Walking in the rain – CatsinCambridge

20th June 2024

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“We got all wet!”

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As predicted yesterday, we had another cracker of a storm.

The day before it came on as I was going outside. I hesitated just long enough to convince myself I would not be struck by lightning, then carried on.

It reminded me of my childhood when I liked nothing better than getting thoroughly drenched…

Source: Walking in the rain – CatsinCambridge

Louisiana Burns The Constitution | Filosofa’s Word

I noted the other day my utter disgust at the new Louisiana law to force religion on every student from kindergarten through college by demanding the ten commandments of the Christian religion be posted in every classroom.  Thom Hartmann has an in-depth analysis of the injustice of this new law that is interesting, thoughtful, and honest.  His piece is truly a deep dive into the history of the separation between church and state and how Louisiana is in direct violation of all the Constitution stands for, but being a deep dive, his piece is too lengthy (3,436 words) for me to share here in its entirety.  So … I am sharing with you the first and I think most relevant part of his post, but if you would like to read the rest, you can do so here.


THE FOUNDER’S FURY: TEN COMMANDMENTS INVADE OUR SCHOOLS

It is utter BS to justify imposing religious doctrine on impressionable youth: there isn’t that much overlap between the Ten Commandments and American or Louisiana law…

By Thom Hartmann

21 June 2024

“The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” —Thomas Jefferson

How will the Ten Commandments do anything at all to help Louisiana’s many crises? That state has:

— One of the highest poverty and child poverty rates in the US (26% of all Louisiana children live below the poverty line),
— More than twice the rate of death for women in childbirth than the national average and almost twice the rate of child and infant mortality,
— Terrible high school graduation rates and one of the lowest adult literacy rates in the entire developed world,
— A 38.1% adult obesity rate, one of the highest in the developed world,
— One of the worst violent crime rates in the country (549.3 incidents per 100,000 people, vs the US national average of 366.7),
— STD rates off the charts, usually ranking in the top 5 in America for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis,
— The second-lowest life expectancy in the nation,
— One of the worst levels of income and wealth inequality in America,
— Almost twice the national rate of hunger (“food insecurity”) with almost one in five (16.7%) of their children going to bed hungry every year,
— More people dying from heart disease than almost any other state,
— Among the worst and most lethal air pollution in the nation (see: “Cancer Alley”),
— Almost twice the national rate of teen pregnancy (27.5 per 1000 females 15-19 compared with a national rate of 17.4), and
— Almost twice the number of people in prison as the national average (680 per 100K vs a national average of 419).

Republicans in the state now have a brilliant new solution to all these problems brought on by a half-century of Republican rule: post the Ten Commandments in every school and college classroom in the state, starting with kindergarten.

This is particularly bizarre, given that Republican Governor Jeff Landry says he’s ordering this “because if you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses.” He even includes a fake quote attributed to James Madison in his proclamation.

This, of course, is utter BS to justify imposing religious doctrine on impressionable youth: There isn’t that much overlap between the Ten Commandments and American or Louisiana law.

Our laws don’t, as do the Ten Commandments:

— Specify a single god who must be worshiped,
— Demand a ban on graven images (statues, crucifixes, and pictures of deities),
— Require us to take a Sabbath day off work every week or be put to death,
— Mandate that children “honor” their parents or be stoned to death,
— Make it illegal for men to “covet” other men’s wives or sleep with unmarried women,
— Or criminalize telling a lie except under oath (in fact, corporations have recently asserted the explicit “right to lie” under the First Amendment, and Trump averaged a lie every 3 minutes in his last speech).

The only two things in common between the Ten Commandments and most state or federal laws are prohibitions on killing and stealing, which have always been pretty obvious and don’t need giant posters saying, “Don’t Kill” and “Don’t Steal” in school.

This pitch for religious indoctrination by government was also a major concern for America’s Founders, which — remembering the then-fresh lessons of Salem, Massachusetts — they resisted as a naked power grab.

Religious leaders of that day tried to pull it off by claiming that America’s system of jurisprudence was founded on the Ten Commandments, and that therefore that document and Christianity more generally should be integrated into our nation’s political and legal systems.

The claim was made so often and so loudly — particularly by Virginia’s largest slave holder, the evangelical Patrick Henry, who right wingers today love to quote and vigorously opposed the Constitution in part because of the Establishment Clause and because it didn’t explicitly support slavery — that several of the actual Founders thought it necessary to refute it in detail.

Author of the Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and the man who wrote the first draft of the Bill of Rights which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” Thomas Jefferson was probably the most methodical.

In a February 10, 1814 letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, Jefferson addressed the question directly:

“Finally, in answer to Fortescue Aland’s question why the Ten Commandments should not now be a part of the common law of England we may say they are not because they never were…”

Anybody who asserted that the Ten Commandments were the basis of American or British law was, Jefferson said, mistakenly believing a document that was “a manifest forgery.”

The reason was simple: British common law, on which much American law was based, existed before Christianity had arrived in England.

Source: Louisiana Burns The Constitution | Filosofa’s Word

Violência Contra a Mulher/Trabalho/Conscientização – Pensamentos.me/VEM comigo!

Escrever é uma formar de levar informação à mulher que é vítima de violência. Claro que tudo isso tem uma história por trás, e eu vou dividir com vocês. A vontade de escrever, ela surgiu a partir de uma necessidade que veio, ainda no período da faculdade. Eu e os meus colegas de classe, estamos estagiando, sendo orientados pela professora Rosalice Câmara no (Sajulbra)/ ULBRA SANTARÉM, quando um dia nos deparamos com um caso de violência doméstica. Eu confesso que aquela cena pra mim foi impactante, porque, enfim é de uma covardia tremenda. Eu fiquei com àquilo na mente e disse que iria desenvolver um trabalho, onde pudesse falar, levar informação à essas vítimas. Foi quando criei o blog ( Pensamentos.me) e depois de um tempo, fui escrevendo artigos, gravando vídeos que vocês veem, e tudo isso se transformou num trabalho de conscientização, que é o que faço com muita seriedade e respeito.

Eu amo o que faço!

Marii Freire. Violência Contra a Mulher/ Trabalho/Conscientização

https://Pensamentos.me/VEM comigo!

Imagem: Autoral

Santarém, Pá 21 de junho de 2024

Source: Violência Contra a Mulher/Trabalho/Conscientização – Pensamentos.me/VEM comigo!

10 Ways To Create Good VIBES – Belladonna’s Flashlight

Empower yourself with ten simple yet powerful actions that can bring great vibes into your life!

Put down your phone

Step away from your phone and immerse yourself in the beauty of the great outdoors! It’s a surefire way to boost your happiness.

Brighten someone’s day and make them smile

Indeed! Brightening someone’s day and making them smile not only improves their mood and reduces stress but also fosters a sense of connection and empathy, creating a more positive and supportive environment for all.

Stay hydrated

Hydrating with water every day offers numerous benefits, including maintaining the balance of body fluids, controlling calorie intake, energizing muscles, keeping skin looking good, and helping the kidneys work properly. It’s an essential part of staying healthy and feeling good!

Eat Healthy and Excercise

Healthy eating and regular exercise offer numerous benefits for both physical and mental well-being. A balanced diet, which includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, can help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Similarly, regular physical activity, such as walking for 30 minutes a day or doing a 15-minute workout at home, can improve overall cardiovascular health and boost energy levels. In addition, these practices contribute to better mood, reduced stress, improved sleep, and a more robust immune system. Making these practices a part of your lifestyle can lead to increased longevity and an overall higher quality of life.

Praise all the positive things in your life

  • Improves overall well-being
  • Increases positivity and gratitude
  • Boosts self-esteem and confidence
  • Fosters a more optimistic outlook
  • Enhances relationships and social connections

Sleep Sleep Sleep

  • Improved memory and cognitive function
  • Lowered stress and improved mood
  • Enhanced immune function
  • Better physical health and healing
  • Improved learning and problem-solving skills
  • Maintenance of a healthy weight
  • Lower risk of severe health problems such as heart disease and diabetes

Getting enough good quality sleep is essential for overall well-being and should be a priority in everyone’s daily routine.

Unleash your creative side

Unleashing your creative side has immense benefits. It can help you express yourself, problem-solve more effectively, reduce stress, and boost your overall sense of well-being. Embracing creativity can also lead to new opportunities and ways of thinking, making it a valuable asset in both personal and professional realms.

Volunteer and give back to your community

  • A sense of fulfillment and purpose.
  • Building a solid and supportive community
  • Developing new skills and gaining experience
  • Making a positive impact on the lives of others
  • Fostering a sense of empathy and understanding
  • Creating opportunities for networking and building connections
  • Improving mental and physical well-being

Go on VACATION

Vacations are essential for relaxation, stress reduction, and overall well-being. Taking time off allows you to recharge and rejuvenate, leading to increased productivity and creativity. Additionally, vacations provide opportunities for new experiences, personal growth, and quality time with loved ones.

Lastly 

Let go of things you can’t control ~FIND PEACE~

Cheers to creating Good VIBES!

You could have chosen any blog to read, but you chose mine, and I’m honored!

Source: 10 Ways To Create Good VIBES – Belladonna’s Flashlight

Manhattan district attorney asks judge to extend gag order against Trump | New York | The Guardian

Alvin Bragg speaks in New York on 13 September 2023. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who prosecuted Donald Trump in his felony trial, has asked a judge to extend a gag order against the ex-president after an onslaught of threats and harassment against him and other officials since the guilty verdict.

The gag order was placed on Trump before the start of the felony trial. It prevented the former president from attacking witnesses, court staff, jurors and relatives of Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the trial.

Trump’s legal team has unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the gag order, arguing that it prevents voters from being able to hear from a presidential candidate.

But Bragg and others have said that part of the order should remain for jurors, prosecutors, their staff and their families, given a high number of threats, the New York Times reported.

Bragg specifically has faced an onslaught of death threats and harassment since Trump was found guilty. He has received more than 100 threatening emails via his campaign website, the New York Daily News reported, citing a source who asked to remain anonymous.

Several of the abusive messages obtained by the Daily News use racial slurs including the N-word, “gorilla” and “primate”, it reported, adding that Bragg also faced death threats and racial abuse throughout the seven-week trial.

In one instance, a package was sent to Bragg from Portland, Oregon, containing a picture of Bragg alongside a noose, with the caption: “I am past the point of just wanting them in prison.”

The New York police department has logged 56 “actionable threats” since the start of April against Bragg, his employees, and his family, the Times reported.

Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who prosecuted Donald Trump in his felony trial, has asked a judge to extend a gag order against the ex-president after an onslaught of threats and harassment against him and other officials since the guilty verdict.

The gag order was placed on Trump before the start of the felony trial. It prevented the former president from attacking witnesses, court staff, jurors and relatives of Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the trial.

Trump’s legal team has unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the gag order, arguing that it prevents voters from being able to hear from a presidential candidate.

But Bragg and others have said that part of the order should remain for jurors, prosecutors, their staff and their families, given a high number of threats, the New York Times reported.

Bragg specifically has faced an onslaught of death threats and harassment since Trump was found guilty. He has received more than 100 threatening emails via his campaign website, the New York Daily News reported, citing a source who asked to remain anonymous.

Several of the abusive messages obtained by the Daily News use racial slurs including the N-word, “gorilla” and “primate”, it reported, adding that Bragg also faced death threats and racial abuse throughout the seven-week trial.

In one instance, a package was sent to Bragg from Portland, Oregon, containing a picture of Bragg alongside a noose, with the caption: “I am past the point of just wanting them in prison.”

The New York police department has logged 56 “actionable threats” since the start of April against Bragg, his employees, and his family, the Times reported.

Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who prosecuted Donald Trump in his felony trial, has asked a judge to extend a gag order against the ex-president after an onslaught of threats and harassment against him and other officials since the guilty verdict.

The gag order was placed on Trump before the start of the felony trial. It prevented the former president from attacking witnesses, court staff, jurors and relatives of Judge Juan Merchan, who oversaw the trial.

Trump’s legal team has unsuccessfully attempted to overturn the gag order, arguing that it prevents voters from being able to hear from a presidential candidate.

But Bragg and others have said that part of the order should remain for jurors, prosecutors, their staff and their families, given a high number of threats, the New York Times reported.

Bragg specifically has faced an onslaught of death threats and harassment since Trump was found guilty. He has received more than 100 threatening emails via his campaign website, the New York Daily News reported, citing a source who asked to remain anonymous.

Several of the abusive messages obtained by the Daily News use racial slurs including the N-word, “gorilla” and “primate”, it reported, adding that Bragg also faced death threats and racial abuse throughout the seven-week trial.

In one instance, a package was sent to Bragg from Portland, Oregon, containing a picture of Bragg alongside a noose, with the caption: “I am past the point of just wanting them in prison.”

The New York police department has logged 56 “actionable threats” since the start of April against Bragg, his employees, and his family, the Times reported.

Source: Manhattan district attorney asks judge to extend gag order against Trump | New York | The Guardian