A Lesson in Hypocrisy: Mitch McConnell

As a former resident of Kentucky (in the mid-1990s) I (Rob) have to say that Mitch McConnell is truly the most despicable politician out of that state, yet the people there keep re-electing him. Over the last 8 years he worked to block everything President Obama attempted.  McConnell said he "make Obama a One term president" and would not work with Democrats. Now he's bitching that Democrats don't want to give McConnell everything he wants. LESSON TO EVERYONE - You act like a bastard and it comes back to you. Maybe he should have tried working with people instead of against them.

The following is from SNOPES.COM: 
    FACT:  Mitch McConnell Say One of His Proudest Moments Was Telling Obama 'You Will Not Fill This Supreme Court Vacancy' and NOW he is angry with Democrats for wanting to completely vet the GOP's right-wing, religious conservative, gun-supporting, anti-women's-gay-and- minority rights Supreme Court nominee.

In March 2016, following the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, a Reagan appointee and one of the more conservative voices on the court, President Obama nominated federal appellate judge Merrick Garland, who was described as “centrist” by the mainstream media and “left-leaning” by those on the right, to fill the vacancy. He did this despite the fact that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had already announced — on the day Scalia died — that the Republican-controlled Senate had no intention of confirming any nominee chosen by Obama:

The American people‎ should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.

In an interview with CNN, McConnell stated that he did not expect the Senate to confirm an Obama nominee even if Democrat Hillary Clinton was elected president or Democrats won a Senate majority:  I can’t imagine that a Republican majority Congress in a lame duck session after the American people have spoken would want to confirm a nominee opposed by the NRA, the NFIB, and the New York Times says would move the court dramatically to the left. This nomination ought to be made by the next president.

Six months later, as reported by the Washington Post, McConnell boasted to constituents at a 6 August 2016 political event in his home state of Kentucky about successfully blocking the nomination of Merrick Garland : “One of my proudest moments was when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr. President, you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy,’” he said to cheers at the annual Fancy Farm Picnic.

Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland expired when the 114th Congress ended its session on 3 January 2017. It was the longest period of time a Supreme Court appointment remained before the Senate in U.S. history.

In the news MD Lawmaker's Aide Fired for Creating Fake News Site: Christian Times Newspaper

We're all about educating people and destroying "Fake News"  - and here's an article where a man in Maryland who created "Christian Times Newspaper.com" used the site to create fake news and draw in Christians to believe his baloney. Fortunately, a Republican lawmaker in Maryland fired the guy who worked for him, that was creating the fake news. - >>One of the fake news stories he published was about ""tens of thousands" of pre-marked ballots casting votes for Hillary Clinton were found in a warehouse in Ohio" - and it got shared by MILLIONS of Republicans! This is the kind of crap that cost her the election because people believed it!!!  (fortunately, the Facebook page was shut down- although it's still up; -https://www.facebook.com/christiantimesnewspaper/)

Here's the article from Snopes.com 

 Maryland Lawmaker's Aide Fired for Creating Fake News Site

Cameron Harris reportedly made thousands of dollars by posting fabricated stories on his web site, ChristianTimesNewspaper.com.

Republican lawmaker in Maryland has sacked an aide after he was exposed as the person behind a fake news website. Del. David Vogt III (R-Frederick) said that he fired Cameron Harris "on the spot" on 18 January 2017, after the New York Times revealed that Harris was the creator of ChristianTimesNewspaper.com.

Vogt confirmed firing Harris in an interview with Snopes.com on 19 January 2017, saying that the discovery of his activities would spur changes to his vetting procedures for future hires. Constituents who have contacted him regarding Harris' posts, he said, were appalled that they could come from someone so "close to home":

The integrity of public service is the number one thing that we have to defend. We have to represent people who trust us to do that here. It is the disintegration of that integrity at its worst.

Harris admitted to fabricating a story claiming that "tens of thousands" of pre-marked ballots casting votes for Hillary Clinton were found in a warehouse in Ohio. According to the Times, the story was shared with six million people. We have also debunked several other posts Harris published on the site.
Harris, who reportedly made tens of thousands of dollars from his site overall, claimed that his motivation for propagating fake pro-conservative posts was financial, rather than political:

Given the severe distrust of the media among Trump supporters, anything that parroted Trump’s talking points people would click. Trump was saying ‘rigged election, rigged election.’ People were predisposed to believe Hillary Clinton could not win except by cheating.

Harris posted a statement on Twitter apologizing to people whom he had "disappointed" with his actions:

My wish is that I will be allowed to contribute my informed experience to a larger dialogue about how Americans approach the media, tough issues, and the manner in which we, collectively, will inform our decisions going forward.

We have contacted Harris seeking further comment.
Source: http://www.snopes.com/2017/01/19/maryland-lawmakers-aide-fired-creating-fake-news-site/?utm_source=bme&bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiAiYjg2MTJmZjQtMmE3MC00YzVlLTliZjgtMzllOGQ0ZjZjODE0In0%3D&utm_campaign=wedsat&utm_medium=email

 

What the "Frit" is on My Car Window?

It's a Frit!

There are some things we just don't realize about our cars that have importance. Two of them are a "Frit" and the dots on windows and mirrors. 


WHAT THE FRIT? According to Superglass123.com, the frit is a black enamel band that is baked into the edges of the windshield from the factory.  The Frit is a mixture of silica and fluxes that is fused at high temperature to make glass.
 
WHAT DOES THE FRIT DO? 1) from the inside it provides a surface that allows adhesive to bond to the glass. 2) from the outside it prevents solar UV Rays from causing damage to the glue used to adhere the windshield to the car body.

WHAT DO THE DOTS DO?  The dots on the edges of your windows provide a smooth transition from the solid black frit band, to prevent distortion and to look better. The dots also create a shield from the sun, similar to having a small form of tint.  The majority of the windshields come manufactured with the frit band with the dots.  Some manufacturers actually use extremely small forms of their logos instead of using dots.

DOTS ON REAR VIEW MIRROR - These dots keep the sun from your eyes. 

Hate Puppy Mills? The Trump Admin Just Waived Regulations on Them

When you mess with dogs and remove USDA protections from them, that's TOO MUCH.  It just happened this week.  Trump supporters who have dogs and dog rescuers and pet parents need to know what JUST HAPPENED this week.  That means PUPPY MILLS can operate under the radar again. As pet parents and dog rescuers we are furious. 


“The USDA action cloaks even the worst puppy mills in secrecy and allows abusers of Tennessee walking horses, zoo animals and lab animals to hide even the worst track records in animal welfare,”
Here's the article from the Legitimate news source: The Washington Post

USDA abruptly purges animal welfare information from its website

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday abruptly removed inspection reports and other information from its website about the treatment of animals at thousands of research laboratories, zoos, dog breeding operations and other facilities.

The records that had been available were frequently used by animal welfare advocates to monitor government regulation of animal treatment at circuses, scientific labs and zoos. Journalists have used the documents to expose violations at universities.

Seven states currently require pet stores to source puppies from breeders with clean USDA inspection reports, according to the Humane Society of the United States — a requirement that could now be impossible to meet.

Brutal conditions in Puppy Mills

“The USDA action cloaks even the worst puppy mills in secrecy and allows abusers of Tennessee walking horses, zoo animals and lab animals to hide even the worst track records in animal welfare,” said John Goodwin, senior director of the Humane Society’s Stop Puppy Mills Campaign, which uses the federal records, as well as state inspection reports, to publish its annual “Horrible Hundred” dog breeding operations that have been cited for welfare violations.

In a statement, Kathy Guillermo, the senior vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, called it “a shameful attempt to keep the public from knowing when and which laws and regulations have been violated. Many federally registered and licensed facilities have long histories of violations that have caused terrible suffering.”
It is unclear whether the decision to remove the animal-related records was driven by newly hired Trump administration officials. When asked questions about the change, a USDA-APHIS representative referred back to the department’s statement. The Associated Press reported that a department spokeswoman declined to say whether the removal was temporary or permanent.

Advocates for businesses that rely on animals, including agriculture and exotic pet breeders, have long resented government oversight that they say is overly aggressive and influenced by animal protection groups. Last month, Mindy Patterson, the president of the Cavalry Group — which describes its aim as “protecting and defending animal enterprise”– wrote a column accusing the USDA of having “succumbed to the pressure of animal rights extremists.” She said public USDA records had allowed groups like the Humane Society and PETA to vilify businesses by publishing their addresses and photographs of their locations and animals.

The column was published on the website Joe For America, which is maintained by Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, an Ohio man better known as “Joe the plumber” since a 2008 encounter with then-presidential candidate Barack Obama that made Wurzelbacher a symbol of frustrated American taxpayers.


SOURCE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/02/03/the-usda-abruptly-removes-animal-welfare-information-from-its-website/?utm_term=.75d3c6184adb 

In the news: MAPS: America's $200 billion obesity problem by state and age group

We like to share science and social studies and this one is quite alarming for people in the U.S. South. The highest obesity rates are found in the most politically conservative states, with lowest education levels and are the most religious conservative. There seems to be a direct correlation here.  To make it easier to understand where things need to change, check this map and story

In the news: MAPS: America's $200 billion obesity problem by state and age group

SOURCE: Yahoo Finance

The United States is one of the most overweight nations in the world. The US Senate Committee on Finance estimates that obesity-related health care costs over $200 billion each year.

The rates of obesity in adults across the country are vastly different, however. The website Data Visualizations created a series of maps based on data from non-profit The State of Obesity outlining differences by state.

Louisiana has the worst rate at 36.2 percent, while Colorado is the slimmest state at 20.2 percent. There is a definite regional trend to the data — nine of the top 10 states are in the South, while the slimmer states tend to be in the West or Northeast.

Every state in the nation currently has an adult obesity rate over 20 percent, while half have a rate of 30 percent or higher. In 1990, Mississippi had the highest rate at just 15 percent. Colorado was the slimmest state at that time as well, with a rate of just 6.9 percent.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a strong correlation between states with high obesity rates and those that reported lower levels of both physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

There was some good news in the latest round of data. Four states — Minnesota, Montana, New York and Ohio — saw decreases in obesity rates. That’s the first time the obesity rate has declined in any state in the past decade.

Data Visualizations also broke the data down by age group. As you’d expect, the percentage of obese adults tends to increase with age, with one notable exception — rates peak in the 45-64 range, before declining in adults 65 and over.

Here are the 10 states with the highest obesity rates. You can see the full list here.

1. Louisiana: 36.2%
=2. Alabama: 35.6%
=2. Mississippi: 35.6%
=2. West Virginia: 35.6%
5. Kentucky: 34.6%
6. Arkansas: 34.5%
7. Kansas: 34.2%
8. Oklahoma: 33.9%
9. Tennessee: 33.8%
=10. Missouri: 32.4%
=10. Texas: 32.4%

How to Know your News Sources, Fake News, Partisan News

A friend recently provided information about valid and skewed news sources, so people can be aware of what to use for TRUE news.  He said "Preserve your sanity and avoid spreading bias or supporting the worst offenders." This graphic provides a pretty good assessment of some of the major sources.  

FAKE NEWS - BAD SITES- Those on the extreme left and right sides are pretty much considered Fake News: Natural News, Addicting info, Breitbart, Daily Caller, Infowars, Blaze, RedState, David Wolfe, Bipartisan Report.  
ALSO NOT GOOD - HYPER-Partisan include: Fox News, Occupy Democrats, U.S. Uncut, and sometimes the Huffington Post.

BEST NON-PARTISAN NEWS SOURCES: NPR, CBS News, Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera, BBC News, The Washington Post, PBS Newshour, New York Times

Credit: Vanessa Otero under a Creative Commons license.   Some feel the graphic itself skews liberal: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionprof/2016/12/whats-your-source.html

How to Find and Support Trustworthy Journalism

https://medium.com/highlighting-generosity/how-to-find-and-support-trustworthy-journalism-d57769f176cf#.ggbull3t3

Guide to spotting fake and untrustworthy news:

http://www.wnyc.org/story/breaking-news-consumer-handbook-fake-news-edition/

How do you analyze a particular piece of news (or writer) once you've check the site's bias? From Ted Ed, here's a good series of questions to ask yourself when reading news: http://blog.ed.ted.com/2017/01/12/how-to-tell-fake-news-from-real-news/

And here's a walkthrough from Bucknell University (The first two questions Link to videos): http%3a http://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/framework/authhttp://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/framework/auth

Observations: Unfriending from Newly Empowered Hatred

  Since November 9, we've noticed many of our friends have received nasty notes from people they were associated with (either acquaintances or even old friends) on Facebook, who support the new President. We assume they feel empowered to be hateful to people unlike them, now that they have a platform.

  It seems apparent that those people have had hatred locked in their hearts have decided they now have a "right" to show their hatred. If you read legitimate news, you know it has become a national epidemic. 
   It's okay to not like someone for their personality, but to not like or even hate and harrass them because they're not straight, white, or conservative christian is NOT right. In fact, it flies in the face of what used to be christianity (to love all). 
   It appears that anger, fear and hatred of others who are different now has a new platform and those who have that deep seated hatred, fear or insecurity about those who are different from them are now lashing out.  
    We have disconnected from or have been disconnected from quite a few people from former high school friends to acquaintances on Facebook including people who also rescue dogs or are also in the paranormal field. Suddenly, it seems, since the new President was elected, these people we are no longer associated with felt the need to show hatred to gay people, Jews, African-Americans, Muslims, Latinos, Asians, or anyone who doesn't look like them or anyone who doesn't practice Christianity.    It's appalling that these people have lashed out at us for being a progressive, gay married couple. 
   So if you have lost acquaintances and friends and neighbors because of this election, you should know you're better off without the negativity in your life. It's better now to see those people's true colors before you spend a lot of time with them. Focus on the Good people in your life instead.
   Sadly, we think it will continue until the right wing nuts are ousted from Congress and the presidency. It's going to be a hard four years combating prejudice and bigotry, and although I'm an optimist, I don't see it getting better until the new regime changes completely. 

Funny Memory - Phone Slams

Recently our friend Cathy sent us an email about things that only older people would remember and one of them included a meme of slamming phones down... It's not the same with pressing a button on a cell phone to hang up when you're upset.  - My (Rob) mom used to slam the phone down whenever she talked with my older brother because he would always get into an argument with her. Today she wouldn't know what to do!
   Of course, she did wind up finding an alternative before she passed in Dec. 2013, because she had portable phones, and she would always tell me she didn't understand why they would break after a month. Turns out, she would talk with my older brother and either slam that phone down, or toss it against the wall. She wouldn't know how to deal with a cell phone. :)

Hysterically funny video: Triumph the Comic Insult Dog Attends Trump’s Inauguration

Whether you supported the new president or not, Triump the Insult Comic Dog provided a lot of laughs on inauguration day. 
Video: https://youtu.be/OM7B56xok9M

Great Mystery Novel: One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt

  I recently finished a Great mystery novel called" ONE DOG NIGHT" in the "Andy Carpenter Novel" Series by David Rosenfelt and I can say I found a new favorite series! The author has been writing this series since 2003 and I happened to buy one on Amazon because there was a dog on the cover (yeah, I'm an easy sell when it comes to dogs). Turns out, the author is also very partial to dogs and has them on every cover of his series about an attorney.  
  The story was fast-paced, exciting, and had great characters (including the dog). I LOVE it when authors write short chapters, and that's the style of this book. The characters are funny, witty, serious, smart and realistic. I was surprised by the ending in this book and loved it!
  FIVE out of FIVE stars!  - Rob


BOOK SUMMARY:  For six years Noah Galloway has lived with a horrible secret and the fear that his rebuilt life could be shattered at any moment. Now his dread has become a certainty, and he has been arrested for the arson murder of twenty-six people.
  What he needs now is defense lawyer Andy Carpenter, who most definitely is not in the market for a new client. So Noah plays his hole card: a shared love for Andy's golden retriever, Tara, and the knowledge of what her life was like before Andy rescued her. Because Andy wasn't her first owner—Noah rescued Tara first, and when he wasn't able to care for her any longer, he did everything in his power to make sure that she was placed in the right home: Andy's.
   With that knowledge, Andy has little choice but to take Noah on, and he soon learns that the long-ago event that may destroy Noah's life is only the beginning of an ongoing conspiracy that grows more deadly by the day. Andy will have to pull out all of his tricks to get to the bottom of this cold case turned white hot in One Dog Night, the latest in David Rosenfelt's popular mystery series.

Final Italy Blog #91: Sorrento's Famous Lemons and Limoncello!

the square

In this FINAL Italy blog, we'll tell you about the ancient town of Sorrento, Italy. You'll learn about the famous lemons and a powerful alcoholic drink made from them.

We were there about 3 hours, so we had enough time to eat lunch and walk around the shops (there were a LOT of them). There really wasn't anything else to do other than shop from where we were. However, it's a beautiful  little town. 

lots of streets of shops

WHAT IS SORRENTO? - Sorrento is a coastal town in southwestern Italy, facing the Bay of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Perched atop cliffs that separate the town from its busy marinas, it’s known for sweeping water views and Piazza Tasso, a cafe-lined square. The historic center is a warren of narrow alleys that's home to the Chiesa di San Francesco, a 14th-century church with a tranquil cloister, according to the Sorrento Travel Guide on-line. Sorrento is also famous for pasta, cookies and producing olive oil. The town was built around 1 B.C.

FAMOUS LEMONS - The area is famous for lemon trees that grown gigantic lemons about the size of footballs, and many olive trees. The Sorrento lemon has a lemondrop yellow, highly fragrant, medium-thick peel. Its ovate in shape with tapered ends. The pulp is translucent yellow in color and yields a large quantity of semi acidic juice. Sorrento lemons are actually harvested year-round with a peak season from spring to late fall. 

   There are so many lemons they sell lemonade, lemon cookies, soaps, ceramics, candies, gelato and well, anything lemon-related you can think of! 

LIMONCELLO - this is a powerful alcoholic drink made from Sorrento's famous lemons. Limoncello is a liqueur and after dinner digestive. The flavor comes from the yellow locally-grown lemon skins in pure alcohol. It is a staple along the Amalfi Coast. Tom really enjoyed it.

Mount Vesuvius

************

THAT WRAPS UP THE ITALY BLOGS! 
We hope you've enjoyed visiting all of these interesting places with us over the last 91 blogs. 
Wow. A 9 day trip took 91 blogs to share. I guess that's because there were so many interesting or unusual things to talk about. 

Italy Blog #90: Texting Fun!

This is a fun text exchange that Tom and I (Rob) had on our phones after we arrived in the Italian town of Sorrento (which we'll explore in the next blog). This text exchange was pretty funny as we were texting about people that we could see from our table (we were facing each other) at the restaurant we went to for lunch.

ROB TEXT (TO TOM):  The man sitting behind you needs a nose job (it was an old white guy who was obviously a tourist. He wore glasses that sat on his huge nose and he was guzzling a beer). 

ROB TEXT: He's an alcoholic, too. Red nose.

TOM TEXT: The waiter behind you is HOT.

ROB TEXT: Damn! (I turned and looked at the waiter and nodded in agreement). (The waiter was dark haired, bearded and had blue eyes)

ROB TEXT: Why do you always get the better views?