Father’s Day means many things – foremost, it’s about love!

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years," - Mark Twain

                                     Good Day World!

Happy Father’s Day!

I’m thinking about my father today, Richard Wayne Stancliff, who raised me and my two sisters and brother. He’s going to be 87 in 8 days. Still going strong, and still a very important part of my life.

I’m proud to be a father too. My three sons, Richard Ryan, Nathan David, and Elijah Sundance, are father’s also.

Did you know that Father’s Day didn’t become a permanent holiday until 1972 when president Richard Nixon (aka Tricky Dick) signed it into law?

BRIEF HISTORY

Grace Golden Clayton may have been inspired by Anna Jarvis' crusade to establish Mother's Day; two months prior, Jarvis had held a celebration for her dead mother in Grafton, West Virginia, a town about 15 miles (24 km) away from Fairmont

After the success obtained by Anna Jarvis with the promotion of Mother's Day in Grafton, West Virginia, the first observance of a "Father's Day" was held on July 5, 1908, in Fairmont, West Virginia, in the Williams Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church South, now known as Central United Methodist Church.

Grace Golden Clayton was mourning the loss of her father when, on December 1907, the Monongah Mining Disaster in nearby Monongah killed 361 men, 250 of them fathers, leaving around a thousand fatherless children. Clayton suggested her pastor Robert Thomas Webb to honor all those fathers.

In 1910, a Father's Day celebration was held in Spokane, Washington, at the YMCA by Sonora Smart Dodd, who was born in Arkansas. Its first celebration was in the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910.

Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there. After hearing a sermon about Jarvis' Mother's Day in 1909 at Central Methodist Episcopal Church, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday honoring them.

Although she initially suggested June 5, her father's birthday, the pastors did not have enough time to prepare their sermons, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. Several local clergymen accepted the idea, and on 19 June 1910, the first Father's Day, "sermons honoring fathers were presented throughout the city.”

In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. (Wikipedia)

“The most important thing in the world is family and love," - John Wooden

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Why do politicians use music without asking in their campaigns?

(Dropkick Murphys hate Gov. Scott Walker)

                                  Good Day World!

What ever happened to asking?

Seems like politicians don’t understand what getting permission means, especially when it comes to using musical hits to promote their campaigns.

Examples:

* The punk band the Dropkick Murphys tweeted to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to stop using the 2005 song 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston', which was penned with folk singer Woody Guthrie.

“Please stop using our music in any way...we literally hate you !!! Love, Dropkick Murphys

* In kicking off his Republican campaign for president, real estate tycoon Donald Trump took the stage Tuesday to the Neil Young classic "Rockin' in the Free World." But a statement later released by Young's longtime manager said the blustery billionaire wasn't free to use that song.

* In 2000, Tom Petty told George W. Bush to back down from using his 1989 hit 'I Won't Back Down.' Petty's music publisher sent a letter demanding the then-presidential candidate to stop using it at rallies because it gave "the impression that you and your campaign have been endorsed by Tom Petty, which is not true."

* Tom Petty also didn't appreciate Michele Bachmann using another one of his songs when she was running for president in 2011. Bachmann strode onto stage at one rally with the 1977 song "American Girl" playing. Petty's team later sent her campaign a cease and desist letter, Rolling Stone magazine reported.

* Sarah Palin made her entrance at the 2008 Republican National Convention to Heart's 1977 hit – Barracuda. But sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson were quick to pounce when the former vice presidential candidate used it.

* Palin's 2008 running mate, John McCain, got into his own clash with a prominent artist when John Mellencamp asked him not to use his 2007 song. (McCain's slogan at the time was, "Country First.")

The questions begs;

Has there ever been a Democratic candidate who was asked to stop using a song in their campaign?

The only one I know of is President Obama.

In February 2008, soul music legend Sam Moore told Obama to stop playing the Sam and Dave song “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” The then-candidate’s team had been blasting the tune at rallies without Moore’s permission,and some audience members had been adopting their preferred lyrics: “Hold on, Obama’s comin’.”

Moore’s gracious letter wished Obama well with his campaign for the Democratic nomination, adding:

“Having been hit with rocks and water hoses in the streets, in the day with Dr. King as part of his artist appearance and fundraising team, it is thrilling, in my lifetime, to see that our country has matured to the place where it is no longer an impossibility for a man of color to really be considered as a legitimate candidate for the highest office in our land.”

But please, Moore continued, stop using my song. “I have not agreed to endorse you for the highest office in our land....My vote is a very private matter between myself and the ballot box.”

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Gun Happy: US leads world in gun ownership and deaths

                                      Good Day World!

Another senseless slaughter.

A 21 year-old old white man walks into a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina, and murders nine people in cold blood.

So many questions.

Why is this happening? Why is America’s gun culture so strong? Why can’t we control guns? Why is it so easy to get a gun, no matter who you are?

And, will we ever be able to curb the growing gun causalities with the likes of the NRA stopping any safety/gun control laws with the help of it’s corporate backers? 

Facts – Not rhetoric:

The United States has more guns and gun deaths than any other developed country in the world, researchers found.

A study by two New York City cardiologists found that the U.S. has 88 guns per 100 people and 10 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people - more than any of the other 27 developed countries they studied.

Here’s how it breaks down:

List of countries by firearm-related death rate

" Americans are 20 times as likely to die from gun violence as citizens of other civilized countries." (source)

* The United States has more firearms per capita, the most permissive gun control laws and a disproportionate amount of firearm-related deaths from homicides, suicides and accidents. (source)

* It seems like a relatively obvious equation: The weaker the gun laws and the higher the rate of gun ownership in a given state, the more deaths from gun violence that state will see. (source)

* States With Most Gun Deaths Have High Gun Ownership And Weak Gun Laws, Report Shows (source)

* Another recent report from researchers at Johns Hopkins and Stanford Universities found a positive link in all 50 states between right-to-carry laws and a rise in violent crimes.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

  

Walk on the wild side with 7 reptile and amphibian stories

Good Day World!

Today, I’ve been ruminating on reptiles and amphibians in the news.

My favorite story is the one about a man who takes his giant tortoise for a daily walk.  

The saddest story is a mystery about an 11-year-old female humpback whale that had been living in one area her entire life, but washed up ashore dead Wednesday.

The scariest story has to be the shark attacks at Oak Island, North Carolina.

The most inspiring story is about the rescue and release of sea turtles in Lima, Peru. 

One of the oddest stories is about an alligator giving a raccoon a ride as recorded by a family out for a stroll in a national park.

The weirdest is the surprising way Jellyfish put themselves back together.

The strangest story is about an author who poses the question, “Does An Octopus Have A Soul?” The author thinks so.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Donald Trump’s Hair Raising Announcement

                                     Good Day World!

By now you’re aware that Donald Trump is running for president – the jokes have been coming so hard and fast his toupee keeps sliding off after Tuesdays announcement.

That makes a dozen Republicans officially running for a seat in the Oval Office in 2016.

I think it goes without saying that Trump is NOT going to be the last candidate standing for the Republican Party. So what’s his reason for even running?

If you listen to the pundits they’ll tell you Trump’s interest in politics seems aimed at gaining attention, not addressing serious issues. Don’t be surprised when he uses his candidacy to take personal potshots at the other candidates, particularly Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, instead of discussing policy.

Through repeatedly flirting with presidential runs in the past and now following through, the real estate mogul has become an influential person in national politics.

He's frequently a keynote speaker at Republican events like the Conservative Political Action Conference. He's treated as a serious candidate, appearing on-stage at GOP events before or after people who could in truth be the Republican nominee, like Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

In reality, polls are often simply a test of fame.

Trump has an NBC tv show ("The Apprentice") and a chain of hotels named after him. He is ahead of some other Republican candidates simply because he is better-known. In a one-on-one contest between Trump and Rubio, the former would be trounced, as Republican voters learned more about both men's records and policy stances.

The only thing we can expect from Trump during this presidential campaign is that he’s going to upset apple carts repeatedly – it makes for good ratings.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Martian Confesses: ‘I Only Identify With Humans’

Good Day World!

In the spirit of Rachael Dolezal, and any other creature wannabes, I only identify with humans. Because I’m Martian by birth shouldn’t even be considered a factor, if I say it isn’t.

The fact that my skin is red could have come from constant sunburns. Or, for all you know I’m native American.

So why is everyone making a big deal about how a living thing presents itself? Human or Martian? Black or White? Why so uptight?

All folks here on earth need to know is that I’ve always identified with humans - even when I got strange urges to eat their flesh covered in chocolate - during puberty.

I’ve always identified with middle class humans and the many challenges they face in this world. I’ve always felt their pain – despite the fact Martians don’t feel pain – in my head. My imagination.

I’ve only done positive social things – despite hiding my alienisms – in the last 64 years. As a newspaper editor and publisher, I always stayed neutral, never trying to convince my readers Martians were already living here on earth.

Because I cut all my Martian ties 35 years ago, they don’t exist. It’s kind of complicated, but take my word for it…

Time for me to walk on down the road…      

How Off-The-Cuff Remarks Ruin Careers

  Good Day World!

No one is exempt in the Age of Social Media Madness led by the PC Police.

Nowadays making a politically incorrect joke, or comment, can mean everything you ever stood for will be invalidated. Your career ruined by faceless minions of social justice tweeting and Face Booking you into the realms of a social and financial outcast.

Daring to give an honest opinion on something has become chum for the PC sharks who constantly swim the airways and internet searching for victims.

The latest example of what I’m talking about is Tim Hunt’s story. He’s a well-known Nobel Prize winner who was promoting science education throughout Europe and the world until he ran afoul of “PC Tweeter Police” and “Face Book Judges.”

Suddenly, literally overnight, he’s reviled as a sexist beast and stripped of most of his positions because of inappropriate comments about women in science.

The inappropriate comments were made at the World Conference of Science Journalists in South Korea last week. So what did the man say that was so horrible?

He said that girls cause trouble in labs because "you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them, they cry."

Two things about that comment. He was partly joking, and being serious about a situation that he thinks does exist in the scientific community. He’s experienced it first hand and told his audience that.

So, does that comment completely negate all the man’s work – his Nobel Prize and other achievements? 

Apparently so. Gone is his position with the European Research Council science committee. Gone is his role at the Royal Society. Gone is his honorary post at University College London.

He said Sunday he was fired from the latter, while the university has said only that his resignation was accepted.

Everyone doesn’t think he’s such a monster however.

Athene Donald, a leading physicist who is master of Churchill College at Cambridge University, said Hunt always enthusiastically supported her work when she served for five years as Gender Equality Champion at the university.

"I've spent a lot of time with him and I've never seen any sign of sexism," she told The Associated Press. "He has traveled the world since he got the Nobel Prize, talking to young audiences, male and female, giving so generously, and now he has been ruined."

I agree with Athene. He’s been ruined, and it’s not right.

She said the speed with which news of his comments spread via social media has reinforced for many scientists the dangers of speaking to the press or to the public.

I certainly understand that. What’s really sad is the damage is irreversible.

"We're all of us terrified," she said. "In this media age, when sound bites spread so quickly, an off-the-cuff remark after a lunch in some conference can suddenly result in the fatal destruction of your career."

Media Age Madness is here to stay. Beware.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

  

Message to God: An ‘En-Lightning’ Answer Would Be Fine

Dear God,

Just a quick question, and I’ll get out of your hair.

I know you have better things to do, but it would really be nice if you’d explain how you tied the drought in California to abortions?

Where did I hear that?

One of your followers, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R) (photo above) said that the state's worst drought in 1,200 years is divine retribution for California providing women with access to abortions.

According to Reality Check, Grove came up with this message from YOU at the California ProLife Legislative Banquet. I wasn’t there, but by all accounts she said YOU brought down this biblical-style vengeance upon the state.

“Texas was in a long period of drought until Governor Perry signed the fetal pain bill,” she told the audience. “It rained that night. Now God has his hold on California.”

Not everyone believes YOU delivered the drought because of abortion access.

As a matter of fact some of her greatest fans basically thanked her for past efforts in Sacramento on behalf of life – but called her comments "absolute lunacy" and made this mock-up of a T-shirt.

I can’t begin to understand why YOU do the things you do, Big Guy, but I’m reasonably sure this political twit hasn’t been speaking for you.

So how about a sign? If it wouldn’t be too showy, lightning on the subject sounds about right! 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Modern ‘Black Face’ Via Tanning – New Trend?

                                       Good Day World!

Blackish?

Why would someone pretend to belong to another race?

Specifically, why would a white woman claim to be partially black when she’s not? The answer, it seems, is to further her career. This is an odd case, and that’s why I’m sharing it with you.

Rachel Dolezal, built a career as an activist in the black community of Spokane, Washington. A partly black activist. The only problem with that is both of her parents are white.

Her parents said their daughter is as well, providing local media with a birth certificate and childhood photographs of a blonde, fair-skinned Dolezal.

Interviewed Friday on CNN, Lawrence and Ruthanne Dolezal said they were saddened and hurt by their daughter's behavior.

Dolezal has so far dodged questions seeking clarification about her race and ethnicity. But it’s just a matter of time before she has to fess up.

The Psychology of an Ethnic Fraud: Behind Rachel Dolezal’s Invented Persecution

She rose to become the president of the city's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and also served as an independent mediator for the city's police force.The question is, did she obtain her job through fraudulent means? Neither position required that she be black, but the Coeur d'Alene Press said Dolezal identified herself in application forms as part black, part white and part Indian.

The Spokane Spokesman Review reported she told them: "I feel like I owe my executive committee a conversation."

"That question is not as easy as it seems," she said after being contacted at Eastern Washington University, where she is a part-time professor in the Africana Studies Program.

"There's a lot of complexities … and I don't know that everyone would understand that."

And she broke off an interview with a local TV reporter when he asked her point blank: "Are you African American?"

Apparently, at some point in her life, Dolezal decided her race was a liability and broke off contact with her parents. Then she went on to become a “black activist.”

What bothers me about this story is that this woman based her career upon a lie.

Reports covering the question of Dolezal’s identity went viral Thursday, after the City of Spokane announced that it was investigating whether she had lied in identifying herself as African-American on her application to serve on the city’s police oversight commission, according to the ABC affiliate.

Time for me to walk on down the road..

 

Deja Vue: Sending Troops to Train a Foreign Army is How the S**t Starts!

Good Day World!

You know something’s seriously screwed up when our government can’t learn from history’s lessons.

Wise men learn from their mistakes. It’s apparent we don’t have wise people in Congress, or the White House, for that matter.

Now: 2015 Iraq

President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of up to 450 more U.S. troops to Iraq on Wednesday to advise and assist local forces in an effort to reverse the recent gains of the Islamic State.

Under the plan, the United States will open a fifth training site in Iraq, with the goal of integrating Iraqi Security Forces and Sunni fighters. The immediate objective is to retake the city of Ramadi, seized by the Islamic State last month.

Yawn…sound familiar?

Then: 1961 South Vietnam

“Following a meeting between President John F. Kennedy and South Vietnam envoy Nguyen Dinh Thuan, an agreement is reached for direct training and combat supervision of Vietnamese troops by U.S. instructors.

South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem had earlier asked Kennedy to send additional U.S. troops to train the South Vietnamese Army. U.S. advisers had been serving in Vietnam since 1955 as part of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group.

There would be only 900 U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam at the end of 1961, but in accordance with President Kennedy’s pledge to provide American military assistance to South Vietnam, the number of U.S. personnel rose to 3,200 by the end of 1962.” source History Channel

For those who are too young to remember our senseless war with the Vietnamese people, I can tell you it was a costly mistake engineered by Chicken Hawks in Washington.

Iraq has become the USA’s new deadly tar baby, sinking us further into debt and costing lives on all sides.

What is the end game? Is there even one? I doubt it.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Pardon me, but I’m never flying in an airplane again!

Editor’s Note: I won’t be posting anything tomorrow – Friday June 12th – because I’m going to my grandson’s 8th grade graduation. Check out some of my most popular posts and past newspaper columns on the right side of this page.

Good Day World!

I’m not going to launch into a long litany of news reports detailing airline accidents. If you haven’t kept up with them that’s up to you.

I’m not even going to talk about pilots who decide to commit suicide and take planes down with them.

No.

But I am going to tell you about the two final straws that broke the proverbial camel’s back and made me swear off flying.

Because I’m a curious person, I like to keep up with little things – like safe air travel for instance.

THE FIRST REASON

A recent Department of Homeland Security report found investigators could sneak fake bombs and weaponry through security with a 95 percent success rate! If that doesn’t scare the hell out of you, I applaud your cool.

THE SECOND REASON

Homeland Security Inspector General John Roth presented lawmakers with his new report that found TSA failed to detect at least 73 people with links to terrorism who were hired by US airports.

If that doesn’t send a chill though your body, then you’re REAL cool.

Anyone who knows me, or has read my columns where I discuss why I hate flying, knows I’m a chicken when it comes to flight! I’ll even cluck for you if necessary.

Seriously folks, flying is getting scarier every day. When reports like these two are released it makes a person wonder when – not if – the next plane tragedy will occur.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

I saw my first flying saucer yesterday – kinda disappointing

“But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited? . . .
Are we or they Lords of the World? 
And how are all things made for man?”

Kepler (quoted in The Anatomy of Melancholy)

                                   Good Day World!

I almost conceded that I would never see a flying saucer.

Then I saw one!

But here’s the kicker…instead of aliens piloting the flying saucer I saw, it was powered by remote control and NASA scientists were responsible.

It’s called the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator. LDSD for short.

After nearly a week of weather-related delays, NASA has sent up a rocket-powered "flying saucer" to test technologies that could someday help get heavy payloads to Mars.

That’s right. Not only are humans replacing aliens in modern space craft but we’re going to Mars – instead of the aliens coming here. Oh, the humanity! What would have Orson Wells thought?

It’s a stunning reverse of the War of the Worlds. Humans invade Mars. Heck, we’re already planning on colonizing Mars but we have to conquer it first.

Seriously folks, I have to tell you I wasn’t too impressed by the video above showing the inaugural launch of the LDSD.

It sucks the drama right out of the long-imagined flying saucer flight watching the LDSD being towed up into the atmosphere by a giant balloon.

At some point the rockets kick in and it takes off on it’s own power, but the moment has been spoiled. The damn thing looks silly!

Okay, okay. I’ll cut the brains at NASA some slack and admit their flying saucer (when it’s not being towed by a balloon) looks like something out of the War of the Worlds.

If you’re into following the progress of the LDSD you’ll find updates on NASA's LDSD blog and the @NASA_Technology Twitter feed.

Time for me to walk on down the road….

 

 

Did Nude Romp in the Mountains Cause an Earthquake?

This undated photo shows Mount Kinabalu, South East Asia's highest peak, in East Malaysia's state of Sabah. AFP via Getty Images

                                                      Good Day World!

If I’ve learned anything in my life, it’s not to judge other’s beliefs. No matter how screwy I think they are.

For example, did you ever see Joe Versus the Volcano?

It’s a 1990 American romantic comedy film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

In an nutshell, a wealthy industrialist named Samuel Graynamore unexpectedly makes Joe (the main character) who thinks he’s dying, a proposition. He wants to mine "bubaru",a mineral essential for the manufacturing of superconductors.

One problem: the natives believe that the fire god of the volcano on their island must be appeased by a voluntary human sacrifice once every century, but none of the Waponis are willing to volunteer this time around.

They need a volunteer. That’s where Joe comes in. In the end he jumps into the volcano – with his girlfriend – but they get blown out to sea where they are quickly rescued. The end.

Here’s a true story that just recently happened.

Malaysian Tribes Blame Quake on Tourists' Nude Photos on Mount Kinabalu

Malaysian tribal leaders blame a group of Western tourists for triggering a deadly earthquake by taking naked photos of themselves on a sacred mountain, a local official told NBC News on Monday.

Tribal and political leaders across the state of Sabah have called for the arrest of the 10 tourists after they allegedly stripped on Mount Kinabalu last month, said Masidi Manjun, the state's tourism, culture and environment minister.

On Friday, one week after the group allegedly took the naked photos and posted them on social media, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck 5 miles south of the 13,500-foot summit on Malaysian Borneo. Sixteen people were killed, and more than 100 climbers were trapped for a time on the mountain.

The Kadazan-Dusun tribe believe that the "disrespectful" actions of the tourists were responsible for triggering the earthquake, Manjun said.

Unlike in Joe Versus the Volcano, this story is no comedy.

The belief among the natives is that the souls of the departed will rest on the mountain before the day of judgment.

Stay tuned to see what happens to these crazy tourists who decided to frolic naked on their sacred mountain. It’s their turn for judgment.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

New Reality Show: ‘Meet the Boogers’

Good Day World.

Welcome to the third installment of new reality shows I’d like to see.

Today’s entry:

MEET THE BOOGERS

Travel through Texas with the Booger family as they gross out restaurant patrons throughout the Lone Star state.

Watch as Pa Booger, Ma Booger, daughters Mandy and Randy, and son Jim Bob blow diners minds with well-timed Booger battles. Listen to Booger family members as they explain their existence. Their mission in life.

Pa, a retired preacher and classic Booger collector, wants the world to know that there’s a place in the world for Boogers. He’s best known for his long stringy boogers.

Ma constantly catches her kids off-guard and blows a booger at them when they least expect it.

Twins Mandy and Randy have an ongoing argument over which has the better boger blower and which is the most accurate.

Jim Bob likes to eat bogers. And he’s not too particular.

Viewers will get to follow their adventures weekly as they travel about in their custom Bogermobile bus. At the end of every episode, viewers are asked to send in the names of restaurants they’d like to see them appear at.

Related video:

See the world’s biggest booger!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Examples of Miracles,Wonders, and Signs?

Good Day World!

When I saw this video of lighting striking the White House I immediately assumed God was fed up with our politicians!

Seemed like a sign to me. lol!

But really folks…what do you think about signs and miracles? Is there anything to them? Should we heed them?

Here’s five recent articles for your consideration:

1) Was this a miracle? "I Shouldn't Be Here": Teen, Asleep at Wheel, Nearly Impaled by Fence

2) In a Rhode Island church, the Faithful believe mysteriously recurring stain, seemingly coming out of a painting of Jesus on the cross, is a miraculous sign.

3) Police in western Germany say a novice driver escaped unharmed but her car was crushed after she inadvertently turned into the path of a convoy of British tanks.

4) Ernesto Olivares Miranda, a Seventh-day Adventist from Chile, is a member of a team of mountaineers who were on Mount Everest when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Nepal on Saturday, April 25. Was his survival a miracle?

5) A driver and their passenger walked away unscathed after a metal car park barrier smashed into the windscreen of their vehicle – passed through the interior – and crashed out through the rear window.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Will American Pharoah Run Away With the Belmont? Facts, Odds

                                           Good Day World!

Today is the big day.

I’m hoping we’ll have a Triple Crown winner.

Two days ago, American Pharoah, who won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, arrived at Long Island MacArthur Airport, having travelled from Louisville, Kentucky on a Boeing 727 dubbed by the media "Air Horse One"

American Pharoah was given 3-5 morning line odds for the 1-1/2 mile race. Frosted, from the sixth spot, is the second-favorite, at 5-1 odds. Materiality, starting from the eight post, was set at 8-1.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

American Pharoah's name is inspired by that of his sire, Pioneer of the Nile, and his dam's sire, Yankee Gentleman. The horse's name also acknowledges it’s owners own dual Egyptian-American background.

The misspelling of "Pharaoh" is permanent, but inadvertent, though its origins are murky.

Zayat originally claimed that the spelling was the result of an error by The Jockey Club, but the organization's president stated,

"The name request for the 2012 colt American Pharoah was submitted electronically on January 25, 2014, through The Jockey Club's interactive registration site. Since the name met all of the criteria for naming and was available, it was granted exactly as it was spelled on the digital name application."

Zayat later retracted his statement.

HISTORY

American Pharoah made his track debut in a maiden race over six and a half furlongs on the Polytrack surface at Del Mar Racetrack on August 9, 2014. Ridden by Martin Garcia, he started as the 7–5 favorite against eight opponents.

He became unsettled before the race and, after running in second place until the stretch, faded to finish fifth behind Om, Iron Fist, One Lucky Dane, and Calculator, more than nine lengths behind the winner.

He ran in a blinker hood, which appeared to unnerve him, as did the commotion in the saddling paddock. Baffert addressed his anxiety issues by removing the hood and stuffing cotton in the horse's ears for subsequent races.

FACTS

1) Figuring prominently and repeatedly in American Pharoah's deep lineage is an earlier generation of champions, including Nasrullah, Native Dancer, Nearco, Princequillo, War Admiral and Man o' War.

2) He is bred and owned by Ahmed Zayat of Zayat Stables, LLC, trained by Bob Baffert and ridden in most of his races by Victor Espinoza.

3) Affirmed was the last Triple Crown winner in 1978.

4) Since 1978, 13 horses have entered the Belmont and left unsuccessful. Last year California Chrome finished just outside the money in fourth. Of the 13 attempts, eight finished in the money and four finished in second. The most recent of those was Smarty Jones in 2004, behind Birdstone.

Related:

• Belmont odds: American Pharoah is the unsurprising heavy favorite
• Belmont Stakes schedule as American Pharoah preps for history

  Belmont draw | Entries, odds and post positions

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

A Serial Molester: The Real Story Wasn’t Told in ‘19 Kids and Counting’

Good Day World!

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are several levels of hypocrites.

The worst are so-called religious people who commit vile acts in private while showing the outside world how good they are by going to church and singing hymns.

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, whose large, conservative family has been featured on the popular reality television show "19 Kids and Counting, is the latest example of what I’m talking about.

The Duggars told Fox News Channel's "The Kelly File" host Megyn Kelly that their son, Josh Duggar, inappropriately touched four of their daughters and another girl who was not a member of the family in a series of incidents that began in 2002, when he was 14.

After that, the family supposedly sent Josh to a Christian program in Little Rock that emphasized physical work and mentoring. Some sources say however, that he was just sent to a friends house to keep him away from his sisters.

After repeatedly molesting – caught three times – the parents (at the urging of their church) took Josh into the police station. The trooper who took the information – a family friend – didn’t do anything about it. A month later the statute of limitations was exceeded and Josh couldn’t be prosecuted for his actions.

What you have, years later, is a man who never paid a price for molesting his sisters and a family friend. A serial molester who was never caught. What are the odds he repeated his behavior – perhaps with his own three children?

To top that off he was the head of a Christian group. He resigned when his actions were revealed. But if he wasn’t caught, he’d still be there – a serial abuser representing Christianity.

The parents knew what Josh did before signing up for the reality series. The hypocrisy of that is stunning! They were portraying this wonderful Christian family while hiding Josh’s dirty little secret all that time.

Finally, what about the sisters who were molested? They knew their parents pushed it under the rug, and were told to deal with it. What did they feel like watching their serial abuser brother masquerading as a good Christian?

19 Kids and Counting was a so-called reality show, but the real story was not being told.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

NBA Finals: Laker Fan Picks Warriors Over Caveliers

                                  Good Day World!

East meets West.

Brawn meets Speed.

Today is Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and the Golden State Warriors are heavy favorites to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr has done a masterful job of guiding his team to the Big Game.

The last time Golden State won an NBA Championship was in the 1974-75 season. Many consider that win the biggest upset in NBA history. They utterly annihilated the heavily favored Washington Bullets in a four-game sweep.

That team was coached by former Warrior Al Attles, and led on the court by Rick Barry, Jamaal Wilkes and Phil Smith. So little was felt of the team's chances in the playoffs, even by their home fans, that the Coliseum Arena scheduled other events during the dates of the NBA playoffs!

As a result, the Warriors did not play their championship series playoff games in Oakland; rather, they played at the Cow Palace in Daly City.

Now the Warriors are considered the favorites (quite a turnabout) in the best-of-seven series to take the trophy.

The Cleveland Cavaliers HAVE NEVER WON an NBA championship.

Their star, LeBron James has enjoyed winning championships in Miami. His return to his hometown of Cleveland this season has been magic.

If there was ever an underdog – the Cavs fit the bill. They lost their other big star Kevin Love for the season. They’re playing a team that has dominated it’s opponents thus far in the playoffs.

The Warriors look unbeatable.

My playoff pick (I’m a Laker fan) is Golden State.

I got married the year (1974-75) that the Warriors won it all. Seeing how my team isn’t in the playoffs, I have to pick one of these two teams.

Part of me feels a little guilty about not picking Cleveland. I was born in Ohio. They’ve never won before, and I usually love underdogs. Both good reasons to consider the Cavs.

But the die is cast. Go Golden State!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Did Marijuana Give Me ‘Moobies’?

Good Day World!

The good news is, I don’t have breast cancer.

My doctor ordered a mammogram and ultra sound because I had a lump in my right nipple, and I had a family history of cancers. My sister died of breast cancer.

The bad news – at least to me – is that I have man boobs (also called moobs for short). I was diagnosed with gynecomastia, also known as moobies.

WHAT AGE DO MOOBIES APPEAR?

It’s a condition that affects approximately 33% to 41% of men between the ages of 25 and 45. It's even more common during puberty, affecting 60% of 14-year-old boys.

It also affects 55% to 60% of men aged 50 and older. I’m 64.

Although most cases of gynecomastia resolve spontaneously within a few months to a few years, in 2012 nearly 23,000 people underwent surgery to correct the condition.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), it was the fifth-most common cosmetic surgery in men. For the record; I have no plans on getting plastic surgery.

WHAT HAPPENS?

Gynecomastia is caused by a hormone imbalance between testosterone and estrogen. When the ratio between testosterone and estrogen tips in favor of estrogen, the body responds by creating excessive breast tissue. Hence, man boobs.

Many doctors today will tell you that smoking marijuana causes man boobs.

Few studies have examined a direct causative effect between smoking marijuana and gynecomastia. I certainly wish there were more.

A report in 1972 made the initial connection between cannabis and gynecomastia. This study is contrasted with a 1977 survey of U.S. Army soldiers which showed no association between smoking marijuana and gynecomastia. 

So can smoking pot really give you man boobs?

According to the doctor I saw, he said it was a possibility.

He said certain drugs can cause the condition and inquired into my medications (none of which were on his list). He also said that having man boobs is not dangerous.

I’ve been smoking pot (on and off) for fifty years. Why have my man boobs suddenly become noticeable, and tender, in the space of a few months?

I think the science is still out on the moob - marijuana connection. I’m sure not going to stop smoking now because of it. I told my wife I’ll just try to embrace my feminine side!

Meanwhile, it’s great to live in Oregon where marijuana is legal!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

New Reality Show: ‘Congress Island’

   Good Day World!

It’s time for installment #4 of new reality shows I’d like to see.

CONGRESS ISLAND

I know this selection sounds like Fantasy Island and probably could never happen, but..

All 535 members of Congress are put on a deserted Island. 100 Senators and 435 members of the House of Representatives are divided between two camps – The Republicans and the Democrats.

CHALLENGERS

The two groups are not allowed off the island until they pass a full year’s agenda of different laws that will benefit the majority of Americans. If they can’t come up with a full year’s worth, they can’t leave.

No time restrictions are required. If the two groups can cooperate and come up with the laws in a few months – that’s fine. Has to be a full slate however.

Everyone on the island has to be naked. The producers thought the sight of having to see each others nude bodies would spur the groups to come to quicker compromises.

No outer influence allowed. The members must make their minds up without the help of lobbyists, PACs, etc. They are on an island with no cell phones. No TV. No radio. No internet. Not even carrier pigeons.

They will have the necessary tools to write everything down – reams of paper and plenty of pencils. Note: all paper must be accounted for, and can’t be used as toilet paper.

Food sources – the island will have various wild berries and eatable roots. The only small animals are rats. Thousands of big fat Norwegian rats. There is only one source of water on the island – an underwater spring surrounded by boulders in the middle of a dense jungle.

I think viewers will be riveted to their seats every week watching them try to stay alive and pass meaningful laws.

Time for me to walk on down the road…