A New Day in America

First of all, thanks for your concern about my health last week. The short of it was my blood pressure went up and the meds took it down too fast for my body to adjust and got me nauseus. I was bed-ridden from Friday afternoon until Monday evening. Even now I still feel woozy. Not used to this because I rarely get sick. Anyway, getting better everyday.

The mood in the White House changed on Inauguration day. The smiles and grimaces in people’s mouths 4 years ago switched places. The mainstream media was filled with festivity while the alternative news outlets were relatively quiet and behaved.

I listened to the speeches with objectivity (at least I think I did). And I realized inaugural speeches have some things in common.

1. All incoming Presidents are in disbelief that they are actually going to control the world.
2. They have generous hearts and promise they will be the President of all people and not just the ones who voted for them. And they promise to unite the parties.
3. They promise complete transparency.
4. The whole family of the elected officials are there in attendance and sometimes we get to see the whole kaboodle for the first time and in all their fashion statements.
5. The first family’s dirty laundry are not usually displayed … yet. No one wants to spoil the party.
6. It’s mostly always cold and the sun only starts warming the place near the end of the ceremonies. I ask myself, why not choose a warmer season? Why does it have to be in the first month?
7. But above all, despite the hostility of the elections, there is awe that America’s constitution is still preserved. Few countries can say they have a peaceful coup d’etat.

I for one wish all the best for the new President. I think everyone should give him a chance. Whether one is in the winning or the losing side, we are all still Americans. I like to believe we love our country and want what’s best for future generations. Our facts and our approach to success is just different.

Some say a good egg is cooked “over easy” and some like it “sunny side up.”  If you’re the cook, you decide what’s for breakfast. And if you don’t eat the food, you starve.

I like the video Don shares below. It shows how one instrument and different skills can create beautiful music.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: Cooperation is always more powerful than competition. TGIF people! God bless America!

Raoul

“If GRACE depends on our cooperation, then it is no longer GRACE.”
— Martin Luther

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC  for sharing this joke.

Video: The Operation

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, BC

The memories this video invokes.

When I was lying on the gurney while being wheeled into the operating theater at 7 am for my quad bypass the anesthesiologist was standing at the door and stopped me to ask what my name was.  After I replied he said. “Good morning, Mr. Copeland.”  Then, looking down at his clipboard, he continued, “Ah, yes, you’re in for the sex change operation.”

I didn’t really laugh at that moment but have done so many times since.  And I’ve often wondered whether he was trying to gauge by my reaction just how much juice to put into my drip. –– Don

Video: Bolero On One Cello

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, BC

Never really cared for Ravel’s Bolero. It became so popular after it was featured in the movie “10” with Bo Derek that I cringed every time I heard it. I once read that it is being played somewhere in the world every 15 seconds.

So I was surprised that this clever single-instrument performance could capture my interest, but perhaps it’s because it’s a parody and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Hope you like it. –– Don

Parting Shots

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C.

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC

Thanks to Mel of Washington, D.C. for these last two jokes.

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Curated by Ed Boitano

Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is U. S. President

Newspaper Headlines of the Inauguration of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

Courtesy (The Freedom Forum Today’s Front Pages – Freedom Forum)
The Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) foundation that fosters First Amendment freedoms for all.

From a Small, Rural Schoolhouse, One Teacher Challenged Nativist Attacks Against Immigration

Courtesy Ross Benes

In the wake of World War I, rabid anti-German sentiment led to the arrest, later deemed unjust by the U.S. Supreme Court, of Robert Meyer.

Southwest Marks 50th Anniversary with $50 Flights

Southwest Airlines is celebrating its 50th year in operation with one-way flight deals as low as $50 this winter.

Travelers have until February 8, 2021, to book the low fares, which require a 21-day advance purchase.

The discounted seats are valid for travel within the continental U.S. from February 9 through May 26, 2021. Meanwhile, travel between the continental U.S. and Hawaii, travel to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico and international travel are valid February 9 through May 20, 2021. Some blackout dates apply.

Booking weekday flights between the airline’s nearly dozen operating bases is likely to net travelers the biggest savings on spring travel. Notable routes available for $100 roundtrip include Atlanta-Nashville, Los Angeles-Las Vegas, Baltimore-Boston and Orlando-Fort Lauderdale.

Customers can also find nonstop international flights from under $180 one-way, including Houston (Hobby) to Cancun, Mexico for $175 and Orlando to Montego Bay, Jamaica from $153.

Contact your travel advisor or visit Southwest.com to search the airline’s low fare calendar based on your travel dates.

Germ Protection: Pack this Next Time You Have to Go Through TSA

Nakefits are lightweight, waterproof sole protectors that adhere to your feet and stay on for hours to protect you from germs, fungal infections, slipping and hot surfaces. Pop them on before going through TSA to give your feet protection. Or take them on a trip and pop them on before entering the hotel spa or sauna, taking a barefoot yoga class, or using the pool or hot tub. Available in a range of sizes suitable for children and adults, Nakefits can be easily removed without any pinching, peeling, or irritation of the skin. For further information, visit NakeFit USA.

Charting the Adventure Travel Industry’s Path to Recovery

Written by Heather Kelly

Tripadvisor and Phocuswright recently released a joint report reviewing consumer travel behavioral trends throughout 2020: A Year in Travel: Charting the Travel Industry’s Path to Recovery (free and publicly available). This report analyzes search and click data on Tripadvisor’s website throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, offers insights based on how travelers’ attitudes to travel are changing, and looks at what these trends may mean for the future recovery of the travel industry. The findings correspond with research from the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and offer additional insights into how the adventure travel industry can adapt to changing consumer preferences.

No Two Alike: The First Photos of Snowflakes

Courtesy of Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic

Published in 1923, these vintage images highlight the beauty and mystery of snow crystals.

In the late 1800s, a self-educated Vermont farmer by the name of Wilson Bentley made the first successful image, or “photomicrograph,” of a single snowflake. He used a bellows camera attached to a microscope.

Here are some of the very first photos of snowflakes.

Dublin & Galway Selected Friendliest Cities in Europe

It’s travel award season on the island of Ireland! In recent weeks, the island has been awarded a number of exciting accolades. Both Dublin and Galway have topped the Condé Nast friendliest cities in Europe list, while EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum has been awarded Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction by the World Travel Awards for the second year running.

Meanwhile, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel experts were wowed by the Burren Ecotourism Network’s community effort, naming them one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021. Ireland’s Burren Ecotourism Network has been named one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021.

“Heroes of Our America”: Reading a “Patriotic” History of the United States

By Alan J. Singer

Not long ago, history textbooks were written as patriotic fables. Examining one offers a warning about the cost of putting mythmaking ahead of historical learning

Heroes of Our America (1952) was a history book for fourth graders published by the Iroquois Publishing Company of Syracuse, New York. Its co-authors were Gertrude and John Van Duyn Southworth. John Southworth, with Harvard and Columbia University degrees, taught at a number of schools in the New York metropolitan area and was president of the publishing company. Gertrude Southworth, his frequent co-author, was also his mother.

I picked it off my office shelf after Donald Trump called for teaching “patriotic history” in American schools as a defense against a mythical radical “left” conspiracy and to ensure that  “our youth will be taught to love America.” Heroes of Our America is an example of the kind of “patriotic history” Donald and I were both exposed to as children in the 1950s. I grabbed the book when it was discarded from the Hofstra University Curriculum Materials Center only a couple of years ago.

The Future of History in the Pandemic Age

By Michael Creswell

Historians need to consider and prepare for changes to the profession that will follow the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attempting to predict the future is always perilous, and events frequently humble those who dare to try. Making predictions is especially hazardous for historians, who often struggle to explain the past. Peering into the future is not part of their professional training, and their efforts to do so are likely to fail.

 

Trapped in Museums for Centuries, Maori Ancestors Are Coming Home

Courtesy Ye Charlotte Ming

New Zealand’s repatriation program brings human remains back and lays them to rest.

To the Maori people of New Zealand, the practice of preserving one’s head after death was an act of love and respect. Beginning in 1770, Europeans began trading the mummified and tattooed Maori heads, also called toi moko, spurring enemy tribal groups to collect the heads of enemies for sale. Now, European museums are sending the toi moko home. Since 2003, the remains of more than 600 ancestors, including toi moko, have been returned to New Zealand.

Less Will be More in Post-Pandemic Travel: Airbnb Chief

Smaller cities and more family time will gain favor over global tourism permanently in the wake of the pandemic, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky predicts. “They’re not yearning to see Times Square” after months of isolation from normal life, he observes.

MORE

What’s New in Berlin: House of One – Three Religions in One House

Berlin is soon to become home to something truly unique. Jews, Christians, and Muslims are planning to build a house of worship here – one that brings a synagogue, a church, and a mosque together under one roof. The three separate sections will be linked by a communal room in the center of the building. This will serve as a meeting place, where worshipers and members of the public can come together and learn more about the religions and each other. The House of One is a contemporary expression of religious life, expressed in an equally modern architectural language.

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Hawaii Offers Tourists Free Hotel Stays in Exchange for Volunteer Work

The program’s goal is to inspire mindful travel

Written by Stefanie Waldek

If gorgeous beaches, an incredible cultural history, and active volcanoes aren’t enough to convince you to visit Hawaii, perhaps the state’s voluntourism deal for tourists will nudge you across the line.

As of Oct. 15, Hawaii has eliminated the 14-day quarantine requirement for visitors who partake in the official pre-travel testing program, which now means that the state is able to promote the Mālama Hawai‘i initiative to tourists.

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WNPA Recently Announced the Recipients of its Annual Awards

Western National Parks Association (WNPA), a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service (NPS) since 1938, recently announced the recipients of its annual awards. For over 30 years, WNPA has recognized individuals and organizations who make exceptional contributions to national parks and increase awareness of WNPA’s mission.

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5 Things Science Says Will Make You Happier

Research-backed habits that will improve your outlook and positive attitude

By Nataly Kogan
Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

It’s easy to assume that things like money and a luxurious lifestyle lead to happiness, but research shows that it’s the more simple experiences — like practicing gratitude or spending time with friends — that promote a sunny outlook.

Whether you need to shift from negative thoughts or want to continue a streak of positivity, here are five ways to boost happiness every day.

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What Americans Abroad Should Not Expect

Pancakes

The fluffy flour-based pancakes that American’s have come to love at breakfast time (or for brinner) just aren’t found abroad. French crêpes are too thin. The Japanese version (okonomiyaki) is too thick and most often topped with savory things like meat, seafood, and cabbage. Australian-style pancakes are too eggy and have sugar in the dough.

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The Radical History of Corporate Sensitivity Training

By Beth Blum

During these turbulent months, American corporations have responded to demands for racial justice by straining to showcase their sensitive sides. They’ve pledged, like Quaker Oats, to change offensive product names; they’ve scrambled, like Prada, nascar, and Delta, to implement emergency sensitivity workshops; and they’ve opted, like most of the major publishing houses, to hire sensitivity readers to vet new manuscripts for racist representations. Not so at the Donald Trump White House.

MORE

The Pentagon is Missing the Big Picture on “Stars and Stripes”

By Mark T. Hauser

The Pentagon’s plan to scrap funding for the Stars and Stripes newspaper isn’t just an attack on a historic military institution. It’s ignoring the lessons the paper’s history offers for efficient operation and integrating military operations with the economic life of the nation.

MORE

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1. They are terrified of Trump, his base, his threats, his violent followers, and afraid of being slammed with primary challenges from the far right Trumpian maniacs in their next election cycle.
2. They are cynical opportunists, cashing in on the fund raising frenzy, duping and gouging the pathetic, gullible and frightened conspiracy believing American subset, ramping up their own 2024 presidential campaigns by sucking up to the Trump base and entertaining the QAnon, OAN, Trumpian fantasies as, My God!, maybe…true?
3. They are deeply and perversely ignorant, racist, anti-democracy, neofascistic cretins who have been disgorged from the sewers and dumpsters of America, courtesy of their Enabler in Chief Donald Trump, and they are woefully unable to grasp the very basic essence of fact, integrity and decency.

But perhaps I am too hard on these fine people?

No, I don’t think so.

I’m not worried about America. Biden will become president on January 20th and the long hard road to healing and rebuilding and restoring our country, our democracy, and saving the lives of our people from Covid and climate change will begin.

The post Loyalty, the Cult and the Incompetent Authoritarian appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Assumptions

We have a President. We just don’t know who he is. Welcome to the 2020 post election!

I’m amused by the selective coverage of the news media. If you only listen to the left-leaning TV media (ABC, CNN, NBC, PBS, MSNBC, NHK, Newsy), they do not see any evidence of election fraud. If you listen to the right-leaning media (Fox, OAN, Newsmax) they have a lot of evidence. They all have interviews with only the people who share their views.

A wise counselor told me emotions are real but they cannot be trusted because they do not change the facts. Emotions can be passengers in a bus but you’d be crazy to let emotions drive it.

I had a pleasant conversation with someone who is my political polar opposite. How was that possible? We respect each other. We’ve known each other a long time. I know she wants the best for America and the world and so do I … we just have different paths based on different data we have gathered. We decided that neither of us have a monopoly of the facts … we just have assumptions. Big difference!

Of course we would like our candidate to win but our world isn’t going to end if they don’t. Neither of us plan to move to Canada.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: bring respect and your assumptions to the discussion table but leave your emotions outside. TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.  for sharing this joke.

Video: Trapeze Act

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood, California

Mel’s Puns

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood, CA

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA for this last gag.

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The Legend of the SS Liberty

Few are familiar with the legend of the SS Liberty, a barque… a ship that carried a hundred people headed for the new world. 28 were businessmen, 30 were laborers while the majority was a mix of the two. During those days the trip took them over a month to get to their destination.

Unrest between the the social factions emerged. Some say it was the sea wind, others say it was cabin fever but most believe the trouble started because the inept captain had miscalculated the provisions and they were running out of food. The mutinous passengers decided to elect a new captain: Who was the smartest among them? Who was capable of leading them to survive the trip? Two candidates emerged. One was an intellectual businessman and other was a laborer with street smarts. At first the contest was respectful but then rumors started to spread about sexual indiscretions and relatives getting extra rations. Eventually, the divide between the businessmen and the laborers increased… neither group listened to the other. To make matters worse, someone contracted cholera and the disease began to spread.

Clusters of bullies emerged and they started to destroy the tables and chairs as a show of force if they did not get their demands met. The anarchy escalated to burning the galley which almost sank the ship.

The elections were held. The losing side accused the other of cheating. Bullies muscled their way into the store room, found a powder magazine and blew up the helm and they lost the ship’s rudder. Many had died of the cholera but many more died of the explosion. When the dust cleared, the few who were still left standing cried in desperation at their new captain for answers.

The proud captain, picked himself up from the rubbish and gazed at the grief-stricken faces. He knew this was his moment. He needed to give them hope.

“Well,” he started, “at least there are fewer of us to feed.” 

AND THAT’S WHEN THE RIOT STARTED!

It’s a joke guys! It’s a joke!

You didn’t think I had the solution to the problems we’re facing here in America, did you? I wish I did. My simple message today is we are on the same boat. We burn it down, we all sink with it. So let’s stop this suicidal track of destruction.

My election prediction: The next President will be a male senior citizen with a 5-letter name who will be wondering “how the heck did I get into this mess?”

Be safe, be healthy, and remember the legend of the SS Liberty! TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Charlie of New Jersey  for sharing this joke.

Video: Kids are Smart

Thanks to Jun of Encino, California
A cute video of very smart babies. When I was their age, I was eating dirt.

Video: A Boy and His Skeleton Friend

Thanks to Bok of Makati, Philippines
Just in time for Halloween. It’s more strange and cute than scary.

Video: Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Thanks to Nani of San Juan, Philippines
A revival of an old tune that’s perfect for these worrisome times. As long as you are a child of God, you need not worry.

Rodney’s Puns

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C. who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC for another Monkey gag

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena for the last gag

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

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The News Conspiracy

I have a conspiracy theory about the news organizations. Have you ever wondered why there are never-ending intrigues when it comes to politics?

I think I figured it out. Step back from all that noise and you will see there is a strategy in the madness. Follow the money. The media thrives on sensationalism. The more intrigue, the more anger and frustration, the more people hunger for justice … a sense of justice and a narrative that they shape in our minds.

They sensationalize to sell newspapers, magazines, TV talk shows, Late Night comedy, etc. They did it with the OJ Simpson trials, the terrorist attacks, the Meuller investigation, the Kavanaugh hearings and now they’re doing it with the impeachment proceedings. The tabloid formula of the National Inquirer works.

What if all this bickering was all an act? I remember a conspiracy theory between Coca Cola and Pepsi where both companies got into advertising wars. The two soft drink giants were always in the spotlight and In the process, all the other soda were forgotten. Do you see the same thing happening in the news?

Of course you know I’m just kidding. Unfortunately, those media people really hate each other. But you gotta admit that they’re good at polarizing the citizens and earning a lot in the process.

At least, that’s how I see it. You’ve gotta be really stupid or really intelligent to draw different conclusions from the same facts. What do you think?

TGIF people!

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA for sharing this joke.

Don’s Puns

Funny Video

Italian for President

Sent by Mike of New York City

WARNING: Foul Language

Parting Shot

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who shared this:

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