Daily Archives: April 16, 2024

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Renaissance Blossom: FOTD Apr 16

Blossom
Blossom

As with my latest Fan Of… post (see link 👇), I’m exploring some DALL-E AI preset styles for my edits.

I thought I’d try a Renaissance-style edit for today’s Blossom shot. It came out really well, so for the second, I simply got the AI to add a Renaissance-style frame. I’ve included a wee history on the Renaissance Period after the images below.

Source: Renaissance Blossom: FOTD Apr 16

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“Hell No, We Won’t Go!!!” | Filosofa’s Word

This is another of my rare attempts to write fiction.  This premise got into my head this evening and refused to vacate the premises, so … I finally gave in and let my mind dictate to my fingers while I sat back and listened.

Two young women appeared at my door a few weeks ago.  They were from some church … I didn’t bother to note which one … and wanted to invite me to attend their church services the following Sunday.  I politely told them that I was not interested, thanked them for their time, and as I attempted to close the door, one of them put her foot between the door and the door frame.

“Can’t we at least come in and tell you a bit about our church?” she asked.

“No,” I responded, “I am busy and I am not a Christian, do not believe the same as you do.  Now please, go find someone else to peddle your religion to.”

I gently used my bare toes to nudge her foot from my door frame, closed the door, and locked it.  I looked out a minute later and they were gone.  Okay, better things to do than to ruminate on the rudeness of the churchies.

Fast forward to last Monday, when the same two ladies returned.  Gotta give them credit for perseverance, but my patience was wearing thin.

“What do you want?  I already told you that I have no interest in your church or your religion, so why are you back here wasting my time and yours?”

“Forgive us, but we were sent to let you know that you and your family have, under the new state law SL-5168, been assigned to our church.  Are you aware of the new law that passed two weeks ago?”

I had read about the bill, but … I had no idea it had actually passed into law!  What a sham!  What a slap in the face to the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution!  The bill, in a nutshell, deemed that every member of every household must attend a Christian church at least once a week, and in lieu of approved hardship cases, must tithe 10% of the household’s combined weekly salary to said church.  I paid little to no attention to this piece of legislation, surely it couldn’t actually pass, and so was not aware that … it had passed in the Republican-majority state legislature!

I paused a moment to think, but the ladies were pushing past me saying they must speak with me.  When they were inside my living room, one of them accidentally tripped over the kitty litter box and her hand went into the box, where one cat or another had just left a lovely turd.  Ah well, serves her right.

“Look, ladies, no matter what law just passed and no matter how much you bully me, I’m not coming to your church … not next Sunday, nor the Sunday after, nor any Sunday in the future.  Put that in your holy water and drink it.  I’m 72 years old and have not believed in the mythology of your god, heaven, hell, etc., since the age of 5, so in the words of the Moody Blues song, just … Go Now!”

This encounter left me shaken.  Is it possible that my family and I, and others who are non-believers, can be forced to attend Christian church services and also to donate money?  Surely not!  Surely there must be an appeal pending … right?  Right????  I tried to put the incident out of my mind.  30% of all citizens in the U.S. are non-believers or ‘unaffiliated’ … surely we cannot all be forced … can we?

Sunday morning, 7:25 a.m.

A pounding on the front door downstairs.  As I make my way out of my bedroom, daughter Chris beats me to the stairs and opens the front door at the bottom of the stairs.  There stand two policemen.  I sit down on the 8th step to keep from falling down the rest of the way.

“We are here,” they start, “to escort your family to the church you’ve been assigned to.  You have 15 minutes to get ready, and please dress appropriately.”

From my sitting position on that 8th stairstep, I yell at the top of my lungs …

“Hell no, we won’t go!!!”

And then I woke up, safe and sound in my own bed, with Oliver the alpha cat snuggled contentedly by my side, and my heart pounding.  A nightmare … just a nightmare.  For now, anyway.

Source: “Hell No, We Won’t Go!!!” | Filosofa’s Word

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5 simple home health tests – magicandbeauty

  1. Iron level checks – extend your arms with palms facing up. Your hands will definitely turn white. If this happens with deep furrows on the palms, then anemia is possible. The trigger of this disorder is most often a lack of iron in the diet. It is necessary to consult a doctor who will evaluate other parameters and establish a further check of the blood count.
  2. The test with a pillow reveals the condition of the arteries – lie on your back and raise both legs without socks on the pillow at an angle of 45 degrees. Hold your legs like this for one minute, then quickly lower them over the end of the bed at an angle of 90 degrees. The result of this small test can indicate peripheral arterial disease (fat deposits in the arteries prevent blood flow to the legs and feet). If your legs become pale in the raised position and if it takes a few minutes for the color to return (when you lower your legs), then it is possible that the arteries are blocked. This is why consultation with a doctor is necessary. Exercise at least half an hour a day for 5 days a week. Include avocado, broccoli, asparagus, chia seeds, salmon, mackerel, tuna, green tea in your diet.
  3. Physical fitness test – climb the stairs to the second floor at a brisk pace. You are in good shape if you reach the second floor without a rest break. Mild shortness of breath is a sign of lack of physical fitness. Look for a doctor if you run out of breath up to the second floor, if you are suffocating and feel difficulty breathing and fatigue. To stimulate metabolism and improve tissue oxygenation, be active for at least half an hour a day. Enrich the menu with avocados, oranges, pumpkins, carrots, blueberries, seeds and nuts.
  4. Heart health test – Heart rate at rest. A stopwatch or a watch with seconds is required. Place your middle finger and index finger on the inside of your wrist to find a pulse. Measure the number of beats in 20 seconds and multiply by 3. Do the test while lying in bed to get precise results. Because the lying position is the most relaxed.
  5. Test to determine waist circumference important for checking the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes and hypertension – the relationship between waist circumference and hips is checked for the risk of insulin resistance, hypertension and diabetes. Measure your waist at the narrowest part between your breastbone and belly button. Stand in front of the mirror in a sideways position to determine the circumference of your hips. Measure the widest part. Then divide the waist circumference value by the hip circumference. Results The relationship is ideal if the value is less than 0.75%, low risk is from 0.75 to 0.8 and high risk is a value greater than 0.85. It’s time for a well-balanced diet if the waist-to-hip ratio is greater than 0.8. Add exercises that melt waist fat to your daily routine.

Source: 5 simple home health tests – magicandbeauty