Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't Drink & Drive Mmkay?

"Drinking and driving is bad; mmkay?"

I might support Black Lives Matter if...

I might support Black Lives Matter if the energy could be focused away from negative ideas and fighting. If the energy could instead be focused on children on education and on strong families, I would support them. I believe that if the energy and resources were better used to improve education and families (with supportive parents and good role models), that I might not see the violent offenders so highly represented by any one particular demographic. I believe that everyone's lives would be improved. I believe this and only this will be the key to ending the black on black violence and the high number of criminals that will ultimately be involved in police arrests. If most people are arrested zero times in their lives, and someone else is arrested ten times, I would argue that the person arrested ten times is at least ten times more likely to be killed by police. The way to change these statistics is not by stopping traffic or throwing bricks and Molotov cocktails at police. It is by changing attitudes and by supporting children so that they can grow up to be productive people.

Turkey Shoots Down Russian Warplane

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34907983

Turkey Shoots Down Russian Plane

Protesters Against Police Need Police Help

Ironically, the Black Lives Matter protesters who are protesting against police at the 4th Precinct in Minneapolis, required police to respond when shooting erupted at the protest encampment last night. The gunmen were reportedly wearing masks, but were described as being "white supremacists" by the Black Lives matter protesters.

Update: Arrests made in overnight shooting! No one of any color is above the law. Thanks to police and law enforcement officers arrests have been made.

Practice Bird

Dinner yesterday was a free-range chicken my in-laws gave us. Maybe it was my "practice bird" before I make the Thanksgiving turkey.

CuTRis Compares Ben Carson to Guy Who's Lost Mind

CuTRis Compares Ben Carson to Guy Whose Lost Mind

CuTRis Compares Ben Carson to Guy Whose Lost Mind
UnAssociated Press
November 20, 2015

After hearing that Ben Carson compared Syrian refugees to rabid dogs, CuTRis compared Ben Carson to a guy who has lost his mind.
CuTRis had this to say in an interview this morning.
The Syrian refugees are not rabid dogs. They are people. They are families. They are children. They are fleeing the violence, cruelty and poverty created by war and a horror called ISIS. While it is true that some of the Somali refugees settled in the USA have joined ISIS, we cannot condemn an entire group of people who are fleeing for their lives from militant Islamic extremists. I cannot in good conscience look into the eyes of those children and say, 'sorry, you go somewhere else.' In my opinion, in light of all of the weird-ass things that Ben Carson has said during his presidential campaign, he is like a guy who has lost his mind. If a guy who has lost his mind wanted to be president, you would try to stop him by not voting for him. This doesn't mean you shouldn't vote for any presidential candidates; but there should be a way of screening out the ones who are like a guy who has lost his mind."

The Only Truth in North Minneapolis May be About Lying

While watching the news report about the Black Lives Matter protest over the Jamar Clark shooting by Minneapolis police, I noticed a complete disconnect between the images, and the accounts given by the protesters. One man said that "the peaceful protest was met with violence." He then repeated this; perhaps to try to help to get people who were watching to believe his words. Yet this "peaceful protest" had obviously become violent and destructive. The images on TV showed police cars in the 4th Precinct lot that had been smashed by bricks. It was reported that protesters had blocked all entrances so no one could get in or out of the police station. This was met by police using a "chemical irritant" to disperse the crowd. While it is within one's rights to protest peacefully in the USA, that does not include interfering with the general population's right to police service. It does not include throwing bricks at police and damaging property. The right to protest has been tainted by the continued lack of truth. Obviously, all police need body cameras at all times so that the lies can be exposed. There seems to be an element within society that has no concept of what truth is. Whatever lie someone shouts out in order to further their agenda is held up as truth—even if it is a complete fabrication. Since these people can't be trusted, only a camera can be a truthful witness. Apparently bearing false witness is standard procedure for some people. This really needs to stop. We also need a speedy investigation and answers to the conflicting reports about what happened to Jamar Clark. But until then, let's stick to the facts and stop with the lies.

Huge Raid in Paris

The story on CNN said "Huge Raid in Paris," but it showed two officers with little handguns. The guy who was waving a gun at me in traffic last summer had a bigger gun! I've seen police in my neighborhood pull M-16's when they swarm the Section 8 housing down the street. Maybe this photo was an exception, but my thought was that the French need bigger guns...

The Reality of Raising Minimum Wage

I understand that people always want to make more money. So many will want the Minimum wage to go up. But there are some serious repercussions to doing this. So if you want it and you will make more money if it passes, just remember that everything that you buy will be more expensive as a result of it. That is called inflation. Along with this will be layoffs. If there were two of you making those hamburgers, now there will be only one of you and you will need to work harder and faster. Of course, since the hamburger has gone from $5 to $7.75 to help pay the new wages, maybe there will be fewer people buying hamburgers—so you won't be too busy after all. If the business can't sell enough hamburgers, maybe it will have to close. Then you will have to look for a new job. So pickup that sign and go protest for that $15 per hour minimum wage! Enjoy your higher income!

Charlie Sheen has HIV?

I was shocked by the news that Charlie Sheen has HIV. The way I look at it, if a man who admits to (and even brags about) abusing drugs and alcohol and having unprotected sex with prostitutes can get HIV, then anyone can probably get it!

Black Lives Don't Matter Enough to Stay Off Freeway

Another dangerous situation was created by Black Lives Matter yesterday, as they took their protest onto a busy freeway—because of the shooting of a supposedly handcuffed black man. The protest that endangered hundreds of people on a busy freeway was clearly wrong. That said, if the investigation proves that Jamar Clark was handcuffed while he was shot by police, I will admit that there is a problem. However, I challenge everyone else that if it is proved that Clark was not handcuffed, to admit that "someone" is lying in order to further a false premise to cause civil unrest and promote racial turbulence. Either way, one of these two things should be condemned by the public. Whichever story is false, should cause us to react and change the forces of that falsity.

TI Square

It's always nice to visit TI Square!

CuTRis Prohibits Railroad from Polluting

Even though CuTRis prohibited the Railroad from polluting they went and derailed and spilled more oil anyway.

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3960762.shtml?cat=1

Veterans Day

A day late I know but I was caring for a sick child yesterday and otherwise occupied...

Years ago I had the privilege of working with Don Frederick. He was quite an interesting guy since he had been in WWII. I didn't realize the full extent of his military career at the time, but at least while we worked together (in a small Nursery Landscape center), we found plenty to talk about and became friends. The last time I spoke to Don (by phone), he couldn't remember me. We had only worked together for part of one year and he was then of advanced age. I remember at the time (when we still were working together) that I was technically his supervisor on the job and this struck me as odd (since I was still in my 20's)—even if it didn't seem strange to him. On this Veteran's Day, I remember Don and hope you will read his story in the link below.

http://www.mnmilitarymuseum.org/files/3813/9663/3855/New_1LT_Donald_Frederick.pdf

New Meal from Leftover Meat!

Chopped mushrooms, leftover pork roast, pepper,
onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro.

Other ingredients: frozen peas (8 oz.) chick peas,
linguini, Alfredo sauce.

Sauté in pan.

Add sauce and boil your linguini.

Time to Eat!

Ben Carson Says Lando Calrissian Modeled After Him

 

The most recent story from Ben Carson, is that he has fought bad guys in Outer space. In fact, the GOP presidential candidate claims that the Star Wars character, Lando Calrissian is based on him.

Why are they yelling on Telemundo?

Why do the people on Telemundo always seem to be yelling? When I channel past, they are always excited and shouting about something. I don't speak Spanish so I'm not sure why this is.

70 and Sunny!

70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) and sunshine on November 3rd in (St. Paul) Minnesota. And this is the second day of it with a third expected.

Do the Vikings Still Suck?

Do the Minnesota Vikings not suck anymore? They beat two division rivals on the road back-to-back. I know I've been optimistic in the past only to have my hopes dashed. I'm really confused right now; as I don't know if they still suck or not!

Bat House

 

On Saturday my wife and son built a bat house at the Bat Week Celebration (Halloween Day) at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge visitors center.