Creamistry - Delight & Disaster

It's a rarity for me to give any establishment a lone star no matter how horrendous, but my experience tonight with Creamistry warrants it - amply. 

It didn't help that our attempts at placing our first order were hampered by deafening music. So how loud was it? 

It was so loud that our "server" was forced to yell instructions at us.  And if you've been to the Creamistry you know about the abundance of options to consider. Even had this store been as quiet as a bad joke, it would still take contemplation to wade through the complexities of ordering. Add the concert hall music to the equation - it was formidable.  

Finally, after neither my daughter or I could hear our server, we kindly asked her if it were possible to lower the volume. She then turned around and shouted at another girl to "turn it down." She also used sign language to emphasize her request.

Unfortunately, girl #2 could not hear what girl #1 was saying, nor could she comprehend her hand gestures. This caused girl #2 to shout back,"WHAT!?" To which girl #1 screamed even louder, "TURN DOWN THE MUSIC!!" Whereupon girl #2 froze and glared at us as if we had just demanded that she clean her bedroom. 

Girl #2 then disappeared to the recesses of the back room where she spun the volume knob from an ear-shattering 10 all the way down to a 9. I'm sure she did so while muttering something about the old fart geezer. 

Still having the music to contend with, three workers on our left suddenly began the process of making

ice cream for anxious patrons. This operation comprised of banging large metal bowls with such gusto that one would think grizzlies were swiftly approaching.

Regardless, and commotion aside, we at long last managed to place our order. 

My daughter ordered mint. I chose chocolate chip mint. Being content with just ice cream, we declined toppings. I did, however, ask if it were possible to drizzle caramel on top, which she was happy to oblige. I then saw a scrumptious looking waffle cup and added it to my order. 

In total, we ordered 3 cups: 2 small and 1 mini (for my wife). The total came to (and this NO exaggeration) just under $20. At first I was convinced I heard her incorrectly (as it remained hard to make out words). I handed her a ten dollar bill while shouting that I didn't quite hear her. My daughter then pointed to the glowing total on the register - sure enough, it was $19.39! Gulp. 

Had we not worked so hard at placing our order I probably would have otherwise thanked her for her time, apologized for my ignorance, and sheepishly scampered away. However, considering we had put so much effort into understanding and deciding what to order (not to mention honing our lip reading skills), it seemed reckless not to salvage the time we had invested.   

My daughter received her ice cream within minutes. Impressed. 

However, we were not as lucky with the 2 remaining cups.

I'm not at all sure what was going on, but the vaporous mists emanating from the clamorous buckets made it look like something out a B horror movie. I so wanted to inquire but balked for fear of encouraging yet another shout-fest. 

So, we simply waited patiently while nibbling lightly on my daughters creamy mint ice cream. It was delightful! 

Eventually, our 2 cups emerged. 

First thing I noticed was that either their caramel topping was in short supply or that the word "drizzle" was mistaken for "dismal." I wanted to say something but the music was still booming, and besides, it was a kind afterthought - or so I thought. I later learned I was charged a buck. Mind you, it's not the cost but rather I was not informed a "drizzle" incurred a fee, nor that my cup would receive maybe a farthing's worth.

Secondly, it was evident that my green mint ice cream looked nothing like my daughter's ice cream. While her's was soft and velvety, mine looked chunky and icy. Hmm - interesting. 

We quickly exited (oh what joy to our ears), where I could not wait to take my first bite of what was sure to be pure ambrosia. Right? But wait, my tongue and lips groped about frantically for flavor - it was nowhere to be found.

I instantly dug my spoon into my daughter's cup...again, delight. Then back to my cup, and again, nothing but cold paste. What? My daughter also performed a taste test, and then offered an explanation:

"Dad, you ordered the coconut flavor option..," which we later deduced was Creamistry lingo for "tasteless." 

Were this not bad enough, my waffle cup was cellophane-thin and rubbery. Awful. 

Lastly, we learned that my "chocolate chip" was not an actual ice cream flavor but a topping, which I also paid extra. Go figure. 

Long story short, the Creamistry was a colossal disappointment - nonexistent service, uncongenial atmosphere, exorbitant prices, and unexceptional savor.

Sadly, I think we now know the true meaning to Creamistry:  it's a "mistry" why anyone would patronize this place just to get creamed.

Mark 
©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

The Lesser of Two Evils - It's About Choosing Sin, Not Politicians

If you've spent any time surfing the web or simply reading your Facebook posts of late, chances are you've been exposed to the meme above. It says it was penned by Charles Spurgeon. It even displays his dignified signature. The only problem is Spurgeon did not write it.

So then, since Charles Spurgeon did not inscribe these words, who did? 

Have you ever heard of Michael Marcavage? Me neither. Marcavage is an American missionary and the founder of Repent America, an evangelistic ministry based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Marcavage aside, even he did not prohibit Christians from voting their conscience for their candidate of choice. That is, since "ALL men sin and fall short of God’s glory" (RO 3:23), one would presume that ALL encompasses politicians, including those we admire as well as those who we do not. This embodies those whom we would see as a saint, as well as those whom we are absolutely sure, are the antichrist. 

After all, ALL are sinners.

The long and short of it is this meme was manufactured. It misattributes Marcavage with Spurgeon, in a not so veiled attempt to trash whichever of the current presidential candidates you believe is "the lesser of two evils." Plain and simple.

Spurgeon’s actual quote is from The Salt Cellars – Proverbs and Quaint Sayings. Its admonition offers direction when confronted with a choice of clear sin, such as if deciding between stealing and murder. To this Spurgeon applies the saying when writing:

Of two evils choose neither. Don’t choose the least, but let all evils alone.

That is, Spurgeon did not comment on voting or politics of any sort. Instead, the CONTEXT of Spurgeon's admonition addresses spirituality and illustrates the foolishness of devising false choices where both are missing God’s mark.

Spurgeon’s counsel was clearly understood in his day, and its usage has invariably been acknowledged and accepted without confusion. That is, it was clear until an American election emerged where a plan was hatched to incapacitate Christians by keeping them from voting. Powers that be are resolved to distract the salt-of-the-earth from making a wise choice between two deeply flawed people.

Interesting enough, Spurgeon knew that some would MISUSE his advice and even WARNED people of doing so. He begins his caution with the following:

There is a wicked way of using this saying…

"Of all evils choose the least,” by applying it to an undersized wife. When the Lacedaemonians fined their king for marrying a little woman, he excused himself by saying that of two evils he had chosen the less.

The old rhymster said:

“If wives are evils, as ’tis known,
 And wofully confessed,

the man who’s wise will surely own,

A little one is best."

———————

Spurgeon’s advice on voting, which he offered frequently, was that Christians must continue to be involved citizens of their own country and that they should use their vote wisely in the sight of God:

I would not, however, say to any persons here present, despise the privilege which you have as citizens. Far be it from me to do it. When we become Christians we do not leave off being Englishmen; when we become professors of religion we do not cease to have the rights and privileges which citizenship has bestowed on us. Let us, whenever we shall have the opportunity of using the right of voting, use it as in the sight of Almighty God, knowing that for everything we shall be brought into account, and for that amongst the rest, seeing that we are entrusted with it. And let us remember that we are our own governors, to a great degree, and that if at the next election we should choose wrong governors we shall have nobody to blame but ourselves, however wrongly they may afterwards act, unless we exercise all prudence and prayer to Almighty God to direct our hearts to a right choice in this matter. May God so help us, and may the result be for his glory, however unexpected that result may be to any of us!”– Charles Spurgeon, Particular Election (Sermon).

Finally, if the preceding weren't enough, Spurgeon also offered this tidbit of wisdom:

Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” All men have at times lusted, but is a wife to be nonchalant, noncommittal, and nonresistant if her husband watches porn every night? Both are evil, but one is less odious than the other is. No, all sins do not carry the same penalty and are not rated equally offensive.

As Spurgeon suggested, discernment is required to differentiate between options – the difference between right and wrong and the difference between wrong and very wrong.

Trump vs Clinton? 

You decide.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

10 Undeniable Distinctions Between M&Ms’s and FNM’s (You Won't See In Fake News Media)

You can't miss it - misinformation in our mainstream media is everywhere! There was a time when we labeled this calculated misreporting yellow journalism. Today, however, we know it simply as Fake News!

Undeniably, the "yellow kids" are back at it like never before (well, at least since the 1890's). Yellow journalism, with its deliberate misinformation and hoaxes, is spreading like wildfire. And in the wake of its global resurgence, the very fabric of reputable media coverage is being undermined.

10 Undeniable Distinctions Between M&Ms’s and FNM’s (You Won't See In Fake News Media)

As you might suspect, the primary purpose of yellow journalism is to mislead. Why? To gain a financial or political advantage. How? By employing sensational, exaggerated, or patently false headlines to grab your attention, and then follow up with deceptive content. Where? It's found in every facet of our culture, in print, recordings, cinema, radio, television, the internet, and mobile phones. Thus, "fake news media."

Although the phrase Fake News Media is gaining traction, and at a rapid clip, it is still, however, in its neologistic stage. That is, it has yet to be fully acknowledged into the mainstream language.

Personally, I'd like to see the Fake News Media designation established sooner rather than later. But for the neologism to be recognized in Websters Dictionary some sort of catalyst is required to accelerate its pace of acceptance.

That's when it occurred to me. What better way to hasten the adoption of a phrase than to generate its very own acronym. The perfect accelerant!

To that end I forged ahead, making one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind, by dubbing Fake News Media as "FNM."

And with that, dear friends, FMN's were officially launched (you may rightly deduce that this blog post acts as the imprimatur for FNM's sanctioned usage).

However, no sooner had the letters FNM rolled off my tongue when it became readily apparent that its very utterance could easily be mistaken for M&M's. Understandably, I could not risk letting that stand for a moment.

This brings me to the reason for my post – to clear up any confusion that could arise from anyone citing M&M's or FNM's. Clarity is demanded.

Following then, is a result of countless hours of painstaking research and sweat.

First, I contacted Mars Incorporated. After speaking with at least a dozen helpful voices I pressed on until I finally reached the CEO, Grant Reid. We got down to business quickly, and within five minutes his email arrived in my inbox. It was the Holy Grail I was looking for: the list of the ten most authoritative and often referenced facts about M&M's. Check.

Next, I vigorously contemplated the similarities and differences between the official M&M's facts and what we understand today about FNM's. It was tough going but I think the what developed was worthy of the challenge. Check.

Finally, I compiled my two lists and posted them below, in juxtaposition to each other.

Having said all that...it gives me a Chris Matthews, tingle-up-the-spine thrill to introduce you to the 10 Undeniable Distinctions Between M&Ms’s and FNM’s (You Won't See In Fake News Media).

------------------------------

1

The two letters in M&M represent the names of:

• Forrest E. Mars Sr., the founder of Newark Company. 
• Bruce Murrie, the son of Hershey Chocolate's president William F. R. Murrie. 

The three letters in FNM represent the names of:

• Fake – the foundation of the agenda driven journalism (see Nancy Pelosi, CNN, 2017 Democratic Party). 
• News – any dubious, unreliable, misleading, unsubstantiated, and contrived information circulated as having passed the rigors of bona fide journalism to promote a political agenda. 
• Media – the handmaiden of the ruler of the world, Satan, the progenitor of the vast majority of information American’s are exposed to in print, online and television news. There are documented incidents where He's even infiltrated Fox. 

------------------------------

2

M&M’s are “colorful button-shaped chocolates,” each of which has the letter “m" printed in lower case on one side, surrounds a filling which varies depending upon the variety of M&M’s.

FNM’s are “deceitful misshaped journalism,” each of which is identified by their fake-news letters printed in either lower or upper case, propounds an agenda which varies depending upon the variety of FNM’s.

------------------------------

3

The original candy had a milk chocolate filling which, upon introducing other variations, was branded as the “plain.”

The original media had a noble appellation, the Fourth Pillar of Democracy, which, upon introducing other infiltrations, was branded as the “fake news media.”

------------------------------

4

Numerous other variations of M&M’s have been introduced, some of which are regularly widespread varieties (such as peanut butter, almond, pretzel, crispy, dark chocolate, and caramel).

Numerous other variations of FNM’s have been introduced, some of which are regularly widespread varieties (such as New York Times, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, CNN, Buzzfeed, and USA Today).

------------------------------

5

M&M’s originated in the United States in 1941, and are now consumed throughout the world.

FNM’s originated in Print (books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, etc.) from the late 15th century, Recordings (gramophone records, magnetic tapes, cassettes, cartridges, CDs, and DVDs) from the late 19th century, Cinema from about 1900, Radio from about 1910, Television from about 1950, Internet from about 1990, Mobile phones from about 2000, and are now consumed throughout the world.

------------------------------

6

More than 400 million individual M&M candies are produced every day in the United States alone.

More than 400 million individual FNM reports are produced every day in the United States alone.

------------------------------

7

M&M’s are produced in different colors, some of which have changed over the years.

FNM’s are produced in one color, Comrade Red, none of which have changed over the years.

------------------------------

8

The candy-varnished chocolate concept was inspired by an innovative method used to allow soldiers to carry chocolate without having it dissolve into guck.


The truth-varnished story concept was inspired by an old-fashioned method used to allow journalists to misshape news without voters knowing the facts have been dissolved into guck.

------------------------------

9

"Melts in your mouth, not in your hand."
M&M’s longest-lasting slogan describes its appeal to those who have observed chocolates melting long before it has ever reached their mouth to be swallowed.


“Melts in your heart, not in your brain.”
FNM’s longest-lasting slogan describes its appeal to those who swallow news emotionally long before it has ever reached their brain to be observed.

------------------------------

10

The weight of a traditional M&M is consistent, weighing about 0.032 ounces and has about 4.7 kilocalories of substantive energy (1.7 kcal from fat).

The weight of a traditional FNM varies greatly, weighing about six tons (for emotional consumers) to 0.00001 ounces (for thinking individuals) and has about 0.00001 kilocalories of substantive energy (959.0 kcal from fatheads).

------------------------------

Mark
©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures


SEE ALSO:
Similar Candies from other companies:

• Smarties
• Cadbury Gems
• Reese's Pieces
• Sixlets

Similar Media from other countries:

• Pyongyang (North Korea)
• Pravda (Russia)
• Kayhan (Iran)
• Tishreen (Syria)

————————————

DID YOU KNOW?

M&M’s
E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial
In 1982, the Mars candy bar company rejected the inclusion of M&M's by the new Steven Spielberg movie E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial.

Competitor Hershey, on the other hand, took a chance with their Reese's Pieces, which is similar to M&M's but contains a peanut butter filling, and with its blockbuster success, its candy sales dramatically increased, perhaps by as much as 300%.


FNM’s
T.D.S. – Trump Derangement Syndrome
In 2016, the Hillary Clinton campaign accepted the inclusion of FNM’s by the new Robby Mook manager, which resulted in a humiliating defeat largely because a mental disorder known as T.D.S. – Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Competitor Sanders, on the other hand, took a chance with their Increases Fleeces (a socialist campaign, aka, Feel the Bern), which is similar to FNM’s but contains a banana filling, and regardless of its blockbuster success, its electoral votes dramatically decreased, perhaps by as much as 300%.

The ONLY Reason to Vote for Trump

Max Learner once said, "When you choose the lesser of two evils, always remember that it is still an evil." For those weighing the candidates dealt for the upcoming 2016 presidential election, the consequences of their vote could prove less malignant were they to heed such learned counsel.

For me, the choice between America's two evils is not about which presidential candidate has the potential of doing more good, but rather which will leave less carnage behind. Considering the contrasting defects between Trump and Clinton can be summed up as the bombastic bully versus the criminal-in-waiting, I'm convinced the choice is as clear as Hillary's email servers.  

While one can only imagine what could become of America in the hands of a spectacularly corrupt, career politician (married to an impeached president and perennial philander, no less), I think it's a safer bet to hand the button to spectacularly successful businessman, regardless of his equally spectacular intractable behavior. 

The ONLY reason to vote for Trump is that he is repairable – Clinton is not.

Listen folks, we're up the proverbial creek without a paddle any way you look at it. However, don't you think it's wiser to trust America's challenges to a person who's mastered the art of the deal versus a serial scoundrel who's mastered the art of the steal? 

Either way, the country is in for one heck of a ride. Regardless, at the end of four years of Trump, even at his worse, the weight of his ego will amount to nothing more than a flat tire. It's repairable and America will be on the road again, recovering quickly. 

However, there are disastrous ramifications for sanctioning a consummate gangster. Hillary will place a burden on our country so great that it will rupture our economy, tear our constitution to shreds, and make recovery a multi-decade proposition, if ever.

To wit, come this November, when contemplating which candidate will earn your vote, you need recall ONLY one reason you're going to reject the politician and vote for the businessman: Trump is repairable – Clinton is not. 

Simply jot down this helpful axiom and carry it with you in the voting booth. The country and I thank you.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

The Trump Vote Enabler!

Obviously, I am not a fan of Donald Trump. Why? For me, it's about character. 

In 1998, when my then seven year old daughter asked me, "Daddy, what's a blow job," I realized at that moment not only how the defects of our elected officials can affect us Americans right in our very home, but how vital it is for us to elect leaders who best epitomize principled character – a person who lives in such a way that we are proud their honorable lifestyle is imparted to our children. 

In short, Trump does not exhibit the exemplary character traits that I admire, nor would I want his attitudes and uncivil way of expressing his perspectives be adopted by my children, let alone our nation.

Mind you, Hillary Clinton's conduct is equally, if not more, odious. Both she and Trump reside at the bottom of the proverbial barrel – though this particular container appears to be more contaminated than most. 

However, when the stratum of scum is microscopically peeled away, Trump is located a few layers higher from the nethermost. And being a proponent of the principle of "the lesser of two evils," I am bound to cast my vote for Trump – as distasteful as that is. 

To wit, if you are anything like me and feel duty-bound to vote in presidential elections, you just might require assistance this cycle in casting your ballot. Both options are a tough, tough, call. Regardless, since our choice is between suffering from a greater loss of freedoms or enduring a bombastic, vainglorious trumpeter, I have to go with the latter. 

I trust my Trump Vote Enabler® will give you the courage to step out, turn out, and do what needs to be done. With any luck it will only be four years...right?

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

They All Belong Behind Bars

Bernie is a carny who is best treated as if approaching a circus cage. His whacked yet dangerous ideas are entertaining for sure but that's the extent of him. 

Hillary's most significant and welcomed service to America will occur when she serves her time in prison – I would not expect amorous conjugal visits from Bill.

Donald cannot open his mouth without complaining or throwing tantrums – "whining Don" is better suited for a crib than the oval office. 

The only candidate best equipped to restore America is Ted – nevertheless, it's still a sentence carrying a minimum term of four years, with four more years awarded for good behavior.

Let's hope whoever earns the presidency, they will put the interests of the country at the fore.  

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

The Consequences of Liberalism

The Consequences of Liberalism (Googtoon©2015 Mark Jordan Koeff)

If President Barack Obama's statements likening ISIS to a "JV Team" were not incriminating enough, just hours before Frances' worst terrorist attack ever, Obama was on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” where in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, he downplayed the threat of ISIS.

Stephanopoulos' softball question to Obama regarding whether ISIS was gaining in strength, was as expected, if not planned, quickly denied.

Obama responded, “I don’t think they’re gaining strength. What is true is that from the start, our goal has been first to contain and we have contained them. They have not gained ground in Iraq, and in Syria they’ll come in, they’ll leave, but you don’t see this systemic march by ISIL across the terrain.”

Obama also admitted that, “What we have not yet been able to do is to completely decapitate their command and control structures," but fell short of conceding his failure to articulate a cogent and comprehensive strategy is a possible cause for global terrorist resurgence. 

So then, how has Obama's tune changed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris? President Obama claimed he doesn’t “want to speculate” on who perpetrated the attacks. Regardless of a profusion of reports affirming that the gunmen were shouting, ‘This is for Syria,’ and ‘Allahu Akbar’ our feckless leader is incapable of stating the obvious. 

In contrast to President Obama, French President Francois Hollande offers us a different perspective:

“To all those who have seen these awful things, I want to say we are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow.”

I can only hope the world is watching and and taking note. On the one hand we have a slick politician who told the world that terrorism was "on the run," "decimated," and "on their heals," and has yet to come to grips the gravity of Islamic terrorism. On the other hand, we hear a French politician tell it like is, exposing the existential realities of terrorism. So I ask you, which of these leaders inspires confidence in fighting ISIS?

Will the horrors in France be a wakeup call for the world? We can only hope - and possibly write blog posts....

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

Orange County Headshots

Capitalism vs Socialism

Capitalism vs Socialism 

"Democracy and Socialism having nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." Alexis de Tocqueville 

Shortly after posting my Googtoon meme on my Facebook page, a good friend (and a deeply possessed liberal) posted his most insightful comment, "Plenty of bread in capitalism, if you can afford it!" To which I replied:

Once again, another American showing their stripes. So very sad, but I guess it’s what’s to be expected from decades of an eduction system telling children what to think rather than how to - independently. 

Capitalism vs Socialism - The 2016 Presidential Election (Googtoon ©2015 Mark Jordan Koeff)

We know from history that socialism has been the single most devastating cause of carnage and death. No other system or philosophy comes anywhere close. 

We also know that ALL political systems, being man conceived and implemented, are inherently flawed. There is no such thing a perfect system. No matter how noble and just one’s intent in devising an economic blueprint, someone or some group is going to suffer. There is no getting around it. Human beings are flawed and thus so are their designs. 

The real issue, however, is not so much that all political systems are imperfect, but rather EVEN IF God himself handed down the perfect system, it would still be run by…yes, you gessoed it, HUMANS!

So then, the question is not which system is flawed, because they all are, but which one is the BEST and has the most potential for advancing the human race. 

Again, Socialism is not only contrary to human nature, but has proven to be the most deadliest force on the planet. 

Capitalism, on the other hand has given the world the greatest years or prosperity the world has ever know. Though far from perfect, it has yet to be leashed in it’s purest form and it’s darn near impossible to keep the bloody hands of socialists from diluting and perverting it. 

To wit, for me, it seems that wisdom is found in actually trying Capitalism, unfettered by liberal intervention, and then tweaking it as we discover the facets that don’t advance freedom and property.

----------------------------

Quickly now, a brief summary of the opposing economic systems:

CAPITALISM

Capitalism is an economic system in which trade, industry, and the means of production are privately owned and operated to maximize profit, with the price system providing price signals for the factors of production. Central characteristics of capitalism include private property, capital accumulation, wage labour and, in some situations, fully competitive markets. In a capitalist market economy, investments are determined by private decision and the parties to a transaction typically determine the prices at which they exchange assets, goods, and services. Since Capitalism presents its citizenry with enumerable life choices, it's cornerstone of the Declaration of Independence and the pursuit of happiness. 

SOCIALISM

Socialism is a social and economic system characterized by social ownership and democratic control of the means of production. It is also a political theory and movement that aims at the establishment of such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to public ownership, cooperative ownership, citizen ownership of equity, or any combination of these. Although there are many varieties of socialism and there is no single definition encapsulating all of them, social ownership is the common element shared by its various forms.

----------------------------

The 1916 Presidential Election offers the American people a stark contrast in philosophical and political realities. While the Obama administration has always been far to the left of the Clinton administration, it apparently is nowhere near far enough for the current Democratic base. And two Democratic frontrunners are listening: Bernie Sanders and Hilary Clinton. They not only promise to shift further in a leftward drift but appear to be in a race for who can out-socialize Stalin.

The question is not if Democrats are moving left but whether an otherwise pop-culturized, indolent society is paying attention. My guess is that we are not. However, the election is still young and we have yet to dance. 

I promise to do my part to wake up the country. How about you?

Mark
©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures
Mark Jordan Photography
Orange County Family Portraits
Orange County Headshots

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Thomas Jefferson Quotes

• A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.
• When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. 
• The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
• It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
• I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
• My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." 
• No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms
• The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
• The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. 
• To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. 
• I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." The Federal Reserve Bank (The FED) is a private bank.

Relatively Speaking

The Language of Music, Relative Speaking ©2015

Facebook meme of Albert Einstein
posted by fellow musician, 
Samuel Oliver Scott.

The Language of Music, Relatively Speaking was motivated by a post I saw on Facebook by a fellow musician, Samuel Oliver Scott. Though I had seen it before, something about it struck me differently. 

The thought occurred to me that many things in life are indeed relative, which segued into thinking about the relative keys in music. Voilà, E Major's  relative minor C#. Of course.

Mark

©Googtoon - Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures

Mark Jordan Photography

Orange County Family Portraits

Orange County Headshots




FYI:

In music, relative keys are the major and minor scales that have the same key signatures. A pair of major and minor scales sharing the same key signature are said to be in a relative relationship. The relative minor of a particular major key, or the relative major of a minor key, is the key which has the same key signature but a different tonic. Relative keys are closely related keys, the keys between which most modulations occur, in that they differ by no more than one accidental (none in the case of relative keys).

Orchestrated by Obama

Orchestrated by Obama (Googtoon ©2015 Mark Jordan Koeff)

By Donald Lambro

"The measly number of jobs that the Obama economy created last month is raising new fears of a steeper employment decline this year and next.

Last Friday’s shocking Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report stunned economists, shook Wall Street, and offered little if any hope for long-term, unemployed Americans finding full-time work anytime soon.

It doesn't get much worse than this! Watch what happens when this guy tries to load his new truck.

“There’s nothing good in this morning’s report,” Carl Tennenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust, said last week. “We had very low levels of job creation, wage growth isn’t budging, and the unemployment rate would have risen if the labor force participation rate hadn’t fallen.”

The U.S. Labor Department’s data-gathering arm said employers added only 142,000 jobs in September, far less than the 201,000 jobs that were forecast.

The BLS’ estimate in August was revised downward, too, showing that the economy had produced only 136,000 jobs, not the 173,000 jobs originally reported.

July’s jobs report was also revised lower from 245,000 to 223,000. The administration is big on revising job data, because the original, exaggerated estimate draws all the news coverage and the downward revision is ignored.

Taking Friday’s revision into account, employment gains have averaged just 167,000 a month over the past three months. In a nation of 160 million working age adults, that is pathetic.

Worse, there are bigger job cuts to come, with future layoffs totaling 58,877, according to the job analysis firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

That’s a 43 percent jump from the previous month, and it’s on track to score the highest layoff levels since 2009. “We could see more job fallout” to come, the firm said.

Economic analysts are digging into the rapidly shrinking figures to find the chief causes of America’s downward job spiral. The Obama administration is putting all the blame on the global economy’s slowdown, particularly China.

But critics are pointing to more local problems here at home: the Obama administration’s anti-growth, anti-job, anti-investment fiscal policies. The nation’s workforce has shrunk to 62.4 percent of the population, the lowest level since 1977, as discouraged workers have stopped looking for employment.

“The new numbers are poor on pretty much every level,” writes New York Times star economics analyst Neil Irwin, who says September’s job numbers “are easily the worst of 2015 so far.”

“This is usually the point in one of these stories where we list the silver linings — the countervailing details that suggest it isn’t as bad as all that. This report doesn’t really offer any,” Mr. Irwin says.

“Average weekly hours fell. Average hourly pay was unchanged. The number of people in the labor force fell by 350,000,” and the number of people who reported having a job fell by 236,000,” he said.

President Obama and his apologists in the White House keep pointing to the low 5.1 percent unemployment rate as one of his biggest accomplishments. In fact, he had little if anything to do with it.

The declining unemployment rate is largely due to the way the BLS defines long-term jobless people who have given up looking but still want to work.

When BLS survey-takers ask them if they have looked for work in the past four or more weeks, and they say “no,” they are not added to the unemployed list and the jobless rate goes down. Pretty clever, huh?

Let’s add one more nail into what and who’s responsible for Mr. Obama’s 5.1 percent unemployment rate.

Morgan Stanley, a leading investment firm, released an analysis last week that said the falling unemployment rate was “entirely attributable” to the decline in the labor force participation rate.

In his rah-rah speeches about his economy, Mr. Obama always throws out rosy manufacturing numbers. But what about last week’s Institute of Supply Management report that suggests U.S. manufacturing “slowed to a standstill in September,” Mr. Irwin asks.

Indeed, since August it’s shed 27,000 jobs, the largest two-month decline since 2009.

Mr. Obama is silent as the grave on that question. Don’t look for a story on the nightly network news about it, either. It doesn’t fit in with their agenda.

But while Mr. Irwin easily ticks off all of the painful economic figures he can find, he seems to throw up his hands about what’s causing the economy’s collapse — except to say that “there is an underlying economic fragility causing” this and “that something deeper is wrong with the global economy.”

Yeah, sure. When something isn’t working, like much of America’s workers, blame somebody else, except the guy in the White House who is clueless about how to produce stronger growth and good-paying jobs.

The day after Friday’s jobs report, The Washington Post blamed it all on “China’s economic malaise” which, it said, was “spilling over onto American shores.” The Post buried the jobs story on Page 12.

But the nation’s business economists were taking it very seriously and didn’t mince words in their responses. There was more at stake in this report than just jobs.

“It was an ugly report,” said J.J. Kinahan, TD Ameritrade’s chief market strategist. Weak jobs data “paints an ugly picture for GDP and [third quarter] earnings season, which unofficially kicks off next week,” Mr. Kinahan said.

We’re closing in on the seventh year of Mr. Obama’s job-challenged economy that the Federal Reserve says is still in recovery — the longest since the Great Depression. The president and his Democratic allies have failed miserably to put America back to work. Instead, they’ve made it harder to create jobs, lift incomes and get ahead.

The Republicans need to grab this issue by the throat and make it the singularly most important political issue in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Have courage. Help is on the way."


• Donald Lambro is a syndicated columnist and contributor to The Washington Times.

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