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Mix II

Joshua Sullivan
September 25, 2026

Here is another Mix article, Mix II, which is number two in Roman numerals. In case you didn’t know, a few days ago JoshiesWorld decided to start adding Roman numerals to every new Mix article instead of the date, since there is already a date in the byline of every article and review published on JoshiesWorld’s website. You can read about my decision to start using Roman numerals for the Mix articles instead of the date used in the previous article, Mix I. There are a few things I would like to talk about and share with all of you, so I hope you enjoy reading this latest edition!

Here’s the list of topics for this latest edition of Mix articles. If you didn’t have enough time to read the entire article, you can come back to it later and pick up where you left off by clicking on whichever topic you haven’t read yet. Or, if you’re not in the mood to read the entire article, you can click on any topic in the list below to read whichever ones you’re interested in.

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Businesses and organizations are becoming more accessible to the Deaf community

I am starting to see more businesses and corporations take steps to ensure their customers or clients have accessibility options, especially through technology and specialized software. Not too long ago, I saw posts on social media about Walmart offering American Sign Language (ASL) support for customer service. Some people from the Deaf community posted a picture or video of a flier at Walmart’s customer service counter showing a QR code that Deaf customers can scan with their smartphones to instantly connect with a remote American Sign Language interpreter (VI, virtual interpreter). When I saw them, I thought they probably offered it only at Walmart locations in big cities. Then I went to the Walmart here, in a very rural area, and was shocked to see that my Walmart does it too, so I took a picture.

As I said, I was shocked to see that my own Walmart in a very rural area offers it. At the same time, I am glad that Walmart stores in rural areas aren’t exempt from providing communication accessibility to Deaf customers. If this Walmart in my very rural area does, then other Walmart stores should follow suit and implement these essential accessibility features as well. Not only that, if a major retailer like Walmart provides Deaf customers with communication accessibility by using our native language, American Sign Language, here in the United States, other major retailers have no excuse not to offer similar services. Accessibility is a right, not a privilege.

I am looking at Target, Best Buy, Costco, Sam’s Club (owned by Walmart), Kroger, and other supermarkets. I would also include Food City on that list, but it isn’t as popular as the supermarkets I listed above. If you are a business or corporation and want to do what Walmart does now by providing communication accessibility for Deaf customers or clients, here are two links to get you started.

Republicans are anti-abortion, but is it okay to abandon them?!

A few days ago, former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin was arrested on September 3, 2026, and sentenced to 60 days in jail for repeatedly failing to pay court-ordered child support. He was arrested on the set of a Christmas movie in Paris, KY, where he was working as an extra. But now, he has suddenly been released from jail on September 16, 2026, after Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Allison E. Jones stepped in and granted an emergency motion for his release, ruling that Ky’s former governor, Matt Bevin, showed that his incarceration might be unlawful because civil contempt requires that a person hold “the keys to the jail” by having a clear way to comply. However, it is said that this only pauses his incarceration pending further review of the case, though it does not vacate the underlying contempt finding or eliminate his obligation to produce the ordered documents.

He was arrested and jailed primarily for failing to comply with court orders regarding child support payments. In other words, he abandoned his own son—adopted or not, still his son legally—and that is what makes it odd, because we know that Republicans strongly advocate making abortion illegal and forcing women to carry pregnancies to term, even if that puts a woman’s life in danger. Speaking of Republicans, I forgot to mention that the former governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is a far-right Republican. He served only one term and tried to get reelected for a second, but ultimately lost to Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, which I am so glad about. His hypocritical stance on personal responsibility is truly astounding. As a Republican, Matt Bevin, since the majority of Republicans are against abortion, should practice what he preaches instead of neglecting his own child. If Matt Bevin didn’t want the child, then he shouldn’t have worked so hard with other Republicans to make abortion illegal, and he shouldn’t have adopted his son in the first place. Republicans are well known for being hypocritical and careless.

Most Republicans cannot make up their minds about what they want or what is right and wrong. This is one piece of evidence, along with much other evidence, such as the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump keeps changing his mind on major policies every day. There is a term for that: flip-flopper. There are a few arguments Democrats can use against their Republican opponents in the upcoming debates. If Republicans are against abortion, as they say they are, then they should be consistent and support policies that provide care for children after they are born. That includes ensuring they are not abandoned to poverty or left without adequate healthcare and educational resources, unlike what the former governor of Kentucky is doing to his son by refusing to pay child support to make sure that his son is taken care of.

You may think it’s noble that Republicans oppose abortion, but in reality, they are just being more inhumane. Aside from stripping women of the right to have a child or to abort, they offer little to no support for children after they are born. They aren’t that noble because, in opposing abortion, they should also make sure that babies get some support so that they can survive. Republicans give them no choice but to be born and then leave them to deal with poverty, lack of access to health care, and whatnot. That is outright unfair.

The United States flag has rules

It seems to me that many Americans do not realize that the United States flag is subject to rules governing its display and treatment, collectively known as the Flag Code. The United States Flag Code is a set of federal guidelines found in Title 4 of the United States Code. Here is the United States Flag Code:

(a) It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

(b) The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.

(c) The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.

(d) The flag should be displayed on all days, especially on New Year’s Day, January 1; Inauguration Day, January 20; Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, third Monday in January; Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12; Washington’s Birthday, third Monday in February; National Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29; Easter Sunday (variable); Mother’s Day, second Sunday in May; Armed Forces Day, third Saturday in May; Memorial Day (half-staff until noon), the last Monday in May; Flag Day, June 14; Father’s Day, third Sunday in June; Independence Day, July 4; National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27; Labor Day, first Monday in September; Constitution Day, September 17; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Navy Day, October 27; Veterans Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November; Christmas Day, December 25; and such other days as may be proclaimed by the President of the United States; the birthdays of States (date of admission); and on State holidays.

(e) The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.

(f) The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.

(g) The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

The flag, when carried in a procession with another flag or flags, should be either on the marching right; that is, the flag’s own right, or, if there is a line of other flags, in front of the center of that line.

(a) The flag should not be displayed on a float in a parade except from a staff, or as provided in subsection (i) of this section.

(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.

(c) No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.

(d) The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag’s own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.

(e) The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.

(f) When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag’s right.

(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.

(h) When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.

(i) When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag’s own right, that is, to the observer’s left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.

(j) When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the north in an east and west street or to the east in a north and south street.

(k) When used on a speaker’s platform, the flag, if displayed flat, should be displayed above and behind the speaker. When displayed from a staff in a church or public auditorium, the flag of the United States of America should hold the position of superior prominence, in advance of the audience, and in the position of honor at the clergyman’s or speaker’s right as he faces the audience. Any other flag so displayed should be placed on the left of the clergyman or speaker or to the right of the audience.

(l) The flag should form a distinctive feature of the ceremony of unveiling a statue or monument, but it should never be used as the covering for the statue or monument.

(m) The flag, when flown at half-staff, should be first hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should be again raised to the peak before it is lowered for the day. On Memorial Day the flag should be displayed at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law. In the event of the death of a present or former official of the government of any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the death of a member of the Armed Forces from any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, or the death of a first responder working in any State, territory, or possession who dies while serving in the line of duty, the Governor of that State, territory, or possession may proclaim that the National flag shall be flown at half-staff, and the same authority is provided to the Mayor of the District of Columbia with respect to present or former officials of the District of Columbia, members of the Armed Forces from the District of Columbia, and first responders working in the District of Columbia. When the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia, issues a proclamation under the preceding sentence that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession or in the District of Columbia because of the death of a member of the Armed Forces, the National flag flown at any Federal installation or facility in the area covered by that proclamation shall be flown at half-staff consistent with that proclamation. The flag shall be flown at half-staff 30 days from the death of the President or a former President; 10 days from the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a Secretary of an executive or military department, a former Vice President, or the Governor of a State, territory, or possession; and on the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress. The flag shall be flown at half-staff on Peace Officers Memorial Day, unless that day is also Armed Forces Day. As used in this subsection—

(1) the term “half-staff” means the position of the flag when it is one-half the distance between the top and bottom of the staff;

(2) the term “executive or military department” means any agency listed under sections 101 and 102 of title 5;

(3) the term “Member of Congress” means a Senator, a Representative, a Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico; and

(4) the term “first responder” means a “public safety officer” as defined in section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284).

(n) When the flag is used to cover a casket, it should be so placed that the union is at the head and over the left shoulder. The flag should not be lowered into the grave or allowed to touch the ground.

(o) When the flag is suspended across a corridor or lobby in a building with only one main entrance, it should be suspended vertically with the union of the flag to the observer’s left upon entering. If the building has more than one main entrance, the flag should be suspended vertically near the center of the corridor or lobby with the union to the north, when entrances are to the east and west or to the east when entrances are to the north and south. If there are entrances in more than two directions, the union should be to the east.

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

(c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free, except as may be necessary in limited circumstances and done in a respectful manner as part of a military or patriotic observance.

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

(e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

There are a few additional rules and guidelines in the United States Flag Code. If you would like to read them, here is a link to the full United States Flag Code: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title4/chapter1&edition=prelim

The link above is on the official U.S. House of Representatives website, where you can read the United States Flag Code.

I am sharing this information about the United States Flag Code because, for many years, I have repeatedly seen Americans and others disrespect the United States flag by violating many of its provisions. Before the September 11, 2001, attack, many Americans seemed to respect the flag, but after 9/11, many Americans and others began putting up the flag everywhere, using it as fabric for clothes, napkins, paper plates, and even improperly disposing of worn-out banners. Then, after Donald Trump became President of the United States in 2016, the United States flag became an even more prominent symbol of political division and public display. Many Trump supporters, the MAGA cult, have put MAGA on the U.S. flag, worn clothes with the U.S. flag on them, and put the U.S. flag on their vehicles, some with Trump on them, the word MAGA on them, and whatnot. Even worse, they have plates with the U.S. flag they eat off of, cups with the U.S. flag they drink from, napkins with the U.S. flag they wipe their mouths with, and many others. These actions directly contradict the established guidelines. That is blatant disrespect for the United States of America’s flag, which represents the country. These people call themselves patriots, yet their actions demonstrate a complete disregard for the nation’s most sacred symbol. The United States flag is not meant to be eaten off of or wiped with, worn as apparel, or treated as ordinary merchandise. Instead, it demands dignity and honor. We are supposed to treat it with reverence and follow these time-honored rules. For example, put up a United States flag on a pole on your property, not on our vehicles as we drive down the highway at high speeds, where it can easily fray or be damaged. Let us return to properly honoring the flag.

We were honoring the fallen and the victims of the September 11, 2001, attack not too long ago, and seeing the MAGA cult, Trump supporters, and Republicans disrespect the United States flag that day made me cringe to no end! So please stop disrespecting the flag of our country, the United States of America. Follow the United States Flag Code for once!

Prepare for the 2026 United States midterm election

If you haven’t registered to vote for the upcoming midterm election on November 3rd, do so as soon as possible, before your state’s voter registration deadline. Check your state’s voter registration deadline, as some states have different dates for the last day to register. If you are in Kentucky, you have until October 5, the last day to register to vote. Even if you are already registered to vote, I suggest that you double-check your voter registration status, as some states purge registrations for those who haven’t voted in more than two or four years.

If you need any information about the election, such as how to register to vote, check your voter registration status, deadlines, when to request an absentee ballot, when to vote in person, and where the nearest polling place is, go here: Vote.org

I see that Elon Musk recently created a website called VoteSafe (VoteSafe.org) for anyone who wants to register to vote, check their voter registration, and whatnot. DO NOT USE THAT ONE! Elon Musk, along with his rich friends and Trump’s oligarchs, wants to collect your personal data through your voter registration. That is their agenda. If you go to VoteSafe to register to vote or check your voter registration, your information will be automatically submitted to their database and used for political targeting. I can vouch for that because I am a web developer, and I know their website records your personal information in its database. Always use official government websites or trusted nonpartisan platforms like Vote.org instead. Plus, VoteSafe is NOT an official election portal approved by state authorities. Protect your privacy and exercise your democratic rights safely. So, whenever you want to register to vote, check your voter registration, or update it, such as changing your address or whatnot, always go to vote.org; it’s one of the best and safest options available to voters today.

We are less than two months away from the midterm election. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or independent, you have the right and duty as an American to vote. Your vote matters. Even if you think one vote doesn’t make much difference, you are wrong. If you think that, imagine how many others think the same way, and that can add up to many votes that won’t be cast!

Pike County, KY, has the 21st-highest bridge in the U.S.

I think many have overlooked, or are unaware, that Pike County, the largest land-mass county in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is home to the 21st-highest bridge in the United States of America. Many people who live in Pike County, KY, drive across that bridge many times for different reasons, and it’s the bridge that takes us to the city of Pikeville, the seat of our county government, without knowing they are driving on the 21st-highest bridge in the United States. That bridge, known as the Harrell Caudill Memorial Bridge (also called the Pond Creek Bridge), is located on the new U.S. 460 corridor near Pikeville and stands 324 feet high. Not only is it the 21st-highest bridge in the nation, but it is also the highest bridge in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The bridge is 324 feet above the valley below, and it is taller than the Statue of Liberty from base to torch. It is a twin-span highway bridge that vehicles drive on along the newly modernized Route 460, which connects Kentucky to Virginia.

If you ever want to visit the highest bridge in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 21st-highest bridge in the United States, the Harrell Caudill Memorial Bridge (aka the Pond Creek Bridge), here’s the Google Maps link. All you have to do is add your location, and Google Maps will tell you where to go: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6ei4Ljzkbv7JA3Kd6

I have to confess that I didn’t know the bridge in my county here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky was the highest in Kentucky and the 21st highest in the United States until not too long ago. I do know the bridge, obviously, but I didn’t know it was the highest in Kentucky and the 21st highest in the United States. The Pond Creek Bridge is new, having been completed recently. Construction started in 2002, and around $800 million has been invested in the bridge. After about 35 years, the bridge was finally completed, and it is now one of the most expensive projects in Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky has begun adding to its history book, starting with one of the sites of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud and moving a mountain to create a cut-through to accommodate the massive highway expansion. You can read about this by looking up the Pikeville Cut-Through project, which took 14 years to complete. It is truly a marvel of modern engineering. By the way, did you know that we have a pyramid here in Pike County, Ky.? Yes, there is one, thanks to that huge Pikeville Cut-Through project.

Where is Mitch McConnell?!

Just a few days ago, we finally saw Kentucky’s Republican Senator Mitch McConnell appear for the first time in 92 days, or about three months, at the U.S. Capitol to cast votes on some bills or discuss others in the Senate. For 92 days, nobody had seen or heard from Mitch McConnell, prompting Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to publicly express concern about the senator’s extended and unexplained absence from office. The Kentucky governor, along with other Kentuckians, including me, and many outsiders, want or ask that Senator Mitch McConnell resign immediately due to ongoing health and transparency issues. Some of us thought it’s not fair for Mitch McConnell to be absent for about three months, especially since he gets paid while not doing the job the people elected him to do, and he often votes against paid leave for pregnant women. Senator Mitch McConnell is well known for doing everything he can to end social safety net programs and block policies that support working families across the country. Social safety net programs include Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), employee insurance, SNAP (food stamps), and others. In 2022, almost 100 million people in the U.S. relied on safety-net programs — about 30% of the population, or 1 in 3 U.S. citizens. Is it okay for Senator Mitch McConnell to get all that — paid leave (almost the same as a new mother, who can take 10 to 12 weeks at most), free healthcare, and a government pension — while denying those exact benefits to hard-working people, disabled people, and people who are in poverty in Kentucky? This is blatant hypocrisy! That is one of many examples of how Republicans are; they don’t care if they cause harm to their citizens unless it impacts them directly. With Republicans, it’s you cannot have this, but I can.

Back to Mitch McConnell’s absence for around 90 days: he was out of the public eye, even from many private eyes, because no one could find him or know where he was, except for very few people, namely his staff and, I am sure, his close relatives, such as his wife, who flew out of the country as soon as he was admitted to the hospital and stayed away for quite a while. Then she finally came back to be with him, which I am sure she did only because of public pressure. If I had a wife and she were admitted to the hospital, I would drop everything and be on my way to the hospital where she was admitted. That was strange. When Mitch McConnell finally came out of the dark, it was clear as day that he was nearly incapacitated. He barely had the cognitive ability to make any decisions that would affect everyone through his votes. He almost jumped to the other aisle and voted with Democrats, but then his staff had to jump in to tell him to vote aye (meaning vote yes). I couldn’t care less that he is in a wheelchair, because being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have cognitive ability, so I don’t focus on their physical limitations or immobility but on their cognitive ability. Even though some of you know I am not a fan of Mitch McConnell, and I am not a fan of some Republicans, I would expect them to show up to work and do their jobs for us as their constituents. If their health is declining and they are not returning to being healthy, then be an American by resigning, and let us elect someone else to take over the seat so that we could at least have someone working for us. If they want a break, then wait for their recess break, just like anyone else who has to work. The only time they can have days off is one week of vacation at most every year, if they are lucky. If a lawmaker likes to take long or many breaks, looking for every way to get time off from the duty we elected them for, then they should resign and take that long break permanently.

As a Kentuckian myself, I would like to see our lawmakers do what they were elected to do. If they campaign as a representative, a senator, or a governor, it is expected that they want to work for us, the constituents. But if they do not want to work and prefer frequent recesses, then stay out of the way and let other candidates who are campaigning for the seats and want to serve us be elected! I would prefer to see our lawmakers working in their offices in the state capitol or the United States Capitol, rather than us constituents having to ask, “Where’s he/she?”! Mitch McConnell finally said last year that he was retiring and wouldn’t seek re-election after serving as a senator for over 40 years, since 1985. He is in his seventh and final term and has become the longest-serving Senate party leader (Republican). His last term will end on January 3, 2027. That is way too long, in my opinion. A U.S. senator serves 6-year terms, and there is no term limit, meaning a U.S. senator can serve as many terms as they please, which is longer than a U.S. President’s two full terms. A U.S. President serves a 4-year term, bringing the total to an 8-year limit, while a U.S. Senator can serve for a few decades. Some U.S. senators serve for much longer than two or three U.S. Presidents serve for two terms combined. Mitch McConnell, as a senator, served under seven U.S. Presidents, starting with Ronald Reagan.

Mitch McConnell, along with other aging lawmakers, is why I think we should set limits on how long they can serve and how many terms they can serve. In my opinion, a senator should have the same term limit as the U.S. president: four years per term, with a maximum of two full terms. A representative’s term is two years, and there is no limit on the number of terms they can serve. So, a two-year term for a U.S. representative is more reasonable than a six-year term for a U.S. senator, but I would still want to limit the number of terms they can serve. If it were up to me, I would think that, to be fair, since the U.S. president can only serve two four-year terms, the U.S. senator should get the same, limiting a U.S. senator to two four-year terms or three four-year terms, but that’s pushing it. For the U.S. representative, I wouldn’t mind four two-year terms.

Do you know that JoshiesWorld has merch?!

In case you didn’t know, JoshiesWorld has a store that sells JoshiesWorld merch, and buying any JoshiesWorld merch supports JoshiesWorld through funding because the cost of everything that has to do with JoshiesWorld, such as servers, domains, features, equipment like professional cameras or action cameras, software/apps, and other things, is very high. Not only that, it isn’t annual; it’s monthly! Even worse, as you can see, inflation continues to rise with no end in sight, and the costs of everything related to it keep rising. Many years ago, I remember I only had to pay under a hundred dollars a month, back in the beginning, when websites, news and media, content creation, and whatnot were starting, like when JoshiesWorld was founded in 2007. Back then, the prices were reasonable and affordable, but two decades later, when JoshiesWorld is less than a year away from turning 20, it’s around a thousand dollars a month, to be honest with you. Even with that cost, it restrains me in a lot of ways, because there are a few things I would like to do to grow JoshiesWorld but cannot, since the cost of the server, domain, features, and whatnot takes a lot of money out of my own pocket. Yes, even the rising cost of technology drives up the cost of servers, domains, and whatnot.

I don’t really mind because I’ve been doing this out of love since I started in 2007. One of my goals here will always be to make sure that every one of you has information to read, some important and some not, because access to information is important here. That’s why I’ve been reviewing products and whatnot for many years now, so all of you can make an informed decision about whether to buy them, whether they are worth trying, or whether it’s best to avoid them. That means that for me to write a review article, I would need funds to have them tested so you can make a better decision about whether to get them.

For content creation, some equipment is needed to produce videos and photos: a desktop computer with a top-of-the-line graphics card that costs almost $5,000, a laptop, many hard drives, professional mirrorless cameras, action cameras, and funds for travel, such as gas, transportation, and food at restaurants for reviews, and whatnot. Thankfully, from time to time, some businesses or brands will collaborate with JoshiesWorld by sending their products or inviting JoshiesWorld to their restaurants, covering JoshiesWorld’s expenses or travel costs so JoshiesWorld can review them (reviews will always be honest, with no influence from them whatsoever). But right now, not many businesses and brands, especially popular or large ones, are convinced enough to send their high-end products for review. Not right now, but that’s one of JoshiesWorld’s goals. You know those videos on YouTube where you see content creators, influencers, and others get vehicles, tech gadgets, expense-paid travel, apparel, fashion items, and whatnot to review? That’s what JoshiesWorld wants to do as a reviewer. But to get JoshiesWorld there, JoshiesWorld needs to grow a bit bigger so they take JoshiesWorld more seriously. So, for the time being, JoshiesWorld has to cover most of the costs of writing reviews or making review videos.

Anyone can support JoshiesWorld by visiting the donation page here. There’s also a JoshiesWorld merch store if anyone would like to buy something while supporting JoshiesWorld. Not all of the money from JoshiesWorld’s merch goes to JoshiesWorld, though; only a very small commission, because it goes through one of JoshiesWorld’s suppliers, which is responsible for making and delivering JoshiesWorld merch. In return, JoshiesWorld only gets about a 5% to 20% commission.

You can find the store and contact pages in the menu at the top of JoshiesWorld’s website. Or here are the links you can click to go to them:

JoshiesWorld Store: https://www.joshiesworld.com/store/
Donate to support JoshiesWorld: https://www.joshiesworld.com/donate/

If you have donated or purchased any JoshiesWorld merch to support JoshiesWorld, thank you so much! Even a small amount can make a difference!

Some of JoshiesWorld products

Me, me, me, and off topic

I usually start with a topic about myself in an article like this, but I decided to add it at the end for anyone wondering how I am doing and what I am doing. As for how I am doing, aside from letting stress get the best of me lately, I am doing well and going with the flow. Some of you may know that I am a big fan of winter, so I am starting to get excited to feel the weather cool down because this summer was pretty hot, which I was not a fan of. So I cannot wait to start feeling that cool air breezing in and out of the house. I get tired of having to hurry to get into a vehicle to turn on the air conditioning when I leave a building or place because I am not a fan of sweating, and if you are a wheelchair user, you would know how problematic that can be. Plus, seeing the fall colors is a beautiful sight; the fall season reminds me that winter is coming, as House Stark said in the Game of Thrones TV series! Ever since I was born, I have loved seeing snow in winter, though the only time I don’t want to see it is on the day I have a doctor’s appointment or another important one. As long as there is no snow for a couple of days leading up to my doctor’s appointment or any time I’m scheduled to be somewhere, and it doesn’t disrupt any of our utilities, such as electricity and water, I am good! The last time I can recall seeing a lot of snow, or at least a good amount of snow, was back in 1993, when a blizzard dropped about 24 inches of snow, and again in 1994, when it was almost up to my waist, which was a lot because at that time I was a kid, so I struggled to walk through it. My mother and I visited my grandmother’s house during that time. It came out of nowhere; our vehicle got snowed in and stuck, so we had to call a taxi to take us back home.

I remember that night very well. We called a taxi to pick us up from my grandmother’s house because we were both stuck in a blizzard, and it was supposed to take us back home. When my mother and I got in the taxi, we quickly smelled strong alcohol on the driver. I remember, as a child, telling my mother that I could smell very strong alcohol coming from the driver, who was chugging something out of a bottle in the brown bag in front of us (I kid you not!). My mother and I were in the backseat, but to my surprise, the taxi driver made it to the old house safely. Both 1993 and 1994 were crazy years because of blizzards, but after 1994 we started getting snow, to the point where we now hardly get any these days. Of course, we still do get snow, but it’s often about one to two inches, and it’s become rarer around here. Do I want to see a repeat of the blizzards in 1993 and 1994? No, actually, no. But I do want to see a good few inches from time to time, as long as they don’t come at a bad time, such as the day before our doctor appointments or other important events we are scheduled to attend, and as long as the snow doesn’t get so bad that it disrupts our utilities, because I realize that as we get older, the more we rely on utilities such as electricity and water for our health and well-being.

I love freezing temperatures and snow, but I absolutely do not like power outages, frozen water, broken water pipes, or missing any of my doctor’s appointments or my mother’s, because they are very important to both of us.

How about you? How have you been lately, and are you looking forward to fall and winter?! Let me know by leaving a comment! I hope all of you are doing well! Oh, and if you have a crazy winter story, please share it!

That is all for now!

I think that is all I want to say for this Mix edition, but stay tuned for more coming soon. If you have any thoughts on the topics in this edition of the Mix article, please share them in the comments; I would love to hear them or read them! As always, if there is a topic you would like to see in any future Mix articles, please let me know by leaving a comment, going to the contact page, or sending a message to JoshiesWorld on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and whatnot. If you have any information, some dirt, or a tip about something or someone, please send it my way. Share the 411 with JoshiesWorld! I would greatly appreciate it if you could share this article on your social media by clicking the social media buttons below. Until next time, stay cool, warm, and safe!

Joshua “Joshie” Sullivan.

Donate to or buy JoshiesWorld merch, and follow JoshiesWorld on social media to support JoshiesWorld. If you notice any incorrect information or website issues, contact JoshiesWorld.

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