Ads Will Soon Come Straight From the Moon

"One of these days Alice—pow! Straight to the Moon!"

Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleeson) from the Honeymooners - Image via CBS

  Good Day World!

Lunar advertising is the next big trend.

For those of you who were unaware that advertising from space is NOT a new thing:

In 1997, an Israeli dairy company filmed a milk commercial on a Russian space station.

In 2001, Pizza Hut delivered vacuum-sealed pizzas to the International Space Station.

The moon was the next natural frontier for advertisers like Pocari Sweat, a Japanese sports drink that tastes like Gatorade and resembles, well, sweat. It’s looking like this sports drink may be the first product promoted from the moon.

With a target date in the latter half of 2016, an American firm devoted to space exploration, Space X, plans to land a rover on the moon. Among the rover’s cargo: a can of Pocari Sweat, which will be left on a lunar plain near a giant crater named Bürg.

Astrobotic, the U.S. firm designing the rover that will plop the Pocari Sweat can onto the moon, expects more advertising dollars are coming.

Astrobotic recently told the GlobalPost that ads probably won’t be the “driving force” funding non-governmental space projects.

But they’re open to offering “numerous opportunities for marketing on the moon from corporate sponsorship, educational and inspirational marketing opportunities.”

WHAT A DEAL!

In the rare air of the world of advertising the cost of dropping that Pocari Sweat can on the moon will be less than $8 million, the cost of a single minute of advertising during the Super Bowl.

Astrobotic wants to take on more advertisers for its voyage next year and expects more “sponsorships” to fall into place closer to the yet-to-be-determined launch date.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

That dirty water…Olympic athletes will have to compete in scum

                                      Good Day World!

Just a year away.

The Summer Olympics.

An estimated 1,400 athletes will participate in rowing, sailing, triathlon, canoeing and distance swimming around Rio de Janeiro.

But those athletes will be swimming and boating in waters so contaminated with human feces that they risk becoming violently ill and unable to compete in the games, an Associated Press investigation has found.

Local politicians claim they will be clean, but most experts say it’ll take a lot more than a year to get bacteria levels down to safe levels.

RECENT EVENT

Thirteen rowers on the 40-member U.S. team recently came down with stomach illness at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Brazil - a trial run for next summer's Olympics - and the team doctor said she suspected it was due to pollution in the lake where the competition took place.

On July 30, The Associated Press published an independent analysis of water quality that showed high levels of viruses and, in some cases, bacteria from human sewage in all of Rio's Olympic and Paralympic water venues, including the Rodrigo de Freitas Lake, where the rowing competition took place. (Source)

Related:

Olympic athletes to swim and boat in "raw sewage"

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Bad Intentions: Caught Before Anyone is Harmed

Good Day World!

The bad guys don’t always get to carry out their bad intentions.

Sometimes they are thwarted by chance, good police work, or alert citizens.

For example:

A New York cop pulled a vehicle over the other day for a traffic violation, and was surprised to find a loaded Bible during a search brought about because of the scent of marijuana. (Source)

Loaded Bible? Well, actually it was container that looked like a leather-bound King James Bible. But instead of the word of God, it contained a loaded Glock 17, 10 bullets and a magazine.

In my book, that means the owner had bad intentions. The police felt the same way and arrested him on a weapons charge.

The next case is about a Cincinnati man accused of bringing a loaded gun to campus during officer's visitation day.

Kamaron Lyshe had a gun concealed under his shirt and told officers three different stories about why he was there.

At his sentencing the Judge concluded he brought the gun with bad intentions. “It could only be one thing” the Judge said regarding the reason Lyshe had the gun.

In some cases bad intentions are avoided by the sheer stupidity of the person committing a crime.

Authorities say a New Jersey man planning a burglary inadvertently dialed 911, allowing dispatchers to listen in on his conversation. Somerset County prosecutors say Branchburg police received the errant call on July 27, but were unsure of the caller's location.

They learned that the phone number had recently been assigned to 42-year-old Scott Esser, of Elizabeth who was promptly arrested.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Editor’s Note: I’ll be gone Aug. 15th & 16th. Back on Monday the 17th.

 

Finally! A Reproducing Robot!

Good Day World!

I Robot is a reality.

The movie “I Robot” came to mind when I read about what researchers were doing with artificial evolution experiments recently.

More on that shortly.

One of my favorite robot movies harkens back to the silent film era. If you have a few minutes watch…

METROPOLIS

In the future city of Metropolis, people are divided into exalted thinkers and downtrodden workers, and a robot disguised as a woman causes sexually charged mischief. Fritz Lang's masterpiece (1927) was the most expensive silent movie ever made.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Researchers have demonstrated a sort of rudimentary artificial evolution: a robot that creates generations of smaller "baby" robots, evaluates them and selects the best to "live" on — just like Mother Nature.

Check this video out

“The study was led by Fumiya Iida at the University of Cambridge.

A "mother robot" assembled smaller robots by gluing together pieces, some of which were equipped with motors, in various configurations.

It then observed how quickly the resulting "children" could move, and then kept the designs of the fastest ones and disassembled the rest.

It then included this information when creating a new "generation" — either mutating the successful designs or integrating them into less successful ones.” (Source)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Sing along with ‘It’s My Party and I’ll Whine If I Want To’

Good Day World!

Are you ready to sing along with the latest big hit in political tunes?

“It’s My Party and I’ll Whine if I Want To” (to the tune of It’s My Party by Leslie Gore) is currently the number one hit on the Political PlayBill Chart.

The source for this tune came from Donald Trump in a recent NBC interview where he declared;

“I do whine because I want to win and I’m not happy about not winning. And I am a whiner and I keep whining and whining until I win.”

Okay then -with apologies to Leslie Gore’s classic - here’s how the new song goes:

It's my GOP Party, and I'll whine if I want to
Whine if I want to, whine if I want to
You would whine too if everyone was after you!

Nobody knows how to solve immigration
But me
So quit calling me a racist
When I’m telling you how things should be

It's my GOP Party, and I'll whine if I want to
Whine if I want to, whine if I want to
You would whine too if people picked on you!

Watch all the re-runs of my TV show all night
But leave me alone for a while
while I dance with extremists
And I sport a smile

It's my party, and I'll whine if I want to
whine if I want to, whine if I want to

Oh, Jeb and Hillary just walked through the door
Like a queen with her King
Oh what a campaign surprise
Hillary’s wearin' his ring!

It's my party, and I'll whine if I want to
whine if I want to, whine if I want to…

                                                                         ****

Time for me to walk on down the road…

You Aren’t Going to Like This: Air Traffic Controller Study Suppressed

Good Day World!

It’s never good when a government entity hides something from the public.

It’s even worse when public safety is at risk.

If you’re a frequent flyer who thinks air traffic controllers’ are always alert and rested, you may want to sit down for a moment.

(Illustration source)

Nearly four years ago, Federal Aviation Administration officials knew there was a problem – air traffic controllers’ schedules were causing chronic fatigue. That meant they knew most workers were less than alert.

The suppressed study found that nearly 2 in 10 controllers had committed significant errors in the previous year — such as bringing planes too close together — and over half attributed the errors to fatigue.

So why have Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials been so secretive about this study that was produced by NASA at the FAA's request?

You’d think it was in everyone’s best interest to keep the national air traffic system safe. But in spite of repeated requests and a Freedom of Information Act request by The Associated Press, the FAA stonewalled them.

FAA officials also refused to share the report with researchers from the National Academies, which advises Congress on science issues.

However, the AP was finally able to obtain a draft of the final report dated Dec. 1, 2011.

WHAT PROMPTED THE STUDY?

The impetus for the study was a recommendation by the National Transportation Safety Board to the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association to revise controller schedules to provide rest periods that are long enough "to obtain sufficient restorative sleep."

The study was completed several months after a series of incidents involving controllers falling asleep on the job embarrassed FAA officials and led to the resignation of the head of the agency's air traffic organization.

After the incidents, the FAA and the controllers' union announced several changes to address fatigue, including requirements that there be at least two controllers on duty after midnight and that controllers be provided at least nine hours between shifts to rest.

But the transportation safety board told the FAA in 2013: "We are concerned that, given the realities of the time required for an employee to commute home and back to work, and to attend to personal and family needs, a nine-hour break may not allow enough time for an employee to obtain eight continuous hours of sleep." (Source)

So far, nothings changed. There’s a lot of talking going on, but no action. Meanwhile somewhere in an airport near you there’s an air-traffic controller struggling to stay awake!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Bullying Others Doesn’t Lend Credibility to “Black Lives Matter” Activists

  Good Day World!

African-Americans have a good reason to be upset with policing practices that marginalize them.

(Photo -Mara Willaford, Black Lives Matter activist, disrupts Social Security Works Coalition's celebration of entitlement services, where Bernie Sanders was scheduled to speak. ALEX GARLAND)

But that shouldn’t mean acting like rude asses to get their message out to the public.

Black activists have a forum in the mainstream media and social media. They can apply for permits to march and protest their plight in any state, or city.

Some protestors – in particular “Black Lives Matter” activists – however, are going too far with their methods of getting their message out.

For example:  

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had to leave a campaign event in Seattle without giving his speech Saturday after "black lives matter" activists took over the podium.

Two black women walked up and literally pushed the presidential candidate aside, shredding any pretense of being civil.

They approached the podium just as Sanders began addressing the crowd of several thousand, and demanded the microphone. Sanders stepped aside, and one woman got into an argument with an organizer, shouting "We are angry!"

After she got the microphone, the crowd booed. They didn’t come to hear a protest, they came to listen to a man who was running for president and to see what he stands for.

It was the second time in a month that “black lives” activists protested racial inequality by interrupting an event. On July 18, "black lives matter" demonstrators entered a Netroots Nation forum and took over that program.

But these activists felt that their message was the only one that mattered. By rudely taking over a public forum they overstepped the bounds of decency. Sander’s should have been able to speak without being intimidated.

It’s called Free Speech. 

If “black lives matter” activists want to get their message out to a receptive audience they need to respect others, and to stop bullying people who are only exercising their First Amendment rights.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

‘Lone wolves’ are stalking our judicial system

Good Day World!

No man-made judicial system is perfect.

The United States boasts about it’s justice system with 12 jurors ultimately deciding a person’s fate.

But let’s be clear on one thing; the system can be gamed.

(Illustration source) 

Instead of talking about all the ways lawyers can subvert justice through technicalities, I’m just going to center on ONE WAY our judicial system can be sabotaged.

First, this recent story:

“The jury deciding whether Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes should be sentenced to death ended deliberations Friday after it became apparent one juror would not budge from her opposition to a death sentence, a juror told reporters.

Because the jury could not reach a unanimous decision, Holmes will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for opening fire during a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" on July 20, 2012, killing 12 people and wounding 70 others.” (Source)

If you haven’t already guessed where I’m going with this, it’s simple: one person can prevent justice by ignoring facts because they don’t believe in something – like the death penalty.

Yes, potential jurors are vetted by the prosecution, and the defense. But, if that person choses to lie about their real feelings about a certain subject - like their beliefs regarding the death penalty, they can.

In that case, the trial is over before it begins. One person is all it takes to disrupt justice. That same person could have other reasons to lie, like concealing their connection to the accused (friendship or a bribe to lie) in order to obtain a mistrial.

Today, you often hear the term “lone wolf.” It’s usually in reference to a terrorist activity. I’m suggesting that “lone wolves” are also stalking our justice system.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Not Quite ‘Beam Me Up Scotty’ Science But Still Sick

                                        Good Day World!

How 21st century.

It looks like a skateboard mimicking a laptop computer on steroids, and it can transport you up to seven miles on a single charge.

Pretty cool huh?

Speaking of transporting…here’s a vintage moment:

"Beam me up, Scotty" is a catchphrase that made its way into popular culture from the science fiction television series Star Trek. It comes from the command Captain Kirk gives his chief engineer, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, when he needs to be transported back to the Starship Enterprise. (Source)

BACK IN THE REAL WORLD

Japanese designers at Cocoa Motors, have created WalkCar, a tiny motorized transporter (Photo on top of page), small enough to fit in a bag, so that you can take it wherever you go.

To operate it, you just lean your body toward your destination and it moves with you, similar to a Segway. (Source) To see it in action, watch this video.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Oops! That was a mistake!

                                   Good Day World!

Mistakes - we all make them.

They range from being embarrassing, to downright deadly.

Walking down the information highway today, I discovered three good examples regarding how mistakes can affect our lives.

Let’s start of with this story:

An Arizona bounty hunter was booked after he and his team mistakenly raided the home of the Phoenix police chief while looking for a fugitive, authorities said.

(Photo-Brent Farley/Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

Brent Farley, owner of NorthStar Fugitive Recovery in Mesa, along with members of his team and those from Colorado-based Delta One Tactical Recovery surrounded Chief Joseph Yahner's home late Tuesday night, police said.

Farley was charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Can you imagine how pissed off that police chief was? They woke him up in the middle of the night pounding on his door and shouting curses. He answered the door in his underwear and a police baton.

I’m betting Farley vets the next case a little more carefully.

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

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently launched a website to attract female fans (Red) but I think it’s a big mistake.

You be the judge:

The team’s website has a feature on the “Red Women’s Movement” that the Bucs hope will change the way football is enjoyed by women.

(Photo - Getty Pictures)

This program’s kickoff party includes a few reasonable and non-insulting things such as an “Insider’s Talk” with General Manager Jason Licht, and some appearances by former Buccaneers.

But it quickly devolves into: “…gameday style tips from local area experts, and even a RED Lifestyle Lounge session to educate attendees on the art of incorporating their passion for the Bucs into their other lifestyle interests such as tailgating and home entertaining.”

So, in case you’re one of the female of the species in greater Tampa, who is looking for the right blend of Warren Sapp with a parrot on his shoulder and Martha Stewart for her home, they’ve got you covered.

They’re also here to help the ladies with technical football concepts like the “play clock,” since girls can’t possibly understand such subtle nuances of the game.

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

Deaths by medical mistakes hit records

More than a 1,000 people die each day from a medical mistake.

It's a chilling reality – one often overlooked in annual mortality statistics: Preventable medical errors persist as the No. 3 killer in the U.S. – third only to heart disease and cancer – claiming the lives of some 400,000 people each year.

It's not just the 1,000 deaths per day that should be huge cause for alarm, there's also the 10,000 seriously complicated cases resulting from medical errors that occur each day. 

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Why Americans Will Proudly Continue to Lead the World in Gun Deaths

Good Day World!

No matter what sources you want to tout there’s no doubt that the USA leads the world in gun deaths.

You know why? We love guns.

Excerpt from Happiness is a Warm Gun by The Beatles

“Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun.
Happiness is a warm gun
Happiness is a warm gun
When I hold you in my arms
And I feel my finger on your trigger
I know nobody can do me no harm
Because happiness is a warm gun.
Happiness is a warm gun
Yes it is.
Happiness is a warm, yes it is, gun.
Well, don’t you know that happiness is a warm gun, mama.”

But guns aren’t really cuddly. The USA sets the standard for the planet when it comes to mass killings on a regular basis. We’re putting little third world countries to shame when it comes to slaughtering our own on a monthly basis!

Beyond the fact that we love our guns, here’s some more answers to a few questions you might have about guns and mass shootings, including:

How common are mass shootings in this country?
How many people own guns?
Are mass shootings becoming more common?
When were deadliest shootings in U.S. history?
Is the United States an especially violent place, compared to other countries?
Where is violence most common in America?
Is the number of guns related to the number of homicides?
Is gun control?
Is there public support for gun control?
What about for particular gun control policies?
How do mass shootings affect public opinion on this issue?

Time for me to walk on down the road…

They really didn’t do that….did they?

                                                Good Day World!

Barnum and Bailey would be proud.

The 2016 presidential election is already a 3-ring circus despite being over a year away.

We’ve got a ringmaster, Donald Trump, setting his GOP opponents on fire with his hair-blazing comments. In response, his opponents have been jumping through hoops to get their moment on center stage.

What a show. You won’t believe some of the antics thus far. As a matter of fact your first response will probably be, “They really didn’t do that…did they?”

Ted Cruz Making Bacon

In a minute-long video released Monday, the 44-year-old senator from Texas, decided not to address political issues.

"There are few things I enjoy more than, on weekends, cooking breakfast with the family. Of course in Texas, we cook bacon a little differently than most folks," he said over music that could have been from the opening of an action film.

The video then shows the conservative candidate wrapping a slice of bacon around the barrel of an assault rifle and covering it in aluminum foil before emptying two magazines in a barrage of shots fired at an indoor target.

"There's grease coming down," Cruz declares, satisfied that the gun has gotten hot enough to cook the bacon.

Rand Paul’s Chainsaw Attack

Sen. Rand Paul took a chainsaw to the tax code, literally. But even a slickly produced campaign video couldn’t cut through the frenzy over Donald Trump.

The Kentucky Republican released an edgy video Tuesday called “How would you kill the tax code?” Sporting a black “Detroit Republican” T-shirt, Paul talks about creating a one-page tax form with a 14.5% flat tax and destroying “all 70,000 pages” of the U.S. tax code.

Then, for dramatic effect, he sets stacks of paper on fire, shoves them in a wood-chipper and takes a chainsaw to them, while an electric guitar squeals the national anthem.

Lindsey Graham Clobbers Cell Phone

Graham is trolling Trump in a video for IJReview, a conservative news site.

Using fire, a toaster oven, a golf club, a cleaver, and other fun but totally unnecessary methods, he destroys a bunch of flip phones—and one unfortunate blender.

"Or if all else fails, you can always give your number to The Donald," Graham says in closing, before hurling one last phone off screen "for the veterans," a dig at Trump's attack on Sen. John McCain's time as prisoner of war.

Three examples are enough for now. If you’d like to add one, please let me know. I have a hunch there’s a whole slew of ridiculous stunts upcoming before this election is over.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

3 Suggestions: You might as well smile, or better yet laugh!

Good Day World!

War, famine, plagues, global warming, and a looming presidential election are some pretty heavy subjects to consider.

They defy us to smile. They’re in our face in the main stream media and the social media, dragging us down…and depressing us. If we let them.

First suggestion; take a chill pill and breath before surfing the net, TV, and talk show radio shows. Most of what you’re going to encounter is propaganda driven by corporations with special interests.

After you realize you have a choice – negative or positive - to make, you’re on the road to empowerment.

You can let all of these terrible things harsh your high daily if you get too serious about them. It’s one thing to recognize what’s happening in the world around you, and another to put it into perspective.

Be real. When your best friend dies, smiling isn’t on your mind. Perhaps later when you recall good memories laughter will come and help you to heal.

Second suggestion; seek your inner funny and start putting humorous spins on all of these terrible challenges. You can’t joke about everything…or can you? Laughter is the best medicine for combating what life throws at you – both in the media and your own personal life.  

Third suggestion; because your not a god and you can’t do squat about most of these challenges, cut yourself some slack. Those personal challenges you face will get easier if you go at them in a positive manner.

Oh yeah…work on that smile so when someone tells you that Russia is going to attack any moment you can come back with a snappy reply like;

“Sarah Palin, the USA’s unofficial Russia-watcher, has assured President Obama that she can see Putin from her front porch and if any funny stuff goes on she’ll know it and warn us!” 

Be happy.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

In an Alternative Universe: President Trump and his Cabinet

Editor’s Note: I’m taking Sunday & Monday off, but will be back on Tuesday August 4th.

                                     Good Day World!

Donald Trump recently said he'd "love" to include former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin in his cabinet if he is elected president. That got me to thinking, what if he were elected president – even if it was in another universe?

Try this on for size:

President Trump and his new cabinet:

Chris Cristie was selected because he was fatter than Trump and wouldn’t upstage him in photo ops. Plus, he’s bald and won’t compete with Trump’s toupee.      

Sarah Palin will be the Secretary of the Interior because of her concern for the environment (motto - Drill Baby Drill).

Michele Bachmann will be the Secretary of Health and Human Services because of her backround in women’s reproductive rights, and claim that Terri Schiavo was healthy when she was in fact brain dead.

Rick Santorum will be the Secretary of Agriculture because he believes weed should be illegal everywhere and that Jesus wouldn’t approve of pot like he does of alcohol (wine).

Mike Huckabee as USA Ambassador to the Mission to the United Nations because he has been "to the ovens." 

John McCain is the Secretary of Defense. His motto can be bomb, bomb, bomb Iran and anyone else because bombing should always be the first line of defense.

Ted Cruz is Secretary of Homeland Security because of his concerns about the Canadian border not being secure from illegal immigrants.

Scott Walker can be OMB, Dept. of Labor and Small Business because he has shown how to go from a slight surplus to a few billion in debt in Wisconsin.

As crazy as this administration sounds – it would probably be a hit with with some conservatives today. Now that’s scary.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Another Assault on Obamacare Fails – 49 More to Go?

Good Day World!

For those of us who need a reminder of what stupidity is:

Stupid is trying to do the same thing over repeatedly, and expecting a different result each time.

Enter senate Republicans.

They planned on using a must-pass highway bill to try to overturn President Barack Obama's health care law.

The Senate rejected a GOP-led amendment to repeal ObamaCare that fell several votes short of a 60-vote threshold to advance.

For the record, the House has voted more than 50 times to repeal the health law in full or in part. You’d think after this many rejections the GOP would get the idea. But no…

The takeaway:

Republicans are willing to let our infrastructure continue to crumble in order to repeal a health care law that’s provided over 8 million people with insurance who wouldn’t have been able to afford it.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who leads the Senate’s ACA Works campaign, blasted the Senate’s vote.

“Repealing the Affordable Care Act has no place in a discussion about the highway bill. It's time for Republicans to move on,” he told reporters afterwards.

This marks the first time the senate has tried to repeal ObamaCare since Republicans took control of the chamber in January. Let’s hope we don’t have to suffer through 49 more doomed attempts to match The House record of 50.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Hunting for food is one thing, hunting for ‘sport’ is another!

                                       Good Day World!

I don’t see anything wrong with hunting animals to eat. While I’m not a hunter, I can see the rational behind killing an animal to put food on your table.

It’s the hunters who kill just for the so-called sport of murdering an animal that disgust me. They hang animals heads as trophy’s of their one-sided hunts. They take pictures next to dead animals to show what tough guys they are.

What really riles me is hunters who pay to kill protected species like lions. An American tourist recently killed, one of the oldest and most famous lions in Zimbabwe, without a permit after paying $50,000 to two people who lured the beast to its death.

The two men have been arrested for poaching. They weren’t real guides. And as for that hero who shot Cecil the lion, he’s back in the states with Cecile’s head and skin hiding somewhere right now.

Big game hunter Walter James Palmer, a dentist in Minnesota (who closed his doors after this incident), has killed other protected species in the past.

Palmer who has a felony record in the U.S. related to shooting a black bear in Wisconsin, is being sought on poaching charges, but Palmer said he hasn't heard from U.S. or Zimbabwean authorities yet.

Laury Parramore of the Fish and Wildlife Service said the agency is "currently gathering facts about the issue and will assist Zimbabwe officials in whatever manner requested."

According The Associated Press, citing the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, the dentist was also the subject of a sexual harassment complaint settled in 2006. He admitting no wrongdoing and agreed to pay a former receptionist more than $127,000, the AP said.

He was also convicted in Minnesota court in 2003 for fishing without a license.

The takeaway:

As long as you have enough money you can get away with anything. Even murder.

It’s sickening to me to see this dentist whose dreams are nightmares for unprotected animals. One can only speculate how many small animals he murdered while growing up.

If it’s that hard for the guy to get an erection (must kill something big) he should be taking little blue pills for the problem – not hunting animals.

I don’t see a sportsman in Palmer. I see a coward collecting animal parts to boost his ego.

Related:

Cecil the Lion's Death by Walter James Palmer May Result in 10 Cubs Killed

Time for me to walk on down the road… 

 

Jailbird PAC Formed to Help Conservatives

                                         Good Day World

Seems like everyone is jumping on the PAC bandwagon and forming new ones these days.

Perhaps the most unique PAC formed yet is the brainchild of a convicted cyberstalker and extortionist. You gotta ask yourself, who would donate to a PAC being formed from a prison?

The only thing I can think of is this PAC is for people with extreme ideologies and the ability to turn a blind eye to criminals as long as they follow the conservative brand.  

This article from the Center of Public Integrity explains what’s happening:

“For the first time, a super PAC is being masterminded from behind bars.

Adam Savader this week formed Second Chance PAC — it may raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections — even though Savader himself can’t vote. That’s because Savader is serving a 30-month sentence in federal prison for cyberstalking and extortion after pleading guilty in November 2013 to the crimes.

A budding political activist who attended The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Savader had previously volunteered for the 2012 presidential campaigns of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.

Around the same time, Savader was hacking into women’s email accounts, stealing nude photos of them and threatening to publish the pictures unless they sent more, according to court filings.

Several campaign finance lawyers, normally a tough bunch to surprise, said this appears to be the first super PAC set up by a jailbird.” (source)

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

About Trump Bumps, Calling Competitors Chumps, and GOP Lumps!

Satire: The imaginary history of Donald Trump’s previous runs for president.

                                     Good Day World!

It’s a hot summer full of Incinerating political comments.

The great race to select our next Commander-in-Chief started like a small brush fire, but quickly became a full-on forest fire when Donald Trump declared he was running for president.

There’s nothing inspirational coming from any of the candidates. Instead would-be voters are invited to sit back, eat popcorn, and watch trumped-up dramas unfold like soap operas.

Donald Trump who owns the headlines is burning the Republican brand like an arsonist armed with a flame-thrower. The GOP is withering away under the extreme heat caused by Trump’s racist and anti-POW comments.

Fellow Republicans are turning on one another like piranha - either defending or attacking The Donald. Jeb Bush, a front-runner is suddenly losing ground to Trump. He seems dazed and confused. Reminds me of his brother.

Trump has dumped on Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, John McCain, Lindsey Graham to name a few.

Meanwhile, Ted Cruz is trying to get attention by emulating Trumps bombastic style.

Trump gets a bump in the presidential polls right now in some primary states, but the numbers are meaningless. As are all the national polls right now.

You just have a group of people who don’t mind being polled a year before elections, and a good percentage of them are pissed off at the status quo. As for the general electorate, they’re sitting back and watching the circus/popularity polls.

From the fires a new president will emerge…

What could possibly go wrong?

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Town Creates Magna Carta for Animals, Giving Them Rights

Good Day World!

Big news today for animals.

And animal lovers.

Trigueros del Valle, a small town in Spain, has voted to give dogs and cats the same rights as their human owners. The town is the first in the world to extend such rights to animals.

The bill also bans bull fighting, and “any action that causes the mutilation or death of a non-human resident.” Bull fighting has long been a hot topic in Spain amongst animal rights activists and there is hope that this landmark ruling could spread to other towns.

MEANWHILE BACK IN THE USA

For the first time in US history, a judge has decreed that a pair of chimpanzees held at a university research facility are covered by the same laws that govern the detention of humans, effectively rendering the animals as legal "people" in the eyes of the law.

New York Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe said that the apes, held at Stony Brook University for research purposes, are covered by a writ of habeas corpus — a basic legal principle that lets people challenge the validity of their detention.

According to Science, the judge who said that a pair of chimpanzees were covered by a writ of habeas corpus has amended her court order to remove that wording.

The chimps fate awaits a final ruling.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Something New to Worry About When You Get in Your Car

                                         Good Day World!

I never thought I’d see the day when I would have to worry about traveling in a car.

I’ve been driving for 50 years and always considered it the best way to travel. There’s a lot of good memories gathered on road trips across America.

Frankly, I’ve always loved cars. They meant freedom to see new places. Drive-In theaters were the best places for cars to gather when I was growing up.

So it’s sad for me to admit that I’m concerned about some new vehicle technologies. They pose hazards you should be aware of.  

What’s happening is automakers are adding new technologies to their vehicles at a prodigious pace, everything from radar-controlled collision warning to advanced infotainment systems.

They're also opening up a number of new channels into the vehicle, “noted Saar Dickman, CEO of TowerSec, an Israeli-based firm developing automotive security technology.” (source)

Experts point to the new 4G LTE systems offering cellular connectivity that Chevrolet, Audi, Chrysler and other manufacturers are adding.

Then there are channels normally open to satellite radio broadcasts that could be hacked. Even the tire pressure monitoring systems now required for all new cars potentially could be used to gain entry into a car's complex computer network.

DID YOU SEE THIS?

The risk was highlighted last week when hackers gained access to a 2014 Jeep Cherokee driven by a reporter for Wired magazine.

WHAT’S BEING DONE?

If vehicle security followed the conventional path, motorists would have to sign up for anti-spam and anti-virus software similar to on their desktops, laptops, and even tablets and smartphones.

But as recent hack attacks on online retailers like Target and even seemingly "hardened" systems like the Pentagon have shown, that approach is less and less effective.

Several alternative security systems are under development. But as of this time, there’s nothing to be done – with the exception of vehicle recalls like Chrysler had to do with 1.4 million Jeeps after that reporter from Wired magazine exposed their vulnerability. 

I can’t help but feeling uneasy with the dangerous possibilities these new innovations are bringing to my driving experience.

Related:

Senators Introduce Bill to Protect Connected Cars from Hackers

Time for me to walk on down the road…