Thursday, February 2, 2017

Mikhail Gorbachev speaks

Mikhail Gorbachev: 'It All Looks as if the World Is Preparing for War'

The world today is overwhelmed with problems. Policymakers seem to be confused and at a loss.

But no problem is more urgent today than the militarization of politics and the new arms race. Stopping and reversing this ruinous race must be our top priority.

The current situation is too dangerous.

More troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers are being brought to Europe. NATO and Russian forces and weapons that used to be deployed at a distance are now placed closer to each other, as if to shoot point-blank.

While state budgets are struggling to fund people’s essential social needs, military spending is growing. Money is easily found for sophisticated weapons whose destructive power is comparable to that of the weapons of mass destruction; for submarines whose single salvo is capable of devastating half a continent; for missile defense systems that undermine strategic stability.

The ugly Christian

Pope Francis: You can’t defend Christianity by being ‘against refugees and other religions’

The Pope told pilgrims that the sin Jesus condemns most is hypocrisy

Meeting a pilgrimage of Catholics and Lutherans from Germany, Pope Francis said he does not like “the contradiction of those who want to defend Christianity in the West, and, on the other hand, are against refugees and other religions.”

“This is not something I’ve read in books, but I see in the newspapers and on television every day,” Pope Francis said.

Answering questions from young people in the group this morning, the pope said, “the sickness or, you can say the sin, that Jesus condemns most is hypocrisy,” which is precisely what is happening when someone claims to be a Christian but does not live according to the teaching of Christ.

“You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian,” he said. “You cannot be a Christian without practicing the Beatitudes. You cannot be a Christian without doing what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25.” This is a reference to Christ’s injunction to help the needy by such works of mercy as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and welcoming the stranger.

“It’s hypocrisy to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is hungry or thirsty, toss out someone who is in need of my help,” he said. “If I say I am Christian, but do these things, I’m a hypocrite.”

'INAUGURATION DAY' —Donald Trump's Inauguration Voice Over

Why This 15-Year-Old Ballerina Is A Role Model To Aspiring Dancers

Talk about luck

If this doesn't touch your heart, then you just don't have one. This is an incredible story of luck Happiness and inspiration!

Can you believe it? This guy, Ade Bufford Taylor, wins $181 million in the lottery last
Wednesday, and then finds the love of his life just 2 days later!

Talk about LUCK!

Thanks Kerry

Lipstick in school - creative education - Aussie style

According to a news report, a certain private school in Brisbane was recently faced with a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom.

That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip-prints. Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back.

Finally, the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip-prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses). To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required.

He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it. Since then, there have been no lip-prints on the mirror.

There are teachers ...... and then there are educators

Thanks Kerry

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Wednesday's Ride - BMW Isetta: because a tiny bubble car can be manly, sexy

The Canadian mosaic

In light of the attack in St. Foy Quebec on the weekend I feel it important to point out that Canadians over the years have taken on the mosaic of its people through inter-marriage. My family is a good example of this wonderful phenomenon. My father was a French Catholic whose first wife died shortly after giving birth to a daughter. He then married the woman who would give birth to me. Her family was French Protestant missionaries. His daughter, while baptized Catholic, was raised in one of the last French Protestant missionary churches in Montreal Quebec.

Our maternal grandparents fostered and adopted, our parents did the same as did my sister and her husband and my wife and I. We will be married 50 years this September and have four adult children our oldest (adopted) has two children and three grandchildren thus making us great grandparents. Our oldest son is married to an agnostic and they have two children. They decided to allow the children to choose their own path religiously and in life.

Our second son came home one evening and informed me that he was considering converting to Islam. I knew he was infatuated with a Muslim woman and therefore was not surprised. Because of my upbringing and my parents and grandparents acceptance of others it was natural to accept his decision. He married in a traditional Muslim ceremony; it was everything we expected and more.

Our youngest daughter, during this same period, was dating a young man of Armenian and East Indian descent, a young man whose parents were living in Iran at the time of his birth and while they were Catholic his Canadian passport reads “Place of Birth Iran”. They married and have 2 children.

We have, so far, six grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren who are all of blended heritage and who all represent what we are as Canadians, warm, accepting and inclusive.

My heartfelt sympathies go out to the relatives and friends of those who died at the hands of this heartless beast it saddens me to know that there are people who cannot enjoy and accept others. We are one.

The one thing we should always remember about Donald Trump

Lest We Forget

Bill Moyers and four historians on the big lie behind the rise of Trump.

In this web exclusive, Bill Moyers and four historians dissect the big lie Trump rode to power: the Birther lie. Nell Painter, historian and Edwards Professor of American History, Emerita, at Princeton University; Khalil Gibran Muhammad, professor of history, race and public policy at Harvard Kennedy School; Christopher Lebron, assistant professor of African-American studies and philosophy at Yale University; and Philip Klinkner, James S. Sherman Professor of Government, Hamilton College discuss the fertile ground on which the birther lie was sown: our nation’s history of white supremacy.

Credits: Gail Ablow, Producer; Sikay Tang, Editor

TRANSCRIPT

BILL MOYERS: I’m Bill Moyers. The most important thing to remember about Donald Trump is that he was the same man at 12:01 p.m. Friday after he took the oath of office as he was at 11:59 a.m. before his swearing in. His character: the same. His temperament and his values: the same.

What’s different is that in those two minutes Donald Trump was handed the most awesome power imaginable. He now controls the world’s most powerful nuclear arsenal. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard are at his command. The FBI, the CIA, the NSA, the IRS, Homeland Security, the State Department, Justice Department, Treasury Department, the Department of Education, the Interior Department — all of the agencies of the executive branch — report, ultimately, to this one man. The world awaits his pronouncements, the markets and the media live by and for his tweets. So here’s the second most important thing to remember about Donald Trump: He rode to power on the wings of a dark lie — one of the most malignant and ugly lies in American history. We must never forget it.

The butcher is in the White House

The butcher’s bill has come due: President Donald Trump is about to victimize his own voters

Our new president's supporters are likely to suffer from his regressive policies. I have no compassion for them

In the weeks between Election Day and Donald Trump’s inauguration, I have found a new hobby. On a daily basis I read various newspapers, magazines and websites in search of stories about Trump voters and how they are surprised by their hero’s broken promises, scared that he may take away their health care or worried about his troubling connections to Vladimir Putin and the Russian government. I then bookmark these news items in my Internet browser for later use. As Nero fiddles and his public dances I can at least try to find small joys and pleasures in the music.

This is my version of liberal Schadenfreude — with slightly more hostile intent. I doubt that I am alone in adopting this new distraction and source of pleasure.

The butcher’s bill is due.

There are many examples of Trump’s voters and their increasing pain and anxiety.

I am particularly fond of this explanation from a Trump voter who benefited from President Barack Obama’s health care reforms:

I’m not really a fan of [Obama’s] policies, but I like the fact that he gave me health insurance. And I have been worried about the fact that, you know, is it going to go away because, like I said, we’re in a situation now where I can’t afford to pay $1,200 a month. And I can’t go without insurance because [a family member] has to have it in order, you know . . . a transplant could be a million dollars. . . . Well . . . we liked [Trump] because he just seemed to be a businessman.

The Instagram site Trumpgrets is also a source of great entertainment.

Many Kentucky coal miners supported Donald Trump even though he will likely take away their health care.

This Vox interview with a Trump supporter is priceless:

In the end, I voted for Trump because he promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, and that was the most important issue to my own life. Looking back, I realize what a mistake it was. I ignored the pundits who repeated over and over again that he would not follow through on his promises, thinking they were spewing hysterics for better ratings. Sitting on my couch, my mouth agape at the words coming out his mouth on the TV before me, I realized just how wrong I was.

There are many explanations for why a voter would might choose a candidate who is likely to do that person harm. The American electorate, to put it kindly, is not particularly sophisticated. The country’s schools are broken: A high percentage of graduates of either high school and college lack critical thinking and reading skills. Many graduates also cannot read and properly evaluate a newspaper editorial, or discern if a story is from a reputable source or is “fake news.” Voters also privilege different issues in their calculations. For committed conservatives, winning the “culture war” may be more important than basic pocketbook or bread-and-butter issues.

Coincidence ?

In “The Face of Evil: Part Four,” which premiered on Jan. 22, 1977, the Doctor tries to make peace between the Saveteem and Tesh tribes. In the middle of the episode, the Doctor tells his future companion Leela:

You know, the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don’t alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit the views.

40 Years Ago To The Day, ‘Doctor Who’ Predicted ‘Alternative Facts’

The powerful “alter the facts to fit the views,” the Doctor said on Jan. 22, 1977.

Network X - Paul Robeson: Peace Arch Memorial Concert

1963 Chevrolet Biscayne

1963 Chevrolet Biscayne (CT) - $32,500

Exterior: Metallic Bronze Mist
Interior: Brown/Tan Cloth
Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
Engine: 409 V-8
Mileage: 66,000
7.5 out of 10 condition. Well maintained and garage kept.
All original 1963 Chevrolet Biscayne, True Survivor all original paint, chrome, glass, interior, column tack, radio delete, rubber mats no carpets. 66000 original miles. This is not a numbers matching car. Story passed on to me, this is a dealer installed 409 car that was drag raced for several years at Ohio Drag Strips.

The Lie We Live

Mexican Oysters

A big Texan stopped at a local restaurant following a day roaming around in Mexico.

While sipping his tequila, he noticed a sizzling, scrumptious looking platter being served at the next table.

Not only did it look good, the smell was wonderful. He asked the waiter, 'What is that you just served?'

The waiter replied, ‘Ah senor, you have excellent taste! Those are called Cojones de Toro, bull's testicles from the bull fight this morning.

A delicacy! The cowboy said, ‘What the heck, bring me an order.'

The waiter replied, ‘I am so sorry senor. There is only one serving per day because there is only one bull fight each morning.

If you come early and place your order, we will be sure to save you this delicacy.'

The next morning, the cowboy returned, placed his order, and that evening was served the one and only special delicacy of the day.

After a few bites, inspecting his platter, he called to the waiter and said,

'These are delicious, but they are much, much smaller than the ones I saw you serve yesterday.'

The waiter shrugged his shoulders and replied, 'Si, Senor. Sometimes the bull wins’

Thanks Ivan

The Eco - Senior

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