FBI director warns of ‘historic’ antisemitism levels (msn.com)
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
Monday, October 30, 2023
End of October 2023 Updates.
Thanksgiving is coming up in November of 2023. For years, we know that Thanksgiving-type holidays and celebrations have existed for thousands of years among many cultures of humanity. It is a time of the year when reflection is made known. It has been celebrated in modern times in America, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, Brazil, the Philippines, and other areas of the world. Thanksgiving means to honor the sacrifice of our ancestors and heroes today along with connecting with family, friends, and loved ones. Many people celebrate football games, eat foods (like turkey, stuffing, yams, sweet potato pie, greens, etc.), and visit relatives. The Thanksgiving in America deals with the Thanksgiving that deals with New England and North America in general. This history is rooted in the Protestant Reformation, Native Americans, and other issues. The common lie is that Native Americans never experienced any form of genocide by imperialism. The other lie is that every believer in God is an abhorrent genocidal murderer. So, we have to put history into truth and context. For centuries and millennia, Native Americans created their own complex, advanced cultures with languages, creeds, calendar systems, roads, sports, celebrations, and other facets of civilization. These items of contributions to humanity were found in the Aztec, Inca, Olmec, the Mound cultures, and other civilizations in the Americas. Native Americans came from Asia (i.e. Siberia) over 10,000 years ago.
Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1588, in 1605, and in other times like in 1619 in Virginia. In America, there is the common story of the Pilgrims and Puritans. It started long ago. Inside Europe by the 17th century, there was massive political and religious upheaval. Europe was controlled by mostly monarchical rule and religious oligarchs who wanted to centralize control over the people. The dominant religious institution in Europe during the 1600's was the Vatican. This time period existed for about 100 years after the Protestant Reformation (which challenged the heresies of the Roman Catholic Church like purgatory, indulgences, the Inquisition, Papal infallibility, the veneration of images, viewing Mary as an Ever-Virgini, and transubstantiation). There is nowhere in the Bible saying that we must do the Rosary, that religious clergy must be forced to not marry, and that the Pope is the Holy Father or the Vicar of Christ (which is outright blasphemy). Erasmus tried to make reforms in the Roman Catholic Church. Erasmus was a great religious scholar and a prominent intellectual. Martin Luther made his 95 Theses to protest the Roman Catholic Church's policies. The Roman Catholic Church refused to change, and the Reformation existed by 1517. The Vatican created the Counter-Reformation (with support from the Jesuits too) to counteract the influence of the Protestant Reformation. Major wars among Protestants and Catholics existed well into the 1600s and beyond in places like Ireland. Obviously, we can agree to disagree on religious matters without being violently disagreeable as religious freedom including the separation of church and state are hallmarks of a progressive society. The fruit of the Jesuit-inspired Counter-Reformation is the Ecumenical Movement (which is promoted by the leaders of the Vatican and some Protestant movements to develop a compromise on theological matters explicitly). Even some Protestants were wrong to persecute Baptists and Anabaptists centuries ago (because the Baptists and Anabaptists rightfully rejected infant baptism. Infant baptism has no basis in scripture or logic as an infant can't make a conscious decision to join a church or religious organization).
Many Pilgrims were in conflict with the English King James I. He believed in the divine right of kings heresy, which is very similar to the Pope falsely claiming divine authority over all believers of God. King James I was right to disagree with many of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. King James I was right to disagree with witchcraft as he wrote literature in opposition to it. His error was that King James I made it his business to persecute Baptists and other separatists who didn't want to submit to the state church. I believe in the separation of church and state. Back then, human beings, who disagreed with state church institutions, were imprisoned or killed during the early 1600's in Europe. To disagree with a government authority back then was equivalent to treason (according to extremists). That is why many Baptists, Puritans, and other Protestant separatists left the UK and came to America. These dissidents made errors too, so that will be shown later. For now, we know that the Anglican Church was nearly identical to the Catholic Church in its ecclesiology. Also, William Schaw worked with King James VI of Scotland. William Schaw (who was accused of being a suspected Jesuit and holding anti-English views during the 1590’s. We know about the pro-Jesuits zealots involved in the evil Gunpowder terrorist plot in England against King James I and his government. The plot was led by Roman Catholic Robert Catesby) who helped to build castles and palaces.
The Pilgrims and Puritans emigrated from England to America 1620's and the 1630's. Many of them wanted to enjoy religious freedom. The Pilgrims wanted total separation from the Church of England, and the Puritans hoped for a reconciliation with the Church of England. Back then, many Baptists, Pilgrims, and other religious groups were persecuted by the Catholics and the Church of English. The Pilgrims wanted voluntary democratic congregations. It was against the law in England to resist many policies from the Anglican Church, so many Pilgrims escaped into the Netherlands to Leiden, Holland to escape persecution. William Brewster taught English at Leiden University. Later, the Pilgrims left the Netherlands as their language and customs were difficult for them to ascertain. They left on the Mayflower to America. They came to America in November 1620. The Native Americans including Squanto helped the Pilgrims to survive literally. Previously, many British forces enslaved many Native American tribes unjustly. The Pilgrims realized that a king in Europe, especially in the UK, having authoritarian powers is antithetical to democratic rights. Now, many of them did the wrong thing in murdering Native Americans and enslaving innocent black Africans. I want to make that perfectly clear. The English Pilgrims was led by William Bradford. They experienced religious persecution in England (they lived in the village of Scrooby near East Retford, Nottinghamshire). By 1607, Archbishop Tobias Matthew raided homes and imprisoned several members of the congregation. The congregation left England in 1608 and emigrated to the Netherlands, settling first in Amsterdam and then in Leiden.
The Mayflower Compact was created while people were on the ship. It was signed on November 1620. The compact was about them forming their own government while showing allegiance to the Crown of England. The settlers showed allegiance to the king. It was a social contract that settlers would consent to the community's rules to survive and have order. Early on, the Pilgrims struggled to survive. Peregrine White was born being the first child born to the Pilgrims in America by Susanna White. They searched for corn to plant. As early as December 6, in their third expedition, they took the Native Americans' corn and fired upon them in the First Encounter near Eastham, Massachusetts. By December 21, 1620, a brutal winter caused the Pilgrims to suffer at Plymouth. Native Americans literally saved their lives. One such Native American was Samoset. On March 16, 1621, the Pilgrims had more contact with Native peoples. Samoset learned some English from fishermen and trappers in Maine. He said, "Welcome, Englishmen!" The Pilgrims learned that many Natives died of an epidemic. They also knew of a great leader in the region who was the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. Also, they learned about Squanto (Tisquantum) who was the sole survivor from Patuxent. Squanto had spent time in Europe and spoke English quite well. Samoset spent the night in Plymouth and agreed to arrange a meeting with some of Massasoit's men. There is the statue today of the sachem Massasoit (Ousamequin). The sachem or leader of the Wampanoag confederacy. Massasoit means Great Sachem. Squanto has a large importance in history.
The 1621 Plymouth, Massachusetts Thanksgiving was promoted by a good harvest. They celebrated with the Wampanoags Native American tribes along with the Patuxent. They formed an alliance against the rival Narragansett tribe. This situation didn't last. Native American leader Massasoit was ill by the winter of 1623. The colonists nursed him back to health. In 1632, the Narragansetts attacked Massaiot's village in Sowam. The colonists helped the Wampanoag to drive them back. The Puritans later destroyed the Pequot Confederation.
Massasoit and Squanto were apprehensive about the Pilgrims, as several men of his tribe had been killed by English sailors. He also knew that the Pilgrims had taken some corn stores in their landings at Provincetown. Squanto himself had been abducted in 1614 by English explorer Thomas Hunt and had spent five years in Europe, first as a slave for a group of Spanish monks, then as a freeman in England. He had returned to New England in 1619, acting as a guide to explorer Capt. Robert Gorges, but Massasoit and his men had killed the crew of the ship and had taken Squanto. Samoset returned to Plymouth on March 22 with a delegation from Massasoit that included Squanto; Massasoit joined them shortly after, and he and Governor Carver established a formal treaty of peace after exchanging gifts. This treaty ensured that each people would not bring harm to the other, that Massasoit would send his allies to make peaceful negotiations with Plymouth, and that they would come to each other's aid in a time of war. Many Plymouth settlers died during that winter.
In November 1621, the surviving Pilgrims and some Native Americans celebrated their First Thanksgiving. The celebration involved the 53 surviving Pilgrims, along with Massasoit and 90 of his men. Three contemporaneous accounts of the event survive: Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford; Mourt's Relation probably written by Edward Winslow; and New England's Memorial by Plymouth Colony Secretary (and Bradford's nephew) Capt. Nathaniel Morton. The celebration lasted three days and featured a feast that included numerous types of waterfowl, wild turkeys and fish procured by the colonists, and five deer brought by the indigenous people. After the departure of Massasoit and his men, Squanto remained in Plymouth to teach the Pilgrims how to survive in New England, such as using dead fish to fertilize the soil. For the first few years of colonial life, the fur trade was the dominant source of income beyond subsistence farming. Colonists were buying furs from Natives and selling them to Europeans. Governor Carver suddenly died shortly after the Mayflower returned to England. William Bradford was elected to replace him and went on to lead the colony through much of its formative years. Many Native Americans came to Plymouth in the middle of 1621 to promise peace. On July 2, a party of Pilgrims led by Edward Winslow (who later became the chief diplomat of the colony) set out to continue negotiations with the chief. The delegation also included Squanto, who acted as a translator. After traveling for several days, they arrived at Massasoit's village of Sowams near Narragansett Bay. After meals and an exchange of gifts, Massasoit agreed to an exclusive trading pact with the Plymouth colonists. Squanto remained behind and traveled throughout the area to establish trading relations with several tribes. By July 1621, the missing boy John Billington almost ended the peace, but the peace existed for a time. The Nausets found him. The Pilgrims reimburse the corn that they unwittingly stole from them for the return of the boy.
During their dealings with the Nausets over the release of John Billington, the Pilgrims learned of the troubles that Massasoit was experiencing. Massasoit, Squanto, and several other Wampanoags had been captured by Corbitant, sachem of the Narragansett tribe. A party of ten men under the leadership of Myles Standish set out to find and execute Corbitant. While hunting for him, they learned that Squanto had escaped, and Massasoit was back in power. Standish and his men had injured several Native Americans, so the colonists offered them medical attention in Plymouth. They had failed to capture Corbitant, but the show of force by Standish had garnered respect for the Pilgrims and, as a result, nine of the most powerful sachems in the area signed a treaty in September, including Massasoit and Corbitant, pledging their loyalty to King James.
In my view, the man (including many other people) responsible for the breaking of the treaties, the ruin of tons of Native American lives, and the changing of an era was Myles Standish. He was a murderer and the breaker of the peace in the region. The settlement of Wessaguessett north of Weymouth, Massachusetts was short-lived (by colonists from the ship The Sparrow in May 1622). Reports reached Plymouth of a military threat to Wessagussett, and Myles Standish organized a militia to defend them. However, he found that there had been no attack. He (i.e. Myles Standish) therefore decided on a pre-emptive strike, an event which historian Nathaniel Philbrick calls "Standish's raid." He lured two prominent Massachusett military leaders into a house at Wessagussett under the pretense of sharing a meal and making negotiations. Standish and his men then stabbed and killed them. Standish and his men pursued Obtakiest, a local sachem, but he escaped with three prisoners from Wessagussett; he then executed them. Within a short time, Wessagussett was disbanded, and the survivors were integrated into the town of Plymouth. After Standish's raid, many Native Americans fled the area, and many left their villages. The Pilgrims lost trade in furs. Standish's raid had disastrous consequences for the colony, as attested by William Bradford in a letter to the Merchant Adventurers: "...we had much damaged our trade, for there where we had most skins the Indians are run away from their habitations." The closest Pilgrim ally in the region that increased their power who was the Massasoit-led Wampanoag tribe. In November 1621, the Fortune ship camped in Plymouth. Among the passengers of the Fortune were several of the original Leiden congregation, including William Brewster's son Jonathan, Edward Winslow's brother John, and Philip Delano (the family name was earlier "de la Noye") whose descendants include President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Myles Standish was the military leader of the Plymouth Colony.
The Pequot War existed in 1637. The war's roots go back to 1632, when a dispute arose between Dutch fur traders and Plymouth officials over control of the Connecticut River Valley near modern Hartford, Connecticut. Representatives from the Dutch East India Company and Plymouth Colony both had deeds that claimed that they had rightfully purchased the land from the Pequots. A sort of land rush occurred as settlers from Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies tried to beat the Dutch in settling the area; the influx of English settlers also threatened the Pequot. Other confederations in the area sided with the English, including the Narragansetts and Mohegans, who were the traditional enemies of the Pequots. The murder of John Oldham in 1636 was blamed on allies of the Pequots. In April 1637, a raid on a Pequot village by John Endicott led to a retaliatory raid by Pequot warriors on the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, where some 30 English settlers were killed. This led to a further retaliation, where a raid led by Captain John Underhill and Captain John Mason burned a Pequot village to the ground near modern Mystic, Connecticut, killing hundreds of Pequots. Plymouth Colony had little to do with the actual fighting in the war.
The 1637 Massacre in Mystic caused at least 700 Native Americans to be murdered by Europeans. Men, women, and children Native Americans were burned alive, and their buildings were destroyed. William Bradford or the Governor of Plymouth praised the massacre in sick terms by the following words: “…Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire...horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them, thus to enclose their enemies in their hands, and give them so speedy a victory over so proud and insulting an enemy."
“This day forth shall be a day of celebration and thanksgiving for subduing the Pequots," read Governor John Winthrop’s proclamation.
In 1637, Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford described the massacre of a community of Pequot people by white settlers:
“Those that scraped the fire were [slain] with the sword; some hewed to [pieces], others [run] [through] with their rapiers, so as they were quickly [dispatched], and very few [escaped]. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the [fire], and the streams of blood quenching the same, and horrible was the [stink] and [scent] thereof, but the victory seemed a [sweet] sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them, thus to [enclose] their [enemies] in their hands, and give them so speedy a victory over so proud and insulting an [enemy]."
You couldn’t make this stuff up. This is real and these massacres against Native Americans are totally evil plus disgusting. Later, Pequots prisoners were executed. Pequot women and children were sold into slavery in the West Indies. The Pequot War killed most of the Pequot people.
In 1643, the Mohegans defeated the Narragansetts in a war with support from the colonists. When Massasoit died, then more problems happened. His brother Phillip (Metacom was the sachem or leader of the Wampanoag. Philip wanted the colonists gone. He formed an alliance with many Native American tribes. Then, Native American John Assamon was murdered. King Philip's War existed when the colonists brutally defeated the Native American forces. Philip's wife and child were kidnapped by colonial terrorists and made into slaves in the West Indies. Philip was murdered by August 12, 1676. Then, the colonists exterminated most of the Native Americans in the region.
The music of the 2000's saw massive changed vocally, digitally, and technologically. The music of the early 2000's was different than the late 2000's. Signs of the movements of the music of this decade existed by the late 1990's. Rock, pop, R&B, EDM country, gospel, indie, metal, and other genres of music witnessed the digital age reach into a new level. This decade saw Napster being gone. CD sales declined by the end of the 2000's, and people saw diverse genres shining their influence in the world. Also, new genres existed like nu-disco and post-punk revival. There was a teen pop movement from the 1990's that carried over into the 2000's like *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera Comebacks were abundant from Michael Jackson, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Brandy, Monica, Mary J. Blige, and other others. Michael Jackson released Invincible, Mariah Carey released The Emancipation of Mimi (being one of the greatest comebacks in music history), and Madonna released Music. Contemporary R&B was very popular with artists like Usher, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Rihanna, Toni Braxton, Amerie, Mya, Ashanti, Anthony Hamilton, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, and other legends. In 2004, the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 had 15 of its top 25 singles as contemporary R&B. Rock and roll music saw diverse artists like Oasis, Coldplay, U2, The Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Green Day, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and other artists. Hip Hop grew into the mainstream and organized more into a business empire with Nas, Jay Z, Outkast, 50 Cent, the Game, Eminem, T.I., Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Black Eyed Peas, Timbaland, Souja Boy, Unk, D4L, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Kanye West, etc. Country music excelled. New artists started their careers with Corrine Bailey Rae, Adele, etc. By the end of the decade, a pop, dance sound existed with Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Miley Cyrus existed. Electronic music would be very popular. By the end of the decade, J-Pop and K-pop would flourish along with Indian pop music. With autotune, Reggae, Reggaeton, and Narcocorrido music, the music of the 2000's saw experimentation as the order of the day. The 2000's saw trauma like 9/11, Katrina, the Iraq War, and the economic recession (which caused thousands of innocent lives to be lost and mayhem globally) Also, the 2000's saw a lot of opportunities where artists expressed their talents to the world in creative, fruitful designations also.
The 2000s saw a massive pop culture revival in the musical scene. By early January 2000, Christina Aguilera's song of What a Girl Wants was one of her most successful records. Savage Garden had the song of I Knew I Loved You. Mariah Carey worked with Joe and 98 Degrees with the romance song of Thank God I Found You. Lonestar had the song of Amazed. Later, Destiny's Child had the anthem of Say My Name which was shown everywhere. Santana with The Product G&B had the song, Maria Maria. Aaliyah by June of 2000 had the hit of Try Again from the Romeo Must Die soundtrack. Music was shown by Enrique Iglesias, Vertical Horizon, Matchbox Twenty, NSYNC, Sisqo (with the song Incomplete with Lisa Raye), Madonna, Creed, and other artists. Janet Jackson released the great dance song of Doesn't Really Matter. Destiny's Child had the hit song of Independent Women (part of the Charlie Angels movie soundtrack). The year of 2000 had many fun songs too. Mary Mary released the song of Praise You in gospel. Jennifer Lopez had the pop hit of Waiting for You. Samantha Mumba released the song Waiting for You being an Afro-Irish singer. Aaliyah had the hit of I Don't Wanna. The Chicks had the hit of Cowboy Take Me Away. Sisqo in the year of 2000 had the song of Thong Song when Sisqo was a superstar. Deborah Morgan had the song of Dance with Me. Pop songs like Alice Deejay with Better Off Alone was high on the charts. Tim McGraw had the song of My Best Friend and How Do You Like Me Now? Where I Wanna Be from Donnell had some of the most sentimental music. Pink had the pop song of Most Girls and There You Go before going into the Rock route in 2000. The Real Slim Shady by Eminem was released in 2000. Blue (Da Ba Dee) from Eiffel 65 was known by me in the year 2000 including Smash Mouth's hit of Then the Morning Comes. Faith Hill had the song of Breathe too.
In 2001, everything was different. Shaggy released the song It Washn't Me with Ricardo Ducent. Crazy Town had the song Butterly. Angel was the song with Shaggy and Rayvon. Lady Marmalade was made with Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink to show an ode to LaBelle's song of the same name in the 1970's. Hits were found galore with Destiny's Child with the song Bootylicious (and Survivor). Alicia Keys had the song Fallin' that changed her life. Keys can sing, play instruments, and write music. Nickelback had the song how You Remind Me. Music from Afroman was popular. Hero was the song from Enrique Iglesias that was popular. In 2001, Nelly had E.I., Dido, O-Town, LeAnn Womack, Moby, Gwen Stefani, Willa Ford had music, and Mariah Carey released the song Loverboy. Ja Rule mixed hip-hop and R&B music too. U2 had the music of Beautiful Day. In 2002, Nelly Furtado made tons of music at the start of her career including 3LW. Jessica Simpson, S Club 7, Toya, Enya, Ricky Martin, Missy Elliot, and other musicians expressed massive talent. In 2002, Ja Rule and Ashanti had the song of Always on Time. Jennifer Lopez's career grew. In terms of hip hop, Nelly, Eminem, Nas, Jay Z, and other artists made music. Kelly Clarkson had the song of A Moment like This. Vanessa Carlton had the song of A Thousand Miles, Michelle Branch had music, and Christina Milian had music. There was pop music from Gareth Gates, Lenny Kravitz, Britney Spears, Phil Collins, Kosheen, A1, Kylie Minogue, and Christina Aguilera (with Dirty featuring Redman). Pink in 2002 went into rock. Robbie Williams, Enrique Iglesias, Moony, NYSNC, Daniel Bedingfield, No Doubt, Anastacia, and Ronan Keating made music. Celine Dion with the song of I'm Alive was popular. Shawna Twain had hits too. Sugababes made music like Round Round.
In the year of 2003, Beyonce dominated that year with songs like Crazy in Love in 2003. 50 Cent and G unit blew up in popularity, Jennifer Lopez had her run with All I Have with LL Cool J. B2K with Diddy had Bump Bump Bump. There was Clay Wiken making music and Nelly. Ludacris worked with Chicago hip hop artists Shawnna in the song of Stand Up. Sean Paul, Nate Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and other people released songs. Outkast's Hey Ya! song changed music forever. Andre 3000 and Big Boi were a duo of artists in Outkast that went into movies and other facets of their entertainment career. 2003 saw many underrated music too. There were groups and people like Outlandish, REM, Delta Goodrem, Sarah Connor, Blu Cantrell, Evanescence, Moloko, Maroon 5, Blue, Johnny Cash with Hurt, and Mariah Carey (with Busta Rhymes). Avril Lavigne, Sylver, Tomcraft, Seal, and Lumbidee had a great following. Mis-Teeq, White Stripes, Black Eyed Peas (with the political song of Where is the Love?), Girls Around, Holly Valance, Dido, Kelly Rowland, John Mayer, and Stacie Orrico made music too. Jamelia had the song of Superstar and Rachel Stevens had music too. Shania Twain had the song of Thank You Baby. By 2004, R&B and hip-hop dominated the popular music landscape. Outkast, Sleepy Brown, Jamie Foxx, Twista, and Kanye West grown. We have Yeah! being the popular song by Usher with Lil Jon and Ludacris. Usher had the hit of Burn too. In 2004, Fantasia loved music as shown by her song of Burn. Juvenile, Soulja Slim, Eamon, and Terror Squad had music. Ciara with Petey Pablo had the song of Goodies. By 2004, Ciara was in the music industry at the next level. My Boo was the song with Usher and Alicia Keys. Snoop Dogg and Pharrell had songs in 2004 too. 2004 was when I was 21 years old. Kenny Chesney had the song of I Got Back. Beanie Sigel had the song with Miss Thing. Lloyd with Ashanti had the song of Southside. Britney Spears had the song of Everytime. Kanye West's Through the Wire also made him a household name in the industry.
There is a new study about how to eat to live longer on this Earth as human beings. There is a study that people can use to reduce a person's risk of early death for any reason by nearly 20%. It is done by just eating more from your choice of four healthy eating patterns. The study says that people who share a focus on consuming more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes — were also less likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular illness, and respiratory and neurodegenerative disease. The results of the study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, show “there is more than one way to eat well and derive the attendant health benefits,” said Dr. David Katz, a lifestyle medicine specialist who was not involved in the study. People often get bored with one way of eating, study coauthor Dr. Frank Hu said, “so this is good news. It means that we have a lot of flexibility in terms of creating our own healthy dietary patterns that can be tailored to individual food preferences, health conditions, and cultures.
“For example, if you are eating healthy Mediterranean, and after a few months you want to try something different, you can switch to a DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet or you can switch to a semi-vegetarian diet,” said Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology and chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Or you can follow US dietary guidelines and create your own healthy eating plate.” The study followed the eating habits of 75,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study and more than 44,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study over 36 years. None of the men and women had cardiovascular disease at the start of the study, and few were smokers. All filled out eating questionnaires every four years.“This is one of the largest and longest-running cohort studies to examine recommended dietary patterns and the long-term risk of premature deaths and deaths from major diseases,” Hu said. Hu and his team scored participants on how closely they followed four healthy eating styles that are in sync with current US dietary guidelines.
One diet is the Mediterranean diet, which stresses eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, fish, and a high amount of olive oil, Hu said. “This dietary pattern emphasizes healthy fats, especially monounsaturated fat, in addition to plant-based foods and moderate alcohol,” he said. The next is healthy plant-based diet with plant products. “The highest quintile of diet quality as compared to the lowest was associated with a roughly 20% reduction in all-cause mortality,” said Katz, president and founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition of experts dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine. Participants who improved the health of their diet by 25% could reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by a range of 6% to 13% and dying from cancer by 7% to 18%, he said. There was up to a 7% reduction in the risk of death by neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia. “Respiratory disease mortality reduction was actually much greater, reducing risk by 35% to 46%,” Hu said. “It’s never too late to adopt healthy eating patterns, and the benefits of eating a healthy diet can be substantial in terms of reducing total premature deaths and different causes of premature death,” Hu said.
“People also have a lot of flexibility in terms of creating their own healthy dietary pattern. But the common principles — eating more-plant based foods and fewer servings of red meat, processed meats, added sugar and sodium — should be there, no matter what kind of diet that you want to create.”
There is another study saying that ultra processed foods like burgers and fries, could raise your risk for cognitive decline if it's more than 20% of your daily calorie intake, a new study found. The study followed over 10,000 Brazilians for up to 10 years. Just over half of the study participants were women, White or college-educated, while the average age was 51. Cognitive testing, which included immediate and delayed word recall, word recognition, and verbal fluency, was performed at the beginning and end of the study, and participants were asked about their diet. “In Brazil, ultraprocessed foods make up 25% to 30% of total calorie intake. We have McDonald’s, Burger King, and we eat a lot of chocolate and white bread. It’s not very different, unfortunately, from many other Western countries,” coauthor Dr. Claudia Suemoto, an assistant professor in the division of geriatrics at the University of São Paulo Medical School, told CNN when the study abstract was released in August. “Fifty-eight percent of the calories consumed by United States citizens, 56.8% of the calories consumed by British citizens, and 48% of the calories consumed by Canadians come from ultraprocessed foods,” Suemoto said. In addition to the impact on cognition, ultraprocessed foods are already known to raise the risk of obesity, heart and circulation problems, diabetes, cancer, and a shorter life span. “Ultraprocessed foods in general are bad for every part of us,” said Katz, president and founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition of experts dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine. Ultraprocessed foods are high in sugar, salt, and fat which can promote inflammation in the body. It can cause serious aging in the body and brain. Eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is good for you.
The landing on Juno Beach was delayed because of choppy seas. The men arrived with lax supporting armor. That is why many causalities were there while disembarking. Most of the offshore bombardment had missed the German defenses. Several exits from the beach were created, but not without difficulty. At Mike Beach on the western flank, a large crater was filled using an abandoned AVRE tank and several rolls of fascine, which were then covered by a temporary bridge. The tank remained in place until 1972 when it was removed and restored by members of the Royal Engineers. The beach and nearby streets were clogged with traffic for most of the day, making it difficult to move inland.
Major German strongpoints with 75 mm guns, machine-gun nests, concrete fortifications, barbed wire, and mines were located at Courseulles-sur-Mer, St Aubin-sur-Mer, and Bernières-sur-Mer. The towns had to be cleared in house-to-house fighting. Soldiers on their way to Bény-sur-Mer, 3 miles (5 km) inland, discovered that the road was well covered by machine gun emplacements that had to be outflanked before the advance could proceed. Elements of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade advanced to within sight of the Carpiquet airfield late in the afternoon, but by this time their supporting armor was low on ammunition, so the Canadians dug in for the night. The airfield was not captured until a month later as the area became the scene of fierce fighting. By nightfall, the contiguous Juno and Gold beachheads covered an area 12 miles (19 km) wide and 7 miles (10 km) deep. Casualties at Juno were 961 men.
On Sword Beach, 21 of 25 DD tanks of the first wave were successful in getting safely ashore to provide cover for the infantry, who began disembarking at 07:30. The beach was heavily mined and peppered with obstacles, making the work of the beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. In the windy conditions, the tide came in more quickly than expected, so maneuvering the armor was difficult. The beach quickly became congested. Brigadier Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, and his 1st Special Service Brigade arrived in the second wave, piped ashore by Private Bill Millin, Lovat's personal piper. Members of No. 4 Commando moved through Ouistreham to attack from the rear a German gun battery on the shore. A concrete observation and control tower at this emplacement had to be bypassed and was not captured until several days later. French forces under Commander Philippe Kieffer (the first French soldiers to arrive in Normandy) attacked and cleared the heavily fortified strongpoint at the casino at Riva Bella, with the aid of one of the DD tanks.
The 'Morris' strongpoint near Colleville-sur-Orne was captured after about an hour of fighting. The nearby 'Hillman' strongpoint, headquarters of the 736th Infantry Regiment, was a large complex defensive work that had come through the morning's bombardment essentially undamaged. It was not captured until 20:15. The 2nd Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry began advancing to Caen on foot, coming within a few kilometres of the town, but had to withdraw due to lack of armor support. At 16:00, the 21st Panzer Division mounted a counter-attack between Sword and Juno and nearly succeeded in reaching the Channel. It met stiff resistance from the British 3rd Division and was soon recalled to assist in the area between Caen and Bayeux. Estimates of Allied casualties on Sword Beach are as high as 1,000.
The aftermath of the Normandy landings (D-Day) was very important. The Normandy landings were part of the largest seaborne invasion in human history, with nearly 5,000 landings and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers participating. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day, with 875,000 men disembarking by the end of June. Allied casualties on the first day were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. The Germans lost 1,000 men. The Allied invasion plans had called for the capture of Carentan, Saint-Lô, Caen, and Bayeux on the first day, with all the beaches (other than Utah) linked with a front line 10 to 16 kilometers (6 to 10 mi) from the beaches; none of these objectives were achieved. The five beachheads were not connected until 12 June, by which time the Allies held a front around 97 kilometers (60 mi) long and 24 kilometers (15 mi) deep. Caen, a major objective, was still in German hands at the end of D-Day and would not be completely captured until 21 July. The Germans had ordered French civilians other than those deemed essential to the war effort to leave potential combat zones in Normandy. Civilian casualties on D-Day and D+1 are estimated at 3,000.
The Allied victory in Normandy stemmed from several factors. German preparations along the Atlantic Wall were only partially finished; shortly before D-Day Rommel reported that construction was only 18 percent complete in some areas as resources were diverted elsewhere. The deceptions undertaken in Operation Fortitude were successful, leaving the Germans obliged to defend a huge stretch of coastline. The Allies achieved and maintained air supremacy, which meant that the Germans were unable to make observations of the preparations underway in Britain and were unable to interfere via bomber attacks. Infrastructure for transport in France was severely disrupted by Allied bombers and the French Resistance, making it difficult for the Germans to bring up reinforcements and supplies. Some of the opening bombardment was off-target or not concentrated enough to have any impact, but the specialized armor worked well except on Omaha, providing close artillery support for the troops as they disembarked onto the beaches. Indecisiveness and an overly complicated command structure on the part of the German high command were also factors in the Allied success.
Marci Scott has been one of the wisest fitness experts of our generation. She helps tons of men and women in health issues via her Phoenix Tribe Fitness movement. She wants people to lose body fat, have more energy, and enjoy healthy habits for life. Marci Scott has worked in fitness culture for years. Her Facebook account shows many jewels about the dangers of too much sugar (like harming the liver and harming the heart). She is right to write that protein is key in developing health as protein can maintain muscle mass, support bones, improve skin, have weight management, and provide energy. Marci Scott encourages women to lift weight because lifting weights can decrease muscle loss, increase bone density, develop functional movement, and develop a greater quality of life. Strength training helps any human being in many ways. She has a full understanding of macros or macronutrients (of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates). She is right that HIIT workouts and swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing can improve mental health. Marci Scott loves her child and her family.
One of the most historical music tours of all time has been the Beyonce Renaissance World Tour. This is the ninth tour from the singer Beyonce. Now, we know that this tour is her highest-grossing tour to date. It was announced on February 1, 2023, to support her seventh studio album Renaissance (which came out in 2022). The tour concert existed and started on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden, and concluded on October 1, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. It was her first solo tour since The Formation World Tour in 2016. The concert lasted between two and a half and three hours and was split into six or seven acts, with Beyoncé performing the tracks of Renaissance in order, interspersed with songs from across her discography. The stage consisted of a giant screen with a large "portal" in its center, and featured sculptures, robotic arms, and ultraviolet technology.
The tour broke ticket sales records worldwide, becoming the eighth highest-grossing concert tour of all time, the second highest-grossing tour ever by a woman artist, and the highest-grossing tour by a black artist, and achieved the two highest monthly tour grosses in history. The show received critical acclaim, with particular praise for the production value and Beyoncé's vocal performance. The tour boosted both local and national economies and was a sociocultural phenomenon. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, which chronicles the creation and execution of the tour and its associated album, will be released in cinemas on December 1, 2023. The tour marked the debut live performances of all sixteen tracks on the Renaissance album, as well Savage (Remix), Black Parade, My Power, and Lift Off. The tour was talked about on October 23, 2022, when Beyonce auctioned a ticket for an unspecified show. It was sold for $50,000 in a charity auction at the Wearable Art Gala to support the WACO Theatre. It included two tickets to the concert, first-class airfare, a three-night hotel stay, and a personal backstage tour led by Beyoncé's mother. On February 1, 2023, Beyoncé announced the tour via her Instagram account. In April 2023, Beyoncé rented Europe's largest indoor arena, Paris La Défense Arena, in Nanterre, to rehearse for the tour. Khirye Tyler and Dammo Farmer are credited as the tour's music directors, with Damien Smith as head of the music production and Tiffany MonÃque Ryan as Vocal Director. Producer Amorphous assisted with the tour's musical arrangements. Composer Emily Bear is the featured pianist for the tour.
Alongside the announcement of the tour, it was also announced that a public on-sale for the North American leg would initially not happen, with all initial ticket sales for the leg using Ticketmaster's Verified Fan system. In addition, all the cities in the North American leg of the tour would be split into three different registration groups that would all have different registration periods and on-sale times.
Jay Peters of The Verge noted that this spreading out of demand appeared to be an attempt by Ticketmaster to prevent an incident identical to the 2022 Ticketmaster fiasco of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour that had occurred less than three months earlier, in which the website crashed during the Verified Fan presale. Peters questioned how effective the strategy would be since people could sign up for each of the registration groups instead of just one. In light of the mismanagement of Swift's concert ticket sales, and the U.S. Senate hearing it sparked, the Senate Judiciary Committee tweeted from their official Twitter account, "We're watching, @Ticketmaster," in reference to the Renaissance World Tour.
In light of this, Ticketmaster has implemented new policies to try and combat difficulty for concertgoers and to "create a less crowded ticket shopping experience for fans". Registration does not guarantee a ticket. Instead, a "lottery-style process" affects who is placed on the waitlist and who is given a unique access code after registering as a Verified Fan. Tickets bought in European markets also cannot be resold on Ticketmaster for more than their original price.
There have been staging and lighting designs too. The design process took about 18 months. It has a stage with a circle-shaped cavity in the middle of a giant, flat screen. The B stage is subdivided into a circumference structure surrounding the so-called VIP section "Club Renaissance", with an extension of the ramp acting as the radius of the layout. It also features monumental sculptures and metallic tanks, mannequin horses, robotic arms, pyrotechnics, and ultraviolet technology. Es Devlin Studio and Stufish Entertainment Architects were in charge of the stage design along with Beyoncé and her creative team, Parkwood. There were diverse costume designs that Beyonce wore in the tour. Siona Turini styles the wardrobe.
The wardrobe features a silver beaded Alexander McQueen catsuit, a white bell-sleeved Anrealage gown that transformed into a multicolored masterpiece underneath a UV light, a custom silver Courrèges bodysuit with a striking circular cutout, a pearl-embellished Balmain bodysuit, hat, and sunglasses, a metallic feathered frock courtesy of Coperni, a colorful mesh minidress by David Koma, a bejeweled Loewe bodysuit, and a bee costume by Thierry Mugler. Additional accessories and jewelry were custom-made by Tiffany & Co. Among the collection of designer pieces, MYKITA sunglasses are also part of the variety of ensembles showcased in the show. Beyonce wanted to honor local designers at each stop of her tour. For example, she wanted to honor Jacquemus in Marseille, Robert Wun and Stella McCartney in London, Iris van Herpen in Amsterdam, and a Fendi design inspired by the artist Antonio Lopez in Barcelona. For the June 18 show in Amsterdam, Beyoncé celebrated the Juneteenth holiday by wearing exclusively Black designers, including Feben, Maximilian Davis for Ferragamo, Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, Ib Kamara for Off-White, LaQuan Smith, and her own Ivy Park collection.
Women's Wear Daily reports that the Renaissance World Tour generated $187 million in "media impact value" for the various brands that Beyoncé has worn at the various stops along the tour, including $7.7 million for Alexander McQueen, $7.2 million for Tiffany & Co., $5.6 million for Balmain, and $3.7 million for Valentino. In the show, it lasts from 2.5 to 3 hours. Most of the songs from the Renaissance tour are played. The SMPTE color bars are shown representing the Progress Pride Flag. While the tour was not advertised with an official opening act, guest DJs have occasionally performed sets before the start of the show in various cities, including surprise guest appearances by Arca in Barcelona and MikeQ in East Rutherford. The robotic machine in the performance is akin of Fritz Lang's 1927 sci-fi Metropolis. This robot-themed segment of the show is interspersed with spoken word interludes from legendary commentator Kevin JZ Prodigy in an homage to ball culture. As the voice asks if the audience is 'ready to serve' and 'ready to slay', Beyoncé performs the first track from Renaissance, "I'm That Girl". Beyoncé then performs "Cozy" with two mechanical arms holding silver frames interacting with her as she dances. She then performs "Alien Superstar", with elements of "Sweet Dreams", followed by "Lift Off." The French dance duo Les Twins perform a dance break to "7/11. The parts of the tour performance are Renaissance, Motherboard, Opulence, Anointed, Memories Run Through My Wires, Mind Control, and Encore. Beyonce sits on a shiny life-size horse mannequin with a sparkly silver dress to perform Summer Renaissance as the Encore. The horse is lifted above the crowd and flies Beyoncé in a circle as a victory lap, while silver confetti is released into the stadium. She then thanks the crowd and exits the stage as the screen is left with a photo of her mother Tina and her uncle Johnny, a major inspiration behind the Black, LGBTQ+ sounds of the Renaissance album. The Renaissance tour has broken records that could gross up to $2.4 billion. According to Ticketmaster, the ticket demand exceeded the number of available tickets by more than 800% in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Summerfield, Atlanta, Inglewood, and Houston, to all which additional shows were added consequently. In the Mercedes Benz Stadium (in Atlanta, Georgia), the tour was the highest-grossing box score report in the stadium's history. The tour boosted the economies of many places of the world allowing an additional $10 million in revenue for local businesses. Hotels were booked in Stockholm and London. Amtrak launched a new program to help concertgoers travel to the tour's US stops.
At the September 4, 2023, show in Los Angeles, Diana Ross joined the Pure Honey singers onstage for their performance of "Love Hangover" and led the audience in singing "Happy Birthday" to Beyoncé. Kendrick Lamar also joined Beyoncé onstage to perform his verse on the "America Has a Problem" remix. At the September 23 and 24, 2023, shows in Houston, Megan Thee Stallion joined Beyoncé onstage to perform "Savage Remix."
As with previous tours, Beyoncé is supporting communities in the cities she performs in. Throughout the tour, Beyoncé's BeyGOOD Foundation provides 1,000 small business owners from marginalized communities with grant opportunities, celebration luncheons, and resources to support entrepreneurship. Beyoncé is also donating scholarships worth $1 million to students in colleges and universities in cities along the tour.
Tour tickets will be distributed to local community initiatives in cities across the US. Free tickets to current and previous members of Women of Tomorrow, a group that works with at-risk young women, were also distributed. On October 1, 2023, the concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé was announced. It is reported to have an "ambitious scope" that will incorporate highlights from the full run of the tour, Renaissance's visual companion, and documentary footage of the development of both the album and the tour. The film is scheduled for release to theaters worldwide on December 1.
By Timothy
Friday, October 27, 2023
The Maine Mass Shooting and Other News.
The press conference took place about the Maine mass shooting. The Lewiston mayor said that people should stay home and be safe. The mass shooter is named Robert Card. Card has military training, was a gun instructor, and was known for threatening to harm people. Card's gun was found in a vehicle belonging to the suspect. Card is also known to have serious mental health issues by claiming to hear voices in his head which isn't true. There is a current manhunt now in trying to capture the murderer. So far, 18 people have died and 13 people have been injured. The murderer killed people at a bowling alley and at another location too. Many communities are on lockdown. Maine Rep. Golden said that he changed his opposition to the assault weapons ban after the Maine shooting. Rep. Golden now supports an assault weapons ban. This ban existed from 1994 to 2004. We desire reasonable gun control now in American society. Most Americans support an assault weapon ban, most Americans support red flag laws, most Americans support federal background checks, most Americans support increasing the age to own certain guns to 21 years old, and most Americans don't support the status quo on this issue. The problem is that the GOP members in Congress mostly support the status quo refusing to endorse gun control legislation.
There is a serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza along with massive civilian deaths in Gaza and in Israel. United Nations authorities said that nowhere is safe in Gaza. Trucks continue to bring food, water, and medical supplies. Israeli forces conducted a targeted raid in the Northern part of the Gaza strip. Israel's strikes on Gaza are some of the most intense during this century. These strikes are unprecedented. For the reasons of hostages in Gaza and the massive civilian casualties, there should be a humanitarian cease-fire in my view. In this war, over 7,000 Palestinians and Israelis have been killed. There are over 1.4 million Palestinians being displaced in Gaza. Food, clean water, and fuel are on the verge of expiring. Trucks are now trying to bring supplies to the people. The global charity Oxfam criticized the Israeli government for using starvation as a weapon of war. Only 2 percent of food supplies are in Gaza and refrigerators are not operating due to the lack of electricity. President Biden is wrong to say that I have no notion that Palestinians are telling the truth about how many are killed. He said that innocents dying is the price of waging a war, which is callousness. I agree with Biden on many issues, but he is wrong to minimize the human deaths of Palestinians. Likewise, the far right-wing government of Israel headed by that zealous person Netanyahu isn't representative of the most progressive Israelis who want peace in the region. Many journalists in Gaza or their families have been killed by Israeli airstrikes. Hamas are terrorists and degenerates who killed men, women, and children in Israel. Hamas is wrong. The only people responsible for the October 7 massacre in Israel are Hamas alone. Yet, we believe in justice, not vengeance. When you see civilian deaths in Gaza and the lack of infrastructure, it is part of far-right Israeli vengeance running amok. We want Israelis and Palestinians to have peace. That will only exist when all Israeli hostages are freed, and Palestinians have their own liberation too.
There is more genealogical research that I found out. My fourth cousin Edward Alonzo Capers (b. 1984) is married to Shaquana Lavette Williams Capers (b. 1981). Edward Alonzo Capers's parents are Raymond Alonzo Capters (B. 1955) and Doreen Burton (b. 1957). Raymond Alonzo Capers's parents are Frank Arnold Capers and Beulah Savage Capers (1928-1983). Raymond's siblings are Buster Dale Capers (1956-1982), David Arnold Capers (b. 1957), and Albert L. Capers Sr. (b. 1960). Beulah Savage Capers's parents were George Savage (b. 1887) and Corinthia Upshur (b. 1897). Corinthia Upshur's parents were Henry Upshur (1858-1940) and Caroline Perkins (1862-1927). Caroline Perkins's parents were my 4th great-grandparents of George Perkins (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
I found out recently that Jasmine Cherie Ames (b. 1988) is my 5th cousin. We are descendants of my 4th great-grandparents George Perkins and Esther Perkins. Jasmine Cherie Ames's parents are Theodore Abron Wescott and the late Francine Georgette Ames (1964-2004). My 5th cousin Francine Georgette Ames's parents were George Francis Ames (b. 1939) and Annie Treherne (1939-1994). My 4th cousin Annie Treherne's parents were Amos Treherne (b. 198) and Marie Satchel (1923-1979). Marie Satchel and Amos Treherne had these children: James Rose (b. 1936), Gladys Rose (b. 1937), and Annie Treherne. My 3rd cousin Marie Satchell's parents were Noble Satchel (1904-1961) and Maggie Giddings (b. 1905). Nobel Satchel and Maggie Giddings's children are: Welton Noble Satchell (1920-2004), Norman Satchell (b. 1922), Marie Satchel (1923-1979), Jeremiah Satchell (b. 1927), Lena Satchell (b. 1928), Roosevelt Satchell (1930-2006), Maggie L. Satchell (b. 1933), Nobel Satchel Jr. (b. 1936), Pauline Satchell (b. 1939), and Solomon Satchell (1941-2011). My 2nd cousin Nobel Satchel's parents were Jackson Satchel (b. 1845) and Harriet Susan Kelley (1860-1927). My 1st cousin Harriet Susan Kelley's parents were George Kelly (b. 1830) and Easter Perkins (1840-1910). My 3rd great-grandaunt Easter Perkins's parents were my 4th great grandparents George Perkins and Esther Perkins.
Rep. Mike Johnson has been elected the new House Speaker on October 25, 2023. Mike Johnson is a far-right Republican who led the House effort to overturn the 2020 results. Mike Johnson secured the speaker's gavel, and many Democrats have criticized his political views. Johnson has been a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump for years. There were 220 votes for Johnson and 209 votes for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. The GOP had shown unanimous GOP support behind Johnson. Johnson was part of the Republican Caucus. One Republican, who is Rep. Derrick Van Orden, was absent from the vote. This comes after more than three weeks of Republicans trying to elect a new speaker after Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted. Now, people are facing a November deadline for the financial crisis and what will happen to Ukraine and Israel in terms of money.
By Timothy
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Changing Times.
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN) ends his bid to be the House Speaker. Trump called him a "Rino." Emmer is a conservative person. So, Trump knows that Emmer is not a moderate, but Trump is so extreme that he wants unconditional loyalty to him like a cult. Trumpism is a modern-day cult that provoked people to threaten folks, promote election lies, and advance overt bigotry. Recently, Jenna Ellis took a plea deal in the Georgia election case. Jenna Ellis was a member of the Trump team trying to overthrow Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. He was a former senior advisor to the Trump campaign. This makes 4 people take a plea deal involving the 2020 Georgia election probe. These people admitted their roles involved criminality. Jenna Ellis gave an emotional statement to the court that she was wrong, and Trump lost the election. This is unique, because their testimonies can be used against Trump as they were very close to Trump. Ellis was with Rudy Guiliani drafting memos in promoting states refusing to count votes. So far, Rudy refuses to plead guilty. Attorney Fani Willis is wise to allow her case to proceed and get these guilty pleas.
Two more hostages are released by Hamas. Right now, demonstrations on both sides are massive worldwide. In London, there were 300,000 people protesting Israel's war on Gaza. Nearly 5,000 people have marched in Washington, D.C. Many of them blame Netanyahu and Biden's policies not every Israeli person. About 10,000 people marched in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. In Norfolk, Virginia, about 300 people marched in the downtown area about the situation in Gaza. In downtown Los Angeles, California, over 25,000 people have marched in Los Angeles, California. The pictures of Gaza images speak for themselves. Hamas is a terrorist group who murdered innocent civilians in Israel, raped Jewish people, and kidnapped innocent people. That is wrong and unjust. Also, the occupation and the oppression of Palestinian people are also wrong and unjust too. Benjamin Netanyahu is a far-right zealot who was opposed by most Israelis before the Hamas attack. This doesn't mean that Israel should allow the hostages to stay. Every legitimate effort should be made to free the Jewish hostages, so they can go home. Also, we need more humanitarian aid in Gaza as Gaza has a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Therefore, Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in justice, peace, and a real existence without injustices.
There is a report that Mark Meadows has been granted immunity and he told the Special Counsel that he warned Trump about 2020 claims. This is a huge development, and it's one of the most important news in the Trump January 6th case. If Meadows has immunity and tells the truth, Trump is again in big trouble legally. The Department of Justice giving immunity to Mark Meadows is a game changer involving the case against Trump Now, we have Trump aides flipping under pressure after hundreds of people testifying voluntarily. Three Trump lawyers will now testify to avoid long sentences in prison. The January 6th witness Cassidy Hutchinson said that the Trump lawyers confessing to elector fraud and voter breach is the start of accountability involving people who allied with the nefarious actions of Donald Trump.
Joe Biden wants a 2 state solution. That is why the Gaza occupation must end. The mistakes of U.S. foreign policy after 9/11 should be avoided. Biden wants $100 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. We have a situation where it's fascism vs. democracy. In China, the Internet is regulated so much that people are banned from going to certain sites. In Russia, there are many Russian press members in jail for opposing the Putin regime. Biden has made many accomplishments like his record-breaking job creation through investments in clean energy and infrastructure. That is why we not only believe in the rule of law. We believe in tolerance, equal opportunity, sacrificing for the common good, and upholding the truth. We want justice fully and transparently.
Yesterday was the Birthday of the late Rosa Parks. In recent years, many people have wanted to lie and sugarcoat her legacy, but this is a new year where the truth will be shown. Rosa Parks was revolutionary in every sense of the world. Rosa Parks was born and raised in the Deep South. Long before the 1950's, she was active in social causes like working in the NAACP to defend the lives of black women rape victims. Rosa Parks supported labor rights, black freedom, and justice for all long before she refused to get up from her seat. Also, Rosa Parks helped with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in many ways. Later, she lived in Virginia and Detroit. In Detroit, Rosa Parks didn't stop in her quest for freedom. She fought for economic justice, worked with the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, fought for the rights of prisoners (especially political prisoners), and earned awards by her own merit. Malcolm X was her personal hero. Rosa Parks lived a long time on Earth, and she remained true to herself without compromise. Rosa Parks set a huge standard involving freedom. Rosa Parks didn't just talk about justice. Rosa Parks was an active participant in the ongoing freedom struggle constantly. She passed away in 2005 when I was in my early 20's. Now, she belongs to the ages as a heroic black woman who stood up for us triumphally.
Rest in Power Sister Rosa Parks.
By Timothy
Monday, October 23, 2023
Family Tree Information and Other News.
There are new discoveries all of the time about my family tree. There is a woman on Ancestry.com called Lady Juanita Family 1 who has many people in her family tree that is related to my paternal family members. Here is a summary of these family members' stories. My 4th great grandparents were the couple of George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816). One of their children was my 3rd great grandaunt Easter Perkins (1840-1910). Her first husband was James Nottingham with the children of Leah Nottingham (1865-1936) and Lou Henry Nottingham (1872-1956). Her 2nd husband was George Kelly (b. 1830) with the following children of: Harriet Susan Kelley (1860-1927), John Kelly (b. 1873), George Kelly Jr. (1880), Daniel Kelly (b. 1883), Ethel Kelly (b. 1885), Bertha Perkins (b. 1887), and Lizzie Kelly. My 1st cousin Harriet Susan Kelley or the child of George Kelly and Easter Perkins married Jackson Satchel (b. 1845) on 1880. Their children are William Satchel (b. 1882), Annie Bailey (b. 1882), Teagle Satchel (1886-1939), Elmer H. Satchel (1887-1966), Basil Satchel (1891-1935), Marian Satchel (1892-1972), Lagsey Satchel (b. 1895), Andrew Phillips Satchel (1897-1957). Daisey Ellen Collins (1897-1975), Nobel Satchel (b. 1900), and David Satchel (1900-1985). Many members of this family migrated from Cape Charles, Virginia to New York City and other parts of the North. My 3rd cousin Bernice Satchell was married to George Washington Coles (1916-1985). The couple had children like Glaston Coles (1940-1940), George Coles Jr. (1938-2011), Marvin L. Coles (1941-2017), Joseph N. Coles (1943-1995), Robert Allen Coles (b 1947), and Gloria Marlena Coles (b. 1956). George Coles Jr. was a military veteran, and he had many children. One daughter of his is Parthenia G. Coles. Parthenia's grandparents from France were Edmar Adolphe Biver (1909-1998) and Catherine Maas (d. 2011). My 5th cousin Parthenia G. Coles married Fred L. Norfleet (b. 1950) and their children are my 5th cousins Carter Lee Norfleet (b. 1990) and Brittany G. Norfleet (b. 1993. She is married to Ryan Royce).
The human eye is one of the most important sensory organs of the human body. It is part of the sensory nervous system. It relates to visible light and allows human beings to use visual information for many purposes like seeing things, keeping balance, and maintaining circadian rhythm. Part of life is developing, growing, analyzing, and innovating information in the cosmos of the Universe. The human eye has a great deal to do with developing and forming information about the world indeed. The human eye visually shows the white sclera with some blood vessels, an iris, and the black pupil. There are dozens of part of the human eye. Some parts of the eye are the pupil, lens nucleus, ciliary process, Schlemm's canal, ora serrata, fovea, retina, choroid, arteries, veins, etc. In essence, the human eye is a living optical device. It is approximately spherical in shape with outer layers like the outermost white part of the eye (the sclera) and one of its inner layers have the pigmented choroid keepign the eye light tight except on the eye's optic axis.
In order, along the optic axis, the optical components consist of a first lens (the cornea—the clear part of the eye) that accomplishes most of the focusing of light from the outside world; then an aperture (the pupil) in a diaphragm (the iris—the colored part of the eye) that controls the amount of light entering the interior of the eye; then another lens (the crystalline lens) that accomplishes the remaining focusing of light into images; then a light-sensitive part of the eye (the retina) where the images fall and are processed. The retina makes a connection to the brain via the optic nerve. The remaining components of the eye keep it in its required shape, nourish and maintain it, and protect it.
Three types of cells in the retina convert light energy into electrical energy used by the nervous system: rods respond to low-intensity light and contribute to perception of low-resolution, black-and-white images; cones respond to high intensity light and contribute to perception of high-resolution, coloured images; and the recently discovered photosensitive ganglion cells respond to a full range of light intensities and contribute to adjusting the amount of light reaching the retina, to regulating and suppressing the hormone melatonin, and to entraining circadian rhythm. Humans have two eyes on the left and right side of the face. The eyes sit in bony cavities called orbits in the skulls.
There are six extraocular muscles that control eye movements. The front visible part of the eye is made up of the whitish sclera, a coloured iris, and the pupil. A thin layer called the conjunctiva sits on top of this. The front part is also called the anterior segment of the eye.
The eye is not shaped like a perfect sphere, rather it is a fused two-piece unit, composed of an anterior (front) segment and the posterior (back) segment. The anterior segment is made up of the cornea, iris and lens. The cornea is transparent and more curved and is linked to the larger posterior segment, composed of the vitreous, retina, choroid and the outer white shell called the sclera. The cornea is typically about 11.5 mm (0.45 in) in diameter, and 0.5 mm (500 μm) in thickness near its centre. The posterior chamber constitutes the remaining five-sixths; its diameter is typically about 24 mm (0.94 in). An area termed the limbus connects the cornea and sclera. The iris is the pigmented circular structure concentrically surrounding the centre of the eye, the pupil, which appears to be black. The size of the pupil, which controls the amount of light entering the eye, is adjusted by the iris' dilator and sphincter muscles.
Light energy enters the eye through the cornea, through the pupil and then through the lens. The lens shape is changed for near focus (accommodation) and is controlled by the ciliary muscle. Photons of light falling on the light-sensitive cells of the retina (photoreceptor cones and rods) are converted into electrical signals that are transmitted to the brain by the optic nerve and interpreted as sight and vision. The size of the eye differs among adults by only one or 2 millimetres. The eyeball is generally less tall than it is wide. The sagittal vertical (height) of a human adult eye is approximately 23.7 mm (0.93 in), the transverse horizontal diameter (width) is 24.2 mm (0.95 in) and the axial anteroposterior size (depth) averages 22.0–24.8 mm (0.87–0.98 in) with no significant difference between sexes and age groups. Strong correlation has been found between the transverse diameter and the width of the orbit (r = 0.88). The typical adult eye has an anterior to posterior diameter of 24 mm (0.94 in), and a volume of 6 cubic centimetres (0.37 cu in).
The eyeball grows rapidly, increasing from about 16–17 mm (0.63–0.67 in) diameter at birth to 22.5–23 mm (0.89–0.91 in) by three years of age. By age 12, the eye attains its full size. Each eye has seven extraocular muscles located in its orbit. Six of these muscles control the eye movements, the seventh controls the movement of the upper eyelid. The six muscles are four recti muscles – the lateral rectus, the medial rectus, the inferior rectus, and the superior rectus, and two oblique muscles the inferior oblique, and the superior oblique. The seventh muscle is the levator palpebrae superioris muscle. When the muscles exert different tensions, a torque is exerted on the globe that causes it to turn, in almost pure rotation, with only about one millimeter of translation. Thus, the eye can be considered as undergoing rotations about a single point in the centre of the eye.
The approximate field of view of an individual human eye (measured from the fixation point, i.e., the point at which one's gaze is directed) varies by facial anatomy, but is typically 30° superior (up, limited by the brow), 45° nasal (limited by the nose), 70° inferior (down), and 100° temporal (towards the temple). For both eyes combined (Binocular vision) visual field is approximately 100° vertical and a maximum 190° horizontal, approximately 120° of which makes up the binocular field of view (seen by both eyes) flanked by two uniocular fields (seen by only one eye) of approximately 40 degrees. It is an area of 4.17 steradians or 13700 square degrees for binocular vision. When viewed at large angles from the side, the iris and pupil may still be visible by the viewer, indicating the person has peripheral vision possible at that angle.
About 15° temporal and 1.5° below the horizontal is the blind spot created by the optic nerve nasally, which is roughly 7.5° high and 5.5° wide.
The complexity of the human eye is dealt with by a general practitioner and eye care professionals. There are ophthalmologists (M.D.) and optometrists (O.D.) who work as professionals to diagnoses eye disease, prescribe lenses to correct vision, conduct eye exams, etc. However, typically only ophthalmologists are licensed to perform surgical procedures. Ophthalmologists may also specialize within a surgical area, such as cornea, cataracts, laser, retina, or oculoplastic. Eye irritation is common among people from dryness, itchiness, pain, redness, etc. Work stress, pollution, other factors can contribute to eye irritation. There are many diseases and disorders that relate to the eye. Changes to the eye will come from the aging process. The quality of vision worsens due to age among any human being. No human being can escape that.
Macular degeneration is especially prevalent in the U.S. and affects roughly 1.75 million Americans each year. Having lower levels of lutein and zeaxanthin within the macula may be associated with an increase in the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin act as antioxidants that protect the retina and macula from oxidative damage from high-energy light waves. As the light waves enter the eye they excite electrons that can cause harm to the cells in the eye, but they can cause oxidative damage that may lead to macular degeneration or cataracts. Lutein and zeaxanthin bind to the electron free radical and are reduced rendering the electron safe. There are many ways to ensure a diet rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, the best of which is to eat dark green vegetables including kale, spinach, broccoli, and turnip greens. Nutrition is an important aspect of the ability to achieve and maintain proper eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two major carotenoids, found in the macula of the eye, that are being researched to identify their role in the pathogenesis of eye disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Among human beings, the use of eyes has been used in creating art, expressing human sexuality, outlining fashion, and other purposes.
Gervel Sampson is a health advocate who is also a professional photographer. She lives in Southern California and loves her husband, Reggie Sampson including their children. For years, she has captured images in photography among people of everyday life. She can create underwater portrait sessions, portraits, graduate sessions, and family sessions.
Dr. Lizzemekia S. Corbett was born on January 26, 1986. She is an American viral immunologist. She has been an Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute since June 2021. She joined Harvard following six years at the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIAID NIH) based in Bethesda, Maryland. She earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) in 2014. Appointed to the VRC in 2014, Corbett was a postdoctoral scientist of the VRC's COVID-19 Team, with research efforts aimed at COVID-19 vaccines. In February 2021, Corbett was highlighted in the Time's "Time100 Next" list under the category of Innovators, with a profile written by Anthony Fauci. She was born in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina, and grew up in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Corbett regularly shares information on Twitter and takes part in programs to inspire youth in underserved communities.
The 2023 movie of Barbie is one of the most popular films of our generation. The movie was directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she wrote with Noah Baumbach. The film is a satire about the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel, and it also shows overt political messages that many people didn't know at first. Many people initially thought that the film was just a politically correct, filled with humor, and just discussed the Mattel fashion doll of Barbie. Yet, the movie of Barbie wasn't P.C. It was a film a live-action format with many actresses and actors in it that presented a clear social message. That message is what many conservatives and traditionalists abhor. Barbie is a film that promoted a feminist, egalitarian, and progressive message of promoting individuality while abhorring excessive conformity to stereotypical standards of how some want society to be (among women and men).
A live-action Barbie film was announced in September 2009 by Universal Pictures with Laurence Mark producing. Development began in April 2014, when Sony Pictures acquired the film rights. Following multiple writer and director changes and the casting of Amy Schumer and later Anne Hathaway as Barbie, the rights were transferred to Warner Bros. Pictures in October 2018. Robbie was cast in 2019, after Gal Gadot turned down the role due to scheduling conflicts, and Gerwig was announced as director and co-writer with Baumbach in 2020. The rest of the cast was announced in early 2022, with principal photography occurring primarily at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, in England, and at the Venice Beach Skatepark in Los Angeles from March to July of that year.
Barbie premiered at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on July 9, 2023, and was released in the United States on July 21. Its simultaneous release with Universal's Oppenheimer led to the "Barbenheimer" cultural phenomenon, which encouraged audiences to see both films as a double feature. The film received critical acclaim and has grossed $1.44 billion, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 as well as the highest-grossing film by a solo female director, the highest-grossing film ever released by Warner Bros., and the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. The film starred Margot Robbie playing Barbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, and other human beings. It was produced by David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerely, and Robbie Brenner.
The film starts with Barbie who acts stereotypical in the land of Barbieland. Barbieland is a matriarchal society having different types of Barbies, Kens, and a group of f discontinued models, who are treated like outcasts due to their unconventional traits. While the Kens spend their days playing at the beach, considering it their profession, the Barbies hold prestigious jobs such as doctor, lawyer, and politician. Beach Ken ("Ken") is only happy when he is with Barbie, and seeks a closer relationship, but she rebuffs him in favor of other activities and female friendships.
One evening at a dance party, Barbie is suddenly stricken with worries about mortality. Overnight, she develops bad breath, cellulite, and flat feet, disrupting her usual routines the next day. She seeks out Weird Barbie, an outcast due to her disfigurement, who tells her she must find the child playing with her in the real world to cure her afflictions. Ken stows away in her convertible to join her, to which Barbie reluctantly agrees.
Arriving at Venice Beach, Barbie punches a man for groping her, leading to her and Ken's brief arrest. Alarmed by their presence, Mattel's CEO orders their recapture. Barbie tracks down her owner, a tween girl named Sasha, who criticizes her for encouraging unrealistic beauty standards. Distraught, Barbie discovers that Gloria, a Mattel employee, and Sasha's mother, inadvertently catalyzed her existential crisis after Gloria began playing with Sasha's old Barbie toys in a similar state. Mattel attempts to put Barbie in a toy box for remanufacturing, but she escapes with Gloria and Sasha's help and they travel to Barbieland with Mattel executives in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Ken learns about patriarchy and feels respected for the first time. Returning to Barbieland, he persuades the other Kens to take over, and the Barbies are indoctrinated into submissive roles, such as agreeable girlfriends, housewives, and maids. Barbie arrives and fails to convince everyone to return to the way things were. She becomes depressed, but Gloria gives her a speech about society's conflicting expectations of women, restoring Barbie's self-confidence.
With the assistance of Sasha, Weird Barbie, Allan, and the discontinued dolls, Gloria's speech deprograms the Barbies from their indoctrination. They then manipulate the Kens into fighting amongst themselves, distracting them from enshrining male superiority into Barbieland's constitution, and the Barbies regain power. Having now experienced systemic oppression for themselves, the Barbies resolve to rectify the faults of their previous society, emphasizing better treatment of the Kens and all outcasts.
Barbie and Ken apologize to each other, acknowledging their mistakes. Ken bemoans his lack of purpose without Barbie, so she encourages him to find an autonomous identity. Barbie, who remains unsure of her own identity, meets with the spirit of Ruth Handler, Mattel co-founder and creator of the Barbie doll, who explains that Barbie's story has no set ending and her ever-evolving history surpasses her roots.
Barbie decides to become human and return to the real world and is bidden goodbye by the Barbies, Kens, and Mattel executives. Sometime later, Gloria, her husband, and Sasha take Barbie, now going by the name "Barbara Handler", to her first gynecologist's appointment.
The movie Barbie is overt in its messages. It isn't just a children's movie, but children with their parents have watched it. Its message basically is to promote the idea that human beings, irrespective of their background, have the right to express their autonomous identities without bigotry and without oppression. Many conservatives and traditionalists oppose the film because they believe in rigid roles for the sexes that must be adhered to without restraint (in terms of relationships, marriage, etc.). Many critics of the film view the movie as a man-hating screed like Jack Butler of the National Review. The truth is more nuanced. The film criticizes patriarchy. The movie allows Ken to awaken from his bad notions of life to be a better human being as the movie goes on. Also, the film allows the men and women to unite and find peace at the end of the film (so, Barbie is not a man-hating film as the film critiqued Barbieland too). The truth is that men and women aren't identical. We have genetic, emotional, physical, and hormonal differences that must be acknowledged and respected. Yet, men and women are equal. Equality means each human has equal worth and value deemed worthy of justice, humanity, and liberty without exception. So, the movie isn't as bad as people say it is. It just shows a distinctly progressive feminist perspective on the sexes. Issa Rae plays President Barbie, Kate McKinnon plays Weird Barbie, Alexandra Shipp plays Writer Barber, America Ferrea lays Gloria, Ncuti Gatwa plays Artist Ken, and other actors and actresses had diverse roles in the movie.
The film's soundtrack, Barbie: The Album, was released on July 21, 2023. The album features songs by artists Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, Haim, Ice Spice, Kali, Karol G, Khalid, Sam Smith, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, Pink Pantheress, Tame Impala, the Kid Laroi, and cast members Ryan Gosling and Dua Lipa. "Dance the Night" by Dua Lipa was released as the album's lead single on May 26, 2023. It was followed by "Watati" by Karol G on June 2, 2023. "Angel" by Pink Pantheress was released on June 9, 2023, as the first promotional single. "Barbie World" by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice was released as the album's third single on June 23, 2023. The album's second promotional single, "Speed Drive" by Charli XCX was released on June 30, 2023. On July 6, 2023, the album's third and final promotional single, "Barbie Dreams" by Fifty Fifty and Kaliii was released. On July 10, 2023, Warner Bros. released a preview clip of Ryan Gosling singing "I'm Just Ken". The album's fourth single, "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish, was released on July 13, 2023. This Barbie film addresses the criticism of the Barbie brand lacking diversity and different types of women for decades. It uses humor and the recognition that beauty is diverse not monolithic. So, the movie Barbie will be debated for years and decades to come. One thing is true. If we want to be in the Promised Land for real filled with justice and equality, we have to end the current status quo systems of oppression and make sure that women, men, and all human beings have true justice and liberty indeed without exception.
Now, 14 more aid trucks enter Rafah Crossing into Gaza. Gaza has a humanitarian crisis where Palestinians need food, water, electricity, and shelter. 1700 children have been killed in the last 2 weeks. Half of the population of Gazans are children. The airstrikes have continued constantly in the region. The United Nations said that fuel will be gone in Gaza by next week. That means that hospitals will lose power to generate energy to save lives. Water is not safe, and Gaza has a total infrastructure collapse. These events cause trauma in the region. The reality is that immediate solutions must exist to save lives. We are not silent about Hamas being a terrorist group too. Many people (even some claiming to be on the left) saying anti-Semitic nonsense like some in a rally in Syndey, Australia in a protest saying "gas" the Jewish people (which is wrong and offensive). Calling out ant-Semitism and anti-Palestinian hatred is about being real to the situation at hand. This silence on the crisis in the Middle East isn't just found in America but worldwide where some want to embrace political correctness. No, we will not be politically correct on this issue. We will embrace truth and justice.
By Timothy
Sunday, October 22, 2023
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Friday, October 20, 2023
End of the Week Updates.
President Biden gave a public address about the Israel/Hamas war. He tried to make the case that America should send $100 billion to help other people in Ukraine to fight their war against the invaders from Russia. Biden wants that money to be sent to Israel too. He also wants more aid sent to Israel. Biden believes that America has a global role in the world since World War II, and we can't appease terrorists or tyrants. I don't believe in isolationism as we should give foreign aid and trade plus negotiation deals with various nations on legitimate terms. Yet, we should reject imperialism. Imperialism is when one nation imposes its will against another nation involuntarily for economic, political, and social exploitation. Some confuse legitimate international cooperation with imperialism. There are distinctions between the two concepts. The truth is that Ukraine has the right of self defense against Putin's forces as Putin is right wing tyrant who jails even Russian dissidents immorally. Israel has the right to be outraged at Hamas's terrorism against men, women, children, and babies. Hamas is a terrorist organizaiton, and anyone supporting Hamas's actions are evil period. Likewise, the suffering and occupation of the Palestinian people shouldn't be minimized or excused. There should be a humanitarian ceasefire where food and other supplies are sent to the people of Gaza. Also, Hamas should be held accountable, and any hostages should be freed ASAP. Biden is right to say that Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in dignity, freedom, and peace. In America, we have a choice between democracy or dictatorship from Trumpism. I decide to join with democracy.
Recently, Trump attorney Sidney Powell pleads guilty in the Georgia election subversion case. She has no choice, because she face possible multiple decades in prison. This comes one day before her trial was set to start. As part of her guilty plea, Powell is admitting her role in the January 2021 breach of election systems in rural Coffee COunty, Georgia. The deal is that a local GOP officials (which were Trump supporters) accessed and copied information from the county's election systems in hopes of a somehow proving that the election was rigged against Trump.
Today is a historic time for the WNBA. The Las Vegas Aces won their 2nd back to back championship. This is the first back-to-back WNBA Championship team victory in 21 years. Their score was 70-69 in Game 4 over the New York Liberty. The coach of the team is Becky Hammon who said that this victory was sweeter because it was harder to do. The Aces are joined with the Houston Comets (1997-2000) and the Los Angeles Sparks (2001-2002) as franchises to win many championships. A'ja Wilson celebrated the victory and said that she never gave up refuting the critics of the Aces. A'ja Wilson won the WNBA Finals MVP in 2023. The Aces won after many of their star players had injuries. Wilson is the first player in WNBA history to have at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a Finals-clinching win. Jackie Young had 16 points and seven assists. The game came down to the wire, and the Las Vegas Aces are 2023 WNBA Basketball Championships. They made history in their own way.
The hospital being bombed in Gaza is a war crime. Anyone responsible for it should be charged with a war crime and sent to prison. There are demonstrations across the Middle East over the bombing of the Gaza hospital. There are protests in Beirut (in Lebanon), Jordan, Egypt, etc. Many demonstrations have been peaceful. Some demonstrations have been violent with throwing stones and trying to burn locations. There are protests in Ramallah, West Bank too. This situation complicates matters. President Biden has shown his support for Israel. There is a lot of legitimate anger. Yet, we should use our anger to advocate the prize. That prize is for justice in the region. Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win the House speakership for a second time on Wednesday. 22 Republicans voted against him. Jordan wants a third vote. Even some Republicans are skeptical about Jordan, because Jordan embraces an overt extremism that has no place in our democratic society.
Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Letitia James, and she is 65 years old. She is the current Attorney General of the state of New York. She earned the 2018 election. She was born in Brooklyn, New York City. She graduated from Lehman College in the Bronx before obtaining her Juris Doctor degree at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She worked as a public defender, then on staff in the New York State Assembly, and later as a New York State Assistant AG in the Brooklyn regional office. James was part of the New York City Council from 2004 to 2013. She represented the 35th district, which includes the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Clinton, Fort Greene, parts of Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. She promoted economic development and sanitation. She was the first African American woman to be elected to and hold citywide office in New York City. Letitia James has been working hard to make sure that Trump will have accountability for his financial corrupt involving the Trump Organization. She lives in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn and is a member of the Emmanuel Baptist Church. I wish Sister Letitia James more Blessings.
By Timothy
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