Specialty license plates in Florida

Among the (very many) specialty license plates that are available in Florida, there is one that is Disney World related. 

But the thing is that specialty plates have a special designation, and proceeds from them must benefit a charity.  Disney World worked with the Make-A-Wish foundation, and donates the proceeds there.

They just announced that they reached a milestone in these donations.

The $3 million raised has helped send more than 300 Florida families on unforgettable wish trips, bringing them happiness and hope when it's needed most. Here's what one mom shared with us after her daughter's wish to visit Walt Disney World was granted:

 

"Disney has always represented magical moments for our family and when Vyla's wish was granted, it was more than we could have dreamt of. I couldn't hold back the tears walking into the park because it was a moment we didn't know we would see. We are so grateful for Make-A-Wish, Disney and all of the people who made these moments possible for our family."

Black Trump supporter was called a slave…

There's a story about a black man who claims he was "all in" as a Trump supporter, and wanted to help promote the orange menace. 

Did I need to mention that he's in Flori-duh? I mean we are the seat of stupidity.

He started canvassing (going door to door to talk to people) and then complained about not getting paid and someone in the campaign called him a slave. And so he cried foul, and also talked about how they also asked him to bribe someone. 

I have SO MANY questions. 

Of course there's the headline. He was derided - or at least he took it that way. And that's really all that matters. The campaign seems to have two views: the one that says the person was wrong to say it and the one that buries its head in the sand. 

What century is this again? Why would this even ever come up? 

But to me, there are a couple of deeper issues that came out. 

I know people canvassing for Harris. They do it because they believe in the cause. The Trump campaign is paying people to do the same? Huh? Could that be at least part of the reason he decided to join the team? There's a lot of legal fuzziness around the payments as well. A separate company is contracted to employ people and they have some weirdness going on. 

Then, a spokesman said something about how they track the canvassers, and they can see which houses they went to. That seems much less like a political movement, especially something "grassroots" doesn't it?

How does that work? And who pays for the technology?

And then there's the matter of bribe. Is anyone actually looking into this? Who was being bribed? And why? There's something weird going on there, too. And something about having a black man who was hired as a canvasser setup payments for something seems amiss. There's got to be more to this story. 

https://atlantablackstar.com/2024/08/29/black-trump-supporter-says-he-was-called-a-slave-by-the-conservative-organization-he-was-campaigning-for/

Can you pass the citizenship test - answers

1. c: The printed copies distributed to state delegations and others originally bore just two signatures: those of Congress President John Hancock and Secretary Charles Thomson. The parchment copy most Americans know and revere wasn't engrossed until the following month, and some delegates never signed it.

2. b: The seven red stripes represent valor and "hardiness"; the six white stripes stand for purity and innocence.

3. d: James Madison, often called the "Father of the Constitution," initially opposed having an addendum to the document. But some states held off ratification until a "bill of rights" was added.

4. b: Madison's initial draft of the First Amendment did not include freedom of worship. It read: "The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable."

5. a: That number was first adopted in 1911. The House temporarily added two more seats following the admissions of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959.

6. d: Although George Washington was born in Virginia, the first president could have been foreign-born, so long as he was a U.S. citizen "at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution ..." Martin van Buren was the first president born after the United States broke away from Britain.

7. d: The framers hoped that staggered terms would promote stability and prevent senators from combining for "sinister purposes."

8. a: Before 1951 and the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, presidents could theoretically serve unlimited terms. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected four times but died in office, is the only chief executive to have served more than two terms.

9. b: Congress controls taxing and establishes an annual budget.

10. c: Those three words are the beginning of the preamble. That differs from the Articles of Confederation, adopted in November 1777, which focused on the sovereignty of the states.

Could you pass a citizenship test?

Immigrants seeking to become United States citizens have to show a working knowledge of the nation's history and how the federal government functions. And they don't get multiple choices.

Could YOU pass even a dumbed-down citizenship test? Let's find out!

1. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

a. July 4, 1775

b. Christmas, 1782

c. July 4, 1776

d. Oct. 19, 1781

2. What do the stripes on the U.S. flag stand for?

a. They hearken back to the British flag

b. The 13 original colonies

c. The blood shed in the American Revolution

d. No one knows for sure

3. How many amendments make up the Bill of Rights?

a. Five

b. Twenty

c. Thirteen

d. Ten

4. Name one right guaranteed by the First Amendment

a. The right to bear arms

b. Freedom of assembly

c. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

d. The right to privacy

5. How many members are there in the House of Representatives?

a. 435

b. 438

c. 450

d. It fluctuates

6. Which of these is NOT a requirement to be president of the United States?

a. Must be a natural-born citizen

b. Must be at least 35 years old

c. Must have lived at least 14 years in the U.S.

d. Must own property in the U.S.

7. How long do Senators serve?

a. Four years

b. Two years

c. Eight years

d. Six years

8. How many full terms can a president serve?

a. Two

b. Unlimited

c. Three

d. Four

9. Which branch of the federal government controls spending?

a. Executive

b. Legislative

c. Judiciary

d. The Internal Revenue Service

10. What are the first words of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution?

a. "We hold these truths to be self-evident ..."

b. "Four score and seven years ago ..."

c. "We the people ..."

d. "When in the course of human events ..."

— this is from 6ABC.com

Disneys expansion plans and the state …

Disney wants to change the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyers Island to be a cars themed land. 

But to do that, they need to change the water flow that was designed by Joe Potter, prior to park opening. 

Disney - until a few years ago - had autonomy over their water district, and could have easily approved such a a change. Actually there were 6 (at least I remember it being 6) distinct water management districts that could manage water flow as independent boards. 

But, the governor consolidated all water districts, and placed them under his control and made them political tools. 

So when Disney sought to change the Rivers of America, they submitted the proposal to the governing body… and they rejected it for reasons related to how water flows.

And now it requires more study and may impact Disneys proposed timelines for expansion. 

Ah yes, the intended consequences of the governor meddling in Disney politics.  

https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/cars-land-magic-kingdom/news/16sep2024-disney-worlds-cars-themed-expansion-faces-minor-roadblock-with-sfwmd-permit-request.htm

Do you see blue or green? This viral test plays with color perception | Well actually

I've often wondered if everyone sees colors the same way I do. I appreciate that there is science which shows that colors are refracted and thus are ostensibly the same. And the anatomy of our eyes means we all perceive it the same way. 

But how do we interpret that color?

This study seeks to look into that in a way. Read the article then follow the link to take the teat yourself. 

https://ismy.blue/

It's kind of interesting to see that we perceive it differently. 

Do you see blue or green? This viral test plays with color perception | Well actually | The Guardian


https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2024/sep/16/blue-green-viral-test-color-perception

Tua and concussions (again)

In 2022, Tua (the QB for the Dolphins) suffered a concussion one week and was held out for a time, then came back and suffered a severe concussion, which resulted in him displaying the "fencers pose" (which is NOT a good thing).

He played sparingly for the remainder of the season, and "came back strong" in 2023.  He credited weight training and judo for making his stronger.  And behold! While he was hit several times in way that probably would have caused a concussion, he was never diagnosed with one.  

Aside: I posit that there was also a change in the way concussions were evaluated, at least in part to keep players on the field.

He's a below-average to average QB in the league, but the Dolphins decided he was worth investing in (at least in part because the owner is an idiot, but that's a story for another day) and gave him the equivalent of about 20% of all the salary cap.  Most of the $50 million per year over 5 years, guaranteed.

Week 1, he has an average day and mostly underperforms. 

Week 2, he starts off very slow. Doesn't look "sharp" and throws three interceptions. 

And then in the 3rd quarter, he's diving for yardage - stupidly - and runs into a defender, his head gets bent sideways and he winds up on the ground with a severe concussion and the "fencers pose" once again.  

So now it's a question about health and safety.  Sure, it's been 2 years since his last diagnosed concussion (or at least severe one), but in between he's taken hits, and undoubtedly the trauma has built up.

And longer term, should he continue to play? Will he try and come back? And what of the significant amount of money he is owed? Will that hold the team back for a very long time?

On a more amusing side note, what if the no-name low-paid backup has success?  What does that say about the team and its decisions?