• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Biden Administration $55 Billion For Africa?

Whitehouse.gov

DECEMBER 13, 2023

FACT SHEET: Accelerating the U.S. – Africa Partnership After the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit​


Since the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022, President Biden kicked off an extraordinary year of U.S. engagement with Africa and made progress in delivering on our high-profile commitments announced during the Summit. The Biden-Harris Administration is over-delivering on our commitment to invest $55 billion in Africa over three years.

Did Daughter of Judge in Trump Hush-Money Case Work for Harris, Biden Campaigns?

Snopes

Did Daughter of Judge in Trump Hush-Money Case Work for Harris, Biden Campaigns?​

The case pursued by the Manhattan DA is being handled by New York County Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.​

Alex Kasprak

Published April 5, 2023​


Claim:
The daughter of the judge assigned to the hush-money criminal case of Republican former U.S. President Donald Trump worked for Democratic campaigns involving Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden.
Rating:
True
True
About this rating
Context
Judge Juan Merchan's daughter, Loren Merchan, was the director of digital persuasion for Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign. His daughter has also worked, indirectly, for the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign through a communications firm that provides services for progressive campaigns.
  • Agree
Reactions: Vambram

Trump is increasingly funneling campaign money into his own businesses. Experts say it looks bad, but is probably totes legal.

Trump’s joint fundraising committee wrote three checks in February and one in March to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, totaling $411,287 and another in March to Trump National Doral Miami for $62,337, according to a report filed to the Federal Election Commission this week.

Trump has been doing it for years, shifting millions in campaign cash into his sprawling business empire to pay for expenses such as using his personal aircraft for political events, rent at Trump Tower and events at his properties, which has included hotels and private clubs.

The payments Trump’s campaign has made to his businesses ... have been growing in recent months.

The Trump campaign and affiliated political committees paid businesses owned by Trump at least $4.9 million since the start of 2023, according to an analysis by USA TODAY. Trump's various campaign committees and a super PAC controlled by his supporters also spent at least $809,000 at his properties since the beginning of last year.

The primary thing Trump’s businesses need to do is charge his campaign and PACs the same amount they would charge any other paying customer for the services. But there’s also an ethical question of whether the campaign and PACs could get a better deal somewhere else.

“How much are they charging? And to what extent are they putting people up who might be staying someplace else that might be cheaper?” Briffault asked. “You could imagine that there could be cheaper venues to these things, but they’re purposely holding them there.”

Other GOP candidates also have been spending considerable campaign cash at Trump properties. Ohio Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno's campaign spent $109,000 on "event catering" at Mar-a-Lago in April, December and January of 2023, records show. Trump endorsed Moreno in December. Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Jim Marchant's campaign spent about $67,000 at Mar-a-Lago on "event venue rental and catering" in November and December.

Man suspected of throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple in Massachusetts is arrested, prosecutors say

A suspect has been arrested for allegedly throwing a pipe bomb that damaged The Satanic Temple headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts, where investigators found a letter addressed, “Dear Satanist” at the scene last week, prosecutors announced.

Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma, was arrested Wednesday morning and has been charged with using fire or an explosive to damage a building used in interstate or foreign commerce during the April 8 incident, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said.

The letter reads, in part, “Elohim send me 7 months ago to give you peaceful message to hope you repent. You say no, Elohim now send me to smite Satan and I happy to obey,” according to the affidavit.

About 7 months ago, on September 11, the Satanic Temple headquarters was vandalized with Bible verses spray painted in white, according to the affidavit.

In a statement on the arrest Wednesday, The Satanic Temple expressed thanks to police and federal investigators and “profound gratitude to the Salem community for the outpouring of support we have received during this challenging period.”

When did God Create the Universe?

Hi everyone, I have been pondering this, but I am not sure if this is scriptural and legit or not. Let me know what you think! My question is this- when did God create the universe? I think the answer is- never! God created time! The bible does say that God created the heavens and the earth in 7 days and I believe that, but when were the 7 days? Space and time are connected, there is space-time and the space-time continuum. I believe the "heavens" described in the bible are the universe. What do you think of this?

USC valedictorian’s grad speech is canceled: ‘The university has betrayed me’

When Asna Tabassum learned that USC had disinvited her from speaking at next month’s graduation, she hadn’t yet planned what she would say in her remarks, beyond that she would convey a message of hope.

University leaders who announced the decision Monday, after pro-Israel groups criticized a link on Tabassum’s Instagram page as evidence of her being antisemitic, didn’t know the theme of her speech because she hadn’t shared it with them, the class valedictorian said an interview with The Times on Tuesday.

In keeping Tabassum from giving a three- to five-minute speech in front of 65,000 people during the May 10 ceremony, USC Provost Andrew T. Guzman cited the need to “maintain campus safety and security.” The university alluded to unnamed threats but has not publicly detailed them.

The backlash against Tabassum, who was chosen as valedictorian by a university committee from nearly 100 applicants with GPAs of 3.98 or above, was unusual, even at a time of intense campus strife between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel activists, because it didn’t involve anything she said or did. The opposition appeared to stem mostly from a link on her Instagram profile to a website she did not create.

[And allegedly the actual college decision was based on 'safety', implying that it had nothing to do with her, but rather that if "anti-pro-Palestinian" (let's call them) groups complain loudly and threateningly enough, they can cancel speech on a college campus.]

Tabassum, who minored in resistance to genocide, suggested her opponents were mistaken about her views and her studies.

The program, an official minor at USC, requires students to enroll in five courses from a list that includes several on the Holocaust as well as on the Armenian genocide and other genocides, such as targeted killings of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994.

--

On Tuesday, Joel Curran, USC’s senior vice president of communications, said the “final decision” on the matter rested with university President Carol Folt.

Folt was not available for an interview.

[I wonder if the scene of various college presidents being haled before Congressional subcommittees may have affected her thinking.]
  • Informative
Reactions: AlexB23

Vaccine breakthrough means no more chasing strains


Scientists at UC Riverside have demonstrated a new, RNA-based vaccine strategy that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by babies or the immunocompromised.
Peopleimages/iStock/Getty
Every year, researchers try to predict the four influenza strains that are most likely to be prevalent during the upcoming flu season. And every year, people line up to get their updated vaccine, hoping the researchers formulated the shot correctly.
The same is true of COVID vaccines, which have been reformulated to target sub-variants of the most prevalent strains circulating in the U.S.
This new strategy would eliminate the need to create all these different shots, because it targets a part of the viral genome that is common to all strains of a virus. The vaccine, how it works, and a demonstration of its efficacy in mice is described in a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

What is different?

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I just don't think I have EVER seen any other President ilicit death threats from his supporters.

I certainly have my reasons and a lot of it has to do with his cult leader like strategies he uses subconsciously often I'm sure IMHO, but I'm curious of everyone else's thoughts.


Why is Trump seen by his supporters as more a savior than president? Is it just because he repeats ad nauseum that he is the only one who can save America and they believe him?

I'm sorry but this picture is not typical "support your politician " behaviour and it seems very common

Episcopal bishops oppose Catholic music group’s use of New York seminary

Episcopal bishops in New York state are vocally opposing a Catholic music group’s usage of a seminary facility in New York City, citing concerns over the purported position of the group’s founders on LGBT issues.

Episcopal News Service (ENS), the official news wire of the Episcopal Church, reported this month that the seven bishops who serve the Episcopal dioceses of New York and Long Island “are publicly opposing the potential long-term lease of General Theological Seminary’s property and facilities” to the School of Sacred Music (SSM).

SSM is “grounded in the Roman Catholic tradition,” the institute says on its website. It offers “support, development, and inspiration to all who value sacred music,” including through a professional choir.

Continued below.

Let’s use AI to stop fentanyl at the border and keep it from killing Americans

Over 112,000 Americans overdosed in 2023. Over 70,000 overdosed on fentanyl, a particularly dangerous synthetic opioid. While it’s easy to focus on numbers, we can’t forget that these aren’t statistics. They’re people. They leave behind parents, brothers, sisters and children. They’re futures lost. They’re lives squandered.

We owe it to victims of this epidemic to do everything we can to curb the flow of fentanyl from overseas (where the vast majority of it originates) into American cities and towns. This poison is a direct threat to the security of America’s citizens. And, though America’s borders are a point of grave concern, they are also the best opportunity we have to seize fentanyl and damage the cartels responsible.


This seems like a good idea to me. What do you think?

chinese/english devotions

To see all my reach and teach devotions in Chinese/English and hundreds of devotions in English, please click on this link.

我们有了一种分享灵修的新方式,要查看我所有的中文/英文灵修以及成百上千的英文灵修,请点击以下链接。

TBL China – The Bottom Line, Ministries

DEALING WITH SHORTCOMINGS

From: Karen Parrish


For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works…Titus 2:11-13.”

因为 神救众人的恩典已经显明出来, 教训我们除去不敬虔的心和世俗的情欲,在今世自守、公义、敬虔度日, 等候所盼望的福,并等候至大的 神和我们(或译: 神-我们)救主耶稣基督的荣耀显现。 (提多书 2:11-13 和合本)
那把自己给我们,救赎我们这些他所拣选属自己独特的人群,脱离一切不法不圣洁,他是如此的热情和充满善行。

Wow! That is a mouthful of “right living.” In my early Christian days, I would have said, “no way can I do all that!” However, the longer I walk with Abba Father, I realize that I was totally right! The only way we can deny ungodliness and worldly lusts is to walk with Abba Father, make Him the Lord of every area of our life, and talk to Him constantly! Even doing those three obligations, we still miss the mark!
哇!这是说出了多么正确的生活方式。在早斯的基督徒生活中,我会说完全做到这些是不可能的。然而,当我越长时间的跟随天父,我认识到我是完全正确的。我们唯一可以远离不敬虔和属世的生活方式是与父同行,让天父上帝进入我们生活的每个领域,不断的向父说话。尽管我们做到了上述三种责任,仍然可能没有完成目标。
My dear brothers and sisters, it is a daily walk, one day at a time to keep our focus on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have said it before, and I will say it again, I believe Satan’s greatest “hit” on Christians is to keep them distracted from what is truly important in the Christian’s life. When we get caught up in this world, as well as the things of this world, and that includes relationships that supersede Christ, we get into big trouble. There should be nothing in our life that we value or love more than Christ. However, we constantly lose focus of that because we are such tangible human beings. Since Abba Father made us this way, I happen to feel He knows our shortcomings on a level we don’t comprehend.
我亲爱的弟兄姐妹,这是每天的行走,每天都要有特定的时间将注意力放在我们的救主耶稣基督上。我以前已经说过,我还要说,我知道撒旦对基督徒的重大打击是,是让他们不能集中注意力在对于基督徒的生活真正重要的事情上。当我们被世界和世界上的事抓住,取代了我们和神之间的关系,我们就有大麻烦了。在我们的生活中不应该有任何价值观或者爱超越了基督。然而我们不断失去对神的聚焦,因为我们是如此真实的人类。自从天父带领我们走这条路,我感觉到天父知道我们的短处,知道我们处在一个不能理解的水平。

My prayer is that I, and hopefully you, will comprehend our shortcomings from Abba Father’s perspective. Why? Because when I understand those shortcomings from His perspective, I can more easily deal with them, and hopefully eradicate them as problems. The closer we walk with Abba Father, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede and interpret for us, and through our walk with Him, we will be able to deny the things of this world. Through the denial, we will be conforming to the image of Christ, and will know and experience peace beyond description! I love the last part of the above verse where you and I are called “special”! I am so thankful Abba Father sees you and I as special! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
我的祷告是,希望你会领悟,从天父的角度看我们的短处,为什么?当我从上帝的角度看我的短处,对付它们会更简单一些。希望我们可以把它当做问题来根除他们。我们与天父走的越近,我们可以依靠圣灵来为我们调解和诠释,我们与父同行,就能抵挡这个世界,通过抵挡我们就会遵行上帝的旨意。我们就会经历难以描述的平安。我喜欢最后几句话,你我被认为是独特的,我如此感谢上帝视你我为独特,赞美天父,神的羔羊和圣灵的大能!




pastor john macarthur



Discernment Between Truth and Error


辨析真理与谬误

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world” (1 John 4:1-3).
“亲爱的弟兄啊,一切的灵,你们不可都信,总要试验那些灵是出于神的不是,因为世上有许多假先知已经出来了。凡灵认耶稣基督是成了肉身来的,就是出于 神的;从此你们可以认出 神的灵来。凡灵不认耶稣,就不是出于 神,这是那敌基督者的灵。你们从前听见他要来,现在已经在世上了。”(约翰一书4:1-3)

God’s children are able to discern false doctrine.
上帝的孩子可以分辨错误的教义。


A sure mark of every false religious system is doctrinal error, particularly about the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Those systems deny that He is Savior and Lord, God in human flesh, the only way to the Father (John 14:6) because salvation comes only through Him (Acts 4:12).
每个错误的宗教体系的标志就是谬误教义,特别是关于耶稣基督的人性和事工。那些体系否认耶稣是救主和主、道成肉身、与父神连接的唯一道路(约翰福音14:6),因为只有藉着祂才能得救(使徒行传4:12)。

A sure mark, then, of all true children of God is that they believe the truth about Jesus Christ and do not deviate into doctrinal error. Although they may be temporarily duped by false teaching, they will not be permanently deceived by it. The apostle John wrote, “[False teachers] are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:5-6).
而上帝真正儿女的标志是他们相信耶稣基督的真理,并不被错误的教义迷惑。他们虽然可能暂时地被假教导欺骗,却不会长久地被蒙蔽。使徒约翰写道“(假师傅)是属世界的,所以论世界的事,世人也听从他们。我们是属神的,认识 神的就听从我们;不属 神的就不听从我们。从此我们可以认出真理的灵和谬妄的灵来”(约翰一书4:5-6)。

When you were saved, you were clear about who Christ was. “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ,” writes John, “is born of God” (1 John 5:1). Had you not passed that doctrinal test, you wouldn’t have been saved. God’s children distinguish spiritual truth from doctrinal error because the Spirit of truth (John 14:16) indwells them.
你若得救,你就清楚知道基督是谁。“凡信耶稣是基督的,都是从 神而生”约翰写道(约翰一书5:1)。如果你没有通过教义考试,你就没有得救。上帝的孩子可以分辨属灵真理和谬误教义,因为有真理的圣灵住在他们里面(约翰福音14:16)。

“O Timothy,” Paul exhorted his beloved son in the faith, “guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (1 Tim. 6:20). I pray that you will guard the precious treasure of truth entrusted to you in the Scriptures and so assure your heart that you belong to the God of truth.
“提摩太啊,”保罗嘱咐他所爱的属灵儿子“你要保守所托付你的,躲避世俗的虚谈和那敌真道、似是而非的学问”(提摩太前书6:20)。我祈求你能保守圣经中赐给你的真理的宝贵财富,保证你的心属于真理的上帝。
【Copyright 2007, Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission.】
Suggestions for Prayer 祷告建议

Thank God for revealing His truth to us in the Bible.
感谢上帝将祂的真理藉着圣经启示给我们。

For Further Study 进深研究


Read John 1:1; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9. What do they teach about the Person of Christ?
阅读约翰福音1:1, 腓利比书2:5-11,歌罗西书2:9。他们是如何教导基督的人性?





SOAK IN SCRIPTURE

God is Eternal, Part 1

Paul Washer
| Perfect will of God

Chinese
HeartCry Missionary Society

sermonaudio.com/sermon/52219711143644

God is Eternal, Part 2

Paul Washer
| Perfect will of God

Chinese
HeartCry Missionary Society

sermonaudio.com/sermon/5221978313774


God is Eternal, Part 3

Paul Washer
| Perfect will of God

Chinese
HeartCry Missionary Society

sermonaudio.com/sermon/5221976387335

Fallin Into same sins for many times

How can I not feel bad about it? Bible tells we are saved by grace and we are blamess, but part of me still want to fight the sin, and I feel iam powerless and I have fallen into same sins quiet many many times and I go and ask forgivness again, I feel like I just not sure if God hears me, and why doesnt I have strength?
Is falling into same sins form of tribulation? OR iam just weak christians who dont make it to heaven, coz I struggle with being obedient, I feel far from God, heart gets hardened. I dont want that, I did pray today free times and want to ask God why I fall into same sin, why cant it just be removed and takes away.. What is this all about I dont get that.. iam bit confused and question about if iam being even saved to start with

Jesus did so much for ini that cross, why cant we overcome and love him and be done with this sins allready..
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ..but how then
  • Prayers
Reactions: St_Worm2

Secret Knowledge

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Conspiracy Theories and Modern Day Gnosticism

The concept of “conspiracy theory” has been thrust to the forefront of our national conversation over the course of the last four years largely due to the presence of a president who demonstrated himself to be extremely susceptible to the influence of what had previously been considered a bit of a freakshow phenomenon restricted to a minority fringe among most Americans. Donald Trump brought the concept to prime time, and in the process exposed a broad vulnerability to conspiracy theory within the American populace and particularly within the conservative Christian church in America. In fact a recent poll found that 15% of Americans (yikes!) and 25% of conservative evangelicals (double yikes!!) currently believe the central tenets of QAnon (15% Of Americans Believe QAnon Theory, Poll Says ). And 15% of Americans currently believe that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence” to save the country. That should scare the bejesus out of anyone who cares about truth and should be yet another high-volume wake-up call to the church that some serious rebuke and correction is direly needed (unfortunately, so many church leaders are caught up at the forefront of this phenomenon that the rebuke and correction may have to come from the grass roots of the church in many cases or simply by lay people of sound mind and heart voting with their feet).

For my part, I care deeply about “true knowledge” whether that knowledge is known to a few or to many. Unfortunately, much of the “secret knowledge” in circulation at any given point in time is false or misleading, such that the possessors of such “secret knowledge” are also purveyors of things that are opposed to truth and reality. As a Christian follower of the One who is “the way, the truth, and the life” and who is “faithful and true”, it is distressing to see so many who profess to follow Jesus so deeply invested in various conspiracy theories to such a degree that it would appear that their commitment to “secret knowledge” takes precedence over their commitment to Christ.

The temptations associated with “secret knowledge” have apparently been present among humans since the very beginning. In the Biblical origin story of the human race and the human fall into sin, Adam and Eve fall prey to this temptation when the serpent (later revealed to be Satan) claims that disobeying God’s command would give access to the “knowledge of good and evil” that God was purportedly withholding unfairly from mankind. The “forbidden fruit” depicted in this ancient story was at least in part the fruit of promised access into the inner circle of Divine knowledge. In the story, Eve notes “that the tree was to be desired to make one wise” in response to Satan’s sales pitch, “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” From that time of beginnings to the present time, humans of all stripes have ever craved and been drawn to the temptations of having access to “secret knowledge” only known to an elite and favored few. As the old saying goes, “knowledge is power”, and possessing the upper hand of power over and against others has been a principal pursuit of many throughout human history. And of course, we all like to think we know something that nobody else knows — just seems to be an aspect of our nature in the present age that gives each of us some amount of perverse, selfish, prideful pleasure in our supposed superiority.

Continued below.

Im been mia but im back

hi all my name is calvin i cannot remember when the last time i was here but many things have happened since im currently going thru some health problems it took me off the road from trucking now i got to do what i can to build up a income base so i have a print on demand store and if it is ok for me to provide the link to it i need to get as much traffic on there as possible i do wall art with bible verses etc. on canvas

Ethics of Bypassing Paywalls on News

Is it immoral to bypass paywalls? This is a question that many of us internet users might have asked. I will provide a secular and theological explanation of why bypassing paywalls is immoral, though I do bypass paywalls myself, often to help others on CF get access to news from New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others. In the very near future, I will post a companion to this post, discussing why paywalls might be unethical. EDIT April 18, 2024 @ 6:15 PM: I will no longer be using paywall bypassing software to access or to summarize paywall articles, as the wonderful folks on this forum have changed my mind. From now on, all articles summarized by me or AI will be articles that are meant to be publicly available or open-access. For articles behind a paywall, some local libraries have legal agreements with news agencies to allow readers to access articles using a library card code. So, if you folks want to read a WaPo or NYT article for free (legally), please contact your local library for more information.

This type of popup is known as a paywall (Wiki link), for those who have not heard this term. A paywall is used to restrict access to news articles that require a subscription. Some newspapers, such as The Guardian, BBC (news) and the Onion (satire) do not use paywalls, and instead run on an ad-revenue and/or donation-based fee model.
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Secular Perspective

1. Intellectual Property Rights: Paywalls are often used by publishers to protect their intellectual property and generate revenue. By bypassing them, one is essentially stealing the content that the publisher has worked hard to produce and distribute.
2. Fairness and Integrity: Paywalls create a level playing field for all consumers who are willing to pay for the content. By bypassing them, one is not contributing to the revenue stream that supports the creation and distribution of quality journalism or research.
3. Moral Responsibility: By paying for content, one assumes moral responsibility for supporting the creators and ensuring that they can continue to produce high-quality work. Bypassing paywalls undermines this responsibility and can lead to a culture of entitlement and disregard for the value of intellectual labor.

Biblical Perspective:

1. Stewardship: The Bible teaches that we are stewards of God's resources and are called to use them wisely and responsibly (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). By paying for content, we are being good stewards of the resources that God has given us and supporting those who produce valuable content.
2. Honesty and Integrity: The Bible also teaches that we are called to be honest and have integrity in all our dealings (Proverbs 12:22, Ephesians 4:25). By bypassing paywalls and taking content that is not rightfully ours, we are violating these principles.
3. Supporting the Work of God's People: The Bible encourages us to support those who labor in the Lord's work, including teachers and preachers (1 Timothy 5:17-18). By paying for content, we are supporting those who are producing valuable work that can help us grow in knowledge and understanding.
4. Fruits of the Spirit: The fruits of the Spirit include kindness, generosity, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). By paying for content and supporting those who produce it, we are exhibiting these fruits in our lives and contributing to a culture of generosity and fairness.

In conclusion, from both a secular logical reasoning/ethics perspective and a Christian Biblical perspective, bypassing paywalls is immoral. It undermines intellectual property rights, creates an unfair playing field, violates moral responsibility, and goes against principles of stewardship, honesty, integrity, and supporting the work of God's people.

Two-thirds of US colleges, universities require DEI classes to graduate: report

The classes “place students into identitarian groupings based on racial, sexual, and political characteristics to create a rigid framework amongst students where they only see each other as either the ‘oppressor’ or the ‘oppressed,’” the executive summary of the 33-page report states.
And now everyone should realize why there is so much division in our country. So many universities are teaching Marxist-based ideology. Will our freedoms survive?

  • Locked
There's nothing else to call it, except weaponized incompetence

NOTE: Please understand that weaponized incompetence is NOT "I don't know how to do this task," or "I don't know how to do it as well as you do." Weaponized incompetence is "I'm pretending I don't understand how to do this task, in the hopes that you'll give up on me and do it yourself, and then I won't have to."

I don't know how much plainer I can explain it, so I'll explain it here and see if anybody else finds this concept as absoultely baffling as my husband apparently does after 15 years. Plus I have to vent, before I go off on him. I am SO sick and tired of having the same conversation with him, over and over and over, only to have to have it again the next laundry day.

I have three night gowns, all of the same plain, unadorned style. They kind of look like long t-shirts, not quite knee-length, hitting just past mid thigh. They were bought as a set. When they arrived, I even unwrapped them in front of him, showed him each one, and identified them as night gowns. My night gowns go on a hook on my side of the closet. They do not get put on a hanger and hung up alongside my dresses.

Since, despite explaining all of this, he almost immediately started mistaking them for dresses, I held a gown and a dress up next to each other and pointed out the difference. Notice that the dress is longer. It has a sewn-in waistband and buttons down the front. It is also of a sturdier, more ornate fabric than my gowns are. I pointed out that he only ever sees me wearing the gowns at home. Does he really think I would go to church, or the grocery store, or anywhere else out in public, wearing one of my gowns? If not, then why would he consistently mistake them for dresses?

In fairness, a lot of people don't know the difference between pants and leggings, but after I've explained it a hundred times, shouldn't it start to make a dent? What the US calls pants, and other English-speaking nations call slacks or trousers, are full length. I don't wear skinny jeans, so all of my pants/slacks have straight or slightly flared legs. They have either belt loops or a drawstring, and are of a heavier, more substantial fabric than leggings. My leggings are of a thin fabric, fit skin tight, and stop at mid calf. They have no belt loops or drawstrings. I wear leggings under long tunics or short dresses, never independently as slacks. My pants/slacks/jeans go on hangers in the closet, the same as his do. Leggings are folded and put in a drawer, just like the pantyhose they have more in common with than they do slacks/pants/jeans. He wouldn't put pantyhose on a hanger, would he? Leggings are just thicker, more colorful pantyhose, without feet.

He still doesn't understand. Every time he does laundry, if I'm not there to specifically clarify whether something hangs or folds, he WILL get it mixed up. I WILL find my nightgowns and leggings on hangers, and I WILL find pants/slacks among my socks and underwear to go in drawers.

I don't think I can possibly explain it any clearer. Can you?

He doesn't listen or retain what I tell him, is a chronic problem in our marriage. At what point do I give up all hope and accept the fact that he just doesn't want to learn the difference because it's not important to him?

Pearl Harbor 2.0: China-Taiwan War

Pearl Harbor 2.0: China-Taiwan War To Drag NATO In Conflict; Fully Armed US Cannot Thwart Attack On Hawaii?

As concerns over a Chinese invasion of Taiwan intensify, a paper released on April 15 by the NATO Defense College has warned NATO could become involved in a potential conflict involving Taiwan if fighting extends to US territory in the Pacific.

The report, “NATO and a Taiwan contingency,” from the research and education center located in Rome, is academic research and not an official stand of the European security bloc. However, analysts believe that since there isn’t much research about Taiwan’s position vis-a-vis NATO, it could be useful for strategic planning within the alliance.

James Lee, an assistant research fellow at Taiwan’s Academia Sinica’s Institute of European and American Studies, authored the report. It comes at a time when China has become more confrontational in its rhetoric against American military assurances to Taiwan.

Adm. John C. Aquilino, the outgoing head of INDOPACOM (the United States Indo-Pacific Command is the unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region), recently warned: “All indications point to the (Chinese) PLA (People’s Liberation Army) meeting President Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027,” Aquilino said. “The PLA’s actions indicate their ability to meet Xi’s preferred timeline to unify Taiwan with mainland China by force if directed.”

Hawaii Will Not Receive NATO’s Backing

Hawaii is a US territory in the Pacific that houses some major military outposts in the region, including the Pearl Harbor naval base and the headquarters of the US Indo-Pacific Command, which overlooks adversaries like China and North Korea. It is, however, unprotected – unlike the other 49 states that make up the United States of America.

If an attack were launched on this strategic US territory, the members of the US-led NATO would not be legally obligated to defend Hawaii.

The United States, for example, would be required to defend Sweden – which recently joined the alliance — if Russia bombed the state. However, Sweden and 30 other NATO partners would not be legally required to protect Hawaii if an enemy such as China or Russia struck Pearl Harbor.

Hawaii residents are unaware that they are not protected by the collective defense clause enjoyed by NATO partners, according to David Santoro, president of the Pacific Forum, the group in Honolulu. CNN recently quoted Santoro as saying, “It’s the weirdest thing.”

(Well, now they know if they get on the internet! :doh: :scratch: )

And imbedded in all this news is this - the exact reason why enemy nations view America as the aggressor.
Banned Under US-Russia INF Treaty, US Army Deploys ‘Most Formidable’ Missile System In China’s Front Yard

The United States Army sent its ground-based missile system ‘Typhon’ to participate in the military drills in the Philippines.

Persevere till the End

Jeremiah 4:19,
"My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war."

Oh, how I can relate to this verse on so many levels! The trumpet sound of war in the physical sense every time you look at news - that's a given. But there are others; those who persecute and wage a spiritual war against me, and it should be happening to you - all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Tim. 3:12)

But I don't worry much about all that, for Psalm 91:8, has proven true over and over: "Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked." Sometimes it's like "Yeah! Go LORD, you have vindicated me and judged mine enemy!" But honestly that is a swiftly passing and fading fleshly thought and I end up praying for the pathetic lost soul that has been judged, and has not listened to reproof, and spurned the things of the LORD and mocked His people. I pray they turn to the LORD and repent, because the way many of them live, they lose jobs, they get busted with drugs and go to jail, they get evicted, their girlfriends or wives dump them over some abuse, and over the years I've even seen Ananias & Saphira scenarios on 3 occasions, and close to it in 2 others. Freak stuff happens, and it can only be the sovereign will of God because someone has refused His ways.

Revelation 14:2 & 7,
"And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:"
Oh how wonderful when we can catch a glimpse of this power and majesty. It's not just words in a book! He is a LIVING GOD! He is THEE Living God!
"Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters"

Oh, that judgment is set, and is carried out, even beginning now, and has been, and will continue to show forth more and more. The Scripture WILL BE FULFILLED!

Psalm 17:3,
"Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress."
I long to say this, and pray daily for the pureness of heart that I may say it. Persevere to the end. "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matt. 10:22)
Jesus admonishes us in Revelation 2 & 3 to overcome.

John 6:27,
"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."
This is an ongoing and continuing thing. This is endurance. The perseverance of the saints, which is a sound Biblical doctrine.

John 2:19,
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us."
It's the same as those who receive seed on stony ground, or as Luke says on rock :"They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." (Luk 8:13)

Be encouraged to persevere, and to overcome. Be sure the seed is rooted well in good soil that it brings forth fruit and in the end everlasting eternal life. Amen.

Psalm 17:15,
"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness"

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