabe Will Be Able to Keep Them!

                                      Good Day World!

There’s not one presidential wannabe that can fulfill their grand promises.

Republican or Democrat.

Take Donald Trump. He’s largely downplayed policy ideas in his campaign, but the border wall is one of his biggest promises, even though it requires huge spending by the Mexican government (something that would never happen).

Donald Trump's promise to overhaul both foreign and domestic policy through his leadership skills vastly overstates and misunderstands the power he would hold if elected president, according to political scientists and scholars of the presidency.

But Trump, these scholars argue, is promoting an idea of the presidency sometimes referred to as the Green Lantern theory, named after the Green Lantern Corps, a fictional police force in DC Comics whose members wear all-powerful rings.

The idea that we just need a president who will get things done is much simpler and more appealing than the complex realities of our political system.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is promising to lead a political revolution that will bring out millions of new voters, resulting in Democrats winning control of both the House and Senate and pushing through his very liberal agenda.

Scholars shake their heads at this promise.

Jeb Bush has said his presidency will result in the U.S. economy growing by 4 percent.

Hillary Clinton has promised she would issue executive orders to implement her proposals if Republicans remain in control of the House or Senate and block them.

Scholars are very skeptical either Bush or Sanders could achieve their goals, because they are largely out of a president's hands.

And the executive orders that Clinton wants to implement could be rejected by courts, which have struck down a number of Obama's executive actions.

I just wanted you to know that none of these presidential wannabes will be able to keep their promises because of that inconvenient thing called reality which will get in their way.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Missouri Activists: ‘White Media Doesn’t Understand Black Spaces’

Good Day World!

What a difference a day, or two, makes.

Activists at the University of Missouri celebrated the resignation of the school's president on Monday after forcing him to quit.

When members of the media attempted to cover their victory celebration they were met with outright hostility and aggression! Watch this video.

After weeks of protests, activists with the Concerned Student 1950 group had turned their complaints of racism into a national story. But instead of welcoming the continued coverage, they acted like mindless morons with bad intentions.

Even faculty members were not above the madness. One member, identified by the Columbia Missourian as Greek Life and Leadership Assistant Director Janna Basler, blocked a student reporter and told him to leave.

Students and faculty were chanting “You don’t have the right to take our photos.” Excuse me? This is America and the media is allowed to take photos of public events.

As a retired journalist (newspaper editor), I was really offended by Melissa Click (see photo on top of page), an assistant professor of mass media (a courtesy title as it turns out), who joined the crazies in driving reporters away from the university quad.

On Tuesday, Click apologized for her actions in a statement issued by the Missouri Department of Communication. Shortly thereafter she resigned.

What really gets me is the hypocrisy: 

The activists defended their actions, saying on Twitter that "it's typically white media who don't understand the importance of respecting black spaces."

Black spaces?

I wasn’t aware there were “black places” at a public university where whites shouldn’t tread. Ironically, the protestors black space was supposed to be a time for “fellowshipping for white, black, and other minorities(!)”

Apparently some sanity returned Tuesday and the protestors welcomed reporters after Monday’s madness.

Activists removed yard signs warning the media to stay away from their black space. The group who started the protests put out fliers saying it was a “teachable moment” and to welcome the media.

Imagine.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

A Sad Day When Mob Rule Took Over Missouri University

Our so-called institutes of higher learning are caving in to students.

If we learned anything about the University of Missouri’s protests where students forced the president to leave by blackmailing the system – as in the football team threatening not to play (which would cost the university a couple of million dollars) it’s politically correctness has gone mad again.

Now the new normal will be students going on strike if they don't like their professors, or their grades, or don't get free unearned degrees.

Since so much money is involved for colleges and the NCAA, university staff will have to jump if football players collectively have demands, even if they’re ridiculous.

It is a sad day for institutions of higher learning when MOB RULE wins.

 

 

Group Says ‘Hell No’ To Doll Having a Voice

Hello Barbie is displayed at the Mattel showroom at the North American International Toy Fair in New York. Mark Lennihan / AP

                                        Good Day World!

The first talking doll was introduced 125 years ago to the amazement and delight of parents everywhere. Today the idea of a talking doll is controversial. 

The doll in question is Barbie, an iconic doll who made her debut 56 years ago. By the end of this month Mattel plans on introducing the first Hello Barbie.

You’d think parents would be delighted with this new version of Barbie, but that hasn’t been the case thus far.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), a group opposed to marketing aimed at children, launched a campaign to discourage parents from buying Hello Barbie (#HellnoBarbie).

So what happened in the last 125 years that makes a talking doll so sinister? Simply put, the first talking doll could not record anything like the new Talking Barbie does.

She is the first Internet-connected doll that can carry on a seemingly real conversation by recording what the child says and sending it via Wi-Fi to the cloud for Barbie's computer-generated response.

Here’s the rub: these conversations are stored and analyzed by ToyTalk, the San Francisco software company that makes this interaction possible.

Here’s where the controversy really gets interesting:

Mattel released a Thomas and Friends Talk to You app in 2014, based on the popular Thomas the Train character, that uses the same voice-recognition technology to communicate with children and it was a big hit with parents!

Mattel basically took that app and put it into Hello Barbie. Hmmmmm…

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

 

 

 

If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen!

Good Day World!

Presidential candidates have never been thrilled with the vetting process. Most would just as soon skip sharing their personal history.

Their whining over public scrutiny has become a rite of passage in primaries. Take Ben Carson for example.

He claims the media are on a “witch hunt” because their delving into his past and pulling out nuggets that would make any sane person pause before voting for him. 

School children across America were stunned to hear their history books were wrong about what the Egyptian pyramids were used for, according to Big Ben. He’s on video claiming Joseph (see The Bible) built the pyramids to store grain.

Scientists and archeologists be damned.

Benny’s ties to a fraudulent product are no longer hidden because of the so-called witch hunt.

Ben Carson caught on video claiming Mannatech supplement magically cured his prostate cancer

Ben Carson has a decade long financial relationship with cancer-scam supplement company

And the nuggets keep turning up:

Ben Carson faked his story about protecting white students on the day MLK died

Exclusive: Carson claimed West Point 'scholarship' but never applied

FACT

Carson recalled in “Gifted Hands,” a story involving his psychology class at Yale University, called Perceptions 301. He described the professor’s conducting an honesty experiment on the class and wrote that he was the only one who passed, prompting The Yale Daily News to take his picture.

Oops! There he goes again! There was no photo identifying Carson as a student in the newspaper’s archives, The Journal reported, and a Yale librarian told the newspaper that there was no psychology course by that name or class number during Carson’s years at Yale.

I could go on. But I think you get the point. Anyone wanting to be the President of the United States has to be thoroughly vetted or millions will pay.

Cry babies, like Carson, who can’t stand the heat need to get out of the kitchen!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Teacher claims renowned poet was Jack the Ripper

Good Day World!

I’ve read a lot of theories on who Jack the Ripper was, but a recent theory by an Australian English teacher seems to pinpoint the most likely perpetrator.

Richard Patterson believes Jack the Ripper, who killed five London prostitutes over 10 weeks in 1888, was actually the renowned poet Francis Thompson.

HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES - English poet Francis Thompson (1859 - 1907) wrote "The Hound of Heaven" and other works.

According to the Mirror, Patterson read a book of Thompson's poetry in 1997 and became convinced he was the legendary killer. He's spent the years since attempting to prove his theory.

"Soon before and soon after the murders, he wrote about killing female prostitutes with knives," Patterson says. And the Daily News quotes a graphic short story by Thompson about a woman being stabbed to death.

In addition to Thompson's grisly writings, Patterson points to his experience as a surgeon and his troubled relationship with a local prostitute, the Mirror reports. Patterson says Thompson kept a dissecting knife under his coat and knew a rare surgical procedure that was used to mutilate some of the victims.

In the years since the slayings, scholars, amateur sleuths, and others have identified 100 suspects. I suppose we’ll never really know.

Make that 101 suspects.

Time for me to walk on down the road…