JibJab - 2013 - The Year in Review.

The Greatest Country on Earth?

• The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population.   But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners. SOURCE
• The United States has the highest gun ownership rate in the world and the highest per capita rate of firearm-related murders of all developed countries.   SOURCE
• One-fifth of U.S. Children are officially "Poor" and 2.8 Million are in "Extreme Poverty".   SOURCE
• Among advanced economies, the U.S. spends the most on health care on a relative cost basis with the worst outcome.   SOURCE
  In other words, the world's richest country spends more of its money on health care while getting less than almost every other nation in return.
• In 2012, the most recent year for which complete data is available, the U.S. approved $645.7 billion in defense budget authority (fiscal year 2013 dollars).   This figure includes funding for the Pentagon base budget, Department of Energy-administered nuclear weapons activities, and the war in Afghanistan.   This number is six times more than China, 11 times more than Russia, 27 times more than Iran and 33 times more than Israel. Though China is often cited as the country’s next great military adversary, U.S. military spending currently doubles that of all of the countries in Asia combined.   SOURCE
• The government shutdown took $24 billion out of the U.S. economy, and reduced projected fourth-quarter GDP growth from 3 percent to 2.4 percent.   SOURCE
• American teens scored below the international average in math and roughly average in science and reading, compared against dozens of other countries that participated in the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which was administered last fall.   The United States ranked 26th in math — trailing nations such as the Slovakia, Portugal and Russia. What’s more, American high school students dropped to 21st in science (from 17th in 2009) and slipped to 17th in reading (from 14th in 2009), according to the results.   SOURCE
• Overeating, lack of health insurance access and comparatively high poverty are among the many reasons why the U.S. has the highest obesity rate with 34 percent of the adult population classified as obese.   SOURCE
• In terms of National IQ scores, The United States ranks behind China, Mongolia, Poland, the Czech Republic and a dozen other countries!   SOURCE
• 33% of Americans reject the idea of evolution, saying that “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”   SOURCE

Merry Christmas!

2013 - The in WEB Review!

I'm speechless!   Got me all choked up!

The Back Nine!

I received this message in an e-mail from an OLD friend & fraternity brother.   It really hit home!   Truer words were never spoken!

You know...time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.   It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate.   Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.   I know that I lived them all.   I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

The image above is the 18th hole of Bermuda's Mid Ocean Club.

But, here it is...the "back nine" of my life and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast?

Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that "I was only on the first hole" and the "back nine" was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is... my friends are retired and getting gray... they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become.

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day!   And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory!   Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so... now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!

But, at least I know, that though I'm on the "back nine," and I'm not sure how long it will last... this I know, that when it's over on this earth... it's over.   A new adventure will begin!   Yes, I have regrets.   There are things I wish I hadn't done... things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not on the "back nine" yet... let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think.   So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!   Don't put things off too long!!   Life goes by quickly.   So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you're on the "back nine" or not!

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life... so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember... and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

"Life" is a gift to you.   The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.   Make it a fantastic one.   LIVE IT WELL!   ENJOY TODAY!   DO SOMETHING FUN!   BE HAPPY!   HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Remember it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.

LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:

• Your kids are becoming you...but your grandchildren are perfect!
• Going out is good...Coming home is better!
• You forget names... but it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
• You realize you're never going to be really good at anything...especially golf.
• The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.
• You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed.   It's called "pre-sleep."
• You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.
• You tend to use more 4 letter words..."what?"..."when?"...???
• Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.
• You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
• What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
• Everybody whispers.
• You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet...2 of which you will never wear.

But Old is good in some things:
Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

President Obama is a Pigmy???

It scares me to think of how many followers Pat Robertson has !   Even if it's just one...that's one too many!

Religion is like a Penis

Microaggressions!

The term “microaggression” was coined by Columbia professor Derald Sue to refer to “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color."

More over at Buzzfeed!

Terence Noel

Happy Birthday Terry!   I/we miss you and love you.   You were taken too soon!   And...they tell me...there is a God?

Procreate - iPad Art! Blew me away!

Find out more about Procreate here!

Nelson Mandela...R.I.P.

“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

- Nelson Mandela, speech from the dock, Rivonia Trial, Pretoria, South Africa, April 20, 1964

Separation of Church & State!

Compliments of the 2nd Amendment!

2nd Amendement:
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

And from the NRA...
"While widely recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights, the NRA has, since its inception, been the premier firearms education organization in the world.   But our successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts and countless hours of service our nearly four million members have given to champion Second Amendment rights and support NRA programs."

But I've bitched about this before!

Black Friday

No thank you!   I'll just wait for Cyber Monday!

Don't Worry! Be happy!

OK...according to Buzzfeed, here are some simple ways to make your life happier.   I need to jump on a bunch of these!

1. Write out a quick list of what you are grateful for at the end of every day.  
   Everyday...I'm grateful for my family and to be alive!
2. Try to share what made you happy on a given day with close friends and family.  
   Rum & Tonic!
3. Surround yourself with the color blue.  
   It's called my 1990 XJS Convertible in powder blue!
4. Fit meditation into your schedule.  
   I meditate about money!
5. Spend your money on others.  
   AKA...your kids!
6. Devise a workout schedule, even if it is only something quick.  
   I live in a 3 story townhouse.   Enough said!
7. Make sure you’re living in the moment.
   (see response to #1)!
8. Make sure to stay plenty hydrated.
   (see response to #2)
9. Get a good night’s rest.  
   (see response to #2)
10. Treat yourself to time outside.  
    With today's windchill factor, it was 9 degrees out side!
11. Set yourself achievable goals.  
    (see response to #1...aka Be Alive!)
12. Try your best to smile.
    (see response to #2)
13. Listen to your favorite upbeat songs.  
    "Don't Worry...be Happy!"   Thank you Bob Marley!
14. And finally, spend less time on Facebook.  
    I ain't on Facebook!   I'm here!

Still not convinced?   Check out the detailed sources of each of these suggestions over at Buzzfeed!

The Day America Lost its Innocence

I was in high school and just finished 8th period history class.   All hell broke lose in the hallways and we were all in a state of shock and thought it was just a rumor!   Got home and turn on the TV and saw this.   I still get choked up watching it.

Historic Level of Obstruction by the Rethuglicans

Feb 14 - First-ever filibuster of Chuck Hagel as Pentagon chief.
July 17 - Head of Consumer Watchdog confirmed after a two year battle.
Oct 31 - Mel Watt becomes the first sitting member of congress to be denied confirmation since the Civil War!
Oct 31 thru Nov 18 - All 3 DC court of appeals nominees blocked!

Source: The Washington Post

Why all this obstruction by the Rethuglicans and Teabagistan?  
Here's why!

Pipcorn is still Poppin'!

Just ask Oprah!   Pipcorn was one of her favorite things back in 2012 and it's back again in 2013!

"One of my favorite snacks is popcorn sprinkled with truffle oil, so I'm thrilled that Sabatino has created this dream kit.   It contains Pipcorn (hulless popcorn, one of last year's Favorite Things), black and white truffle oils, and truffle salt."

Check out Pipcorn at this years' Oprah's Favorite Things!

Veterans Day

I'm a veteran...not by choice!   Trust me!   I've expressed my opinion about the insanity of war before.   In spite of that, I was really moved this morning watching Aaron Mankin on the Today show.   Actually had me drop a few tears to think what these young men have endured.   If you have some spare change, please consider donating to these two noteworthy organizations highlighted below.

UCLA Operation Mend
Healing the wounds of war!   Donate here!

UCLA Operation Mend is a groundbreaking program that provides returning military personnel with severe facial and other medical injuries access to the nation's top plastic and reconstructive surgeons, as well as comprehensive medical and mental-health support for the wounded and their families.

Operation Mend started with facial reconstruction.   The program has since expanded in order to optimize healing-body, mind, and spirit. In addition to plastic and reconstructive surgery, mental-health support (for warriors and their families), orthopaedic reconstruction for severely damaged limbs, urologic treatment, otolaryngological care, the examination and treatment of reproductive issues, repair of airways, and design of new prosthetic ears are provided.

Stand Up for Heroes!
Donate at the Bob Woodruff Foundation

Injured vets and their families face unique challenges that require innovative solutions. Finding counseling, a job, or just new meaning and purpose.

1% of American citizens serve in the military. But 99% benefit. Our cause is bigger than politics. It’s about helping veterans and their families return home to a community and nation fully prepared to help them. Not just today, or tomorrow, but for the long haul. Just 1% serves. It’s time to repay that loyalty. It’s time to stand up for our heroes.

Bill Maher on Christian Values

Out of the mouths of babes....

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff.   Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.   Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry.   God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.   Kristen, age 10

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.   Camille, age 10

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.   Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.   Lori, age 8

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.   Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.   Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them.   It's the right thing to do.   Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys.   Boys need someone to clean up after them.   Anita, age 9

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?   Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is........
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.   Ricky, age 10

Rafael Cruz: Evolution Is A Communist Lie

This is Ted Cruz's dad!   The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree!

Once a cook! Now a Chef!

OK...everyone who knows him...knows this boy can cook!   He's one of my sons-in-law and he can cook his *ss off!   I'm talking serious eats here folks!   Now the boy has gone to this exclusive culinary academy in London, and among other things, threw these desserts together!   Goodbye cook!   Hello Chef!

Iced praline and white chocolate parfait, tempura fig beignet, cardamom and port syrup.

Grilled pineapple, yogurt crackle ice cream, black pepper and pine nut tuille, aged balsamic, toasted pine nuts.

Hope to visit my "chef" son-in-law and my daughter in London next spring and I will make sure that he has these on the table!

Trick or Treat!

Taking Flight! & Ripping you off!

"In recent years, carriers around the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe, have added or raised fees for everything from checking bags to printing out boarding passes.   It has added to the bottom line of nearly every airline in the world."

ps...I don't check bags!

Source: CNBC

The Old Homestead!

Well...the old homestead in North Stamford is back on the market again.   It was a great home for almost nine years.   That's a far cry from my fourth floor walk up growing up in the south Bronx!   That's for sure!

Current owners are asking $799K for it...but they bought it for over $900K (not from me)!   Back in 1989, I paid far less than what they're asking for but still took a big loss when we sold it in 1997.   Maybe that's when the stress really originated!   See below for more stress!

Stress can kill you! It almost did!

Looking back through the years from 2003 thru 2010...I would call those years the epicenter of my stress years!   We're talking about going to the roof...and jumping off!

• In 2003 my contract with a former Fortune 50 company was unexpectedly terminated a few weeks after I was diagnosed with cancer!
• From 2003 thru 2010 I had a few engagements/jobs I hated!   I did enjoy one...but all the rest....I just couldn't handle the politics and the bullsh*t!
• At the end of 2009, my 401K was less than half of what it was in 2005 and I'm talking big bucks people!
• Our current residence, back then, was valued at much less than what we paid for it.
• In 2010, we had to do a "short sale" on our planned retirement condo/home in Florida.   I/we lost more big bucks...almost 2/3rds of what we orignally paid for it!
• My stomach's cancer resurrected itself in 2012.
• There's a whole lotta sh*t that I can go on forever about...but...

Sh*t happens, and all in all...I'm very fortunate,   I need to keep reminding myself about how fortunate I am.

Feet...meet ocean!

Ocean...meet feet!

Here it is October 18th and this is the first time these two have met each other this year!   For me, as a beach freak, this is pathetic...October 18th!!!   Where was I all this summer?   Obviously, I wasn't at the ocean.   Trying to make up for the delay by sharing some quality time with great friends on Singer Island, Florida.

GOP's Terrorist Teabaggers!

Source

Bridegroom - An American Love Story

I stumbled across this during my daily ventures into the blog-o-sphere. It really touched me.   The complete documentary will be aired on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network on October 27th at 9PM.   I'll be there to check it out!

Here's the original YouTube video that started a Kickstarter campaign and made this happen!   As you can see, this has had over 4 million views.

Negotiate Obamacare? WTF!

I watched this one on Sunday and big Kudos to Bob Schieffer!

Financial Illiteracy in America!

From Today's New York Times:
Even if we grade on a very generous curve, many Americans flunk when it comes to financial literacy.   Consider this three-item quiz:

• Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 percent a year.   After five years, how much do you think you would have if you left the money to grow?   More than $102, exactly $102 or less than $102?
• Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 percent a year and that inflation was 2 percent.   After one year, would you be able to buy more than, the same as or less than you could today with the money?
• Do you think this statement is true or false: “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund”?

Anyone with even a basic understanding of compound interest, inflation and diversification should know that the answers to these questions are “more than,” “less than” and “false.”   Yet in a survey of Americans over age 50 conducted by the economists Annamaria Lusardi of George Washington University and Olivia S. Mitchell of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, only a third could answer all three questions correctly.

More of this must read article is here at the N.Y Times!

The P.O.T.U.S. is a NIGGER!

OK folks...let's tell it like it is.   I'm sick of everyone skating around the issue.   I've been around since Eisenhower and I've never seen such animosity, disrespect and outright hatred for the President of the United States as I've seen with President Barrack Obama.   You can say or think what you want...but let's call a spade a spade!   (No pun intended)!

• He was born in Kenya!   Just ask Donald Trump!
• He's a Muslim!
• He's a liar!   Just ask Joe Wilson!
• He's a nigger! (not a niggah...but a NIGGER)!

Forget the fact that he has provided his birth certificate!   Forget the fact that he graduated from Columbia University and Harvard!

Did I mention he was the first black President of the Harvard Law Review!   Forget the fact the he's actually bi-racial.   Did I mention that Mitch McConnell's primary mission was to ensure that President Obama would serve only one term!   This is a man who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize!   In spite of all of that, one fact remains.   In the eyes of too many American Teabaggers and Rethuglicans...he's still just a nigger!   Sorry Oprah...but it is what it is!

The "Shutdown" according to Bachmann!

"I think the reason is because President Obama can’t wait to get Americans addicted to the crack cocaine of dependency on more government health care. Because, once they enroll millions of more individual Americans it will be virtually impossible for us to pull these benefits back from people."

Source: The Daily Banter

Sarah Palin (V.P. Candidate) & the "shutdown"!

"It’s beyond shameful to see Barack Obama disrespect and mistreat our World War II veterans so blatantly.   Obama’s political stunt to 'shut down' their memorial by barricade is to elicit an angry response to generate bad publicity for people the president uses in his continual blame game.   The difference is obvious.   There aren’t any World War I veterans alive today to mistreat in a shameful political stunt.   He’s deployed more guards to bar our World War II heroes from their memorial than he sent to Benghazi when our consulate was under attack.

The President is treating our veterans the same way he treated school kids when he cancelled their White House tours.   When times called for obvious government belt-tightening, he took it out on kids rather than look for anything that would affect him personally.   And while our vets are barricaded from the memorial they built with their heroism, the government 'slim down' won’t affect Obama’s golf game or his family’s White House chefs."

Source: Mrs. Palin's Facebook page

p.s.
47% of Americans that voted in 2008 thought that this woman was qualified (and worthy) to be the Vice President of the United States of America!   A heartbeat away from the presidency!   That alone scares the sh*t out of me!   I just don't get it and I never will!

I'm shutting down!

Members of Congress will have no dilemma about the future of their own finances this week because the 27th Amendment to the Constitution specifically stipulates that the salaries of the House and Senate cannot change until a congressional election has come and gone.   Members of both chambers currently make $174,000.   I don't know about you, but I don't make anything near that!   Let's shutdown congressional pay too!

I think we all need to SHUTDOWN at midnight and see where that takes us!   Ted Cruz gets $174K!   You gotta be kidding me!

A dream of Congress in the future

From CBS's Bob Scheiffer.   Bob...what a great dream!   Transcript here.

Awesome Political Ad!

Carl Sciortino, Jr. is a Democratic member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.   A graduate of Tufts University, Sciortino is one of seven openly LGBT members of the Massachusetts General Court.   The fact that he is openly gay...adds a really funny and human touch to this "coming out" ad!

Palin...Putin...Putin...Palin

The above is from the Lipsticking Pitbull's Facebook page.

Above: Source unknown.

Jesus Christ is about to return!

Obamacare...They just won't give up!

SARAHPAC: Bomb Obamacare!

You just can't make this sh*t up!

Mr. De Blasio - some demographics!

More interesting details at the New York Times.   He owes his son a big hug!

Four Little Girls...

Addie Mae Collins, 14; Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; and Cynthia Wesley; 14, were killed Sept. 15, 1963, in the attack that struck the packed church on a Sunday morning. Twenty-two others were injured.

At a memorial service for the girls, three days after the blast, Martin Luther King Jr., said, “These children — unoffending, innocent, and beautiful — were the victims of one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity.”

911: Never Forget

I will never forget!   I don't think any of us will.

F*ck War!

I couldn't agree more!

Syria...Assad, The Rebels and the US of A!

OK...Assad is gassing his people!

Meanwhile...the Syrian rebels are executing Syrian soldiers!

Dear President Obama,
You know I'm a really big fan of yours!   I love you...but I hate this!

• Is this an International crisis or a civil war?   Sounds like a civil war to me?
• Is Syria an enemy of the U.S?   An ENEMY?
• What threat is there to the United States?
• Why is this America's crusade/issue?
• Is Assad a wacko?   Absolutely!
• Where is NATO on this?   Or the U.N. or all the other coalitions on this?
• The Brits & the Germans said no thanks!
• What is a "strategic strike?"   Please define!
• What is the goal of such a strike?   Get rid of Assad?   Regime change (aka...Democracy)?   No thanks!
• How do we (America) plan to achieve that goal?
• How long will this "strategic strike" last?
• What is the end game AFTER this "strategic strike"?
• How much is it gonna cost?   I've got plenty of other ideas/suggestions on how we can use that money here in America!
• If Boehner, Cantor, McCain and the other Rethuglicans are for this...then I'm against it!   Aren't these the same clowns belly-aching about the deficit?   Like I said...how much is this gonna cost?

I've got an idea...

Help get the innocent refugees out of Syria!   Help (send money) to repatriate those refugees to other countries (ie. Jordan).   Give that approach a year and let all those who remain...kill each other!

This is somewhat similar to my original recommendation for Afghanistan!

Progressive? No! You Flo? Where she be at!

I can't stand this commercial.   Many find it funny.   I don't!   Why?   It conjures up a stereotype of what many in this country perceive to be "typical" black woman with the mannerisms, tone of her voice and much more.   If they had cast a white woman, would she have made the same entrance?   Would Michelle Obama, Oprah, Cecily Tyson and hundreds more black women...including all those I know and are close to me, deliver that message the same way?   No?   If they had cast a white woman, would she have made the same entrance?   No!   Hell no!

Here's another one that really ticks me off!

MLK50

His name is Romell & he is my grandson!

He is four years old today as is my space here on the blogo-sphere!   We are proud grandparents!   He is kind, considerate, and plays well with others.   What more could we ask for!   Just an awesome kid!   Happy Birthday Romell!

Much luv...Mima & Dude!

Reach out and touch someone!

"Humanity as it could be...as most of us wish it would be!"
Photographer:   Richard Rinaldi

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job!"

Twenty-eight percent of Louisana's Republicans think former President George W. Bush, who was in office at the time, was more responsible for the poor federal response while 29 percent said Obama, who was still a freshman U.S. Senator when the storm battered the Gulf Coast in 2005, was more responsible.   Nearly half of Louisiana Republicans — 44 percent — said they aren't sure who to blame.   Welcome to Teabagistan!

You just can't make this sh*t up!   Louisiana is in the Bible Belt and is on the obesity list; the least educated list and my list!

Adam & Eve and Cain & Abel and Mrs. Cain?

OK folks...now let's look at the facts:

"God fashions Adam from dust and places him in the Garden of Eden where he is to have dominion over the plants and animals.   God places a tree in the garden which he prohibits Adam from eating.   Eve is later created from one of Adam's ribs to be Adam's companion.   However, the serpent tricks Eve into eating from it.   God curses only the serpent and the ground.   He prophetically tells the woman and the man what will be the consequences of their sin of disobeying God.   Then he banishes the man (and presumably also the woman) from the Garden of Eden."   I know, I've written about this before and you can't believe everything you read in Wikipedia...but still!

BTW...

At the historic Scopes Trial in Tennessee in 1925, William Jennings Bryan, the prosecutor who stood for the Christian faith, failed to answer the question about Cain’s wife posed by the ACLU lawyer Clarence Darrow.

Consider the following excerpt from the trial record as Darrow interrogates Bryan:
Q - Did you ever discover where Cain got his wife?
A - No, sir; I leave the agnostics to hunt for her.
Q - You have never found out?
A - I have never tried to find.
Q - You have never tried to find?
A - No.
Q - The Bible says he got one doesn’t it? Were there other people on the earth at that time?
A - I cannot say.
Q - You cannot say. Did that ever enter your consideration?
A - Never bothered me.
Q - There were no others recorded, but Cain got a wife.
A - That is what the Bible says.
Q - Where she came from you do not know?

As you well know, Cain killed Abel!   So I thought it was just the three of them left...Adam, Eve & Cain.   No?

But then again...according to Genesis 5:4, there was also a son named Seth and Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters!   This all depends on which version of the Bible you follow and are you going with the 800 years in Genesis 5:4 or the 930 years in Genesis 5:5?   Either way...somewhere in there, Cain must have married a sister and they had a kid named Enoch?   I'm puzzled...but that's nothing new!

RNC Rethuglicans versus CNN & NBC

The Republican National Committee voted on Friday to refuse to partner with CNN or NBC on 2016 GOP primary debates if those networks move ahead with planned films about Hillary Clinton - projects that the RNC described as "little more than extended commercials" promoting the former secretary of state's potential presidential candidacy.

The resolution, which passed unanimously during the RNC's summer meeting in Boston, marked the culmination of weeks of threats from party chairman Reince Priebus, who wrote a letter to NBC and CNN earlier this month deriding the planned films as a "thinly veiled attempt at putting a thumb on the scale of the 2016 presidential election."

Source: CBS News

Rethuglicans have ZERO health care ideas!

From Newt Gingrich no less!   Obviously this video is edited...but I'm lovin' it!   Let them eat their young!

Former House Speaker and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich reprimanded his fellow Republicans in unusually harsh terms Wednesday, blaming GOP members of Congress for developing "zero" alternatives to President Obama's health care reform law.

"I will bet you, for most of you, you go home in the next two weeks when your members of Congress are home, and you look them in the eye and you say, 'What is your positive replacement for Obamacare?' They will have zero answer," Gingrich said.

"We are caught up right now in a culture, and you see it every single day, where as long as we are negative and as long as we are vicious and as long as we can tear down our opponent, we don't have to learn anything," Gingrich said, acknowledging the "totally candid" nature of his remarks. "We have to do the homework."

More at CNN.

Trayvon - Happiness, Adventure & Experience Denied!

This is long but it is awesome and worth the read!   It was posted somewhere on Facebook and I have yet to find the source...but, hopefully, I will!

Man, I'm just glad I had a Mom who gave me the realness from a young age.   I can remember thinking she was so stuck in the past for telling me that I couldn't do or say or wear certain things, that I could not stay out as late as my white friends could, that I could not "experiment" with any of the things my white friends did.   I struggled so much with her for trying to impress upon me the fact that I was different.   Because I'm supposed to be.   I lived in a nice house, spoke more than one language, was well educated and well socialized and I did not understand why I needed to constantly act in a manner designed to disarm another person's suspicions about me.

But wow, I get it now.   Every black kid has that moment where he has to decide to accept the armor that his parents present to him to get through life as an American black male, or walk around naked.   And the crazy part is, it’s probably something most people outside of the black community never see.   I can remember my Mom talking to me over and over and over again about what to do and who to call if I was ever picked up by a police officer.   She made sure I knew that I needed to declare that I was exercising my Miranda rights rather simply evoke them without notice.   If you were in New Jersey your Mom probably made you take a WHOLE FREAKING CLASS on how to deal with police officers and other people who were perceived to be threatening.

And I say that to say that as scary as people think black males are, black males are conditioned to be ten times more afraid of everyone else.   We’re conditioned to be afraid of going to certain parts of the country, afraid of people with certain political view, afraid of police officers, and sometimes even afraid of other black and Latino males.   The most sickening thing about this whole trial has been the deliberate campaign to rob Trayvon of his right to be afraid.   I know I would have been.

And I owe her the deepest of apologies for all of the times that I accused her of overacting or impressing a vision of a society long since passed on the one that exists today.

It doesn’t matter how well traveled you are or how many languages you speak or where you went to school.   It doesn’t matter how many friends you have or how much good you’ve done in the world.   From afar we are all the same.

It used to hurt when my mother would tell me I couldn’t put my hood up or that I couldn’t stay out as late as my white friends.   She told me I was a young black male and I couldn’t afford these things and I figured she never knew how much it hurt for be to know that she did not have faith that I could transcend the many stereotypes that swirl around me and be seen as an individual.

But when I think about my own Mother having to come down the police station, and identify my naked body and come home and go in my room that would feel strangely empty.   She would have to walk past my favorite custom built aquarium and the framed boards my class in Japan made for me on my last day of study abroad, she would have to open my closet and go through all of the clothes I would never wear again and find my favorite suit and then walk out of a room where every object holds a memory.

She would have to go on interviews and meet with lawyers and try to be strong in the face of unimaginable tragedy.   While people picked apart my character and found every Facebook status where I cursed or every stupid picture I was ever captured in.   She would have to sit in court and dignify people who sought to put me in the ground with not a shred of justice with her presence and her silence.   And then on top of that, after a year of pain, to hear from 6 other mothers that my life meant nothing...

And the thought that after 24 hours of labor, thousands of dollars on tuition and extra curriculum and trips and summer activities, and millions of tiny sacrifices that she could be left with the dust of my memory and the guilt of having not prepared me for this thing called America.

I joke about it, but I know how much I mean to her.   Before I go parasailing I think about her, and before I jump in the ocean I think about her, and when I had tigers crawling all over me and licking my face I was thinking about her.   But I did those things because I knew that even if I got poisoned by a cobra or mauled by a tiger, I know it would have been hard.......but she would have derived comfort from knowing that I died pursuing happiness, adventure, and experiences that are worth their risks.

But I know that she would never ever be able to recover from knowing that I died the way that Trayvon died.   And so I understand so well why she taught me to think about the world in the way that I do.   To remember how to love life, be open to others, but to always remember who I am and to be so secure in who I am, that I accept that I must constantly think and behave with consideration for that one person who might think they already know.

I have fought with my Mom, Dad, and Stepdad about what it means to be a young black man in 2013.   And I have at times been annoyed at all of them for presenting me with my constraints.   But I am so lucky to have been armed with the truth at such and early age.   The world can be so confusing for us.   So much kindness and then so much cruelty.   We've all accused our parents of over estimating the dangers out there.   But they managed to teach us not to allow this country to fill us with fear, while simultaneously not allowing it to rob us of our vigilance.   Shout-out to all of the parents out there, giving that extra course on how to keep your children from being victimized in a society that does not believe that they can be victims.

Happy Birthday Mr. President!

The dickHead of the Republican Party!

Economists are attributing Detroit’s recent bankruptcy filing to problems facing the entire Rust Belt region: a shrinking tax base, high health and pension costs, sprawl, and general dysfunction.   But on Tuesday, Rush Limbaugh added another cause to the long list of factors that have contributed to the city’s downfall: black people.

More at Think Progress!

The Crackpot Club...Pat Robertson & Bryan Fischer!

People...you just can't make this stuff up.   On his radio program yesterday, Bryan Fischer was discussing the on-going Anthony Weiner sexting scandal, which provided an opportunity for him to join the right-wing smear campaign against Weiner's wife, long-time Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, for supposedly being an agent of the Muslim Brotherhood intent on destroying America.   As a matter of fact, said Fischer, despite having no evidence whatsoever, Abedin's "stated goal" is to destroy this nation.   "Her goal in life as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood is to destroy Western Civilization".

Then there is wack job Mr. Robertson!   It is estimated that Mr. Robertson and his "700 Club" on the Christian Broadcast Network (CBN) may have up to 1 million viewers!

That alone scares the sh*t out of me.   It really does!

  But the few of you that follow my rant here on the blog-o-sphere already know that!

Blacks in America? An interesting perspective.

"What do we think about black people in this country.   What do we presume about them and their humanity.

One form of racial privilege in this country that we don't pay attention to is:

To be white in this country is to have access to the privilege of innocence.   To have your right to say I'm a human being.

To be black is to have to prove it.   You have the burden of proof that you have a right to your innocence.   And there is something fundamentally wrong with that."

Source: Dr. Kahlil Gibran Muhammad commenting on the Trayvon Martin case as broadcasted on the local ABC program "Here and Now".

Dr. Muhammad is Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library.   He is a former professor of African-American history at Indiana University.

Happy Birthday Royal Baby & Me!

Dear Prince (future King)!
You couldn't have arrived on a better day!   Say Happy Birthday to me!

Cherrios...There is hope in the future!

Boy...I wish I could be around 20 or 30 years from know to see these kids as adults.   As the father of two daughters in mixed race marriages and a grandfather of a mixed race child...I do believe it will be a better world.   This is definitely worth the 9 minutes.   If you're anything like me...it will lift your day!

Happy Birthday Mr. Mandela!

Everything you needed to know about Nelson Mandela can be found at the "Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory" website.   I'll take 95 any day!

Trayvon Martin...R.I.P.

Just put in my order for one of these T-shirts!

O.J. Zimmermann and the state of Florida?

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Daily Show on Facebook

Then there are these 7 Mind Blowing Moments from Zimmerman Juror B37′s first interview with Anderson Cooper!

1. Martin was responsible for his own death.
2. Juror felt just as sorry for Zimmerman.
3. Zimmerman should continue to serve as a neighborhood watchman because he has learned his lesson about going too far.
4. Verdict hinged on “Stand Your Ground” law, even though Zimmerman did not use it in his defense.
5. Zimmerman was only guilty of using poor judgment and was “egged” on to follow Martin by the 9/11 operator.
6. Race played absolutely no factor in Zimmerman’s profiling of Martin.
7. Zimmerman’s history of reporting black men to the police and his decision to follow Martin played no role in the verdict.

Four other jurors are distancing themselves from Juror B37!   (via the "Los Angeles Times")

“We, the undersigned jurors, understand there is a great deal of interest in this case. But we ask you to remember that we are not public officials and we did not invite this type of attention into our lives," the jurors wrote.

"We also wish to point out that the opinions of Juror B37, expressed on the Anderson Cooper show, were her own, and not in any way representative of the jurors listed below."

O.J. Zimmermann!

Most all Americans know that this "wanna be cop" murdered that boy! He is at least guilty of manslaughter.   Unfortunately six people thought otherwise.   Mark O’Mara, one of Mr. Zimmerman’s lawyers, said, “George Zimmerman was never guilty of anything except firing the gun in self-defense.”

Self-defense?   Self-defense assumes there was an aggressor present.   There was and his name is George Zimmermann...NOT Trayvon Martin.   O.J. got out of the car and pursued Trayvon.   The police told O.J. to stay in the car.   He didn't!

"F*cking punks!   These assholes, they always get away"!   The details of what actually happened after that, no one knows, except Trayvon Martin and he is dead!

Here's where your 10% tithing goes!

Preachers of L.A. is coming this fall.   Can't wait to see this beauty and invite my "Church Lady" friends/relatives over for a "Superbowl" type party!

Tithing is an Old Testament concept.   The tithe was a requirement of the law in which all Israelites were to give 10 percent of everything they earned and grew to the Tabernacle/Temple.

In fact, the Old Testament Law required multiple tithes which would have pushed the total to around 23.3 percent, not the 10 percent which is generally considered the tithe amount today.   Some understand the Old Testament tithe as a method of taxation to provide for the needs of the priests and Levites in the sacrificial system. The New Testament nowhere commands, or even recommends, that Christians submit to a legalistic tithe system.

The New Testament nowhere designates a percentage of income a person should set aside, but only says it is to be “in keeping with income” (1 Corinthians 16:2).   Some in the Christian church have taken the 10 percent figure from the Old Testament tithe and applied it as a “recommended minimum” for Christians in their giving.

More details here for you 10 percenters!

ps. Some "Christian" groups are already urging a boycott!

Hot fun in the summertime!

Source: Buzzfeed

Happy 4th of July!

Granted...as an American, there's a lot to be grateful for!   Folks are lining up to enter this country.   However, there's still a lot of stuff that needs to be fixed!   The greatest country on earth?   We need to rethink this!   There is so much more to be done and I still remain convinced that we are two separate countries here in the good ol' US of A!   Us versus them or them versus us?   A great country...yes!   The greatest on earth?   Hmmm?   Regardless of where you stand as an American, please don't forget our Veterans on this 4th of July!

It's not just what you say...it's how you say it!

Often, I want to express (communicate?) to folks exactly what's on my mind in a direct and frank manner.   But, in the back of my head, I know I can't.   I believe I have to be diplomatic, non-confrontational and take into consideration my delivery and the thoughts/reaction of the recipient.   I would like to be frank and forthcoming...but I know I can't.   Why?   In some circumstances, what I have to say may be perceived/received as hurtful/confrontational/argumentative and that's not me...so I just shut the f*ck up!   Again...maybe it's my delivery...or the ears of the recipient.   I just don't know.   So, like I said... I just shut the f*ck up!

Then again...there's this old saying, "if you don't have anything nice to say...don't say anything at all!"   Again...just shut the f*ck up!

Dean & Deluca is doin' da' Pipcorn!

OK folks...I've been tellin' y'all 'bout Pipcorn.

You betta' get you some!.   It's over the top!   Here's what Dean & Deluca has to say about Pipcorn!

"This all-natural, preservative-free, hulless popcorn is popped in small batches with olive oil and seasoned by hand. Because the popcorn has virtually no hulls it has a delicate crunch, is easy to digest, kind to the teeth, and is a trendy spin on a traditional favorite. An artisan wooden crate comes filled with four fabulous flavors: Sea Salt Pipcorn, Signature Rosemary Pipcorn, Sweet and Salty Pipcorn, seaside spicy-ish Crabby Pipcorn."

Take it from me...it's awesome!   Rosemary is my favorite!

Chicken, Race & Racism in America!

Y'all can can say what you want to say about Mrs. Paula...but her "Lady & Sons' Chicken in Wine Sauce" kicks *ss!   It's a family favorite!

Ingredients:

• 4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for casserole
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces (about 8 slices) Swiss cheese
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup herb-flavored stuffing mix, crushed

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the chicken to a shallow buttered casserole and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Layer the cheese slices on top.
• In a medium bowl, add the soup and the wine, season with salt and pepper and pour over the cheese.
• Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Video is here...unless the Food Network takes it down!