All Creatures Great and Small

Cannot Sleep

After 28 straight days of getting antibiotics infused into my body three times a day, my body was loaded down with fatigue making it easy for me to take a nap in the afternoon for a couple of hours and easily go back to sleep at 7 pm only to be awakened at 11 pm for an infusion but by 11:45 pm I was fast asleep again...  it was easy...

It has been over a week since I stopped receiving antibiotic infusions and gradually my fatigue has slip slid away and as that takes place my ability to fall asleep quickly has also gradually stopped.  Tonight, I spent some time in the hot tub to relax me for sleep since I had not been able to use it for over a month, but instead of putting me to sleep, I am wide awake, feeling like I need no sleep at all for the moment.

What better to do with my sleeplessness than to get on my JOURNAL BLOG and write about it...  I had wanted to write about the DNC but I just don't have the energy to face that bullshit right now...  who knows about anything...  especially politicians?

It would appear that the only person who really cares about me is me and my wife...  at least, those are the only two on which I can count...

Look out for yourselves.
Don't expect the Government to look after you because they will let you down.
Governments only care about what's good for them, not the governed.

What's Missing???

Watching the Democratic National Convention

TAKEAWAYS:

All speakers spent most of their time NOT TELLING THE VIEWERS what the Democratic Party was going to do for them after electing Joe Biden as President BUT how BAD DONALD TRUMP HAS BEEN AS PRESIDENT...

All speakers did not express anything about the DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM nor did they discuss if they were a moderate party, a progressive party, a socialist party, or a Green New Deal party...

All speakers did not express anything about how they were going to help the American People by doing anything other than what Trump has already been doing, except RAISE EVERYONE'S TAXES.

MESSAGE:  TRUMP IS EVIL BIDEN IS GOOD

Here is what I believe most Americans want:

LOWER TAXES

HIGHER WAGES

LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS

ECONOMIC GROWTH

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT

LAW AND ORDER

If I am correct in my assessment do you think the Democrats or the Republicans will provide that for you...  That answer should be expressed on ELECTION DAY.

Am I Here For You?

On the Rise

Quality of Life

The Democrats want a society where not just the wealthy have a QUALITY OF LIFE...   so, let's look at what this could possibly mean and/or entail...

The national median family income for the United States for FY 2020 is $78,500, an increase of 

almost four percent over the national median family income in FY 2019.  Apr 1, 2020    Source:  huduser.com

Average Income of a Professional Athlete  $2.6-8.3 Million/year

Average Income of a member of Congress   $174,000/year

Average Income of an Airline Pilot   $137,000/year

Average Family Income $78,500        TAXES:  $17, 270

$6542/month

$1,510/week

$38/hr

Average Individual Income  $33,706       TAXES:  $7,415

$2,808/month

$648/week

$16/hr

Average tax rate   22%

Average Cost of Living (family) --  $4,000/month

As you can see, Family income is well above the average cost of living, meaning that if you are a family, you have a pretty good quality of life, but not as good as a Pilot, or a member of Congress, or a Professional Athlete.

We can also extrapolate based upon the data that the average family is not going to have the same quality of life as a MILLIONAIRE or a BILLIONAIRE...

AND... no matter want our Federal Government legislates, it will NEVER BE ABLE to able to equalize the gap between those that are wealthy and those that are not wealthy.

LOGICALLY:  Increased taxes will not eliminate that wealth gap...

Now, if you look at the average Individual Income (before taxes) you will notice that it averages out to $16/hour which is very close to the $15/hour minimum wage that the DEMOCRATS are wanting.  Even if they get what they want, it WILL NOT CHANGE the wealth gap.

So, when the DEMOCRATS make the claim that they want ALL AMERICANS to enjoy the quality of life that they wealthy enjoy...  THEY OBVIOUSLY MUST KNOW that this equality will never happen.

Some people will earn more money and will have more than they previously had...  but, every time I got a wage increase, my taxes also increased, my healthcare monthly premiums also increased, and the cost of living also increased...  so, my raise was somewhat negated.

ONE MUST RECEIVE A LARGE JUMP IN SALARY in order to get above the normal increases that are associated with all increases.

• Basic College Education will not always provide this jump
• A Graduate Degree may not always provide this jump unless one relocates to another State
• Experience may not always provide this jump

ANOTHER QUESTION:
What would employers do when faced with a minimum wage increase of $15/hour?

1. Would they layoff workers
2. Would they increase prices
3. Would they not expand operations
4. Would they move overseas
5. Would they relocate to other States

Raising the Minimum Wage

This is one of the biggest controversies currently being debated and fought over in the United States...  and, on the surface it makes since for our federal government to force businesses to pay a minimum wage, but on the other hand, it offends some people that our federal government is forcing business to do what should come naturally.

However...  raising the minimum wage will benefit some but it will not benefit all...  and that is the biggest consequence that law makers refuse to deal with.

Some businesses operate with a small profit margin, unlike other businesses, and raising the minimum wage, would force them to lay off workers to keep their costs under control or raise prices which might put them in a position where they loose business.

Let's suppose that I wanted to open up a coffee shop and was confronted with a minimum wage increase by our federal government. 

What potential employees MUST UNDERSTAND is that just because I started a business does not mean that I started that business so that I could hire you.  On the contrary, I opened that business for one reason and one reason only, TO MAKE MONEY.  If I hire you, it is because I think you can help me make money.  If I do not think that then I WILL NOT HIRE YOU.

Many of my college students when I was teaching believed that business was out there and doing business specifically to hire workers...  and, that is not true...  they are out there to MAKE A PROFIT.

But, if I started this coffee shop and needed workers under these circumstances then this is what I would do...

First of all, I would look at raising prices which would force me to look at my competition to analyze their prices.  Second, I would reduce the amount of people that I initially wanted to hire, knowing I would have to pay them more than originally planned.  Third, I would alter who I hired, thinking that if I was being forced to pay more, then I would look for a more mature person and quite possibly someone who has been unemployed for a while.

While my hiring techniques and practices represent a small employer, they are basically the same for a large employer.  A large employer will typically have a fixed amount of money set aside for employees.  With a higher minimum wage, less employees will be hired.  It is nothing personal, it is just business.

And, if I have to pay more due to minimum wage, then I am going to expect more from those employees.  I will be more selective with whom I hire. 

INTERMISSION X

It Begins at a Young Age

You Will Obey...

How many males secretly want to be dominated by a female?  I would say that about 80% of the male population have this fantasy...  and, about 20% of that 80% are willing to admit it... 

Their fantasy begins with a beautiful woman with big breasts wearing skin tight clothes that torments and tortures but then ends with fabulous sex...

ODDLY ENOUGH, most married couples exist with the understanding that the female runs the show...  from the standpoint that if momma ain't happy then nobody is happy...

From there, the marriage deteriorates into the female controlling the check book, deciding on what house to buy, deciding on what car to buy, deciding on how to decorate the house, deciding where to vacation, deciding what clothes the children will wear, deciding what groceries will be purchased, deciding what gift will be purchased for Christmas...  etc.

AND...  the male simply OBEYS...

We Cannot Control Time

No matter how hard we try, we have not been able to find a way to control time...  that is to say to keep it from moving forward.  In time (no pun intended lol), we might find a way to travel through time, whether it be forward or backward, but the PASSING OF TIME will NEVER STOP, SLOW DOWN, or CHANGE...

Pisser!!!

SPACE: The Final Frontier

I have been a fan of Star Trek from the very beginning when James T. Kirk, the cowboy, broke whatever rules he needed to in order to WIN whatever it is that he needed to win; and, my interest continued with the very diplomatic and smooth John Luc Picard.

Most Science Fiction Movies are nothing but speculative bullshit and conjecture concerning the way the world was going to evolve and how space exploration was the only viable alternative.

SPACE TRAVEL
ALIENS
ALTERED DNA
ABDUCTIONS
MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS
WORM HOLES
BLACK HOLES
TIME TRAVEL

These are all the areas of interest for those of us that are interested in or believe that there is other life in the Universe besides Human Beings.

Why do we need to know these answers?

Because our entire existence revolves around the Christian Belief that there is a CREATOR who we see and worship as a Father/God.  Interestingly, every single major and minor religion and/or philosophy has a CREATOR as the foundation of its faith.  Some of those religions also believe that there were other gods who were subordinate to the one major God which we, as Christians, might relate to ANGELS, who, according to The BIBLE did much of God's work and/or delivered his messages.

IS THIS SIMPLY A COINCIDENCE?

I don't think so...

Our Universe is curved, so it is entirely possible that the end of this curve merges into the beginning which would be the ultimate singularity that we have all read so much about.  Plus, it is entirely possible that there are multiple dimensions because Jesus said, "in my Father's house there are many rooms."

While some religions as well as philosophies are hard to believe, we all know that there are elements of truth in all religions and that these elements of truth can be found in ancient writing and drawings on cave walls or inside of buildings like the Pyramids.

God, could then be the leader of all Universal People and like the MATRIX all universes end at their beginning and the process is repeated.

Imagination

"Imagination is more important than knowledge..."  Albert Einstein

Imagination is the ability to produce and simulate novel objects, peoples and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Wikipedia

When was the last time that you imagined something?

When was the last time you spent a little time daydreaming?

When was the last time you imagined a better life for you (and your family)?

Children are really good at using their imaginations but as we age and become adults, we have a tendency to move away from using our imaginations because we make the false assumption that we are being childish; however, if and when we try to share our imagination with other adults we will probably be told that we are being childish.

As a writer/poet, I use my imagination all the time and then make the attempt to put than imagination into words with which others can identify.  Sometimes, I am successful and sometimes I am not, but I never stop using my imagination, especially at night...  I use my imagination to pretend that I am in a different environment, experiencing whatever I want to experience...  and sometimes, I get hung up on details of of room for instance, and before I realize it, I have been sleeping and when I wake up it is morning.

To Mask or Not Mask

Several weeks ago, I visited a Orthopedic Doctor about my lower back and once he joined me in the Exam Room, I immediately noticed that he was not wearing a face mask, so I asked him about that and his reply was:  "face masks don't really help you, wearing them helps the other person, plus it you keep your distance, wash your hands often, you don't really need to wear a mask..."  He went on to say that face masks do not really filter out all the particles and the only mask that does that is an N95 mask.  So, wearing any other mask is a sense of false security.

However, even if it is a sense of false security, wearing a mask is better than nothing, I would think.

A much bigger question is:  Does our Federal Government have the right to mandate wearing a mask or is that right reserved for only the State Government to mandate?

"In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the Tenth Amendment." Wikipedia

President Trump makes the claim that mandating the wearing of face masks is the responsibility of the State Government not the Federal Government...  and, there are those who criticize him for that because he is giving up his responsibility and the government's responsibility to take care of the people...

Interestingly, some of the Governors (especially Democratic ones) don't agree with him...  WHY?

Find FIRE and ICE in the chart below

Is It Even Possible?

Is it even possible to have a world WITHOUT RACISM?

If you are an idealist, you will obviously say YES, it is possible...

If you are a realist, you will obviously say NO, it is not possible...

So,
who is right?

RACISM is prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against a person or people on the 

basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or 

marginalized.

Human Beings discriminate all the time towards others who are not like them...  because they are different.

• Wealth and poverty
• Working and unemployed
• Attractive and unattractive
• White and black
• Black and brown
• Black and dark black
• Northern and Southern
• Tall and short
• Fat and thin
• Teacher and student
• Doctor and patient
• Parent and child
• American and all others
• President and citizen
• Politician and citizen
• Immigrant and illegal immigrant
• Law Enforcement and law breaker
• Military and civilian
• Sick and not sick

This is not a game that we play...  this is the reality of the world...  and, this discrimination started from the very beginning between God and Adam & Eve and eventually between God and the serpent...

WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE DIFFERENCES AND BECAUSE OF THOSE DIFFERENCES WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE DISCRIMINATION, ESPECIALLY RACISM...

World's First Floating Luxury Hotel

At the origins of this incredible project, there is the dream of Jean-Michel Ducancelle (photo left), Naval architect, directly inspired by James Bond’s floating pod in « The Spy Who Loved Me » , 1977.

For 25 years, Jean-Michel has been wondering about how humans can inhabit the Earth. He passionately cultivates the idea that tomorrow’s habitat should be at the heart of natural environment in order to offer to all, a life in an immersive marine & submarine world. He envisions a way to apprehend the future differently, with a solution for the increasing reduced availability of construction on the coast and a new look at the floating habitat.

His decisive meeting with the visionary industrial Jacques-Antoine Cesbron, enabled the culmination of such years of patented research and innovation.

KOMIC KORNER KARTOONS

Taking A Rain Day

It is not often that I have the opportunity to sit on my screen-in back porch in the summer because of the position of the sun and the humidity, but today, it is raining and has been raining ever since I awoke two hours ago.  And, there are no colors in the sky except a solid grey that actually serves as a background to highlight all the red brick homes, green grasses, and green leafed trees.  It is a picturesque sight even though it is a tad dismal to my sight; yet, the sound of raining falling is not just relaxing but it is mesmerizing as well in its persistence and relentless assault upon the ground.

From my vantage point, I see no animals flying or scurrying about except for a few hummingbird who, despite the rain, are enjoying and feasting upon the food we put in hanging containers especially for them and to attract them.  There are about 6 hummingbirds that visit our location each year but we have no way of knowing if it is the sames birds or not...  we'd like to think that it was and that over time they would become familiar with us and let us get closer...  but, that has yet to happen.

It is nice, to say the least, to sit out on the porch admiring and listening to the rain and not listening to FOX NEWS and the terrible "THINGS" that are going on in our country because of the upcoming election and because and because Trump's opposition has hated him from the GETGO.

Interestingly, I was raised a Democrat because both my parents were Democrats but after graduating from Wake Forest University with an MBA, I became a CONSERVATIVE LIBERAL and turned my back on the Democratic Party.  My Business Education, gave me a strong belief in the importance of Business and Economic Growth but my liberal background continued to ground me in the reality that there is a HUGE WEALTH GAP in this country and until that gets solved LABOR and MANAGEMENT will never agree on anything and more importantly they will always be enemies.

Another issue is the idea of EQUALITY...  and, while I also strongly believe that we are all equal in GOD's eyes, I also strongly believe that GOD created us with the thoughts of being UNEQUAL in physical, mental, musical, athletic, and social abilities as well.  And, while that may seem like a contradiction, GOD knew that is mankind is going to grow, WE CANNOT ALL BE EQUAL.

AND, as soon as we realize that inequality, our country and world will become a better place to live...

If you don't agree with me, then why are we all not like Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley or Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks or Martin Luther King Jr. or Jack Kennedy or Steven Jobs or Mohammed Ali???

Think about that for more than a minute or two if you will...  and then tell me I am wrong...  These GIFTS were given to these people by GOD....  who also wanted all men to be equal in HIS EYES...