Hollywood has always been known for their casting couch.  Throughout the history of Hollywood many stars have been on the casting couch with the producers, directors and/or even fellow actors.  That was the way to get the part they wanted.  They had to perform by doing sexual favors.

The sex scandals involving Harvey Weinstein and others in Hollywood is nothing new.  Stars of the past all had slept there way up on the casting couch.  Stars like Marilyn Monroe and others like her.  Not just actresses but actors as well.

So the sex scandal involving Kevin Spacey is also nothing new either.  It just in the old days it was kept hush, hush; especially when it came to men on the casting couch.

This blog is coming at a perfect time too.  Not only is all these sex scandals going on; so is the Miss Universe pageant on tonight.  These beauty pageant treats women as sex object.  What men doesn’t like looking at beautiful women in a bikini?

I’m not dismissing these women allegation, by no means.  Matter of fact, more power to them.  No one deserve to be abused sexually, mentally, physically, and verbally.  It’s time that the victims speak up.

Maybe one of these times I may share my story.  It just that since I’m dealing with social media and there are people who gets bullied through the social media as well as otherwise.  So you may have to wait until I feel the time is right.  If I ever share my story or not.

This casting couch goes even beyond Hollywood.  It’s also in our political realm as well.  We all know about former President Bill Clinton or even Supreme Court Judge, Clarence Thomas.  Now there is Senator Roy Moore and Senator Al Franklin.

One is a Republican and other is a Democrat.  The Democrats doesn’t even want to think about Al Franklin.  Like what is good for goose is good for the gander.

Since they are big famous and powerful people under the sex scandal; it just seems to be just talk.  Will anything really be done?  I mean if they were everyday person with not much money and power, they would be automatically be sent to prison and label a sex offender.  There is no equal treatment for justice sake.

Women are not the only victims out there.  Men are victimize too.  There are women who abuse men/boys as well.  You heard about the teacher who molested her male student.  There is just a stigmatism that keeps boys from admitting that they are victims.

So I am glad that those young men came out after Kevin Spacey for what he did to them.

This is very tough for me write, so bear with me please. I’m trying not to keep this from being too personal at this time.

There are other ways that abuse happen as well.  People are abuse on the job.  Some lives in abusive relationship.  Some of those who lives in abusive relationship don’t even  know how to get out of it.  They become co-dependent.  Some may even say that there is no physical abuse.  Even though there is emotional and mental abuse.  Some who lives in an abusive relationship, grew up in it as well.

Daughters will marry someone like there fathers and sons marry someone like their mothers.  There is an abuse pattern that draws them together.  Unless there is help to break the pattern, the abuse will continue.

My mother grew up with an abusive father and she, herself married someone who is abusive and controlling.  Even though, she was a feminist and very much independent; she was also co-dependent as well.  It didn’t just affected her home life; it’s also affected her job as well.  That is a whole different blog and so I won’t go there.

Like I said I’m glad that these women are speaking out against their perpetrators.  I’m even happy that some men are doing it also.  I’m for taking back your life.  As I talk in past blogs, It’s time we take back America.  Well those who are victimize needs to take back their lives as well.

I have nothing against women becoming President.  I mean, I voted for Elizabeth Dole in 2000.  I just couldn’t vote for Hillary Clinton because she was just the wrong person with too much baggage.

My big thing about this whole sex abuse scandal going on that it will get blown out of proportion.  Look at the child abuse.  When I was a kid, child abuse was like this sex scandal involving the casting couch today, very hush, hush.

Country legend, Loretta Lynn was 13 when she married.  Back then it was ok. I have an older brother who was 21 when he married his wife when she was pregnant and was only 17.  If that would happen today, he would had went to prison and been registered as a sex offender.

Another thing that concerned me involving this whole thing.  There are men, like me who finds it difficult with intimacy.  I have had woman that I was interested in.  I just couldn’t bring myself to get intimate with.  This is why I’m still single.  I can share my opinion, I just can’t become intimate.  I can be a good friend with a woman.  I just don’t want to overstep my boundary.

The last woman I was close to was Danielle.  She had been to my apartment and I have been to hers.  We had talked.  I even let her used my phone.  I saw that she was upset; so I asked her is she needed a hug.  I admit as red-blooded male, it felt of so good to have her in my arms; but I never took it any further than that.  I even made a strawberry margarita and brought it over to her apartment.  I just couldn’t bring myself to get intimate with her.

Back when I went to college at NDSU, I was friends with an older woman, named Susan.  She was part of the Goldstar band. We would eat supper together in the same dining hall.  We even went roller skating where we held hands while roller skating.  Peer pressure ruin that relationship for me.  I should had never fallen for peer pressure from the other guys in my dorm.

There was other women also; but I’m not going there.

So you see sometimes peer pressure can make us men monsters just as well.

Nobody deserve to be rape or abuse.  I don’t care who it is.  I don’t care if you are a woman, a child, or a man.  These people of power who are abusing and taking advantage of women or anybody must be held accountable for their action.

Thank you for taking a stand!

Happy Thanksgiving to all reading this blog and all my others blogs!

It seems that Thanksgiving has lost it’s true meaning today.  It’s not a special holiday it used to be.

When the Pilgrims first came over to this country on the Mayflower.  They left England because of religious persecution.  They landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts.  They befriended the Indians when they came to this country. It was the Indians that taught them about gardening and living off the land.  If they put a fish in the soil as they plant corn or whatever, it will help produce a good crops.

They had some rough years and times before their bounty came in.  When the harvest finally came, it was time to celebrate.  Thus became the first Thanksgiving.  They celebrate Thanksgiving with a feast that they share not just with families, but also with friends and neighbors.  They made friends with the Indians and celebrate Thanksgiving with them.

Years later, under Pres. Abe Lincoln, he proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving.

It all changed now, as Thanksgiving seems to got lost in translation.  Greed seems to set in.  People doesn’t seems to get together much anymore.  This became the downfall of this country.

First, when stores were allowed to be open on Sunday.  Then soon stores chose to be open on Thanksgiving.  Business chose on making a profit over family spending time together and giving thanks.

I heard that Kmart was one of the first retail stores that decided to be open on Thanksgiving.  When I first started working at Kmart, over 11 years ago, the store was closed on Thanksgiving.  We had to worked overnight to get ready for the big Black Friday sales though.

It seems Black Friday had fast became the biggest national retail holiday ever.  People would stand in line practically all night and wait until the stores open; just so they can get the best deals ever.  Don’t they realize that they may get things on sale, but really there is no real deal.  Businesses jot the prices up high first than they put it on sale.

I never shop Black Friday until I worked overnight at Kmart.  Then, since I was already in the store anyway, I took advantage of the Black Friday sales while I was there.

Let me tell you something about Black Friday.  It’s very tiresome and stressful.  When it’s over you just want to curl up in bed and sleep.

Soon retail had a crazy thought in their head to try to beat the Black Friday sales rush.  Now that is down-right greedy.  They don’t care about family.  They just care about the money.

Kmart made a decision to be open around 6am on Thanksgiving Day and remained open Friday at midnight when they first decided to be opened on Thanksgiving Day.  When that the employees practically worked around the clock on very little sleep and under lots of stress.

Other stores soon followed but not as long as Kmart.  Some opened at 6pm Thanksgiving Day, and some opened at 11pm or midnight.

Now some businesses are slowly wising up.  Some are choosing not to open up at all on Thanksgiving Day.  Mills Fleet Farm, which is an employee run store is one of the first store that will not be open on Thanksgiving Day.

This year more stores are joining the bandwagon and not open on Thanksgiving Day.  Check your listing to see what stores were smart and what stores were greedy.

Another bad holiday for stores to be open is Christmas Eve.  If you are not done Christmas Shopping by Christmas Eve with gifts, the meals, decoration, cookies, etc. Then you need psychological help.  Get your shopping done early!  Beat the rush!

If you are thinking, oh I might get what I want on sale, think again.  Businesses jack the prices up even higher.  When the product is gone is gone.  All the good stuff will be gone before you know it.  You have no right to bitch and complain that you didn’t get that item you wanted to buy.  So don’t blame the retails and the employees for your stupidity.

I always start early with my Christmas shopping.  Now I’m pretty much done; except for few gift cards.  I’m not a big shopper.  I go in, get what I want and get the hell out.  Retail probably hates me and I work in retail.

If you really feel sorry for those who have to work on Thanksgiving, I have this one thing to say.  Don’t shop on Thanksgiving Day!!. Don’t say, “what you are open?”  Businesses are open because people are dumb enough to shop on Thanksgiving.  That is how greed had set in and ruin Thanksgiving.

It’s time the people take back Thanksgiving and bring it to the way it was meant to be.  It’s time we share Thanksgiving with our friends and family, like the pilgrims did the first Thanksgiving.  That’s how we take back America and make America great again.

You may not want to spend time with your family but do it anyway.  Especially if you truly feels sorry for those who have to work on Thanksgiving.  Put a love in your heart!

President John F. Kennedy, the last great Democratic President.  He died too young by an assassinated bullet.  He was a Nationalist.  He was assassinated Nov. 22, 1963.

I have always been fascinated with the Kennedys.  They had this beautiful American dream story.  Joseph Kennedy Sr., was an Irish Immigrant.  He also served as an ambassador to Ireland.

I loved how they started to get where they are today.  Even though, there was some illegal things that they were involved in, like bootlegging and the mob.

Rose Kennedy was a strong mother figure that really knew how to groom her kids to make them presentable.  She kind of reminds me of Queen Elizabeth.

They did have a daughter that was mentally unstable.  Back then, it was common knowledge that if anyone had a mental illness, they were lock up in an Institution and even sterilize so that they couldn’t have any kids.  The daughter name was Rosemary.  Because of Rosemary, Eunice Kennedy started up the special Olympic.  I had volunteered for the special Olympic to help out with those with special needs.

I think one of the reason I was fascinated with the Kennedys, was because I have some similarity or connection with them one way or another.

The Kennedy was a big family, with around 12 kids.  My mother came from a big family, with 11 kids, 2 died as babies.  When I look at old photos of my mother’s family, it’s kind of make think of the Kennedys.

John F. Kennedy was a sickly child with different ailments, growing up.  I also was a sickly child myself.  My life was almost similar to John.

Joseph Jr. was killed during the war, so John, nickname Jack was soon groomed to become President of the United States.  John met and married Jacky in the ’50’s.  They had more than 2 kids but 2 lived. John Jr. and Katherine were treated like royalty in this country.  No other President’s kids were treated like that.

John F. Kennedy was the youngest President elected.  He was the first Irish Catholic President.  No one expected him to even be elected President.  He was a Nationalist.  He was one of the greatest President.  Some may wonder what he done to make him so great.  He just never live long enough to see his greatness through.  He was taken from us way too soon.

Another connection I have with the Kennedys is this.  When John and Bobby Kennedy were in Fargo, ND, they stayed at the old Gardner Hotel.  My mother was working there at the time that they were staying there.  She was one of the cooks there.  So you see, she cooked for the Kennedy’s even for a short time.

President Kennedy stood up to the Russians and put an embargo on Cuba, during the Cuban crisis.  It was under Obama that the embargo was lifted off Cuba.

President Kennedy was responsible in setting up program to help the American people.  He just never lived long enough to see it through.

Even though Joseph Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy tried to hide the mental illness in their family, some of the kids still loved and was very close to their sister, Rose.  John was one who very close to his sister, Rose.

President Kennedy was the last President to be against the Federal Reserves.  The Federal Reserves came from Paris, France.  President Thomas Jefferson was the first President to be against it.  He saw the Federal Reserve to be corrupted.

From the internet movie, “Thrive”, President Kennedy may had been killed because of being against the Federal Reserve.

There is a bunch of conspiracy to why Pres. Kennedy was assassinated.  The Federal Reserve was one.  It’s almost like when a person takes on a big organization, that organization would stop at nothing to stop them.  The Established Republicans didn’t care for Reagan and they sure don’t care for Trump.

If you take on big organization they’ll either kill or make you just disappear.

The similarity between Kennedy and Lincoln is very strange.  Not only were they elected about 100 years apart.  They both had a vice-President with the last name Johnson.  Both Johnson were not really big fans of their President.  Lincoln had a Kennedy on his staff that warned him not to go to the theater.  Kennedy had a Lincoln that warned him about going to Dallas.  They both were shot in the back.

When Andrew Johnson became President, he was soon impeached after he was being investigated into the assassination of Lincoln.  When Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President, he was very much concerned the same thing would happen to him.  So he took steps to protect himself.

Some may say that the mob was behind in the killing of Kennedy as well, because he tried to disassociated himself from them.

Some even thinks that the Cubans and Russians were behind in the assassination.  So once again the Russians got blame for interfering into America’s politics; like they was with the last election.

The day President Kennedy was assassinated was one of the saddest day in history. Many have cried.  My only uncle left, the one who is a die-hard Republican really wept when Kennedy was killed.

Then in 1968, John’s brother, Bobby Kennedy was also assassinated as he ran for President.  It was almost like whoever was behind the killing of President Kennedy felt they better stop Bobby before he became President.

Edward Kennedy didn’t lived up to the legacy of his brothers, John and Bobby.  He was more of a Socialist/Liberal.  Whereas both John and Bobby were Conservative.  Plus, Edward had too much baggage to keep him from ever becoming President.  I think the younger Kennedys also had a hard time to live up to both John and Bobby as well.  Even though, John Jr. was being groomed to run for President, even though he may not had wanted it at first.  John Jr. and Katherine were treated like a prince and princess in this country.  When John Jr. was killed in a plane crash, the Kennedy dreams died with him.

Pres. Kennedy was the last great Democratic President.  Today’s Democrats would not accept him because he was too conservative for them.  Even though they may acknowledge him.

Today’s Republicans may acknowledge Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and even Ronald Reagan; but they will not accept them today. And those three will not approve of the Established Republicans.

Anymore than Pres. Kennedy would approve of today’s democrats.

You saw the connection I had with John F. Kennedy.  So in a way, both Bill Clinton and I had a connection with Pres. Kennedy.

I may be a Republican but I’m also an admire of the Kennedys as well.

There are many different religion out there; as I found out while studying world religion and even reading recently the book, “Faith to Faith.”  My mother was on to something when she would say it’s not her religion.  The only thing different she was referring to denomination at the time.  There are many different denominations out there.  This is not to discuss denomination.  I will choose to discuss religion as a whole.

There is one heart, many hands!  There is so many different religion out there; but they all worship God in their own way.  All these religions are connected.  Yet these so-called religious leaders doesn’t want to see it.

There are too many to name, but I will name a few.

Hinduism is a religion that originated in India.  To them, the cow is sacred.  They also believe when one pass away from this life, they will have the opportunity to move on to a better next life.  Until they are one with God.

This sound familiar to the Catholics belief in purgatory.  The Catholics believe that when a person dies, they entered purgatory first and the church and family pray for them to get to heaven.  People don’t become saints until they get out of purgatory.  To me or anybody else, Mother Theresa was already a saint for the great works she done in Calcutta.  Now to the Catholic, it was a few years after she died before she was considered a saint.

Buddhist is a religion that has it’s origin in the Asia’s country.  There is some similarity to Hinduism.  They have a statue of a Buddha .

This is similar to the Christian faith.  The Christian has a cross which stands for Jesus death on the cross.

There is Confucius.  This religion also has it’s home in the Asia country.  The leader or founder was a prophet.  He had a bunch of wise sayings to live by and follow.

Once again, the Christians has the Bible and even the book of Proverbs, that is similar to Confucius.

Now let us talk about the 3 religion that everyone knows about, because of being in the news.  First, the Muslims has it’s origin to Abraham and through Ishmael.  Ishmael was Abraham’s son through Hagar, who was a maidservant of Abraham.  He was Isaac’s older brother.

Now the Jews also saw Abraham as their father and father of all nation.

Even the Christians recognize Abraham.  Even though Christians came about from the New Testament and through Jesus Christ.

So you see, Muslims, Jews, and Christians are very much connected.

Even though the radical Muslims doesn’t want to see it that way.  Then again, even the Jews and some Christian leaders doesn’t want to see it that way.

Not all Muslims are terrorist. It is the radical Muslims that are the terrorist.  They are reasons that the Muslims gets a bad rap.  A true Muslims are peaceful loving people.  They are just upset with the Jews because they felt that they got left out of God’s promise.

It was the Jews that crucified Jesus.  Even though, He was the promised Messiah, they feared Him and had a hard time in believing He was the one.

There are Christians out there that gives Christians a bad name.  Some Christians can be as bad as the radical Muslims.

We now comes to the part of many religions but only one God.  We all worship God in our own way.

Jesus Christ was accused by the Jewish leaders of His days of being friends with the lowest of the low.  The Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans, because they felt that they were beneath them.  Yet Jesus sat and talk with a Samaritan woman at the well.  Jesus ate with tax collectors and other sinners that the Jews considered to be unclean.  Remember, Jesus came not just for the healthy, but for all.  All have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God.

If Jesus was here, flesh and blood, I believe that today’s religious leaders will still have problems with Him.  He would be continuing doing what he did back in His days. Jesus would sit with a homosexual or someone who practice a different religion and be criticize for it.

Remember Martin Luther start the Reformation; which was the start of the Lutheran church, that broke off from the Catholic church.  The pope at the time was very upset with Martin Luther.

This was the start of many different denominations out there.

I think this why churches today have a hard time in keeping and getting young people in the church.  The so-called religious leaders are playing god.  They are making rash judgement.

The church as a whole needs another shakeup like the Catholic church did because of Martin Luther.

Young people today are searching for something or spiritual answers.  They are just not finding it in the church.  It’s like the book, “Siddartha,”  by Herman Hesse.  Siddartha was a young man searching for answers.

The so-called religious leaders are scaring the young away from the church, instead of welcoming and accepting them.

I believe that is why all these cults are taking our young people.  They are giving them the answers they are searching for.  Even though, it’s a false hope.

These so-called religious leaders makes people feels like ballerina. You got to dance around on your tiptoes.  They are quick to judge, if you don’t live up to their expectation.  I knew a former pastor who was that way.

This is not what Jesus wants for His followers.

I may be a Christian, but I’m not happy with organized religion and these so-called religious leaders out there.  I almost left the church I was going to because of  this.  I still believe in Jesus and in God.  I just didn’t want much to do with the church.

So you see, some these Christians are no better than the radical Muslims.  The radical Muslims even attack their own people.  Just like some Christians attack their own people.  We all grows in our faith differently.

As I said in last week blog, these so-called Christian leaders would disapprove with something if they don’t agree with it.  What they don’t understand, they disapprove of.

Don’t get me wrong, there are Christians out there that is very open and less judgmental.

I think the reason why Prairie Heights is doing as well as they are is because they are trying to follow the principles of Jesus and the Bible.  I believe that Bridgepointe Community is now trying to do the same.

I could go with this topic because it’s so broad.  I won’t though.  I will leave some for a later date and a different blog in the future.

Happy Halloween!!  It’s the witching hour!  I got a spell on you!

Witches is not only a symbol for Halloween.  The practice of witchcraft had been around for a long time.

Some people associate witches as a bad swear word; as if to say, “she is a witch.”  As if you are calling her a bitch.  This blog is not about that though.

Let me take you back to when this country was first founded in the 1600’s.  I never studied that in history, because history kind of left it out.  Some of the best literature came about during the Salem Witchcraft trials.

During that time, women were accused of witchcraft by the religious leaders in that time.  The religious leaders were known as the Puritans.  The leader was Cotton Mathers.

How this came about was young people was becoming mysteriously sick.  They couldn’t figure out why; so they came up with the accusation of witches.  They felt that those women were dancing and making out with the devil; thus becoming witches.

Once they were accused of practicing witchcraft, they were sentence to be burn at the stake.  They never had a fair trial.

Much was the same way back in Jesus days. One of the things that the religious leaders, the Pharisees, accused Jesus of was so-called witchcraft.  They didn’t want to believe that he was able to heal people through the power of God.  Those Pharisees did all they can to discredit Jesus, but His followers grew in numbers.  So the last resort, was to crucify Him on the cross to get rid of Him.

Much was the same with the Salem Witchcraft trial in the 1600’s.  This still happens today as well.

If our so-called religious leaders don’t agree with something they will stop at nothing to put a stop to it.

In 1925,there was The Scopes trial” which was known as the Trial of the century.  A movie was made about it.  It was about a school teacher that taught evolution in school.

Or how about when the movie/play by Andrew Lloyd Webber produced, “Jesus Christ, Superstar.”  The religious leaders protested that movie.

Than when the DaVinchi Code was published, the Catholic Church was one of the biggest opponent of that book/movie.

Few years ago, when Harry Potter first came out, the religious leaders protested the movie, because of the practice of witchcraft in it.  Yet when “The Lord of the Rings came out a month later; the religious leaders said boo.  They both had wizardly and even practice witchcraft.

If you asked why Harry Potter but not the other, they’ll tell you, “The author of the Lord of the Rings was a Christian and the author of Harry Potter wasn’t.”  Now isn’t that judging?

What does Jesus say about judging?

Judge not, lest ye be judge.  Jesus even criticize the Pharisees of judging others.  He even said to get the speck out of your eyes before judging others.

I believe that if Jesus was walking flesh and blood with us today, he would also goes after our religious leaders as well.

I like Harry Potter as much as the Lord of the Ring.  To me the theme of Harry Potter wasn’t the idea of practicing witchcraft.  It was good vs evil.

I think anything that the religious leaders doesn’t agree with or approve of.  They are going to be against.  To me, that is the work of the devil.  The devil wants to bring division.  That way he can divide and conquer.

The religious leaders doesn’t care much for magic or even magicians.  They never did when Apostle Paul was alive and preaching the gospel.

If there is any miraculous healing going on, the religious leaders would try to diffuse it as being of God; but rather of the devil.

I believe in miraculous healing.  I believe in the supernatural.  I believe people can heal in whatever means, being reiki or whatever else.

I could go on with this against the religious leaders but there is so much to talk about.  Next week, I will be continue talking about religion.  There is many religions out there.  But they all serve one God.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween out there!!  Have fun!  Continue reading my blogs, and I will continue putting a spell on you.

Don’t the religious leaders knows by protesting a book or movies, it will only make people wants to read or watch it even more.

It’s that time of year again.  It’s another World Series coming up this coming week.  Baseball is as American as apple pie and momma. The World Series may not get as much viewers as the Super Bowl.  I think it is because there is more quick action in football than baseball.  Baseball is a sport that everyone loves to play during the summer in the park.  People loves going to baseball games because there seems to be more action there than on TV.  I’m not saying that baseball isn’t exciting though.

This year, the playoff turned out to be very exciting.  The Minnesota Twins made it to the playoff as a wildcard team.  The last time that the Twins were in the World Series, if I remember correctly, it was either 1990 or 1992.  Believe me I was excited and I even was rooting for them to go all the way to the World Series.

In the wildcard playoff, the Twins faced a very tough opponent with the New York Yankees.  I like the Yankees, but I wanted the Twins to win.  I knew deep down the Yankees had a better shot at winning.  The reason, they have the money to pay for the best players.

Here is a little analogy involving business and life in general.

Like the movie, “Fields of Dreams”, “If you build it, they will come.”

Like anything in life, if you want something good, you must be willing to pay for it.  I think that is why the Yankees does so well, because the owner is not afraid to spend some money to get the good players.

My step-dad even said that if you want something good, you must be willing to pay for it.  If you buy junk, you’ll get junk.  He never went into debt and he never had a credit card.  When he wanted something, he saved up for it and made it a goal to pay for it up front.

A former pastor, I know, would rather buy cheap stuff, and then it would constantly needs work.  My step-dad would just call him, “cheap.”

I have to say, I think that my step-dad would be proud of my decision I made with my investment from my inheritance.  I invested wisely.

When I started out with writing my blogs, it was a leap of faith.  I knew I could get paid.  I just don’t know how much.  I even took another leap of faith, when I updated to Premium before I reach 1000 viewers. I trusted God and took the leap of faith.

The Pastor the church got now have taken his shares of leap of faith.  The church was small, but with his leap of faith, he started a food pantry that would help the people in Fargo-Moorhead.  Because of that leap of faith, the Lord been blessing the church.

Let us look at Moses in the Bible, the Lord told him to build an ark before the great flood was to come.  The people laughed at him; but he kept right on building.

Abraham is another example of taking a leap of faith.  He left his family behind to go to where the Lord had promised.  He was blessed because of his obedience.

Donald Trump also took a leap of faith when he ran for President and won.  He never really imagine that he would win.  He put his own money into the campaign as an investments.  That way, he doesn’t owe anybody anything.  He doesn’t owe the lobbyist that so many did in the past.

Now back to the World Series.  I hope you see what I was getting at here.  If you build it they will come.  If you want a winning team or anything worthwhile, you must put good money down.

To compete against Amazon, Wal-Mart, realized that that had to jump on board with the on-line order.  So right now, because of that Amazon and Wal-Mart are one and two in the highest stock value.

This year the two teams playing in the World Series are the Houston Astros and LA Dodgers.  I remember when the Dodgers were in the World Series and played against the Yankees back when Reggie Jackson was playing for the Dodgers.

Even though I’m not a big Boston Red Sox fans, I was very happy to see them win the World Series and break their curse that they had on them back when Babe Ruth played for the Yankees.

I wasn’t much of a big Braves fan either back when they had won World Series.  I didn’t care for Ted Turner, who owned the Braves.  Like I said with the Yankees, if you are willing to pay for good players or buy good things, you’ll get good stuff.

Maybe that is what the Minnesota Vikings hope to happen when they chose to build a new stadium.

I was hoping that Chicago Cubs would wound up in the World Series again.  I like the Cubs better than the White Sox.  I was very excited when the Cubs won the World Series last year and finally broke their curse that they had on them.

There curse was a little different than the Red Sox though.  The Cubs came close before.  As part of their curse, that kept the Cubs from winning, if a fan caught a ball that was meant to be caught by the Cubs player, that would cost them the game.  A few years ago, that happened and some of the fans were downright angry.  They started a riot because of it.

It been awhile since the Dodgers been in the World Series.  I don’t know if the Astros been in before or not.  So it should be good World Series; even though the Twins or the Cubs aren’t in.

So remember, if you want something good, you must be willing to pay for it.  If you build it they will come.

As you know, Old Hillary Clinton has a new book out right now, stating why she lost the election.  She has been doing a lot of talk show circuit to promote that book.  In it she blames everyone but herself for the reason why she lost.  I got a perfect title for her latest book.  How about “It’s not my fault”, Hillary?

First, Hillary Clinton blamed President Obama for not getting the nomination in 2008.  Doesn’t she realize that it was still too soon for another Clinton, for one.  For two, Obama represented change that America very much needed.  He did end up being part of the same old/same old.  Hillary even thought that Obama didn’t do enough for her in last election.

Then, Hillary Clinton blamed Bernie Sanders for not winning the election.  She felt that he didn’t fully support her.  Remember, Bernie Sanders drew a larger crowd than Hillary did on the campaign trail.  Remember, bother Sanders and Trump drew larger crowds on the campaign trail than the Establishment on both the Republicans and the Democrats.

She even blamed her husband, Bill.  She felt that he wasn’t fully supporting of her.  Well, Hillary here is a bone for you to gnarl on.  The reason why Bill was elected President was because he had more charisma than you do.  When he lied, he had a way in twisting his lies and making people believe it.  She doesn’t have that ability.  When she lies, people can see right through her.

She even blamed Trump for her lost.  She said that Trump intimidated her during their debates.  She thinks I feels sorry for her.  He knew how to make her squirm so he can show the American people the true Hillary Clinton, the liar she is.

Another thing, Trump drew a larger crowd like Sanders did.  It goes to show that the American people were very unhappy with our career politicians.  They wanted an outsider for a change.  They wanted someone who didn’t make a career in being a politician and being in Washington.

Doesn’t Hillary realize she had way too much baggage to become President.  The American people saw her for the lying crook she is.  The last crooked President was Richard Nixon, and he was forced to resign in August of 1974, because of Watergate.  Otherwise he would had been impeach and maybe even sent to prison.  The only reason why he wasn’t was because Pres. Ford made a big mistake in career to pardon Nixon.

I don’t need to go into all her baggage.  You can read it my blog that wrote about all her baggage.  The blog title was Too much baggage for Hillary.”

All I will say is this, she is lucky that Pres. Trump doesn’t have her investigated for all her crimes.  If I was President, I would.  I then would had her charge and sent to prison for the rest of her life.  There would had been no parole for her.

She even blamed Russia for her losing the election.  Come on now, really!!  Do they have that much power to control ours election.  The fake news media wants you to think they do.

The Russian President didn’t like her, but who did.  They preferred doing business with Trump over her any day.  They didn’t trust her.  No one can trust her!

It’s funny!  When Trump was concerned about the election being rigged, both Hillary and Obama said that he was off his rocker and denied it.  Now that Trump won and Hillary lost, it’s a different story.  Now Hillary and her people are singing a different tune.  They are screaming, the election was rigged!

Hillary even blamed the Established Republicans for not stopping the Trump train that rolled all over her, and their people as well.  I think and believe that Hillary would rather had hope to take on Jeb Bush instead of Trump.  She would had won the election for sure.

The American people had enough with the Bushes thanks to George W.  It would had been another similar election to 1992 when Bill Clinton was elected President.  Remember, Bill was the lesser of three evil.  The American people no longer trusted the first George Bush, they were concerned about his health and then they would get Dan Quale as President, and was scared of him.

The fake news media made Ross Perot out to be an idiot.  Even though all that he said eventually came true.

Well Hillary Clinton wasn’t the only one who does the blame game.  They all do in Washington, both the Democrats and the Republicans.  The Established Republicans wants to see Trump fail so that they can continue on the way they been going.

The Established Democrats is now falling apart.  The American people wants Trump to clean up the swamp in Washington and get rid of these career politicians.

Even everyday people plays the blame game.

There is a former pastor I know who uses the excuse I’m only helping you.  He doesn’t see himself as being self-righteous.  It’s never his fault.

When people takes up drinking, they do it either because of their jobs, family, or spouses.  My job makes me drink. Or my spouse makes me drink.

How about when someone murder or rape someone else?  The accuse they used is: it’s not my fault, it’s my family situation.  If you had a bad home life growing up, you would too.

Sometimes people plead insanity just to keep from going to prison for murder.  Then they blame their family upbringing.  Or they’ll blame violence on tv and in the movies.

I could on this but there is other blogs I can cover this on.

Back to lying crooked Hillary Clinton, quit whining that you lost the election.  You lost because the American people knows the truth about you.  Even though the fake news media didn’t much report on it.  The reason, you had them in your hind pockets.  It’s time that you take responsibility for your own action.  Stop blaming others and just go away!  While you’re at it, take your clonies with you.  Be forever grateful that Trump didn’t have you investigated and sent to prison for all your crimes.  God forbid, I would!

As you already heard, American Idol is returning to television. It won’t be the same without Simon Cowoll ( pardon my spelling of his last name).

Simon made the show the original American Idol.  Even though he was tough and considered darn right mean to those trying out for the show, he was truthful.  The contestants needed it.

If he wasn’t truthful, how would they handle what life threw at them after the show.

Blake Shelton from the other competition show, “The Voice” made a statement, not understanding why the contestants on the voice can’t go as far as say Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.

I got news for you Mr. Blake Shelton.  Even though you are a good singer and I was disappointed when you and Miranda got a divorce.  I thought you two had something there, like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, and even George Jones and Tammy Whynette .

The reason why the contestants on the voice doesn’t goes as far as they American Idol’s contestants is because you judges are way too nice.  You can’t sugarcoat the truth like you do.  They need to hear the truth.  If they are bad they need to know it.

Simon had taken a lot of crap because people thought that he was way too mean, downright rude.

Sounds familiar, so does our President, Donald Trump also takes a lot of heat because people say he is too mean.  He attacks everybody.

I have to admit I didn’t really trust Trump at first because he scared me.  He grows on me.  I like it when he slam it to the Established Republicans, the fake news media, and even the Democrats.  He tells it like it is.  He holds no punches.  Simon is the same way.

There are people who may like Simon but still can’t stand Trump.  I don’t get it!  You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

I’m sick and tired of all these politically correct people out there who says, “you got to me nice.”  People like Bill Maher and others who say “that’s not nice,” needs to go away.  If you can’t handle the truth, just go away.  As Jack Nichaelson said in the movie, “A Few Good Men,” “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth.”

There is a televangelist, Dwight Thompson that says, “Today’s preachers are sugarcoating the truth because they are afraid of offending someone.”  We need to hear the truth.  As one pastor would say, “I’m not afraid what others would say when I preached or speak the truth.”

Back to the American Idol, the new judges, I just don’t know about them.  Luke Bryan is very nice guy.  I met him when he performed at the Fargo Dome.  When he got off the stage, as we were going up to tear down, he gave us a high five.  Now that is very nice.  I don’t think he has in him to be tough on the contestants that try out for American Idol.

No one likes hearing the truth.  It hurts!  That is why it is called tough love.  Yet today’s generation, you have sugarcoat the truth or you may offend someone.

My step-dad always said, “If you are speaking the truth about someone or something and that others become defensive and upset; you are onto something.”

Sometimes, I can be a little tough or mean in my blogs, because I’m not afraid to tell it like it is.  I had a comment from someone who wasn’t too happy with me.  I was even wondering, because it seems that my softer blogs does better than my angrier blogs for viewers.  I got to be me.  You will see both side of me.  Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde.

I haven’t watched the Voice because when I did I saw the judges being way too nice.  Pretty much after Simon left American Idol, I haven’t watch that show. He made that show.  I will not watch the return of American Idol unless the judges learn to get tougher.  They must not sugarcoat the truth.

I will continue standing by Pres. Trump because he doesn’t sugarcoat the truth.  We needs to clean up the swamp in Washington.  The news media needs to be put in their place.  America needs people like Simon, Trump, and I to continue speaking the truth harshly.  The American people needs to hear it if we are to be great again.

If you remember from last week I was talking about the effect of opening on Sunday, both for the business and personal.  Now the reason for the title:

Before North Dakota allowed stores to be open on Sunday, Moorhead, MN had it made in a shade.  When Fargo was closed on Sunday, Moorhead was open and so the people went across the river to shop on Sunday after church.  My family did that when we lived in West Fargo, before moving on the farm, south of Hawley.

That was one of the reason Kmart opened their Moorhead Kmart store.  They did that so they can get even more business.

When they did that, Tempo; which was located in the old Holiday Mall became scared and closed up.

Then in the early ’90’s, the people of North Dakota voted to overturn the blue law to allow stores to be open on Sunday.  This really hurt Moorhead.  It’s their own fault though.

For years, Moorhead had the upper hand over Fargo by being open on Sunday.  Why didn’t they prepare for the inevitable.  They saw the signs that eventually Fargo will have stores open on Sunday.  It was poor city planning from their city managers.

Sure, there is no sales tax on clothes.  To have a business in Moorhead, you have to pay extra taxes in other areas.  No incentives!!.  No tax breaks!!  The city of Fargo took advantage of that and was able to win businesses back over.  What Moorhead should had done when they saw the possibility of North Dakota overturning the blue law to allow stores to be open on Sunday was done something to prepare for it.

Because they didn’t they lost a lot of business to both Fargo and West Fargo.  Shortly after, the city of Moorhead started struggling financially.

I’m not saying Fargo was perfect though.  They had made their mistake also.  When West Acre was built, there was nothing out there at the time.  Between West Acre and West Fargo was nothing but field and farm lands.  The mistake that the city of Fargo made was:  They didn’t think that West Acre would do very well way out there.  So they allow that area to be a part of the West Fargo’s school district.  That was Fargo’s downfall and the boost West Fargo needed to grow.

West Fargo has been growing ever since.  They are no longer a suburb of Fargo. They are becoming a nice size town in their own rights.

By West Acre, it is just booming with businesses and homes.

The city of Moorhead loss became West Fargo gain.  I’m not sure of the population, but I wouldn’t doubt that West Fargo population is higher than Moorhead.

Right now West Fargo, Fargo, and Horace are in a land lock battle for space in that area.  Horace cannot grow east or north because of being land lock with Fargo and West Fargo.

To continue on poor city planning, let us take a look at other cities first in North Dakota; then in Minnesota.

At one time Grand Forks was the second largest city in North Dakota.  Now thanks the ’97’s flood, they lost a lot of people.  They are still recuperating from it.  They only drop down to third thank God though.

Bismarck became the second largest city now.  One of the thing that Bismarck did was merge with Mandan, calling themselves Bismarck-Mandan.

I remember when Jamestown was the fourth largest city in North Dakota.  Well they have shrunk quite a bit.  I have to say this about Jamestown.  The last time I was in Jamestown, I wasn’t very impress.  Even though my real father is buried in Jamestown and I have cousins there.  I have to say, to me Jamestown is a dive.

Now Minot also had grown quite a bit to overtake Jamestown as the fourth largest city in North Dakota.  At first, Minot only had the air force base but now with good city planning they saw other ways to keep the city growing.  The oil boom help a little bit.  I even think that Minot did a better job in preparing that Grand Forks did.

Grand Forks also has an air force base. They even have UND .  Somehow there is something still missing there.

Now back over on the Minnesota side.  First back to Moorhead.  They are struggling to rebuild.  I wish their new mayor lots of luck there.  I do have to admit this.  I hate taking the bus in Moorhead.  When you take the bus in Moorhead, you better knows your stops; otherwise you may not get back home.  They don’t stop every corner like Fargo’s busses.  Their streets aren’t mark properly enough.  They are not much better than Jamestown.  Sure those who rent gets a tax break.  I still wouldn’t want to live in Moorhead.

Dilworth also seems to be growing in the last few years.  They are in a land lock battle with Moorhead.  They can’t grow West and Moorhead cannot grow west or east.  Moorhead did make the same mistake Fargo made with West Acre.  The area between Moorhead and Dilworth is very much divided between them both.  Even though Wal-mart is in Moorhead, somehow Dilworth took claim of it.

The only way for Dilworth to really grow is going east.  That mean running into Glyndon.

Now Hawley has also grown since I graduated from high school in 1984.  They have now 2 city parks.  They took advantage of being right off the highway and moved businesses from being downtown and near the highway.  Very good city planning on their part.  If Hawley keeps grown east, they end up near Glyndon as well.  Then between Hawley and Dilworth, Glyndon could wipe out.

Barnsville  could also grow like Hawley; since they are just off the I94, but somehow Hawley, I think has outgrown Barnsville.

When you have poor city planning and city managers, it will hurt them.

I’m not saying I like seeing Hawley growing as fast as it did.  It took away the beauty of the country side nearby.  There is too many fancy houses out there that is just making it an eyesore.  We need our farmlands.  We need small town living.  Everything is moving way too fast in the city.  Love to be in these small towns, just to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life have.  When I retire, I’ll take small town life over the big cities any day.

I could remember when stores were closed on Sunday in Fargo, ND.  People would flock over into Moorhead to shop on Sunday.  That was one of the reason Kmart opened their Moorhead store, just so they can be open on Sunday.

Then when the state legislator passed a bill to overturn the blue law and allow stores to be open on Sunday.  At the time, I could see the business point of view; which made sense.  I’m just going to show the downfall of being open on Sunday.

In the light of this, they want to have business open earlier on Sunday; rather than at noon.  I think that would be a very bad idea.

When North Dakota allowed stores to be opened on Sunday, there was a lot of damage done.

One of the damage involved Moorhead, MN; but I will explain that one in next week blog.  The part 2 of this blog, titled, “Tales of Two Cities”; so stay tuned.

I think but I can’t prove it.  When stores were allowed to be open on Sunday, it gave more part-time opening.  Businesses were able to hire more part time, so that can avoid paying out benefits to their employees.

I don’t ever remember my folks working 2 jobs as us kids were growing up.  They both had a full time job with benefits and raised a big family.

As I said before, Paul Harvey said before he died, “North Dakota is the only state that people have to work 2-3 jobs to raise a family.”

They said that North Dakota is a good place to raise a family.  I like to know how?  Who is raising the kids if both parents are working around the clock to make ends meet?

As I said before from a business point of view it makes sense if they are to make a profit. It even makes sense from the state’s perspective, because they are able to get revenue from sales on Sunday, that they lost to Minnesota before that.

There was more full time help years ago than there is now.  Business would rather hire part time; so that they wouldn’t have to pay the benefits.  They can get away with it, because it is easier to distributed part time help hours than full time.

It’s not right but there is nothing to do about it.  If you regulate businesses, you would own hurt yourself.  It’s like, if you ordered businesses to raise minimum wage, they’ll do it but they will cut down on help, and only have skeleton crew to work with.  The people they have they will work likes slaves.  That is no way to run a business!  They got to make a profit also.  Business owner have to see for themselves that they need to raise better wages and good benefits.

Another thing, family would sit down together and eat supper.  Now everyone is just way too busy for that contact.  Parents are working 2-3 jobs.  If there are teenagers, there is a bunch of after school activity that they are involved in.  How can parents know what their kids are doing if they are not around?

With being open on Sunday, it also affect church attendance.  Less people are going to church, because either they have to work or they choose to play on Sunday rather goes to church.  This is not the only reason church attendance is down though.

Sometimes employers will pay a little extra to get people to work on Sunday.

In the past weekends was a much needed break from working the salt mine.  Weekends is Saturday and Sunday.  But because of being open on Sunday, weekends is pretty much lost.  You get a day or 2 days off during the week but usually not together.  It is just hard to do anything or even have a life.  Weekends is made to have a life outside your job.  The only people able to get weekends off is the higher up people.

I had a job that I worked every weekends and my days off was Tuesday and Thursday.

No wonder people don’t have the time to shop anymore.  No wonder people have to go on-line and shop at Amazon.com.

Now that businesses are open on Sunday, we even lose holidays that people used to have off.  Businesses used to be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, Easter, etc.  They would even close earlier on Christmas Eve.  Now all that had change because of being open on Sunday.

I can mention more on management treatment, but I will mention it in another blog.  Come back next week and see how it hurt Moorhead when businesses were allowed be open on Sunday.