Beam me up Scotty: Star Trek’s Tech becomes a new norm.
The list of countries reopening to tourists continues to grow, but many would-be travelers are still hesitant to hop on a plane. For those craving some globetrotting without the risk, Amazon has launched a new platform with virtual travel experiences they can enjoy from the comfort of their home.
In its beta testing phase, Amazon Explore allows users to virtually tour a 500-year-old mansion in Peru or a Buddhist temple in Japan. They can learn to make authentic Montreal-style bagels, take a walking tour through Prague’s cobblestone streets, or attend an Argentine wine tasting. Italian food is also on the menu with a virtual carbonara cooking class.
San José, Escazú, CR
If you prefer to learn about coffee production in Costa Rica, gaze at architecture in Slovenia, or pick up a few Cantonese words from the street signs of Hong Kong, there are experiences for that, too.
According to TechCrunch, the new Amazon Explore platform already includes 86 experiences in 16 countries, and the company promises to continue expanding.
Most experiences are currently managed by tour operators who made the pivot to offering virtual experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. Individuals, however, are also invited to apply to the platform and share their expertise with users.
Amazon Explore experiences are typically between 30 and 90 minutes long and are available by invitation only. Amazon members can request invitations through the site. Prices can also range from as low as $10 to more complex experiences that cost upwards of $180.
Throughout each virtual experience, participants can interact with their guides and ask questions as if they were there in real-time. Those who are a little camera shy have nothing to worry about, though, as only the audio will be enabled. Those using Amazon Explore will also have the opportunity to shop for souvenirs. According to Travel+Leisure, these experiences allow users to browse local stores and markets, ask sellers questions, and shop as they do on Amazon or real life.
The experiences are designed to create a “sense of ‘being there’ as opposed to simply watching passively on a screen,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Washington Post.
Hey Lookout, Kamala Harris Just Knocked VP Pence’s Lights Out.
The former near competent Governor of Indiana, Michael Richard Pence, who along with myriads of Republican Representatives and the United States Senators have become a sounding board for President Donald Trump’s more than 20,000 lies that he has broadcasted to the American people, the world, the gods and the heaven above, and the Universe — tonight faced off against Vice Presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris. Like most Trump supporters, the Vice President proclaims himself to be a devoted Christian.
As vice president to President Trump, Pence serves as the second in command or the top disciple to cult leader Trump and deliverer of a message co-opted from Nazis, and other white supremacists hate groups. Pence is seen as a stiffed shirt hypocrite who will do anything to be seated next to Donald John Trump.
Hey dude there’s a fly on top of your head. Thank you Mr’ Vice President, your time is up!
The 2020 Vice Presidential Debate. Pence vs Harris, at the University of Utah / Kingsbury Hall / candidates seated 12 feet apart.
On the Coronavirus:
VP Mike Pence heads the President’s Coronavirus task force, a task force that boasts the deaths of more than 212,000 Americans and is responsible for another seven million Americans who have contracted the deadly coronavirus. When asked by Susan Page about COVID-19, Pence made a bald-faced lie and claims, “The coronavirus was under control,” to which Harris quipped, The coronavirus is not under control.”
Question: What will a Biden administration do on January 20, 2021, that Trump hasn’t done, with more than 210,000 Americans dead from COVID-19 over the past several months? Harris: On January 28, 2020, Trump and Pence knew that the virus was airborne and deadly but failed to act. They told the American people that it was a hoax. And today, they still don’t have a plan. Biden has a plan for the free vaccine — Trump and Pence forfeited their right to lead.
Harris at the start of 2020 VP Presidential debate
Half of Americans say they won’t take the vaccine when it comes available — will you? Harris: I’ll take it if Dr. Fauci says to take it, I’ll be the first in line, but I won’t take it if Trump says so.
The question of Trump and Biden advance age was asked about (74 and 78 respectfully) both candidates failed to answer the question except superficially — more so Pence.
On the economy
We are in a job crisis; unemployment declined to 7.9 percent,11 million jobs gained in the last two years, and lost this year haven’t returned? Twenty-six Americans remain unemployed today. Harris: Joe believes America’s health is measured by the American people’s job rate’s health and strength. Biden intends to cut student loan debt by 10,000 dollars. Should America brace for economic growth that will not take place in the next two years? Pence: The average American income went up by 4 thousand dollars during the Trump presidency. November 3rd, Democracy is on the ballot.
What is your definition of American leadership and foreign policy? Harris: “Foreign policy might sound complicated, but it’s not; it is about relationships.” You gotta keep your word to your friends, know your adversaries and keep them in check — and you must keep your word.
Supreme Court
When asked about the Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barret and if Roe v Wade would be overturned? Pence ignored the question and went on to talk about the assignation of Iranian General Solemani. Harris said: It should be about the issue of choice and woman’s right to control; her body and the Affordable Care Act, AKA Obama Care. Harris also reminded the audience that in 1864 President “Honest” Abe Lincoln says twenty-seven days before the election the President should not nominate someone to America’s High court.
On Social Unrest (The fly on the wall perched on VP Pence’s head). This fly always shows up at political debates.
At 76 minutes into the debate, “Moderator” Susan Page touched on the issue of race and social injustice by raising the killing of Breona Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT that was killed in her home by home-invading police. Pence did say that justice would be done in George Floyd’s case, an African American who was choked to death by Minneapolis police. But that he disagreed with rioters and looters destroying businesses and cities. As Pence railed on a fly pitched on top of his head. The fly stayed on the vice president’s head for 2 minutes — not eight minutes.
Harris on George Floyd’s death: I do believe his life was taken unjustifiably. Floyd was choked for eight minutes by an armed policeman. So protesters took to the streets. I was a part of that protest. We need reform for police action. We need a national registry for “bad apple” police officers and we will get rid of private jails. Pence well our hearts break for the loss of any American life and heart goes out to the family of Breonna Taylor, but I trust our grand jury system and there is no excuse for what happened to George Floyd but there is no excuse for rioting and looting. President Trump and I stand with you law enforcement officers. We will always stand with law enforcement. @ 1017 fly perched on Pence’s head as he used the word “INSULT,” in reference to his support of police brutality of Black people. Pence: It was a great insult to the men and women who serve in law enforcement. Pence also brought to light that under Harris as California DA Blacks were 19 times more likely to be prosecuted for minor drug offenses.
On the peacful transfer of power: What steps to take if Trump refuses to give up power if he loses to Biden? Harris: “Biden will not allow anyone to subvert our democracy.” Pence: Trump launched a movement to save America. The same Americans who put Trump in office in 2016, will again in 2020. Senator your party spent the last three years trying to overturn the last elections. We will win this election. I believe Trump will win.
Susan Page of USA Today lost control of the debate @19 minutes into the debate. The moderator curled up before Vice President Pence throughout the debate like an overused book page. At the same time, Page constantly rushed Harris to shorten her rebuttals to her interrupted time. Page’s performance was weak and biased.
Virtuosity Will Excite Revelers: Let The Good Times Roll, 2021.
For the first time in more than 100 years, New York City’s Times Square won’t be full of New Year’s Eve revelers ready to watch the ball drop and ring in the new year. Instead, the city will host a virtual celebration that aims to bring the same energy and excitement of Times Square straight into everyone’s homes.
According to Travel + Leisure, a scaled-back event will still be held in Times Square on Dec. 31, just without the crowds of millions of onlookers. A group of special honorees—most likely to include first responders and medical professionals—will attend the event in person and enjoy the live performances. A dedicated app has been created for everyone else, allowing viewers to join the celebrations from afar. New York City police officers also plan to block public access to Times Square on New Year’s Eve, CBS New York.
This year‘s’ Times Square ball drop will be virtual for most
“The world desperately needs to come together symbolically and virtually to celebrate the people and things we love and to look forward with a sense of renewal and new beginnings,” Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said in a statement announcing the changes to New York City’s New Year’s Eve celebration.
New York has hosted a New Year’s Eve ball drop each year since 1907. In previous years, crowds lined up hours ahead of time, bracing themselves to face the cold in order to participate in the world-famous festivities.
Meanwhile, hotels and restaurants with a view of the ball drop have thrown pricey watch parties. It is unclear if hotels and restaurants will still host these events to allow guests a view of this year’s smaller event.
As the airline industry adjusts to the new normal of travel during a pandemic, a new rating system has emerged, awarding airports one to five stars for their COVID-19 safety protocol. Last week, Rome’s Fiumicino Airport became the world’s first five-star anti-COVID airport.
According to Lonely Planet, Skytrax, the airport industry’s rating body, gave Fiumicino the “COVID-19 5-Star Airport Rating” following a 3-day audit conducted earlier this month. The Skytrax rating system was based on “a combination of procedural efficiency checks, visual observation analysis, and ATP sampling tests.”
Roam through the cobblestone corridors of romanceand fine dining
On Sept. 1, Fiumicino Airport opened an on-site coronavirus testing center with the Italian Red Cross and introduced an in-house Bio-Safety team to enforce mask-wearing mandates and ensure that both travelers and airport staff maintain social distancing.
Lonely Planet also reports that Skytrax auditors were impressed with the increased presence of cleaning staff, as well as the various easy-to-read signs in multiple languages posted throughout the airport. The Skytrax report also states that Fiumicino Airport often assesses its hygiene protocol and is currently testing several UV sanitization methods at high-contact points such as elevators and escalators.
Skytrax has also audited three other locations: London’s Heathrow Airport, Spain’s Costa del Sol Airport, and France’s Côte d’Azur Airport. Heathrow received a three-star rating with points awarded for its ample signage, availability of hand sanitizer, and mask usage. The auditors noted, however, “a lack of consistency across different areas, both for cleanliness and expected control of social distancing.” The Costa del Sol and Côte d’Azur Airports also received three-star ratings.
U.S. tourists are still currently banned from traveling to both Spain and Italy.
The Ballots or Bullets? In a democracy or a dictatorship, there are only two ways known to man for the changing of or the transfer of leadership or power — and they are through the ballots or bullets. Whenever the transfer of power comes about by way of the latter, it most often occurs via a revolutionary war or a coup. While some coups are “bloodless,” most coup de’tats create a sudden disturbance of normal life expectancy. Revolutionary wars aren’t bloodless coups; they are accompanied by horror, a broad stroke of extreme violence, and unnecessary deaths.
Trump’s Miley — The signs are clear, but no one wants to see them: This is how it all starts
For decades, the United States military has defended democracies worldwide, and it has removed dictators from power and helped to established governments in its likeness, and fashioned a semblance sense of stability. The army of the United States falls under the command of the sitting president of America. He’s hailed as the Commander in Chief and the leader of the “free world,” by politicians and journalists.
President Donald Trump’s festered appendages
What happens when that president — the leader of the free world — runs afoul of the tenets that hold our democracy together and threatens to blow up the foundation upon which the nation stands? Will the military that he commands aid and abet him in tearing down the pillars of American democracy and contribute to the most significant internal conflict and bloodbath the world will have ever seen in the annals of the worlds’ history in the last 6000 years? There appears to be at least one United States General standing in Donald Trump’s corner who is willing to support a “strongman” form of government.
A lust for power and craven to ramrod wickedness on the powerless:Mark Miley,Trump’s side kick
History shows that many madmen have risen to power by hook or crook. Usually, these demagogues speak the language of the “common” people and by appealing to their sense of loss and disenfranchisement. And frequently, those unread people are looking for a savior to protect them from (the others) those who are taking what rightfully belongs to them alone. Those despots are fond of fostering a bond between military leaders and “law” enforcement cliques. When it comes to the behavior and the words of Donald Trump, all the signs are there of a despot in the making.
While other authoritariannations yearn for Democracy, Americans are yearning for Autocracy.DEMOCRATIC BACKSLIDING
As the United States of America goes, so goes the rest of the world. Simultaneously, the erosion of civil rights increase, and several dry runs of martial law is enacted in some states to test the will and the fortitude of the people. The times we are living in are peculiar. As Americans watch its President huddles in private with Russia’s top spy — Vladimir Putin, with no public record of their conversations. What secrets is Putin keeping for Trump? Is Trump being tutored by Putin and Kim Un Jong on how to seize power? Simultaneously many white nationalists who once called for less government intrusion in their lives have now cozied up to Trump and, by extension Vladimir Putin and his totalitarian regime.
President Alibaba and his Lilly White team of 40 merry men
With about 57 percent of 167 countries of the world’s population enjoying some form of a democratic government, attempts of a sudden overthrow of the governments by an internal military (in less powerful countries) than the United States of America has decreased. But with a few corrupt power-thirsty Generals that are willing to play lapdog to a power-hungry President Trump, America could fast be sliding down the road of authoritarianism. There have been many threats made by Trump about switching the current form of government.
Ring the alarm:a peaceful transfer of power?
M1 Abrams Tanks Coming to a City Near You Soon?
When Playboy Reporter Brian Karem posed a question to Trump: “Will you commit to..a peaceful transferral of power after the election?”Trump: “…Wewant to get rid of the ballots, and you’ll have a very transfer—we’ll have a very peaceful—there won’t be a transfer. Frankly, there’ll be a continuation.” So come November 3rd or November 8th; if Biden is declared the winner, will Trump proceed with his plan to overthrow the American government — lead a Coup and over-rule the will of the American people?
Will Trump use the military to keep him in the White House to protect his financial records?
The only time the Constitution of the United States recommends a coup is: “Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” There isn’t anything in the constitution that suggests a coup to support the wild lust for power of a mad man to cover his financial crimes nor to prop up a few lost power-hungry Generals.
Stacking the bench of America’s Supreme Court — Presidents try.
As the Republicans continue to play Chess, the lazy Democrats continue to play Checkers. On Saturday, President Trump nominated to the Supreme Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett — a woman. If confirmed, Barrett will replace the late Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg — her political polar opposite. To stave off a solid 6 – 3 majority Republican Court, the Democrats have reached into their bag of dirty tricks, pulling out ruse after ruse. One such scheme that they have employed is a new cry, for an expansion of the Supreme Court. Really. Silly rabbits, tricks are done for kids — go back to playing checkers. Nine is the magic number — it is the highest number. Ellie Mystal, an attorney and online provocateur and ofttimes MSNBC commentator, suggests they add ten to twenty more justices to the High Court.
Former Vice President Joe Biden makes a lawyerless casefor Supreme court pick
It doesn’t matter how many people are on the Bench; it all boils down to percentages. For example, there could be 100 attorneys on the Bench — if 90 are liberals and 10 are Conservatives, the decisions will still be the same. Here we go again! To add more stupidity on stupidity, this afternoon Presidential Candidate (sleepy Joe) Biden introduced hearsay to the arguments. Biden says that the granddaughter of the late Judge Ruth Ginsburg told them that Ginsburg says, “My fervent wish is that: I will not be replaced until a new President is installed.” So what happens if the voters and the Electoral College decide to keep the current President? Does that mean there won’t be a ninth person added to the Bench for four years to come?
Elie Mystal, attorney and proud online provocateur
And even if Ginsburg made those words her dying wish, Justices aren’t selected to the U.S. Supreme Court based on dying wishes. Joe Biden and Elie Mystals are both attorneys; they should know that replacing someone on the Supreme Court is not emotional; the replacement has to be Constitutional.
Judge Amy Barrett was first placed on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by President Trump on November 2, 2017. She is a devote Catholic and a good handmaiden. Barrett and her husband Jesse (Barrett, a former federal prosecutor) have five children, two adopted from Haiti. The liberals have tried to paint Judge Barrett as a religious nut, who cannot separate her beliefs from her duty as a judge. However, at her 2017 confirmation hearing, the assured the Senators that she is quite capable of doing so. “If you’re asking whether I take my faith seriously and I’m a faithful Catholic, I am,” she exclaimed. “Although I would stress that my church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear in the discharge of my duties as a judge.”
The 48-year-old judge will become the fifth woman to serve on the US Supreme Court and Trump’s third appointee on the court, joining the ranks of Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh. Barrett will join former President Obama’s two female appointees Sonia Sotomayor (2009) and Elena Kagan (2010).
Guest Writer: Benton Frye (Conservative guy on the fly)
Police take alleged vigilante shooter into custody.
At around 8:30 p.m., someone among some protesters (it is theorized ) opened fire on a group of police officers standing around and monitoring protesters who were marching — they’re claiming — in response to a not guilty verdict in the killing of a 26-year-old EMT — Breonna Taylor. Here’s what led to the shooting of the two LMPD officers: On Wednesday 09-23-2020, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron used the “findings” of a grand jury to justify not bringing charges against three LMPD police officers. All three officers contributed to the death of BreonnaTaylor. Taylor was shot to death by Louisville Metro Police officers Det Brett Hankison, Sgt Johnathan Mattingly, and Sgt Myles Cosgrove — during an early morning raid on her home.
Protesters march to make a statement about lack of charges in Breonna Taylor’s case
After AG Daniel Cameron announced the not guilty verdicts, crowds began to swell in the street of Louisville, and so did the police presence. As night falls, minor skirmishes began to break out between the police and several protesters. Police arrested at least 46 people with National Guardsmen standing ready to swoop in on the marchers. A few rabble-rousers attempted to set fires to boarded-up businesses, and amid the chaos, the sound of firecrackers was heard — then gunshots rang out.
Soon after the shooting, LMPD arrested a man wearing black Addidas sweat pants and a jacket with as many colors as Joseph’s Coat of many colors. The police have not publicly identified the suspect. Both officers, one shot in his leg and the other in his abdomen, just below his bulletproof vest, are listed in stable condition.
Kentucky’s defiant Attorney General looks the other way with a wink and a nod.
Today Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Jay Cameron announced that former detective Brett Hankison of the Louisville police department was indicted on three felony charges of wanton endangerment after shooting into an apartment next door to Breonna Taylor’s apartment. Taylor was shot six times by two other officers on the scene. During his press conference, Cameron (the baby-face attorney with a tiny head) intimated that modern-day ballistics are too primitive to allow investigators to determine which gun(s) or officers fired the bullets that killed Breonna. There were no charges brought against any of the three officers in the killing of their victim Breonna Taylor.
Breonna Taylor’s Prosecutor Daniel Cameron
A record-breaking wrongful death settlement awarded to Taylor’s family in advance of Kentucky’s Attorney General’s announcement.
The city of Louisville gave a twelve million dollar payday to the family and attorneys of Breonna Taylor. She was shot to death in her bedroom after night riders barged in on her and her boyfriend in the middle of the night. What is Breonna’s cut of the loot? Breonna’s life has been cut short by negligence. She’s dead. She’s gone. The victim cannot and will not enjoy any of that blood diamond. There are some in the community who are calling the payout from the Motherlode hush money for the family. The claim is that it was a given that the three officers (Brett Hankison, Johnathan Mattingly, and Miles Cosgrove) involved in the attack could not be charged justifiably with any crimes for the shootout.
Louisville, KY, Black Activist Tamika Mallory speaks at a press conferenceabout police activity
On March 13, 2020, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in the hallway of her apartment after running from her bedroom to escape what she and her then-boyfriend believed was her ex-boyfriend, Jamarcus Glover, kicking in the door to her apartment. Jamarcus Glover is a known neighborhood drug dealer — he was not in the building with Taylor at the time of the home invasion — her new boyfriend Kenneth Walker was with her. Fearing for his and Taylor’s safety Walker opened fire on the men who breached the entrance to his castle.
After the March 13th incident, Louisville PD fired Brett Hankison, in June as a sacrificial lamb for the department. Today a warrant was issued for his arrest and his bail is set at $15,000.
Below is part of Kentucky AG’s presser.
“Justice is not often easy and does not fit the mold of public opinion. And it does not conform to shifting standards,” Cameron said. “I know that not everyone will be satisfied with the charges we’ve reported today.
“My team set out to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ms. Taylor’s death. We did it with a singular goal in mind: pursuing the truth. Kentucky deserves no less. The city of Louisville deserves no less. If we simply act on emotion or outrage, there is no justice. Mob justice is not justice.”
When it comes to modern-day Chicago, by comparison, the wild west would be considered a tame, safer, and tranquil place to live or die of old age. According to data released by Chicago Police Department, around this time last year (mid-September 2019), there were 364 murders committed, versus 554 murders committed by mid-September of 2020 — in the city.
The weekend beginning at 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 19, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 21, 2020, forty-five males were shot ranging in age 16 to 47-years-old. The youngest victim shot is sixteen-years-old, while the youngest to have died in the bloodbath was only 17-years-old.
For poor Chicagoan, when the weekend comes, most streets in Chicago are like Roosevelt Road
The seventeen-year-old male was shot in the wee hours on Monday at about 2:50 a.m. He was shot in the back while standing in an alleyway. EMT transported the teen to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Where is the family of this sixteen-year-old boy? Is there anyone mourning his death?Is his murder under investigation? Is he just another number for the undertaker to add to his long and ever-growing celebratory list of murdered victims?
On Sunday, at about 9:50 a.m., a 46-year-old (Myrio Shields) was shot execution-style while sitting in a car talking to someone on the passenger side. The killer that shot him wore a black face mask and black hoodie. The person that he was talking to gave no hint that someone was sneaking upon him.
Chicago’s new but not uncommon weekend massacre that left an army of young, vibrant men dead occurred on the South Side, West Side, or Northwest side of the Windy City. Five of the nine males killed were in their 20s, one 17 seventeen-year-old, one 39-year-old (Anthony Lash Jackson), one 46-year-old, and a 47-year-old man.
For Black people, Chicago has become a place to die, not to live.
Long gone are the days of summer, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to take a road trip. Fall offers cooler temperatures, smaller crowds, and if you pick the right location, you’ll get an eye-full of some colorful foliage.
So before the winter winds roll in, here are some of the best places to take a fall road trip.
Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia
While most people think of the northeast when it comes to peak fall foliage, Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains offer stunning views of the changing leaves without the intense cold. The Russell Brasstown Scenic Byway in the northern part of Georgia is the perfect place to start. This route will take you through the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Chattahoochee River. Along the way, be sure to stop at Talulah Gorge State Park for some hiking and Brasstown Bald to admire the highest natural point in Georgia. Helen, a town designed to look like a Bavarian village, is also worth exploring.
Awesomeness of mother nature
Finger Lakes, New York
Far from the hustle-bustle of Manhattan, New York’s Finger Lakes offer a more peaceful getaway with its country scenery. Start in the city, then make your way through Pennsylvania with stops at Gouldsboro and Tobyhanna State Park. Jim Thorpe is also worth the detour as this borough of Pennsylvania is nicknamed the “Switzerland of America” thanks to its gorgeous mountain scenery and architecture. It’s then off to Ithaca, New York, where you can tour the Finger Lakes region, visit wineries, go hiking, and stay at the historic Inns of Aurora.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
This 470-mile route connecting North Carolina and Virginia allows travelers to visit both the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Shenandoah National Park. Throughout the Parkway, you’ll pass old farmsteads, mountains, meadows, and several scenic overlooks that especially light up during the fall with the changing colors of the leaves. Activities on the route also include hiking, visiting local farms, and touring historic homes.
Oregan’s Heceta Head Lighthouse
The Oregon Coastwildfires are now fullycontained
Oregon may not offer much in terms of fall foliage, but the mild weather and impressive landscapes—think mountains, beaches, and forests—make for the perfect West Coast adventure. Start in Astoria and make your way south. Stop at Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks for some hiking, then spend the night at Cannon Beach. Besides some reasonably cold water, you’ll also be able to wander around some large boulders, including Haystack Rock.
No matter where you choose to go this fall, be sure to check the local ordinances for rules regarding COVID-19. Some states are still currently requiring visitors to quarantine.
