tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51492650076774113442024-02-06T21:53:41.768-05:00My Humble But Accurate Opinion-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.comBlogger360125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-29231067878359320602022-05-08T13:03:00.000-04:002022-05-08T13:05:39.370-04:00No Fish On My Car<p>As I write this, the news is that the Supreme Court precedent of "Roe v. Wade" may be overturned. What this means is that a woman's right to choose to have an abortion will no longer be a Federal issue, but will be left up to the individual states. With many states already pushing laws limiting, or in some cases eliminating, abortions, you can see why this is such a hot topic.</p><p>Let me be clear, I really don't care whether or not "Roe v. Wade" stands or falls by the wayside. Why? Because, according to high school civics, the Supreme Court does NOT make the laws. That's the job of Congress. The Supreme Court's job is to interpret those laws in accordance with the Constitution. "Roe v. Wade" is not a law; it is a precedent. Like an Executive Order, it does not have the weight of a law and can be overturned by future courts (or Executives, in the case of the latter). </p><p>Many on the "right" (Republicans / conservatives) have been playing footsie for years with challenges to the precedent. Such are the laws in the individual states. However, Congress has never made a LAW that states that a woman has the right to choose what she does with her body, including the right to an abortion. What is really needed is an amendment to the Constitution. But really, who wants to go to all that trouble (see the 18th and 21st Amendments and you'll understand the drug war)? </p><p>Let me be clear: I am a Caucasian male who identifies as a Christian. Got it? Okay, continue. </p><p>Christians are considered anti-abortion/anti-choice/pro-life (depending on which side of the subject you stand). And here is why: If abortions were "normal", Jesus may never have been born. </p><p>Luke 1:35 - "The angel said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.'" </p><p>What you just read is what Catholics call the "Immaculate Conception", because it was a conception and it was immaculate - no mess. </p><p>According to Christian doctrine, every pregnancy is due to immaculate conception. If a woman has an abortion, she is killing something holy and pure. </p><p>I'm kidding. The reason they call it the "Immaculate Conception" is that there was no penis involved (thus "no mess"). </p><p>But apparently, those on the "right" believe the doctrine joke above. Why? Because EVERY law limiting a woman's right to choose has no impact upon the penis-bearer involved. And that too is Christian doctrine: </p><p>John 8:3-6 "As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 'Teacher,' they said to Jesus, 'this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?' They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger." </p><p>The Bible does not state what Jesus wrote, but I've heard a few speculations. The best was He was writing the name of the MAN she was caught in adultery with. Think about it: it takes two to tango. </p><p>We in the United States are anti-Sharia Law. It is Islam's legal system, derived from their holy book (Quaran) and other writings, and states such things like a woman has to be covered head to foot in public, a woman cannot walk around in public without a male family escort, and in many cases, cannot receive an education. I understand the reason behind Sharia Law: Islamic men are WEAK, COWARDLY, and have NO control over themselves. Instead of making laws to limit the MEN, they make laws to limit the WOMEN because the men can't control themselves. This is also known as a patriarchy. </p><p>We too have a patriarchy for the same reason. We men here in the United States are also WEAK, COWARDLY, and have NO control over ourselves. Most of those involved in writing our laws are men, which explains the laws in the states impacting a woman's right to choose. Which is why we blame the woman for getting pregnant - as if they did it all by themselves. </p><p>If you are a Christian reading this, the rest is directed at you. If you are not a Christian, and know a Christian, please pass this onto them as well. </p><p>The title of this post is "No Fish On My Car". You may have seen a fish symbol decal on the back of the car in front of you. This symbol is stating that the person driving this car is a Christian. I have no such symbol on my car, though the driver is a Christian. Why? Because I don't always DRIVE like a Christian. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiziybrKTblulXJO8FwP8vZdu9W9UxwdX8kNeu3tUpMSF0IOb6M5z7WyqCIlR8eyZIxkG7GHeZ979xkigWw9-ATCNhbECkloQ4F5UmTNzn8MBRqqRrwlekUzFBIMkhqC-tK9F98SQX6PNFma2USER22-_0MRsDrNZnZdpStwqY3kLG0WcCI5jLWYCa/s611/8b7919d6-62af-475f-a6b1-62e0006f4722_1.75c58cccccc55e4ae7923a9b7313a38f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="611" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiziybrKTblulXJO8FwP8vZdu9W9UxwdX8kNeu3tUpMSF0IOb6M5z7WyqCIlR8eyZIxkG7GHeZ979xkigWw9-ATCNhbECkloQ4F5UmTNzn8MBRqqRrwlekUzFBIMkhqC-tK9F98SQX6PNFma2USER22-_0MRsDrNZnZdpStwqY3kLG0WcCI5jLWYCa/s320/8b7919d6-62af-475f-a6b1-62e0006f4722_1.75c58cccccc55e4ae7923a9b7313a38f.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>2 Corinthians 3:2 "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;" </p><p>Or, as Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary." </p><p>Ever see those protesters outside of an abortion clinic with signs stating life begins at conception (apparently WITH a penis)? Some even hold pictures of aborted fetuses. They, my friends are what are known as "hypocrites". </p><p>James 2:15-16 "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" </p><p>Want to claim to be pro-life? Want to legislate your religious morality? Then put your religion where your mouth is. Go to these women and tell them, "Here is a legal contract between you and me. You agree to carry this baby to term and I will PAY all of your expenses, drive you to all of your medical appointments, and hold your hand during the delivery. Afterwards, I will ADOPT this baby and raise it as my own. If you DO decide to keep it, I will PAY all of your expenses, drive the child to soccer practice, dance recitals, etc., and provide all needs until the child graduates college." </p><p>If not? Shut your pie hole. </p><p>How many are planning on removing that fish? </p><p>©Emittravel 2022</p>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-34895139572053062422022-03-19T12:10:00.005-04:002022-03-19T12:17:31.610-04:00Where's That Little Mustache?<p>Ukraine. 'Nuff said. We all know what's been going on there. Well, maybe not.</p><p>Russian President Vladimir Putin has put the kibosh on his people's ability to know what's been going on. If anyone posts/says anything that does not agree with the state's version of the "news", they can be thrown into prison for 15 years. Why? Because he believes that the rest of the world is pushing "fake news" and that his people should only know the "pravda" (truth). ESPECIALLY when it comes to his invasion of Ukraine.</p><p>Oh, wait. It's not an "invasion" according to Putin.</p><p>Let's think about this for a moment. Only Putin's version is the truth and the rest of the world is "fake news". So, does that mean that Putin does NOT listen/read what the rest of the world is saying? Of course not. He DOES pay attention. Why? Because he KNOWS that the world is telling the truth. If he didn't, he wouldn't even listen. But no leader, especially when in a war, would ignore the news available to him. But his people? That's another story.</p><p>Putin knows the first rule of slavery: Keep them ignorant, because once they know what you know, YOU CAN'T FOOL THEM ANYMORE!</p><p>So, if you are in Russia and are able to read this, YOU ARE A SLAVE according to your despotic leader. And if you are in Russia and are unable to read this, there you are.</p><p>(And no, I'm not going to take the obvious path of pulling former President Trump into this. HA! Just kidding!)</p><p>Which reminds me: where IS his little mustache??</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH-n_BkMO8eFIFvxhA_pkOn85aPP_7dXkJVfplUDB9aaKhZ_lxNXmsKe3GNKo_9xYufVQENygiLqco15JrBgRIflv3_DTZ8lkyPshBWVuxTY-aDAhAswVXpZy_hJY7wVOH49TrlHaWB6jOunybXs8lUIgHpYcSPmL0OC8H9u3_Z5cjQwNm4TZDHfGh=s1880" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="1880" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjH-n_BkMO8eFIFvxhA_pkOn85aPP_7dXkJVfplUDB9aaKhZ_lxNXmsKe3GNKo_9xYufVQENygiLqco15JrBgRIflv3_DTZ8lkyPshBWVuxTY-aDAhAswVXpZy_hJY7wVOH49TrlHaWB6jOunybXs8lUIgHpYcSPmL0OC8H9u3_Z5cjQwNm4TZDHfGh=w318-h197" width="318" /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #9e9eff;"><u><br /></u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbv3mSibVH7_WvkHyYb53kINeu9lO-x0RRZNbcI2TYE6sa7AzPBjIBO5BO5NXfbPIivlEChGFaCelTyoTqCVW7OcKzPvqu8M7wE-y-MeareS0hc8qSsodYZcj-GtozmZYp58gDnv-Ivko6xhHTHU7NNXROD0zUX7a9s05fITiinHKOlAQhU6ScqAll=s400" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbv3mSibVH7_WvkHyYb53kINeu9lO-x0RRZNbcI2TYE6sa7AzPBjIBO5BO5NXfbPIivlEChGFaCelTyoTqCVW7OcKzPvqu8M7wE-y-MeareS0hc8qSsodYZcj-GtozmZYp58gDnv-Ivko6xhHTHU7NNXROD0zUX7a9s05fITiinHKOlAQhU6ScqAll=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>©Emittravel 2022</div>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-69999830743116244932021-10-03T14:52:00.000-04:002021-10-03T14:52:25.326-04:00Stuff My Brain Says #87<p>"Who do you think you're kidding?!?"</p><p>Remember when Congress wanted then candidate Donald Trump to turn over his tax returns? Yeah. Fun times.</p><p>Now Congress is telling us that the multi-trillion dollar infrastructure spending bill will be paid for by making companies and the rich pay their fair share. You know, "The middle class won't be left holding the bag. The rich who haven't been paying their fair share will cover the bill." </p><p>To quote Dana Carvey: "Isn't that special?"</p><p>(Side note: when Social Security was first "sold" to us, we were told only the very rich would pay for it. Have you looked at your paystub to see the lump that goes out for Social Security? Welcome to the very rich ... )</p><p>Did you see the commonality of the above two statements? Yup. Congress. Now, here's the funny part: Congress is the very entity that created the tax code that ALLOWS people like Donald Trump to not pay taxes.</p><p>IF those "evil" rich aren't paying their "fair share", wouldn't there be charges brought up against them? Ask folks like Wesley Snipes, Nicolas Cage, and Willie Nelson about what happens when you don't pay your "fair share". Sounds to me that if a rich person or company isn't already paying their taxes, they would have been caught by now.</p><p>Maybe Congress has been watching too many <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kPKm0ndED4" target="_blank">Tim Misny commercials</a>. Of course, the reason he can "make them pay" is that they've done something illegal. You'd think since Congress is made up of a bunch of lawyers, they'd already know that.</p><p>Would somebody please ask those folks who've been in D.C. seemingly forever what changes to the tax code they plan on making? After all, one of the reasons that a lot of these companies aren't "paying", is that a POLITICIAN promises tax cuts/abatements for opening a business in their district. NOW they are crying that these very companies actually embrace those cuts and abatements?</p><p>Even if Congress were able to get more money from the rich and businesses, they would simply outspend it. It's been their modus operandi for decades. They have an addiction: other people's money.</p><p>Maybe Congress should live by this simple financial code: If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.</p><p>© Emittravel 2021</p>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-22145531189500400312021-01-24T11:50:00.000-05:002021-10-30T12:38:45.706-04:00Maybe Man IS To Blame For The Climate<p>I used to be a "climate denier". By that I mean I believed that climate change was real, but man's impact has been minimal to nonexistent. But that has changed.</p><p>Back in August of 2020, Death Valley, California posted a temperature of 130 degrees (Fahrenheit, cause, come on, if Celsius we wouldn't be here!) This was reported as the highest temperature since 1913, when it reached 134. What has happened between 1913 and 2020?</p><p>We had an industrial revolution that pumped a lot of pollution into the atmosphere.</p><p>We had reports of Global Cooling in the 1970s - the world was going into a new ice age. I know, you can't believe that - but that was what scientists reported.</p><p>We started a campaign to address the pollution. The EPA got its start. The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland stopped burning. The catalytic converter became the norm in our cars.</p><p>Then around 2000, the Rev. Al Gore (Minister of Mother Earth) started showing a slide show of the dangers of Global Warming.</p><p>And in August of 2020, Death Valley, California posted the highest temperature since 1913.</p><p>So what does this tell us? Man, by his pollution, brought the earth to the brink of an ice age, and by eliminating pollution, brought the earth to the brink of a worldwide Death Valley. </p><p>Maybe man IS the reason for global climate change. </p><p>The thing that scares me is that we have scientists telling us what we need to do to fix it. And each group has a remarkably different method. For instance, some want to "seed" clouds with reflective materials to bounce sunlight away. </p><p>What if scientists are wrong? What if what they tell us swings us deeper into the embrace of Heat Miser - or, back to Snow Miser? </p><p>I for one have little faith in what the scientific experts of 2020 tell us. After all, the experts DID tell us of the coming ice age in the 1970s. </p><p>"But J.P., the scientists of today are much smarter than those in the 1970s. They have more data and know more of how things work."</p><p>Can you tell me that the scientists in 50 years aren't going to prove today's scientists wrong too?</p><p>Does man have an impact on the climate? I believe so. But can man fix it? I don't know. I'm more afraid that he will cause more damage in the process.</p><p>©Emittravel 2021</p>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-68112505542182471812021-01-18T11:37:00.000-05:002021-10-30T12:36:49.113-04:00Christians Love A Whiner - er - Winner<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Several days ago I posted the following on Facebook and Twitter: "President Trump is the winningest President ever! He is the ONLY President to be impeached ... TWICE! Now THAT'S winning! Let the door hit you in the a** on the way out!"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I admit, my Facebook and Twitter feeds aren't my blog; however, the "My Humble But Accurate Opinion" theme does tend to carry over to other parts of my online life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really don't get that much social interaction from my posts on Twitter. On Facebook I get loads. Especially when they have even a hint of a derogatory emphasis on President Trump. And mostly from my friends of Christian faith. Which got me to thinking: why are so many Christians so enamored with President Trump?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I go any further, I want to state that I am a Christian. If you have read some of my older blog posts, you will also realize that I am not a "religious" Christian. I do recommend you check out some of those posts if you need more of an explanation. Go ahead. I can wait.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finished? Okay, I'll continue.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">From what I can tell, Christians (I'm going to use them as a group - even though I know many Christians do not consider President Trump to be all that awesome. If you are a Christian and don't think Trump to be the Second Coming, don't worry - I'm not referring to you.) think that Trump is the most Christian President we have ever had as a nation. He stands for family. He's pro-life. And he stands against evil (the mainstream media, Democrats, China, etc.) Any comment that would detract from that message is considered anathema. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, if you ARE a Christian who believes Trump walks on water, you may want to stop reading.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">(As you might have noticed, I dropped the "President" and refer to him just as "Trump". No disrespect is meant by this. It is simply to tighten my verbose writing.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I believe that if you ARE a Christian, Trump should be the LAST person you should adore. And here's why:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let's start with the "stands for family" bit. Trump has the honor of being the President with the MOST divorces - more than any other President in history. To quote the <a href="https://www.elitedaily.com/p/which-presidents-have-been-divorced-its-not-a-long-list-18232000" target="_blank">Elite Daily</a>, "In 1990, Trump's first wife Ivana divorced him after his affair with model Marla Maples was revealed. Trump later married Maples in 1993, three months after she gave birth to their daughter Tiffany Trump. The couple was married for four years until they separated in 1997. That brings us to first lady Melania Trump, previously Melania Knauss, who met Trump at a party in 1998. The couple dated for six years before tying the knot in 2005. Melania gave birth to their son, Barron, nearly a year later." Tiffany was conceived and born out of wedlock. A very Christian ideal indeed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, let's look at his being "pro-life". This may come as a shock, but Trump was pro-choice (for Christians "PRO-ABORTION") up until he decided to run for President in 2015. Why the big change? Did he suddenly decide that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUspLVStPbk&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">every sperm is sacred</a>? Doubtful. More likely he decided that he had a better chance of winning as a Republican than as a Democrat, and running as a pro-choice Republican would not even get him out of the Primaries.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">How about that he stands against evil? Surely, that's a good reason to faun over him. Actually, no. The very Democrats that he calls evil were his brothers and sisters up until he decided to run for President in 2015. Again, see the above paragraph.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The only thing Trump values is Trump. His name is the sweetest sound in the world. That's why he puts it on his steaks and the top of towers. As President, he even refused to use the official @POTUS Twitter account, preferring his @realDonaldTrump account BECAUSE it had his name in it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also find it difficult to "worship" the guy who said it was okay to "grab them by the p*ssy", and use chemical agents against protesters to make a path for him to go to a church he never attended for a photo op of him holding up a Bible UPSIDE DOWN.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think it's not too far from golden toilets to being a "<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2032&version=KJV" target="_blank">golden calf</a>". (I know, he didn't actually have a gold toilet, but it makes this funny!)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Was he an idiot? No. Actually, he was quite smart. One of the main ways to unite people is to give them a common enemy. Trump provided them in truck loads, and his "followers" gobbled them up. One of my Facebook friends made it a point to tell me that they were at the pre-Capitol riot speech and that he did NOT incite the crowd to insurrection. I'm sure the members of Jeremiah Wright's church didn't hear any "god damn America" language either. I got through about half of the transcript of Trump's speech. I gotta say, there was a quite a lot of "enemy" language spouted. Of course, about a quarter of the way through I kept getting mental images of Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0l1lZOkjZBRP9mqGBajJQAkQZ88piIqLqepRdoM1nSrK5wcOrWOWoCtp-w05Lz6kbb4QROO8RycP9HhOicj1_5qV21XyDo0PbVxdJ_ZC045Q3rFBSYhYsmwB7JiARlBbjNmPyMLNKyv0/s480/t75uvvASmejYcsavb1.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0l1lZOkjZBRP9mqGBajJQAkQZ88piIqLqepRdoM1nSrK5wcOrWOWoCtp-w05Lz6kbb4QROO8RycP9HhOicj1_5qV21XyDo0PbVxdJ_ZC045Q3rFBSYhYsmwB7JiARlBbjNmPyMLNKyv0/s320/t75uvvASmejYcsavb1.gif" width="320" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bible says that a person is "…not to think of himself more highly than he ought…" (Romans 12:3). Yet, Trump thought so highly of himself that BEFORE the 2020 election even happened he was stating that he won the election, and the only way he could lose was by voter fraud. Maybe he was a prophet too.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of the 2020 election, I'm not at all surprised that it has become the clusterf*ck that it is. Trump repeatedly told his followers that they should vote in person and not by mail. Since the coronavirus was of no concern to Republicans, all the Democrats would be too scared to go out and vote. And since Democrats would then vote by mail, all of their votes should be considered invalid. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">No surprise then, when after the polls closed many states then started counting the mail-in ballots and most went for Biden. Which is why Trump's "lead" started to disappear. That's not fraud. That's the system working as designed.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">By the way, in the typical "do as I say, not as I do" Trump mentality, he voted <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/19/903886567/trump-while-attacking-mail-voting-casts-mail-ballot-again" target="_blank">BY MAIL</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes to election fraud, I'm going to quote <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/08/19/903886567/trump-while-attacking-mail-voting-casts-mail-ballot-again" target="_blank">NPR</a>: "The largest case of election fraud in recent U.S. history took place during the 2018 midterm elections and involved third-party ballot collection. A GOP operative illegally collected and potentially tampered with ballots in a U.S. House race in North Carolina, eventually leading state authorities to overturn the election results." As you can probably guess, Trump voted by third-party ballot collection for the 2020 election.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, this also means Trump got all his election fraud tips from a reliable source: the GOP! (Or, did the GOP get the tips from Trump? Chicken? Egg?)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">As far as the voter fraud allegations are concerned, Trump and his legal team have failed to provide ANY credible proof of fraud. Oh, they had a lot of theories, but no proof. During that pre-Capitol riot speech he mentioned the list of inmates who voted. To quote Monty Python in "Life of Brian" when Brian said to the crowd, "A man had two sons," and a member of the crowd yelled out, "What were their names?", I ask concerning those inmates, what were their names?</span></p><p>The list of individuals Trump has fired (or have "requested" letters of resignation from - same thing, by the way) since losing the 2020 election is quite extensive. If you weren't completely loyal to him, you were on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-officials-fired-or-resigned-since-election-2020-11" target="_blank">short list</a>. </p><p>As an example of Trump's inability to accept defeat, Chris Krebs, formerly the most senior cybersecurity official, was fired by Trump (via Twitter, no less) when he declared the election secure. Why? Because Trump wanted him to find proof of election tampering and he didn't. Because it's all about Trump, and Trump cannot stand to lose.</p><p>But <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Trump_administration_dismissals_and_resignations" target="_blank">firing people</a> should come as no surprise. I think Trump may still believe he is in his reality show. </p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954836971/dominion-voting-sues-former-trump-lawyer-seeking-1-3-billion-in-damages" target="_blank">Dominion Voting Systems has been so disparaged by Trump and his team, that they are suing</a>. And unlike Trump's legal team, this isn't a frivolous lawsuit. We're talking defamation and slander.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trump says that there is no way "Sleepy Joe" got more votes than him. And I have to agree. There is nothing about Biden that makes one think, "Now THERE'S a leader!" But that's the thing: people didn't vote FOR Biden; they voted AGAINST Trump. In 2016 we had to choose between two terrible candidates. Not so in 2020. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Full discloser: I didn't vote for Biden and I didn't vote for Trump. I believe that voting Democrat or Republican only reinforces bad behavior.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Think about it. In order for the Democrats to overthrow the election in the way Trump says they did, it had to be a coordinated effort that knew WHICH counties would need to be impacted to turn the election, WHICH courts the legal team would file charges against so they could be thrown out, and how to get even the Trump-loving FOX News to admit that Biden won. Seriously, if the Democrats are THAT coordinated, maybe they SHOULD be in charge! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back during the 2016 election, Pastor Max Lucado posted the following to his blog:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I don’t know Mr. Trump. But I’ve been chagrined at his antics. He ridiculed a war hero. He made a mockery of a reporter’s menstrual cycle. He made fun of a disabled reporter. He referred to the former first lady, Barbara Bush as “mommy,” and belittled Jeb Bush for bringing her on the campaign trail. He routinely calls people “stupid,” and “dummy.” One writer catalogued sixty-four occasions that he called someone “loser.” These were not off-line, backstage, overheard, not-to-be-repeated comments. They were publicly and intentionally tweeted, recorded, and presented.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Such insensitivities wouldn’t be acceptable even for a middle school student body election. But for the Oval Office? And to do so while brandishing a Bible and boasting of his Christian faith?" Read the rest <a href="https://maxlucado.com/decency-for-president/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I find Max Lucado a much better example of Christianity than Donald Trump. Go ahead and prove me wrong.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know of quite a few Christians who have left churches over less anti-Christian behavior, yet still suck from the "Trump teat" on a regular basis. (You know who you are...)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m not a perfect example of Christianity. I like the philosophy of "not perfect, but forgiven". The Bible says we are to be "…living epistles, read of all men" (J.P. paraphrase of 2 Cor. 3:2). I don't have a fish symbol on the back of my car because I know how I drive. And I don't have a Trump bumper sticker either!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why do Christians insist that Trump is the best thing since unleavened bread? Maybe it's because they are tired and angry and want a change from the usual. The rhetoric, no matter how divisive, is captivating to them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know. But I can say for certain that the only thing Trump and Jesus have in common is the number of letters in their name.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">©Emittravel 2021</span></p>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-39767931850791749382020-11-15T11:28:00.000-05:002020-11-15T11:28:24.661-05:00Stuff My Brain Says #86<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The big question of late (or, more accurately, as of this writing) is why hasn't President Donald Trump conceded the election to Former Vice President Joe Biden? After all, according to every media outlet, Joe Biden has won enough electoral votes to be "crowned" President Elect. And that should settle it, right?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">On December 14, 2020, the Electors in each state will cast their votes. (<span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Monday after the second Wednesday in December of presidential election years is set [3 U.S.C. §7] as the date on which the electors meet and vote.) </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">(As an aside, I recommend the following: </span></span><span style="color: #202124;">"<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11641" target="_blank">The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline</a>".)</span></p><p>G.K. Chesterton once said that before you remove a fence, you should first determine why it was set up in the first place. </p><p>If the Electoral College does not actually vote until December 14, why is there all of this angst over Donald Trump not calling Joe Biden "President Elect"? From what I can tell, the media is NOT the final arbiter of the election: the Electoral College is. And since the Electoral College does not ACTUALLY vote until December 14, Joe Biden isn't OFFICIALLY the President Elect - no matter which media outlet anoints him.</p><p>I understand the value of transition time. I have friends who have told me that I'm standing against over a hundred years of tradition (that the media declares the winner). Am I a Trump supporter? No. Do I think his grandstanding is a bit childish? Based on the lack of credible evidence to election tampering, yes. But do I think that the law should be circumvented for tradition? NO!</p><p>To quote the linked document above: "January 6, 2021: Joint Session of Congress to Count Electoral Votes and Declare Election Results Meets On January 6, or another date set by law, the Senate and House of Representatives assemble at 1:00 p.m. in a joint session at the Capitol, in the House chamber, to count the electoral votes and declare the results (3 U.S.C. §15). The Vice President presides as President of the Senate. The Vice President opens the certificates and presents them to four tellers, two from each chamber. The tellers read and make a list of the returns. When the votes have been ascertained and counted, the tellers transmit them to the Vice President. If one of the tickets has received a majority of 270 or more electoral votes, the Vice President announces the results, which 'shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of the persons, if any, elected President and Vice President.'"</p><p>Maybe we should ask why all the (apparently) "pomp and circumstance" of an Electoral College voting process, when all we need is for the Associated Press to declare the winner.</p><p>©Emittravel 2020</p><p></p>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-1595530941881920152020-10-31T11:36:00.010-04:002020-11-01T09:59:44.079-05:00Russian Roulette Anyone?<p>I'm angry. Frustrated. Head-ready-to-explode, over-the-border vexed. Can you relate?</p><p>Here in Ohio we have a color-coded chart showing all of the counties and the level of Covid-19 cases. You have no color (no virus, but hey - there aren't any counties at that level), yellow, orange, red, and purple. As of this writing, only two are yellow, some orange, and the majority red. Many of the red counties have an "H" on them to indicate really high levels - borderline purple.</p><p>Now, this sounds like helpful information. You know, maybe we should change our behavior based on the level in our county. </p><p>Yeah. No. </p><p>Shortly after Governor DeWine started having weekly press conferences, he told us of a plan to start reopening the economy based on a tiered structure: if we go 14 days with no or decreasing levels, we would open certain things up. After another 14 days with no or decreasing levels, we would open more things up. If the numbers went up, we would shut things back down.</p><p>Good plan? Yeah. No.</p><p>This plan was ignored. As a matter of fact, it's not even mentioned anymore. Each time the level has gone up in the state, Governor DeWine tells us that now is the time to get serious; wear your masks and practice social distancing. Each time. So, what will he say when we go purple?!? "Now is the time to get serious; wear your masks and practice social distancing. I REALLY REALLY mean it this time."</p><p>My wife and I went to the church recently, where I have the wonderful opportunity to play in the worship team. It's a smaller church that has gone out of its way to make it as safe an environment it can according to recommended guidelines. They've moved the "pews" (chairs) to expand the distance between people. They've added high-filtration filters and have all of the ceiling fans on to move the air. They've added hand sanitizer stations and have someone to check temperatures as people come in. The worship team itself is spread out more, with fewer individuals on the platform. Me? I'm in my favorite spot: the back corner of the platform. </p><p>From my spot I can pretty much see the entire congregation. What I saw added to the frustration I mentioned at the beginning. People came in wearing masks. Yet, some individuals decided to take them off once they got to their seats. It was really noticeable when everyone was singing. </p><p>Now, I understand it is difficult to sing while wearing a mask. As a harmonica player I find it very difficult (that's a joke: I do take my mask off in order to play - but I play mostly with cupped hand and directly into a microphone). Yet, there is another name for singers: "super spreaders". When you sing you not only project more, but you have more, sustained air flow OUT of your mouth than normal breathing/talking.</p><p>Come on, people! God can hear you through your mask!</p><p>Needless to say, even though pre-pandemic my visits were about once a month, we are seriously reconsidering going back - especially since the county is in the red.</p><p>Imagine, if you will, that every time you leave you are playing a round of Russian Roulette. You know, you take a gun, particularly one of those Colt Single Action Revolvers - commonly called a "six-shooter", put a bullet into one chamber, spin the cylinder, point the gun to your head, and pull the trigger. Now, with one bullet, you have a 1-6 chance of blowing your brains out. Why would anyone play this? Because they see a ONLY a 1-6 chance of blowing their brains out. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSTtuMBkTCxInPBl5X3zXA5_J4l-PGjbaCWcvOZ4z4trHQlD7X5KDwY-Muw742yMb9xu0pwhI5_9t3UqGuDyOyNXFcxUPRMg2CNaxh7AkUUR74SWwW75YS7C4enAojOyyZf0h2g4DtVk/s220/tenor.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSTtuMBkTCxInPBl5X3zXA5_J4l-PGjbaCWcvOZ4z4trHQlD7X5KDwY-Muw742yMb9xu0pwhI5_9t3UqGuDyOyNXFcxUPRMg2CNaxh7AkUUR74SWwW75YS7C4enAojOyyZf0h2g4DtVk/s0/tenor.gif" /></a></div><br /><p>Okay, now add a bullet for every level of the virus. No color: one bullet. Yellow: two bullets. Orange: three bullets. Red: four bullets. Purple: five bullets. At what color would you refuse to pick up the gun?</p><p>"But J.P., I do wear a mask when I go out. I even make sure to cover my nose with it. So, I'm good, right?"</p><p>Let's change the game a little bit. You aren't holding the gun. Imagine that every person you are in contact with NOT wearing a mask (or, wearing it incorrectly) is holding the gun to YOUR head. At what color would you stop feeling comfortable going out in public?</p><p>I understand that the economy is important. I understand the virus is important. What I don't understand is why do our "leaders" think it is wise to not just "play footsy" with this pandemic, but "Russian Roulette"?</p><p>Remember, every ASSHOLE out there NOT wearing a mask and keeping their distance is holding the revolver to YOUR head. </p><p>Want to play a game?</p><p>©Emittravel 2020</p>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-71258869233252922452020-08-09T12:40:00.003-04:002020-08-09T12:52:06.424-04:00Check Your Theology At The Door<p>Have you ever wondered whether or not you should take the whole Bible literally? There are many schools of thought. I can't tell you which is correct (though I'm sure some of you think you could), but I can give you something to think about. </p><p><br /></p><p>Long after Charlton Heston told Yul Brynner to "let my people go", God gave the people (through Moses) what has been titled "The Ten Commandments" (NOW do you get the joke?). Another name for The Ten Commandments is "The Great Shalt Nots":</p><p><br /></p><p>"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . . Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain . . . Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy . . . Honour thy father and thy mother . . . Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness . . . Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's (stuff) . . ." (Exodus 20:3-17 [KJV])</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, Jesus came along and gave us a more positive spin on the list: "'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said to him, '"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'" (Matthew 22:36-40 [NKJV])</p><p><br /></p><p>Being that the religious are never satisfied, He was asked, "'. . . And who is my neighbor?' Then Jesus answered and said: 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, "Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you." So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves?' And he said, 'He who showed mercy on him.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Go and do likewise.'" (Luke 10:29b-37 [NKJV])</p><p><br /></p><p>Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? The Samaritan (a person who was despised by the Jews) showed compassion on what appears to be a Jew (being the person was travelling FROM Jerusalem at the time), where other Jews, even a priest and a Levite (one of the 12 tribes of Israel - who happen to be the line of the priesthood) didn't want to become "unclean" by becoming involved.</p><p><br /></p><p>What does Jesus say? "Go and do likewise." Be the neighbor. Realize, this follows the whole, "What is the greatest commandment?" conversation. Or, more accurately, it ties directly into the "What is the greatest commandment?" conversation.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now I ask you: what if the man who fell among thieves was a known homosexual?</p><p><br /></p><p>"But, J.P., he wasn't."</p><p><br /></p><p>Wasn't he? There is no information about the man outside of where he was travelling from and travelling to. Was he an outstanding member of his church? Did he tithe? Was he homosexual? We don't know. Why? Because, apparently to Jesus, it didn't matter. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now, I know many who will say that homosexuality is an abomination, and they will quote the Bible to prove it. Here is where the theological rubber meets the road: How do those verses line up with what Jesus HIMSELF told us were the two greatest commandments?</p><p><br /></p><p>Okay, I lied. I CAN tell you whether or not you can take the whole Bible literally. Ready? </p><p><br /></p><p>Whenever you read something that lines up with the two greatest commandments, that is big "B" Bible. If it doesn't, it is small "b" bible. </p><p><br /></p><p>"What about what Paul wrote in the epistles regarding homosexuality being an abomination?"</p><p><br /></p><p>Small "b" bible. </p><p><br /></p><p>Nowhere in the two greatest commandments or the "Ten Shalt Nots" do you read anything about homosexuality. For God, it is simply not an issue. For (religious, hyper-controlling) people? You get the idea.</p><p><br /></p><p>©Emittravel 2020</p>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-28968187387855004422020-07-26T17:18:00.001-04:002020-07-28T08:05:54.676-04:00Stuff My Brain Says #85Pander: (v) To provide gratification for others' desires (merriam-webster.com)<br />
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Placate: (v) To soothe or mollify, especially by concessions; to appease (merriam-webster.com)<br />
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At this year's Home Opener (July 24, 2020), the Cleveland Indians wore one of their road jerseys instead of the traditional white or red jerseys. It's a beautiful jersey, with CLEVELAND emblazoned across the front. They did this to make a statement: "We care."<br />
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The club has been in talks concerning renaming the team from the "Indians" to something "less offensive". (Last year was the first year their uniforms did not display the Chief Wahoo mascot.) Along with the Washington Redskins (who are also changing their name), the owners of the Indians are looking to do the "right thing".<br />
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I've written about the name change before in reference to the removal of Chief Wahoo. You can browse my blog (or simply search "Wahoo" and "My Humble But Accurate Opinion" in your favorite browser) to read in more detail how I feel about THAT.<br />
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Here's my point: Changing the name of the team, a name that has never been used to disparage, but to honor, does NOTHING to right a wrong. As the definitions above tell you, it is another example of placating; a simple gesture to hopefully show how in touch we are, and how sorry we are, for the bad things we white people have done, without actually doing anything of real value.<br />
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C'mon already. Who are you kidding? You want to do right? Forget renaming teams. GIVE THEM THEIR LAND BACK.<br />
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But hey, that would be going too far, won't it?<br />
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(This post was inspired by a tweet from @ScottJohnson: https://twitter.com/scottjohnson/status/1285803540309348352?s=19)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYdYd1NklRQmp_pz_yhC0VPwpphNsSLfd1bhNsVPOM8lnrgJDL4DpKRfGPdY4crTJZYVRrgCiUv-5UdnDbXnZoszckK0oIU0f6Vf0dk0EhnupDUi5O9av9uV2DbUtzxxcHeD09QbOKNM/s1600/Annotation+2020-07-28+080439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="897" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYdYd1NklRQmp_pz_yhC0VPwpphNsSLfd1bhNsVPOM8lnrgJDL4DpKRfGPdY4crTJZYVRrgCiUv-5UdnDbXnZoszckK0oIU0f6Vf0dk0EhnupDUi5O9av9uV2DbUtzxxcHeD09QbOKNM/s400/Annotation+2020-07-28+080439.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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©Emittravel 2020-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-492398915351451922020-06-01T19:45:00.001-04:002020-06-01T19:45:39.892-04:00Stuff My Brain Says #84<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." - Amendment I, U.S. Constitution</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This past weekend marks a sad day in American history. People all over the country got together to "petition the government for a redress of grievances." Primarily, they were protesting the death of George Floyd, who died when in the custody of the Minneapolis police. However, many of those protests shifted from "peaceably" to violent; including destruction of property and looting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">These types of protests need to stop. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are a few considerations:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every person needs to register prior to attending any protest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every person needs to publicly display their name on their clothing during the protest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">No wearing of black clothing and NO hoodies allowed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every person will go through a checkpoint prior to attending the protest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you fail to comply with the above you will be arrested and removed from the assembly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, let me address the whys:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Many of the reports I read and videos I saw were concerning hooded individuals initiating the violence, destruction of property, and looting (what does the looting of a Target have to do with #BlackLivesMatter I have no idea). In Cleveland, over 60 people were arrested for aggravated rioting, vandalism, disorderly conduct and curfew violations. Some of those individuals were not from Cleveland. If every person is registered, publicly wearing their name, and are not hidden behind dark clothing and hoods, the chances of someone starting a riot are greatly diminished. And the checkpoints will guarantee no one is carrying a weapon or clothing they can use to disguise their identities (you have to go through checkpoints to get into Cleveland Indians games after all).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"But J.P., don't you know that we have a right to protest? It's in the 1st Amendment that you posted at the top of this article."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Read it again. It says you have the right to PEACEABLY assemble. Not riot. Not destroy property. Not bludgeon people with two-by-fours (yes, I saw that video too). PEACEABLY assemble.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - Preamble to the U.S. Constitution</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the preamble above shows, the concept of the Constitution, and the Amendments contained therein, are based on the intention of a CIVILIZED SOCIETY. IF you choose to behave uncivilized, you LOSE that right. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't agree? Go commit a felony, go to jail, serve your time, and try to vote. Why can't a felon vote? Because the act of the felony (an uncivilized act) DISQUALIFIES the person from the rights of a citizen in a civilized society. You know, part of the "domestic Tranquility".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When the violence and destruction become the news, the meaning of your protest is no longer the news. So, if you therefore have no desire for your message to be heard, you don't protest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you can't act like adults, you should be treated as the unruly children you are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">©Emittravel 2020</span>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-24720285482168001822020-04-19T13:45:00.000-04:002020-04-19T13:47:54.411-04:00If Everything Is A Crisis . . . What do all of these have in common?<br />
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Global Cooling<br />
H1N1<br />
Swine Flu<br />
Killer Bees<br />
Avian Flu<br />
Y2K<br />
SARS<br />
Global Warming a.k.a. Man-Made Climate Change a.k.a. Climate Change a.k.a. Climate Crisis<br />
2012 (Mayan Calendar)<br />
MERS<br />
Donald Trump and the 2016 Presidential Election<br />
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Ready? Oh, this is so easy that you're gonna kick yourself if you missed it: According to the media (and our political "leaders"), we were all GONNA DIE!!<br />
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That's right. The above list is just a sampling of the things that the media cried over. And to show just how intellectual the elite media are, they would use (and still use) a word coined in 1475 to label anyone who would not whole-hardheartedly agree with them: denier.<br />
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Today we are in the midst of a real pandemic. One not seen here in the United States since 1918. And it may actually be serious. Oh, I'm not being a "denier" of the coronavirus. Not in the least. But, I'm wondering HOW serious it might actually be. As of today, the stats are as follows:<br />
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The first case reported in the US: 1/22/2020<br />
February 1: 8<br />
March 1: 42 (2 deaths)<br />
April 1: 212,747 (4,746 deaths)<br />
April 18: 724,895 (34,178 deaths)<br />
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As an Ohioan, the first three cases were reported on 3/9/2020<br />
April 1: 2,547 (65 deaths)<br />
April 18: 10,222 (451 deaths)<br />
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Looking at the stats, things seem quite grim. The numbers are exponentially rising when it comes to confirmed cases and especially deaths. And yet, both President Trump and Governor DeWine (and I'm sure many others) are looking at slowly lifting the quarantines that have been slowing the spread of the disease. I can't talk about the impact upon the economy at an individual level, as my wife is a public school teacher working from home and I work in a company that supports the telecommunications industry (therefore, "essential"), so we are both working (thank you Lord). However, on the macro level, the impact has been substantial. Yet, after only about a month of quarantine (here in Ohio), is it really advisable to start lifting it? Can the hospitals handle the possible increase in cases? Do we have the supplies? Are people willing to keep their distance and wear masks? How serious is this?<br />
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Now, the media has been ever vigilant in their reporting of how terrible a job President Trump has done when it comes to this. Mainly, because he was a "denier" initially. To be honest, I don't blame him.<br />
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Please scroll back to the top and review that list.<br />
<br />
Now, take a deep breath.<br />
<br />
Let it out slowly.<br />
<br />
I blame the media. It is their fault and they should be held responsible for every occurrence and EVERY DEATH from this pandemic. And here's why:<br />
<br />
I'm a big fan of two Microsoft Office Suite products: OneNote and Outlook (the desktop version). When writing an email in Outlook, you can choose the priority of the message as High, Normal, and Low. All emails are Normal by default. I had a coworker that would send every email as High priority. Do you know what happens when all emails are sent as High priority? NONE of them are High priority.<br />
<br />
That's our media. Everything is a crisis and we should pay attention to them because they are more knowledgeable than you and therefore are the arbiters of truth. Horsepuckies!<br />
<br />
To be more accurate, they are more like the "<a href="https://fablesofaesop.com/the-boy-who-cried-wolf.html" target="_blank">The Boy Who Cried Wolf</a>".<br />
<br />
They have always been more concerned with selling advertising dollars than reporting the news. And because everything has been a crisis, nothing is a crisis. And they are surprised when people are not listening when there is a REAL "wolf"?!?<br />
<br />
I'm no expert. This is nothing but My Humble But Accurate Opinion. And yet, maybe, just maybe, we should keep our distance for a bit longer.<br />
<br />
And stop listening to the media when they cry, "Wolf!"<br />
<br />
©Emittravel 2020-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-8572446908475266162020-02-16T16:15:00.000-05:002020-02-16T16:15:44.325-05:00Kill The GooseAccording to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Adams" target="_blank">Douglas Adams</a>, the answer to "Life, The Universe, And Everything" is "42". But, according to the MLB, 42 is also the answer to "death": as in the number of Minor League teams on the chopping block.<br />
<br />
As I write this, my wife and I are recovering from hosting our 5th annual "Pitchers & Catchers Report Party": a celebration of the start of a new season of baseball, and a chance for family and friends to get together and gab and eat summer food on a below-freezing day. With her parents recent return to Ohio, this was a fun time for both sets of parents to hang out as well.<br />
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During the party, along with food, we had a game from September playing in the background. At one point I was called over by both dads who told me that they would be enjoying future ball games right here. They said that there was good food, great parking, and great seats to watch the game.<br />
<br />
I think they had something there.<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard the story of the goose that laid the golden eggs? The farmer found he had a goose that would lay one golden egg every day. Due to his greed, he cut the goose open to get all the eggs at once - effectively killing the goose.<br />
<br />
That farmer and the MLB have something in common.<br />
<br />
I read a recent article that made the argument that the MLB needed not only a new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioner_of_Baseball" target="_blank">Commissioner of Baseball</a>, but a new commissioner like the old commissioners. Back in 1921, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis became the first commissioner. He was brought in partially due to what become the "Black Sox Scandal", where he banned eight ballplayers from the game for life!<br />
<br />
"Regardless of the verdict of juries, no player who throws a ballgame, no player that undertakes or promises to throw a ballgame, no player that sits in conference with a bunch of crooked players and gamblers where the ways and means of throwing a game are discussed and does not promptly tell his club about it, will ever play professional baseball."<br />
<br />
That action, though harsh, helped keep the game respectable, and helped the game to continue to grow.<br />
<br />
Landis' focus was for the good of the game. He balanced the interest of players, owners, and fans to the best of his ability. That was a trait that followed for commissioners after him.<br />
<br />
Current commissioners however, especially the last two, have focused on what is best for the owners exclusively. Okay, maybe they haven't kicked the players out, but they sure have left the fans out in the rain.<br />
<br />
One of the things that has been proposed by the current commissioner (Robert Manfred) is the elimination of 42 Minor League clubs, with the hopes of expanding the Major League clubs by two. The reason? Money, of course. And by money, I mean money for the owners of the Major League clubs.<br />
<br />
Lest you think I'm rambling here, let me tie all these threads together.<br />
<br />
According to our dads, access to games, good food, great seats, and easy parking all add up to a great baseball experience. You know what that sounds like to me? They aren't talking about going to a Major League park! Sounds like a Minor League experience to me! You know, where you don't have to fight traffic, all seats are good (even the "nosebleed"), the parking is easy, and you don't have to take out a loan to go! And according to Mr. Manfred, there will be 42 less places for people to enjoy that kind of baseball.<br />
<br />
For some people, a Minor League park is the only way they can take their family to a game. Partly due to finances; partly due to inaccessibility to Major League ballparks.<br />
<br />
In 2019, my wife and I attended four Major League games (one at home and three in Canada while on vacation). In comparison, we went to six Minor League games. I can guarantee you, we spent far less money, and had JUST as good a time, at the six Minor League games than we did at the four Major League games. And those Minor League players played the game just as hard and with just as much passion as their Major League affiliates. And that means, in 2020, we plan on going to even MORE Minor League games.<br />
<br />
The MLB owners are so money focused that they are willing to kill 42 geese. That's a lot of golden eggs they are throwing away, all for greed.<br />
<br />
Let's not dash the dreams of multitudes of children to one day step up to the batters' box by keeping them from enjoying the game. Especially ones they and their families can actually attend!<br />
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©Emittravel 2020-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-81664005943082772252019-12-29T13:39:00.000-05:002019-12-29T14:05:32.351-05:00Major League - With a Minor in MarketingOn December 28, 2019, Paul J. Caputo - a.k.a. "<a href="http://count2baseball/" target="_blank">Baseball and Ice Cream</a>" on Twitter - posted the following tweet:<br />
<br />
"<a href="https://twitter.com/Count2Baseball/status/1210655589992284160?s=19" target="_blank">It's the #BaseballSolstice, friends! We're exactly halfway from the last out of the World Series to the first pitch of Spring Training games. WE'RE DOING THIS!</a>"<br />
<br />
For lovers of baseball, this kind of thing brings a rush to the bloodstream. And it got me curious as to what changes the MLB has in store in its efforts to bring more fans to the game. So I did a little interwebs walking and found out a few things. Here are a couple of the highlights:<br />
<ul>
<li>This will be the first season since the 1940s that WGN-TV will neither broadcast Chicago Cubs nor White Sox games, along with both teams not having local free over-the-air broadcasters. Cubs games will exclusively be televised on the Marquee Sports Network, while White Sox games will air exclusively on NBC Sports Chicago. WFLD will continue to broadcast any national games from Fox involving either or both teams.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A pitcher must face at least three batters, unless the inning ends or the pitcher is injured.</li>
</ul>
(Both of the above were from a really good <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Major_League_Baseball_season#Rule_changes" target="_blank">Wikipedia article</a>.)<br />
<br />
Again, I'm looking at these as changes that will bring more into the fandom of baseball. You see, some folks in the MLB organization think that the game is too slow for today's fans, and young folk are not interested in the game. I think they are missing the point.<br />
<br />
Lets look at the first one: this one effects the Cubs and White Sox broadcasting. What this does is give special licensing rights (also known as $$$ to the MLB) to a certain network.<br />
<br />
And here is the other: A pitcher must face at least three batters, unless the inning ends or the pitcher is injured.<br />
<br />
As Cleveland Indians fans are aware, there is a strategy that coaches like Terry Francona like to employ, and that is using your bullpen to compete against the opposing team's lineup; which sometimes means bringing in a particular pitcher to face a particular batter - and changing them out afterwards.<br />
<br />
The idea for the change is that every time you change a pitcher the game slows down. And nothing is more important than speeding up the game.<br />
<br />
Now, both of these changes are going to have the OPPOSITE effect than planned. And here is why:<br />
<br />
There are several age groups of fans: kids (brought to games by or watching on TV with their parents), adults (with or without kids), and older - retired - fans. The one group I didn't list was the young adults in or just graduating from college. These are the "cream" that the MLB is trying to get interested in the game. The problem is that the majority of these young adults are not dropping money into a cable subscription. Which means, they either watch the games on local TV (just eliminated for Cubs and White Sox fans) or by paying for special app access to those networks that do broadcast the games (which, from what I've experienced, need a cable subscription to login).<br />
<br />
The other issue is the cost of the games to attend. The ticket prices are so expensive, that unless you want the "nosebleed" section - where it's better to stay home and watch if you want to SEE anything - you are dropping quite a bit of cash. Add to that concessions and perhaps parking, and it's an expensive night on the town.<br />
<br />
So, what should the MLB do? Well, for starters, since they have stated that money is not an issue, they should be able to lower those ticket prices. Where do I get that? Well, every time I'm in my living room watching a game and there is a pitching change they go to a commercial break. Since they are eliminating how often a pitching change can take place, they are stating that they DON'T NEED THOSE ADVERTISING DOLLARS. That eliminates one barrier for young folk to get to the game.<br />
<br />
The other thing they can do is eliminate all of those exclusive broadcasting rights (a.k.a. "blackout conditions"). I was foolish one year and purchased the MLB Regular Season Package. What did that give me? Access to regular season games via online streaming (phone, tablet, Roku, etc.) EXCEPT for the Cleveland Indians (my home team). Those games were unavailable due to blackout conditions. Which means that I wasn't able to watch them without a cable subscription.<br />
<br />
Every time a game is available only on a special network, you eliminate eyes from watching the game AND missed eyes to watch those precious advertisements. Of course, the idea of the blackout is to encourage people to come to the ballpark . . . if they can afford the ticket price . . .<br />
<br />
The MLB needs to reevaluate their marketing. If they really want to get more fans interested in the game, and keep them interested for years to come, they need to be less penny wise and dollar foolish. They are so desperate for those pennies now that they are losing the many dollars of the future.<br />
<br />
But then again, maybe that 20-second pitch clock is the solution . . .<br />
<br />
©Emittravel 2019-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-32480303185275328702019-10-06T15:23:00.000-04:002019-10-06T15:23:22.926-04:00"Don't Panic!" - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every issue facing the world can be directly linked to climate change (crisis) and the timeline seems to keep getting shorter for the end of the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"We only have 11 years to cut our emissions in half." - Elizabeth Warren - September 5, 2019 Climate Town Hall</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I remember in the 1970s that we were doomed due to the impact of global COOLING. If we didn't change our ways immediately (changes which always seemed connected to redistributing wealth from one group to another) we would be thrust into another ice age!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"There's one issue that will define the contours of this century more dramatically than any other, and that is the urgent threat of a changing climate." - Barack Obama</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems that everywhere you turn you hear people crying that the world is about to end and it is our fault. Unless we make drastic changes we are all going to die!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" - Chicken Little</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Did you know that the world was going to end by a great flood? That was predicted to take place on February 25, 1524, when the planets would be in alignment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The world was going to end in 1843. This was predicted by William Miller in 1831. When it didn't happen, he recalculated and determined it to take place in 1844. No dice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1910, Halley's comet was to pass earth in such close proximity that it was believed that it would destroy the planet. "Comet May Kill All Earth Life, Says Scientist."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How about when Harold Camping "accurately" predicted the end times - 12 times. Never happened, but he did sell a lot of books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And of course, we can't forget when John Cusack and a few daring individuals helped save a large number of people when the Mayan Calendar marked the end of the world on December 21, 2012. Oh wait. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190080/" target="_blank">That was a movie.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We humorously dismiss the above because they were mostly the rantings of the religious - not the true believers we have today in science. But my question is, should we?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning the enforcement of the Espionage Act of 1917 (Schenck v. United States), Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. gave us the famous quote concerning shouting fire in a crowded theater. It is thought to be one of the first opinions that directly limited the 1st Amendment's "freedom of speech" clause to not allow people to cause panic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe we need to implement that and make people responsible for the things they say.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For instance: if a person gets placed on parole and then goes out and commits a crime, the people on the parole board should be held accountable. After all, by letting the person out of prison they are stating that they believe the public is in no danger. Is that a stretch? Well, look at it this way: aren't they accomplices to a crime?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What if it was made clear that if anyone - politicians included - were to make statements, especially those that create panic (see those at the top of this article for examples), they will be held responsible if they DON'T come to pass?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bible tells us that you can tell a false prophet by the fact that what they profess does not come to pass (and therefore should be punished - see Jeremiah 14:15)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that includes the panic induced behind the statements of climate change criers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, and to correctly quote Justice Holmes, Jr.: "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man FALSELY shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic. [...] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger . . . "</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To all of you Chicken Littles out there: be warned. Your #MeToo-type moment is coming!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">©Emittravel 2019</span>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-56210176220052884052019-09-08T19:03:00.001-04:002019-09-08T19:03:23.048-04:00It Ain't Illegal If I Don't Get Caught<span style="font-family: inherit;">What do the following words have in common:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Gay</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Terrible</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ejaculate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bad</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sick</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Congressman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Each of the above originally had a different meaning/usage than it does today. "Gay" used to mean "happy", "terrible" used to mean "awe inspiring", and "ejaculate" meant "exclaim". You get the idea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The title of this post is an expression that basically means, "if a law is not enforced, it isn't a law". Ever catch someone go through a red traffic light and don't get stopped? Did they break the law? Sure they did. But, since it wasn't enforced, it "really" wasn't broken was it? Or, if you read my last post, "<a href="https://nocturnecsh.blogspot.com/2019/09/quit-playing-with-yourself-and-drive.html" target="_blank">Quit Playing With Yourself and Drive!!</a>", driving while on your cellphone is not really illegal either - if it isn't enforced.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is another level that I think needs addressed: If a law does not apply equally, it is not a law.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every couple of years I read through the Federalist Papers. Not an exciting read, but worthwhile nonetheless. In Federalist LVII "The Alleged Tendency of the New Plan to Elevate the Few at the Expense of the Many", I read the following:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"If this spirit shall ever be so far debased as to tolerate a law not obligatory on the Legislature, as well as on the People, the People will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The argument was that if the Legislature were to make laws that did not apply to themselves, the people would not stand for it. Sorry to say that that turned out to be false.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many laws that Congress has passed that they have exempted themselves from. Here are a few:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970" - this applies to "any person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees". Under the acts definitions, the term employer "does not include the United States" - which means Congress. Too bad if you get hurt on the job.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)" - this provides a statutory right of access to a wide range of government information to allow citizens to be informed of government affairs. The House and Senate stand by certain "privileges" that have roots in the Constitution, which allows them to not have to disclose certain things to the public.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"18 U.S. Code 208" - The principal financial conflict of interest law for Federal employees - prohibits officers and employees of the executive branch from taking any official action on something that would </span>provide<span style="font-family: inherit;"> personal financial gain. This does NOT apply to any elected officials of the Federal Government - so Congress, the President, the Vice President, and Federal judges are exempt. Since Martha Stewart was not one of the above, she went to jail for insider trading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(The above examples were pulled from <a href="https://archives-democrats-rules.house.gov/Archives/jcoc2ai.htm">https://archives-democrats-rules.house.gov/Archives/jcoc2ai.htm</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Reminds me of the bonehead from "Lethal Weapon II" shouting "Diplomatic immunity" whenever he broke the law.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where am I going with all of this? According to the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 9: "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you apply privileges of royalty onto an existing title, doesn't that equal the granting of a title of nobility?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Calling someone "Congressman" - with all of their privileges and exemptions - like "gay", "terrible", and "ejaculate" - no longer fits the original definition and should be held accountable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">©Emittravel 2019</span>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-60326162177630712502019-09-01T12:47:00.000-04:002019-09-02T07:51:12.103-04:00Quit Playing With Yourself and Drive!!<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not sure about you, but as I traverse the highways and biways of our great land, I notice that more and more people are driving with one hand on the steering wheel and their eyes focused on their laps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I ride a motorcycle (as much as Ohio weather permits). Seeing the above has the unfortunate result of my butt cheeks firmly grasping the seat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Did you know that all citizens of Israel have to spend approximately two years in national military service? Not only does that provide support for the security of the country, but it also provides some great skills: weapons handling, critical thinking, and a better sense of alertness for life happening around you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Makes me think that everyone should be required to obtain a motorcycle license and drive one before/along with an automobile license. This would provide some great skills as well. Primarily, an alertness for life happening around you and a RESPECT for others on the road. As a rider, you are very alert of those around you who are not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Officer: I pulled you over because you are driving recklessly. You are sitting at traffic lights after they go green so long that cars behind you are honking. That increases road rage, which leads to accidents. You are also drifting outside of your lane and not maintaining an assured clear distance from the car in front of you. Also, it is illegal to drive while texting, surfing the internet, checking Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Driver: But officer. I wasn't on my phone. Seriously. I would never drive illegally.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Officer: Okay. Then if you must play with yourself, please pull over. Don't drive distracted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because, you know, if you are driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other is in your lap, and your attention is focused on that hand in said lap, you are either on your phone or playing with yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do us a favor: If you are doing either, please pull over and finish. Your vehicle weighs (on average) between 2,979 and 4,366 pounds (1,354 and 1,985 kilograms). If you are driving 40 mph (since I'm sure 35 mph is just a suggested speed limit) (oh, and this stat comes from <a href="http://www.driveandstayalive.com/">www.driveandstayalive.com</a>), it will take about 120 FEET to come to a complete stop on DRY pavement (that includes 40 feet just thinking about stopping - when you ARE paying attention).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please don't be an idiot or a pervert. Drive!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">©Emittravel 2019</span>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-24390281605426624692019-08-25T18:10:00.000-04:002019-08-25T18:10:13.877-04:00I'm Not Dead Yet. I Think I'll Go For a Walk. (You're Not Fooling Anyone.)<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hi folks. Remember me? Yeah. I'm the guy who writes in order to stem the tide of migraine/stress headaches. I know, it's been quite a while since I've written. No, my head hasn't exploded (thankfully!) Just a busy summer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why the hiatus? My wife is a public school teacher. I've talked about her and her job in previous posts. You know that even though she gets "three months", with the end of school for the previous year and the prep for the next, that more or less rounds down to one month of vacation. That means we take advantage of as much of that as we can. That includes baseball. A lot of baseball. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Side note:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In about a two-week period, I got to attend SEVEN (count 'em, SEVEN) baseball games that were directly related to the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays. We went on a vacation where we got to see the Columbus Clippers (AAA Indians) play the Buffalo Bisons (AAA Blue Jays) for two games, followed by a three-game series of the Indians against the Blue Jays IN Toronto. After returning to work I got to attend the company picnic where the Akron Rubber Ducks (AA Indians) played the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA Blue Jays). On the very next Friday, my wife and I went to see (for the first time) the Lake County Captains (A Indians) play the Lansing Lugnuts (A Blue Jays). That is a complete circuit: A, AA, AAA, and Majors! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anywho. With most of our weekends tied up with my wife's school work, and the winding down of the 2019 baseball season, getting back into the swing of writing should not be too difficult.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What to expect? More of the same off-kilter rantings you've come to look forward to. Here's a short example to close out this post:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Back during the 2016 Presidential Election, Gary Johnson (Libertarian) was excluded from the Presidential Debates - primarily due to the FACT that the commission that controls the debates is made up of Republicans and Democrats, and they didn't want the distraction of a viable third-party candidate mucking up the works (think Ross Perot in 1992). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though I can't say I'm glued to the screen during the Democrat debates, I have to wonder: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why is Bernie Sanders - Senator from Vermont with a big letter "I" (which does NOT stand for "Democrat") after his name, in the debates? He is NOT a Democrat. There is NO reason for him to be on the platform, except for the hope of boosting ratings - which helps with advertising dollars, which is the PURPOSE of these debates in the first place!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Does this mean that ANY person who fits the criteria for the Democrat debates (polling and fundraising) can participate? Let's hope this is remembered if there is another viable third-party candidate come the 2020 elections!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">©Emittravel
2019</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-56821462883403050462019-03-31T18:21:00.000-04:002019-04-02T15:18:46.439-04:00A Rest Stop on the Journey<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Peace. Spiritually, I’m at peace.</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not much has changed for me concerning my post-sabbatical journey. I no longer attend the church I had been a member of for more years than I can count off the top of my head. That’s not new. I read the bible a lot less than I did, <a href="https://nocturnecsh.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-holy-quartet.html" target="_blank">mainly due to its standing in my life</a>. That’s not new either. And I try to take religion a whole lot less seriously than I did before. And that’s not new either.</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess what has changed is that I’ve grown comfortable. I don’t feel that my “radical” beliefs are all that radical anymore, and that I can and do “fellowship” with other Christians in a straightforward, honest, and still loving manner. I don’t have the nagging feeling that the other shoe is going to drop and I’m going to find myself in a spiritual tailspin (I know I’m mixing metaphors, but bear with me.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Part of that is most likely due to the generous acceptance of some friends who have welcomed me into their group (worship team). You see, the one thing I never lost before, during, and after my sabbatical is my desire to worship God. Even though I don’t believe the bible to be a co-equal member of the Godhead anymore, I still desire to give honor and praise unto the One who holds all of existence in His hands. For many years I’ve played harmonica, percussion, and provided bass harmonies in a worship environment. Leaving that former church left me without the avenue to express my love for God with those “gifts”. And again, thanks to the generous acceptance of some friends, I have again the ability to do just that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does that mean I am once again in full attendance at a church? No. These friends have accepted me where I am and allow me to join them whenever I can. At the moment that is about once a month. Sometimes more, but pretty much just that. I don’t think it will ever become a weekly thing again. And to be honest, I really don’t think I could go back to a weekly thing anymore.</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that’s okay.</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Did I mention I was at peace?</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">© Emittravel 2019</span></span></div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-63565181441435965642019-02-24T15:05:00.001-05:002019-02-24T15:05:26.672-05:00Maybe the Game Isn’t Broken After All<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For us fans of baseball, Spring Training marks the beginning of one of the most exciting seasons of the year (“officially”, Spring doesn’t arrive here in Cleveland until after the first Indians home game . . . ) As far as Major League Baseball (MLB) is concerned, the game is losing its excitement with the public and all kinds of changes are in the works to bring that excitement back.</span></span><br />
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A 20-second pitch clock has been in the works, along with a three batter per pitcher change. Those, amongst other rumors, are ideas that are supposed to make the game more thrilling. Of course, if you measure baseball against the last Super Bowl, a rain delay is more thrilling.
Another item of interest is the destiny of several players stuck in free agency limbo. A favorite of mine, Bryce Harper, formerly of the Washington Nationals, is still waiting for a contract with a new team. The Philadelphia Phillies are currently the front runner in the pursuit of adding a locker with Harper’s name on it.
Lest you think I’m just rambling here, there is a connection.
According to an article by Todd Zolecki (<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/bryce-harper-phillies-meet-in-las-vegas" target="_blank">Phils being deliberate in pursuit of Harper</a> - February 23, 2019), Scott Boras, Harper’s manager, is looking to “obliterate Manny Machado’s 10-year, $300 million contract … and Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year, $325 million contract”.
Look at those numbers for a second.
Okay, now take another look at those numbers. Starting to feel a bit uneasy?
Maybe the MLB is wrong. Baseball is not losing its thrill. Maybe baseball is pricing itself out of business.
My wife and I recently finished watching the Ken Burns’ “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Baseball</a>” documentary. (Warning: it is awesome, but will make you very angry at times.) One of the big issues in baseball’s history was the fact that the owners made all the money, and the players got bupkis. It was one of the factors that resulted in the 1919 World Series scandal where a number of players from the Chicago White Sox threw games to make extra money from gamblers.
Times have changed. Players are no longer, for the most part, struggling financially. But as it is with many things, the pendulum has swung the other way. Oh, the owners aren’t struggling now, but the money many players make make most CEOs jealous.
(Funny, people complain when a CEO makes a lot of money providing jobs and helping the company be successful, but don’t seem to mind when millions are dumped upon those who entertain us.)
For us regular folk, earning that many dollars in our lifetimes makes no cents. If we took every dollar earned (talking gross, not even net) and did not spend a single dime of it (including food, shelter, clothing - you know, basics), we would still not see those kinds of numbers by 65 years old.
I understand that a ballplayer’s career is limited, so earning as much as possible during those years is only wise. But the end of a baseball career does not mean the end of earned income during their remaining years.
Maybe the reason people aren’t filling the stadium seats has nothing to do with the game on the field, but the cost to go there and enjoy the game. Unless you want a nosebleed seat, you may find yourself paying out the nose. Add to that parking, feeding your family, and a souvenir or two, and a day at the park can be a once in summer event.
Instead of changing the game itself, maybe it’s time to seriously look at the salaries. Maybe it’s time that a little fat be trimmed.
And, in case you think that cutting salaries would mean the end of the game, you need to spend time at some farm team games. Those guys understand making bupkis and STILL play the game.
Let’s make “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” more of a financial possibility, and the excitement of the game will take care of itself.
© Emittravel 2019</span></span></div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-38784185933979775132019-01-20T18:15:00.000-05:002019-01-20T18:15:05.076-05:00C'Mon, It's Only (Our) Money!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I write this, the U.S. Government is currently in the longest shutdown in history. “<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_federal_funding_gaps" target="_blank">Since 1976 . . . the United States Federal Government has had funding gaps on 20 occasions.</a>”</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have been keeping score, 20 times (I counted 22 times - where a deadline for funding was missed and a “new” shutdown started) since 1976, the folks we keep sending to Washington outspend their agreed upon budgets.
Before 1976, the last time the government shut down over funding was in 1933, and before that 1790. So, before Jimmy Carter, the Federal Government shut down twice. SINCE Jimmy Carter, the Federal Government shut down 22 times.
You can whine all you want about President Trump and his wall, but the problem you SHOULD be complaining about is that the Federal Government, regardless of the party holding the reins, has driven this wagon right over the financial cliff multiple times.
And it seems like their aim for that cliff just keeps on improving.
The Federal Government has never met a dollar they didn’t like . . . TO SPEND!!
Will somebody please explain to me how “Democratic Socialists” like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders can hoodwink a large number of American citizens to think their “Dire Straits” programs (“Money for nuthin’ and your chicks for free”) can ever work?!?
With both the Democrats and Republicans bankrupting the country trying to provide “a car in every pot and two chickens in every garage” (or something like that), how are we supposed to “Make America Great Again”?!?
Maybe we should force these bozos to do what the rest of us have to do: live within our means.
Because sooner or later, the piper needs to be paid.
© Emittravel 2019</span></span></div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-43104077929704563032018-11-04T13:08:00.000-05:002018-11-04T13:28:58.930-05:00Whatever Happened to Aleppo?<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Follow the money.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-1515b20d-7fff-3653-d43f-d74d1d90b399" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s a short phrase with a lot of impact. If you keep it in the back of your mind, it will help answer a lot of questions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why does healthcare cost so much? Follow the money.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who benefits from this particular legislation? Follow the money.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why all the vitriol over this person or issue? Follow the money.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m hearing a lot of conversation over free speech, hate speech, social media, fake news, and election impact. How many times is Mark Zuckerberg going to stand before a government to explain what he is doing in these areas? And, to be honest, why should he?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow the money.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This goes back many, many years, but for the sake of this post, let’s keep it to the more recent past. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2016, Donald Trump beat the “favorite”, Hillary Clinton, in the race for President. According to the talking heads of the “major” media outlets, this should NOT have happened. And since it did, there MUST have been some kind of interference in the election process. We’ve blamed the Russians for meddling. We’ve blamed “fake news” for meddling. And we’ve blamed social media for allowing all of this meddling to take place. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And it’s bullsh*t. Follow the money.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Clinton campaign spent about $72 million on television ads and about $16 million on digital ads. The Trump campaign spent about $39 million on television ads and about $29 million on digital ads. Oh, and according to talking heads, the Russians spent about $100,000 (that’s thousand - not million) on Facebook ads.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, let’s look at the impact. Apparently, $100,000 of Russian ads had MORE impact on the election than the Clinton $16 million and the Trump $29 million. Does that make sense to you? And since Facebook “allowed” those ads, it must be Zuckerberg’s fault. Thus his CSPAN performances.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, if the impact of Russia was, in reality, NOT the impact the Democrats (and some Republicans) are saying, what’s all the crying about? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Follow the money.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who traditionally benefits the most from political advertising dollars? The “mainstream” media: newspapers, television, and direct mail. Who has the potential to LOSE the most IF social media proves to have the most impact over elections? The same “mainstream” media. So, who do you think are holding the Democrat and Republican parties feet to the flames? You guessed it: the “mainstream” media. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There is a </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">reciprocal relationship here. The Democrats and Republicans spend MILLIONS on advertising and the same outlets provide untold HOURS of FREE advertising by talking incessantly about them on their "news" shows. (Which is another reason third-party candidates are shut out. More on that later.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here’s a question: Why the concern over “fake news” being spread on social media, when traditional campaign advertising is FULL of lies, slander, and false statements (which, conveniently, is considered “protected speech” for politicians)?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The answer is simple. If more impact can be had via social media without the spend (only $45 million for digital vs. $111 million for televised), why would anybody spend so much over the “mainstream” media outlets? Thus the “war” on free speech, and the rise of what is considered “hate speech”. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpIDbcNIzB5QNxRFNzrf2-Bqa2N4f0Ldv61U4KATs7fVJhRsW_GsMqxJCzn8SBOPOBa2oHw2OzgcsqnaYuERNQ5mYE4qQQsLSI_opwptywXfwyHAQ5LD_RGQ10gWUSIoPTHyTc2TtJXM/s1600/20181104_112350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpIDbcNIzB5QNxRFNzrf2-Bqa2N4f0Ldv61U4KATs7fVJhRsW_GsMqxJCzn8SBOPOBa2oHw2OzgcsqnaYuERNQ5mYE4qQQsLSI_opwptywXfwyHAQ5LD_RGQ10gWUSIoPTHyTc2TtJXM/s400/20181104_112350.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The Bird loves political ads as much as we do!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There will come a time when the traditional media outlets will find themselves with a voice and no ears listening to it. It’s already happening. Back during the campaign, there was a third-party candidate that was taking a major chunk of the voting block by the ear. That was Libertarian Party member Gary Johnson. Now, as we know, there can only be two parties that you can vote between: Democrat and Republican. They not only get your tax dollars to run their campaigns, but they also control who can be in the televised debates, who shows up in polls (and what is reported by the “mainstream” media about those poll results), and who ultimately can show up on the ballot. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During a “mainstream” media interview, Gary Johnson was asked about what he thought about Aleppo. He famously responded, “What’s Aleppo?” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He quickly became a laughing stock - with that response being played over and over and over again. Now, when the interviewer clarified that it was a city in Syria, Johnson replied with a well-thought out and intelligent response. Didn’t matter. They got him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What that little slice of baloney showed was Johnson had a good grasp on the goings on in the Middle East, but did NOT look to the “mainstream” media for his briefings. Shame on him! You know what? Until that interview, I had never heard of Aleppo either. Thus the reason the game is called “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trivial_Pursuit" target="_blank">TriviaL Pursuit</a>”. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever happened to Aleppo? I don’t remember really hearing much about it after that. Syria, yes. The Middle East, yes. But Aleppo? Nada.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You have to understand, the Democrats, Republicans, and the “Fourth Estate” believe that YOU, the general populous, are nothing more than slow-minded children that need to be told what to think, how to think, and what is important. You need to be protected from yourself. You can’t make decisions on your own. The great trio will guide you to Nirvana (the transcendent state, not the rock band). They can’t have you making decisions, or worse yet, having intelligent conversations, over the major issues (in other words, “candidates”) on your own.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, follow the money. As Tony Montana said, “In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.” (“<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/" target="_blank">Scarface</a>”)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or the votes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">© Emittravel 2018</span></span></div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-25496422048337632152018-10-09T14:19:00.000-04:002018-10-14T17:19:02.898-04:00And the Bottom of the Ninth to You!<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today (20181008) the 2018 baseball season has come to a close for the Cleveland Indians. They lost the five-game series in the first three games against the Houston Astros. Not a particularly great way to end the year. And I’ll admit, I’m not disappointed. I’m bummed, but not disappointed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It wasn’t much past the All Star Game that when asked how I thought the Indians would do this year I would respond with, “They will clinch the Central Division, but that’s about it. It would be awesome if they would win the American League Division series, and incredible if they could win the pennant, but I doubt they would win the World Series this year.” My reasoning was that they were playing at the top of the division - but the division sucked! Most of the other teams were in rebuilding years, and the Indians had a pretty solid line up. But compared to the rest of the American League, we weren’t much to write home about.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I was bummed that the season ended so quickly, but not disappointed. However, one thing I had, in spite of the above paragraph, was hope. You see, as I’ve said repeatedly, baseball is the only sport where you can’t run out the clock or take a knee. You have to play until the final out. And because of that, I always have hope that things could change before that final out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish I could say the same thing for the rest of the Cleveland Indians “fans”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My wife and I are fair-weather fans. We try to get to at least one or two football games at the high school where she teaches. However, we only go if the weather is decent. You know, “fair”. The Cleveland Indians fans, on the other hand, are fair-weather fans of the other sort. You know what I mean.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the Indians are winning, people are wearing their gear, screaming in the stands, and letting the world know that Cleveland is a true sports town. But when they aren’t doing so good? They are leaving the stands before the game is even over. And like I said above, it’s never over until the final out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Are you from Cleveland? Do you call this place <a href="https://gvartwork.com/collections/cleveland-that-i-love/products/cleveland-that-i-love-cleveland-tee" target="_blank">CleveLAND</a>? Are you one of those who say it is “us against the world”? I wish it were so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At around the 7th inning, the wheels came off. I won’t go into the stats - you can look those up yourself - but in the 7th Houston scored three runs to put them in the lead for the first time. Then, during the 8th, they scored an additional SIX runs, bringing the score to 10-2. I had the game on my tablet (my wife and I are “<a href="https://www.sling.com/" target="_blank">Slingers</a>”) up until 17:00, when it was time to head for home. I then had the local radio station (<a href="https://wmms.iheart.com/" target="_blank">WMMS 100.7 FM</a>) giving me the audio play-by-plays for the rest. I wish I hadn’t.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I listened to the “voice of the Cleveland Indians”, <a href="https://clesportstalk.com/the-legend-of-hammy/" target="_blank">Tom “Hammy” Hamilton</a>, I got angry. At one point Hamilton informed us that after the top of the 8th fans were leaving the stadium in droves. It was a mass exodus. And that’s not what really blew my stack. It was when Hamilton said the season was over for the Indians. He thanked the production staff for such a great job over the season (and yes, they have), since it was over. When the Astros’ 9th inning pitcher came out, he said that after he was done pitching he would be going to the visitor's clubhouse to celebrate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">THE GAME WASN’T OVER!!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I don’t give a rat’s ass what the score is. You don’t call the game over before it’s over!! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, in closing, I want to leave you with a few suggestions for next year:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s time for Tom Hamilton to retire. He’s had a great run, but I prefer my sports announcers to be informative, a bit entertaining, and maybe a LITTLE biased towards the home team. I don’t think he is able to do that anymore.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cleveland fans need to put up or shut up. You sit in your seats until the very end of a Marvel movie to see the <a href="https://youtu.be/EYiZeszLosE?t=30" target="_blank">end credit “shawarma” stinger</a>, but leave when your team is down? What impact do you think that has for the players when they see the seats empty?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cleveland fans need to stop bad-mouthing the Indians. Remember the “wait until next year” unofficial slogan the Indians rallied for years? In 2016, when the Indians looked for a World Series win they haven't seen since 1948, what did the fans do? They gave the Chicago Cubs home field advantage here in Cleveland by selling their tickets to Chicago fans and providing the Indians a sea of Cubs blue to rally them. Maybe you aren’t ready for “next year”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And finally, you should read a book about baseball. Not a book of stats. Stories. Read books like “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Indians-Memories-Heartaches-Highlights-Cleveland/dp/1886228167/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539108440&sr=1-1&keywords=%22Indians+Memories%22+Tim+Long" target="_blank">Indians Memories</a>” by Tim Long and Don Fox, or “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Rocky-Colavito-Loving-Thirty-Year/dp/0671869086/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539108517&sr=1-1&keywords=%22The+Curse+of+Rocky+Colavito%22" target="_blank">The Curse of Rocky Colavito</a>” by Terry Pluto, or “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shoeless-W-P-Kinsella-Baseball-Collection-ebook/dp/B00514IHIW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539108610&sr=1-1&keywords=%22Shoeless+Joe%22+Kinsella" target="_blank">Shoeless Joe</a>” (the story that inspired the movie “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Field-Dreams-Kevin-Costner/dp/B0068FZ0GK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1539108712&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=a+field+of+dreams&psc=1" target="_blank">A Field of Dreams</a>”) by W.P. Kinsella, or “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Baseball-Celebration-Game-Connects-ebook/dp/B01BO2ISLU/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1539108801&sr=1-15&keywords=%22For+the+Love+of+Baseball%22" target="_blank">For the Love of Baseball</a>” by a bunch of different writers taking you on an emotional roller coaster.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This off season, fall in love with the game of baseball again. So next year, you will root, root, root for your home team; and if you don’t, well, it’s a shame.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">© Emittravel 2018</span></span></div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-75560824202366117152018-10-07T14:30:00.000-04:002018-10-07T14:34:24.281-04:00Knowing Another<div style="text-align: center;">
Knowing Another</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0DP4GnK4KjE-G_QsDw1lC-0ilNXE8OBR7Zi2Xe2FZbSb3erD5lJrHYf4TSQT9hDCJ_ymAzTN79B5aUUgSKXpwg_eOzRR7_JGeb4ugUnR4PX3jBznPpb08ukCGzOj-pWlSN4pIpQ_NGw/s1600/Knowing_Another_Thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw0DP4GnK4KjE-G_QsDw1lC-0ilNXE8OBR7Zi2Xe2FZbSb3erD5lJrHYf4TSQT9hDCJ_ymAzTN79B5aUUgSKXpwg_eOzRR7_JGeb4ugUnR4PX3jBznPpb08ukCGzOj-pWlSN4pIpQ_NGw/s1600/Knowing_Another_Thumbnail.jpg" /></a></div>
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May I be graced by God to know the love of one,<br />
To opportune the chance to love;<br />
Experience the joy<br />
and intense sorrow<br />
That comes from a lifetime,<br />
though cut far too short;<br />
A "soul-mate" to share life's burdens<br />
(to fortune to carry that of the other).<br />
To sing<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>cry<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>shout<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>whisper<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>weep<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>scream<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>pass on to another,<br />
The meaning of life that God may bestow,<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>by knowing another in such a manner as this.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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J.P. Wiegand</div>
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©Emittravel 2004</div>
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Back in 2004, a lady I worked with showed me part of a poem that described the love she had for her late husband. This wonderful lady, aged in body only, shared with me a part of her heart; a love that transcends "till death do us part". It was from this inspiration that the above came to be. Now, you have a part of my heart. -j.p.<br />
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©Emittravel 2018</div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-25703717539117750572018-09-16T17:34:00.001-04:002018-09-16T17:42:10.239-04:00Pundit-cation Without Representation<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I listen to quite a few podcasts. 131 shows to be exact. That’s a lot of podcasts. Some are more active than others. About 26 of them are music. The rest are made up of current events, stories (i.e. “<a href="https://themoth.org/podcast" target="_blank">The Moth</a>”), and lots and lots of geek. There are about seven that focus primarily on technology and its impact. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m sure most of you have heard of “Silicon Valley”. It’s not a real place, as far as the postal service is concerned. It is, however a real place for the rest of us. It is located in the southern San Francisco Bay area of California and is where many technology companies hang their hats.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the technology-related podcasts I listen to are based in the southern California area. That’s not surprising, since San Francisco is the hub of technology. The unfortunate side-effect to this is that the folks who do the podcasts report the impact of technology based on what is seen in California. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">California, if you haven’t noticed, is NOT the entirety of the world - or just the United States for that matter.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much of what I hear has little-to-no impact by the time it reaches my part of the country (Ohio). You think I’m kidding? I’ve yet to see anyone riding a <a href="http://www.segway.com/" target="_blank">Segway</a> down the streets of Seven Hills…</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This localized focus is not limited to just technology. If you ever watch cable news, or read “major” publications, you’d think that the entire country resides in either California or New York. The rest of the country, and the opinions expressed, are basically ignored - or worse, taken as the ramblings of the “uninformed masses”. </span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you look up a map of election results from the 2016 Presidential election based on votes, you’ll see that the far ends of the country are blue (Democrat) and the middle is red (Republican). The majority of states are red - again, in the middle of the country - you know, NOT California or New York.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The majority of cable news networks and “major” publications are based in California and New York. This is why you hear so much vitriol over the current administration from them. If you don’t pay attention, you’d think that is the way the majority of the country thinks. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, what can you do? Well, you could turn off your TVs, but that won’t help. You see, those folks think that their opinions are the only ones that matter and you need to think like they do. Just turning off your set won’t let them know that you disagree. You could write them and tell them. You could write their advertisers and tell them. But honestly, it won’t matter. As I said, for some reason, the folks in California and New York think that those of us in the middle are truly in the “<a href="https://championtraveler.com/news/flyover-states-flight-data-shows-which-states-americans-think-are-boring/" target="_blank">flyover states</a>” and can simply be ignored. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that is what we need to do to them: ignore them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to an article in Wikipedia, Donald Trump received 62,984,828 votes. Hillary Clinton received 65,853,514 votes. That’s a difference of 2,868,686 votes. Hillary Clinton received almost six million more votes than Donald Trump in California and New York alone. So, you can see why the pundits in those states were ACTUALLY shedding tears after the election. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2016 there were about 200 million registered voters (I’m not even going to refer to the fact that there are over 300 million people in the United States). This means that 71,161,658 registered voters did NOT vote for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, the next time someone whines that we should get rid of the Electoral College, tell them that by popular vote, that big chair in Washington, DC should be vacant right now…</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">© Emittravel 2018</span></span></div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5149265007677411344.post-74712900434219396532018-08-26T18:39:00.000-04:002018-08-26T18:39:42.749-04:00The Majority Rules - Except When it Doesn’t<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every once in a while, someone brings up the whole “let’s get rid of the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html" target="_blank">Electoral College</a>” shtick. Because, as you know, the popular vote is the desired method for those living in California and New York; states that feel they alone should determine the outcome of every Presidential election. And of course, that outcome should always be a Democrat. </span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-33b384a0-7fff-9eeb-2af9-66f4fd7b198b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I get into this too far, let me be clear: I’m not a Republican. I’m not a Democrat. <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx" target="_blank">I belong to the largest voting block: Independents.</a> In other words, I don’t belong to a minority party. Also, I voted for the person I felt best fit the job requirements for President. I didn’t vote based on gender, or whether or not the person was racist, sexist, or any other -ist. And I didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that that is out of the way…</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The complaints concerning the Electoral College are from Democrats. The reason is that in most elections, they win the popular vote. Seldom does a Republican win the popular vote. Again, refer to the comment about California and New York in the first paragraph (both HEAVILY Democrat-voting states). If you remove both of those states, Republicans would normally win the popular vote. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The major difference between the two is that with the Electoral College, votes are not strictly based on population. This keeps the playing field level. Or, in a word that the Democrats prefer (in all areas EXCEPT voting), "fair". With the popular vote, the majority voice wins. And why the Democrats prefer it confuses me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You see, Democrats believe that the minority voice should supersede the majority voice. The number of individuals that consider themselves <a href="http://nocturnecsh.blogspot.com/2017/02/lgbtqlmnop-really.html" target="_blank">LGBTQLMNOP</a>, for example, are an EXTREMELY small percentage of the population, but their “feelings” should supersede the “feelings” of the rest of the country who, ironically, fall into Darwin’s preference for evolutionary success.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(Oops, sorry. I made the cardinal sin of dropping a little science here - and the only science that counts is what the liberal establishment considers valid - you know, like man-made climate change for example.)</span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, to wrap this up, I feel that Democrats should be grateful that the Electoral College exists, and should quit whining over the popular vote. Because, in their mindset, the majority voted for Hillary Clinton, so they should be happy that Donald Trump won. </span></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Or, to be even more accurate, Gary Johnson or Jill Stein should have become President.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But that would probably be taking things a bit too far…</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">© Emittravel 2018</span></span></div>
-j.p.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13441411405225879704noreply@blogger.com0