Thursday, April 17, 2014

Queens of Royalty, Rock & Raunch - Queen Elizabeth II, Taylor Swift & Miley Cyrus

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What do they have in common?  Other than a few hundred million dollars in net worth not much.  But it is fun to look at these three Queens when they were the same age.

Hannah Montana - Disney look
Miley Cyrus

For example, Miley Cyrus is now 21 years old and she grossed an estimated $78 million in the last year, and that wasn't all she grossed as she grossed out her fans with her free wheeling lifestyle based on getting stoned, getting drunk and getting wild.


Miley is the reincarnation of Madonna as a wild child and Cyrus intends to celebrate herself, her money, her sexuality and whatever else comes along with no interest in being apologetic or anything mature.

Actually Miley started out as a Disney do gooder, the All American teen, before she grew up and decided being provocative paid.  In 2006 at age 14 thanks to Disney Cyrus had an estimated net worth of $3.5 million.


Today it has grown to about $155 million net worth thanks to her on-stage antics, a lot of skin and a tongue that seems to drag on the floor.

    
When Queen Elizabeth was the same age, 21, she had just survived four years of Nazi bombings of London and had been a member of the British Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service.

Elizabeth age 3
On her 21st birthday, the same age as Cyrus today, she was traveling through Africa with her parents and made a radio broadcast back to Britain pledging:

"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."


Taylor Swift

Taylor is the heir apparent as Queen of Country music and has not fallen into the same pit of vulgarity and sexuality as Miley though they seem to be friends of some sort.

Swift made her breakthrough at age 16 with her first mega hit "Tim McGraw" and has created a multi-million dollar niche chronicling the life of a typical teen through her music, making her the greatest crossover artist ever from country to pop.


Of course most typical teens didn't earn $18 million by their 18th birthday nor generate about $50 million each the past few years touring while releasing one new album every two years.


Today Taylor continues to earn entertainer of the year awards for her relentless touring schedule, fan availability and All-American image.  At age 25 she is worth an estimated $220 million and has at least four estates worth millions each across the nation.

While Cyrus slithers on her tongue for the fans Taylor hobnobs with American royalty like the Kennedy family boys at her New England estate.  The crazier Miley gets the swifter Swift sets herself apart from her crazy friend.


So what was Queen Elizabeth up to when she was 25 like Taylor?  She was getting married and just two years later, at age 27, she became Queen of England and all the other territories associated with the British crown.


Okay, so how much is the British monarch worth compared to the American kids?  Well, contrary to reports the royal family overspends, the Queen is personally worth about $500 million.  Her properties alone generate about $79 million dollars per year, about what they cost to operate a year.

And her net worth does not count the Crown Estate trust for the British royalty consisting of real estate property, art work and other stuff worth BILLIONS of pounds, dollars, any way you want to count it, way more than 15 billions of dollars.

Soooo...

Before reaching the age of 21 Miley Cyrus was a multi-millionaire Disney television star and Taylor Swift was a multi-millionaire heart beat and heart throb of country and pop music. At the same age Queen Elizabeth was dodging Nazi bombs that were destroying London having refused to leave England and demanding to stay with her parents, the King and Queen.

At age 21 Miley Cyrus slithers on her tongue while Queen Elizabeth pledged her loyalty to the people of Britain and at age 25 Taylor Swift travels the world singing and buying mansions while Queen Elizabeth was getting married and two years away from becoming Queen of Britain.


Today Queen Elizabeth is closing in on becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history, yes for all time, as she will pass her great, great grandmother Queen Victoria and her 63 year 216 day continuous reign record in less than 500 days.

Ah the trials and tribulations of royalty British or American style.

Will Holy Week be another wasted opportunity in the evolution of mankind?

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Many religions of the world have Holy Days during April and May as the following calendar indicates.  One wonders how the people of the world can be so absorbed in religious activities yet still have time to hate, judge, condemn and envy those who do not share their beliefs but have one of their own.


The history of the world is filled with tragic examples of religious warfare in which murder, deceit and persecution have all been undertaken in the name of God, Allah or YHVH.  In fact, so no one feels left out here are a number of names for God from various religions and disciplines.


* Absolute Spirit or Absolute Consciousness
* Absolute Inclusiveness
* Allah
* Anima Mundi (World Soul, Gaia, Universal Soul)
* Atman
* Brahma
* Causal
* Christ
* Cosmic Christ
* Consciousness
* Divine
* Divine Feminine, Kali, Oya, Pele, Mary, Shakti, Black Madonna or any of the other many names for Goddess embodying Absolute Divinity in a female manifestation.)
* Divine Mother
* Divine Mystery
* Divine Presence
* Ein Sof
* Ever Present Origin
* God
* Godde
* Goddess
* God/Buddha
* Great Interconnectedness
* Great Mother
* Great Mystery
* Great Spirit
* Great Union
* Great Radiance
* Great Relationship
* Great Unity
* Higher Power
* Highest Essence
* Highest Self
* Holy Spirit
* I am Who am (a non qualitative personal Divinity)
* Infinite Consciousness
* Infinite Essence
* Infinite Mystery
* Infinite o­ne
* Infinite o­neness
* Infinite Source
* Infinite Spirit
* Infinite Wholeness
* Integrative Consciousness
* Integrative Spirit
* Jehovah
* Kosmos
* Krishna
* Larger Self
* Love
* Nondual Awareness
* Original Essence
* Original Organizing Principle
* Pre Big Bang Reality
* Post Big Bang Reality
* Shakti
* Shiva
* The Cosmos
* The Source
* The Evolutionary Absolute
* The Infinite
* The Great O­neness
* The Great Radiance 
* The Great Spirit
* The Tao
* The Great Unified Field
* The Great Unity
* The Force
* The Tripartite Absolute, (a term (R)evolutionary Spirituality uses for the combined Personal, Evolutionary and Impersonal absolutes of God.)
* The Absolute Trinity or TriUnity
* The Supreme
* The Ultimate
* The Universe
* Total Reality
* Total Pre and Post Big Bang Reality
* Ultimate Concern
* Ultimate Reality
* Ultimate Truth
* Ultimate Unity or O­neness
* Ultimate Wholeness
* Universal O­ne
* Yahweh
* Wakan Taka



Do we really believe that any of these Gods actually sanctions the sins of earth being used to promote war, murder, genocide, unethical morality or even abject indifference toward the suffering of others?



Of course there will always be extremists and zealots who justify such actions as the intent of God but I suspect the real culprit in their world is their egomania in thinking only they know what is right for everyone else, or they are simply mentally nuts.


So I wonder what the various Gods think of their rabid followers and I wonder if such fanatics represent any more of a threat to mankind and human morality than those obsessed by greed and the many other cardinal sins that seem to be gaining more favor all the time.


During this Holy Week we should all pray that no one should suffer or die in the name of God and that those in the clutches of evil or mental instability be awaken from their toxic world of darkness and become a force for good.


Is that too much to ask of our Gods?  Or are you too weak to want an answer?





APRIL 2014

  • 8
    • Ramanavami ** - Hindu
  • 12
    • Lazarus Saturday - Orthodox Christian
  • 13
    • Palm Sunday - All Christians
    • Mahavir Jayanti ** - Jain
  • 14
    • Baisakhi New Year - Sikh
  • 15
    • Lord's Evening Meal - Jehovah's Witness Christian
    • Hanuman Jayanti ** - Hindu
  • 15-22 *
    • Pesach (Passover) - Jewish
  • 17
    • Maundy Thursday - Christian
  • 18
    • Good (Holy) Friday - All Christian
  • 20
    • Easter - All Christians
  • 21
    •  
First Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
  • 23
    • St. George Day - Christian
  • 27
    • Yom HaShoah * - Jewish
  • 29
    • Ninth Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i

MAY 2014

  • 1
    • National Day of Prayer - Interfaith USA
    • Beltane - Samhain * - Wicca/Pagan  Northern and Southern hemispheres
  • 2
    • Twelfth Day of Ridvan * - Baha'i
  • 5
    • Yom Ha'Atzmaut* - Jewish
  • 15-18
    • Theravadin New Year ** - Buddhist
  • 18
    • Lag B'Omer* - Jewish
  • 14
    • Visakha Puja - Buddha Day ** - Buddhist
  • 23
    • Declaration of the Bab * - Baha'i
  • 27
    • Lailat al Miraj * ** - Islam
  • 29
    • Ascension of Jesus - All Christians
    • Ascension of Baha'u'llah * - Baha'i
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Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Who reads the Coltons Point Times?

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Every few months I take time to review the readership stats of the CPT to try and learn who is interested in our reporting.  Of course the most glaring stat may be who is not reading it.


No residents of Coltons Point read the Coltons Point Times.  What does that tell me about having found a home?  This village has been settled for 380 years, the oldest chartered community to be continuously occupied in the original thirteen colonies.


There are actually families here today that date back to the boat people.  If you want some fascinating history check out the articles highlighted at the end of this story.


Basically no one from Southern Maryland reads the Coltons Point Times even though there is some degree of evidence that people reside in this area with the ability to read and even a casual interest in what happens outside this area.


Be that as it may, even the State of Maryland has always been far down the list of readers by state usually showing up in the bottom 25 states.  New York, California, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio and Virginia have always dominated the USA readers.


But the real story to me is that citizens of the United States only represent 48% of my readers, meaning the rest of the world is more interested in what is happening in America, at least from my perspective, than Americans.


Over the past couple of months Germany at 26% has remained a strong second.  Canada continues at #3 with 6% but the most surprising new member of the top ten is China at #4, with the combined China and Hong Kong readers over 5%.  Rounding out the top ten are Poland and France at 4% each, Sweden 3%, Ukraine 2%, United Kingdom and Iraq at 2%.


Depending on the hot topics of the week other counties like Russia, Brazil, Romania, Ireland, Australia, India and the Netherlands have popped in and out of the top ten.  I urge all of you to encourage people to check out the Coltons Point Times and especially those people in China as I will be doing a series of articles on the Chinese history, culture and future in the near future.


Of course what happens in America continues to be the main draw of readers and the international dominance of readers indicates how the events in America can influence the rest of the world.  I thank you for wanting to be informed and ask you to please tell others about us.


As we celebrate our 8th anniversary publishing the Coltons Point Times we are proud to remain the only news service on the Internet with no advertising allowed.

       
St. Clements Island Maryland Colonial History - The Rest of the Story


Maryland and the nation owe a great deal to the brave colonists who ventured across the Atlantic in 1633 and landed on St. Clements Island in early 1634. St. Clements Manor, established within a couple of years, remains the oldest continually settled chartered community in colonial America.

The following series of articles gives the latest research and solves the enduring mysteries about the colonial days in England and Southern Maryland giving a fascinating glimpse into the lives and politics of the colonial era.


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Monday, April 14, 2014

Bubba Bags Second Masters with Late Charge

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 Some people are just too nice for this world and Bubba Watson,  winner of his 2nd Masters golf championship in three years, is one of them.  I mean this good old boy from Florida is the Forrest Gump of the PGA tour if ever there was one.


Yet looks can be deceiving.  He may look the part and act the part but there are certain aspects to this down home boy we just can't ignore.


When asked once what was important to him Bubba said, in order of importance, being a Christian, Husband, Daddy and Pro Golfer.  Bubba and his wife Angie adopted a son, Caleb, just before his first Masters win two years ago.  There was little Caleb racing across the course to meet his Dad after this win.


Bubba, whose real name is Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson, Jr. has won over $23 million dollars and is ranked 4th in the world in the PGA, yet he still held his celebratory dinner after the Masters after midnight at the Waffle House with his family.



In 2012 Bubba launched a "Drive to a Million" charity to raise money for charities close to his heart and by November 2013 he had raised over $1.3 million. He also is affiliated with The First Tee of Northwest Florida, Fresh Start, Birdies for the Brave, and the Ronald McDonald House of Pensacola.


140th Kentucky Derby - And they're off!! The Millionaires Romp

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 We are coming up on the first weekend in May and that means it is time for the Greatest two Minutes in Sports, the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky.

This year is the 140th Kentucky Derby, which means it started about 9 years after the end of the Civil War and when President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.


This first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing brought to you from the home of thoroughbreds, the Bluegrass region of Lexington and Paris Kentucky, is simply the greatest horse race in the world.

If you have not been to the Derby you may not know that it is a celebration that lasts a week and every aspect of Southern hospitality, wealth and opulence you ever read or saw from Gone with the Wind to Secretariat is alive and well and preserved for all time in Bluegrass country.


One horse is going to leave the Derby a millionaire with a shot at the triple crown, a feat that may rank as the hardest in sports history to achieve.  If a horse wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness in Maryland and Belmont in New York they win the triple crown.

But with each progressive race longer than the last and all three within the grueling time period of about 6 weeks it is one of the rarest feats in sports.  In the past 139 years 3,889 horses have competed in the races, 274 races were won, but only 11 horses won all three and just 50 won two of the three.


In fact the last time any horse won the triple crown was in 1978, 36 years ago, before Reagan was president.

The following are the top 30 of 38 qualifiers for the 2014 Kentucky Derby.  As we get closer to race day the field will be reduced to the starters.  Note how much money these three year olds have already won leading into the triple crown million dollar purses. 

  
• California Chrome
Steve and Carolyn Coburn & Perry and Denise Martin 
Rank 1
Earnings 782250
Pts 150

• Vicar's In Trouble
Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Rank 2
Earnings 760000
Pts 120

• Dance With Fate
S. Alesia, Bran Jam Stable & Ciaglia Racing, LLC
Rank 3
Earnings 600000
Pts 108


• Wicked Strong Centennial Farms
Rank 4
Earnings 640000
Pts 102

• Samraat
My Meadowview Farm
Rank 5
Earnings 650000
Pts 100

• Danza Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners
Rank 6
Earnings 620000
Pts 100

• Constitution
WinStar Farm LLC and Twin Creeks Racing
Rank 7
Earnings 600000
Pts 100


• Hoppertunity
Karl Watson, Mike Pegram & Paul Weitman
Rank 8
Earnings 576000
Pts 95

• Intense Holiday
Starlight Racing
Rank 9
Earnings 527500
Pts 93

• Wildcat
Red Honors Stable Corp.
Rank 10
Earnings 665000
Pts 90

• We Miss Artie
Ken and Sarah Ramsey
Rank 11
Earnings 544000
Pts 60


Ride On Curlin
Daniel J. Dougherty
Rank 12
Earnings 354387
Pts 55

• Chitu
Tanma Corporation
Rank 13
Earnings 440000
Pts 54

• Tapiture
Winchell Thoroughbreds
Rank 14
Earnings 470738
Pts 52

• Midnight Hawk
Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. (John Sikura), Mike Kitchen, Mike Pegram, Mike Tice & Joel Quenneville
Rank 15
Earnings 320000
Pts 52


• Ring Weekend
St. Elias Stable & West Point Thoroughbreds
Rank 16
Earnings 260000
Pts 50

• General A Rod
J. Armando Rodriguez
Rank 17
Earnings 240000
Pts 40

• Medal Count
Spendthrift Farm
Rank 18
Earnings 226500
Pts 40

• Candy Boy
C R K Stable LLC
Rank 19
Earnings 380000
Pts 30


• Cairo Prince
Godolphin Racing, LLC, Terrance Murray, Paul Braverman, Harvey A. Clarke & W. Craig Robertson III
Rank 20
Earnings 520000
Pts 24

• Uncle Sigh
Wounded Warrior Stables & Anthony C. Robertson
Rank 21
Earnings 180000
Pts 24

• Vinceremos
WinStar Farm LLC and Twin Creeks Racing
Rank 22
Earnings 191666
Pts 20

• Harry's Holiday
Skychai Racing LLC, Terry Raymond & Jana Wagner
Rank 23
Earnings 152622
Pts 20


• Commanding Curve
West Point Thoroughbreds
Rank 24
Earnings 104000
Pts 20

• Pablo Del Monte
Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor & Wesley Ward
Rank 25
Earnings 102000
Pts 20

• Bayern 
Kaleem Shah
Rank 26
Earnings 100000
Pts 20


• Social Inclusion
Rontos Racing Stable Corp. (Ron Sanchez)
Rank 27
Earnings 100000
Pts 20

• Big Bazinga
Derby Dreamers Racing Stable
Rank 28
Earnings 92149
Pts 14

• Coastline
John C. Oxley
Rank 29
Earnings 131346
Pts 13


• Strong Mandate
Robert C. Baker & William L. Mack
Rank 30
Earnings 479166
Pts 11
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Friday, April 11, 2014

What a pleasant surprise

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Scene from Coltons Point
Every now and then we need to stop absorbing all that swirls around us and sit back and enjoy something fun.  The following is a video of an actual Irish wedding in which no one including the bride and groom knew the priest was going to break out in song.

Ironically Father Ray Kelly chose one of my favorites the Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah and wrote new lyrics where appropriate for the couple.

Enjoy.

When I first saw this there were under 2 million hits and by the time I posted it within 24 hours there were almost 12 million hits.



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