Category Archives: Viva!

No Burden – Kindness #poetry

I needed this today; perhaps you do too

penned in moon dust

framed hand with flower

A hand offered in silence

a smile to soothe the days

eyes light hope’s tomorrows

cast warm summer rays

you choose to accept another

 to greet with friendly smile

burdens often we carry

lighter for two over miles

lean forward into fellowship

melt frost on coldest days

sun breaks the mourning

for God’s gift you can never pay

I am daily graced by the kindness of others. The gesture need not be a grand one but just in a simple act, a smile, a word kindly spoken.  The difference can have a profound effect on a person’s day. Try it!

“Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.:

~Proverbs 3:3

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

~Ephesians 4:32

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Netanyahu Tried to Negotiate a Good Press in Return for Benefits-Media – The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/01/08/world/middleeast/08reuters-israel-netanyahu.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

(Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under police investigation for suspected corruption, was caught on tape negotiating mutual benefits with an arch-foe, the owner of one of Israel’s largest-selling newspapers, Israeli media reported on Sunday.The report, which Israeli media outlets described as “an earthquake” that could have implications for Netanyahu’s political future, drew no immediate comment from the prime minister or Yedioth Ahronoth daily owner Noni Mozes.Channel Two television said the right-wing leader had offered to limit the circulation of Israel Hayom, a free, pro-Netanyahu daily owned and published by U.S. billionaire and Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson, if Mozes’ Yedioth Ahronoth gave the prime minister more favorable coverage.Steps to cut Israel Hayom’s market-leading circulation could have financial benefits for Mozes, whose newspaper’s advertising revenues have been hit by its free competitor.It was unclear exactly when the reported conversation took place. The Haaretz daily said it occurred several months ago.

US intel heads slam Kremlin in alleged Russian hacking during US election | News | DW.COM | 06.01.2017

A mural of US President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vilnius, Lithuania.

“The Russians have a long history of interfering in elections, theirs and other people’s,” Clapper told the Senate armed services committee. “We have never encountered such a direct campaign to interfere with the election process as we have seen in this case [ … ]. This was a multifaceted campaign. So the hacking was only one part of it, and it also entailed classical propaganda, disinformation, fake news.””Russia has clearly assumed an even more aggressive cyber posture by increasing cyber espionage operations, leaking data stolen from these operations and targeting critical infrastructure systems,” he went on.

Source: US intel heads slam Kremlin in alleged Russian hacking during US election | News | DW.COM | 06.01.2017

US intelligence report: Putin ′ordered′ targeted involvement in US election | News | DW.COM | 06.01.2017

A new US intel report has found that Putin “ordered” a hacking campaign aimed at harming Hillary Clinton’s electability. The report also found the Russian government showed a “clear preference” for Donald Trump.

Source: US intelligence report: Putin ′ordered′ targeted involvement in US election | News | DW.COM | 06.01.2017

Italy boat migrant numbers surge 20% in 2016 – The Local – “This is what greed, fear, war, hate, sexism, racism, profiteering brings all over the world!”

Migrants and refugees wait to be transferred from Malta’s Topaz Responder ship after being rescued off the coast of Libya on November 5, 2016.

Source: Italy boat migrant numbers surge 20% in 2016 – The Local

Bias from the Bottom – Center for Action and Contemplation

Brian McLaren offers an honest, prophetic critique of Christianity’s misplaced values in domination and artificially contrived success:

Growing numbers of us are acknowledging with grief that many forms of supremacy—Christian, white, male, heterosexual, and human—are deeply embedded not just in Christian history, but also in Christian theology. We are coming to see that in hallowed words like almighty, sovereignty, kingdom, dominion, supreme, elect, chosen, clean, remnant, sacrifice, lord, and even God, dangerous vices often lie hidden. . . . We are coming to see in the life and teaching of Christ, and especially in the cross and resurrection of Christ, a radical rejection of dominating supremacy in all its forms.

 

From the Bottom Up: Introduction Bias from the Bottom Friday, January 6, 2017 (Feast of the Epiphany) Another aspect of the phrase “from the bottom up” has to do with the biblical and Franciscan emphasis on the path of descent. Most of religion is ideological: it defines reality from the top down. It begins with Read More »

Source: Bias from the Bottom – Center for Action and Contemplation

العنف المتأصل في نفوسنا

نادية حرحش

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vintage everyday: The Corman’s Missing Polaroids: The Story Behind 66 Lost Polaroids of Madonna Before She Was Famous

The Corman’s Missing Polaroids: The Story Behind 66 Lost Polaroids of Madonna Before She Was FamousThe missing Polaroids had kept Richard Corman awake at night for years. He had misplaced or, worse, thrown away dozens of shots he took of Madonna in April 1983, when she was a fiercely ambitious 24 years old unknown with blood-red-lips, a painted-on-mole and an armful of black rubber bangles.

Source: vintage everyday: The Corman’s Missing Polaroids: The Story Behind 66 Lost Polaroids of Madonna Before She Was Famous

Facebook blocks photo of Neptune statue for being ‘explicitly sexual’ | World news | The Guardian – Facebook becoming laughing stock of… world social media – grin

The statue was created in the 1560s by a Flemish sculptor called Jean de Boulogne, nicknamed by the Italians Giambologna, and it has dominated the piazza for approaching 500 years.Advertisement“Back in the 1950s, during celebrations for schoolchildren graduating, they used to cover up Neptune,” Barbari added. “Maybe Facebook would prefer the statue to be dressed again.” Facebook’s overzealous censoring software has brought the social media giant into controversy with increasing frequency, even as it faces intense criticism on another front for doing too little to prevent the spread of “fake news”.

Source: Facebook blocks photo of Neptune statue for being ‘explicitly sexual’ | World news | The Guardian