What do you think? One Political Party puts up Fake "Ballot Drop off boxes"

What would you think if ANY political party put up fake "Ballot Drop off Boxes"? Obviously they

were going to go through the ballots, pick out the ballots voting for the other party and trash them, then mail in the ones who voted for their party. That's a NO-brainer. 

 SO, what would you think? It makes ME furious. That one party is obviously trying anything dirty and illegal to get the most votes. They are also suppressing the vote, by tricking people. It's Appalling  It happened on Oct. 13th in California. 

The Republican party was responsible for doing just that. SHAME on them. As of October, 15th, the GOP of California REFUSED to remove them. *They FINALLY did on Oct. 19th* (Story below) 

Reuters News reported: California officials clash with state Republican Party over ballot drop boxes 

California officials said on Monday they were sending cease-and-desist orders to state Republican leaders demanding removal of "unofficial, unauthorized" ballot collection boxes placed by the party in at least three counties in violation of election law.

Oct. 15, 2020: CALIFORNIA GOP WON'T REMOVE FAKE BALLOT BOXES With more than 1.5 million votes already cast in California, state Republican Party leaders said they refuse to comply with an order from the state’s chief elections official to remove unofficial ballot drop boxes from counties with competitive U.S. House races. Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra, both Democrats, say these unofficial ballot drop boxes are illegal and have ordered Republicans to remove them by Thursday. They worry voters will confuse these Republican boxes with the official ballot drop boxes put in place and monitored by county election officials.

The Toughest Dolly Day: Dolly Passes on Oct. 22

Yesterday, Oct. 22, 2020 was another tough day in our family. We had to help our Weimaraner, Dolly, cross over and out of pain and it all came on overnight. I'm devastated, empty and heartbroken. Dolly and I were very in sync- we always knew what the other were thinking. I have such a deep emptiness (especially after Franklin passed 5 months ago). 

I adopted Dolly as a 3 month old Puppy from Wolf Creek Weimaraner Rescue in March 2005 (and my friend Jeff drove to Tennessee with me to get her). Now, when she passed, she was 15 years and 10 months old (exceeding the lifespan of most Weimaraners). Like Franklin, our red, smooth Dachshund who passed in May, a disc slipped in her lower spine on Oct. 21, suddenly rendering her back legs useless. On Oct. 22  and I, Tom, Tyler and Dash spent the morning with Dolly (who couldn't get out of her bed) on the sunporch (see pictures). We had a vet come to the house in the early afternoon to help her pass out of pain and misery. 

OCTOBER 20-21 IT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT - On Oct. 20th, Dolly went to bed as usual in the kitchen on her orthopedic bed while Tyler (the black and tan Dachshund) and I lay next to her on blankets until she fell asleep. 

  Dolly had not been able to fall asleep alone since Franklin passed in May (Franklin slept next to Dolly in the kitchen the last couple of months of his life, because he moaned in pain.

  On the morning of Wed., Oct. 21, when Dolly awoke, she suddenly couldn't get up from her bed! I thought WTH?!?!  I had to lift her (she's 68 lbs.) and carry her outside to clean her off and remove her soiled diaper (she almost always did #1 and 2 in the diaper overnight but it didn't always catch everything). There's always clean up involved for her and the floor, and the cloth diaper that held the disposable on her, and I could tell she always felt badly about it. 

   That morning outside, though, Dolly just stood (shakily) staring at the backyard light as I washed her backside, and then her back legs buckled again. I got her to rest in the grass (it was 5:30 a.m. and dark outside) while I went inside and quickly grabbed the second clean cloth diaper, and put a (human-grade) incontinence liner in it. I quickly stripped the bed that was messed, and replaced the cover and blanket and put her on it. (then I handwashed all the soiled stuff), 

   Later in the morning, she couldn't get up again, so I carried her outside. At least she was able to do #1. Not so by the afternoon. It was apparent the disc was slipping more and quickly, because by 3 p.m. she couldn't even move from her bed. . 

WEDNESDAY RIDE, OCT 21 -Wednesday night is comic book and Dunkin' Donuts dinner night in our house. The dogs always love to accompany us on the drive to Annapolis. So, we lifted Dolly, Tyler and Dash into the pickup's back seat/bench covered with a comforter. Dolly was content and didn't move the entire time. Once home, her legs wouldn't support her at all and she couldn't even pee. The disc was apparently affecting her entire backside.. I carried her outside again at 10pm to try and do something but she couldn't. Tom and I were even both holding her up. 

   I quickly realized that it was a disc and felt a bulge on her spine behind her tail. It was exactly what happened to Franklin, but he was in pain. Fortunately, Dolly was on pain meds and they were adequate. I also knew that at almost 16 years old, and with air pockets in her lungs she couldn't be operated on. She was frustrated, miserable, and worn out. I knew we had to make the dreaded decision. 

PEACEFUL PASSINGS - Our friend Shelley, who is also a dog rescuer, messaged me that evening about Dolly's status. I told her Tom and I talked about it, and knew it was time. Dolly couldn't get up or move around. Shelley told me about a Baltimore/Annapolis service called "Peaceful passings" where a veterinarian comes to your house to help your dog cross over. (Peaceful Passage

Gentle and Compassionate Home Euthanasia, (443) 956-2113, PeacefulPassage.net)

Most vets won't do that, so this service contracts with local doctors to allow for it. I placed the call at 8pm (of course they were closed),but they called me back at 7 am on Thursday the 22nd. I arranged everything for the afternoon, so Tyler, Dash, Tom and I could spend time with Dolly (even though she slept 95% of the time).

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SLEEPING IN THE KITCHEN WITH DOLLY - Every night since Franklin passed, Tyler would lay in the kitchen next to Dolly while I went upstairs to take a shower. When I returned to the Kitchen, I always rolled out a blanket and pillow for me, right next to Dolly's bed. Then Tyler would walk back to his other bed in the bedroom and go to sleep, while I stayed with Dolly until she fell asleep. Tyler always ensured Dolly was never alone. But Wednesday night, Tyler and I stayed together next to Dolly the entire night. Dolly awoke about once an hour, and at one point I had to move her to her right side (she starts out laying on her left) because of the arthritic pain in her hips. 

THURSDAY, OCT 22 

EARLY MORNING VISITOR - At around 3 am, Dolly lifted her head high and stared at the door to the Laundry room and den. She wouldn't move despite my attempts to get her to lay back down. Finally, I turned and looked at the door. I was surprised. There were the spirits of my mom and dad, our friend Ed, Franklin, Buzz and Sprite all standing there waiting for Dolly to cross over. I knew it was the right thing to do. 

THURSDAY, OCT 22, THE LAST DAY - When we got up at 5:30 a.m. and she had messed in her diaper (and of course, on herself). We carried her outside and she wasn't physically able do anything anymore. The bladder muscles were not working.  I cleaned her off outside, carried her back in and we put on a clean cloth diaper and large incontinence pad. She was miserable. She couldn't move her back legs or her butt.  She was moaning (which she did only once before in her life after a surgery) and wouldn't eat - except finally one lone chicken treat and some water. Her paws even felt cold. She stared into space and didn't acknowledge me much. 

I had the day off (Tom was teleworking) so we all stayed in the sunporch with her all morning. For the most part (thanks to a pain pill I gave her at 5:30 a.m.) she was resting comfortably. She was very patient (always has been). The vet came in the early afternoon to help Dolly crossover on a blanket in the backyard, surrounded by me, Tom, Tyler and Dash. Dolly was wrapped in a blanket, and we put her on a pet stretcher, that Tom, I and the vet carried to his car where we said our final goodbye. Now we wait 10-14 days for her ashes and pawprint to come back to us.  

(Photo right is from 6-24-20 and that's the way I'll remember her)

FINAL THOUGHTS - I can only take comfort in knowing her decline was in 1 day. 12 days before on Oct. 10th, she found the strength to walk around the entire block. 9 days before on Oct. 13, Dolly did agility in the living room after dinner with the two boys for about 20 minutes and sometimes she led the way again, despite having only about 20% of her vision! 2 days before the 22nd, on Oct. 20, she walked around the backyard doing "Stop" and "Come" for treats. Dolly has shown her drive: "Life is what you make it, and I believe in not sitting around feeling sorry for myself just because I have bad arthritis and my vision is next to nothing. I hope I'm an inspiration to everyone, people and doggies, to try and do anything!"

Fun facts about cranberries!

I love cranberries. I drink a lot of cranberry juice and enjoy dried cranberries for a healthy daily snack. Just a handful of them will satisfy your hunger. Also, since I'm also originally from Massachusetts, the home of Ocean Spray Cranberry, I had to share this great article about Cranberry Facts from the Patriot Ledger Newspaper in Quincy,MA. Here are your Cranberry Fun facts>>>

WHERE IS OCEAN SPRAY LOCATED? Ocean Spray is an American agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. It currently has over 700 member growers (in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Florida, British Columbia and other parts of Canada, as well as Chile).
  

FUN FACTS

1. Home-grown. The cranberry is among the fruits native to North America. Others include the blueberry, strawberry, gooseberry, and Concord grape.

2. Naming rights. The Cape Cod Pequots and Leni-Lenape tribes of New Jersey called them “ibimi” (bitter berry). But it was Dutch and German settlers that named the fruit “crane berry” (later known as cranberry) because its flower resembled the head and bill of a crane.

3. Berry many uses. Native Americans used cranberries for several purposes including curing meat, dying fabric and healing wounds. Pemmican, a Native American recipe mixing mashed cranberries and deer meat was essentially the first “energy bar.” The fruit’s acidity was a natural preservative and prevented bacteria, providing long-lasting sustenance.

4. Best grown in cool climates and sandy soils. First cultivated in 1816 on Cape Cod and widely grown in Southeastern Massachusetts, cranberries are also produced in Wisconsin, Oregon, New Jersey, and Washington. Since 1994, the cranberry has been the official berry of Massachusetts (cranberry juice is the official state beverage), and in 2003 became the official state fruit of Wisconsin, which is now the largest producer (4.67 million barrels in 2019). Massachusetts is second, with 2.16 million barrels produced last year.

5. Eat ’em for the health of it. With a high vitamin C content, cranberries were stored and consumed on long sea voyages to help prevent scurvy. Because they prevent bacteria, cranberries can help curb plaque buildup on teeth which can lead to cavities and gum disease, and the antioxidants and phytonutrients in them have many other health benefits.

6. Musical fruit. The Cranberries became the name of a popular alternative rock band formed in Limerick, Ireland in 1989. The band, featuring the late vocalist Dolores O’Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler, originally called itself The Cranberry Saw Us (cranberry sauce, if said quickly). It’s possible “cranberry sauce” was in reference to the words John Lennon said he actually spoke during the fade out of the song “Strawberry Fields Forever,” rather than “I’m very bored” or “I buried Paul.”

7. Cranberries by the numbers. Americans put away some 400 million pounds of cranberries each year. About 80 million pounds — or 20 percent — are gobbled up during Thanksgiving week. It takes 200 cranberries to make one can of cranberry sauce, there are 440 cranberries in a one-pound bag and 4,400 cranberries in one gallon of juice. Seven of 10 cranberries sold in the world today come from Ocean Spray, a grower cooperative started in 1930 and based in Lakeville, Massachusetts.

Autumn menu additions
Autumn has arrived and the holidays are right around the corner. Here are three, easy-to-make cranberry recipes. For dozens more delicious cranberry creations visit the Ocean Spray website.

 

Cranberry nut pie
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
Vanilla ice cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 325º F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
Layer cranberries on bottom of pie plate. Sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts. Beat egg in a medium mixing bowl until thick. Gradually add sugar, beating until thoroughly blended. Stir in flour and melted butter; blend well. Pour over cranberries.
Bake 45 minutes. Cut into wedges. Serve with ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

Cape Cod cornbread stuffing
Ingredients
2 cups cornbread stuffing cubes
1/2 pound sausage meat, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 cup Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Combine all ingredients, except chicken broth, in a medium casserole dish. Add chicken broth; mix well. Add more chicken broth for a moister stuffing. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 3 cups.

Homemade whole berry cranberry sauce
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained
Directions
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.
Makes 2-1/4 cups.

Source: Patriot Ledger Newspaper, Quincy, Ma. Oct. 12, 2020: https://www.patriotledger.com/news/20201011/with-harvest-season-upon-us-here-are-some-fun-facts-about-cranberries?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Patriot%20Ledger%20daily%202020-10-12&utm_content=GTNE_PA&utm_term=101220

Voting, Veterans? Someone asked "Why does the U.S. government place value on finding soldiers who were missing in action?"

My dad was a veteran of the Korean War. He was proud of his service and I'm proud of his service. I'm also very proud of all of my friends and relatives who served and still serve.
   Last month, a report by 3 different reliable news sources revealed that  D.T. doesn't understand why the government cares about finding the bodies of soldiers who were killed in action and are missing. He also said he didn't want disabled veterans in military parades because "no one wants to see that." 
Think about those things.
   Here's that part of the article from Politico and click here to read the full article:

Trump Scrambles to Recover from  Report he called fallen troops ‘losers’
Politico, Sept. 4, 2020

Pres. Trump was mystified as to why the U.S. government placed value on finding soldiers who were missing in action because he believed “they had performed poorly and gotten caught and deserved what they got,” according to the Washington Post.

The Atlantic’s account was subsequently corroborated in part by news outlets including The Associated Press and The Washington Post, which reported other explosive allegations about the president’s perception of the nation’s military.

Duckworth homed in on another detail from The Atlantic’s report: the president’s request during a 2018 White House planning meeting for a military parade that the celebratory event not include wounded veterans such as amputees. “Nobody wants to see that,” Trump allegedly said.

Duckworth insisted that Trump’s remarks do not “diminish the sacrifices of wounded soldiers who gave up their limbs like I did for all Americans, including him.”

“The American people know that no one should be ashamed of a disability and that wounded warriors should be honored instead of hidden from view. I’d take my wheelchair and my titanium legs over Donald Trump’s supposed bone spurs any day,” she said, referring to the medical exemption that granted Trump a deferment from being drafted into military service during the Vietnam War.

Trump was mystified as to why the U.S. government placed value on finding soldiers who were missing in action because he believed “they had performed poorly and gotten caught and deserved what they got,” according to the Washington Post.

An Assist from the Other Side: A N.H. man's Lost Class Ring Found 53 Years Later

 Here's an amazing story from the Boston Globe about finding a ring in a lake 53 years later. When you read this story, you may understand that the man's late dad helped in finding the ring. That's because it was found on his birthday. Remember, spirits of our loved ones come around on Birthdays, anniversaries or holidays to let us know they're around, and there's no such thing as a coincidence. 

Here's the story:

A N.H. man lost his class ring skipping stones in 1967. His wife set out to find it 53 years later, and she did. 

“I always thought, 'Well, we can probably find that if we went looking,' and it was always 

something I wanted to do." 

By

 

Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com Staff

October 7, 2020 | 5:00 AM

Since Kathy Rowell has known her husband Steve of 31 years, she said she’s also known the story of how he lost his high school class ring. Back in 1967, Steve Rowell was 16 and a sophomore in high school. He had had the ring, which he’d paid for himself, for just weeks before it slipped off his finger while he was skipping rocks with his brothers at Drew’s Pond in Barrington, New Hampshire.

Upset, he tossed his bike into the water, too, Kathy said. His brothers retrieved the bike, but the ring was gone. Until now. The ring hadn’t seen the light of day until Sunday, Sept. 27, when Kathy and a friend with a metal detector pulled it from the pond’s murky depths.

“I always thought, ‘Well, we can probably find that if we went looking,’ and it was always something I wanted to do,” Kathy said in an interview with Boston.com. In the past she’s helped others find things they’ve lost, and she was “determined” to find Steve’s ring. Kathy and her daughter decided last year they would begin searching for it, but life got in the way and they didn’t have the time until recently. Kathy had also mentioned her idea to a friend, noting that she thought using a metal detector could help. “And he said, ‘I have a metal detector, I’d love to go with you,’” Kathy said.

The team went a few weeks ago and searched for about 3 ½ hours to no avail. It began to rain; they marked off where they had concluded their search for the day and went home.

Then, a week ago Sunday, the search was back on. Kathy noted that the environmental conditions were in her favor. While Steve had said the pond water was probably 6 feet deep where the ring landed decades ago, the drought had put the water at about 2 feet in that location. “My husband came with us for a few minutes and kind of showed us the location he thought it was in,” she said.

A New England Patriots fan, he soon left to go watch the game.

After searching for a bit, among a “bunch of junk” in a bucket pulled from the pond was Steve’s ring, red stone intact. Kathy returned home and presented it to her other half. “He couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I had it on my finger. He was just blown away.”

That particular day, Sept. 27, also holds a significance to the couple as it’s Steve’s late father’s birthday. “It was just heartwarming,” Kathy said. “I still get chills thinking about it.”

 

Steve, now 69, can slide the ring down just a bit on his pinky finger. While Kathy said her friend joked that Steve’s hands are now “pudgy,” Kathy has a gentler answer. “I tell him, ‘Oh honey, maybe it shrunk in the water,’” she said.

COVID19 Family Experience: Janet: 'My family knows exactly why we should be afraid.'

   This is the  3rd and final in several stories shared by people whose lives were changed (not for the better) because of the Coronavirus 19.  Janet's story hammers an important point. NOT everyone has access to the same medicines and care. 

DISCLAIMER:   I know you're "sick" of hearing about the COVID19 virus, but it's NOT going away, and there's no chance for a vaccine until 2021, so grow up, stop whining, and protect yourself and others. This IS something to fear if you care for family, friends, colleagues, or anyone, and for yourself.  Americans need to take the COVID19 virus seriously and it's bound to affect us through a good part of 2021, too.  (Why? Because stupid people won't wear a mask and social distance).    

READ THIS STORY... if you have an ounce of compassion in you, it will affect you:

'My family knows exactly why we should be afraid.'

Janet Kennedy McLiverty

"I was beyond enraged when I saw the president tweet, 'Don’t be afraid of COVID.' My family, along with the 210,000+ others who helplessly watched their loved ones die from complications due to COVID-19, know exactly why we should be afraid. My father died on May 5, 2020. He died after being admitted to the hospital on April 20th alone and afraid. He died after only getting to see his children and grandchild over FaceTime because the nurses were so compassionate. He died after most doctors only saw him via Telemed because there wasn’t enough PPE. He died without the option of receiving Remdesivir or plasma because there wasn’t any available. He died after being sedated on a ventilator for 10 days while his body was ravaged from the virus. He died with a swollen brain and body, lungs full of holes, heart enlarged, organs rendered useless. He died with a hero nurse who held his hand, the only thing I could think of asking her to do because we couldn’t be there. We couldn't have a wake or funeral. Couldn't be with our family and friends and mourn together. This is why I am afraid of COVID-19." -- Janet Kennedy McLiverty from New Jersey

COVID19 Family Experiences: Carol's Dad

  This is the  2nd of a couple of stories shared by people whose lives were changed (not for the better) because of the Coronavirus 19.  

DISCLAIMER:   I know you're "sick" of hearing about the COVID19 virus, but it's NOT going away, and there's no chance for a vaccine until 2021, so grow up, stop whining, and protect yourself and others. This IS something to fear if you care for family, friends, colleagues, or anyone, and for yourself.  Americans need to take the COVID19 virus seriously and it's bound to affect us through a good part of 2021, too.  (Why? Because stupid people won't wear a mask and social distance).    

READ THIS STORY... if you have an ounce of compassion in you, it will affect you:

 'Had Trump been honest ... my dad might be alive today.'

Carol Ackerman

"My dad traveled the world. He fought tirelessly for his immigration clients. He was generous with his family. For his 80th birthday, he planned a family trip to Israel. He loved Chinese food, ice cream sundaes and Caribbean trips. When COVID-19 hit our area hard, he canceled our trip, closed his law practice and stayed home. A week too late. It started with a cold and, upon reflection, some nostalgia: He asked me to bake my late mom’s chocolate chip cookies. Then fever. And tremors. I took him to the ER the evening before his 80th birthday. He died eight days later. Alone. (The photo to the right was taken two hours before he died.)

Live our lives? Don’t be afraid? It’s no worse than the flu? Trump has access to the best, albeit socialized, medical attention. He was immediately treated with the best available medicinal cocktail. Just like my dad. Oh, wait. That’s not true. The orthopedic surgeon who saw my dad the morning he died hadn’t practiced infectious disease since his internship. Had Trump been honest and enacted a real pandemic response plan, my dad might be alive today." -- Carol Ackerman from New City, New York

SOURCE: OCT 9, 2020: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/people-lost-loved-ones-coronavirus-trump-tweet_l_5f7dfa01c5b62e45eed529ba?ncid=newsltushpmgnews

Idiot of the Week:Kalamazoo pastor paid teenage boys to have sex with his wife, police say

This week's idiot is a pastor who decided that God said it was perfectly fine for him to hire teenage boys to have sex with his wife (who also apparently had no issue with it). Using religion wrongly to justify abhorrent behavior is disgusting Here's the story:

Kalamazoo pastor paid teenage boys to have sex with his wife, police say
August 26, 2020

A Kalamazoo, Michigan pastor has been charged with 11 felonies for sexually assaulting four underage male victims and paying them to have sex with his wife while he watched.

"The defendant and his wife would use their employment at Phoenix High School (in Kalamazoo) and to some extent, the defendant would use his work as a pastor, to find male teens to engage in sexual activity with the wife, while the defendant watched and..."  

Reverend Stricjavvar “Strick” Strickland, 37, of the town’s Second Baptist Church, faces two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct on a student, one count on a person age 13-15, and another by force or coercion, according to documents filed in Kalamazoo County District Court. He also faces four counts of human trafficking of a minor for commercial sexual activity and three counts of child sexually abusive activity.

While a warrant for Strickland’s arrest was issued August 21, he has reportedly not turned himself in. “It has been two years since these allegations first came forward and Pastor Strickland has remained in contact and available. He is not running from this,” Strickland’s attorney, Michael Hills, told local news. “Pastor Strickland remains ready to turn himself in and deal with these charges accordingly.”

Kalamazoo County Assistant Prosecutor Christin J. Mehrtens-Carlin wrote in her bond recommendation that “the defendant and his wife would use their employment at Phoenix High School (in Kalamazoo) and to some extent, the defendant would use his work as a pastor, to find male teens to engage in sexual activity with the wife, while the defendant watched and masturbated.”

Strickland allegedly paid two of the minors $100 each to have sex with his wife, Jazmonique Strickland, while he watched. He allegedly paid them an additional $100 each to watch his wife perform oral sex on them on separate occasions.

He’s also accused of paying money to two boys to get them to text him explicit photos. When one of the boys was 17, Strickland coerced him into receiving oral sex, according to the detective’s affidavit. The boy, in exchange, allegedly was allowed to use the pastor’s vehicle. 

Strickland allegedly paid another 15-year-old victim $200 to have sex with his wife in the couple’s basement multiple times.

As of this time, no charges have been brought against Jazmonique Strickland.

Strickland maintains that the charges are “absolutely preposterous,” despite the fact that Mehrtens-Carlin says he is alleged to have engaged in the same behavior with his ex-wife.

“All I can say for now is that we are prepared for this fight,” Strickland said. “God will prevail.”

My Reflections on a Very Challenging Week

Everyone continues to try and get through this pandemic and it causes a lot of stress. We know! Although really not pandemic related- other than the 2nd item, recently 3 things have made for a VERY challenging Week. 

1) Work- Devastated me. For the last 15 years I've written storm updates using satellite imagery to explain to the world how scientists are working to analyze storms. Now, management decided daily storm updates are too many (despite even letters from around the world thanking me for helping save their lives about oncoming storms). There's so much more to this, but know this. This was my legacy at work. Now, its current form has ENDED abruptly and at some point will be just a monthly (if that) "highlight" of a landfalling storm (if there are more than one, who knows). It was intended to be a daily update. No longer.  In fact, some of the managers were insulting in their comment of "less quantity, more quality." As a meteorologist I strive for accuracy and have fortunately not put out anything inaccurate in 15 years. It's also made me feel unappreciated and I've lost my motivation.  I understand the need to change, but they didn't even involve me in the process, had they done that I likely would have been less offended. It was an abrupt "Kill order." That's what was also disturbing.  That's what happened this week. 

2) Disappointment in Someone.  A friend (#1) whom Tom and I have been trying to help while down on his luck for the last 9 months has said some hurtful things, and got angry when we helped another friend store stuff in our house for a while. That guy asked why friend #2 could come over and he can't. Well, Friend #2 needed our help and quarantined for 10 days before coming over. He was respectful of us and our concerns. Friend #1 doesn't get that.  We have been extraordinarily cautious and careful with this virus. I don't understand why someone can't respect that. It's our house. It's our decision.  THOUGHTS?

3) Everyone expects Everything Free -  I've been doing pet-related events and am being peppered with requests for FREE medium readings. I've tried to establish a policy that if someone buys a book, I'll give them one on weekends. But no one gets a book and everyone begs for a free reading. Once they get it, they disappear. They only tell others where they can get something free. Each reading takes about 20 minutes of my time... so it's not like a 2 minute thing... (don't get me wrong, I don't mind helping people, I'm just worn out).    SO, I'm thinking of charging $5 or $10 for a reading. THOUGHTS?

COVID19 Family Experience: Gabe's Family

 This is the first of a couple of stories shared by people whose lives were changed (not for the better) because of the Coronavirus 19.  I know you're "sick" of hearing about the COVID19 virus, but it's NOT going away, and there's no chance for a vaccine until 2021, so grow up, stop whining, and protect yourself and others. This IS something to fear if you care for family, friends, colleagues, or anyone, and for yourself.  Americans need to take the COVID19 virus seriously and it's bound to affect us through a good part of 2021, too.  (Why? Because stupid people won't wear a mask and social distance).    READ THIS STORY... if you have an ounce of compassion in you, it will affect you:

 

Gabe Dreyer

"I spent eight weeks from March to May taking care of my 90-year-old grandmother on the Upper East Side as she and I both recovered from COVID. This was all while my mother was on a ventilator for 18 days in Boston and my 95-year-old grandfather was in the hospital, dying from COVID during the height of the pandemic. I spent hours on the phone with doctors and nurses every day for three weeks. I had to find a funeral home that would take my grandfather's body during the height of the pandemic, and I personally conducted the funeral. Oh, yeah: I also had to figure out at what point during the post-ventilator haze would be most appropriate time to explain to my mother that her dad had died while she was teetering on the edge of death herself. But really, I don't see any reason to think that anyone should be afraid of this virus. After all, it's probably just a 'bad flu.'" -- Gabe Dreyer from Brooklyn, New York

SOURCE: Oct. 9, 2020

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/people-lost-loved-ones-coronavirus-trump-tweet_l_5f7dfa01c5b62e45eed529ba?ncid=newsltushpmgnews

What Would YOU do? If a Non-mask-wearer Approached You During the Pandemic? Some have Murdered Others

  

 People who refuse to wear masks to protect other citizens (especially our police, firefighters, medical workers) are just ignorant and selfish. Since the Pandemic began in full-force in the U.S. in March, several non-mask wearers have murdered innocent people who asked them to don a covering to protect others. A security guard was murdered for asking someone to wear a mask in Michigan.

    It seems most of these killers are people who follow a certain "camp" that don't believe in Science. First, if someone is COVID19 positive and doesn't wear a mask, they can infect and even kill others. Second, the ignorance is one thing, but murder is another. 

    This virus is NOT going away, because of these ignorant, selfish people. Look at all the states during the week of Oct. 8, that showed HUGE SPIKES in infections. Most of those states always lean Conservative and follow DT's anti-science policy. I wonder if death of their loved ones would be enough to wake them up. I doubt it. Here's the story about the latest ignorant murderer over a mask:

 80-year-old is killed in upstate New York after asking bar patron to wear mask 

By Troy Closson, New York Times ServiceOctober 7, 2020

When an 80-year-old man at a bar near Buffalo, New York, noticed a fellow customer not wearing a face mask, he confronted him. The customer responded by swiftly pushing him to the ground, the police said. Five days later, the man was dead. On Monday, the customer, Donald Lewinski, 65, of West Seneca, New York, was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of the 80-year-old, Rocco Sapienza. The case is believed to be one of the first of its kind in New York state.

 Lewinski pleaded not guilty Tuesday in court in Erie County. The charge carries up to four years in prison. 

 The encounter followed months of tension and often vitriolic confrontations across the country over masks. Disputes have escalated to violence: Retail employees have broken up fistfights between customers, and in New York City dozens of transit workers have been attacked after trying to enforce the rules. Some encounters have also turned deadly. 

In New York City, a woman died in April after she wandered the emergency room of a Brooklyn hospital and was shoved by another patient, who had apparently become irate that she had broken social distancing guidelines. 

And in Michigan, prosecutors said a security guard at a Family Dollar store was fatally shot in May after he told a customer that their daughter needed to wear a mask inside the store. 

 John J. Flynn, the Erie County district attorney, said he believed the confrontation between Sapienza and Lewinski — who apparently had exchanged terse words before the shove — was one of the first disputes over face coverings in New York state that had led to someone’s death. He said preliminary autopsy results showed that Sapienza died from blunt force trauma to the head. 

 “It’s beyond sad,” Flynn said. “These kinds of situations have continued to escalate, and this should cause everyone to pause and think twice now about how we as a society want to conduct ourselves during this pandemic.” Sapienza and Lewinski were regulars at Pamp’s Red Zone Bar & Grill in West Seneca, and both men had been at the bar for a few hours on Sept. 26 when they clashed around 7:45 p.m. over Lewinski’s failure to wear a mask, according to Capt. James Unger of the West Seneca Police Department. 

 In New York state, customers at bars and restaurants are required to wear face coverings when they are not seated. Debbie Ehlers, the owner of Pamp’s, did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but said in a statement to WKBW that Sapienza “was a part of our Red Zone family and loved by all.”. Flynn said surveillance video showed the two men sitting alone at different sections of the bar. Lewinski got up a few times, including to bring a round of drinks outside the bar area. Each time, he was not wearing a mask. The bar owner went up to Lewinski and spoke with him for about a minute before Sapienza put his mask on and walked up to them, Flynn said the video showed. 

 “Out of the blue,” Lewinski “two-hand shoves” Sapienza, Flynn said. As he fell, Sapienza’s left arm knocked over a nearby bar stool and his head hit the floor. He appeared to lose consciousness. 

 At Erie County Medical Center, he underwent brain surgery, but remained unresponsive until he died Thursday, the police said. Minutes after the incident, Lewinski paid his bill and left. 

My Fav Male Singer: Sir Cliff Richard announces new album & book as he marks his 80th birthday

Sir Cliff Richard of the UK is my all-time favorite singer.He turns 80, today, October 14th, just three days before I turn 58. He's been making hits since the 1950s (and I have many of his albums). I will always treasure the time I actually saw him in concert (just once) at (Henry the VIII's) Hampton Court Palace in 2013. For me, no one else can compare to Cliff and Dolly Parton. I just learned that he's releasing a NEW Album on his 80th birthday and it contains a number of duets and covers (one cover is of the Bee Gees song "Too much heaven"). I can't wait!! 

  If you're like most U.S. citizens, you may not recognize him. But he had only a handful of hits here in the U.S. (because his record company didn't promote him), like "We Don't Talk Anymore," "Devil Woman," "A Little in Love," Daddy's Home," and "Suddenly" with Olivia Newton-John - all back in the late 70s early 80s. 

Anyway, for those like me who adore Sir Cliff (like our friend Diane), here's an article about the new album.  - Rob

Sir Cliff Richard announces new album as he marks his 80th birthday 

 By EVE BUCKLAND FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED:28 September 2020 

UK Daily Mail

 He is the evergreen popstar known for his enduring pop hits and dashing looks. And Cliff Richard looked delighted as he announced his newest album, Music... The Air That I Breathe, which will be released next month in honour of his 80th birthday. 

 The Lord's Prayer hitmaker, 79, turns 80 on October 14, with the new album due to be released two weeks later on October 30. As well as his milestone birthday, the album - his 46th studio album - will also mark six decades since the star shot to fame with his debut album, Cliff Sings, in 1959. 

 The 12 track album will feature two new songs 'Falling For You' and 'PS Please' as well as new interpretations of songs originally by Sir Cliff's favourite artists including The Beatles' 'Here Comes The Sun' and The Bee Gees' 'Too Much Heaven'.   

The legend also collaborates with Bonnie Tyler, The Bellamy Brothers, Sheila Walsh, The Piano Guys and Albert Hammond on the track that inspired the album title The Air That I Breathe. Sir Cliff said: 'Looking back, I remember thinking that I wouldn't make it to 50 and here I am at 80, and what's even better than that is I have a new album! 46th album: 

The hitmaker, 79, turns 80 on October 14, with the new album due to be released two weeks later on October 30 

'The Air That I Breathe' which features, not just me, but friends I admire who duetted with me on some of the tracks. 'I loved recording it and hope you will enjoy listening to it.' 

Along with Sir Cliff's brand-new album, his new book 'The Dreamer: An Autobiography' is to be published on October 29. The star recently teased his new calendar, his 42nd released in his career. 

 In recent years he has outsold all of his younger rivals except One Direction. In 2013, he sparked an outcry from fans when he hinted he was set to end his calendar boy days. He said: 'I think the reason why the rumours got out that I'm not going to do any more is probably because it's true. No, not completely. You have hit the nail on the head – how many shapes can I pull with this body?' 

 The star is the third best-selling artist in the UK singles history with Elvis Presley in first place and the Beatles in second, with record sales of 250 million worldwide.

 In April, Cliff accused radio stations of snubbing his music for younger stars. The singing legend, who has been in the industry more than 60-years, has demanded that he should be given a 'priority chance' due to his long career. He said that without radio support he is forced to go on tour but this is proving difficult as his 'long-term fans' are dying. 

 The star has asked that his songs be played more regularly so younger listeners can discover him. Richard told the Greatest Music of All Time podcast: 'Why will people download a record of mine if they don't know it's out?' He added: 'Those of us who have proven ourselves over and over and over again should be given a priority chance [on radio], even if it's to say 'We are going to play this record once a day for two weeks'. 'Without radio, there is nothing we can do other than go on tour, which is not only tiring, it gets less efficient as time goes by, the audiences get smaller. We are all dying. Long-term fans may not be with us any more.' 

 In November 2018, Richard unveiled his album Rise Up, which was the first time he had released new music in 14 years and it reached number four in the UK charts.