RNs Being Begged to Work in COVID-19 States With Little PPE. Trade Money for Your Life?

COVID-19 novel Coronavirus is no laughing matter, and is rapidly overwhelming hospitals nationwide, especially in New York City, which has become the practical epicenter of the global pandemic in the United States.

In response, physicians are being requested to come out of retirement to assist states where the effects of the almost instantaneous demand for licensed healthcare professionals are being experienced the worst. Some for love, others for money.

And, as one might expect, Registered Nurses are in great demand as well, the shortage of which is being keenly and acutely felt. As a result, Travel Nurse agencies are placing calls nation-wide for RNs to assist in localities hardest hit, which include Washington state, California, and New York City.

The compensation packages which are being offered in response are nothing less than eye-popping, with almost “stupid money” being paid for RNs to work – however briefly – in hospitals where needs exist.

An unexpected problem has arisen, however, and that is an acute shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which includes gowns, gloves, nose/mouth masks (especially N95 respirators), and eye shields. If the healthcare providers do NOT have the proper equipment to care for patients, their lives will be placed at risk, as well.

In essence, one is being asked to risk their life for money – and unnecessarily. Already, there are widely circulated national news reports of some staff in some facilities reusing such PPE, which is designed for ONE USE ONLY, which is also required by law and/or regulation for the health and safety of staff and patients.

Examples of how, and where they’re being recruited (including internationally), and the compensation packages include:

10 GOOD Things COVID-19 Will Cause.

Every period of change in human history has been preceded by chaos and upheaval.

COVID-19 novel coronavirus is exposing our weaknesses, our strengths, where changes are needed and must occur, and where we are performing well.

This illustration reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. Image credit: CDC.

There will be positive outcomes, of course, one of which will be that it is no longer necessary for some people to assemble, or congregate in one place to work. It is being proven that work which can be performed remotely, i.e., from one’s residence, will be increasingly utilized, and that will be a net positive outcome in several ways.

Here’s a list of…

10 GOOD Things COVID-19 Will Cause.

• One, it will reduce going-to, and coming-from work-related commuting traffic volume.

• Two, it will increase employee satisfaction, insofar as one will not fight traffic in order to get to work, or home from work.

• Three, because fewer automobiles will be on the roadway, it will reduce automobile emissions, and therefore yield an environmentally net positive result.

• Four, because traffic will be reduced, navigation will be

America’s Grocery Supply Chain Is Healthy

With COVID-19 cornoavirus proliferating in the United States, and abroad, some grocery shoppers have begun panic purchasing. That behavior is not limited to Americans. Shoppers in other nations have also begun to panic purchase, which in turn, makes it difficult for those who genuinely need groceries to obtain them.

And at least one story has been published about people not being able to purchase much-needed food items, including one about a 51-year-old Critical Care Nurse in England who, after a 48-hour shift, wasn’t able to find any groceries for herself.

“Just stop it please”: Tearful Nurse urges the public to stop panic buying food after she was unable to buy basic items following a 48-hour shift.

Top Out of Stock Categories of grocery store items

There are other readily-observable phenomenological (def. a “method of inquiry concerned with the perception and experience of objects and events as the basis for the investigation of reality”) matters, and events, at work. One such matter is the “80-20 rule.”

Also known as the Pareto Principle, after the Italian economist and sociologist Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) who first described it, the rule, or principle certainly applies in this scenario.

Simply put, as it applies to consumption, the rule states that 80% of your product sales will come from 20% of your customers – or, if you prefer, 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes, which thus asserts an unequal relationship between inputs (cause), and outputs (effect).

The 80/20 rule is borne out also by anecdotal observation, in which an Assistant Grocery Store Manager recently remarked to me that, “There are others who can’t buy things, because the same people are lining up at 6AM when the truck arrives and are buying basketfuls of the same things every time,” adding that, “It’s obviously way more than they need.”

Or, to put it another way, the suffering of 80% of the people who don’t have access to regularly-purchased items, is caused by 20% of the population. Things like that kinda’ gives you pause for thought, doesn’t it?

Further anecdotal evidence may be found among shoppers themselves, who report similarly, which is that a relatively small number of people are purchasing an inordinate quantity of select items, whatever they may be, and thus rapidly depleting available stock and inventories.

Kroger Spokesperson, Melissa Eads in Nashville, TN said that since Thursday, March 12, 2020, Kroger stores have seen a significant increase in the number of customers, and the quantities they’re purchasing. Kroger grocery store officials estimate that most customers are buying at least five times what they would normally buy.

And to buttress the idea that America’s grocery supply chain is safe, and secure, Greg Ferrara, President & CEO of the National Grocers Association has written that, amidst a national profusion of panic purchasing, that:

“Food supplies are plentiful throughout the supply chain and are being replenished continuously to meet the demand. Although some consumers may experience temporary out of stocks in some categories or brands, such as hand sanitizer and paper goods, stores are re-filling shelves as quickly as possible. Supermarket associates are working diligently to quickly restock shelves and clean stores. And, while consumers may find purchase limits on some products that are in high demand, such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies, this is simply to ensure as many customers as possible are able to purchase what they need.”

But since when do people give heed to sound advice, eh?

After all, it was a Wisconsin Republican Congressman and Johnny Carson who were the cause of the “Toilet Paper” shortage scare in American, dating back to December 1973… and hasn’t shown any signs of letting up.

Following are industry observations about the grocery industry – or, more accurately as Consumer Behavior – in relation to COVID-19.

Reasons To Hate Republicans

Just in the case you’ve not figured it out by now, I loathe Republicans. They have – as history has demonstrated, time,  and time, again – led America down primrose paths of destruction, while benefiting their wealthy corporate donors and clientele.

I purposely do NOT use the word “constituent” in that sentence, precisely because when someone pays a person to do their bidding – it is a Master/Servant relationship, in which someone who is paid to render services, who otherwise would not – that’s what it is, a pay-for-play quid pro quo corruption of democratic representation.

And, to be absolutely certain, I am neither a sycophant for Democrats – and there are some corrupt ones, who would better be identified as “Republican Lite,” for they do not have The People’s best interests at heart, and like Republicans, do their Corporate Masters’ bidding.

The GOP is no longer “the party of Lincoln,” and hasn’t been for well over 100 years – probably more like 150. Republicans have been the source and cause of practically every scandal and corruption which has harmed the United States, and its people.

Republicans gave us The Great Depression.

Democrats saved not only the United States, but the world as well, from the ravages of the Great Depression.

And, ever since, Republicans have been trying to TEAR DOWN, and DESTROY every vestige of public policy, law, or governmental agency which benefits The People.

For example, again, hearkening back to

Dear Millennials, YES, you TOO can get sick… VERY sick!

Don’t think COVID-19 novel coronavirus can’t affect you.

It can.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that 705 of the first 2,500 cases of COVID-19 novel coronavirus in the United States were ages 20-44, 15-20% of which were hospitalized, with at least 4% needing stays in Intensive Care Units. And there were a few deaths.

In Italy, 25% of that nation’s coronavirus victims were/are aged 19-50 – with a very nearly equal distribution between the two other major age categories 51-70, and 71+.

Clement Chow, Assistant Professor of Genetics at the University of Utah is one example of a young person getting VERY SICK and requiring hospitalization in an ICU.

In a series of Tweets on March 15, 2020, he wrote in part:

“I’m young and not high risk, yet I am in the ICU with a very severe case. We really don’t

Hey Kids! Keep EVERYONE Safe! Help Stop Spreading COVID-19 Coronavirus!

The pandemic (meaning, “the worldwide spread of a new disease”) is now upon us with COVID-19 coronavirus.

While there are particularly worrisome aspects of this disease, one of the most overlooked aspects of it is that someone can be a carrier without showing any signs, or symptoms of infection, or disease.

In other words, folks are (not “can be,” but ARE) spreading the disease WITHOUT KNOWING IT.

So, why don’t they know they have it?

First, they’re asymptomatic – that’s medical jargon meaning “they don’t show signs of symptoms of having the disease.”

Second, they’ve NOT been tested. (And, I put the blame for that problem squarely upon Trump, because he gutted the National Security Council and White House infrastructures which would handle such crises.

In numerous articles published as far back as 2017, from a wide variety of sources, it’s broadly acknowledged that

Questions & Answers About Cannabis

Updated Sunday, 22 March 2020

While the intended audience for these Qs & As is meant primarily for medical, and healthcare science professionals, they may still be of some interest, or use, by others –– particularly for those who do not know that there is legitimate science behind the use, and recommendation of cannabis in various therapies.

So in that light, enjoy!

From Franz Eugen Köhler’s Medizinal-Pflantzen. Published and copyrighted by Gera-Untermhaus, FE Köhler in 1887 (1883–1914). Hemp plant. A flowering male and B seed-bearing female plant, actual size; 1 male flower, enlarged detail; 2 and 3 pollen sac of same from various angles; 4 pollen grain of same; 5 female flower with cover petal; 6 female flower, cover petal removed; 7 female fruit cluster, longitudinal section; 8 fruit with cover petal; 9 same without cover petal; 10 same; 11 same in cross-section; 12 same in longitudinal section; 13 seed without hull.

––//––

QUESTION: Based on data from the 2016 to 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, do more people in the US smoke marijuana or tobacco cigarettes.
Answer

ANSWER: According to the 2016 to 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 39 million people smoke marijuana, and according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 34.3 million people smoke tobacco cigarettes. Recent trends show that the number of marijuana smokers is rising while the number of cigarette smokers is declining.

—

QUESTION: CB1 receptors are located on neurons in the CNS and PNS. Are CB1 receptors also located on cardiomyocytes?

ANSWER: Yes. CB1 receptors are located in cardiomyocytes, vascular endothelial cells as well as smooth muscle cells. Activation of these CB1 receptors may lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, vasodilation, and negative inotropy.

—

QUESTION: Smoking and vaporizing marijuana may induce an increase in heart rate. Is smoking marijuana associated with other cardiac electrical effects?

ANSWER: Yes. THC may increase catecholamine levels and therefore may theoretically increase the likelihood of arrhythmias. Various cardiac electrical effects have been described in observational studies. Atrial fibrillation was one of the more commonly reported arrhythmias. Other marijuana-associated arrhythmias reported include atrial flutter, atrioventricular block/asystole, sick sinus syndrome, ventricular tachycardia, and Brugada pattern.

—

QUESTION: Some cannabinoid-based medicines are used to treat chemotherapy-induced n/v. Have cannabinoid-based medicines been shown to be effective in the treatment of post-op n/v?

ANSWER: The results of studies indicate that neither nabilone or intravenous THC is effective for post-op n/v. Even premedication with nabilone was ineffective at treating post-op n/v.

—

QUESTION: Do cannabinoid-based medicines have a higher NNT (number needed to treat) than opioids for pain relief? Than pregabalin? Than tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) agents?

ANSWER: According to recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses (from 2016-2018), cannabinoid -based medicines have a higher NNT than opioids, pregabalin and TCAs. It was also noted that there was a higher risk of adverse events associated with cannabinoid-based medicines compared to opioids, pregabalin and TCAs.

—

QUESTION: The 2017 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s (NASEM)review on the health effects of cannabinoid-based medicines concluded that there was conclusive or substantial evidence for the use cannabis or cannabinoids for the treatment of pain in adults. Do other national regulatory bodies have similar conclusions to the NASEM’s conclusion?

ANSWER: Actually, no. The Health Products Regulatory Authority of Ireland does not support the use of cannabinoid-based medicines for the treatment of chronic pain. Also, the European Pain Federation’s recent position paper recommended cannabinoid-based medicines be considered for chronic neuropathic pain only as a third line agent. Furthermore, the European Pain Federation found that the results of the studies examining chronic non-cancer pain indicated that there was insufficient evidence for the use of cannabinoid-based medicines for the treatment of non-neuropathic chronic non-cancer pain.

—

QUESTION: Does ketamine interact with the endocannabinoid system?

ANSWER: Yes. Ketamine induces the release of endocannabinoids.

—

QUESTION: Do CB1 and CB2 agonists facilitate endogenous opioid signaling?

ANSWER: Yes. In fact, CB1 and CB2 agonists increase the concentrations of endogenous opioids.

—

QUESTION: Do opioid antagonists impact the effects of cannabinoids?

ANSWER: Yes. For example, it has been shown that

Are you ready? FOUR MORE YEARS OF TRUMP

Official Portrait, President Donald Trump-R (b.1946)

Can you say…

“FOUR MORE YEARS”?

Increasingly, it looks like it’s gonna’ be yet ANOTHER Popular Vote win, and Electoral College loss for the Democrats in 2020.

And, as I have said, in a very perverse way, DT will have been VERY good for America, precisely because his abuses and corruption have pointed out every area of weakness in our laws pertaining to the Office of the President and of governmental operations, but because another recession is coming on, as Wall Street has warned, and is – once again – demonstrating that corruption by Wall $treet, the Banksters, and BIG INSURANCE still harms America.

And we have so MANY, MANY needs!

Reform of our voting systems, so that they can’t be hacked, manipulated, or gerrymandered.

So that life-saving, life-giving medications are readily and freely available to ALL The People.

So that people are AUTOMATICALLY Registered to Vote, and Vote by U.S. Postal Service mail is enabled in ALL 50 states.

So that once again, American Foreign Policy no longer unwantedly meddles in other nations’ internal affairs.

So that Healthcare is readily available to EVERYONE, not just those in cities or suburbs, and that Hospitals are OPENED and not closed.

So that The People can TRULY vote FOR their Presidential candidate of choice by ELIMINATING the Electoral College.

So that Schools and Education are not merely “adequately” funded, but have MORE than enough.

So that racist and discriminatory practices in voting registrations and purges are made ILLEGAL.

So that our Congress (House & Senate) is Term Limited to 20 years TOTAL service.

So that the security, safety, and

Dear Bernie, Pick Elizabeth Warren as your VP running mate NOW!

Bernie should announce that he’s choosing Warren for his VP running mate.

U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (VT-I), and Elizabeth Warren (MA-D).

Ideologically, they’re 2 peas in a pod. Her supporters would (or, at least should) DEFINITELY support Bernie, even since she is no longer running, and would most assuredly pitch in if he named her as his VP choice.

However… the VP is a politically dead-end job, since in the history of our nation, aside from succession, ONLY 5 VPs have ever been elected in their own right.

Only 13 former Vice Presidents have ever been POTUS, who all arrived in office either through succession, or through election apart from succession.

Here’s the break-down:

• A total of 8 POTUSes have died in office – 4 from natural death, and 4 assassinations.

• The majority of VPs who ever became POTUS (8/13) were from a President’s death, so that leaves 5.

• A total of 5 POTUSes were former VPs – Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren, Nixon, and G.H.W. Bush.

It’s worth repeating:

Only 5
former Vice Presidents
were ever
elected
as
President.

That’s 5/45, or 11.1%.

However, the United States Senate website states this about Senators:

“To date,
16 Senators have also served as
President of the United States.
Three Senators,
Warren G. Harding, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama moved directly from the U.S. Senate
to the White House.”

That’s 16/45, or 35.5%, of all POTUSes who were ever a Senator.

And 3/16, or 18.75%, were elected as POTUS directly from the Senate.

Historically, and statistically, it doesn’t look good for Biden.

Liz could

Early Morning Tornado Blasts Nashville Tennessee On Super Tuesday

Nashville residents and others in outlying areas along a pathway proceeding west-to-east of Nashville, including Mt. Juliet, located east of the Music City along I-40, were kept awake around midnight by the sounds of a tornado which wreaked havoc in the downtown capitol hill region, slightly north and east of the city.

The storm twisted its way through an neighborhood north of Nashville known as Germantown, into the Five Points area of East Nashville, and on through Mt. Juliet, 20 miles east of Nashville.

Nashville Fire Department officials have tentatively reported 48 collapsed, or damaged structures, numerous broken windows, and downed power lines. Numerous homes and businesses in the East Nashville and Donelson areas of metro Nashville were reported damaged, some perhaps, beyond repair.

Maggie Hannan, Community Relations Officer for Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, confirmed that, across a four-county region including Benton (Camden), Davidson (Nashville), Wilson (Mount Juliet), and Putnam (Cookeville) Counties, 19 lives were lost.

Authorities had earlier tentatively reported 14 deaths in Putnam County, 2 each in Davidson and Wilson Counties, and 1 in Benton County, but that figure has been revised upward and is expected to top well over 20 total deaths from this storm.

Putnam County officials wrote that “at approximately 2:00 a.m. CST, one confirmed tornado touched down between

Biden Campaign On Life Support

Poor Joe… Biden is hoping for strong Obama-coat-tail-winds, though he’s only getting a puff-and-pass.🤣

Former Vice President Joe Biden beat a hasty retreat from New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primaries yesterday before any preliminary results were announced and boarded a private jet bound for Charleston, South Carolina, where he’s hoping to reinvent, er… resuscitate his ailing campaign through support from the African-American and Hispanic community there.

He addressed his meager Granite State supporters from Charleston, and reminded them, and Palmetto State residents there assembled, several times that he was once VP to Obama, and that the two states which have held caucuses/primaries – Iowa and New Hampshire – are predominately White.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Iowa is 90.7% White, while New Hampshire is 93.2%. On the other hand, South Carolina has a 27.1% Black population, and is 5.8% Hispanic.

The next state to caucus, Nevada – which does so Saturday, February 22 – has

Trump Again Mocks Warren As “Pocahontas,” Ignorant Of Her Illustrious History

Following results of the New Hampshire Democratic Primary, American President Donald “Shithole Country in Chief” Trump, took to Twitter – as usual – and made some bizarre remark about Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who had a somewhat lackluster showing in the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primaries – though better than Biden – who quickly fled to South Carolina to lick his wounds, remind them he was VP to Obama, and hopefully garner support from among the African-American community there.

Biden hopes for strong Obama-coat-tail-winds, though he’s only getting a puff-and-pass.

The Twitterer in Chief wrote that,

“Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, is having a really bad night. I think she is sending signals that she wants out. Calling for unity is her way of getting there, going home, and having a “nice cold beer” with her husband!”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1227417402167742466

What the Idiot in Chief/Liar in Chief apparently doesn’t realize is that Pocahontas was a daughter of a Chieftan, which would make her a Princess.

Though little is known about her early life – save that she was born circa 1597, member of an Algonquian-speaking tribe around the Jamestown area, her real name was Amonute, and had a more private name Matoaka – much more is known about her later life, especially after she married John Rolfe, an English widower who later earned renown as a wealthy tobacco farmer in Virginia.

Before she met Rolfe, she was the victim of a kidnapping scheme, taken to Jamestown, and later Henrico, described as “a small English settlement near present-day Richmond,” where she was held as ransom for weapons and English prisoners taken by her father Wahunsenaca, who was also known as Chief Powhatan.

Once Chief Powhatan learned of Pocahontas’ capture, he was inclined to acquiesce to English demands, and initiated exchange negotiations. During that time, Pocahontas had been in the care of Reverend Alexander Whitaker, then a resident of Henrico, where she learned English, religion, and customs.

Although she had earlier freely married Kocoum in 1610, a man described as a “private captain” by Englishman William Strachey, who also may have been a member of the Patawomeck tribe, the years of her absence as a kidnapping victim and other surrounding circumstances, led to her falling in love with John Rolfe. The Powhatan people had what some would describe as an advanced, or liberalized social society, and a rudimentary form of divorce in which two consenting parties desiring to make a life change, were immediately recognized as such by society.

In 1614, Pocahontas converted to Christianity, and was baptized as “Rebecca,” while in April that year, she and John Rolfe were married, which also resulted in a cessation of the frequent, and often-violently bloody conflicts among the English and Powhatan people, which became known as the “Peace of Pocahontas.”

Shortly after their marriage, she bore a son named Thomas, and the Virginia Company of

Do You Want What Your Enemy Wants For You?

Should you want what your enemy wants for you?

That’s essentially the question that many should be asking themselves.

Our enemies, America’s enemies, the enemies of freedom, desire our destruction.

That’s a given.

Knowing that they desire to see America destroyed, they all have various tactics and strategies which they hope will accelerate, and prove successful in their effort to destroy America.

Should America do what our enemies want us to do?

Should America cower and coalesce to them?

Or, perhaps, should America stand firm in the beliefs and practices which made us strong?

The answer, I think, is obvious.

We should stand firm in the in the beliefs and practices which made us strong.

So, here’s a very real quandary.

It’s the first page in the report.

This is NOT a Republican “thing,” nor is it a Democratic “thing” – it’s an American thing.

Our nation’s Intelligence agencies have ALL unanimously concluded that

Biden whistles past Obama graveyard in New Hampshire Debate.

Yesterday evening’s Democratic Debate in New Hampshire, was the 8th of 12 in an ongoing series winnowing the party’s 2020 field of nominee candidates. The Friday night event which lasted from 8 – 11PM EST was held at St. Anselm College in Manchester, and was sponsored by ABC, WMUR, and Apple News.

Moderators George Stephanopoulos and David Muir of ABC, Linsey Davis, Adam Sexton, Monica Hernandez

Candidates former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, billionaire businessman/entrepreneur Tom Steyer, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and businessman Andrew Yang rounded out the field.

https://twitter.com/538PollBot/status/1225977849829580801
“58% of Americans are dissatisfied with the size and influence of corporations in 2020 while 41% are satisfied, according to Gallup polling.”

Of course, most people are whistling past their own graveyards, whatever they may be – particularly since most Americans are only one paycheck, one illness, one job loss away from utter devastation and homelessness.

Candidate Biden was consistent throughout the debate, and never ceased to mention that he was with the former POTUS Obama. Clearly, he’s riding Barack’s coattails. Or, at least he’s trying to.

But, let’s look to history to see if we can discern anything of bearing for today.

From an earlier entry titled

Smaller Government

Smaller government, anyone?

In 1910, the United States Census reported the population was 92,228,496.

Over 110 years later…

In 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimates that

Reading Democratic Tea Leaves, v.4.0

Of the Democrats, who do you think stands the BEST chance of getting elected?

There are now 4 top-polling candidates:
1.) Joe Biden, former Vice President to Barack Obama
2.) Bernie Sanders, current Senator from Vermont
3.) Elizabeth Warren, current Senator from Massachusetts
4.) Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor of South Bend, IN

No, I do NOT mean a “play it safe,” middle of the road” candidate like the Democrats chose in 2016.

And no, I do ~not~ mean ‘who do you think or hope will get elected,’ but rather instead mean to ask, ‘who do you think has the statistically best chance of being elected?’

Let’s look to history to help us answer that question.

In our nation’s 243-year history, there have been 57 Presidential Elections, 45 POTUSes, 9 of whom ran for second terms and lost, and only 3 since WWII – Ford, Carter, and Bush I.

The most recent one, George H.W. Bush, was Vice President during Reagan’s two terms, and lost to Bill Clinton in 1992.

Historically, since our nation’s founding, 7 of 9 one-term POTUSes who lost re-election have been Republican. The Federalist Party was a forerunner of the modern Republican party, as was the Democrat-Republican and National Republican.

In reverse chronological order, term in office, and party during office, they are:

1.) George H.W. Bush – 1989-93 – R
2.) Jimmy Carter – 1977-81 – D
3.) Gerald R. Ford – 1974-77 – R
4.) Herbert Hoover – 1929-33 – R
5.) William Howard Taft – 1909-13 – R
6.) Benjamin Harrison – 1889-93 – R
7.) Martin Van Buren – 1837-41 – D
8.) John Quincy Adams – 1825-29 – Democratic-Republican/National Republican
9.) John Adams – 1797-1801 – Federalist

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren – D

Historically as well, Vice Presidents do not get elected as President in their own right.

That means, apart from succession, when VPs have campaigned for the Office of the President, they have not won.

Only 13 former Vice Presidents have ever been POTUS, and arrived in office either through

Scandalous!!

Reproduction of an original photograph of Prince George of Greece and Denmark (1869-1957) and Princess Marie Bonaparte (1882-1962). Prince George is sitting to the right wearing military uniform. Princess Marie is standing beside him to the left with her right hand resting on her hip. She is wearing a pale coloured dress and strings of pearls. There is a wooden wall behind them. The photograph is signed and dated. Prince George of Greece and Denmark was the second son of George I, King of the Hellenes. Princess Marie Bonaparte was a descendant of Emperor Napoleon I, an heiress and a psychoanalyst. They married in 1907.

Identify the TRUE statements about Marie Bonaparte (1882-1962), great grand-niece of Emperor Napoleon:

1.) Was anorgasmic.

2.) Was a psychoanalyst.

3.) Helped advance

Who will it be? Biden, Sanders, Warren, Buttigieg?

As the chart below shows, Elizabeth Warren is the Democratic candidate most likely to be chosen as the party’s Presidential nominee.

Warren and Buttigieg are the only two candidates who have an upward trajectory, while Biden and Sanders both show a downward trajectory, with Biden’s downward trajectory more pronounced than Bernie’s.

California Senator Kamala Harris has announced that she has dropped out of the race.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has announced that he won’t be in the 6th Democratic Debate December 19 debate at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where PBS NewsHour and POLITICO will be the sponsors, with Moderators

Read DOJ OIG Report Here

oig.justice.gov/press/2019/2019-12-09.pdf

Why Should I Get The Flu Vaccine?

People that say ‘don’t get the flu vaccine because it’ll give you the flu’ are the equivalent of those who say ‘don’t eat an egg, because you might grow a chicken.’

There’s nothing in the vaccine that can cause influenza.

It’s not even a live vaccine.

It’d sure look funny with a chicken thigh coming out of your ear.

And, there’s no telling where the head and wing would pop up!🤪😂

There’s a “teachable moment” in that bit of humor for those who are “anti-vaxxers.”

You know… just in the case you happen to meet any.

Science: It’s like gravity.

You don’t have to “believe in it” for it to work.
It’s a FACT.

To obtain the fullest immunity from the vaccination takes at least TWO WEEKS for one’s body to build up antibodies to the virus… which is NOT in the vaccine.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/different-flu-vaccines.htm

https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/lot-release/influenza-vaccine-2019-2020-season

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/flu.html

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

 

Believing The Lie

Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to hear some right-wing nutjob talk about “god.” Which one that is, I have no idea. They rarely say. It’s just “god.”

But those same ones, who most often align themselves with the GOP (NOTE: GOP does not stand for “Party Of God”) hold themselves out, or so it seems, as not only paragons of virtue, but morally superior to all others.

What’s especially problematic, is that they purport to know what’s good best for you, and for everyone else. In other words, if you live your life according to their precepts, and dictates, everything’ll be hunky dory, and peachy keen. All will be well in La-La Land.

But please… what ever you do, DO NOT attempt to tell them what to do! You know… because they’re right, and you’re not. You’re an evil Liberal Atheist Democrat, and you need “god.” They are the ONLY ones who’re right, or correct. They’re god’s frozen chosen. And besides, you shouldn’t eat babies. Not even veal.

And Trump… Trump is “god’s man.”

According to them, he’s been “chosen by god for such a time as this,” despite the fact that he’s an habitually chronic liar, sexual abuser, serial divorcer, philanderer, tax cheat, and all-around scumbag.

But again… you know, he’s “god’s man.”

To which I say… well, goddamn.

The Evangelical community in large part perceives this to be a struggle between good, and evil, and their god is in the GOP since they’re right, and no one else is correct. They have an exclusive corner on the truth. They’re doing god’s work, and what they do is god’s will.

Again, all is well in La-La Land.

It just so happens that

Cooking Thanksgiving Turkey: A Really Simple How-To Guide

I decided to cook the Thanksgiving turkey today… because I can.

And, as always, it’ll be low & slow – 350°F for about 3-4hrs +/-.

Kinda’ like barbecue, only shorter.

The bird’s not really large, it’s only about 12-13 pounds, or so.

The cavity is stuffed with coarsely cut vegetables (including shiitake, and crimini/portobello mushrooms, red, white, and yellow onions, carrots, celery, and various peppers) all which are coated with pulverized dried bread crumbs, and two blocks of pulverized dried cheeses.

The top/exterior has paprika and coarse kosher salt with some mild pepper sauce (Valentina brand “Red Label” – it’s WAY flavorful, and not too hot for most tastes).

Before stuffing the cavity, coarse kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, and “Badia brand Complete Seasoning” was applied.

And, ALWAYS, always, always!!! Cook turkeys (and chicken) breast side down, of course!

Why?

Because it keeps the breast moist and tender – and prevents it from dying out.

Here’s how and why it works.

As the bird begins to cook, when the fat starts to render (melt), it runs DOWN (remember that thing called “gravity”?), into the breast meat, thereby “juicifying” it.

And a bit of bragging here – I have NEVER cooked a bad turkey, no matter how I’ve cooked it. Even my very first one was perfect.

Also, there’s NO need to “baste.” That’s an utter waste of time & effort. If you insist on cooking it breast side up, put the thing in a bag if you’re gonna’ do it that way.

How will you know when it’s done?

Smell.

And a little tug on the leg.

Never cook by time, or use a thermometer. That’s an amateur’s chore, or a fool’s errand. Cook it until you like how it turns out. (What’s the BEST part about being a cook? You get to eat your mistakes!)

Seriously.

Don’t cook by time, or “internal temperature.”

Seriously.

Don’t.

You’ll smell it when it’s done, and ready.

Here’s how you check.

First of all, you’ll smell it.

And THEN! you check.

Here’s how you check:
Just open the oven door, pull out the rack, and using a fork, or your finger, “flick” the leg.

If it bounces back, it’s not ready.

If it gives way, it’s ready.

It’s just that simple.

Look, folks… cooking ain’t rocket surgery, or brain science.

I’m thinking of doing this:
Just as it gets about ready, I’ll

One word: Plastics.

Film buffs may recall the 1967 classic motion picture which cast Dustin Hoffman as the central character/protagonist, and included vocal music by Paul Simon (performed by Simon and Garfunkel), and instrumental music by Dave Grusin.

Featuring enduring classic Simon and Garfunkel hits as “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “Scarborough Fair,” the music may be the most enduring part of the film.

It was Dustin Hoffman’s first serious motion picture acting role, and became the foundation upon which he would later build his career, and later, achieve international stardom.

While two movies in which he was role cast were released that year – The Tiger Makes Out, and The Graduate – it was the latter for which he became most renown.

Based on the novel by Charles Webb, the screenplay was written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, and though described as a blended comedy, drama, romance genre film, its high-brow humor on a low-brow topic edges on the dryly sardonic-to-noir, while the drama is real.

And romance?

Well, it’s hardly romantic.

Read the July 19, 1968 critique of “The Graduate” by Jacob R. Brackman published The New Yorker, which essentially makes the same conclusion.

What else could be said for an early horny housewife MILF movie?

Because that theme – that “Ben Braddock” (played by Hoffman), a soon-to-be recent university graduate, is dating Elaine Robinson, a as-yet-ungraduated peer at an in-town university, and their relationship progresses to the point of marriage (for Elaine, but not for Ben), all while a steamy, purely sexual relationship is developed between Mrs. Robinson (played by Anne Bancroft) who first initiated overtures toward Ben, to which he later succumbed – is what drives the story along.

As his natural senior, Mrs. Robinson clearly takes unfair selfish advantage of Ben’s naiveté, and in that sense, demonstrates not merely manipulation, but abuse.

Naturally, all such relationships of that type are mostly kept secret and frowned upon in polite society, and this case is certainly no different, which provides the tension for the drama in the film. Only this one turns toward blackmail, and the farcically shallow, emotionally manipulative, dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship is only suggested, and is rarely fully displayed in the film – though there are moments – and again, demonstrates the vacuous depths of Mrs. Robinson’s emotional, psychosexual needs, and the treachery to which she goes to fulfill her unmet needs.

Moreover, the humor is frequently dead-panned, and is by no means slapstick. A 1968 review of the movie in The New Yorker described it as “European moviemaking done right in the heart of American movieville,” and I couldn’t agree more – which is not to say that the film (and book) are unworthy as art, or entertainment, for they are. But as a genre, “because American films straggle so far behind literature and European films in reflecting the actual quality of modern life, rudimentary negativism can easily be taken for truthfulness, and a decade-old vision can appear to be “ahead of its time.””

And so it is with “The Graduate.”

But the movie and its themes were not my intended target.

Instead, the subject I wanted to focus upon is

Do We Own Relationships?

In an email exchange with a long-time friend about human sexuality and religion, I expressed an idea which I’ve been developing for quite some time, but had never written it. Though I’d talked about it with others, I’d never written it.

The idea concerns itself with the proposal that our sexuality has been, and largely continues to be, a tool by which we are controlled for others’ purposes, most notably religious and political.

Christendom, and other religions – including the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, and Islam – have continually said “no” to the expression of human sexuality, even though sexual response and the orgasm itself is but a mere function of the autonomic nervous system, which is but one of many in a collection of bodily functions over which we have no control, including pupillary response, digestion, rate of respiration and heart rate, blood pressure, and micturition (the creation of urine), most notably.

So it seems more than odd that we should be punished by religions for something over which we largely have little-to-no control. And yet, within many religions, it is precisely that sort of thing which (the attempt to control one’s uncontrollable functions) has innervated religions for eons. We see it in the flagellation associated with the Passion of the Christ in annual displays worldwide. We see it in the writings of the Desert Fathers whose asceticism is renown. We see it even in the daily functions of Abrahamic religions. It is pervasive.

Raquel Welch, in Los Angeles, on a cross; 1970 photograph by British photographer Terry O’Neill; wearing a fur bikini from the 1966 motion picture “One Million Years B.C.,” in which she starred, which was a remake of the original 1940 “One Million B.C.”

As well, a sense of shame and guilt is brought with it in order to continue to subdue others. None of it makes any sense. And yet, amidst it all, faithful adherents are told to become “more Christlike,” or “godly” by taming other genuinely negative behaviors and expressions such as selfishness, anger, hatred, lying, and numerous other unbecoming attitudes.

However, the root cause of it all has largely, to date, undefined – though it has been touched upon in numerous homilies, sermons, and teachings.

And so, while it is largely unrefined, per se, the core of the idea which I have been long considering is expressed here below, and is excerpted from an email to a long-time friend.

––//––

The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that:

A Thoughtful Response On Alex Berenson’s Anti-Cannabis Talk

A friend sent to me a link to an article which I thoughtfully perused.

It was about cannabis.

Specifically, while it was not exactly surreptitious, it was definitely anti-cannabis.

I am not now, though I once was, “anti-cannabis.”

And to be certain, I read the article with an open mind, as I do most all things which I read.

However, I have made my position upon the matter – along with the rationales – a matter of open and unashamed advocacy for anyone who inquires, and have done so only after extensive and lengthy consideration.

With only minor editing to protect privacy, I share the following response.

––//––

I think the trap we tend to fall in circulates around the idea that correlation is causation, but it is not.

Yes, there are some valid instances in which correlated items are causative (for example, sexual intercourse and pregnancy), but there are other extenuating factors which must be considered. For example, fertility rates of males and females must be considered, as well as contraceptive use, spontaneous abortion (aka “miscarriage”), and other aspects associated with copulation. So, one size does not fit all.

For example, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in Prevalence of Drug Use in the General Population – National Data (2018), the United States has an opiate abuse rate of 1.04%, and is ranked 7th globally in that regard.

Kazakhstan has a very similar rate of 1.00%. Iran, however, leads the world with 3.31%, with Afghanistan in 2nd place with 2.65%, followed by Russia with 1.64%.

If we examined cannabis use the same way, Canada is in international 1st place with 32.7% annual prevalence, followed by Papua New Guinea with 29.5%, with Israel in 3rd place with 27.0%, then Palau with 24.2%, the Northern Mariana Islands with 22.2%, Ghana with 21.5%, Guam with 18.4%, Iceland with 18.3%, and then the United States with 16.2%.

Regarding the rates of opioid use/abuse in the United States, the article’s author, Alex Berenson, states that “And the United States, the Western country with the most cannabis use, also has by far the worst problem with opioids.” As we can see, Canada is the Western country with the greatest cannabis consumption rate, while their opioid use rate is 0.4%, and are ranked 38th globally in that regard.

Clearly, his statement is not correct, nor anywhere near accurate.

Now, if we stated that correlation was causation (which it is NOT), then we would expect to see a high rate of violent crimes in those nations – for opiate and cannabis use.

However… we do not.

And, if we considered murder as a violent crime (and it is, regardless of the means or method), the United States does NOT even appear in the Top 50 Nations per capita rate which for that category ranges from 61.8 to 9.29. Globally, the United States is ranked 89th of 230 nations for per capita murder rate.

In that regard, Kazakhstan is ranked 93rd, Iran is ranked 129th, Afghanistan is ranked 72nd, Papua New Guinea is ranked 64th, Russia 168th, Canada 91st, Guam 219th, Palau 223rd, Ghana 46th.

In fact, most all nations in the African continent – with ONE solitary exception, that being Saint Helena with a per capita homicide rate of 0.00% – have a homicide rate averaging 12.5%, while many Central and South American nations have a similarly high, or even greater rate.

The report “International Statistics on Crime and Justice” by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is referenced by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security of the Naval Postgraduate School in the Homeland Security Digital Library, and finds the “data unique and valuable.” The report itself states that “Results suggest that the highest homicide levels are found in

Homemade Tomato Sandwich

I’ve never been much of a ‘mater sammich kind of guy.

But I had to do something with the 2 HUGE ones which I purchased a few days ago.

So, I made one.

…which I’m eating w/a fork and knife.

Seriously.

I’ve always hated having dirty hands, and eating w my hands.

In fact, I have long known how to eat fried chicken w/a fork.

But that’s beside the point.

What’s on it?

Between two sourdough heels, there’s fresh basil (sweet & chocolate), tomatoes, Vidalia onions, garlic powder, coarse kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, Duke’s mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, with sambal oelek, and a sweet pepper.

2020 Democratic Trends… and Pocahantas

U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren

Who’ll get the nod?

My money is on Warren.

Why?

She identifies a problem, lays out a case, and states a solution. She’s a mom, teacher, an attorney, a law professor, and now, a politician – a small-town Oklahoma girl who made good, despite the odds against her.

She gets it.

Despite the Current White House Occupant’s attempt to slap a derisive nickname on Senator Elizabeth Warren (ironically defaming Native Americans in the process), Senator Warren has done exceedingly well.
For those unaware of American history, Pocahontas was a Algonkian indigenous American, and daughter of Chief Powhatan, a princess who fostered peace among the Jamestown, Virginia English colonists/settlers.

She may be most renown for saving Captain John Smith’s life after he was captured by her father’s men.

Later, she converted to Christianity, was baptized as Rebecca, and accepted a marriage proposal by prominent settler and tobacco farmer John Rolfe, and was wed April 5, 1614.

“The Baptism of Pocahantas,” by John Gadsby Chapman, Artist; Oil on canvas 12′ x 18′, 1839; placed 1840 Rotunda U.S. Capitol

So the history is a dignified, and marvelous story, despite the Idiot-Ignoramus in Chief’s attempt to use a good name to defame her. It only shows what kind of miserably pitiful character he is.

But, more to the point.

The Marriage of Pocahontas to John Rolfe

If you’ve ever read a prospectus for any financial or investment vehicle – either stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. – you’ve probably read the following disclaimer:
“Past performance is

Reading Democratic Tea Leaves III

In keeping with the “Who will be the Democrats’ 2020 Presidential nominee?” theme, I present the following for your perusal.

According to the trend lines, barring any unforeseen events, Elizabeth Warren will overtake Joe Biden in average public support polling within the next couple months. And by July 13-16 – dates of the Democratic National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI – she will be within “striking distance” of becoming the presumptive nominee by being only 5 points below Biden in average polling popularity.

That is, of course, if “Sleepy” “Uncle Joe” Biden’s continued demonstration of foot-in-mouth disease, and discovery of his other troubling and long-time political faux pas and other problematic voting track records – such as being the father of the “Gun Show Loophole” by being instrumental in, and voting for the 1986 Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA) which the National Rifle Association (NRA) called “the law that saved gun rights” because it rolled back numerous regulations.

The Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (FOPA) created the so-called “Gun Show Loophole,” rapidly accelerated popularity of gun shows, allowed firearm sales via the U.S. Mail, and the Internet, allowed “straw purchases” of firearms, over-ruled at least 33% of the hundreds of lower court rulings interpreting the Gun Control Act, and undid at least 6 Supreme Court rulings.

Joe Biden, as Ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committe was not merely a proponent of, and voted for the FOPA, he significantly helped advance it by unanimously voting it out of committee. So realistically and ultimately, he bears significant responsibility for the increase in mass shootings and gun violence in America.

“I give credit to Senator HATCH and the National Rifle Association for their willingness to compromise and develop a revised bill that would strike a fair balance between unnecessary restrictions and regulations on lawful owner-ship of rifles and handguns and the legitimate interests of law enforcement in carrying out their responsibilities. I believe the compromises that are now a part of this bill have resulted in a balanced piece of legislation that protects the rights of private gun owners while not infringing on law enforcement’s ability to deal with those who misuse guns or violate laws. During my 12% years as a Member of this body, I have never believed that additional gun control or Federal registration of guns would reduce crime. I am convinced that a criminal who wants a firearm can get one through illegal, nontraceable, unregistered sources, with or without gun control. In my opinion a national register or ban of handguns would be impossible to carry out and may not result in reductions in crime. … However, on the whole, I am satisfied with the revisions to the bill made in committee, and I believe this bill makes improvements to existing law. ”
– Delaware Senator Joe Biden, July 9, 1985 in Congressional Record – Senate, p18229

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1985-pt13/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1985-pt13-4-2.pdf

Note that when other candidates’ support declined, Warren’s increased – as seen by

To Trump, or Not to Trump?

Will History Repeat Itself?

Why Trump Worries About GOP Contenders

For the past four decades plus, regardless of party, every incumbent president who faced a serious primary opponent was weakened enough to ultimately lose re-election.

In 1968, Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy (NOT to be confused with U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisconsin)) nearly upset then-POTUS Lyndon Baines Johnson in the New Hampshire primary by winning 40% of the votes to Johnson’s 49%.

Weeks later, Johnson stunned the nation and announced he would not seek another term.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford survived Reagan’s challenge from the right wing of the GOP, but lost to former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter.

Four years later, Carter faced a strong opponent in

Dying Skills

America is a wealthy nation.

There’s no question about it.

Even with the scourges of poverty, and homelessness affecting it, the United States is, per capita, among the wealthiest nations in the world.

The United States Census Bureau reports that “The official poverty rate in 2017 was 12.3 percent, down 0.4 percentage points from 12.7 percent in 2016. This is the third consecutive annual decline in poverty. Since 2014, the pov­erty rate has fallen 2.5 percent­age points, from 14.8 percent to 12.3 percent.”

The 2018 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress (AHAR) by the Department of Housing and Urban Development found that “On a single night in 2018, roughly 553,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States. About two-thirds (65%) were staying in sheltered locations—emergency shelters or transitional housing programs—and about one-third (35%) were in unsheltered locations such as on the street, in abandoned buildings, or in other places not suitable for human habitation. Homelessness increased (though modestly) for the second year in a row. The number of homeless people on a single night increased by 0.3 percent between 2017 and 2018.”

According to various census measures internationally, there are very nearly 7.6 BILLION people in the world today. The United States ranks third globally in population with very nearly 330 Million. Only China and India respectively, are more populous, each with over 1.3 BILLION residents.

Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, and Mexico, in order, round out the Top 10 most populous nations.

Extrapolating from the population, that’s nearly 1 out of every 597 people who are homeless in the United States. Expressed as a percentage, that’s 0.16757575% – a little over 1/10th of 1%… well UNDER 1%.

The International Monetary Fund in 2018 ranked the United States as the 10th wealthiest nation globally. The World Bank in 2017 ranked the United States as 11th wealthiest, and the Central Intelligence Agency from 1993-2017 ranked the United States as the 13th wealthiest nation as measured by Gross Domestic Product per capita.

When measured by adult median wealth, the United States ranks 21st, according to a 2018 Credit Suisse report.

That’s among a ranking of 170-190 nations for all four measures.

And when a ranking of total wealth is considered, the United States ranks first globally – again, according to the Global Wealth Report 2018 by Credit Suisse.

Using the Gini Index – a measure of the overall equality of life – the United States ranks

I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World) – A Timeless Classic

I don’t always think about politics.

Sometimes, I think about music.

Or, more accurately, I sing, or hum a few lines of a song which melody happens to pop in my head.

This morning, it was Donald Fagen’s – of Steely Dan renown – tune known as “What A Beautiful World,” which is properly titled as “I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World).”

Released as a single on his first solo album “The Nightfly” which was certified Gold, and then Platinum by the RIAA based upon sales volume in 1982, and 2001 respectively, the single never reached above 8th position on Billboard’s U.S. Adult Contemporary chart, while on Canada’s RPM Contemporary Adult chart, it topped out at number 2, both in the 1982-83 time frame.

The tune and melody of the song is its most powerful attribute, while the rhythm and bouncing dotted-eighth syncopation is

Try and stop the rain? How about building infrastructure, instead?

Extensive flooding in Muscle Shoals, AL in the NW corner of the state, in the spring of 2019

The news article which flows from the NASA story (I know… bad pun) appears below.

But either way, as usual, I’m eager to know your thoughts.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145101/record-setting-precipitation-leaves-us-soils-soggy/

Small Towns Fear They Are Unprepared For Future Climate-Driven Flooding

–

https://www.npr.org/744203716

—//—

Tennessee River flooding (bottom) contrasted with normal conditions (top) under O’Neal Bridge which joins Colbert (in the south) and Lauderdale (to the north) counties in the Shoals area of NW AL

Some folks talk about a “Green New Deal” as a prospective course of action to remedy (ameliorate) the effects of Climate Change, and to provide economic impetus.

While there may be some merit to some aspects of that now-nebulous idea, there is a much more immediate and concrete need we have in response to Climate Change.

And that is, to build, expand, and repair our Economic Infrastructure in order to reduce – as much as humanly possible – the costly continual damages that are now occurring, and which will continue to occur, because of Climate Change.

When faced with flooding, a proper response is not to try and stop the rain;

it is to build levees, dams, waterways, sluices, ponds, and other hydrological management resources – including pipelines, and other such mechanisms – to prevent the damage that would otherwise occur without implementation of such measures.

Here’s a very real case in point to illustrate that very matter – the North Sea Flood of 1953.

Buid Zeeland, Netherlands 1953 North Sea Flood
Image made by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from a U.S. Army helicopter of the 1953 North Sea Flood in the Netherlands.

Described as the worst natural disaster in Europe in modern times, the flooding occurred over a two-day period January 31 – February 1, and affected Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland, with a total of 2551 lives lost, and 1836 in the Netherlands alone.

Dutch losses were particularly enormous, principally because

Spies Like Us

Here’s a Question for You, the reader:

Do you think it’s possible that within our government, practically unknown to most, that deep within the machinations and operations of the wheels of government – the agencies, the bureaus, the watchdogs – that keep America safe and secure, ensure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, and promote the general welfare of our nation, with liberty and justice for all… do you think that it is beyond the pale to imagine that there are

Br’er Trump & Br’er Biden

If you’ve ever heard of the Uncle Remus story of B’rer Rabbit, popularized by Walt Disney’s movie Song of the South, you’ll recognize the line he utters to Br’er Fox saying, “Please Br’er Fox don’t throw me in the briar patch!”

And then, Br’er Fox, thinking he’d do significant harm to him, and even kill him, threw Br’er Rabbit in the briar patch. But Br’er Rabbit pops up unscathed and laughingly mocks Br’er Fox as he exclaims, “I’se born and bred in the briar patch!”

The current White House occupant has said “I’d rather run against, I think, Biden than anybody.”

Of course POS45 wants to campaign against “Sleepy Uncle Joe” Biden!

Why?

Just like the trickster character Br’er Rabbit, he was

Free Television

A “rabbit ears” television antenna sat atop television sets to receive television broadcast signals.

Would you pay to watch advertising?

If you have cable teevee, or satellite service, you do.

I dare say most folks are unaware that television signals still come over the airwaves – even digital ones – can STILL be received with

Could “Uncle Joe” Biden become POTUS?

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) official portrait

Joe Biden (D), official VP portrait

Much is being made about the impending Sanders v Biden match-up in the Democratic party for the 2020 General Election.

Detractors of the Democratic party say that Biden has a better possibility of being the party’s nominee because – as one Republican pundit wrote – “Biden, and others running for the Oval Office, are terrified that Hispanics and blacks – who reliably vote Democratic – might be swayed by rising wages or better job prospects, to vote for Trump.”

News writers, who are supposed to have (one hopes) some degree of objectivity, seem to have also fallen prey to the Biden 2020 siren song, and have written remarks like “Mr. Biden’s advantage with black voters not only helps him amass delegates ahead of the Democratic convention, but helps counter the widespread perception that he is a candidate running on a bygone appeal to the white working class.”

Recently, a Quinnipiac University Poll published May 15, 2019 found that in Pennsylvania, “former Vice President Joseph Biden is over the 50 percent mark in a matchup with President Donald Trump, leading 53 – 42 percent.” Quinnipiac University is “a private, coeducational university in Southern New England” with campuses “in Hamden and North Haven, Connecticut.”

Overall, the poll found that “Trump leads 90 – 7 percent among Pennsylvania Republicans. Biden leads 93 – 6 percent among Democrats and 51 – 37 percent among independent voters.”

Other top Democratic contenders matched up against Trump as follows:
• Senator Bernie Sanders (I) VT 50% – 43% Trump
• Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren 47 % – 44% Trump
• California Senator Kamala Harris 45% – 45% Trump
• South Bend, IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg 45% – 44% Trump
• Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (TX-16) 44% – 46% Trump

In stark contrast to assertions by GOPers and other naysayers of the Democratic party that economic conditions are favoring the GOP and Trump’s re-election, Mary Snow, a Polling Analyst for the Quinnipiac University Poll said that “More than half of Pennsylvania voters say they are better off financially than they were in 2016. But the economy isn’t giving President Donald Trump an edge in an early read of the very key Keystone State.”

Other general detractors to the Democratic party note with some sense of disdain that Vermont’s Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has called himself a “democratic socialist,” and seek to add credence to their argument by noting that some national-level GOP elected officials and others have said that “If we can run a race against a person that’s an out-of-the-closet socialist and promoting socialist ideas, it’s a great contrast for us.”

Donald Trump

Yet the poll also found that among respondents, 53% said “it is more important for a presidential candidate to be a great leader” while 38% said “it is more important for a candidate to have great policy ideas.” And that sets up an immediate turn away from policy to personality – a veritable cult of personality.

In the modern sense, the term “cult of personality” refers to a scenario in which

Healthcare, Marijuana, Medicare For All, Voting Rights, And More

This prospective legislation (linked below) is “…an indication of the overall appetite for progressive policies in the 2020 Democratic primary race.”

And, it’s about damn time!

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders -I

I’m sick & tired of hearing folks say that there’s not a nickel’s worth of difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. And face it… if it weren’t for Bernie leading the way last General Election cycle, we very likely wouldn’t be hearing this kind of talk. Seriously.

 

And, while Sen. Kamala Harris exceeded Bernie’s 2016 fundraising “haul” by raising $1.5M in the first 24 hours following announcement of candidacy, Bernie outdid himself this time by raising $6M in 24 hours. THAT is SIGNIFICANT! And, it says that the number of those who believed in him last time, have increased. Plus, he already has the campaign people and mechanisms in place, whereas others – including Harris – do not.

California Senator Kamala Harris -D

I think it’ll be interesting to see how all this shakes out.

Of course, Joe Biden’s likely to be tossed into the mix, but while polls show he has “favorable” ratings with many, including Republicans,

Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Mexican lasagna!?!

Yeah.

The first layer is soft corn tortillas. Be sure to cover the sides of the dish.

That’s what I thought when I read the text message sent to me by a friend.

I’d never heard of “Mexican lasagna,” but the ingredients and pictures intrigued me, so I decided that I’d try my hand at it. After all, I do enjoy cooking, because for me, it’s a creative outlet. And besides… who DOESN’T like eating, eh?

Layer as you wish. But first place a layer of sauce atop the soft corn tortillas, followed by the meat. Seen here, the pinto beans with sausage atop a layer of vegetables (onion, olives, tomatillos, salsa verde, tomaotes, bell pepper, cilantro, etc.) and cheese. Mustn’t forget the Pepper Jack cheese!

And, like most recipes, I make it my own, because as I see it, recipes are essentially broad guidelines, rather than precise and exacting hard-and-fast rules for cooking or preparing any dish.

Top with crushed corn tortilla chips before adding the next layer.

So, I set off to procure the ingredients which I didn’t have on hand, purposely omitting any ingredients which I didn’t think “fit,” and adding ones which I thought would accentuate the dish.

Be GENEROUS with the veggies and other ingredients. DO NOT BE STINGY!

The traditional and original lasagna, of course, is

Almost-Darwin Award Winner in Mississippi

More gun stupidity from Southerners.

This time, it was an almost-Darwin Award Winner from Louisiana who was hunting in Mississippi with friends.

Last week, Alabama had a Darwin Award Winner, meaning that someone did something stupid which resulted in their death.

And yes, it involved a rifle, and the now-late wife of a cop.

And yes, they too were “hunting.”

And, just like this idiot, it also involved an automobile.

LESSON: Firearms and Stupidity DON‘T mix.

Former LSU OL Matt Branch Lost Leg in Hunting Accident; Friend Says Dog Shot Him

Tim Daniels, January 9, 2019

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2814785-former-lsu-ol-matt-branch-lost-leg-in-hunting-accident-friend-says-dog-shot-him

Former LSU Tigers offensive lineman Matt Branch lost his

Danger, Will Robinson… DANGER! Big Brother IS Watching -and- Listening!

Feeling paranoid?

Not to worry.

You just think you are.

But it’s true.

YOU’RE BEING WATCHED.

-and-

Did you know?

Even the direction-finding app Waze is owned by Google.

The G will eat your babies.

The G has already eaten your lunch.

And G, you didn’t even know it.

The G is Google.

So, here’s the deal: You THINK you’re searching for something and the search will return UNBIASED results… right?

WRONG!

From Forbes, Mar 5, 2012, 12:34pm: “Google will track what you search for in its search engine facility and then use that intelligence to its advantage.”

But we can go back even further to see where “You’re not the customer; you’re the product.”

In 1973 the artists Richard Serra and Carlota Fay Schoolman broadcast a short video titled “Television Delivers People.” An anodyne soundtrack played while sentences in white text on a blue background slowly scrolled upward. The messages displayed thematically matched the saying under exploration. Emphases were added to the excerpt by Quote Investigator: ¹”

Commercial television delivers 20 million people a minute.
In commercial broadcasting
the viewer pays for the privilege of having himself sold.
It is the consumer who is consumed.
You are the product of t.v.
You are delivered to the advertiser who is the customer.
He consumes you.
The viewer is not responsible for programming——
You are the end product.

If you think that anything has changed, you’re WRONG AGAIN.

This time, it’s Google.

And not only is there online Google, there’s now the danger of Amazon’s Alexa listening device, which increasingly is being found to be not only INSECURE, but invasive.

Truly…

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!

Look, I’m not now, nor have I ever been one to be conspiracy-minded, nor any kind of fear-monger. But THIS is not surreptitious, this is BLATANT! Echo/Alexa, Siri, Cortana and Google’s Home Assistant are ALL privacy invaders! Those so-called “smart speakers” are ALWAYS LISTENING! They’re snoops! Blatant eavesdroppers! And the tragic irony is, folks freely give up their privacy to have that “shiny new thing.”

Okay, perhaps you don’t have that “shiny new thing,” and if you don’t, GOOD FOR YOU! But

Dream A Little Dream Of Me: How Dreams Reflect, And Guide Our Waking Lives

Dreams are a world of surreality, where anything can, and does, happen.

In our dreams, pigs can fly, cats bark, and trees can speak. But more importantly than the seeming peculiarities such as talking telephone poles, or growing houses, is the symbolism of the objects in the dreams. One thing stands for another.

In our dreams, snakes might not necessarily represent the animal, but may represent deception, or danger. Conversely, depending upon the context of the dream, snakes may represent sexuality, or even money. It is the combination of the context of the elements in the dream, their setting, and actions, in conjunction with the events of our waking lives, that may provide useful information, even unique insight, into our waking lives.

Dreams can be thought of a type of guide to our waking lives, because they often reflect what is occurring, sometimes even with imperceptible events occurring behind the scenes, of which we are naturally unaware.

And, our dreams may also forewarn us of events. For example, in the Scriptural account in the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi, popularly called the “Three Wise Men” (though no translation of the story specifies how many there were) who had come to visit the exiled Holy Couple – Joseph, Mary, and the newborn Jesus, who had similarly been warned in a dream to flee their homeland before the child’s birth – returned to their homeland after their visit, because they were warned in a dream to do so. In chapter 2, verse 12 it states that, “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” (NIV)

The narrative doesn’t say what they dreamed, or the elements those dreams contained, it merely states that they used perceptive insight (were cognizant of significance) given to them while (presumably) in a state of unconsciousness – sleep. In other words, their dreams, as they interpreted, provided useful information to give them, giving meaning (and safety) to their lives at a time of unknown peril.

Cover of the First Edition of the book which introduced the Buck Rogers character by author Philip Francis Nowlan.

Knowing what we do about dreams, about how they present themselves to us as

Another Year Over, And A New One Just Begun

Welcome aboard!

Glad to have you in the New Year!

Curious about how the New Year was looking, I messaged some friends in Germany, where it’s 7 to 8 hours ahead of the Central Time Zone. She and their boy were visiting his father over the winter holiday season, where he was stationed on Active Duty with a Special Forces unit.

The “New Year” is often depicted as a babe, a veritable infant, wearing a diaper and banner sash with the year imprinted upon it, while the outgoing year, the “Old Year” (Father Time), is depicted as a decrepit old codger wearing a tattered cloak type garment with a staff.

When I’d earlier messaged my friends, I’d asked if they had any special plans. Not everyone celebrates the incoming New Year, you know. She replied, “Not sure quite what we are doing, there are several parties to choose from.” (Don’t you just marvel at our ability to communicate INSTANTLY to the opposite side of the world!?! Seriously. How great is that!?!)

Several hours later, just about the time when the New Year was dawning in Germany, I sent a message which stated, “How does the New Year look so far? Got any clothes on?🤣”

The reply, “Happy New Year. Hardly. In the hospital. C has a broken ankle.”

Of course, upon hearing such, one would naturally ask, “How’d THAT happen?”

As most might suppose, the typical way one breaks the ankle is by

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Baby, it’s dumb inside.

Has anyone banned “Dixie”?

Remember:
Libraries celebrate “Banned Book Week” by encouraging EVERYONE to read books that were once banned, like “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” or, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” because “it highlights the value of free and open access to information.”

Why shouldn’t we do the same with music?

https://www.npr.org/673770902

Citing the #MeToo movement, and pointing to the line in the song “say, what’s in this drink?,” some radio stations have moved to “ban” the 1949 Academy Award winning song which was featured in the motion picture Neptune’s Daughter, and sung by Ricardo Montalbán and Esther Williams.

Critics decry it as an inference to “slipping a mickey” – an old, colloquial term for a date rape drug – into the woman’s drink.

However, I can’t count the number of times folks have asked me what’s in drinks I’ve made. One of the most notable ones being

A Guide To Increasing Company Value

Almost everyone who has worked in sales has heard the mantras “the customer is always right,” and “the customer is your most important person.”

And as anyone who has worked in healthcare can attest, neither of those statements are true.

For example, consider the patient who, arriving at the ED (Emergency Department) said to the physician, “My doc says my sugar is high so he gave me this medicine for diabetes.”

Naturally, the physician asked, “Do you take it?”

The patient replied saying, “No, ’cause I don’t have diabetes, just high sugar.”

And then, another Physician who explained to the patient’s mother her child’s diagnosis and therapeutic interventions saying, “She has a concussion, she needs to rest in bed in a quiet dark room until she is better.”

The mother then asked, “Can she go to the fair?”

Conventional wisdom often monikered as “common sense,” sometimes follows the pithy axiom that “common sense isn’t so common anymore.”

For years, I’ve maintained that the customer is NOT “always right,” nor are they the “most important person” in any business.

Instead, the most important person in any business are the employees.

Some CEOs have gotten a bad rap, often justifiably, because while seeking to return corporate profit and shareholder return, they’ve cut resources and employees. Like the abusive Pharaoh of the Exodus account in the Old Testament, they demand to “make more bricks with less hay.” Of course, we know how that story ended – not well.

So naturally, it delighted me to read some time ago that Sir Richard Branson, a renown entrepreneur and philanthropist, has similarly long held that thought and said, “Put your staff first, customers second, and shareholders third.”

In a 2014 interview with Inc. magazine, Sir Richard said,

Make French Bread

By definition, classic, authentic French bread has only 4 ingredients:
1.) Flour
2.) Salt
3.) Yeast
4.) Water

For some, baking is a mysteriously puzzling process. For others – as with math – it comes easily. Either way, it’s a learned process, can be taught, and the products it produces may be further developed, refined and enjoyed.

At the most basically fundamental level, making bread is the transformation of raw grains into deliciously tasty finished products. An entire language surrounding the baking of bread has arisen, and as our understanding of the art and science of bread-making continues to be developed, new terms may emerge. However, there remain time-tested terms about which many have heard – even if they’re not fully understood – and it is with those most basic terms and processes that French bread is understood, and made.

So in order to understand the how’s and why’s of bread-making, it’s equally important to understand the historical context in which French bread emerged.

Unlike bread in general, French bread’s history is relatively new, per se, and dates to the mid-to-late 1700’s – a revolutionary era in which France and the United States were forming.

Like the American Revolution, the French Revolution gave power to the people who were also subjected to abuse by terror-inducing government actions, including the forced quartering of troops (lodging & feeding) in private residences without either invitation by, or reimbursement to, the owners, and included shortages and rationing of staple food supplies because of many continuous years of harshly inclement climate and weather conditions resulting in crop failures, and other agricultural catastrophes.

Market speculation didn’t help matters, and prices for all foods rose rapidly, precipitously and exponentially, especially and particularly for wheat, and significantly adversely affected the poor and impoverished, who could no longer afford to buy flour. And what flour they were able to afford was of grossly inferior quality and poorly milled, which processing left many bran hulls in the final product.

But the pièce de résistance was mass starvation.

While the few wealthy elites had plenty of money to afford all kinds of food, the majority did not, and were literally starving. Consequentially, crimes of theft, murder, and prostitution were common because people didn’t have enough money to feed their families, and resorted to such activities merely to stay alive.

King Louis XVI and his royal entourage at the royal castle in Versailles were isolated from, oblivious, and indifferent to the escalating crisis of the people’s suffering. And while in response to the appellate courts’ orders to reduce spending, he did so begrudgingly, most of his token attempts to pacify by claiming reform were thwarted by his appointed judges.

During the age of Enlightenment many writers, pamphleteers and publishers informed or inflamed public opinion, and used opposition to the government as a resource to mobilize public opinion in opposition to the monarchy, which in turn tried to repress what became known as “underground” literature. Today, they would be called the “fake news” media.

Complaints of the era included

Size Matters: Neither The Congress Nor The Supreme Court Are Big Enough

Should we, as reasonable people, expect the size of our Congress – specifically, the House of Representatives – to be permanently fixed at 435 members, and never increase representation according to an increase in population? And with regard to the the Supreme Court, should only 5 people decide the fate of a nation, why not a few more, like 13 or 17?

What if I told you Congress needed about 1000 MORE Members of the House of Representatives? And, what if I told you the United States Supreme Court needs to have AT LEAST 13 Justices, and that THEY should choose from AMONG THEMSELVES the Chief Justice?

You don’t wear the same size clothing you did when you were aged 10, 15, or even 25. The People’s representation in our nation’s governance needs also needs to be properly fitted.

Having MORE Representatives would NOT cause “more logjam politics,” nor would it cause corruption, but instead, would significantly increase efficiency -and- the ease with which laws would get passed, and bad or old laws get eliminated or changed. Criminality is most often done in secret by a few. Rarely is criminal activity, even in organized crime, ever on a large scale like an army invasion. It’s always a little thing, like guerilla warfare. There were only 7 co-conspirators with President Richard M. Nixon in the criminal Watergate break-in, burglary, wiretapping, attempted cover-up, and resulting scandal. The pace at which our government moves is not merely unresponsively sluggish, it is deliberately and negligently slothful. It is being reasonably asked to do things we tell it to do, and in the process, being denied the resources – money, personnel, and time – necessary to perform those tasks. Government can, and should move much more quickly. And historically, it has.

Think of it this way:
You have three dogs, and one chicken bone. Throw it down and watch them fight.
You get two more chicken bones, and each dog has one. Problem solved.

Some would raise the matter of Constitutional interpretation in opposition to the idea, and think we should hold to a strict Constitutional interpretation – whatever “strict” is, or means – and it typically means that the modern thinkers imagine they can, and therefore attempt to conjure up a mind-reading session to interpret what the framers of the Constitution intended or hoped… even though they’ve been long dead. Sure, they gave us the Constitution, along with a means and method of updating it, which itself means that it’s not static, and can be changed. And it has been changed many times since its inception. It is a living document, not a dead one into which we attempt to blow the breath of life. It lives still.

Some think we can interpret the Constitution according to our unique needs, which the original framers could not have begun to fathom. And the fact is, that’s what we’ve always done. At least until the last 50 years, or so, until the time which gradually, the specious notion that smaller is better crept in under cover of negligence, and “downsizing” became part of the popular corporate and political vernacular. In effect, such talk is discussion is only about inefficiency, and how they have not effectively used the resources they have, nor planned appropriately.

There is no doubt that the framers of our Constitution could never have imagined that man would walk on the moon, that geosynchronous orbiting and interplanetary traveling satellites would tell us about our precise location on Earth, and our solar system, and that more than twice the computing power of history’s largest space rocket (Apollo V) could fit in your shirt pocket, or that our union would have well over 330,000,000 residents.

Button Gwinnett (1735–1777 was the first signer of the Constitution, and was later, briefly the Governor of Georgia.

And it goes without saying that Button Gwinnett, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, James Madison, George Washington, and others in their era, had no idea about antibiotics; they had no inkling that magnetic fields could peer deeply inside the human body to detect disorder; that dental implants and multi-organ transplants would exist; or that we would send a telescope to orbit our planet and peer deeply into the cosmos to see star systems hundreds of billions of light-years away -and- then replace it with an even better, significantly improved, more perfect one to see into the edges of the time -and- send a satellite hurtling toward the sun to learn more about the blazing fiery hydrogen fusion orb which is the center of our universe.

Artist’s 2009 rendering of the James Webb Space Telescope, which will replace the Hubble Space Telescope.

None of those things and more which we daily take for granted – such as GPS on smartphones – could have ever been imagined by our Founding Fathers… or their mothers, or children, and never were.

We are as different, and our needs are as immensely diverse from our nation’s founders as night is from day, and there is no reason why we should not “update” our government according to the manner for which it is prescribed.

In 2019, we have more patents, more copyrights, more inventions, more discoveries, more science, more creative works of myriad kind, and – of course – many, many, many, more people. Many!

If it was anything, it was but a pipe dream that one day, unmanned remote control aircraft could be silently flown around the world, eavesdrop on conversations, take pictures in the dark to deploy guided missiles, drop bombs, and kill people… and that we, on the opposite side of the globe, could watch it unfold live, as it happened, as if it were macabre modern gladiatorial entertainment.

Portrait of Robert Boyle (1627-1691), by German painter John Kerseboom (d.1708), which is publicly displayed at Gawthorpe Hall, in England.

In the age and era of the founding of our nation, the concept of microscopy and the cell theory was relatively new. Robert Hooke, considered the “father of microscopy” had just discovered cells in 1665, and Robert Boyle (Boyle’s Law) were contemporaries in 1662, while Sir Isaac Newton died in 1727 – a mere 60 years before our Constitution was written.

Benjamin Franklin didn’t publish his most famous experiment which used lightning and a kite to prove that lightning was electricity until 1750; Orville and Wilbur Wright didn’t get off the ground at Kitty Hawk until 1903; Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic – penicillin – in 1928; and the planet Pluto wasn’t discovered until 1930!

We’re talking about 242 years ago, “when giants and dinosaurs roamed the Earth.”

In a way, our nation’s founders were giants, and yet, in another way, they were dinosaurs who could fathom no idea – not even a minuscule hint – and because of it, were literally clueless about the greatness that America would become.

To give them their due, however, their curiosity and liberality served them well then, and it serves us well now. Our form of government is, in the history of humanity, among the shortest-lived, but the most remarkable, and successful.

Congressional Coffee Hour (Senate). 2 May 1961, Blue Room, White House, Washington, D.C.; L-R: Senator Quentin Northrup Burdick-D, North Dakota (1908-1992); Senator Wayne Lyman Morse-D, Oregon (1900-1974); President John Fitzgerald Kennedy-D (1917-1963); Senator Thomas Henry Kuchel-R, California (1910-1994); Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey-D, Minnesota (1911-1978); Senator Roman Lee Hruska-R, Nebraska (1904-1999); From the JFK Library; Photographer: Robert LeRoy Knudsen, (1929-1989)

In a sense, though while Greeks and Romans were inspirations, Americans perfected the three-branch bicameral democratic republic form of government. And we’re still perfecting it today. It’s part and parcel of that “in order to form a more perfect union” thing.

So, now it comes time to mention the obvious: While some loudly say government is too large, others say it is way too small to be either efficient or effective. I am among those in the latter camp, and will show and explain why as follows.

First, it’s preposterously absurd to imagine that a foundling nation with a total population which was then less than half the size that New York City is now, would, could, or should have a smaller government as it grew and matured. In the same way, no one wears the clothes they did as a 10-year-old child, and as adults, they purchase and/or make larger garments to suit their needs and wants. Similarly, no one should expect government to decrease in size.

More than anything, these matters speak directly to efficiency and effectiveness of government, which our nation’s founders also understood very well, which is also why

A Truly DELICIOUS Pot Pie! Beef Bourguignonne style!

“Nothing says loving like something from the oven.”
– anonymous

To the idea of pot pies, some folks say things like, “You know, I’ve never liked pot pies, but probably because it was always store bought.”

-or-

“He HATES pot pies. I LOVE them.”

And then, after looking at the ingredients I used, they say this…

“That recipe looks scrumptious.”

-and-

“I’ll have to try this recipe. He might eat it if I make it.”

Understand this: Most all recipes – and that means 99.99% – have their origin in someone’s kitchen – not in a giant factory vat or laboratory test tube.

Also understand this: Recipes are

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s Wife Committed Suicide; NOW is the PERFECT Time To Talk About Mental Health in Alabama

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s wife Bridgette apparently committed suicide Sunday morning, June 24, 2018, and his office issued a statement which in part said, “We are saddened to report that Bridgette Marshall, wife of Attorney General Steve Marshall, passed away this morning after a long struggle with mental illness.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and now-late wife Bridgette at their Albertville, AL home.

In response, as expected, Governess Kay Ivey’s office issued a press release as well, which was thoughtfully worded, but expressed nothing other than a seemingly heartfelt ‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

Former GOP Attorney General, and repeat AG candidate Troy King said in part that, “We offer our deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers for Attorney General Steve Marshall and his family and pray that God’s grace and peace and hope will enfold and sustain them,” and ordered all his campaign advertising temporarily ceased, adding that his campaign effort has been “paused.”

To be certain, suicide is tragic. We’ve seen far too many. And the recent deaths of Chef Anthony Bourdain, and Designer Kate Spade have once again, brought to the fore of discussion the problem of suicide.

Alabama prisons, like other prisons nationwide, are chock full of those with mental illnesses. We can thank Ronald Reagan and the GOP for that misguided plan.

Alabama’s first Governess, Lurleen B. Wallace, advocated for superiority of mental healthcare in Alabama, and while not without problems, Alabama boasted a mental healthcare system of which it could be, and was, justifiably proud. Partlow, Bryce, LBW in Decatur, and numerous other facilities throughout the state cared for those whom were unable to care for themselves because of the severity of their disability and ill mental health.

Now, in Alabama, and throughout the nation, mental health is a joke. And neither the GOP in Alabama, nor national GOP show any signs of changing.

“Thoughts and prayers…” are all the GOP has to offer. That’s all they had to offer following the mass murders in Las Vegas, and other schools. Their pietistic platitudes are meaningless, and worthless.

Alabama, like the national GOP, has allowed mental health to deteriorate. Their values are valueless, worthless, and meaningless. They do NOT value life, they value birth. For if they TRULY valued life, they’d pay for it, they’d support research upon it, learn how to preserve it, protect it, and prolong it for those whom are living and breathing. They don’t care about the living. They care about those who don’t breathe. The unborn. Once you’re born, you’re on your own. Good luck! That is NOT life affirming, it is NOT life valuing! It is degrading, and dehumanizing! It is the “Law of the Jungle,” where “only the strong survive.” It is as much a gladiatorial match as any. Only this one is played out in Congress upon the American people as victims.

Professionally, and personally, I have seen and cared for more cases of mental illness and mental health than any ten people combined, at least.

Here’s an example of one case of mental illness – you’ll need to see the image in context to understand it, and I’ll not explain it here. You MUST go to the site to read the description (click on the photograph to go to the site) – for I’ll NOT “spoon feed” you, or others whom can feed themselves.

I recall also the case of a young man in Tennessee whom was my patient in a secure facility where he will likely spend the remainder of his life, and die. Like some animal in a zoo on display, he was paraded on the Dr. Phil show, whom mocked and derided him, rather than seeking to understand why the system failed him from childhood, knowing that he very early on showed signs of serious mental illness, and yet continuously FAILED him to the point at which he, as a teen, bludgeoned his mother to death as she slept, and attempted to burn down the house where she, he and his brother lived, as his brother was sleeping.

I recall at least FIVE High School friends, and at least one Professional colleague whom committed suicide. One while in HS. Another after he returned home from the Navy. Another whom did so shortly after graduating. Another who took his life in the back seat of his family’s car. Another who felt she couldn’t live. A Professional Nursing colleague took her life. There are others, but I’ll spare you.

There are medications to treat depression, often the root cause of suicide, one which is showing IMMENSE success which is a novel, off-label use of an anesthetic called ketamine. UAB led the nation in demonstrating efficacy of that medication to practically instantly reverse suicidal ideations in those who showed up in the ED (Emergency Department). Now, it’s being used nation-wide, and is being developed for intranasal administration.

What’s Alabama doing about it?

Not one goddamn thing.

Bupkis.

It’s a GIANT FUCK YOU to everyone concerned.

EVERYONE.

Including those who do NOT suffer from mental illness.

So DO NOT EVER tell me that the GOP in Alabama, or elsewhere, has any sense of care for the living, for THEY DO NOT.

Or else… we could’ve had this problem solved by now.

But Alabama?

Alabama is still stuck in the 18th century.

It’s the PERFECT time for the ALGOP to tell the people how and why they care, and what they plan to do to correct matters of mental health.

But, they have no plan.

They don’t care.

They.

Just.

Don’t.

Care.

They care more for a big mule than a human.

Do NOT vote for Republicans in November.

And for those whom would mindlessly scold me, as if they have some moral superiority, I have this to say:

“My maternal Grandfather committed suicide while my mother was pregnant with me.

“My life has been touched by suicides more times than I care to count – at least a dozen.

“I purposely DO NOT talk about my private life, because it’s MY PRIVATE LIFE.

“But I hardly think anyone in a position to scold me, my friend, especially given the fact that as a RN, EMT & Firefighter, I’ve seen more death and suffering in my life than most people will EVER see in theirs.”

Love is Like a Greased Pig

By Mark Gungor

“I just don’t feel what I used to feel for you.”
“I love you, but I’m not in love with you anymore.”
“I believe I’ve found my soul mate…and it isn’t you.”
Or as the Righteous Brothers sang, “You’ve lost that loving feeling.”

However people want to word it, the bottom line is this: The fabulous and intense experience of our early love isn’t there anymore. I guess it wasn’t true love after all.

In the wonderful movie classic, The Princess Bride, the cotton-mouthed, speech-challenged priest talks about “true love” (Or “twuuuu wuv” as he says it!) at the wedding ceremony of Princess Buttercup and Prince Humperdink. He states that true love will follow you forever. While it makes for a great movie line, in reality it is a bunch of nonsense. True love doesn’t follow you like a little puppy that is constantly there. It’s actually more like a greased pig! You have to chase after it and pursue it. You have to run it down and tackle it and when it gets away, you go after it one more time. You may finally get a hold of it for a while, but then the little rascal can slip away and you have to chase it down again.

I know, I know—a greased pig isn’t all that romantic of an analogy to use, but it surely is more realistic and more accurate! Men and women who ascribe to all this romantic fantasy stuff will be sorely disappointed. So many people actually think that love and marriage will always be easy; that it will always be a skip through the meadow with birds chirping and butterflies flitting and the orchestra playing in the background. They think that the emotional high and buzz they experience at the beginning of dating or marriage will always be there. “Our love is true love and it will never fade!” That’s why so many people become disillusioned once they get into marriage—and sometimes it doesn’t take very long at all. They think that they have “fallen out of love” with their spouse once the flames of passion begin to die down to a smoldering ember.

Of course, our feelings change over time. There is no way that the initial euphoria can go on and on. It gives way to a deeper and more mature kind of love. The stages of marriage have been well documented in the research. That initial high that people experience at the onset usually only lasts six months to two years. Once the buzz is gone, the mistake that people often make is to allow their “feelings” to dictate their actions. They don’t feel that rush of emotion that they associated with love in the beginning and therefore, they assume they aren’t in love any more. Then naturally, since they don’t feel love, they reason (wrongly) that they must be true to their feelings. As a result, many

Here’s the ORIGINAL “Marijuana Brownies” Recipe

Vive Les Gourmands! How Six American Expats In Paris Changed How We Eat

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/11/01/560006832/vive-les-gourmands-how-six-american-expats-in-paris-changed-how-we-eat

First Edition of the Alice B. Toklas Cook Book, published

Q: Where did the idea for marijuana brownies come from?

A: From the highly-regarded “The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook” published in 1954.

“Toklas put in a section entitled ‘Recipes from Friends,’ and one of those friends was an artist – Brion Gysin, then living in North Africa, where he helped run a restaurant. He wrote Toklas a note with the recipe for a North African sweet, “Haschich (Gysin’s chosen spelling) Fudge” — mashed-up dried fruit with nuts and cannabis (despite the name, the recipe calls for cannabis rather than hashish) rolled with butter. [It was a] tasty morsel to accompany your mint tea that supposedly brings on gales of laughter.

“Toklas, in a rush, typed up the note verbatim from Gysin, slipped it into the manuscript and sent that off to the publisher without realizing cannabis, or hashish, was a controlled substance, much vilified in America.

“The book went to press in the U.K. and America. The U.K. first edition (now a collector’s item) had the recipe; the U.S. publisher (‎Harper & Brothers) caught and excised it. But it was already in the papers that there was a hashish fudge recipe in The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book. This, combined with the facts that