Meet Nikki, My New You Tube Friend

When I was blogging regularly, I shared quite a few posts about handling the dreaded subject of cleaning. I fell by the wayside and stopped writing about anything. Now, I have to admit, I miss sharing information with my friends who support my family's site, the Emerald Quill. One of the reasons for my renew interest is a You Tube channel I just discovered. My daughter Krystal called me one evening and suggested I take a look at a series of videos called "At Home With Nikki". I took her advice and immediately checked out some of these videos. It changed my life!

Nikki Boyd's channel covers information for organizing your home, tips on entertaining, suggestions for decorating and a variety of other subjects. I used her information to reorganize our kitchen cabinets, our laundry room, as well as under the sink cabinets in our kitchen and in our laundry room. I discover the world of creating a planner focused on a month, a week and each day, found out about stickers and washi tape and began to use a structured approach to meal planning, grocery shopping, and scheduling activities. In all honesty, it was exciting to see the changes in my life style and habits that contributed to a more organized existence.

Nikki Boyd

I watched Nikki as she made decorative baskets as gifts for friends. With several anniversaries on the horizon for family members during the months of April and May, I took her suggestions and created individual "Honeymoon Baskets" for three couples in our family. My son Kreighton and wife Janel  celebrate their anniversary in May. They had recently purchased a new grill which they seemed to be using quite frequently. Using a cookout theme, I grabbed a large container used to chill beverages and beer and filled that "basket" with checkered napkins and a table cloth, grilling tools, condiment plastic bottles, mason jar glasses, and the like. I added dish towels with a grilling theme, with matching padded gloves and pads. Now, what's a goodies basket without some wine and snacks and other yummy treats. So, I threw in some sausages, cheeses, olives, and candies that they could enjoy while preparing their Bar B Que meal. Finally, I added a lovely clear wrap and a big bow and I had a real winner.

Why quarrel with success. I was on a roll. So, I created two other baskets, one for my sister-in-law Annette and her husband Al and the other for my granddaughter Jhordan and her husband Jacob. After I picked themes and color schemes, I filled a large basket, with tasty meat and cheese treats, a couple of bottles of wine, two pretty glasses, and I didn't forget the sweets. I gift wrapped Jhordan and Jacob's wine bottles in a box filled with padding for safe transportation and placed the other goodies in a large basket. After wrapping the baskets in clear wrap, I topped each with a brightly covered bow and distributed another magical honeymoon treat. When my new son-in- law John celebrated his birthday, guess what he discovered on his kitchen table? You're a winner if you said "a birthday basket". It was fun to prepare these treasures filled with love and affection. The gifts were well received and everybody was happy. Thanks again Nikki!

As I steal time from my lazy retirement schedule, I'll share with you more discoveries on this journey, but I strongly suggest that you go to You Tube and check out "At Home With Nikki" for yourself. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I know you'll love her and all the interesting suggestions she offers for an upgraded, organized, fun-filled life for you and your family.

Go Nikki!

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Abusive Relationships

Yesterday, a prominent national figure resigned his office after credible charges of abuse from four women. As a victim of spousal abuse, I felt compelled to share a blog post on the subject of abusive relationships that I published several years ago. Unfortunately, the subject matter doesn't change. but the struggle continues. I'd also like to leave you with this encouraging thought:

Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction
ends up being the biggest step of your life.
Tip toe if you must , but take the step.

Abusive Relationships

Domestic abuse, also known as spousal abuse, occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or marriage tries to dominate and control the other person. Domestic abuse that includes physical violence is called domestic violence.

Domestic violence and abuse are used for one purpose and one purpose only: to gain and maintain total control over you. An abuser doesn’t “play fair.” Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation to wear you down and keep you under his or her thumb. Your abuser may also threaten you, hurt you, or hurt those around you.

Domestic violence and abuse does not discriminate. It happens among heterosexual couples and in same-sex partnerships. It occurs within all age ranges, ethnic backgrounds, and economic levels. And while women are more commonly victimized, men are also abused—especially verbally and emotionally, although sometimes even physically as well. The bottom line is that abusive behavior is never acceptable, whether it’s coming from a man, a woman, a teenager, or an older adult. You deserve to feel valued, respected, and safe.

This Healthy Relationship Quiz was developed by the Santa Clara University Wellness Center to help women (and also men) decide if they are in an unhealthy and abusive relationship.

1.          Do you feel afraid to speak your mind, express how you feel or ask for something you need?

2.          Does your partner tell you are "stupid", "crazy", or "inadequate" when you disagree?

3.          Does your partner make fun of your ideas or opinions?

4.          Is your partner bossy and/or try to control every detail in your relationship?

5.          Is your partner extremely demanding and jealous?

6.          Do you often feel guilty and second-guess your choices in friends, social activities, jobs, etc. because of your partner's negative comments about these choices?

7.          Are you afraid of your partner's temper, feel like you walk on eggshells, and/or are constantly monitoring what you say and do as an attempt to avoid making him/her angry?

8.          Do you find yourself making excuses for your partner and justifying his/her actions to others?

9.          Do you feel more "free" to be yourself when he/she isn't around?

10.          Does your partner throw or break things when angry?

11.          Does your partner try to control where you go and what you do?

12.          Does your partner pressure you to engage in sexual activities that you are uncomfortable with and put you down if you refuse?

13.          Does your partner threaten to kill or hurt him/herself if you have a differing opinion, try to end the relationship, or do something they disapprove of?

14.          Does your partner try to make you feel guilty for having a "life" (i.e. friends, interests) apart from the relationship?

15.          Does your partner criticize your family and friends and ask you to stop seeing them?

16.          Do you feel that you have changed, lost touch with who you are, or become someone else in order to be with your partner?

17.          Have your friends or family expressed concern about your relationship and/or your well-being?

18.          Does your partner know how to make you feel bad (i.e., what buttons to push) and use it often to hurt you?

19.          Have you lost touch with your friends, and only hang out with your partner's friends?

20.          Does your partner try to control you with anger and guilt, or lash out when you don't do exactly what he or she wants?

21.          Has your partner ever hit, slapped, punched, shoved, grabbed or shook you?

22.          Has your partner ever threatened to hurt you, take important things away, or leave you?

23.          Has your partner ever called you names, put you down, insulted you, and/or embarrassed you in front of others?

24.          Do you feel like you never get anywhere when you try to communicate?

25.          Do you spend large amounts of time preoccupied with what you've said or how it's interpreted?

If you answered "yes" to 3 or more questions in this Healthy Relationship Quiz, you are experiencing signs of relationship abuse.

Helplines for women:

In the US: call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).

Helplines for men:

U.S. and Canada: The Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men & Women at1-888-7HELPLINE

(1-888-743-5754).

Sources: http://dahmw.org/,www.marriage-family-counseling.com

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Slow is Faster than Never

Slow is Faster than Never

Anyone could tell she was annoyed with the result. Although she lost weight from the previous week's Weight Watcher meeting, her irritation was obvious.

“One quarter of a pound? Four lousy ounces!” She continued to stare at the scale. “I exercised. I wrote everything down. I even stayed away from the hors d’oeuvres at the party. This is too slow. I won’t hit my desired weight until I’m 80!”

Standing down from the platform, I heard her grumble as she snatched her purse. “Who needs this frustration?” With those final words, she stormed from the meeting. The next time she came to a meeting, she weighed 43 pounds more than when she left- and was years closer to the “dreaded” age of eighty.

At times it is difficult to remember that “slower is faster than never.”

Few events are more exasperating than diligently following a plan, faithfully monitoring your efforts, expecting breathtaking rewards, and ending up feeling punished for the effort. Hope vanishes, motivation evaporates, and the seductive siren song of harmful habits slyly lures us off track. After all, rarely does one give up when all is doing well.

Success requires enduring many such indignities; it involves making a lifestyle- not temporary- change. Logically, we know that “lifestyle change” must last..well, er, um..a lifetime (hence the term). Emotionally however, we want to experience all the payback, without making the required investment. As a further analogy, we crave the benefits of wisdom without enduring the exposure to life.

It does not work that way. The process will not be rushed; it must be fully experienced.

Success is more likely when we understand the benefits begin immediately; we do not have to wait to enjoy them until we get “there”. To the contrary, that magical land where temptation is non-existent and motivation is ever present is fantasy; there is no better prescription for failure than betting the farm on such unrealistic expectations.

Those who obtain their goals are still faced with the same temptations and frustrations as those of us still striving for our objective. What differs is they persevere through rough periods by changing focus, not by ignoring the delay.

Setbacks cannot be avoided. Although it might not feel so in the moment, each one presents an opportunity to understand the process, ourselves, and make the adjustments necessary for long-term, SUSTAINED change.

At those crossroads, look back, not ahead. The future is always unknown, yet the road already traveled-no matter how short the journey- is lined with accomplishments: some small, others more significant.

Motivation returns when the focus changes. Remember, slow is faster than never.

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Paul Ryan Rides Off Into The Sunset

Paul Ryan, 54th Speaker of the House Of Representatives, is throwing in the towel at the end of this Congressional term. He cites spending more time with his family as his reason for leaving. His departure is accompanied by similar announcements from more than 30 other Republicans in both the House and Senate.  Ryan told reporters that he was "proud of what this Congress has achieved".

Trump twitted that Ryan was "a truly good man" who "would leave a legacy of achievement that nobody could question". Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told us that Ryan was "a good man who is always true to his word" and said he'd "always found him to be smart, thoughtful and straightforward". Others praised Ryan the man and most didn't speculate on why Ryan might be leaving at what E. J. Dionne, Washington Post opinion writer calls "a low, dishonest political moment".

Since the Washington establishment has worked together for many years and I've never been inside that well known group, they probably see Ryan's departure far differently from many outsiders, including myself. I tend to believe that the toxic environment in Washington created by the Trump Administration is part of the reason so many politicians are leaving at this particular time. Ryan's belief in Ayn Rand's philosophy makes him identify with society's winners and regard ordinary citizens as moochers and burdens on the creative and the entrepreneurial class. Thus, he lead the effort to slash taxes for the rich as a conservative Congress and Administration left the nation with a trillion dollar annual budget.

Ryan leaves mourning the Senate's failure to approve his plans to cut "entitlements", i.e. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and food stamps. He bemoans these elements of our nation's safety net which he claims "might become a hammock that lulls able-bodied citizens into lives of complacency and dependency". Oddly enough, after the death of his father, the Speaker received Social Security Survivors benefits from the age of 16 to 18. These benefits funded his college education. No doubt treatment of his grandmother's Alzheimer's condition relied on "entitlements".

While he bitterly fought to repeal the Affordable Care Act, commonly know as Obamacare. Ryan uses the passage of the new budget revisions as his most significant contribution to his country. He believes that current policy changes enacted by the Trump Administration is "the path to reducing government's impositions on the managers and owners of capital to the good of society".

Paul Ryan went to Congress in 1999 representing Wisconsin's First Congressional District. He served as Chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2011 to 2015 and Chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee before assuming the duties of Speaker of the House. He was running mate to MA Governor Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential campaign.

We'll see if Ryan, leaving politics at the age of 48, has presidential ambitions as he looks forward to the future. Think about it, in 2024, he'll just be 54 years old.

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The World of Fan Fiction: Harry Potter Lives Again

The World of Fan Fiction: Harry Potter Lives Again

When I finally realized that J. K. Rowling probably wouldn’t be writing any more Harry Potter books, it took me awhile to learn that Harry Potter would live again. An introduction to the ever growing FanFiction.net opened up new worlds, among them 526,085 entries in the Harry Potter section alone with many of them full-length novels. Fan fiction predates the Internet, but the Web makes it easier to generate hundreds of millions of words based on books, movies, TV shows, video games, plays, musicals, rock bands and board games.

Fan fiction teems with prequels and sequels, missing storylines and questionable plot lines. Imagine a full length story of the evolving and emotionally charged friendship between Harry and Draco Malfoy during their seventh year at Hogwarts, including a new perspective on life as a Slytherin. Read it in “Underwater Light” by Maya. What about a novel from the point of view of Lilly Potter in a story set when she and James were in school?  Emmyjean’s “Crossroads” follows their romance and gives a detailed account of their courtship.” Delicate” is an appealing adult-themed story about Ron and Hermione’s daughter Rose Weasley, who hooks up with Scorpius Malfoy and has to grow up quickly to deal with the consequences. All of these stories are from the world of Fan Fiction.

Fan Fiction is a world unto itself, with its own rules, genres and conventions. It’s huge and ever evolving and constantly the subject of heated internal debate. Cutting, pasting, sampling, remixing and mashing up have become mainstream modes of cultural expression and fan fiction is a part of that. It challenges everything we thought we knew about art and creativity. Nobody makes money from fan fiction, but everyone has their own opinion about whether loses money from it. Authors are deeply divided on other’s “borrowing” from their work. J. K Rowling and Stephenie Meyer have given Harry Potter and Twilight fan fiction their blessings.  Other writers for example Oscar Scott Card author of the classic Ender’s Game books consider it a violation of their copyrights, and feel that their characters have been kidnapped by strangers. “I will sue, because if I don’t protect my copyright, I will lose that copyright...So fan fiction, while flattering, it is also an attack on my means of livelihood. Do the characters belong to the person who created them? Is art about making up new things or about transforming what’s out there? You can see both sides of the issue and the legal arguments abound.

The fan fiction scene is hyper-diverse. You’ll find every race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, age and sexual orientation represented there, both as writers and characters. There is, of course, a ton of sex in fan fiction. There are stories that take every character you can name and pair them up romantically, erotically, or pornographically. The market carries dark alleys to pursue, i.e. a genre called Mpreg, which is about male characters getting pregnant or "dubcon” (stories about “dubious consent”). Archive of Our Own website for example offers warnings such as “graphic depiction of violence”, “major character death”, “rape/nonconsent”, or “underage”.

What if instead of trying to kill baby Harry, Voldemort adopted him, raised him as Harry Marvolo and conquered the entire British Isle? What if on his first day at Hogwarts Harry had been sorted into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor? What if Harry were black or a vampire or a werewolf?  What might have happened if someone turned right instead of left? Welcome to the Alternate Universe in fan fiction.

Note: Consider this post as an item of interest to our readers. It's origins are lost in my notes, but I thought it might interest our followers and should not be discarded. Thank you for your continued support.

Silverlady

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Black Lives Matter Founders Honored By Glamour

Every year, Glamour awards a diverse group of innovators across business, politics, entertainment and fashion and more for their Women of the Year list. This year, the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement — Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors — will be honored for their tireless activism, highlighting the issue of police brutality in America.


After George Zimmeran was found not guilty of the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2013, Garza shared a status on Facebook to express her feelings about the verdict, writing: “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” After Patrisse Cullors shared Garza’s post, adding the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, Tometi reached out to them to create a digital platform to keep the conversation and the movement going.


Today, “Black Lives Matter” has become a rallying cry against police brutality and other realities of systemic racism in America. Beyond a hashtag, the movement has sparked demonstrations and other activist events all over the country.

“We gave tongue to something that we all knew was happening,” Tometi told Glamour of the three activists’ work.


“We were courageous enough to call it what it was. But more than that, to offer an alternative. An aspirational message: Black lives matter.”


Other black women honored on the list are Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and actress Zendaya.

The entire group of honorees, which also includes Miuccia Prada and model Ashley Graham, were honored at a special awards ceremony in Los Angeles on November 14.

Sources: The Grio and the Huffington Post

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Sit to Stand Up: Continung the Struggle

Taking  A Stand: The Struggle Continues

What happens when a NFL quarterback worth $10 million dollars takes a stand? Everyone has an opinion about Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit during the playing of the National Anthem. For me it's simple. I admire Kaepernick' courage and support his right to exercise his First Amendment Rights. I'm sure it was not an easy decision considering everything he has to lose. Think about the "punishments" metered out to John Carlos and Tommie Smith after their win at the 1968 Olympic Games. What about the sacrifice of Muhammed Ali, banned from boxing in his prime and the support he received from prominent Black athletes. It's easy to take a stand when you have nothing to lose.

Personally, I remember as a youngster my feelings about the National Anthem. It was "their" song, not mine. I knew it did not apply to me. Yes, I stood and sang it, respectfully. But my heart was sad and I felt my exclusion even then. Today, when I hear the anthem, I am militant and feel that, whether others like it or not, it's my flag and my country too. I'm emboldened to continue my fight to do all that I can to make Dr. King's vision of brotherhood in this country a reality.

There's so much written about Kaepernick's "sit to stand up", so I won't labor the issue. I pray that as he kneels in protest God gives him strength and guidance and that the penalty he will pay doesn't break his commitment. His decision not to vote for any of the presidential candidates caused another up roar.  But, each of us has to determine how we will contribute to our collective progress. I leave this Langston Hughes' poem for you to ponder as the struggle continues.

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes.
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen",
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed-

I, too, am America.

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Boyz N The Hood Trivia Challenge

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Tale of Two Cities: How Officials Respond to "threatening" Situations

I read two interesting articles, back to back, as I browsed the Internet this morning. When I finished reading them, I immediately thought of “The Tale of Two Cities”, by Charles Dickens.

Just in case you’ve forgotten, go back and refer to the Cliff notes, as we all did in studying for a class. Charles Dickens begins “The Tale of Two Cities” by developing the central theme of duality. His pairings of contrasting concepts such as the "best" and "worst" of  times, "Light" and "Darkness, "and "hope" and "despair" reflect the mirror images of good and evil that will recur in characters and situations throughout the novel. The year is 1775, and life in England and France seems paradoxically the best and the worst that it can be. The rulers and ruling classes of both countries may have the best of life, but they are out of touch with the common people and believe that the status quo will continue forever. Of course as you read on, you’ll see drastic changes that most of the people never expected.

I began my reading journey this morning with an article that focused on the January 2, 2016 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a federal property in Burns, Oregon by a group of self-styled armed militants. The group, led by three brothers from the Clive Bundy family of Nevada, is protesting the arrest of a father and son pair of Oregon ranchers scheduled to begin 5 year prison sentences. Dwight Hammond Jr., 73, and his son, Steven Hammond, 46, were convicted of arson three years ago for fires they started on federal property. Both men served time  — the father three months, the son one year. The pair said they lit the fires in 2001 and 2006 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and protect their property from wildfires. A judge ordered them to return to prison Monday to serve an additional four years because the time already served did not meet minimum-sentencing laws. The pair reported to prison peacefully, but said they will seek clemency from President Obama.

The occupation of the wildlife refuge reflects a decades-old dispute over land rights in the United States, where local communities have increasingly sought to take back federal land. In phone interviews from inside the occupied building on the night of the takeover, Ammon Bundy and his brother, Ryan Bundy, said they are not looking to hurt anyone. But they would not rule out violence if police tried to remove them, they said.
On January 26, after the standoff had lasted more than three weeks, the FBI and Oregon State Police arrested eight, including leader Ammon Bundy, and killed one member of the self-styled, armed militia who staged a takeover. Three more militia members were arrested later in the day after turning themselves in. As of February 4, four people remain at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. the occupiers said they were in contact with the FBI. The occupiers said they were in contact with the FBI and want pardons for all who were involved in the standoff.

After reading about the militia standoff in Oregon, I flipped my page to information about the MOVE group in Philadelphia in 1985, thirty years ago. MOVE was a Philadelphia-based, self-proclaimed black liberation group founded by John Africa (born Vincent Leaphart) in 1972. The group lived communally and frequently engaged in public demonstrations against racism, police brutality, and other issues.

The MOVE group was particularly known for two major conflicts with the Philadelphia Police. In 1978, a standoff resulted in the death of one police officer, injuries to several other people and life sentences for 9 members. In 1985, another standoff was ended when the police deliberately dropped a bomb on their compound, which was a row home in the middle of a city street; Osage Ave. This resulted in the deaths of 11 MOVE members, including the leader John Africa and 5 children, the destruction of 65 houses and widespread news coverage.

The handling of this situation in Oregon in 2016 may be the best of times and the 1985 slaughter of the MOVE group in Philadelphia was certainly the worst of times. I’m sure the scholars can explain in detail why the participants were treated so differently.  The final solution took place in Philadelphia with the MOVE group in 1985. We’ll just wait for a final resolution to the standoff in Oregon.

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Why So Many People Never Heard of the MOVE Bombing

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Water Contamination Crisis in Flint:Republicans' Fiscal Problem

For almost two years, residents have suffered through a water contamination problem, an impossible situation. I heard about the lead poisoned water problems in Flint initially on Rachel Maddow’s nightly show, but heard nothing on the mainstream media. (I guess they were to busy covering the minute to minute antics of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump). Now, while poisonous water is still piping into homes in Flint, state officials minimize their culpability and attempt to pass blame to the Federal government. At the same time, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder says he needs $767 million dollars to repair and replace Flint’s water infrastructure which was destroyed in his attempt to save $5 million dollars..

Therein lies the rub for Republican legislators at every level of government. Republicans control the Michigan legislature and the GOP also controls both the House and Senate at the national level. Republicans disparage the federal government every chance they get. The portray the federal government as intrusive, too involved, and determined to fiscally irresponsible. It hard to imagine a Republican Congress approving Gov. Snyder’s request for any parts of  $767 million.

The racial politics are reminiscent of the failure of the federal government to respond in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I can still hear Kanye West saying “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people". In 2013, an increasingly debt conscious Congress and the GOP’s non-diverse base were reluctant to provide necessary assistance to victims of Hurricane Sandy. With a Democratic controlled Senate, the funding was passed with only 9 Republicans voting for it. I wonder what will be said about the government’s response to Flint’s crisis.

It’s interesting to note that Governor Snyder also requests expansion of Medicaid for the youngsters impacted by the poisoning lead in the water they’ve been drinking. Yet Michigan refused to expand Medicaid for it’s eligible citizens.

At least 6 civil lawsuits have been filed seeking compensatory and punitive damages for 30,000 customers who paid for or was billed for Flint’s water. The FBI is investigating the contamination of Flint’s water and Congress has called a hearing and “requested” the Governor to testify. As public awareness increases, the outcry for action continues to swell.

It's interesting that the presidential candidates haven't weighed in on the current crisis in Flint, Michigan. I guess this poor, hard-working city doesn't warrant their attention.

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Iowa Caucus 2016: Does It Really Matter?

After months and months of hype, ceaseless media coverage, political party debates, blatant false statements, personal slurs and accusations, the 2016 Iowa Caucus will be held today. IA voters from 1681 precincts will get together in schools, churches, and public buildings to talk to their neighbors, discuss what their party stands for, choose local party leaders, and vote on their choice for the next presidential nominee for their party.  Personally, I’ve never understood why IA is the first site in the process and as one voter, I resent the idea that the results in IA will have any impact on anything, significant and otherwise.

Some say Iowa is the “touchstone of Democracy” where voters have the first opportunity to express their preference in the presidential nominating process for the major parties. They relish the fact that IA voters are courted by widely known candidates as well as lesser known individuals. Those who are less well funded compete with candidates that have huge financial support. I’m told that IA is a small state where it’s less expensive to run a campaign, easier for average voters to meet with candidates, and find out what they think about the issues. I’m told that Iowa voters are passionate and fully engaged. They take honor in being first and take the process seriously. They attend events, listen to candidates, ask questions, and carefully evaluate each candidate’s prospect of being the party’s nominee and hopefully the next President of the United States.

The first four sites in the presidential nominating process are Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. I’m told not to worry about the “representativeness” of any one state, even though IA voter are older activist, not the rank and file of party voters.In 2008, 93% of participants in the IA Caucaus were caucasian.  Data indicates that turnout is usually low, running about 43% of the voting population. Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa says “a primary is a vote, while a caucus is a conversation and a vote. The results of the process in Iowa leaves the voters nothing to be proud of. IA’s record for selecting the Republican Party’s national presidential nominee is atrocious. The Democrats were much more successful.

In 2008, Rick Santorum won the Republican vote with 24%, barely besting Mitt Romney, the ultimate Republican party nominee for president, In 2008, Mike Huckabee won the vote with 34% to Mitt Romney’s best at second place at 25%. In 1996. Bob Dole won with 26% followed by Pat Buchanan’s 23%. For the Democrats, the last 3 Caucus winners (Barack Obama-37.6% in 2008, John Kerry-37.6% in 2004, and Al Gore-63% in 2000) won the party nomination. Of course, Obama won the presidency in 2008, Kerry lost in 2004, and Al Gore had his victory stolen from him in 2000.

As this day ends, IA voters are quickly replaced by the focus on New Hampshire. Of course the media will spend days analyzing the results in IA and predicting the outcomes in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Eventually the emphasis will move to the states that carry the weight of the votes that will make a difference in which candidates will compete in the general election in November. 

They tell me that IA really matters, but I’m not convinced. If I had my way, we’d start with California, New York, Illinois, and Ohio. But who am I to decide. Guess it’ll all come out in the wash when the final votes are counted.

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Another Police Shooting: Cleveland, OH 2012

I remember watching Dragnet when I was young. Sgt. Joe Friday always cut through a bunch of unnecessary dialogue with his signature line demanding "just the facts". His terse comment came to mind when I read another news article about the death of two young African Americans, Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in a police shooting.


Here are the facts, in case you missed this story. On November 29, 2012, police officers standing outside police headquarters in Cleveland Ohio mistook the sound of a beat up Chevy Malibu backfiring for a gunshot. Believe it or not, 62 police cruisers and 100 police officers gave chase as the vehicle sped away. A 22 mile chase through downtown ended in an elementary school parking lot in East Cleveland. Ultimately, a total of 137 shots were fired and 2 unarmed people in the vehicle were killed. 24 bullets pierced Timothy Russell's body and his companion Malissa Williams received 23 bullets.

No one knew why the car did not stop. The occupants were mentally ill and addicted to drugs.

After the investigation was completed 13 officers were notified that they faced administrative discipline. The department took action resulting in one officer retiring, six officers being fired, and six officers face suspensions of 21 to 30 days. Patrolman Michael Brelo, formerly acquitted of manslaughter charges in May, is among those who were fired. He fired the last 15 shots of the deadly barrage in this incident. He stood on the vehicle's hood and fired inside repeatedly after the car had stopped and the occupants were no longer a threat. It should be noted that Brelo fired 49 times, more than double that of any other officer involved.

Cleveland police union official Steve Loomis says the incident was tragic, but did not warrant the firings. After an hour long summation of his conclusions, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John P. O'Donnell acquitted patrolman Brelo of the charges.

Relatives of the victims were awarded a $3 million dollar settlement after filing a lawsuit.

These are just the cold hard facts.

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Eye on Republican 2016 Politics

The Republican Party continues to use the “Southern Strategy” it’s embraced for more than 40 years.  This strategy has been somewhat successful for them, but convinces some voters to support their policies. Over the years, the party has reinvented racism, using a series of coded appeals which are inaudible at one level, but clearly heard and understood at another. President Ronald Reagan, called the Great Communicator by his loyal supporters, often remarked about “Cadillac driving welfare queens” and “strapping young bucks” buying T-bone steaks with food stamps. Similar rhetoric is found in the language used by former President Richard Nixon and former presidential candidate George Wallace. You’ll see this strategy repeated by many in the current field of GOP presidential candidates

Racial polarization among Republican voters appears to generate enthusiasm for political candidates who promise to crack down on crime, curb undocumented immigration, and wage war against Gays, Lesbians, and Muslims.  Short sighted politicians disregard the interest of minorities and the disadvantaged and embrace regressive policies that promised “trickle-down” benefits for whites. Current presidential candidates offer pie-in-the-sky optimism and misplaced certitude. It’s interesting that their primary appeal to the Republican base is that they have no past experience with most of the issues facing the country today. This coupled with the bitterness of the base against the failure of elected officials to deliver on past campaign promises makes interesting reality television, but offers America and the entire world little hope for the future.

The appeal of some Republican candidates seems contrary to our stated national values which support equality and oppose racism. The inaudible call for racial solidarity to combat “welfare cheats”, “illegal aliens”, and perceived racial victimization presents an enormous problem for the country and particularly for the struggling middle class. The liberal media seems to believe that the GOP appeals to a small shrinking “silver” population. In an increasingly diverse society, if you’re not careful, you might feel that racial polarization will be solved when this group literally dies out. However, among whites, race appears to be more important than gender, age, or geographical location. Race may well drive how individuals vote, resulting in white support for the Republican Party. A quick look at the data tells the story. In the 2012 election, 88% of voters for the GOP were white. State level GOP elected officials nationwide received 98% of the white vote. White men favored Romney by 62%, white women by 56% and white youth by 56%. Race is a central feature in American Democracy today.

 

The policies of the Republican Party favor the extremely wealthy and for decades governmental policies have created an unequal economy that has wrecked the middle class. They blame the 2008 financial crisis on homeowners who bought homes they could not afford.  They fail to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964, casting it as an “over reach” of government power. They focus on the “undeserving poor” who abuse government help, thereby robbing hard-working tax payers. They cast whites as victims of an activist government that passes out gifts to grasping minorities.  You’ve heard it said that African Americans, Hispanics and young people “want to get free stuff” from the government. Accordingly, the GOP offers plans to control voting among these groups as a way to counteract their support for democratic positions.

The second Republican presidential candidates’ debate tonight will spotlight their strategies.   See if there’s a lack of emphasis on support for upward mobility through good schooling and affordable higher education. Take note if there appears to be a lack of interest in rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure or controlling abuse in the market place through regulation. Watch for discussions on jobs, healthcare and the economy, marked by a lack of specificity. It may help you decide where your vote will do the most good in serving those issues that you care about.

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Glory, Repentance, and Honor: Michael Vick's Untold Story

Almost every football fan knows NFL Quarterback Michael Vick. He has previously played for the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Jets and currently for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bound for glory, Vick left Virginia Tech in his sophomore year. He was drafted first overall by the Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft, the first African-American quarterback ever taken in that position. He had made it t the big time and the future looked great.

Life changed drastically for Vick in July 2007 when  he and three others were charged by federal authorities on felony charges of operating an unlawful interstate dog fighting venture.  After his conviction, he spent 548 days in jail, mopping floors for 12 cents an hour at Leavenworth prison. He owed creditors $18 million but refused to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and have his debt forgiven. Instead, he chose Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has worked to pay back what he owed, including $6.5 million to the Falcons for a 2004 signing bonus.


Since returning to the NFL, Vick earned over $45 million over the past 5 years. He lives on a restrictive budget of $300,000 per year. 50% of his earnings have gone to pay down his $18 million debt which includes taxes and legal fees. Less than seven years after being released from prison, he has paid 85% of what he owes and is close to retiring all of the $18 million debt.

No matter what he does, there are some who will never forgive Michael Vick, but the most important thing is how a man feels about himself. He expressed his gratitude through ESPN for the support he has received and the opportunities he's been given. Judge for yourself, but Vick has paid for his lack of judgement and repented for his "sins". His financial decisions have proven his inner integrity and attempts to make amends. The bible cautions us..."let he who is without sin cast the first stone". Personally, I'll send up a prayer for his success in his future endeavors.

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Genius Among the Stars: Celebrity IQs

Celebrities often get a hard time for being a bit of a dumb bunch. Sure, they look nice when they're were prancing down the red carpet in a lovely frock and they've got smiles which just look positively exquisite on the front over of a tawdry gossip magazine. However, it's often assumed there's not a whole lot going on upstairs.

But, that's not always the case. There are some celebrities out there who are not only smart, but they are also within the IQ bracket to be considered geniuses.

The average IQ is 98-100, and obviously anything above this number suggests better than average intelligence, with the higher IQ numbers roughly breaking down into the following categories:

115-124 - Above average (e.g., university students)

125-134 - Gifted (e.g., post-graduate students)

135-144 - Highly gifted (e.g., intellectuals)

145-154 - Genius (e.g., professors)

155-164 - Genius (e.g., Nobel Prize winners)

165-179 - High genius

180-200 - Highest genius

>200 - "Unmeasurable genius"

An IQ of 134 is in the top 1 per cent. 50% of Americans score between 90-110. Albert Einstein's IQ was 160, the same as Bill Gates. Listed below are some of the heavy hitters in Hollywood.

James Wood 184

The veteran film and voice actor could perhaps be one of the smartest people in Hollywood. As a teenager, Wood's almost scored 100% on his SATs, getting the perfect 800 in the verbal section, and 779 in math. With this he won a scholarship to MIT and majored in political science. However, he never graduated, as he quit to pursue acting.

Natalie Portman 140

The Academy Award winning Natalie Portman is also one of the smartest actresses in Hollywood. She actually skipped the premier of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace to better prepare for her school exams, while she has a degree in psychology from Harvard and is pursuing a graduate course at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She's been published twice in scientific journals and is fluent in five languages.

Shakira 140

Shakira has an extremely good head on her shoulders. She can speak three languages fluently - Spanish, English and Portuguese, while she's also proficient in French, Italian, Catalan and Arabic. She's also a big fan of history and world culture, and is pursuing a course in The History of Western Civilization at UCLA Extensions. Oh yeah, she's also set up two schools.

Nolan Gould 150

Although the 16 year old Nolan Gould might play the rather intellectually challenged Luke Dunphy in Modern Family, in real life he is a member of Mensa - an organization reserved for the top 2% of the general population in terms of IQ.

At thirteen he graduated from high school and plans to take courses online. He can also play the banjo and the double bass.

Lisa Kudrow 154

 Lisa Kudrow is another sitcom star whose on screen persona isn't known for their intellectual prowess. However, in real life Kudrow holds a degree in biology and was a medical researcher for eight years before joining cast of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. In particular she conducted research into headaches.

Dolph Lundrgen  160

Although his onscreen persona often seems to prioritize brawn over brains, Dolph Lundgren actually has a lot of both. The Rocky III and The Expendables actor was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT in 1983 and holds degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, while he also speaks six different languages.

Matt Damon 160

This one is slightly less surprising, since Matt Damon is quite well-known for throwing himself into various extra-curricular activities. However, despite having a high IQ, Damon actually never finished Harvard University. Instead he dropped out of college to pursue a career in acting.

However, it was while at Harvard that Damon developed the draft script for the Oscar winning Good Will Hunting. He was later awarded an honorary Harvard Arts Medal in 2013.

Conan O'Brien – 160

Despite making a career of acting like a fool on stage, Conan O'Brien in fact graduated magnum cum laude from Harvard University. This 72 page thesis, which was titled "The 'Old Child' in Faulkner and O’Connor," argued that "the New South’s emerging identity is manifested in the literature of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor via the motif of children that age too quickly."

However, he was still the recognizable Conan. He was dubbed the "preeminent jokester" of the class of '85 and was president of the Harvard Lampoon - the college's humor magazine.

Brian May

The legendary Queen guitarist not only looks like Isaac Newton, he's got a brain like him too.

I was unable to find exact IQ figures for May, but what's certain is that it would be lingering around the genius level. Dr. Brian May - as he should really be called - has a PhD from the prestigious Imperial College London in astrophysics. From 1970 to 1974 he studied the reflected light from interplanetary dust and the velocity of dust in the plane of the solar system. He has also co-authored two papers on astrophysics, titled MgI Emission in the Night-Sky Spectrum (1972) and An Investigation of the Motion of zodiacal dust Particles (Part I).

He dropped out of his doctorate once Queen began to find international success, eventually returning and completing it in 2007 with the thesis, A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud.

Other Celebrity IQs that might interest you follow.

• Jayne Mansfield – 149 IQ. Best known for her massive breasts (measurements of 40-21-35) and fatal car wreck at the age of 34, Mansfield was also a classically trained pianist and violinist who spoke five languages
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• Jodie Foster – 132 IQ. Foster graduated as valedictorian from the French-speaking Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, after which she attended Yale and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in literature.
• Madonna - 140 IQ. It’s no surprise that Madonna has a high IQ. After all, she’s been able to remain relevant in the world of pop culture for three decades
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• Masi Oka – 180 IQ. Known as the likable Hiro on Heroes, he was featured on the cover of Time magazine when he was 12 years old. The caption? “Those Asian-American Whiz Kids.” Fluent in three languages, he has a degree in computer science and mathematics.
• Nicole Kidman – 132 IQ. While she didn’t have the good sense to avoid a marriage to crazy-ass Tom Cruise, the leggy Aussie does have a celebrity IQ in the gifted range
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• Brett Favre – 104 IQ. The quarterback for the Packers, Jets, and Vikings, Favre made appearances in Something About Mary and Reggie’s Prayer. Still, some said he’s was not smart enough to know when to retire.
• Quentin Tarantino – 160 IQ. A high school dropout, Tarantino worked in an L.A. video store while trying to make it as an actor. As it turned out, he would make his mark as a director and one of the most influential figures of the modern pop culture scene.
• Sharon Stone – 148 IQ. Even though she’s best known for uncrossing her legs, this blonde vixen claimed for years to be a member of MENSA. She later admitted this was not the truth, so you have to wonder about her IQ claim.
• Steve Martin – 142 IQ. The movie star and banjo-playing comic was once a philosophy major at Cal State. During those years, he considered becoming a professor.
• Danica McKellar – 154 IQ. Known as Winnie from The Wonder Years, McKellar has a degree in mathematics from UCLA and has written two best-selling books on the topic.

Sources:
moviepilot.com, Mark Newton, February 13, 2015

onlygoodmovies.com

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