Released Hostages

 Unless you are living under a rock, there has been a war in the Gaza Strip because Hamas, a terrorist organization, invaded Israel, killed a bunch of people and took women, children, and the elderly hostage.

Some news organizations blame Israel for Hamas attacking them and also claim that there were no hostages taken by Hamas.

So, over the last couple of days, Hamas is releasing the hostages they took in exchange for prisoners in Israeli prisons for committing crimes.

Hamas said they will release 50 hostages for 150 prisoners.

These same stations that said Hamas took no hostages are only airing the return of the Hamas prisoners and giving no coverage to the Jews being released because if they did, it would mean they had been lying all along.

Is this the kind of country that you want to live in where the truth is hidden from the general if it disagrees with your idea and/or ideals?

I think not...  BUT, this is the kind of country that the USA is turning into and the more this is done, the more the USA becomes divided...  not to mention the fact that no one really knows the truth.

Tambourine Man

 

New York City

New York's Adult Survivors Act deadline prompts slew of sexual assault suits.  The Adult Survivors Act created a one-year window (which expired Friday) for New Yorkers to sue those they claim sexually assaulted them, free from statutes of limitations. Under the act, New York Mayor Eric Adams was accused this week of sexual assault in 1993. Celebrities Jamie Foxx, Axl Rose, and Sean "Diddy" Combs, are also among those who were sued this week. All four have denied the allegations.

Competition

My Healthcare

 I pay $500/month for Medicare and a supplemental policy through Humana, totaling $6,000 each year.  My co pays for medicines throughout the year, dental and vision expenses brings my annual out of pocket expenses to somewhere between $6,000 and $10,000 with the understanding that this amount is closer to 10 than to 6.

My healthcare annual costs including chemo, IVIG, daily immunotherapy pills, CT and PET along with doctor visits with Oncologist, Cardiologist, Urologist, Dermatologist, Orthopedics, and Optometrist has been AVERAGING $500,000 each year.

This means that I pay about 2% of my overall healthcare costs each year...  for me, that seems to be a real bargain.

Of course, I need to factor in the cost of gasoline going to and from doctors' appointments, wear and tear on the vehicle, and value that I place on my time.

My immunotherapy pills are $1,000 each month

My Chemo treatments are $25,000 each month

My IVIG treatments are $15,000 each month

My CT scans are $500 (2 per year)

My PET scans are $2,000 (2 per year)

My doctor visits are $1,500 for each visit for Oncology and around $1,000 for all the others except my family doctor.

My 6 radiation treatments were $50,000

My 3 cancer surgeries were $60,000

I have been receiving CANCER TREATMENTS FOR 15 YEARS that has included the above...

$7,500,000 is approximately what has been paid so far on my cancer treatment.  Part of this high cost is that fact that I am fighting TWO CANCERS simultaneously...

• Non Hodgkins Lymphoma
• Melanoma

My only out of pocket costs have been $4 every 90 for 6 different medications and $790/each month for my immunotherapy pills.  The real cost is $1,500 each month.

NOTE:  Fortunately, I am getting a grant that pays for my immunotherapy pills.

HERE's A KICKER - If I was getting an infusion each month for my Lymphoma instead of pills, my insurance would pay 100% of the cost.

January 2024 begins my 16th year of fighting cancer(s).

Unless you are in my shoes, you have no idea how lucky I feel to still be alive!!!

Bird and Ball

 

More Hostages Freed

A four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip began Friday as Hamas  released 24 hostages (13 Israeli women and children, 10 Thai nationals, and one Filipino citizen) while Israel released 39 Palestinian women and children detainees. The exchange is part of a short-term cease-fire deal brokered by Qatar and marks the first time fighting has temporarily halted between the two sides since Hamas captured more than 240

people during a surprise cross-border attack seven weeks ago.

During the duration of the pause, Hamas is set to free at least 50 hostages in exchange for the release of at least 150 Palestinians held in Israel's prisons. Israel has said the truce could be extended for an extra day for every 10 hostages released. At least 137 trucks carrying aid and fuel also entered Gaza Friday through the Rafah crossing as part of the agreement, with UN officials calling the humanitarian convoy the biggest since Hamas' Oct. 7 raid.

Cold, Flu, or Whatever

The day before the day before Thanksgiving, I woke up with a scratchy throat.  At the same time, I noticed that my sinuses had been draining more than normal for the last two weeks.  Neither symptom, I paid any attention to.

The day before Thanksgiving, I again woke up with a scratchy throat and draining sinuses.  Thanksgiving Day, again the same thing and maybe a TAD (whatever that means) worse.  I ignored the symptoms and enjoyed my Thanksgiving meal and play in Sevierville that we went to.

The day after Thanksgiving, my sore throat was much worse as was my draining nose and I felt like I had the flu or was getting over the flu.  I drank hot vanilla cappuccino drinks that seemed to ease my hurting throat but my nose was like a water faucet.

Saturday, the symptoms were worse and I did the same thing that I had done the day before which seemed to work.  However, on Sunday (today) it was much worse and I went through a box of tissue and my flu like symptoms were worse.  I did not have a headache but I did not get off the couch unless I absolutely had to because that caused me to cough even more.

I began taking cough medicine and have decided that I am going to the CLINIC tomorrow when it opens at 1:00pm.  The clinic is in the same building as my family physician, but you do not need an appointment.

I am hoping for a shot and then a prednisone pack which means by the middle of the week I should be back to my normal self.

CONCERN:  With my history of cancer treatments and since I am currently without an immune system and have anemia, I get fairly concerned any time something like this happens.  I don't think I waited too long.

Animal Lover

Growing up in Alexandria, Virginia we had animals in our home all the time.  Our favorite dog was a dachshund and at one time we had 3-4 of them.  Rebel was the name of the first one and lived to be 21 years old before my father had to put him down from old age pain the Vet said he was experiencing.

Since dachshunds, I have had labs, goats, and cats as pets.  My wife and I treat these animals as if they are members of the family and will spend whatever money it takes (within reason) to take care of them.  One cat needed shoulder surgery which was not cheap.  Another cat needed to have a cancer removed.  And still another cat went through several tests to determine they had a respiratory infection and would need steroids for the rest of their lives.

Cats are easier to take care of than dogs, especially since you can no longer let a dog loose without being on a leash.  Cats don't need leashes and don't need to be walked so they can go potty outside.  Cats have a litter box.

However, cats shed their hair more than dogs do and cats of all ages scratch furniture with their claws despite having cat trees and scratching boxes all around the house.

Dogs bite and chew furniture when they are young and grow out of that annoying behavior.

On the other side of the coin, cats like to jump around on furniture and are oftentimes careless when they jump up on things, making all sorts of messes.

Neither cats nor dogs know when they have made q mess even when they see the mess they have made; therefore, we as ADULTS have no business getting mad at animals when they misbehave.  We need to overlook that behavior or calmly try to break them of that behavior, similar to housebreaking a dog.

If you mistreat an animal, you have no business having an animal as a pet.  

If you want to keep the dog outside, then make sure he has a warm place to sleep during the winter, like a heated doghouse and make sure he has a fenced in back yard so s/he can run around an exercise.  Just putting a dog outside on a chain leash anchored to something is cruel treatment for your animal.

We had cats that like to go in and outside whenever they wanted so we had a cat door put into our garage door in the basement.  There was another cat door in the door going down to the basement which we kept locked at night so strange animals could not get inside the house.

Our basement had several places, up high where the cats could go with blankets to keep warm.  Inside the garage was 20 degrees warmer inside than outside in the heart of winter.  So, if it was 20 degrees outside, which it seldom was and if it did get that low, it did not last long, and 40 degrees inside the garage.

Bear in mind that their garage beds were up high and heat rises, so it was warmer up there than down on the garage floor.

They were always sitting by the door down to the garage in the mornings waiting for us to open the door and let them in.

We replaced those two cats when they died with three others and neither of them like spending too much time outside, especially our Siamese who goes outside for 10 minutes, then wants back in and back on his heating pad.

 

Romping Horse

 

Artificial Intelligence

We are living in an ever-changing world and some of us believe that we are changing faster than we should.

Artificial Intelligence is being used to write college term papers, medical research, create songs from deceased musicians and Israel is using AI in their war with Hamas.

Some people say there is an ethical issue using AI in the military, but if it is, it will take our congress a decade or more to pass legislation.

We have a humanoid AI Robot as a CEO of a company.  We have humanoid robots working in warehouses and factories.  We have robots assembling our vehicles and robots controlled by doctors performing operations.  We have robots serving food to customers and robots performing simple maintenance routines in some of companies.

Humanoid Robots with Artificial Intelligence are here and there is no stopping the progress of these THINGS.

The genie has been released from the lamp.

Our experts say that robots will replace 80% of our jobs by 2030...  That is only 6 years from now in a month.  China has declared it will start mass producing robots in 2025.  

If the US passes laws against robots and it is doubtful, they will move that fast.  Or if the UN passes laws against robots and that does not seem likely either...  CHINA will not obey those laws or rules, but they will expect the USA to obey and in so doing that will give CHINA the strategic advantage...

What do I mean?

• CHINA WILL BE THE FIRST TO BUILD A ROBOT ARMY
• CHINA WILL BE THE FIRST TO SEND A ROBOT CREW INTO SPACE
• CHINA WILL BE THE FIRST TO USE ROBOT CREWS IN SPACE TO BUILD COLONIES FOR HUMANS

All this will be done while the USA is fighting over electric vehicles, climate change, trying to end the use of fossil fuels, and making sure that transwomen can compete with real women...  not to mention, coming up with some kind of solution on how to deal with all the illegal immigrants that have come into the country with skills, without immunizations, and without speaking English...

SEEMS LIKE WE GOT OUR PRIORITIES WRONG...

Somewhat Political

 

Brothels for Political & Military Leaders

The three individuals charged with running brothels in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., that allegedly hosted high-profile clientele, including political and military leaders, brought in over a million dollars running the operation, a top federal investigator on the case said Wednesday.

According to an affidavit submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts by the Department of Homeland Security, the alleged ringleaders of the operation, James Lee of California, along with Han Lee and Junmyung Lee of Massachusetts, made the chunk of change while running the service out of high-end apartments in Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., suburbs since 2020.  READ MORE...

My Sweet Lord

 

Time For New Blood

 You have heard me bitch a lot recently about what PISS POOR job President Joe Biden and his cabinet are doing...  I have also bitched, probably not as loudly, about former President Donald Trump and his 91 felony indictments.  He did an excellent job at building up the USA economy and maybe will do so again, but he is 77 years old and Biden is 81 years old.

TIME FOR SOME YOUNG BLOOD IN THE WHITEHOUSE...

At this point in time, I don't much care if it is Republican or Democrat,  I just think we need a younger President...  maybe someone in their 50s...

We have definite threats from RUSSIA, CHINA, IRAN, North Korea, and some other countries that are not quite as vocal.

Will these countries want to TERMINATE all those that live in the USA?

I doubt it because of all the damn nuclear weapons we have.

So what is their ENDGAME?

Control us economically...

I think that strategy has possibilities especially since our economy is struggling with green energy and trying to end fossil fuels.

But, I think our worst threat is not from outside but from within.

Humanoid robots with AI will start replacing our labor force.

Robots will make the wealthier more wealthy but will hurt those who have lost their jobs.

IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE NEED YOUNG BLOOD IN THE WHITEHOUSE

I am sure these young people already have developed a game plan and can't wait to have it implemented.

I also believe that the younger generation does not like WARS and see no benefit from wars.  So, with someone young in the Whitehouse, I doubt we will ever go to war again. 

Young people DON'T LIKE the 9-5 work routine, so if they were in power, they would be able to change that.  Perhaps we could go to a 4-6 hour work day and maybe a three day weekend...

Anything is possible with ROBOTS.

Muscle Women

 

Continued to be Amazed

I am surprised but should not be surprised by the stupidity of half of this country.  It would be easy to say that the stupid half are the Democrats but that is not always true.

I am surprised by the illegal immigration that still continues to flood into the USA like a tidal wave and we cannot see the unintended consequences that are right around the corner.

I am surprised that the current administration and its advisors do not see CHINA as a threat but see Russia as a threat when Russia cannot even defeat the small country of Ukraine.

I am surprised by the current administration that does not see or wants to admit that it is only the wealthy people that are buying electric vehicles.

I am surprised by the ANTI-ISRAEL hatred that has not only permeated the USA but the rest of the world from the standpoint that this has been festering for decades and we did not see it.

I am surprised by all the crime and violence that continues to take place in our large cities because district attorneys don't want to put more blacks than whites in our prisons.

I am surprised as well as amazed that the ILLEGAL DRUG problem is getting worse instead of better and our LAW ENFORCEMENT has no clue as to how they are going to stop it.

I am surprised that our EDUCATIONAL LEADERS are allowing biological males to compete in female sports and set records that the biological females will never be able to reach.

I am surprised that our Congressional Leaders do not see the problem that our continually increasing NATIONAL DEBT is going to cause the next generation.

I am surprised that the VOTING AMERICAN PUBLIC continues to want to vote for Presidents that represent the baby boomer generation.

Somewhat Political

 

Dancing Humanoid Robots

While the Fourier's GR-1 humanoid robot's primary focus is aiding older people, a recent video highlights the robot's potential for entertainment. Despite not reaching the dance prowess of competitors, the GR-1 exhibits dynamic camera moves, finger wiggles, arm waves, air punches, shallow half-squats, waist twists, and a bit of stiff-legged walking.

The engineers at Fourier Intelligence have successfully combined functionality with a touch of creativity, making the GR-1 more than just a caregiver. The 300-Nm hip actuators, equivalent to 221 pound-feet (lb-ft), empower the GR-1 to lift a remarkable 110 lb (50 kilograms, kg) – an impressive feat for a robot of its stature. This capability positions the GR-1 as valuable in assisting patients with various activities, from getting up from a bed or toilet to navigating a wheelchair.  READ MORE...

Dancers

 

16 Tons

 

BLACK FRIDAY

HISTORY

The first recorded use of the term “Black Friday” was applied not to post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping but to financial crisis: specifically, the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869.


Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much as they could of the nation’s gold, hoping to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits.


On that Friday in September, the conspiracy finally unraveled, sending the stock market into free-fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.

The most commonly repeated story behind the Thanksgiving shopping-related Black Friday tradition links it to retailers. As the story goes, after an entire year of operating at a loss (“in the red”) stores would supposedly earn a profit (“went into the black”) on the day after Thanksgiving, because holiday shoppers blew so much money on discounted merchandise. 

Though it’s true that retail companies used to record losses in red and profits in black when doing their accounting, this version of Black Friday’s origin is the officially sanctioned—but inaccurate—story behind the tradition.

In recent years, another myth has surfaced that gives a particularly ugly twist to the tradition, claiming that back in the 1800s Southern plantation owners could buy enslaved workers at a discount on the day after Thanksgiving. 

Though this version of Black Friday’s roots has understandably led some to call for a boycott of the retail holiday, it has no basis in fact.

THANKSGIVING DAY

Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and the Philippines. It is also observed in the Dutch town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island.

WHY DOES THE USA CELBRATE THANKSGIVING?

The annual feast is in honor of the “first” Thanksgivings in America, in 1619 in Virginia, and in 1621, when colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts, later known as the Pilgrims, shared a meal with the Wampanoag Indians, who were native to the land.

The later feast was in honor of the help the Pilgrims received from the Native Americans in cultivating crops and surviving their first harsh winter and it lasted three days.

Medical

Researchers at University of Texas at Austin discover E. coli bacteria use iron levels to store information, such as resistance to antibiotics, and pass them down to later generations (More)

Rock and Roll

The Rolling Stones announce 16 city tour across the US and Canada beginning in April 2024 (More)

JFK Assasination

Today marks the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas.

His presidency witnessed initiatives like raising the minimum wage, establishing the Peace Corps, and advancing civil rights—eventually catalyzing the Civil Rights Act under Lyndon B. Johnson. He also navigated the Cuban Missile Crisis, averting potential nuclear conflict. Beyond political milestones, Kennedy advocated for African decolonization and condemned apartheid, prompting a UN arms embargo on South Africa until 1998. Recent polls reveal a 90% retrospective approval rate of the 35th president.

Hostage Deal Reached

The Israeli government approved a deal with Hamas overnight to temporarily halt fighting for at least four days in exchange for the release of roughly 50 Israeli women and children who have been held hostage in Gaza by the militant group. In return, Israel will release roughly 150 Palestinian women and children held in its prisons and will allow around 300 aid trucks per day to enter into Gaza from Egypt. The pause in fighting will be extended by an extra day for every 10 additional hostages released.

Somewhat Political

 

WAR

MAKE NO MISTAKE...

WARS KILL WOMEN

                           CHILDREN

                                  BABIES

                                          ELDERLY...

What is it good for?

• The Arab/Muslims believe wars will eliminate the Jews forever from the face of the earth...
• Russia believes wars will help them acquire land in Ukraine...
• China believes war will help them conquer the lesser country of Taiwan...
• Mexican Drug Cartels believe wars will help them sell more illegal drugs in the USA...
• Criminals in the USA believe wars with law enforcement will help them become wealthier...
• US Engineering firms believe wars will help them make money when they rebuild afterwards...

With all our education and enlightenment, we are still basically IGNORANT CHILDREN when it comes to thinking WARS will somehow make life on earth better.

It is true that each sovereign nation has the right to defend itself...  but, why does it need to think it has to defend itself anyway?  Because there are other sovereign nations who believe it is their right to conquer other sovereign nations, thereby ignoring the concept of sovereign.

For me, that is not PROGRESS.

Wars do not create progress.  Wars create economic growth because of the money spent to rebuild...  but, when we rebuild, it will only be destroyed by future wars.  

HOW IS THAT PROGRESS?

Memorizing for the GRADE

 On Monday of this week, I re-published a article that at FOX News online about employers not wanting to hire college grads.

For three years prior to y retirement in 2015, I taught business classes at a university here in TN.  My students told me they remembered nothing from the previous class because all they did was memorize for the grade.

This incorrect thought process started back in the 1980s/1990s, I believe, when school officials wanted to increase test scores in high school.  The teachers taught the students only what was going to be on the test in the hopes of improving scores.

Students got smart and realized that HIGH GRADES would get them into the best colleges and LOW GRADES would get them into the least desirable colleges.

SO THEY BEGAN MEMORIZING.

IT WORKED...

SO THEY MEMORIZED IN COLLEGE.

When one forces oneself to memorize, then before anything else can be memorized, the student must do a BRAIN DUMP...

I experienced this first hand when I was studying for my NETWORK + exam at CompTIA.  I only missed one question... but, I remembered very little which was the whole point because I took the exam so I could teach another class at ITT Technical Institute.

I earned an MBA in 1981 and taught business classes from 2011 to 2014 and remembered so much that I hardly ever had to open the textbook to prepare for class.  I HAD RETAINED THE DAMN INFORMATION...

I am also sure that you realize that because employers were hot to trot for college grads, they put them in jobs that high school graduates were formally doing.  And if you got a Masters then you would be put into a job that formally was done by bachelor degreed employes.

The thinking was that if you were more education you had better people skills, better communications skills, better writing skills, better team work skills, better problem solving skills, and could see the forest instead of the trees.

EMPLOYERS SOON DISCOVERED THAT COLLEGE GRADUATES DID NOT POSSESS THOSE SKILLS...

I taught juniors and seniors.  They had very minor problem solving skills, they had entry level high school communication skills, they had piss poor presentation skills and they wanted to be told exactly what to do instead of having the ability to figure it out themselves.

They never read the textbook.  Never did their homework.  I know because I gave them pop quizzes and they all failed.  They did not know how to present a business paper nor did they know how to write a business letter.

I WOULD HAVE HIRED NONE OF MY STUDENTS WHEN THEY GRADUATED and I used to do lots of hiring and firing throughout my 45 year career.