Election EVE

 

Today represents the FOURTH DAY of my 77th year here on earth.  Knock on wood that I have lived this long.  My health is not the greatest nor is it worse than other people my age...  it is what it is and I must learn to make the most of it.

How much longer will I live?

Not sure.

I hope it is to age 96 as my mother died just shy of her 96th birthday.

I have lived through the following Presidents:

1. Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
3. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
4. Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
5. Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974)
6. Gerald R. Ford (1974-1977)
7. James Carter (1977 to 1981)
8. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
9. George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)
10. William J. Clinton (1993-2001)
11. George W. Bush (2001-2009)
12. Barack Obama (2009-2017)
13. Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)
14. Joe Biden (2021-present)

I was aware of all of them except for Truman.  Odds are that I will live through 2-5 more of them, although nothing is for certain anymore.

During these 14 presidents I went from being associated with the DEMOCRATIC party to being associated with the REPUBLICAN party.  My reasons are my own.

SUFFICE IT TO SAY....   it did not make a rat's ass to me or those who worked and/or lived around me, which party (along with both houses of Congress) managed the country.

• I worked where I wanted to work
• I spent what I wanted/needed to spend
• I always owned my own home
• I was never impacted by RACISM
• I was never impacted by REVERSE RACISM
• I vacationed wherever I wanted
• I managed to pay down all my debt
• I enjoyed (relatively speaking) what I was doing
• I was never wealthy nor was I poor
• My friends were few and far between
• I always honored and supported my country
• I never wanted to be a communist
• I enjoyed the socialistic programs provided by my country
• I always paid my taxes
• I willingly served my country as a veteran
• I NEVER wanted to leave the USA

COMING UP

1. Tomorrow is ELECTION DAY
2. We elect a new President
1. Harris or Trump
3. We elect a potentially new Congress
1. Both House and Senate
4. We either remove illegal immigrants or embrace more
5. We either more towards communism or away from it
6. We either increase govt spending or slow it down
7. We either increase or lower our national debt
8. We either retain our global leadership role or lose it to China
9. We either stop WWIII or watch it happen
10. We either transform the USA or keep it the same

HOWEVER...

Whatever happens, life WILL NOT change for my wife and me.  It won't change because it has never changed for me/us before, after an election.  Therefore, I will not change this time either.

Whatever happens to you is your business, not mine.  It is up to you to decide how you want to live your life.  My wife and I have made our choices, and we are very satisfied with them.

I can only hope that one day you will be in similar positions.

REMEMBER - governments can only control your life, if you allow that to happen.  The bigger government gets, the more they will try to control.

Somewhat Political

 

Hydrogen Powered Tank

South Korea’s Hyundai subsidiary Rotem has just unveiled its vision for the future of main battle tanks for the Republic of Korea (ROK), hydrogen-powered powertrains.

The next version of ROK’s K-series battle tanks, the K3, will be powered by hydrogen fuel cells and feature other advanced tech to become one of the world’s most sophisticated tanks.

The new hydrogen-powered K3 has been developed in collaboration with Korea’s Agency for Defense Development and other national technology research institutions. Once operational, the tank is hoped to enter production as soon as 2040, making it the world’s first.     READ MORE...

The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Live Aid 1985)

A Turning Tide

 

It is entirely possible, maybe not highly likely, that Donald Trump will lose the election because of the misunderstood abortion issue with women.

If that happens, we can credit the DEMOCRATS and their CONTROL of mainstream media for that happening....  of course, along with the ignorance of women who do not really understand that they can still get an abortion, it is just not a constitutional right and left up to the states.

However, it is possible to pass a constitutional amendment making it a constitutional right.

From my perspective, I AGREE with a woman's right to do whatever she would like to do with her own body - and that the Federal Government has NO BUSINESS telling her what she can/cannot do.

The problem is what happens to the USA if the women decide to make that issue more important than what is best for the USA in both the short and long run.

If Kamala Harris wins:

• Government spending will continue
• Taxes will increase
• Racism will escalate
• Division in USA will intensify
• Hatred of illegals will increase
• Medical resources will be depleted by illegals
• Educational resources will be depleted by illegals
• Inflation will continue
• Illegal immigration will continue
• New job creation will not be there
• Our national debt will go higher
• Global wars will escalate due to our weakness
• The USA will produce less petroleum crude oil and natural gas
• More gasoline and natural gas will be purchase from other countries
• Terrorist activities will commence in USA (SPECULATION)
• China will invade Taiwan
• Israel war with Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah will escalate
• War in Ukraine will escalate
• Iran/North Korea will get closer to having nuclear weapons
• BRICS will intensify its war to destroy the US dollar internationally
• China will continue to prepare for war with USA in 2027 (China vowed to do this)
• The USA will spend more money on green energy and social programs than on the military

SO, HERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICANS...

1. A vast majority of Americans only care about what is in it for them.
2. A vast majority of Americans do not pay attention to what is happening internationally
3. A vast majority of Americans do not believe that a war will take place in the USA and have already forgotten about 9/11
4. A vast majority of Americans do not understand how much money it takes to refurbish our highways, bridges, and tunnels that are deteriorating
5. A vast majority of Americans do not understand how badly our military is deteriorating
6. A vast majority of Americans do not understand what will happen to them if we default on our national debt.
7. A vast majority of Americans do not understand that CHINA OWNS ONE THIRD OF OUR NATIONAL DEBT

ALL OF THIS CAUSED BY A DESIRE TO HAVE AN ABORTION

THINK ABOUT THIS...

WHAT IF ONLY HALF OF WHAT I PREDICT COMES TRUE...

HOW WILL YOU LIFE BE CHANGED???

Working Class

 

The Day Before the Day Before

I have a Canadian friend (went to high school with him in Cairo, Egypt - 1962-1966) and we still stay in touch with emails every day or two.

He is a conservative and is very much concerned about the liberal movement in both of our countries because it is fundamentally changing the way we live and our beliefs in capitalism versus socialism.

Since both of us are in our late 70s, whatever happens in our respective countries, will not impact us that much, but it will impact the future of other citizens in our countries.  The question that we are constantly discussing is WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THEIR FUTURE?

Of course, our children and our younger friends are included in those discussions, but it is really their responsibility, not our concern.

Our concerns are the following:

• a slow decline of capitalism
• a slow decline of military power and influence
• a global growth of communism
• a decline of the value of the US dollar
• a divided USA - unable to unite
• inflation and higher taxes
• a higher national debt
• an increase in racial tensions
• a weak, slow growing economy
• global military threat to USA

PERHAPS...  

1. it is time for the liberals to feel the wrath of their convictions and beliefs when Kamala wins and all-out war breaks out in the world, with CHINA taking a new leadership role.  
2. it is time for the liberals to finally come to terms with all the illegal immigrants that they have allowed to enter the USA at the expense of other citizens who are denied federal support.
3. it is time for the democratic experiment in the USA to discover it is no longer sustainable given the way the liberals have built up their power and control.

In The NEWS

Early voting surpasses 68 million as election nears.

More than 36 million Americans have voted in person, and 31 million have logged mail-in ballots—roughly equal to 42% of the total vote in 2020. Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign in Georgia and North Carolina today; former President Donald Trump to hold rallies in North Carolina and Virginia (see polls—RCP, 538, Nate Silver).



US economy adds 12,000 jobs in October.

The figure is the lowest since December 2020 and well below estimates of 100,000, with analysts pointing to Hurricanes Helene and Milton as partial drivers of the slowdown. Unemployment held steady at 4.1%.



Boeing union sets Monday vote to end strike.

The roughly 30,000-strong International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union endorsed a 38% pay raise offer from the company and will vote Monday to potentially end a seven-week strike.



Thieves steal two Andy Warhol paintings, damage two others.

The group attempted to take the entire four-part series, known as "Reigning Queens," but left two badly damaged in the street as they fled from the museum in the Dutch town of Oisterwijk. Officials declined to place a value on the stolen works.



The WNBA's Indiana Fever name Stephanie White as coach.

White, who previously coached the Connecticut Sun, will oversee a team led by Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark. The Fever went 20-20 last season and lost to the Sun in the playoffs.



North Korea unveils new missile.

Government of Kim Jong Un claims to have tested the world's largest intercontinental ballistic missile yesterday, with experts saying the Hwasong-19 weapon is too unwieldy to be useful in a practical war scenario.

SPOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Proud to be an American

 

I am 77 years old, twice married, retired, veteran, and have 18 years of education (whatever that is worth).  

I am not that smart or clever nor am I that naive and stupid.   

I am not a sportsman, hunter, technically competent and don't like being told what to do, what to think, or how I should behave.

I was raised by my parents to be respectful, hardworking, loyal to family, and to only bitch after the job is done.

I live in the state of Tennessee located in the southern part of the USA and am HONORED and PROUD to be an AMERICAN by birth.

I believe that the USA is the best country in the world because of a variety of things the least of which is:

• OUR FREEDOMS
• Our Democratic Republic government
• Our legal system
• Our workforce
• Our farmland
• Our Gross Domestic Product Level
• Our natural resources
• Our Technology
• Our Higher Education system
• Our quality of life
• Our opportunities
• Our military power
• Our culture

During my lifetime, I have visited the following countries:  

• Canada
• All 50 states
• Central America
• Caribbean
• Europe
• Middle East
• Scandanavia

Granted, this is not all of the world, but is a good portion of the world, and my feelings whenever in a foreign country were THAT I WOULD RATHER BE HOME.

• The food was different
• The accommodations were different
• The nightlife was different
• The people were different
• The quality of items was different

Additionally

• It may sound petty, but the toilet paper was either like sandpaper or wax paper and not soft like toilet paper in the USA.
• The grocery stores did not possess all the variety of food that USA grocery stores offer.
• The motel rooms and city streets were not that clean.
• The people were not dressed that well and did not display the manners and politeness that Americans typically display.
• The beaches around the Mediterranean Sea had sandy beaches that were not near as wide as the beaches along the east coast of the USA.

IT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY FOREIGNERS WANT TO RELOCATE AND WORK IN AMERICA...

Somewhat Political

 

Blended Wing Body Horizon

Unlike the automotive industry, aviation still is stable in terms of who's doing what. In a nutshell, legacy makers of airplanes still own most of the market, even if at times their
products and methods fail miserably. 

But, just like the arrival of Tesla and Chinese carmakers upset the order in the automotive world, the same will likely happen in aviation in the coming years, thanks to the efforts made by the many startups that have come to be recently.

One such startup is called Natilus (like the Lincoln SUV, only misspelled), and it operates out of San Diego, California. It first came onto our radar a couple of years ago, when it announced plans to build a blended wing body (BWB) flying machine capable of carrying cargo.

A blended wing body design means the aircraft's design shows no clear distinction between its body and the wings, despite the fact that both elements are present there. Because of its layout, it offers significantly more interior space, making it ideal for use in cargo transport.     READ MORE...

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken

Trying to Understand

 

The phrase "in the image of God" does not refer to physical appearance, but rather to our shared human nature and the divine nature we bear. The Bible teaches that all people are created in the image of God, regardless of race or ethnicity, and that all races and ethnicities are equally valuable.

I find it strange that image and likeness of God does not refer to a physical appearance...

The other issue that bothers me about the above statement is that it is made by a religious scholar who is interpreting what he/she THINKS is on God's mind.

Finally, if God was not referring to a physical appearance, then why did He not STATE THAT.

Why does God want to be confusing in His words, or is it that He does not want mankind to know what He really means?

Religious scholars ARE NOT going to speak negatively of God in their interpretations of his word.

After much inward debating, I finally except the reality that god is both good and evil. Not only are there scriptures that back up this idea, but it simply makes logical sense. Of course this is not a new idea. Many eastern religions have come to this conclusion long ago. Without out further ado, lets go through the bible verses that suggest that god is both good and evil.

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."      Isaiah 45:7

So, if God is both GOOD & EVIL, then that would explain why mankind is both good and evil.

It also explains why good will never triumph over evil because God does not want it to, since he himself is BOTH.

It also explains why evil is allowed to flourish on earth since good and evil are God's nature.

If God is both good and evil then why does God state that they only way that you can enter God's kingdom is through his son, who is PURE GOOD, with no signs of evil at all.

God gives you good and evil behaviors but only wants you to turn to God's good side for ever-lasting life.

Does that mean that God can only create good and evil people, not just good one or not just bad ones?

If that's the case, what about Jesus?

Something does not make sense here.

Groom

 

An Opinion

 

If you are a gambler, I wonder what the odds are for the Presidential Election on Tuesday.

Will the Dems win the white house and the congress or will the GOP?

Will it be a partial victory for either party that will split the struggle for power?

If there is still a struggle for power, then how will our country move forward positively?

• Will there be gasoline flowing again?
• Will we move towards green energy?
• Will we move closer to WWIII?

I don't know who will win and I am not sure that I care because:

1. we are a divided country
2. we are a racist country
3. we are a changing country
4. we are a country of technology
5. we are a country of the wealthy

BUT...  if I had to lean in one direction, I think I would lean towards Donald Trump.

WHY?

Because:

1. The Dems have a candidate that was forced upon them by Obama, Pelosi, and Schumer, and not one they had a chance to nominate to represent them.
2. Kamala's choice for VP is more liberal than her which again alienates a percentage of the party that still believe in being moderate.
3. Robert Kennedy left the party and will take moms with him who want health and safety for their children.
4. Kamala's message of Trump being a Nazi undermines her message of UNITY for the USA and Biden's comment about Trump supporters being garbage also undermines the message of unity.
5. I also don't believe that many Americans care about Trump's felony charges and convictions as they see them as being manipulated.
6. Trump has a proven track record of building a growing economy that he achieved in his first term in office.
7. Trump, whether liked or not, is perceived as someone who can stand up to China and Russia and change global respect of the USA.

SO THE QUESTION IS WILL AMERICANS VOTE FOR OR AGAINST CANDIDATES OR VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE WHO WILL BE THE BEST FOR THE USA, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PERSONAL FEELINGS?

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Rapper Young Thug changes his plea to guilty on trial related to involvement in a street gang; plea could end Georgia's longest-ever criminal trial (More) Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Costas to retire from calling play-by-play on MLB games after 44-year career (More)

> Comcast sees 36.5% year-over-year revenue growth for Q3, fueled by NBCUniversal's coverage of the Paris Olympics; NBC's streamer Peacock tops 36 million subscribers (More) | "Wicked" film adaptation projected for $85M box office opening weekend (More)

> NFL star Patrick Mahomes among ownership group looking to bring new WNBA franchise to Kansas City in 2028; Mahomes currently owns stakes in Kansas City's NWSL, MLS, and MLB franchises (More)


Science & Technology
> OpenAI releases SearchGPT for paid users, providing a search engine powered by its ChatGPT chatbot; product is viewed as a direct competitor to Google (More) | The history of OpenAI (More, w/video)

> Researchers discover defense mechanisms behind the bacteria known as MRSA, which causes antibiotic-resistant staph infection; may lead to new treatments for the bug, which kills 120,000 people worldwide each year (More) | What are superbugs? (More)

> New weight-loss drugs including Ozempic, Wegovy shown to significantly reduce arthritis; trial showed pain reduction on par with opioid treatments (More) | How semaglutides work (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -1.9%, Dow -0.9%, Nasdaq -2.8%), dragged by Microsoft and Meta; Microsoft's stock falls in worst day in two years after lower-than-expected forecast (More) | Amazon rises 6% in after-hours trading after beating revenue and earnings expectations (More)

> Peloton shares close up 28% after company names Apple Fitness+ cofounder and Ford executive Peter Stern as new CEO; Stern will be third CEO to lead Peloton since its founding in 2012 (More) | Uber shares close down 9% after company posts weaker-than-expected gross bookings for Q3 (More)

> Personal consumption expenditures price index rises 2.1% year-over-year in September, down from 2.2% in August (More) | US average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rises to 6.7%, up from 6.5% in the previous week (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> Death toll from historic flash flooding in Spain surpasses 150 people as rescuers continue to search for bodies (More) | See previous write-up (More) | At least two people killed after Typhoon Kong-rey strikes Taiwan's east coast (More)

> North Korea fires new intercontinental ballistic missile in test launch, the first such launch in nearly a year; missile—reportedly designed to reach the US—flew for 86 minutes in longest flight recorded before falling into waters east of North Korea (More)

> More than 60 million ballots cast so far in the US election (More) | See national polls (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

US Constitution

 

When the Founding Fathers drafted the US Constitution in 1776 and it was ratified by all the states by 1779, it reflected the values, principles, morals, and values of a religious group of people from over 200 years ago.

At the time, blacks were not mentioned but referred to as persons held to service and were considered to be THREE FIFTHS of ONE PERSON for purposes of congressional representation.  Blacks (slaves) were made citizens in 1868.

Also, at the time, women did not have the right to vote.  A bill was introduced to change that in 1878 but was not ratified until 1920.

The Founding Fathers in 1776 were considered to be WASPS.  WHITE ANGLO SAXON PROTESTANTS.  AND the Founding Fathers all were considered to be EDUCATED and WEALTHY.

Between 1700 and 1775, approximately 52,200 convicts sailed for the colonies, more than 20,000 of them to Virginia. Most of these convicts landed and were settled along the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers.  SOURCE:  The History Press

This is the main reason why NORTHERNERS look down their noses at SOUTHERNERS.

Do you think that our FOUNDING FATHERS really wanted to BRITISH CONVICTS as citizens of America...  and do you think our FOUNDING FATHERS wrote the US CONSTITUTION with CONVICTS in mind?

Personally, I think that our US CONSTITUTION needs to be RE-WRITTEN and not just revised with amendments so that it properly reflects the PEOPLE OF THE USA in 2024.

Times have changed.

Religion is no longer a fundamental aspect of our lives, and it certainly no longer has much influence over our lives even for those who are still religious.

Blacks are concerned, and rightly so, that the US Constitution is inherently prejudice and racial and favors the whites rather than Americans in general.

With all the illegal immigration that has been allowed into the USA, the US Constitution has absolutely NO BEARING on them at all!!!

Trump claims that he will send them all back home but that is easier said than done.  Maybe the gangs will be captured and deported, but a bunch of illegals will never be found.

THE CULTURE OF THE USA HAS CHANGE AND THE US CONSTITUTION NO LONGER REFLECTS THAT CULTURE...

Somewhat Political

 

Atmospheric Rivers

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara found that atmospheric rivers in both hemispheres have moved approximately 6° to 10° closer to the poles over the past 40 years. This means that the areas affected by atmospheric rivers are farther north in the Northern Hemisphere and farther south in the Southern Hemisphere than they used to be.

The researchers explain that an underlying cause of the shift is cooling in the eastern tropical Pacific over the past four decades, although they note that the chain of events “remains to be fully explored.”

Atmospheric rivers are flowing streams of water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere that have a major impact on levels of rain and snow. They can vary widely in size and intensity, but the average one can convey the same amount of water vapor as the water flow at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

One of the famous is known as the "Pineapple Express", a strong atmospheric river that delivers moisture from the tropical Pacific around Hawai'i towards the west coast of the US and Canada. When this band of balmy, moist air reaches the West Coast, it can cause significant downpours across California, as well as Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.         READ MORE...

Come Monday - Jimmy Buffett