Children in Gaza?

 30th November 2024

Hey McBeth,

 One of the things that has been eating at me is the pictures of starving children in Gaza. There has to be something wrong with them because you only see starving children and never adults or soldiers. If the famine was real then you would see large groups of people starving not just pictures of children.

 They could be starving the children to make propaganda, but what I heard was that these children are starving because of a genetic condition. I haven’t gotten any hard points on that, but there is a lot of inbreeding in Gaza.

 I’ve heard about trucks of aid sitting because workers don’t have time to pick them up and even Hamas attacking people who go to get aid. I heard Hamas cut one guy up and had people stone him to death after he went to get food for his family.

 You have to weigh in that Israel is being force to feed enemy forces here, but the whole thing is disturbing.

 

I’d like to hear your thoughts,

 

 

Richard Leland Neal

 

Funny Lines

 30th November 2024

Dear Band People,

From your ad here I can see that you’re looking for some funny lines to add to your performance. Good on you for that. A concert should be an experience that people don’t forget, and the more you can bring to the stage the better.

Anyway, I guess payment should be the first point. I mean, the one you can afford is the best one to hire. If you have money and are well funded cash money is an option but what a band has to offer me is often a shout-out or recognition which would be more valuable the more popular your band becomes.

If you want to get your name out there you need a YouTube channel and that’s where you’d be posting music videos, performances, and interviews with the band. We would work out something involving you thanking me in a video, me appearing in a music video, or even conducting an interview about an upcoming event.

As for my experience, I wrote comedy news for a YouTube channel called Absurd TV for years but as they never gave me full IMDB credit I stopped. I run six blogs and six YouTube channels where I often make comedy videos and posts. I used to draw comics but I fell out of the practice.

Look, dropping a few jokes, that’s just no big deal. Anyone can do it, and I’m surprised you’re looking for a writer. As far as being part of your success, well, that’s a lot harder.

 

Best,

 

Richard Leland Neal

 

How Do I Change My Vote?

29^th November 2024

 

Dear Madam Vice President,

 

In the wake of you loss in becoming the president proper many an American is feeling the pain. It was reported that Google searches for “How do I change my vote” surged on Election Day implying that many Americans voted against you in protest but really wanted you to win.

 

I can tell you that even a man who voted for Trump in his first election came to me and asked “what happened” stating that he had been on your side. I wish you could be our president but the world spoke and the law listened. We can only brace for what is to come hoping we can survive.

 

As the party, and the country as a whole, staggers bag and prepares for the time to come what happened is still the question on everyone’s lips by my own. After all, I know what happened. America didn’t feel that the current party could see to their economic needs and the world, not just America, shifted its leadership.

 

The pain at the bank and the pain at the grocery store out shine the moral compos of the world. The sad truth here is that the Democrats are for the people but they all too often fail to understand the people. Changing that is what should happen in the next four years.

 

Find a way to save the struggling people of this nation, because in four years you can try again and more of us will be struggling. We need good leaders now more than ever before. We need people like you.

 

Best,

 

 

Richard Leland Neal

 

Jurassic Coast - Exmouth

I am so incredibly excited because I have finally arrived in the seaside town of Exmouth, England. Here I will embark on a journey along the UNESCO-designated Jurassic Coast. As I travel this coastline from Exmouth to Studland, I look forward to learning about the millions of years of geology and paleontology that make up this incredible coastline.
 

But before I launch into talking about the Jurassic Coast, let me first tell you about Exmouth. Located at the mouth of the River Exe estuary, Exmouth is a charming port town that's been inhabited since the 11th century. It was known as Lydwicnaesse, a name derived from the Celtic word for fish. Developing as a small settlement, the town suffered from pirate raids in the 17th century, but by the 18th century, it grew into a seaside resort. Today, it is the oldest holiday resort in the county of Devon.

Exmouth has a mix of architecture from cob cottages made of natural building materials and townhouses from different eras, including Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian. There is a lovely row of period townhouses on The Beacon and another terrific collection of white, nearly uniform Victorian townhouses on the seafront promenade, distinguished only by their different coloured front doors.

A particular house of interest is A La Ronde, a quirky 16-sided house built by two spinster cousins in the late 18th century. Jane and Mary Parminter set out with Jane's sister and a friend on a European tour over several years. Returning home with trunks full of memorabilia, the cousins set about to build a home inspired by their travels and a visit to the 6th-century Byzantine Basilica di San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy. The house is three storeys high, with the attic featuring nine gorgeous dormer windows, filtering plenty of natural light. The interior contains a feather frieze in the drawing room and a shell-encrusted gallery. The two cousins were artistic and resourceful, using findings such as shells, feathers and seaweed to create their artworks. Of note was the landscape art made from sand, seaweed and shells and the bird images made with actual feathers. Among the many treasures and souvenirs are a series of incredibly detailed seashell pictures from Italy that have unbelievably survived their many bumpy road travels around Europe.

Having finished my exploration of Exmouth, I was ready to get going, take in the vastness of the English Channel and slowly peel the layers of history nestled within the coastline's towering cliffs. Made of sedimentary rock, the cliffs formed during the Mesozoic Era, also known as the "Age of Dinosaurs", spanning from 252 to 66 million years ago (mya). The era consisted of three major periods: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. It was a time of great change that saw the rise and extinction of many plants and animals, and the layers of rock hold the story of the Earth's past.

Although there will be variables, the easiest way to picture the Jurassic Coast is that from Exmouth to Lyme Regis, I'm passing through the Triassic layer, the first period of the Mesozoic era. From Lyme Regis to Studland, I'll pass through the Jurassic layer and the most exciting period. This is where the real dinosaur action happened. Then I'll finally reach Studland with its chalky white Cretaceous layer.

I look forward to discovering this ancient landscape's mysteries, beginning with the Triassic rock as I head toward Sidmouth.



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The Honor of My Life - Joe

Dear Mr. Neal,

Thank you for writing to me.  It has been the honor of my life to serve as your President.  I have been blessed with the love and support of the American people, and I am grateful to know that I earned yours.  

We have come so far since my inauguration.  Today, we have the strongest economy in the world.  We have restored our democratic alliances, and the American people are safer because of it.  We are rebuilding our Nation, bringing manufacturing back, and leading the world in science and innovation.  More Americans have health care today than ever before.  And I was proud to sign the most significant climate law in history.  America remains the most powerful idea:  that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.  That idea is stronger than any one of us, and while we’ve never fully lived up to it, we’ve never walked away from it either.  I know that we will not walk away from it now.

I believe our country is at an inflection point—one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now will determine the fate of our Nation and the world for decades to come.  We just have to remember who we are:  We’re the United States of America, and there is nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.  Thank you, and God bless you.  

 

Keep the faith, 

 

 

Rebuild the Arecibo Observatory

29th November 2024

Dear President Biden,

In the Lame-Duck time of your administration there is something I would ask you to see to that would stand as a good gesture to this nation. I would ask you to at least propose or encourage the government to rebuild the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

You may or may not recall the destruction of this scientific tool back in 2020, but it had been a long standing temple to American science and technology. It was the largest radio telescope in the world for many years until being surpassed by the Chinese FAST model and was a major player in the planning of NASA missions.

It had been in operation since the late sixties and so was very old, but still a major facet of science and media appearing in movies and the like. I can tell you that even four years after it fell I still get updates about the science it made possible.

We have been talking of building a new telescope on the moon, but that will take time and the loss of Arecibo Observatory will have a negative impact on that project. The fall of the Arecibo Observatory left a hole in science and the local economy around the project as well as setting back NASA and the world of astronomy.

The cost of rebuilding the Arecibo Observatory would be almost nothing in terms of the US budget and it would make a big difference in the eyes of the people and the world. Making a plea for this place would be a kindness, and kindness is what Joe Biden is known for.

Many an American will cry when they see you walk out of the White House for the last time. This would give them one more reason.

God Bless America,


Richard Leland Neal

Contacting Governor Newsom

Thank you for contacting Governor Newsom in regards to communication from our office.

The Governor values the ideas and concerns of constituents like you who take the initiative to actively participate in your government.

Feedback like yours helps ensure that we are addressing the most pressing concerns of Californians. With your help and partnership, we can build a California for All.

Sincerely,



Constituent Affairs
Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Forbidden City

Having arrived at the entrance of the Forbidden City, I was awestruck by its size. This UNESCO-listed micro-city is a perfect rectangular shape measuring 3,153ft (961m) long by 2,470ft (753m) wide, surrounded by a 26ft (8m) high red wall and a 171ft (52m) wide moat. Some of the statistics for this palace are even more staggering, such as the complex's collection of 980 buildings and more than 9,000 bays of rooms, which has its own story that I'll regale you with shortly.

The Forbidden City was built by Zhu Di, Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, between 1406 and 1420. It was the former imperial palace and winter residence for 24 successive emperors from 1420 to 1924. Once the imperial system was abolished after the Qing dynasty was dissolved, the last emperor was evicted in 1924, and the Forbidden City lost its status as an imperial residence.

In 1925, the Forbidden City was converted into a public museum called the Palace Museum, showcasing more than 1.8 million rare and precious items primarily from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Within the collection, the museum holds more than 340,000 ceramics and porcelains, covering more than 8,000 years of ceramic production, making it one of the largest collections in the world. Tens of thousands of pieces such as paintings, jade, bronzeware, timepieces and personal imperial artifacts line the museum's hallways. Some of these pieces date to dynasties before the common era making them more than 2000 years old, and a few pieces of jade date even further back to the Neolithic period (10,000-2,000 BC). The collection is incredible, and it's not even all of it. During the early 20th century, the threat of invasion and civil war forced the museum to evacuate its most important pieces. A quarter of the evacuated artifacts now form part of the main museum in Taipei, Taiwan. Another collection is in Nanjing, a city that served as the capital of China on many occasions.

Getting back to the Forbidden City, one of its most fascinating stories is the number of rooms. At first glance, 9,000+ bays of rooms seem outlandish, except for when one understands the definition relating to the Forbidden City. Here, a "bay of rooms" refers to the sub-division of larger buildings into smaller interconnected spaces, with each bay being a space defined by four structural pillars. This type of layout was necessary to accommodate the imperial palace's needs, such as ceremonial activities, residential quarters and administrative functions, while keeping cohesion within its architectural design. According to folk legend, there were 9999.5 rooms, although that has never been substantiated. However, in ancient times the emperors saw themselves as the Sons of Heaven, and the Heavenly Palace consisted of 10,000 rooms. Since the son's palace could not exceed Heaven's residence, the emperor cut down the room number by half as a deliberate approximation to the heavenly number, asserting the emperor's connection to celestial rule.

The easiest way to imagine this huge complex is by splitting it in half. The front half, entered via the Meridian Gate (main gate), was the outer court used for official and ceremonial functions, while the back half was the inner court, traditionally the residence of the emperor and his family.
The architectural style of the Forbidden City shows hierarchy, with each building's design following rules outlined in a 12th-century manual called "Yingzao Fashi" (State Building Standards). This manual gave specific design instructions for different-ranked buildings, highlighting how architecture conveyed status and authority within its society.

Another distinctive element of the complex's architecture is the use of two main colours: red and yellow. Red, seen on the walls, is an auspicious colour signifying good fortune and happiness. It is often used during festivities like Chinese New Year. Yellow, on the other hand, is the colour of the emperors. These colours have been used for centuries in Chinese art, architecture and decoration. Combining them in the Forbidden City connects it to a rich historical and cultural tradition while conveying prosperity, authority and the emperor's divine connection.

There is so much more to learn about the Forbidden City, but my journey has come to an end. Although this vast and impressive complex was inaccessible to most people during the imperial era, I am glad that it is no longer the case.

See you on the next adventure.



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