RIP to Florence Henderson .. she has been around for decades, so much so that just about every generation knew her in some capacity for some different reason.
She died of heart failure at 82..
Tributes are pouring in from the entire world.
There have been way too many “RIPs” this year ..
Controversy over Syrian ‘mannequin challenge’ ..
The short video – a take on the Mannequin Challenge – was created by the Revolutionary Forces of Syria (RFS), an opposition media group, to draw attention to the crisis amid a renewed aerial assault on the besieged city.
More than 300 people have been killed in Aleppo’s rebel-held eastern districts since the Syrian regime resumed heavy bombardment last Tuesday following a three-week lull.
The full video for your own discernment and judgement..
This has been a dreadful story–anyone with parents and even those without are affected.. Children dying in a bus accident right before Thanksgiving.
I have purposely kept a self-imposed news blackout going on this story, knowing only headlines but not subjecting myself to reading anything but that.
Until today – I have to report this information..
According to one report, as the bus driver sped around a turn before the accident, he apparently asked the children if they were ready to die..Michael Walsh at Yahoo News reporting:
The driver, Johnthony Walker, 24, was arrested and charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment and reckless driving for the crash on the winding road.
As the city mourns, chilling reports have emerged alleging that Walker asked the students, “Are y’all ready to die?” before swerving off the road into a tree.
Jasmine Mateen, the mother of three children aboard the bus, lost her 6-year-old daughter in the crash. She told CBS News what one of her other children had to say about the driver.
“My daughter said right before the bus flipped that he was speeding around the curve and asked them ‘Are y’all ready to die?’” Mateen said to CBS correspondent Mark Strassmann.
And more..
She also said she had complained about Walker’s behavior many times since August, but nothing had been done to redress her grievances. The private bus company involved has had 36 crashes with injuries in Tennessee alone since 2014, the Tennessean newspaper reported.
Authorities have not confirmed Mateen’s statements.
Chattanooga Police Chief Fred Fletcher said at a press conference late Monday that the type of accident to which his department and others were responding is “every public safety professional’s worst nightmare.”
The information is obviously under investigation.. as are all of the other circumstances of this bus crash. But it’s troubling to see this.. it’s horrendous to imagine what these families are going through. I cannot fathom it.. I am sending my love and prayers, my virtual hugs and every bit of joy and love I can conjure in my mind for those who perished in this accident and the remaining families members now attempting to cope with the heartbreak..
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24 2016
THANKSGIVING 2016!
Gobble until you wobble.. Eat until defeat.. avoid the political talk and the Donald Trump heat..It has been a while since I did a news run down . . no better time than a holiday to get that running. For your viewing displeasure or regurgitation, the latest goings-on across the world on this Thanksgiving..
Technicians worked all night to prepare for the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade..
SALON: A day of mourning for Native Americans..
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN: Thanksgiving and the myth of Native American savages..
Truth: The factual history behind Thanksgiving..
Retailers yet again are putting hopes in brick and mortar.. one of these years it will be for the last time. My local mall this year may have its last rush if it even gets one. The idea of black Friday has changed considerably… perhaps it’s time to give off for ‘cyber Monday’ instead of the traditional.. Nonetheless, here are the 5 things you should expect from Black Friday if you’re a shopper..
But here is a strange trend to grapple with mentally; Of all of the people who are more inclined to stand in line on Black Friday, the millennials once again take the prize. . they are much more likely than baby boomers to do it. Perhaps there is hope for brick and mortar after all!?
Shoppers beware: Hazardous and recalled toys still for sale online..
Always recall this when discovering history: Ignorance is usually bliss.. On this Thanksgiving, it’s easier to devour a pumpkin pie with TURKEY NOT knowing this: Abraham Lincoln declared in 1863 that Thanksgiving Day would be a national holiday on the last Thursday in November. He also ordered troops to march against Sioux Indian..
It’s not over!!? Clinton fans want a recount in the battleground states!
Lecturer in Chief: Donald Trump tells Tim Cook directly that he wants Apple products made in the United States and gives word of heavy tax incentives to do so.. It is interesting.. the president and Congress may not really have power to force private companies to do anything, but Trump of all people could surely do public shaming and go on nationwide TV and call out CEOs by name for not, according to his logic, making America Great Again..
Donald Trump reportedly turning DOWN classified intelligence briefings since his election victory..
Massachusetts college stops flying the United States flag on campus..
Man arrested on animal cruelty for riding horse from South Carolina to Florida..
Convicted London serial killer sought his victims on gay dating websites..
Making a Murderer case evidence to be re-tested!
Beebs gone wild: Bieber accused of punching a fan.. But .. for the first time perhaps ever, I am going to rush to Justin’s defense.. A group of screaming fans are greeting the car containing Bieber when a man sticks his hand in the window and appears to touch the singer.
Bieber’s hand can then be seen making contact with the man’s face. Perhaps deservedly so..
Kanye West gone wild: According to the normally reliable TMZ, the situation is worse than sleep and water problems for the star.. A well-connected Kanye source tells us Kanye’s psychological problems are significant enough so that his insurance policy – which covers lost profits and financial obligations for cancelled concerts due to illness – will almost certainly cover the losses for the 21 concerts he’s cancelled … But it still seems very strange that the moment West began slamming JAY-Z and publicly supporting Donald Trump, the white coats took him away 'ha ha, ha ha’.. (pause for appreciation on the old song reference)
Miley Cyrus desperate for attention on Instagram..
MOANA is heading for a very large $88 million or more Thanksgiving weekend opening.. My wife and I already took our son to see the film.. It may have been (being honest here) one of the best animated Disney movies in a very long time. The music was amazing, the message was great.. the film was not boring during any point. It is the perfect movie for a long Thanksgiving weekend. So good, maybe my son will even want to see it again. I recommend MOANA for anyone who needs an escape from family and friends and .. reality..
On the other hand, the movie TROLLS was less than desirable. I had hoped for more.
And on a final note about movies.. I realized recently that since having a child, the chances of me going to see a sci-fi, horror, or action movie have diminished considerably, going instead to children’s flicks. But you know what? I think I’m actually quite okay with that..
New intrigue in space!! Did the Mars Rover of past life?
Three are critical and 9 in intensive care in Australia after rare thunderstorm asthma.. Doctors were amazed there were not more fatalities given the numbers of people who suffered cardiac arrests and struggled to breathe when a wild thunderstorm struck Melbourne on Monday night, Victoria state Health Minister Jill Hennessy said.The storm caused rain-sodden ryegrass pollen to explode and disperse over the city, with ruptured particles penetrating deep into lungs. Almost one third of patients who suffered asthma attacks on Monday reported never having asthma before..
Speaking of boilo, here is a recipe for those not aware of the ancient coal region tradition during holiday time:
Boilo recipe #1: Crock pot style
2 oranges (med-large size)
2 lemons
1 small box raisins (about 1 ½ ounces)
8 oz honey
12 oz whiskey (or more, to taste). Use Four Roses, or Seagrams 7, or something similar. At least 80 proof (40% alcohol).
½ to 1 teaspoon each of any or all of these spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Caraway seed, Anise seed
Make this in a crock pot. It’s easier than cooking on the stove and much less likely to overcook or scorch. For the quantities shown here, a small (1.5 quart) crock pot will do.
Peel the oranges and lemons. Cut up the fruit and squeeze them into the crock pot. A garlic press works, or you can use some kind of juicer or fruit squeezer if you have one. Put the remaining fruit pulp into the crock pot as well.
Add the raisins, honey, and spices. Stir.
NOTE: do not add whiskey yet!
Start the crock pot and let the mixture cook for about 2-4 hours. Stir occasionally. It’s done when the fruit pulp gets “cooked-down”.
Strain into a pitcher. Mash down the fruit in the strainer to get all the liquid. NOW add the whiskey to the pitcher and stir. If you cook the whiskey, even for a short time, the alcohol will start to evaporate (and who wants that to happen??). Taste, and add more whiskey to your liking.
Serve hot in shot glasses, espresso cups, or coffee mugs. After the first round, each individual serving can be heated in the microwave.
This recipe makes about 12 ounces of “virgin” boilo. Add 12 ounces of whiskey to this and you get 24 ounces of coal region nectar, enough for 12-18 servings.
And you were thinking talk of politics at the Thanksgiving dinner table would be weird.. try this on for size!
The NEW YORK TIMES is busy today reporting about a risqué party held last Thursday in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
“Just because someone is wearing lingerie doesn’t mean you can touch them,” said Ellen Robin, the consent guardian at a risqué party held last Thursday in Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Her face covered in sequins, Ms. Robin, 28, a set designer from Williamsburg, stood on the sidewalk outside Lot 45, a large event space on Troutman Street. She had a clipboard full of release forms. “This is a sexy party, not a sex party,” she cautioned.
After patrons signed the releases, they were patted down by a gruff security officer and led into a cavernous room drenched in red light and velvet. Bodies were in various stages of dishabille and discipline.
A man with a gray ponytail rhythmically flogged a mostly nude woman draped over a small picnic table. Surrounding them, diners reclined on pillows, sultan style, around nine human “tables,” naked but for flesh-tone underwear and high heels. Dinner, consisting of North African comfort food prepared by a former “Chopped” contestant named Samia Behaya, was artfully arranged atop them.
“I would recommend not using your hands,” said one comely female platter, covered in raw sliced root vegetables. A man obligingly knelt beside her and plucked a radish from her torso with his teeth. “Vegetables are sexy,” cooed a nearby woman in a bustier bodysuit.
The most risqué on the dinner table for my family today: A sugar free apple pie that we picked up quickly last night at a local CrackerBarrel. I guess … we are missing out..
Gobbling at full throttle.
THIS IS IT!
The big day.. the first Thanksgiving since we were told the world ended when Donald Trump won the November election.. and forgive me for speaking politically in another post, but let’s face it: This election and reaction has been visceral..
As I write this in a dark room during what we have always been told is the ‘biggest party night of the year,’ I have a light beer cracked open and Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis in playing the background.. I am perusing the online world of 'news’ article and realized that there are hundreds posted online from news sources across the nation all about how Thanksgiving dinner will be hit with politics.. and how to avoid it.
A few highlights..
The Baltimore Sun is speaking about how to avoid the dreaded political mayhem at the dinner table..
The Chicago TRIBUNE gives tips on 'no turkey talking’ ..
A CBS affiliate is asking if you can survive politics on Thanksgiving..
The NEW YORK TIMES is reporting that some are opting out of Thanksgiving politics talk..
x x x
Every year I post this image online. I have had a website since the year 2000, and around 2001, this was a shot taken by an AP photographer and it was posted online .. it was the first Thanksgiving that America had to live through since 9/11 .. that first Thanksgiving was difficult. It was intense.. The feeling of unity, however, was strong. There were American flags and pumpkin pies in every town and on every table. The photo of this man, on the eve of Thanksgiving, struck me.. it was someone who seemingly was racing through life, and with the events of that year racing around his head and our collective spirit, the whirlwind of time finally seemed to hit him as he raced for his subway.. and since 01, I posted this photo somewhere..
This year, time has moved on.. today the LA TIMES posted this photograph of people on the Left Coast struck in snail’s pace traffic jams..
Some are racing home.. some are pacing themselves.
We have come a long way since 9/11.. we have are now going into a term of a third president since the terror attack took place.
And ….united we stood then.. Divided we stand now.
x x x
I question whether we are really as divided as media sources would tell us.. I have divergent opinions in my own family and undoubtedly, as we always do, we will discuss politics at the dinner table. We never had that 'dinner is too sacred’ attitude to not talk about it.. I can also, however, acknowledge that this year there may be reasons to avoid talk. Hillary…Trump.. it’s been a long and hateful year.
x x x
President Obama pardoned his final turkey today.
This has always been one of my favorite moments of any year.. it’s the time when you realize the holidays have begun. The famed presidential pardon. I assume Donald Trump will continue the tradition.. but he will surely look strange doing it.
You can easily get used to seeing someone in the White House. When Bush left the keys to Obama, it took time to get used to a new face. Just as much as it took when Clinton handed over the White House to Junior. And when Trump takes the reigns? Well that will be the weirdest sight of all.
We are going on the second week since Trump’s victory and it still feels like the same election fight from prior to November 8 is taking place. Tonight, CNN’s headline is showcasing Hillary Clinton’s popular vote victory of 2million as their main headline..
….something perhaps only reinvigorating the debate that may take place at tomorrow’s dinner table.
x x x
I think political talk at tables is fine.. There was always politics discussed in my family’s house when I grew up. There were battles, too! Oh my were there battles. Anger.. hostility.. The Iraq war was the same, as I can recall. As will, probably, be tomorrow. And any other holiday.
I think it is healthy, in this nation, to have a good old fashioned debate or chat over turkey and yams .. anything goes.
Instead of avoiding political talk, just have it! Don’t be afraid!
Just.. be calm. Careful. And kind. Those traits go well with opinionated Thanksgiving dinner talk.
GOBBLE GOBBLE.
Strangely, every astronaut since the first Apollo 11 Moon landings in 1969 has reported seeing the mysterious flashes - whether their eyes are open or not.
Vanity Fair has a good description of the strange new world of watching the elevator at the Trump tower for tea leaves of the future..
The whole spectacle was very updated, digital counterpart to the Cold War days when Western analysts actually studied wall posters in what was then Peking, now Beijing. They looked for signs of who was up, who was down in the government.“It’s like a modern (and less entertaining) version of Grand Hotel,” says Jon Maas, a Hollywood writer-producer: “Always the same. People come. People go. Nothing ever happens.”
“You guys just wait all day?,” you could hear a disembodied voice ask, probably a pool cameraman or one of the nearby producers and reporters, all seeking morsels. And, this being the age of video, there were the tourists taking photos of the pool camera itself, in one case blurting out, “Say cheese, everyone!”
Oh and yes… the Naked Cowboy was there as well..
Suddenly a divided election is leading to a period of hope and change in the coming year... Americans are optimistic in challenging times. It’s one of the best qualities about this nation..
Incidentally, I will start keeping track of the number of positive stories CNN now that Trump has initiated very tense meetings with media officials that he, to their faces, calls liars..
Scientists have raised hopes for a radical new therapy for phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with a procedure that can dampen down fears linked to painful memories.
The advance holds particular promise for patients because in early tests, researchers found they could reduce anxieties triggered by specific memories without asking people to think about them consciously.
Very interesting article .. shock therapy .. be afraid and even more afraid and then be calm..
A traffic jam is seen as people evacuate after tsunami advisories were issued following an earthquake, in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo November 22, 2016. Kyodo/via
REUTERS
The cooling system of the third reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant has stopped circulating water following a powerful 7.3 offshore earthquake.
TEPCO said it managed to restart the system some 90 minutes after the failure.
Tsunami waves have been visible along the coast..
The teen, known as Asuka, 16, from Japan, filmed the extraordinary sight trailing across the evening sky this evening.
A rough translation of her Tweet accompanying the video says: “A movie I took while preparing to die.
No word from Fukushima if we need to buy up salt with iodine yet..
Trump kept saying, ‘We’re in a room of liars, the deceitful dishonest media who got it all wrong. He addressed everyone in the room calling the media dishonest, deceitful liars. He called out Jeff Zucker by name and said everyone at CNN was a liar, and CNN was network of liars.
“Trump didn’t say Katy Tur by name, but talked about an NBC female correspondent who got it wrong, then he referred to a horrible network correspondent who cried when Hillary lost who hosted a debate – which was Martha Raddatz who was also in the room.
This is wild ..
by the way Kellyanne Conway said the meeting went well..
I think it’s a harbinger of the next four years of the press relationship with Donald Trump..
REUTERS REPORTING:
There were no immediate reports of damage or injury, which struck at 5:59 a.m. (3.59 p.m. ET).
Tokyo Electric Power Co was checking its nuclear plants in Fukushima for damage, public broadcaster NHK said. The utility could not immediately be reached by Reuters.
Tohoku Electric Power Co said there was no damage to its Onagawa nuclear plant.
Television footage showed ships moving out to sea from Fukushima harbors, as the meteorological agency warned of a tsunami of 3 meters (10 feet) for Fukushima, where Tepco’s Daiichi nuclear plant was devastated in a March 2011 quake and tsunami.
You are being a bad friend!!
And I believe it.
We are getting winded by the steady stream of 24/7 junk. This election had consequences, too.. we just delved deeper into a pile of excrement on a daily basis of politics..
Real friendships aren’t online. Real friendships can be aided by social media.. but just quicky skimming through a feed and casually liking things and forgetting ten seconds later what you saw is the most repugnant form of friendship one can find.. and it’s very ‘BLACK MIRROR'ish to be perfectly honest..
I went back to my 2015 year in review and 2016 predictions. I actually am going to toot a horn. One prediction was that social media would wane, and that we would all find real ways to connect to people again. I sense that is happening.
I think the quicker it happens, the better it will be..
scarystoriestouploadinthedark:
It was just a normal day for Melissa Kurtz, 48, who was driving on a highway in the Maitland area of Florida, near Orlando, to take her 13-year-old daughter, Harper, to a beauty pageant. Harper wasn’t wearing a seat belt, which was normal for her, and taking selfies to pass the time.
Kurtz decided to do some research on the road they were driving on that day and discovered that there had been an accident on that same road and the day her and Harper were driving on it happened to be the anniversary of the death that occurred because of it
The UK DAILY MAIL interviewed her.. Kurtz said that she thinks the (potential) ghost in the photo was a warning to wear seat belts..
For your consumption.. and decision.
This comes from the same person that has also said to have had a number of paranormal events happen to her and her family.. in situations like this, when you decide what is real, take into consideration between someone who wants attention vs someone who received ghostly attention.
I neglected to upload this photo last week.. but it was the super moon over Ashland PA about a week ago in November.. great shot down Walnut Street..
If “did not vote” was a candidate, it would have won by a landslide.
A perfect summation to the year in politics from @bonniekristian
I love this show.. I have avidly watched it since the program’s inception onto NETFLIX.. The pigs.. The tech… The lessons of morality and the consequences of people’s dirty deeds online. The future is now. Evident in this program: The cautionary tales of horror that can happen when tech goes wrong and the virtue of an honest life..
The newest season of Black Mirror was loaded onto Netflix around Halloween. Due to a lack of time, I have yet to watch about 1 and a half more episodes. But the pure joy I have in doing so makes me actually want to take it slow.
I recall quickly moving through the entire series of STRANGER THINGS. By the time it was done, I wanted to go back and start from the beginning.
Black Mirror is a bit different. Each program makes you ponder more than the next.. Each show has twists and turns that throw your mind into a loop of madness. Each program makes you feel like it’s real and, equally so, feel a sense of dread for our collective Internet-driven future.
The far best episode in the entire series thus far (my opinion of course) is ‘Hated in the Nation.’ Some others only call this episode solid but 'unremarkable’ but I think it is brilliant.
For people lacking a connection to the world over the past week, take note: There has been consternation, division, anger.. regret.. vitriolic rage. The election of 2016 has left charred corpses along the political battle lines. Whether it’s the purge of Chris Christie confidants within the transition team or the rioting on several city blocks across America, things have been tense. The other night, Donald Trump had the nerve and gumption to ditch the press and go for a steak dinner with family alone. You’d think world war three was declared with the reaction.
All of this political fervor, hopefully, will subside by the time the cold months of winter hit. But there will be a longer and more far reaching event…
The media world has been up in arms over the Trump victory. Though their actions most likely led to increased coverage and potentially aided in a Trump primary victory during the early onset of this year, the made a choice mid-way through 2016 to take on the Republican nominee more ferociously than Hillary Clinton. As a result, alt-right sites and other ‘media’ blogs started popping up on Facebook and Twitter. By the time the election had come in November, I had enough of all of it. I turned away from Facebook and other social media sites because it all became mentally too much to handle. It was an overload of information . But sadly so often that information lacked one important thing: Truth.
Since the election, collective soul searching has apparently forced Google and Facebook, including Twitter, to react. And now, a 1984 style removal process seemingly has begun. The ‘fake news’ sites have been getting deleted, or Google ads have been taken from them, or Facebook has been actively working on having users report sites for misleading information.
….and this is where some of my own fears begin.
Let me first say this: One of the most offensive social media sins—common on Facebook mostly—is the clickbait nonsense of fakery and eye-grabbing headlines that don’t amount to anything except false information and websites packed with ads just to make pennies on a dollar off of your click. It’s a cheap and tacky thing, to link such sites, on your own newsfeed. You need to proceed with caution. If your information is true, you can lead yourself into hateful debate. If your information is false, someone will “Snopes” you and you will forever look like a fool who fell for it.
That said, there is also a certain amount of first amendment fear in my heart. Yes, fake news is out there. But what fake news? Who determines that?
The problems of a polarized nation are constantly multiplying.
This year, after Trump won the election, a fan of his commented to me that, “maybe now he could do something about the media.” I asked pressing questions of the person about this. What resulted with some inane banter about how Trump should ban the New York Times and other media outlets from reporting ‘lies.’
While that opinion is frightening in itself, the mainstream media may argue that press freedom and constitutional rights should not apply to ‘bloggers’ and other non-media people. But who determines that?
Alex Jones and Matt Drudge may have been the two most important people in the year 2016. If TIME magazine was honest, they would name the alternative media as the person of the year.
And that has created a backlash from the mainstream. The Donald Trump press-less steak dinner episode is just the beginning of a tumultuous relationship.
Private companies have the right to do as they please when it comes to private affairs of business. So if Google blocks ads on pages, there may be no legal issue—unless of course the situation devolves into class action or civil litigation.
But there is a long term problem taking place, and the crackdown on ‘fake news’ may highlight that.
Over the past 15 or so years, the populace has dumbed down faster than a dial up internet connection. We have gone from reading newspaper reports written at a 7th grade level to only reading headlines written on a 1st grade level. We click on the bait and then we replicate. We don’t know much of anything except what some misleading headline told us. Social media has also given us an excuse to actually be dumb! We can pick our news feed. We want to be comfortable and calm when we read.. we don’t want alternative viewpoints. If we are liberal, we will Raw Story it up. If we are conservative, we only check World Net Daily. Living in a comfort zone is the cruelest thing we can do to our brains…
And sadly, the mainstream media has become more biased.. it is no lie to say FOX has a conservative bent and that MSNBC cries when it uses the words “Trump” and “President-Elect” in the same sentence. CNN has just become horrid, filled with nonsense in between Wolf Blitzer screaming out states and numbers.
Earthquakes persist… war zones are intolerable.. people across the world are having real issues. And American has plunged into a red-vs-blue disgusting array of garbage. Nothing we argue about is real. Nothing we ponder and conjure means anything in the final analysis. We fell for it. Congratulations.
Sadly, this crackdown on fake news will end up hurting people who actually tell us real news.
This morning, the INTERCEPT broke a REAL news story about a building in New York City with 29 floors being the home of ‘Project X.’ The INCERCEPT reports that this building, also with an AT&T office, is the location for a very important national security surveillance site. The NSA uses the location to tap into phone calls, faxes and the internet. I can easily picture a future where someone will chime in that ‘fake news’ includes anything that compromises national security. That fake news is anything which…well…is real.
The next few years are going to be very trying for people with common sense. And sadly, some will fall by the wayside… The debate over nonsensical political events and purposely contrived news stories will be the front and center topic on nightly news. And dinner tables.
Recall during the Iraq war 2 when the Pentagon got into the business of news reporting. It was propaganda purporting to be reporting. And hell if I know how, but it worked. I can envision the same thing… Donald Trump is a master of media manipulation. At the same time, clickbait headlines are creating constant false narratives. The conflict is there..
New media vs old media is one thing. But real news vs fake is another.
The only judge and jury, and decider of what is real and fake is the consumer. And consumption of fake news is high.
…..and we create the next 1984. Someone needs to start writing “2084” now.. Will the next George Orwell please stand up…
7news in Denver was among the stations covering the weird event.. The flight path was an oval over Denver .. The plane then apparently left the city limits and flew to Oklahoma City..
From the report:
When contacting the military, including both U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and United States Strategic Command (STRATCOM), neither organization could confirm the identity of the plane, or even locate it.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) also investigated the flight, however they couldn’t locate the flight or confirm its existence. When asked if the flight might have been a high-profile person, officials said the only high-profile flights in the air were in New York and Indiana.
I was always told to ‘think before you ink.’ All the more important given the many awful chemical components that you can find in the ink being carved into your body..
I hate click bait.
I hate fake news sites..
But we need to be careful about what we say is fake.. and we also need to frame this debate in an honest way as we step down into the removal of ads from ‘fake sites’..
For prime example, the question to Google “who won the popular vote” has brought people to a site called 70news.wordpress.com, which reported that Trump won the popular vote.. despite losing by 700,000. Their argument was if you discount about three million votes cast by 'illegals’ then Trump clinched it.. False representation of the truth. Of course. But to say it would be right for Google to pulls its ads from 70news.wordpress.com is also not true—GOOGLE does not permit ads on free Wordpress sites to begin with. And 70news when I visited actually has no ads and 521 likes on Facebook.
There are two possible reactions about to occur.. 1) We are going to finally rid social media of nonsense fakery. Or 2) The mainstream is going to use this chance to think big and attack its competitors: Independent publishers and reporters.
We have to think 'bigly’ about this .. and actually do the intellectually honest thing instead of just going with an emotion…
This is a screen shot from a YouTube video portending to show a UFO crossing by a supermoon in Surprise Arizona on Saturday.. the user described the type of camera he was using.. other users have reacted…
And the rest is UFO history.
Unfortunately modern phone cameras can’t do ancient relics of space any justice ..
Enjoy the super moon as it rises
Find your best compromises
Don’t inflict pain.
Relish in satellites of all sizes.
Gwen Ifill, one of the most prominent African-American journalists in the country, has died.. . She was 61.
She died after fighting a battle with cancer..
scarystoriestouploadinthedark:
While covering and linking up several political stories over the past 15 months, I have primarily been silent as to the candidate of my choice. I will continue to do so, so nothing within this opinion relates to who I actually voted for this year.. Some time honored private matters, to me, are still cherished.
That said, I do not think the election of Donald Trump should be considered a surprise to anyone watching. Social media, the way we chat and chatter online, created this. We created this. WE made Donald Trump …
It also reminds me of using a spirit board.. or conjuring up something from another existence. If you really, really REALLY want to talk to a spirit, one may just talk back. Then you got your wish.
In our world, social media use and the quit hits of Twitter and Facebook have allowed us to dumb down political talk .. we have gone from large 10,000 word articles on the events of the day or week down to 100 character or so tweets. We decide on things after only glancing at headlines.. we do not check sources, but instead eat up anything we see on Facebook. So as long as we agree with it.And that is another problem with modern social media. We do not find things to challenge our thoughts or opinions… we don’t want to be challenged. Instead we are given the ability to follow the places we are fans of on the newsfeed……and you miss valuable contrary information by doing so.
And the news? The news has become a victim, too. There is no ‘news’ anymore.. Today as Itype this there was a 7.8 quake off New Zealand and a tsunami warning. That is news. But it doesn’t sell in America. Instead the airwaves will be filled with indigestable political stories 24/7.
The protests against Trump are being made worse by a media that glorifies them. But when violence occurs, the media shutters back and quickly showcases brief and not-so-serious calls for calm.
Today on Twitter a friend asked me why I think Saturday Night Live was a fan of Hillary. She pointed out that Trump guest hosted the program. My answer was twofold. 1) Ratings. Trump equals ratings. 2) It was pre-extreme and pre-Muslim ban and pre-wall.
Trump used his social media influence in the 2016 election like no other candidate. Elections will not be fought on airwaves anymore.. radio ads don’t matter. TV ads just annoy. YouTube ads? They work… Social media platforms? They work. And sadly, fake clickbait websites work as well as the solid and reliable ones.
The 2008 election was the first time a candidate was able to harnass social media and Facebook to elicit donations and support among the young. In 2016, eight lightspeed fast years later, a candidate did not even bother raising money but instead used the platforms to gain a mass of people who, many of which never voted before, to vote for him.
It was the perfect storm in 2016..
You may not be happy with results. You may be one of those college students in certified ‘weep rooms’ or being told by university staff to form PlayDoh to express emotions (very silly in my thought)… or you are a member of the red state victors now hoping and praying that the president you so hoped for does not become a president you are not proud of.We just don’t know.
We don’t have a clue.
A social media candidate is the modern day version of Mr Smith goes to Washington. But even Mr. Smith was forced to give more detailed thoughts on plans. And Mr. Smith was fiction!!!Fiction is now alive and real in modern day 21st century politics.
A Congress, a Court, and a populace will now have to work and watch a President Donald Trump.
We got to know him (*kinda!*) through social media. And now as president, he says, he will tone it down. Backtrack… keep it less brash and unabashed.
…..perhaps that is the most interesting thing of all. Sure, social media changed everything. It changed how we read politics.. it changed how we vote.
But as Donald Trump is now realizing, it does NOT change how to govern….
We will now collectively watch how President Trump governs.(Through it all, I still cannot stop to think about the Simpsons in 2000 predicting that a president Trump would happen……… wise beyond years)
A long read from my other site I thought you’d enjoy.
Today’s Drudge headline.. the story linked:
The media is loving it!
Ratings galore..
First help Trump beat the odds in the primaries…then turn on him during the general. When he actually assumes the mantle of leadership, promote raging anger against him.
ratings ratings ratings…
Can’t anyone see through this?
Nonetheless, there are some pretty big protests spreading throughout the United States.. three nights in a row. And some of them are getting very violent.
Thousands took to the streets of cities across the United States late Friday and early Saturday as anti-Donald Trump protests saw highways and interstates blocked, numerous arrests – and a shooting at a march in Portland, Oregon
Even President-Elect Trump (*read that a few times*) Tweeted (read that a few times) about the issue, saying “Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!” On Friday night, it appears the prestige of the presidency made him reconsider just how much more he wants to Tweet out.. he changed a tune, a bit, saying this:
Love the fact that the small groups of protesters last night have passion for our great country. We will all come together and be proud!
Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis was broadcasting live during a particularly hardcore protest in Portland last night.. what was not known at the time during his broadcast: In Portland Oregon, a man was injured in a shooting on the Morrison Bridge during a protest march early Saturday morning.
The suspect was believed to be in a vehicle on the bridge when a confrontation unfolded with someone in the crowd, Portland Police said in a news release. The suspect got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene…
Developing..
I missed this last night and feel awful about it..
Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen has died at the age of 82, according to a post on his official Facebook page.
“We have lost one of music’s most revered and prolific visionaries,” the post said.
A highly respected artist known for his poetic and lyrical music, Cohen wrote a number of popular songs including the often-covered “Hallelujah.” His 14th studio album, “You Want It Darker,” was released on October 21.
Apart from his successful musical career, Cohen also wrote novels and numerous collections of poetry.
Yet another RIP of 2016 that hits hard..
This is a great article from the NEW YORK TIMES concerning the Electoral college, why it exists.. and why it probably is going to stick around.
Thanks James Madison.
JEEZ BEEBS.. the least you could do is PRETEND you’re having fun in Dublin.
But I guess not.. Bieber gave up so much that apparently fans who went to see him are asking for some money back for the lackluster show..
“Death is a cold, blindfolded kiss.
It is the finger pressed upon our lips.
It puts an unwanted emphasis
On how we should have lived.
Life is a gorgeous, broken gift.
Six billion + pieces waiting to be fixed.
Love letters that were never signed,
Sent to where we live.
But the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard
Is that I don’t have to have the answers,
Just a little light to call my own.
Though it pales in comparison
To the overarching shadows,
A speck of light can reignite the sun
And swallow darkness whole.”
~Sleeping At Last “Emphasis”
Interesting article from Italy..
Turin’s new mayor has announced plans to make it a vegetarian city – even introducing a weekly meat-free day. But in an area with a meat-eating and rich culinary culture, the plans are proving divisive for residents..
MOMENT CAPTURED IN TIME.. This is the Drudge Report top fold as we head into the final homestretch of campaign 2016..
Matt Drudge is right. All of these states are currently tied up – and that is a huge deal when compared to numbers from just one week ago.
It really really is a good recipe .. (See my previous post)
I’m so secure in my masculinity that I’ll steal a recipe magazine from the dentist office, make the food after my appointment, and bring a helping of it in the next day for women I work with to taste.
And they liked it .
MARKET WATCH:
Restaurant companies should brace for a challenging period as consumers grapple with the rising costs of rent, prescriptions and car loans and take advantage of cheaper groceries to eat at home more.
That’s the verdict of Moody’s Investors Service, which on Tuesday slashed its operating-profit growth forecast for the restaurant sector and revised its outlook to stable from positive. The ratings agency is now expecting operating profit to grow 2% to 4% in the next 12 to 18 months, down from a previous forecast of growth of 5% to 6%.
“Consumers are wrestling with higher nondiscretionary spending needs, while restaurant companies face higher operating costs, predominantly labor and challenged traffic trends,” Moody’s analyst Bill Fahy wrote in a note.
I can personally attest to the facts and assumptions within this article.. not only have I cut back spending a bit but people I know who run restaurants or work within them also speak of much less customers now than one year ago when both time frames are compared..
Ali Krieger is out at the Washington Spirit..
And my favorite player, Crystal Dunn, is going overseas!
The drive to see the best players may be a lot longer.. and now require a boat or a plane..
The WASHINGTON POST splashed this about three hours ago..
Spirit attacker Crystal Dunn, the 2015 NWSL MVP who scored twice in the championship defeat to the Western New York Flash last month, is apparently seeking to move overseas. Like Krieger, Dunn is under contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation, which underwrites the NWSL by paying the salaries of marquee U.S. player
And the soccer world went wild.. Reactions surely are on your timeline if you follow the usual suspects..
A sad day for Washington Spirit fans.. Ali Krieger is most likely being announced to be going to the Orlando Pride today ..
Her true fans will follow.
But sadly for most it will be a much longer drive.
What you see is not what you get. Ayden was Chewbacca for Halloween. I was just dad. We swapped faces and it’s entirely too creepy to stare at.
Hope your Halloween was filled with cool ghouls and frightening escapes into the netherworld. And candy as well.
Happy Movember. Gobble early and often.
This was ASHLAND PENNSYLVANIA around the year 1900..
Published by Vaughn’s 1400 Centre Street, Ashland, PA
I always wonder what stories, anecdotes, and interesting colloquial affairs were taking place the day that such old photos were taken..
Also amazing to see how structures that look as they are today looked then.. over 100 years back in time.
Perhaps some of the most important information, as well.. things that are actually effecting our health. Our families. Our lives. And our futures..
The number of young children and teens hospitalized for overdosing on opioid painkillers have spiked nearly threefold in recent years, a new study finds.
Among children under 10, most of the painkiller poisonings were accidental, with children “eating them like candy,” said lead researcher Julie Gaither, a postdoctoral fellow in biostatistics at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. Among teens, most were accidental overdoses, although some were suicide attempts.
In both age groups, the increase in cases involving painkillers like OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin was dramatic.
Among children aged 1 to 4 years, the number of poisonings went up 205 percent from 1997 to 2012. For teens 15 to 19, the increase was 176 percent. Overall, the study showed a 165 percent increase in poisonings from opioid painkillers among those 19 and younger.
In addition, poisonings involving the use of heroin among teens increased 161 percent, while poisonings involving methadone went up 950 percent.
Among children aged 10 to 14, the incidence of poisonings from suicide or self-inflicted injury rose 37 percent, while the incidence of accidental poisoning increased 82 percent.
Among teens 15 to 19, poisonings from suicide or self-inflicted injury increased 140 percent, while accidental poisoning increased 300 percent, the researchers found.
scarystoriestouploadinthedark:
In South Florida, Broward County schools prohibited clown costumes for Halloween activities, according to a Sun Sentinel reporter.
Parents received phone messages this week that said: “While many of the clown threats in our community and across the nation have proven to be hoaxes, it is still best for us to continue to operate in an abundance of caution.”
Ridiculous, as I have written before and will again next year when the August through fall small town clown romp begins anew..
But for tonight, don’t ARM YOURSELF to deal with clowns..
And …. as the message from the schools in Florida have even admitted, most of these clown ‘threats’ have been hoaxes and fake anyway.
Everyone be calm tonight.. Jeez Louise..
This is a little creepy…
Katy Perry as Hillary..
Orlando Bloom as Bubba.
It is realistic in a bizarro version of both of them..
It may actually stop aging.
See…
The ancient song from a century ago was right.
If you want the unbiased unabashed truth on the US economy as we head into the November election, don’t expect to find it..
Just look at these series of stories from Google News just this morning, a collection of links controlled by robots by the way .. The common theory is that the US economy is roaring back. Or … it’s slow. Or it’s anemic. But it’s the best in years. But it’s awful.
Good luck with understanding that.
More quake madness in central Italy–a location hit hard by tremors over the past six months..
A powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake rocked central Italy on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey, in the strongest tremor to hit the country in 36 years.
From the CNN report..
A powerful 6.6-magnitude earthquake rocked central Italy on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey, in the strongest tremor to hit the country in 36 years.
Residents ran onto the streets in a panic as the quake struck at 7:40 a.m. local time (2:40 am ET), and rescuers were seen in the area around crumbling historical buildings soon after the tremor hit, helping evacuate a group of nuns. They worked through aftershocks that hit every 20 minutes or so.
Recall earlier this week that there was a 5.5 and 6.1 .. and in August a major quake that hit and killed 300 people..
Prayers go to the nation of Italy..
This is the latest cover of the NEW YORK POST.. The bombshell of October surprises occurred just as the waning days off the 2016 presidential campaign began.. Hillary Clinton’s email server investigation was closed by James Comey and the FBI back in the summer. Safely paving the way for the nomination of HILL.. it was reopened yesterday .. Anthony Weiner’s computer apparently had emails that would have had, as the POST claimed, enough ‘dirt’ to compel the FBI into reopening the investigation. Reigniting the issue. Restoking the flames. And invigorating the Donald Trump campaign to use it as an issue as the last days of this election cycle now begin…
The race is on.
The entire 2016 presidential campaign has now been rocked ..
An artist named Marc Schoenbach did just that!
There are some amazing Michael Myers masks out there for Halloween.
And some really, really awful ones.. I have owned both.
The most iconic image of Michael Myers comes from the original film.. William Shatner’s face without paint is haunting and will forever be so. But just picture some of these wretchedly AWFUL Michael Myers masks replacing the first film’s SHAPE face!
For HALLOWEEN fanatics this may particularly funny..
I BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS ABOUT GETTING BEHEADED..
Guillotines made the act of decapitating someone relatively quick (but not painless), but before the guillotine was invented, using a sword or axe often meant multiple strokes were required. Mary, Queen of Scots, for example, required three strokes when she was executed in 1587. Think that’s bad? According to Tudor History, Margaret Pole, the Eighth Countess of Salisbury, was beheaded by an inexperienced executioner who botched the job and practically shredded her head and neck. made the act of decapitating someone relatively quick (but not painless), but before the guillotine was invented, using a sword or axe often meant multiple strokes were required. Mary, Queen of Scots, for example, required three strokes when she was executed in 1587. Think that’s bad? According to Tudor History, Margaret Pole, the Eighth Countess of Salisbury, was beheaded by an inexperienced executioner who botched the job and practically shredded her head and neck.
