for my Catholic friends

The following link was included in our pastor's weekly bulletin message: 
If You Don't Do These Things, You Aren't a "Practicing Catholic" | ChurchPOP

Reverend James R. Gould is pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Warrenton VA.

The Precepts of the Church can also be found on pages 493 and 494 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

applicant Donald Trump

It's obvious from his performance applying with voters for the job of POTUS, the side of the desk that Donald Trump has always been on in job interviews. 

Can you imagine an applicant ever getting the job--any job--with Donald Trump's complete lack of tact? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/us/politics/donald-trump-khizr-khan-wife-ghazala.html

another example of "biting the hand that feeds you": 

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-insults-the-koch-brothers/article/2598230

Being POTUS requires some diplomacy--not only with foreign leaders; but also, with U.S. citizens, and even enemies. Donald Trump is clearly unqualified to be POTUS. 

"You're fired!" would never happen with applicant Donald Trump--he'd never be hired in the first place. 

windows 10

Windows 10 upgrade: Don't use Express settings if you value your privacy

media hogwash

what is one to believe? the media? or our own lying eyes?

it's everywhere:

• news (show the video; cut the crap)
• politics (do we really need the media to "interpret" for us?)
• even sports (the team's media tells us that "all is well" while the team is imploding right before our very eyes)
• weather (3 times in a half hour "news" program)
• social media (Branding-Schultz.pdf)
• etc.

nonstop hogwash

only 40 years old, Washington's subway is unsafe, unreliabe and outdated

Washington, D.C.'s METRO subway system opened in 1976. Today, it's unsafe, unreliable and outdated. 

Compared with other subways:

• New York City, 1904
• Philadephia, 1907
• Chicago, 1897
• Boston, 1901
• London, 1890
• Paris, 1900

List of metro systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Washington D.C.'s METRO is just a youngster.

How did it become unsafe, unreliable and outdated in just 40 years?

Not funding--millions upon millions have been poured into METRO.

Neglect and mismanagement are the culprits.

just another day on METRO: http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/dc/metro-train-derails-at-east-falls-church/284059655

"not a religious conflict"?

Pope Francis Says World Is at War, but It’s Not a Religious Conflict - The New York Times

really?  Pope Francis should check the facts: 

"In total, the survey found that more than 7,100 Christians were killed in 2015 for "faith-related reasons," up 3,000 from the previous year, according to the group's analysis of media reports and other public information as well as external experts.

...

According to the report, however, much of the persecution faced by Christians occurs in predominantly Muslim nations, many of which are "failed states" that fail to protect any of their citizens' religious liberty."

Christian persecution reached record high in 2015 - CNN.com

and, there's this: 
Funeral to be held today for Father Jacques Hamel who was slaughtered by ISIS jihadis | Daily Mail Online

Finally, radical Islamists have declared war on Christians, peaceful Muslims and the west in general. They shout "God is great" while they murder innocent noncombatants. If the aggressors declare that it's a religious war, then it's a religious war.

Pope Francis is the very visible head of the Catholic church; he speaks for the church. One would think that with all of the unresolved messes in the church, e.g., clergy sex abuse scandal and cover-up, vatican bank, seminaries, rebellious hierarchy, credibility, etc., that Pope Francis would have his hands full, and leave world affairs commentary to politicians and the media. 

two-party

Republicans are red,
Democarats are blue,
Neither of them
gives a shit about you. 

from our pastor

CMB hole in the universe

Huge Hole Found in the Universe

Warm Oceans on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Could Harbor Life

Warm Oceans on Saturn's Moon Enceladus Could Harbor Life

reporting police brutality/misconduct

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/dc/website-helps-victims-of-police-misconduct-report-brutality/278173376

• shooting and killing unarmed "suspects" 
• killing an unarmed "suspect" by stranglehold 
• killing an unarmed, injured "suspect", who needs medical attention, by giving him a rough ride in a police wagon instead 
• shooting and killing unarmed "suspects" while they're walking, or running, away 
• shooting an unarmed "suspect" while he's lying on the ground with his hands in the air 
• throwing an unarmed woman "suspect" to the ground on a traffic stop 
• trigger-happy cops 
• racist cops 
• etc.

This has got to stop.

trigger happy

Video Shows Unarmed Man With Hands Up Shot by Police - ABC New

inexcusable

another loser

Baton Rouge Cop Killer Gavin Long Was Nation Of Islam | The Daily Caller

crooked media

reporting the news?

more like "distorting the facts" and "blatant bias"

10 takeaways from Donald Trump's Republican Convention - CNNPolitics.com

"...dystopian..."? 

Bradner & CNN live in a world once described by Spiro Agnew as "effete intellectual snobs".

How many times did the crooked, biased media run this story? No one to be fired after Melania Trump speech plagiarism episode - CNNPolitics.com

We got it the first time--the next 364,723 times were unnecessary.

Video=> Shepard Smith Attacks, Lectures Bobby Jindal for Saying 'All Lives Matter' (Updated)

Shepard Smith--another effete, intellectual snob.

The list goes on and on--TV, radio, internet, newspapers, magazines, etc.

It's no wonder why many in the U.S. view the crooked media with disdain. 

Rudy Giuliani

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luzajJDsGOY

Sgt. Leon Pierce

https://semperfifund.org/hero-stories/sgt-leon-pierce/

Honoring our police

Dallas Police Department Tribute - In Honor of Five Dallas Officers [RE-UPLOAD] - YouTube

Honor all those who serve with courage, 

protecting and defending all of us, 

all across our nation.

war on police

War on Cops: Law-Enforcement Deaths by Gunfire Up by 150% This Year - Breitbart

While the media and politicians argue that there is no "war on cops", the facts and "my lying eyes" tell me differently.

What are police to do? Rush into an ambush? Or send in the SWAT team first? The problem is if they hold back, then the people who they've sworn to serve and protect are in harm's way. 

Talk about "being caught between a rock and a hard place"--a no-win situation.

remember when?

branches of government myth

now I've seen everything

Well done, teachers!

Virginia Teachers Open Pop-Up Library to Encourage Summer Reading | NBC4 Washington

kids reading to animal shelter dogs

Kids Practice Reading to Shy Shelter Dogs at Missouri Humane Society - ABC News

Every day is Father's Day

Told his little boy would die at 2, dad plans big adventure for son's 30th - TODAY.com

Darwin Award

Man crashes into tree in Auburn while playing "Pokemon

Search "Pokemon Go accidents" on the internet for many more Darwin Award candidates.

Driver slams into Baltimore cop car while playing Pokemon Go

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!: 
http://ktar.com/story/1203598/phoenix-area-couple-abandons-toddler-son-to-play-pokemon-go/
Forget the Darwin Award--jail time!

“We have met the enemy and he is us.”

This Day in Quotes: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

I remember my aunt showing me this in a cartoon in the newspaper in the 1950s, long before the 1970 Earth Day poster. 

It's timeless. It applies to so much more than litter--water and air pollution, global warming, traffic, crime, gun violence, racism, poverty, greed, hunger, war, politics, government ineffectiveness, etc. 

We are our own worst enemy in our failure to stand up, to speak out and to act accordingly.

a few red leaves

I was wondering why nearby, mostly green, deciduous trees have a few red leaves. 

Anthocyanins: Painting the Town Red - Why do leaves change color and turn red? | HowStuffWorks

Donald Trump isn't a faker--he's a whole lot worse

Trump wants an apology from Ruth Bader Ginsburg after blistering attack

This from the man who has made name-calling his own personal art-form.

Justice Ginsburg, you got this one wrong. 

Donald Trump isn't a faker. 

He really is a jerk.

algebraic sleight of hand

Hint: The "answer" can be found on page 223 of "The Man Who Knew Infinity" by Robert Kanigel.


scroll down...











Quoting from “The Man Who Knew Infinity”, page 223:

“What’s gone wrong? Nothing but that scourge of many an elementary proof: we have divided by zero, a mathematically impermissible operation that gives an ‘answer’ devoid of meaning.

But nowhere, a voice interrupts, does the proof say we should divide by zero.

On the contrary: we started off with a = b, then toward the end divided by a2 – ab, which is zero."

Postscript: The book, "The Man Who Knew Infinity", is the story of an Indian genius, Srinivasa Ramanujan, who didn't fit the expectations of, and was failed by, his family and Indian and British education and scientific culture, despite his genius and remarkable contributions to the field of pure mathematics. This brilliant man died, largely unappreciated, at age 32, ill from tireless work bringing his original and unique contributions to the science of numbers. 

His story is not an unfamiliar one. "The Man Who Knew Infinity" is an excellent book.

Dallas sniper

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/09/dallas-shooting-more-details-emerge-about-micah-xavier-johnson

"Glendening said Johnson was set to be removed from the army in September 2014 because of the incident, but instead got an honorable discharge months later. “Someone really screwed up,” he said. “But to my client’s benefit.”

Micah Xavier Johnson joins a long list of those who have disgraced the uniform of the US military including:

                      Bradley Manning

                      Nidal Hassan

                                  Robert Bales

                   William Calley

                              Lee Harvey Oswald

                  Benedict Arnold

shooting deja vu

The Philandro Castile shooting in Minneapolis this week brings back horrible memories.

On February 9, 2012, just a few days after we had returned to Virginia from 7+ years in SC, a Culpeper VA police officer shot and killed 54 year old Patricia Cook in broad daylight while she was in her car in downtown Culpeper VA. 

Former Culpeper cop who killed unarmed woman released from jail - Star-Exponent: Culpeper Star Exponent

More than 4 years after the shooting, it's still hard for me to believe that it happened.

Tragically, it's still happening.

"It isn't a sporting event"

Killer Robot Used by Dallas Police Opens Ethical Debate - ABC News 


KrustyKurmudgeon • 19 minutes ago

"What is the difference between calling in the SWAT team and using a robot? If the perpetrator has an opportunity to negotiate his surrender and declines the opportunity there comes a time when force is justifiable. What is the alternative, send in live cops to risk their lives to give the criminal a "fair chance". It isn't a sporting event. A fair chance is the opportunity to surrender peacefully."

Good point, Krusty.

On two things President Obama is right

I may not agree with a lot of things that President Obama does and says; but, I agree with him on two things: guns and racism. There are too many shootings and too much racism in the US. 

We can do better.

double entendre

bear sighting in Gainesville VA

On July 4 at around 12:30 PM Jenny spotted a bear at the curb of Route 29 South in Gainesville VA, just southwest of the Route I-66 interchange.

A bear had been sighted in the area about a month ago at Tyler Elementary and PACE west schools. http://wjla.com/news/local/bear-sightings-reported-at-tyler-elementary-in-gainesville-va

The sighting isn't too surprising considering the thick woods around the North Fork of Broad Run.

The bear was rummaging through some trash along the curb at the end of the guard rail where Route 29 goes over the North Fork.

Watch out for the humans, li'l bear!

power

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/558/19557160319_1c8480780e.jpg

Washington DC politics

Bill Clinton’s Fondness for Tarmac Talk Gets Him Into Trouble - The New York Times

Does anyone really believe that Hillary Clinton will be punished for illegally doing government business on her private email server? 

If they do, then they're terribly naive about the way that Washington DC politics works. 

All politicians in Washington, DC, including FBI director James Comey and US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, live by this creed:

If you don't believe me, then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd like to sell to you.

Is Tesla responsible for the deadly crash on auto pilot? Maybe

Is Tesla Responsible for the Deadly Crash on Auto-Pilot? Maybe. - Forbes

"We don’t have all the details yet of how the Tesla crash happened, so we don’t yet know what happened and who’s at fault. But it’s not too early to think through how beta-testing of autonomous cars should proceed on public roads, if at all."

Tesla Model S Involved In Fatal Crash While in Autopilot Mode - NHTSA to Investigate Tesla Autopilot Mode

"What we know is that the vehicle was on a divided highway with Autopilot engaged when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S. Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied. The high ride height of the trailer combined with its positioning across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact caused the Model S to pass under the trailer, with the bottom of the trailer impacting the windshield of the Model S. Had the Model S impacted the front or rear of the trailer, even at high speed, its advanced crash safety system would likely have prevented serious injury as it has in numerous other incidents."



DVD player found in Tesla car in Florida crash, authorities say

Tesla said in a statement Friday, "Autopilot is by far the most advanced driver assistance system on the road, but it does not turn a Tesla into an autonomous vehicle and does not allow the driver to abdicate responsibility."

My take:

1. "But, he (Baressi, the tractor trailer driver) said, by the time the Tesla struck the white trailer carrying the blueberries, "he was in the slow (right) lane ... I thought he had a heart attack or something. I don't know why he went over to the slow lane when he had to have seen me."

The truck was going very slow. The impact occurred when the Tesla was in the right (slow) lane. The truck (turning left) hadn't cleared either lane--it was blocking the entire roadway in the direction that the Tesla was going. Baressi was only halfway, or less, making his left turn.

2. The Tesla "driver" was watching a video.

3. The Tesla was probably speeding.

4. "I saw him just cresting the hill so I gave it the gas," said Baressi, who said the Tesla was in the left of two eastbound lanes, or the passing lane." 

"... cresting the hill ..."? This is inconsistent with my experience in FL--flat.

5. Based on my observations and experience, the truck likely pulled out in front of the Tesla, failing to yield the right-or-way. I see it all the time. Slow tractor trailers pull out in traffic "knowing" that oncoming traffic will slow down, and stop, if the truck is completely blocking the roadway, as this one did.

6. This accident involved 2 vehicles. Others could have been involved.

7. Bottom line: Beta testing software shouldn't be allowed on public roads.




more: Tesla driver killed in crash while using car's 'Autopilot' - 12 News