Multiple Intelligences

What is Multiple Intelligences Theory?

Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences proposes that people are not born with all of the intelligence they will ever have.
This theory challenged the traditional notion that there is one single type of intelligence, sometimes known as “g” for general intelligence, that only focuses on cognitive abilities.

To broaden this notion of intelligence, Gardner introduced eight different types of intelligences consisting of: 

Linguistic, 

Logical/Mathematical, 

Spatial, 

Bodily-Kinesthetic,

Musical, 

Interpersonal, 

Intrapersonal, and 

Naturalist.

Gardner notes that the linguistic and logical-mathematical modalities are most typed valued in school and society.

Gardner also suggests that there may other “candidate” intelligences—such as spiritual intelligence, existential intelligence, and moral intelligence—but does not believe these meet his original inclusion criteria. (Gardner, 2011).

The theory of multiple intelligences was first proposed by Howard Gardner in his 1983 book “Frames of Mind”, where he broadens the definition of intelligence and outlines several distinct types of intellectual competencies.

Gardner developed a series of eight inclusion criteria while evaluating each "candidate” intelligence that was based on a variety of scientific disciplines.

He writes that we may all have these intelligences, but our profile of these intelligence may differ individually based on genetics or experience.  READ MORE

 

Brick and Mortar is Going Away

Partly because of the COVID 19 Pandemic and partly because of
technology brick and mortar buildings, organizations, and institutions are going away...

The first of these will be EDUCATION...

Educational institutions both for profit and non profit have realized recently that ONLINE EDUCATION saves them "tons" on money each year in building maintenance and utility costs.  With instructors working from home or other remote locations, they are responsible for their offices and internet connections which they can then use as tax deductions when they file their IRS taxes each year.

Unfortunately, online education is not as knowledge transfer intense as in-class instruction but profits and reduced costs are more important than education.

I have taught both in online jurisdictions as well as in-class jurisdictions and in the online environment, I put in much more time than I do or did in the classroom environment.

The second group of organizations and institutions that will be giving up their brick and mortar buildings will be the RETAIL INDUSTRY.

Amazon and Ebay are good examples of organizations that have been very successful with just an online operation.

When the COVID Pandemic was in full force here in the US, my wife and I ordered as much as we could online to avoid having to go out in public to purchase what we needed.  This type of buying is only going to increase in intensity among the American people.

What will help spur this along will be the increase in popularity of using Crypt Currency and Bitcoins which is a natural byproduct of Pay Pal.

And...  as we begin to do away with gasoline vehicles and transform our transportation industry to electric vehicles and before we are able to build all those CHARGING STATIONS, Americans will be forced to do more and more shopping online rather than driving to a shopping mall or a grocery store.

You're Next...

 BLACKS DON'T WANT JUSTICE THEY WANT REVENGE...  AGAINST WHITES...

So...  this is now what America looks like...  to other Americans and to our global community...  

America is NO LONGER a respected Global Power...

Celebrities and Professional Athletes try to STIR THE POT of RACISM in the hopes that the WHITES will finally just GIVE UP and allow BLACKS to have whatever they want...

If this ever happens, then there will be RACE WARS in America especially since Blacks are only 13% of the overall population...

A majority of Americans, mostly whites, simply and politely try to be diplomatic as the racial events unfold in this country in the hopes that it will eventually be self-regulating...  however, if that does not happen, WHITES will begin to PUSH BACK as their toleration lessens...  and, when this push back takes place, the BLACK COMMUNITY better be prepared to RETALIATE or BACK OFF with their demands...  otherwise, violence and hate will flourish on both sides...  and, this divide will continue for many years.

Meanwhile, our global enemies will take advantage of this division...

A Dying Galaxy

From the smallest microbe to the mightiest oak, death is as true for above as it is for below, even for the mightiest galaxies.

The process, however, is not a quick one. A haunting new Hubble photo of the galaxy NGC 1947 demonstrates this well: Even from a distance of around 45.4 million light-years away (in the southern constellation of Dorado), we can see that the galaxy is slowly on the decline.

The clue lies in the dust and gas. A galaxy in the prime of its life will be filled with the stuff, using it to make new stars. Eventually, the star-stuff will run out, and that's what astronomers believe we are seeing with NGC 1947.

It's a rare type of galaxy known as a lenticular galaxy - disk-shaped, like the Milky Way or Andromeda, but without the spiral arms. NGC 1947 used to have spiral arms, but it has used up almost all the gas and dust that gave them structure; all that remains is a few wisps, backlit by starlight.  Read More

TEAR IT DOWN!!!!!!!!!

 

Mount Rushmore is a National Monument in the Black Hills region of South Dakota...  It was completed in 1941 under the direction of Gutzon Borglum and his son and depicts US Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln... 

We know that Washington and Jefferson were slave owners and while Lincoln did not own any slaves his wife's family owned slaves.  However, most historians will agree that Roosevelt was a racist and had no problems sharing his views with others...

CONSEQUENTLY...  this National Monument is the wake of the CANCEL CULTURE and the WOKE Mob needs to be torn down IMMEDIATELY...  otherwise, we will have a crisis on our hands that will negatively manifest itself as more and more blacks become aware of this national monument.

I would not have thought about this until the BLACKS brought it to my attention...  NOW, every time I think about Mt. Rushmore, I am going to think about my ancestors and how bad they treated blacks back then...  even though I do not know if my ancestors even owned slaves...  I am still going to feel bad for blacks...

If blacks want PITY from me because of what their ancestors endured through slavery...  then PITY they will have...  but, nothing else...  the rest they can earn by themselves...  PITY IS FREE...

Alright Then

Special Instructions for WHITE PEOPLE...  (see left photo)  and these instructions are doing nothing to unite whites and blacks, instead they further divided whites from blacks...  at least in the eyes of some whites...  who now, will NEVER VISIT this site or any other BLACK SITE now or ever in the future,.

Blacks can have their special instructions to whites if that's how they want to play the game but the more they move in this direction, the more the white people are going to back away from them and keep their distance.

I had a black nurse putting in my IV line to receive chemo this morning but if this keeps up then I am going to refuse to let a black nurse deal with me...   and, since this is a public hospital, if I bitch loud enough the management team will have to listen...  and, now doubt other white cancer patients will follow suit...

I am glad that Derek Chauvin was found guilty of ALL COUNTS by the jury and will spend time in jail for the CRIME he committed but as far as heeding any special instructions by blacks well...  they can kiss my ass...

I have never had any problems with blacks until they started demanding CRAP because their ancestors were enslaved by my ancestors...  GET OVER IT...  that happened years ago and you don't deserve any special compensation...  and if, there are whites that are racist then deal with them...  THAT DOES NOT MEAN I AM RACIST...  at least not now, but there is good possibility I will turn racist if this stuff keeps building...

Either we unite or we don't and if the latter happens, then on opposite sides of the street we will walk and AMERICA will never be UNITED AGAIN...

Better learn to speak Mandarin...

Whole Bean Coffee

Coffee drinkers are often faced with a choice: Do you buy whole bean or ground? Choosing the bag of ground coffee or a Keurig K-Cup keeps things simple ― you don’t have to grind it, and because the bag and the cup are sealed, the coffee probably stays fresh, no? These are two of the easiest possible ways to get java in your mug in the morning.

But we’re here to tell you that once you start buying whole bean coffee, it’s an absolute game-changer. And we promise it’s not that much more time-consuming or difficult than brewing a K-Cup or scooping coffee grounds into a machine. The rewards for buying whole bean coffee are plenty, as it’ll open up new worlds of flavor and aromas.

But don’t just take our word for it! We spoke to numerous coffee professionals who back us up. They’ll convince you that whole bean coffee is way better than ground coffee.

All beans are legumes ― except for coffee beans. They’re not beans at all!  READ MORE

Why Not

 

One Step At A Time

Personally...  I am glad that Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts yesterday by the jury because the jury really had no other choice if they wanted to keep black people from revolting, rioting, burning, and looting...  and, we must always remember what one of the BLM leaders said when being interviewed by the media:

"...PEACEFUL PROTESTS DON'T WORK HERE IN AMERICA...  VIOLENCE IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WHITES WILL LISTEN..."

Perhaps...  he is right...  who knows?

But...  one thing is for sure and that is that the BLACKS will not stop here with their demands and requests...  they will not stop until they perceive that they have gotten all that they can from the white majority in this country...  Blacks are only 13% of the population in the United States and right now, the whites are listening...  and, making an effort to APPEASE...  but, at some point-in-time, this appeasement will STOP and the whites will retaliate in the only way that they know how and that is through their MAJORITY STATUS.

What is curiously interesting and absent in these debates about what the blacks demand is the fact that WEALTHY BLACKS are not making any comments at all...  or, if they do make comments they are DIPLOMATIC in nature and try not to take sides.

BUT... the real question here is:  IF WE EDUCATE BLACKS AND/OR GIVE THEM MORE MONEY WILL THEY STOP JOINING STREET GANGS...  STOP SELLING ILLEGAL DRUGS...  AND STOP COMMITING CRIMES?

Ever since I was a teenager in the 1960's everyone knew that one could earn more money selling illegal drugs than one could earn with a COLLEGE DEGREE.  And, that fact-of-life has not changed...

WHY?

AMERICANS BUY MORE ILLEGAL DRUGS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW...

and, until you stop Americans from buying illegal drugs our government and our law enforcement agencies will not be able to stop illegal drugs from being sold here...

BUT...  more importantly what will be the FATE OF BLACKS IN AMERICA...  now that BLM and ANTIFA have decided that only violent protests are being recognized and addressed...

AND...  what will happen in AMERICA if police departments are defunded, restructured, and no longer permitted to use DEADLY FORCE???

WAKE UP AMERICA...

How True

 

Filthy Paris Streets

Paris officials have blamed a "political smear campaign" after angry comments and pictures of filthy streets spread on social media criticising a "trashed Paris".  The hashtag "saccage Paris" went viral over Easter, with many of the messages accusing the city's Socialist leadership of ruining the capital.  They complained of uncollected rubbish, damaged pavements and graffiti.  The Paris deputy mayor said keeping the city clean had always been a problem.

However, the social media campaign was a "travesty of reality", Emmanuel Grégoire insisted. Paris was densely populated and cleaners were doing all they could, he told RTL Radio, but he said the French capital was no different from London, whose mayor Sadiq Khan faced exactly the same issues.

Among the thousands of tweets, Cyrille Capuano said that for years Paris had not lived up to its reputation as the city of light, and he accused Mayor Anne Hidalgo of turning it into a public dump.  READ MORE

COMMENT:  My wife and I visited Paris last summer for 4 days and 4 nights and while we enjoyed being tourists and seeing all the sights that everyone has read about, we decided that we would never visit Paris again because of:

• the unfriendly rude people
• the poor street directions and signage
• the dirty streets

And, while it may not have bothered the seasoned traveler, I found the Paris Airport and its facilities to be a pain in the ass to find one's way around.  Very few employees at the airport spoke English  nor were they helpful with their directions.  This airport was HUGE and there was a lot of WASTED SPACE.

Hot Tub Fiasco

For several weeks I was unable to use my hot tub because of a heart monitor I was wearing as it was water resistant but not water proof...  Now that the 30 days are over, I am once again able to use the hot tub.  Typically, after a long day whether tired from working or not, I like to relax my body is the hot water of about 103/104 degrees...  and, getting into that hotness has to be done slowly and carefully but once in, I am usually in the water for about 30-45 minutes and run the jets about12-15 minutes as it makes one's body super hot.

Every other week or so, I pour into the hot tub about 1-2 cups of non concentrated bleach to purify the water as best as I can...  knowing that I am going to replace the water about every 3-4 months.  This last time of pouring in the bleach and setting the jets to CLEAN, I noticed that foam was being created and since there was nothing I could do about it at the time, I just went back upstairs.

The next day, I wanted to get into the hot tub and once I lifted up the cover, noticed that there was still some remaining foam but lowered my body into the hot water anyway.  And, once I turned on the jets, foam was created quite easily.  After a few minutes with the jets on and pushing away the foam, I decided to turn off the jets...  the foam gradually dissipated 

Tonight, I will get into the hot tub again and I wonder what will happen and how long this foaming condition will last...  I also wonder why the bleach I poured in caused this to happen...  but, since I am going to drain the water and refill the tub in a couple of weeks, I am not that concerned...  it is just a minor aggravation and/or annoyance with which I can easily deal.

The George Floyd Trial

Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA might have just given themselves a fatal blow with the recent comments of Congress Woman Maxine Waters about protesting until you get the verdict you want...

As soon as the Judge in the Trial was made aware of those comments, he told the Defense Attorney that he now had grounds for an APPEAL regardless of the verdict reached by the JURY.

How stupid can one person be?

Derek Chauvin will more than likely be found guilty of something...  at the very least MANSLAUGHTER but could have that verdict overturned as a result of Maxine Water's comments and the influence that could have had on the JURY.

This is worse that anything former President Trump might have done or said and the Democrats and BLM are finally going to realize that they have gone too far in a country where only 13% of the population are black.

It would appear that Maxine Water's comments will be the first step in the white majority taking back control or at least undoing what the BLM movement has tried to or actually has accomplished.

This is NOT GOOD for America...

WHY?

• Because it further DIVIDES our country
• It demonstrates nothing really is ever going to change

NAZI Police Chief

Franz Josef Huber ran the Gestapo secret police in Vienna

A Nazi SS general responsible for deporting tens of thousands of Jews to death camps worked for West German intelligence after World War Two, shielded from prosecution.  The protection given to Franz Josef Huber was revealed by the German spy service BND, in archives seen by German public broadcaster ARD.

Huber ran the Gestapo in Vienna, the Nazis' second-biggest secret police HQ after Berlin.  The US military knew about his crimes.  Huber took charge of the Gestapo in Vienna immediately after Adolf Hitler annexed Austria in March 1938 and held that post until late 1944.

Adapt and survive
When the Allies occupied the disintegrating Nazi Reich, Huber was on a US wanted list and was arrested by US forces in May 1945.  He was detained for nearly three years, but the US military found him to be co-operative and released him in 1948, so he escaped prosecution for war crimes, the New York Times reports. The paper was given access to ARD's material.

BND historian Bodo Hechelhammer told ARD that at that time "the Cold War was looming, so above all they were of course looking for hardline anti-communists.  "Unfortunately all too often they searched for, and found, such types among former Nazis."

From 1955 to 1967 Huber was employed by West German intelligence, the BND. Originally it was the Gehlen Organisation, headed by ex-Nazi officer Reinhard Gehlen, who had run agents on the Eastern Front.

Huber was pensioned off in 1967, as the BND had concluded that he could not be kept on, lest his role "endanger the service". He drew a German civil service pension, but also worked for an office equipment company, living under his own name in Munich until his death aged 73.

Among Nazi elite
In Nazi-run Austria Huber worked hand-in-hand with Adolf Eichmann, who set up the Central Agency for Jewish Emigration in Vienna. It handled the mass deportation of Jews.  SOURCE:  BBC News         READ MORE

 

 INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE SUPREME COURT...

MAKE WASHINGTON DC A STATE...

MAKE PUERTO RICO A STATE...

END THE FILABUSTER...

ALLOW ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN...

CENSOR CONSERVATIVE VOICES...

DEFUND THE POLICE...

IF YOU ARE WHITE YOU ARE A RACIST...

WHITE PRIVILEGE MUST END...

This is no longer the country in which I was born and I really don't recognize her anymore...  These changes will not really impact me that much since I am retired and really do not have to play these games anymore...  and, as long as the Stock Market continues to grow, my retirement income will grow as well...  If the Stock Market stops growing and declines, I have money in straight saving accounts and can simply use that money as is needed and there is enough money to pay my wife's and my expenses until we are both 95 years of age...  What could impact us negatively is INFLATION and if that happens we will just have to reduce our expenses as we have already done and can continue to do...

Governmental changes will not really impact us...  but, they will impact YOU...  and your future unless you do something about it.  If you decide to ignore, then down the road you will pay the price...  and, down the road, I will be dead and will not care...

Our American Pickers

 FROM LIVING MAGAZINE...

One of the most successful TV shows right now is American Pickers. It has been on the air for almost 10 years now and helped the History Channel receive some of its highest ratings. The show basically focuses on two guys, going around the country picking antiques. They go through attics, basements, garages and even storage sheds to find anything from that past.

However, in addition to Mike and Frank, there is one person on the show who is a fan favorite. Viewers fell in love with Danielle Colby, the talented and creative store manager. The Iowa girl is filled with spunk, confidence, and an incredible assortment of tattoos. Still, it’s her sense of humor and positive attitude that draws people towards her. But who is she? Where is she from? And how did she get the coolest job ever? Here’s everything you need to know about Danielle Colby.

American Pickers
American Pickers is a show that practically took over the world recently. It follows Mike and Frank, two guys traveling the country looking for cool historical items in old junkyards.  Danielle Colby is the female force behind all of the sales. She finds everything and sets them up. Colby has a story way more interesting than any of the items she has ever picked.   READ MORE

Komic Korner Kartoons

 

An East TN Saturday

On the weekends, I awake and begin my day about the same time that I awake and begin my day during the week...  there is no differentiation between the work week and the weekend for me as there used to be when I was working.  I suppose that is the real benefit of being retired although and this is just supposition but I believe the wealthy people pretty much have the same schedule during those 7 days as well...  even it they are still working and earning millions.

As always my day(s) begin with feeding our three cats, taking my thyroid pill, filling up my YETI cup with coffee and Cappuccino Mix, and watching FOX NEWS....  and as I have explained before, I do no get ALL THE NEWS or the TRUTH OF THE NEWS if I were to watch:  CNN, CBS, ABC, or NBC and that bothers me because I used to watch CBS and CNN all the time...  but those days are over.

As with all news shows, the same news is broadcasted over and over again throughout the day and the only additions to that news is when something unexpected happens...  so, after a while this redundancy causes me to change channels.  I then turn to shows about animals, cooking, history, scifi, or living in Alaska and/or living off the grid.  Somewhat entertaining these shows are but I oftentimes wonder about the drama that they try to create especially when the CAMERA CREW IS ALSO PRESENT TO FILM THIS SO CALLED DRAMA...

After a couple of hours of watching, I get bored and begin posting articles to my blog which I will do for the rest of the day unless I decide to cook something like I plan to do today and I am not sure what you would call this other than Turkey Burgers, Peas, and Noodles.  I will make a fairly large pot of this concoction and divide it up into 3-4-5 bowls depending upon how far it will go...  ranging from 300 calories/bowl to over 500 calories/bowl.

My meals will go in the frig and I will eat them for the next several days until I have to cook again.  I would rather cook like that than cook daily.

Chocolate Success

There is a lot of money in chocolate but the producers of the raw material see very little of it.

Last year the retail industry was worth $107bn (£78bn), according to one projection, but Ghana - the world's second largest cocoa producer - earned just around $2bn.

This is a familiar pattern for many African countries where the economy is still shaped by a colonial relationship in which they export commodities to be processed elsewhere.

Ghana's President, Nana Akufo-Addo, served notice on this last year when he told an audience in Switzerland that "there can be no future prosperity for the Ghanaian people" if this way of doing things continues.

The country currently processes about 30% of its cocoa crop, but despite plans for growing the domestic chocolate industry there are still many obstacles in the way.

Ambitious cocoa farmer Nana Aduna II - a traditional ruler, who inherited his 80-acre plantation two decades ago - is well aware of the difficulties.  READ MORE

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-56687427

Mrs. Sri Lanka

FROM BBC NEWS...

The winner of a major Sri Lankan beauty prize has suffered head injuries after a brawl broke out on stage.  Beauty queen Pushpika De Silva won the "Mrs Sri Lanka" title at a ceremony on national TV on Sunday.

Moments later, the 2019 winner seized Mrs De Silva's crown, claiming she could not be awarded the title because she was divorced.  The prize has now been returned to Mrs De Silva, after pageant organisers confirmed she is not a divorcee.

Judges named Ms De Silva the 2021 winner at the Mrs Sri Lanka final in a theatre in Colombo on Sunday night.  But the 2019 winner, Caroline Jurie, stripped Mrs De Silva of her crown, citing a pageant rule that competitors must be married and not divorced.

"There is a rule that prevents women who have already been married and are divorced, so I am taking steps to make the crown go to second place," Mrs Jurie told the audience.  She placed the crown on the runner-up, prompting a tearful Mrs De Silva to walk off stage, a video of the incident showed.  READ MORE

Saving Turtles

A little known island plays a very important role in the survival of green sea turtles. Sir David Attenborough: “A marine paradise that plays host to one of the most spectacular ocean migrations on the planet. This is Raine Island…”

Raine Island (situated on the outer edges of the Great Barrier Reef, North Queensland), is a unique and important nesting site for green turtles. As many as 60,000 female green turtles make the journey from their feeding grounds to lay their eggs on this tiny island. During the nesting season it is one of the world’s largest populations of green turtles. They swim from as far afield as Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Torres Strait and the West Pacific.

Unfortunately this annual event is under threat. Both adults and eggs are dying. Rising sea levels have caused tidal inundation, killing the newly laid eggs that cannot survive underwater. The island’s landscape has also changed resulting in as many as 2,000 adult deaths annually from falls and entrapment in rocks. This situation has added to the other threats, such as pollution, habitat loss, boat strikes and over harvesting, which contribute to them being endangered.

A five year project to protect and restore the island’s critical habitat began 18 months ago. The Queensland Government, BHP Billiton, the Traditional Owners and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation are collaborating on the AUS$7.95M project. The project aims to ensure the future of key marine species, including green turtles and seabirds. To achieve this their efforts will be focused on beach engineering, sand replenishment, fencing, turtle tagging, remote sensing including video recording and weather stations, tide and sea level monitoring and 3D modelling using GPS survey technology.

The project has been making use of drones to monitor the turtle activity and the initial results are very positive. It is estimated that in the 2015-2016 nesting season at least 400 adults and many hatchlings have been saved by the initial efforts of the project. This number is expected to increase as more of the island is reshaped and pool fencing is extended. This investment will help the survival of the species and allow for more green sea turtle hatchings to swim to some of your favourite diving destinations!




https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56690950

Giving Feedback

If you need to give critical feedback, it pays to let the other person speak first. This gives them a degree of control, so that you're having a conversation, instead of just speaking to them (or worse, at them).

So, how do you start? Ask them questions like the following:

• How do you feel about (how things are going at work, your presentation, this situation, etc.)?
• What are your biggest challenges right now?
• How can I help?

These questions disarm your communication partner, giving them permission to be vulnerable.

At the same time, you learn how to see things through their eyes. That information will help you contribute to solving problems, instead of adding to them.

Admit your own failures
Everyone hates a "know-it-all." But we love "learn-it-alls"--those who can admit they don't know everything and the lessons they've learned.

When you share a struggle you've had in the past, or a blind spot someone pointed out to you, along with how they helped you improve, you put yourself on the same level as your communication partner. Then, ask if you can pay it forward, by sharing something that you think can help.

By seeing that you're willing to make yourself just as vulnerable as them, they'll be willing to learn from your experience.

Thank the other person
It's not easy to take constructive feedback--even if you deliver it well. So thank the person for being open to listening and improving.

Of course, you shouldn't view these steps as a one-size-fits-all template or formula. It's just a start, to help you on your way.

But whatever you do, remind yourself to focus on making feedback constructive, instead of critical.  SOURCE:  INC. com

A New Perspective

For over 12 years I have been battling with non-Hodgkin's "B" cell Lymphoma or SLL (see my blog My Cancer Pilgrimage) and after 5-6 years of receiving monthly chemo infusions, my body contracted Melanoma that started on the bottom of my left foot, spread to the left area of my groin, then to the left area of my neck.  So, for 6-7 years I have been fighting off two cancers simultaneously.  Also about 12 years ago, I had a heart attack (not associated with my cancer treatments) that resulted in the recommendation to have a triple bypass but I went to NYC and had my arteries cleaned out and stents inserted...  5 stents in all.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived with cancer(s) for over a decade and I am still alive...  it must not be my time...  or someone or something is looking out for me...  it cannot just be coincidence...  that's too simplistic and melodramatic.

Each morning when I wake up and before I go to the bathroom, I sit on the side of the bed and just appreciate the fact that I actually woke up again.  This may not seem so special to you, the reader, but to me it is very special.  

In 2018, I had radiation treatments to slow down the spread of melanoma along with Opdivo infusions because the radiation was supposed to supercharge the Odivo...  which it did...  working perfectly...  and, several months later my Oncologist let it slip out that my cancer(s) had turned very aggressive and he was not sure if he was going to be to get them both under control...

I never knew this...  and, I am glad that I did not because my whole attitude would have changed and no doubt I would have gotten depressed, perhaps very depressed...  and, when one is fighting cancer, depression seems to make things worse.  ODD...  but a positive attitude actually helps fight the cancer sometimes.

But, each day is a blessing for me.

An appreciation of life.

A chance to see the beauty of life FREE OF CHARGE.

Just A Footnote

Paul Simon will be a forgotten name in the history books when scholars look back on 20th-century music and see only Bob Dylan and The Beatles standing tall -- that's the polarizing take of one NBC writer, anyway.

Jeff Slate -- a NYC-based songwriter and journalist -- penned a controversial piece for NBC Think ... titled, "Paul Simon sold his catalog to Sony for millions. He'll still end up a historical footnote to Dylan." Indeed ... it is triggering.

His subheading reads, "He was a prolific songwriter with a lucrative catalog any corporation would happily monetize. But there are only a few names our descendants will ever learn."

We know, we know ... you're fuming already. That's exactly what the internet is doing as well as it jumps to PS's defense.

You can read Slate's take in full for the big picture -- which is all about how Dylan recently sold his catalog of music and the rights to it to UMG for a reported $400 million, and how Simon followed in his footsteps by doing the same with Sony for his rights -- but the gist here is ... Paul Simon will be an "also-ran" compared to BD when it's all said and done.

In Slate's view, Dylan will perhaps be alone with John, Paul, George and Ringo and as the standout folk/rock acts of the '60s/'70s -- and that artists like Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and others will fall by the wayside, especially among younger, average-Joe listeners.

That seems to be what Slate's getting at -- and of course, A LOT of people disagree ... with some arguing Simon is just as prolific and culturally impactful as Dylan ever was. We don't have to get into a pissing contest ... both guys have scores of songwriting credits and hits under their belts. Of course, you could argue Dylan is perhaps the better-known of the two.  READ MORE

The Killing of George Floyd Trial

DEREK CHAUVIN is on trial for killing George Floyd and unless you got your head up your ass, you are aware of this trial and the circumstances of George Floyd's death that caused race riots all over the United States...  There is no doubt or little doubt in the minds of the general public that extraordinary measures were taken by the police officer as George Floyd was being detained...  and that because of these extraordinary circumstance, his unnecessary death resulted.  The police officer in question was charged with several counts of murder...  and now a jury will decide his fate.

It is entirely likely that when this police officer goes to jail and no matter how long his sentence is, the fact remains that BLACK INMATES at his location are going to find some way to KILL HIM...  or execute him as he executed George Floyd.

If the sentence of Derek Chauvin (this killing policeman) IS NOT what the BLACK COMMUNITY WANTS then ALL HELL is going to break loose all over the US as blacks take to the streets, burning, rioting, and looting...  I don't know this for sure, but one can easily guess that this will happen, especially since it happened right after the killing.

JUSTICE IN AMERICA is biased in this case in order to achieve a greater purpose to ease racial tensions...  but, is this the underlying intent of JUSTICE...  ignoring the TRUTH in favor of future convenience?

What I have heard on the TV News and/or read, this policeman IS GUILTY of taking this man's life...  but, did he do this intentionally or with premeditation.  He was obviously racially biased and should have never been in law enforcement to begin with...  the vetting process should be evaluated and modified to prevent people like this from being employed...

Robo Calls

These days, my wife and I no longer answer the telephone unless it is a number that we recognize or an ID that we recognize.  Our Spectrum cable/phone connection offers free caller ID...  that is one item that is worth the money.  However, sometimes when I am feeling particularly frisky, I answer these calls and play games with them in the hope that I can get them to HANG UP ON ME...

I am sympathetic to these callers because they need to earn a living, but their employers have abused their rights to contact the general public at large in order to sell a product.  I am TURNED OFF to sales people no matter who they are...  and, when they call my home, it pisses me off even more.

You can block numbers, and you can put your number on the NO CALL list, but these assholes have ways to circumvent the rules and call your number anyway.

SO...  don't answer or, answer and play games in the hopes that it will stop them...  don't be fished in...