January 20, 2017; January 16, 2018 [Update]

Tuesday, January 16, 2018 at 06:30:10 EST Leave a comment

2021 UPDATE

January 20, 2021:
On November 3, 2020, a winner of the presidency had not been announced. On November 6 & 7, 2020, most media outlets had determined that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. won the 2020 Presidential Election and would become the 46th President of the United States and Kamala Devi Harris would become the 49th Vice President of the United States.

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. had received more than the required (270) of Electoral Votes at (306) and incumbent President Donald John Trump received (232). This was certified on January 6, 2021 by the United States Senate.

Below is the original post from January 16, 2018 with updates from the 2020 Presidential Election.

January 20, 2017:
On November 9, 2016 at 2:40 am, it was determined that Donald John Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election and would become the 45th President of the United States and Michael Richard Pence would become the 48th Vice President of the United States.

President Trump received more than the required (270) of Electoral Votes at (304) and Hillary Clinton received (227). The other 5 were split between John Kasich (1-TX), Ron Paul (1-TX), Colin Powell (3-WA) and Faith Spotted Eagle (1-WA).

However the popular vote went to Hillary Clinton with 65,853,516 and Donald Trump received 62,984,825.
For official data check: https://transition.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2016/2016presgeresults.pdf

Electoral College versus Popular Vote has been a point of contention, but remember:

  • Senators are elected by popular vote (before the Seventeenth Amendment was adopted in 1913, Senators were chosen by State Legislatures).
  • Members of the House of Representatives are elected by popular vote.
  • Justices of the Supreme Court are Nominated and for the most part are Confirmed by the Senate.
  • Governors of each state are elected by popular vote.
  • On the local level various officials are either appointed, or elected by popular vote or other means. I don’t know if flipping a coin or rolling a die was ever officially used.

It was the peaceful changing of the guard … relatively speaking.

Trump 2016, Murphy 2017, 2018?
Donald Trump was elected President in 2016 and inaugurated in 2017. New Jersey had 10 months of President Trump and elected Phil Murphy at the end of 2017 and his inauguration is today. Now, what is behind the door for New Jersey in 2018?

January 16, 2018:
On November 7, 2017 shortly after 8:00 pm, Philip Dunton Murphy was declared the winner of the New Jersey Gubernatorial Election and would become the 56th Governor of New Jersey and Sheila Y. Oliver would become the 2nd Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.

The results were 1,203,100 votes for Phil Murphy and 899,583 votes for Kim Guadagno.

Just a coincidence?:
Since the 1988 Presidential Election, the election of a new President of the United States has been followed by the election of the Governor of New Jersey for the opposite party (assuming a mostly two party system of Democrats and Republicans) 10 months later. Is this a coincidence or just balance?

Below are Presidential Election Years with New Jersey Gubernatorial Elections and other events indented.

1988 November 8: US Election: George Herbert Walker Bush

  • 1989 January 20: US Inauguration: George Herbert Walker Bush (41st President – Republican – Single Term)
  • 1989 November 7: NJ Election: James Joseph Florio
  • 1990 January 16: NJ Inauguration: James Joseph Florio (49th Governor – Democrat – Single Term)

1992 November 3: US Election: William Jefferson Clinton

  • 1993 January 20: US Inauguration: William Jefferson Clinton (42nd President – Democrat – First Term)
  • 1993 November 2: NJ Election: Christine Todd Whitman
  • 1994 January 18: NJ Election: Christine Todd Whitman (50th Governor – Republican – First Term)

1996 November : US Election: William Jefferson Clinton

  • 1997 January 20: US Inauguration: William Jefferson Clinton (42nd President – Democrat – Second Term)
  • 1997 November 4: NJ Election: Christine Todd Whitman
  • 1998 January 20: Christine Todd Whitman (50th Governor – Republican – Second Term = 1/5th)

2000 November 7: US Election: George Walker Bush

  • 2001 January 20: US Inauguration: George W. Bush (43rd President – Republican – First Term)
  • This is where it gets crazy.
  • 2001 January 31: Christine Todd Whitman resigns to become 9th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
  • 2001 January 31: Donald Thomas DiFrancesco (“51st” Governor – President of State Senate – Republican – “1/5 Term” (342 days))
  • 2001 November 6: NJ Election: James Edward McGreevey (See 5 points down)
  • 2002 January 8 at 12:00 pm: John J. Farmer Jr. (Acting Governor – Attorney General – Republican “1/5 Term” (90 minutes))
  • 2002 January 8 at 1:30 pm: John O. Bennett III  (Acting Governor – Republican – “1/5 Term” (4 days))
  • 2002 January 12: Richard James Codey (Acting Governor – Democrat – “1/5 Term” (3 days))
  • 2002 January 15: NJ Inauguration: James Edward McGreevey (52nd Governor – Democrat – “1/2 Term”)
  • 2004 August 12: James Edward McGreevey (announces resignation)

Time out: Why “1/5 Term” according to Wikipedia? … It’s the number of people, not literal fraction, count them:

  1. Whitman: 1107 days (1107/1453 Term)
  2. DiFrancesco: 342 days (342/1453 Term)
  3. Farmer: 90 minutes (1/23248 Term)
  4. Bennett: 3 days 22 hours 30 minutes (87/23248 Term)
  5. Codey: 3 days (3/1453 Term)

2004 November 2: US Election: George Walker Bush

  • It’s still kind of crazy.
  • 2004 November 15: James Edward McGreevey (resignation takes effect)
  • 2004 November 15: Richard James Codey (53nd Governor – President of State Senate – Democrat – “1/2 Term”)
  • 2005 January 20: US Inauguration: George W. Bush (43rd President – Republican – Second Term)
  • 2005 November 8: NJ Election: Jon Stevens Corzine
  • 2006 January 17: NJ Inauguration: Jon Stevens Corzine (54th Governor – Democrat – Single Term)

2008 November 4: US Election: Barack Hussein Obama

  • 2009 January 20: US Inauguration: Barack Hussein Obama (44th President – Democrat – First Term)
  • 2009 November 3: NJ Election: Christopher James Christie
  • 2010 January 19: NJ Inauguration: Christopher James Christie (55th Governor – Republican – First Term)

2012 November 6: US Election: Barack Hussein Obama

  • 2013 January 20: US Inauguration: Barack Hussein Obama (44th President – Democrat – Second Term)
  • 2013 November 5: NJ Election: Christopher James Christie
  • 2014 January 21: NJ Inauguration: Christopher James Christie (55th Governor – Republican – Second Term)

2016 November 8: US Election: Donald John Trump

  • 2017 January 20: US Inauguration: Donald John Trump (45th President – Republican – Single Term)
  • 2017 November 7: NJ Election: Philip Dunton Murphy
  • 2018 January 16: NJ Inauguration: Philip Dunton Murphy (56th Governor – Democrat – First* Term)

2020 November 3: US Election: Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

  • 2021 January 20: US Inauguration: Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (46th President – Democrat – First* Term)
  • 2021 November 2: NJ Election: Philip Dunton Murphy
  • 2022 January: NJ Inauguration: TBD

This is post 6 of my alphabet posts.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Geography, Health, History, Math, News, Politics

Introspection, Inspiration and Inception.

Monday, January 1, 2018 at 00:00:55 EST Leave a comment

Introspection, Inspiration and Inception.

Introspection:
I have been reflecting on 2017 in numeric terms, on personal level and in overall society.
As for basic living, I have had 1,095+ meals, 2,600 hours of sleep, 375 showers (not 52), brushed my teeth 1,400+ times and had 17 Haircuts.
I have driven 11,107.8 miles in my car, and flown 5,380 direct (5,500 actual) air miles. As for the Internet: 6 blog posts, a few pages on my site, about 1000 Tweets and most of my Facebook posts.

I have also watched 227 episodes of “Jeopardy!” It should have been 230 episodes some were preempted by other events. That’s just about 14,000 clues.

I have been to the Levoy Theatre 15 times.

My computer has tested 19 tested Mersenne numbers (2^p – 1) to determine if prime – none so far, and double checked 10 more and those still were not prime numbers.

The Earth has traveled about 584 million miles along its orbit, with respect to the sun. Don’t ask me to count the Earth’s rotation in the mix.

Between “Dancing With The Stars” Seasons 24 and 25, and “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 14, I learned that I could possibly dance.

After watching “Property Brothers [all incarnations],” “Love It or List It,” “Fixer Upper,” “Good Bones,” and “Desert Flippers,” I reaffirmed that I could work on my own house projects within reason. Then you call a specialist if you can’t do it yourself.

January:
New Hope for 2017. A new type of President in Donald J. Trump. A new reason to complain for some. Advice: If you don’t get your way, don’t throw a temper tantrum, because you are an adult. Definition of adult: starts at 18, not delayed until 30.

February:
The Patriots won a big game and I think that was the last professional football game I watched. Valentine’s Day tends to be a week long celebration. Celebrate love and cooperation, not hate and resistance.
One morning a week later, I was watching what I thought was news. I determined it was “Fake News” or at least hysteria or hypnosis on a 15 minute repeating cycle. Normally two hours of a cable news morning show covers: a major event, politics, some cooking, entertainment, the weather and sports.

March:
I went to see “Most Likely to Succeed” and I changed a few habits. I attend much more professional development that’s free or out of my pocket. At the end of the month, I went to Google Bootcamp Level 1 at Stockton for 2 days. [Plug for Kiker Learning here.]

April:
A reality check on creep of privatization in education: maintenance, cafeteria, substitute teachers, teacher’s aides, ESP, teachers for 20% to 25% of salary through almost long-term assignments. Travel south: ironically 4 months early for 100% solar eclipse. “Doctor Who” Series 10 lasts for a few months. More requirements for so little.

May:
Genius hour activity: Mars Calendar MY34. The Kentucky Derby: remembering an old friend and knowing someone I should take to the races. Another year older, 47, another time to reflect. “The Shack” a perspective on God (not like “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”). EdCamp Happy Camper was my first EdCamp and I won an electronic sock puppet. The closest to that was Bacon Bytes in 2015. I became a Google Certified Educator Level 1. The Preakness: more horses. I took the Jeopardy! online test: no word yet, if I was on there, I couldn’t tell you anyway.

June:
I drove 3 hours to Google Bootcamp Level 2 in Bergen County, then the next week went to Garden State Summit Google Apps for Education. The Belmont: even more horses. Graduations: some good speeches, some virtue signaling speeches. Apparently some feel that patriotism is hate speech and if you have a difference of opinion with someone, you can ignore their genuine greeting. Learn not to get involved in identity politics. Hate the action, not the person. I became a Google Certified Educator Level 2.

July:
Be a good host. Marriage is a great thing with the right person. Riding a tractor is exhilarating. Interviews are not meant to be a reality game show.

August:
New Start Career Network: validation of retraining yourself, meeting new people. Help others: be non-partisan. Check your power surge protectors, they’re dated. If there is no date on it, then it’s over 20 years old. I attended a 50th Anniversary: cooperation and compassion lasts. A Solar Eclipse on a summer day can create a cool breeze. Last minute help can save the day.

September:
Bridge out: Imagine, you get in your car drive the path you take every day and all of a sudden you’ve lost one of your major options. The path you travel sometimes needs to change and may take longer. “The Orville” on Fox (now Disney) vs. “Star Trek: Discovery” on CBS All Access. I need a good laugh not more virtue signaling. Apps get larger, delete an app, clear cache. After a while forced obsolescence occurs and you need to replace your phone. That applies to Apple and Android. EdCamp SoJersey at Stockton.

October:
Groundhog day in October. Goal to be healthier. You can make resolutions at anytime – even October 8th. After 3163 days 100,000 miles in my car. A name from the past makes me realize some nonsense is in the past.

Amazon could come to Millville, NJ with infrastructure enhancements. Some sand plants nearby could be converted to computer chip or solar panel manufacturing. Easy access to NJ-55. Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Rowan University, Stockton University and Rutgers University in Camden within 45 minutes to 1 hour. Traffic not that bad. Millville straight-line equidistant between New York City and Washington, DC ~115 miles.

November (Big Month):
Archives organization. Election Day: Balance in New Jersey. In 2008, Barack Obama (D) was elected as the 44th President, then in 2009 Chris Christie (R) elected Governor of New Jersey. In 2016, Donald J. Trump (R) was elected as the 45th President, then in 2017 Phil Murphy (D) elected Governor of New Jersey. Like I said in January, If you don’t get your way, don’t throw a temper tantrum, because you are an adult. Get back to blogging. EdCampNJ in New Brunswick. Winning hardware is fun. Know the odds. Facebook Marketplace: Get a Drafting Table and accessories. Create a Maker Space. Thanksgiving: be thankful for family and health. Continue to take care of the homefront. I closed the month with a lunch and tour at an exclusive place. It still feels surreal to me.

December:
I can’t really dance, but I can sing. Downsizing and organization. Christmas preparations. Christmas. I’ll close this section with a quote from Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor in the “Doctor Who” Christmas Special: “Twice Upon a Time” … [spoilers] … “Never be cruel, never be cowardly. And never ever eat pears! Remember – hate is always foolish… and love is always wise. Always try to be nice and never fail to be kind.”

Inspiration:
Inspiration can come from many places. It can come from people: family, old friends, mentors, teachers, coworkers, strangers, clergy, and even political figures. It can come from books, poems, photography, all other forms of media.

Inception:
Now that it is 2018, it is a time to begin again. Regenerate.

This is post 5 of my alphabet posts.

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.
Educate Frequently.
GISday 2017
Happy, Healthy, Hiking.
Introspection, Inspiration and Inception.

Filed under Alphabet Post, Education, Entertainment, Health, News, Philosophy, Politics, Religion and Spirituality

3.0: Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.

Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 17:05:38 EDT 4 Comments

Act Boldly. Change Deliberately.

When changing the theme for my website, I thought “make it simple like ABC.”
Well I added a “D” and thought of a phrase to go with it.

Act Boldly:
Whether you are at home, on your job or part of any organization… “Act.” – “Do.”
That’s just the first step. Expecting results from somewhere else while just sitting there doing nothing. You have talents and a lot to offer.
This made me think of “Don’t put your light under a bushel basket.”
That’s from Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) you can look at a different translation.

Change Deliberately:
“I’ve learned all that I can learn.”
“I have my view and [I’ll keep randomly spouting off that view]. If you don’t agree with me, I don’t want to hear your opinion.”
Those are cop outs.
There are times that you reach a point where something in your life is not working or producing. That’s when you need to “Change”.
That goes back to Blog 2.0 “Remember, Reflect, Change.”
Keep educating yourself. It could be technical manuals, online courses, professional development, genius hour activities, etc.
Ironically, I found a passage for “Change” right before the one for “Act.”
That’s Matthew 5:13 (NIV).

So change comes before acting…
Perhaps the phrase or slogan on my website should be read Right to Left.

Deliberately Change. Boldly Act.
Then the passage below makes more sense in order.
Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV).

Filed under Alphabet Post, Philosophy, Politics, Religion and Spirituality