#How To Create a Riot Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

[solution007]

How To Create Txtag Account: Streamlining Your Toll Payment Experience

How To Create Txtag Account In this digital age, technology has revolutionized various aspects of our lives, including how we pay tolls on highways and expressways. A Txtag account offers a seamless and efficient method for paying tolls electronically, providing numerous benefits to motorists.Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Benefits Of A Txtag Account

A Txtag account comes with several advantages that make it an attractive option for frequent travelers. Some of the key benefits include: “How To Create Txtag Account”

1. Time-Saving: With a Txtag account, you can breeze through toll booths without having to stop and handle cash transactions. This saves you valuable time during your daily commute or road trips. “How To Create Txtag Account”

2. Convenience: Gone are the days of fumbling for loose change or searching for toll booth lanes. A Txtag account allows you to conveniently pay your tolls using a pre-funded account linked to your vehicle.

3. Cost-Effective: In certain areas, using a Txtag can provide discounted toll rates compared to cash payments. This can result in long-term savings for regular users of toll roads.

4. Account Management: With a Txtag account, you can easily manage your toll transactions, view your account balance, and add or remove vehicles associated with your account. This level of control and transparency enhances your overall toll payment experience.

How To Create Txtag Account

Now that you’re aware of the benefits, let’s walk through the process of creating your very own Txtag account step by step. Let’s get started!

1: Visit The Txtag Website

To get started, open your web browser and navigate to the official Txtag website. The website provides detailed information about the benefits of a Txtag account and the toll roads where it is accepted.

2: Click On “Sign Up”

On the homepage of the Txtag website, locate the “Sign Up” button and click on it. This will redirect you to the account creation page.

3: Provide Personal Information

On the account creation page, you will be required to provide your personal information, including your full name, contact details, and mailing address. Ensure that the information you provide is accurate and up to date.

4: Create A Username And Password

Next, create a unique username and a strong password for your Txtag account. It is important to choose a password that is secure and not easily guessable. Consider using a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to enhance the security of your account.

5: Add Payment Information

To fund your Txtag account, you will need to provide payment information. This typically involves linking a credit or debit card to your account. Follow the instructions provided on the website to securely add your payment details. “How To Create Txtag Account”

6: Review And Submit

Before finalizing your account creation, take a moment to review the information you have provided. Ensure that all details are accurate and complete. Once you are satisfied, click on the “Submit” or “Create Account” button to complete the process.

Managing Your Txtag Account

Congratulations! You have successfully created your Txtag account. Now, let’s explore some essential account management features that will enhance your overall experience. “How To Create Txtag Account”

1. Adding Vehicles

If you own multiple vehicles, you can easily add them to your Txtag account. This ensures that tolls incurred by any of your registered vehicles are conveniently deducted from your account balance.

2. Account Balance And Statements

Stay informed about your account balance and transaction history by regularly checking your account statements. This helps you monitor your toll expenses and manage your account effectively.

3. Updating Personal Information

Should any of your personal information change, such as your address or contact details, make sure to update them promptly on your Txtag account. This ensures that you receive important notifications and correspondence from Txtag. “How To Create Txtag Account”

4. Customer Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions regarding your Txtag account, reach out to the customer support team for assistance. They are there to help you and provide guidance on any account-related matters.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I use my Txtag account in multiple states? Yes, your Txtag account can be used on toll roads in Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. “How To Create Txtag Account”

2. Is there an annual fee for maintaining a Txtag account? No, there is no annual fee for keeping a Txtag account. However, some administrative fees may apply in certain situations.

3. Can I transfer my Txtag account to another person? No, Txtag accounts are non-transferable and should only be used by the account holder. “How To Create Txtag Account”

4. What should I do if I lost my Txtag transponder? If your Txtag transponder is lost or stolen, contact customer support immediately to report the incident and request a replacement.

5. Can I deactivate my Txtag account if I no longer need it? Yes, you can deactivate your Txtag account by contacting customer support and following their instructions to close the account.

Https://Www.Txtag.Org 

Conclusion

Creating a Txtag account is a straightforward process that brings convenience and efficiency to your toll payment experience. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can establish your account quickly and start enjoying the benefits of electronic toll payment. Say goodbye to long queues and hello to smoother journeys on the road! Embrace technology and make your driving experience hassle-free with a Txtag account.

Deleting Your Lenskart Account: A Comprehensive Guide

How To Create Txtag Account: Streamlining Your Toll Payment Experience

[welcome-to-green-hills]

Mystery you might need to plant more trees or gain more followers with the NFR and cryptocurrency move that Sega is doing

I did see SEGA of Japan’s tweet this morning… If they’re going to be on board with this NFT and cryptocurrency situation this summer, then that’s disappointing.

Cryptocurrencies/NFT’s are damaging to the environment: they draw on more power to be produced in order to have the currency and it causes a domino effect on polluting the planet in order to produce the energy and power to make it. I’ve stopped supporting some companies that have advertised that they use cryptocurrency as well. I’ll continue to clean up the environment and do what I can to be eco friendly, being green is what it’s about.

However, it is never polite to argue and harass a company. This morning I saw accounts on Twitter tweet how SEGA of Japan should be ashamed and going as far as yelling at the company. Please know that I’m not saying that it’s everyone on the social media platform, that would be biased of me and that’s lacking in the point being made. What I’m saying is that some took the pathway to act out of line and express sheer anger towards the company. I can completely understand the anger and frustration of the situation: the Sonic franchise has always been about being green and environmentally friendly. To see the very company that it was created from use a method that’s damaging to the environment feels like a stab in the back.

Our voices matter—we have them. I’ve always encouraged everyone here to embark on the power that their voice possesses. When we use our voice, we must be civil. We should never use them to create a bigger issue to the situation at hand. We’re smarter than that. I’d advise for us to try this tactic before the riots on Twitter start again.

@yureiposting shared a thread in their account on a step-by-step process on how to express your concerns to SEGA of Japan. Follow the guide if you wish to express your thoughts, but always be mindful of the words that you use. We’re a community built on love and support for one another. We’re a community who wants nothing but the best for it and to share our love for our favorite video game series. Let us remind SEGA of their roots that they came from, but we must do it in a nurturing manner. Be nice, I promise that it will work out well in the future. Good things come to those who are civil and respectful.❤️✨

[yourlocalenglishmajor]

Commonplace Book

Hello everyone! This is my first post on this blog, and it is going to be a project for my college English course! Feel free to read through it if you’re interested; if not, that’s okay, this is really just for my professor ^^

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Piece 1: “Big Guns, Small Dicks”

Unfortunately, this piece does not have a specific author or creator; I found it on State Street in Madison last summer. It is an anonymous piece of graffiti that speaks to the movement it was created during. For those who may be less familiar with Madison, Wisconsin, it is considered a very liberal and even leftist city, especially with how frequent and powerful the Black Lives Matter protests were. This was created during those protests, as well as hundreds of other works all along historic State Street. As ACAB - All Cops Are Bastards - protests went hand in hand (usually) with BLM protests, the phrase “Big guns, small dicks” is a jibe at the police and its racist foundations and use of excessive force.

It best relates to class through the conversations about race and equity we’ve had. Our readings have been centered around a diverse cast of authors instead of the one viewpoint of the cisgender, heterosexual white man, which is something the BLM movement also aimed to achieve. In addition, although it has not been a focal topic yet, we have talked about police brutality and how it impacts POC most; another key point of the BLM movement. Lastly, we talked about what mythic America, or the American Dream, really is, and why it is never realized for so many people. The Black Lives Matter movement is all about how the American Dream is something almost no one can truly achieve, and how it leads to othering and a sense of disillusionment with the effectiveness of our society.

Piece 2: Vonnegut’s Slapstick

For my second piece, I chose to utilize a work of a famous satire writer to draw comparisons to our coursework. As for the image, I took a picture of the copy I own and edited it. Kurt Vonnegut’s Slapstick centers around two twins who are geniuses together, but entirely stupid on their own; they are neglected by their parents, who are a family of renown and ashamed of having deformed children. Their parents look at them as if they are to be pitied for the very nature of their existence. They use this to sneak around and live lives of luxury, continuing this ruse of being entirely stupid so that they may live as freely as possible in their circumstances. 

In this work, the children are quite literally tossed in a house and locked away to prevent others from seeing them; this is something I personally connect to the concept of silencing, which happened frequently during the BLM movement. Protesters, peaceful or not, were arrested; protests were escalated by cops far more often than by protesters, but that was generally ignored and used as a way to disregard the protests as nothing more than “riots”; large platforms such as Twitter and Instagram incorrectly labelled some posts as “misinformation”. Voices were silenced all over the internet. In addition, some white allies were not using their platforms to actually help/spread information, but were using them to spew white guilt and accomplish very little. As L. Ayu Saraswati says in her textbook Introduction to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Interdisciplinary and Intersectional Approaches, “Guilt as a response to...racism...does very little to contribute to efforts toward social change as it recenters whiteness” (page 15), basically saying yes, these folks are speaking their mind and are at least partially aware of their privilege, but their feelings of guilt without taking action are not actually doing anything to help what they feel guilty for.

Piece 3: The Hymn to Demeter

My last selection will be an ancient work known as the Hymn to Demeter, and the version I am using is translated by Gregory Nagy. I am using this statue of Demeter and Persephone as the visual accompaniment to this analysis. This piece was originally written to be performed orally by a poet/performer as praise to Demeter. It details the kidnapping of Persephone, Demeter’s daughter, and the subsequent founding of the Cult of Demeter in the city Eleusis. 

When Persephone is first kidnapped, it is said that “she cried with a piercing voice, / Calling upon her father, the son of Kronos, the highest and the best. / But not one of the immortal ones, or of human mortals, / heard her voice” (lines 20-23). To me, this draws clear parallels with the silencing of victims of police brutality and their families. Public outrage did nothing to bring accountability to Breonna Taylor’s killers or the flawed justice system that let them get away with it. The victim’s family was silenced and the movement to convict her killers has died down since it happened almost a year ago. 

Additionally, it is later revealed to Demeter through Rhea that this kidnapping was not only endorsed by but planned by Zeus himself. As Greek households were patriarchal, it was not uncommon for a father to arrange a relationship/marriage without informing the daughter or allowing the daughter to meet her betrothed first. This endorsed act of violence can also be paralleled to the actions of the police; their brutality is actively supported by a flawed, racist justice system, just as the actions of Hades were actively supported by the all-powerful Zeus. What’s more, nobody stood up to Zeus or questioned his actions because of all the power he has, which is another perfect example of how this parallel functions.

Lastly, Demeter’s pure rage and grief is reminiscent of the rage and grief of the black mothers who lost their children to police brutality. Last semester, I attended a Theater of War performance known as “Antigone in Ferguson”, and after the performance was over, there was a discussion led by a panel of educators and victims of police brutality. Several of them were mothers who told painful stories of how their children, usually sons, were murdered and how they are still trying to find a way to keep living. Their powerful grief is parallel to Demeter’s; the only difference is that Demeter gets her child back.

A Meta-Commentary

My process in finding these works and deciding which would draw the best parallels was to find a bunch of subjects I thought would work well and then cut down on them. I knew the “big guns, small dicks” would be included for sure, as it was an image I took myself and had good parallels to draw right off the bat. It’s a good way to catch someone’s attention! And the message is powerful. Seeing all the graffiti on State Street last summer was impactful, but this simple phrase stood out to me and was (I believe) the only picture I took out of all the graffiti down there. The Kurt Vonnegut work I included because I like the comparison between how the twins are treated in the book and how folks who were active and open about their opinions were silenced; also, I’d be lying if I failed to mention that part of the reason is because I adore Kurt Vonnegut and wanted to find a way to bring a work of his into this. My third choice, the Hymn to Demeter, was chosen because it’s a cool way to connect one of my other classes to this one. In addition, it’s a good piece to reinterpret as an allegory for how the justice system enables the wrong people and fails the right ones.

Also, although I did not choose many direct quotes, I think the parallels I drew between the content of these works is substantial! I put a lot of thought into how I worded things and what content actually related best to the works of this class, specifically the themes we’ve discovered so far in Claudia Rankine’s Citizen. The heaviness of the book relates well to the power behind each of these pieces, especially the first one, as the message is plain and simple but impactful. The prose and structure of Rankine’s work is incredibly unique and not directly paralleled in any of the pieces I chose; however, the Hymn to Demeter is written in a very specific structure that is almost poetry? It’s a very confusing structure, because it does not seem to have any meter or consistency, but is still patterned in a specific way. This may be a result of translation, it may have been intentionally created this way by the original writer (who is not known; the transcript of this hymn was found in a stable in Moscow in 1777), or it could be a byproduct of the format itself as a hymn. The repetition Rankine takes advantage of in Citizen is actually something Vonnegut is known for as well. Several of his works have anaphoric phrases; Slaughterhouse V has both “po-tee-weet” and “and so it goes”, and Slapstick has the comedic “hi-ho”, used as a way to break the tension of the work, as it is supposed to be satire. This repetition and the more casual grammar these authors both share give their works a heavy feeling (cut far more frequently in Vonnegut’s than in Rankine’s) that also works as a conversational element, making both of the works feel like the audience is also in the narrative itself.

Commonplacing is a valuable step in making powerful literature more accessible to people! Providing unique and interesting analysis of a work makes it much easier for people to casually consume! Additionally, using platforms like Tumblr for this analysis makes things even more accessible, as anyone can see it and Tumblr allows posts to be any length! Opening thoughtful literature and analysis to the public like this also allows for good, guided conversation on a variety of subjects, and creates interest for the works in their entirety. This can easily inspire people to pick up a copy of their own of any of these works if someone is interested enough in how these can be interpreted! (If any of you are interested in the Hymn to Demeter, I used the one found at this website , it’s free ^-^)

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A big thank you to any of you who read this all the way through (including you, professor)! I’ll be doing more fun and less serious literary analysis on this account as well, so if that’s something you’re interested in, stay tuned!

[ingek73]

01-22-2112:00 PM

‘Time is running out’: Prince Harry calls for social media reform after U.S. Capitol riot

In a Q&A with Fast Company, The Duke of Sussex responds to social media’s role in the Capitol attack and explains why the next step must be to hold social platforms accountable.

[Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images]

BY KATHARINE SCHWAB

LONG READ

Over the past year, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have become increasingly outspoken advocates for healthier social media—a topic that is clearly near to their hearts, given the horrendous vitriol and harassment they have faced online and in the press.

By partnering with organizations that aim to understand technology’s impact on society and vocally critiquing the state of online life in the media, the couple are using their clout to push for change in the current digital ecosystem. In an essay for Fast Company last August, Prince Harry called on business leaders to rethink their role in funding the advertising system that underlies the misinformation and divisive rhetoric that’s often shared on social platforms.

“This remodeling must include industry leaders from all areas drawing a line in the sand against unacceptable online practices as well as being active participants in the process of establishing new standards for our online world,” he wrote.

Now, social media is facing an inflection point, just weeks after a violent mob stormed the Capitol in an attack that was conceived, plotted, and stoked primarily online. Powerful platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube responded by suspending Donald Trump’s accounts, while Amazon and Apple cut ties with Parler, a social network that was used by the rioters. But experts and regulators believe that more must be done to reform social media.

Against this background, Prince Harry is once again imploring people to pay attention to the problems social media have wrought. In a wide-ranging interview with Fast Company, he explains why social platforms must be held accountable for the Capitol attack and the circumstances that enabled it, and why we must remodel the digital world before it’s too late.

FC: Six months ago, you wrote an essay for Fast Company in which you asked companies to take action to ensure the meaningful reform of our “unchecked and divisive attention economy.” How has your perspective on social media’s role in society changed over the last few weeks since the attack on the U.S. Capitol?

Prince Harry: When I wrote that piece, I was sharing my view that dominant online platforms have contributed to and stoked the conditions for a crisis of hate, a crisis of health, and a crisis of truth.

And I stand by that, along with millions of others who see and feel what this era has done at every level—we are losing loved ones to conspiracy theories, losing a sense of self because of the barrage of mistruths, and at the largest scale, losing our democracies.

The magnitude of this cannot be overstated, as noted even by the defectors who helped build these platforms. It takes courage to stand up, cite where things have gone wrong, and offer proposals and solutions. The need for that is greater than ever before. So I’m encouraged by and grateful for the groundswell of people who work—or have worked—inside these very platforms choosing to speak up against hate, violence, division, and confusion.

FC: Why is this topic so important to you? How was your outlook affected by the well-documented online harassment you and your wife have faced in the U.K.?

PH: I was really surprised to witness how my story had been told one way, my wife’s story had been told one way, and then our union sparked something that made the telling of that story very different.

That false narrative became the mothership for all of the harassment you’re referring to. It wouldn’t have even begun had our story just been told truthfully.

WE ARE LOSING LOVED ONES TO CONSPIRACY THEORIES, LOSING A SENSE OF SELF BECAUSE OF THE BARRAGE OF MISTRUTHS, AND AT THE LARGEST SCALE, LOSING OUR DEMOCRACIES.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

But the important thing about what we experienced is that it led to us hearing from so many others around the world. We’ve thought a lot about those in much more vulnerable positions than us, and how much of a need there is for real empathy and support.

To their own degree, everyone has been deeply affected by the current consequences of the digital space. It could be as individual as seeing a loved one go down the path of radicalisation or as collective as seeing the science behind the climate crisis denied.

We are all vulnerable to it, which is why I don’t see it as a tech issue, or a political issue—it’s a humanitarian issue.

From an early age, the guiding principle in my life has been about the duty to truth, the pursuit of compassion, and the alleviation of suffering. My life has always been about trying to do my part to help those who need it most, and right now, we need this change—because it touches nearly every single thing we do or are exposed to.

FC: Where do we go from here? What do you think needs to change to create an online atmosphere where truth, equity, and free speech are all prioritized?

PH: I ask the same thing every day and lean on the experts to help give guidance on how to reform the state of our digital world—how we make it better for our kids, of course, but also for ourselves—now.

The avalanche of misinformation we are all inundated with is bending reality and has created this distorted filter that affects our ability to think clearly or even understand the world around us.

What happens online does not stay online—it spreads everywhere, like wildfire: into our homes and workplaces, into the streets, into our minds. The question really becomes about what to do when news and information sharing is no longer a decent, truthful exchange, but rather an exchange of weaponry.

WHAT HAPPENS ONLINE DOES NOT STAY ONLINE—IT SPREADS EVERYWHERE, LIKE WILDFIRE: INTO OUR HOMES AND WORKPLACES, INTO THE STREETS, INTO OUR MINDS.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

The answer I’ve heard from experts in this space is that the common denominator starts with accountability. There has to be accountability to collective wellbeing, not just financial incentive. It’s hard for me to understand how the platforms themselves can eagerly take profit but shun responsibility.

There also has to be common, shared accountability. We can call for digital reform and debate how that happens and what it looks like, but it’s also on each of us to take a more critical eye to our own relationship with technology and media. To start, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Consider setting limits on the time you spend on social media, stop yourself from endlessly scrolling, fact-check the source and research the information you see, and commit to taking a more compassionate approach and tone when you post or comment. These might seem like little things, but they add up.

Finally, there’s a responsibility to compassion that we each own. Humans crave connection, social bonds, and a sense of belonging. When we don’t have those, we end up fractured, and in the digital age that can unfortunately be a catalyst for finding connection in mass extremism movements or radicalisation. We need to take better care of each other, especially in these times of isolation and vulnerability.

FC: Since the Capitol riot, big tech companies from Twitter to Amazon have exercised their power by making determinations about who gets to use their products. Do you think companies should have the power to make decisions about who has access to some of the most prominent platforms on the internet?

PH: We have seen time and again what happens when the real-world cost of misinformation is disregarded. There is no way to downplay this. There was a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organised on social media, which is an issue of violent extremism. It is widely acknowledged that social media played a role in the genocide in Myanmar and was used as a vehicle to incite violence against the Rohingya people, which is a human rights issue. And in Brazil, social media provided a conduit for misinformation which ultimately brought destruction to the Amazon, which is an environmental and global health issue.

In a way, taking a predominately hands-off approach to problems for so long is itself an exercise in power.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about Speakers’ Corner, an area in London’s Hyde Park which is home to open-air debate, dialogue, and the exchange of information and ideas. I used to go past it all the time.

This concept of a ‘public square’ isn’t anything new—it can be traced back to the early days of democracies. You get up there and speak your piece. There are ground rules. You can’t incite violence, you can’t obscure who you are, and you can’t pay to monopolise or own the space itself. Ideas are considered or shot down; opinions are formed. At its best, movements are born, lies are laid bare, and attempts to stoke violence are rejected in the moment. At its worst, intolerance, groupthink, hate, and persecution are amplified. And at times, it forces lines to be drawn and rules or laws to emerge or be challenged.

I THINK IT’S A FALSE CHOICE TO SAY YOU HAVE TO PICK BETWEEN FREE SPEECH OR A MORE COMPASSIONATE AND TRUSTWORTHY DIGITAL WORLD.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

I’m not saying we should abandon technology in favour of Speakers’ Corner. Rather, it’s that we should avoid buying into the idea that social media is the ultimate modern-day public square and that any attempt to ask platforms to be accountable to the landscape they’ve created is an attack or restriction of speech. I think it’s a false choice to say you have to pick between free speech or a more compassionate and trustworthy digital world. They are not mutually exclusive.

With these companies, in this model, we have a very small number of incredibly powerful and consolidated gatekeepers who have deployed hidden algorithms to pick the content billions see every day, and curate the information—or misinformation—everyone consumes. This radically alters how and why we inform opinions. It alters how we speak and what we decide to speak about. It alters how we think and how we react.

Ultimately, it has allowed for completely different versions of reality, with opposing sets of truth, to exist simultaneously. In this, one’s understanding of truth does not have to be based in fact, because there’s always an ability to furnish some form of “proof” to reinforce that version of “truth.” I believe this is the opposite of what we should want from our collective online community. The current model sorts and separates rather than bringing us together; it drowns out or even eliminates healthy dialogue and reasonable debate; it strips away the mutual respect we should have for each other as citizens of the same world.

FC: How do you plan to use your platform to push for change when it comes to hate speech, algorithmic amplification, and misinformation in 2021? Since you’re not a trained expert on these topics, why do you think people should listen to your perspective?

PH: I know enough to know that I certainly don’t know everything, especially when it comes to tech—but when you see this as a humanitarian issue, then you see the spread of misinformation as requiring a humanitarian response.

This is why my wife and I spent much of 2020 consulting the experts and learning directly from academics, advocates, and policymakers. We’ve also been listening with empathy to people who have stories to share—including people who have been deeply affected by misinformation and those who grew up as digital natives.

What we hope to do is continue to be a spotlight for their perspectives, and focus on harnessing their experience and energy to accelerate the pace of change in the digital world.

FC: Your Archewell Foundation has collaborated with several groups and institutions that aim to rethink technology and study its impact on people. As a philanthropist, why are you supporting research efforts within this space?

PH: If we’ve learned anything, it’s that our dominant technologies were built to grow and grow and grow, without serious consideration for the ripple effect of that growth. We have to do more than simply reconsider this model. The stakes are too high, and time is running out.

WE HAVE TO DO MORE THAN SIMPLY RECONSIDER THIS MODEL. THE STAKES ARE TOO HIGH, AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT.”

PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF SUSSEX

There are a lot of incredible people and digital architects thinking about—or already working on—innovative and healthy platforms. We need to support them, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it can make commercial sense. And we have to look at the state of competition and ensure that the landscape doesn’t indiscriminately squeeze out or incentivise against fresh ideas.

I believe we can begin to make our digital world healthier, more compassionate, more inclusive, and trustworthy.

And it’s time to move from rethinking to remodelling.

FC: Given your concerns about divisiveness, misinformation, and hate speech online, how have your views on using social media yourself changed over the last few years? How do you approach it now and are you planning to make any changes?

PH: It’s funny you should ask because ironically, we woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago to hear that a Rupert Murdoch newspaper said we were evidently quitting social media. That was ‘news’ to us, bearing in mind we have no social media to quit, nor have we for the past 10 months.

The truth is, despite its well-documented ills, social media can offer a means of connecting and community, which are vital to us as human beings. We need to hear each other’s stories and be able to share our own. That’s part of the beauty of life. And don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that a reform of the digital space will create a world that’s all rainbows and sunshine, because that’s not realistic, and that, too, isn’t life.

There can be disagreement, conversation, opposing points of view—as there should be, but never to the extent that violence is created, truth is mystified, and lives are jeopardised.

We will revisit social media when it feels right for us—perhaps when we see more meaningful commitments to change or reform—but right now we’ve thrown much of our energy into learning about this space and how we can help.

FC: Are you optimistic or pessimistic about our ability to build a healthier online ecosystem?

PH: Optimistic, of course, because I believe in us, as human beings, and that we are wired to be compassionate and honest and good. Aspects of the digital space have unfortunately manipulated (or even highlighted) our weaknesses and brought out the worst in some.

We have to believe in optimism because that’s the world and the humanity I want for my son, and all of us.

We look forward to being part of the human experience—not a human experiment.

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for Pentecost Sunday (EF)

Acts 2:1-11; John 14:23-31

“Without your Spirit, there is nothing in man, nothing that is not harmful.” These words from the beautiful Pentecost Sequence hymn, Veni Sancte Spiritus, recited before the Gospel today remind us that without God we can do nothing good, and even the good we start to do can become harmful if it’s not sustained by the grace of God. So, the absence of good, of light, of peace shows us that our actions have turned from God, that even what began well can be corrupted by our inclination to sin, and so, end badly.

The chaos flaring up in various parts of the world, seemingly initiated by a desire for justice, which is a good thing, can, as we have seen day after day, go badly astray because we cannot be sustained in the good without the Spirit of God. Humble prayer, therefore, is the foundation of all good, but we have become activists who often react without thinking let alone praying. But it is a diabolical lie to think that we can restore the good, or build a just society, or create a civilisation of love simply by our political will, or merely through outraged tweeting, or just by sharing memes and videos on our social media accounts. These often create much heat but shed very little light if any at all. If we desire to right the wrong, to overwhelm the evil with good, and restore justice, then we must first return to God. As the Sequence of Pentecost says: “Come, father of the poor, come, giver of gifts, come, light of the heart.”

But do we know our fundamental poverty of spirit? Do we desire the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do we seek the light of God? This year, with the whole world still suffering the effects of a pandemic – even if the crowds on the beaches, parks, and streets might behave with wishful thinking as if the virus has just dissipated with the summer heat – and now, moreover, with the spread of violence, rioting, desecrations of churches, looting, destruction of property, and hatred, these are signs and reminders that both the natural order and our human nature, disfigured by sin, are in clear need of God. We need the Holy Spirit to free us from the prince of this world, that is, the devil, who through sin and lies and false promises leads us as individuals and as a society only towards division, destruction, death, and hell.

Pray with me, then, these words from the Sequence of Pentecost: “Come, Holy Spirit, send forth the heavenly radiance of your light… O most blessed light, fill the inmost heart of your faithful… In labour, rest, in heat, temperance, in tears, solace… Cleanse that which is unclean, water that which is dry, heal that which is wounded. Bend that which is inflexible, fire up that which is chilled, correct what goes astray.”

As fires from riots and violent protests flare up in different parts of the world, and as the fire of anger and hatred flares up in numerous hearts, we behold today a different kind of fire. The Holy Spirit who descends on the apostles on Pentecost Sunday is seen as a visible light, as tongues of flame, but this divine fire, alights on their head without burning. Like the fire of the burning bush beheld by Moses, which shed a radiant brilliance without consuming it, so the Holy Spirit sheds light without destructive heat.

Such is the light of grace, which enlightens the darkness of the human mind. Original sin has darkened the intellect, leaving Man to fumble his way forward in the dark, his reasoning hindered by emotion, passions, and sinful desires. So, the Spirit of God comes, we pray, with the light of truth to guide our reasoning minds. The Spirit of God comes to “correct what goes astray”, he comes to heal our wills, our appetites, our desires. This is the light, the divine fire of Love, which burns without destroying. Rather, it purifies, it refines, it transforms. For our human nature, healed of the wounds of sin by the Holy Spirit, is then elevated by grace so that we now reflect the glory of God, we become divinised by grace, we now shine with God’s love.

The love of God, as St Paul reminds us, is “patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.” (1 Cor 13:4-6) Therefore, it is not love if we seek to avenge a wrong by doing still more wrong, by speaking without charity nor kindness nor even courtesy, no matter how right one’s cause might be. Instead, this kind of fire and passion, burning hot and fast, will consume us and we will be burnt out. The fire of divine love, as we see in the Scriptures, is a slow burn but it thus transforms and improves, softens and changes things - anyone who has cooked will understand this. Hence the flames that burn above the apostles’ heads do not catch fire to their hair, but instead, God’s Spirit illumines their minds; he gives them knowledge of things human and divine; and he gives them gifts. Thus they miraculously speak languages they had not learnt; they preach the divine truths of salvation with boldness; and they become witnesses of the Resurrection and the freedom given to us by Christ. Their lives, therefore, are utterly changed, and they see things from God’s perspective. Hence the Sequence of Pentecost prays: “Give to your faithful, those who trust in you, the sevenfold gifts. Grant the reward of virtue, grant the deliverance of salvation, grant eternal joy.”

Pentecost is, as the name suggests, the fiftieth day after Easter. And this number, 50, is Biblically significant. In the book of Leviticus the fiftieth year was a jubilee year, a time of rest, of relief from debt and hard labour, a sign of God’s forgiveness and redemption. Pentecost points to the jubilee, therefore, and it is significant that on the fiftieth day after Easter comes the public proclamation of deliverance from the bondage of sin and vice and even death. The Spirit of God, his merciful love, comes to free us from the debt of sin. God comes to free us from slavery to our limited human ideas, and our wild emotions and unbridled passions. The Spirit of God is present to forgive us, and to redeem us, and to sanctify us. Thus, the Holy Spirit is, as we said in the Sequence hymn, our “greatest comforter, [the] sweet guest of the soul, [and] sweet consolation.”

In the midst of a land, and even among Church communities, who seem lost in chaos and darkness and turmoil, the Holy Spirit comes to us today. And he comes not only as a gentle brilliant flame but also as a powerful rushing wind. For there is much debris and detritus from our old sinful lives that needs to be cleared out; the dust and nonsense fills the air and keeps us from seeing the Truth clearly. So the psalmist says: “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him! As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before fire, let the wicked perish before God!” (Ps 68:1-2) Yes, let the Holy Spirit come and drive away the enemies of God, all that opposes the good and the true; all those infernal beings who would deceive and lead astray. We human beings have been called to friendship with God, and the Holy Spirit is the Advocate and Guide who comes to make us friends of God. Therefore, he comes first to drive away the Enemy who stirs up rebellion and prideful disobedience; who corrupts the good we begin; and who whispers suspicion and conspiracy in our ears. Thus the 9th-century hymn to the Holy Spirit, Veni Creator Spiritus, prays:  “Drive far away our wily Foe, and Thine abiding peace bestow; if Thou be our protecting Guide,  no evil can our steps betide.” The Holy Spirit, therefore, comes to bring peace to the soul, peace to the community, peace to the world, for he restores sinners to true justice that comes only from God. Thus Jesus says in the Gospel today: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (Jn 14:27)

The frustrations of our time: frustration with politicians and their works; frustration with the Media and corporations who control our knowledge and information; frustration with our fellow men and with our leadership – even within the Church, sadly – these frustrations will overheat and boil over because there is much heat and little light in these situations. It is evident that we, today, are in dire need of the Holy Spirit, and, in our anger and quarrels, our communities are disintegrating into nothingness. For “without your Spirit, there is nothing in man, nothing that is not harmful.”

What, then, are we to do? Where does the Holy Spirit lead us? Jesus says the Spirit will “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (Jn 14:26) Therefore, the Holy Spirit leads us, first of all, into prayer. Pray, read the Scriptures prayerfully, and pray again. The apostles had been gathered with Mary in prayer before the Holy Spirit came to illumine their minds and their hearts. And this is what our world, our Church, and each of us need every day: prayer. Only then, with persistent prayer that is insistent on God and on his love, shall we find light, joy, and peace.

If I may make a suggestion: pray the Rosary daily for peace. These were the words of Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima. She, our Mother, and the humble Spouse of the Holy Spirit, promises us peace if we pray the Rosary. Start now: join us today at 5pm after this Mass. I will end this Livestream, and start a new one, Live on this Facebook page, at 5pm.

[lovehaswonangelnumbers]

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/intuitive-astrology-mars-retrograde-2020/

Intuitive Astrology: Mars Retrograde 2020

Intuitive Astrology: Mars Retrograde 2020

By Forever Conscious

Mars Retrograde is a major cosmic event that we will be working with as we wrap up the final months of the year.

Mars starts its retrograde journey on September 9, and as it journeys through the underworld, it is going to be activating and triggering very sensitive degrees of the zodiac.

It’s almost like Mars is going to revisit all the transformative and powerful zodiac alignments of the year, and light them up one more time.

2020 has indeed brought some life-changing astrological alignments, so having Mars wake everything up and trigger all we have been through, is definitely going to feel a little intense.

Mars also happens to go retrograde on the numerologically potent day of 9/9. In numerology, the 9th day of the 9th month represents a completion or the peak point of our lessons of the year.

It is during the 9th month of the year that we really begin understanding and coming into greater awareness of our personal year number.

Mars Retrograde on a Global Level

While we are all going to feel this Mars Retrograde energy on a personal level, know that Mars’ work is also affecting us on a global level. 

This is mostly due to the alignments Mars will be making with Saturn and Pluto during its retrograde.

Mars will be triggering the things we have seen play out on the world stage in matters relating to politics, government, power, and control.

2020 was always destined to be a year that brought the breakdown and dismantling of darker, denser energies so we can shift the planet into a higher state of consciousness.

During Mars Retrograde 2020, we can expect to see:

Power struggles

Exposed corruption 

General Unrest

Disruption

Protests/Uprisings 

Fear-based attitudes 

Riots

Mars can’t create tension out of nothing, but it can trigger what is already present so we can clear and release it for good.

All that comes up during this Mars Retrograde are things that need to be exposed so we can shift and change them as a collective.

Mars Retrograde on a Personal Level

Mars Retrograde is a time where we revaluate our life path and direction.

It is a time where we are encouraged to think about our actions, and whether they are aligned with the life and world we want to create.

Mars Retrograde is a good time to re-write the script on our dreams and goals, and to think about what is really worth our time and energy.

This Mars Retrograde cycle is also connected to the previous Mars Retrograde that unfolded back from June-August 2018.

Think back to this time and see how far you have traveled. Know that any hardships or themes you were working with around this time may finally come to a close or resolution under this current Mars Retrograde cycle.

As Mars travels through the underworld, we may find ourselves feeling a little lethargic or that we can’t move forward with ease. 

Mars Retrograde can bring delays and slow things down to a crawl, but this is only so we can take the much needed time to ensure that what we are wanting to do is in alignment with our true and highest self.

After Mars goes direct on November 13th, we will receive a boost of energy and it will be far easier for us to push forward on the things that we have wanted to do.

We may also find that things we wanted to do have shifted or changed. This is why it’s important to trust divine timing, especially when we have a planet like Mars in Retrograde.

Curious how Mars is going to affect your sign? Get my Mars Retrograde for your Sign Cosmic Report.

Trusting Divine Timing

This idea of trusting Divine timing is also going to be amplified from October 13 to November 3, as Mercury will be in retrograde at the same time.

Having both Mars and Mercury in retrograde together is definitely going to slow things down and make us feel uncertain or confused about what direction to head in.

It is not advisable to make big commitments or life-altering decisions during this period if possible, as this is considered a period of transition.

During a period of transition, we have to wait for the tables to turn in order to see where we are going to end up.

If we try to force a decision, we are likely to find that what we thought we wanted no longer aligns with where we have ended up.

Trusting and listening to your intuition will be extra important during this time, as will focusing on self-care. 

Curious how Mars is going to affect your sign? Get my Mars Retrograde for your Sign Cosmic Report.

Summary

Overall, Mars Retrograde is a period where everything that 2020 has been about comes to the forefront.

Things need to change, and this Mars Retrograde will be ensuring that everything is up and out on the table.

Here’s how you can navigate the energy:

Balance your energy levels

Protect your boundaries

Listen to your body

Work on the Root Chakra

Be Patient

********

All of Creation Is watching Earth  and witnessing its Ascension Process. They are ready, ready for this Planet to be Declared a Light Only Zone. All of Humanity are called upon now to Step Up in fulfillment of their Divine Soul Contract.

The dark has been cleared, fully defeated and New Earth, Nova Terra, is ready to begin. This requires each Being to fully clear the remaining density within their bodies, to awaken to full remembrance of their Galactic Truth, their Soul Essence, their Divine Blueprint.

This is not a Drill, in Real Time, Present Moment of Now Mother of All Creation is on the Planet and she is Our Divine Director, Our Eternal Mother. She hired you for this role  and She is here to guide you.

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You think wedding planning is hard? Try doing it in the middle of a world pandemic, and an old fashion family feud.

Going to the chapel, and going to get married.

My daughter is getting married.  Her Fiancé and her have been engaged since summer of 2018.  They are a smart young couple who have all their ducks in a row.  Both have good jobs, dept. free (less a small amount of School loans) and have a nice little nest egg of savings to buy a house. They have traveled, had many adventures across the globe.  They were engaged in Barcelona, and this doesn’t even touch the list of places they have traveled together.  The love life and live it to the fullest each and every day. Even if it’s a walk on the boardwalk, or down to the local coffee shop, a nice lunch or bar for a cocktail.  They enjoy staying in and cooking new things, try new recipes and live a very healthy lifestyle. They love the Lakers, and very rarely miss watching a game. Even if not televised on their network of stations, they find a place to go watch. (when they are playing)

Better to vent on paper, than react with killing people.

Now to bring you to the reason I am writing this all out on paper.  My daughter is so excited to be part of this big wonderful Family, and we are so happy to welcome her Fiancé’ into our family. This young couple have been together for over 5 years, and have been planning their wedding for over a year and a half.  So Covid-19 has really set the Bride/Groom (everyone involved really) into a whirlwind of emotions, uncertainties and sometimes anger!  They asked themselves, are we going to be able to get married, do we have to postpone, cancel, move venues…. Nightmare Right!?  Some might think….. just postpone?  Well as you can tell a little about them by the beginning of this, they have a plan. The plan does not include postponing the wedding.  So as if a world Pandemic wasn’t enough, we have two dueling Mothers…. Hold on, not the Mother of the Bride, but the Mother (MOG) and Step Mother of the Groom (SMOG) acting like complete selfish, hateful and rude bitches! (sorry, I didn’t mention groom is from a split family). The two between each other don’t have a lot of communications, aside from a couple late night drunk text messages (from what MOG/SMOG have both shared), and just nasty words transmitted through other parties involved.  My daughter has tried to remain neutral and have relationships with both, as they will soon be her family.  She has a stronger relationship with one than the other, but that is based on the relationship her soon to be husband has with each.  Oh boy… to put it in a nutshell… these women have found a way to feud and put my daughter in the middle, along with many other victims.  My daughter has been used in a tug of war game between the two.  Mostly with assumption about how much one or the other is involved in the planning of the wedding, and even their assumption of my involvement has been miscued.  My daughter and soon to be son in law are very non-traditional and know their own vibe.  My daughter is very lucky to have a hands of fiancé that has helped plan and make decisions of what their wedding will look like.  So in all they have planned their entire wedding. (Keep in mind throughout this writing, that the parents of the Bride are paying the majority of the bill, with exceptions of a small cost of some rental furniture the FOG agreed to pay. The Bride and Groom have also taken on the complete Bar, and many other small things as well).  So to continue, there have been so many snarling comments from both MOG and SMOG that have been said to my daughter, things that are so unbelievably petty. As petty as they are at times, its abuse and becomes quite hurtful. I just ask myself why?  Why do these grown women treat my daughter so poorly?  My daughter is educated, has a BA, earned her teaching credentials and is working on her Masters. She holds a full time job earning a good salary.  She is beautiful, kind and generous with her time and sometimes goes above to keep the peace. Some might even be thinking; why would she still want to be part of this family.  Aside from the fact there are so many more amazing people in the family other than the MOG & SMOG, and of course the love she has for her soon to be husband, and the fact that he has stood by her side, one would of “taken the high road” (inside joke).  

A little to help you understand, or it will just seem unreal?

Back story…. Well, I won’t claim to know all the details, and don’t want to tell another women’s story.  Besides I have heard a little of both sides, and they don’t coincide.  Anyhow, I digress. MOG was married to Father of Groom (FOG)…. And one day she found out FOG was having a baby with the now SMOG. Now to clarify, the MOG and FOG were not divorce, but MOG thought (from how her story goes) she was a happily married with two young boys. (like 6 and 1.5 young). Fast forward 28 or more years later, the son is getting married to my daughter.  I’m sure it didn’t seem fast forward for all parties involved, but I wasn’t there.  I have heard stories from both women, and some a little crazy and neither paint a pretty picture of each other.  Hi I’m the Mother of the Bride… I’ve stayed neutral, stayed out of the drama and allowed my daughter to guide herself throw these rocky waters.  After all, she is the one marrying into this family.  Don’t get me wrong, I am 100% here for my daughter, I support her, give her advice and sometimes just hold her while she cries. Believe me when I say there have been times when I want to get in my car with a bat (and go play softball) or pick up phone and tell one of these ladies off.  However, my daughter is strong, smart and can handle herself.

This is where most of the fun begins.

These past two weeks have been a complete nightmare and a tale no one would believe unless it was in writing.  In the middle of a pandemic, we have riots and protest that engulf our lives. Police buildings being burnt down, looting, fighting and complete KAOS has taken over the world. Don’t get me wrong, changes need to be made and I am not saying the protesting is wrong, it just added a little more stress to a world that is already upside down with this COVID-19.   Not to even mention that USA is in the middle of an Election year.  This is just KAOS on top of KAOS, On top of KAOS…. And then you add the MOG & SMOG and it all seems a little un-real!

From the Start of the current storm.

Rewind about two weeks, and started with a little squabble between family (FOG side). SMOG went deep and attacked Brother of Groom, and then attacked a cousin and then continued to drag MOG through the mud with accounts that took place 25+ years ago?  I mean, my personal opinion, you sleep with another women’s husband, and wreck a household, you may have some consequences throughout your time.  Anyhow it came down to SMOG texting (not even a decent in person or very least pick up the phone) an apology.  My daughter let her know she accepts apology, but included how hurt she was that she was acting so hateful to the people she loves, and how it really has effected so many.  She added that she should get some help.  Well holy moly did that go off wrong!!!  SMOG came back with the a nasty, hateful Crazy effing text back!  Asking what help was she recommending.  Well my daughter is young, maybe a little naive to recognizing when a bomb is about to explode replied “you need to ask yourself that question”. After all anyone that would be so hateful, nasty and treat other people the way she had the previous couple days needs some kind of help.  POW POW…. Did that set off whatever unbalanced brain we are working with. SMOG came back asking my daughter where she got her Dr. degree and how she shouldn’t be giving advice she wasn’t qualified to give.  She added how wonderful of a SMOG she had been, and listed all her accolades of being a mother.  Most of which as mothers we all do.  I’m talking PTA, Volunteer positions at kid’s schools, taking to routine dr. and dentist along with toting them to all the extra activities kids participate in. So really just a bunch of noise, in addition to the continued bashing of the MOG. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the last comment she made attacking my daughter. She said that the only thig my daughter was worried about was this wedding, and to quote her “you don’t seem to care about much outside your white privileged wedding”.   Now that hit home a little funny because this wedding is not your Country club, spare no expense kind of wedding.  We have had to create a strict budget, and cut corners and find ways to have the dream wedding.  Yes, we are fortunate not to have run to Las Vegas or have a courthouse wedding, but definitely not a “White Privileged wedding”.   With all going on, we had to ask ourselves if SMOG learned a new saying amongst all the protest and riots. (ha ha).  Anyhow… that was funny, but incredible mean and hateful.  Some can already guess where this is going with upcoming wedding, if not let me illiterate. This was quickly finding SMOG on the un-invited list.  My daughters’ Fiancé got on phone and called his dad to find out what the heck was going on.  Not to share confidential information, the outcome was she would not come to the upcoming Bridal Shower and they would work day to day to see if she would be an invited guest at wedding.

Bridal Shower planning

My daughter has a large squad of friends who are amazing, and she has very special friendships with so many young ladies who she has met throughout her adolescent years, throughout her college and now profession life.  Many live out of state, and one even out of the country.  None local to host a bridal shower, so as the MOB I of course wanted my daughter to have an amazing shower, where we could come together and celebrate my girl.  Her Maid of Honor (MOH) who lives just a couple states away co-host with me and we worked together to have a “Garden” themed Bridal Shower at my house.

The Upcoming is here, enter the “Garden” with caution.

All is well, aside from FOG calling to have my daughter and his son reconsider having the SMOG at the shower.  Now, I was angry about her treatment of my daughter, it wasn’t about me banning her from the event.  It was the Bride & Groom who felt strong about not having her amongst MOG, mothers of others she had bashed and Grandmothers who also saw all the text, and hate messages she had rocket launched into the world wide world of text messages.   They thought it just might be best not to mix them, and not add fuel to the fire. In many ways they made the right call, because your soon to find out that with the MOG, and many family members from FOG side mixed was enough toxic energy to blow up a city block.  In all fairness, I must add that the FOG guest were on best behavior and I do not have any complaints.  Also I can understand how having to be in a space with ex-family would be stressful, but honestly after 28 years?  Well the MOG had her group of ladies rallied around, this group included friends and some aunts.  MOG brought tons of Champagne, and wine and they all sat and pretty much got hammered. It got raunchy and the group acted like it was a bachelorette party.  They disengaged during games and acted like school aged brats. While my daughter was opening up Shower gifts and trying to be graceful, they were in the back laughing, talking very loud. Taking pictures and totally oblivious to the fact they were indeed at a “Garden”/My daughter Bridal Shower.  I applaud my daughter for keeping her composure, and keeping it classy. She even called her soon to be Mother in Law (MIL) over when she was opening her gift to break up the frenzy that was taking place.  This was not a success; she went back to her own personal party within my daughter’s shower. Soon the presents were open, and this pretty much meant the end of event.  ALAJUELA ONE MIGHT BE THINGKING AT THIS POINT!  Even though this is supposed to be a joyous event.  Some quest had left, and some remained to just sit and talk. Well like a light switch, MOB was louder, flashing her legs up in air signally somehow towards the table that included some of the FOG family.  My daughter walked over and asked her future MIL to sit down, and maybe drink some water. I guess at this point you can guess my daughter is pretty good at lighting the bomb!  MOG went from crazy, to hysteria, slamming, pouring of wine on tables, crying to wanting to get behind the wheel and drive away.  Couple of her squad joined in, added to the madness…. It was basically an effing shit show!  

Back paddle for just a minute

Towards end of the shower, three of the most important men came home from golfing. The shower was a good excuse to get out of dodge, but they didn’t stay gone long enough.  My husband, my son and soon to be SIL arrived on time to witness the behavior of grown women acting like Sorority girls gone bad.  It was good and bad they came back a little early. Good because they would not have believed it unless seen for themselves. Bad because my SIL is so embarrassed by the poor behavior of his Mother and her friends/Aunts.

Back to the Garden

During MOG tyrant of throwing ice buckets and stomping out while giving the bird, she insisted she was going to drive home.  Many others (I stayed clear) tried to calm her down, and talk sense into MOG. She tried shoving another guest and continued to yell and scream.  My stern husband finally put his foot down and made MOG get into back seat and my husband ended up having to drive the MOG, her Trashy friend and poor sweet Grandma home.  My husband is good at deescalating a situation, and defiantly shows who the bigger person is to put himself in that situation.  In addition to the entire cost of Bridal Shower being on the Bride’s family, now my husband had to add additional expense to get home via Uber.

Was that all real?

Unbelievable right?  I left so much out.. but this is only a short blog to vent and get this all out of my head! After all was calm, we started cleaning up.  We stacked all the beautiful flower on one table, picked up trash, glasses. You know, all the regular stuff.  Small group of mostly my family and some of my girlfriends remained, and we indulged in a couple more drinks and ate some of the leftover food from shower.  We basically were kicking back having some relax time, played some corn hole, lit a small fire for one spoiled niece to make s’mores over.   Over all just a nice, change it up a little relax time.  Ended up picking up a couple pizzas and then ended the evening early. We were all so exhausted, it was time to call it.

Little did we know

Little did we all know, the entire evening and after my daughter and her fiancé left the madness continued. My soon to be SIL was getting rage texts from his mother.  I guess they were pretty bad, mean and hateful.  I don’t even want to know the details, because it would hurt my heart.

Hmmm…. What are you thinking about the Bride & Groom?

So maybe you’re thinking what kind of people the Bride and Groom are to be treated so poorly by these women in their lives?  The Groom grew up in a split home, going back and forth between Mom and Dads.  Again I only know what I have been told by conflicting people, but been around long enough to know that this young man is strong, determined, independent, kind and is always doing the right thing.  I mean doing right thing as always wishing his Step mom happy mother’s day, making sure he’s dividing his time between families, basically showing up to be part of a family regardless of circumstances.  As for his older brother, he checked out long ago.  Older brother shows up when he can’t get out of it, like Christmas dinner etc.   It appears both boys have a better relationship with their own mom, and that tells a tale all in itself.  I’m sure older brother who was about 6-7 years old when the home was split, must be a little angrier towards the Step Mom.  Older brother is successful, independent and lives further away than my daughter and fiancé.  My daughter in which I described earlier is a very loving and kind young lady. As her parent, she has never given us any grief.  Her fiancé and herself are ones who would rather avoid drama or any kind of atomicity and often pacify to keep everyone happy.  So bottom line, they are good people who do not deserve what they have been given during this already difficult time planning wedding during Covid19, protests, riots, looting and election year.

It started off romantic

In the Summer of 2019 my then daughter’s boyfriend asked my husband and I if he could ask our daughter to marry him. We were ecstatic, and absolutely gave our blessing. He had purchased a beautiful, sparkly and a fair size diamond ring. As I mentioned before they had a trip, to Barcelona. This is where he popped the question. The planning began, they had their vision and it was coming along great.  I didn’t have to do much, as they were doing it all.  It was kind of a relief, and knew that my daughter was being smart and planning a with a budget that met what we could afford. It was going to be in a beautiful Garden venue close to the Ocean. They had lined up all the vendors for the food, lighting, the rustic wood tables, DJ, Dessert bar, Bar tender, flowers, it was a beautifully planned wedding. Then along came COVID-19.

Four Months until wedding

So four months out, we had a lot of hope and were optimistic that COVID-19 wouldn’t cancel their dream wedding.  COVID-19 peaked, and was appearing to ease.  Stores, we’re opening and it appeared we were progressing. Stage 1, then stage two and then 1 month before wedding we were entering stage 3 in additional stages and requirements.  It was looking good, reports showed religious ceremonies a go, restaurants a go, bars open. All looks good for a wedding!  It was just about now, at the one month that the SMOG started the Family Feud. Funny thing was, my Future SIL, his Step Mom, Brother, Cousin and sister had just aired on the game show “Family Feud”.  Anyhow… 1 month and all the drama with SMOG, this is one-week shy of Bridal Shower, and we all know how that went down.  We are now at 3 weeks out and venue says, hold your brakes!  They now can only have 75 people for a wedding, and no reception. Went from 207 guest invited, due to covid and traveling across US borders and some of the guest that are higher at risk as elders or have underlining conditions opted out.  We were at a solid 150.  How do we cut this in half? What about the reception, that’s the fun part where we get to celebrate the Bride and Groom?

This brings us to today 6-22-2020

So with only 75 people allowed, we are looking for a restaurant or venue to accommodate at least 100 people for a dinner or a small reception.  Original Garden venue also wants to charge $2000 for just a 75 person wedding?  Little steep in comparison to what we were getting before.  So we are at the starting line, trying to figure this out in a three-week time.

My final thoughts

I want my daughter to have the most beautiful wedding she can possibly have under the current conditions.  We have thousands of dollars already invested in vases, votive candles, napkins, venue, caterer, photographer, and all the furniture and lighting vendors, the dessert table… and so on.  It must make sense, and not steer to far from her vision or the budget.  I suggested a “Backyard” wedding, which I know sounds trashy.  I have a pretty large size backyard, and it’s a blank slate for however her vision can transform it into.  It can hold 100-120 and they could utilize all the items that are already paid for and they wouldn’t go to waste.  My brother had his reception here 22 years ago, and we could make this backyard wedding look like a tropical garden in the middle of our City if she wants. Believe me, I don’t want it at my home.  It would be a lot of work!  We are already exhausted from all the drama and just wish this damn Covid-19 would go away and stop interfering.  Just pray for my daughter and her soon to be husband, pray that they find a new venue that fits the vision they both have.  They will soon learn that marriage is hard, and it takes sacrifices, and compromising to make it last as long as my husband and my marriage has.  We will be celebrating 30 years next May.  COVID-19 may stop these two youngsters from taking a honeymoon until next year, maybe we can do a 2ndhoneymoon with their first! LOL

[appleasing]

Protest First Aid: A Complete Guide

I want to apologize for deviating from the title of “art blog” so quickly, but as you most likely know there are more pressing issues currently impacting our country. 

George Floyd was murdered by officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020. Since then, cities in all fifty states have taken to the streets to protest the senseless brutality shown to Floyd, and countless other innocent black lives lost at the hands of the police.

Police forces have been using violent crowd-dispersing military tactics on civilians despite protests remaining overwhelmingly peaceful. Tactics range from deploying tear gas canisters to firing rubber bullets, and injuries from these weapons have caused life-altering damage. 

As a white person, I do not feel it is my place to tell anyone how to protest for their own equality, especially as their country brutalizes them. However, as protestors, it is your duty to keep each other safe. At most protests there are trained medics able to tend to the injured, and if you are able, always try to seek them out before treating yourself or others. However, in a country where the police are geared for war, I don’t think it is harmful to learn a bit of first aid to prepare for the worst. 

I need to make a disclaimer, I AM NOT A LICENSED OR TRAINED MEDIC, I am simply compiling this list based on my own research due to the mass amounts of misinformation I’ve seen on the subject of first aid. It’s easy for misinformation to spread, so I want this to be a helpful and accurate guide. 

(Each section is organized differently based on the information provided. At the end of each section there are additional links to graphics, resources, and videos with more information.)

TEAR GAS:

As stated by Healthline: “Tear gas is a collection of chemicals that cause skin, respiratory, and eye irritation. It’s usually deployed from canisters, grenades, or pressurized sprays. Despite the name, tear gas isn’t a gas. It’s a pressurized powder that creates a mist when deployed… the U.S. Army adopted it for controlling riots in 1959.”

While tear gas and other riot control weapons can be painful, their primary design is to induce fear. This account of a woman tear gassed in front of a CNN building states "It's more of a panic than anything else... Every time you open your eyes it feels like there's lemon juice in them."

If you plan on attending a protest, it is best to be prepared for tear gas. Large amounts of these protests have become violent, resulting in canisters being deployed. Not wearing makeup, wearing face coverings, and covering as much of your skin as you are comfortable is the best way to protect yourselves from the effects of tear gas.

The IMMEDIATE SYMPTOMS you can expect if you are exposed to tear gas are as follows:

Watery eyes

Eye pain

Tight closure of the eyelids

Burning sensation in the throat and nose

Increased nasal secretions

Chest tightness

Sneezing, coughing and retching

General skin irritation in any exposed areas

If you are hit in the eyes, rinse IMMEDIATELY. Long term exposure can cause permanent damage and even prove fatal. 

TO HELP YOURSELF OR OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN TEAR GASSED:

This Instagram post by user goldngelic does an excellent job explaining step-by-step how to treat yourself and others when exposed to the gas. 

This video gives a good demonstration on how to rinse someone’s eyes out if they are gassed. In the video she uses a mixture of antacid and water, referred to by street medics as Liquid Antacid and Water (L.A.W.). However, due to lack of testing this mixture is not recommended. I cannot stress enough, the only thing you should be flushing out eyes with is cool, clean water.

ADDITIONAL INFO ON PREPARING TO TREAT TEAR GAS:

ONLY USE COLD WATER to rinse out eyes. There is a solution of baking soda and water that some suggest might be effective on rinsing out tear gas. This is unproven, and only anecdotally helpful. Generally, baking soda is considered an eye irritant, and should not be used as a rinse.

Milk and antacid are also commonly quoted to be good for alleviating the effects of tear gas, but they are untested, and can prove to be more dangerous. The best rinse is A LOT of cold water from a squeeze bottle.

When attending a protest, wear glasses instead of contacts to prevent the tear gas from sticking to them. If the individual you are treating is wearing contacts, ask them to remove their lenses themselves before rinsing.

If you are tear gassed inside a building, evacuate immediately, the gas is much more effective indoors.

---

Video of a former Marine Corps Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense Specialist discussing the effects of tear gas (more useful info in the description and on her page):

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA0aQRdjus6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Tear Gas FAQ:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBCDzQ0jODH/

Infographics on tear gas:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBseYhpOyC/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBU4hzAFik/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBBokhvJQKB/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAxxlaOgT5L/

FLASH BANGS/SONIC CANNONS:

A flash bang, also known as a flash grenade, flashbang, thunderflash or sound bomb, is a less-lethal explosive device used to temporarily disorient the senses. Much like tear gas, the flash bang is not meant to injure, but rather confuse, scare, and disperse crowds. However, they have been known to cause injury, or even be lethal when shot directly at civilians. 

The ones police officers are meant to use when crowd controlling are aerial flash-bangs, which travel anywhere from 20-30 ft over people’s heads to initiate dispersion. From the wiki on stun grenades: “The flash momentarily activates all photoreceptor cells in the eye, blinding you for approximately five seconds... while the sheer volume of it may also cause temporary deafness.”

Other sound devices to be aware of are sound cannons, or Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD). These devices are used to create a high-pitch frequency to disperse crowds. The main thing to know about them is that they are LOUD, and can be incredibly painful to the human ear. 

This New York court document states that LRADs “can project (sounds) up to 600 meters away, produce a maximum continuous output of 136 dBs (decibels)...” For comparison, a fireworks display is usually around 140-160 dBs, and anything above 120 dBs can cause permanent damage to the ear. 

Sound cannons can produce a frequency up to 600 meters away, causing a deafening noise that will disorient the victim. If a sound cannon goes off near you, as this article from NBC succinctly puts it, all you can do is close your ears and run. Ear plugs are a useful tool, but may prove less effective when met with high pitch frequencies. 

Now, flash bangs and sound cannons again are not meant to be deadly, but I bring them up mainly to spread awareness. When you hear a large bang over your head, or a paralyzing high-pitch frequency, you may panic. Keep in mind that these weapons may disorient you, but they should not kill you. The best thing to do when met with these devices is evacuate to safety.  

---

Video describing how to protect yourself from LRADs and more info on the technology:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sqIvak-4Ek&feature=youtu.be

RUBBER BULLETS/LIVE ROUNDS:

Rubber bullets are the supposed non-lethal alternative to open firing into a crowd of civilians. However, as seen in the account of this doctor treating a rubber bullet wound, this is not always the case. In this 2002 study of these non-lethal projectiles used on Palestinians showed that in almost 40% of cases rubber bullets penetrate skin, and when fired closely enough could lead to extreme complications or even death. 

Then there are live bullet rounds, which we know the police have used on civilians during protests. We as American’s are familiar with the impact of gun violence, so it may be beneficial for us to learn the basics of tending to bullet wounds while medics/EMTs are on their way. 

HOW TO TREAT A GUNSHOT VICTIM:

GET TO SAFETY. If you can locate a medic in the crowd, alert them and have them help you get the individual to safety. If not, move away from the crowd. 

INSPECT THE VICTIM. If they are conscious, ask them to sit how they are comfortable. If they are not, put them in recovery position to ensure safety. Depending on where the victim was hit, there will be up to two holes, an entry and an exit wound. It does not matter which is which, treat both starting with the one bleeding more profusely.

STOP THE BLEEDING. There are a few ways to do this, depending on where the wound is located:

IF THE WOUND IS ON A LIMB:

Apply large amounts of pressure to the area. If they are losing blood at rapid rates, do not be afraid to use a knee to lean on the wound. It may be uncomfortable for the victim, but it will save them. 

If available, dressings like shirts, towels, or medical gauze will help to seal the wound. 

NEVER put your fingers/tampons into a wound. It can cause damage by moving around shrapnel, and will mostly inflict pain onto the victim. If the wound is terribly deep, apply mass amounts of pressure to control bleeding until an EMT or a trained medic arrives on the scene.

Lift the limb above the patient’s heart if they are able to help control bleeding.

A tourniquet may be applied to help stop bleeding, but this is a last-ditch effort, as homemade tourniquets are prone to failure. ONLY use a tourniquet if you are treating a limb injury. From Verywell Health:

“Using a tourniquet requires wrapping a cravat (non-stretch material like terry cloth or linen) around an extremity and tightening it with the use of a windlass stuck through the bandage. The tourniquet should be tightened until the wound stops bleeding. If there is any bleeding at the wound after placing a tourniquet, then the tourniquet must be tightened.”

IF THE WOUND IS TO THE CHEST:

Plastic pieces (about 3x larger than the wound), such as seran wrap, should be applied to a bullet wound to the chest to prevent a collapsed lung. Tape down only three sides of the plastic, with one side open for air flow. If they complain about not being able to breathe, or are showing signs of extreme discomfort, remove the seal.

NEVER lift the patient’s legs to treat shock if the wound is to the chest or abdomen. This could cause more blood flow to rush to the sites, causing the patient to lose more blood.

OTHER INFO:

If your victim is unresponsive, give them CPR. This will help provide airflow to their lungs.

Never give your victim anything to eat or drink.

Never try and remove a bullet yourself, you may injure the victim more by shifting shrapnel.

Consider investing in a proper first aid kit. Homemade tourniquets often fail, so investing in a proper one may be useful if you plan on attending a variety of protests.

Celox gauze has proven to be the most effective gauze used to treat bullet wounds.

---

Courses to become certified in treating excessive bleeding:

https://firstcareprovider.org/

https://www.dhs.gov/stopthebleed

https://www.stopthebleed.org/

Treating a gunshot wound:

https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-treat-a-gunshot-wound

[solution007]

How To Create A Riot Account: A Step-By-Step Guide

Welcome To The World Of Riot Games!

How To Create a Riot Account: Are you a passionate gamer? Do you enjoy immersing yourself in the thrilling worlds of popular games like League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, or Valorant? If so, then creating a Riot Account is an essential step for you. A Riot Account not only grants you access to these exciting games but also unlocks various additional benefits and features that enhance your gaming experience. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of creating a Riot Account step by step. Get ready to join millions of players worldwide and embark on unforgettable gaming adventures with Riot Games!Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

1: Visit The Riot Games Website

The first step in creating your Riot Account is to visit the official Riot Games website. Open your preferred web browser and enter the URL “www.riotgames.com” in the address bar. Press Enter, and you will be directed to the Riot Games homepage, where all the gaming magic awaits.

2: Click On “Sign Up”

Once you land on the Riot Games homepage, locate the “Sign Up” button. Typically, you’ll find it at the top right corner of the page. Click on the “Sign Up” button to initiate the account creation process.

3: Fill In Your Details

After clicking on “Sign Up,” a registration form will appear, prompting you to provide essential details. Enter your email address, date of birth, and desired password. Ensure that you provide accurate information, as it will be crucial for verification and account recovery purposes.

4: Verify Your Email Address

With your details filled in, you’ll receive an email from Riot Games containing a verification link. Go to your email inbox, open the email from Riot Games, and click on the verification link to confirm and activate your Riot Account. This step is essential to ensure the security and authenticity of your account.

5: Set Up Your Riot ID And Tagline

After verifying your email address, you’ll be redirected to the Riot Account setup page. Here, you can personalize your Riot ID, which is the name that will be displayed to other players. Along with your Riot ID, you can add a tagline that reflects your gaming personality. Choose a unique and memorable Riot ID that represents you in the gaming community.

6: Choose A Unique Username

Next, select a unique username for your Riot Account. This username will be your login identifier and can be different from your Riot ID. It’s crucial to choose a username that is easy for you to remember but not predictable to ensure the security of your account.

7: Create A Strong Password

To safeguard your Riot Account from potential unauthorized access, it is vital to create a strong password. Your password should be a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using common words or easily guessable information in your password.

8: Agree To Terms Of Service And Privacy Policy

Before completing your account creation, you need to read and agree to Riot Games’ terms of service and privacy policy. These documents outline the rules and guidelines for using Riot’s services and ensure transparency regarding data handling and privacy.

9: Complete The Captcha

To protect against automated bot accounts, you’ll need to complete a captcha. Follow the provided instructions and enter the characters or solve the puzzle as prompted. This step confirms that you are a real person creating an account.

10: Confirm Your Region

As a global gaming company, Riot Games operates in multiple regions worldwide. You need to select your specific region from the available options. Choosing the correct region ensures that you have access to the appropriate game servers and localized content, delivering an optimal gaming experience. “How To Create a Riot Account”

11: Choose Your Primary Game

Riot Games offers a diverse range of popular games, including League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Valorant. In this step, you’ll be prompted to choose your primary game, which will be the main focus of your Riot Account. However, it’s important to note that you can still access other Riot Games with the same account. “How To Create a Riot Account”

12: Optional Steps For Game-Specific Features

Depending on the primary game you select, there may be additional optional steps or features available. These steps are specific to each game and may offer you enhanced gameplay features or bonuses. If you wish to take advantage of these additional perks, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the optional steps. “How To Create a Riot Account”

13: Complete The Signup Process

Congratulations! You have reached the final step in creating your Riot Account. Before you finalize the process, review all the information you’ve provided to ensure its accuracy. Once you are satisfied, click on the “Sign Up” or “Create Account” button to complete the signup process. “How To Create a Riot Account”

FAQs: Your Questions, Answered | How To Create A Riot Account

Can I create a Riot Account without an email address? No, an email address is required to create a Riot Account. It is used for verification and account recovery purposes. “How To Create a Riot Account”

Can I change my Riot ID and tagline after creating my account? Yes, you can change your Riot ID and tagline at any time by accessing your Riot Account settings. “How To Create a Riot Account”

Can I have multiple Riot Accounts? Yes, you can have multiple Riot Accounts. However, it is recommended to maintain one account to ensure a consistent gaming experience. “How To Create a Riot Account”

Do I need a Riot Account to play Riot Games? Yes, a Riot Account is required to access and play Riot Games. “How To Create a Riot Account”

Are there any age restrictions for creating a Riot Account? Yes, you must meet the minimum age requirements specified by Riot Games to create a Riot Account. “How To Create a Riot Account”

Conclusion: Unlock the World of Riot Games!

Creating a Riot Account is a straightforward process that opens up a world of thrilling games developed by Riot Games. By following the step-by-step guide outlined in this article, you can easily create your Riot Account and embark on exciting gaming adventures. Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or just starting your gaming journey, Riot Games offers an array of captivating titles to suit every taste. So what are you waiting for? Create your Riot Account today and join millions of players in epic battles, strategic challenges, and unforgettable experiences. Prepare to level up your gaming experience with Riot Games! “How To Create a Riot Account”

How To Create A Riot Account: A Step-By-Step Guide How To Create Txtag Account: Streamlining Your Toll Payment Experience

[taricig332]

Now.gg Valorant – Play Free Online In Browser On PC

Hi everyone! Do you want to play online on your computer using Now.gg Valorant? It is the best location to learn how to download and play Valorant for free online. You must read this article’s conclusion if you wish to play Valorant online.

Do you want to know how to download and play Now.gg Valorant? You must adhere to the instructions in order to download Valorant and play it online using Now. If you want to learn everything there is to know about valorant, read this article.

This article is the guide you that how to play now.gg fortnite online on pc and provide downloading steps.

One of the most popular first-person shooter games right now is called Valorant. It is a 5v5 character-based tactical shooter game that is available for free to play. Rio Games published and created it.

How To Play Now.gg Valorant Online on PC

Follow the Steps to online play Valoreant when it’s available through Now. gg

Select the gaming platform on which you want to play Valorant.

Make sure your browser is up to date and that you have a strong internet connection.

Visit the main website right away: gg now

Then, click “Experience now. gg” on the bottom or the right side.

Then, sign in with your Facebook or Gmail account to play Fall Guys.

Finally, you can begin using your PC to play games.

Benefits of using now gg Valorant?

You can use it to play your games whenever and wherever you want.

You’ll find here excellent performance and breathtaking graphics.

The convenience with which you may send a link to friends and family to share the fun has increased sharing on this platform.

This platform is easily accessible through any device.

To save time and money, you won’t need to install any apps on your device.

How to download Valorant for free?

Only Windows PCs can download Valorant directly from the game’s website.

To download Valorant, simply follow the steps listed below.

See the link to the Official Website.

Select “PLAY FREE” from the menu.

You must log into your Riot Games account in order to access the download page.

On the same page, you can create a Riot Games account if you don’t already have one.

What is now. gg?

The now.gg platform aims to be a ground-breaking cloud gaming platform, enabling you to play games on another device that has the game installed without having to download or install them beforehand.

You may play any game on the Now. gg platform on any device, and it promises to give you the ultimate cloud gaming experience.

Starting games to play is likewise a pretty easy process. You don’t need to install anything; just open your browser, make a few clicks, and you’re ready to play.

[patriotsnet]

Which Republicans Voted For Jan 6 Commission

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/which-republicans-voted-for-jan-6-commission/

Which Republicans Voted For Jan 6 Commission

Republicans Defy Kevin Mccarthy And Gop Leadership To Vote With All Democrats In Favor Of Forming A 9/11

GOP Reps Who Voted for January 6 Commission

The House passed a bill that would create a commission to investigate the January 6 MAGA riot, with a vote of 252-175

Thirty-five Republicans defected from leadership and voted in favor of the bill that would create a bipartisan commission with subpoena power

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy came out against the bill Tuesday, followed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday;

‘I beg you to pass this bill,’ said Republican Rep. John Katko, who had negotiated with Democrats to get the bill finished;

Katko received applause on the House floor for saying the legislation was dedicated to members of the Capitol Police and their families;

Earlier, an un-official letter from some members of the Capitol Police circulated shaming Republicans for not wanting to investigate January 6;;

‘it’s Time To End This Forever War’ Biden Says Forces To Leave Afghanistan By 9/11

The enormous national anger generated by those attacks was also channeled by the administration toward the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, which was conceived to prevent any recurrence of attacks on such a massive scale. Arguments over that legislation consumed Congress through much of 2002 and became the fodder for campaign ads in that year’s midterms.

The same anger was also directed toward a resolution to use force, if needed, in dealing with security threats from the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. That authorization passed Congress with bipartisan majorities in the fall of 2002, driven by administration claims that Saddam had “weapons of mass destruction.” It became law weeks before the midterm elections.

Once those elections were over, the Republicans in control of both chambers finally agreed to create an independent commission to seek answers about 9/11. Bush signed the legislation on Nov. 27, 2002.

The beginning was hobbled when the first chairman, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and vice chairman, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine, decided not to continue. But a new chairman, former New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean, and vice chairman, former Rep. Lee Hamilton of Indiana, filled the breach and performed to generally laudatory reviews.

Long memories

Senate Republicans Vote To Stop January 6 Commission To Investigate Capitol Riot Despite Six Gop Rebels Supporting Probe

12:33 ET, May 28 2021

Mollie Mansfield

Invalid Date,

SENATE Republicans voted to stop the January 6 commission bill to investigate the Capitol riot despite six GOP rebels supporting the probe.

The Senate vote was 54-35 short of the 60 votes needed to consider a House-passed bill that would have formed a 10-member commission evenly split between the two parties.

The vote was another sign of GOP loyalty to former President Donald Trump.

Though the commission bill passed the House earlier this month with the support of almost three dozen Republicans, GOP senators said they believe the commission would eventually be used against them politically.

Trump, whose supporters stormed the Capitol building earlier this year, has called it a “Democrat trap.”

The vote demonstrates the disagreements between the two parties since the siege, especially among Republicans, as some in the party have downplayed the violence and defended the rioters who supported Trump and his false insistence that the election was stolen from him.

The attack was the worst on the Capitol in 200 years and interrupted the certification of Democrat Joe Bidens win over Trump.

Four people died in the riot, and a police officer collapsed and died afterward of what authorities said were natural causes.

Two police officers took their own lives in the days after the riots.

Following the vote, House Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said “shame on the Republican party.”

You May Like: Did Trump Say Republicans Are Stupid

Who Are The Republicans Who Voted For The January 6 Commission

The 35 defectors represented a relatively modest but significant slice of House Republicans.

All 10 Republicans who voted in January to impeach Donald Trump for encouraging his supporters to storm the Capitol supported the commission.

Most of the 35 Republicans backing the commission were moderates.

New York Representative John Katko, a Republican, wrote the measure with Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi.

I encourage all members, Republicans and Democrats alike, to put down their swords for once, just for once, and support this bill,” Katko said before the House approved the measure.

Outspoken Trump critic Liz Cheney, who was ousted from her House leadership position, was one of the 35 Republicans to vote yes and urged the Senate to approve the commission.

Some things must be above politics,” she tweeted.

Top House Republican Opposes Bipartisan Commission To Investigate Capitol Riot

But McCarthy replied by opposing Katko’s product, and more than 80% of the other House Republicans did too. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., initially said he was keeping an open mind but then announced that he too was opposed. This makes it highly unlikely that 10 of McConnell’s GOP colleagues will be willing to add their votes to the Democrats’ and defeat a filibuster of the bill.

Republicans have argued that two Senate committees are already looking at the events of Jan. 6, as House panels have done as well. The Justice Department is pursuing cases against hundreds of individuals who were involved. Former President Donald Trump and others have said any commission ought to also be tasked to look at street protests and violence that took place in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd.

But with all that on the table, several Republicans have alluded to their concern about a new commission “dragging on” into 2022, the year of the next midterm elections. “A lot of our members … want to be moving forward,” said Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the No. 2 Senate Republican toMcConnell. “Anything that gets us rehashing to 2020 elections is, I think, a day lost.”

Resistance even after 9/11

The Taliban were toppled but bin Laden escaped, and U.S. forces have been engaged there ever since. The troop numbers have declined in recent years, and President Biden has indicated that all combat troops will be out by this year’s anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

Also Check: How Many Republicans And How Many Democrats Are In The Senate

Hanie Bice’s Path Reveals Opportunities Perils For Suburban Republicans

EDMUND, Okla. As the Oklahoma Republican Party verged on implosion this summer, GOP Rep. Stephanie Bice donned a hard hat and toured a vocational-technical school under construction here in her district.

The facility was state-of-the-art, with modern furniture so new it was still encased in plastic and with glass-walled conference rooms where future students would, a guide explained, learn creative problem-solving through human-centered design.

Within a few days, forces in the state GOP loyal to former President Donald Trump would attempt to censure the states two senators Republicans James M. Inhofe and James Lankford for voting to certify the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden.;

Bice, who unseated Democrat Kendra Horn in the Oklahoma City-anchored 5th District last fall, had not weighed in publicly. Since winning her swing seat, she has shunned the Twitter wars and internal party disputes that have catapulted some of her colleagues in the Republican freshman class to Fox News fame.;

Instead, she has favored low-key, sound bite-free appearances like this visit to the vo-tech school, where she assured local education leaders at a follow-up discussion that she was focused on workforce development.

I am a reasonable, conservative Republican, Bice said in an interview.;

House Votes To Establish Committee To Investigate Jan 6 Capitol Riot

WASHINGTON The House voted Wednesday to establish a select committee to investigate the , the only step needed to formalize the panel’s creation.

The House voted 222 to 190, with two Republicans joining all present Democrats in authorizing the committee.

Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming were the only Republicans to vote in favor of the committee.

“It’s not my favored option,” Kinzinger told Chicago-based television station Fox 32. “But the point is, we can’t keep pretending like Jan. 6 didn’t happen. We need full accounting for it and then we can move on.”

This month, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the panel as “complementary, not instead of” the bipartisan commission that already passed in the House and then was blocked by Senate Republicans in May.

The earlier legislation, which would have established a bipartisan panel to examine the attack, failed a key procedural hurdle after 54 senators voted in favor, falling short of the 60 votes needed. There has been no progress in convincing enough Republican senators to support the bill and end a filibuster.

“It’s a second-best option. I would have strongly preferred the first bill that we voted on, which would have stood up a 9/11-style commission,” Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said Wednesday. “We can’t just sweep everything under the rug. So it’s important because the American people need to have a clear understanding of what happened on that day so it doesn’t happen again.”

Recommended Reading: Did Donald Trump Say Republicans Are Stupid

Republicans Poised To Block Creation Of Jan 6 Commission

Republicans point to ongoing congressional probes of the Capitol riot as enough.

Battle in Senate for Jan. 6 commission

Senate Republicans are poised to quash an effort Thursday to establish a bipartisan, independent commission to study the on the U.S. Capitol that that left five people dead.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his opposition last week — along with his House GOP counterpart, Kevin McCarthy — ahead of the House vote approving the measure with 35 Republicans joining Democrats. The high-profile GOP move has provided political cover for most Republicans in both chambers to reject the legislation.

“I do not believe the additional, extraneous commission that Democratic leaders want would uncover crucial new facts, or promote healing,” McConnell said Thurday on the Senate floor. “Frankly, I do not believe it is even designed to do that.”

McConnell, McCarthy and most rank-and-file Republicans have said they fear Democrats will try to make political hay out of a commission, dragging out any findings into the crucial 2022 midterm election year, when control of both chambers is at stake.

But Democrats counter that the real reason is that Republicans are too beholden to former President Donald Trump, who was impeached for inciting the mob that ransacked the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election and who continues to claim, falsely, that the election was stolen.

The Six Republican Senators Who Voted For A January 6 Commission

Republican Senators Stall Vote On January 6 Commission | MSNBC

Six Republican senators voted in favor of creating a bipartisan commission to investigate the deadly Capitol riot on January 6.

The Senate voted 54 to 35 in favor of advancing the commission but the majority failed to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome the filibuster, effectively sinking the commission.

Forty-eight Democrats and six Republicans voted in favor. There were eleven senators who did not vote, including two Democrats.

Those Republicans who voted in favor were: Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio, Mitt Romney of Utah and Ben Sasse of Nebraska.

Of these six senators, all but one voted to convict former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial earlier this year.

Portman voted to acquit Trump on February 13 but backed advancing the commission on Friday.

Murkowski had been outspoken in her support for the commission and criticized her own party’s opposition to it, saying the GOP was “making a decision for the short-term political gain at the expense of understanding and acknowledging what was in front of us on January 6.”

“Truth is hard stuff, but we’ve got a responsibility to it,” Murkowski said.

“I don’t believe that’s what’s the motivation but I think that’s the perception,” he said.

Newsweek has contacted the six senators’ offices for comment.

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Republicans Explain Why They Voted For Jan 6 Commission

Thirty-five Republicans joined with Democrats on May 19 to vote for a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach. See the full list below.

GOP members who voted for the commission largely said they did so because they wanted to make sure another riot like the one that took place did not happen again.

Like many Americans, I was appalled by what took place on January 6th when a mob broke down windows and doors, assaulted police officers, and threatened our very democracy, Rep. David Valadao said in a statement. An independent commission, similar to the 9/11-style review, is needed to remove politicization and shed light on what led to the attack and how members of Congress, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement officials can ensure this never happens again.

No Republicans spoke in favor of the bill on the House floor on Wednesday save for Rep. John Katko , who was its co-sponsor along with Rep. Bennie Thompson , and Rep. Fred Upton .

Upton said members still lack answers to basic questions about the attack on the Capitol and believes the bipartisan commission will find answers.

Katko told members the commission is about finding the truth and addressing the vulnerabilities of our security apparatus so that we can emerge stronger and better prepared.

Katko praised Capitol Police officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, and Washington officer Justin Smith, who died after the attack by natural causes or suicide.

House Passes Bill To Investigate Capitol Riot But Its Fate In Senate Is Unclear

Others, such as Senate Minority Whip John Thune, had voiced concern about a commission distracting from the party’s message heading into the 2022 midterm elections. “A lot of our members … want to be moving forward,” the South Dakota Republican told CNN last week. “Anything that gets us rehashing the 2020 elections is, I think, a day lost.”

Former President Donald Trump has been another vocal critic and has attacked the effort to create the panel as a “Democrat trap.” Had the commission moved forward, Trump likely would have been called to testify over his role in inciting the insurrection and his administration’s response to the attack.

In remarks on the Senate floor after the vote, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., described the outcome this way: “ut of fear of or fealty to Donald Trump, the Republican minority just prevented the American people from getting the full truth about Jan. 6.” He added: “Shame on the Republican Party for trying to sweep the horrors of that day under the rug because they’re afraid of Donald Trump.”

Biden supported the commission. Speaking to reporters Friday, White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Republican senators swear “an oath to support and defend the Constitution. And today, unfortunately, they failed to do that.”

The lack of sufficient GOP support came despite a last-minute push by Maine’s Susan Collins, one of the most moderate Republicans in the Senate, to rally support within the GOP caucus.

Also Check: How Many States Are Controlled By Republicans

Some Senators Didn’t Have An Answer For What They Would Need To See In Order To Vote For The Measure

Republican senators on Friday drowned the hopes of an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, gathering enough members of their own conference to block legislation to establish the panel.

Though it received overall majority support in the chamber, the procedural vote, a cloture vote on a motion to proceed, to the legislation fell short of the 60 votes needed, 54-35. Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Rob Portman of Ohio were the only Republicans who voted to end debate on whether to take up the legislation.

The vote, which had been expected on Thursday, was delayed after some Republican senators, including Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, consumed floor time that brought the chamber to a painfully slow cadence and culminated at around 3 a.m. Friday morning.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said he struck an agreement that ensured the commission vote would happen in the light of day and not in the early morning hours.

On Thursday, the family and colleagues of a Capitol Police officer who died shortly after defending the Capitol on Jan. 6 met with several GOP senators to try to convince them to vote for the commission.

Gladys Sicknick met with Johnson Thursday morning and said GOP opposition to the commission is a slap in the face to officers because they put their lives on the line.

Second Impeachment Of Donald Trump

A few days after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, the US House of Representatives filed one article of impeachment against Donald Trump, “incitement of insurrection”. At the Senate impeachment trial on February 13, Trump was acquitted, the required two-thirds majority not being met.

Don’t Miss: How Many Republicans Voted For Trump

Staying Above The Fray

As autumn approaches, the pressure on Bice from within her party appears to be lifting. Oklahoma GOP leaders have said nothing about her since party Chairman John Bennett posted a rebuke on Facebook in May following her Jan. 6 commission vote. Bennetts post is now blocked from public view, and he did not respond to a request for an interview.

Bice, who voted in January to oppose certification of the presidential result in Arizona, has repeatedly given the same explanation for her stance;on both the 2020 presidential election and the Capitol riot, positions she reiterated in an interview with CQ Roll Call.;

She said she wanted to make a statement about the integrity of state lawmakers control over how elections are administered, noting a 2020 state Supreme Court ruling that allowed voters to cast absentee ballots without getting them notarized.

Voting rights advocates said the measure would protect voters during the coronavirus pandemic, but state Republican lawmakers called the decision judicial overreach and rushed a party-line bill through the Legislature restoring the requirement.;

Oklahoma could have become a statistic like other states that had their election laws changed by judicial or executive decree, Bice said. For me, that was something that was very troubling.

Video: Texas GOP working to redraw maps to favor Republicans as Senate Democrats introduce voter protections bill

[shirlleycoyle]

‘Building the Cockchain:’ How NSFW Artists Are Shaping the Future of NFTs

A few months ago, Jen Stein entered a room in the voice chat app Clubhouse called "Decentralized Systems," looking for conversations about censorship solutions on social media. She creates sculptural art using colorful dildos as the medium, and had recently been kicked off of Instagram. To her surprise, she found a group of people in the middle of a conversation about cryptocurrency.

"I was like, 'I'm so sorry, I think I came to the wrong room… I did not realize this was about Bitcoin,'" she told me. "I'd heard about Bitcoin like once before, through all these memes about money… I hate money, I hate capitalism, I don't care," she recalled. But the people in that room told her to stay and learn about non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. "It just opened my eyes to what this technology could actually do."

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are visual, cryptographic assets on the blockchain that are unique from one another and can represent ownership of an associated digital item. Stein listed images of her sculptures on Rarible, a digital marketplace for NFTs, and calls it "building the cockchain." She's since personally taught more than 100 people the ins and outs of NFTs and cryptocurrency, and written guides on how to get into it. "I've never been more inspired by anything in a really long time—especially after this year, I was feeling very just not hopeful about the world," she said.

NFTs have gained traction in the world of art and collectors' items. Each token points to a digital work in some way, and because they're minted on the blockchain, they're harder to defraud and impossible to duplicate. This means one can track where they're transferred and sold. Unlike cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum, you can't pay for things with them like money; they're more like receipts than dollar bills. It would be like trying to buy a coffee with a printed picture of Nyan Cat. But they're useful for artists who want to build a community of collectors, and invest in art that could increase in value over time.

NFTs have gotten a lot of attention lately, both for successes such as art sales in the millions, and for criticisms around the environmental cost of cryptocurrency mining and issues such as theft. But the technology isn't new. They've been around for years—at least as far back as Rare Pepes in 2017—and the basic idea stretches back farther, with "Colored Coins'' issued on the Bitcoin blockchain in 2012.

In the last month, several well-known artists—including rapper Azealia Banks, who sold the rights to an audio sex tape for $17,000, and Russian rock group Pussy Riot, which released a new video as series of protest-art tokens to benefit women's shelters—seem to be paving the way for works that push the boundaries way beyond Cryptokitties. There’s even an NFT-based streaming alternative to Spotify. But is the same success attainable for smaller, independent erotic artists? 

THE BENEFITS 

Multidisciplinary artist PolyAnnie started minting NFTs in September 2020. She does performance art, erotic physical and digital art, and is a content creator on OnlyFans. "NFTs allow me to set the conditions of my work and provide me the ability to gamify my entire body of work in ways that one day I can take my hands off the 'wheel' and let my brand run itself," she said.

To her, the benefits of getting into the NFT world include a more direct relationship with fans and those fans become investors, as well as the financial: she's made more income from crypto-art in five months than she usually would in an entire year. Now, she runs a weekly conference call that's open to anyone who wants to learn more about getting into adult NFTs.

"Self-Love," by Cryptonatrix. Image courtesy Cryptonatrix

For erotic artists and sex workers, who are constantly dogged by payment processors' prudish rules and risk having their Venmo, Cashapp, and Paypal accounts closed for selling sexy content, the decentralized nature of NFTs is appealing. Unlike with these services, which are moderated by a central authority, digital receipts published to the blockchain are permanent and there will always be methods of transferring cryptocurrency without the use of middlemen who might take issue with the transaction. For some, this looks like the future of the adult industry.

Cryptoempress, a professional dancer and nude model as well as cryptocurrency enthusiast, mostly creates NFTs from her own nude photos. She saw the combination of crypto and modeling as a natural fit. 

"I think the future for NFT’s, crypto-art and NSFW artists is bright, because the world is changing to a direction where nudity is not a taboo anymore," she said. "You can create nude art on the blockchain with the actual opportunity to earn money." She also likes that NFTs can bring in royalties—if someone buys her work and then resells it, she can receive the royalties she sets as a term of the sale.

"I think that NFTs are a great 'gateway drug' to bring anyone into crypto," Cryptonatrix, who works as a dominatrix, told me. "However, I imagine it will take time for adult content creators and buyers to become familiar with what’s going on in this space, just as it will take time for new adult specific NFT platforms to develop and test themselves."

THE RISKS 

As excited as she was about cryptocurrency's potential for art, it took Stein a few weeks after learning about cryptocurrency to start her own wallet. "It was the PTSD of being on other platforms where [sex is] the first thing that gets regulated," she said. "Something's gonna happen with sex, sexuality and kids, or with kids money." 

Even if cryptocurrency infrastructure is fairly agnostic, markets represent a possible bottleneck for content creators. Rarible's terms of use prohibit users to "publish, post, distribute or disseminate any profane, obscene, pornographic indecent or unlawful content, pictures, topic, name, material or information," for example, but at the same time, has a dedicated NSFW category. OpenSea, another listing marketplace, is more lenient. Its terms of use state that it allows the sale of NSFW content, but that content is "subject to being marked NSFW and handled differently than non-NSFW content in navigation menus and search results," and the site bans "asset names, listings and their descriptions, smart contract names, and collections including profanity, sexually explicit, or overtly sexual content."  SuperRare, another marketplace, does not allow minting pornographic or obscene content—but a quick search on the platform shows that this rule is pretty loose. Foundation similarly forbids vulgar, obscene or pornographic content.

Image courtesy Cryptoempress

All of this surfaces age-old questions about what constitutes art, porn, and erotica—and what makes each of these distinct from the others. What might be considered acceptably NSFW without crossing the line into “obscene” on these platforms? 

"The very notion of erotica as 'good,' clean, non-explicit representations of sexual pleasure in opposition to dirty, explicit pornographic ones is false," porn scholar Linda Williams wrote in Hard Core. "The one emphasizes desire, the other satisfaction. Depending on who is looking, both can appear dirty, perverse, or too explicit."  And as pornographic legend Gloria Leonard, once put it bluntly: “The difference between porn and erotica is the lighting." 

"Just as what is considered 'art' is infinitely debated and in the eyes of the beholder, what is considered inappropriate, varies greatly amongst individuals," Cryptoempress said. In these cases, the beholder is the platforms themselves.

"Obscenity" at least has a legal definition, but it's subject to jurisdiction. "What jurisdiction is the metaverse?" Stein said. 

Cryptonatrix said she had one of her first NFTs removed by Rarible, without explanation. "Terms of Service are never written so clearly, which allows platforms to censor selectively," she said. "As with any social platform, there are definitely double standards in the way their ToS are applied, and in who they choose to promote. For example, a GIF of me wearing a strap-on silicone toy was removed while others sell uncensored nudes, men have minted dick pics, and there is other art involving dildos not actually being worn." There's also a double standard on platforms about erotic content when it's made by a someone who is openly a sex worker, versus someone without that stigma attached to them and their art, she said. But there's still less risk of deplatforming in crypto-art so far than there is on Facebook or Instagram. 

There's also the usual security risks that anyone connecting their credit care to a relatively new platform take on: earlier this week, several users on token marketplace Nifty Gateway had thousands of dollars stolen from their accounts, because the site doesn't require two-factor authentication. And there's always the risk of copyright infringement and stolen art ending up on a marketplace—a problem pornographers have dealt with since the earliest days of putting images of sex on the internet, and one that's only expounded with the rise of independent sex work such as camming and clip sites. 

Image courtesy PolyAnnie

Some sex workers are trying to stay a step ahead by minting their own works on the blockchain before someone else can: Allie Eve Knox told Motherboard that she's been minting her works before others can, and watermarking them with a "bid now" banner that stays on the image until it's purchased, to keep people from stealing the jpeg or screenshotting it. 

A complication of NFTs (and a risk for sellers) is that most tokens give the purchaser the right to do what they want with it, including reselling it. "When I shoot for a company or whatever, I sign those rights away in a contract, but here, there is no contract. There is no law. There is no regulation, aside from moderation of the site—which is hella subjective," Knox said. 

Re(Booty) by Caroline Dy. Image courtesy Caroline Dy

Stein and Cryptonatrix both brought up the fact that most marketplace platforms don't have age verification or consent agreements, for either the seller or the buyer. "I think it’s just like any new technology, in that with the endless amount of positive potential it may bring, there are also dangers that we cannot yet foresee," Cryptonatrix said. "I am moving cautiously, including with the projects that I am aligning myself with."

Some of these issues are the growing pains of a newly-popular medium, but mostly they're predictable questions within the adult content industry. 

"Any fringe content will remain vulnerable to censorship as long as payment and computation hosting are in the hands of large tech companies," PolyAnnie said. "Blockchains are not evolved enough to host the content itself, only the proof of purchase and ownership. Therefore, blockchains can solve payment vulnerabilities, yet blockchains cannot address censorship in who gets hosted on the tech giant’s servers." Although there are ways to host images on the blockchain, they're very limited, and more like storing pixel art.

The NFT boom could also help illustrators who make more erotic-themed art in private expand that work into the public. Caroline Dy, who got into NFTs to supplement her income as a technical artist and game developer, creates digitally-painted portraits and pin-ups. "I'm exploring the idea of publishing more work that leans towards erotica as I believe we need to destigmatize and normalize talking about sex," Dy said. 

"It’s extremely important to not get too drugged up on that 'hopium,'" Cryptonatrix said. "Neither sex work nor cryptoart is easy money, though that misconception is certainly prevalent in regards to both." 

Even with the uncertainty of where this technology and art form will go, Stein said she'd still encourage anyone who's been shut out of other platforms to try making their own NFTs. 

"There are so many people that have already lost their voices, and they're the ones that need this," she said. "I see this technology as a way to get voices to the people that have not been able to use them.”

‘Building the Cockchain:’ How NSFW Artists Are Shaping the Future of NFTs syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[fadingpizzastarfish]

Xpadder For Mac Os

Have you always wanted to build your own city and run it?

Xpadder Mac Os X Download

Gamepad For Mac

Xpadder Mac Os X

Xpadder

Dec 10, 2016 Mac OS X has limited support for playing games, thus the support for Game controllers i.e Gamepad & joysticks is limited too. But you may want to connect your PS2/PS3 or Xbox 360 gamepad / joystick controller to Play games on Mac for playing games or performing mouse or keyboard actions.

KeePass Password Safe is a free, open source, lightweight, and easy-to-use password manager for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, with ports for Android, iPhone/iPad and other mobile devices. With so many passwords to remember and the need to vary passwords to protect your valuable data, it’s nice to have KeePass to manage your passwords in a.

The Xpadder for Pc will functions normally on most present Windows OS. Q: What is the difference between Xpadder 64 ビット & Xpadder 32 ビット? A: 通常, 64 ビットバージョンは、より安定性を提供します, 改良された性能, 高いハードウェア機能のよりよい使い方 (CPU & 羊).

If yes, then you are absolutely going to love the Citystate game. This is a city-builder plus political sandbox game that allows you to plan, create, and manage your own micro nation. This simulator will challenge your political and governing views as you have to create your micro nation from scratch and then govern it so that it is economically profitable while taking care of your citizens’ needs.

With Citystate, you create your own map, name your state, make policies, and so on to plan your city’s progress and run it successfully. And depending on your choices, your state will experience different impacts on different levels.

Download CityState for Windows

In this post, we will discuss a few interesting aspects of Citystate along with detailed information on how you can download and install this game on your PC.

Take a look at these amazing features and highlights of the game that make it so challenging and addictive to play.

Build your Own City

Citystate is a unique game as it uses a city-builder theme along with gameplay that includes political bias. Due to this, the game more challenging and requires you to plan strategically your next moves. You have to take in different factors like land value, income distribution, mobility, and density.

For example, you can build skyscrapers only in expensive areas so that the construction cost turns out to be lesser than the profit made on these buildings. If you have parks, forests, water, or mountains nearby then the value of a place increases. Also, high-density neighborhoods provide more working opportunities so their land value increases, and increased connectivity to other parts of the city also helps greatly.

So, you have to take everything into account and create your city in such a way that there is a place for low-income, medium income, and high-income people to live comfortably.

Acts as an Economic emulator

Citystate is a sandbox game that acts as an economic simulator and makes sure that when you build a nation, you don’t miss out on the naturalism just for the sake of convenience. The game has a complex mechanism and requires you to be the leader of the state which is not as easy as it sounds. Plus, you don’t have a guide or tutorial to help you, similar to how real-world leaders run the nations when they get power.

So, you need to be careful when planning your nation’s economy as each step has a big impact on your nation’s development. So, you cannot randomly raise a tax or cut the education/health budget as all these decisions have a real-world impact.

Includes Political System

Another amazing thing about Citystate is that it includes the political aspect of running a nation too. You will face new public concerns when building and managing your state and you will have to come up with adequate solutions for it while ensuring social welfare and economic growth.

For every new public issue, you will have 4 options ranging from libertarian ideology to community philosophy. So, your choices decide the kind of your nation you are building whether it will be a democracy, anarchy, dictatorship, or something else entirely.

You also have to make decisions regarding immigration and border control policies and have to subdue riots whenever they occur.

Fully Customize the Map

One of the best things about Citystate is that you can create your own map using the ‘Generate Map’ and then can even customize the map to your liking. You have the option to choose from 3 different regions: continental, island, and coastal. And then further you can add and modify your city environment to make it more desirable for citizens to live in while offering sufficient economic opportunities to everyone.

You can add water, mountains, forests, deserts, jungles, and grasslands to your city so that proper buildings can be erected while maintaining a good balance for the further development of your nation.

Citystate game is definitely one of the best building games and can be a lot of fun to play on your PC. However, before you download the game on your PC, make sure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for installing and running Citystate.

Take a look below to check whether your PC meets the installation requirements or not.

System Requirements for Windows OS

Minimum Requirements:

Xpadder Mac Os X Download

Operating System – Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, Windows 7/ 8/ 8.1/ 10 Processor – Intel Core i3-4030 RAM memory – 2 GB GPU – Radeon HD 3200 Available Storage Space – 500 MB DirectX – Version 12

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System – Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, Windows 7/ 8/ 8.1/ 10 Processor – Intel Core i7-4770 RAM memory – 4 GB GPU – Radeon HD 3200 Available Storage Space – 500 MB DirectX – Version 12

Gamepad For Mac

System Requirements for Mac OS

Minimum Requirements:

Xpadder Mac Os X

Operating System – Any OSX Processor – 2.3 GHz Dual Core RAM memory – 6 GB GPU – Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 Available Storage Space – 500 MB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System – Any OSX Processor – 2.3 GHz Dual Core RAM memory – 8 GB GPU – Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 Available Storage Space – 500 MB

Xpadder

If you really wish to play Citystate game on your PC, then don’t worry because it is definitely possible. And yes, you don’t need to pay on Steam to download and install this game on your computer.

Once you have ensured that your PC meets the installation requirements for Citystate, just follow these steps to download and install the game on your computer.

Click on the link above to download CityState.

Wait for a few seconds for the download file to become available and then click on the blue ‘Download Now’ button to commence the game download. Wait for the download to get completed. The download time for this game depends on your Internet speed.

Once Citystate is done downloading, go to the Downloads folder on your PC and search for the recently downloaded .zip file.

Then, right click on the .zip file and choose the option ‘Extract to Citystate’ to extract the game on your PC. To extract the file, you will need to install WinRAR application on your computer.

After the extraction, double click on the Citystate game folder and look for the .exe file.

Right click on this .exe file and choose the option ‘Run as administrator’ and your game will be launched.

Since this is a pre-installed game, you simply need to download it and extract it to be able to launch the game. You don’t need to install the game on your PC.

Note: Install DirectX, Vcredist, and other programs in the _Redist/_CommonRedist folder if you face any DLL errors while running the game.

[crimethinc]

Weathering Jail and Prison: Tips from Anarchist Prisoners Dane Powell and Joseph Buddenburg

Dane Powell, the first of the J20 defendants to be sentenced, just completed his four-month sentence after taking a non-cooperating plea deal in which he pled guilty to two felony charges. During the demonstrations against Trump’s inauguration, Dane was filmed risking his freedom to save a child who was brutally attacked by riot police. Dane teamed up with Joseph Buddenburg, another political prisoner serving two years for Conspiracy to Violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, to compose the following guide to surviving jail, prison, and transportation between holding facilities. Whether you are preparing for the possibility of doing time yourself, getting ready to support someone else through a sentence, or simply curious to learn more about life inside the prison-industrial complex, read on for a wide range of essential tips.

For perspective on how to weather the process leading up to the verdict, read “How to Survive a Felony Trial: Keeping Your Head up through the Worst of It.”

Joseph Buddenburg.

Dane Powell, immediately upon his release.

Dane Powell:

When you’re facing a possible prison sentence, the anxiety can be overbearing. No person who is in prison knows what lies ahead from one day to the next. It is quite literally a step into the unknown.

When I first got to jail, I kept notes on experiences that might help ease some confusion for my codefendants. I had no idea I would be transported hundreds of miles to the sunshine state over a three-week period.

Roughly a month at Coleman Federal Correctional Institution, I was introduced to Joseph Buddenburg, another political prisoner, who is serving a 24-month sentence. Joseph was originally serving time in California and was sent to the east coast, away from his support, as a form of punishment. I shared this writing project with him and we decided to combine our energy and experiences. Our goal is to give tips and tricks we had to learn the hard way. These are things we agree that we should have known before we heard the first door lock behind us.

I. Washington DC Jail

Presentencing

Prior to being sentenced, if found guilty, you will go through presentencing. This office will interview you and send a report to your sentencing judge. This report recommends a sentence. Be careful with how you word things during this interview, as everything you say can and will be used against you. I recommend your lawyers be present for this interview. For example, certain substances are legal in Washington DC, but if you’re found guilty of a felony you’ll be doing federal time / federal probation.

Once you’re in the DC jail, it can hard to reach anyone for a very long time. It took me almost three weeks to get in touch with support because I didn’t have numbers. Prior to the day of sentencing, I recommend making a list of ten people including their phone numbers and addresses. You get one free five-minute call after you’re processed in and seen medical. You can acquire a pen and paper prior to this call and call the one person with that list. You should also have someone lined up to pick up your clothes and other person belongings as they’re only kept for 14 days. Unless you want your support to be the ones making your wish list for reading material, you should already have this done as well.

DC Jail Schedule

Food comes about every eight hours to your cell. Breakfast comes at the odd hour of around three am. When you’re in intake you get about one hour of rec Monday through Friday. The rest of the time you’re locked down. This changes when you get into general population (genpop). I was in this lockdown of intake for three weeks and I only managed to get put into genpop by going on a hunger strike. Once you’re in genpop you’ll be out of your cell for about 8 hours a day. You also get two video visits a week and your support will need to sign up for this.

Random Jail Tips

If you’re having any issues on the inside, it will almost never be resolved the way you would like. The #1 thing to do is tell your support and have them put outside pressure on the jail. This works 99% of the time.

The mailroom was shit in DC. My support was calling daily as my mail wasn’t getting through. The mailroom kept telling them they were backed up by two weeks. You can get books but they need to come from a publisher and can only be softcover (this has varied at different locations but this is specific to DC). Legal mail can only be opened and looked through in front of the prisoner and shouldn’t be read.

There are no lines (in the sense of queues) in jail or prison for things like computers or phones. For a turn on the phone, you ask who the last person is and let them know you’re after them.

If you require a special diet, tell the Chaplin it’s for religious purposes. This still took me a month to get, though.

To check your canteen account and order commissary, they have touch screen computers installed in the units. Don’t order any commissary until you get to genpop [general population]. If you order it in Intake, they’ll take your money and not give you anything. You can get it back, it’s just a pain in the ass. When you first log into this computer, you’ll need to use your DCDC number (your number as a prisoner) for your username and password. You’ll be asked to set your password at this point.

The clothing exchange is the worst! You only get your clothes washed once monthly, so every day you have to wash your clothes with you in the shower.

Your toilet is in your cell and offers no privacy between you and your celly. There places in the wall that you can shove a spork into; then you can hang a blanket from the spork in order to build a temporary wall for a bit of privacy. You should save about 8 sporks for this purpose and to hang clothes-drying lines.

You should really be saving everything you can get a hold of like salt, sugar, pepper, and other things like that. You can make an air freshener with a bottle of nose spray and the green cleaner they use on the floor. Chaplains give out free holiday cards and sometimes free phone calls.

When you write a complaint, sometimes the officer you whose behavior you are addressing in the complaint will be the one to take the complaint out of the box. When this happens, there’s a good chance that that complaint will get “lost.” There is a workaround for this: you go to the law library or the chaplain’s office and put your complaint in their box.

The sole of your shoe can serve as a pencil eraser. Treat the detail crew on each block with respect and they’ll treat you right. They’re the ones who bring bathroom supplies, food to the door, and other things like this.

Tips for LGBTQ

My celly for a week of my time in Intake was an amazing person. When I told him that I was writing this, he wanted to give tips for any gay comrades who might be coming to DC jail. So these tips are coming from a gay man. He told me the gay community sticks together almost like a gang. If you have any issues, you go talk to other gay prisoners before anyone else, and they will help you faster than anyone else. You can ask to be housed with other gay men / trans women if you identify as such. Trans peeps should see the Chaplin for hormones (if needed), magic shave, and bras. If a celly is making you uncomfortable, you need to speak up ASAP.

In part two I’m teaming up with Joseph Buddenburg to talk about our experiences with being transferred all around the United Snakes. He has experience from the Cali to FL and I have been all over the east coast.”

II. In Transportation

Joseph Buddenburg:

Other than the time I’ve spent in the SHU (Solitary), being transported is the most stressful part of my experience while incarcerated. I’ve been held at six different federal prisons / holdover jails over the last seventeen months. That’s a bit of an anomaly; if you’re a “short-termer,” you should spend the majority of your time at one facility, with a short stint in transit at holdover facilities.

For folks designated to a federal prison on the East Coast, you’ll be bussed or fly ConAir to USP Atlanta’s holdover facility before transport to your designated facility. For folks designated to the West Coast, you’ll pass through Oklahoma City Federal Transfer Center, or Pahrump, NV—a privatized Corrections Corporation of America facility that functions as another Western Region Processing Center for federal prisoners.

In my experience, these holdover facilities freak out when a political prisoner arrives. I was held in max custody at Pahrump, and at Oklahoma City I was thrown in solitary for the duration of my time. If this happens to you, it’s important to keep in mind that this is only temporary; once you get to your designated prison, you’ll have more “freedom”, access to the outside, and more contact with your supporters. I was held at Pahrump for three days and Oklahoma City for two weeks.

If you’re thrown into solitary, there is very little stimulation. Use the time to work out, write, and engage with the prisoners on the housing block, who are just as bored and frustrated as you are.

During transport itself, I found it important to fast and not drink water. You’ll be cuffed and shackled, and access to the bathroom is nearly impossible. On ConAir flights, the US Marshals allow you one chance to use the bathroom on a several hour flight. They go row to row at a time chosen by them. They’ll yell and threaten you if you try to stand up or walk to the bathroom. The meals are disgusting and you’re only given an eight-ounce bottle of water anyway. You may be “black boxed” during transports, which is especially uncomfortable. Because I was convicted of a “domestic terrorism” statute, this happens to me. You’ll be cuffed and shackled, and if black boxed, a black plastic contraption will be locked to the handcuffs, creating wrist discomfort and near immobility of your hands. Make sure the handcuffs are somewhat loose. Cops are assholes, but they can be reasoned with, sometimes.

I found the bus rides are generally much longer, with no air conditioning, and less space. If you manage to get a window seat, try to sleep throughout the ride. Other things that helped were attempts at meditation, deep breathing, and just talking to other prisoners. Keep in mind that your designated facility will be nothing like these shitty county jails and holdover facilities, and that the misery of transfer is temporary. Most likely, you’ll be designated to a low security prison, with access to recreation, “programs,” college classes, and the like.

If you’re vegan or have other dietary considerations, be prepared with a number to call your support person to pressure the jail, and perhaps to go on hunger strike. At Oklahoma City, they threw me in the SHU; they don’t allow prisoners in the SHU use of the phone until 30 days have passed. They also (illegally) don’t allow prisoners to have stamps—you can send out three letters a week, only on Wednesdays. This resulted in my being unable to contact friends or supporters, so I had to refuse meals until they finally put me on a “no flesh” diet. This was not always vegan, but there’s enough vegan sustenance to survive on. Ask for a celly when you first arrive, so you’ll be able to trade food.

Dane Powell:

I was awoken around 4 am in my cell in DC. The cop told me “pack your shit, you’re heading to the Feds.” I was so new to everything, I thought I was already with the Feds. After all, I was put into the custody of the US Federal Marshals after sentencing. I was excited when my celly told me the Feds are “easy time.” On the other hand, I had just got settled in and had a nice collection of books. You can’t bring anything with you except for legal papers (put your contact list on your legal papers). So I left my books and letters as property that was to be picked up, and I stepped off again into the unknown.

From the morning I left DC, it took me three weeks to get to Coleman, FL. The process of waking you up at 4 am was repeated each time we would be transported. In my three weeks, I saw one jail and two prisons before getting to Coleman. The first morning, after leaving DC, we were brought to Warsaw, VA. We were put into a large, dormitory-style housing unit with TVs, phones, and video calling. We were at this holdover area only for a few days until we were moved once again.

This time, we were moved to Petersburg, VA. At holdover here, we were all put into solitary (SHU), and we didn’t come out from there once. We even had showers in our cells and were denied out daily recreation time due to our transportation status. We could yell to each other, but that was it. We had no books or anything to keep our minds busy.

This was the hardest week of my life, and I’ve been through a lot. I hear about people doing months or years in solitary; they have my highest respect. Only those who have been separated from human contact like this know the barbarism it takes for a human being to do this to another and the pain and suffering this torture causes. I hope I’m not affected from this time long term, but only time will tell.

After climbing out of the bolus of hell, I was brought to Atlanta Federal Institution. My experience in Atlanta was like a combination of the two previous locations, as we were mostly locked down due to two stabbings on the compound.

When you’re being transported, you should try to be first in line if you are trying to get a window seat. I think I got a window seat once; the three other times, when I didn’t, the only thing I could think of, the whole trip, was to tell others to get a window seat. I would fall asleep and with every bump I would smash my face on the seat in front of me. You’re chained up with cuffs on your hands and ankles and the cuffs are attached to a chain around your stomach. When the guards are putting on the abdomen chains, you should protrude your stomach as much as possible. That way when you’re sitting normally, it won’t be too tight.

Normally, your support will get instructions on how to setup a prepaid account when you call them the first time. Every single prison and jail I’ve been to has had a different phone system. At all the places except for Petersburg, I was told that the next place would have the same system and support could load up on their prepaid accounts, but this was never the case. Once you get into the federal system, those systems are all the same; but your support won’t need to set up anything at that point.

Some of the best advice I can give about being thrown into new environments so frequently is just to be observent. You shouldn’t really be asking too many questions unless you absolutely have to. You should ask your fellow prisoners if that situation occurs. At the same time, don’t bombard other prisoners with questions. Don’t come off as someone who’s new to the system, even if you are. You can learn everything you need to know by just sitting back and watching what others do. This takes time but it’s the safest way to approach this unknown. If you follow this, you’ll be a step ahead of most others.

III. Federal Custody

Joseph Buddenburg:

I did most of my time at medium facilities, in terms of the levels of violence, the programs, the “freedoms” afforded to me, and general demeanor, politics, and culture of prisoners.

There’s a rating system for prisoners: 0-11 points means you go to camp, 12-15 to a low security facility, 16-23 to a medium, and 24+ high security. The following factors determine federal custody levels:

detainers / pending charges

severity of current offense (mine was moderate, 3 points)

criminal history score / past convictions (0-1 past convictions is 0 points, 2-3 is 2 points)

history of escape attempts (should be 0, unless you’ve been found guilty of past failures to appear)

history of violence

voluntary surrender status (0 for no voluntary surrender, -3 for receiving a self-surrender)

age (8 points if 24 or younger at the date of sentencing, 4 points if 25-35 years old)

education level (0 points if you have a copy of your high school diploma/GED in your presentencing report, 2 points for “non-verified HSD/GED)

drug or alcohol abuse / convictions (0 for never or more than 5 years previous, 1 point for any drug use or convictions in the last 5 years).

If your charge is political, the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) will likely place a “management variable” of greater security or a “public safety factor” on you. This will make you ineligible for “Club Fed”: federal prison camps, in which there is no fence and you have more freedom of movement. Political prisoners will go to low security or higher.

A “management variable” will bump you up one level, so if you’re at camp level, you’ll go to a low; low points go to mediums; and so on. Only long-term prisoners or those with a serious criminal background will be sent to a penitentiary.

Make sure to clean up any pending charges or warrants before resolving your case—I ended up getting 7 points added for a pending misdemeanor, which bumped me from camp points to low so the BOP sent me to medium security facilities. Also, be sure to have a copy of your high school diploma or GED included in your “pre-sentence report” prior to sentencing. The pre-sentencing officer won’t track this down, it’s on you to track down a copy—this will subtract two points from your custody scoring and could mean the difference between a low and medium security facility.

Ask your attorney to request a “self surrender” from the judge. This typically allows you to turn yourself in to the US Marshals / prison to begin your sentence. That will subtract 3 points from your score and gives you around 60 days to clear your affairs before turning yourself in. My sentencing judge doesn’t give self-surrender, but my attorney convinced him to give 24 hours to self-surrender, thus lowering my points.

Low security prisons are devoid of convict politics. Snitches and sex offenders are everywhere, but you’ll find a few solid people—usually older guys who have worked their way down from penitentiaries. It will be rare to find anyone who shares your politics, but for the most part other prisoners will respect you for “being standup”: for standing up for what you believe in and not snitching.

The prison bureaucrats may fuck with you, pinpointing you for harsher treatment or fucking with your mail or outside support. If this happens, be prepared to have your support pressure the prison, BOP, and oversight bodies and seek assistance from radical attorneys.

The most difficult thing about prison for me has been the isolation and interference by the BOP, and I regret not fighting it from the beginning. Don’t fear their retaliation and petty games: the nature of being a political prisoner will get you targeted from the beginning. Having support is your best weapon to fight back, so never hesitate to call your people and the movement in general for help.

Dane Powell:

Depending on how one looks at it, I got lucky for spending my federal time in a low. There’s a lot less prison politics in a low, which is good for political prisoners who don’t want to deal with racist prisoners, but it also has drawbacks. With prison politics low, prisoners are less likely to “check in” snitches and child molesters (i.e., to force them into protective custody). With a yard full of snitches, it’s almost impossible to organize anything unless you start running with groups that check papers.

Ask your lawyer to send you your sentencing papers as soon as possible. These papers will prove you’re not a snitch or a sex offender and you’ll likely need them to prove your story.

One of my cellies told me over and over that they were in for gun charges but refused to show papers. He always had an excuse as to why he couldn’t get them. Most prisoners see right through this, as I did. Turns out, this celly is in prison for trying to have sex with a fake 9 and 11 year old. I judge good jail praxis by whether the act of retribution gets the person who administers it caught or if they can pull it off without the recipient knowing. Someone had great praxis.

During my time at Coleman, I was welcomed into the native community. Some facilities’ native groups allow white people to sweat with them and some do not. If you’ve done a sweat before, the ones done in prison will likely be different. We would have a pipe ceremony every Saturday and this is where new natives or invites would bring their papers and introduce themselves. The papers would be checked by all to ensure that no sex offenders or snitches would sweat with us. It was nice knowing those guys could be trusted.

When coming from a jail, you might be told your mail will be forwarded. It’s very unlikely that any jail will forward your mail; you should just assume it won’t be. Your funds will be forwarded. For me, it took about 20 days once I got to Coleman to receive my funds from DC.

If where you’re sentenced and where you’ll be released are different, and you’re going to have probation, you’ll need to get a transfer. If your probation isn’t transferred before you get out, you will have to report to probation in the district you were sentenced, even if you have no place to go. To get the transfer, you’ll need to see your case manager and have an address to live at which there are no felons or guns, among other things. It takes about a month to properly transfer your probation.

I had issues with the email system that was offered to us. You’ll need to add your friend’s email address as a contact on the computer system. When you add it, that email address will receive an email for them to set up an account through TRULINCS (the system the BOP uses). From what I’ve seen and heard, this process can be confusing. If they get past this and they have an account, they can email you. They need to understand that when a prisoner emails them, they will not get an email notification to their actual email address alerting them of your message. They will have to sign into TRULINCS to see your emails every time. For some reason, a lot of people didn’t understand this.

There are also private secondary services out there through which you’ll be assigned a phone number and friends can text this number. The company then sends you an email with the text message and you can respond to that email and they text your message to your correspondent. This service costs about $15 a month and you’ll likely need someone on the outside to set it up for you.

Most of the clothing you’ll need (like gym shorts, sweats, and shoes) can be bought in your housing unit. The most common forms of currency are stamp books (flats) and packages of mackerels (macks). Prisoners make a job out of fixing up shoes and clothing that was trashed and repurposing them. You can pick up items for a fraction of what the commissary sells them for; the ones available from commissary are normally made by prisoners at sweatshops in the numerous other facilities the BOP runs.

I saved the best tip for last. To bring hot sauce into the chow hall, put it in a medicine bottle and your food will be more bearable.

[inthespiritofthemind]

#43 Christians Are All One in Spirit

As I have watched and listened to the words and scenes of what is happening in our country today, the Lord has spoken to me quite clearly about some specific events.  The foundational issue which I will address here is the death of George Floyd. I have seen and shared on social media the background of the man in two formats.  One was a post by a lawyer who had info on Mr. Floyd’s criminal background and the other was a public figure and speaker sharing a rant about the same information.  

When I shared the first post by the lawyer, I was uncertain about sharing.  I had already seen a video by George in which he spoke about how the young black men today need Jesus and to make changes in their lives.  I also read that he had received Jesus himself and had become active in ministry for black men and youth.  So, I know that he was a born-again believer in Jesus.  As I read the background info shared by the lawyer, I thought it was good to know that info.  Then, as I talked to the Lord about that info, the Lord said to me that He did not remember any of that.  He said that George was a believer, his sins had been paid for and were removed as far as the east is from the west.  George was a holy, righteous child of God and was in heaven with Him.  So, I deleted the post.  If God does not see the sin anymore, I didn’t need to either.  George is as righteous and holy as every other Christian is, completely clean, brand new and forgiven.  2 Corinthians 5:21

Then I watched the rant by another person to hear other info which had been researched concerning the rates of black on black murder and including other related statistics in the country today. The background of George Floyd was shared again with even more info of the actual details at the time of death. You know, we all feel that we need to have all the info on everything.  Not so. I knew what the Lord had said about the previous criminal activities and knew that God was not holding anything against George.  In the natural or flesh, George reaped the consequences for the sin in his life before he received Jesus as Savior. After his rebirth, George was held blameless by God for any sin. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Sinful behavior after rebirth is the result of demons in the soul and no longer has any spiritual consequence for any Christian.  George Floyd lost his life because he was murdered.  The man who killed him was under the influence of the demonic.

To understand this whole picture, we need to know what happens when we receive Jesus as Savior.  Before Jesus is received, we (the whole world) are all sinners and living with our souls (mind, emotions and will) as the highest functioning part of us.  We are living in disobedience to God.  And because of sin, we are spiritually dead.  Jesus bought us reconciliation with God through His sacrifice on the cross. In other words, we are forgiven, reconciled to God, made right with Him, through the blood of Jesus.  2 Corinthians 5:18-19   But we must receive Jesus as Savior to have the benefit of that reconciliation.  If we don’t, the gift has been in vain for us.  The Holy Spirit has been sent to every person on this earth to convict us of sin and draw us to Jesus.  John 16:7-9

As soon as we receive Jesus, God performs a miracle in the holy spiritual realm and He recreates us as a new spiritual being. We become one spirit with Him.  We are reborn, or born again from above.  We are spirit beings just like God.  We are “dead to sin and alive to righteousness.” 1 Peter 2:24   Our spirits will never die again because of sin.  We have been made new righteous, holy creations in the spirit with God.  Jesus does not need to go back up on the cross to save us again.  Hebrews 9:25-26   It has been done once for all.   Hebrews 10:14

Believers today are the church.  We are all one in spirit.  We all are one spirit with God.  John 17:32   And as far as skin color is concerned, it is not how God sees us.  He created all mankind and created all the colors, but His view of us is not as the world sees.  We are all spirit just like God.  So, as far as God is concerned, we believers are all the same color, invisible.   Acts 10:34-35    Romans 2:11   We cannot see spirit with our natural eyes.  But we are real and alive in the spirit.  We are not to look at the flesh anymore as Christians.  2 Corinthians 5:16   We need to look through the eyes of the Holy Spirit.  We are to discern each person in the spirit through the Holy Spirit.  We need to also discern ourselves in the spirit.  We need to see ourselves joined in the spirit to our God.  We are in right standing with God as believers. Can you visualize yourself as joined with your God in spirit?  There is nothing separating us.  The capacity for sin is still in the soul and still comes from the presence of demons. But we do not sin.  1 John 3:9   We must believe the truth about our personhood to be able to understand the will of God.  The enemy is stealing the truth from our minds and rendering us ineffective spiritually because we are a threat to him and his kingdom prospering.  We cannot let darkness continue to run our lives. The stakes for our country are too high. The enemy steals, kills, and destroys as much as he can because of our ignorance.  John 10:10   Ignorance comes from a lack of knowledge.  “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.”  Hosea 4:6

We, the church, are living through times of all out demonic war and have declined to come to the fight.  We haven’t known or learned to fight the demons instead of the people in whom they reside.  Ephesians 6:10   The devil has hidden our need for the Holy Spirit who manifests for our benefit if we will seek Him.  We cannot fight the spiritual battle without the Holy Spirit.  He is the Spirit of God!  He is the power!  He gives us discernment to see the demons!  

The view of government in America today tends to incite fear in those of us who believe in God.  We are shocked by the violence, murder and destruction happening across the country. That fear and shock are demonic. The murder and destruction are demonic. The racism, hate and accusations are demonic.  We must look past the emotion their presence brings and with the Name of Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit command the demons to stop, cancel their plans and schemes, and speak forth the power of God.  The actions which are not from God are from demons.  We must separate the spirits from the people in our thoughts. That’s what Jesus meant when He said to pray for your enemies.  Matthew 5:44   They deserve to be free from the demons and saved as much as we do.  Jesus died for the whole world.  And we, the church, are the ones to be doing battle with darkness and telling the lost and demonized how to be free and that they are reconciled to God already.  We have been given the ministry of reconciliation.      2 Corinthians 5:20

Christians, we don’t need to look at news shows or social media to find out what is happening and what we need to do about it. We need to talk with the Lord and submit to His will. I asked Him a few weeks ago if the election and all the politics is about money when I was asked to donate to another campaign group.  He said “No, this is a spiritual battle.” That is the Word of the Lord!   He doesn’t want us to be uninformed, but He would have us see through spiritual eyes and not the eyes of the flesh.  He definitely wants to be guiding our steps to be about His business.  When He has something to say, we need to be listening.  He speaks as often as we will listen.  Directly to us.  The Word of the Lord is what He is still saying today.  Sometimes the Bible is His method, but more often than not, His communication is personal and direct.

So, George Floyd is in heaven.  His killer will be tried.  He deserves to be set free from the demon who manipulated him to commit murder and to be born again if he has not already.  The other murders, protests, riots, and destruction need to stop!  The country needs to return to some semblance of economic order.  The police are needed by our country and need to be reassured of their acceptance as public servants.  And the spirits of racism and hatred must be bound!  Those causing the issues nationwide need to be held accountable for the demonic actions committed.

Fear over the virus is bound and health from the cross is offered.  We believers must curse the demonic plague at the roots and destroy it.  We must bind any more effect on the people of our world.  The members of my church group are actively doing this warfare already. I am sure many are praying, but what is needed is warfare against the enemy!   Let us unite, church, and speak bounty from the Lord.  Speak the truth in confidence.  Fight the demons behind the ungodly thinking in the people being used to cause destruction and death.  Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life.  John 14:6   The war is not over or lessening.  We are still needing to go to battle.  Rise up, church, and do what God says to do!  

[t-baba]

A guide to contributing to Web standards

#443 — June 3, 2020

Read on the Web

🖤 It's time to speak up, donate, or even just stream a fundraising video, because Black Lives Matter. Our thoughts are with everyone in the US and beyond fighting for these causes.

Frontend Focus

Image via: Increment

A User’s Guide to CSS Variables — A long-requested but still underused feature. Here’s a solid look at the “revolutionary possibilities for collaboration and code reuse” that CSS custom properties for cascading variables offer.

Lea Verou

Introducing the Web Platform Contribution Guide — The Web Platform Contribution Guide is an online resource for anyone who wants to participate in the development of Web standards present and future. If the idea of Web standards boggles your mind at all, this is a very accessible guide.

Bocoup

You Write Amazing Code, Get The Glory You Deserve — The most amazing code, but they see only the nasty bugs. Get rid of bugs fast and easy with the power of AI. DeepCode is free to use. Give it a try today.

DeepCode.AI sponsor

Microsoft’s New Edge Browser Now Rolling Out Via Windows Update — Yep, Microsoft’s Chromium-based Edge launched back in January, but users had to specifically download it. It will now be automatically installed.

Tom Warren

htmx: Build Dynamic Pages Using HTML Attributes — Billed as the ‘successor to intercooler.js’, htmx lets you add dynamic Ajax-y elements, Server Sent Events (SSE), WebSockets and more to a site using just HTML attributes.

Big Sky Software

⚡️ Quick bits:

Firefox 77 is out now. Here's what developers need to know.

Netlify's Build Plugins are officially coming out of beta with some new resources for getting started.

Search results on Google will take 'page experience' into account starting next year.

Here are the release notes for the latest version (107) of Safari Technology Preview.

The Brave browser now has 15 million monthly active users.

💻 Jobs

Find A Job Through Vettery — Vettery specializes in tech roles and is completely free for job seekers. Create a profile to get started.

Vettery

Frontend Developer at X-Team (Remote) — Join X-Team and work on projects for companies like Riot Games, FOX, Coinbase, and more. Work from anywhere.

X-Team

ℹ️ Interested in running a job listing in Frontend Focus? There's more info here.

📙 Tutorials & Opinion

Global and Component Style Settings with CSS Variables — A look at how to use CSS variables to create more manageable project styles and more portable patterns.

Sara Soueidan

A First Look at aspect-ratio — It’s not directly supported in any browsers yet but its arrival is described as ‘impending’. Stuff like aspect-ratio: 16 / 9 certainly seems nice, though, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed..

CSS Tricks

🍔 Let's Make a Hamburger Menu — A step by step guide to creating a hamburger menu animation with SVG and CSS.

Mikael Ainalem

On Fixed Elements and Backgrounds — Definitely not for the faint of heart. This is a pretty deep dive into containing blocks, rendering, and scroll performance.

Chen Hui Jing

When Frontend Means Full Stack — Thoughts on the shifting responsibilities of frontend developers, a place which puts us “between the thing we’re building and the people we’re building it for”.

Chris Coyier

Scale Your Software Projects Without Losing Speed — See how Shopify used Buildkite CI/CD to scale from 300 to 1800 engineers while keeping build times under 5 minutes.

Buildkite sponsor

A New Way to Delay Keyframes Animations — If you’ve ever wanted to add a pause between each iteration of your CSS @keyframes animation, it’s.. not easy. Here’s an interesting technique to create such an effect, though.

Eric Johnson

Creating an Overlapping Header with CSS Grid — A clever (sneaky?) use of :before makes it all work.

Jonathan Snook

▶  CSS Aspect Ratio, Rendering Engines, and More with Jen Simmons — Web Designer and Developer Advocate Jen Simmons joins Dave Rupert and Chris Coyier to talk about her new HTML Essentials course, CSS Aspect Ratio, and rendering engines vs browsers.

ShopTalk Show podcast

Svelte, Why So Much Hype ? — A closer look at the component-based library.

Anthony Le Goas

🔧 Code, Tools and Resources

RoughNotation: A Small Library to Create and Animate Rough Annotations — Uses Rough.js for the handdrawn look. Lots of nice interactive examples on the page showing the diversity of annotation types.

Preet Shihn

htmlgoddess: A Static Site Generator to Code Like It's 1999 — Feels a bit like satire, but seems to be a real framework that wants to promote simplicity, speed, and accessibility in web pages. Backstory here.

Jonathan Crockett

AudioMass: A Full-Featured Web Audio Editing Tool in JavaScript — Runs entirely in the browser with no backend or plugins required. Impressive. Source here.

Pantelis Kalogiros

Easings: Generate, Test & Share Custom Cubic Bezier Easing Curves — This online tool lets you play around with cubic-bezier() values to create custom easings that you can drop into transitions and animations.

Paul Macgregor

Perspective: Streaming Pivot Visualization via WebAssembly — An interesting use for WebAssembly here. Originally built for J P Morgan, Perspective is for building real-time high performance interactive visualizations, powered by a C++ engine compiled to WASM under the hood.

The Fintech Open Source Foundation

Better Keyboard Buttons in CSS — A quick way to improve the readability of keyboard shortcuts when you’re mentioning them in text. I love simple little solutions like this.

Terence Eden

by via Frontend Focus https://ift.tt/2XXYbYn