People around the world ring in 2024 as war shadows some celebrations | CBC News
Sunday, December 31, 2023
The Matrix and Symbolism.
How Gnosticism Influenced The Matrix, Eternals & Prometheus (collider.com)
seminar6-decoding-occult-messages-in-matrix3.pdf (wordpress.com) (I don't agree with all things in this link)
What ‘The Matrix’ Predicted About Life Today (vulture.com)
The Matrix and Gnosticism: Is the Matrix a Gnostic Film? (learnreligions.com)
Eyes Wide Shut and Symbolism.
Eyes Wide Shut: Decoding Hidden Symbolism of Stanley Kubrick- Episode Index - IlluminatiWatcher
The Hidden Messages in “Eyes Wide Shut” - The Vigilant Citizen
The Hidden Messages in “Eyes Wide Shut” (pt. II) - The Vigilant Citizen
The Hidden Messages in “Eyes Wide Shut” (pt. III) - The Vigilant Citizen
Friday, December 29, 2023
The Last Friday of 2023.
There is purpose in life and in the Universe. We are formed with a wonderful design. The quarks are the smallest particles of the Universe. Then, you have the parts of the atoms (being made of electrons, neutrons, and protons). Atoms are in constant motion in the Universe in this three-dimensional reality. Even in this reality, human beings can't see all things because there are electromagnetic waves that are not visible by the human eyes (but these waves are very real in the world). From atoms, we see elements. Many atoms unified together make up molecules like DNA. DNA is one major building block of human life that helps to transmit genetic information from human life to human life. DNA is like a powerful drive of information that sends the genetic code necessary to make up future human lives in a miraculous fashion. DNA and RNA are made up of long chains of simple nucleotides. A nucleotide is made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus atoms. Carbon is heavily found in organic life on Earth. One of the powers of human life is to reproduce, copy genetic information, and pass it on to our offspring. So, DNA sends the genetic information, then RNA has the role to store genetic information, copy itself, and do metabolic functions like forming proteins. These acts are done inside the nucleus inside of the cell membrane. Therefore, the DNA (made up of four different bases of adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. These bases stand for A, T, G, and C) has the genetic material or the genetic instructions, the RNA transcribes the DNA (the RNA acts as the messenger carrying information from DNA to the protein building centers of the cell), and the instructions after RNA are transformed into amino acids then proteins (the proteins make up the phenotypes of the human). So, the DNA is used in a code of like letters to send the plans to make proteins in a cell. DNA has many genes. Many strands of DNA are called chromosomes (each person has 22 pairs of chromosomes). We inherit our genetic material from our mother and our father. The phenotype is your physical appearance from the arms, skin color, eye color, head, etc. Proteins are vital to the structure and the function of our cells, and they play a important role in forming our phenotype (or the observable characteristics of an organism). Versions of genes are called alleles. The genes working together influence how we look physically in this three-dimensional reality. The genotype is the genetic material in the cell. In other words, the genotype affects the phenotype by providing the instructions for making proteins. The human genotype is only made up of genes and alleles. The phenotype can be influenced by the genotype and the environment around us.
I am absolutely not shocked at Nikki Haley. Haley recently said the lie that slavery didn't cause the Civil War. The truth is that slavery was directed related to the cause of the Civil War. The Confederate traitors explicitly mentioned that they separated from the Union to promote slavery and advance the myth of black inferiority. Promoting slavery is explicitly mentioned in the early U.S. Constitution and in the Confederate constitutions of multiple Confederate states. The owning of humans was the motivation of why the Confederate traitors attacked Fort Sumter preemptively in South Carolina (which is Nikki Haley's home state). Later, Nikki Haley wanted to clarify her statements that she now says that of course the Civil War was about slavery to the radio host Jack Heath on Thursday morning. A child knows that the slavery is related to the Civil War. Therefore, Nikki Haley is a far-right candidate who may not be as vicious verbally as Trump but both candidates have similar goals as GOP members.
Loving freedom is important in living life. We are certainly well aware that our rights are sacred. They are so hallowed that men, women, and children in many cases have died for the fight for these democratic principles. We have new threats to our democracy like many of Trump's fake electors (who tried to illegally overturn the 2020 election) holding official roles overseeing elections in many swing states. We have legacy admissions in abundance in universities while the Supreme Court hypocritically bans affirmative action in universities. Now, people are galvanizing for raising the minimum wage into a living wage (as no grown adult can survive in America in the income of $7.25 an hour. That's very infeasible), unemployment benefits, taxing the super wealthy, promoting unions, enforcing the rule of law, promoting reparation for African Americans, ending imperialism, having health care for all, ensuring environmental justice, promoting voting rights, and desiring justice for all. I have hope for the future, because we have been here before (and in many generations, kindhearted people have stood up for the revolutionary change that did cause benefits to humanity from the labor rights movement, the civil rights movement, the abolitionist movement, etc.).
The Special Counsel said that Trump shouldn't be allowed to spread false information in court. This relates in the trial case in Washington, D.C. Jack Smith wants to stop Trump from saying that the Biden administration personally directed Jack Smith to go about to start the case. That isn't true. There is the Michigan State Supreme Court rejecting the bid to remove Trump the ballot. The Michigan court dealt with a procedural issue. This will increase the change of the Supreme Court to decide on the case. The Supreme Court may want to form uniformity on how Trump will be or not will be on the ballot. The Supreme Court will likely also take up the Colorado case. The Colorado high court barred Trump from the political ballot. Since the Supreme Court is dominated by mostly conservatives, it is a likely possibility that the Supreme Court will block the Colorado's Supreme Court decision.
There is the COP28 Summit that ended with an agreement. This summit dealt with climate change for two weeks. Many people want to have a transition from the use of fossil fuels to more alternative fuels. The UN Framework Convention of Climate Change, UNFCCC are dealing with many important environmental issues from climate change, pollution, lead, etc. The agreement desires those nations who have agreed with it to triple their renewable capcity and double energy efficiency by 2030. The Loss and Damage Fund to deal with climate has been established with the UAE pledging 100 million dollars to the fund. There is no way that limiting the Earth's temperature to 1.5 degrees increase Celsius can exist without a long-term policy of fossil fuels being phased out. The problem is that developing nations need resources to stop population displacement, hunger issues, and environmental destruction. There is a contradiction of Western capitalist exploitation and imperialism and the need to have renewable energy models. There is no end to climate change without an end to imperialism.
By Timothy
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
On This Time of the Year.
On this time of the year, we celebrate joy and togetherness as a people. Also, we realize the reason for the season. The reason that we celebrate with family and friends is because we recognize the birth of Yeshua (whose life has been documented by the New Testament, Tertullian, Ignatius, Josephus, Polycarp, the Talmud, Thallus, and early Roman writers). He was a person who was more than a rabbi, a leader, a prophet (who predicted the destruction of the Second Temple in the book of Matthew), and a healer of the sick. He was the Son of the living God whose power transformed the world forevermore. Yeshua worked as a carpenter being loved by Yoseph and Mary. He lived in Israel and Egypt (as many Jewish people back then took part in the census). Many of the apostles died by being murdered like Peter, Thomas, and others. Paul was murdered in Rome too. There was courage and strength of the martyrs like William Tyndale who translated the Bible into English, the many Anabaptists who rightfully believed in the separation of church and state, and others who risked their lives for us to express our religious faith in public and in private. Back then, many of the early followers of Yeshua were persecuted. Even now, persecutions against Christians occur in Pakistan, China, North Africa, Nigeria, India, and other places of the world.
Yet, we have hope and faith to keep on living our lives in the spirit of truth and wisdom. Yeshua was a person who walked during the peak of the Roman Empire (which existed from Great Britian to Iran). Back then, the Roman Empire occupied the land of Israel during the time of Emperors Augustus and Tiberius. Political groups like the Zealots wanted freedom from Roman injustice. The Edomite Herod Antipas was involved in the conspiracy to murder John the Baptist (who celebrated the arrival of Yeshua). The Roman Empire used imperialism and colonialism against oppressed people (both Jewish and Arabic peoples in the Middle East). People paid taxes, some were forced against their wills to worship Greco-Roman gods, and many suffered slavery. Yeshua and his apostles gave a Gospel of hope, love, and being in support of the poor and the rejected of society.
Yeshua was a revolutionary who proclaimed the words of the Kingdom of God is within you, love your neighbors, Blessed are the poor, and I and My Father are one. This caused a stir among the hypocritical religious establishment (among the Pharisees, Sadducees, etc.), but he gained followers worldwide. Yeshua died on the cross, resurrected 3 days later, and ascended into Heaven to ascend to the right hand of God the Father. In late 2023, we face the challenges of the war in Israel and Gaza, war in Ukraine, massive gun violence globally, environmental issues, book bans, and other important political plus social issues. Over 2,000 years later, we went from chariots to space travel. We went from papyrus to smartphones and other advanced technological developments. Therefore, on this day, we believe in righteousness and justice to stand firm on our august convictions that oppression must be abolished, that helping people is important, justice for all is a true cause to advance, and that improving our lives means a great ideal to embrace.
Recently, Kanye West issued his apology to the Jewish community over his anti-Semitic comments. Previously, Kanye glorified Nazis, collectively blamed Jewish people for corruption in the music industry and made other anti-Semitic statements. He should apologize. The question is if his apology is sincere or not. The other question is when Kanye West is going to apologize to the black community. Kanye West said that slavery was a choice, he promoted a White Lives Matter T-Shirt, and he made other anti-black statements for years. He supported Trump, who is a racist xenophobe. Kanye West obviously doesn't care about the interests for black people proven by his words and his deeds. Kanye West is the type that once shown a conscious image, but he seeks validation from the establishment so much (without realizing that true validation comes from within and from God, not from those who hate you).
There are more U.S. troops being attacked in the Middle East. Later, America retaliated in Iraq against Iranian-backed forces. This conflict has expanded. American military forces have strike against the Houthi rebels in Yemen as they have attacked ships being in support of Hamas. The Houthis are in league with Iran too. The truth is that there should be a balance between legitimate self-defense to protect innocent lives and prevented a massive war in the region. The Middle East is a region filled with controversies and complex histories. Out of every history that I have studied on Earth, Middle Eastern history is the most debated history that I have witnessed in my life. In Israel and Palestine alone, people have 2 completely different interpretations of that conflict.
By Timothy
Monday, December 25, 2023
News.
Black Lives Matter at 10 years: 8 ways the movement has been highly effective | Brookings
The Mysteries of Life Part 8: The Finale | PDF | Milky Way | Divine Grace (scribd.com)
Kermick WILLIAMS (rootsmagic.com)
Kadiaja Hawanatu Bangura - Facts (ancestry.com)
Karl Marx's Radical Antisemitism - The Philosophers' Magazine (philosophersmag.com)
Commentaries on this Holiday Season.
Human culture is very diverse. Culture is about social behavior, institutions, and norms found in all human societies. Culture deals with knowledge, beliefs, the arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of individual people. Culture is diverse based on region or location. For example, the act of African American couples jumping a broom after being married is part of a specific culture just like when people celebrate the Chinese New Year with fireworks, songs, and dance. These diverse cultures are very normal and widespread globally. Across different cultures, there are unifying human characteristics like love of family, friendship, cuisine, and other aspects of human existence. There are cultural changes over millennia. For example, back in ancient Rome, people wore tunics. Today, most of the Western world has people wearing different styles of clothing from shirts, dress, pants, and a myriad of hats. There is cultural diffusion. The hip hop culture came from New York City, and it has spread intentionally, maize is found in the America spreading globally, and the kente cloth from Africa is common among tons of people in the black African Diaspora. UNESCO tries to preserve culture and cultural heritage globally. Culture is studied by anthropologists and sociologists constantly in studies, books, and other forms of research. Culture is always unique. It can be found in art, music, dance, spirituality, technology, fashion, shelter, the military, etc. Some culture can be passed down from generation to generation in written and oral traditions. For example, certain family stories, investments, and a toolbox can be passed down from parents to children. Also, it is important to note to mention that Western culture is not the superior culture above every other culture. Many cultures in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Oceania, etc. have great value in the Universe not just Western culture. One part of culture is food culture. Many relatives make gumbo, turkey, and other cuisine to be part of family traditions, loving family, debate issues, and show a sense of human togetherness. The environment, wars, colonialism, trade, and other events can influence culture in mighty ways. We have tons of languages spoken among the human family like English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, French, Russian, Portuguese, Urdu, etc. Most people worship in the religions of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Folk religions, Sikhism, and Judaism. Other human beings are unaffiliated, agnostic, and atheist. Language can be presented by humans in speech, written words, braille (for blind people), sign language, and symbols. There are about 6,000 languages in usage today. The human arts are visual, literary, and performing. The Visual arts can be painting, sculpturing, film, fashion design, and architecture. Literary arts are about prose, poetry, and drams. The performing arts relate to theater, music (with artists like Coco Jones, H.E.R., Tinashe, Brandy Norwood, Monica, etc.), and dance. The arts can deal with games, food preparation, video games and medicine. The arts can be political, entertainment, and showing wisdom to people. Art is great, and listening to music and observing dance stimulates the orbitofrontal cortex and other pleasure sensing areas of the brain. The technologies of paper, the printing press, gunpowder, compass, and other inventions were made in China. Today, we have electricity, penicillin, semiconductors, the internal combustion engines, the Internet, air conditioning, and television spreading cultural excellence across the globe.
Human society is very complex. It is structured by a system of organizations and institutions arising from interaction between human beings. Being highly social as human beings, we can develop large complex social groups. Society, in the modern age, can be divided into different groups based upon income, wealth, power, reputation, and other factors. Societies are social stratification and a degree of social realities. We have modern and traditional societies. Human groups can exist in many sizes like families, nations, and international organizations. Hunter-gatherer band societies were the first form of human social organization. Human societies deal with gender. Most societies are divided into men and women. From thousands of years ago to today, some societies do have nonbinary structures and diverse gender identities that many people didn't know about until the 21st century. Some societies embrace a third gender, fourth, fifth, and gender non-conforming existence. Gender roles deal with norms, practices, dress, behavior, rights, duties, privileges, status, and power. On average, men have more rights and privileges than women in most societies both back in the day and today in near 2024. Biological sex is a reality of human existence. Gender is a social construct. That means that gender roles are not fixed and vary historically within a society. Early gender roles were diverse in early human history by the Upper Paleolithic age. In human society, human societies organize, recognize, and classify types of social relationships based on relations between parents, children, and other descendants (consanguinity), and relations via marriage (affinity). There is the fictive relationship of types applied to godparents or adoptive children. All societies have incest taboo as incest is disgusting obviously. Human ethnic groups are a social category that identify people based on shared attributes like traditions, ancestry, language, history, society, culture, nation, religions, or social treatment. Ethnic group is different than race. For example, my ethnicity is African American because I have a shared culture and ancestry with black Americans. A black person from Brazil has an Afro-Brazilian ethnic group different from me, but we are of the same black race (of the black African Diaspora). As for governments, it is found that 47 percent of human live in some form of a democracy (I know some conservatives talk about Republics, but this is about all democracies that embrace a republican form of government or not), 17 percent live in a hybrid regime, and 37 percent of people live in an authoritarian regime. Many nations have international organizations and alliances. The United Nations is the largest international organization with 193 member states. War and terrorism are common today, but war casualty is less now than back 80 years ago or 600 years ago. Almost 200 million people died in the 20th century alone in wars and conflicts. Human trade and economics among humans have expanded for millennia. There were bartering systems long ago. Today, we have many economies like capitalism, socialism, communism, hybrid economies, etc. There are massive inequalities in the division of wealth among humans which is why people fight against income inequality to this very day. The eight richest humans are worth the same monetary value as the poorest half of all the human population. That is not something to praise and change ought to happen economically to make economic systems fair for all people.
When it all said and done, human beings have a very unique experience in the Universe. We are only here for less than 130 years, but our impact in the world has been major. For example, we are the only species on Earth that traveled into Space plus into the Moon and go back to the Earth. We have DNA that acts as transmitters of information that can develop life more thoroughly from being an embryo to an adult human being. We can adapt in some of the most dangerous climate on Earth. We have inspirational inventions that has lessen the time of travel among young distances, cured plus treated illnesses, and grown knowledge. Yet, learning knowledge is not enough. There is purpose in life. There is the transcendent in the Universe. In other words, life is bigger than us humans. From all of the evidence that I have seen, I do believe in the Creator God who created the Universe. We are not mere accidents as a product of random chance. We have specialized organs, we have a prefrontal cortex that deals with intellectual power, and our cells are filled with electric energy that can heal plus perform magnificent feats in a short span of time (like meiosis, etc.). Therefore, the codes found in genetic material (from DNA to our chromosomes), the electromagnetic field, the existence of fractals, the Universal laws of our reality, and the influence of light in all matter represents to me concrete evidence for God in organizing the Universe. God is Love and from God comes Light as even the Scriptures mention. Also, Love doesn't mean that we do what we want. We still have to promote righteousness and justice in our lives. We still have to do the right thing in our lives. All things are influenced by Light and from the Universal, Infinite mind. The Infinite, Immortal Mind and Infinite Origin of all Power is God to me.
Taylor Swift is one of the most popular pop singers of our generation. Regardless of how people feel about her, she has a prominent role in the evolution of pop culture. She is a singer, songwriter, and entrepreneurship. She has been a subject of widespread media coverage writing since the age of 14. She has a large fan base too. She dreamed of being a country singer when she was young. She was born up North in West Reading, Pennsylvania. She worked in county music for years starting with Taylor Swift (2006). Her next, Fearless (2008), explored country pop, and its singles "Love Story" and "You Belong with Me" catapulted her to mainstream fame. Speak Now (2010) infused rock influences, while Red (2012) experimented with electronic elements and featured Swift's first Billboard Hot 100 number-one song, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." She departed from her country image with 1989 (2014), a synth-pop album supported by the chart-topping songs "Shake It Off", "Blank Space", and "Bad Blood." Media scrutiny inspired the hip-hop-flavored Reputation (2017) and its number-one single "Look What You Made Me Do." Swift signed with Republic Records in 2018. She released the eclectic pop album Lover (2019) and autobiographical documentary Miss Americana (2020), embraced indie folk and alternative rock on 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore, explored understated pop styles on Midnights (2022), and released four re-recorded albums subtitled Taylor's Version after a dispute with Big Machine. These albums spawned the number-one songs "Cruel Summer", "Cardigan", "Willow", "Anti-Hero", "All Too Well", and "Is It Over Now?". The Eras Tour, her 2023–2024 concert tour, is the highest-grossing of all time. Swift directed music videos and films such as All Too Well: The Short Film (2021).
One of the world's best-selling musicians with 200 million records sold, Swift has earned 117 Guinness World Records and received the Global Recording Artist of the Year award three times from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. She is the highest-grossing female touring act, the most streamed woman on Spotify and Apple Music, and the first billionaire with music as the main source of income. A Time Person of the Year (2023), Swift has appeared on lists such as Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time, Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists, and the World's 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes. Her accolades include 12 Grammy Awards (including three Album of the Year wins), 1 Primetime Emmy Award, 40 American Music Awards (including Artist of the Decade – 2010s), 40 Billboard Music Awards, and 23 MTV Video Music Awards. Swift is a philanthropist and an advocate for artists' rights and women's empowerment.
The Shawshank Redemption was a 1994 American prison drama film that has been one of the most inspirational films of all time. It showed the power of the human sprit inspite of corruption, abuse, and unfairness in the prison system. This story is a fictional story that outlined what goes on in prison even in our time in the 2020's. The film was written and directed by Frank Darabont. It was based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The film mentioned the story of the banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murders of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) and becomes instrumental in a money laundering operation led by the prison warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore appear in supporting roles.
Darabont purchased the film rights to King's story in 1987, but development did not begin until five years later, when he wrote the script over an eight-week period. Two weeks after submitting his script to Castle Rock Entertainment, Darabont secured a $25 million budget to produce The Shawshank Redemption, which started pre-production in January 1993. While the film is set in Maine, principal photography took place from June to August 1993 almost entirely in Mansfield, Ohio, with the Ohio State Reformatory serving as the eponymous penitentiary. The film score was provided by Thomas Newsom. While The Shawshank Redemption received critical acclaim upon its release—particularly for its story, the performances of Robbins and Freeman, Newman's score, Darabont's direction and screenplay and Roger Deakins' cinematography. When the film first came out in Sepetember of 1994, it was not very popular in the box office became of compettion of films like Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump (along with lack of women characters, unpopularity of prison films at that time, etc.). It went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven Academy Award nominations, and a theatrical re-release that, combined with international takings, increased the film's box-office gross to $73.3 million. Decades after its release, the film is still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration or naming it a favorite in various surveys, leading to its recognition as one of the most "beloved" films ever made. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film started in early 1949 at Portland, Maine, the banker Andy Dufresne arrives at Shawshank State Prison to serve two consecutive life sentences for murdering his wife and her lover. He is befriended by Ellis "Red" Redding, a contraband smuggler serving a life sentence, who procures a rock hammer and a large poster of Rita Hayworth for Andy. Assigned to work in the prison laundry, Andy is frequently sexually assaulted by prison gang "the Sisters" and their leader, Bogs Diamond.
In 1949, Andy overhears the captain of the guards, Byron Hadley, complaining about being taxed on an inheritance and offers to help him shelter the money legally. After an assault by the Sisters nearly kills Andy, Hadley beats and cripples Bogs, who is subsequently transferred to another prison; Andy is not attacked again. Warden Samuel Norton meets Andy and reassigns him to the prison library to assist elderly inmate Brooks Hatlen, a front to use Andy's financial expertise to manage financial matters for other prison staff, guards from other prisons, and the warden himself. Andy begins writing weekly letters to the state legislature requesting funds to improve the prison's decrepit library. Brooks is paroled in 1954 after serving 50 years, but he cannot adjust to the outside world and eventually hangs himself. The legislature sends a library donation that includes a recording of The Marriage of Figaro; Andy plays an excerpt over the public address system and is punished with solitary confinement. After his release from solitary, Andy explains to a dismissive Red that hope is what gets him through his sentence. In 1963, Norton begins exploiting prison labor for public works, profiting by undercutting skilled labor costs and receiving bribes. Andy launders the money using the alias "Randall Stephens."
In 1965, Andy and Red befriend Tommy Williams, a young prisoner incarcerated for burglary. A year later, Andy helps him pass his General Educational Development (GED) exam. Tommy reveals to Red and Andy that his cellmate at another prison had claimed responsibility for the murders of which Andy was convicted. Andy brings the information to Norton who refuses to listen and, when Andy mentions the money laundering, sends Andy to solitary confinement and has Hadley fatally shoot Tommy under the guise of an escape attempt. Andy refuses to continue the money laundering, but Norton threatens to destroy the library, remove Andy's protection by the guards, and move him to worse conditions. Andy is released from solitary confinement after two months, and he tells a skeptical Red that he dreams of living in Zihuatanejo, a Mexican town on the Pacific coast. Andy also tells him of a specific hayfield near Buxton, asking Red to promise, once he is released, to retrieve a package that Andy buried there. Red worries about Andy's mental well-being, especially when he learns Andy asked a fellow inmate for some rope. Red is skeptical of Andy's dreams and aspirations to leave the prison.
At the next day's roll call, the guards find Andy's cell empty. An irate Norton throws a rock at a poster of Raquel Welch hanging on the cell wall, revealing a tunnel that Andy had dug with his rock hammer over nearly two decades. The previous night, Andy used the rope to escape through the tunnel and prison sewage pipe, taking Norton's suit, shoes, and ledger, containing evidence of the money laundering. While guards search for him, Andy poses as Randall Stephens, withdraws over $370,000 of the laundered money from several banks, and mails the ledger and other evidence of the corruption and murders at Shawshank to a local newspaper. State police arrive at Shawshank and take Hadley into custody, while Norton commits suicide to avoid arrest.
The following year, Red is paroled after serving 40 years but struggles to adapt to life outside prison and fears that he never will. Remembering his promise to Andy, he visits Buxton and finds a cache containing money and a letter asking him to come to Zihuatanejo. Red violates his parole by traveling to Fort Hancock, Texas, and crossing the border into Mexico, admitting that he finally feels hope. He finds Andy sanding an old boat on a Zihuatanejo beach, and the two reunited friends happily embrace. The film showed Andy's character as having a wise mystic about him. He has an aura that doesn't allow him to be destroyed in the prison system emotionally. The warden Norton is shown as a hypocrite by using religious themes in the film (about talking about the Bible, speaking about God, etc.), but he acts the opposite of Jesus by promoting cruelty, allowing murder, harshly allows unjust assaults against prisoners, and being involved in financial corruption. Zihuatanejo has been interpreted as an analog for heaven or paradise. In the film, Andy describes it as a place with no memory, offering absolution from his sins by forgetting about them or allowing them to be washed away by the Pacific Ocean, whose name means "peaceful." The possibility of escaping to Zihuatanejo is only raised after Andy admits that he feels responsible for his wife's death. Similarly, Red's freedom is only earned once he accepts, he cannot save himself or atone for his sins. Freeman has described Red's story as one of salvation as he is not innocent of his crimes, unlike Andy who finds redemption. Film critic Roger Ebert argued that The Shawshank Redemption is an allegory for maintaining one's feeling of self-worth when placed in a hopeless position. Andy's integrity is an important theme in the story line, especially in prison, where integrity is lacking. Such prison themes were later found in The Green Mile in 1999 being directed by Darabont. He also directed the film The Mist in 2007.
The film has been nominated for, or appeared on, the American Film Institute's lists celebrating the top 100 film or film-related topics. In 1998, it was nominated for AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list, and was number 72 on the 2007 revised list, outranking Forrest Gump (76) and Pulp Fiction (94). It was also number 23 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers (2006) list charting inspiring films. The characters of Andy and Warden Norton received nominations for AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains list; AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes list for "Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'"; AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs list for "Sull'aria ... che soave zeffiretto" (from The Marriage of Figaro); and AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores for Newman's work. It was one of the greatest films of the 1990's. The significant and enduring public appreciation for the film has often been difficult for critics to define. In an interview, Freeman said, "About everywhere you go, people say, 'The Shawshank Redemption—greatest movie I ever saw'" and that such praise "Just comes out of them." Robbins said, "I swear to God, all over the world—all over the world—wherever I go, there are people who say, 'That movie changed my life'." In a separate interview, Stephen King said, "If that isn't the best [adaptation of my works], it's one of the two or three best, and certainly, in moviegoers' minds, it's probably the best because it generally rates at the top of these surveys they have of movies. ... I never expected anything to happen with it." The Shawshank Redemption remains a film that promote togetherness, resiliency, friendship, and exposing corruption in the prison industrial complex too.
By Timothy
Friday, December 22, 2023
Friday Updates about Politics.
Jack Smith wants the Supreme Court to make a decision on Trump's immunity claim immediately. The Supreme Court will decide when it will decide on the matter. Jack Smith is the Special Counsel prosecutor who wants Donald Trump to be held accountable for conspiring with other people in trying to overthrow the 2020 election. Trump is concerned and seeks to justify his evil. Trump is overt about what he wants. He wants to punish the media who dissent from him, he wants mass deportation, he wants a massive travel ban, and he desires to be a dictator on Day One. One poll says that 42 percent of Iowan Republicans are more likely to support Trump after Trump made the comments that immigrants poison the blood of America. It shows me that those Republicans who agree with him are totally wrong. Stephen Miller wants millions of immigrants to be deported when that hypocrite Miller's family immigrated from Belarus.
The situation of Trump is much bigger than Trump. The reality is that Trump and his allies believe in the lie that all humans don't have equal value in the Universe. This lie existed since America's founding back in 1776. Back in the 1700's, my ancestors were in bondage by those racists who believed in the myth that certain people are inferior to other people. In our time, we must condemn Trump's reactionary views on immigrants, black people, women, and other groups of people. Yet, we also have to do more to promote the principle that every human born on this Earth has equal worth and equal value being entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The GOP-led House has been a disgrace to only pass 27 bills that became law in 2023. This is why people have a low view of the Congress. The Republican Party is no longer the Party of Lincoln or the Party of Liberal Republicans. It is a MAGA Party. The anti-democratic worldview of the leadership of the Republican Party is part of an agenda of a lust for power and authoritarianism instead of justice.
There are at least 14 people killed in the Prague University shooting. The university is Charles University in central Prague according to the Czech police. The shooter was stopped according to the police. The country's police chief said that officials received tips about the suspect before the shooting. Authorities helped students to evacuate after they locked themselves in the classroom during the shooting. Some classmates hid on the ledge of a university building to escape the attack. The gunmen killed at least 14 people along with wounding other people. Students ran away quickly in trying to get away from the gunfire. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala showed his condolences to the loved ones of the victims and said that there is no justification for the senseless attack. Other European leaders have condemned the violence and shown shock at the attack.
Days ago was the 25th anniversary of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton on Saturday, December 19, 1998. This was when I was in the 10th grade of high school. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives impeached Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Clinton was wrong to cheat on his wife and having a relationship with Monica Lewinsky. People debated whether this affair rose to the level of impeachment. Many far-right people funded the movement to get Bill Clinton out of office for political reasons. They truly didn't care about his adultery, because many GOP members were found to have done adultery. Many of them falsely viewed Bill Clinton as a far-right President when you do the research, Bill Clinton was a center-left President. The Senate failed to place Clinton out of office. Bill Clinton survived to be President until January 20, 2001. After 25 years, we see more political issues, the crisis of Western capitalism grows, and you have a political Republican candidate overtly seeking a dictatorship, invoking language from Hitler, and trying to overthrow the election of Joe Biden using corrupt means. Therefore, we have to oppose authoritarianism and seek justice in the Universe.
The GOP candidates defending Trump after the Colorado state Supreme Court decision is not shocking. Many of them care more for near worship of Trump than loving democracy. The Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. has many important decisions to make on many political questions, especially on the disputes over Trump's legal case and Presidential run. The December 2000 decision about the 2000 election has shown that the Supreme Court has dealt with election issues. That decision in 2000 gave George W. Bush the Presidency, not to Al Gore. The Supreme Court will determine if the Colorado Supreme Court ruling stands and if he is immune from prosecution from special counsel Jack Smith (Trump is accused by Smith of using his efforts to overturn the 2020 election leading up to the January 6, 2021, terrorist, insurrectionist U.S. Capitol attack). The Supreme Court's popularity is at historic lows filled with scandals, polarization, and other points of contention. People debate about gag orders and other political matters. The truth is that Trump worked with his agents to try to illegally overthrow the 2020 election. He failed, but he wants to be a dictator, and his views must be opposed and exposed 100 percent.
By Timothy
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
News of Late December 2023.
There are a lot of political news now. The Colorado Supreme Court said that Trump is disqualified from the GOP Primary Ballot. That result has 208 pages. This is very historic. Trump engaged in being involved in insurrection in trying to overthrow the result of the legal 2020 election. Trump agitated the crowd back on January 6, 2021, to try to stop the legal election proceedings at Congress. Later, the crowd engaged in terrorism, flying Confederate and Neo-Nazi flags, and harming police officers (while claiming to respect the police hypocritically). The Colorado Supreme Court used the 14th Amendment (in Section 3) as a means to disqualify Donald Trump from the GOP primary ballot. This decision may go to the U.S. Supreme Court via appeal by Trump's legal team. The Colorado Supreme Court took time to present its decision to the general public. They didn't take their responsibility lightly. The Kremlin media has praised MAGA people for supporting not giving aid to Ukraine. The Hungarian dictator Orban blocks EU aid to Ukraine for now. In the economy, we have many good news. We have inflation falling to 3.1 percent. Gasoline prices are down below $3 a gallon. We have the Dow having an all-time record above 37,000 eclipsing Trump's bragging about the stock market when he was President. Trump betrayed the American nation and is a traitor. Consequences and accountability must be made against Trump. One of those consequences is legal policies that prevent traitors from running for office.
Mark Meadows lost an attempt to move the Georgia case into the Supreme Court. Rudy Giuliani has continued to defame two Georgia election workers. He is ordered to pay $184 million. He continues to pledge loyalty to Trump after we know of Trump's criminal actions. There are noncompete clauses that trap workers in their jobs and prevent them from using their skills to earn high pay. During this year of 2023, 10 states have passed limits or bans on noncompetes. The FTC is in the process of banning them nationwide. There is the lie that tax cuts for the wealthy alone can grow the economy. The truth is that investments in the American workers and other economic policies that are fair to all people will grow the economy. When workers have more to spend, the economy grows, and businesses can create more jobs. Fighting back against monopolies makes perfect sense in developing economic stability.
Many people have rightfully criticized Trump's recent Saturday night statements saying that migrants and immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country." This racist rhetoric is what Hitler said over eight decades ago. Trump believes in the old lie that America must revert back to a token, stereotypical 1950's white picket fence version of America to be real. In reality, America was never like shows like Father Knows Best or Leave It To Beaver in its cultural cosmology. America has always been filled with diversity, controversies, genocides, wars, and constant battles for justice. Immigrants enrich America in many ways in our society from inventors to authors. Trump is known to embrace racists, because he is a far-right sexist and racist extremist. Many sources document how Donald Trump has read Mein Kampf. Also, he is known to show admiration for dictators and authoritarians like Putin, Orban, etc. Trump said that he wants to be a dictator on Day One in 2025 if he wins the 2024 election. The Republican Party is not the party of Abraham Lincoln anymore. It's headed by fascists who literally hate democracy.
There is a new study showing that COVID-19 is far more harmful and deadly than the flu. Many in the far right believe in the myth that COVID is just like the common cold or the flu. That isn't the case. There are over 27 million excess deaths attributable to COVID-19 and millions of people suffering Long COVID-19 too. There is no comparison. SARS-CoV-2 can evolve rapidly across the globe every few months. Many people have suffered a great deal. There is a study published last Thursday by a group of researchers led, by Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, the director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center, chief of research and development service at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Saint Louis Health Care System. The study found that COVID-19 is deadlier than influenza and causes more long-term health injuries and damage to the human body. The study shows how long COVID-19 can damage the heart, kidney the human brain, and the immune system. COVID can increase the risk of death 2.5 times higher than those admitted with the flu. People with COVID-19 have a 2.4 higher risk of a heart attack in the first 30 days than those with the flu. We must treat COVID-19 and like-minded diseases as a call to arms to defeat these diseases internationally.
Yesterday was the Birthday of the late Sister Cicely Tyson. She is an icon who was one of the greatest actresses of all time. She was an ambassador of Black Excellence whose non-stereotypical roles in movies and television shows have inspired the world. She earned many awards including three Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Tony Award, an Honorary Academy Award, and a Peabody Award. She was born in the Bronx, New York City, and was raised in East Harlem, NYC. Her parents were Afro-Caribbeans who came from Nevis in the West Indies. Tyson was in the groundbreaking show East Side/West Side as a secretary of a social worker. She was in the soap opera of The Guiding Light in the 1960s, the film A Man Called Adam in 1966, and Sounder in 1972. Tyson was in Roots and other projects. She loved her child. Her dramas of Hoodlum in 1997, and The Help showed dignity and a sense of power in her roles. Tyson's memoir is called Just as I Am was published on January 26, 2021. She promoted the book during the last weeks of her life. Her black soul reached high into the sky in dealing with showing the best of our people, inspiring black women especially to achieve their aspirations, and making sure that black people, in general, see that our stories matter. Our lives matter during this important era of our history. In this generation, Cicely Tyson gave us hope for the future and a foundation that we earnestly honor.
Rest in Power Sister Cicely Tyson.
By Timothy
Monday, December 18, 2023
Times of Our Lives.
How did humans travel throughout the world? Human beings originated in Africa in ca. 300,000 years ago. We migrated out of the continent and some of us interbreed and replaced other populations of archaic humans. Human showing behavioral modernity came as early as 160,000 to 70,000 years ago. The out-of-Africa migration existed in two waves. The first one was around 130,000 to 100,000 years ago, and the second (Southern Dispersal) was around 70,000 to 50,000 years ago. H. sapiens proceeded to colonize all the continents and larger islands, arriving in Eurasia 125,000 years ago, Australia around 65,000 years ago, the Americas around 15,000 years ago, and remote islands such as Hawaii, Easter Island, Madagascar, and New Zealand in the years 300 to 1280 A.D. Genomic research has shown that hybridization between substantially diverged lineages was common in human existence. DNA evidence suggests that several genes of Neanderthal origin are present among all non-sub-Saharan-African populations, and Neanderthals and other hominins, such as Denisovans, may have contributed up to 6% of their genome to present-day non-sub-Saharan-African humans. Human history is filled with massive developments. All human beings were hunter-gatherers until about 12,000 years ago. Then, we have the Neolithic Revolution (the invention of agriculture) first took place in Southwest Asia and spread through large parts of the Old World over the following millennia. It also occurred independently in Mesoamerica (about 6,000 years ago), China, Papua New Guinea, and the Sahel and West Savanna regions of Africa. Later, we saw the access to food surplus that resulted in the creation of permanent human settlements. Then, there was the domestication of animals and the use of metal tools for the first time in history. From agriculture and the sedentary life, we saw the growth of early human civilizations.
An urban revolution took place in the 4th millennium B.C. with the development of city-states, particularly Sumerian cities located in Mesopotamia. It was in these cities that the earliest known form of writing, cuneiform script, appeared around 3000 B.C. Other major civilizations to develop around this time were Ancient Egypt and the Indus Valley Civilization. They eventually traded with each other and invented technology such as wheels, plows, and sails. Astronomy and mathematics were also developed, and the Great Pyramid of Giza was built. There is evidence of a severe drought lasting about a hundred years that may have caused the decline of these civilizations, with new ones appearing in the aftermath. Babylonians came to dominate Mesopotamia while others, such as the Poverty Point culture, Minoans, and the Shang dynasty, rose to prominence in new areas. There were the Nubian and Nok civilizations in sub-Saharan Africa too.
The Late Bronze Age collapse around 1200 B.C. resulted in the disappearance of several civilizations and the beginning of the Greek Dark Ages. During this period iron started replacing bronze, leading to the Iron Age. In the 5th century B.C., history started being recorded as a discipline, which provided a much clearer picture of life at the time. Between the 8th and 6th century B.C, Europe entered the classical antiquity age, a period when ancient Greece and ancient Rome flourished. Around this time other civilizations also came to prominence. The Maya civilization started to build cities and create complex calendars. In Africa, the Kingdom of Aksum overtook the declining Kingdom of Kush and facilitated trade between India and the Mediterranean. In West Asia, the Achaemenid Empire's system of centralized governance became the precursor to many later empires, while the Gupta Empire in India and the Han dynasty in China have been described as golden ages in their respective regions.
Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D., Europe entered the Middle Ages. During this period, Christianity and the Church would provide centralized authority and education. In the Middle East, Islam became the prominent religion and expanded into North Africa. It led to an Islamic Golden Age, inspiring achievements in architecture, the revival of old advances in science and technology, and the formation of a distinct way of life. The Christian and Islamic worlds would eventually clash, with the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of France, and the Holy Roman Empire declaring a series of holy wars to regain control of the Holy Land from Muslims.
In the Americas, complex Mississippian societies would arise starting around 800 A.D., while further south, the Aztecs and Incas would become the dominant powers. The Mongol Empire would conquer much of Eurasia in the 13th and 14th centuries. Over this same period, the Mali Empire in Africa grew to be the largest empire on the continent, stretching from Senegambia to Ivory Coast. Oceania would see the rise of the Tuʻi Tonga Empire which expanded across many islands in the South Pacific.
The early modern period in Europe and the Near East (c. 1450–1800) began with the final defeat of the Byzantine Empire, and the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, Japan entered the Edo period, the Qing dynasty rose in China and the Mughal Empire ruled much of India. Europe underwent the Renaissance, starting in the 15th century, and the Age of Discovery began with the exploring and colonizing of new regions. This includes the British Empire expanding to become the world's largest empire and the colonization of the Americas. This expansion led to the Atlantic slave trade and the genocide of Native American peoples. This period also marked the Scientific Revolution, with great advances in mathematics, mechanics, astronomy, and physiology.
The late modern period (1800–present) saw the Technological and Industrial Revolution bring such discoveries as imaging technology, major innovations in transport and energy development. The United States of America underwent great change, going from a small group of colonies to one of the global superpowers. The Napoleonic Wars raged through Europe in the early 1800s, Spain lost most of its colonies in the New World, while Europeans continued expansion into Africa – where European control went from 10% to almost 90% in less than 50 years – and Oceania.
A tenuous balance of power among European nations collapsed in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War, one of the deadliest conflicts in history. In the 1930s, a worldwide economic crisis led to the rise of authoritarian regimes and a Second World War, involving almost all of the world's countries. Following the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945, the Cold War between the USSR and the United States saw a struggle for global influence, including a nuclear arms race and a space race. This time saw massive decolonization in Africa, Asia, and the Americas where black people and other people of color fought for their own independence movements. The current Information Age sees the world becoming increasingly globalized and interconnected. Humans are one of the most adaptable species, despite having a low or narrow tolerance for many of the earth's extreme environments. Through advanced tools, humans have been able to extend their tolerance to a wide variety of temperatures, humidity, and altitudes. As a result, humans are a cosmopolitan species found in almost all regions of the world, including tropical rainforest, arid desert, extremely cold arctic regions, and heavily polluted cities. Most humans (61%) live in Asia; the remainder live in the Americas (14%), Africa (14%), Europe (11%), and Oceania (0.5%).
One of the greatest accomplishments of human history was the creation of the Great Pyramids in ancient Egypt. The creation of a spacecraft to send humans to the Moon and bring them back to Earth in 1969 was a monumental achievement by humanity. The discovery of DNA changed how we view humanity and life for decades now. The invention and release of the iPhone in 2007 caused a complete acceleration of smartphone technology. The iPhone was the blueprint for the IPad, next-generation laptop computers, and the growth of A.I. technology too.
Shayla Inez Taylor is my 2nd cousin, and she was born on November 1, 1981, in Bellevue, Nebraska. She attended Bellevue West High School. Her parents are Robert A. Taylor (b. 1942) and Thelma Thomasa Claude (b. 1953). My first cousin Thelema Thomasa Claude's parents were Edgerton Claud (1916-1962) and Thelma Ruth Smith (1919-1961). My great-granduncle Edgerton Claud's parents were Arthur Boss Claud (1891-1974) and Martha Jane Claude (1880-1949). Arthur Boss's parents were Rev. James Thompson Claud (1857-1926) and Susanna Field Hurst-Turner (1862-1949). Rev. James Thompson Claud's mother was Sarah Claud, and Sarah Claud's mother was my 5th great-grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Shayla Inez Taylor studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and lives in Washington, D.C. The children of Shayla Taylor Jackson and Christopher Jackson are Kayla and Zeke.
The research into my family history has been an excellent journey. I have learned more facts than I could ever dreamed of. In life, you have to realize your blessings. One of the greatest blessings in the Universe is to live life now. I am fortunate to live life in the early 21st century and to realize what is truly important. The older you get, the more you realize clearly that family, friends, and loved ones have more value than all of the money in the world. Also, it is important to work hard if you desire to live a long, quality life. Eating more fruits and vegetables, regulating meat eating content (if you want to eat meat), participating in activities, communicating with fellow people (in building social bonds among the human family), drinking water, and going about to exercise will make your longevity to be filled with quality, inspiration, and a longer period of longevity. I knew about great-grandmother Hollie and other relatives for years long before 2015. Yet, I wanted to discover more about my ancestors. So, I researched hard in 2015 and 2016 on my genealogical history. I didn't get too far. That changed in the Summer of 2018 when I first discovered many of my ancestors and distant cousins at the next level. Over 5 years later in 2023, I am still learning new, exciting facts about my heritage continuously.
Trump held a hate rally in Durham, New Hampshire. We know he had sensitive intelligence in a binder about Russia that is now missing. Many people still don't know about its whereabouts. We should talk about these issues because Donald Trump can never be trusted as President again. New York state court throws out voting map that can pave the way for the House to have Democratic control of the New York state House. In Donald Trump's December 16, 2023, Saturday hate rally in New Hampshire, Trump spewed more racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric. Trump lied and quoted Vladimir Putin to say that President Joe Biden is a threat to democracy. Biden isn't perfect, the agenda of Trump is vastly worse than Biden's political policies. Trump also said the overtly racist comment that immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country." This nonsense is what Hitler and white racists have said for decades and centuries. The truth is that America is made up of many different people and cultures including immigrants who made great contributions to American society. Trump praised authoritarian people like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump has always praised leaders in other countries who executed anti-democratic measures. Trump admitted in a FOX News town hall that he would act as a dictator on Day 1 of his Presidency for a day. Trump said that immigrants from across the world are "pouring into the country." Trump called people who disagreed with him as "vermin." Xenophobes believe in the lie that immigrants collectively want to poison America when they are just seeking survival and human rights. Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric has been used by racists who massacred people in Pittsburgh in 2018 and in El Paso, Texas in 2019. Trump is clear about what he wants. Trump wants to use detention camps to get undocumented immigrants deported, have a travel ban targeting various countries, and wants the police to be indemnified (to not allow crooked police to be sued). Trump is a white racist fascist who does not deserve our vote period.
By Timothy
Saturday, December 16, 2023
Friday, December 15, 2023
Mid December 2023 Updates.
Aging is a mystery, and many people underestimate how much people can control the aging process. Physical exercise, healthy eating, and good health will cause people to live longer, age gracefully, and reduce risks of cognitive diseases. Metabolic health will determine how long people will live. One secret is to track human glucose levels to be healthier. Food affects the human body directly in enumerable ways. Glucose levels in the human body are very important to know. Also, getting adequate sleep is underrated. Doing that will definitely decrease the risk of experiencing many diseases. There is a lifespan and health span. The lifespan is the time from birth to death. Healthspan is a healthy functioning state with time. Functional changes are normal in aging from how fast you run or how fast you can walk. Aging makes people suspectable to Alzheimer's disease (almost half of all humans can have this disease in their 90s) and age-related memory loss. Aging can cause more stomach fat, loss of muscle, and sarcopenia. People being less active will cause more problems physically. That is why strength training is key in staying healthy and building muscle, even in older age. Humans adapt to different environments, so resiliency can grow by improving human health through exercise (that improves the human health span and life span). Physical moving is sweeping the floor, and exercise is a voluntary planned act like doing sports, walking, and going on a treadmill. Exercise grows neurochemicals like dopamine and growth factors being released to help the human body (growing the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex). The hippocampus can develop brain cells in adulthood to improve human memory. Axons are found in the prefrontal cortex. Exercise and eating healthy benefits the human organs, especially the bones and the human brain too. Exercise is not just about going to the gym (though going to the gym is very fun). It can be walking, jogging, running, gardening, playing a sport, and other activities.
Attorney Fani Willis said that pausing the Trump Georgia trial for the 2024 election is a silly notion. She is right. She said to the Washington Post that a person who violates the law must face accountability. Mark Meadows wants to move the Fulton case to federal court to escape accountability for his actions. This whole situation started with a fascist who was once President in 2017 and worked with others in trying to overthrow American democracy as we know it. This fascist and his far-right acolytes used deception, harassment, violence, and agitating MAGA extremists to cause more hate crimes and political polarization in America. Under the guise of abhorring "political correctness," they seek to sugarcoat the teaching of real American history and the banning of progressive literature. They hide their bigotry under the guise of "freedom", but they desire no freedom but for the few. Their actions make a mockery of Christianity and any creed. Their threats don't intimidate tons of people, and in the end, evil will not win. Only good will win at the end.
One judge paused the Trump federal election case until the Supreme Court reviewed that case. This is a serious deal because we have to wait for what the Supreme Court will do. Trump claims that he has executive privilege to be immune from prosecution. Yet, no man is infallible. Jack Smith wants Trump to be prosecuted, even if he is a former President. Trump wants the coup trial delayed for a long time. We live in a new era of our time. We have a fascist running for President in 2023 who seeks to be a dictator on day one in 2025. We have a record book ban unparalleled in American history, the growth of hate crimes (against many minorities), and we have wars globally. Some recordings show the Oval Office meeting in 2020 where Trump was briefed on the fake electors' plot and January 6, 2021. The jury ended the first day of deliberations in the Giuliani defamation trial. That trial will continue today.
Many House GOP members pushing an impeachment vote without evidence is absurd, hypocritical, and nefarious. Trump now is facing dozens of felony charges for being accused of various horrendous crimes. Trump is already a convicted criminal. Trump has a lax character. Hunter Biden has imperfections in his life that have no justification, but Hunter's imperfections are no excuse for trying to impeach President Joe Biden. President Joe Biden has not committed anything on the same level as Donald Trump during his Presidency. GOP investigators say that they will promote contempt proceedings against Hunter Biden. The GOP House members including House Speaker Mike Johnson wants this inquiry to pass. The GOP wants to bring Trump back into the White House filled with vengeance and hatred of progressive values. The purpose of Congress is to do the people's business involving health care, civil rights, civil liberties, the environment, education, infrastructure, and other important aspects of our democracy. Our democracy is on the line. The Supreme Court decisions will show that our democracy is under attack. A real policy that benefits the people collectively is necessary for growing our democracy.
The Reese family has a long history. Many of them are my distant cousins like my 2nd cousin Rhonda Felicia Reese (b. 1959). She was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. She married a man from West Africa named Amadu Salu Bangura on May 28, 1991, in Portsmouth, Virginia. The couple met in May of 1979, and they moved to New York City to start their family. Their three daughters are Kadiaja Hawanatu Bangura (b. 1980), Felicia Salamatu Henry (b. 1986), and Destiny Betty Bangura (b. 1993). Rhonda Felicia Reese's parents are David Sylvester Reese (b. 1939) and Betty Mae Brown (b. 1940). David Sylvester Reese's parents were John Henry Reese (1875-1945) and Helen Catherine Overton (1915-2008). My 2nd great-granduncle John Henry Reese's parents were Richard Reese and Jane Redman.
By Timothy
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Wednesday, December 13, 2023
On Being 40 Years Old Now.
Being forty years old (today in early December of 2023) in near the quarter-century mark of the twenty-first century is very special. I have seen a lot of events in my life. I lived through the eras of Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr. Obama, Trump, and Biden. When I was a child, there was the bombing of the New York World Trade Center in 1993, when I was a teenager, there was the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and when I was 18 years old, the war on terror transpired in 2001. By the time I was 20, the Iraq War was in its infancy in 2003. When I reached 30 years old in 2013, President Barack Obama was already in his second term of office. Older Millennials like me saw worldwide changes from the invention of the iPhone in 2007 in our 20's to the insurrection of the United States Congress when we were in our late 30's.
Today, it's a day of celebration, reflection, and inspiration. We are not children anymore. We Millennials are increasingly going into middle age with the same vigor in embracing justice and the same spirit of hope plus optimism for the future without naivete. We are survivors as human beings. We survived the Great Recession of the 2000's and early 2010's, we survived Trump's first term, and we survived the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (which began in late 2019 and exploded worldwide by early 2020). The Golden Rule is one lesson in life that rings true. Regardless of who you are, don't embrace vengeance but seek action that constructively benefits other human beings. That is why we are here plainly speaking. We are born to live, to grow, and to always be in league with the fruits of patience, learning wisdom, assisting others, and the improvement of our consciousness in seeking that same human liberation that our ancestors fought for constantly. I am thankful for life and the well wishes on this special day of my life living into a new subsequent decade of my life. I have my political views (of embracing justice for all, of believing in a strong social safety net, and of desiring social justice), and it's clear to see when you see what I type. I'm not ashamed of being me, because you must be you to be real about yourself. Learning about history, culture, geography, music, my genealogy, biology, architecture, and manifold subjects certainly is important in developing a wide scope of how the world works. I am older, but I have the same agility, vigor, and acuity as yesteryear. Fundamentally, I will keep on growing to live and to constantly move in the right direction.
Zelenskyy is visiting Washington, D.C. during ongoing aid negotiations. This is about the battle against freedom against tyranny. Many far-right liars and fake liberal liars glorify Putin as a person of virtue. They hate America so much (it is fine to hate American imperialism, but not to hate all American people) that they desire to ally with the Russian government instead of freedom-loving Ukrainian people who desire justice. The truth is that Putin is an authoritarian dictator. Putin has jailed Russian dissidents who desire freedom in Russia, Putin has lied and said that Ukraine isn't a real nation, Putin's agents have been involved in election interference in 2016 and 2020, and Putin is known to have policies that violate many democratic freedoms including the freedom of the press plus the freedom of religion. Therefore, Putin is a far-right nationalist extremist, not a progressive hero. This aid to Ukraine is similar to the Lend Lease program where Americans funded the Allied powers against Hitler's imperialism. Are there imperfections in Ukraine? Yes, but these imperfections don't justify the Russian illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022. There is no justification for Russian bombs harming apartment buildings and other civilian targets. The end of the conflict means Russian military forces must leave Ukraine, so Ukraine can have their own independence.
There is the defamation trial against Rudy Giuliani. Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea Moss are seeking $43 million for the false claims of fraud. Rudy Giuliani lied about both Georgia election workers saying that they committed fraud which is a crime. Both Freeman and Moss were victims of harassment, racism, and threats by MAGA extremists. A jury will decide the legal fate of Rudy Giuliani. The opening statements started on Monday. Rudy Giuliani the former New York City mayor and former federal prosecutor lied and said that both women were using USB drives for nefarious purposes (which isn't the case at all). Freeman and Moss's attorney Michael Gottlieb said that both women experienced a massive amount of hateful, racist comments. Guiliani's attorney said that Rudy didn't promote racism or violence. The reality is that Rudy Guiliani has a long history of promoting reactionary politics as mayor and afterward. Giuliani is expected to testify in the trial. Freeman and Moss gave their testimonies to the House January 6th Committee in vivid detail. Our voting rights matter and no MAGA terrorists will scare us.
The Special counsel Jack Smith will go directly to the Supreme Court to resolve whether Trump has immunity from prosecution. This is an interesting move. The Supreme Court can decide on the historic prosecution of the former president. This request is being sent by Jack Smithis to keep the election subversion trial on track, so Trump's legal team can't delay it for a longer period. Smith's team has asked the court to review district Judge's Tanya Chutkan ruling that a former President, Trump, is not immune from the election subversion prosecution case brought in Washington, D.C. There is a tornado outbreak in Tennessee that killed at least 6 human beings. This is part of the cold front coming to the East Coast. These devastating natural disasters are very real. It will take a long time for recovery efforts to rebuild infrastructure. America is filled with very compassionate human beings, so we Americans will rise up to the occasion to express our empathy towards the victims and send supplies to help the hurting people of Tennessee and throughout the nation being victims of terrible storms. Tennessee has issued a state of emergency too.
By Timothy
Monday, December 11, 2023
What Makes us Human and other Information.
There is no full understanding of human beings without understanding human biology, anatomy, and physiology. Most human beings have legs, a torso, arms, a neck, and a head. The whole adult human body has about 100 trillion cells. Most of the body systems in humans are the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, immune, integumentary, lymphatic, musculoskeletal, reproductive, respiratory, and urinary systems. The dental formula of humans is: 2.1.2.3/2.1.2.3. Humans have proportionately shorter palates and much smaller teeth than other primates. Humans have short, relatively flush canine teeth. Humans have characteristically crowded teeth, with gaps from lost teeth usually closing up quickly in young individuals. Humans are gradually losing their third molars, with some individuals having them congenitally absent. Human beings have an appendix, flexible shoulder joints, grasping fingers, and opposable thumbs. While humans have a density of hair follicles comparable to other apes, it is predominantly vellus hair, most of which is so short and wispy as to be practically invisible. Humans have about 2 million sweat glands spread over their entire bodies, many more than chimpanzees, whose sweat glands are scarce and are mainly located on the palm of the hand and on the soles of the feet. It is estimated that the worldwide average height for an adult human man is about 171 cm (5 ft 7 in), while the worldwide average height for adult human women is about 159 cm (5 ft 3 in). Shrinkage of stature may begin in middle age in some individuals but tends to be typical in the extremely aged. Throughout history, human populations have universally become taller, probably as a consequence of better nutrition, healthcare, and living conditions. The average mass of an adult human is 59 kg (130 lb.) for women and 77 kg (170 lb.) for men. Like many other conditions, body weight and body type are influenced by both genetic susceptibility and environment and vary greatly among individuals. Humans have a far faster and more accurate throw than other animals. Humans are also among the best long-distance runners in the animal kingdom, but slower over short distances. Humans' thinner body hair and more productive sweat glands help avoid heat exhaustion while running for long distances.
Humans are a diploid and eukaryotic species. Each somatic cell has two sets of 23 chromosomes, each set received from one parent; gametes have only one set of chromosomes, which is a mixture of the two parental sets. Among the 23 pairs of chromosomes, there are 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes. Like other mammals, humans have an XY sex-determination system, so that women have the sex chromosomes XX and men have XY. Genes and environment influence human biological variation in visible characteristics, physiology, disease susceptibility, and mental abilities. The exact influence of genes and environment on certain traits is not well understood. While no humans – not even monozygotic twins – are genetically identical, two humans on average will have a genetic similarity of 99.5%-99.9%. This makes them more homogeneous than other great apes, including chimpanzees. This small variation in human DNA compared to many other species suggests a population bottleneck during the Late Pleistocene (around 100,000 years ago), in which the human population was reduced to a small number of breeding pairs.
The human genome was first sequenced in 2001 and by 2020 hundreds of thousands of genomes had been sequenced. In 2012 the International HapMap Project had compared the genomes of 1,184 individuals from 11 populations and identified 1.6 million single nucleotide polymorphisms. African populations harbor the highest number of private genetic variants. While many of the common variants found in populations outside of Africa are also found on the African continent, there are still large numbers that are private to these regions, especially Oceania and the Americas. By 2010 estimates, humans have approximately 22,000 genes. By comparing mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited only from the mother, geneticists have concluded that the last female common ancestor whose genetic marker is found in all modern humans, the so-called mitochondrial Eve, must have lived around 90,000 to 200,000 years ago.
All humans experience an interesting life cycle. After fertilization, the average gestation period is 38 weeks. The embryo turns into a fetus. Some people have early labor, and some have a cesarean section if the child needs to be born earlier for medical reasons. High levels of infant mortality exist in developing countries corresponding to lower birth weight. Developed nations have infants being born in 7-9 pounds and 19-21 inches in height at birth. New medical technologies have made labor more successful, but problems do exist like maternal death and other complications. Mothers and fathers care for children, and culturally most parental care is done by the mother. Humans reach sexual maturity at 15 to 17 years old. The human life span exists from infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Among cultures, these times vary, but there is a rapid growth spurt among humans during adolescence. Human women undergo menopause and become infertile at around the age of 50. The life span of an individual depends on two major factors, genetics and lifestyle choices. For various reasons, including biological/genetic causes, women live on average about four years longer than men. As of 2018, the global average life expectancy at birth of a girl is estimated to be 74.9 years compared to 70.4 for a boy. There are significant geographical variations in human life expectancy, mostly correlated with economic development – for example, life expectancy at birth in Hong Kong is 87.6 years for girls and 81.8 for boys, while in the Central African Republic, it is 55.0 years for girls and 50.6 for boys. The developed world is generally aging, with the median age around 40 years. In the developing world, the median age is between 15 and 20 years. While one in five Europeans is 60 years of age or older, only one in twenty Africans is 60 years of age or older. In 2012, the United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarians (humans of age 100 or older) worldwide.
Most humans are omnivorous eating both plant and animal material. Some are vegan and primarily carnivorous. In some cases, dietary restrictions in humans can lead to deficiency diseases; however, stable human groups have adapted to many dietary patterns through both genetic specialization and cultural conventions to use nutritionally balanced food sources. The human diet is prominently reflected in human culture and has led to the development of food science. In general, humans can survive for up to eight weeks without food, depending on stored body fat. Survival without water is usually limited to three or four days, with a maximum of one week. In 2020 it is estimated that 9 million humans die every year from causes directly or indirectly related to starvation. Childhood malnutrition is also common and contributes to the global burden of disease. There is biological variation in the human species – with traits such as blood type, genetic diseases, cranial features, facial features, organ systems, eye color, hair color and texture, height and build, and skin color varying across the globe. The typical height of an adult human is between 1.4 and 1.9 m (4 ft 7 in and 6 ft 3 in), although this varies significantly depending on sex, ethnic origin, and family bloodlines. Body size is partly determined by genes and is also significantly influenced by environmental factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep patterns. Populations can adapt. Many genes that allow adult humans to digest lactose have a long history of cattle domestication and are dependent on cow milk. Sickle cell anemia, which may provide increased resistance to malaria, is frequent in populations where malaria is endemic.
Populations that have for a very long time inhabited specific climates tend to have developed specific phenotypes that are beneficial for those environments – short stature and stocky build in cold regions, tall and lanky in hot regions, and with high lung capacities or other adaptations at high altitudes. Some populations have evolved highly unique adaptations to very specific environmental conditions, such as those advantageous to ocean-dwelling lifestyles and freediving in the Bajau. Hair color and skin color do depend on melanin.
The greatest degree of genetic variation exists between men and women. While the nucleotide genetic variation of individuals of the same sex across global populations is no greater than 0.1%–0.5%, the genetic difference between men and women is between 1% and 2%. Men on average are 15% heavier and 15 cm (6 in) taller than women. On average, men have about 40–50% more upper body strength and 20–30% more lower body strength than women at the same weight, due to higher amounts of muscle and larger muscle fibers. Women generally have a higher body fat percentage than men. As there are chromosomal differences between women and men, some X and Y chromosome-related conditions and disorders only affect either men or women. After allowing for body weight and volume, the voice of men voice is usually an octave deeper than the woman's voice. Women have a longer life span in almost every population around the world. There are human beings who are intersexual people.
Human psychology is one of the most important issues about humanity. This subject is related to the human brain, the central nervous system, and the peripheral nervous system. In addition to controlling "lower", involuntary, or primarily autonomic activities such as respiration and digestion, it is also the locus of "higher" order functioning such as thought, reasoning, and abstraction. These cognitive processes constitute the mind, and, along with their behavioral consequences, are studied in the field of psychology. Since humans have a larger and more developed prefrontal cortex than other primates, that region of the brain deals with higher cognition. Humans are more intelligent than any other species on Earth. Humans may be the only beings with episodic memory and can have mental time travel to think about past events. Humans have a high degree of flexibility in their facial expressions. Humans can cry emotional tears that animals can't do. Humans can dream too with sensory images and sounds. Dreams happen by the pons and mostly happen during the REM phase of sleep. Humans can have 3 to 5 dreams per night. Dreamers are more likely to remember the dream if awakened during the REM phase. The events in dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, except in lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is self-aware. Dreams can at times make a creative thought occur or give a sense of inspiration. Human consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience or awareness of internal or external existence Consciousness, knowledge, cognition, the senses, and imagination all deal with psychology. Emotions are biological states associated with the nervous system. Moods such as pleasure, anger, creativity, etc. reflect on human behavior. Acting on the extreme or having uncontrolled emotions can lead to social disorder or crimes. Studies document how criminals may have a lower emotional intelligence than normal. For humans, sexuality involves biological, erotic, physical, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, that has varied with historical contexts over time, it lacks a precise definition. The biological and physical aspects of sexuality largely concern the human reproductive functions, including the human sexual response cycle. Sexuality also affects and is affected by cultural, political, legal, philosophical, moral, ethical, and religious aspects of life. Most humans are heterosexual, and other humans are non-heterosexual. Human psychology has been studied by the experts for centuries and thousands of years.
Winter times are coming and new facts about how the world functions transpire. Liz Cheney released her book called "Oath and Honor." This book exposes the Trump movement and the lie that the 2020 election was stolen. It is a book that not only Trump but his enablers. She has criticized pro-Trump Republicans as enablers and collaborators. These people made a conscious decision to violate the oath to the Constitution out of their sick political allegiance to the corrupt Donald Trump. Liz Cheney called Trump "the most dangerous man ever to inhabit the Oval Office." Trump is the most corrupt President of the 21st century and one of the top five worst Presidents in American history in my view. Cheney also condemned the actions of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (she said he told her that Trump knew he had lost the 2020 election). She has criticized the Republican Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee as calling Trump Orange Jesus (Green denies making that comment about Trump). Liz Cheney said that she would do everything to try to not make Trump win the 2024 election. She said that if Trump is the party's nominee in 2024, she will leave the GOP. The treason that Donald Trump and his allies did for years will never be forgotten by us. Now, Israel has used strikes in southern Gaza which contradicts their previous act of bombing northern Gaza. Today, we have a situation where even Vice President Kamala Harris is right to say to the Israeli government that Israeli military forces have a right to disagree with Hamas's terrorism, but they must adhere to international law in dealing with civilians. Massive Palestinian civilians and innocent Israelis have unjustly died in that conflict. Now, you have AIPAC targeting progressive black human beings (who are in Congress) and other members of color Congresspeople disproportionately because these Congresspeople believe in the dignity of Palestinian life (and they use critiques against the far-right extremist Benjamin Netanyahu). AIPAC interests funded MAGA Republicans, who believe in the 2020 election lie too making that group filled with hypocrites (in claiming to be for democracy and funding people who represent the antithesis of democracy). AIPAC is not only targeting Ilhan Omar and Jamaal Bowman. They are targeting Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Cori Bush, and Ayanna Pressley. Centrist CBC members support AIPAC heavily. Years ago, AIPAC even wanted Donna Edwards from Maryland out of office. In August 2005, Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) were indicted under the Espionage Act on the extraordinary charge that they had improperly received and transmitted classified information that was provided to them by a government official. At the end of the day, Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace, liberty, equality, and justice without Hamas terrorism and without occupation.
I found information on the marriage bond document between Isham Tiller and Martha Jane Randolf. The couple was married on January 6, 1866, at North Carolina (in Halifax County). The bondsman was John Moore. The witness was Jas H. Whitaker. The ceremony was performed by Henry Epps, the African Minister of the Gospel. Ishan Tillery and Matha Jane Randolf are my 3rd great-grandparents. Ishan Tillery and Martha Jane Randolf had many children who were Walter Tillery (1868-1927), Georganna Tillery (1868-1954), Medrick Tillery (b. 1871), and John Tillery (b. 1873). My 2nd great-granduncle Walter Tillery married Sallie Gary (1869) in 1888. Their children are Carolina Tillery (b. 1890), Cora Lee Tillery (1895-1955), Rufus Flint Tillery (1896-1965), and Lucy Tillery Smith (1906-1931). Walter Tillery later married Anna Page with the children of Noah Tillery (b. 1908), Bessie L. Tillery (1917-1978), and Walter Tillery Jr. (1919-1987). My first cousin Carolina Tillery married Cleveland Bigs on August 22, 1908, at Lenoir, North Carolina. Their daughter was Ethel Biggs (1928-1995). Ethel Biggs had 2 children, who are my 3rd cousins, with William Jordan (1930-1968) whose names are Arrasheed Jordan (b. 1953) and Mildred Dorrea Jordan (b. 1963). Mildred Dorrea Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York City. She married Charles Nathan Newton (b. 1961), and their child is Charles Nathan Amin Newton (b. 1981). The couple has lived in Ohio before.
Vivian D. was my 1st cousin who was born in June 25, 1934, in Halifax, North Carolina. She had the following children with John Henry Dew Sr. (b. 1918): Lauraine Dew (b. 1951), John H. Dew Jr. (b. 1952), Ashely C. Dew (b. 1957), and Edith Luevenia Dew (b. 1953). Later, Vivian D. married Sylvester Whitfield (1927-1981) in 1966 in New Jersey. Lauraine Dew had 2 children Barbara Ann Dew (b. 1968) and Nathaniel R. Dew (b. 1970). My 2nd cousin Edith Luevenia Dew had the child of Edith L. Dew (b. 1970), and Edith L. Dew's child is Tyra Murray (who is my 2nd cousin whose father was the late Tyree Murray). Shayla I. Taylor Jackson was born in Bellevue, Nebraska, and is a descendant of Arthur Boss Claude.
By Timothy
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