A Short Drone Video of Boston's First Snowfall

As a former Bostonian, I always loved seeing snow in the city because it made the city seem clean and fresh. On Dec. 11 an aerial cinematography team called Above Summit  put together a 2 minute video that shows the beauty of the snowfall over Boston. It shows Boston’s glassy skyline against the sunrise, soaring music, and rare views of a snow-covered Fenway Park. Enjoy! - Rob


link: https://vimeo.com/246710140

First Snow Boston from Above Summit on Vimeo.

Video: Officer Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund on Duty: Investigates 187

Our favorite Celebrity Dachshund is at it again, and in this cute short video, Officer Crusoe Investigates a "187," which is apparently a toy being torn apart by his brother Oakley. (We have a lot of 187s in our house!).

Video: https://youtu.be/WxcTgGPPG5g

Idiot of the Week: Oklahoma Politician and Teenage Prostitute

There is no shortage of idiots of the week, and this week it's another hypocrite who promoted "Family Values, christianity, and hatred of gay people." It seems the ones who are the most vocal about hating others and promoting their "brand" of right-wing christianity are the ones who have things to hide. 
   A county campaign coordinator for President Donald Trump’s campaign last year and former Oklahoma Republican Senator  Ralph Shortey was caught with a 17 year old BOY prostitute. After being arrested, Shortey resigned from the Oklahoma Senate earlier this year.

CHARGED WITH: A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2010 and served in that body until 2017. In March 22, 2017, Shortey resigned after being charged with three felony counts relating to soliciting prostitution from a male minor In September 2017, a federal grand jury in Oklahoma City indicted Shortey on four counts of human trafficking and child pornography. In November 2017, Shortey pleaded guilty to one count of child sex trafficking, in exchange for the dropping of the other charges.
 
Oklahoma Ex-State-Senator Pleads Guilty To Hiring Boy Prostitute

Court papers filed on Thursday showed that a former Oklahoma state senator who had campaigned as a champion of family values has pleaded guilty to hiring a 17-year-old boy prostitute “to engage in a commercial sex act.” 35-year-old Republican Ralph Shortey, who resigned from the state Senate earlier this year after he was found in a suburban Oklahoma City motel with the teenage boy, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Oklahoma to a charge of child sex trafficking. In reaching a plea deal, Shortey said he knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored and transported the boy for sex. Shortey faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and will be sentenced at a later date. In exchange for the deal, federal prosecutors dropped three child pornography charges that had been filed against Shortey
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3c8qn0b0GyU

Tom Gets Locally Politically Active

We've always been interested and participate in politics from a local to a national level, and this weekend, we worked on a local level. This Sunday, Tom distributed notices in the neighborhood to recall a local councilor while the kids and I walked with him to keep him company (and get exercise). I'm so proud of Tom for contacting the folks in the recall and spreading the word about the re-vote this Tuesday.

**SUCCESS UPDATE ON DEC 22- the City Councilor was recalled by a 67% margin, so the campaigning paid off! Although we like her personally, we didn't agree with her votes on serious issues. So, there will be a new election in 2 months.***

WHAT'S HAPPENING: 
We have a recall election happening in our city for one of the city councilors who, although we like personally, has voted for every new development without improvement of the roads that feed them. The roads are already too narrow, and traffic is already very congested, so adding 1,400 people in one place, and 240 apartments in another place will make it impossible to get around during rush hour. 

THE RECALL: It's the first time in the city's history that a recall has actually worked. Last year we tried to recall the mayor but the effort wasn't big enough. Still, he needs to be recalled. 

BOTTOM LINE: YOU can make a difference in the politics you live with from a local to a national level. Get active, go out and vote. Motivate others to do the same. We can change the country, and fix this mess we're in (on a National level) now. 

Saturday Night Live: White House Christmas

Saturday Night Live did a funny skit based on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" centered in the current White House. It's hysterical. :) 
ABOUT THE VIDEO: 
President Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) is visited by the spirits of Michael Flynn (Mikey Day), Billy Bush (Alex Moffatt), Vladimir Putin (Beck Bennett) and Hillary Clinton (Kate McKinnon).
LINK TO VIDEO https://youtu.be/H9wMNxbQM-4
 

Enjoyable New Book: Supergirl Age of Atlantis

DC Comics and Warner Brothers teamed up to create a couple of new superhero novels in November (7th to be precise) of this year featuring Supergirl and the Flash, from the CW Network TV show versions. I just finished reading and enjoying the Supergirl novel, "Supergirl: Age of Atlantis."
  The writer, Jo Whittemore did a fantastic job bringing the TV show characters to the novel and allowing the reader (and fan of the show) to visualize all of them as if they were watching in on television. That's the mark of a good writer, and this was a really, really enjoyable book and a GREAT GIFT for anyone who is a fan of the show.
  5 out of 5 stars!  - Rob

ABOUT THE BOOK: Supergirl (aka Kara Danvers) has been running across average citizens performing amazing feats all over National City. But that’s not even the weirdest thing going on. The Department of Extranormal Operations has captured a mysterious humanoid sea creature. Supergirl must find out what has drawn him to National City, and his connection to this surge of super-citizens. Written by celebrated author Jo Whittemore, this is one adventure fans of the TV series won’t want to miss!

Rediscovered: The Remains of the Tudor's Greenwich Palace

The Old Royal Naval College is situated where the Tudor palace once stood ORNC

Greenwich palace near London was known as "The Palace of Placentia" and it was a key palace during the Tudor Period. It was torn down to make room for another structure, but recently archaeologists found part of the palace beneath the Old Royal Naval College which now sits on top of the site. 

WHEN BUILT? 

The site was occupied in the 1420s by Bella Court, a manor house owned by the powerful nobleman Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, brother of Henry V. Later, Queen Margaret of Anjou - wife of Henry VI - extended the manor to create the lavish Palace of Placentia (or Pleasaunce). Henry VII, having taken the throne and ended the Wars of the Roses, extended the palace into Greenwich Palace, and it was here that Henry VIII was born in 1491.

Sketch of Greenwich Palace around 1443

HENRY VIII's PALACE - Henry VIII, who thrived on lavish displays of wealth and power, would make the palace the center of courtly life.  It was close to the docks at Woolwich and Deptford, where his favorite warships the Great Harry and Mary Rose were moored. The size and scale of Greenwich Palace was once comparable to Hampton Court Palace and it contained state apartments, a chapel, courtyards, gardens and an area for jousting.

WHAT HAPPENED THERE?  Elizabeth I and Mary I held their courts at Greenwich Palace, one of the most important Royal Palaces in the country.A vast palace complex, Greenwich Palace was arguably the main Royal palace throughout the Tudor period. Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Mary I were all born here; Henry enjoyed jousting here and his wife, Anne Boleyn, was famously arrested here; even Shakespeare performed here as an actor to Elizabeth I.

REDISCOVERED!  Beneath the floor of the Naval College workers! 
The rooms are believed to have been used as kitchens, a brewhouse or laundry areas.
One of the rooms featured a lead-glazed tiled floor and the other contained what experts believe are “bee boles” - wall cavities which housed beehive baskets or “skeps” during the winter months, when bee colonies hibernate.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/sWNlZH5yQc8

FELL INTO DISREPAIR-During the English Civil War, however, the palace fell into disrepair, and most of the buildings were subsequently demolished: today only their foundations exist, buried beneath Grand Square

DESTROYED IN 1660:  It was demolished by Charles II in 1660, to make way for a new palace. 

WHAT IS THERE NOW? It's the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich SE10 9NN, UK Henry VIII.  It features the sumptuous Painted Hall and the neo-classical Chapel, the site has seen a variety of uses, as Greenwich Palace, the Royal Naval Hospital of Seamen and then the Royal Naval College.

The rooms may have been used by Henry VIII's courtiers or in connection to the onsite armory or nearby church.Credit: Old Royal Naval College

Sources: Independent UK, Old Royal Naval College website

Randy Rainbow Fun Video: She Was16 Going on 17

It's another timely Randy Rainbow funny parody video (this came out before the Alabama election) about Roy Moore, the pedophile, ex-judge who was tossed off the bench twice there.  At least Randy can bring some humor to the situation in his parody of  "She Was SIXTEEN GOING ON SEVENTEEN (Roy Moore Was 32)." (The original song was in the Sound of Music if you're trying to remember!)
VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3WhDE-O6lc 

Why "X-mas" isn't removing christ from christmas

A nonsensical argument we have heard for decades about a ridiculous "attack on christmas"

cites those referring to Christmas as "Xmas." Those people say "calling it Xmas  takes the Christ out of Christmas." That's totally FALSE!! 

Here's why! 

The "X" is actually from the Greeks and it means "Christ." Further "Xmas" has been used since the 16th century! So the next time someone tries to get you angry for using "xmas" educate them. 

So, what's the word in Greek?  Χριστός

The "X" in Greek is pronounced "Chi"

WHERE DID THIS LIE ABOUT "XMAS ORIGINIATE? Here in the U.S.,the lie started with the Republican Party to get Christians to hate society, Democrats, Independents and fire up their right-wing base.  **Sadly, so many stupid things are political**

What does the "X" mean?

Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Christos
Phonetic Spelling: (khris-tos')
Short Definition: Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ
Definition: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ.

Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund Brings Toys to Shelter Dogs!

This is what the season is about - Our favorite Celebrity Dachshund, Crusoe donated toys to a local animal shelter in Ottawa, Canada (he lives in Canada with his parents). He was sharing the love, and no one has more love than Crusoe! It brought a tear to my eyes to see these shelter dogs so happy with a new toy. 
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/qeIQS8LOiBE
 

Great Collection of True Ghostly Encounters: Vol 3: Encounters With The Paranormal:

Mike Ricksecker, the Author, Ghostorian, paranormal investigator, paranormal show host, and more has done it again. He's collected great stories from a variety of paranormal investigators, mediums and more in  Encounters With The Paranormal: Volume 3: Personal Tales of the Supernatural 
   I just finished reading the book (I have a short story in there, too), and the experiences will prove there's no such thing as a coincidence when it comes to ghosts or spirits (as I always say). - You'll find that out in a story called "Dodge Charger Sentinel" by Brooke Haramija. 
   Shana Wankel is an amazing sensitive, whose accounts had me glued to the pages. OI would love to go on an investigation with her.
  The last third of the book contains personal experiences by the owners of the "It's Raining Zen" shop in Alton, Illinois, located in the very, very haunted former Mineral Springs Hotel. The stories and encounters are amazing. 
  I just picked a couple of stories out of the great collection, but this is well worth reading if your a paranormal fan, curious or if you don't believe in ghosts -you will. 
  Mike's book is available on Amazon.com in paperback and E-book. 
   https://www.amazon.com/Encounters-Paranormal-Personal-Tales-Supernatural/dp/0998164933

FACTS: The Reason Nothing Happens on Gun Control: NRA Payouts to GOP

NRA's millions are paying politicians to prevent gun safety measures

Wow. The NRA is not only loaded with ammunition, it's loaded with money. A lot of that money has and is being given to Republican lawmakers to ensure nothing is ever done about gun control on vetting and banning automatic weapons. 
  We understand the need for guns and everyone has the right to own one. However, the U.S. just needs better vetting. Eliminating automatic weapons from getting in the hands of the general public would also be a good thing. If you care about our police, yourselves, children or anyone, work to keep these automatic weapons out of anyone's hands (other than the military). 
NO-ACTION AFTER VEGAS
  After the Las Vegas mass shooting of 529 people, 29 of whom were murdered, the anger of "bump stocks" seemed to suddenly disappear. Since then, there have been 2 more mass shootings from white men... and again, no action.
  Here are a couple of graphics showing how much certain politicians received from the NRA, courtesy of the New York Times as of Oct. 4, 2017.

THE FACTS: 

The NRA spent nearly half a billion in 2016. Last year, the NRA, which is registered as a nonprofit, spent nearly $140 million on legislative programs and public affairs, an increase of about $75 million overall from 2015. These categories are not itemized further in the financial report, but they likely encompass the lobbying efforts and campaign contributions that have become a cornerstone of the NRA’s political power.  

NRA INVESTED IN DONALD TRUMP AND THE GOP : 
This $140 million figure includes a $30 million investment in Donald Trump’s presidential campaign as well as at least $20 million more to help GOP Senate candidates ― though recent reports suggest spending on congressional races may have been significantly higher.