Navy Hawkeye pilots make an amazing recovery on the aircraft carrier Eisenhower

amazing video!

Three Navy pilots awarded for quick reaction that saved Hawkeye in March aircraft carrier mishap | Local Military | pilotonline.com

panic on the left

... including the media...

Hillary Clinton's email archives lost in the mail during back-up: FBI - Washington Times

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/08/30/erratic-trump-launches-crazed-scheme-save-campaign-mexico.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-fbi-clinton-emails-20160830-story.html

balancedrebelion.com

What Abe Lincoln Prophesied About Trump and Hillary - YouTube

http://balancedrebellion.com/

global & domestic terrorism

ISIS is the ultimate street gang. 

Whether domestic or global, terrorism needs to be dealt with in the same way:

Colin Kaepernick needs to be more specific

"I'm not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick needs to be more specific. "...a country..."? Do all 320 million Americans that make up the USA "oppress black people and people of color"? clearly not. 

or is it just the government? Did Kaepernick listen to Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson's press conference after the murder of Dwayne Wade's cousin? Did he listen to Dallas police chief David Brown's press conferences after the sniper attack? If so, does he really think that supeintendent Johnson and police chief Brown "oppress black people and people of color"? Does President Obama and his administration "oppress black people and people of color"? 

or is it just some of the country's people? Does Kaepernick really believe that the majority of Americans are racists who "oppress black people and people of color"? If so, then I feel sorry for him. He's very misinformed.

mass extinction

science.nationalgeographic.com/science/prehistoric-world/mass-extinction/

Gary Johnson

10 REASONS WHY GARY JOHNSON IS

THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT

https://www.johnsonweld.com/

"Lord willing and the creek don't rise"

the orgin of this old expression:

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit',

you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. 

You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears. 

Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.”

But now you are boasting in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin"

James, chap. 4, verses 13-17

identity

from FB:

It seems that lately my life has been getting more complicated, and I want to thank those of you who are brave enough to still associate with me regardless of what I have become.

The following is a recap of my current identity:

· I was born white, which makes me a racist.
· I am a fiscal and moral conservative, which makes me a fascist.
· I am a Christian, which makes me an infidel.
· I am older than 65 and retired, which makes me a useless old person.
· I think and I reason; therefore I doubt much that the main stream media tells me, which makes me a reactionary.
· I am proud of my heritage and our inclusive American culture, which makes me a xenophobe.
· I value my safety and that of my family; therefore I appreciate the police and the legal system, which makes me a right-wing extremist.
· I believe in hard work, fair play, and fair compensation according to each individual's merits, which makes me anti-social.
· I believe in the 2nd Amendment which makes me a killer.
· I believe in the defense and protection of the homeland by all citizens, which makes me a militarist.
· Please help me come to terms with this, because I‘m not sure who I am anymore!
· Newest problem – I'm not sure which bathroom I should use.

50th wedding anniversary quilt

Our 50th wedding anniversary quilt:

A photo doesn't do it justice. Because of its size (8 ft. square) it's impossible to capture the full design, detail and colors in this geometric work of art.

each star pattern has:
8 squares + 16 triangles = 24 pieces
(The colors are for illustration only.
The colors on the actual quilt seem endless.)

50 stars. 100 large squares total.

(50 x 24) + (50 x 16) = 2,000 pieces.

WOW!!!

The quilt was made by our friend Carolyn File Simpson Irion, Columbus, OH.

counter pope

"Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who took the name John XXIII, was a 'counter-pope', a break from the vast majority of his predecessors."

from Constantine's Sword, by James Carroll pp. 549 - 551:
"When at the beginning of Vatican II, he denounced the "prophets of doom," everyone knew that he was speaking of those who had set the tone in his own Church for generations. He was himself an alternative example of what the Church could now become. "As unforgettable as his person was;' Hans Kung wrote of Pope John, "what he achieved for the Catholic Church was unforgettable too. In five years he renewed the Catholic Church more than his predecessors had in five hundred years . . . Only with John did the Middle Ages come to an end in the Catholic Church.” 

"Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was just turning seventy-seven when he assumed the papacy in 1958, elected as a compromise candidate whose great age was expected to keep him from doing much as pope."

"Many believe that the more liberal Pope John XXIII was canonized in 2014 along with the more conservative Pope John-Paul II were canonized together in order to keep both the far right and the far left wings of the church from complaining."

http://catholicarrogance.org/Catholic/PopeJohnXXIII.html

clinton and the white house

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTtpWgrhS78

dirty business

"Speak softly and carry a big stick"

Where is Theodore Roosevelt when we need him?

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt#Speak_softly_and_carry_a_big_stick_.281901.29

"Speak softly and carry a big stick" (1901)
No hard and fast rule can be laid down as to where our legislation shall stop in interfering between man and man, between interest and interest. All that can be said is that it is highly undesirable on the one hand, to weaken individual initiative, and on the other hand, that in a constantly increasing number of cases we shall find it necessary in the future to shackle cunning as in the past we have shackled force.

• The vast individual and corporate fortunes, the vast combinations of capital which have marked the development of our industrial system, create new conditions, and necessitate a change from the old attitude of state and the nation toward property.

• Right here let me make as vigorous a plea as I know how in favor of saying nothing that we do not mean, and of acting without hesitation up to whatever we say. A good many of you are probably acquainted with the old proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick — you will go far.” If a man continually blusters, if he lacks civility, a big stick will not save him from trouble, and neither will speaking softly avail, if back of the softness there does not lie strength, power. In private life there are few beings more obnoxious than the man who is always loudly boasting, and if the boaster is not prepared to back up his words, his position becomes absolutely contemptible. So it is with the nation. It is both foolish and undignified to indulge in undue self-glorification, and, above all, in loose-tongued denunciation of other peoples. Whenever on any point we come in contact with a foreign power, I hope that we shall always strive to speak courteously and respectfully of that foreign power.

• Let us make it evident that we intend to do justice. Then let us make it equally evident that we will not tolerate injustice being done us in return. Let us further make it evident that we use no words which we are not which prepared to back up with deeds, and that while our speech is always moderate, we are ready and willing to make it good. Such an attitude will be the surest possible guarantee of that self-respecting peace, the attainment of which is and must ever be the prime aim of a self-governing people.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick" applies in many areas:

• foreign affairs
• domestic affairs 
• law & order
• politics
• business
• organized religion
• private life
• etc.

lochte

"...maturity is the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner. This response is generally learned rather than instinctive. Maturity also encompasses being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act, according to the circumstances and the culture of the society one lives in."

Maturity (psychological) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

peace

“...inner peace, fortitude of the soul and peace are gifts that are obtained while finding refuge in the temple, while resorting to personal and community prayer. ... The Lord creates a horizon of peace around the faithful, a horizon which protects them from evil. Communion with God is a source of serenity, joy, peace; it is like entering into an oasis of light and love.”
John Paul II, April 21, 2004

the cure for hyperacusis

questions

does the cream rise to the top?
or
does ____ sink to the bottom?

answer: both.

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Goals-met-Ledecky-speeds-toward-next-chapter-9153462.php

pride

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Goals-met-Ledecky-speeds-toward-next-chapter-9153462.php

$ is the root of all politics

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/money-has-too-much-influence-politics-say-americans

Here's an idea:

1. Americans, including American businesses, stop contributing to the Republican and Democratic parties.
2. No more lobbyists, PACs or private mega-donors.
3. No more mass media (TV, radio, internet, robocalls, mailers, newspapers, magazines, billboards, etc.) political advertising.
4.  Candidates for political office will be allowed one mailing, presenting their position on issues, no sooner than two weeks before the election.

It's time to get the country back to what the Founding Fathers had in mind. Serving in office is service to the country, not unlike military service. Holding a political office should not be a lifetime occupation fed by BIG private money.

Unless the HUGE flow of private money into political parties and political candidates ceases, the intentions of the Founding Fathers will continue to be thwarted.

The Confessions of St. Augustine, Book 7, Probems of Thought and Belief

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkJkD82sAv0

includes an excellent discussion of the problem of evil, and Augustine's solution to the problem of evil

incredible rescues!

Watch: Dramatic rescue of woman from submerged car - CBS News

Rescuers form human chain to save woman from car during Ellicott City flood | WJLA

first day of school

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/photo-mother-jumping-joy-day-school-extends-tradition/story?id=41327433


60 years ago, my mom used to say: "I'll be tossing rose petals in front of the school bus!"

(There are six of us.)

LOL

environmental engineering

the BEST: bridges engineered to protect and preserve the environment 

https://blog.parksaustralia.gov.au/2015/11/06/christmas-island-ready-for-annual-red-crab-migration/

message for the media

Pediatrician Dr. Robert Hamilton demonstrates how to calm a crying baby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2C8MkY7Co8

Ingenious!

rigged presidential debates

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_debates

Debate sponsorship[edit]

Main article: Commission on Presidential Debates § Criticism

Control of the presidential debates has been a ground of struggle for more than two decades. The role was filled by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters (LWV) civic organization in 1976, 1980 and 1984.^[8] In 1987, the LWV withdrew from debate sponsorship, in protest of the major party candidates attempting to dictate nearly every aspect of how the debates were conducted. On October 2, 1988, the LWV's 14 trustees voted unanimously to pull out of the debates, and on October 3 they issued a press release:^[13]

The League of Women Voters is withdrawing sponsorship of the presidential debates...because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter. It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and answers to tough questions. The League has no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public.

According to the LWV, they pulled out because "the campaigns presented the League with their debate agreement on September 28, two weeks before the scheduled debate. The campaigns' agreement was negotiated 'behind closed doors' ... [with] 16 pages of conditions not subject to negotiation. Most objectionable to the League...were conditions in the agreement that gave the campaigns unprecedented control over the proceedings.... [including] control the selection of questioners, the composition of the audience, hall access for the press and other issues."^[13]

The same year the two major political parties assumed control of organizing presidential debates through the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). The commission has been headed since its inception by former chairs of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee.

Some have criticized the exclusion of third party and independent candidates as well as the parallel interview format as a minimum of getting 15 percent in opinion polls is required to be invited. In 2004, the Citizens' Debate Commission (CDC) was formed with the stated mission of returning control of the debates to an independent nonpartisan body rather than a bipartisan body. Nevertheless, the CPD retained control of the debates that year and in 2008.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Presidential_Debates

Until an end is put to the Democratic and Republican parties rigging elections, there will be no change.

Johnson endorsement

This Virginia Republican congressman has the right idea: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/07/us/politics/gary-johnson-libertarian-scott-rigell.html


https://www.johnsonweld.com/

credibility

Earlier this year Pope Francis told bishops that they should act more like pastors than "pilots" telling the faithful what to do.  http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=60595

Now Pope Francis seems to be reversing himself. 
http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=70279

What Pope Francis and many others in the church's hierarchy don't seem to understand is that the church has a credibility problem with non-Catholics and Catholics alike, caused by the numerous church scandals: priests molesting children, higher-ups covering it up, Vatican bank, seminaries, etc. 

The secular versions are:
"People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."
and
"Practice what you preach."

The biblical versions are:
“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”  John 8:7 
and
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence." Matt 23:25

Some might say that Pope Francis needs to "give it a rest": 
https://cruxnow.com/analysis/2016/08/13/memo-pope-francis-gods-sake-take-break/

Looking at the Roman Catholic church today, it isn't difficult to see the Roman influence: magnificent cathedrals, Roman architecture, riches, jewels, art, male dominated, emperor-like potentates, an elaborate court of officials, pomp & circumstance, etc.

Perhaps it's time to remake Jesus' church in His image, with a focus on God, not riches, ritual, architecture and earthly power and authority. Rather, a church focused on the Christian message: love God and love neighbor. 

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22: 36-40


a church with many members: 

"As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many.

If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”

Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts."

1 Corinthians 12: 12-31

bizzare murder

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/virginia-park-employee-accused-of-fatal-stabbing-caterer-at-wedding/2016/08/07/fa072c6e-5cab-11e6-8e45-477372e89d78_story.html

It seems like Bonds was in a difficult situation: (1) a 19 yr. old solely "in charge" for the park authority, (2) a large party, apparently ignoring park rules that required that the site be vacated and cleaned up well before the stabbing incident occurred, (3) Bonds called police earlier, but, according to the police, the dispute was "resolved", when apparently it wasn't, (4) according to other reports, Bonds called his park authority supervisor several times to apprise her of the situation. There's no excuse for what he did; but, it seems to me, that the park authority (leaving a 19 yr. old solely in charge and not responding to his calls for help) and the police (declaring the situation "resolved" and leaving) may share some responsibility in this tragic murder.

silence is underrated

Maybe it'd be better if we could all turn it off:

• Trump
• Clinton
• other politicians
• TV
• news
• 

• weather (3 times every half hour)
• radio
• internet
• traffic
• construction
• mowers & trimmers
• etc.

Silence is underrated. 

irony

BREAKING NEWS

NRA mourns death of Republican Party from self-inflicted wound (shot in the foot)

Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, President, Villanova University

https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/president/about_office/biography.html

Don't waste your vote

The candidates:

Every vote for Clinton or Trump takes a vote away from Gary Johnson. Extreme partisans will vote for Clinton and Trump; but, extreme partisans aren't the majority of U.S. voters.

Every vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for honesty, trustworthiness, decency, bipartisanship. Johnson, like his runningmate William Weld, are former successful Republican governors in Democratic states (another being Maryland governor Larry Hogan). They have proven that they can get the job done.

Don't waste your vote. Vote for the decent, honest, trustworthy, bipartisan candidate with proven experience to get the job done: https://www.johnsonweld.com/

OUR America

presidential?