Undergraduate Commencement Address by Ken Burns | Commencement 2024 | Brandeis University

The Difference Between Night And Day | Filosofa’s Word

There truly are no comparisons that can be made where President Biden and Donald Trump are equivalent, but the vast differences can be seen just in one day’s activity by the two.  Yesterday was Memorial Day in the United States – a day set aside each year to honour those who gave their lives protecting our fragile democracy.  Robert Hubbell sums it all up in his newsletter this morning …


“AN IDEA UNLIKE ANY OTHER.”

By Robert Hubbell

28 May 2024

On Memorial Day, President Biden hosted a breakfast for military leaders, veterans, and Gold Star family members. The event was closed to the press, so there are no photos or media reports of his remarks. Rather than turn a White House reception honoring fallen soldiers into a public event or campaign opportunity, the President met privately to express gratitude to soldiers and their families.

Later in the day, the President participated in the Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and then delivered the Memorial Day Address the Memorial Amphitheater.

In his remarks, President Biden said,

America is the only country in the world founded on an idea — an idea that all people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives.

We’ve never fully lived up to that, but we’ve never, ever, ever walked away from it. Every generation, our fallen heroes have brought us closer.

President Biden also issued a statement commemorating Memorial Day, writing (in part):

Since America’s founding, our service members have laid down their lives for an idea unlike any other: the idea of the United States.

Today, as generations of heroes lie in eternal peace, we live by the light of liberty they kept burning.

May God bless them, always.

Joe Biden’s presence in the Oval Office elevates us as a nation. We are fortunate to have him as our president during this challenging time in our nation’s history.

Defendant Donald Trump issued his own statement commemorating Memorial Day. Trump posted a statement that began as follows:

Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country, & to the Radical Left, Trump Hating Federal Judge in New York that presided over, get this, TWO separate trials, that awarded a woman, who I never met before (a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn’t count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for “DEFAMATION” . . . .

What is notable about Trump’s Memorial Day greeting is that it does not mention veterans—living or dead—but is instead devoted entirely to himself. In contrast, President Biden’s message mentions only those veterans who gave their lives for “the idea of America” and does not mention himself.

The same contrast is seen in President Biden’s private meeting with Gold Star families. Trump took a group photo with Gold Star family members at the Coca-Cola 600 while wearing a “MAGA” hat and giving a “thumbs up.” Photo Trump at NASCAR Event.

Trump also used Memorial Day Weekend to announce the creation of “Veterans and Military Families for Trump,” an announcement that included the following statement:

Unlike the weak Joe Biden, President Trump has consistently proven he cares deeply about the unbelievable sacrifices made by our nation’s Veterans and their wonderful families.

In short, Trump’s relationship with veterans and Gold Star families is transactional, like everything else in his life: Fallen soldiers and veterans are props for his campaign. They matter only because they are part of a campaign organization supporting Trump.

The saddest part of that transaction is that the veterans’ sacrifices and their families’ grief are being exploited by a man who has called fallen veterans “suckers and losers.”

Rarely has our nation faced such a stark choice. On this Memorial Day, that choice is viewed through the lens of the sacrifice of more than a million Americans who died defending the “idea of America.” As President Biden said in his remarks today, we have “never fully lived up to the promise” of that idea. We cannot allow our past failures and present challenges to discourage us.

The question of whether a million Americans died in vain is for us to answer. They kept their oath; we must finish the story of their sacrifice. In 2024, we must honor America’s fallen veterans by ensuring that their sacrifice was not in vain by defending the democracy for which they gave their lives.

Source: The Difference Between Night And Day | Filosofa’s Word

Receita de Torta Alemã : Linkezine

Receita de Torta Alemã

A torta alemã tradicional é uma sobremesa deliciosa e fácil de preparar, criada no Brasil por uma imigrante alemã que adaptou a receita de seu país de origem com ingredientes brasileiros. Ideal para almoços em família e datas comemorativas, essa sobremesa gelada feita com biscoito maizena e creme de leite é perfeita para os dias quentes. Confira a receita completa e o modo de preparo abaixo!

Ingredientes

  • 200g de biscoito maizena
  • 200g de margarina sem sal (preferencialmente Doriana)
  • 1 xícara de açúcar
  • 2 latas de creme de leite sem soro
  • 1 colher de chá de essência de baunilha
  • 200g de chocolate meio amargo
  • 1/2 xícara de leite
  • Biscoitos cobertos de chocolate (opcional, para decoração)

Source: Receita de Torta Alemã : Linkezine

May 27, 2024 Memorial Day at St Andrew’s Forest Farm | Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm

So far we have seen plenty of deer ticks, dog ticks and lone star ticks at the farm this year. The clearing seems free of them right now since we keep it mowed down well. In the forest, the wetter and greener areas where deer and dogs are known to move through have been hotspots. Our tick mitigation measures have kept us from getting any bites but we have found them crawling on our socks, shoes and clothes. It’s definitely tick season unfortunately.

Monotropa uniflora, Indian pipe or ghost pipe, found along southern set back line in the forest. These plants get their energy from their host fungus, Russula or Lactarius, so they can exist in darkest parts of the woods. We were delighted to find it at SAFF. 

Source: May 27, 2024 Memorial Day at St Andrew’s Forest Farm | Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm

खोए सपने / Lost Dreams – Kaushal Kishore

 

बहुत मुश्किल से मैं ने बुने थे कुछ सपने,

पता नहीं कब और कहां वे गुम हो गए…

शायद तुम मदद कर सको उन्हें ढूंढने में,

और प्यार से वापस ला सको उनके घर में…

💫 💫 💫 💫 💫 💫

I wove my dreams with great effort and grace,

Now they’re lost; I know not where they roam…

Perhaps you can help me find their trace,

And gently guide them back to their home…

.

–Kaushal Kishore  

Source: खोए सपने / Lost Dreams – Kaushal Kishore

♫ Dedicated To The One I Love ♫ | Filosofa’s Word

I was curious, so I checked out both the “5” Royales and The Shirelles versions.  I found that I rather liked the “5” Royales version, although the Mamas & the Papas will always be my favourite.  I did not care much for The Shirelles version, however.  But, since we all have different tastes when it comes to music, I am offering all three tonight, but the Mamas & the Papas get top billing!

Source: ♫ Dedicated To The One I Love ♫ | Filosofa’s Word

diabetes cure: Chinese scientists develop cure for diabetes, insulin patient becomes medicine-free in just 3 months – The Economic Times

According to a South China Morning Post report, the patient underwent the cell transplant in July 2021. Remarkably, within eleven weeks, he no longer required external insulin. Over the next year, he gradually reduced and ultimately stopped taking oral medication for blood sugar control. “Follow-up examinations showed that the patient’s pancreatic islet function was effectively restored,” said Yin, one of the lead researchers. The patient has now been insulin-free for 33 months.

This breakthrough marks a significant advancement in cell therapy for diabetes. Timothy Kieffer, a professor at the University of British Columbia, praised the study, saying, “I think this study represents an important advance in the field of cell therapy for diabetes.”

Source: diabetes cure: Chinese scientists develop cure for diabetes, insulin patient becomes medicine-free in just 3 months – The Economic Times