Best game of keepie-uppie I've ever seen đ pic.twitter.com/ptbuDi22p8
— All about Steve (@1StevieKilner) March 24, 2022
Month: March 2022
Reblog: ‘My mother was still alive while she was on fire’: Teen describes horrific attack
Even more than the video of the young man, I feel Scottie’s powerful comments about the Ukraine situation … and the U.S. … need to be shared with as wide an audience as possible.
Enough Damn it, enough!  The US and NATO has the ability to stop much of this, stop more of these kids suffering from watching their mothers burn to death.  Think about what the rest of this kidâs life is going to be like.  The US doesnât have to declare war on Russia, the US doesnât have to threaten to invade Russia.  We simply need to say no more and close the airspace above Ukraine.  Yes Russia will threaten to use nukes or biological weapons.  But remember the idea of mutual destruction is the counter threat. We donât need to storm and yell; we donât need to threaten to go first.  We do what we have always done and say if you start it with that, we will end you! All bets are off then. Why is it only Russia and Putin get to threaten and the US backs off. NatoâŠ
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The Price of Progress
From The Brussel Times
What is happening in our bodies?
This is a question asked in an article published by The Guardian entitled, “Microplastics found in human blood for first time.”
The lead sentence states:
Microplastic pollution has been detected in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested.
I think most all of us are aware of the “plastics” problem that exists throughout the world (“microplastics now contaminate the entire planet”) and that it is increasing daily. But now they’re discovering plastic in the human body!
According to the article, researches are concerned because …
microplastics cause damage to human cells in the laboratory and air pollution particles are already known to enter the body and cause millions of early deaths a year.
The big question being asked is … are the microplastic levels high enough to trigger disease?
Apparently, babies are particularly susceptible because so many are fed from plastic bottles. But adults are not immune since much of today’s food and drink is packaged in PET plastic. In fact, according to the article, even plastic carrier bags can be unsafe.
The research is ongoing and it is a pioneering study, but one that is vital to our health since “Plastic production is set to double by 2040.”
As we consider the ramifications of the study, it’s a bit unnerving since so much of today’s food and drink is packaged in plastic. Nearly gone are the days of glass packaging — and even many items that used to be packaged in cans are now in plastic containers.
One wonders if the price of progress is really worth it in the long run.
Scorched Earth
Image from Wikipedia
Some have said that the “Scorched Earth” policy is Putin’s goal for Ukraine. Thoughts?
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communication sites, and industrial resources. However, anything useful to the advancing enemy may be targeted, including food stores and agricultural areas, water sources, and even the local people themselves.
Desperation and God
A few nights ago I watched the movie, “The Cloverfield Paradox,” and while I do enjoy Sci-Fi movies that involve space travel and associated events, this one was, for me, a bit “over the top.” But that’s not the point of my post. It’s merely a lead-in to something that took place in the movie. đ
If you’re not familiar with the movie, here is a brief description from Wikipedia:
The film follows an international group of astronauts aboard a space station who, after using a particle accelerator to try to solve Earth’s energy crisis, must find a way home when the planet seemingly vanishes.
Naturally, as is typical for this type of movie, there were explosions, weird happenings, moments of crises, and of course deaths, as the crew works to find a solution to their situation.Â
Finally, after several attempts to figure out what’s going on and to regain some sort of control, only two astronauts remain alive and (surprise!) one of them comes up with an idea on how they can get back to earth (which has now reappeared) before the space station is completely destroyed. Â
OK. Now that you have a (very) brief synopsis of the movie, here is the point of my post. Please consider it carefully.
At the moment when things looked their grimmest, one of the astronauts asks if the group would mind if he prayed. Of course the group agrees. Now, while this action is not that uncommon in any crisis, a thought occurred to me in this particular instance and I’d like to share it with you.
I’m well aware that many of you reading this are totally convinced there is no god … while others have serious doubts about its existence. Yet in a moment of severe crisis — when a person is facing an almost certain and horrific death — is it so very difficult to believe that we might put our non-belief and/or doubts aside? Can any of us say in a moment of life-threatening fear that we would not utter words to the effect … “god help me!”
Putting it another way … are you convinced, in the very deepest part of your “self,” that in an extreme and potentially fatal situation you would not ask for help from an “outside force?”Â
(Please note: It’s very important that you disassociate from any thoughts related to the Christian god as you consider your answer.)
I realize that in moments of comparative safety and ease, it’s difficult to “imagine” how we might act under extreme stress. Nevertheless, I tend to think many of us might do (what we currently believe as) the “unthinkable.”Â